Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

Although Madam Gu said that Miss Gu should be taken to the place where the carriages were parked by sedan chair, the Shen family still arranged for sedan chair bearers to carry Miss Gu directly to the Gu family's residence.

When Master Gu saw his perfectly fine daughter return from the spring banquet, being carried back on a sled, he was about to scold his wife. But then he noticed her face beaming with joy.

What are you doing?

"Our family is about to have a very happy occasion," Madam Gu said quietly as she was pulled inside the house.

"Explain yourself more clearly, what happy event is it?"

Madam Gu recounted everything that had happened at the Shen family's house that day, and then added...

“I think this second son of the Shen family is quite remarkable; he now holds an official position. The Shen family is also extremely wealthy. Now that something like this has happened in public, do you think his family will want to bring our Rou Rou into their household to be the second son's wife?”

"You...you're confused!" Master Gu trembled with anger upon hearing his wife's words. Then he pointed at her nose and asked...

"Did you arrange for Rou'er to do this?"

"My lord, how could you think of me like that? Am I that kind of person? It was really just an accident. I originally had my eye on Lady Wenfu and wanted to marry her to us, but when I asked, I found out she wasn't even of marriageable age yet," Madam Gu said, somewhat aggrieved.

"Appoint Wenfu Township Lady as your wife? What are you thinking? Huh? Is Wenfu Township Lady someone a family like ours can even dream of?" Lord Gu was so angry when he heard his wife's plan that he paced around the room.

“Why can’t we arrange a marriage? You are a proper scholar who passed the imperial examinations. Although you are only an eighth-rank county magistrate now, once our children are married, your career might soar to new heights!” Madam Gu strongly disagreed with what her husband said.

When Lord Gu heard her words, he felt like crying but had no tears.

"You know I'm only an eighth-rank official? The Zhang family are now fourth-rank viscounts, they're nobles with titles! And the Zhang family has plenty of money. Have you forgotten how they got their titles? They donated 200,000 taels of silver in one go. I'm not trying to be discouraging, but we'll never see that much money in our entire lives. What do we have to compare with them? Is it our family background? Or is our son outstanding enough? Huh? Speak up! With our family background, do you still dare to dream of the Lady of the Township becoming your daughter-in-law?" A series of questions finally brought Madam Gu's previously swollen mind to a jolt.

Rubbing his head, which was still spinning with anger, Lord Gu then asked his wife...

Did you express such a sentiment in public today?

"No, no, I didn't let anything slip. I only asked how old the village lady was. The lady of the house said she still had a year until her coming-of-age ceremony, so I said she looked about the same size as our Rou Rou and thought she was the same age. Then the topic was changed." Madam Gu now realized that she had thought too simply, and when she saw her husband staring at her with wide eyes, she quickly waved her hands to deny it.

Seeing her like this, Lord Gu felt a little relieved, but then he thought of his daughter again.

"It would be far too much for us to marry into the Shen family. I'm afraid they'll make our daughter a concubine, and they might not be able to offer her the position of principal wife!"

"What? Master, we can't let our daughter become a concubine! If she becomes a concubine, her life will be ruined!" Madam Gu screamed in despair.

"Keep your voice down! Do you think there aren't enough people who know about this?" Lord Gu snapped, silencing Madam Gu, who was about to wail.

“I need to think this over carefully. Don’t go out for the next couple of days, and don’t say anything carelessly at home. Keep a close eye on our daughter and don’t let the rumors outside disturb her.”

"Okay, okay, I understand. I will do as you say and I will not go out for the next few days."

Just as the Gu couple were talking about this, the Shen family patriarch also heard his wife talking about it.

"Oh dear, what a mess this has become! How did such a blunder happen? Madam, what are your thoughts on this?"

"Today I also asked the maids who serve in the garden, and one of them said that Miss Gu's kite got caught on a rock in the artificial hill, so she climbed up to get it herself. The maids serving her at the time were all watching her nervously and didn't notice how our Second Master ended up at the foot of the artificial hill. Later, I also had someone climb up to check, and from the angle where Miss Gu was picking up the kite, it was indeed impossible to see anyone walking below. So I think this matter was really just a coincidence."

Madam Shen analyzed the findings of her investigation at home that day with Mr. Shen. Although she didn't have a crush on Miss Gu, the facts were the facts. She couldn't accuse her of deliberately fabricating a story just because she didn't like her.

"If it really is just a coincidence, then we have no choice but to formally propose marriage. Everyone saw what happened today. If we don't come to propose, Miss Gu will only have two options: death or becoming a nun," said Master Shen with some helplessness.

"My lord, what if we make her a concubine?" Thinking of Xia Yu, Madam Shen still felt somewhat indignant. Because of the other party's carelessness, her son's good marriage had been ruined; it would be a lie to say she wasn't angry.

"Madam, have you forgotten the Shen family rules? One can only take a concubine if one is forty years old and childless," Master Shen said sternly to his wife. But seeing the resentment in her eyes, he then comforted her...

“Even if we take Miss Gu as a concubine, the Zhang family will never agree to Xiaxia rejoin the Shen family. Madam, unless we disregard Miss Gu's life or death and deny this matter, our only option is to betroth her. If we really harden our hearts and do this, then the Gu family indeed can't do anything to us, but what will the Zhang family think of us? At that time, the Zhang couple still won't give Xiaxia to us as a daughter-in-law. Madam, let's forget about the marriage alliance with the Zhang family. We should think about when to go to the Gu family to propose marriage for Erlang!” After saying this, seeing that his brows were furrowing even more tightly, he continued…

"Lord Gu is a man of good character and an upright official. I imagine he has put a lot of thought into his daughter's upbringing. Although his family is not wealthy, we are not after his daughter's dowry. Once Miss Gu enters the family, you can teach her properly any shortcomings she may have."

"..." Although she was extremely unwilling, Madam Shen nodded helplessly, which was considered as agreeing to the marriage.

Two more days passed, and the events that had occurred in Shen Family Garden had already become the talk of the town in Ming'an County, with many people waiting to see what would happen next.

Some mocked Miss Gu for her clumsy methods, saying she was willing to ruin her reputation just to climb the social ladder to the Shen family. As both families remained silent on the matter, the rumors grew increasingly vile. When Madam Gu heard the servants' gossip, she was so enraged that she severely beat the gossiping servant and sold him to a slave trader.

Fearing that her daughter might hear those words and take her own life, Madam Gu dared not leave her daughter's side for even a moment, watching over her closely.

While Lord Gu was at the yamen, some colleagues would casually inquire about the marriage alliance between the Shen and Gu families, but he ignored them all and paid no attention to any malicious speculation. He would go home after finishing his official duties, and politely decline all invitations from colleagues to go out for drinks. He knew everyone was laughing at his family, and whether he went or not, their conversation would revolve around them.

When he got home and faced his wife's tearful complaints, he only said one sentence...

"Wait patiently. The Shen family will eventually give us an explanation. There's no rush; it'll be over in the next day or two."