Ms. Hua was just starting to stitch a shoe sole when she saw Ms. Qiu returning. Is there good news?
She immediately greeted her with a smile, "Neighbor Qiu, what good tidings bring you here?"
Could it be that someone wants to propose a marriage for my eldest granddaughter?
Ms. Qiu glanced at Gu Qingli, who was standing in the kitchen doorway. This broken shoe is still quite sought after, it seems.
Ms. Hua followed her gaze and saw Gu Qingli. Her old face fell.
Ms. Qiu turned, took Ms. Hua's hand, and patted it. "Just now, Ms. Jiang asked me to come and propose a match for her third son. They're prepared to offer ten taels of silver. Sister Hua, if you agree, we can settle the engagement right away. Even getting married immediately is possible, it all depends on your decision."
Ten taels? Ms. Hua was more concerned about the amount of silver than who the other party was.
Ms. Qiu nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes. So, Sister Hua, what are your thoughts?"
If this match is successful, I can get one tael of silver as a matchmaker's fee. That Niu Ergou proposal only offered twenty wen. I absolutely have to make this one work. As for his reputation of jinxing wives, if the match is made and they marry immediately without any delay, what jinxing could there be to worry about? As long as the silver is in my hands, what does it matter to me if she's jinxed to death later?
"Alright, Neighbor Qiu, let's go inside and talk. Eldest Daughter-in-law, bring some tea for your Aunt Qiu." Ms. Hua pulled Ms. Qiu into the main hall, not forgetting to shout at Ms. Yun.
Gu Qingli frowned. What was this Xiao Third up to?
When Ms. Wu heard it was Xiao Third, she burst into tears again.
Niu Ergou might be old, but at least he isn't known to jinx his wives. That Xiao Third has already jinxed three fiancées to death in a row! With my mother-in-law's temperament, she'll definitely choose Xiao Third. My poor second daughter!
"Li'er, listen to me. You must leave," Ms. Wu said, having made up her mind. She hurriedly pulled Gu Qingli back to the west wing, shut the door, and left Gu Qingli's father and brothers outside.
Ms. Wu fumbled in the corner for a moment and brought out a bundle. She opened it and took out a mutton fat jade pendant carved into the shape of a phoenix. Placing it in Gu Qingli's hand, she whispered urgently, "Li'er, take this jade pendant and go to the Capital City. Find Gu Xicheng of the Gu Family. He... he is your biological father. I am not your mother; I am your wet nurse.
"Shortly after you were born, your mother, the Madam, took you to a temple to offer incense. On your way back, she was ambushed by assassins. She thrust a one-hundred-tael silver note into my hand and ordered me to flee with you first.
"I clutched you and ran while the Madam went to lead the killers away. Soon after, I managed to escape that place and hitched a ride on a cart heading towards the Capital City. Who knew that family wasn't actually going to the Capital City? When we reached Qiyang County, they dropped me off. I had never been outside the Capital City before and couldn't tell east from west; I was terrified.
"Later, when my silver ran out, I drifted to Nantou Town, met your adoptive father, and married him."
Gu Qingli stroked the jade pendant in her hand. Her suspicions were indeed correct. She really wasn't a daughter of this Gu Family. No wonder Ms. Hua treated her with such disdain. Second Brother Gu had never shown the original host any fatherly affection. What a cold-hearted family this truly was. But now the question was, should she really go to the Capital City to find her biological family? Or should she stay here and get married?
Seeing Gu Qingli remain silent for a long time, Ms. Wu grew anxious. "Li'er, listen to me and leave quickly! Your grandmother will definitely make you marry that Xiao Third. He's already jinxed three fiancées to death! You can't be—"
"Mother, I'm not leaving. It's not the right time yet. I want to stay," Gu Qingli said, shaking her head.
She had just realized that if she could kill someone stealthily, leaving no trace, then it was also possible for Xiao Third to do the same. She didn't believe anyone could be so consistently "accurate" at jinxing wives to death. It seemed Xiao Third was not as simple as he appeared to others. Besides, if she rashly returned to the Capital City to seek her relatives now, without understanding her own situation clearly, she didn't want to escape a tiger's den only to enter a wolf's lair. In this world, a woman's chastity was valued more than life itself. If she, a broken shoe, went back to find them, wouldn't she bring great shame upon them? She also didn't want to get embroiled in even greater whirlpools of trouble. Forget it, forget it. She might as well just marry here. Since that Xiao Third didn't mind that she was a broken shoe, then she would marry him and see what happened. At worst, they could separate later. She had to escape her current predicament, right? Besides, she couldn't bear to leave Ms. Wu, Dashuang, and Xiaoshuang.
Ms. Wu felt a pang of sadness, knowing she couldn't sway Gu Qingli. However, having finally spoken the secrets she had harbored for so many years, her heart felt less oppressed.
"Sigh! I just don't know what to do with you," Ms. Wu sighed deeply.
Although Gu Qingli appeared gentle, Ms. Wu knew very well that she was actually quite stubborn.
Ms. Wu wiped her tears and went out to serve breakfast. Breakfast hadn't been served yet, even though it was early morning; they would surely be scolded again soon.
「Just as expected, it wasn't long before Ms. Qiu left with a smile to report back to Ms. Jiang.」
Upon receiving Ms. Qiu's reply, Ms. Jiang had no choice but to let Ms. Qiu handle the subsequent arrangements.
She truly didn't understand why her third son insisted on marrying that Gu family girl. She had even asked him if he was responsible for what happened yesterday. Her third son had vehemently denied it. In the end, unable to dissuade him, she had agreed to this marriage. She actually hoped that this time her third son would jinx Gu Qingli to death. If such a woman who had lost her chastity were to be brought into the family, she didn't know if the ancestors of the Xiao Family would leap from their graves to curse her.
The subsequent arrangements proceeded smoothly. The Xiao Family sent over the birth characters, and when they were compared, everyone was dumbfounded—it was a supremely auspicious match!
The one who compared the birth characters was an old man from the Gu Clan, whom the Xiao Family had invited. He specialized in overseeing such matters for weddings and funerals.
In all his years of comparing birth characters, this was the first pair deemed a "match made in heaven," the most perfectly compatible he had ever encountered.
Ms. Hua was the most delighted. As long as Gu Qingli isn't jinxed to death, even if it were the best marriage in the world, it wouldn't mean a thing to her.
She inwardly sneered at the Xiao Family. For a broken shoe, they were making such a fuss, arranging a formal wedding through a matchmaker as if she were from a proper family. If it were up to her, she would have just taken the money and handed the girl over.
When it came to finally deciding the wedding date, Ms. Hua wished the Xiao Family would come to collect the bride the very next day. However, she couldn't overcome the Xiao Family's insistence on an auspicious date. So, Ms. Hua picked the nearest suitable day: half a month later.
That was the twenty-eighth day of the tenth month.
From beginning to end, not a single person from the Gu Family's second branch participated in the decision, and apart from Ms. Wu and her two children, absolutely no one had asked Gu Qingli for her opinion. And just like that, it was settled.
With half a month still to go, I can finally catch my breath. This also gives me a chance to cure Ms. Wu's illness and help improve Dashuang's and Xiaoshuang's health. As for Second Brother Gu... well, sorry, but I'm the type to hold grudges. Since he never treated me as if I mattered, I certainly won't go out of my way to seek his discomfort or curry favor. As for Ms. Wu not telling the original host her true identity for all these years, that has nothing to do with me now. I won't hold it against her. Besides, what's the use of dwelling on it? The Capital City is so far from here. Given Ms. Wu's timid nature, and the fact that they have no money... There's a saying, 'One needs ample funds for a long journey, especially when starting poor.' We can't exactly beg our way there, can we?
「The next day」
Gu Qingli took Dashuang to the town. It wasn't far, so the brother and sister walked. When they arrived, they found a drugstore called Serenity Hall that purchased medicinal herbs.
The medicine apprentice there saw that some weeds were mixed in with the herbs. Good-naturedly, he told Gu Qingli he would pick them out this time, but if it happened again, he wouldn't accept their herbs.
Gu Qingli, of course, thanked him profusely.