Looking at Gu Zhihua's back as he turned away, Shuhua did not catch up. She didn't know what problem she could solve or change her predicament even if she did catch up.
She was very tired now, and wanted to find a place to hide and have some quiet time and rest.
The dinner ended in such a heavy and desperate atmosphere, and everyone returned to their own houses with their own thoughts.
The entire Gu family and the two large courtyards were enveloped in this depressing atmosphere, and the servants were cautious when entering and leaving.
That night, the lights were on all night long in Gu's mother and Gu's father's house. The old couple sat on the bed with their clothes on and talked all night long. At dawn, an idea was discussed.
Gu Zhihua, who had not slept all night, was called over by his father and his mother.
"Zhihua, your mother and I called you here mainly because we have two things to tell you." Father Gu's eyes were bloodshot and his voice was a little hoarse.
"If your son is unfilial, please teach him." Gu Zhihua stood in front of his parents with his head and hands hanging down like a child who had made a mistake.
Father Gu took one look at his right hand, which was wearing a black glove, and felt a twinge of pain in his heart.
He moved his gaze back to Zhihua's face and continued: "The first thing I want to tell you is that there have been many accidents in our Gu family this time, which seem to have no connection, but in fact they are all connected, otherwise it would not be such a coincidence. .”
"Your father and I were born and raised in Wanghai County, and my business is doing well, and I have some connections. Someone told me privately that this trip was because our family offended someone we shouldn't have offended, and we suffered revenge."
Gu Zhihua suddenly raised his head, "Is someone taking revenge? Could it be...that poisonous woman Huahua?"
Father Gu nodded and shook his head.
"It definitely has nothing to do with her, but neither she nor her poor mother's family has the ability to challenge us, let alone the Qing'an County matter involved?"
"So behind this matter, Huahua and the others must have found a capable person to help. And that capable person, I don't need to tell you, you should know it!"
Gu Zhihua's expression changed greatly: "Dad, you mean... the general who protects the country?"
Father Gu nodded, "The General Protecting the Country may not bother to take action in this kind of thing, but his wife, Mrs. Yang, is Huahua's distant cousin. Mrs. Yang and your mother-in-law Ping'er are even close friends!"
Gu Zhihua's expression was changing rapidly. All this seemed to be within his expectation, but also seemed to be beyond his expectation.
"Dad, the general's wife never showed up when it came to what happened between me and Huahua. Why did she suddenly intervene this time? And she was so heavy and cruel..." Gu Zhihua gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.
Calculating it this way, I and the general's wife's cousin Sun Dajie are still classmates. The general's wife... that woman is so cruel!
Father Gu glanced at Gu Zhihua's face distorted by hatred, and sighed: "If you don't want to die, put away those thoughts of revenge as soon as possible, let alone people like ours, even the magistrate of Wanghai County None of the famous families in Qing'an County have the ability to tear down the big tree of the Protector General. What's more, that Yang family, she relies on more than just the Protector General to control the country. Her brother is the number one scholar, and she herself He is also a very powerful person. A woman can bring her business to the capital and become an imperial merchant. How can she be so simple? Can a humble person of your level be able to influence her? Maybe you can put yourself and us under the influence. This whole family is all involved!"
Beside her, Gu's mother was wiping away her tears and sighing, and said resentfully and helplessly: "Last night, your father told me that Mrs. Yang was obviously the person behind the scenes. Judging from the looks of it, she didn't seem to want to kill us. Kill them all, otherwise, we will not be left with fifty acres of land, a shop, and this house."
"Zhihua, your father is telling you this to let you understand that there are some people we cannot afford to offend, and there are some grievances that we can only endure..."
Gu's father glanced at Gu's mother and interrupted her impatiently: "Okay, don't say anything to enlighten me. How old is he? You can think clearly."
Mother Gu shut up.
Father Gu: "The second thing is to tell you our family's current total net worth."
Speaking of this, Gu's father glanced around with majestic eyes. This was his and Gu's mother's bedroom. The three of them were alone at the moment. The maids and servants had all been abandoned to the front yard. Even those who gave birth to grandsons for the Gu family Shuhua didn't even let her in.
A family of three is talking privately behind closed doors.
"We have been tortured a lot by the general's wife on this trip. From Wanghai County to Qing'an County, from the shop and fields that I have worked so hard for many years to your disabled right hand, our Gu family has suffered a lot, and our people and money have been wasted."
"Right now, our family's only assets are fifty acres of land, a grocery store, the two yards of yard where we live, and your mother's ten taels of silver to live on."
"In addition to the three of us, our family now includes Shuhua and Xin'er, making a total of five people. In addition to the six servants who look after the front yard, drive cars and guard the yard, and the four maids who cook and wash clothes in the back yard, we We currently have fifteen mouths to eat, and these ten taels of silver can last us ten days."
"In ten days, not to mention paying wages to ten servants, they won't even be able to afford food. The problem is very serious. Let's think of ways to overcome this difficulty!"
Father Gu explained everything that needed to be explained clearly, and then it was Gu Zhihua's turn to think.
Father Gu was not in a hurry, he picked up the tea bowl beside him, opened the lid and skimmed off the foam on it, and waited patiently...
Gu Zhihua stood there with a dark cloud above his head and his face shrouded in mist. He never dreamed that his family would fall into poverty overnight!
With fifty acres of farmland, one shop, and two yards of yard, he was considered a well-to-do family in the county town.
But for a family that was used to living in a hundred acres of fertile land, seven shops, two properties, and just jewelry that could be exchanged for more than 300 taels of silver, the situation has really plummeted.
Gu Zhihua raised his right hand and looked at it, feeling that the last of his confidence was gone.
"Dad, my path to the imperial examination is over. You and mother should not put your hopes in me here, so as not to be disappointed again."
Gu Zhihua raised his head with guilt and guilt, and spoke sincerely to the two elders of the Gu family.
Father Gu and Mother Gu looked at each other and both sighed.
"Don't worry, we have given up on your studies. Our only hope right now is that you, as a scholar, can find a job in the government office, earn a living from the government, and support your wife and children."
Gu's father also offered an escape route, "But the current problem is that the general's wife is stuck. Let alone looking for errands in the imperial court, I am afraid that the imperial court will not even provide rice grains for the emperor in the counties under its jurisdiction next quarter." Even the subsidy for pens, inks, paper and inkstones may not be available!”
