Chapter 647: Chapter 649: Take Them Back

Li Chuncao was already weighing her options. ’My biological father is unreliable. If we go to the He Family, my sister and I will surely be schemed out of everything we have.’

’Going to the Shi family would be a bit better. Although my mother is unreliable, my stepfather relies on the Gu family for his livelihood, so he definitely wouldn’t dare to treat us poorly.’

’But for us, neither of those places can compare to staying with the Gu family.’

She was resentful of being married off just like that.

’What kind of matches has Grandma found for me? Either the son of a common farmer or someone from a slightly more prosperous household. If I marry into a family like that, my life will be nothing but petty trifles.’

’The life of a village wife is not what I want.’

’They claim to treat me like a true granddaughter, but this just goes to show where I really stand.’

’That Gu Lehua is inferior to me in looks, stature, and every other way, yet what kind of husband’s family did they find for her? A future scholar! The moment she’s married, she’ll be called Madam. This is just too unfair!’

Seeing her silence, Li Cuicui grew even more disappointed.

She turned and went out, told Luo Gang to call her daughters-in-law over, and then sent him to the next village by carriage to fetch Gu Yuanfeng.

With a room full of the family’s women, Li Cuicui got straight to the point.

"Yuan Feng, I’ve helped you raise these two daughters until now. The elder one will soon be getting married. As their biological mother, you should take them with you and guide them for a while.

If you find a suitable match, you can arrange it."

Gu Yuanfeng had been holding a grudge ever since her mother drove her away last time.

Later, when she heard that several of her brothers’ children had been taken under Gu Wenheng’s wing to be taught, she was so angry she nearly came back to cause another scene.

If Shi Dayong hadn’t reminded her that their family’s business still depended on the Gu family, she would not have been willing to make this trip at all.

She had assumed her mother was calling her over this time to back down, but she never expected to have these two hot potatoes dumped in her lap.

She glanced irritably at the two girls. "Mother, if you don’t like them, just send them to the He Family. The children I already have at home are enough of a headache. I really can’t handle any more."

"What nonsense are you talking about? These are your own daughters!" Li Cuicui stared at her in disbelief. "I called you over to inform you of this. If you can’t make the decision, then I’ll have someone bring Shi Dayong over."

"Mother..." Gu Yuanfeng suddenly raised her voice. "Can’t you just let me have a few days of peace? I’ve only just managed to establish myself in the Shi family. If I take them back now, who knows how much people will gossip."

"What is there to gossip about? In a place this small, everybody knows everybody’s business." Disappointment filled Li Cuicui’s eyes. "You can say such a thing without even asking Shi Dayong first?"

Seeing Li Cuicui’s hands trembling with rage, Xie Ruyi and the other women didn’t dare remain seated. They rushed to her side—patting her back, rubbing her hands, and fetching water—doing everything they could to calm the matriarch.

"Mother, please don’t be angry. If you harm your health over this, the men of the family will be heartbroken," Liu Liu said, bringing a cup of tea to her lips. "Please, have a sip of water. I’ll send for a doctor right now."

Even she understood how important Li Cuicui was to the family.

’To be selfish about it,’ she thought, ’if anything happened to Li Cuicui, Gu Wenheng’s precarious official position could be lost.’

’In the past, they had all hoped their parents-in-law would pass on quickly. That way, there would be no one above to restrain them, and they could have more freedom.’

’Now, how could they dare harbor such thoughts? They wished for nothing more than for the old couple to live to be a hundred, allowing their descendants to grow and thrive under their protection.’

"I’m fine. I truly don’t know what sin I committed in a past life to give birth to such a wretched child," Li Cuicui said, still fuming. "Look at how old I am, and I still have to worry about you.

Besides, marriage is a matter for parents to decide. It’s not my place as a grandmother to overstep my bounds."

"Mother, you were the one who insisted on keeping them back then," Gu Yuanfeng said resentfully. "Besides, you even changed their surname to Li. So naturally, you should be the one to handle them. I will not get involved in their affairs."

’If I take them back now, I’ll have to provide a dowry,’ Gu Yuanfeng thought. She wasn’t about to let her own little treasure’s inheritance be diminished for their sake.

But a mother knows her daughter best. Once she calmed down a little, Li Cuicui said, "I’m not as heartless as you, to just let two children fend for themselves.

I know what you’re worried about. Rest assured, I can afford to provide the two girls’ dowries."

She had considered handing this matter over to her daughters-in-law, but she immediately dismissed the idea when she thought about Chuncao’s current personality.

’After observing her carefully these past few days,’ she thought, ’I’m certain this child’s character has become twisted.’

’If my daughters-in-law handle this, they’ll not only be blamed for it, but this girl will hold a grudge against them in the future.’

’Since this is a mess of Gu Yuanfeng’s own making, she should be the one to clean it up.’

Gu Yuanfeng breathed a sigh of relief. If that was the case, then this wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

She was already thinking about which family she could marry the girl into. ’After all, I am her biological mother. If she marries someone nearby, she’ll be easier to order around in the future.’

Li Chuncao’s heart filled with resentment. She dropped to her knees before Li Cuicui, clutched her leg, and cried, "Grandmother, isn’t it enough if I just get married? That family you mentioned before—I agree! I’ll marry him!"

’Compared to falling into Gu Yuanfeng’s hands, that family I looked down on before is actually a good option now,’ she thought. ’At least with the Gu family connection in the background, I can still slowly scheme for my future.’

But now, Li Cuicui felt those families were no longer suitable. "You were crying and wailing constantly before, so they’ve already rejected the proposal.

I’m an old woman, and I don’t have enough face to go begging at their door a second time.

Perhaps I’m too old, and none of the matches I find are to your liking. In that case, you’d best let your mother find one for you.

In a moment, I’ll have Granny Song help you pack. You can move over to the Shi family’s home and live there for a while.

If a suitable match is found, your grandmother will prepare your dowry. We can consider that the fulfillment of our bond as grandmother and granddaughter."

The implication was clear: the matter was closed. From now on, Li Cuicui would no longer involve herself in the girl’s affairs.

Li Chuncao tried to plead again, but Li Cuicui grabbed Liu Liu’s hand. "I’m tired. Help me to my room so I can rest."

Liu Liu immediately pulled Li Chuncao away and, along with her sisters-in-law, helped the old matriarch to her room.

As soon as a doctor was summoned, word spread quickly. The Gu brothers soon learned of the situation, and even the Old Clan Leader sent someone to inquire about what had happened.

Seeing her sons and daughters-in-law gathered in the room, Li Cuicui took the opportunity to clear the air.

"It’s not that I’m being cruel, but our family cannot afford a single misstep.

That girl, Chuncao, has gone astray. Her ambitions have grown too large. All these years, I thought she would learn what she needed at school, so I neglected her moral upbringing. That is my fault.

I intended to find a well-off family for her, but she looked down on every prospect.

Since that’s the case, I am having Yuan Feng take her back.

I was the one who made the decision for them to stay here, so I bear some of the responsibility. I will be the one to prepare the two girls’ dowries, so you are all aware."

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