Chapter 464: Chapter 464: Agreement

The group of women discussed it and agreed that this matter should be resolved sooner rather than later. Right now, Mrs. Lin was suffering from severe emotional distress; letting out her pent-up frustration as early as possible would greatly benefit her health.

However, other than Mrs. Jiang, none of them had any personal relationship with Mrs. Lin. Therefore, Mrs. Jiang was the only one suited to handle this matter.

Their level of investment in this situation was truly staggering—they cared more about this than their own household affairs. They didn’t even think about going home, simply grabbing a quick bite to eat outside while they eagerly waited for news from Mrs. Jiang.

Mrs. Jiang certainly did not disappoint. She returned quickly, her face flushed with excitement. Seeing her expression, everyone instantly knew the plan was a success.

"You have no idea. As soon as I stepped into the Lin family’s home, the entire atmosphere felt incredibly oppressive. Her daughters just sat there wiping away tears. I heard they had already sent someone to the countryside to deliver a message to Mr. Lin, but he replied that he was too busy and would visit in a few days. He merely told his children to hire a doctor themselves.

"When I saw Mrs. Lin, it was like looking at a completely different person. She was deathly pale, and her eyes were swollen like walnuts.

"All she did was cry and complain about her miserable fate. At that moment, I wanted to just wash my hands of the whole thing and leave.

"Sigh. But my heart softened. Seeing as we are both women and lawful wives, I couldn’t bear to let her suffer such a disadvantage. So, I patiently told her that we had come up with a solution for her.

"She hesitated at first, so I pointed to her children and confronted her: if she backed down this time, had she thought about her kids?

"These are clearly the family’s assets. Did she want them to fall into an outsider’s hands in the future?

"Even if a man has a change of heart and acts shamelessly, she still had to hold the bottom line for the sake of her children."

Bai Suihe saw that she hadn’t stopped talking since she walked in, so she thoughtfully poured her a cup of tea. Mrs. Jiang shot her a grateful smile and downed it in one gulp. Feeling revitalized, she continued, "So, I analyzed the stakes for her. I made her realize that if she didn’t seize this opportunity to grab that woman’s lifeline, the entire Lin family would be slowly eaten away. Once that mistress gives birth to a child, she could just wait for Mr. Lin to favor the concubine and destroy his lawful wife."

She looked a bit smug as she spoke. "When Mrs. Lin heard that, the fierce glare in her eyes actually startled me. Sure enough, a woman fears nothing when it comes to protecting her own children."

"And then? Did she say when she would go?" Mrs. Qian asked. Bai Suihe and the others also looked on expectantly.

Mrs. Jiang replied, "She did. By the time I left, she had already struggled to her feet and told her eldest son to call for her maiden family. Tomorrow, her son will go back to the village to inform the Lin Clan Leader. She declared that tomorrow is an auspicious day to take in a concubine for her husband."

"Well, that is a wonderful occasion. We must pay a visit to offer our congratulations." Madam Li came up with a far-fetched excuse. "Mrs. Lin bought items from my rouge shop in the past. She’s a valued customer of mine, so I need to maintain our good relationship."

"Oh, that makes perfect sense. The Lin family used to sell their grain to our grain shop," Mrs. Qian chimed in. "We’re still expecting to collect grain this year, so I should also get on Mrs. Lin’s good side and prepare a congratulatory gift."

Bai Suihe was speechless. "What kind of excuse should I use?"

She had no idea if Mrs. Lin had ever shopped at her fabric store before. It was impossible to just conjure up a friendship out of thin air.

"Ah, you are our good sister, and you’re new in town. Of course, we have to show you around and help you make some friends." Mrs. Qian considerately provided her with a ready-made excuse.

Amidst their chatter, the group finalized their plans and agreed to take action together the following day.

Since Mrs. Jiang lived close to the Lin family, she could notify them immediately if there was any sign of trouble.

With the matter settled, the ladies had no desire to linger any longer. They still needed to inform the other households—how could the wives’ circle miss out on such a meaningful event?

Even after returning home, Bai Suihe still couldn’t quite believe how smoothly everything had gone.

But upon further thought, it made sense. People in this era had very little in the way of entertainment, and their favorite pastime was gossiping about everyone’s domestic affairs. Presented with such a rare spectacle, of course they would be incredibly enthusiastic.

Moreover, the women she had befriended were all officially married, lawful wives who naturally stood on a united front. This was, in a way, defending their own rights. They were eager to blow the situation out of proportion to serve as a stark warning to any men who liked to fool around outside.

Gu Kaiyuan felt something was very off. From the moment Bai Suihe walked through the door, she had looked him up and down several times. His attire today was perfectly normal. Could he have accidentally rubbed some dirt on his face?

"My dear, is there something amiss with me?"

Bai Suihe shook her head, finding her own recent thoughts rather amusing. If Gu Kaiyuan ever truly harbored any disloyal intentions, she certainly wouldn’t suffer in silence and torment herself like Mrs. Lin. No matter what, she would make him taste her methods and force him to sample every single poison she had concocted.

Gu Kaiyuan glanced at the sky outside. Why did he suddenly feel a chill run down his spine? The weather hadn’t even changed.

"It’s nothing. I was just lost in thought. How are things on your end?"

"The day after tomorrow, I will host a banquet at home. I’ve also put out the word that I plan to liquidate the assets on hand.

"What about father-in-law’s rural estates and storefronts? Should we send a letter to inform him?"

Although the Bai Family had left people behind to manage the land, those servants did not have the authority to make major decisions.

"That won’t be necessary," Bai Suihe replied. "They won’t dare to touch the Bai Family for now."

Hearing this, Gu Kaiyuan dropped the matter. Bai Suihe made a valid point; her father had left trusted men here, so a letter had likely already been dispatched.

"How did your outing go today? Did you visit Mrs. Lin?"

"After all, we aren’t very familiar with her," Bai Suihe said. "We felt it wouldn’t be appropriate to show up unannounced, so we asked Mrs. Jiang to go on our behalf.

"The Lin family is hosting a joyous occasion tomorrow, so we will visit then to present our congratulatory gifts."

Gu Kaiyuan was somewhat puzzled. Mrs. Lin was still sick; how could they be hosting a joyous occasion?

Just as he was about to ask further, Bai Suihe changed the subject. "Did Mr. Gu cause any more commotion today?"

Gu Kaiyuan replied, "No, but everyone outside was talking about his family today.

"The incident yesterday blew up quite a bit. Even though he tried to do damage control in the end, his reputation is already ruined."

Bai Suihe nodded. Both husband and wife knew that this was only the beginning.

There would likely be many more people like him in the future, perhaps resorting to even more despicable methods. Therefore, they needed to extricate themselves as quickly as possible before those people arrived.

The next day quickly arrived. Just after finishing breakfast, Bai Suihe was playing with Gu Xingyang when Nanny Pang walked in.

Seeing her mistress playing with the young miss, she couldn’t help but shake her head gently. "Madam, you need to go check on the pharmacy today."

Bai Suihe felt a twinge of guilt. She had been so caught up in the gossip over the past two days that she had completely forgotten about it. However, today involved the most important phase of their plan. She could only apologize, "Nanny, I’m afraid I can’t today. I already have an appointment with Mrs. Qian and the others."

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