CHAPTER 1024: CHAPTER 1022: CAN’T HIDE IT FROM HER

Li Dashan glanced around and whispered, "You two sisters go inside and talk first. I can’t leave over there. I’ll be on my way! Keep your voices down, don’t alert anyone!"

Yang Zhaodi nodded, indicating she understood.

Li Dashan then turned back, quickly left the cave, and disappeared.

Gu Yu followed Yang Zhaodi unsteadily into the cave and found that it was much smaller and more basic than the one they had lived in before.

Before she could ask, Yang Zhaodi leaned against the stone wall and sat down, ears perked up, listening to the sounds outside, holding a stick in her hand.

Gu Yu felt anxious and couldn’t help asking, "Third Sister, what’s going on? Why did you move here? Did something happen?"

Yang Zhaodi peeked outside, then waved Gu Yu over, signaling for her to sit next to her, "Lower your voice!"

Gu Yu sat down next to Yang Zhaodi and heard her whisper, "It’s nothing but those heartless scoundrels, unsatisfied even with their good days now, always stirring up trouble. Stir things up then, as if Scholar’s Lady is someone easy to mess with? If she’s really provoked, she won’t give a single coin, and you won’t have any recourse! Those bastards, with hearts as dark as coal, have been causing a ruckus in the cave every night while the steward left by the big boss is asleep, trying to get Scholar’s Lady to divide the profits early!"

"It’s been keeping me up every night. They almost started fighting several times, it’s not a good situation for me and your brother-in-law, so we came up with an excuse to move here. Your sister is pregnant, she can’t handle their antics."

She cursed those scoundrels a few more times, then asked Gu Yu, "Why did you come?"

Gu Yu listened to Yang Zhaodi and felt her heart pounding. When Yang Zhaodi asked her, she replied absentmindedly, "I came with Scholar’s Lady."

"What? Scholar’s Lady is here too?" Yang Zhaodi exclaimed softly but quickly covered her mouth.

"What happened? How did you end up coming with Scholar’s Lady? Did she find out something?" Yang Zhaodi hurriedly grabbed Gu Yu to ask.

Gu Yu shook her head, "I don’t know! I’m now Scholar’s Lady’s maid. She came back to visit her family and brought me along. She said that returning to the county town would take longer, and she’s been worried about whether the house in Yingzi Gully is finished, so she brought me to check on you all—"

"What do you mean you’re now Scholar’s Lady’s maid?" Yang Zhaodi, a sharp woman, immediately caught the key point after hearing this.

Gu Yu then shared about being sold to a trafficker by her parents.

Yang Zhaodi was furious, hitting the ground with her stick, "Are you an idiot? If they wanted to sell you, why didn’t you run? Don’t mention anywhere else, couldn’t Third Sister give you a meal at least? Why are you so obedient? If it wasn’t for the good fortune of meeting Scholar’s Lady, what would you do if you were sold to a filthy place?"

She hit Gu Yu a few more times in anger.

Gu Yu dared not dodge, took the hits, then softly said, "If I ran away, they would sell my little sister—"

Yang Zhaodi’s hand stopped, resting defeatedly on Gu Yu’s shoulder, after a long pause she said, "How can they be so heartless? Do they only consider Zhubao as their own flesh and blood?"

Gu Yu lowered her eyes, "We’re just burdens, only Zhubao is the apple of their eye, able to continue the Yang Family lineage, haven’t you forgotten these words, Third Sister?"

Yang Zhaodi gave a bitter smile, having grown accustomed to her parents’ mindset, she held Gu Yu’s hand and asked her details, "Is Scholar’s Lady treating you well? Are you adapting?"

Gu Yu replied honestly, "Scholar’s Lady treats me very well; I am adapting. Scholar’s Lady’s whole family treats me well, and they’ve given me plenty of rewards!"

Saying this, she opened the bundle she was holding, spreading it out in front of Yang Zhaodi. By the light of the oil lamp in the cave, Gu Yu showed each item to Yang Zhaodi, "Third Sister, look, this fabric was given by Scholar’s Lady. I didn’t dare use it, saving it to make clothes for your unborn child."

"Third Sister, this is a hairpin the Lady bestowed upon me. Though it’s silver, look at the craftsmanship, magpies on plum blossoms, good omen, you take it!"

"And this, these are a few snacks, I didn’t dare eat them, saved them for you. You’re pregnant, I heard from Aunt Wu and others, you need to eat something good to nourish your body."

"Here is my salary and reward for the past two months, several hundred wen. I don’t have much to spend on over there, you hold onto the money. If I have a chance in the future, I’ll entrust someone to send more money. You keep it to arrange a dowry for my little sister when she marries."

As Gu Yu arranged things for Yang Zhaodi, she showed them one by one.

Yang Zhaodi held a pile of items in her lap but didn’t feel any joy, just discomfort, "What about you? What is your plan for yourself? Do you really intend to be a maid for life?"

Gu Yu wiped her eyes, "Third Sister, I’ve been sold to Scholar’s Lady with a permanent contract. From that day onward, I’m Scholar’s Lady’s person! As long as Scholar’s Lady needs me, I’ll serve her. As for the future, I trust Scholar’s Lady to plan for me; it won’t be worse than being at home."

Yang Zhaodi stared at the items cradled in her arms, took several deep breaths, then said, "You’re still young, and unaware of the dangers! It’s alright, serve Scholar’s Lady carefully for a few years, and when you’re older and ready for marriage, I’ll shamelessly plead with the Lady to redeem you!"

Gu Yu shook her head, "Third Sister, you’re already married, and have a child on the way, so focus on your husband and child from now on. As for my matters, I know exactly what I’m doing!"

The sisters couldn’t convince each other, exchanged glances, and Gu Yu said, "Sister, tell me everything about Yingzi Gully. Such a significant issue, I must inform Scholar’s Lady; it cannot be hidden from her!"

Yang Zhaodi gritted her teeth, "You’re right. We’ve benefited so much from Scholar’s Lady; if we still hide this from her, we are truly unworthy human beings!"

Right then and there, she explained everything thoroughly to Gu Yu.

It turned out that those who lost money gambling and returned to be pursued by the gambling den pulled Loo Xiaoshan into the trouble.

Now that a month has passed, those people have been stirring up trouble every day, inciting others, claiming that without the silver in hand, no matter how much is promised, it’s all empty words.

Only the silver in hand truly belongs to them. Who knows what situations will arise five or eight years from now? If midway Scholar’s Lady turns hostile, or if the tea business collapses, leading to no silver to pay, then what?

Better to cash in on the current favorable trend, obtain the silver they’re entitled to, no matter what happens in the future, it won’t concern them.

Besides, having silver, why stay in this remote mountain? Head to town or the county town, buy land and property, become a landlord.

Why remain a miserable hunter, relying on the sky for survival?

These words swayed many, even those originally neutral or disagreeing, had now been convinced.

Initially, Yingzi Gully didn’t have many families, only a dozen or so, and now it seems that those demanding money have become the majority.

Those people were even calling to go negotiate with Wang Yongzhu.

Loo Xiaoshan had no choice but to suggest that Yingzi Gully now has many people and is busy, with lots coming and going, so why not build a gate and restrict access?

Who knows how he convinced those two stewards, ignoring the construction of houses, first erecting a wooden fence gate instead.

He even assigned the men from the few families disagreeing with the division of money to guard it day and night, not allowing those people to go out.

Internally, he had to hide it from those two stewards and the workers.

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