Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside-Chapter 908: Coming-of-Age Ceremony

No wonder Gu Dagu thinks this way, it’s truly unbearable for any man to deal with the affair between Granny Gu and Lord Lai.

Adultery, continuously for over ten years, even resulted in several children. Elder Gu wore this green hat for forty years; isn’t it hatred enough to kill them?

Mrs. Gu said, "Sister-in-law, don’t worry, Father has had a stroke and is still in a coma. How could he plot against us?"

But they indeed could no longer live with Elder Gu. Children of the adulterer living under the same roof with their mother’s husband? That’s courting death.

However...

"But where can we move to? Can we really go back to Tong Vice Magistrate’s place? Chengcai and Chengxian are both suffering from severe diseases."

It was precisely for this reason that Lord Lai moved them to this house, and Mrs. Gu worried they couldn’t return to Tong Vice Magistrate’s place.

Gu Dagu, being ruthless, gritted her teeth and said, "This house is where my real father settled us, not for Sixth Son Gu... Let’s kick out Sixth Son Gu and Gu Youfu’s family and let them rent a place, what do you think?"

What do I think?

Such a shameless idea, it could only come from you!

Mrs. Gu thought this idea was disgraceful, but she was clever. Instead of stopping Gu Dagu, she said with difficulty, "But who will drive Father out? We’ve called him Father for so many years."

Gu Dagu glared at Mrs. Gu, chin raised, and said confidently, "There are still people from the Lai family in the house. Order them to drive the people out; can the daughter of the Lai family not command them?"

Gu Dagu said it and meant it, immediately assumed the airs of a noble daughter, and summoned the servants of the Lai family to instruct them to drive Elder Gu and Gu Youfu’s household out.

The Lai family’s servants were stunned: "This, isn’t it inappropriate? That’s your father after all."

Though a stepfather, he did raise you.

Gu Dagu: "Pah, he’s a peasant and not fit to be my father; my father is Lord Lai. Stop the nonsense and go kick out Sixth Son Gu, don’t let him and his son occupy my father’s house."

Seeing the ungrateful face of Gu Dagu, the Lai family’s servants couldn’t be bothered to argue and did as they were told.

Ms. Zhang and Gu Chengli, hearing the words from the Lai family’s servants, were furious: "What did you say? Sister-in-law wants to drive us out? And says this is her real father’s house? Oh, how can she speak like this? She’s eaten from the Old Gu Family for so many years, even her dowry was funded by the Old Gu Family. During hard times, she ate the Old Gu Family’s grains. Now with an official father, she wants to drive out her stepfather? Does she have no shame?!"

The Lai family’s servants replied, "We’re just following orders, don’t get angry."

"Pah, how can I not be angry with all this? Do you think the Old Gu Family is made of clay? My Sister Rong is a young madam of the Zhan Family in Jiangnan; we have our backing. Yuan Jinzhi, don’t go too far!"

The Lai family’s servants laughed, not wanting to tell Ms. Zhang that Gu Rong and her people heading to the Zhan Family was a dead end.

"Chengli, let’s go find Yuan Jinzhi and settle accounts. I refuse to believe she dares to drive away the stepfather who raised her, has she no filial piety?" Ms. Zhang took Gu Chengli to confront Gu Dagu.

Gu Dagu saw Ms. Zhang coming and wasn’t afraid: "Youfu’s wife, don’t be upset. Now, our statuses are different. Official people can’t live under the same roof with peasants; it’s disrespectful."

"Pah, Yuan Jinzhi, do you really think Lord Lai will recognize you? If he would, he wouldn’t have waited until now. Lord Lai clearly rejects you bastard children!"

Hearing the word "bastard," Gu Dagu was infuriated, rushing to hit Ms. Zhang: "B*tch, how dare you slander me! My father dotes on me so much, but you, daughter of a down-and-out family, what gives you the right to be arrogant in my house? Get lost!"

Ms. Zhang was not one to back down, and she grappled with Gu Dagu. While they were fighting, Squad Leader Zhang led a group of government officials inside, announcing the latest decree from Magistrate Gu.

"The Prefecture Government Office orders: for Gu Pan and Lai Zhi conspiring to harm Yuan Jiaman, all sons and daughters and their descendants shall be implicated. Before this case is reviewed again by the Imperial Court of Judicial Review in the Capital, neither Pan Gu’s children nor Lai Zhi’s children are to leave the house; violators shall be executed!"

Gu Dagu and Ms. Zhang were both stunned, stopping their fight.

Gu Dagu asked Squad Leader Zhang, "What do you mean, implicated? My real father is an official, on the same level as Lord Magistrate. How can the Magistrate sentence him guilty?"

Squad Leader Zhang laughed, this Yuan Jinzhi was indeed as foolish as her sister Little Sister Gu: "Save your breath. All you need to remember is that if you dare to leave by yourself, you’ll be sentenced for prison escape and executed immediately."

He addressed Mrs. Gu, realizing she was more sensible than Gu Dagu: "Lord Lai committed a capital crime, all family assets are sealed. If you want to get doctors for Gu Chengxian, use your own silver, don’t touch Lai family’s money."

This almost shattered Mrs. Gu. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

She cried, "Squad Leader, Chengxian and his father’s illness require costly medicine. Without Lai family’s money, where will we find silver to treat them?"

Squad Leader Zhang didn’t care, announcing the Magistrate’s order and instructed the officials: "Seal all entrances and exits, monitor the people inside the house, make a count daily, don’t let them escape or cause trouble."

"Yes," the officials responded and spread out to work.

Gu Dagu never expected Squad Leader Zhang to be serious; feeling unjustly treated, she grabbed his hand, demanding, "My real father is an official, how could he be arrested?"

Squad Leader Zhang, disgusted by her hold, shook her off: "Stop clinging; otherwise, I won’t be polite. If you don’t believe me, try to escape and see if the government won’t execute you."

He added, "You’d better behave, or you’ll be thrown into prison instead of confined in the house."

With that, he stopped paying attention to Gu Dagu and her crowd and began to busy himself with the officials in the house.

Seeing this, Gu Dagu knew Lord Lai was finished, immediately crying out in bitterness: "God, why is my life so tragic? I just became an official’s daughter, and my real father committed a capital crime."

...

The Old Gu Family was wailing, while Gu Jinli’s house was full of laughter and joy.

Today was Gu Jinli’s fifteenth birthday. Though there wasn’t a grand banquet, she still held a simple coming-of-age ceremony.

Her principal guest wasn’t just anyone; it was Mrs. Jiang.

Mrs. Jiang and her husband, along with the Scholar Shang’s family, arrived in the prefecture from the Capital yesterday, staying at the Jiang family’s house in the prefecture.

Among Gu Jinli’s acquaintances, Mrs. Jiang was the most blessed, having full family, children, grandchildren, and being virtuous, making her the ideal principal guest for the ceremony.

As for Third Grandma and Old Mrs. Yan, they felt their fortunes weren’t good and feared bringing bad luck to Gu Jinli’s future, so they declined to be the principal guest.

Gu Jinli didn’t mind; she was merely curious about what a coming-of-age ceremony in ancient times was like.

Qin San Lang, however, was very nervous, sneaking into her yard before dawn, imitating bird calls behind her house.