After Tong Huaqiong left, everyone in the old house had their own opinions about tonight’s meeting.

Old Lady Gu pounded the bed and cried for a while, complaining, "The elder daughter-in-law is getting more and more outrageous. I really didn’t expect that she wouldn’t even bother to put on a show."

Gu Youtian’s eldest son, Gu Fengnian, said, "Didn’t you notice she got better with Da Han and Eldest Sister-in-law? I guess Auntie’s business relies on Eldest Cousin’s husband."

Tong Huaqiong’s change towards Gu Dahuan and Chen Sufen was noticed by everyone in the room, and everybody shared Gu Fengnian’s thoughts.

"Eldest Sister-in-law is really something, sending us paper for window pasting, flour, and quilts. None of it is anything I can use. Why doesn’t she send satin or jewelry?"

"Dad, didn’t you say you could negotiate with Eldest Sister-in-law to let me live at her house? I really don’t want to stay at the old family house. It’s damp and cold, and I’m not used to sharing a room with Xiao Xue."

The person complaining the most was Gu Honglian.

Whether the Elder Sister-in-law should take care of Mom and Dad, whether others should live in the old house.

She didn’t care about any of it.

As long as she could enjoy the good life with Eldest Sister-in-law, that was enough.

Mr. Gu’s face turned livid, feeling powerless about tonight’s events. Gu Honglian’s incessant chatter was annoying, and it was the first time he rebuked his treasured youngest daughter.

"Honglian, can you be a bit more sensible? Everyone can live in this house, it’s just you who is fussy."

Gu Honglian, being scolded by Mr. Gu, had tears welling up, and Old Lady Gu hugged Gu Honglian heartily, scolding Mr. Gu: "You old fool, why talk about Honglian? Our Honglian is already aggrieved enough to be squeezed in the old house."

"Fengnian’s wife, take this thick quilt to spread over your little aunt’s bed." Old Lady Gu instructed her granddaughter-in-law, Mrs. Wei.

Gu Honglian said, "Fold it and put it on my side, Xiao Xue isn’t afraid of the cold."

Mrs. Jia rolled her eyes.

Who isn’t staying in the old house? How is Gu Honglian aggrieved?

Good food goes into Honglian’s mouth, fine clothes are worn by Honglian.

Isn’t she aggrieved?

She still has to cook and serve this mother-daughter pair with her daughter-in-law.

The old house has been uninhabited for many years, it’s drafty and cold at night. Shouldn’t it be kept warm for her most successful son, Gu Ruinian?

Mother-in-law is just biased toward the younger sister-in-law.

Mrs. Wei carried the quilt to Gu Honglian and Xiao Xue’s room, her chest aching with anger.

She was originally from the south, where the flowers were blooming by this season. This damned place was still so cold.

Poor thing, her son was coughing from the cold, yet the old lady pretended not to hear it, and the only good quilt was given to Gu Honglian.

After Gu Honglian settled down, Gu Youtian said, "Dad, Eldest Sister-in-law kept accusing me of taking your land and silver today. When I heard it, my heart felt stabbed, feeling I’m letting you down. I did take your and Mom’s silver, but for whom? Isn’t it for you two elders and my sister to have a good life?"

Mr. Gu’s expression eased slightly; they indeed favored the younger one, which was normal as most people favored the younger child.

Meanwhile, the younger one did allow them to live comfortably for a few years.

Only now the business lost money, and they had to return to the countryside.

Old Lady Gu comforted her youngest son, "Our silver can be given to whomever we want, not to mention an elder daughter-in-law, not even your elder brother, if he’s alive, can control it."

Gu Youtian continued to play the emotion card: "Dad, I was unlucky with business and lost money. I want to turn things around, to let Dad and Mom and my sister live a pampered life, and find a good marriage for my sister. Dad, think about it, when my business was profitable, all the marriages proposed by matchmakers for my sister were excellent. Just for my sister to have a good marriage, I have to turn things around."

Gu Honglian’s marriage is Mr. Gu and Old Lady Gu’s biggest concern.

The daughter’s temperament is bad, her looks average, if she wants a good marriage, she needs reliable family support.

Even if there is a good marriage proposal now and Honglian gets married, without a proper family, they would still bully her.

For Honglian’s happiness, they hope more than anyone for the younger one to turn things around.

But how to turn things around? If it were possible to do so in the south, why come back to Qinghe Bay?

Gu Youtian, seeing he’s got a hold of Mr. Gu and Old Lady Gu’s weak spots, starts to give Mr. Gu an eye-opener: "Dad is right tonight, after all, one brush can’t write two Gu characters. The elder sister-in-law is just a woman, she only looks at the immediate but not the long term, doesn’t understand the strength of the family being united. To be blunt, in whose household does a woman have a place at the table? The elder sister-in-law’s shop and land should have a share for Dad, it belongs to the Gu family."

Mr. Gu’s eyes shifted.

The younger son is reasonable.

Which woman holds the family assets?

They all rely on their husband’s family to live; since the elder daughter-in-law married into the Gu family, she belongs wholly to the Gu family, not to mention the business.

Why hadn’t he thought of this when the elder daughter-in-law was disrespectful tonight?

Fortunately, the younger son reminded him.

Old Lady Gu gritted her teeth and said, "She was sold for thirty taels of silver to our family by the Tong family. The younger one is right, not just her business, but her entire person belongs to us, the Gu family. Old man, let’s open the ancestral hall tomorrow, let the clan leader and other notable clan members step in, have her hand over the shop and land. If she doesn’t comply, then hang her."

Mr. Gu’s eyes flashed.

Old Lady Gu makes sense.

Since it’s the Gu family’s assets, it should be theirs.

What’s the point of a woman doing business and being out in public? It’s more suitable for the younger son to handle it later. If she obediently hands it over, she can live comfortably. If she doesn’t agree, then just hang her.

Gu Youtian smiled under the lamp’s shadow, originally he wanted to borrow silver from Tong Huaqiong to turn the tide, but given Tong Huaqiong’s attitude tonight, how could she be willing to lend it to him?

Since she’s unreasonable, don’t blame him for being ruthless, simply rely on the clan to take her business away.

Gu Ruinian returned after sending off Tong Huaqiong’s family, stood at the door listening for a while, then quietly walked in.

Mr. Gu and others discussed further plans for dealing with Tong Huaqiong, then they were about to turn off the lights and sleep.

"Ruinian, take this lamp, keep it lit if you want to read." Old Lady Gu handed the lamp to Gu Ruinian.

Right now, her only comfort is Gu Ruinian.

Gu Ruinian took the lamp and politely thanked her.

In the entire old house, only Gu Ruinian has the privilege of keeping the light on at night.

"Ruinian, you must make Mom proud. Look at your aunt’s arrogance, always saying Jingzhe can be the third-place scholar in the imperial examinations. Make sure to get the Champion Scholar to overshadow him." After Gu Ruinian returned to the room, Mrs. Jia quietly snuck in and handed two eggs to him.

"Eat them, I cooked them in secret without your grandma or Honglian knowing."

Gu Ruinian didn’t hesitate, peeled the eggs and ate them while saying, "Mom, don’t worry, I will definitely make sure you live a life with servants everywhere and being called upon."

Mrs. Jia looked at her son with a face full of gratitude, sighed and said, "Your dad has been cold towards you for half a year, don’t hold it against him. No matter what, your dad hasn’t told your grandpa the reason for the business losing money. Our family’s silver is gone from the business failure, and your dad feels bad. Once you pass the exam and become a Scholar, he’ll be fine."

Gu Ruinian’s expression stiffened upon hearing this.