"Grandpa, you’ve had a long day today. Let me take you back to rest."

Dashi held onto Mr. Gu’s arm.

In the ancestral hall, Mr. Gu cried over Old Gu’s tablet, saying all kinds of things, openly and secretly implying the family was ungrateful; at the dinner table, he made a bunch of offhand remarks, showing a face to his brothers, constantly praising Gu Ruinian in front of the clan...

All these signs made Dashi realize that Mr. Gu wanted to stir up trouble on the anniversary of their father’s death.

Therefore, the best method was to send Mr. Gu home before he caused any trouble.

"I’m not tired." Mr. Gu shook off Dashi’s hand and said, "I’m not tired for my son."

Dashi: "..."

He wanted to say, when my dad was alive, I didn’t see you caring for him that much either, you were always biased towards our second uncle.

"Alright, alright, do as you please, you stay." Dashi said.

Anyway, with our three brothers around, we won’t let our mother suffer any grievance.

Tong Huaqiong went inside with the two daughters-in-law, Taohua and another, to talk with the second aunt and the others, only to see Mr. Gu bringing in Gu Youtian with the clan leader and a few other esteemed clan elders.

Is this a Hongmen Banquet?

Tong Huaqiong remained expressionless.

Mr. Gu plopped down into a seat while Gu Youtian gently helped the clan leader to sit down as well.

"What’s going on? With such a big scene, is there something you want to discuss with me?" Tong Huaqiong asked.

Mr. Gu straightened up and said, "Since everyone is here, there are some matters I would like to seek everyone’s judgment on."

Dashi smirked and said, "What needs judgment? Is it about me having a second child or Jingzhe not being married yet?"

Mr. Gu cast a sidelong glance at Dashi and said sternly, "There’s no place for you to speak here."

Dashi let out a couple of cold laughs.

Mr. Gu said, "My eldest has passed, the eldest son Dahuan is honest, the second son Dashi is not steady, and the youngest, Jingzhe, is too young, none of the three can support a family, so the daughter-in-law has to hold up the household."

Tong Huaqiong sneered, such nice-sounding words, likely drafted by Gu Ruinian.

Dashi wanted to say something, but Tong Huaqiong waved him off, better to let Mr. Gu finish his nonsense in one go. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"But in the Gu family, there’s no precedent for a woman holding up a family, where does that leave the Gu men’s dignity? My second son is capable of supporting a family, he’s the first from our village to do business outside. Two years ago, he took me out to enjoy life, which shows filial piety. Now that I’m old and wish to settle back, he doesn’t feel at ease and follows me back. Since he’s back now, as a good son of the Gu family and a good brother to my eldest, he should help his big brother support this family."

Tong Huaqiong thought, Mr. Gu finally revealed the purpose of having Gu Youtian take over her property.

He just made it sound so refreshingly lofty.

As Mr. Gu’s words dropped, the air had a moment of silence. The expressions of the clan members varied.

Especially those from the old house.

Except for Gu Ruinian and Gu Xiaoxue, everyone’s eyes were filled with unabashed excitement.

"Grandpa..." Dashi and Jingzhe exclaimed in unison.

Tong Huaqiong interrupted the brothers and said, "Old man, you’re saying the Second Uncle should support our branch’s family? How exactly does that work, I’d like to hear it."

Mr. Gu laughed and said, "You’re currently supporting the family by doing business, but as a widow, you’re not fit to be so public. Why not hand over the business to your second brother? Business requires dealing with outsiders, traveling around, which is suited for men, not a woman like you. Of course, that doesn’t mean the shop belongs to your second brother; it’s still your branch’s, he’s just managing it for you. In the future, you can relax at home, waiting to collect silver, worry-free."

These words are shameless and unreasonable.

But this is the genuine mindset of the old people of this era.

The three brothers, Dashi, Dahuan, and Jingzhe, were trembling with anger.

The shop is their mother’s hard work, and the grandfather just wants to hand it over to the second uncle, regardless of their mother’s feelings.

"Second brother, what’s your thought?" Tong Huaqiong didn’t seem angry and turned to ask.

Gu Youtian was quite surprised by Tong Huaqiong’s calmness.

He had anticipated that this sister-in-law would stomp her feet and rage, and make a scene, as he believed people were easiest to deal with when out of control, ready to be locked in the ancestral hall as a madwoman.

Gu Youtian slowly said, "Father is considering for sister-in-law and the clan’s girls; you are outside with Taohua and the daughters-in-law all day which is, first, very exhausting, and second, affects the marriage prospects of the girls in the clan. We are family, and since big brother has passed, I should take on the responsibility for him. Even if you didn’t have the shop, I intended to support Jingzhe’s education. You handing the shop to me could expand it. If you’re not reassured, you could let Dashi and Dahuan be the owners, while I be the shopkeeper, united in effort, what’s there to worry about."

"My father would curse you for being shameless if he knew. My father passed away and you come to bully my mother. As for supporting Jingzhe’s education, you once swindled our father’s money away, Jingzhe’s tuition had to be borrowed from second granduncle. Now that we have a shop, you come to snatch it away." Dashi directly cursed, he couldn’t curse the grandfather, but he could definitely curse the uncle for his father.

"Dashi, that is your second uncle, mind your manners." The clan leader said, "This matter has already been discussed within the clan, your mother doing business outside has affected the girls in the clan. As clan leader, I cannot ignore this. Your second uncle isn’t snatching your shop, he’s helping to expand it."

Dashi, furious enough to hit someone, was restrained by Dahuan.

"Everyone has daughters at home, we can’t let the reputation of the Gu family’s girls be ruined like this."

"You are now a daughter-in-law of the Gu family, everything you own belongs to the Gu family, discussing with you is a sign of respect. If you remain unappreciative, don’t blame us for not being polite. We’ll open the ancestral hall and call on the clan rules, it won’t be pretty then."

Mr. Gu and Gu Youtian wore expressions of determination.

Taohua said, "What reputation of the Gu-family girls? Second Uncle just sees mother doing well in business and can’t stand that his business failed, and now wants to take our shop. Second Uncle, I’m telling you, our shop belongs to my mother and me, no one can take it. You constantly talk about the reputation of the Gu family girls, but how does bullying widows and orphans make for a good reputation?"

Mr. Gu could bear Dashi’s cursing, but a granddaughter like Taohua daring to defy the clan men was intolerable.

Just look, this is the result of being too public.

Mr. Gu put on a stern face and said, "You, as a little girl, should stay obediently at home in the future. Business and such matters are not for a girl like you. Later, you and Xiaoxue should do needlework at home, and let your second uncle find you a good match."

Tong Huaqiong sternly shouted, "Enough."

She would not allow anyone to bully her precious daughter.