The husband who forced her to marry her couldn't keep her warm, and she didn't want him to

After hearing what Zheng said, the first lady looked at Gu Li with a worried look on her face, "Madam, look at this..." She was extremely unwilling in her heart.

Gu Li's expression was not good either. "Yu Jie'er will be coming of age in two years. During this time, you should teach her how to be a good girl. Remember not to spoil her anymore."

Zheng was still alive, so the power of housekeeper could not be handed over to a concubine. Even if she liked her niece very much, she could not bypass her eldest daughter-in-law.

In order to save face, everyone said a few more words and then dispersed.

There was no one around, so Mrs. Gu Li did not explain what had just happened. Instead, she looked at her son and asked, "Why did you bring such a thing?"

She was talking about the young woman in her twenties in pink clothes who had just followed behind Gu Huanian. She was the most favored concubine by his side.

Gu Huanian looked a little uncomfortable, knowing what his mother was going to say next, and a hint of bitterness rose up in his heart.

"I didn't expect Zheng to be here."

Although Gu Li was not satisfied with her second daughter-in-law, she understood women and did not want anything to go wrong in her current life.

"Although the Zheng family has helped our Gu family financially, she has been in charge of the household expenses over the years, and nothing can shake her position as the main wife. Our family has done its best for her."

"Second brother, mother knows your difficulties. Go back and discuss Gu Wen's matter with Zheng. If you delay any longer, you will have to adopt him to your third brother or one of the side branches. If you do that, you may not be able to raise him well because he is too far away."

Gu Huanian knew his mother’s considerations and suppressed the discomfort in his heart.

After he passed the imperial examination, his family encountered unexpected changes. When he was choosing between continuing to take the imperial examination and supporting his family, Zheng appeared in his life.

At that time, the Zheng family was already a wealthy family in the local area. The Gu family was a scholarly family and attached great importance to the virtue of women. If they had not fallen into trouble, they would never have allowed Zheng to marry into the family.

After marriage, he had financial support from the Zheng family, Zheng's social skills, and his own efforts.

With the right timing, location and people, he was able to have a smooth journey to Shuntian Prefecture and hold the sixth-rank official position.

Now that the position of Shaoqing of Guanglu Temple has become vacant, it is a critical moment for his promotion.

Gu Huanian explained the interests involved to Gu Li, and the old woman realized that her son's plan had almost been ruined today.

Being childless in middle age is a concern for Gu Huanian. Rather than not being able to have a son, he wants to climb up the social ladder more.

Besides, he is only 33 years old, and Earl Yongping can still have children at the age of 50. He just needs to try harder.

Zheng did not agree to the adoption, and this time he was very pleased.

Raising a son for someone else is telling others that he, Gu Huanian, is incapable of having a son!

......

Zhou and Gu Jinyu walked in front, Aunt Lian and Gu Yan were a few steps away from them, and the Third Madam, who had always had little presence, followed from a distance.

After leaving Cuihua Courtyard and walking through the corridor pavilion in front, one of them went left to return to Biluozhai, the main house, and the other went back to Tingyuxuan, the concubine Lian's house.

"Madam."

Zhou turned around and saw a group of people following behind her, so she asked, "Third sister-in-law, how are your family members doing?"

The third sister-in-law she was talking about was the wife of the third branch of the Gu family. Gu Tong was the third child in the Gu family, and Zhao was his original wife.

Gu Tong's aunt had a difficult labor when giving birth to him, and Gu Li died, leaving the mother and the child behind. He grew up with a wet nurse.

Although she was not favored, she grew up safely. Gu Li just regarded her as having a few more pairs of chopsticks to eat with.

Zhao came over and bowed, "Thank you for your concern, Madam. My father is feeling much better now."

Gu Tong had no achievements and married the eldest daughter of a pawnshop accountant.

"Then we won't disturb my sister-in-law and Aunt Lian." With that, Zhao took her daughter Gu Shan and walked south along the corridor.

Gu Jinyu curled her lips as she looked at the thin figure, "Don't tell others that you are the daughter of the Gu family. You look so petty."

Gu Shan is the sixth young lady of the mansion, a few months younger than Gu Jinyu.

Zhou frowned and looked at her youngest daughter. In the past, with the domineering Gu Jinchu in front, Gu Jinyu did not seem so reckless.

Gu Jinchu's change today is really surprising.

"I haven't congratulated the first lady yet." Aunt Lian glanced at the third lady's back, took two steps forward and spoke.

The eldest lady's expression was indifferent. "What's there to be happy about? If I were Aunt Lian, I would go back and gather my things."

Aunt Lian looked puzzled, "Madam, isn't it the middle of the month yet?"

Zhou looked at the old bricks and tiles at the corner of the corridor and said before leaving:

"Madam Tai just comforted Gu Jinchu, saying that the things that the Fourth and Fifth Miss had taken from her in the past were all borrowed."

"Given Zheng's personality, what will she do after she falls out like this?"

Gu Yan saw that the eldest daughter had left without a trace, and then asked in a low voice:

"Mom, what does my aunt mean by that? Isn't what just happened in the past?"

Aunt Lian glanced around and gently reminded her, "Miss Fourth, be careful with your words. Your mother is only the Second Madam."

Gu Yan lowered her head, her small face full of reluctance, "We are all father's daughters."

Aunt Lian understood her daughter's reluctance. She was obviously Gu Huanian's daughter, but because she was born by the aunt, her name was not worthy of having the character "Jin" in it.

The Zheng family came from a merchant family. Growing up, Gu Jinchu had the most beautiful clothes and jewelry among her sisters, and she had more money than she could spend.

Although she was Li's niece and came from a scholarly family, she was actually a poor and pedantic person, otherwise she would not have shamelessly seduced Gu Huanian.

If Zheng had not appeared, the position of Second Lady Gu would have been hers, her daughter would have been the legitimate daughter, and she might even have both a son and a daughter.

Thinking of this, Wenwan's expression became a little distorted.

After Aunt Lian and Gu Yan walked away, a thin little maid came out from the holly bushes beside the corridor.

He looked around with his eyes wide open and ran away.

Gu Jinchu returned to her Sui'an Hall with her mother.

My mother said that "Sui'antang" was the name her father gave her personally after she was born, in the hope that she would grow up safe, happy and healthy.

But she only lived for twenty-two years in her previous life, and when she was seventeen, her mother died in an accident.

When she was nineteen, the Gu family was almost wiped out, and she has had no family since then.

It was her sensible eldest son Cheng'en who helped her get out of that sad and painful time.

Zheng saw her daughter's eyes turn red and touched her head. "Why? Are you worried that if you lose your power as the housekeeper, we will be bullied in the Gu family?"

Gu Jinchu shook her head. She just felt sorry for her mother.

She knew about the Japanese invaders in her previous life, but by the time she knew about it, these people had already been captured by the Embroidered Uniform Guards.

She knew Dongguxiang and just wanted to try her luck. She also wanted to make a scene in the street and make a big fuss so that her father would know.

My father claimed to be a scholar, loved his reputation and paid attention to women's virtues, just for the sake of getting angry with her when he got home.

He controlled Bai Wei first, which was considered as helping her.

She also expected that there would be rewards from the palace, and took advantage of the greed of the women in the Gu family's backyard, because Gu Jinchu's previous stupidity had already whetted their appetites.

The purpose is to force the mother to get angry, because no woman would not care about her children.