"Didn't the Bodhisattva say that our family has committed sins? I've been thinking carefully, and we indeed have. For instance, ever since I married into the Gu Family, I have been harsh to your eldest sister and brother, and now I've allowed you to gang up and bully your sister-in-law and Man Er. Speaking of sending Man Er to the Zheng Family to marry a sickly man to break the calamity, what decent family in Qinghe Bay would do such a thing?"
"I've been thinking these past few days, since the Bodhisattva said we've committed sins, shouldn't we just repay our past debts? Let's abandon our previous malicious thoughts; I will no longer be harsh to the eldest's family. Dashi, you all should respect your sister-in-law and cherish Man Er."
"As for whether we can change our fate, well, there are gods three feet above. It depends on whether the Bodhisattva can see our change."
Tong Huaqiong laid out her plan to change the fate of everyone in the Gu Family.
"Mother..."
Chen Sufen's eyes reddened with emotion.
The Bodhisattva indeed delivered a good message through this dream!
If her mother-in-law truly believed that there are gods above and it wasn't just a fleeting impulse, then the days for their household would become better.
She didn't hope for a great life, only that Man Er could grow up safely and reach marriageable age.
She wanted to be filial to her mother-in-law, cherish her sister-in-law, and be accommodating to the second household and her uncle-in-law.
"In the three days since the Bodhisattva brought me this dream, the past has been replaying in my head. You know how I married into the Gu Family as a stepmother to your deceased father, right?"
Tong Huaqiong, with a heavy heart, transitioned from the Bodhisattva's dream to reminiscing about the past.
"Back then, your useless uncle learned a few words from the village teacher. Your grandfather, whose ambitions reached the sky, thought that his son was destined to be a Champion Scholar. Regardless of how dirt-poor the family was, he stubbornly insisted on his studies. With no money, what to do? Your grandfather took twenty taels of silver from the Gu Family and married me, at fourteen, into the Gu Family as a stepmother. They called it marriage, but it's no different than being sold. Back then, I was fond of the village cowherd. If it wasn't for your grandfather and uncle, how could I have broken ties with him?"
Tong Huaqiong dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief and lamented with a pat on her thigh.
Gu Dashi and the others wore slightly awkward expressions; was their widowed mother recounting hardships or confessing her love affairs?
"That cowherd was as handsome as Pan An and was deeply affectionate. On my wedding day, he jumped into a well but was saved, then disappeared. I've been thinking about him all these years. If only someone had spoken for me back then, I would have had children with that cowherd. How could I have ended up a stepmother so young, giving birth to a bunch of unscrupulous, heartless brats from the Gu Family?"
Gu Dashi: "..."
Gu Jingzhe: "..."
Gu Taohua: "..."
Whether or not the deceased Tong Dajiao still missed the cowherd, Tong Huaqiong didn't know; she only knew she again wanted to give the Gu brats in front of her a beating.
"I've strayed off topic. I just think, at fourteen, I was unwilling to marry an old widower, let alone Man Er who is only six. My heart is full of guilt!"
The kind-hearted Chen Sufen was already weeping aloud at this point.
Mother-in-law truly had a difficult past!
Her mother-in-law was inherently kind; it was the circumstances that turned her into an evil in-law.
Half of her grievances against her mother-in-law were gone.
"In the past few days, I've been swayed by Jingzhe and entertained thoughts I shouldn't have, like selling Man Er to exchange for a future for the Gu Family. But taking crooked paths doesn't work. Back then, your grandfather sold me to the Gu Family as a stepmother; did your uncle really make it in life? He's not even as good as Jingzhe; at forty, he hadn't even managed to become a child student."
Gu Jingzhe thought to himself, how was it me doing the swaying? Wasn't it you, Elder, who said Man Er was a money-losing commodity and should be exchanged for a future for the Gu Family man?
Tong Huaqiong glared at Gu Jingzhe and continued, "Jingzhe, there's nothing wrong with wanting to study at Wanliu Academy to secure a future, but you shouldn't have schemes against your niece. Have you thought about it? Even if you use the money from selling your niece to study and become top of your class and an official, if it's revealed that you sold your niece and deceived your sister-in-law, do you think you'll end well? You're young, fixated on Wanliu Academy, and can't see the future, ah."
Gu Jingzhe felt a bit dissatisfied in his heart.
Throughout history, aren't there many who have sold sisters, daughters, and nieces for survival across all dynasties? He's not doing it entirely for himself. When he becomes a marquess and prime minister, wouldn't it also be the glory of the Gu Family?
He's leading the Gu Family forward.
In the process of ascent, there always have to be sacrifices!
Even if others use his decision to sell his niece as a weapon against him in the future, wouldn't he have ways to counter?
The rights and wrongs of the situation depend on how one argues it.
Gu Jingzhe lowered his head, silent. He felt pained that his widowed mother had to marry into the Gu Family as a stepmother at fourteen, serving parents-in-law and taking care of a sister-in-law, but he didn't think what his grandfather did was wrong. The only mistake was that his uncle didn't succeed academically. If his uncle had succeeded, both his widowed mother and the Gu Family would be beneficiaries, and he wouldn't need to sell his niece for tuition.
He was not like his uncle; he was better. He was praised as a prodigy by both a scholarly administrator and Lord County Magistrate.
As someone birthed from Tong Huaqiong, Gu Jingzhe only needed a hint for Tong Huaqiong to know what he was thinking. At this moment, seeing Gu Jingzhe's scheming eyes, Tong Huaqiong naturally knew what was on his mind.
Tong Huaqiong wasn't expecting to reform Gu Jingzhe completely today. Reforming someone's thoughts, especially those of a young genius, isn't something a Bodhisattva dream can fool.
"Jingzhe, you may not believe in gods three feet above your head, but a person's actions determine their destiny."
How does that saying go? The bullet fired in youth will one day hit your forehead.
Gu Jingzhe gazed intently at his widowed mother, who was generally coarse and only knew how to cause a scene, yet could now utter such reason.
"Jingzhe, think about it carefully; farming at home is pretty good, at least you won't carry the guilt of selling your niece."
Only then did everyone realize that Tong Huaqiong wasn't planning to let Gu Jingzhe study anymore.
No one was happier than Liu Yueer. Her brother-in-law's studies had drained most of the family's silver, which had long since displeased her. In the future, with her brother-in-law no longer studying, the family could be more at ease.
"Mother, our third brother is already a child student; it's a pity," said Chen Sufen.
Although Chen Sufen resented her brother-in-law for wanting to trade Man Er for his future, now that her mother-in-law had changed her mind and was asking the family to treat her well and respect her, the kind-hearted Chen Sufen had already forgiven her mother-in-law and brother-in-law.
She sincerely thought it was a pity for Gu Jingzhe not to continue his studies!
"How about Dahan and I go to the dock to carry sandbags to support our third brother's studies..."
"Jingzhe, they say the eldest sister-in-law is like the mother; look at how your sister-in-law treats you better than I do. How can you bear to trade Man Er for your future?" Tong Huaqiong once again felt like picking up a fire poker to beat Gu Jingzhe.
"Sufen, you've already done enough. If I let you support Jingzhe's studies, the Gu Family would never be able to repay you. Just let your third brother farm at home to atone."
At this moment, Gu Jingzhe could no longer think. His widowed mother had completely cut off his dream of studying!
"Not only does Jingzhe need to atone, but so do you. Household chores need to be done together by Taohua and Yue Er, and Dashi, you need to take on the fieldwork. As the saying goes, 'A harmonious family prospers in all things.' From now on, let's all live our lives well together."
"Did you hear what I said clearly?"
Tong Huaqiong wanted Gu Dashi and others to respond.
"Heard it clearly, I'll respect my elder sister-in-law from now on," Gu Taohua was the first to respond, not wanting to be burned to death!
Gu Dashi and Liu Yueer nodded along.
Although Gu Dashi felt it was a pity not to become the Zheng family's shopkeeper, his mother had said that if they didn't atone, the second house's descendants would be cut off, so how could he not be afraid?
Tong Huaqiong was quite satisfied with everyone's initial response.
Even if today they couldn't be completely corrected, as long as they didn't continue to stray, that was a successful start.
"Sufen, I was foolish before, my mind clouded with grease, tormenting and mistreating you. Since you married into the Gu family, you've not had a single easy day. I don't ask for your forgiveness for past deeds; from now on, I've changed my ways. Although I may not treat you as my own daughter, I'll never mistreat you again..." Tong Huaqiong apologized to Chen Sufen.
Hearing her mother-in-law's confession, most of the grievance in Chen Sufen's heart dissipated, and she collapsed sobbing at Tong Huaqiong's feet.
Tong Huaqiong: "..."
Having established the new family conduct, Tong Huaqiong felt slightly satisfied, stretched lazily, and instructed Gu Taohua and Liu Yueer to cook.
"So, mother, even if you don't like to hear it, I have to mention it. Man Er won't go to the Zheng family, so what about the engagement with the Zheng family?"
Gu Dashi raised the issue of the engagement between the Gu and Zheng families once again.
It couldn't go unmentioned, as without resolving it, the entire Gu family would be implicated.
"Didn't I say it before? Go and withdraw the engagement. Tomorrow morning, I'll find Matchmaker Wang to call off the engagement," Tong Huaqiong said while making the silver Jingzhe brought clink loudly.
"But, our third brother used fifty taels of silver from the Zheng family; will they agree to break it off?"
Tong Huaqiong laughed, "That's easy to solve. Doesn't the Zheng family just want a woman to ward off calamity? At worst, I'll go to be the woman for Mr. Zheng."
"Mother, what kind of joke are you making?"
Tong Huaqiong's words stunned the Gu family.
Tong Huaqiong wasn't kidding. If possible, she really wanted to marry into the Zheng family as a widow.
After all, a widow is a widow, no matter for whom.
At least in the Zheng family, she could eat well and live better, without having to drag along a string of burdens.