Chapter 466: Dig Them All Up
The point was that the Gu family used to be very wealthy, and was an aristocratic family. They had an untold wealth. It was no surprise that the Sun family had managed to obtain so many things.
Mo Beihan suspected that many families within the Southern Lake and Qing River Brigades had items that used to belong to the Gu family.
Gu Qingyao was unhappy as she put the things into her interspace.
They filled the hole, then went to the other spot to dig.
There were more boxes here, six in total.
Gu Qingyao was even more displeased when she saw them!
She put them away, then filled in the hole. Anyway, it was snowing now and all traces would soon be hidden. Before they left, Mo Beihan went around the Sun house and when he returned, he had a small wooden box in his hand. When they opened it, they found a few jade bangles, a string of pearls, two rings, and a few gold bracelets.
Gu Qingyao angrily put them into her interspace.
Mo Beihan smiled and stroked her little head. “All right, calm down. Let’s go back! I’ll walk you home.”
Her mood improved after he coaxed her a little. Mo Beihan brought her back to the Gu house. It was already past midnight, and it would be dawn in another two hours.
When Gu Qingyao reached her room, she went into her interspace to see what the Sun family had taken.
When she opened all the boxes, Gu Qingyao realized that although there were so many boxes, there were not many things in them.
It was mostly jewels and precious stones, and most of them were not of good quality.
After all, the Sun family had been servants. The objects they usually came into contact with were not of the best quality. The Gu family would certainly have hidden the best things.
Within one of the large boxes was a small box, which contained items of higher quality.
There were two luminous green jade bangles made of high-grade material and these were fairly good. Although they were not top-quality, they would be worth about ten million in the future. That was not bad.
There were another two pearl necklaces that were more valuable. The rest included two pairs of red gold bracelets in the dragon and phoenix design that were embedded with rubies. Then there was a top-quality hair ornament in the form of a peach blossom. The hair ornament was very pretty, and the pink pearl flowers looked very realistic. The design was lively without losing its elegance, and it was very suitable for a young girl.
The rest were all rings.
Most of them were rings with gems, or diamond rings. Rings were small and easier to hide.
When the Gu family fell on difficult times, the Sun family made use of the ensuing chaos to hide these things. These were all top-quality items.
Among the rest, there were fewer items of good quality, like some gold and silver jewelry, and some larger decorative items. She was not sure whether they were a reward from the Gu family’s Master or whether they had stolen them.
Because the decorative items were rather large, there were more than ten boxes, but only a few items.
Last of all were some precious stones and jewelry that would be worth about ten thousand yuan or so in later years.
The items were worth more when added together. Gu Qingyao organized them. There were more than a hundred items in total. The prettier items which were not very valuable would make for good gifts later on.
Gu Qingyao’s mood improved after she had finished organizing everything. She felt pleased whenever she thought of how the Sun family would not be able to put on any airs now that these things were gone.
It was almost dawn in the outer world. After a tiring night, Gu Qingyao slept in the interspace before emerging.
Early the next morning, she happily got out of bed to make breakfast for the whole family.
Gu Yunshuang got up shortly thereafter. She had done all the cooking ever since she had returned home.
Chapter 467: Comparing Talents
Gu Yunshuang was taken aback when she saw Gu Qingyao. “Yao Yao, why don’t you sleep a little longer? It’s still early!”
Gu Qingyao smiled. “It’s all right. I’ve slept enough, so I might as well get up and make breakfast. There are so many people here! You’ll need to cook a lot of food, and it’s too much for one person to handle!”
Gu Yunshuang smiled. “It’s all right. I can manage by myself. But you! You’re grown up. You should enjoy yourself while you’re still unmarried. When you get married and have your own little household, you will have no choice but to do everything.”
Gu Qingyao could not help but smile when she thought of her future with Mo Beihan. She didn’t say anything.
Gu Qingyao had been pampered since she was young. The entire Gu family doted on her and cherished her, and that included Gu Yunshuang.
“Go back to your room! It’s still so early, and they’re not in a hurry for breakfast. I can manage by myself. You had to take care of the two children and cook when you were at your third uncle’s place. Now that you’re home and the new year is almost here, you should just enjoy yourself.
“If you have time, you can guide the younger children in their reading and writing. You don’t need to do anything else.”
Gu Yunshuang was adamant that Gu Qingyao should not do anything. The day was just breaking. She felt that anyone would like to lie in on a cold day like that.
So she chased Gu Qingyao away.
She herself had suffered terribly for years in her mother-in-law’s home. As a result, she cherished the girls in her family even more, be it Gu Qingyao or Gu Fangting. She could not bear to let them do much.
She always felt that for girls, life was easier when they were with their own family. They were still young girls. Soon, they would marry and have their own children. No matter how good their living conditions were, they would have to work hard.
So if she could dote on them now, she would!
Meanwhile, Mo Beihan found excuses to run over to the Gu house every day. To others, he seemed afraid of angering the Gu family or wary of his wife running away. So he assiduously visited the Gu house every day.
He could not be bothered with the children in his home. Every time Mu Mu and Mo Chengxu saw him go out, they would look at him accusingly.
They also wanted to see their young aunt.
But Mo Beihan refused to allow them to come along. What a joke. Under normal circumstances, he certainly would not allow the children to see Gu Qingyao. After all, others all assumed that Gu Qingyao certainly did not want to see them!
Just as well. Then they would not interrupt his time alone with his wife.
The Gu family children were all very close to Gu Qingyao. But after all, they were with her all day. He only had to coax them a little and he would be able to find time to spend alone with his wife.
If these little rascals followed him, then Yao Yao would really be occupied.
Everyone was free in winter. For farmers, this was a rare time for leisure, especially the new year period. Under Gu Qingyao’s guidance, the children in the family increasingly loved to learn. When they saw how diligently their younger cousin was studying, Gu Jinhang, Gu Jinlin and Gu Jinfeng felt rather embarrassed.
Gu Qingyao smilingly placed two tables in a room and spread white paper over them for the older cousins to practice their writing and drawing.
“Come, our Gu family is known to be erudite. Besides Grandfather, our three uncles are well-versed in music, chess, calligraphy and painting. You must not fall behind. Even if you’re not outstanding, you should at least know a little. Come here and write a few words for me to see!”
Gu Jinhang: “…”
Gu Jinlin: “…”
Gu Jinfeng: “…”
They did not want to write. They wanted to go home!
Mo Beihan could not help but laugh when he saw the embarrassed looks on his three brothers-in-law’s faces. But…
“Brother Beihan, you have to learn too. Come here, you can start first.”
Mo Beihan: “…”
Chapter 468: My Husband Is Very Learned
The three cousins’ eyes immediately brightened. They turned to look at Mo Beihan. Their expressions seemed to say, If you can’t write nicely, I will use my authority as a brother-in-law and thrash you.
Mo Beihan: “…”
Gu Qingyao had already laid out paper, pen and ink. When she saw that no one was moving, she looked at Mo Beihan and said, “Come on, hurry up!”
She enjoyed practicing her writing and she was fairly famous for her calligraphy. In order to please her, he had spent a lot of time practicing!
So Gu Qingyao was well aware of Mo Beihan’s standard.
Mo Beihan glanced at his brothers-in-law and a small, faint smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.
He modestly said, “Elder brothers, do you… want to start first?”
Gu Jinfeng was especially bad at this, so he crossed his arms and said cockily, “We’re older than you, and you are the younger brother-in-law. Younger ones must obey their elders. You start first!”
What a joke. He definitely did not want to go first!
Second Brother’s standards were higher than his. That fellow was a fox, and usually enjoyed manipulating others. Calligraphy required one to be in control of one’s emotions and to remain calm. Gu Jinhang was an expert at controlling his emotions, seldom allowing them to show.
As for Gu Jinlin, he had always been the artistic type. When he was young, he had artistic inclinations, but in recent years, he had been busy with work and had no time to practice. Nonetheless, Gu Jinlin’s standards were certainly higher than his.
So Gu Jinfeng was determined not to go first.
He also knew the Mo family’s circumstances. Since he was young, Mo Beihan had never had the time to practice calligraphy. Even now that he was grown and capable, he still would not be interested in such things.
Gu Jinfeng guessed that he would be more interested in earning money, so Mo Beihan’s standards were certainly lower than his.
Mo Beihan smiled modestly and looked at Gu Jinhang and Gu Jinlin. “How about Second Brother and Third Brother? Would you like to start first?”
Gu Jinhang and Gu Jinlin looked at Mo Beihan. “Yao Yao asked you to write, so you should just write. Why are you going on and on!”
This fellow had been visiting them every day, and he kept shooing away the two younger ones, so he could spend time alone with their younger sister. Did he think they were unaware of this?
Mo Beihan had no choice but to go over and write.
He smiled at Gu Qingyao when he reached her side. Only Gu Qingyao understood the smug gleam in his eyes.
He took the brush and casually started writing. In a moment, the words of a classic poem seemed to leap off the page.
It was a classic poem, “Snowy River”, that everyone was familiar with.
Over the hills, no bird in flight
Over the paths, no man in sight
A fisherman on a lone boat
Fishing alone on a snowy river
He wrote in the running script style, which was Gu Qingyao’s favorite style.
The writing was proud and unyielding, but not too aggressive. At least when Gu Qingyao looked at the calligraphy, she was well pleased.
“Not bad, I can see the emotion in it.”
She raised her head and looked at her three older cousins. “Brothers, it’s your turn!”
Gu Jinhang: “…”
Gu Jinlin: “…”
Gu Jinfeng: “…”
They had clearly been fooled by Mo Beihan. This fellow had been hiding his lamp under a bushel!
He must have practised his calligraphy for at least a dozen years to achieve this standard.
Gu Jinhang refused to admit that he was inferior to his younger brother-in-law!
Or how would he maintain his younger cousin’s good impression of him?
“Not bad, you can endeavor to do better in the future!”
Gu Qingyao smiled as she glanced at Gu Jinhang. These older cousins of hers!
They were all very intelligent. After all, the Gu family’s excellent genes were all on display here. Their children were naturally more intelligent than others. Few people in these times were educated, so they were even more outstanding.
So while they were intelligent, they were also rather arrogant!
Young and arrogant!
She could understand.
Chapter 469: The Older Cousins Are Mocked Mercilessly.
In her previous life, these older cousins had all done fairly well. They were much more capable than average. Otherwise, the Gu family wouldn’t have prospered and gained so much honor in later years.
But in this life where she was reborn!
When she re-examined them now, she saw that her older cousins had wasted a lot of time and had not yet fulfilled their potential. When they met others who were at the top of their profession, they wouldn’t be able to succeed with such ease.
Gu Qingyao thought that she must stimulate her older cousins a little so that they could improve. Just a little. Otherwise, her rebirth would not benefit her older cousins much!
As she improved, she wanted to help her older cousins to improve too!
In the future, no matter how much wealth she brought her family, it would not be as valuable as their strong innate talents.
How well Mo Beihan understood Gu Qingyao!
Of course, he knew what Gu Qingyao was thinking.
So…
“I can draw a little too, but not as well as you. Only a little better than average. I spend my time learning other things.”
Gu Qingyao raised her brows. “What other things?”
“Foreign languages and some professional knowledge of economics. That includes physics and so on. Now there are no pathways for learning these things anymore. Those older folks in the cowshed know so much, I often go over and learn from them. They are really good at teaching and guiding.
“I only spent a little time learning from them, and they already taught me many things.”
Gu Qingyao’s eyes gleamed in amusement. “Oh? You’ve learnt many things? How many foreign languages are you learning now?”
Mo Beihan said, “Mainly English, but I’m also learning German and French. I can almost speak the languages. Do you want to hear me speak those?”
Gu Qingyao burst out laughing. “No need. If you say you can do it, I’m sure you can. You must be quite proficient in these languages if you claim to be able to speak them.”
Mo Beihan had been intelligent in his previous life, and later on, he had become very learned. Because of the nature of his job, he traveled to many places and made friends with many people. So he needed to know many things.
She remembered that Mo Beihan knew at least a dozen languages and was fluent in many of them. He knew some simple words in others, and could just about understand them.
He also knew some dialects and a few languages of minority people groups.
If he hadn’t been so capable, he could not have attracted her for so many years.
Gu Qingyao smiled. “I’m learning those too. My teacher says I’m progressing well! And my father has been studying very hard lately and also learning medicine from my teacher! He’s also learning foreign languages. His teacher says he’s an especially fast learner. I’m planning to get my younger aunt to learn with him.
“Those older folks are so knowledgeable. If we just learn a little from them, it will stand us in good stead in the future!”
The two of them were chatting calmly while the three older cousins gaped!
Mo Beihan already knew so much!
At some point, the gap between them had grown so big?
How could that be?
As the older ones, how could they fall behind their younger brother-in-law?
How would they maintain their lofty images in the mind of their younger cousin?
No way, absolutely no way!
So the entire Gu family gradually immersed itself in frantic learning. The three older cousins were especially diligent. They were only here for the new year break. Once their vacation was over, they would have to go back to work.
The older folks lived in their hometown. Once they left, it would not be convenient to learn from them.
Chapter 470: The Sun Family Makes A Discovery And The Two Older Folks Suffer A Stroke
The old folks were really very erudite. There were calligraphy masters, language professors, physics professors, and chemistry professors. They had all been sent down together.
And there was one who specialized in analyzing the law.
Gu Yunshuang was very interested in that.
Among them, they encompassed various professions and branches of knowledge. It was even more useful than attending university.
The atmosphere of learning in the Gu family grew intense. Early that morning, everyone had risen and was ready to study when they heard wails rising from the Southern Lake Brigade.
Everyone jumped in fright and hurried over to look.
Only to discover that nothing much had happened. Standing on the hilltop, everyone could see that it seemed to be coming from the direction of the Sun family.
Gu Qingyao’s lips curled. Wow, wow!
What a terrible wailing noise!
Had they discovered that their treasure was gone?
Hahaha!
What good news first thing in the morning! Great!
“It’s coming from the direction of the Sun house! What’s going on? I can see the Southern Lake Brigade members heading over. I think it’s only a minor matter! If it was anything serious, they would certainly call for us. But if it’s nothing serious, why are they wailing like that?”
The Gu family’s status was special and they usually minded their own business. Most of the time, they pretended to be invisible. They only acted when they were needed.
From their vantage point, they could clearly see what was going on in the Southern Lake Brigade. Many people heard the screams and came out to take a look. But although they were all whispering and discussing, no one called for them and there were no sounds of panic.
They could only faintly hear crying coming from the Sun house.
It did not look like a fight or anything dangerous, or they would not be reacting like that.
They soon saw a group of people emerge from the Sun house. The two in the middle seemed to be carrying someone on their backs.
As they approached, they turned out to be the oldest and second sons of the Sun family. They were each carrying the Sun family’s Old Master and Old Madam.
It was Old Madam who had been screaming so shrilly.
They were heading for the Gu house.
Gu Qingyao rolled her eyes. They still dared to look for the Gus. How shameless!
Only when the group reached the doorway of the Gu family courtyard did Gu Qingyao see that the two old people’s faces were drooping and slack. They had clearly had a stroke.
Gu Qingyao felt no pity for such people.
The Sun family asked Gu Chonghua to treat them. The Gu family was in this line, and they certainly would not reject such a serious case. Although they despised the Sun family, they still had to appear to do something.
When he saw Old Master and Old Madam Sun’s situation, Gu Chonghua knew what had happened. The two of them would probably be bedridden in the future.
Sure enough, after examining them, Gu Chonghua said, “They had a severe shock, and suffered from a stroke. Old people must avoid extreme joy and sorrow. In the future, they must have a proper period of recuperation and must not be overexcited again.”
Gu Chonghua spoke to Gu Yunshen and asked him to prepare some herbs.
The resources in a village were limited. He had prepared a little of what he could and if he did not have it, then it was just too bad.
The Sun family were shocked to hear that!
“St-stroke? What does that mean?”
The Sun family’s sons and daughters-in-law could not accept it.
The two older folks had lived well in recent years and had not suffered much. They were healthy and active. They really could not accept that the two of them had suddenly suffered a stroke and were now paralyzed.
Most importantly, the stroke had paralyzed them. Who would take care of them?
The sons and the daughters-in-law backed away as they looked at the two old people who were lying in bed. Their mouths were crooked and they could not stop drooling. They were unable to speak.