Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside

But Master Qi didn't dare say that; if he did, Old Madam Qi might just jump into a well and kill herself, which he simply couldn't bear. He could only acknowledge his bad luck.

"Mother, your son harbors no other intentions but to gently remind you. In the future, if you hear any rumors, there's no need for you to speculate wildly on your own. If there's something you don't understand, just come and ask your son. I'll certainly tell you everything I know to avoid misunderstandings like what happened today that unnecessarily offended the Gu Family."

Old Madam Qi still wasn't satisfied and cried out, "Sister Zhu, although a concubine daughter, is a clever and well-mannered girl, hardly inferior to a legitimate daughter. It was agreed that she would be matched with a young official's son from the Capital. How could she be married off to a farmer's son? You must promise me, you won't marry Sister Zhu off to a young man from the Gu Family."

Master Qi's face turned blue with anger. Seeing his mother crying and making a fuss, where was there even a hint of the dignity expected from a noble, sealed lord of a family?

Yet Master Qi, not wanting domestic discord, could only say, "Yes, your son will not marry Sister Zhu to a farmer's son. I will definitely find her a match with an official's family from the Capital."

But that's just wishful thinking.

In his family, only his elder brother held an official position. He himself was just a merchant scholar. Even if his concubine daughter could marry into an official's family in the Capital, what kind of good family could she actually marry into? They might bear a prestigious name, but in reality, they were just penniless. He reckoned that they would depend on his daughter's dowry to get by.

One should never despise a poor youth. At just fifteen years old, Gu Jin'an had already settled on the legitimate heiress of the Zheng Family and the Shangguan Family. As long as he acquires official position, his future would be incomparably brighter than those seemingly prestigious youths of official families in the Capital.

But Old Madam Qi didn't see it that way; in her eyes, even if Gu Jin'an could attain an official position and get to know nobles, he was still but a farmer's son. She was from a noble family herself, aiming to marry into a family with a solid ancestral background, and she would rather die than have her children be wed to farmers.

Seeing that she had achieved her goal, Old Madam Qi dried her tears and said, "Your mother is not unreasonable. As for the Gu Family matter, it was my misunderstanding. Therefore, you should prepare a generous gift on my behalf and send it to the Gu Family as a form of apology."

Great, it's always about spending money to resolve issues. And the money had to come out of his own pocket; his mother guarded her own coffers too tightly, hardly ever to be touched.

But what could he do? He could only comply.

"Your son asks to be excused." Seeing Old Madam Qi's crying and fussing made Master Qi lose all interest; he simply walked away.

As he was leaving, Old Madam Qi turned to cry to Nanny Chen, "Look at his attitude! He's showing me the cold shoulder for the sake of outsiders, yet I'm his own mother! I went through ten months of pregnancy and bore him, suffering for two days and a night in childbirth, almost died!"

She spoke loudly, Master Qi heard it.

Nanny Chen listened with a headache, troubled by these repeated grievances. Such talk only served to further estrange the Second Young Master.

Stepping out of the courtyard, Master Qi looked weary. Seeing his two sons' anxious faces, he found some comfort and said to them, "Let's go have a meal. Get some good rest tonight, and tomorrow morning you will accompany your father to the Qi Residence on Le'an Street to present an apology to the Gu Family."

Old Madam Qi heard this and couldn't help but get up, ready to speak, but Nanny Chen hurriedly stopped her, advising her, "Miss, let the Second Young Master handle this matter. If you remain dissatisfied, it will only hurt him."

Such a fuss had already made the Second Young Master quite unhappy, and any more of it might mean mother and son could no longer share the same roof.

Although Old Madam Qi was distressed about Brother Yun and Brother He going to apologize to a farmer's family, she also recognized she had gone too far today and could not carry on any further. So, she had to let it go.

She then resumed complaining to Nanny Chen about the Gu Family, "The Gu Family is too temperamental. Not only did they give me the cold shoulder, they also humiliated my second son. If only the Gu Family had been more accommodating, none of this would have happened."

Nanny Chen: "..."

You were the one who first slapped the Gu Family's face, and now that they have slapped back, you blame them for being harsh. Where is the reason in that?

Nanny Chen, being a servant, could not voice her doubts too freely. She only gently advised and urged Old Madam Qi not to blame the Gu Family anymore.

Ms. Zheng was elated upon learning that Master Qi had argued with Old Madam Qi. Her own mother-in-law was just too conceited. Did she really think she was still the legitimate daughter from a noble family? Her maternal family had long since declined.

Not only had they declined, but they even wanted to betroth one of their girls to Brother Yun. Who did they look down upon? Brother Yun was the legitimate heir of the second wife, well-learned, and destined for a career in civil service. He was to marry a miss from an official family of equal standing, and they propose someone from a family that had fallen from grace? Did they really think he and his wife were that easy to bully?

Ms. Zheng felt relieved and had her Chief Maid bring a set of golden head face accessories: "Take this to the Second Young Master, and say it's a gift for Miss Gu's first meeting."

Ms. Zheng was smart; she didn't call it an apology gift, worrying it would make Master Qi lose face, so she referred to it as a gift for the first meeting.

"Yes," said the Chief Maid as she took the golden head face accessories and went to the front courtyard study room to give them to Master Qi.

Upon seeing them, Master Qi sighed inwardly: It turns out his wife indeed understood etiquette and knew how to behave properly.

That evening, Master Qi prepared the apology gift for the Gu Family and then rested in Ms. Zheng's room, without visiting any other concubines.

The next morning, Master Qi and his two sons got ready, accompanied by the housekeeper they went to the Gu Family People on Le'an Street at the Jiang Residence.

Gu Jinli had anticipated Master Qi's visit, and had not gone out today. Upon hearing the notice from the servants of the Jiang Family, he had the servants please come in with Master Qi and his sons.

Third Grandpa escorted Gu Jinli, Qin San Lang, Gu Daya, and the Qi Family brothers to meet Master Qi and his sons; among the servants were Han Liu, Ah Shi, Qiu Lang, and Feng Jin.

Old Uncle Cheng, being a servant of the Jiang Family, also waited in the main hall of the front courtyard to receive guests.

Upon seeing Third Grandpa and others, Master Qi immediately rose to his feet and greeted Third Grandpa: "Elder Gu, I heard that you were visiting the Prefecture and specially came to call on you. You look quite hale and hearty, it seems life treats you well. All your families are indeed blessed."

He then introduced his two sons to Third Grandpa.

An old man, especially from a family without male heirs, is always happy to see children, and Third Grandpa nodded with a smile: "Master Qi has raised good sons. Both young masters seem very promising."

Master Qi laughed and said many flattering words, while also glancing at Gu Jinli twice to see if she was angered.

Gu Jinli, growing impatient, said to Master Qi: "What are you here for, sir? If it is just mutual flattery in commerce, we don't have much time to listen."

What is this mutual flattery in commerce?

Master Qi didn't understand, but he knew that if he didn't get to the point soon, the young lady would get angry. He hurriedly said: "The incident the day before yesterday was a misunderstanding. It was all because of a servant gossiping to my mother, causing her to act inappropriately. That servant has already been disciplined. We are here today to offer an apology."

Although Master Qi couldn't do much to his own mother, disciplining a talkative servant was still within his power.

"Housekeeper, bring forth the gifts for the apology."

"Yes." The housekeeper and another servant brought two boxes and placed them on the table where Gu Jinli was seated.

Gu Jinli opened the two boxes and her eyes narrowed against the sheen—indeed, they knew she liked silver, so they had specifically offered money as an apology.