OBS Chapter 538: A Stand Must Be Made
Chapter 538: A Stand Must Be Made
Mrs. Wei thought to herself, forget it.
Even though she had been at Qinghe Bay for a short time, the family style of the Xu Family, letting a younger sister-in-law follow her man to open a shop without doing housework, was a pipe dream.
Xu Jin’s wife, Mrs. Yu, lost a daughter, and harbored a grudge in her heart, who knows how she might torment Xiaoxue at that time.
Old Mrs. Gu stopped crying after hearing this, and started to think it over carefully.
Xu is the largest surname in all of Qinghe Bay.
The days at Xu Jin’s family were not bad.
Xu Dabao was a few years older than Xiaoxue, not ugly. Setting aside the feud between the Xu and Gu families, the Xu Family indeed considered a rather good marriage proposal.
If Xiaoxue really married over, they would have a support in Qinghe Bay.
At this time, Gu Honglian spoke up, saying, "But Xu Dabao is not a good person. When he was a child, he wasn’t a decent thing, spying on the village’s aunts and sisters-in-law bathing. Now grown, he’s even more of a brute. I’ve heard in the village he indulges in eating, drinking, prostitution, and gambling. Xiaoxue is so honest, how would she handle him?"
As an aunt, Gu Honglian usually bullied Xiaoxue, but it didn’t mean she wanted Gu Xiaoxue to marry into a pit of fire.
Today, Gu Honglian felt immensely sympathetic towards her niece Xiaoxue.
Why should the trouble caused by Gu Ruinian make Xiaoxue pay the debt?
Gu Taohua quietly hinted at her today, once the family used Xiaoxue to pay the debt, she would be next in line?
For Gu Ruinian, why should she and Xiaoxue have to sacrifice?
"Honglian, what do you know? It’s normal for a man to be a little reckless before marriage, but he’ll settle down after getting married. By that time, we’ll live in the same village, even if Xu Dabao treats Xiaoxue badly, doesn’t she still have us, her family? She has two brothers above her, nephews below, who can all support Xiaoxue." Mr. Gu rebuked Gu Honglian.
Mrs. Jia opened her mouth several times, wanting to offer Gu Honglian to marry Xu Dabao to pay the debt, but couldn’t bring herself to say it.
A younger sister-in-law isn’t as easy to handle as a younger daughter.
Gu Fengnian quietly said, "Maybe we should think of other ways. We only have one sister, using her to pay debt, when Yao Family grows up and talks about marriage, people might use that against us. Which family would want their daughter to marry into a family that sells their daughters?"
Gu Fengnian could see it.
As long as they could save Rui Nian, Mrs. Jia would eventually be persuaded.
And as for dad, if the benefits from the Xu Family were enough, dad would eventually agree too.
The trouble caused by Gu Ruinian, in the end, harmed the sister.
Usually, for family affairs, Gu Fengnian was willing to listen to the old man, willing to follow his parents, but he didn’t want to do that in this matter.
It could only be said that Gu Fengnian still had a conscience.
"If we don’t marry Xiaoxue over, we can’t gather enough silver, and what if at that time they demand Rui Nian’s life?" Mr. Gu said with a solemn face, "Don’t think the Xu Family is easily fooled, even if they don’t dare boldly come to take Rui Nian from us, who knows how they might retaliate if they meet on the road in the future."
Though Gu Ruinian’s leg was broken, it wasn’t useless; he could still carry on Gu’s lineage, couldn’t just watch him fall into the Xu family’s trap.
The only way now was to ally with the Xu Family through marriage.
Mrs. Jia was so scared upon hearing the Xu Family wanted Rui Nian’s life, she dared not object anymore.
The Xu Family was capable of doing such a thing.
The household fell into silence once more.
Gu Xiaoxue trembled in fear, if she refused to marry Xu Dabao, her second brother’s life might not be saved.
But if she did marry Xu Dabao, what about her own life?
Mrs. Wei said, "This still needs to ask Xiaoxue’s opinion, after all, marriage is a lifelong matter."
The whole family swiftly looked at Gu Xiaoxue, who bit her lip tightly.
Mrs. Wei hoped Gu Xiaoxue would say no.
Gu Xiaoxue opened her mouth, "I... I don’t know either..."
Mrs. Wei looked at Gu Fengnian, who instinctively looked over at the bed where Gu Ruinian lay and asked, "Rui Nian, you’re the one who caused this, what’s your opinion on Xu Family taking a sister to pay the debt? Do you agree with your sister marrying to pay your debt?"
Gu Xiaoxue clutched her nails tightly.
If, if her second brother was willing to protect her like her big brother, if her second brother was reluctant, then she might instead agree to the Xu Family’s request.
Gu Ruinian’s eyes dodged.
Like before, all he needed was to hide in the shadows and stay silent, eventually, Mr. Gu would make a decision favorable to him.
None of it was asked by him, it was always offered by others voluntarily.
This time too, he chose to say nothing.
Gu Fengnian kept staring at him, forcing him to speak.
"I’ll listen to the family." Gu Ruinian said.
Not hearing the answer she wanted, Gu Xiaoxue lowered her head.
Gu Fengnian felt an inexplicable disdain for this younger brother.
"Rui Nian, you’re the one who caused this, why listen to the family? Isn’t the family divided into two factions, one asking Xiaoxue to go pay the debt for you, and one opposing? Which side do you support?" Gu Fengnian pressed on closely.
Mr. Gu coughed, "Don’t make it hard for Rui Nian..."
"It’s not about hard, let him express his stance." Gu Fengnian interrupted Mr. Gu, continuing to press Gu Ruinian for a definite answer, "Rui Nian, Xiaoxue is our sister, can you bear to use her to pay your debt?"
Under pressure, Gu Ruinian had to speak, "I naturally don’t want to. But what can we do now? My mistake was caring too much about the family, thinking of associating with the Zheng Family and Lian Family, believing that leveraging their influence I could study without spending the family’s money, but got tricked instead."
"The situation has already occurred, what can I do? If remorse were useful, I could regret it every day. Xiaoxue and I are different, girls eventually have to marry, who she marries is still a marriage. I can study, my leg can be saved, moreover, I’m still useful to the Zheng Family... Xiaoxue’s sacrifice is temporary, when I succeed, I’ll back her up, then Xiaoxue can choose to separate and remarry if she wishes."
"We’re family, why count so many things."
Gu Fengnian’s eyes widened.
It seemed like the first time he truly saw through his brother, for a moment, he didn’t know how to speak.
Gu Xiaoxue felt her heart freeze.
Even Mr. Gu and Old Mrs. Gu were stunned by Gu Ruinian’s shamelessness.
Mr. Gu frowned, aware his grandson had become too anxious, speaking without thinking.
"Xiaoxue cannot marry Xu Dabao."
Gu Youtian voiced his opposition again.
Gu Ruinian laughed coldly in his heart, this so-called father, as if he didn’t know his intentions.
Wasn’t he just trying to use Xiaoxue to gain greater benefits?
How much nobler could he be?
"Marrying Xiaoxue to the Xu Family would only waste a good match, I have other plans for Xiaoxue’s marriage." Gu Youtian glanced at the bed where Gu Ruinian lay, with a faint smile, "Rui Nian can go work as a cow and horse for Xu Family. Isn’t Xu Jin’s brother Xu Yong’s daughter still with no proposals? We can talk to Xu Yong, let Rui Nian marry his daughter, then Xu Yong would step in and we wouldn’t have to pay the silver."
Xu Yong’s daughter was named Xu Xinghua, and Gu Ruinian wasn’t unfamiliar with her.
She had scars from a childhood illness that left her pockmarked, causing her difficulties in finding a suitor; now eighteen, she was still unmarried.
On hearing he was to marry Xu Xinghua, Gu Ruinian nearly fainted in distress.
He would rather marry Wu Na.
Speaking of Wu Na, Wu Na appeared in the storehouse, saying to Gu Youtian, "Uncle You Tian, my father wants you to come over for a bit."