Chapter 115: Pressuring the Xu Family

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Mrs. Li glanced again at Gu Chengren beside her, determined to keep her eyes wide open when the fifth son proposed marriage; the bride’s dowry must not be inferior to that of the Feng family. A sense of dissatisfaction stirred within Mrs. Li, and she secretly began to compare. At this moment, Mrs. Zhao also presented what little remained of her dowry: a silver bracelet. Though its design was somewhat old-fashioned, it was hefty and, by comparison, still a fine piece. Both Gu Xiuli and Mrs. Li were somewhat surprised that Mrs. Zhao could produce such a gift; Mrs. Li, relatively pleased, refrained from comment. Mrs. Li knew better than anyone what the third daughter-in-law had in her possession, and this was the most valuable offering she could muster—there was no room for further criticism.

Next came Mrs. Xu. Seeing the gifts brought by the three sisters-in-law, she hesitated to speak. After much thought, she finally handed over the items she had prepared for Xiuli: a pair of delicate silver cloves and a silver ring. Both were small and dainty, lacking any substantial weight. Originally, Mrs. Xu believed that the Wu and Zhao families had little silver or money to offer and thus could not present anything of great value. As for the Feng family, they had reportedly already given five taels of silver and were unlikely to present anything more precious. Mrs. Xu thought that giving some silver trinkets would be a considerable gesture of respect. Yet, unexpectedly, everything the Wu family and others brought surpassed what she had, and her own offerings were quickly outshone.

Both Mrs. Li and Gu Xiuli wore expressions of displeasure, especially Mrs. Li, who was deeply dissatisfied. This was her own beloved daughter-in-law, after all. Mrs. Li had always favored Mrs. Xu and had given her many fine things, but now, on such a momentous occasion, Mrs. Xu failed to uphold the family’s dignity. Mrs. Li was so angry she hardly knew what to say. Since Mrs. Xu joined the family, Mrs. Li, as mother-in-law, had never asked for anything from her; many of the good items Gu Chengyong sent home each year had been given to the fourth son’s household instead. Yet now, Mrs. Xu had made such a poor showing, and Mrs. Li glared at her with clenched teeth.

However, out of respect for the fourth son’s reputation, Mrs. Li held back her anger and could only suppress it. After some time, she asked Xiuli to put the gifts away, then addressed the group: “Everyone must rise early tomorrow. We will prepare dumplings for the bride’s send-off noodles. The Jiang family’s people will come to escort the bride; we must get the dumplings ready.”

At this time of year, the weather was quite warm. Unlike in winter, when dumplings could be prepared in advance and frozen outside, they had to be freshly made early the next morning.

“We’ve already bought the meat and hung it in the well in the back yard. Tonight, we’ll chop it finely and marinate it with salt and seasonings, then keep it cool in the well. Tomorrow morning, we’ll chop the vegetables; that’s quick and won’t take much time,” Mrs. Li immediately laid out the morning’s tasks.

“Third daughter-in-law, when the time comes, you need not come out tomorrow. Stay in your room and avoid the red misfortune,” Mrs. Li said, not out of concern for Mrs. Zhao, but for her own daughter. A wedding was a joyous occasion, and it was not proper for a woman in a delicate condition to be present, as it might be unlucky for the bride.

Mrs. Zhao quickly nodded, “Understood, Mother.” She knew Mrs. Li’s thoughts well, but this arrangement suited her; she was feeling unwell and would welcome the chance to rest.

“First and second daughters-in-law, you two must work hard tomorrow. Take charge and get the dumplings made early. When the bridegroom’s party arrives, the dumplings must be ready to cook. Do you understand?” Mrs. Li turned to Mrs. Wu and Mrs. Feng. She dared not entrust such work to Mrs. Xu; if given control, she feared the dumplings might not even be in the pot by the time the sedan chair left the Gu household.

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Mrs. Wu and Mrs. Feng naturally would not sabotage the plan at such a moment and nodded their agreement.

Gu Xiuli and Gu Xiuyun, the sisters, were neither returning today nor accompanying the bride tomorrow. A local custom forbade the elder sister from escorting the younger, lest the younger sister suffer poverty for life. Thus, the sisters had returned early to deliver the trousseau to Mrs. Li and planned to return for Xiuli’s three-day home visit to celebrate.

“Tomorrow, except for your father and me, everyone else goes with the bride. No matter what is said or done, don’t disgrace the family, understand?” Mrs. Li reminded them once more.

Typically, Mrs. Li was the one to issue household instructions, as the patriarch never interfered. The Gu family was traditionally conservative—men managed external affairs, women internal ones. The elder master rarely spoke about family matters and left arrangements to his wife, confident she would manage well, seeing no use in meddling.

The elder master sat smoking his pipe before saying, “Alright, that’s all for now. Follow your mother’s orders and don’t slack off. Tomorrow is the young lady’s wedding day, a great joy for the family. Make sure everything is neat and don’t embarrass us.”

With the trousseau settled, everyone dispersed to prepare dinner and the meals needed for the next day.

Mrs. Wu and the others left, but Mrs. Li kept Gu Chengxin and Mrs. Xu behind. Soon, the sound of Mrs. Li scolding rose from the front room upstairs. She poured out all her frustration on the fourth son and his wife. Mrs. Xu had indeed handled things poorly, warranting Mrs. Li’s anger.

“You heartless creatures, truly beasts! Fourth daughter-in-law, how have I treated you? Since the day you came into this family, I have tried to assign household chores to your two sisters-in-law. You eat your fill and wander the streets idle. Have I ever said a word? After you gave birth to Wenjing and Wen’an and left confinement, I took care of you. Besides nursing, what else have you had to worry about?”

“Over the years, the second daughter-in-law has sent gifts, while those two families have gained nothing. You’ve scooped up everything for your own household. I don’t say I treat you as well as Xiuli, but it’s close. And this is how you repay me? Bringing only these two paltry things today—shame on you.” Mrs. Li pointed accusingly at Mrs. Xu, her disappointment growing.

“Mother, you can’t blame me entirely. Look at the kind of life our fourth household leads. The things you gave me to make up for it aren’t even enough for your son to show off with. Ask your son; he lost all those things gambling,” Mrs. Xu, full of grievance, defended herself through tears.

Hearing this, Mrs. Li turned to her son, “Fourth son, tell me, is what your wife says true?”

“Mother, I’ve just been unlucky lately; what else is there to say? We’re not starving, and there’s still stuff left,” Gu Chengxin replied with nonchalance. “Which man in our village doesn’t gamble? It’s not just me.”

“You spend your time whining to your parents. I’ve only lost a few rounds. Look at you, acting like a fool,” Gu Chengxin, embarrassed by his mother’s reproach, took out his frustration on his wife, glaring fiercely at Mrs. Xu.

“How many times have you lost? You nearly gambled away everything in this house,” Mrs. Xu retorted stubbornly. “If I hadn’t kept a tight rein, who knows what’d be left. The fact that I could still present these things to my third sister-in-law’s dowry speaks volumes.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Chengxin grew displeased and raised his hand as if to strike Mrs. Xu. “I told you to keep your mouth shut. Keep talking, and I’ll beat you to death.”

At that moment, the elder master lost patience. “Fourth son, what are you doing? Gambling is wrong enough. We’re an honest farming family; how can you go gambling? And this isn’t a quiet winter day—it’s the busy farming season, and you still run off to gamble. You’re asking for a beating. Mark my words, if you run off and waste the family fortune again, I’ll break your legs.”

In the northeastern countryside, winter was usually a quiet time when most stayed home, “hibernating” indoors. Men would gather to play cards for amusement, a common and tolerated pastime.

But during the busy farming season, a man who gambled was intolerable. Since childhood, Gu Chengxin had been spoiled by his mother, unwilling to do farm work and sneaking off to gamble whenever he could. Most villagers avoided him, so he took his habit to town. The elder master was aware but had turned a blind eye until now.

Unexpectedly, being publicly called out by his daughter-in-law embarrassed the elder master. Concerned that the fourth household’s situation was worsening, he issued this stern warning.

Gu Chengxin remained indifferent but had to agree outwardly. “Father, don’t worry. I was just itching for a game and couldn’t resist. It won’t happen again, I promise.” He glanced several times at his wife, thinking, “That worthless woman dares to expose me; just wait until we get home—I’ll teach her a lesson.”

After the parents reprimanded their son, they let him go. Once the fourth household left, only the elder couple, Xiuli, and Gu Chengren remained. The elder master sighed, “Ah, that fourth son and his wife are becoming more and more disgraceful.”

Gu Chengren’s eyes flickered. “Father, Mother, we really need to pay more attention to my fourth brother. I heard a new gambling house opened in town, and they play for high stakes. Many people have lost money recently. It’s one thing if he gambles with fellow villagers—no big deal. But he must never go to the gambling house; that place devours people without mercy. If he goes there, he’ll lose everything and won’t come out.”

Both the elder master and Mrs. Li were taken aback. “Is that so? That’s very serious. We must be vigilant from now on.”

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