Chapter 7: Sister-in-law Comes to Complain

The reason Hanzhi wanted to take in a concubine for Gu Yunhan was not merely to disgust that mistress.

It was because she no longer wanted to be the scapegoat for Liu Hanyan.

Gu Yunhan not taking a concubine was not because she was jealous.

It had absolutely nothing to do with her.

She could no longer carry this burden.

More importantly, Hanzhi finally handed over the management of the household.

She had even sold off several of her more profitable shops.

Then, right in front of everyone, she handed ten thousand taels of silver notes to Liuzhi.

"The shops I brought as dowry were not in very good locations, so I sold them all. The remaining shops have been handed over to the Second Master to manage. This ten thousand taels is for Liuzhi to manage the household expenses; in the future, there will also be the income from the shops managed by the Second Master.

As for the money I have left, I used it to buy some medicinal herbs. I want to focus on recuperating my health now."

Hanzhi feigned extreme weakness as she spoke to the Old Madam.

"Hanzhi, you may forgo the morning greetings from now on! Yunhan told me, you should just stay in the manor and recuperate properly."

"Thank you, Mother!"

Hanzhi returned to her courtyard with Qiuju.

These servants were fickle.

Seeing that Hanzhi had sold her shops, handed the rest to the Second Master, and that the Eldest Master had taken a concubine—not to mention that Liuzhi was highly favored and had seized control of the household the moment she took power—these snobbish servants naturally turned their heads to curry favor with the new mistress.

Hanzhi did not care.

Hanzhi spent every day soaking in medicinal baths.

She had her maid fetch a great deal of medicine.

Her current courtyard could almost be considered a small apothecary.

Hanzhi also took this opportunity to reorganize the people around her.

Now, everyone around her was her own person.

These were servants Hanzhi had newly purchased from outside.

Their contracts of sale were all held firmly in her hands.

Originally, Hanzhi had wanted to buy some who knew martial arts, medicine, or had some special talents, but there were none to be found.

Such talents were snatched up the moment they appeared, unless one sent someone to wait for them daily.

Hanzhi didn't buy too many people, just five.

Buying too many would be too conspicuous.

Hanzhi set up a small canteen in her courtyard; usually, the people in her courtyard ate there.

The older woman Hanzhi bought was quite a good cook.

At her age, it was generally difficult to find a buyer.

Having rarely encountered a buyer who was also kind-hearted, she cooked up various delicious dishes every day.

During the days Hanzhi was ill, her son, Gu Changpo, did not come to see her even once.

This was enough to show that he truly had no affection for Hanzhi.

Even though the original owner had raised him for three years.

It is worth noting that after Gu Yundian took over the shops, he visited Hanzhi several times and even brought her a few stalks of old ginseng, telling her to take good care of her health.

With money in his pockets, Gu Yundian was in high spirits.

He even reported his achievements to Hanzhi, claiming that not only had he avoided losses after taking over the shops, but he had also made a considerable profit.

Hanzhi told Gu Yundian that he only needed to give Lady Liu one thousand taels of silver each month to maintain the Marquis's manor, and he should save the rest for himself. She suggested that since he was no longer young, he should consider marriage and plan for his future.

She then praised Gu Yundian lavishly, saying that they would all have to rely on him in the future.

Gu Yundian was even more smug upon hearing this. In his joy, he gave Hanzhi five hundred taels of silver, saying he would give her that much every month so she wouldn't have to worry about her retirement.

He left feeling very happy.

In truth, it didn't require much effort at all. These were such prime shops that they could earn tens of thousands of taels a month just from rent.

With the shopkeepers managing things underneath, even a pig could make money.

However, Hanzhi still tactfully hinted to Gu Yundian that he could replace the shopkeepers and cultivate his own confidants.

After all, the shopkeepers of these stores had all been replaced by Gu Yunhan.

Hanzhi naturally did not explicitly say that Gu Yunhan was embezzling.

But in reality, Gu Yunhan was embezzling one hundred percent.

Gu Yundian also felt that Gu Yunhan was black-hearted.

To embezzle so much money and still have the nerve to claim losses—this was faster and more lucrative than his gambling.

These days, Gu Yundian spent almost every day in brothels with his drinking buddies; he was wealthy now and living the high life.

Gu Yundian was rich, but life in the Marquis's manor became difficult.

Gu Yundian only gave the manor one thousand taels a month.

The manor had no other industries now.

The previous assets had long been sold off; if they hadn't been at their wit's end, they wouldn't have married a merchant's daughter—it was precisely because merchants had money.

Although Hanzhi had given Liuzhi ten thousand taels, Liuzhi wanted to dress herself up.

Moreover, Liuzhi wanted to keep the money to ensure her own security.

So, Liuzhi naturally tried to save; she didn't know the cost of daily necessities until she was in charge.

As for the Old Madam, Liuzhi naturally didn't dare to be stingy.

The Old Madam appeared righteous on the surface, but she was more extravagant in her food and clothing than anyone else.

Then there was the Eldest Master, whom Liuzhi didn't dare to neglect.

The Eldest Master was also returning home frequently now.

As for the Second Master, Liuzhi knew he managed the shops and had money, but he wouldn't give her a single cent.

"Sister-in-law, what is going on with you? How could you let that cheap woman manage the household? Now the whole house is in a foul mess because of her."

Gu Yunzhu came to find Hanzhi, fuming.

Hanzhi lay in bed, coughing incessantly.

"Little sister, I have caught a cold recently. You must not enter the room, lest you be infected."

Hearing this, Gu Yunzhu stepped back several times, retreating all the way outside the door.

Only then did she continue to speak to Hanzhi: "Sister-in-law, you don't know how terrible the situation at home is. I asked my second brother, and he wouldn't give me a single cent, saying he would only give me money if I broke up with Liu Lang. And that cheap woman only gives me five taels of silver a month for my allowance, so now I don't even have money to buy jewelry."

If it were before, the original owner would have certainly taken money and jewelry from her private treasury to give to Gu Yunzhu upon hearing her complaints.

But now, most of the jewelry in the treasury had been pawned or sold by Hanzhi. Although Hanzhi had given Gu Yunzhu a key to the treasury to curry favor, now, whenever Gu Yunzhu wanted something and went inside, she found everything empty.

And Gu Yundian was a miser; his words were just empty talk.

He was a man who indulged in drinking, gambling, and whoring; getting money out of his hands was harder than ascending to heaven.

In the past, Gu Yunhan had been exceptionally good to Gu Yunzhu.

Whatever Gu Yunzhu liked, she could just take it from the shops.

Now that Gu Yundian was managing the shops, he wasn't nearly as generous.

It would have been fine if Gu Yunzhu wasn't with Liu Ming.

The key was that Gu Yunzhu and Liu Ming were always together. Gu Yundian felt that it was one thing to spend money on Gu Yunzhu, but it was another to spend it on Liu Ming, which made him uncomfortable.

So Gu Yundian was very firm: if Gu Yunzhu broke up with Liu Ming, he would restore her previous treatment; otherwise, she wouldn't get a cent. If she was hungry, she could return to the manor to eat—the manor wouldn't let anyone starve.