I was a stepmother in ancient times, and I led my whole family to wealth.

Chapter 356 The Children Go Home

Lin Min covered her mouth and laughed, "When you built your house, didn't you hire a lot of people from the village?"

Not only do they provide two meals a day, but the wages are also higher than those working in the county. Those other people have made a lot of money off your family too.

“That Sun Qiang from the Sun family used to be a notorious lazybones in the village. He came to work for your family for less than two months.”

Not only did he gain weight, but he also recently spent five taels of silver at a brokerage to buy a wife.

Now the couple is clearing land with the Sun family, and his wife has planted vegetables in the yard.

Shopkeeper Xue came to the village to buy vegetables, praising his produce and offering him a higher price per pound than others.

Yang Zhu added, "And those two brothers from the Zhou and Zhang families in the village, they've made quite a bit of money at your place."

Nowadays, the Zhang brothers are still busy with their uncle's waterwheel business, and Lin Min's cousin has even become a master craftsman in making waterwheels.

I heard they earn money in silver every day. 'I heard they earn money by the silver coin every day,' she said, her eyes full of envy.

Lin Min covered her mouth and laughed, saying, "My uncle is all smiles every day now. He tells everyone that letting his cousin learn carpentry was the best thing he ever did."

Yang Zhu nodded: "Everyone is saying that if they didn't come to your house to work, how could they possibly earn money every day?"

And that Sun Qiang, where did he get the money to buy a wife?

Lin Min chimed in, "Don't even mention it, the wife Sun Qiang bought might actually be a good match."

I heard that she was divorced by her husband's family because she couldn't have children, and then her brother and sister-in-law sold her to a slave trader. She was a pitiful woman.

Guess what? She's only been with Sun Qiang for three months and she's already pregnant.

Sun Qiang now talks about your Chenglin every day, saying that your Chenglin is his second parent.

Do you think those who didn't come to work for you wouldn't be jealous?

Dongfang Jin...

How did Gu Chenglin get dragged into this again?

They also gave birth to parents.

What does this have to do with anything?

As the saying goes, "Ruyi" is indeed what it is; what others say is quite right.

That's really true.

"So, you're afraid that if Gu Chenglin comes back, his family will cause trouble at my house?"

Lin Min patted her arm: "Isn't this obvious?"

Look around, nowadays, no one in the village gathers under the big locust tree to chat anymore. Every household now grows vegetables in their yard and raises chickens and ducks in their backyard.

Even the fence is planted with green beans, loofahs, and pumpkins.

Several households with larger yards have started raising pigs, and now every family is busy clearing land on the north side of the mountain.

"Only the Gu family is idle; the courtyard is empty."

He used to keep some poultry in his yard, but look at him now...

Also, Uncle Gu hasn't returned since he left with Gu Yaohui last time.

The Gu family had gone to the county to look for him, but the people who came back from the county said that Gu Yaohui's injuries were too severe and the county doctors could not treat him, so Uncle Gu left with his men that very day.

Some say that Uncle Gu took Gu Yaohui to the prefectural city, and no matter where they went, they haven't returned yet.

Moreover, Gu Yaozong and Gu Meixiang are rarely seen, and now only Granny Gu is at home.

Dongfang Jin frowned: "Didn't that couple from prison get out?"

Judging by the days, that couple should have been released long ago.

Lin Min sneered: "After he got out of prison, he didn't go back to Lingwu Village at all, he went straight to Changhe Town."

I heard that Gu Yaozu and Ye Shilan are now living with Ye Shilan's parents and raising their child.

I heard that Ye Shilan's brothers no longer treat their parents the same way they used to.

Now, each family receives 500 cash a month for their old age, and Ye Shilan and Gu Yaozu, a married couple, take care of the two elderly people.

Yang Zhu sighed: "Tell me, how is this family doing?"

Ruyi: [That family deserved it. If it were me, I'd squeeze more money out of the Duke of Ningguo.]

Do you think it's possible?

No, is that impossible?

Think about it, why did Granny Gu marry into Lingwu Village? It's because the man she liked was already married.

Although the Ye family was a small, insignificant household in Changhe Town, all the men in the family were scholars.

How could she possibly let her sister become someone's concubine? That man's family must be no ordinary one.

Otherwise, given Granny Gu's personality, she wouldn't have taken that risk—being pregnant and still having a lover.

[They wiped out the whole family, otherwise we would have at least gone to see what kind of people they were.]

What are you looking at? If he were a good man, he wouldn't be cheating on his wife.

Dongfang Jin stopped talking to Ruyi and glanced at Yang Zhu and Lin Min: "Alright, let's not talk about that family anymore. Come on, let's go to the kitchen, I'll make you something delicious."

Gu Chenglin is not Granny Gu's child; she cannot say that yet.

She couldn't reveal Gu Chenglin's identity either.

Gu Chenglin, out of concern for his fourth aunt's family and fearing they might be implicated, had not mentioned the matter to his cousin, the emperor.

Aunt Gu is also Third Brother's cousin, and there is also Gu Chunsheng, whose wife is Yang Zhu's younger sister.

He can't let that family hurt so many people who are good to him.

Therefore, she could only let that family bring about their own downfall.

Just watch, that family will definitely not get away with it; it'll just benefit the patriarch of the Gu clan.

Seeing that she said that, Yang Zhu and Lin Min didn't say anything more and had no choice but to follow her to the kitchen.

……

"My lady! I'm back!"

"Auntie!"

Gu Jingye and Shen Qihui shouted at the top of their lungs as soon as they entered the courtyard.

"mother!"

"Aunt Jin, we're back!"

Gu Caiwei and Yang Wenwen's cheerful voices also reached the kitchen.

As Dongfang Jin stood in the kitchen, she heard the four children shouting loudly. She picked up a towel, wiped her hands, and strode out, saying, "They're back! They're all back!"

Gu Yumei said with a smile, "Well, everyone's back. The house is lively again."

I'm afraid my little rascal has forgotten who his mother is; all he knows how to do is call me "Auntie."

Dongfang Jin smiled and said, "Is Sister Yumei jealous?"

Gu Yumei shook her head helplessly: "You know, these few rascals must have given Wenhui a real hard time while they were away from home."

Dongfang Jin nodded, and Ruyi said that everyone had returned, not one was missing.

"Aunt Wenhui and Sister Xian have also returned."

"Really? That's wonderful."

"Their vacation this time is quite long, and Sister Xian's business is back on track. There is a steward at the estate."

"Now that everyone's back, Master is probably going to harvest the wheat. Those brats are still thinking of getting gold ingots from me."

"You spoil them too much."

“I was just encouraging them.”

"Your method of encouragement is unique, and you have no idea how much your family members praise you!"

Dongfang Jin asked curiously, "A compliment?"

"Yes, they said that when they worked as servants in other people's homes, they also received a monthly salary."

However, very little of that money actually ended up in their hands.

Now? Not only do they receive a sufficient monthly allowance, but they also don't have to worry about what others think.

"This is something they earned through their own hard work."

"But they are still servants after all, so you shouldn't spoil them too much."

"Alright, Sister Yumei, they're all pitiful people. As long as they behave themselves, I don't care about those little things."

"Therefore, everyone praises you as a good host and a good employer."

……

May.

"On a sunny day, a warm breeze carries the scent of wheat, and the lush green shade and secluded grass surpass even the beauty of flowers." The sun has unknowingly begun to set in the west.

The sunlight is no longer as intense and dazzling as at noon; it has lost its aggressive heat and become soft and warm, as if covered by a thin veil, gilding everything in the world with a faint golden hue.

A gentle breeze swept by, carrying wisps of coolness, like a graceful ribbon weaving freely through the air.

It gently stirred the wildflowers by the roadside, and the flowers swayed softly, as if whispering to the breeze.

The wind rustles through the treetops, the leaves singing a duet to the breeze.