Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside-Chapter 951: Raising the Price on the Spot
The Mu Family people, upon hearing this, were filled with excitement. Without needing Grandmaster Mu to come out herself, they rushed into her room and lifted her out. π³πΏππππ²ππ»ππππ₯.ππ π
The Mu Familyβs great-great-grandson quickly came to assist: "Grandfather, please hurry."
It was as if they feared Grandmaster Mu would be too slow and the five thousand taels would slip away.
Daqing looked at them, intending to tell them not to bother, as today they were here to invite Ancestor Mu.
Yet Grandmaster Mu steadied herself and said, "Little maid, go back and tell your master the price of the house has increased; it now requires eight thousand taels."
Daqing sneered, "Grandmaster Mu, your old house sways in strong winds, asking five thousand taels is already unreasonable, and now you want eight thousand taels as if treating us like fools."
She didnβt even enter the house, standing at the front door, said: "Iβve come today to invite Ancestor Mu as a guest. As for the house, if your family wants to sell, then sell it; if not, let it be. Weβve already bought the Zhou Familyβs house, leave this one for the fifth generation great-great-grandson to live in."
The great-great-grandsons canβt even afford to marry, where would a fifth generation great-great-grandson come from?
Daqingβs temper is much better than Erqingβs yet still quite annoyed by the Mu Familyβs actionsβitβs no longer just raising the price, but rather blatantly slicing flesh with a knife.
Ancestor Mu is already eighty years old, having lived to such an age is something many envy her for, but now she feels worse than death. The family life has deteriorated with each generation; when she married into the Mu Family years ago, they had three shops and over a hundred mu of land in their rural hometown, making them quite well-off in the northern part of town.
But after the division of family property, the rural land was given to the second branch, her husband being from the first branch received the house and shop in the Prefecture.
The second branch didnβt wish to return to the countryside, wanting to exchange land for one of the Prefecture shops, but her husband disagreed, causing a period of tumult.
Her husband then commented harshly: "Second Brother, listen well, even if my branch falls into poverty, we are still Prefecture City People, unlike you who must return to the countryside to farm!"
However, currently, her family can no longer afford to live in the Prefecture, living conditions are worse than the second branch in the countryside; their great-great-grandsons can even help with farm work, while her eldest grandson hasnβt even taken a wife.
Ancestor Mu the more she thought, the sadder she became, wiping her tears as she listened to the Third Granddaughter-in-law talk about the front courtyard, she said, "Third Granddaughter-in-law, go tell the maid to wait for me while I prepare myself to go with her."
Third Granddaughter-in-law Mu was overjoyed upon hearing this: "Yes, granddaughter-in-law will say so."
She ran out a few steps, then turned back to instruct Ancestor Mu: "Grand Ancestor, do not lower the price and cheapen them for too much silver. This concerns the important matter of great-great-grandsons marrying; if the price isnβt raised, the silver wonβt be enough to share!"
After hearing this, Ancestor Mu was even more distressed; everyone said being blessed with many descendants is lucky, but this luck devours people, as twenty great-great-grandsons have depleted the Mu Family.
Ancestor Mu had no time to cry now, she wiped her tears dry, asked the Fourth Granddaughter-in-law to help her change into clothes without patches, redid her hair, and followed Daqing to the Gu Familyβs residence.
Grandmaster Mu wanted to follow but was stopped by Daqing: "If you go, the matter is off the table."
Daqing issued a harsh statement, making Grandmaster Mu dare not cause more trouble, yet she still wanted the Mu Familyβs great-great-grandson to follow.
Daqing sneered with disagreement.
The Mu Familyβs great-great-grandson, a man desperate to find a wife, is not someone to enter the Gu Familyβs gate? Stop dreaming!
"At most, two women can accompany," stated Daqing.
The Mu Family disagreed, but Ancestor Mu intervened: "Let the Fourth Granddaughter-in-law follow, others stay home."
Third Granddaughter-in-law Mu was anxious: "Grand Ancestor, we can go with two women, let me accompany to take care of you, lest you be deceived."
Daqing laughed; anyone who says such a thing, if Ancestor Mu agreed to have her go, this matter neednβt discuss anymore.
Luckily, Ancestor Mu didnβt agree, she took the Fourth Granddaughter-in-law along on the Gu Familyβs mule cart, angering the other Mu Family members quite a bit, they shouted after the cart, "Grand Ancestor, remember to raise the price!"
...
Gu Jinli heard of Ancestor Muβs arrival and personally went to the corner gate to greet; seeing she was terribly bent over, thin, obviously underfed for years, and had cataracts clouding her eyes, making her nearly blind.
Knowing sheβs someone whoβs living a difficult life, Gu Jinli treated Ancestor Mu kindly, had Xiao Ji make tender meat porridge and egg custard from the kitchen, also prepared a large bowl of meat noodles for both Ancestor Mu and the Fourth Granddaughter-in-law to eat.
Once they were full, she stated, "Ancestor Mu, your familyβs situation needs no further explanation from this junior; without an occupation, dozens of people inhabiting the Prefecture is a dead-endβthe only way out is returning to the countryside to start anew."
If the Mu Family still had shops in the Prefecture, she would never say such a thing, but those three shops are long gone, without farmland, only working odd jobs in the Prefecture, and with so many great-great-grandsons needing wivesβthat life cannot go on.
"The old state of your family house needs no repetition from me; Iβm not squeezing your price down, a flat rate, Iβll offer your family three thousand taels."
If it were Grandmaster Mu, Gu Jinli wouldnβt even want to offer a thousand taels, but after seeing Ancestor Mu, she is willing to grant three thousand taels.
Gu Jinli further mentioned: "Your home countrysideβs paddy fields are much cheaper than here, eight taels can buy one mu; twenty great-great-grandsons each buying five mu along with ten mu of dry land, building a house and getting wives, notably for two thousand five hundred taels or so. The remaining five hundred taels can be divided and given as a capital for them, if truly capable, utilizing this foundation for one generation perhaps they would move back to the Prefecture."
Gu Jinli calculated, besides expensive paddies, everything else in the countryside is quite cheap.
Thirty taels for a house, about ten taels for taking a wife, dry land being cheaper and settling twenty great-great-grandsons of the Mu Family with two thousand five hundred taels is more than sufficient.
Ancestor Mu came to sell the house in earnest, after hearing Gu Jinliβs words, she had the Fourth Granddaughter-in-law calculate each step, indeed properly settling twenty great-great-grandsons, she wept with joy, feeling around to hold Gu Jinliβs hand, "Young lady, thank you, you are saving the Mu Family."
She stressed over the great-great-grandsonsβ outcomes enough almost to hang herself.
Gu Jinli smiled, "You speak too highly, this is a win-win for us."
But...
"Making this happen relies on you."
Ancestor Mu understood Gu Jinliβs meaning and reassured: "Young lady, rest assured, no matter their noise, I wonβt allow them to tread down the dead-end anymore."
This is Mu Familyβs only lifeline; anyone daring to obstruct will be ejected.
After all, the land and house deeds are in her possession.
Ancestor Mu grasped this lifeline as if holding onto a life buoy, without delay upon returning home; she ignored any blocking from sons, grandsons, great-great-grandsons, went to her room to fetch hidden deeds, then went directly to the Prefecture Government Office, finalizing the house transaction with the Gu Family.
