Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside Chapter 1288: Sachet

Hearing this, Mrs. Chen's heart ached, and she lamented, "Oh heavens, over a thousand taels of silver! In one go, a thousand taels are gone. Our family worked so hard, and we only managed to save a little over two hundred taels? A huge loss, a truly significant loss!"

Gu Jinli produced a money bag and put her share of the silver into it. She said, "I already told Aunt Da Gui that the cost of making snowy mooncakes is quite high. With the increased taxes on top of that, even wealthy landlords don't have much spare cash. Hoping to strike it rich by selling snowy mooncakes is out of the question. It's already good enough that we're earning something."

This year's snowy mooncakes were profitable, thanks in large part to the assistance from Dou Ou Bank.

Brother Wang, that astute fellow, ingeniously set up the snowy mooncake stall right at the entrance of Dou Ou Bank. Wealthy individuals from the county, surrounding counties, and even the prefecture, all eager to curry favor with Young Master Dou, would purchase a few pieces. This allowed for high-priced sales.

Otherwise, one would simply have to keep them all for themselves, as ordinary farmers simply couldn't afford these snowy mooncakes made from glutinous rice and an abundance of sugar.

However...

"Young Master Dou has developed a fondness for our snowy mooncakes and wishes to forge a partnership with us. He proposes expanding sales to the Capital and Jiangnan next year. Even if the world becomes unfavorable, we can still amass a considerable fortune from snowy mooncakes next year." Gu Dewang let out a hearty laugh, resolving to be Sister Xiao Yu’s loyal subordinate for life.

The discarded recipe from Sister Xiao Yu alone could help them earn a substantial amount of money. Where else could they possibly find such a magnificent business partner?

"Young Master Dou can certainly help us earn a great deal of silver," Gu Jinli affirmed, nodding her head. She took out another bag to place Tian Xiaohua’s share of the silver in, intending to present it when the Tian family came over for the Mid-Autumn Festival dinner.

After securing the money bag, she turned to Brother Cheng and said, "Let's go, back to the courtyard. Second Sister needs to check your pulse again."

The unspoken truth was that she wanted to assess the extent of his injuries from the beating.

Third Grandma, who had been busy preparing offerings, quickly agreed. "Yes, yes, Brother Cheng, hurry back to the courtyard with your Second Sister. Let her take a thorough look at you."

Then, considering that Xiao Yu was merely a teenager and might not be entirely dependable, she added, "When dinner is ready, have Doctor Wu take a look as well."

Over the years, Doctor Wu had become accustomed to their ways and no longer stood on ceremony. He occasionally joined them for meals during the festivals, and he was present this time as well.

Gu Jin’an interjected, "Third Grandma, Grandpa Wu tired himself out while making medicine. There's no need to trouble him. It's perfectly fine for Xiao Yu to examine him. Besides, Master Ouyang already had the family doctor check on Brother Cheng, and he's almost recovered now."

If Doctor Wu were to see the injuries on Brother Cheng’s back, it would undoubtedly lead to a major incident.

Third Grandma trusted Gu Jin’an’s judgment, so she no longer pressed the matter, allowing the siblings to return to the backyard to tend to Brother Cheng.

In the main room of Brother Cheng and his siblings’ courtyard, Brother Cheng nervously clutched his clothes. "Second Sister, I’m almost well. There’s no need to examine me. Besides, I’m already old enough, and you are young ladies. How can you ask me to take off my clothes for you to inspect?"

With a playful slap, Gu Jinli struck Brother Cheng’s head. "You little rascal! You're not even nine years old, what's there to be shy about? And I'm only asking you to take off your outer clothes, not your pants. Stop dawdling and let's get this done!"

Brother Cheng puffed out his cheeks in indignation, turning to Gu Jinxiu for help. "Big Sister."

Gu Jinxiu gently admonished, "Brother Cheng, be a good boy and let your Second Sister examine the injuries on your back."

She was aware that Brother Cheng had been beaten by Good Brother An and that his punishment would have been doubled when he went to apologize to the Ouyang Family, exacerbating his injuries. She couldn't rest easy without checking on him.

Brother Cheng had no choice but to remove his clothes, cleverly using them to cover his front, which earned him an exasperated eye-roll from Gu Jinli.

However, Gu Jinxiu’s eyes welled up with tears as she looked at the wounds on Brother Cheng’s back, exclaiming, "This beating was far too severe!"

Gu Jinli followed her gaze and was also taken aback. Even after three days had passed, the injuries on Brother Cheng’s back were still horrifying. Numerous wounds were deeply embedded, clearly indicating that the rattan had cut into the flesh during the beating.

Gu Jinxiu shed tears, feeling immense sympathy for Brother Cheng. "Even if Brother Cheng made mistakes, he shouldn't have been beaten this brutally. He's still so young and frail."

Gu Jinli stated, "Big Sister, what he did was conspire with Big Brother to take advantage of an unmarried maiden. Even such a harsh beating is deserved."

Although Gu Jinli also felt pity for Brother Cheng, she believed that wrong is wrong and couldn't overlook his actions simply because he was her brother.

Brother Cheng tugged on Gu Jinxiu’s hand and smiled. "Big Sister, please don't cry. It doesn't hurt anymore. Besides, I helped Big Brother, so I'm happy."

Gu Jin’an, her face flushed, scolded Brother Cheng: "Why speak so much? Let your Second Sister apply the medicine."

Brother Cheng let out two hums and wisely kept his mouth shut.

Gu Jinxiu looked at her Good Brother An, inquiring: "Good Brother An, did Master Ouyang truly agree?"

Gu Jin’an appeared slightly embarrassed but didn’t conceal anything from them. He relayed Master Ouyang’s agreement and offered a piece of advice: "Big Sister, Xiao Yu, don’t tell Mom and Dad yet… in case it doesn’t work out and casts unfavorable light upon Third Miss."

Gu Jinxiu smiled brightly: "It will definitely work. Our Good Brother An is so promising; he’ll undoubtedly secure a spot within the top three in the Imperial Examination."

Having experienced life as twins, she and Good Brother An understood him intimately. When he sets his heart on something or someone, it's for a lifetime. Should it not come to fruition, he likely wouldn't consider another match.

His determination to learn reading, even when his hands were nearly broken during punishment, led him to study in secret, never faltering. This resolve is especially evident now that he has set his sights on a particular person.

Gu Jinli remarked: "Master Ouyang truly deserves his reputation as a Great Scholar. Were it another noble family or a noble, agreement would be unthinkable; they would surely dispatch assassins to eliminate Big Brother or even our entire family."

Great Chu, continuing the scholarly traditions of the previous dynasty, placed immense importance on family status. Noble daughters were highly valued, exclusively matched with those from noble families, high-ranking officials, and the Imperial family; even daughters of concubines were paired with officials and local gentry. If a farmer’s child dared to interact with a noble daughter, discovery meant one outcome: assassination.

Gu Jin’an declared: "I will forever cherish the love and care from Master Ouyang, dedicating myself to repaying it with all my might."

Gu Jinli nodded in agreement: "That is only right."

She then blinked at Gu Jin’an, adding: "You also need to repay Third Sister; without her intervention, Master Ouyang would likely not have consented."

It’s certain that Third Sister also harbors feelings for Big Brother. Master Ouyang must have perceived this, and after careful consideration of various factors, he gave his assent. If Third Sister had felt any reluctance, Master Ouyang would surely not have agreed.

Gu Jin’an’s complexion deepened in color, but he nodded: "Naturally."

In this lifetime, his heart would belong only to her, cherishing her always.

Both Gu Jinli and Gu Jinxiu listened, their eyes filled with amusement.

After changing the dressing for Brother Cheng, Gu Jinli left two bottles of antiseptic medicine for Gu Jin’an before departing with Gu Jinxiu.

Big Brother is older now; even though they are siblings, she cannot apply medicine for him anymore; it's crucial to avoid any appearance of impropriety.

...

Having left the courtyard, Gu Jinli proceeded to the kitchen, personally preparing grilled fish for Qin San Lang.

Qin San Lang returned at dusk. Gu Jinli, possessing keen hearing, detected the approaching hoofbeats and slipped away towards the Qin family's residence, eliciting a hefty eye-roll and a sullen huff from Brother Cheng.

*Humph, Second Sister, this disobedient cabbage, always running off to someone else's place.*

Gu Jinli paid him no mind. Upon seeing Qin San Lang, she immediately presented him with a sachet: "I made this for you. Mom said you should wear it after August."