Chapter 38: Sarcasm and Sour Words

Yan Fengru wasn’t the type to chatter idly, but in front of those she trusted, people often didn’t bother to hide their true thoughts. After all, in her eyes, her daughter was just a five-year-old child who wouldn’t understand the complexities between adults.

But Gu Yuzhu wasn’t really a five-year-old. Naturally, she could pick up on subtle clues from her mother’s tone and expressions.

Besides, Gu Yuzhu knew that her aunt’s husband’s family had some wealth.

Back in the day, the entire Yan family had relied on Yan Fengru selling herself into servitude to stay afloat. Things only got better when her brothers each grew up and began supporting the household. Still, no matter how one looked at it, the Lü and Yan families were not socially matched.

Even though Gu Yuzhu’s current body was young, her soul was that of an adult. From Sun shi’s perspective, it wasn’t hard to guess what she might think of Yan Fengjiao or how she might treat her.

People, at their core, are all somewhat status-conscious. This isn’t meant as an insult—it’s just that subtle sense of superiority one unconsciously feels toward those of lower social standing. It’s human nature; anyone can feel this way.

And in a mother’s eyes, her son is always exceptional—so exceptional, in fact, that no one short of a celestial fairy could possibly deserve him. No matter who he marries, the son is always seen as being the one making the “sacrifice.”

But in reality, most men have their own flaws and are far from perfect, certainly not as ideal as they are in their mother’s eyes.

If Sun shi had higher emotional intelligence, she might not display such “superiority” in her daily interactions with her daughter-in-law. Yet the fact that Yan Fengjiao often vented to Yan Fengru about her mother-in-law hinted at tensions in their relationship.

Yan Fengjiao was forthright by nature and not someone who liked talking behind others’ backs. Still, even she couldn’t resist complaining to her older sister—though most of it wasn’t anything malicious. It was just the usual trivial matters of daily life, especially regarding how to raise her twin sons.

That’s why Gu Yuzhu found it odd that Sun shi would allow Yan Fengjiao to provide support to her elder sister’s household.

And Gu Yuzhu wasn’t the only one who thought it was strange—Yan Fengru did too.

“Don’t try to fool me!”

But Yan Fengjiao dismissed it with a wave of her hand. “My mother-in-law said that education is a good thing. You’re capable, and if Bai-ge ends up successful one day, he might be able to look out for Jie-ge and Kai-ge in the future.”

Suddenly, everything clicked for Yan Fengru.

You had to admit, Sun shi wasn’t clueless when it came to the big picture.

The Lü family had only produced one male heir per generation, and it wasn’t until the current generation that they finally got twin boys. Sun shi cherished them like precious gems.

So it was no surprise that she had a favorable attitude toward Yan Fengjiao, who had provided the Lü family with two grandsons in one birth.

Even if Yan Fengjiao had more children in the future, given how close she was with her elder sister, it made sense that her sister’s son succeeding would be good for her own children as well.

Moreover, the first year’s tuition included the formal apprentice ceremony. For an ordinary family, this would be a big deal—but for a family like the Lü’s, it wasn’t anything burdensome. That’s why Sun shi didn’t mind her daughter-in-law helping out her natal family.

But Yan Fengru didn’t agree. “When Jie-ge and Kai-ge begin their studies in the future, they’ll go to the same academy as Bai-ge. They’re cousins and will be classmates too—it’s natural for them to support each other. Besides, it’s not like I can’t afford it. How could I let you pay? That would be completely inappropriate!”

Her tone grew stern. Yan Fengjiao, who knew her sister well, immediately realized it was no use trying to insist. Her sister clearly wouldn’t accept the gesture.

She regretted not acting first and telling her later. But knowing her sister’s stubborn streak, she could only give up.

“Fine, then I’ll just make some clothes for my nephew. You’re not allowed to refuse that.”

A few outfits were no big deal to Yan Fengjiao—far less than the apprentice gift. “You have his measurements already. If I make the clothes and don’t give them to him, who else would wear them? Of course he’ll have to wear them.”

Yan Fengru gave her younger sister a playful glare, and Yan Fengjiao couldn’t help but giggle.

Yan Fengjiao had taken a carriage from the town to Qingshan Village. Though the Lü family’s carriage was considered low-profile—painted entirely black and lacking ornate decorations—it still stood out in a small village.

The old Yan family had really made it big!

All three sons had made something of themselves, and the youngest daughter had married into a wealthy family in town. Just look at that imposing aura! It was said she wore silk and satin, and she was accompanied by maids and older attendants, bringing a whole load of bags into the Yan household.

At the time, Yuan shi happened to be at the Gu household. When she heard about it, jealousy nearly made her bleed inside—but her mouth, of course, spewed nothing but sour barbs.

“I heard the little aunt came. Good grief! Came in a horse carriage, no less! With maids and old nannies serving her—hauling stuff into the Yan house like it was free. If your stepmother were still around, she’d definitely be trying to drag some of that over to our house!”

Gu Qingshan’s face darkened, and even Li shi found Yuan shi’s words unbearable.

Gu Dapeng kept his head down and said nothing, though inwardly, he felt that his former mother-in-law had gone too far.

That was Yan shi’s own sister. If she wanted to give things to her natal family, what right did Yuan shi have to complain?

But to be fair, Yuan shi had a point. If Yan Fengru and her children were still living here, with how close she was to her sister, she would definitely have brought things over to their household.

However, now that the families had split, there was no way they’d still be sending gifts to the former brother-in-law’s house—especially if those gifts would benefit children left behind by his ex-wife.

In truth, Gu Dapeng still believed that Yan Fengjiao wasn’t a stingy person. If Qingshan and Caihe had a good relationship with Yan Fengru, she wouldn’t have begrudged them a few things.

But the problem was, both children had always been cold and disrespectful toward Yan Fengru. And it’s not like she was blind. If you didn’t treat her sister well, why would she go out of her way to be nice to you?

But really—who was to blame for all this?

Gu Dapeng didn’t know.

All he knew was that if his former mother-in-law and sister-in-law hadn’t constantly been feeding the children stories about “evil stepmothers,” their relationship with Yan Fengru might not have turned out this way. Every time he thought about it, he found himself resenting Yuan shi and the Jiang family—but they were, after all, Qingshan and Caihe’s maternal relatives.

Sigh. Honest man Gu Dapeng was just deeply troubled.

Yet Yuan shi, still brimming with indignation, continued, “She may not be your real mother, but Qingshan, you lived under the same roof with her for years. Those Yan sisters are really petty!”

Gu Dapeng: “…”

Whatever sour things Yuan shi was muttering, no one cared.

The very next morning, Yan Fengru took her two children to town. Gu Qingbai and Gu Yuzhu were sent to the Lü family’s estate to pick cherries, while Yan Fengru went to prepare for the formal apprentice ceremony, hoping to find an auspicious date to take her son to Qingsong Academy to formally acknowledge a teacher.

Gu Yuzhu knew that, in this era, becoming a disciple wasn’t like the modern student-teacher relationship she was used to. Here, “a teacher for a day, a father for life” truly applied. Of course, if Gu Qingbai wasn’t favored, a regular tuition payment would suffice. But scholars with both knowledge and virtue didn’t just accept anyone who showed up.

There was still a major difference between being a formal disciple and a regular student.