Chapter 25: Secondary Wife

It was already a stroke of luck if anything grew properly in that space at all.

The original host was very young, and the fact that she could remember even a few things was already impressive. So, Gu Yuzhu had to pay attention and figure out most of it herself.

These past few days, Gu Yuzhu had been listening carefully to the conversations of the villagers and, after close observation, concluded that the productivity level in this era was quite low. After all, it was still a feudal society in ancient times. It was already difficult for a farmer to save up just a few taels of silver after a whole year.

A portion of the harvest had to be handed over, and most of the rest was exchanged at the market for coarse grains. One dou of refined grain could be traded for ten dou of coarse grain. A family scrimping and saving just to survive for half a year or a year was nothing unusual.

Thinking about this, Gu Yuzhu’s mindset calmed once again. She resigned herself to pulling weeds.

After a long while, Gu Yuzhu suddenly felt darkness before her eyes. When she opened them again, she saw a large, beautiful face hovering close—her older brother.

Gu Yuzhu: “…”

Seeing her wake up, Gu Qingbai let out a long sigh.

“Aiyo, Zhu’er, how did you fall asleep again?”

Gu Qingbai couldn’t understand it. He was the same age as his sister, full of energy all year round, yet his sister was constantly dozing off. Their mother was right—girls were just weaker. As a strong boy, it was his duty to protect his sister.

Gu Yuzhu: “…”

She glared at Gu Qingbai, but seeing the concern on his face, she suddenly didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t exactly explain that she had been weeding in another space and had been pulled out of it when he woke her.

Her “golden finger” didn’t involve her entire body entering the space—only her consciousness. That raised another problem: she could enter the space consciously, but could physical objects enter as well?

Even if physical things could go in, could she use her consciousness to bring out the fruits and vegetables she grew?

She would have to test it sometime.

Gu Yuzhu was thinking about the loquat seeds she had hidden away and was planning to find a chance to try.

If the seeds couldn’t go in and the grown items couldn’t come out, it would be completely useless. So when her brother asked, Gu Yuzhu just vaguely brushed it off.

Then she saw her brother’s eyes light up. He said their mother was really impressive, that even Grandma and Uncle couldn’t outtalk her. And those uncles—tall and strapping—all just stood there silently, not daring to move when their mother confronted them.

Speaking of which, the men in the Jiang family weren’t tall, unlike the Yan family’s uncles. In Gu Yuzhu’s eyes, the three uncles she had in this life were all at least 1.8 meters tall.

So really, genes were…

Gu Yuzhu couldn’t help studying her full-blooded brother—those delicate features, that excellent genetic makeup! When he grew up, he’d surely charm thousands of young girls!

Just thinking about it made Gu Yuzhu break into an aunt-like smile.

Then, she saw her brother’s enlarged face.

“Zhu’er, why are you drooling? Didn’t you eat enough?”

Gu Yuzhu: “…”

Forget it. She’d just focus on gossip for now. Her brother might be a handsome boy, but right now he was still a little kid. She’d sneak into the space tonight while sleeping. No one would wake her up then, right?

At this moment, she heard her mother, Yan Fengru, speak sarcastically:

“Don’t think I don’t know what filthy schemes you’re brewing. If someone wants to marry into the Gu family, they’d better talk to Gu Dapeng. Let’s see if the Gu family has the ability to bring in another secondary wife. And let’s see if Gu Dapeng has what it takes to raise someone else’s cheap son.”

“Gu Dapeng, do you want that? If you do, just say so. I’ll make room!”

Yan Fengru gave Gu Dapeng a disdainful look. He was just useless.

But when she thought of her two children, Yan Fengru felt a little comforted. At least he was good for one thing: giving her these precious dragon-phoenix twins. Yan Fengru was a woman of strong resolve. Ever since marrying into the Gu family—despite knowing that Gu Dapeng was a widower with two children—she never hesitated.

She had genuinely wanted to live a good life with this man. After all, this was the way of the world. What woman could avoid getting married? Besides, if she didn’t marry, her younger siblings would never feel at ease. She didn’t want to become a burden to them.

Who would’ve thought the heavens would favor her so much? They gave her two treasures.

Ever since her two children had encountered accidents, Yan Fengru had no room in her heart for anyone else. Including Gu Dapeng—he was just a passing cloud. The only ones who truly mattered were her two children. Their health and safety were all that mattered.

As for that old man Gu Dapeng, who’d want him? Even if he took three or four wives, as long as he had the ability, she wouldn’t say a word.

The question was whether he had the ability. In Dayue, the law upheld monogamy, but men taking concubines wasn’t restricted. As long as one had the means and could afford it, it was allowed.

By this point, cold sweat was forming on Gu Dapeng’s forehead. He wasn’t stupid—he could clearly see what his former mother-in-law, Madam Yuan, was plotting. But he pretended not to. He hadn’t agreed back then, and certainly wouldn’t now.

The younger Jiang sister wasn’t even as good-looking as her older sister, not to mention Yan Fengru.

Besides, Yan Fengru’s two children were his biological offspring. The younger Jiang sister came with two stepchildren. Only an idiot wouldn’t know who to choose.

And yet, Gu Dapeng saw his former mother-in-law, several former brothers-in-law, even his former sister-in-law, and his own son and daughter all looking at him with hopeful eyes.

Gu Dapeng: “…”

This tall, grown man suddenly shrank back like a coward, not even daring to lift his head. Anyone could see it—whether he feared Yan Fengru’s dominance or something else, he clearly didn’t want to marry the younger Jiang sister.

But Yuan acted as if she couldn’t see.

“What do you think?” she said while winking repeatedly at her grandson, Gu Qingshan.

Gu Qingshan: “…”

He was only in his early teens when his birth mother died. Ever since then, his grandmother Yuan, along with his aunt—the younger Jiang sister—kept filling his and his sister’s heads with stories of how a stepmother would mistreat them. That left him with a very bad impression of Yan Fengru. Over the years, it was only natural that their relationship never warmed.

But now that Gu Qingshan was older, he could see things with his own eyes. Though Yan Fengru wasn’t their biological mother, and certainly couldn’t treat them like her own, she wasn’t a wicked woman either.

Still, as a stepmother, her children naturally became competitors for family property. That affected his interests, so Gu Qingshan didn’t challenge his family’s view.

But he wasn’t stupid. At least Gu Qingbai was their father’s biological son. Even if they competed over inheritance, it was somewhat justified.

But if the younger Jiang sister married in and brought along Feng Tieniu? Feng Tieniu was already nineteen and unmarried. As his stepfather, how would their dad handle it? And as his cousin, would he be responsible for him?

Gu Caihe, on the other hand, didn’t care about all that. She immediately said:

“Dad, what do you actually want to do?”