Chapter 32: The Village Chief’s House
After eating breakfast at home, Gu Yu rejected his younger brother-in-law’s request to accompany him, telling him to stay home and take care of the injured Mengyao.
Even though Mengyao only injured her arm, Gu Qingheng could be useful if any heavy lifting was needed.
Not feeling it was wrong to make an eight-year-old child do heavy work, Gu Yu then ambled out of the house and walked towards the village chief’s home.
It wasn’t that Gu Yu deliberately swayed as he walked, like a loafer… but his body was too weak, his walk as if being blown by a strong wind, making Gu Yu feel he needed to find time to exercise later.
With such a weak body, if he didn’t have his space, he wouldn’t be able to escape if someone ambushed and beat him.
Thinking about future exercise plans, Gu Yu walked towards the grandest-looking house in the village. Upon seeing the blue brick and tile house of the village chief, Gu Yu couldn’t help but let out a couple of “tsk tsk” sounds.
Yang Hong, the village chief of Yang Family Village, was the pride of Yang Family Village. After passing the scholar candidate exam a few years ago, he made the people of Yang Family Village feel immensely honored when outside.
After all, other villages didn’t even have a Tong Sheng, let alone a scholar candidate.
Yang Family Village, because of Yang Hong, a scholar candidate, had a lot of face. Many girls from other villages vied to marry into the village, all because they heard that the living conditions in Yang Family Village were good, and the village chief was wise, so their lives were very happy.
Gu Yu, however, was skeptical. Words were easier said than done. If it were true, Gu Yu’s family’s current home was about to collapse, but the village chief hadn’t said a word, and the villagers turned a blind eye.
Although the Gu family were outsiders, they had lived in the village for decades and shouldn’t be treated this way.
Gu Yu didn’t expect the village chief to support their family, but not even an inquiry was made. He guessed that by the time the three of them froze to death in winter, it would only elicit a sigh from others, and then they would be completely forgotten in a corner.
Therefore, Gu Yu didn’t have a good impression of the people in Yang Family Village.
Even if he might be condemning the entire village, Gu Yu didn’t want to change. In any case, as long as everyone respected each other’s boundaries and lived their lives well, that was enough.
Thinking about it, Gu Yu bought a piece of pork, about half a kilogram, from the butcher shop at the village entrance. Along with a jar of homemade local wine bought from the general store, it cost only twenty-five wen, which was much cheaper than in town.
Gu Yu was going to ask for a favor this time, so if he didn’t bring something as a gift to the village chief’s house, even if he succeeded… he might be blamed for not knowing how to get things done in the future.
To reduce future trouble, Gu Yu brought good wine and meat this time. After all, families in the village were frugal with meat, so bringing meat would satisfy their cravings.
Don’t let the village chief’s house look impressive; in reality, his family lived frugally to support his studies, and it was no different from other farming families in the village… Gu Yu believed the piece of meat he brought would be very welcome.
As for why Gu Yu, after making so much silver, was still stingy and only bought half a kilogram of meat… Whose money was blown in by the wind? Gu Yu felt heartache even buying half a kilogram of meat for the village chief, thinking that if he couldn’t buy land this time, he would definitely take the meat back.
Face or not, it was not in Gu Yu’s consideration. Anyway, his family was poor now, and no one should expect to get a bargain.
Moreover, the Gu family, who were originally so poor they were about to starve, suddenly became generous, which attracted envy… The fewer troubles, the better. After all, Gu Yu just wanted to live a quiet life, not to always worry about burglars.
“Isn’t that Gou Dan? Why are you here? You’re carrying so many things, it’s too much trouble.”
“Village Chief, I’ve come to ask you a favor.”
“What is it?”
When Gu Yu arrived at the village chief’s house, the village chief was practicing calligraphy on paper, his serious demeanor showing no sign of fatigue.
The village chief was forty-two years old, an age that in ancient times was considered elderly, let alone that the village chief’s grandson was already ten years old.
It was still so diligent that some young people felt inferior.
When the village chief heard someone approaching, he looked up and saw Gu Yu. A gleam of surprise flashed in his eyes, wondering why Gu Yu was here today.
Then, seeing Gu Yu holding wine and meat as gifts, and appearing to ask for a favor, made the village chief even more curious.
The village chief had heard about how miserably the Gu family lived. However, no matter how miserable they were, he couldn’t subsidize them with his own things, so it was better to pretend not to know.
After all, the Gu family were outsiders. Unlike the Yang family in Yang Family Village, they didn’t have many connections in the village. Even if they died, they would just be buried somewhere and that would be it.
Yang Family Village had developed to this point, and most of the families in the village had some connections. The saying “a single move affects the whole” was not out of place here.
However, not everyone in the village was surnamed Yang. Because Lian Town was connected to the Capital by road, some outsiders would appear every year and settle in various villages.
And how did the Gu family, who had always lived a hard life, suddenly have money to buy gifts?
