“But what?” Madame Gu asked patiently. Madame Gu was willing to give her anything she was craving for at this moment.
Gu Chaoyan smiled brightly. “But I still want to manage the stores personally.”
“…” Madam Gu’s face sank.
“My mother passed away when I was little. I as her daughter have not done anything proper for her. Now I have grown up, and I should do something for my mother.” Gu Chaoyan said with a face of sincerity, looking very determined.
Madame Gu let out a breath of annoyance.
So this girl did not catch the long speech she had just delivered?
For one second, Madam Gu felt that Gu Chaoyan was no longer as dumb and mental as before, but had become increasingly pestering.
And the whole family had no choice but to follow her wishes at the moment.
Compared to the dowries, what the Gu Mansion needed more was the potential promotion given through Lord Huai. The official position mattered more, and with a high rank, those stores did not matter any more.
“Alright, if that is your wish, you can start the management tomorrow. I will ask Chen Fu to get your trip ready.” Madame Gu said, still looking displeased.
Gu Chaoyan smiled. “Sounds good.”
Mrs. Gu was no longer silent. She had never expected that Madame Gu would have approved of this proposal. Was she so old that she got dumb in the head? Those stores were so important for the Gu Mansion, what was she thinking as she nodded at her proposal! “Madame Gu, you…”
Madame Gu glared at her. Then she turned to Gu Chaoyan. “Go and take a break. We have sorted out a new yard for you to live in in the front yard, ask Chen Fu to lead you there. If you are not happy with it, just get them to do another round of cleaning.”
A new yard?
Gu Chaoyan shook her head. “No thanks, Madame Gu. I am used to living in the Qiong Pavilion, so I will continue to stay there.”
Madame Gu would have tried to talk her into accepting the new yard when she heard what Gu Chaoyan said, but Gu Chaoyan had countered her too many times for her to have any energy left to persuade her to do anything. So she just let her do whatever she wanted.
She waved her hand, suggesting that she could leave.
Gu Chaoyan left without hesitation.
The moment Gu Chaoyan left, Madame Gu asked the concubines to leave as well.
As they were all gone, Gu Zhenkang and Mrs. Gu could not stay silent any more. Mrs. Gu asked excitedly, “Madame Gu, how could you approve of her proposal? You knew that those stores were very important for our mansion! We are all living upon the revenue of those stores! What would happen to the Gu Mansion if the stores are all given to her?! If what she needs is the dowry, we can just add some more items to her dowries at her wedding.”
“…”
“I have been running the stores during the past few years, so the stores have become the way they are now. The ugly girl has done nothing and now she is trying to take them away from me.” Mrs. Gu said, feeling unconvinced.
Madame Gu massaged her temple, feeling a headache starting. She was pretty aware of the importance of those dowries, but now…
What mattered more was that her son could get promoted at work!
She sighed. “Don’t panic, Chaoyan is too young to do anything about the stores. She has never been away from the mansion in her life. So she understands nothing about those stores, let alone running them personally.”
“…”
“Just let her take a look. When she runs into trouble, she will give up and realize what I told her before was right.”
“…”
“Don’t think about this matter any more. We have got something more important to deal with tomorrow.”
