Chapter 605: Chapter 605: You Mistook Your Fellow Townsman
Gu Dahu’s strength was immense, the whip lashed effortlessly.
Each stroke was unreservedly aimed at Gu Ruinian.
On a winter morning, all was silent, except for the sound of the whip echoing through the Gu Family courtyard, startling the snow-laden trees so that the snow rolled down, hitting the ground and splattering snowflakes on faces and bodies.
The cold was even more intense.
A full fifty lashes completed.
Gu Dahu threw away the whip, exhausted and panting heavily.
Gu Ruinian lay on the bench, barely breathing, as his two younger brothers loosened their grip, and he collapsed limply onto the snow, unconscious.
A trail of blood stretched across the snow.
Strikingly conspicuous against the white snow.
Everyone looked at Gu Ruinian with varied expressions, their hearts set off stormy waves.
It was the first time the young ones in the clan witnessed the use of clan punishment, and fear gripped everyone.
In such cold weather, after fifty lashes, no one knew if Gu Ruinian could still stand.
The Clan Leader pointed at Gu Ruinian and said to the Gu Family juniors behind him, "Take a good look. If anyone commits a grave mistake disregarding the clan, they’ll be served the same clan punishment as Ruinian."
"Clan Leader, understood."
"Who else but Gu Ruinian could make such a grave mistake."
The Clan Leader spoke, and the juniors dared not disobey.
"Youtian, keep a strict rein on your son. If he makes another mistake, you will be punished too."
The Clan Leader pointed at Gu Youtian, but looked at Tong Huaqiong, indicating his intention to sever ties with the Gu Family old residence, and wondered if it was still timely to rely on Tong Huaqiong.
Tong Huaqiong did not even glance at the Clan Leader.
Faced with the indifference of Tong Huaqiong, the Clan Leader gritted his teeth discreetly and walked back through the snow.
After the Clan Leader left, the others also departed from the Gu Family old residence.
Tong Huaqiong, who had watched the scene throughout the night, also dispersed.
Before leaving, she glanced at Gu Ruinian on the ground.
Gu Ruinian would not rise again from this downfall.
"Taohua."
Gu Taohua passed by Gu Ruinian, and Gu Ruinian opened his eyes, struggling to grab Gu Taohua’s skirt.
Tong Huaqiong, fearing Gu Ruinian might still harbor malicious thoughts, stopped beside Gu Taohua.
Gu Ruinian whispered, "Taohua, we have both traveled through time. Why are you favored by fate while I am abandoned?"
Gu Taohua couldn’t understand, thinking Gu Ruinian’s mind was addled by the beating, spouting nonsense, she kicked away Gu Ruinian’s hand.
Tong Huaqiong patted Gu Taohua, indicating the door, Gu Taohua walked toward the door.
Tong Huaqiong seized the moment to whisper to Gu Ruinian, "Because you want to use other people’s lives to fulfill your destiny."
In others’ eyes, this seemed like Tong Huaqiong, as the elder sister-in-law, was showing care for Gu Ruinian.
Gu Ruinian widened his eyes, realizing he had mistaken the traveler.
He had always thought cousin Gu Taohua was the time traveler, not expecting it was the elder sister-in-law.
Gu Ruinian coughed up blood and fainted completely.
...
The lunar New Year soon passed.
The cold weather persisted.
After the start of spring, the weather still showed no sign of warming.
The whole world seemed frozen.
When everyone thought they could never wait for spring, suddenly one day the sunlight became warm.
As the snow quickly melted, the winter wheat that was nearly frozen in place began to turn green with the nourishment of spring water.
Once the sunlight tore open a gap in the sky, spring could no longer be contained.
Tong Huaqiong’s weaving workshop started working daily from the sixth day of the lunar New Year, the looms buzzing continuously, and when the first batch of cotton cloth was released after the New Year, Tong Huaqiong looked up to see the willow trees outside the workshop yard sprouting buds, the peach and apricot trees in the yard budding.
It was only at this time that Tong Huaqiong felt relieved.
The extreme cold had completely gone.
After the snowfall, there were no corpses scattered by the riverbank, no epidemics, no turmoil in the grain market, everything returned to normal.
The villagers had already started preparing for spring plowing!
Tong Huaqiong also began to ponder the weaving and dyeing techniques for cotton cloth.
Taohua Dessert welcomed a baking competition which selected talented pastry chef candidates, Jufu Supermarket ushered in a new branch store in the state capital, Tong Huaqiong’s career advanced to a new stage.
Another spring breeze followed by a spring rain brought about soft spring light.
The entire Qinghe Bay was enveloped in peach blossoms and green willows.
Tong Huaqiong received a second letter from Gu Dashi sent from the border, reporting his safety, mentioning he daringly wholesale a batch of goods from the border to Mo Bei and returned safely, planning to explore Mo Bei further, intending to expand family business to Mo Bei.
Tong Huaqiong dared not show this letter to Liu Yueer, fearing she couldn’t bear it.
With war between the two countries in a stalemate, most merchants avoided Mo Bei, but Tong Huaqiong didn’t expect Gu Dashi to be so bold, daring to venture deep into Mo Bei and start trading with the Mo Bei people.
Expanding family business to Mo Bei was something Tong Huaqiong had always wanted to do.
In the entire Dasheng, regardless of sea or land business, it was mostly controlled.
To penetrate only allowed one a sip of soup.
Just like Tong Huaqiong’s business, whether Taohua Dessert or Jufu Supermarket, neither could compare to Mr. Lu’s sea business.
Her breakthrough could only be at the border.
The border was chaotic, requiring bravery to thrive.
Since last autumn, border merchants began relocating inland, despite the war, ordinary people still had to live amidst the fire.
If life required living, then living necessitated resources.
She could take advantage of that to conduct business in Mo Bei using cotton and goods.
Earlier in the year, she sent Gu Dashi and He Chao to the border for this purpose.
Beyond her expectations, Gu Dashi was even more adventurous than she imagined.
Border business needed to be done, and Tong Huaqiong intended not only to conduct it herself but also involved Aunt Tang.
Soon, a caravan headed for the border, prepared by Tong Huaqiong and Aunt Tang, set off.
After the caravan departed, Pingchuan County welcomed a joyful event.
Lian Hengruo and Magistrate Yao celebrated their marriage, arranged by Tong Huaqiong.
As the matchmaker, Tong Huaqiong went to the state capital to aid Magistrate Yao in receiving guests, the festivities continued for three days before returning from the state capital to Qinghe Bay.
The news of Lian Hengruo’s marriage reached Gu Ruinian.
Gu Ruinian let out a bitter laugh, as if mocking his former clown-like self.
Ever since the explosion of the gunpowder storehouse, along with the severe punishment by the Clan Leader, Gu Ruinian became entirely dispirited.
Now he desperately wished to return to the past, no longer willing to dream of stirring storms in this era.
Initially thinking his clandestine gunpowder incident would completely destroy his and Xu Xinghua’s arranged marriage.
To Gu Youtian’s surprise, the Xu Family not only didn’t mind Gu Ruinian but even seemed eager to solidify the marriage.
Confounded, Xu Xinghua enlightened Gu Runian; the Xu Family had a kiln up in the mountains for burning coal and lime, precisely needing gunpowder.
Buying gunpowder usually was costly.
Gu Ruinian possessed the skill for making gunpowder advantageous to the Xu Family.
As for secretly manufacturing gunpowder, blasting in the mountains who would notice, as long as no one reported, there’ll be no trouble.
Despite Gu Ruinian’s reluctance to enter the Xu Family as a live-in son-in-law, Xu Xinghua was the only person he could hold onto.
At the very least, entering the Xu Family would guarantee him a life free from want.
