Reborn as a Happy Wife in a Rural Family
Chapter 68: Mysterious Self-Confidence

Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Mysterious Self-Confidence

Below the slope, on the road leading into the village, Chen Erlang, on an ox cart, stared intently at Gu Qingli’s graceful silhouette, his hands clenched into fists.

Gu Qingli had become an obsession he couldn’t rid himself of; the more unattainable she was, the more he desired her. Therefore, he had to pass the initial scholar examination this time. Then, he would participate in this year’s County Exam, and he absolutely had to pass and achieve the rank of Xiucai. Then, he refused to believe Gu Qingli wouldn’t turn back and see his merits!

Gu Qingli was unaware of Chen Erlang’s strange confidence. She walked into the courtyard with her younger brothers and saw their father, Gu Dalin, slowly walking without his crutches.

"Li’er, look! I can walk without crutches!" Gu Dalin excitedly called out to Gu Qingli.

"Showing off. Couldn’t you have rested a bit more?" Gu Qingli strode over to support him, while Dashuang took the crutches.

"Father, look, you’ve been rebuked for being disobedient!" Dashuang said with a look of exasperation.

"Heh heh, I just took a few steps, only a few," Gu Dalin scratched his head, chuckling sheepishly.

"A few steps? I don’t believe you. You deserve it; only the children can handle you. Oh, Li’er, you’re here."

Ms. Wu came out and reprimanded Gu Dalin. Although her tone was scolding, her eyes were filled with affection.

Gu Qingli stifled a laugh and nodded at Ms. Wu. "Mother, I heard from Grandmother that you also bought some land. Where is it? Let Yunjing help till it tomorrow."

Ms. Wu waved her hand. "The wasteland is on the mountain opposite; it’s about twenty mu. I also bought five mu of paddy fields and five mu of dry land. The hundred taels of silver I received this morning were just enough to cover everything. Help just isn’t necessary. For the five mu of dry land we bought, the previous owners will harvest this season’s crops before handing it over to us. There’s no rush for the paddy fields; it’s not time to sow the rice seeds yet. As for the wasteland, I’ll take my time with it. You all have so much land over there, you can barely manage it yourselves."

The silver was all spent, but they now had their own land and fields.

No matter how hard or tiring it was, at least they were cultivating it for themselves.

Thinking about it, Ms. Wu felt particularly happy.

This feeling of being the master of her own affairs was just too wonderful.

Gu Dalin now had the crutch Dashuang had brought, so Gu Qingli let go of him. While listening, she went into the kitchen to help Ms. Wu with the fire.

She said, "Alright then. Mother, if you need anything, just come and tell me."

Ms. Wu nodded. "Li’er, have dinner here before you go back. I’ll finish cooking soon."

"No need. When I came over, Grandmother told me to go back early." Dinner for both families was a little earlier now, mainly to accommodate the five children, as they were worried the children hadn’t eaten enough at the academy at noon.

Ms. Wu didn’t insist. She smiled and said, "Suit yourself. If you ever feel like having the meals I cook, come back anytime. I’ll cook for you."

Gu Qingli nodded. She looked at the busy, simple-looking Ms. Wu and wondered how Ms. Wu would feel if she knew that her biological daughter had hired people to kill her, this adopted daughter.

「Meanwhile」

Li Huan’er had smashed another valuable vase that day.

Furious, she sat on the edge of the bed, inwardly cursing that detestable Gu Qingping for instigating the Madam to send her away. Otherwise, he would expose the fact that she had hired assassins to kill her own sister. It infuriated her! How dare he threaten her? Was she, Li Huan’er, someone easily scared?

She had been too careless. She thought she could control everything, but things were turning out completely different from her dream.

Gu Qingli was somewhat correct in her guess. Li Huan’er hadn’t experienced a rebirth; she had a long dream when she fell ill at the age of seven.

In the dream, Li Huan’er learned that her biological mother and Gu Qingli were still alive. Gu Qingli would return when she was fifteen, but after returning, she would be a terrible disgrace to the Gu Family, eventually marrying a widower and meeting a bad end.

As for herself, in the dream, Ms. Wu never came back. Li Huan’er was married off by her stepmother to some random man. That man happened to be a hired hand working for the Gu Family, so he was quite clear about Gu Qingli’s affairs.

When she woke up, although she was only seven, it was as if she had grown up overnight.

She decided to find the Madam. She knew the Madam was outwardly strong but inwardly soft, and was especially desperate to find Ms. Wu and Gu Qingli. She thought that if she claimed to be Ms. Wu’s daughter, the Madam would surely take her in. Then, she could escape the fate in her dream. Although it was a dream, she felt it was real—a warning from the heavens, allowing her to find a better way to live.

So she decisively went to find the Madam. And indeed, when the Madam heard she was Ms. Wu’s daughter, she didn’t blame her for her presumptuousness at all. Instead, the Madam treated her very well, raising her like her own biological daughter.

That was exactly the effect she wanted. Once she saved enough silver, she would hire people to kill Gu Qingli. She wanted to enjoy this kind of life forever. She didn’t want to go back to be casually married off by her stepmother and repeat the fate from her dream.

However, things didn’t go as she planned; it failed.

Thinking of this, Li Huan’er couldn’t help but wonder: in the dream, Gu Qingli should have returned by now. Could it be that the assassins she hired had killed her? Or had they frightened her off? So she didn’t dare to come back? Should she try to find a way to go and see?

While Li Huan’er was contemplating whether to go check on Gu Qingli, on the other side, Gu Qingping paced outside his mother’s Orchid Garden, debating whether to tell his mother the news that his younger sister was still alive.

He had accidentally learned this news from Li Huan’er. That idiot had gone to the courtyard where Ms. Wu used to live and was muttering to herself. That day, Gu Qingping had been frustrated with memorizing his texts and went out for a walk, unknowingly ending up at the entrance of that courtyard.

That courtyard had been abandoned ever since his younger sister and her nanny disappeared.

He saw the door was open, and curiosity drove him to go in and see who could be there.

Could it be that some servants from the estate were engaging in illicit affairs there?

So he quietly sneaked in.

He happened to hear Li Huan’er muttering to herself. Although her voice was low, he understood clearly.

When he heard the content, he was shocked.

He immediately covered his mouth and silently withdrew.

Heavens! This woman was too terrifying! How could she do such a thing? Hiring someone to kill his own sister!

After Gu Qingping calmed down, he began to wonder. His mother had been searching for his sister for so many years without success. How did Li Huan’er know his sister was still alive? And where did she get this information? He knew that Li Huan’er claimed to be Ms. Wu’s daughter and had come to the Gu Residence at the age of seven, never leaving since. This whole affair was too bizarre.

Gu Qingping thought it over and decided not to tell his mother for now. He would investigate clearly before saying anything.

Because of his sister’s matter, his parents’ relationship had been very strained these past years.

So, after Gu Qingping returned, he called for a young servant, gave him some instructions, and then continued his studies. He was preparing to participate in the Provincial Exam this year.

「 」

After talking with Ms. Wu for a while and checking on the academic progress of her two younger brothers, Gu Qingli returned to the Xiao Family.

When she and Ms. Wu were discussing having their own land and fields this year, a problem had come to her mind. From the Original Host’s memories, she knew that rice cultivation here didn’t involve transplanting seedlings; instead, the grain seeds were sown directly into the fields.

The seeds were left to sprout and grow haphazardly.

How could seedlings grown like that yield a good harvest? If the grain seeds were cultivated into seedlings first and then transplanted, the harvest would definitely increase. But how should she explain this to Xiao Yunjing?