Silly and Naive (Continued)

"Because Second Concubine needs something from me, and she can spare the silver. I need it urgently. But First Concubine... if she gets what she wants, I won't take the dowry money she worked so hard to save. If she's disappointed, I hope she'll still have a little money to keep her going."

Being let down was painful enough. To be left destitute after being let down would really make a person lose the will to live.

"I'm just afraid the marquis's beastly nature will flare up and he'll insist on forcing First Concubine."

"Then you'd better worry about his beastly nature flaring up and him insisting on forcing me instead."

Er Ya said, "...Madam, you're different. You're willing."

Gu Wanning: "..."

Which of your eyes saw me being willing?

All right, she decided to put First Concubine last.

That left Third Concubine and Fourth Concubine. Why hadn't there been a peep from either of them?

She would watch them a little longer.

Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao appears.

Fourth Concubine came rushing in.

She came in and paid her respects reluctantly, then said through gritted teeth, "I... no, this servant wants to take a few more days."

"What makes you think you can take a few more days? Is your face that big?" Gu Wanning said bluntly.

"I—I'm helping Big Sister. She's unwilling, so I'll take her place!"

Gu Wanning thought, Could First Concubine have given that hundred taels of silver to this hothead?

Was this something a hundred taels of silver could solve?

If it was, she was willing to take out a hundred taels herself and settle it right now.

"You seem to have good stamina..."

"Yes, I've practiced martial arts since I was little." Fourth Concubine looked proud.

Clearly, she hadn't understood what Gu Wanning was hinting at.

"Then the capable should do more work. How about you take my place too?"

This time, Fourth Concubine was struck dumb.

"I—I'm serious."

She didn't mind, but First Concubine had treated her so well, and the two of them told each other everything. She knew First Concubine had someone in her heart.

So she was willing to help the woman she regarded as her big sister.

"I'm serious too," Gu Wanning said. "Then you'll be the most favored woman in the household, and you can even bear a son."

"What would I have one of those things for?" Fourth Concubine muttered. "Don't worry, Madam. I'll be sure to drink my contraceptive soup properly. I'll drink two bowls!"

"What, does contraceptive soup cost nothing?" Gu Wanning nearly laughed aloud.

Why was this scatterbrain so amusing?

She had taken what First Concubine and Second Concubine said with a grain of salt.

But with Fourth Concubine, Gu Wanning somehow felt it was true.

Because she really was silly and naive.

And impulsive, too.

"Anyway, I'm willing to take Big Sister's place!"

"Go tell the marquis that."

"He won't listen." Fourth Concubine pouted. "He told me to get lost."

"And you did?"

"What else could I do?" Fourth Concubine said quietly. "I can't beat him."

Gu Wanning: "...You'd have hit him if you could beat him?"

Should I be thanking Fourth Concubine for going easy on me, then?

"I couldn't hit him anyway. My senior brother won't let me."

"All right, I know how you feel, but it's no use. I can't make that decision."

Gu Wanning still gave the same answer.

Fourth Concubine left dejectedly.

"Now only Third Concubine is left," Gu Wanning said, holding her brush.

The body's previous owner had barely known a few characters, but in her previous life, Gu Wanning had learned fine brush calligraphy from her grandfather, who farmed in their village.

Her grandfather's father had once been a major landowner, and her grandfather had received an education too, though he had later stayed in the village all his life for certain special reasons.

Gu Wanning had a fine hand at small regular script in the hairpin-flower style and had often taken part in events in her previous life.

Here, though, she felt it probably wasn't good enough to compete, but it would serve.

Once she knew what Third Concubine wanted, she could set about making the "schedule."

It couldn't be helped. Democracy was still in her bones, and she instinctively wanted to ask for everyone's opinions.

"Go fetch Third Concubine tomorrow. I'll ask her."

If the mountain wouldn't come to her, she would go to the mountain.

Because Third Concubine was different. She was one of that golden thigh's people!

Even before beating a dog, one had to consider its master. So showing Third Concubine proper respect was a mark of respect for the Grand Princess.

"Yes," Er Ya quickly agreed.

She was there counting silver.

"Madam, I've never seen so much silver before!"

In the past, whenever she got silver, she spent it. She had never had as much as a hundred-odd taels left over.

"We'll have even more in the future," Gu Wanning said with a yawn.

That night, she had a dream. She dreamed she had grown a huge field of corn, and demand outstripped supply.

The golden corn finally turned into gold corn, and she was so happy she nearly went mad...

Then she woke up.

"What time is it?" Gu Wanning stretched and asked Er Ya outside.

"Madam, it's just the start of the yin hour."

Gu Wanning: "..."

Wait, it's only three in the morning. What are you bustling around my room for?

I thought it was already daylight!

"Madam, things are different now," Er Ya explained. "The marquis is back, and he's already getting up at this hour to prepare for court."

"Do I have to get up and keep him company?"

"I suppose so. Before you married, that was what Nanny Wu taught me. It's my first time doing this too, and I'm quite nervous."

Gu Wanning turned over. "...Never mind him."

They had already torn all pretense away, so why pretend to be a good wife and loving mother?

Xu Weibei still hadn't given up on divorcing her.

And she hadn't stopped wanting to run away either.

Gu Wanning slept a while longer, but she got up at the beginning of the mao hour, at five.

She first went to have a look around the rear courtyard, only to find all four concubines there too.

They were all standing there, looking a little at a loss.

"You're all here? Why are you standing around like fools?" Er Ya said. "Oh, I know. The chickens, ducks, and geese have all been dealt with, so you don't have any to feed. But there's weeding and catching insects—there's so much work to do! Honestly, come on, come on..."