CHAPTER 765: CHAPTER 765: ANOTHER GU?

He tiptoed around the vast guest hall, looking here and there, and asked Lord Lai, "Uncle Lai, that person’s clothes look very decent, who is their family’s Old Master?"

With a glance, he asked another young man dressed in a fur coat, "This one is even better dressed. That fur can’t be cheap, which family does he belong to?"

Lord Lai said, "Youlu, there’s no need to be so curious. If they are from a notable family, they will naturally be introduced later. As for the average wealthy households, you need not pay them any mind."

After all, he was a fifth-rank Vice Magistrate, not just anyone who came to give gifts could get a personal audience with him. More often, it was Housekeeper Lai, Lai Zhuang, Master Yue, and others who received them. Only the truly great families of He’an Prefecture would be brought to meet him.

Gu Youlu felt rather regretful hearing this; all these guests were either rich or noble, and yet Lord Lai was still picky about meeting them. However, he wasn’t foolish and knew that he could be curious, but he couldn’t demand that Lord Lai call these people over to introduce them to him.

Yet, Lord Lai was quite fond of him and asked, "Youlu, do you want to talk to those people?"

Gu Youlu nodded. Of course, he did; they were all dripping with wealth. As the external grandson of Lord Lai, his lifesaver, if he got to know these people, they would surely fawn over him to death.

Yet he spoke with a pleasant tone and smiled, "We’re new here, and I was thinking it would be good to get to know more people."

Gu Chengzhi didn’t want to follow Lord Lai. Although it meant having silver to spend with the old man, he had to put on an act. There were so many delicious things in the guest hall; he wanted to eat to his heart’s content and not be bound by the old man’s strictness. So, he followed up, "Grandpa Lai, Brother Zhi also wants to meet those people."

Lord Lai smiled and said, "Since that’s the case, you and your son can follow Lai Bai to meet those merchants."

Gu Youlu was very pleased and quickly thanked Lord Lai, "Thank you, Uncle Lai."

Lord Lai nodded with a smile and instructed a servant by his side to take Gu Youlu and his son to meet those merchants. Meanwhile, he took Gu Youwen and his son and Second Young Master Lai to a room on the left side of the guest hall to meet the noble families, great merchants, scholars, and officials of lower rank than him from He’an Prefecture.

Second Young Master Lai was quite dissatisfied with Lord Lai taking Gu Youwen and his son to meet these distinguished guests, and said in a tone neither too direct nor too vague, "Father, the guests have come to visit our Lai family, not to see other unrelated families."

Gu Youwen and his son’s faces darkened upon hearing this, but they cleverly stayed silent, for they knew Lord Lai would stand up for them.

As expected, Lord Lai was very displeased upon hearing this and scolded Second Young Master Lai in a low voice, "Youwen and Cheng Xian are the descendants of our Lai family’s lifesaver. Although they don’t bear the Lai surname, they are the closest to our family. What harm is there in my taking them to meet prestigious families in the city?"

"And as for you," Lord Lai looked at Second Young Master Lai with a mix of frustration and disappointment, "You’re thirty years old and have neither earned an official position nor fathered a son. Having no descendants is a grave matter, how can I put you in a position of responsibility without a male heir?"

Ever since Young Master Lai, Third Young Master Lai, and the eldest grandchild of the Lai family passed away, Lord Lai has been afraid of the Lai family dying out. He desperately wanted a male heir, although... but he still hoped that Second Young Master Lai would be able to produce a son, after all, he is the legitimate son and any children would be legitimate grandsons.

He was an official and knew the importance of legitimate birth.

Failing to produce a son was Second Young Master Lai’s sore point, and for Lord Lai to bring it up in front of Gu Youwen and his son, his complexion grew exceedingly ugly, he almost stormed out. However, the Lai family would have to stay in He’an Prefecture for at least three years, and he couldn’t give up this opportunity to connect with the noble families and various officials of the Prefecture City, so he had to swallow his pride and stay.

Seeing this, Lord Lai huffed coldly and said, "When you lack the ability, you must obey."

Second Young Master Lai’s resentment towards him grew even more.

Gu Youwen and Gu Chengxian were listening by the side, feeling utterly exhilarated. Lord Lai was indeed extremely good to them, scolding even his own son for their sake.

"Lord, Eldest Young Master Liu of the noble Liu Family from the Prefecture City requests an audience with you, should he be received?" Lai Zhuang asked, providing a brief overview of the Liu Family’s situation.

The Liu Family, a century-old noble family of He’an Prefecture City, had ancestors who once served as officials. Now, there are three scholars in the family, and the family owns countless fertile fields.

After hearing this, Lord Lai nodded: "Since Eldest Young Master Liu has personally come to pay a New Year’s visit, naturally, he should be received."

Lai Zhuang nodded, then selected some distinguished guests and brought them together to meet Lord Lai, among them were many merchants, including Boss An.

Boss An didn’t have a good impression of Lord Lai. This old fellow chose neither an earlier nor a later time to assume office, but during the New Year’s celebration, isn’t this tormenting us merchants to death?

But there was nothing they could do. As businesspeople, they had to curry favor with the officials of the Prefecture Government Office; even during the New Year’s celebration, they still had to bring generous gifts and play the role of the obsequious.

Master Qi also came. Although his elder brother was a Capital Official, his family lived in He’an Prefecture. With the new Vice Magistrate taking office in He’an, it would be improper for him not to visit.

The three main officials of the Prefecture Government Office: the Magistrate, Vice Magistrate, and Deputy Magistrate, showed the prominent status of Lord Vice Magistrate in the Prefecture City, and even Master Qi had to pay a visit.

Lord Lai was quite courteous to Master Qi, offering him the top seat on the right, while the top seat on the left was reserved for a guest of even higher status.

Master Qi thanks him, and took his seat. Upon learning that the father and son by Lai Vice Magistrate’s side were not his eldest son but were of the Gu Family, he was slightly surprised by the prevalence of the Gus; they could be found everywhere.

However, he did not bring up Gu Jinli’s family, wary of this new Vice Magistrate, fearing that if Lai Vice Magistrate knew that the spice business was the Gu Family’s, he might reach out and vie for the merchandise.

Boss An did not mention the Gu Family either, nor did he bring any ham.

What a joke. Not only was the ham expensive, but it was also hard to get. Would he foolishly bring an entire ham to curry favor with Lai Vice Magistrate?

Impossible. He didn’t even bring a single plate of ham slices, only bringing jade, famous paintings, ancient books, and several beauties who have been specifically trained by nannies, as gifts for Lai Vice Magistrate.

Although both Boss An and Master Qi refrained from mentioning the Gu Family, Gu Youlu still heard news related to the Gu Family in the guest hall.

"Brother Yu, what are you saying? All these crystal cakes, roasted ducks, tofu, and marinated dishes we’re eating are made by the Gu Family?" Gu Youlu, munching on a duck leg, asked with interest about the Gu Family, who shared his surname.

Young Master Yu from the Yu Family of the Prefecture City said: "Of course, not only these items, but also the spices and toothbrushes are made by the Gu Family."

Gu Youlu stood up in shock and said, "What did you say? Even the spices and toothbrushes are made by the Gu Family? Wow, that’s incredible. I heard that those spices are as expensive as Hai Xian Sauce. How much silver has the Gu Family made?"

Young Master Fu from the Fu Inn in the Prefecture City, who was a friend of Young Master Yu, whispered: "The Qi Family of Prefecture City has been sourcing their spices from the Gu Family. In just three years, the amount of silver they have made is immense."

He lowered his voice even further and said, "It is said that Eldest Young Master Qi could get promoted because he provided those spices as gifts to his superiors."