Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 383 - 219 Early Winter in Beijing

The Northern lands get cold early; it is now already early winter.

With the leaves fallen, geese fly south, and the north wind brings chill to the river.

The early winter morning is very cold, and a thick fog has risen over the river. Gu Chengyu stands at the bow of the boat, gazing at the vast white scenery, the piercing cold hitting his face.

The sky is still not fully bright, and Gu Chengyu looks at the hazy sky, wondering if it will snow.

Gu Chengyu is somewhat worried—the boat is still docked by the riverbank, and in such thick fog, it would be impossible to sail, as it is hard to discern directions. If it were to snow, the temperature would plummet, and the river might freeze, preventing the boat from moving.

Sun Xian came out of the room and saw Gu Chengyu standing at the bow, looking at the river, pondering something.

"Why not stay under the covers a bit longer on such a cold day?" Sun Xian said as he moved to the bow from behind Gu Chengyu, his breath slowly merging with the fog over the river as he spoke.

"I’m used to getting up early. Why are you up so early, brother-in-law? How is my second sister?"

Gu Chengyu looked at Sun Xian and thought of Gu Wan, who had just married. Gu Wan also suffers from seasickness and has been resting in the room these past few days.

"She’s much better now. As soon as she got on the boat, she took the medicine you gave her and has been resting for several days. She’s tired of lying down, so now she’s making porridge." Sun Xian mentioned his sweet wife with a smile immediately appearing on his face.

Gu Chengyu glanced at Sun Xian. Gu Wan brought a maid and a woman who helps manage affairs when she married into the Sun Family, which was their mother’s idea. While at her parents’ house, Gu Wan mostly did embroidery and managed the embroidery workshop, doing less manual labor.

Gu Chengyu picked three smart maids from the Ding Generation, two to look after their parents at home, and one to accompany Gu Wan as part of her dowry.

Gu Wan brought a substantial dowry. Besides the six lifts given by the Sun Family, the Gu Family added forty-two lifts, making a total of forty-eight lifts, sending Gu Wan off grandly.

Gu Wan’s dowry was brilliant in the entire county, unmatched even by large households, not even counting her personal savings.

No one expected that just after her wedding, Gu Wan would personally cook. To the Sun Family, this showed utmost sincerity.

Sun’s mother initially felt pressured by her daughter-in-law’s maternal family and was somewhat uncomfortable. Her smile was slightly forced, but seeing her daughter-in-law being well-behaved and respectful, she overcame her apprehensions.

Even Gu Chengyu had to sigh that once a woman is married, things change; it’s not as carefree as in her parents’ house. No wonder, in the past ’Dream of the Red Chamber’, Jia Baoyu compared newly married women to fish eyes.

"The house in the Capital has been arranged. It’s not far from where I live. Once I arrive, I can place the prepared furniture inside."

On the day of Gu Wan’s wedding, Gu Chengyu had already given Gu Wan the deed to the house. Sun Xian repeatedly assured that once he had the money, he’d return it and had already given six hundred taels.

Gu Wan initially wanted to use her personal savings to consider the house her dowry. Sun Xian wouldn’t agree, reasoning that since their family earned some money thanks to Gu Chengyu, it wouldn’t be right to use the bride’s dowry for subsidies.

His mother wouldn’t agree either, as living in the daughter-in-law’s dowry would make her feel inferior.

"Your second sister has been nagging around me these days, saying the Gu Family only prospered because of you. Otherwise, how would she have such a considerable dowry? She keeps mentioning this brother over and over, even saying that coming to the Capital gives her parents peace of mind, at least she can take care of you here." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Sun Xian was somewhat jealous as he mentioned this, feeling that he, as her newlywed husband, ranked after Gu Chengyu.

"I’ve been close to my second sister since childhood. Even if she is now the lady of the Sun Family, she remains a Gu Family woman. If I find out you bully her, don’t blame me for not being lenient."

Gu Chengyu looked earnestly at Sun Xian as he spoke. He wasn’t joking. Over the years, even though he and Sun Xian became close friends, if Sun Xian were to mistreat his second sister, he wouldn’t show mercy.

"She’s my wife, and there’s only so much time for me to treat her well. How could I bully her? She is the person I intend to spend my life with." Sun Xian rolled his eyes at Gu Chengyu, wondering how a young lad who hasn’t been married would understand the dynamics of a husband’s relationship with his wife.

Gu Chengyu chuckled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. What a man says when he’s newly married often can’t be taken to heart. During the honeymoon, affection is abundant. But after a few years, when children come, how many remember the deep vows made in love?

In ancient times, men having multiple wives and concubines was entirely normal. All the more, he hoped that when Sun Xian assumed a government position in the future, he’d remember what he said today.

"It might snow in the next few days, and within seven to eight days, we should reach the Capital. Let’s hope we can make it in time."

Sun Xian was also somewhat worried; in this weather, if it snowed and the river froze, the boat couldn’t sail, and they’d have to switch to traveling by carriage.

This trip to the Capital was for settling down, so they brought many things. Other than those large items that couldn’t be moved, Gu Wan brought a lot of valuable dowries and everyday items. Just her things would require four or five carriages to carry.

Moreover, carriage compartments are narrow and bumpy, making travel inconvenient for women.

"Hopefully, things will work out as planned!" Gu Chengyu said, though internally, he suddenly felt that this year’s snow might arrive earlier than in previous years.

"Junior Brother Ye’s health is really too poor. Just into winter, and he’s already caught a cold."

Sun Xian thought of Ye Zhiqiu. This time going to the Capital, Ye Zhiqiu even brought Ye’s mother and his second sister. Ye Zhiqiu’s eldest sister had come of age and was married, leaving only the two women at home. Worried about them, he brought them along to the Capital, planning to rent a house there to settle them down.

"Yes! Let’s visit later. I gave him medicine, and theoretically, it should have helped."

Gu Chengyu got the medicine pills from his fourth brother; he had plenty for treating colds, dysentery, and the like. Going out, these were always prepared just in case.

"Yes! But only his second sister might be there, so going without consideration might not be appropriate. Why not have your second sister come along too?"

Gu Chengyu glanced at Sun Xian, thinking he was being overly cautious.

"If second sister catches a cold when she visits, what then? His mother and second sister are there; it won’t be a problem. It’s not like we’d be in the same room alone, so why worry?"

The two discussed and returned to the room, where Gu Wan had already prepared breakfast.

Gu Chengyu sat at the table, looking at the dishes, and couldn’t help but sigh. It’s good to have a woman around. Ming Mo and the others couldn’t cook, so when traveling by boat, Gu Chengyu had been eating boat food, which was never as delicious as this hot meal.

The woman helping with the cooking was named Mrs. Jin, and she had decent cooking skills. She was originally a cook for a merchant’s household but wasn’t the head of the kitchen.

"The fifth of the Gu Family is here? Sit, sit!" Sun’s mother hurriedly invited Gu Chengyu to sit.

She originally hadn’t wanted to come to the Capital, being used to staying in the village. But after her son’s persuasion and seeing her daughter-in-law with so much dowry, she came to the Capital with them. After all, they can’t always rely on the daughter-in-law’s dowry for living, can they?

The sauce business was good, but that was only in the county, and no matter how good, it couldn’t earn much money. Joining this move to the Capital, surely it should earn more than in the county.