He swallowed the complaints that rose to his lips. Although he was in an advantageous position now, he had not forgotten the shadow the other party had cast on him since childhood. Even if he encountered difficulties, with the Duke's influence, it would only take a word to deal with him.
"I can only try my best to speak for you. Whether she listens is her business. You know, ever since she started doing better, her temper has grown. She doesn't listen to me at all, but instead is very polite to my wife."
The other party's plea made Mr. Bao feel a little smug, but he knew his own limits and dared not rashly agree to the request. The last time he asked him to do something, he hadn't done it well, and he was still reluctant to return the money in his pocket.
"After a few years, you have a child. Although Bao Susu is doing well now, she is a woman after all, and cannot reach great heights. Moreover, a married daughter is like spilled water, always devoted to her husband's family. I heard that the Li family was just an ordinary farming family, and now they are living in a courtyard with multiple entrances and servants. Bao Susu even sends money over from time to time.
Everyone envies Li Shengxu's good fortune, but you, on the other hand, have gained nothing and are restricted everywhere. We people ultimately rely on our sons. There are many great scholars in the capital who are well-read. If your son follows them, studies for a few years, passes the xiucai exam, becomes a juren, and then comes to the capital to take the imperial examination, with me and Bao Susu supporting you from above, wouldn't he be thriving?
In the future, when people speak of it, your Bao family will also be a scholarly family, and even in the afterlife, you can face your ancestors with your head held high." How could Sun Guotang, the old fox, not see that the other party was merely being polite and dared not go against Bao Susu? Thus, he pulled out his ultimate tactic and focused on his son. He didn't believe the other party wouldn't favor his son. Indeed, as he spoke, Mr. Bao's expression kept changing.
Knowing that there was hope, Sun Guotang took out two thousand taels of silver notes from his sleeve and handed them to him, smiling. "As long as you can resolve our Sun family's crisis, let alone two thousand taels, I wouldn't hesitate to give you another twenty thousand taels. Think about it, with this money, your son can buy a courtyard and shops in the capital, and live without worry. Isn't that more practical than anything else?"
If Song Guotang had said anything else, he could have consoled himself, but when it came to his son, he had to plan for him. People his age were already grandfathers, while his son was still so young and adorable, making him dote on him to the core. That was his descendant, who would take care of him in his old age and send him off. How could he not consider him?
He had witnessed Bao Susu's ruthlessness, or rather, her ruthlessness towards him. He had been here for so long, not only had he not seen a single cent from her, but he was also warned by her at every turn, making him feel stifled. In his hometown, although he was just an insignificant merchant, in the Bao family, he was heaven and earth, and he called the shots. When had he ever endured such humiliation?
It was just a matter of letting the Sun family go, not asking her to commit murder or arson. He didn't know what his own daughter was thinking. Not taking advantage of the benefits, was her mind waterlogged? He had always thought his daughter was eccentric. What was the situation of the Sun family back then? Didn't she know it, yet she gave up her position as the main wife to become someone else's concubine? Did she think being a concubine was that easy?
She finally married into the Xu family, only to be divorced by him. At that time, he couldn't help but sneer, feeling that it was good that he had given up on her long ago, otherwise he would have been angered to death. Unexpectedly, her luck turned, and she came to the capital and became an object of flattery.
In his opinion, no amount of hatred or resentment was more important than money. Besides, what was past was past. Even if he killed Sun Guotang in front of him, it would be of no avail. It was more practical to get tangible benefits.
Seeing that the other party was tightly clutching the silver notes, Sun Guotang breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, these two thousand taels of silver notes were nothing to his former self. After all, the Sun family had plenty of wealth. At that time, he was deeply favored by the Emperor and received a lot of imperial rewards. But now, let alone two thousand taels, he couldn't even afford to pay two hundred taels. These two thousand taels were obtained by selling a few shops recently.
The reason was due to being ostracized by others. He had spent a lot of money trying to build connections, but the things were accepted and disappeared without a trace. Knowing that the other party had played him for a fool, he did not dare to go to demand them. He knew his identity was a bit sensitive, which made him feel suffocated, feeling that the warmth had cooled before he had even left. Those people who used to fawn over him now showed indifference, a stark contrast. People indeed needed power, otherwise they would be trampled into the dust.
Holding the silver notes, Mr. Bao was heavy-hearted. Although he had made up his mind to keep the money, he hadn't figured out how to deal with Wu Caiwei. After all, in this unfamiliar capital, the only person he was somewhat familiar with was Sun Guotang. The other party was asking for his help, but he truly didn't understand his own daughter. Whenever he asked about her, everyone was vague, only telling him that his daughter was working for the Third Prince.
What could a weak woman like her do to help the Third Prince? He couldn't fathom it even in his dreams. Sometimes, he even thought in a more sordid way, but he also felt that the Third Prince, being so high and mighty, had seen all sorts of women. Although his daughter was reasonably pretty, in the capital, she was just an ordinary woman. How could she be so highly regarded by him? Moreover, many people sought favors from his daughter, with their eyes full of flattery. It was evident that his daughter was doing exceptionally well.
However, with money, things were easier. When he spent a large sum of money to learn from others that his daughter was actually the Third Prince's bodyguard, he couldn't help but open his mouth wide. With his daughter's small physique, she was skilled in martial arts and medicine. Was he talking about someone else? He never dreamed that his daughter would have such a day.
That night, when Wu Caiwei returned to her courtyard, she saw Mr. Bao scrutinizing her from head to toe. At first, she didn't pay much attention, as such things often happened. But for some reason today, he would frown at her one moment and look lost the next, making her feel a bit strange.
"What's wrong with you now? Sun Guotang came to see you today, didn't he? He probably wants you to be a mediator again. Don't tell me your usual pleas. They annoy me to hear." Wu Caiwei made it clear that she had people monitoring him and that he should act cautiously. She heard that he had accepted Sun Guotang's silver notes, and without thinking, she knew what he had promised the other party. It was nothing more than a few things, but she would never change her attitude towards Sun Guotang. She issued a warning in advance, so if anything happened in the future, she wouldn't be blamed.