Chapter 259: Not Going Back?

Gu Zhang was ecstatic. He was a kind-hearted man, and now that his own family was on the path to fortune, he hoped the fellow villagers who had traveled with them could also have better lives. Hearing Gu Fei’s words, his eyes welled up. "That’s wonderful. If we can really make money, then I can finally be at ease."

"Everyone followed me out here because they trusted me, and in the end, they’re all drowning in debt. I’ve been feeling terrible about it."

Eldest Aunt’s Husband patted him. "Don’t be like that. It’s not your fault. Weren’t it the heartless government officers who took all our silver?"

Younger Uncle nodded as well. "That’s right. If we hadn’t left, we might have already died back home by now."

"I have you to thank, Second Brother, for saving my family’s lives!"

Younger Uncle looked at Gu Fei. "Little Fei, can my family make this snack too?"

Gu Fei nodded. "Of course you can. As long as everyone is willing to make it, I’m willing to teach. There might not be many people who buy it at first, but once they get a taste, it’s guaranteed to sell well."

Younger Uncle stared at Gu Fei with eager eyes. "So when will you teach us?"

Gu Fei smiled. "No rush. We have to wait for the chili peppers to dry. We’ll save some to grind into powder, and I still need to go to the blacksmith to order some tools."

Younger Uncle was so excited he rubbed his hands together. "Our family is so lucky to have Little Fei."

"Wow, Second Brother, you sure know how to have kids! Little Fei is a real money tree!"

Praise for Little Fei was Gu Zhang’s favorite thing. He grinned so wide his eyes disappeared. "Having Little Fei wasn’t all my doing. Your Second Sister-in-law played a part too."

Mrs. Chen shot him a look but couldn’t help but smile.

For a moment, the house was filled with joy.

Eldest Aunt’s Husband let out a long sigh. "This is good. Now we can pay back Young Master Su’s silver."

"If there’s any silver left over, we have to buy a house."

Younger Uncle added, "We do need to buy a house, but I want to live right next to Second Brother. If we’re too far apart, I’ll get anxious."

Eldest Aunt and Eldest Aunt’s Husband had the same thought, and they both glanced at Gu Zhang.

Gu Zhang spread his hands. "What can I do about that?"

Eldest Aunt suddenly said, "It would be great if we could build houses around here. If we siblings live together, we can look out for each other."

Mrs. Chen was agreeable to the idea. ’She loved a lively atmosphere and was used to village life; suddenly living in a solitary courtyard felt too quiet and lonely.’

Gu Fei thought for a moment. "Dad, what do you think? Could we register our households here?"

As soon as she said this, everyone stared at Gu Fei.

Gu Fei didn’t have a strong concept of ’hometown’. ’To her, the climate in Ping’an City was better than in West Qin County, and besides, this place was prosperous, making it easier to earn money.’

Younger Uncle asked hesitantly, "So... after the drought is over, we’re not going back?"

Eldest Aunt lowered her gaze. ’Ever since Aunt Liu had mentioned the matter of the Young Master Heir, she had taken it to heart. If the family wanted to prosper, to completely turn their fortunes around, they had to stick close to Gu Fei.’

If they went back to West Qin County, there would be no Young Master Heir to serve as their backer!

She abruptly raised her head. "I think Ping’an City is great."

"Back in West Qin County, how much silver could we earn in a year?"

"We’ve only been here for half a year, and it looks like we’re about to earn hundreds of taels of silver. From now on, things will definitely only get better and better!"

"I am willing to register my household here."

In her family, Eldest Aunt’s word was law. Otherwise, Eldest Aunt’s Husband wouldn’t have left his own brothers behind to follow his brothers-in-law and flee the famine.

Eldest Aunt’s Husband nodded beside her. "I think it’s a good idea, too."

"It’s just... my family’s ancestral graves are still back in those mountains. I don’t know what we’d do about that."