Chapter Nine, Benevolent Mother

Madam Gao, of the Chen family, appeared to be around forty years old, well-preserved, and it was evident that she must have been a beauty in her youth, as well as a very kind person. At that moment, she was copying Buddhist scriptures and, upon seeing her son enter while holding Ming Cui's hand, she couldn't help but be momentarily taken aback.

"How could mother possibly know, unless someone reports it secretly?" Gao Bufan said with a smile, "However, a beautiful, kind, gentle, and lovely woman like Sister Mingcui could never commit such a despicable act that would provoke the wrath of both gods and men."

"Little brat, you are just like your father, always talking big!" Chen said this, but there was a clear smile in his eyes, and he no longer mentioned selling the jewelry

Chen's face showed a hint of embarrassment as she reproached, "How can you speak like that, child? When have I ever been sneaky? In any case, I rarely wear these ornaments, and our family is in urgent need of silver. If I sell them, then so be it. Why are you being so meddlesome!"

In fact, while three thousand taels of silver may not sound like a large sum, it is, in reality, a considerable amount of money. The annual expenses for an average family of five amount to only fifty to sixty taels, meaning that three thousand taels would be sufficient for them to live on for fifty to sixty years. In other words, the vast majority of common people would not be able to save even one hundred taels of silver in their lifetime

Gao Bufan returned to his small courtyard in a gloomy mood. He immediately stripped off his clothes and drew water from the well to take a cold bath. Since there were no maidservants here to attend to him, he felt less constrained. The absence of maidservants was not due to an inability to afford them, but rather a personal choice made by Gao Bufan himself. Ever since he turned six, he had chosen to forgo the service of maidservants, as he found it uncomfortable to have others watching him during his most private moments. Therefore, he preferred to take care of himself, ensuring he had everything he needed and doing whatever he wished.

Gao Bufan had no choice but to stop, turn around, and look at Ming Cui, saying with great seriousness: "Ming Cui, you and mother need not worry about the silver; my father and I will naturally find a way to resolve it. After all, we are the men of the family, and it is our responsibility to bear the burden when the sky falls. Moreover, our family has not yet reached the point where the womenfolk need to sell their jewelry. Come, let us return the jewelry to mother." With that, he took Ming Cui's hand and headed towards the backyard.

Gao Bufan spread his hands and said: "With your line as the Horse Tamer, how could I possibly not break into laughter?"

However, Yu Wenhua and this official are not just minor officials; they hold the rank of fourth grade. Moreover, they have a powerful father who wields significant influence in the court. If they truly wanted to suppress the Gao family, it would be as easy as crushing a group of ants.

What else can be done? Yu Wenhua and that corrupt official cannot obtain the silver, who knows how they might harm our family. Young master, stop making a fuss and quickly return the box to the maid. Ming Cui tried to grab Gao Bufan, but her strength was far too weak, and she was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes.

Gao Bufan shook his head and said: "One cannot speak like that. It is said that women are the face of men. A man's success or failure is directly reflected on the woman. If my mother were to sell her jewelry, where would my father's face be? My mother wouldn't want my father to be ridiculed by others, would she?"

Ming Cui, two years older than Gao Bu Fan, stands out among the maidservants with her appearance and figure. She is also clever in her work. Back then, the Chen family intended to send Ming Cui to serve Gao Bu Fan, hoping she would eventually become a concubine maid. However, unexpectedly, she was driven out as soon as she entered the courtyard. In the end, the Chen family had no choice but to keep Ming Cui to serve themselves. Over the years, this girl has grown increasingly charming, and with her quick wit and steady, reliable manner, she has become an indispensable right-hand assistant to the Chen family.

Seeing their son so independent at such a young age, the Gao Kaishan couple was both surprised and gratified, and they felt completely at ease allowing him to live alone. They no longer sent a maid to serve him, but only had Gao Shou and Gao Ren act as his attendants

"You... you are the one who has done something shameful!" Ming Cui instinctively protected the jewelry box in her arms with her sleeve

Having completed his grooming and dressing, Gao Bufan energetically went to pay his respects to his mother, Madam Chen. As he reached the corridor in the backyard, he encountered Ming Cui, the personal maidservant attending to his mother. In her arms, she held a delicate wooden box, which Gao Bufan immediately recognized as his mother's jewelry box. He couldn't help but feel a stir in his heart, and he jumped out to block her path, exclaiming, "Stop!"

Gao Bufan gave a thumbs up and said seriously: "Sister Mingcui is truly the model for Gao Shou and Gao Ren, these two brutes. I will urge them to learn from you. By the way, what did Mother ask you to do with these accessories"

Gao Bufan finished his bath and changed into a clean set of Hu clothing. He did not like wearing long robes with wide sleeves, as he found them cumbersome. The Hu clothing was acceptable, as it would not hinder his ability to ride and shoot arrows.

Chen said, "I am selling my own jewelry, why should I need his consent?"

Gao Bufan pondered for a moment, then suddenly reached out and snatched the jewelry box from Ming Cui's arms, heading straight towards the backyard. The latter exclaimed, "Young Master, what are you doing? The Madam instructed the maid to take it to Steward Xia for sale."

Ming Cui felt joy in her heart, yet her lips did not relent, saying: "Flattery is of no use; the maid is a loyal servant to the lady. If the lady inquires about any matter, the maid will certainly not be able to conceal it."

There were leftovers in the kitchen, just heat them up and they will be ready soon, so they were served quickly, all of which were dishes that Gao Bufan usually loves to eat. Indeed, a child with a mother is truly fortunate

Ming Cui actually was reluctant to part with these pieces of jewelry. Upon hearing this, she no longer insisted and stole a glance at the spirited young man who was half a head taller than her. Her heart was filled with both joy and sorrow, beating wildly like a startled deer. It was indeed the first time that the extraordinary young master had held her hand so intimately!

Gao Bufan's heart sank; he had vaguely anticipated this possibility, and to his surprise, it turned out to be true. He furrowed his sword-like brows and said, "Ming Cui, have we become so impoverished that we cannot even produce 3,000 taels of silver?"

Chen remained silent upon hearing this. Gao Bufan signaled to Cuihuan with his eyes, indicating that she should take the jewelry box back to the inner room. He continued, "Mother, there is no need to worry. My father and I will find a way to resolve the issue of money. If necessary, we can borrow some from friends; there is no need for you to sell your jewelry."

It is evident that at this moment, the charming maid has become somewhat infatuated, as if she were floating on clouds, and unknowingly followed Gao Bufan into Madam Chen's room

Ming Cui sighed and said, "That is not the case; it is just that this year the court has requested an increase in the supply of two hundred warhorses, which is no small number. This represents a full twenty percent increase compared to previous years. Expanding the horse farm and stables, increasing manpower, and purchasing feed all require funds. The master has invested most of the family's money into this, and now the horses have yet to be delivered, making it truly difficult to come up with three thousand taels of silver at this moment."

Ming Cui chuckled upon hearing this, but soon her charming face tightened, and she said indignantly: "Yu Wenhua is even more lawless than the foul monkey you mentioned, and in order to gather these three thousand taels of silver, the lady is even considering selling these pieces of jewelry."

Fortunately, although Gao Bufan is young, his demonstrated self-care abilities are remarkably strong. He has lived alone for more than half a month without any mishaps or falling ill. He goes to bed early and rises early each day, reads and writes, practices archery and swimming, and maintains a daily routine that is even more regular than that of adults, which has left the entire household in awe.

Chen glanced at the shy Ming Cui and couldn't help but wonder secretly, could it be that my precious son has suddenly become enlightened? He smiled and said: "Where have you been today, you little monkey? Just now returning, have you eaten?"

Gao Bufan teased, "There is no need to hide it anymore, I am not blind. Why are you taking out your mother's jewelry? Are you perhaps stealing from yourself?"

Ming Cui couldn't hold back her laughter after three seconds, and finally burst out laughing, playfully scolding, "Young master, you always cause trouble. What nonsense about scaring rice tofu? If Madam hears you being disrespectful to Buddha, just see if she will let you off the hook"

These pieces of jewelry are all part of my mother's dowry, as well as the gifts my father usually gave her; they must never be sold

Although the Gao family operates a horse farm, the horses are exclusively supplied to the imperial court, which certainly does not allow for exorbitant profits; at times, they may only break even. The real earnings come from the surplus horses after fulfilling their quotas. Therefore, the Gao family's annual profit amounts to only a little over 1,000 taels. After deducting various household expenses, managing to save 500 taels of silver is already quite good. Thus, for the Gao family, it is not an easy task to suddenly produce 3,000 taels of silver.

The child went out for a stroll on the mount, and has not eaten yet!" Gao Bufan said with a smile

"Mother is selling jewelry, does Father agree?" Gao Bufan retorted

Gao Bufan happily began to chop away vigorously

"Our family has been extorted by corrupt officials, and you still dare to laugh?" Ming Cui said angrily

Ming Cui's charming face turned red, her pair of beautiful eyes wide open, as if she had suffered a great insult. Gao Bufan, seeing this, realized that the joke had gone too far, and hurriedly bowed and clasped his hands, saying: "It was just a joke, Sister Ming Cui, please do not be angry, shrimp and tofu, my apologies, my apologies"

Only then did Chen notice that Ming Cui was still holding the jewelry box in her arms, and she couldn't help but cast a questioning glance. Gao Bufan chuckled and said, "Mother, there's no need to be sneaky; I already know. These pieces of jewelry were brought back by Sister Ming Cui at my request, so you can forget about selling them."

Upon hearing this, Chen immediately instructed someone to bring food, and then scolded her son while poking her forehead. Gao Bufan sat beside Chen with a smile, not refuting her. Although a soul from another world resided within his body, this physical form was given to him by Chen. For this mother, who had granted him a second life and selfless maternal love, Gao Bufan felt genuine gratitude. Moreover, having lived two lives, he understood even more the importance of cherishing this familial bond. While others might find an old mother's nagging bothersome, for Gao Bufan, it was a source of enjoyment.

The child pays respects to his mother! As Gao Bufan entered the room, he released Mingcui's hand and bowed in greeting

Gao Bufan could not help but chuckle; he had once told the servants of the Gao family the story of "Journey to the West," so everyone knew that Bi Ma Wen was the official in charge of taking care of the horses for the Jade Emperor. Isn't the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Imperial Horses just another horse official

Gao Bufan said with a smile: "If one does not engage in any wrongdoing, then even a knock at the door in the middle of the night will not cause alarm. Have you perhaps done something wrong?"

At first, I, Chen, was still uneasy, after all, my precious son was only six years old, and it was impossible for him to be without someone to attend to him. Therefore, I forcibly assigned two maidservants to serve him, but as soon as they entered the courtyard, they were chased away by Gao Bufan. After several attempts, neither his father nor I could do anything about it, and in the end, we had no choice but to let him be.

When it came to serious matters, Ming Cui's pretty face immediately darkened, and she said with a hint of anger: "Today, that horse steward Yu Wenhua came to our horse farm to take advantage of us, didn't he? He opened his mouth to ask for three thousand taels right away, it's really infuriating"

It is said that when Chen reached the age of thirty, he had not yet given birth to a son or daughter. Later, he went to Yongfu Temple to pray to the gods and also set up a shrine to Guanyin at home. Only then did he give birth to the unique Gao Bufan. After that, he became even more devout in his worship, reciting scriptures a hundred times before the Buddha every morning and evening.

Ming Cui was startled and, upon seeing the roadblock, she patted her own chest and scolded, "Young master, you are too mischievous, you scared the maid quite a bit."