Xie shi composed herself before speaking, “Lao furen, none of the children’s marriage arrangements have been settled yet. As their mother, I am deeply worried. Now that our family has returned to the capital, I wish to arrange marriages for the children here. However, having lived away for many years, I do not know many people in the capital, which makes these matters quite difficult.”
Wei lao furen nodded in agreement. “Indeed, this is not an easy matter. But it concerns their lifelong happiness, so we must handle it with great care. Zhen yatou has already reached marriageable age, hasn’t she?”
Xie shi nodded. “Yes, Zhen yatou came of age in August.”
Wei lao furen said, “Then her marriage must be settled soon. We cannot delay her youth.”
Xie shi agreed. “I think the same. Besides, Jiu’er and Yue’er are also growing up. Their marriages should also be prepared.”
Wei lao furen glanced at Gu Jiu and Gu Yue before saying, “Those two are not yet of age, so there is no rush. Let’s first take care of Zhen yatou’s marriage before discussing the others.”
“I will follow your guidance, lao furen. But how should we proceed with Zhen’s marriage? I cannot find a suitable match on my own.”
Xie shi looked at Wei lao furen expectantly.
As long as the hou fu was willing to intervene in Gu Zhen’s marriage, then Gu Yue’s future marriage could naturally also be entrusted to them.
Wei lao furen chuckled and said, “I will have someone look into it. Zhili’s wife, you need not worry.”
“I understand.”
At that moment, Wei shi spoke up. “Speaking of Zhen yatou’s marriage, I actually have a candidate in mind.”
Gu Zhen’s heart tightened, and she immediately perked up her ears.
How could she not care when it was about her own marriage?
Her palms were already sweating, and her heartbeat pounded like a drum. She feared even her forehead was damp with sweat.
Gu Zhen bit her lip tightly, lowering her head, not daring to look at anyone.
Sitting beside her, Gu Jiu noticed her tension and whispered, “Da jiejie, relax. Don’t be nervous.”
How could Gu Zhen not be nervous?
The discussion about her marriage continued.
Wei lao furen asked, “Dalang‘s wife, tell us, which young man is suitable for Zhen yatou?”
Wei shi smiled and then said, “The fifth son of the Haixi bo fu. Would lao furen find him a good match?”
Wei lao furen took a moment to recall. “Is he the shu son of the Haixi bo fu’s main branch?”
Wei shi nodded. “Yes, he is the shu-born shaoye.”
Wei lao furen nodded as well. “We should take a closer look first. If he seems suitable, bring him before me. I must personally evaluate him for Zhen yatou.”
Wei shi agreed, “Erxi will remember. I will send someone to Haixi bo fu in the coming days and arrange for a meeting so er dimei can take a look first.”
“I leave it to your judgment,” Wei lao furen responded decisively.
Gu Zhen’s heart swelled with excitement.
Haixi bo fu, it was a bo fu!
She secretly smiled.
Although the person was a shu son, he was still from a bo fu—a titled nobility with meritorious achievements.
Gu Zhen clutched her handkerchief, already eager to see what this young master from the bo fu looked like.
Xie shi thanked Wei shi. “Thank you, dasao, for solving my biggest problem.”
Wei shi smiled. “No need to be so polite, er dimei. Even though our families have divided, you can’t write the character ‘Gu’ with one stroke1. If you ever face difficulties, just let me know, and I’ll help if I can.”
“With those words from dasao, I feel completely at ease,” Xie shi laughed.
Everything was progressing smoothly today.
Zhang shi, watching Xie shi’s delighted expression, felt an urge to dampen her spirits.
As if!
Just then, a maid entered from outside.
“Lao furen, er laoye from the neighbouring fu has arrived with his sons to pay his respects.”
Wei lao furen was visibly excited. “Zhili is here? Quickly, invite them in.”
Wang shi laughed. “Lao furen has been thinking about er laoye these past days. She often says it has been years since she last saw him and misses him dearly. Now, she finally gets to see him.”
Xie shi quickly added, “We are all grateful that lao furen keeps our laoye in her thoughts.”
Wei lao furen chuckled. “I watched Zhili grow up. He loved reading as a child, then passed the imperial exam and became an official, rising steadily in rank. He has been away from the capital for so many years, and now, at last, he has returned.”
As she finished speaking, Gu daren entered with his sons.
Seeing Wei lao furen, Gu daren was visibly emotional, his eyes filled with deep respect and affection. He greeted her in a loud voice, “Nephew pays respects to lao furen. How has lao furen been all these years?”
“Good, good, very good. Come closer to me.”
Wei lao furen was also deeply moved.
They were like mother and son, their bond exceptionally strong.
Gu daren stepped forward so Wei lao furen could get a good look at him.
Wei lao furen beamed. “Excellent, excellent. You carry the air of an official, truly worthy of your years in service. Seeing your success, laoshen2 is truly happy for you.”
Gu daren smiled. “Seeing lao furen in such good health puts my heart at ease.”
Wei lao furen reassured him, “You need not worry about laoshen. I dare say I will live another ten or twenty years at least.”
Wang shi immediately added, “Lao furen will live a hundred years! Erxi is already making preparations for your centennial birthday feast.”
Wei lao furen burst into laughter. “You rascal! If I really live to a hundred, won’t I be a monstrous old hag? By then, you’ll be the first to complain about laoshen.”
Wang shi quickly responded, “Lao furen, you jest. We all wish for you to live long and watch the children grow up, marry, and have children of their own.”
At this, the whole room erupted in laughter.
After Gu daren exchanged greetings with his three sisters-in-law, he called his sons forward. “Lao furen, these are your grand-nephews. Come greet lao furen.”
Gu Ting, seated in a wheelchair, led the greeting.
Wei lao furen beamed. “Good children. Have you all gotten to know your cousins?”
Gu Ting was the first to answer. “We have already met our cousins from the hou fu.”
Wei lao furen looked at Gu Ting. “You’re sanlang, right? What happened to your leg? Does it hurt?”
Gu Ting quickly replied, “Lao furen, I was injured while riding a horse.”
Wei lao furen was startled. “How careless! Falling from a horse is no small matter. Were you injured anywhere else?”
“Thank you for your concern, lao furen. Only my leg was hurt. Everything else is fine.”
Wei lao furen sighed in relief. “A blessing in misfortune. Sanlang, a bone injury takes a hundred days to heal. You must take care of it. Dalang‘s wife, take my invitation card and call for Jiang taiyi to examine him.”
Gu daren immediately said, “The old houye has already sent for the taiyi.”
Wei lao furen nodded. “That old man still does things properly.”
She then chatted with each young man, offering them gifts and introducing them to the hou fu’s ladies.
By the time the introductions were done, everyone was well acquainted.
Wei lao furen then said, “The men won’t feel comfortable here. Zhili, take the boys to the outer courtyard to speak with your tang ge.”
Gu daren complied, leading the boys away.
Then, Wei lao furen turned to the hou fu’s eldest young lady, Gu Mei. “Mei yatou, take your meimei to the side room to chat.”
Gu Mei agreed and approached Gu Jiu. “Xiao Jiu meimei, Zhen meimei, Yue meimie… come with me.”
Gu Jiu stood up with a smile. “Mei jiejie, please lead the way.”
The ladies from both families gathered in the side room, filling it with laughter and lively chatter.
With the girls from both families gathered, there were more than a dozen of them. Including their maids, the room became lively and bustling.
Gu Jiu presented her meeting gifts.
She had prepared a small folding screen as a gift.
The embroidery on the screen was done using double-sided embroidery, and each screen was personalised with the recipient’s name.
Gu Mei received the screen with delight and said, “Such an exquisite screen! Xiao Jiu meimei, you put so much thought into this—I love it.”
“As long as Mei jiejie likes it,” Gu Jiu replied with a smile.
The other young ladies also expressed their appreciation for the gifts Gu Jiu had given.
Because each gift was unique and personalised, it brought an unexpected surprise to everyone.
Gu Jiu’s gifts instantly stole the spotlight.
Unwilling to be outdone, Gu Yue also presented the gifts she had prepared in advance.
Her gift was a beaded pendant, equally unique.
Gu Mei said, “Xiao Jiu meimei, Yue meimei, you both put so much thought into your gifts. Compared to yours, ours now feel unworthy of being presented.”
“Yes! Xiao Jiu meimei, Yue meimei, I truly love the gifts you gave us. Thank you!” said Gu Qi, the er guniang of the hou fu, holding both gifts and admiring them fondly.
Gu Yue smiled and said, “As long as you like them, that’s all that matters.”
Then, she raised her eyebrows at Gu Jiu as if to say, See? My gift is just as good as yours.
Gu Jiu simply smiled and ignored Gu Yue’s provocation.
Gu Yue’s behaviour was like that of an immature child. Arguing with her would be beneath Gu Jiu’s dignity.
Next, Gu Zhen, Gu Shan, and Gu Lin also presented their meeting gifts.
Each of them had personally embroidered a sachet, showing their sincerity.
Gu Shan said, “My embroidery skills are not great—please don’t dislike them, dear sisters.”
“You’re too modest, Shan meimei. Your sachets are lovely! How could we possibly dislike them?”
After the gifts were exchanged, the hou fu’s young ladies also presented their meeting gifts.
There were embroidered crafts, books, calligraphy and painting supplies, art albums, and copybooks.
Since each gift was unique, both sides were delighted.
Gu Mei pulled Gu Jiu aside for a chat.
“Xiao Jiu meimei, is it very cold in the northwest right now?”
Gu Jiu nodded. “It’s indeed colder than in Jingcheng.”
“Is it fun there? I heard there are many horse ranches. Do you often go horseback riding?”
Gu Jiu shook her head. “To be honest, Mei jiejie, I have never ridden a horse in my life.”
“What a pity!”
Gu Jiu nodded and said, “Now that I think about it, it does feel like a bit of a regret. Mei jiejie, do you ride?”
Gu Mei nodded. “I do, but I’m not very good at it. When spring comes, I’ll take you riding. I’ll also introduce you to some friends.”
“Thank you, Mei jiejie.”
“We’re sisters—no need to be so polite with me.”
Meanwhile, Gu Zhen looked around.
She had met the sisters from the hou fu when she was younger, but she had been too little to remember much.
As she wandered around the room, she eventually struck up a conversation with si guniang, Gu Qin.
Gu Qin was a shu-born daughter of the Hou family’s main branch and was only two or three months younger than Gu Yue.
As they chatted, Gu Zhen took the opportunity to say, “Qin meimei, I have a small request.”
“Zhen jiejie, please speak.”
Gu Zhen hesitated for a moment before asking, “Qin meimei, what kind of family is Haixi bo fu?”
Gu Qin smiled knowingly. “Does Zhen jiejie want to inquire about the shu-born shaoye of Haixi bo fu?”
Gu Zhen’s cheeks turned red, even flushing to her ears.
Lowering her head, she shyly but boldly nodded. “Could you tell me about him, Qin meimei?”
“Since Zhen jiejie has asked, I won’t hold anything back,” Gu Qin said. “Haixi bo fu’s shaoye is the fourth in his family, so people call him Zhao silang. I’ve only met him once. He’s tall and strong, and he studies quite well. I heard that his yiniang passed away due to childbirth, so he was raised under the name of the main wife.”
Hearing this, Gu Zhen’s heart swelled with joy. Being raised under the main wife’s name was practically the same as being a di son.
Her tang bomu had introduced this marriage prospect to her, and from the sound of it, it seemed like a good match.
Gu Zhen asked, “Does this Zhao silang have any bad habits?”
Gu Qin shook her head. “I’ve never heard of any. Zhen jiejie, you don’t have to worry. This is a good marriage proposal. If you don’t believe me, you can ask your fu’s tang brothers from the first branch when you return. They all know Zhao silang. If he had any bad habits, they definitely wouldn’t be able to hide them from you.”
Gu Zhen quickly said, “Thank you, Qin meimei. It’s not that I don’t trust you—I just feel uncertain and a little nervous.”
Gu Qin smiled knowingly. “I completely understand Zhen jiejie’s mood. Once your marriage is settled, it’ll be Xiao Jiu jiejie and Yue jiejie’s turn next.”
Gu Zhen said, “My er meimei is in poor health, so her marriage won’t be settled so soon.”
Gu Qin paused. “Xiao Jiu jiejie say in front of lao furen that she was in excellent health? And from what I see, her complexion looks great. Why are you saying she’s unwell?”
Gu Zhen glanced around, then pulled Gu Qin into a corner. “I’m only telling Qin meimei this—please don’t let anyone else know.”
Gu Qin repeatedly nodded, promising to keep it a secret.
Lowering her voice, Gu Zhen said, “Last autumn, my er meimei was pushed into the water. She fell gravely ill and only recovered this summer. Back then, we thought she wouldn’t make it. Thankfully, she pulled through. While we were in the northwest, she stayed indoors to recuperate, and even now, she still has to take medicine daily. Everyone in the northwest knows her as a sickly girl.”
Gu Qin was shocked. “Really?”
She wasn’t surprised that Gu Jiu had been unwell—she was surprised that Gu Zhen had revealed such a thing to her on their first meeting.
Wasn’t this the kind of thing people usually kept secret?
For the sake of Gu Jiu’s marriage prospects, this shouldn’t be spoken about.
Yet, Gu Zhen had deliberately told her.
Gu Qin’s mind raced. What did Gu Zhen mean by this?
Did she hold a grudge against Gu Jiu?
Or was she hoping Gu Qin would spread the news about Gu Jiu’s poor health?
If word got out, Gu Jiu would struggle to secure a good marriage.
After all, high-status families in the capital would never marry a sickly girl.
Gu Qin understood this very well.
And clearly, Gu Zhen did too.
Facing Gu Qin, Gu Zhen nodded firmly. “This is absolutely true. Do you know what people in the northwest called my er meimei?”
Gu Qin shook her head.
Gu Zhen said, “They called her ‘the sickly one.’”
“Huh? That must have made Xiao Jiu jiejie very sad.”
Gu Zhen replied, “I don’t know if er meimei was sad—she never shares her feelings with us.”
Gu Qin smiled. “Zhen jiejie, I just remembered that I have something to do.”
“Go ahead, Qin meimei.”
Gu Qin quickly excused herself from Gu Zhen.
At that moment, her impression of Gu Zhen had dropped to zero.
Initially, she had liked Gu Zhen. Since they were both shu-born daughters, their similar backgrounds had helped them bond.
But the way Gu Zhen maliciously talked about Gu Jiu made Gu Qin realise that she was not someone to befriend.
If they ever had a falling out, Gu Zhen might go around spreading rumours about her, too. By then, it would be too late for regrets.
So, Gu Qin found an excuse and quickly distanced herself from Gu Zhen.
Goodness, the young ladies from the neighbouring fu really are just as Mei jiejie described—wielding hidden daggers everywhere. Not a single one is easy to deal with.
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