Chương 27: Freshman
Biên tập viên: Atlas Studios
"Rong'er!" Madam Gu looked at Gu Yunrong with heartache and choked slightly. She sighed inwardly at how considerate this granddaughter of hers was.
In comparison, Gu Yuan was like an ingrate.
Ever since her eldest son, Gu Ce, died in battle eight years ago, Gu Yuan had become a different person. He seemed to be distant from her, his grandmother.
Madam Gu would occasionally wonder if Gu Yuan had always been dissatisfied with the second branch being put in charge of the Marquis Mansion, which was why he had a grudge against the entire Marquis Mansion.
Back then, she had also personally explained to Gu Yuan that Gu Jian being in charge was the former Emperor's intention.
Madam Gu's turbid eyes were turbulent as her thoughts ran wild.
"Yuan'er, you're already an adult, but you're not as sensible as Rong'er." When Gu Jian mentioned Gu Yunrong, he was full of praise. When he looked at Gu Yanfei, he revealed undisguised disgust. He raised his hand and pointed at her. "You… you're a scourge. You were born to jinx your mother. You've just returned and you've already stirred up the mansion. There's no peace in the family with you around."
As he reprimanded her, the others in the Gu family looked at Gu Yanfei with complicated expressions. Some of them agreed with him, some were disdainful, some were cold and distant, and some were sympathetic.
Currently, Gu Jian and Madam Gu were in charge of the residence. As a junior, she was despised by the two elders today. She was afraid that she would not have a good life in the future, unlike Gu Yuan, who was a man and still had a chance to make contributions outside.
Gu Yuan's pupils dilated, and a cold and bloodthirsty glint shot out from his eyes. He raised his arm to touch his sword.
"I see." Gu Yanfei's leisurely sigh sounded in the hall. Sje pressed down on Gu Yuan's right arm without a trace and said indifferently, "Gu Yunrong is good at everything. Why don't we let her be the Marquis's daughter so that I don't have to jinx her."
She vaguely remembered that in her previous life, the ancestral hall should have been opened these few days. At that time, she was too weak and was at the mercy of Madam Gu. Meanwhile, her eldest brother was in the military camp. He only knew of her existence after everything was settled.
Her Big Brother did not agree to leave Gu Yunrong under his parents' names. For this reason, he even fought with Madam Gu and Gu Jian for a long time. However, even when her Big Brother died in battle, they still did not agree to open the ancestral hall again.
The prospect of Gu Yunrong becoming the future "Princess Consort Kang" or even the mother of the country was too tempting. They would not give up.
If Big Brother continued to argue, nothing would come of it.
Gu Yanfei did not want to waste time on such a small matter. If she had the time, she might as well comb her cat's fur.
As long as the siblings drew a line with Gu Yunrong, it would be fine.
The eldest branch was the eldest branch, and the Marquis Mansion was the Marquis Mansion.
Mental demons were mental demons…
As soon as she said that, everyone was stunned. Her suggestion was unexpected.
After the initial anger, Gu Jian gradually calmed down. A thoughtful expression appeared on his face.
He thought about it carefully for a long time. It took him only a moment to figure it out.
There seemed nothing wrong with the idea.
The Gu family's daughter who was engaged to the British Monarchy was the eldest daughter of the eldest branch. Once Gu Yunrong inherited the second branch, she would be the legitimate daughter of the second branch. Naturally, she would not have anything to do with this marriage, and Kang Wang would not have the reputation of "taking someone else's wife".
In the future, if Kang Wang could take another step forward, he might become the king's father-in-law!
Thinking of this, Gu Jian's blood boiled and his heart pounded.
"Big Brother." Gu Yunrong took a step closer to Gu Yuan and sighed. She asked seriously, "Do you think so too?"
Gu Yunrong stood with her face tilted and close to Gu Yuan. Her hair was like fog, her lips were red, and her posture was elegant and beautiful.
Gu Yuan nodded silently.
There could only be one legitimate daughter.
He would not allow his sister's background to be unclear.
Gu Yunrong's long and thick eyelashes fluttered. She raised her soft chin slightly, and a soul-stirring sorrow and forbearance appeared. Softly, she whispered, "Then I agree."
She turned to Gu Yanfei and said, "If I can make it up to my Second Sister and make my Second Sister and Big Brother not harbor any ill feelings towards me, I'm willing."
After saying that, Gu Yunrong turned around and bowed to Madam Gu and Gu Jian. She said solemnly, "Grandma, Second Uncle, please agree to it."
Her manner and movements were very graceful and she had an air of independence.
Madam Gu rubbed the sandalwood Buddha beads in her hand with her fingers and closed her eyes. After a long time, she said, "Second Brother, let's do that. Rong'er will be adopted by you and your wife."
That statement meant the dust had settled.
Gu Yanfei smiled but did not say anything. Half of her attention was on her cat.
The Patriarch and the elders exchanged a glance of relief.
The Patriarch put his fist to his lips, cleared his throat again, and said in a clear voice, "Then open the ancestral hall and change the family tree."
After offering incense to the ancestral tablet, the Patriarch personally took the Gu family's genealogy out and spread it out on the large desk.
The slightly yellowed register recorded the names of more than ten generations of the Gu family. The Gu family was just a commoner from the countryside in the previous dynasty. It was Gu Yuan's great-grandfather, Gu Yao, who followed Emperor Taizu in the uprising and became a famous general who founded the country and was conferred the title of the Marquis of Dingyuan.
As a result, the Gu family rose and broke away from the commoner class.
Just looking at this piece of history, the Patriarch and the Gu family members present felt a sense of pride.
A junior served the Patriarch with ink. The Patriarch dipped his brush in the ink and asked Madam Gu, "Yuan'er's sister's name is…"
Madam Gu: "…"
Madam Gu's expression froze. Only then did she realize that she had completely forgotten about this.
Naturally, she would not say it out loud. Her mind raced as she thought of a name at the last minute. She said nonchalantly, "She's called Yun…"
Before she could finish her sentence, Gu Yanfei interrupted her.
"Gu Yanfei."
Her voice was neither servile nor overbearing. It was crisp and sweet, like a spring breeze.
Meeting Madam Gu's unhappy gaze, Gu Yanfei calmly met her gaze.
She knew that Madam Gu would name her "Gu Yunhua."
In her previous life, her adoptive parents had never given her a name. Ever since she was young, they had called her "loser" and "damn girl". After she was brought back to the Marquis Mansion, it was Madam Gu who gave her the name "Gu Yunhua".
But she didn't like it.
"Gu Yunhua" represented the cowardly and defeated her in her previous life. She was long dead.
"…" Madam Gu's eyes were dark and gloomy.
She was annoyed to see this girl now. She felt that she was as evil as her cat. She might really be a scourge!
Madam Gu's expression turned even colder as she said indifferently, "Alright, you can be called whatever you want."
The Patriarch and the elders looked at each other. The Patriarch kindly reminded Gu Yanfei, "Girl, 'Yun' is the ranking of the daughters of the Gu family. Your eldest sister is called Yunrong, and your third sister is called Yunfeng…" If this girl's name was different from the other sisters, it would inevitably attract unnecessary speculation from outsiders.
Gu Yanfei smiled at the Patriarch and emphasized again, "Uncle, my name is Gu Yanfei."
This was the name her master had given her when she was in the Bright Spirit Realm. It had accompanied her for 200 years.
It represented her new life!
Chương 28: Yanfei
Biên tập viên: Atlas Studios
"Yanfei, swallows in flight. What a nice name." Gu Yuan smiled and clapped. He was obviously supporting Gu Yanfei.
The Patriarch originally wanted Gu Yuan to persuade Gu Yanfei, but seeing him say this, he stopped persuading her. He focused on adding the words "Gu Yanfei" to the name of the eldest branch and wrote her birthday.
Then, the tip of the brush dipped into the inkstone again. The Patriarch changed Gu Yunrong's name to the second branch, under Gu Jian and Madam Wang. As the eldest daughter of the two, she was third in line in the Marquis Mansion.
"Yuan'er, you're the eldest brother, so even if Rong'er was just adopted to the second branch today, she's still your sister. You have to take good care of your siblings and be their role model!"
"Yanfei, although you've had some hardships in the past, you'll receive blessings in the future."
"…"
"We are all members of the Gu family. We have to remember that we are bound together for good or ill. You all have to prioritize the family's glory and future…"
The Patriarch gave some instructions, then everyone went to the ancestral hall at the back.
Smoke curled up from the ancestral hall. Layers and layers of memorial tablets were placed on the altar. They were placed step by step like terraces, magnificent and dignified.
The Patriarch respectfully placed the memorial in the ancestral hall and led the Gu family to kowtow and offer incense.
After a series of complicated procedures, it was already an hour and a half later.
The sun was high and warm as summer.
When everyone came out of the ancestral hall, most of them were relieved. They felt as if they had watched a climax early in the morning.
At this moment, the ladies from the other families were looking at Gu Yanfei differently from before. They were thinking too much.
Gu Yunrong stood quietly under the eaves and looked at Gu Yanfei and Gu Yuan in front of her with a handkerchief in her hand.
Her gaze landed firmly on Gu Yuan's well-defined side profile. She opened her mouth slightly, as if she wanted to say something to him. In the end, she held back and her expression was a little lonely.
"Rong'er," Madam Gu held Gu Yunrong's hand lovingly and chatted with her, "Didn't Princess Changqing send you a post yesterday? Did you reply?"
"Not yet." Gu Yunrong shook his head. "Princess Changqing invited me to play polo at Prince Jing's Manor in a few days."
"If you want to go, go ahead." Madam Gu smiled and said, "I've heard that Princess Consort Jing likes black tea. I have a century-old black tea here. I'll get someone to send it to you later."
Madam Gu wanted to make up for the grievances she had suffered today.
"Thank you, Grandma." Gu Yunrong smiled obediently.
Gu Yanfei, who was walking in front, also heard this. Her eyes darkened as she thought to herself, Prince Jing's Manor… The manor that ruined Gu Yunzhen's life turned out to be "at this time".
Gu Yuan gently patted her slender left shoulder, her heart aching for the bone under her palm. She reminded her, "Sister, I'm going back to the military camp. If you need anything, get Wu Tong to look for me."
Gu Yuan was still worried. Everything that had happened in the ancestral hall today had verified his thoughts. His grandmother might be Gu Yunrong's good grandmother, but she could not be considered his sister.
He had to think of a way to transfer back to the capital as soon as possible. Otherwise, if anything happened, his sister would probably be alone in this Marquis Mansion.
Gu Yanfei came back to her senses and replied, "Big Brother, go ahead."
She knew that Gu Yuan was ambitious. He wanted to make a name for himself and dreamed of washing away the stain on his father one day. She would not stop him.
One or two long birdsongs sounded in the distance. Seven or eight birds flapped past the treetops and flew away.
The crowd scattered like birds, each to its place.
"Chirp chirp chirp …"
"Meow, meow, meow…"
Qing Guang was quite satisfied with its new home, which was bigger than the house in Danyang City. There were more birds to play with, a bigger garden to run in, more trees to sharpen its claws, more servants for it to enslave and order around. And there was an unlimited amount of fish soup to drink in the garden…
It had only been a few days, but Qing Guang had visibly gained weight. Its fur was glossy under the sun.
"Snap!"
Gu Yanfei casually snapped her fingers. The kitten, who was squatting on the window sill and sunbathing, turned to look at her and yawned.
Qing Guang hopped lightly onto the desk and sauntered toward her. He cocked his head at her. "Meow—"
Gu Yanfei stuffed a talisman into the small pocket on the cat's pocket and instructed, "Go to work."
Qing Guang raised its round bottom and stretched. It was both elegant and coquettish.
Gu Yanfei gently patted the base of its tail and urged it, "Go."
"Meow, meow!" the kitten purred contentedly, swishing its fluffy tail and leaping briskly out of the open window.
It was almost dusk. The gorgeous sunset was like a burning flame piled up in the sky, covering the dense and rugged canopy with a colorful veil.
Qing Guang had never taken an ordinary path. It avoided the crowd and nimbly shuttled between the branches, eaves, and walls. Occasionally, he would startle a group of birds among the trees.
It ran fast and lightly, taking a shortcut through the residence. In a short while, it arrived in the backyard of Benevolent Harmony Hall.
In a corner of the Benevolent Harmony Hall, there was a small willow tree. Golden willow leaves hung from the drooping branches. When the wind blew, the golden willow branches swayed back and forth in midair.
The sight caught its attention instantly. Its green eyes glittered as if it had seen a rare treasure.
"Meow!" Qing Guang leaped out and slapped a willow branch with its claw. It turned around and chased after another willow branch that was swinging.
The evening wind and sunlight spilled into the house through the bay window, and the cat's cry was carried in with the wind.
Madam Gu, who was leaning on the beauty couch, closed her eyes and said unhappily, "Bai Lu, why is there another meow?"
The maidservant, Bai Lu, was massaging Madam Gu's legs. She lowered her head and said obediently, "Madam, a wild cat outside must have sneaked in."
Madam Gu opened her eyes and instructed calmly, "Get Granny Xu to deal with it quickly."
"Yes, Madam," Bai Lu acknowledged respectfully, her expression indifferent. Or rather, she was used to it.
Everyone in the residence knew that Madam Gu did not like cats. Over the years, Madam Gu had gotten Granny Xu to kill many stray cats that had accidentally entered the residence.
Bai Lu got up as quietly as she could, stepped back from the green gauze cabinet, and carefully closed the door of the partition.
After Madam Gu closed her eyes, she felt a strong sense of sleepiness. She had no idea that there was a little kitten under her couch.
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