The headmaster looked at his little Qi, who, despite being travel-worn, had a bright smile on his face.

"Grandfather, I wish you a belated Happy New Year!"

Gu Zheng knelt down and respectfully kowtowed to his grandfather.

"Okay, this is a red envelope for Xiaoqi."

"Thank you, Grandfather. This is the gift I chose for you."

Gu Zheng took out a gift for his grandfather from his luggage: a box of candies of various flavors and shapes.

"Grandfather, I know you like sweets, but the doctor doesn't allow you to eat too many."

"Have the old butler put these away. If you really want one, you can have one."

Gu Zheng gave the items to Gu Zhong, who was standing next to him, and he also prepared a gift for the old housekeeper.

"Thank you, Seventh Young Master. I didn't expect you to discover my secret."

"This is the latest storybook from the capital, with scenes of chivalry and chivalry in the martial arts world."

Don't be skeptical; the headmaster's most trusted old steward is fond of storybooks.

A young lady falls for a scholar, a chivalrous hero vanquishes evil, and a maidservant and her young master share some tales...

The old butler loved these melodramatic storylines.

"Did your mother miss you when you came this time?"

"It's alright, my mom is probably used to it by now."

My father and eldest brother are rarely home, my second brother is focused on his studies, and as for me, I can't help much and I'm always getting into trouble.

Grandfather, I don't want to live like my parents.

Gu Zheng now has a better idea of ​​what he wants and a clearer understanding of where he is headed in the future.

"Now that you've figured it out, what kind of life do you want?"

“Grandfather, my father and eldest brother have done very well, and my second brother will also do well in the imperial examination.”

My other brothers have also achieved something and are family-oriented, so they don't need me.

I want to study for a few years first, and I'll try the imperial examinations as well, just to test my learning progress and to avoid being harassed when I travel in the future.

I want to see more of the world. The Great Li Dynasty is so vast, why must we confine ourselves to one place and fight tooth and nail?

Grandfather, I've eaten plenty of good food, and I've worn brocade and silk clothes. As for the rest, they're just so-so.

On Shao Yun's estate, watching the tenant farmers work hard and strive to survive, I felt truly empowered.

Gu Zheng didn't know if his grandfather could understand his words, but that's how he thought.

Back in Beijing, he didn't know what to do every day.

He had no shortage of food and drink, and he followed a group of young men like himself, living a life of idleness and lawlessness, seeking thrills.

But at the Jiang family home, he knew that life could be like this.

When parents have a good relationship, their children get along well—it's genuinely good, not just good for the sake of being good.

"Grandfather understands, and we will do as you wish. But, Xiao Qi, you must study diligently. Studying is always useful."

“I know, Grandfather.”

Gu Zheng was happy, and his grandfather understood him.

In the Gu family, the eldest uncle was a rigid person, and people thought he lacked manners. The eldest aunt thought he was uneducated and incompetent.

His father had barely seen him before he was ten years old and knew nothing about him. His mother, on the other hand, truly spoiled him.

Gu Zheng spent two days with his grandfather, but was then disliked for talking too much.

After packing his things, Gu Zheng took Gu Wen and Gu Wu to the Jiang family.

"Aunt Jiang, I wish you a belated Happy New Year!"

"Okay, here's a red envelope for you."

Mu Yi'an didn't expect Gu Zheng to return so quickly; he was heading back after the fifteenth of the lunar month.

"Thank you, Auntie. These are gifts for Chuyue and Anran. I chose them myself; they are some trendy little things from the capital."

I also selected some for my older and younger brothers, and I'll give them to them when they come back.

"This is a round fan I chose for my aunt, and a landscape painting I chose for my uncle. They were both bought at a market in Beijing."

Gu Zheng took out the gifts, all of which he had chosen himself and were really inexpensive.

"Thank you, Xiaoqi. I like this fan. It will be perfect for fanning myself when it gets warmer."

"As long as Auntie likes it, that's fine. A fan is just for fanning the air, so practicality is more important."

Gu Zheng thought Aunt Jiang had a good personality; she bought things to use.

"Alright, hurry up and go to the East Courtyard to pack up. Shao Rong will be looking for you after class; he's been talking about you for ages."

Mu Yi'an was surprised that Shao Rong and Gu Zheng got along quite well, even though they were six years apart in age.

"I missed Shao Rong and the others too. It's so good that they're back."

"Auntie, I'll go tidy up now."

Gu Zheng went downstairs; he brought back a lot of things, enough for him to sort through for a long time.

That evening, the children met and cheered. After dinner, Gu Zheng took them to see the things he had brought back.

"Yi'an, I received a letter from my father today. The He family has calculated the dates, and Chu Tong may get married at the end of the year."

The He family's relatives are all in the prefectural city. Father's idea is, could Chu Tong be married off to our family?

There were two reasons for her marriage: firstly, the journey to the county town was too far and inconvenient; secondly, Chu Tong was the first girl in the family to get married, and they wanted to give her a dignified send-off.

"It's not a big deal to get married in the prefectural city; we're just lending out a piece of land."

However, my elder brother and sister-in-law will have to prepare Chu Tong's dowry themselves; I won't do it for them.

Mu Yi'an knew that there was no way to avoid such a thing.

However, there are some things she won't interfere with.

Father said that Chu Tong's dowry is almost ready.

The He family knows about the eldest brother's family situation, and they have made all the necessary preparations. The eldest brother will also have Chu Tong take the He family's betrothal gifts with him.

"That's not bad either. In some families, some of the betrothal gifts will be kept."

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