Chapter 37 Chapter 36 Mother and Child Connected
Even though twenty years have passed, these things are still clearly imprinted in Liang Qiulan's mind. After recalling them now, Liang Qiulan looked at Gu Shiyan with eyes full of guilt and heartache.
She reached out cautiously, trying to hold Gu Shiyan's hand as he was about to withdraw it after wiping her tears. She was afraid that Gu Shiyan would resist such contact, but unexpectedly, she easily grabbed that slender white hand.
Although the boy's hands were not warm at all, her body still felt very warm, which was something she had not experienced in all the years she had been ill.
Although Gu Shiyan usually doesn't like physical contact with others, he didn't feel any discomfort when he touched Liang Qiulan's palm. Instead, he enjoyed the feeling very much. This was probably the special emotion between mother and son.
Liang Qiulan burst into laughter, internally complaining to herself that she shouldn't be crying on such a joyous occasion. Her entire attention was focused on the boy's hand, and she hadn't noticed the handkerchief's uniqueness. She had been ill for so long that even if she had noticed, she probably wouldn't have recognized it.
After a moment, she seemed to have thought of something, and a brilliant smile blossomed on her face, like a bright flower in full bloom. "I was negligent, letting you stand here with me for so long." She pulled Gu Shiyan to sit on a wooden chair nearby. She was still a little overwhelmed at this moment. After looking around, she saw Hua Ling standing beside her and said gently, "Who is this girl?"
She didn't know what to talk about with Gu Shiyan. Twenty years had ultimately become a barrier between them. For now, she could only try to understand the life Gu Shiyan had lived, hidden from her, through the woman before her. She had no ill intentions towards Hua Ling's probing. Not only did her relationship with Gu Shiyan not look like that of a romantic couple, but even if it was something special, she wouldn't have stood in the way if Gu Shiyan had feelings for her.
"Madam, I am only the young master's maid." Hua Ling spoke respectfully. She did not call herself a slave. Firstly, Gu Shiyan did not allow her to call herself that when they were at Yunliang Qianchi, and secondly, she had her own pride in her heart.
Liang Qiulan didn't feel dissatisfied when she heard her self-proclaimed words. Gu Shiyan must have benefited from her care over the years. Because of her love for Hua Ling, she was also very gentle to him. She raised her jade hand and pointed to the wooden chair beside her: "Please sit down, young lady. Don't stand for too long."
Hua Ling was a martial artist. Unlike most women who were reserved, she had a bit of a chivalrous demeanor. So after she thanked him, she found a chair and sat down.
A flicker of admiration flashed across Liang Qiulan's eyes. Gu Shiyan and Hua Ling both showed excellent upbringing, comparable to, if not superior to, the young masters and young ladies of the capital's aristocratic families. And judging by their attire, it was clear the knight had treated them well. When the knight had taken Gu Shiyan away, they had prepared a large sum of banknotes, but he had refused to accept any.
Initially, they had thought the other party was a hermit who lived in seclusion and was somewhat concerned about whether Gu Shiyan could be well taken care of, but they didn't demand too much. They just hoped that their Ah Yan could survive well. Even if he couldn't do anything, the Duke of Ying would be able to protect him for the rest of his life.
Liang Qiulan suddenly knocked her head and ordered anxiously, "Butler Jiang, go and have someone clean up the west courtyard." Then her eyes were so gentle that they could bring out tears. She looked at Gu Shiyan and opened her thin lips slightly, "I'll take you to see it when they're done. This courtyard has been prepared all the time, but I didn't know when you would be back. I was worried that the servants might be careless, so we should ask them to clean it again."
Jiang Yi, who was standing by, also had tears in her eyes. After hearing Liang Qiulan's instructions, she answered yes several times in succession and walked out with a smile on her face.
Then she asked cautiously, with a hint of fear in her tone that she herself did not even notice: "How long do you plan to stay at home this time? You are not in a hurry to leave, right?" She was afraid that the reunion she had waited for so hard would be short-lived, so she wanted to get a reassurance from Gu Shiyan.
"Mother, if there is nothing important for me to do this time, I will not go back." Liang Qiulan made Gu Shiyan feel the warmth of home, and he also tried to respond to the other's warm emotions.
The word "mother" once again ignited Liang Qiulan's heart. Her eyes became moist again, and the emotions in her heart surged like a tide. She didn't want Gu Shiyan to see her in such an embarrassing state, so she forced herself to suppress the tears. She just continued to look at Gu Shiyan gently, not wanting to miss any of the latter's movements and expressions.
"Your father hasn't returned yet. As for your grandmother, she's old and probably resting now. You can go see them tomorrow," Liang Qiulan explained. Then, he gently and patiently instructed, "You can have your meal first. You don't have to wait for your father to return. Afterwards, rest well. We can discuss the rest tomorrow."
Gu Shiyan listened obediently on the side. He really enjoyed the feeling of being cared for. He nodded in response to Liang Qiulan from time to time. The two of them chatted casually like this, and both sides enjoyed it.
About half an hour later, Jiang Yi came in to report that the west yard had been cleaned up.
The two stopped talking and followed Jiang Yi towards the courtyard. Along the way, Liang Qiulan excitedly introduced the various things and decorations in the mansion to Gu Shiyan. Beads of sweat had already appeared on her forehead, but she was still enjoying it. This was probably the happiest day she had in all these years.
Gu Shiyan was also listening very attentively. He seemed very curious about this future home. From time to time, he would take out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat off Liang Qiulan's forehead. It was truly a scene of loving mother and filial piety.
This western courtyard seemed to be the most luxurious area of the Gu Mansion, even surpassing Gu Cheng's main courtyard and study. The courtyard was filled with precious flowers and plants, even more magnificent than those seen along the way. Liang Qiulan pointed at the flowers and plants in the courtyard and said with a smile, "If there's anything you don't like, just have them removed and replant something you like."
Gu Shiyan didn't care about these things. After all, this was a token of his parents' kindness. He shook his head and said, "No need. This is good enough."
Entering the room further reveals the courtyard's opulence. The brushes, inkstones, and inkstones placed before the desk are all of the finest quality, priceless in the capital, yet here they are piled high. The furnishings in the room are all fine porcelain, some even gifted by the emperor. As for the other items, they are all fashionable in the capital. Even the bed is made of an extremely rare brocade, said to be as cool as ice in summer and exceptionally warm in winter. Such material is rarely found even in the homes of the rich and powerful, demonstrating the rich heritage of the Gu Mansion.
That would have been fine, but what Gu Shiyan didn't know was that there was even a special storehouse in this mansion that was specifically used to store the items he had replaced in his room.
Soon, the servants, led by Jiang Yi, brought in Gu Shiyan's dinner. There were eight exquisite dishes in total. Jiang Yi smiled apologetically and said, "Sir, we're a little rushed today. Please make do with it for now."
Exquisite dishes were placed on the wooden table in the room, including sweet and sour carp, Dongpo pork elbow, eight-treasure tofu, Jinling salted duck, Dongzi'an chicken, shredded chicken with golden bamboo shoots, Longjing shrimp, and a liver paste soup. It was a collection of flavors from all over the world, with color, aroma and taste.
Jiang Yi has been the housekeeper in the Gu Mansion for decades, so he is naturally very careful in his work. He didn't know Gu Shiyan's taste and was worried that he might not be used to it, so he asked the chef to prepare some dishes of various flavors.
Although Gu Shiyan was not very picky about food, he would never touch anything he didn't like. Liang Qiulan sat beside him and watched him eat. Under Gu Shiyan's persuasion, she also ate some, so that Gu Cheng had to eat alone at night. Of course, this is all a story for later.
Gu Shiyan tasted every dish, except for the liver paste soup. He didn't like soupy things, and he was especially wary of offal. Liang Qiulan also tried some, but she mostly watched Gu Shiyan's delightful movements with a look of concern, hoping to understand him a little better, to fill the gaps that had been missing for the past twenty years.
After Gu Shiyan finished, Liang Qiulan stood up and left. She was a little reluctant, but she also hoped that Gu Shiyan could have a good rest. Gu Shiyan personally sent her to the gate and watched her slowly leave.
Only Gu Shiyan and Hua Ling remained in the courtyard, having been driven out by Gu Shiyan. These servants had been chosen by Jiang Yi to serve him, but he wasn't used to having so many around him. When he was at Yunliang Qianchi, he'd only had Hua Ling and Hong Ting by his side. He didn't want to disappoint Jiang Yi's kindness, especially since Liang Qiulan was looking at him expectantly, so he kept them.
The two stood in the courtyard for a moment before rising and returning to their rooms. After Liang Qiulan left, she began to instruct Jiang Yi, who was standing beside her: "If there's anything missing in Yan'er's room, fill it immediately. The old lady will send someone to pass on the message tomorrow." She looked up at the gradually darkening sky and then changed the subject: "The Duke should be back by now."
At this moment, a servant came to report. He was sweating profusely, as if he had been running. "Madam, I found you. The Duke is waiting for you in your room for dinner."
After hearing this, Liang Qiulan quickened her pace and walked towards her yard. She couldn't wait to share the good news with her husband.
At this time in Xieying Garden, Gu Cheng was sitting on a chair in the room, asking the servant beside him with a puzzled look on his face: "Where did Madam go today?" Liang Qiulan rarely left the courtyard since she fell ill, and he was a little puzzled why she suddenly went out today.
But the maid beside her was also unaware of the situation. "Butler Jiang came today, and then the Madam changed her clothes and left. I don't know what happened next."
Helpless, Gu Cheng could only face the prepared meal alone and wait for Liang Qiulan to come back. A moment later, footsteps suddenly came from the courtyard. He finally waited for Liang Qiulan.
At this moment, a figure in Gu Shiyan's courtyard groped his way out of the wall of the Duke's Mansion. It seemed that the direction he was heading towards was the nine-story palace where the emperor lived.
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