Chapter 22 Chapter 22 You are a Qin family woman! The Qin family is not good, that is...
Mrs. Gu was so happy that her married daughter came back to stay for a while.
She gave a bunch of orders in a hurry, making the servants run around in circles, and asked someone to bring the warehouse book, and she picked and chose from the list.
When Ah Man finished drinking the fruit juice in Gu Zhizhuo's arms, Nanny Zhu happily brought a bunch of keys. The lady took the keys and moved quickly.
"Let's go open the warehouse!"
"Pick out a nice glass screen for Ah Man."
"Are the flowers and birds more beautiful, or are the flowers and the moon more beautiful... Never mind, I'll have both!"
Madam Gu thought Gu Liaoliao was in the way, so she sent her away to catch butterflies by herself.
Play? Oh, my dear mother, my daughter is almost four years old, and you want me to go chasing butterflies? Gu Liao Liao stared in amazement at the lady walking away surrounded by the maids and servants, and couldn't help wanting to laugh.
Her brows relaxed, and as expected, she felt most comfortable at home.
"Let's go for a walk in the garden!"
Coming out of Ronghe Hall, Gu Liaoliao said with a smile in her eyes, "Don't be afraid. No matter what anyone in the Jing'an Marquis's Mansion says, your grandmother will help you scold them back."
"Hmm," Gu Zhizhuo responded repeatedly.
She looked at her niece gently, her eyes resting on her veil. Gu Zhizhuo leaned over and whispered, "Just pretend." Gu Liaoliao's heart pounded at the words, but she didn't ask any questions, continuing calmly, "...your grandmother is timid and easily influenced, but it's not that she doesn't love you."
"I know."
Gu Zhizhuo will always remember that when she was in exile, the official whipped her and it was her grandmother who protected her behind his back.
The spring breeze blew on his face, and the evening sunlight fell on Gu Zhizhuo's profile, with smiles in the corners of his eyes and eyebrows.
Ah Man tugged at her sleeve and pointed at the colorful butterflies flying among the flowers, her eyes full of anticipation.
Gu Zhizhuo let go of her little hand and touched the top of her head encouragingly.
Ah Man ran over happily.
The colorful butterfly landed on a blooming flower. Ah Man tiptoed closer, then squatted down obediently and carefully stretched out his white and tender fingers to touch the butterfly's wings.
With this touch, the colorful butterfly flew away.
Ah Man didn't care and just laughed silently.
The two of them sat down beside the beauty and watched her play. Gu Liao Liao stroked the hair beside her ear, and the corners of her lips curved slightly: "Your grandmother's family was a merchant family in the previous dynasty."
Gu Zhizhuo knew that the Jiang family would send people to give gifts during festivals and holidays, and the two families also had a reciprocal relationship.
Gu Liaoliao talked about some past events in detail.
The Jiang family's grandfather was a man of considerable skill and foresight, tactful and experienced, ensuring the Jiang family's continued prosperity during the chaotic last years of the previous dynasty. At the time, there were dozens of rebel armies, large and small, among which Emperor Taizu was a relatively minor figure. But when Emperor Taizu conquered Cangzhou, the Jiang family's grandfather resolutely invested his entire fortune there.
With this meritorious service in hand, after Taizu ascended the throne, he secured the title of Marquis of Zhaoyi for the Jiang family. Later, he even petitioned Emperor Taizu for a marriage, betrothing the youngest legitimate granddaughter of the eldest branch of the family to the eldest son of the Duke of Zhenguo.
"Your grandmother was the youngest daughter in a family of wealth and luxury, and was pampered. She had eight older brothers who managed the business and general affairs. The biggest trouble she encountered in her boudoir was when the maids would pull their hair and come to her to ask for help."
"After marrying in, the Gu family, with their military achievements and the trust of Emperor Taizu, was a first-rate family in the Great Qi Dynasty. Your grandmother never had to bother trying to curry favor with others, and she was always busy trying to curry favor with them."
"Later, your mother took care of it."
Gu Zhizhuo understood what she meant.
Come to think of it, until she was exiled in the previous life, my grandmother had never suffered any hardship or injustice in her life.
"Your grandmother is actually very easy to coax. Just go along with her a little. At most, you can coax her, but you should do what you need to do. Don't take it seriously."
Gu Zhizhuo blinked his eyes. So, his aunt was teaching him how to fool his grandmother?
She looked at Gu Liao Liao, and Gu Liao Liao also looked at her. Well, that's exactly what my aunt meant.
Gu Zhizhuo couldn't help laughing out loud, leaning on her shoulder, laughing so hard that he fell backwards.
Ah Man tilted his head to look, then ran over with his chubby little legs, threw himself into Gu Liao Liao's arms, and laughed too. A shallow dimple appeared on his rosy little face, which made people want to kiss him.
Gu Zhizhuo touched her face and found it a little hot, so he told Qiongfang to get a glass of honey water. When he looked up, her eyes were gloomy.
"Aunt, uncle is here."
Gu Liaoliao was wiping the sweat off her daughter's forehead with a handkerchief. When she heard the maid's report, she said without even looking up, "No."
As soon as the words fell, a helpless male voice sounded: "A Liao."
Qin Su had black hair tied up in a crown, and his posture was upright. The man, who was nearly thirty years old, had a restraint honed by time.
Gu Liaoliao looked up and found that the maid was not there to deliver a message, but had already brought someone over.
Seeing that she looked angry, the maid was at a loss.
Gu Zhizhuo gently waved the maid away: "It's okay, you can go down first."
The son-in-law was not a guest, so he didn't need to wait in the hall like a guest, just like Gu Liaoliao didn't need to be announced when she came back. The maid just led him in as usual.
She stood up and bowed: "Uncle."
Qin Su walked over to Gu Liaoliao without looking away, sat down next to her, and then went to hug Ah Man.
Ah Man hugged Gu Liao Liao with both hands and put his little face on her chest.
Qin Su laughed: "You, are you being petty with Daddy again? You're so young, but your temper is as stubborn as your mother's."
Gu Liao Liao was not happy to hear him say that. She patted Ah Man and told her to go play by herself, then asked calmly, "What are you doing here?"
Qin Su said softly, "I didn't see you when I returned home. Mother said you had a fight with her again."
Gu Liaoliao sneered and was too lazy to pay attention to him.
"Mother is overly worried and anxious." Qin Su said in a gentle voice, "Fifth brother is seriously injured this time. The doctor came to see him. Sister Zhuo's arrow injured his bones and tendons. Even if the wound heals, he won't be able to lift a sword or draw a bow. If he doesn't recover well, I'm afraid he won't even be able to hold a pen. His right hand is basically useless."
Qin Su was talking, but his eyes were looking at Gu Zhizhuo.
The two families are related, and Gu Zhizhuo had a veil covering her face. It would have been fine if Qin Luo didn't recognize her, but how could she not recognize Qin Luo? She knew who the other person was, but she still used such a heavy hand.
That's really too much.
His eyes were sharp, like a blade drawn from its sheath: "Sister Zhuo, don't you have anything to say about what happened today?"
Qin Su ignored Gu Zhizhuo when he was blessing her, so she was still standing. Hearing this, she smiled, stroked the hem of her skirt gracefully, and sat down on her own.
"So the prince is here to call for justice." Gu Liaoliao's red lips sneered, and she taunted, "Oh, go out and ask around. Like Zhou Liu and Liu San and their gang, everyone in the capital knows they were beaten up by my Cancan. Have the Zhou and Liu families ever come to complain? Outmatched by skill, they just cry, make a scene, and even threaten to hang themselves. You guys in the Jing'an Marquis' Mansion really don't mind being ashamed."
The Duke of Zhenguo was still alive at the time, so who would dare to come and complain?! Qin Su thought so in his heart, but he didn't say it out loud, but he still felt a little unhappy: "A Liao, don't be unreasonable. Zhuo Jie'er is your legitimate niece, and Luo Ge'er is still my legitimate brother!"
"Sister Zhuo hit someone, she should at least admit her mistake."
Gu Liaoliao sneered repeatedly: "Impossible." Why should a girl from their Gu family bow down to others?
Her unyielding attitude made Qin Su feel an indescribable heat in his heart. He could understand A Liao's protectiveness, but if Miss Gu was sensible, she should not have put her aunt in front and instigated her aunt to quarrel with her husband's family for her.
"What are you staring at Yaoyao for?"
Gu Liao Liao's eyes were filled with sneers as she snorted, "Don't tell me you don't know what kind of person Qin Luo is. He's an idle, extravagant, and debauched bastard who only knows how to bully men and women. Why, when he got beaten up, you came rushing over to demand an explanation? When he beat someone else up, why didn't you bring him to apologize?"
She sneered, "I heard that kid from last month is lame."
"What did you do then... Oh, I think you gave me a hundred taels of silver?"
Qin Luo relied on the reputation of the Jing'an Marquis's Mansion and never did anything outside. Last month, he took a fancy to a young lady singing in a teahouse. When he failed to rob her, he beat the young lady's brother and crippled him.
At that time, it was Qin Su who personally instructed the steward to give one hundred taels of silver to settle the matter.
Gu Liao Liao's red lips curled up: "Since there is a precedent, then we should follow this rule. Qiong Fang, go and get a hundred taels of silver for your lady."
Qiongfang glanced at Gu Zhizhuo, and seeing her drooping eyelids, she took out a silver note of one hundred taels from her purse.
Gu Liaoliao took the banknote, patted the beauty, raised his chin, and said coldly, "You can go now."
Qin Su's anger was ignited. He stood up suddenly and glared at him: "You!"
Gu Liaoliao raised his eyebrows and sneered.
He paced back and forth for a few steps, the anger in his heart brewing.
Qin Su, holding back his anger, said stiffly, "Because of Fifth Brother's injury, Mother cried so hard that she almost fainted."
The nanny my mother sent to ask for an explanation was scolded by Madam Gu. Those words made my mother very angry. She was so angry that she even said, "If Mrs. Gu doesn't bring her niece to kowtow and apologize, she can forget about coming back."
If the mother doesn't vent her anger, she will definitely take it out on A Liao in the future.
The same goes for A Liao. It's too disgraceful for her, a married woman, to always side with her parents.
Qin Su put his hands behind his back, his eyes filled with coldness: "Don't forget, you are now a Qin family woman! If the Qin family is not good, then you are not good."
"You can go back to your parents' home now, but how long can you stay there? Half a day, a day, two days? Oh, could you stay there forever?"
These words were very harsh, and Gu Liaoliao felt a chill all over his body.
"My aunt's surname is Gu! The Gu family is my aunt's own home. She can live however she wants. You don't have to worry about it, my aunt." Gu Zhizhuo took Gu Liaoliao's arm affectionately, breaking the dead silence. "I heard that my cousin in my uncle's house is about to give birth. It's really inconvenient for my aunt to stay at your house, so I won't go."
She raised her eyes, and her gaze moved, exuding a captivating aura.
Gu Zhizhuo's heart was like a surging wave that could not be suppressed.
In her previous life, her brother Gu Yican "failed to suppress the bandits and fled for fear of punishment". She had wounds on her face and a high fever. The only adult male in the mansion was her third uncle Gu Baibai, and his legs were disabled and he was in constant pain. Her aunt was so busy that she had to take care of everything and inquire about her brother's news that she had no time to take care of Ah Man.
Lady Jing'an secretly took A'man away, saying she was going to Taiqing Temple, but A'man got lost.
A few days later, Ah Man was found drowned in the river. Her face was swollen and gray, her small body had rotted, and flies were flying everywhere. Finally, her identity was recognized from her clothes and the safety lock.
On the same day, Qin Su's aunt's cousin gave birth to a son.
Qin Su shed a few tears for Ah Man, but how could a daughter who died young compare to a plump, white son in his arms? He quickly forgot about it.
For the sake of their son, the Jing'an Marquis's Mansion hung red scrolls and gave generous rewards, and joyfully held a third-day-of-birth banquet.
In the end, Ah Man was only given a small, thin coffin and buried hastily.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com