Xu Lanyue came in front of Xu Lanyin and, before Zhao Wu could introduce her, she bowed and said with a smile, "I knew you were my elder sister the moment I saw you. You are so beautiful, much prettier than me, but we do look a little bit alike, there's no doubt about it."
His voice was clear, his pronunciation was distinct, he spoke with a western accent, and he was not at all shy.
Xu Lanyin smiled, took her into the house, and took out some freshly made snowballs for her to eat.
Xu Lanyue took the snow ball and praised, "What a pretty cake, even prettier than the ones I ate at Zhou Mansion and Prince Zhou's Mansion."
She had a good appetite and ate three in one go. She even said self-deprecatingly, "My mom said I'm like my dad, a big eater. I hope I don't grow up to be a big, stupid person who won't make it hard for me to get married."
The little girl is not afraid of strangers, not spoiled, not picky, and can be self-reliant. She is much easier to take care of than the other children with unique personalities that Xu Lanyin had taken care of before.
Xu Lanyin asked the girl about her time in Xixia. The girl had a good memory and told a lot, treating it like a funny story. Even with the constant hiding and the injuries on her face, she didn't feel any hardship, only missing her mother who hadn't returned yet.
Her attitude was due to the fact that her parents did not tell her about the real danger and that she was naturally open-minded.
They had been together for less than half an hour, and Xu Lanyin felt that, although she couldn't say that she had fallen in love with this girl, at least she admired her.
Looking at the long scar on Xu Lanyue's face, Xu Lanyin was helpless. It wasn't that she couldn't bear to use the Yuru Regenerating Skin Cream, but the scar had already healed, and the Yuru Regenerating Skin Cream wouldn't work. She had to cut away the red flesh first, then apply the ointment, for it to work. That would be considered a surgical procedure, and Xu Lanyin didn't know anyone who had the skills to do it.
In response to Xu Lanyue's request, Zhao Wu carried her up the tree and onto the house again, which stimulated the little girl so much that she screamed loudly and then giggled.
When the little girl followed the servant out to buy tofu pudding, Xu Lanyin asked about Zhou Xin's parents' family.
Zhao Wu said that Zhou Xin was not born into the Zhou family and his mother's family had long lost contact with him.
Xu Lanyin breathed a sigh of relief. Zhou Lanyue was naturally good-natured, and so young, it was unlikely she would grow up to be anything but ordinary unless someone deliberately led her astray. The situation was already complicated. If Zhou Xin's family showed up again to make a presence felt, constantly annoying and provoking the young girl, it would be even more annoying.
After lunch, Zhao Wu left and Xu Lanyue stayed.
At this time, Gu Wangchen was on duty in the yamen. A clerk who was responsible for running errands in the Ministry of Revenue came to tell him that an old acquaintance named Xu from Xiaozao Village across the street was looking for him.
Gu Wangchen didn't want to go, as the peasants from Xiaozao Village had the guts to come here. But since they had come, he was afraid his colleagues would accuse him of being ungrateful, so he had no choice but to leave.
He even took out the silver from his purse and looked at it. There were two silver ingots and some silver coins. He smiled and said to his colleagues, "Back then, we were an orphan and a widow, and life was difficult. We received a lot of care from the villagers. They came all the way here, so we can't let them go back empty-handed."
A man with a gray beard said with a smile, "Master Gu is not only knowledgeable and kind, but also remembers old friendships."
Several other people also echoed.
Gu Wangchen left the government office and saw someone who looked like Xu Qingyan standing across the street. Could it be that Xu Dashi had suffered a great blow and suddenly aged a dozen years?
He blinked and took another closer look. This man was definitely not Xu Dashi. Although he had changed slightly, this man was definitely Xu Qingyan. Gu Wangchen was terrified.
Gu Wangchen had heard that the old demon's name was Xu Qingyan, but he had never thought of him as Xu Lanyin's father, thinking they were just the same name. Only now did he realize that the old demon was Xu Lanyin's father, his former future father-in-law.
His legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead. He didn't want to go, but he didn't dare not to go. If Xu Qingyan ran to the yamen and made trouble, the impact would be even worse.
He gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and shook his legs. He walked towards Xu Qingyan with a fearless attitude, yet he forced a smile on his face.
Xu Qingyan coldly looked at Gu Wangchen as he approached. He was dressed in his official uniform and hat, looking even more heroic, gentle, and elegant than he had been eight years ago. No one could have guessed that beneath this handsome exterior lay a dark heart...
Gu Wangchen came up to Xu Qingyan, bowed and smiled, "It really is Uncle Xu. Uncle Xu has returned safely and has become a hero praised by everyone. That's great! Sister Yin and Aunt Yin can finally live a good life." He then said very embarrassedly, "Uncle Xu, I'm sorry. Because my mother didn't mean it, Sister Yin misunderstood..."
Before he could finish his words, Xu Qingyan punched him in the head. Gu Wangchen took a few steps back and sat on the ground, two streams of blood flowing from his nose. He quickly covered his nose and said, "Quick, Uncle Xu, let me explain..."
Xu Qingyan stepped forward and kicked Gu Wangchen a few more times, cursing, "What's the use of explaining? I'll kick you to death, you bastard with a wolf's heart and a beast's heart. I raised you for so many years, and you actually turned your kindness against me. While I was away, you tricked Yin'er into selling his land, leaving him and his widow in dire straits, while you and your son are living a carefree life, eating and drinking well. You spend other people's money all day long. How can you be a scholar at all..."
Gu Wangchen explained, "Uncle Xu, you misunderstood. My mother only borrowed it, and I paid it back after I found out. I didn't want to cancel the engagement either, and I begged Sister Yin many times. But Sister Yin misunderstood my mother, and I don't know who instigated her to cancel the engagement. I was also very sad for a long time after losing her, and I still think of her all the time..."
After hearing his words, Xu Qingyan was filled with hatred. He had a black heart and lied to himself, yet he insisted on pretending to be innocent.
Xu Qingyan slapped Gu Wangchen on the head a few times and cursed, "You little pretty boy, you're always trying to confuse right and wrong and pretend to be pitiful. You and your son are the same, neither of you is a good person. I was blind and raised you for several years in vain, but you're no better than a dog. Just wait, I'll keep pestering you for the rest of my life."
Seeing that more and more people were coming to watch the fun, Xu Qingyan kicked Gu Wangchen's back a few more times before leaving.
Xu Qingyan didn't want to make a big deal out of this, as that would expose Xu Lanyin's earlier misdeeds, which would damage her reputation. Furthermore, this bastard was too cunning, finding excuses to shirk responsibility for all the bad things he had done before.
Chai Jun happened to be out on business when he saw Gu Wangchen being beaten and ran over. He didn't know Xu Qingyan, so he helped Gu Wangchen up and said, "Who is the man who beat you? Have him arrested."
Gu Chenwang was so ashamed that he wiped his nose with his sleeve, his eyes red. He said in a deep voice, "Alas, you can't blame Uncle Xu. It was my mother who did something wrong back then, and as a son, I should bear the responsibility. If I don't bear it, who will? I can't let my mother suffer..."
He looked extremely aggrieved, yet righteous.
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