Mr. Gu was startled, fearing that his son's voice would be heard next door, and scolded, "You little brat! Are you afraid the Qin family won't hear you?"
"So what if I heard it! Isn't Qin Yuxiu a despicable person taught by the Qin family? What they did, I'll..."
Seeing that Gu Pingsheng's words were becoming increasingly absurd, Madam Gu quickly reached out to stop her son. Gu Yaoniang was also bewildered by her brother's sudden anger, and after thinking about it again and again, she still couldn't understand it.
Madam Gu changed the subject, looking at her husband who had been in a good mood since returning home: "What's wrong? Did you get promoted?"
Mr. Gu shook his head: "No."
What treasure did you find by the roadside today?
"No! I am not such a petty person. If I find valuables, I will naturally..."
“Of course we should hand it over to the authorities to find the owner!” Seeing her husband shaking his head as if he was about to launch into a long speech, Madam Gu quickly interrupted him.
"What exactly happened?!"
Seeing that his wife was losing patience, Mr. Gu quickly smiled ingratiatingly and took her hand, then looked at Yao Niang with a smug expression: "Naturally, it's my worthy son-in-law..."
Just as he opened his mouth, a lively commotion came from the Qin family next door, followed by a string of firecrackers, which sounded extremely festive and triumphant in the quiet of the evening.
Mr. Gu waited until the firecrackers next door quieted down a bit, then, without keeping them in suspense any longer, he began to speak.
"Naturally, it's my worthy son-in-law, who topped the list in the imperial examination!" His eyes and brows were filled with joy. "Our beautiful wife will henceforth be the wife of a top scholar!"
Madam Gu was taken aback at first, then overjoyed. She knew it! Qin Yuxiu would surely be the top scholar, with a bright future ahead! The top scholar in every imperial examination was always favored by the Emperor. With such a young man from the Qin family, Yaoniang's marriage to him would ensure her a secure future and smooth sailing in all her endeavors. Tomorrow—no, today! Right now! She would prepare gifts and go to the Qin family to offer her congratulations and discuss the wedding date for the two children!
Madam Gu happily began to plan, "Yaoniang and Qin Dalang's marriage has been arranged for so many years, and the dowry has long been prepared. They are just waiting for the boy to pass the imperial examination and the wedding ceremony to take place. I heard that there are not many auspicious days for marriage this year? No, I have to ask Granny Qiao to take a look tomorrow."
Yao Niang was initially overjoyed, but then a sense of unreality washed over her. Qin Yuxiu, that handsome young man, though betrothed for several years, she had only seen him a few times when her parents visited. Were they truly going to get married?
She recalled that after their engagement, she had wanted to spend time with Qin Yuxiu like other engaged couples, enjoying lantern festivals, Qixi Festival, and spring outings together. But Brother Qin refused her.
What did he say at the time? Oh right, he said, "We're both unmarried, and it's really inappropriate for a lone man and woman to meet in private. You're all grown up now, so it's best if you don't show your face in public anymore." He must have been a very polite person, right?
So, since then, she rarely went out in a grand manner. Even her former favorite pastime of going on outings and boat trips with other young ladies became less frequent. Since Qin Yuxiu went to the capital for the imperial examinations, both families had provided her with their savings, leaving the household strapped for cash, making it even harder for her to travel. Wherever she went, it cost money.
But she gets so bored at home that she'll eventually find an excuse to go out for a stroll. If she gets married, I'm afraid it'll be even harder for her to go out.
Mr. Gu looked at the silent Yao Niang and laughed heartily: "Are you so happy you've gone mad?"
Upon hearing this, Yao Niang shyly pursed her lips and lowered her head.
Mr. Gu stood up and said to his wife and daughter, "Let's go! Since they've already set off firecrackers, let's go next door to offer our congratulations!" He looked quite proud.
Gu Pingsheng snapped out of his daze: "Don't go!"
The Gu family was taken aback—they had never seen Gu Pingsheng so stern and angry. This young man, the youngest of the four, had always been clever and quick-witted, and had rarely experienced any setbacks. Even when he had been unhappy, even when Mr. Gu had been furious and reprimanded him, he had always laughed it off. When had he ever been so agitated?
“Don’t go!” Gu Pingsheng said again. “I know what’s going on in their family. Bitao, you don’t need to make this trip.” His eyes seemed to be pleading.
He looked at Gu Yaoniang: "Sister, do you know? Today, the imperial envoy came to Qingyun Academy and delivered the results of this year's imperial examination to Qingyun Academy."
Gu Yaoniang felt that her younger brother's behavior was really unusual.
She naturally knew that the imperial messenger had delivered the list of successful candidates. After the spring examination results were announced, each household's servants would report the good news themselves. However, the imperial messenger would deliver the list to the academies of the top three scholars. Since she already knew that Qin Yuxiu had been named the top scholar, it was not surprising that the imperial messenger had gone to Qingyun Academy.
Gu Pingsheng's expression was extremely complex. Pity, indignation, heartache, and confusion intertwined, making it impossible for him to speak.
He turned his head away with a bitter expression, unwilling to meet Yao Niang's clear gaze.
He spoke with difficulty: "The imperial messenger also brought an imperial decree to bestow a marriage upon us."
Madam Gu was still delighted: "A marriage decree? That's an immense honor! It seems the Emperor highly values Qin Dalang! Even Yaoniang is benefiting from this good fortune."
Gu Yaoniang and Mr. Gu sensed something was amiss. Could it be that, despite the auspicious occasion of a betrothal, the eldest son's expression was so grim?
"Brother, is something wrong?" Yao Niang finally couldn't hold back any longer.
Gu Pingsheng opened his mouth, but it was very difficult for him to speak.
"he……"
“I heard that he…” Gu Pingsheng paused to organize his thoughts again, “I heard that the Emperor summoned him and, seeing that Scholar Qin was handsome and dashing and still unmarried, bestowed upon him a woman from the Xie family of Luoyang as his wife.”
The hall fell silent suddenly, as people heard that firecrackers had been lit again next door, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.
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