The sky was dim.
The entire room was shrouded in the deep darkness of night, making it impossible to see the interior.
Gu Xingzhi sat in the study, the oil lamp on the desk in front of him was not lit.
He remained motionless, a stark contrast to his usual jovial demeanor. He blended into the dark twilight, like a soulless sculpture.
On the desk sat a simple wooden box, devoid of any ornamentation, its brass clasp somewhat blackened, suggesting it had been there for many years.
The wooden box has been opened, and inside lies a pair of jade bracelets.
To be precise, it should be a jade bracelet and some fragments of jade bracelets.
This is Gu Xingzhi's older sister, Gu Huiniang's, favorite ornament, which she never took off.
Gu Huiniang has been dead for many years.
She had been dead for a long time, so long that Gu Xingzhi could hardly remember what she looked like.
She was a woman who loved to laugh.
To put it nicely, the Gu family was a scholarly family; to put it bluntly, they were a poor family with only the pride of scholars.
The Gu family has three children: Gu Huiniang has an older brother and a younger brother, and she is the only daughter in the family.
Gu Huiniang was very much loved by Gu's parents.
Qingyun County was very small, and literate young women were extremely rare. When they were young, the Great Cheng Dynasty was not as prosperous as it is now.
In Qingyun County, many young women learn needlework and farming from their mothers from a young age. When they grow up, they marry hastily and use the dowry to improve the lives of their entire families.
As for the Gu family, Gu Huiniang never lifted a finger. Since starting her formal education with her father, she had spent her days studying poetry and literature. The two Gu brothers would also tell her interesting stories from their school days.
Perhaps because she grew up surrounded by love, she was also very generous in reciprocating that love to her family. Despite being pampered and spoiled, Gu Huiniang was not arrogant; on the contrary, she was more sensible than other young ladies from a young age.
Gu Huiniang was gentle, generous, and kind, and she grew up to be fifteen years old when she came of age.
Gu's parents were determined to find their daughter a perfect husband, but Qingyun County was just a small county, and no eligible young men could satisfy them.
As a result, Gu Huiniang's marriage was delayed, becoming a major worry for the Gu family elders.
Gu Xingzhi was very close to this older sister since childhood.
The young boy, unaware of the tender feelings between men and women, asked his sister, "What kind of husband do you want to marry?"
Gu Huiniang smiled gently, her eyes gazing into the distance, as if sketching the image of her beloved in her mind.
She said, "My future husband doesn't need to be exceptionally talented or handsome like Pan An. But he must be upright, kind, and positive. Even if he experiences adversity and hardship, he will always be smiling and will never complain or blame others."
Wang Zhilan and that man look so alike! Their eyebrows, eyes, and temperament are exactly the same.
The same round face, the same round eyes, the same smile before speaking, and when they smile their eyes curve into crescent moons, instantly giving them a friendly air.
With just one glance, Gu Xingzhi knew that Wang Zhilan must be his daughter.
The peaceful life of the Gu family was finally disrupted when Gu Huiniang turned sixteen.
At that time, Gu Xingzhi was just a thirteen-year-old greenhorn, a lively, playful, and ignorant young man. He was reading the classics and studying the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, but what he longed for was the chivalrous spirit of wandering the world with a sword.
That day, he and his classmates secretly went fishing outside the city. On their way back, they encountered a young man in fine clothes.
The man was elegant and courteous, gentle and refined, with a smile on his face before he even spoke, making him seem approachable.
Upon seeing them, the man felt as if he had seen his saviors.
The man, who called himself Wang Sheng, said he had gotten separated from his friends while traveling and had lost all his money and letters. He had been wandering outside the city for a long time and hoped to find a family to take him in, promising to repay them handsomely in the future.
Throughout his life, Gu Xingzhi studied in his youth and went into business in his prime, always adhering to the principle of "no regrets after making a move."
If he were to ask what he truly regrets in his life, he would only wish that he had never gone to the outskirts that day and brought Wang Sheng back home.
Wang Sheng was composed and dignified. Although he was down on his luck and seeking lodging, he showed no signs of distress. He had the air of a man of great stature.
The boys chattered excitedly, vying to take Wang Sheng home, but in the end, Gu Xingzhi won the round by throwing the stone the highest and farthest.
Wang Shengsheng was handsome and eloquent, and was treated with great respect in the Gu family.
The Gu family were all scholars, and they naturally respected learned people. Wang Sheng was well-read and got along very well with everyone in the Gu family.
This includes Gu Huiniang.
Gu's parents greatly admired Wang Sheng, but he was clearly no ordinary person. And no matter how outstanding Gu Huiniang was, she was just the youngest daughter of an ordinary family in Qingyun County.
Gu's parents never intended to marry into the Wang family.
One day, Gu Xingzhi saw Wang Sheng and Gu Huiniang together. Gu Huiniang's face was flushed, and the two of them had their fingers intertwined.
Gu Xingzhi had never known that his older sister was so bold!
When Wang Sheng saw Gu Xingzhi, he was not flustered. He said that his feelings for Gu Huiniang were not due to promiscuity, but rather a desire to marry and stay together in love for life.
He was also frank; since Gu Xingzhi had caught him, he no longer hid it and confessed his feelings to Gu's parents.
Wang Sheng said he was Cheng Xian, the youngest son of the Langya Wang clan in Shuojing. He said his parents were enlightened and would surely be pleased to see a woman of such beauty and virtue as Hui Niang. He promised to inform his elders and marry Gu Hui Niang. He vowed never to take a concubine and to be with Gu Hui Niang for life.
Gu's parents did not approve of the marriage.
Wang Chengxian comes from a noble family, while the Gu family is of humble origin. Even if Gu Huiniang manages to marry into the Wang family smoothly, she will likely suffer many grievances.
It's not that they underestimated themselves, it's just how things are.
A woman who marries into a wealthy family without the support of her own family will find her married life entirely dependent on the affection between husband and wife, which is ultimately just a mirage.
Gu Huiniang had never experienced hardship since childhood, and was surrounded by kindness. How could she understand her parents' deep worries? She thought her parents were worrying unnecessarily and believed that Wang Chengxian and she were deeply in love and would surely have a sweet and happy life together.
Gu's parents couldn't refuse their daughter's request and finally agreed. Wang Chengxian went home to ask his parents for permission, and soon returned to Qingyun County to propose marriage and discuss the wedding date.
Gu Xingzhi was also present on the day Wang Chengxian was sent away. At that time, Gu Xingzhi did not understand why his parents' eyes were full of sorrow when Wang Chengxian came from a good family and was a good person, and his sister finally had someone to rely on.
Until January, February, March...
Wang Chengxian never returned.
For more than a decade, Gu Xingzhi ran the Gu Family Trading Company in Shuojing, and never stopped paying attention to Wang Chengxian.
He heard that years ago, the young master of the Wang family, on whom they had placed great hopes, had fallen insane. Later, it was the old lady of the Wang family who arranged a marriage for him to bring him good luck, and he recovered.
People say that Wang Chengxian's wife is a blessed woman and is highly regarded in the Wang family.
Gu Xingzhi could only let out a cold laugh.
He watched coldly as Wang Chengxian rose through the ranks and was surrounded by children.
Wang Chengxian did indeed keep his promise; the mansion was quiet, with only the husband and wife present. Unfortunately, this rare act of keeping his promise was done by someone else.
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