"What can we do?" Guo Hongzhe held his breath. His heart was moved, and he felt concerned and eager, and he could hardly hide his nervousness.
Jiang Yushu smiled and answered seriously, "I have my own way of convincing the old lady, but how do you know if Miss Ji is willing to marry you?"
"T-T-She should be willing."
Guo Hongzhe blushed, his lips curled as he mumbled, "Mrs. Pei is close to my sister-in-law, and she stayed with the fourth young lady for a few days... I met her in the garden six times in a row, each time 'running into' her at the same time and place... The last time, I was entangled by my nephew and was quite late, but she was still waiting, 'admiring the flowers' under the scorching sun."
"Although we didn't have a clear agreement, being late meant breaking the appointment. She seemed a little angry and didn't say much. Only after I explained did she finally respond."
Two reserved and introverted people, a man and a woman, do not need to be close to each other, nor do they dare to bring up issues. Their words and actions reveal their attitudes.
"Oh?" Jiang Yushu smiled knowingly. "So it seems Miss Ji also has a good impression of you."
"During a casual chat, she mentioned being adopted and blessed with loving care from her adoptive parents. But when I asked around, I heard she wasn't in very good health, having been frail and sickly since childhood." Guo Hongzhe sighed and speculated, "Perhaps her mother wasn't satisfied because she was so thin."
Guo Honglei was silent for a moment, looking at his brother in surprise. "Third brother, I should look at you with new eyes! If Madam Pei stays with the fourth young lady for a while longer, how far will your talks go?"
"Secretly get married?" Jiang Yushu blurted out, supporting free love from the bottom of her heart.
"How dare I? Absolutely not! Well, she and I just 'met by chance' and exchanged pleasantries." Guo Hongzhe was startled and shook his head vigorously, fearing that he would affect the girl's reputation.
Jiang Yushu couldn't help laughing, "What are you afraid of? Don't worry, your second brother and I will keep it a secret!"
"Well, then, I'll leave this matter up to my sister-in-law. I'll also ask for your help, brother," Guo Hongzhe said resolutely, but also worriedly. "My illness is incurable. I don't know how many years I have left. It's rare that she doesn't despise me—but marriage is a big deal, and it requires the approval of the elders on both sides. I wonder if her parents agree?"
"Agreeing is unexpected, disagreeing is normal," he said with a wry smile. "Put yourself in their shoes. Who would be willing to marry their daughter to a sickly man?"
Jiang Yushu's smile faded, and she said comfortingly, "No one is perfect. Although Third Brother is a little weak, he has outstanding literary talent. It's unknown if he will pass the imperial examination one day. Don't underestimate yourself!"
"If you want to marry the princess, I can't do anything for you. But if you want to marry Miss Ji, it should be a sure thing." Guo Honglei acted decisively and promised solemnly, "Let me think of a way. I will do my best to help you arrange it. We can propose marriage and get married as soon as possible. After that, you won't have to worry about 'chance encounters' and can enjoy the flowers openly!"
Spend every day together? Enjoy the flowers openly?
Guo Hongzhe couldn't help but yearn deeply. He stood up gratefully and bowed uprightly, "Then I would like to thank my second brother and second sister-in-law first!"
So the couple discussed the wording at night and tried to persuade Wang early the next morning.
The morning sun was bright and the window was half open. The morning light illuminated the clean and tidy bedroom. Two small beds were placed side by side, emitting a faint smell of milk.
Wang already has three grandsons, but she never thinks it is too many. Although she cares for her granddaughters, she does not pay much attention to them. Deep down, she always favors her grandson.
She had high expectations for him. Every day after breakfast, she would urge her eldest grandson to go to school and personally send him to the study. She would also coax Guo Ye to sit down and learn to recite the "Thousand Character Classic", and then take a walk to visit the twins.
Three generations living under the same roof, enjoying great happiness.
"Oh, my, my dear grandson, so sweet!" Wang, with her white hair and wrinkles smoothed out, stared intently at her blinking grandson, grinning from ear to ear, praising him endlessly: "Look at that look, you can tell he's smart! Honglei, why haven't you named the child yet?"
Jiang Yushu held her daughter in her arms. Guo Honglei sat down and answered loudly, "I've already decided! The son will be named Guo Jiong and the daughter will be Xiaoyan."
Upon hearing this, Wang Shi immediately ignored "Xiao Yan" and asked hurriedly, "'Jiong'? Which character is that?"
"Sunfire means bright and shining." Without raising his head, Guo Honglei stretched out his index finger and moved it back and forth in front of his daughter's eyes, admiring the baby's bright and clear eyes.
Wang pondered carefully. "Jiong Jiong Mingliang? Hmm, good, very good, not bad!" She stroked the swaddling clothes and said happily, "My dear grandson, from now on, you will be called 'Guo Jiong'. Remember?"
Jiang Yushu noticed that her mother-in-law was always focusing on her grandson and rarely paying attention to her granddaughter, so she couldn't help but remind her, "Old Madam, do you think 'Xiao Yan' sounds good? This is what I came up with."
"Ah?" Wang teased her grandson kindly, taking the time to look up, not caring too much, and replied with a smile: "Xiao Yan? She's fine, not bad."
Jiang Yushu felt helpless, thinking to herself: "Forget it, it doesn't matter if my grandmother doesn't spoil me, as long as my parents treat me the same!" She cheered up and taught him earnestly: "Little crybaby, eat more and cry less in the future. Grow up strong quickly. Otherwise, when brother and sister stand side by side and compare, who will believe you are twins?"
"What are we comparing? What if our daughter grows up to be as tall and strong as our son?" Guo Honglei raised his eyebrows.
Jiang Yushu came back to her senses and was stunned for a moment, then she said happily: "Hahaha, what if Xiaoyan grows up to be as tall as you?"
"Hahaha," Wang also laughed, "How am I going to find her a husband when the time comes?"
Guo Honglei was unhappy and disapproved. He looked at the delicate baby girl and said, "What's wrong with being tall? How can a beautiful girl worry about getting married? You're worrying too much."
"That's true!" Jiang Yushu agreed without hesitation.
After Wang finished laughing, she continued to tease her grandson.
The couple looked at each other and followed the plan. Jiang Yushu was the first to sigh, "Alas, my eldest and second brothers already have children, and my third and fourth brothers are not young anymore, but they still haven't gotten engaged. I'm really worried about the old lady."
Guo Honglei continued, "Mother has to make the final decision on our children's marriages. You've worked so hard, urging my third and fourth brothers to get married quickly. Girls of marriageable age have been betrothed one after another, leaving us with less and less room to choose."
"I'm worried, too! And I'm anxious too!" Wang frowned. "The problem is that we haven't found a suitable girl yet! Who are we going to urge them to marry?"
Guo Honglei got straight to the point. "She's so far away, Madam Pei's cousin, isn't she a good fit?"
"Her?" Wang frowned immediately, reminiscing, and then rambling, "That fourth young lady was only fifteen, frail and frail, and she was adopted. Furthermore, her manners weren't generous enough; she was reserved and timid, and she was quite petty."
Jiang Yushu smiled and said casually, "She's only fifteen, young, and rarely shows up in public. What girl wouldn't be shy when meeting a group of strangers? Although Xiaoru is an adopted daughter, my cousin's wife mentioned that her uncle and aunt had four sons and were sad that they didn't have a daughter, so they adopted her from a distant relative. She's been pampered and well-educated, and she's gentle and filial."
"What a coincidence! Don't you admire 'well-behaved, gentle and filial' people?" Guo Honglei said slowly, "In my opinion, Miss Ji is just the right person. After becoming a wife and a mother, she should become graceful and elegant."
Jiang Yushu changed the subject, "Of course, if you change your focus to appreciating smart and capable people, Xiaoru will not be suitable. No problem, from now on, let's change our focus to inquiring about smart and capable people——"
“No no!”
Wang shook her head fearfully and waved her hand firmly, "Marry a virtuous wife. Ah Zhe and Xuan'er are gentle and polite, and they can't handle a smart and capable wife. They also like gentle and filial women."
Jiang Yushu took the opportunity to test the waters: "Could it be that you already have someone suitable in mind?"
Wang shook her head in annoyance.
"Xiao Ru's father is Magistrate Ji's cousin," Jiang Yushu said frankly, reminding him, "Azhe has always struggled to succeed in literature alone. A marriage and the added support of a family would be beneficial to him."
The couple deeply understood Wang's character, and they echoed each other's sentiments. Guo Honglei, his expression serious, slowly spoke, "Besides, there's our fourth brother. He's not cut out for a military career, only for a scholar, but he's not very diligent and lazy. I don't know when he'll pass the imperial examination. The future of our two younger brothers is uncertain. Let's plan ahead, pave more avenues, and work together to support them in the future."
The third son is a concubine, and the fourth son is a legitimate son.
Therefore, these words really touched Wang's heart. She sighed and lamented, complaining bitterly, "Xuan'er is naturally lazy. I've been urging him every now and then, but he still won't change. What can I do? Ah Zhe has already achieved fame and honor, but he doesn't. He's not anxious, and we're the ones worrying!"
The old man changed his mind and pondered for a moment. He was moved, but hesitant. "Hearing what you said, Miss Ji's character is nothing special, but she is frail and sickly. Alas, Azhe is frail and sickly, and his wife is also frail and sickly. Who will take care of whom after they get married?"
Guo Honglei replied gently, "Just ask about my well-being and tell the servants to do the specific things."
"Yes! There are servants to do the housework, so the daughter-in-law of the Guo family does not need to wash clothes, cook, fetch water or farm." The mother and daughter were intimate. Jiang Yushu was in high spirits to make her daughter laugh, thinking: When you grow up, on the premise that you are a good match, mother will allow you to fall in love freely!
Wang glanced at her second daughter-in-law and asked slowly, "Then why are you so obsessed with raising flowers, silkworms, vegetables and crops all day long? If someone doesn't know, they might mistakenly think your in-laws are mistreating you."
"I--" Jiang Yushu was choked and speechless for a moment.
Guo Honglei immediately explained: "Everyone has a hobby. Yushu doesn't like to dress up. She has loved tending to flowers and plants since she was a child. Firstly, it relieves boredom, and secondly, it cultivates her--"
“Alright, alright!”
Wang narrowed her eyes and waved her hand, quite angrily, "Mother didn't scold her, why are you so anxious?"
Guo Honglei denied it, saying, "My son is not anxious."
"Alright, I understand what you mean." Wang bent down, tucked in her grandson's swaddling clothes, and instructed, "Azhe's marriage really can't be delayed any longer. There's an order of seniority. If he's not engaged, then Xuan'er can't be engaged either, lest outsiders accuse your mother of favoritism. Since you think Miss Ji is good, then give it a try. It's not enough for us to satisfy her alone. We should first try to ask her parents for their opinion."
The couple looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.
"Leave it to me!" Guo Honglei had already made plans. "Have the necessary preparations ready at home as soon as possible. I'll set off two days in advance. When I pass through Yongzhou City, I'll ask Magistrate Ji to act as a matchmaker and find out what the other party's elders think. If they agree, everything will be done according to the rituals and an auspicious date will be chosen for the wedding."
Wang had no objection, "Well, you decide."
Jiang Yushu said happily: "I hope to marry Xiaoru soon and make our home more lively!"
So, a few days later, Guo Honglei set off for Yongzhou, and with full courtesy, he asked Ji Xuelian to come out for an interview. With the support of Pei Wenfeng and his wife, although Ji Yingru's parents were concerned about Guo Hongzhe's weakness, they also took into account the family background, the scholar's literary talent, and their own daughter's frail health... Ji's father did not refuse on the spot, but said that he would give it careful consideration.
In a blink of an eye, autumn has arrived and it is the Mid-Autumn Festival again.
Jiang Yushu rested diligently for nearly three months and gradually recovered. The servants began to busy themselves with packing her luggage. She would leave for her new post soon and stay in Tuning permanently.
That morning, when she was teaching the maid how to reel silk, her two brothers-in-law came over, each with a nephew.
"Mom!" Guo Ye was white and fat, but agile. He ran steadily, pounced on Jiang Yushu and hugged her legs.
"Ouch—" Jiang Yushu was knocked back two steps and asked with concern: "Why are you leaving school so early today?"
Guo Yu picked up a silk cocoon, sniffed it, and played with it while answering, "Second uncle sent someone back. Third and fourth uncles just went to meet guests."
Jiang Yushu asked in confusion, "Meeting a guest? Who?"
"There is a cavalryman named Qiu in the Tuning Guard. He was disarmed because of an injury to his left arm, but his martial arts skills are still very strong. My second brother trusts him and invited him to come to our house to be the guard coach." Guo Hongzhe informed.
Guo Hongxuan also picked up a silk cocoon and rubbed it. "Last time the Du family caused trouble, my second brother was very angry when he found out. I was so scared that I didn't dare to say a word."
Jiang Yushu nodded in sudden realization, "Oh! He mentioned it before. I didn't expect to find a suitable candidate so soon."
"Also, Coach Qiu brought a letter saying the Ji family has agreed to the wedding on April 16th of next year." Guo Hongxuan said happily, "Third brother, I'll be able to drink at your wedding soon. Then I'll have another sister-in-law."
Jiang Yushu hurriedly said: "Congratulations!"
Guo Hongzhe blushed, unable to conceal his joy. "It's all thanks to my family's efforts in getting married that this has been possible. I, I'm so grateful that I don't know what to say."
"We're family, what's there to thank?" Jiang Yushu twirled the silk and sighed, "The population of the mansion will grow. House rules are important, and guards are important too. Both are indispensable. Only by combining the two can order be maintained. Otherwise, I wouldn't feel safe going out."
Going out? Guo Ye's eyes lit up instantly, and he asked excitedly: "Where are you going? I want to go too!"
Jiang Yushu was extremely reluctant to leave. Feeling guilty, she hugged her eldest son, who was less than three years old, and said, "Tu Ning. Mother has important matters to attend to. We are not going out to play."
next day
It was daybreak, and dewdrops dotted the branches and leaves of the plants in the garden.
Jiang Yushu dressed neatly and kissed her eldest son who was sleeping. Then she rushed to the other room and hugged the two babies respectively. She was reluctant to leave and repeatedly instructed the nurse and maid:
"Take good care of the child and wait for me to come back. I will reward you handsomely."
The servants were extremely respectful and rushed to express their gratitude, "We will serve the young master wholeheartedly!"
Then she said goodbye to her mother-in-law.
Wang disapproved, but she had no choice but to order him for the umpteenth time: "Women are not suitable for being officials after all. Go to Tu Ning and deal with it first. When you have the chance, resign immediately!"
Jiang Yushu was unable to convince her mother-in-law, and she didn't dare take her children to Tuning, where the war was still raging. She simply ignored the conversation and said earnestly, "Please, old lady, take good care of my three children." After saying this, she bowed to her two brothers-in-law and said, "Please."
"I don't deserve it!" Guo Hongzhe quickly moved away, and Guo Hongxuan consoled him:
"Don't worry, my third brother and I are at home, and we're supposed to take care of Mother and my nephews and nieces. I heard that things are not going well in Tuning, so please be extra careful, sister-in-law."
Jiang Yushu answered all the questions one by one. After a while, the sky brightened. She led several close associates, boarded the carriage, said goodbye to her family, and set off to leave Heqin.
The wheels rumbled as they headed north.
Jiang Yushu was given an official position again and was full of energy. "Let's go to Tuning!"
The author has something to say: Let’s see how the female magistrate serves as a good official!
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