Chapter 608 Appointed as an Official in a Remote Area
Time flies, and summer is here in the blink of an eye.
Meng Chengzhang has been appointed to an official post and entered the Hanlin Academy as an editor.
Gu Xiuyuan and Gu Xiuwen have also been appointed to official positions. Gu Xiuyuan went to the Ministry of Rites, while Gu Xiuwen chose to be transferred to a post outside the capital. Even though Madam Zhang was reluctant to let him go and disagreed with her son's decision, wanting him to stay in the capital, Gu Xiuwen insisted on his own idea to become a local official and wanted to make a name for himself.
He had never mentioned leaving the capital to take up an official post, but suddenly he was going to leave the capital to become a local official. On the day he left for his post, Zhang cried her eyes out. She had originally thought that since both of her sons had passed the imperial examinations and the family had connections, they would definitely be able to stay in the capital to become officials. She planned to find a wife for her younger son next year and live a happy life together as a family. Who knew that her younger son would actually use his connections to get himself sent to a local post to realize his ambitions.
Gu Xuanyi comforted her, "Mother, don't cry. Third Brother is going to become an official, not running away with someone else. He will come home again in the future."
Zhang wiped away her tears and choked out, "Your third brother isn't even engaged yet. Now that he's run away, when will he be able to get engaged and marry? You two really are twins, both of you are children who never let your parents have a moment's peace, unlike your eldest brother."
Gu Xuanyi pouted and said, "Didn't I get engaged as you told me? I'm getting married this autumn, so why can't I make things easier for you?"
Hearing this, Zhang felt a little relieved, but the thought that her son had gone to another place and that it would be difficult for mother and son to see each other in the future, and that he might not even be able to come back for the New Year, made her feel a little relieved.
Gu Xuanyi continued to comfort him, "If Third Brother achieves something in three years, he might be transferred back to the capital. Being sent to a post outside the capital is actually an opportunity to prove one's abilities, and he might even be promoted faster than Eldest Brother."
Zhang said, "But your third sister-in-law is still unmarried."
Gu Xuanyi replied, "Didn't Third Brother say that we'll consider marriage in two or three years?"
Zhang sighed deeply, "When will I be able to hold my grandson?"
Gu Xuanyi said in a low voice, "Mother, you are really lying through your teeth. Didn't you already have a grandson? Isn't your eldest brother's eldest son Yunxin your grandson? Now that your sister-in-law is pregnant again, you will have another grandson or granddaughter next year. If you want to hold a grandson from your mother's side, wait until I get married in a few months and have a baby with that boy Wang Xuzhi for you, so you can hold him to your heart's content."
Zhang was speechless at her words and glared at her irritably: "You child, do you feel uncomfortable if you don't make me angry for a day? You contradict me every time I say something. Other people's daughters are warm and caring, but yours is leaky everywhere."
Gu Xuanyi glanced at her, held back, and ultimately refrained from arguing with her.
Zhang took a deep breath and said, "Alright, go back and embroider your wedding dress. Don't hang around in front of me unless it's important. I get annoyed just looking at you."
Gu Xuanyi replied, "Mother, it seems that you asked someone to call me over to keep you company and talk to you today."
Zhang: "..."
Gu Xuanyi snorted, "Look at those truly rebellious sons and daughters. The Su family's daughter eloped with someone, and the Fang family's young master is a good-for-nothing who indulges in drinking, gambling, and whoring. And look at us three siblings. You should be secretly happy."
Zhang was speechless again: "..."
Although she wanted to deny it, she had to admit that compared to other people's troublesome children, her three children were actually quite good. Her two sons had passed the imperial examinations and were already serving as officials in the court. Although her daughter was unwilling to get married, she did not resist when she forcefully arranged the marriage.
Well, she's not the best, but she's not the worst either; she should be content.
A moment later, Zhang asked curiously, "Xuanyi, you suddenly ran out that day, did you go to the Wang family to see Wang Xuzhi? What did you talk about that day? What did that child say that made you stop resisting the marriage?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Xuanyi turned her gaze away shyly, avoiding eye contact with her mother, and her cheeks involuntarily flushed red.
She had misjudged that boy before. She had always thought he was well-behaved and polite, like a docile little lamb. But when she went to find him that day, wanting him to break off their engagement, he immediately turned from a little lamb into a little wolf cub, strong and domineering. And she was the little lamb that the wolf cub had his eye on.
Seeing this, Zhang's curiosity grew even stronger: "What exactly did you say?"
Gu Xuanyi said succinctly, "It's nothing. I just asked him to break off the engagement with me, but he refused. He even said he loved me. I saw how sincere he was, so I reluctantly gave him a chance. But if he treats me badly after the marriage, I will divorce him immediately."
Upon hearing this, Zhang's expression changed, and she scolded, "Nonsense! You're not even married yet, how can you talk about divorce?"
Gu Xuanyi said nonchalantly, "So what if we get a divorce? It's not something shameful. If we're not happy, we should get a divorce. It's only suffering to force ourselves to stay together. Why is Mother so worried? Does she not have confidence in him? Does she think he can't give me happiness in the future?"
Zhang replied, "I naturally have confidence in that child."
Gu Xuanyi smiled and said, "That settles it then. He can give me happiness, so naturally I won't divorce him."
Zhang looked at her, opened her mouth, but swallowed back the words of reprimand, and sighed softly: "It's all my fault for spoiling you too much in the past, I've spoiled you rotten."
Gu Xuanyi didn't want to continue the topic with her, so she said, "Mother, I'm going back to embroider my wedding dress first, otherwise it won't be finished by the time I get married."
Zhang glared at her: "How could it not be embroidered well? I only asked you to participate, not to make the whole wedding dress. You can participate, and the rest can be left to the embroiderers."
"Then I need to go back and make a set of clothes for my unborn niece." After saying that, Gu Xuanyi immediately stood up and left without looking back.
Zhang watched her retreating figure, shook her head, and sighed softly.
A little while later, Xiuyuan's wife, Jiang, came to visit her mother-in-law, who was in a bad mood, and asked, "Mother, I saw Xuanyi leave in a hurry just now, what's wrong?"
Zhang scoffed, "What could she possibly be up to? She's hiding from me, afraid I'll chase her back, so she's running faster than a rabbit."
After hearing this, Madam Jiang understood. Her mother-in-law had this special ability to make her younger relatives want to explode when they talked to her. However, as her daughter-in-law, she had to endure it no matter what. But Xuan Yi was different. Xuan Yi was her own daughter. Even if mother and daughter quarreled, they would not hold a grudge overnight. Therefore, Xuan Yi dared to openly run away if she didn't want to listen.
After a short while, Zhang asked again, "What brings you here?"
Jiang replied, "My third brother has left home, and Mother must be heartbroken. I was worried about her, so I came to see her." Seeing Zhang's red and swollen eyes, she asked with concern, "Mother, are you alright?"
Zhang sighed softly, "I'm fine. He's grown up, he's got wings, let him fly if he wants to."
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