Chapter Sixty-Six: Accompanying My Wife
Shou'an Hall.
Old Madam Gu held the scissors and slowly trimmed the potted plants she had planted. When she heard footsteps coming in, she only looked up and said, "Yao Ling is here." Then she continued to trim the potted plants.
Gu Jingxi didn't disturb his mother's leisurely mood. He bowed to his mother and then sat down to wait.
After a while, Madam Gu finished pruning the potted plants, put down the scissors, and sat down in the seat of honor for her son. Seeing that her son looked tired, obviously due to not having rested well recently, she asked with concern, "Yaoling, you look haggard. Have you been very busy lately?"
Gu Jingxi answered evasively, "I encountered a tricky case, so I was a bit busy, but it's all done now. Mother, what did you want to see me about?"
Madam Gu didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "Yao Ling, I remember that the headmaster of Ling Shan Academy is a close friend of yours, despite the age difference."
“Xu Shanzhang and I are indeed close friends despite our age difference.” Gu Jingxi nodded slightly. “Why did Mother suddenly bring this up?”
Madam Gu replied, "Lingshan Academy recently started enrolling students. I've learned about it, and this time they're recruiting children aged ten to fifteen. Isn't our Xiuwen exactly fifteen?"
As she spoke, she glanced at her son, knowing that he wasn't the type to give favors to others, and then said, "Yaoling, Xiuwen can't continue to be raised by your sister-in-law, otherwise she'll spoil him sooner or later. He's smart and quick-witted, and he's good at studying, but your sister-in-law spoils him too much. She's made him only know how to enjoy himself, can't stand hardship, and is lazy in his studies."
Gu Jingxi was silent for a while, then asked, "Mother, I've been busy these past few days and haven't paid attention to things at home. Has something happened?"
Madam Gu recounted the morning's events to her son, and then lamented, "You know, Xuanyi was such a good child, but your sister-in-law has raised her to be like this. If things continue like this, Xiuwen might also be spoiled. It's better for him to go to Lingshan Academy. It's far from home, so he won't be able to come home often. Let him study there peacefully. His classmates are all outstanding people, and he will gradually improve under the influence of his environment."
Gu Jingxi was surprised, not knowing that her usually well-behaved and sensible niece had such a temperament. Every time her niece saw her, she was very well-behaved.
Seeing that her son seemed a little incredulous, Madam Gu said, "I have never mentioned the matters between young girls to you before, and you are usually busy with official duties and do not pay much attention to the younger generation. Only Xiuming will occasionally test your studies, so it is normal that you do not know Xuanyi."
She then said earnestly, "Yaoling, the rise and fall of our Marquis's family depends on these children. If we don't raise them well, the Gu family will decline again when you get old. Xiuwen is just a little lazy, but he is smart and quick-witted. His teacher even praised his writing. He told me that I rewarded him with a set of writing implements. If this child is raised badly and ends up mediocre, what a pity that would be!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Jingxi pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement: "Mother, Headmaster Xu is currently in the capital. I will take Xiuwen to visit Headmaster Xu in a couple of days when I have a day off."
Upon hearing this, Madam Gu smiled and nodded repeatedly, "Alright, then I'll trouble Yaoling."
Gu Jingxi said gently, "Mother, you don't need to be so polite. It's just a small matter. I can help him get into Lingshan Academy, but if he doesn't study hard and fails the exam, he will still be asked to leave."
Madam Gu was not worried about this, and replied, "The environment can change a person. He has just been spoiled and lazy. Seeing his classmates studying hard will also have a subtle influence on him. Besides, smart children can learn twice as well with half the effort."
Gu Jingxi was taken aback: "Mother seems to have confidence in him."
Madam Gu smiled and said, "I watched this child grow up, so I know his personality very well."
Hearing this, Gu Jingxi had some expectations for his nephew's performance. If he could really improve, it would be worth it to use his connections to open a back door for him. If he just went in to coast along, it would really bring shame to the Gu family.
Madam Gu glanced at the sky outside the window. The sun had already set, and dusk would soon fall. She turned to look at her son and asked gently, "Yaoling, it will be dinner time soon. Why don't you stay for dinner? I specially asked the kitchen to add a few of your favorite dishes."
Gu Jingxi said apologetically, "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint my mother this time."
Madam Gu was taken aback. Her son had never refused her before, so why was he refusing so decisively this time? Thinking that he was working day and night again because of official duties, she immediately frowned and scolded him with a stern face: "You still have things to do? No matter how busy you are, you still have to eat. You're not made of iron. If you don't take care of your health when you're young, you'll have a lot of old ailments when you get older. You'll be tormented by a bunch of ailments and you'll know you were wrong when you're half dead."
Gu Jingxi shook her head slightly and smiled gently: "No, I promised your daughter-in-law that I would go back and have dinner with her later, so I can only disappoint you, Mother."
Upon hearing this, Old Madam Gu was stunned for a moment, but her eyes quickly lit up and she beamed with joy. This was truly a good thing! Her daughter-in-law had taken the initiative to invite her, and her son had thoughtfully accepted. This proved that the two young people had developed some feelings for each other after spending so much time together.
Looking at her son, who was nearly thirty, Madam Gu couldn't help but tear up. She nodded repeatedly and choked out, "Good, this is really good. Seeing you two living in harmony, and having someone to accompany you for the rest of your life, I can leave this world in peace even if I have to go now."
Gu Jingxi said gently, "Mother, you mustn't talk nonsense. You will live to be a hundred years old."
"Whether you live to be a hundred or not is not very important to me. What is important is that the younger generation is successful, the family is harmonious, and you have someone to accompany you." Madam Gu wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, her smile gentle and loving, and softly instructed, "Ayao is still young. At this age, young girls are just beginning to experience love and need men to indulge and pamper them. You should be more accommodating to her, make her happy, and spend more time with her. This is how a good relationship between husband and wife will develop."
Gu Jingxi remained silent. He didn't think the girl needed him to coax her. She was clear-headed, intelligent, and independent; she wasn't the kind of girl who liked sweet talk.
Besides, he couldn't bring himself to say those sweet words. They had no feelings for each other, so how was saying sweet words to a girl any different from a lecherous man harassing a respectable woman?
Seeing that he didn't speak, Madam Gu knew that he definitely disagreed with her. She glared at him and said, "Don't you believe me? You've never been around girls before, so you don't understand what young girls are thinking. But your mother was a young girl herself, so I understand what young girls are thinking best."
Gu Jingxi didn't want to argue with his mother, so he smiled and said, "I believe you."
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