Chapter 327 It's Time to Coax
The Dali Temple was not busy these days, and as soon as it was late afternoon, Gu Jingxi prepared to go home.
Just as Gu Jingxi stepped out of the Dali Temple, he was stopped by a voice behind him. He turned around and looked at Qi Yunwen with a puzzled expression.
Qi Yunwen said, "Yaoling, shall we get together at Zuixianlou tonight? It's been a long time since we've had a drink and a meal together. Today it's my treat."
Gu Jingxi declined without hesitation, but politely said, "Mo Bai, let's do it another day."
Hearing his decisive refusal, Qi Yunwen was taken aback: "Do you have something to do today?"
Gu Jingxi replied, "I need to go home and have dinner with my wife."
Upon hearing this, Qi Yunwen laughed and said, "I thought it was something serious. Just send someone to tell your wife that you have a social engagement tonight and that she doesn't need to wait for you. Wouldn't that be enough?"
Gu Jingxi gave him a meaningful look: "Did you have a fight with your sister-in-law and need to drown your sorrows in alcohol?"
Qi Yunwen: "..."
Seeing this, Gu Jingxi showed an expression of "I knew it," and smiled gently: "Then coax her well. No matter how old a woman is, she is still a little girl at heart and needs to be coaxed."
Qi Yunwen sighed and said, "Gu Yaoling, I used to teach you how to coax your wife, and now you're turning the tables and lecturing me?"
Gu Jingxi said gently, "I'm leaving now. I have to take a detour to Yipinzhai later. If I delay any longer, the pastries will be sold out. If I hurry over now, I might be able to catch some."
Qi Yunwen: "..."
He just watched Gu Jingxi leave.
A moment later, another official came out. He smiled again and asked in a gentle voice, "Lord Zhang, are you free tonight? How about we get together at Zuixianlou? I'll treat you tonight."
Lord Zhang was flattered by the offer, but still politely declined, replying, "I thank you for your kindness, but my wife has already prepared dinner at home and says she will cook for me tonight. I must go back and have dinner with her."
Qi Yunwen was surprised. He remembered that Lord Zhang's wife was a shrew, comparable to Madam Liu, who came from a military family. She had even fought with Lord Zhang because he had taken a concubine. The couple's relationship was not harmonious. He asked curiously, "You and Madam Zhang have such a good relationship? Didn't you used to fight?"
Lord Zhang: "..."
You're really bringing up a sore subject. That fight happened so long ago.
Lord Zhang smiled awkwardly: "That was before. I owe it all to the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. I was inspired by him. Women are best to be accommodating. Why argue with them? As a result, my wife and I reconciled, and she has become even more gentle and considerate."
Qi Yunwen: "..."
The influence of superiors on subordinates is significant. It seems that ever since Yaoling wore a purse embroidered with mandarin ducks, other officials in the Dali Temple, perhaps in an attempt to curry favor with their superiors, have started to follow suit, and now such competitive behavior has emerged.
But this also has its benefits, as it fosters affection between husband and wife. Officials with harmonious families all look radiant. Look, even Madam Zhang, who used to fight with Lord Zhang, has become gentle and considerate. The couple is very loving.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Lord Zhang wondered if he had refused and the Junior Minister was unhappy, so he quickly said, "Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, I will treat you to drinks another day."
Qi Yunwen glanced at him and said, "Alright, go back now. I also need to return to my residence."
Lord Zhang acknowledged him, and only after confirming that he was truly not displeased did he bid him farewell.
Qi Yunwen lost interest in finding someone to drink with. He walked to his carriage, got in, and instructed the driver, "Go to Yipinzhai, quickly."
When Qi Yunwen arrived at Yipinzhai, he saw Gu Jingxi, who had just bought some pastries.
Their eyes met, and after a moment, Gu Jingxi said, "It's quite a coincidence. I thought you went to drown your sorrows with other colleagues."
Qi Yunwen pursed his lips: "I think we should still coax him when necessary." After saying that, he thought for a moment and then awkwardly added, "Although it wasn't my fault."
Gu Jingxi chuckled softly and replied, "I've finished shopping. I'll head back to the manor now. See you tomorrow."
Qi Yunwen: "See you tomorrow."
After he turned and left, the shop assistant greeted Qi Yunwen warmly: "Sir, we only have one last pastry left today, an egg yolk pastry. Would you like to buy it? Our egg yolk pastry is quite famous throughout the capital. Many customers who have bought it from other shops say it's not as good as ours. That gentleman just bought one."
Qi Yunwen nodded: "Yes, I'll take it."
-
The Changxing Marquis's Residence.
When Gu Jingxi returned to the mansion, he heard familiar laughter coming from not far ahead as he passed through the garden. He quickly followed the sound and saw A Yao and her two sisters-in-law playing pitch-pot in an open space in the garden.
To be precise, it wasn't that the three of them were playing pitch-pot; rather, each of them sent out a maid to participate while the others simply drank tea, ate melon seeds, and watched the spectacle.
When there were no conflicts of interest, the three sisters-in-law got along quite well.
Zhang was the first to see Gu Jingxi and said to Meng Jinyao, "Third sister-in-law, look, third brother is back."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao looked up and met Gu Jingxi's gentle, smiling gaze, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.
After Gu Jingxi approached and greeted his two sisters-in-law, he took his young wife back with him.
Meng Jinyao noticed the square package he was carrying, with its unique label, clearly indicating it was from Yipinzhai pastries. She smiled and asked, "Husband, what kind of pastries are these this time?"
Gu Jingxi replied, "Egg yolk pastry, didn't you say you wanted to eat it yesterday?"
Meng Jinyao smiled brightly: "My husband is so good."
Gu Jingxi said meaningfully, "Now you're criticizing me? Didn't you call me a bastard last night?"
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao blushed, glared at him, and said coquettishly, "If you mention last night again, I won't talk to you anymore."
Gu Jingxi chuckled softly, "Alright, alright, I won't mention it." After saying that, he reached out to take her small hand, holding it quite tightly to prevent her from shaking him off.
Meng Jinyao was held tightly by him, and giggled, "Why are you holding me so tightly, husband? I'm not going to run away. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't outrun you."
Gu Jingxi glanced at her. He wasn't afraid she would run away; he was afraid she wouldn't let him hold her hand. Don't let her delicate appearance fool you; she can be quite difficult when she gets angry.
Watching the couple walk away, Zhang and Chen felt a pang of envy at their loving relationship; their husbands couldn't possibly be like their third brother.
Zhang sighed with emotion: "I used to think my third brother was a blockhead who didn't understand romance because he was indifferent to women. But now he treats his wife like a precious jewel. It turns out we were wrong about him."
Madam Chen nodded and said, "That's right. Did you see what Third Brother is carrying? Those are pastries from Yipinzhai. Yipinzhai is not the same as the Hou Mansion, so it's obvious that Third Brother went out of his way to buy them for Third Sister-in-law."
Zhang's tone was sour: "My husband has never done that, not even when he was young."
Chen said, "Our second master doesn't have any either."
Zhang pursed her lips and replied sourly, "My second brother is much better than our eldest brother."
This is true. In terms of talent and learning, her second brother is better than her husband. In terms of ability, he is also better. Moreover, her second brother has only ever taken one concubine, who is Xuanling's birth mother, the deceased Aunt Fang.
Her husband had several concubines, and if she hadn't kept a close watch on them, they would now have a bunch of illegitimate children. She guarded against them for many years, which is why no illegitimate children appeared to bother her.
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