Chapter 219 Only for Her
In the afternoon, Gu Jingxi returned from his shift and brought Meng Jinyao some of her favorite snacks, all of which were dried fruits that little girls love.
Recently, Gu Jingxi has been buying things for her more often, and has gained some understanding of the food and clothing items that young ladies would like. He basically buys things that Meng Jinyao would like.
Gu Jingxi had just returned to the courtyard and hadn't even entered the house when he saw Meng Jinyao standing at the door. The little girl was wearing a dress with begonia red and gold embroidered peonies, and a jade and gold hairpin in her hair. She was smiling like a flower and stood there quietly, a sight that was pleasing to the eye.
The girl's clothes, jewelry, rouge, and lipstick were all bought by him, and the little bit of fat on her face was also nurtured by him.
Seeing how well the little girl was being raised gave him a sense of accomplishment.
In the past, he would just save the money in his hands without using it for anything else. He wasn't the kind of person who liked to spend money. Apart from socializing with friends, he didn't have any other expenses. Now that he's raising a little girl, it's finally coming in handy.
Gu Jingxi walked over to her and handed her the snacks he had just bought: "Madam, here you go."
Meng Jinyao had gotten used to his occasional feedings, and with a smile, she reached out to take the snacks he offered, saying crisply, "Thank you, my husband."
Gu Jingxi said gently, "Today's dried yellow peaches are a new product from the shop. The shopkeeper said they are made with milk and have a milky aroma. Madam, please try them and see if you like them."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao found it intriguing and immediately went inside to try it. As soon as she unwrapped the oil paper, she smelled a milky aroma. She picked up a piece to taste, and the yellow peach preserve was soft and glutinous, with an orange-yellow color. It was soft, sweet, and chewy, with a rich milky aroma. The shopkeeper had processed the milk very well, without any of the goaty smell.
She picked up a piece and held it to Gu Jingxi's lips: "Husband, try it too, it's quite delicious."
Thanks to Meng Jinyao, Gu Jingxi has recently been fed a lot of snacks that only girls like. Whenever Meng Jinyao tastes something delicious, she doesn't forget to stuff it into his mouth.
Gu Jingxi readily opened his mouth and ate the candied fruit that she fed him. The candied fruit was sweet and sour, soft and chewy, and had a milky aroma.
Meng Jinyao tilted her head back and looked at him with a smile: "How does it taste?"
Seeing the little girl's bright smile, Gu Jingxi felt an indescribable joy and nodded with a smile, "It's alright." However, he didn't like the snacks that little girls liked, so when the little girl offered him food again, he politely declined, saying, "Madam, please eat. Don't worry about me. I'm not a big fan of food."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao turned the candied fruit around and fed it to herself.
Gu Jingxi then said, "You play by yourself, I'm going to the study to read for a while."
Meng Jinyao: "..."
She's not a child, what can she play with?
Chunliu glanced at Gu Jingxi's departing figure and said to Meng Jinyao, "The Marquis is so patient with his wife, like he's coaxing a child. He treats her like a precious treasure. He's not even this attentive to his two nieces, the eldest and second young ladies. I heard that when the eldest and second young ladies were little, the Marquis never coaxed them, let alone now that they're grown up. The two young ladies are like mice seeing a cat when they see the Marquis."
Meng Jinyao was taken aback: "He's not that scary, is he?"
Chunliu replied, "The Marquis is usually cold to everyone, and seems difficult to talk to. He also has the strictness that an elder should have. He is only different with the Madam."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao recalled the time when she had just married Gu Jingxi. At that time, although Gu Jingxi was not difficult to get along with, he was indeed somewhat aloof, but it was a very well-mannered aloofness. He would answer any question and was very reasonable. Even if they were not familiar with each other, as long as she was in the right, Gu Jingxi would help her.
Chunliu looked up at her mistress's beautiful face and thought to herself, "No wonder the Marquis likes her. Even I, a young lady, find her pleasing to the eye." She then said, "This servant thinks that for the Marquis, Madam is the only exception."
The only exception?
Meng Jinyao was slightly taken aback. She didn't know how Gu Jingxi had treated his ex-fiancée in the past, but as it stands, she was content as long as he treated her the same way for the rest of his life.
Seeing that she remained silent, Chunliu stopped talking about it. She looked down at the candied fruit that had already been unwrapped and asked, "Madam, you can't finish this candied fruit in a short time. Should I go and get a porcelain jar to put it in?"
Meng Jinyao nodded: "Go ahead, I can only eat two more pieces at most, otherwise I won't be able to eat anything else later."
-
Not long after, Gu Xiuming came to find Gu Jingxi and asked him to give him some pointers on the autumn imperial examination the next day.
Although Gu Jingxi was dissatisfied with his behavior, he did not give him a perfunctory answer when he asked. He told him everything that needed to be said and even offered a few words of encouragement.
Afterwards, Gu Xiuming also sought advice on academic matters.
Gu Jingxi answered all the questions one by one, and even tested his knowledge. Seeing that he could answer most of them, he explained the ones he couldn't answer.
Before leaving, Gu Xiuming, thinking about the upcoming examination the next day, couldn't help but ask, "Father, do you think I have a chance of passing the autumn examination this time?"
Gu Jingxi replied ambiguously, "It's inaccurate to say anything now. Anything is possible. Just take it easy, do your best, and don't put too much pressure on yourself."
Not getting the answer he wanted left Gu Xiuming feeling a bit frustrated, but it only strengthened his resolve to pass the imperial examination. Only if he made the list would his elders truly change their opinion of him.
After a moment, he became somewhat uneasy and asked, "Father, what if I fail the exam?"
Gu Jingxi addressed the matter directly, replying calmly, "Xiuming, you are only sixteen years old. At this age, it is not shameful at all to fail the exam. Some people take the exam until their twenties and still don't even become a Xiucai, let alone a Juren. You already have the title of Xiucai, which already surpasses many scholars. Even if you don't pass the Juren exam, you can take it again in three years. You will only be nineteen years old then."
After hearing this, Gu Xiuming felt a little better and replied, "I understand, son."
Gu Jingxi said calmly, "Alright, go back and prepare what you need to bring to the exam tomorrow. If you've prepared everything, check to make sure there are no omissions. Get a good night's sleep tonight and take the exam first thing tomorrow morning."
Gu Xiuming nodded: "Yes, Father."
After speaking, Gu Xiuming bowed respectfully and then left.
After Gu Xiuming left, Meng Jinyao went to the study, peeked inside, and saw the man inside looking in her direction. She stepped in and asked, "Husband, what brings our eldest son here?"
Gu Jingxi replied, "I'm asking about the autumn imperial examinations, and some academic matters as well."
Meng Jinyao was uninterested. She simply said "Oh" and didn't ask any more questions. Instead, she said, "Does my husband have anything else to do? If not, let's have dinner first."
Gu Jingxi shook his head: "That's all."
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