The couple remained silent on their journey back to Chengyuan from the Ningyuan Marquis's residence. That day, Gu Tingye remained in his outer study until late at night, discussing political matters with Gongsun Baishi, then dictating decrees to seven or eight clerks for drafting. It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that he finally returned to his room, damp and cold from the dew.
After entering the room, she reached out and gently opened the bed curtain, only to see half a bunch of dark hair sticking out from the pile of brocade, while her whole body was buried and could not be seen. Only a small, white and rosy foot was exposed at the corner of the quilt, with the chubby toes slightly curled up.
He chuckled and couldn't help poking the bald little toe. He turned and went to the bathroom. After washing up, he changed into a satin lingerie and returned to the bed. He saw that Minglan had woken up. She was leaning her neck on the pillow, looking at him with confused eyes.
"Are you awake?" The man smiled and lifted the corner of the quilt on the upper bunk.
Minglan nodded, stretching her arms blankly like a kitten that had just woken up. "I woke up when you tickled my feet."
Gu Tingye's face paused for a moment, and he took Minglan in his arms as if nothing had happened. They lay down in each other's arms. Minglan put her face on his thick chest and murmured softly. Gu Tingye didn't hear clearly, so he closed his eyes and asked casually.
Minglan rested her chin on the man's chest and looked at him straight: "Did you know about what happened in the Marquis' Mansion a long time ago?" Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that he took her to inspect the manor at this time.
Gu Tingye opened his eyes and saw her looking at him with her big eyes that were clearly black and white. He smiled and said, "Liu Zhengjie did pass on a message to me, but it was just a coincidence. I might as well take you out to avoid it."
Minglan sat up from the quilt, hugged her slender knees, and sighed, "Although I, a monk, can't escape the temple, it's good to avoid it for a while. However..." She paused, turned to look at him, and whispered, "Are you really going to do nothing?"
Gu Tingye's eyes darkened. After a moment, he spoke, "We are all guilty of treason. How many dukes and marquises have had their property confiscated, and their titles stripped? Even the Chengguo Mansion, whose merits and demerits were offset, was fined three years of imperial rewards and five years of rice allowance. Why should the Ningyuan Marquisate be an exception?" A hint of sarcasm appeared at the corner of Fengze's mouth. "I'm lucky enough not to add fuel to the fire. Do you still want to let me get away with it?"
Minglan sighed softly, and Gu Tingye continued, "But I did do something?"
Minglan opened her eyes wide, expressing confusion.
"I've instructed them to put the Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion case on hold and try the other criminals first."
"Huh?"
Gu Tingye said calmly: "At least wait until I get married, so that the wedding hall won't be deserted."
Minglan smacked her lips and slumped back down. Seeing her drooping ears, curling herself up into a small ball and swaying in the quilt, Gu Tingye found it both adorable and amusing. He reached out and pulled her close to him, nudging her nose and saying with a smile, "What are you so worried about? You didn't commit the crime before, and you won't be the one to sit back and do nothing about it later. Why are you looking like this?"
Minglan suddenly understood something.
That's right! She had no involvement in this matter from beginning to end, nor was she aware of it. Why should she feel guilty?
"My husband is right!" She suddenly found courage.
Gu Tingye couldn't help but smile, and suddenly remembered something, then said: "This matter is not over yet, and there will probably be a lot of trouble in the future. I'm fine outside, but you will be tormented for a long time, I'm afraid you will have a headache."
Minglan said proudly, "What's there to worry about? I'm just here to persuade you to help, so I'll agree to anything. Whether you help or not, or whether you can help or not, is another matter."
The man raised his handsome long eyebrows to express his admiration for her optimistic courage.
Soon, Minglan realized that her bold words had little power; the next day, the women from the Marquis's family came to visit.
They came as sisters-in-law, mothers-in-law, and daughters-in-law, or with their young children, or gathered in a group to attack, or came in waves. They came when Minglan picked up her bowl; they came when she was about to check accounts with the steward; they came again when she wanted to take a nap. If it was dinner time, she had to entertain guests, but how could you eat at the table with a group of weeping, complaining women staring at you with resentful eyes?
This vicious behavior seriously disrupted Minglan's healthy and regular life.
She cried and begged, tugging at Minglan's sleeve with both soft and hard tactics, talking about how miserable the child would be if he lost his father, and how the livelihood of the orphan and widow would be worried in the future. It was a wonderful performance.
The Fifth Elderly Lady slammed the table and shouted, her finger nearly touching Minglan's nose. She wouldn't listen to her explanations, practically demanding she swear and promise that Gu Tingye would intervene. As if by mutual agreement, Madam Di and Madam Bing exchanged glances, and the children burst into tears. The other women nearby pleaded and persuaded, both overtly and covertly.
Her ears were numb, and she was dizzy and dazed. In just three days, Minglan was exhausted. She was like an eggplant hit by frost, wilted and powerless. She was pushed to the limit and couldn't catch her breath. She didn't even need to pretend and could have fainted directly. But the other person fainted faster than her. Not only was his action sincere and heartfelt, but he almost hit his head on the corner of the table.
Minglan couldn't eat anymore.
Seeing her like this, Gu Tingye couldn't help but suggest, "Why don't you go back to your parents' home and hide for a few days? Come to think of it, since you got married, you haven't even gone back to live with Duiyue."
"Is this...appropriate?" Minglan was tempted, yet hesitant. When she was newly married, Chengyuan was desperate for a mistress to manage the household, and she couldn't leave without her, so she naturally had to skip the custom of living in the same house for the entire month. But now, if she went back to live...
Finally, Minglan decided to go back and test the waters.
Early the next morning, the couple drove to Sheng Mansion.
Entering Shou'an Hall, they paid their respects to the old lady. Mrs. Wang sat smilingly beside them, while Mrs. Hai stood at the back, her head bowed and reserved. The married aunt and her husband were considered honored guests, so after the formalities, they stood up and sat down. Seeing Mrs. Hai still standing, Minglan felt embarrassed and said, "Sister-in-law, please sit down too. We are all family."
Hai was always polite and refused to sit down. She just turned around with a smile and thoughtfully prepared tea, cold water and towels. She also brought fresh fruits and mung bean and osmanthus snacks sent from her parents' home in the south to entertain the guests.
"You didn't even tell me you were coming." The old lady's eyes were filled with worry. "You came so suddenly, what's the matter?"
Wang was afraid that Gu Tingye would be unhappy, so she hurriedly said, "Look at what the old ancestor said. Our daughter and son-in-law can come anytime." She turned around and smiled at Gu Tingye, "Don't take it to heart, son-in-law. The old lady is used to talking like this."
Gu Tingye smiled: "What's the big deal?"
Minglan chuckled and glanced at the women of the Sheng family.
Wang was still the same. Ever since she had grandchildren, she became more and more wealthy, like a landlord's wife. Hai had basically overcome her postpartum obesity, and her figure gradually returned to its slim form. She wore a crepe jacket embroidered with plum blossoms in the style of rain-soaked sky, and a mutton-fat jade bracelet on her plump wrist, which made her look even more graceful and elegant.
Minglan lowered her head. Poor Hualan didn't even have postpartum weight gain. She was just skinny and weak after giving birth. She should go back to the warehouse to find some warming and nourishing food to send to her.
However, Minglan was a little surprised by the old lady's appearance. After not seeing her for a while, the old lady not only did not look older, but looked more energetic and her voice was louder. Minglan turned her head and saw Quan Ge'er standing aside led by the wet nurse.
The little fat boy, who was almost two years old, was cheerful and cheerful, white, chubby and cute, with round and strong arms and legs. He shook off the maidservants who were trying to support him and walked unsteadily. He was not afraid of Gu Tingye when he saw him. He greeted him and called him with openness, and looked at the tall and majestic man with curious eyes.
Gu Tingye's hard lines softened a little, and he touched the little fat boy's head. Quan Ge'er actually happily broke his wrist, grinning with a mouthful of small beige teeth and a dimple. Gu Tingye smiled slightly, took off a dark green ancient jade ring from his thumb and gave it to him.
The three people present, the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law, all knew what was good. Hai kept saying, "What can we do with this? It's too expensive. We can't have it!"
Gu Tingye slightly avoided the greeting and said nothing. Minglan smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, don't refuse. I heard that this jade is a good omen. Let Quan brother wear it to keep him safe and healthy."
The old lady took the ring, looked at it carefully, and said frankly, "This is it, very good."
Wang was very happy and looked at Gu Tingye with a complicated look. Hai bowed and thanked him, then asked the maid to take the ribbon and thread the ring so that she could let Quan Ge'er hang it.
Seeing that the atmosphere had brightened considerably, Minglan smiled and recounted what she had seen and heard at the farm a few days ago, picking out some interesting things to share with everyone: "...Later, I stayed in the mountains for a while, and they brought me some fresh wild vegetables and fruits. Among them was a wonderful bamboo fungus, which was delicious whether it was used in soup or stir-fried!"
Hai chuckled softly, covering her mouth. "The old lady and the mistress are relieved now. Sixth sister is still the same, so excited when talking about food. And ever since Quan was old enough to speak, he's been clamoring for food all day long. It turns out he's just like his aunt!"
Minglan blushed slightly and muttered, "My sister-in-law just said I'm a foodie."
Gu Tingye had been quiet the whole time, just watching them joking with a slight smile. But seeing Minglan seemed a little embarrassed, he couldn't help but say, "It's actually good to be able to eat."
As soon as these words came out, the women in the main hall couldn't help laughing. Wang wiped her eyes, turned to the old lady with a smile on her face and said, "Look, the son-in-law is protecting his daughter-in-law like this. The old lady is relieved now!"
The old lady's brows gradually relaxed, and she looked at the young couple with a smile, and her eyes towards Gu Tingye became much kinder.
While the women were talking, Gu Tingye kept looking at Quan Ge'er. He didn't make any noise, but just moved among the adults with his short legs, sometimes pulling Wang's skirt, sometimes pulling Hai's fingers, and from time to time he walked in front of Gu Tingye, raised his head and looked at him for a while. After a while, he seemed to remember Minglan, and seeing that she was friendly and affectionate, he climbed onto her knees, kissed her cheek loudly and forcefully, then covered his mouth and hid behind the old lady.
These actions caused the whole room to burst into laughter. Gu Tingye couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth and looked at Minglan with a smile, his eyes deep and bright.
Minglan hugged the fat boy and boasted proudly, "My little nephew is so adorable!"
Gu Tingye's eyes, like deep pools, were filled with a hint of anger. He turned his head away, as if blaming someone for being unromantic.
After a few more words, Gu Tingye stood up and took his leave, going outside to pay his respects to Sheng Hong. As soon as he left, the women talked more freely, but Wang sighed softly. Seeing that Gu Tingye was calm and dignified, and that he treated Minglan with great respect, she felt a little sad.
Hai was very perceptive. Seeing Wang sighing at Gu Tingye's back as he left, with a somewhat melancholic look on her face, she moved to her mother-in-law's side and said with a smile, "Speaking of which, the girls in our family are all very lucky. A few days ago, the fifth uncle came back with the fifth sister, and the couple looked so good... Tsk tsk, even if they fell into a honey pot, they couldn't catch up!"
Wang's brows immediately relaxed and she smiled sincerely: "Your fifth brother-in-law is an honest man. He treats your sister very well. It's only been a few days since he got married, and you've gained a lot of weight!" Then she glanced at Minglan beside her, but saw that she still hadn't gained much weight, her jaw was still pointed, and her expression was a bit tired. She heard that there was unrest in the Gu Mansion, and she must have a lot of troubles to worry about. Wang felt a lot more relieved.
The old lady was also looking at Minglan, her brows slightly furrowed as she casually said, "It's just right that you came today. It saves me from having to deliver the news that the girl is pregnant."
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