The Xu family has arrived.
Gu Zhen was so nervous that her hands were shaking.
If this marriage doesn't happen, she will really become an old maid.
Gu Jiu squeezed Gu Zhen's hand and said, "Big sister, take a deep breath and relax. Think about what Nanny taught you. Don't worry."
Gu Zhen nodded.
After returning to the capital, she relearned the etiquette from the nanny, learned household management from her aunt Zhang, and learned needlework from her concubine.
Gu Zhen herself felt that she had made great progress compared to when she was in the Northwest.
Apart from her status as a concubine's daughter, she believed that she was no worse than her sisters in other aspects.
At the second gate, we met the Xu family.
The eldest wife, Mrs. Zhang, was in high spirits, and the two sisters were particularly affectionate when they met.
After the greetings, everyone walked towards the flower hall.
Mrs. Xu glanced at the crowd and her eyes accurately caught Gu Zhen.
Gu Zhen straightened her back instantly, feeling very nervous.
When they arrived at the flower hall, the host and guest sat down.
After a few pleasantries, Madam Zhang called the ladies of the mansion over and introduced them to Madam Xu, with a particular emphasis on Gu Zhen.
"Zhen is the eldest daughter in the family. She is very good at etiquette and needlework. She has been learning housekeeping from me since last year. She also goes to the Marquis' Mansion to study calligraphy with the female teacher on weekdays."
"Oh, are you still going to the Marquis' Mansion to study?"
Mrs. Xu became interested.
Gu Zhen bowed slightly and said, "Reporting to Aunt Xu, every afternoon, I go to the Marquis' Mansion with my sisters to study and practice calligraphy with Mr. Luo."
"How's your study going?"
Gu Zhen was a little embarrassed. "I have a poor foundation and I'm not good at studying. I've only finished two books so far."
Mrs. Xu was very satisfied when she heard this. She was looking for a daughter-in-law who didn't need to be well-educated, as long as she could read and do accounting and understand the principles.
People like Gu Zhen, who are not devoted to books and do not have the bad habits of scholars, are more suitable to be daughters-in-law.
Mrs. Xu had met several girls from official families who were so absorbed in their studies that they had become stupid. She declined any interest in such girls.
Mrs. Xu took Gu Zhen's hand and said, "She can sew, manage the household, and read. She is indeed a good girl. It's a pity that she is paired with our Sanlang."
Gu Zhen's face turned red instantly, and then her heart became nervous again.
She pondered what Mrs. Xu meant by that. Was she satisfied with her or dissatisfied with her?
Mrs. Xu brought a gift today. She glanced at the maid, and the maid hurriedly handed her the gift, a pair of jade bracelets.
Mrs. Xu said with a smile, "I like this child the moment I see him. This is a little gift from me, so please don't reject him."
When Gu Zhen saw the pair of jade bracelets, her heart began to beat wildly.
"How can I accept such an expensive gift?"
"Take it. You cannot refuse a gift from an elder, understand?" Mrs. Xu insisted on giving it to him.
Gu Zhen looked at the first wife, Zhang.
The eldest wife, Zhang, smiled and said, "Girl Zhen, Aunt Xu really likes you. Please accept this gift."
Upon hearing this, Gu Zhen accepted the gift and said, "Thank you, Aunt Xu."
"You're welcome."
Then he exchanged pleasantries with Mrs. Xie, "Second Madam is so blessed. She has several daughters, all of them are as beautiful as flowers. They are sensible, polite, good at housekeeping, and can read and write."
Mrs. Xie was very proud. "Mrs. Xu, you are too kind. In a family like ours, all girls are raised the same, regardless of whether they are born out of wedlock or in a legitimate family. Miss Zhen has excellent character, good needlework, and neat handwriting."
Mrs. Xu nodded secretly, but she was not in a hurry to make a decision. She would wait and see.
While the elders were chatting in the flower hall, the girls took the girl from the Xu family to the side room for tea and snacks.
Second Miss Xu also came with a mission today. She had to keep an eye on Gu Zhen for her mother and pay close attention to her private character and behavior.
Gu Jiu led everyone, intending to create a good atmosphere for Gu Zhen so that Gu Zhen could show her strengths as much as possible.
Unexpectedly, Gu Yue kept a stern face and looked unhappy.
Gu Yue didn't say anything, but just the stern face was enough to make Miss Xu's heart beat wildly and she couldn't help but feel nervous.
"Is Third Sister Gu unhappy?"
Gu Yue shook her head slightly. "You misunderstood. It's my fault that I didn't do well. I'm sulking. You don't need to pay attention to me."
this?
Miss Xu Er looked at Gu Jiu and others.
Gu Zhen twisted her handkerchief and glared at Gu Yue angrily.
What do you mean? Do you want to ruin her marriage again?
Gu Jiu secretly stopped Gu Zhen and told her not to be disrespectful in front of the guests.
Gu Jiu stepped forward and said, "Third sister, if you feel uncomfortable, why don't you go back to your room and rest."
Gu Yue stood up suddenly, "Okay! I just want to go back to my room to rest. You guys chat, I'll take my leave first."
After saying that, Gu Yue left the room.
Gu Zhen secretly wondered in her heart whether Gu Yue would use the same trick again and use it on Xu Jia Sanlang?
She was worried, so she asked her maid Lu Yi to find Aunt Hu and ask her to send someone to watch over Gu Yue to death.
Green took the order and left.
After Gu Yue left, the atmosphere in the room became lively again thanks to the efforts of Gu Jiu and Gu Shan.
Everyone drank tea and ate snacks, talked about interesting stories in the boudoir, and discussed poetry and songs, and was extremely happy.
At noon, the maid came to announce that the banquet was ready and asked everyone to move to the small flower hall.
When I arrived at the small flower hall, Gu Yue was not there.
The eldest wife, Zhang, quietly asked Xie, "Sister-in-law, what's wrong with the third girl?"
Mrs. Xie was embarrassed for a second, then said nonchalantly, "She's not feeling well and has gone back to her room to rest. I've sent someone to call her, and she'll be here soon. No need to wait for her."
"Oh well."
Inside the Purple Bamboo Courtyard, the maid Grape walked into the bedroom and said, "Miss, the mistress has sent someone to call you to go to the small flower hall for the banquet."
"No, no."
Gu Yue covered herself with the quilt, feeling hatred and anger in her heart.
She would never go to any banquet. She would rather starve to death.
Grape stamped her feet anxiously, "Miss, what's wrong with you? You haven't been right since yesterday. Is there something you can't tell me?"
"Shut up, you're making so much noise."
Gu Yue angrily scolded Grape, "You answer for me and say that I'm not feeling well and have no appetite. I won't eat at the banquet."
Grape asked again and again: "Miss, are you really not going to the banquet?"
Gu Yue sat up from the bed, "Do I look like I'm joking? Go quickly!"
Grape was helpless, so she stamped her feet and quickly ran out to answer.
Gu Yue sat at the head of the bed, gritting her teeth. It felt like there was a fire burning in her heart, causing her heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys to ache.
Without Gu Yue at the banquet, the atmosphere was actually better.
If Gu Yue were here, she would have only needed to put on a stern face to silence everyone at the table. A total atmosphere destroyer.
The banquet was a great pleasure for both the host and the guests.
After the banquet and a short rest, Mrs. Xu asked to leave.
The eldest wife, Zhang, tried to persuade her to stay again and again, saying that they were sisters and spoke very casually.
"Sister, are you dissatisfied with Zhen?"
Mrs. Xu shook her head. "Sister, you misunderstood. I am extremely satisfied with Miss Zhen."
"Then why are you in such a hurry to leave? It won't be too late to go back home after dinner."
Mrs. Xu waved her hands repeatedly, "That won't do. The old lady at home is still waiting for me to go back and reply. I promised to go back after lunch. Sister, please understand my difficulties. Your eldest son's wedding will be held tomorrow. I promise to stay at your house all day."
Mrs. Zhang, the eldest wife, saw that Mrs. Xu was determined to leave and was reluctant to keep her.
"Sister, if you want to hurry back home, I won't keep you. But you have to tell me one thing for sure: what do you mean by the marriage between Zhen and your Sanlang?"
Mrs. Xu pondered for a moment and said, "To be honest, sister, Miss Zhen is both virtuous and talented. It would be a shame for her to be paired with my Sanlang. As you know, my Sanlang has not read many books. He only knows how to wield swords and spears all day long. He is very vulgar. I am afraid that this would be unfair to Miss Zhen."
The eldest wife, Zhang, laughed. "Sister, you really know how to joke. The Xu family is a family of military commanders. If your Sanlang doesn't wield swords and spears, does he have to hold a book and read every day?"
Mrs. Xu thought for a moment and asked, "Does your Second Wife dislike my Third Son?"
The eldest wife, Zhang, lowered her voice and said, "You also know that the second wife was promoted from a concubine to the wife, and she doesn't care about the marriage of a concubine's daughter. The key is the second master's opinion."
Mrs. Xu asked, "I wonder if the second master in the mansion is interested in my third son?"
"I'll have someone tell you about this later. I don't know the answer now. I'll have to wait until I see my master to find out."
Zhang did not hide anything and said she didn't know.
Mrs. Xu nodded and said, "If the Second Master has no objection, I approve of this marriage."
The eldest wife, Zhang, immediately laughed. "That would be great. If our two families could become relatives, we could visit each other often."
Mrs. Xu nodded happily, stood up and said goodbye.
After seeing off the Xu family, Gu Zhen looked at the first wife, Zhang, with eager eyes.
Zhang said to her, "Don't worry, there will be news in a day or two."
Gu Zhen nodded and said, "Thank you very much, Auntie. I'll make you a set of shoes and socks tomorrow. Please don't be disgusted."
"Good boy, I won't despise what you have done."
Gu Zhen didn't ask any more questions and turned back to her room, unable to help but let her wild thoughts run wild.
In the evening, the eldest wife, Mrs. Zhang, met Mr. Gu.
Master Gu said directly: "Although Xu Jia Sanlang is not well educated, he is a good person. Becoming a military commander is a good career path for him."
Zhang asked him, "Do you agree to this marriage, brother?"
Master Gu nodded decisively, "Please ask my sister-in-law to tell the Xu family to pick an auspicious day to propose marriage."
Zhang laughed heartily. "That's great. This marriage is finally happening. All my hard work has paid off."
Master Gu bowed and said, "Thank you for your hard work, sister-in-law."
"You're welcome, second brother."
Zhang thought to herself, "Master Gu is a man of good manners. But when he was young, he was so lustful and lecherous that he actually made Xie's concubine his wife. I hope this incident won't affect his career in the government."
Three days later, it will be an auspicious day.
The Xu family invited a matchmaker to go to the Gu Mansion to propose marriage.
For this purpose, Lord Gu took half a day off and waited for the matchmaker to come to his house.
The two families exchanged engagement letters and signed the marriage certificate, and the marriage was finalized.
The matchmaker also said, "The Xu family hopes to hold the wedding as soon as possible and would like to set the wedding date in July. What do you think, Lord Gu?"
Lord Gu frowned, "July this year? Isn't that too hasty? Calculating the time, there are only more than two months left to prepare. This is too hasty."
The matchmaker said hurriedly, "It's not too hasty, it's not too hasty. The Xu family has already prepared everything. If your eldest daughter's dowry is also ready, a July wedding wouldn't be too hasty."
Lord Gu coughed lightly. He was embarrassed to say that there was no trace of Gu Zhen's dowry and everything had to be prepared on the spur of the moment.
I couldn't help but feel resentful towards Xie.
As the mistress of the second house, Mrs. Xie is really incompetent.
Gu Zhen is already old, but there is no trace of her dowry. It would be embarrassing to tell others about it.
Lord Gu said to the matchmaker, "Please allow me to consider the wedding date. Please also tell the Xu family that it's best not to rush it. It won't matter if it's postponed for a few months."
The matchmaker hurriedly explained, "Master Gu, you don't know. The third son of the Xu family will be dispatched to the north for a rotation after this year. He will be gone for at least two years. If we don't get married soon, it would be an injustice to your eldest daughter."
Lord Gu was stunned. "There is such a thing?"
The matchmaker nodded, "Exactly."
Lord Gu also understood why the Xu family was so anxious to get married.
After a young couple gets married, it always takes some time for them to get pregnant.
We will get married in July and leave Beijing after the New Year, which means we have half a year. If everything goes well, we should be able to conceive within half a year.
In this way, even though Xu Sanlang has to leave Beijing for two years, Gu Zhen will not feel wronged. After all, she has her child by her side, which gives her confidence.
If the wedding date is postponed and Xu Sanlang rushes out of Beijing before Gu Zhen becomes pregnant, then Gu Zhen's situation in the Xu family will be somewhat awkward.
Lord Gu nodded and said, "I understand this matter. The wedding date will be set for July."
The matchmaker was overjoyed. "Thank you, Master Gu, for your understanding. I will go see Mr. Xu and Mrs. Xu right away to set a date for the wedding as soon as possible."
After sending the matchmaker away, Lord Gu came to Furongyuan to meet Mrs. Xie.
At this time, the news of Gu Zhen's marriage had spread throughout the mansion like wings.
Gu Zhen went to see Aunt Hu with a blushing face.
"Aunt, I'm so happy. My marriage is finally settled."
Aunt Hu also laughed and gently stroked Gu Zhen's cheek, "I'm sorry for putting you in such a difficult position."
Gu Zhen shook her head. "My daughter is not wronged. Although the Xu family cannot compare to the Xibo Mansion in Shanghai, my daughter is confident in facing Xu Sanlang and is not afraid of him."
Aunt Hu smiled and said, "In that case, this marriage is better than the Haixi Marquis's Mansion."
Gu Zhen nodded repeatedly. "My daughter is very grateful to you, auntie. I have made a set of shoes and socks for you. I will send them to you after they are finished in a few days."
“As it should be.”
Gu Zhen bit her lip, as if she had something to hide.
Aunt Hu smiled and said, "There is nothing you cannot say in front of Aunt."
Gu Zhen was a little nervous, "Auntie, how much dowry will Madam prepare for me?"
Aunt Hu thought for a moment and said, "I'll go see the madam. Don't worry, the dowry will definitely be there."
Gu Zhen nodded repeatedly, "Thank you, Auntie."
"Thank you, silly boy."
In Furong Courtyard, when Lord Gu saw Xie, he frowned and looked unhappy.
"Hurry up and prepare Zhen's dowry. The wedding will be in July."
"July? Why are you in such a hurry? There's no time like that. Didn't the master talk to the matchmaker?"
Master Gu stared at Mrs. Xie with dissatisfaction, "If you had prepared the dowry for Miss Zhen earlier, it wouldn't be too late."
Xie was aggrieved. "After returning to the capital, one thing after another came to mind. I had to prepare Yue'er's dowry. How could I have the time to prepare a dowry for Zhen's daughter?"
Lord Gu snorted coldly, very dissatisfied, "If you really wanted to, no matter how busy you were, you should have prepared Zhen's dowry. Why is there not even a shadow of it yet?"
Xie opened her mouth and asked, "Master, are you blaming me?"
Lord Gu said with a stern face, "I am reminding you to be more careful in your work in the future."
Mrs. Xie was furious. "It's clear that the Xu family is forcing us to do something unreasonable. Why must we get married in July? Can't we get married at the end of the year?"
Lord Gu said, "After the New Year, Xu Sanlang will be heading north for a rotation. He'll be gone for at least two years. If he doesn't get married soon, will Zhen be forced to marry and live as a widow?"
Mrs. Xie was stunned. "Replacement? That would be very dangerous. How can I agree to such a marriage? Master, please cancel this marriage immediately."
"Nonsense."
Lord Gu was very unhappy. "By postponing this marriage, do you want Miss Zhen to be an old maid? Have you really forgotten the evil that Miss San did? I remember it clearly."
Xie's face paled, her eyes filled with guilt. "I've been confused. Master is right, this marriage can't be cancelled. Two months is a little short, but if we hurry, we can prepare a decent dowry. Everything else can be bought ready-made, but furniture is a bit more troublesome. However, I've come up with an idea. I'll repaint the furniture in Zhen's room and give it all to her as a dowry to the Xu family."
Lord Gu frowned, and a fire of evil in his heart gradually grew stronger.
"Are you planning to fool me like this?"
"This is not because of time constraints, but because there is no other solution. Master, don't worry, the furniture in Zhen's room is made of the best wood and painted. It will never bring shame to our Gu family."
Lord Gu sneered, "It's rare that you know how important face is."
Xie was stunned. The master was angry, why?
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