During the banquet, Gu Shan secretly told Gu Jiu, "Second sister, do you know who that unfamiliar girl is?"
Gu Jiu shook his head, "I don't know. Could it be that Fourth Sister knows?"
Gu Shan whispered in his ear, "The girl's surname is Zhou. I heard she's from Chuzhou and is engaged to my eldest cousin Gu Rui."
Ahem…
Gu Jiu coughed repeatedly, "My eldest cousin has been married to Sister Jia for many years, so how could he be engaged to this Miss Zhou? Did you hear that clearly?"
Gu Shan said, "I was confused too, but I heard with my own ears that the wife of the Duke of Zhuguo introduced her as Miss Zhou, who was engaged to my eldest cousin."
"You just said Miss Zhou is from Chuzhou?"
Gu Shan nodded, "Is there a problem?"
Gu Jiu said, "Fourth sister, do you know the Chuzhou Zhou family? The first empress of our Emperor Gaozu was from the Chuzhou Zhou family. Zhou descendants are everywhere in the court. Although none of them have become generals or ministers, their connections are complex and their influence in the court is enormous. Even the head of the Sun family once said that the Sun family is three points inferior to the Zhou family."
Gu Shan was surprised. "Second sister, are you saying that the young lady Zhou who came here with the wife of the Duke of Zhuguo today is from the Zhou family of Chuzhou?"
"I can't think of any other girl with the surname Zhou who could be engaged to my eldest cousin except the Zhou family of Chuzhou. Unless there are two Zhou families in Chuzhou."
"Of course there are no two Zhous in Chuzhou."
Gu Qi came to Gu Jiu's table to toast, and when he heard the two chatting, he sat down.
"Sister Qi, do you know Miss Zhou?" Gu Jiu asked curiously.
Gu Qi shook her head. "How could I know her? I only heard about a Miss Zhou today."
"I heard that Miss Zhou is engaged to my eldest cousin. Is this true?"
Gu Qi put down his wine glass and said in a low voice, "This is true. I heard that the engagement was made twelve years ago.
However, the eldest brother insisted on marrying Sister Jia, so the old marquis found a way to cancel the marriage.
It has been two years since Sister-in-law Jia passed away, and Miss Zhou has delayed her wedding because of mourning.
When the Zhou family learned that the eldest brother was now single and had no children, they wanted to renew the engagement.
The wife of the Duke of Zhuguo is a relative of the Zhou family, so the Zhou family entrusted the matter to the wife of the Duke of Zhuguo.
So Miss Zhou came with the wife of the Duke of Zhuguo to visit and let the old lady and the aunt meet each other.
If it works, maybe the two families will really renew the engagement. If not, just treat it as a recognition of family ties, and the two families will interact as relatives."
After listening to this, Gu Jiu sighed, "What a coincidence this world has. Sister-in-law Jia is gone, and Miss Zhou has been stuck in mourning for a long time. After all this twists and turns, is it fate that Miss Zhou and my eldest cousin are destined to be together forever?"
Gu Shan asked, "How old is Miss Zhou? I'm afraid she's around 20."
Gu Qi said, "She should be less than twenty, probably eighteen or nineteen."
"Isn't this age a bit too old?" Gu Shan asked in a low voice.
Gu Jiu said, "I think this age is just right."
Gu Qi pursed her lips and smiled. "Whether it's good or not is not up to us to decide. It's up to the old lady, the old marquis, my uncle, and my aunt. In the end, it all depends on what my eldest brother feels. My eldest brother has been guarding Sister-in-law Jia for so long, I wonder if he has gotten over it."
Gu Jiu sighed, "My eldest cousin is a man who values friendship and loyalty. He loves Sister-in-law Jia deeply. It's a pity that their fate is too shallow and they can't stay together until old age."
"If my eldest cousin agrees to this marriage, doesn't that mean we can have the wedding banquet this year?"
…
After the banquet, everyone gathered in the flower hall to talk.
Gu Mei took Gu Jiu to see Gu Rui.
Gu Rui stood in the courtyard where he and Jia lived. Everything in the room remained the same as it was when Jia was alive.
Only some decorations were replaced. The Jia family had taken back Jia's dowry as early as last year.
“Big Brother!”
Gu Mei called softly.
Gu Rui turned around and said, "Why are you here? Your belly is so big, why are you still running around? Be careful."
"I'm fine."
The maid brought a chair and asked Gu Mei to sit down.
Gu Mei sat down and asked, "Brother, are you missing your sister-in-law again?"
Gu Rui said nothing, looking somewhat lonely.
"I met Miss Zhou. I didn't even know that Big Brother and Miss Zhou were engaged in the past."
Gu Rui said softly, "That was a long time ago. The old marquis arranged the marriage. Today is also the first time I've met Miss Zhou."
Gu Mei tried to ask, "Brother, do you regret canceling the Zhou family's marriage proposal?"
"How could I regret it? The only thing I regret is that I shouldn't have let Mingyue have the baby. Her body wasn't fully recovered yet, and risking her getting pregnant would have led to a huge mistake."
Gu Rui sighed, feeling even more depressed.
"So what now? Miss Zhou is here, and the Zhou family wants to renew the marriage. What do you think, big brother?"
Gu Mei's questions were more sharp and direct than the last.
Gu Rui was a little at a loss, "I haven't thought about it yet."
He turned around and looked at the two of them. "Did I harm two women? Mingyue died because of me, and Miss Zhou's wedding was delayed because of me."
Gu Mei felt sorry for her eldest brother. He had been hurt so badly by Jia Mingyue.
Gu Jiu listened for a long time, then stood up and said, "Brother, now that things have come to this, you should step out and start looking forward.
The Zhou family wants to renew the engagement. Whether you agree or not, I think you should make a decisive decision.
If you disagree and refuse decisively, the Zhou family still has time to find another marriage for Miss Zhou.
If you agree, the Zhou family can hurry up and prepare a dowry for Miss Zhou.
You hesitated and dragged on this matter because you sympathized with Miss Zhou. This is not kindness, but cruelty, even shamelessness.
A girl's youth cannot be delayed. If you don't want to, you should just reject it today. If you are willing, please give the Zhou family a reply as soon as possible.
To be frank, you are good in every way, but you are not decisive enough, which has caused many problems."
Gu Mei was anxious and pulled Gu Jiu. "Why do you say anything? What if you upset someone?"
Gu Rui's expression kept changing, he looked a little embarrassed, a little self-blaming, and also thoughtful.
“Is compassion cruel?”
He looked at Gu Jiu and said, "Little Sister Jiu, for a girl, is sympathy cruel?"
Gu Jiu said in a resounding voice: "If her misfortune comes from you, and you cannot change her misfortune, then your sympathy is cruel."
Gu Rui laughed bitterly, "You're right, I'm not qualified to sympathize with anyone."
Gu Jiu pursed his lips and asked, "Have you made a decision now?"
Gu Mei was very nervous. She wanted her brother to accept Miss Zhou, but she also wanted him not to. She was very conflicted.
Gu Rui said solemnly: "I will go to talk to Miss Zhou now. Thank you, sisters."
It seems that Gu Rui still hasn't made up his mind.
The two watched him leave.
Gu Mei sighed, "I wonder what Big Brother and Miss Zhou will talk about."
Gu Jiu said: "Let's go, my cousin has his own destiny."
…
In Songhe Hall, old lady Wei and her son and daughter-in-law were also discussing this marriage.
"You've all seen Miss Zhou. She's incredibly talented and beautiful, first-rate. Dalang has been keeping Jia for two years, so it's time to marry another. What do you two think?"
The eldest master, Gu Zhiwen, asked, "Is the old lady satisfied with Miss Zhou?"
Old Madam Wei sighed, "We owe them a lot. What we did back then was not very honest. I never thought that the girl's marriage would still be unresolved. Since the Zhou family is willing to renew the engagement, you might as well consider it. Besides, the girl's age has its advantages. At least she knows how to care for others."
This is an implication that Jia Shi is not caring and only has a bad temper.
The eldest lady, Xiao Wei, said, "This girl's mother died, and her father remarried. Such a family is not good."
The old lady Wei said, "Since Dalang's original wife died, the one who married in has become his concubine. No one should look down on anyone else."
The eldest master, Gu Zhiwen, said, "I wonder what this girl's personality is like? I hope she's not another Jia."
Old Madam Wei said, "This girl speaks and acts with generosity, so I think she's a good person. If you're worried, I'll send someone to call her over right away."
The eldest lady, Xiao Wei, did not object.
The Zhou family's family background is there, there is nothing to pick, it is a first-class family.
If Miss Zhou is truly generous and behaves appropriately, renewing the engagement is not impossible.
Old Madam Wei immediately arranged for someone to call Miss Zhou.
As a result, Gu Rui actually came to Songhe Hall with Miss Zhou.
Madam Wei was surprised and puzzled. "How come you two are together?"
Gu Rui explained: "My son chatted with Miss Zhou for a while."
oh!
The eldest lady, Mrs. Wei, had an unclear expression and looked at Miss Zhou sharply.
Miss Zhou looked calm, neither humble nor overbearing, and had an extraordinary demeanor. She was indeed a daughter of the Zhou family.
Old Madam Wei said cheerfully, "Da Lang, what did you talk about with Miss Zhou?"
Gu Rui first glanced at Miss Zhou, then said, "I asked her how she got through all this. Does she hate our Gu family?"
Everyone's expression changed.
Miss Zhou bowed and said, "At first I hated it. The wedding date was approaching, but they suddenly called it off. I was so upset that I couldn't sleep for several days. People around me gossiped about me, thinking that the cancellation was because of my shortcomings and that I was being disliked."
Gu Rui immediately explained, "I have never disliked you. I never thought that what happened back then would cause you so much harm."
Miss Zhou smiled bitterly, "Can't think of it, or don't want to think about it?"
Gu Rui felt a moment of embarrassment. He knew the impact of breaking off the engagement on the girl's reputation. As Miss Zhou had said, he just didn't want to think about it.
Miss Zhou continued, "Later, my mother became seriously ill. I took care of her with medicine every day, so I had no time to hate her.
When my mother was alive, she was always thinking about my marriage. However, in Chuzhou, everyone knew that I had been broken off from engagement, so it was difficult for me to find a good marriage for the time being.
When my mother passed away, my marriage was still not settled.
At the end of last year, after the mourning period ended, my family began arranging a marriage for me. Since Chuzhou was hopeless, I went to the capital with my uncle, intending to find a husband there.
When we arrived in the capital, we learned that you were a widower without any children. After the Duke's wife reminded us, my family wanted to renew the engagement."
After hearing this, Madam Wei sighed and said, "We've troubled you over the years. It's all our fault that we've wasted your youth."
Miss Zhou shook her head. "Old Madam, please don't say that. It can only be said that Gu Rui and I are not destined to be together. This time, my family proposed to renew the engagement, which is really wishful thinking."
Please don't make things difficult for me, and don't sympathize with me and agree to my family's unreasonable demands just because my marriage is still unsettled.
It's okay for me. With my family background and dowry, it's not difficult to find a marriage that's well-matched with me. It's just a matter of time.
Today is just a formal introduction to our relationship. If there is an opportunity in the future, we can continue to interact with each other."
Old Madam Wei sighed, "What a good girl. If I were to tell you that it's not out of sympathy for you, but that we sincerely want to renew the engagement, would you be willing?"
Miss Zhou did not answer this question. She looked at Gu Rui and said, "Old Madam, why don't you ask him if he is willing first?"
Everyone looked at Gu Rui.
"I……"
Just as Gu Rui started to speak, he was interrupted by Miss Zhou, "I told you, don't agree to this marriage just because you feel sympathy for me.
If you don't really want to marry me, please don't agree to this marriage.
Although I'm older, I'm not worried about not being able to get married. I can find a marriage that's my equal, so don't feel guilty about it, and don't marry me out of guilt.
I'd rather not have such a marriage. If I were to marry, I'd marry a man who truly wants to marry me and spend his life with me.
Instead of a man who is thinking about other women and only marries me out of guilt."
These words made Gu Rui feel ashamed.
He is not even as good as a woman.
He said to Miss Zhou, "I'm sorry, I can't forget Mingyue. But I promise, if I marry you, I will treat you well and live with you forever."
Miss Zhou raised her eyebrows and smiled sarcastically, "Sorry, I don't want to marry you like this."
The words "I don't want to get married" made everyone embarrassed.
Miss Zhou's request is not excessive.
Gu Rui really didn't live up to expectations.
The eldest lady and the young lady Wei both thought Miss Zhou was excellent. They believed that the eldest daughter-in-law of the Marquis's mansion should be a woman with strong opinions and ideas like Miss Zhou. She was much better than the previous Jia.
However, his son was not a good person. Not only had he been harmed by Jia for so many years, but now he had to miss this marriage because of Jia.
She glared at the master Gu Zhiwen and said, it's all your fault.
Gu Zhiwen was confused and wondered why it was all my fault.
Madam Wei lowered her voice and said viciously, "If we hadn't called off the engagement, Miss Zhou would have been our daughter-in-law long ago. It's all your fault."
Gu Zhiwen pointed at Gu Rui and blamed his stubborn son.
snort!
Seeing that her good daughter-in-law was about to fly away, the eldest wife, Xiao Wei, could no longer care about anything else. She hurriedly said, "Miss Zhou, don't make a decision in a hurry. My Dalang is honest and means what he says. He never fools people.
He really loves you, so he will admit that he can't forget Jia. Moreover, he and Jia have been in love for many years, and it's so easy to forget. He is so unfaithful, I'm afraid you don't dare to marry him.
If you spend some time with him, you will know that he is a really good person. Although he can't forget Jia Shi, he will also have feelings for you. "
Miss Zhou was a little confused and she looked at Gu Rui.
She could see that Gu Rui was a sentimental person.
It’s a pity that Gu Rui’s feelings were given to someone else, not her.
She smiled bitterly, "Perhaps Gu Rui and I are not destined to be together. I will explain everything to you personally, as to where my family is. You don't have to worry about it."
"It's not difficult, it's not difficult. We are very happy to renew the engagement." The eldest lady, Xiao Wei, said anxiously.
She also glared at Gu Rui fiercely, "Stupid son, say something quickly."
Gu Rui hesitated for a moment before saying to Miss Zhou, "I have let you down. I am sorry for you. I want to marry you, not entirely out of guilt. When I first heard you speak, I had a feeling that we should be together."
Miss Zhou laughed sarcastically, "I didn't expect Mr. Gu to be so good at coaxing girls. If we had the chance to meet before breaking off the engagement, would you have changed your mind? Could you have given up Jia Mingyue?"
Gu Rui looked embarrassed. "What has passed cannot be undone. I think we should focus on the present."
Miss Zhou looked at him with a half-smile. "Mr. Gu is right. People should focus on the present. What about you? Do you have a focus on the present? Can you keep Jia Mingyue in the deepest part of your heart and open your heart to another woman again? If you can't do that, you have no right to advise others to focus on the present."
Gu Rui's face was solemn, and he said seriously: "I can!"
The words "I can" are earth-shattering.
Old Madam Wei and First Madam Wei were extremely surprised.
For over a year, they earnestly urged Gu Rui to start a new life, but he refused to listen. Whenever he was in the mansion, he would hold Jia's belongings and cherish their memories, never thinking of leaving.
Unexpectedly, Miss Zhou's words made Gu Rui determined to start over.
Miss Zhou is very capable.
The key point is that Miss Zhou has a good complexion and looks healthy. She will definitely have good fertility in the future.
They were really scared by Jia.
The eldest daughter-in-law was sick and they were worried about Jia during those years.
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