Autumn is a season of clear and crisp weather, and it is the harvest season of the year.
Early in the morning, Gu Jiu brought gifts to the Marquis' Mansion to attend the wedding banquet of Gu Rui and Miss Zhou.
After more than a year of tug-of-war, getting to know each other, Miss Zhou finally married Gu Rui.
Miss Zhou's parents (stepmother), brothers, and other uncles and relatives all came to the capital from Chuzhou to see her off in marriage.
The Zhou family prepared a dowry of 160 sets for her, plus 10,000 taels of silver as dowry, and nearly 20 servants as dowry.
The farms and shops given to her as a dowry were all set up in the capital so that she could manage them personally.
As a brother with the same surname, Zhou Jin volunteered to escort Miss Zhou to her wedding.
Considering that he gave a valuable gift, the Zhou family couldn't refuse him and had to agree to let him deliver the wedding.
The bride was welcomed and sent off with music and dance as she stepped into the gate of the Marquis's mansion.
In the auditorium, guests gathered to watch the ceremony.
It has been nearly three years since Jia passed away.
Gu Rui finally remarried, and his eldest wife, Xiao Wei, burst into tears of joy. Miss Zhou was the perfect daughter-in-law in her mind.
Everyone in the Marquis's Mansion was in high spirits.
Only with a capable eldest young mistress can the Marquisate prosper for a long time. Only then can everyone rely on the Marquisate for generations to enjoy the shade.
Bow to heaven and earth!
Bow to your parents twice!
Husband and wife bow to each other!
The ceremony is over!
The emcee gave a shout and everyone in the auditorium cheered.
This was a marriage that both families were satisfied with. Gu Rui and Miss Zhou got married with the blessings of everyone on both sides.
Gu Rui has been in an excited state since he woke up in the morning.
Listening to the cheers and blessings around him, he smiled sincerely, with happiness in his eyes.
He suddenly realized that the parents' orders and the matchmaker's words made sense.
Only a marriage that has the consent and blessing of the whole family can last long and be happy.
He pulled the red silk and took Miss Zhou to the bridal chamber.
From now on, you can no longer call her Miss Zhou. You have to call her Grandma Zhou or Grandma Zhou.
When they arrived at the bridal chamber, the newlyweds drank the wedding wine, and then Gu Rui was dragged out to drink.
The female relatives surrounded the bride and said all kinds of auspicious words.
Gu Jiu stood in the crowd with a warm smile on his face.
She looked at Zhou carefully, and her eyes were full of joy. It was obvious that she agreed to this marriage sincerely and was not forced by her elders.
Come to think of it, Zhou is a very opinionated person. If she is determined not to agree, it will be useless for the elders to force her.
Gu Rui had obviously made tremendous efforts over the past year or so to make Zhou change her mind and agree to marry into the Marquis's Mansion.
When someone teased her, Zhou smiled shyly, her smile revealing the nervousness and joy of a newlywed and her longing for a new life in the future.
The second and third young ladies of the Marquis' Mansion came out to invite everyone to the flower hall for the wedding banquet, and someone else was taking care of the bride.
Gu Jiu left the new house with everyone.
Gu Mei and Gu Jiu walked together.
"After many twists and turns, my eldest brother finally married the sister-in-law of the Zhou family. It can be seen that the fate of the two people is destined by heaven."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "My eldest cousin and Sister-in-law Zhou are a good match."
Gu Mei said, "Little Jiu, you don't know that in order to make Sister Zhou change her mind, Big Brother went to the Zhou family every few days and almost lived there to show his filial piety. He used all kinds of methods and finally moved Sister Zhou with his sincerity and honesty. Big Brother, marrying Sister Zhou was more difficult than marrying Sister Jia."
Gu Ji pursed his lips and smiled, "Who made my cousin owe the Zhou family's sister-in-law? There is no sincerity at all. If I were the Zhou family's sister-in-law, I would not marry her."
Gu Mei nodded repeatedly, agreeing with Gu Jiu's words. Then she sighed again, "It's just that Sister-in-law Zhou has been wronged. She was originally the original wife, but because of my eldest brother's obsession, she was delayed for so many years."
Gu Jiu said: "If you don't let your eldest cousin go through some hard times, he won't know how to cherish. Imagine that when your eldest cousin obeyed his parents' orders and married the Zhou family's sister-in-law, he must have still been thinking about the Jia family's sister-in-law in his heart.
It would be fine if nothing happened between him and Jia's sister-in-law, but if something did happen, how aggrieved, sad, and heartbroken would Zhou's sister-in-law be? Who knows, the backyard of the Marquis's mansion might become a battlefield between Zhou's sister-in-law and Jia's sister-in-law. With the eldest cousin caught in the middle, who should he side with? No matter who he sides with, someone will get hurt.
The current situation is quite good. He has gone through a lot and has learned to cherish. There is no one else between him and Sister Zhou, and they will definitely be able to live a good life together.
Gu Mei laughed, "Sister Xiaojiu, you always have a way to convince me."
Gu Jiu smiled softly, "I'm just used to looking forward. Sister-in-law Jia may really be a thorn between my eldest cousin and Sister-in-law Zhou. But I believe that with Sister-in-law Zhou's ability, she will definitely be able to pull this thorn out of the hearts of both of them."
Gu Mei said, "Brother, it's impossible for you to forget Sister-in-law Jia in your lifetime."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "No one made him forget. He only needs to bury Sister-in-law Jia in the deepest part of his heart, with a small corner reserved for her.
But the memories between him and Jia's sister-in-law will not be revisited every day. Revisiting them once every one or two years, three or five years, or seven or eight years will not affect the relationship between husband and wife.
Gu Mei nodded and said, yes, that’s how it should be.
The person who has left has left, and keeping her in a corner of your heart is the best way to commemorate her.
The living have to live and look forward.
Gu Mei hopes that one day Zhou's sister-in-law will be able to completely fill Gu Rui's heart.
There were one hundred tables at the banquet at the Marquis' Mansion, and the scene was extremely lively.
As a guest of honor, Gu Jiu had to socialize with all the ladies and wives.
After the banquet, I drank a lot and felt dizzy.
She was a little drunk, so after the meal she didn't go to the opera, but found a room to lie down and rest.
The maids served by her side.
The weather was a bit hot, and Gu Jiu had drunk some wine, so he felt uncomfortable.
She came to the wedding today. Liu Zhao was supposed to come too, but he couldn't leave because of something urgent.
Xiao Cui brought some hot water and washed Gu Jiu.
Under the stimulation of hot water, I finally felt a little more comfortable.
"I'll take a nap first. If anything happens, wake me up."
"Madam, please take a rest. I will be guarding by the bed."
Gu Jiu nodded and closed his eyes.
I was half asleep when I heard a noise outside.
Gu Jiu listened carefully and seemed to hear Gu Yue's voice.
She opened her eyes and told Qingmei, "Go out and see what's going on."
Qingmei nodded in acceptance and walked out of the room.
After a while, she returned to the wing room and said, "Madam, it seems that Third Aunt has a stomach upset and is feeling uncomfortable."
"Oh? How could Third Sister get an upset stomach when she was fine? Could it be that the food in the Marquis' Mansion is not clean?"
Gu Jiu was no longer sleepy and the alcohol had worn off a bit. He simply got up and went to the next room to check.
Gu Yue was feeling uncomfortable, scratching her throat and vomiting.
The compartment was filled with a sour smell of undigested food.
This sour taste can make people dizzy.
"Third sister, what's wrong with you? Did you have an upset stomach?"
As he spoke, Gu Jiu took a few steps forward and stretched out his hand to take the pulse.
Unexpectedly, her hand fell empty.
Gu Yue dodged her outstretched hand.
"I'm dirty. Second sister is a noble person now, so please don't dirty your hands. I'm fine. I probably caught a cold and didn't get enough rest. I should be fine after lying down."
Gu Jiu looked at his empty hand and smiled, "Third sister is vomiting like this, we should ask a doctor to take a look. Wang Yi, you go..."
"Need not!"
Gu Yue stopped him sternly, "Thank you for your concern, Second Sister, but I don't want to trouble anyone. I'll be back home soon, please understand."
Gu Jiu stared at her, "Is it really okay, Third Sister?"
Gu Yue nodded. "I'm really fine. I just caught a cold from the wind. Maybe I suffered too much during those two years in Haixibo's mansion, so my health isn't as good as before."
Gu Yue insisted and refused to call a doctor, and Gu Jiu did not force her.
"Then I'll have someone take you back?"
"Thank you, second sister. No need to trouble you. I just want to be alone and quiet for a while. When I feel better, I will go straight back to the mansion through the corner gate."
Gu Yue refused all the help from Gu Jiu, but Gu Jiu would not always try to please her.
"Take care, Third Sister. I'll be resting in the next room. Just call me if you need anything."
Gu Yue nodded repeatedly.
Gu Jiu stood up and left, intending to continue resting with his eyes closed.
Gu Yue let out a long sigh of relief.
He ordered the maid to clean the side room and light incense to get rid of the smell in the room.
The doors and windows were closed, and only the maid Grape was serving Gu Yue.
The maid Grape was very worried, "Miss, are you really okay? I'm so worried, let's ask a doctor to come and see you."
Gu Yue waved her hand, "This is the Marquis' Mansion, don't bother me. I just caught a cold and vomited a few times, why make such a fuss? There are so many guests here today, don't make a fuss, you've embarrassed me, I won't forgive you."
The maid Grape shuddered, "I'm just worried about the young lady."
Gu Yue narrowed her eyes slightly, "What's there to worry about? I'm fine."
Gu Yue still felt uncomfortable in her chest, but fortunately she no longer had the urge to vomit.
She planned to rest for another half an hour before saying goodbye and returning home. She felt uncomfortable staying in the mansion.
"Third Aunt's face is as pale as a ghost. She must have caught a cold." Qingmei muttered softly.
Gu Jiu lay on the couch, closed his eyes and tried to rest, but he was no longer sleepy.
It's strange that Gu Yue actually lost weight after returning to her parents' home.
In fact, Gu Yue's physique is prone to obesity. If she is not careful and eats a little more, she will easily gain weight.
In the past, Gu Yue always paid great attention to diet, and this was the only thing she insisted on.
Even if she doesn't dare to eat too much, her figure is not too thin, but of course not too fat either. She has a moderate figure and is very healthy.
When she was in Haixibo's mansion, she suffered a lot and lost a lot of weight.
Now, Gu Yue left Haixibo Mansion and returned to Gu Mansion. Gu Jiu thought she would gain back the weight she had lost, but unexpectedly, she became even thinner.
He was even thinner than when he had just left Haixibo's mansion, with only a little flesh on his cheeks.
Is Gu Yue so self-disciplined? She doesn't even dare to eat freely when she returns to her parents' home?
The days after marriage can really change a woman.
Gu Jiu said casually, "Third sister has lost weight, but she is not as pretty as before."
I used to be neither fat nor thin, with a good complexion, a face full of collagen, and a tender and hydrated complexion.
Today's Gu Yue gives people the illusion that she has been drained of moisture. She is not as fresh and tender as before, nor as bright and colorful as before.
Qingmei said, "Third Aunt is a widow after all. Life is not easy for a widow. She feels depressed and it is inevitable that she will lose weight."
Gu Jiu nodded, "What you said makes sense."
She didn't bother to worry about Gu Yue's affairs.
I've been so busy lately that I just can't spare any energy.
Hearing the noise next door, Gu Yue left with her maid and went straight back to the Gu Mansion through the corner gate.
Returning to his own territory, Gu Yue suddenly felt refreshed and free.
She instructed her maid Grape, "Send a message to my cousin and ask him to find a way to arrange this. I have something to discuss with him in person."
The maid Grape was nervous, "Miss, are you really going to meet Master Xie?"
"Just do as you're told and don't ask any questions."
The maid Grape didn't dare to say anything more and left after receiving the order.
Gu Yue gritted her teeth, her eyes full of resentment.
Damn Xie Shi, damn God, he actually played with her several times.
…
"Madam, someone wants to see you."
"Who wants to see you?"
Gu Jiu sat up and asked the maid Xiao Cui.
Xiao Cui thought for a moment before saying, "It's Mr. Zhou whom I met in the teahouse last time."
Gu Jiu frowned, "He is also a guest in the Marquis' Mansion?"
"I heard that he is here to marry Grandma Zhou."
Gu Jiu was surprised at first, but then he felt that all this was reasonable.
No wonder Zhou Jin is doing business, but his temperament and behavior are like a young master from a wealthy family.
If he were a member of the Zhou family, then everything would make sense.
She considered it for a moment and said, "Please ask him to come in."
Zhou Jin was excited inside, but his face remained calm.
He followed the maid into the side room, looking at Gu Jiu with gentle eyes, without any aggression.
"I greet the Madam."
Gu Jiu gestured for him to sit down and talk. "I didn't expect to see Master Zhou again so soon, and in the Marquis' Mansion."
Zhou Jin sat upright on the chair, facing Gu Jiu.
He looked at Gu Jiu greedily. In his dreams at midnight, this face appeared in his mind countless times.
He wanted to hold this woman in his arms countless times.
When he missed her the most, he even wanted to rush into the palace and snatch her away.
He was greedy for the rare opportunity to meet and spend time with them, and all kinds of thoughts flooded into his mind, like a madman or a fanatic.
At the same time, he was very restrained.
From his eyes to his expressions to his movements, everything was well-behaved and serious, like a gentle and elegant young man from a noble family.
He smiled reservedly and politely, "I forgot to introduce myself last time. I come from the Huai'an Zhou family, the same clan as the Chuzhou Zhou family, but different from the same clan. It's a coincidence that I came to Beijing this time and happened to encounter my eldest sister's wedding. As her brother, it is my duty to see her off."
Gu Jiu nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Zhou, for telling me the truth. I wonder why you came to see me?"
Zhou Jin said solemnly, "Since we last met, I have been analyzing Yuhuaxiang's business model and I admire your talent. I'm seeking an audience today for the opportunity to collaborate with you."
Gu Jiu smiled lightly and said lightly: "I have made it very clear last time that I will not engage in North-South trade."
Zhou Jin smiled confidently, "In addition to the north-south trade, I also dabble in maritime trade. I wonder if Madam is interested?"
Gu Jiu raised his eyebrows, "Tell me about it."
Zhou Jin stared at her, and for a moment, he almost couldn't control himself and showed an aggressive look.
Fortunately, he controlled his emotions and the madness in his heart.
He said calmly, "Our company's fleet sails twice a year. We have all the jewelry, ivory, and jade you need. We can ship directly to you at a discount to the market price, and we can even deliver the goods to the capital for you. Is this business of interest to you, Madam?"
Gu Jiu looked at him with a half-smile, "Mr. Zhou came to see me. He obviously did his homework beforehand. He knew that I own a treasure shop and that I have a large demand for jewelry."
"That's right!" Zhou Jin did not deny it.
Gu Jiu smiled and continued, "Jewelry, ivory, jade, all kinds of business with amazing profits, this lady likes them all. But we have to change the way of cooperation."
Zhou Jin was ecstatic inside, but he pretended to be hesitant on the surface.
"I wonder how Madam wishes to cooperate?"
"We will cooperate to form a fleet and go out to sea together."
Zhou Jin looked hesitant, frowning slightly, "Madam's request is really embarrassing."
Gu Jiu smiled softly, "Since Master Zhou is in a difficult situation, this lady will not force you."
Zhou Jin gritted his teeth and asked, "Madam, can you give me a few days to think about this?"
Gu Jiu nodded, "Okay! But my patience is limited. Whether you agree or not, I hope you can reply as soon as possible."
"Don't worry, Madam. I will give you an answer as soon as possible. Then, can I go to the palace to pay my respects to Madam next time?"
Zhou Jin was unusually nervous. He wanted to enter the palace. He was eager to see where Gu Jiu lived. He even wanted to meet Gongzi Zhao.
Gu Jiu said, "You don't have to go to the palace. Once you've made your decision, go directly to the teahouse where we met last time and ask the owner to pass on your message."
"So that teahouse is also Madam's business. How blind I am."
Gu Jiu smiled and served tea to see the guest off.
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