Early in the morning, Gu Jiu took the maids to the upper room to pay their respects.
When we were almost at the gate of the upper courtyard, we ran into Gu Zhen, Gu Yue and Gu Shan.
"Big sister, third sister, fourth sister, what a coincidence."
Gu Jiu was the first to greet.
Gu Zhen nodded slightly and asked, "Second sister, are you feeling better now? As soon as I heard you were going back to the capital, I was worried about your health.
What if my second sister falls ill before we even get back to the capital? What should I do?
Gu Jiu smiled lightly, "Big sister is thoughtful. Although my body is not as good as yours, it is not a problem for me to make it to the capital."
Gu Zhen laughed, "That's great. I'm relieved now."
Gu Shan also said, "Looking at Second Sister's complexion, she is indeed much better. Congratulations."
"Thank you for your concern, Fourth Sister."
Gu Jiu walked forward and stood in front of Gu Yue.
Gu Yue's face was stern. "What?"
Gu Yue had just finished her house arrest two days ago. She should have been in a good mood, but when she saw Gu Jiu, her mood plummeted.
She just doesn't like Gu Jiu and hates Gu Jiu.
reason?
Do you need a reason to hate someone?
Hate is hate. Everything about this person is hateful. Her smile, her words, her clothes, everything about her makes people hate her.
Gu Jiu smiled, stretched out his hand, and compared his height with Gu Yue.
In the past, Gu Yue was half a head taller than her. Now, they were about the same height.
Gu Jiu was really satisfied with this result.
Sure enough, she grew taller, and soon she would be taller than Gu Yue.
"Third sister, we are about the same height." Gu Jiu was in a good mood and didn't care about Gu Yue's attitude.
Gu Yue immediately became unhappy.
She and Gu Jiu are only half a year apart in age. She used to be taller than Gu Jiu, but now they are almost the same height.
Doesn't this mean that she hasn't grown in the past six months, only Gu Jiu has grown.
Gu Yue snorted, "What's the point of being almost the same height? I'll show off when my second sister is taller than me."
Gu Jiu nodded, feeling that it made sense. "Third sister is right. I've been growing a lot lately. Maybe by the New Year, I'll be taller than you."
Gu Yue chuckled, "You're dreaming. You've only been here for a few months, and you think you're taller than me? Do you think I won't grow taller?"
Gu Jiu pursed his lips and smiled. The height of children is determined by the height of their parents, with some exceptions.
According to Aunt Gui, Gu Jiu's biological mother, Su, was a tall beauty. Standing next to Su, Xie was at least a head shorter.
According to genetics, Gu Jiu is very likely taller than Gu Yue.
And this trend has already emerged.
Gu Jiu said to Gu Yue, "By the New Year, we should have returned to the capital. Then we can join the sisters from the Marquis' Mansion and see who is taller."
Gu Yue said, "Let's compare. I'm definitely taller than you."
"If you want to grow taller, you have to eat more!" Gu Jiu said with a smile.
Xie has a physique that is prone to obesity, and Gu Yue seems to have inherited this.
Gu Jiu was very happy to see a chubby Gu Yue during the Chinese New Year.
Gu Jiu led Gu Yue into the ditch, well, there was nothing wrong with that.
Gu Yue gritted her teeth, looking unhappy. In her heart, she was wondering, can eating more really make you taller?
Gu Jiu almost caught up with her height in just half a year. Could it be because he ate too much?
At this time, Gu Lin came.
When Gu Lin saw her four sisters, her heart skipped a beat. She felt a little panicked and hesitant.
Gu Zhen was the first to see her. "Fifth sister, you're here too. Come over here quickly. We're talking."
Gu Lin smiled, walked forward, and bowed slightly, "Hello, eldest sister, second sister, third sister, fourth sister. Why don't you all go in?"
Gu Zhen covered her lips with a handkerchief and said with a smile, "It's still early, it's nice for us to stand here and chat."
"Fifth sister, how is Aunt Bai?" Gu Shan, who had been silent all the time, suddenly asked.
Gu Lin nodded. "Auntie is fine. Father went to her place last night."
Gu Lin seemed to be stating the facts, but to Gu Yue and Gu Shan, it sounded like showing off.
Gu Yue glared at Gu Lin, snorted, turned around and walked into the upper courtyard.
Gu Shan smiled at Gu Lin, "It's great that Aunt Bai is fine. Fifth sister doesn't know that father specifically told mother to take good care of Aunt Bai.
Mother is already in poor health, and she has to work day and night. I'm worried about her. Fortunately, Aunt Bai is fine, so Mother can relax a little.
Gu Lin lowered her head and said, "Thank you for your concern, Fourth Sister."
Gu Shan smiled and said, "I'll go in first. You guys continue chatting."
After saying that, Gu Shan also entered the upper courtyard.
Gu Zhen said to Gu Lin, "Fifth sister, why did you bring up the fact that Father went to Aunt Bai's last night? Everyone knows Aunt Bai is pregnant and is so proud of it, yet you deliberately showed it off. Is that cool?"
Gu Lin is not afraid of Gu Zhen. They are both born out of wedlock, so who is afraid of whom?
Gu Lin stared at Gu Zhen, "Big sister, what nonsense are you talking about? I'm not showing off, I'm just telling the truth. I'm not like the eldest sister, who hangs around the third and fourth sisters all day long."
Gu Zhen was annoyed. "Gu Lin, how can you talk to your eldest sister like that? I'm the eldest sister, and I'm friendly with my sisters. Is there anything wrong with that?"
Gu Lin was speechless and opened her mouth, not knowing how to refute.
Gu Jiu, who had been silent the whole time, spoke up, "Big sister, fifth sister, you must have been enemies in your previous lives. You always have to argue when you meet. Let's go in. We can't let the madam wait for us."
Gu Zhen nodded, "Second sister is right."
Gu Zhen held his head high and was the first to walk into the upper courtyard.
Gu Lin walked with Gu Jiu and secretly complained, "Eldest sister is too overbearing. Every time we meet, she always scolds me. She just relies on her status as the eldest sister. Second sister, you are obviously the legitimate daughter, but she wants to suppress you. It's really too much."
Gu Jiu laughed and glanced at Gu Lin.
The little girl Gu Lin also learned to play tricks and sow discord between her and Gu Zhen.
Gu Jiu only said: "She is the eldest sister after all."
Gu Jiu refused to say anything more.
Gu Lin found it very boring.
How could the second sister be so unmotivated? If it were the third sister, she would definitely compete with the eldest sister. Let them know who has the final say among the sisters.
After entering the upper room, the five sisters sat in the flower hall in turn, waiting for Xie's arrival.
"My wife is here!"
Following a shout from the maid at the door, Xie appeared in the flower hall with her maid.
Everyone stood up and said in unison:
"Greetings to mother." These were the four sisters except Gu Jiu.
"Greetings to the Madam." This is Gu Jiu.
Xie said calmly, "Everyone, sit down."
Everyone sat down again.
Mrs. Xie glanced at everyone and said, "Second girl is here. You are a rare guest."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Thanks to my wife, my health has improved a lot."
Xie hummed, "As long as you feel better."
After a pause, Xie continued, "You should all know the news of returning to the capital. The departure time is probably in the middle or end of next month.
During this period, everything that needed to be cleaned up was cleaned up, and everything that needed to be dealt with was dealt with.
Which of the maids and servants around you should be brought back to the capital, and which should be sent away? Hand the list to Chunhe within three days."
Everyone responded in unison.
Mrs. Xie nodded and continued, "The weather is getting colder. It will be freezing when we set off back to Beijing. I've already ordered the sewing room to hurry up and get you some winter clothes."
If any of you have any difficulties, please tell me today and I will handle them for you."
No one was in a hurry to speak.
There was silence in the room for a while. Xie glanced at everyone and asked, "Are all the people having difficulties?"
Gu Jiu was the first to speak: "I have no difficulty here."
Mrs. Xie's expression was indifferent, and she nodded slightly. "Second girl, you must take care of yourself. You've been traveling so hard, don't get sick on the way and delay the master's journey."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Thank you, Madam, for reminding me. I dare not delay my father's trip."
"That's great."
Xie was deeply annoyed. Gu Jiu was like a tortoise shell, impervious to both soft and hard tactics, and impervious to both swords and spears. Whether it was open ridicule or insinuation, Gu Jiu took it calmly, which was really annoying.
No matter how unhappy you are, you still have to get on with your business.
Xie looked at the others again.
Gu Zhen hesitated for a moment and said, "When I return to the capital, I will meet the sisters from the Marquis' Mansion. I don't remember them very clearly, and I don't know what kind of gift I should prepare. Please teach me, Madam."
Xie smiled slightly, "Miss Zhen is right. After returning to the capital, you should visit the sisters in the Marquis' Mansion often.
This is the first meeting, so I have to prepare a gift.
Not only do we have to prepare gifts for the sisters in the Marquis' Mansion, but we also have to prepare gifts for the old lady and all the aunts and sisters-in-law in the Marquis' Mansion.
In my opinion, elders should prepare needlework. Sisters of the same age can be more casual, needlework, calligraphy and painting, interesting little things are all fine.
Gu Zhen laughed and said, "Thank you, ma'am, for reminding me. I understand."
Gu Yue asked again: "Mother, I haven't figured out how many sisters there are in the Marquis' Mansion, what their names are, and which branch they belong to. Can you talk to me about it?"
Xie suddenly smiled, a kind smile.
"Even if you don't ask, I will tell you about these things. The three wives of the Marquis' Mansion are all legitimate children.
The several masters who were born out of wedlock have already separated from the family, so you don't need to pay any attention to them.
There are seven girls in this mansion. I've asked Chunhe to prepare all the information and will give it to you later.
You must remember this person, don't make the mistake of admitting the wrong person when you get to the Marquis' Mansion, or I will not be polite if you offend anyone."
When Xie finished speaking, her face turned serious and she looked extremely solemn.
Gu Yue immediately said, "Don't worry, mother. I will definitely not recognize the wrong person and offend him. I also need to think carefully about the gifts for the sisters in the Marquis' Mansion. They must be sincere, novel and interesting, and not available in the capital."
Gu Shan said, "Since we have to choose something that is not available in Beijing, the most suitable ones are the specialties of the Northwest."
Gu Yue looked disgusted and said, "What good things can there be in such a poor place like the Northwest? Bringing Northwest specialties back to the capital as gifts, Fourth sister, you will be laughed at if you don't take pictures."
Gu Shan had a blank expression on her face and retorted, "Gifts are given with thought, not with value."
Gu Yue laughed sarcastically, "Which one is more thoughtful, a gift of one penny or a gift of one ounce of silver?"
Gu Zhen lowered her head, pursed her lips, and smiled secretly.
Gu Shan frowned slightly, feeling a little unhappy.
Mrs. Xie glanced at her two daughters. "Yuer, stop talking. Shan'er, your third sister has some truth to her. A gift should not only be considered thoughtfully, but also in terms of value. If it's something they like, that's even better."
You two, think carefully about what gift to give to show your affection."
"My daughter understands." Gu Shan responded with lowered eyebrows.
Xie looked at Gu Jiu again, wanting to provoke her. "Second girl, you are not in good health. Everyone in the Marquis' Mansion knows it. I think you should just prepare some needlework and show your sincerity."
Gu Jiu pursed his lips and smiled, "Thank you for your suggestion, Madam. I already have some ideas about the gifts and will ask the maid to prepare them."
Xie frowned, as Gu Jiu really didn't fall for it.
Gu Yue was curious, "Second sister, what gift are you planning to prepare?"
Gu Jiu said, "It's just a small idea, it may not work. Let's talk about it when we get to the capital."
Gu Yue secretly rolled her eyes, it was boring.
Xie gave up on Gu Jiu and looked towards Gu Lin, who was sitting at the edge. "Fifth girl, how is your aunt?"
Gu Lin was nervous, her palms sweating. She stood up quickly and said, "To answer Madam, thanks to Madam, my aunt is doing well."
Mrs. Xie smiled and said, "That's good. My efforts have not been in vain. I repeatedly reminded the servants a few days ago to take good care of Aunt Bai. It seems that they listened to me."
Gu Lin lowered her head and whispered, "Thank you for your hard work, Madam."
Mrs. Xie said, "As a mother, how can I not be hard-working? Your food, clothing, and daily expenses, as well as your lifelong affairs, I worry about every single one of them. I don't ask for anything else, I just hope you can be a little filial and not take my kindness for granted."
Gu Zhen hurriedly said, "Madam, you are too kind."
Mrs. Xie waved her hand. "It's getting late. I have to continue my work. You all should leave. Yue'er and Shan'er stay."
"yes!"
Gu Jiu stood up first and said goodbye.
Gu Lin followed closely behind.
Gu Zhen procrastinated and finally left unwillingly.
After leaving the upper room, Gu Lin caught up with Gu Jiu, "Second sister, wait for me. Madam must have other instructions for keeping the third and fourth sisters here.
My aunt said that my third and fourth sisters have secretly learned how to manage the household.
Whenever there's something good going on, Madam always prioritizes the third and fourth sisters, but never considers us. Aren't we the daughters of the Gu family?
If we don't learn how to manage the household now, when we get married and go to our husband's family in the future, we won't know anything and will become a laughing stock.
Not only will we be embarrassed, but the Gu family will also be embarrassed, and they will be accused of not being able to teach their daughter well."
Gu Jiu turned around and looked at Gu Lin, "Did your aunt say these words?"
Gu Lin nodded first, then shook her head, feeling a little guilty.
Gu Jiu smiled knowingly. Aunt Bai had instilled a lot of ideas into Gu Lin.
Gu Lin specifically told her this, could it be that Aunt Bai also taught her this?
Could it be that Aunt Bai wanted her to come forward and compete with Xie?
If I lose, Gu Lin will not be implicated.
If they win, Gu Lin can benefit from it and learn how to be a housekeeper and director.
Gu Jiu raised his eyebrows and smiled when he thought of this.
She said to Gu Lin, "Go back and tell Aunt Bai to take good care of the baby. Overthinking during pregnancy is not good for the fetus."
After saying that, Gu Jiu no longer paid any attention to Gu Lin and left.
Gu Lin stood there, dumbfounded.
This is completely different from what my aunt said.
Is the second sister angry?
Gu Lin was a little panicked and hurried back to Xiangsiyuan to see Aunt Bai.
"Auntie, I followed your instructions and told my second sister the truth. But my second sister said, she said..."
"say what?"
Aunt Bai asked casually.
Recently, Aunt Bai has been in high spirits. There is a compelling aura in her eyebrows and eyes, and she has become a little plumper.
Xie schemed against her, and she turned the tables on Xie, thwarting Xie's plans against her.
This made Aunt Bai very proud.
When people are proud, they will inevitably feel that they are full of confidence and want more.
Not only did she have to give birth to a son, she also had to train Gu Lin as much as possible and make her a true noble lady.
One of the essential qualities of a noble lady is to be able to manage household affairs, understand the ways of the world, and greet and see off guests.
These cannot be developed without training.
Therefore, Aunt Bai came up with an idea.
She couldn't come forward herself, nor could she bring up the matter with the master for no reason.
She needed an opportunity to give her a reason to bring up this matter in front of Lord Gu.
Naturally, Aunt Bai thought of Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu’s fighting ability is so strong!
So far, Gu Jiu has fought with Xie so many times, but he has never been defeated.
If we can convince Gu Jiu, let him come forward to challenge Xie.
When the two of them start a quarrel, she will have a reason to persuade the master to make this happen and let Gu Lin learn how to manage the household like the other sisters.
Aunt Bai seemed to be overwhelmed by her success and took it for granted that as long as Gu Lin gave her a little reminder, Gu Jiu would fall into the trap and fight for her.
After all, if this matter succeeds, Gu Jiu himself will also benefit.
So when Gu Lin hurriedly repeated what Gu Jiu had said, Aunt Bai couldn't believe it.
Aunt Bai's smile froze on her face. "What did you say?"
Gu Lin said again: "Second sister asked me to tell Auntie to take good care of the baby. It's not good for the fetus to have wild thoughts during pregnancy."
"Did she really say that?" Aunt Bai still couldn't believe it.
Gu Lin nodded heavily, "Really."
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