Qin Yuan glanced at the twins sitting with their heads down to the side and smiled, "I can't get a word in edgewise. Mother and husband always think of Cheng-ge'er and Yu-jie'er, so they will naturally find a good one. I haven't even met all the people in the clan yet."
Lord Gu laughed and said, "Mother just wanted you to have some thoughts on this. There are advantages to not knowing about it. Just listen and see if it suits you or not."
Sixth Master Gu sat lazily to one side, not saying a word, as if to say, "If you like it, that's fine."
Cheng Ge'er suddenly spoke up: "Godfather, Godmother, no matter who you choose, will we still live in the courtyard next door?"
His big, round eyes looked straight at him.
Yu Jie'er also looked up pitifully.
If these two children weren't such a nuisance, Qin Yuan would have softened her stance.
Lord Gu said, "Yes, you say you live outside the mansion, but in reality, you are only separated from the mansion by a wall. This courtyard originally belonged to the mansion, but it was separated out, so it is not so convenient to come and go."
Qin Yuan also tried to comfort them.
"From now on, you will live in the Gu residence, which is a separate residence from the Dingbei Marquis's residence. You will also have to enter and exit through different gates. This way, outsiders will be able to prevent them from making unfounded accusations about your mother's situation and bringing it up in the Marquis's residence. The people in the residence will also have nothing to say. However, the old lady and the Marquis will still treat you the same as before. Whether you study, practice martial arts, or go into business in the future, the Marquis's residence will take care of you as you grow up. If you do not cause trouble, you will have a bright future ahead of you."
That makes things quite clear.
Cheng Ge'er and Yu Jie'er are no longer as ignorant of human suffering as they once were. These days, they have seen a lot of arrogance and disdain, heard a lot of gossip, and learned a lot of things, so they know what to do.
"Thank you for your trouble, Grandmother, Godfather, and Godmother."
Cheng Ge'er and Yu Jie'er got up and kowtowed to them, saying, "We only ask that the elders choose adoptive parents with good tempers for us."
Lord Gu helped them up and said, “Of course I will choose a good one for you. You are obedient and they are kind, so you can get along well. They will take care of you as you grow up, and you should be filial to them in the future. If you suffer any grievances, just tell your godfather. Of course, if you make any mistakes, they will also tell your godfather.”
Knowing there was no other way, Cheng Ge'er said, "I will follow my godfather's arrangements."
After much discussion, the group selected a family from the ninth branch of the Gu family, who was also of the Jing generation. His name was Gu Jingcheng, and he was more than ten years older than Lord Gu, having passed the age of forty. He had a wife and a concubine, but neither of them had children.
Gu Jingcheng had been on the battlefield and served as a captain. Later, due to injuries, he took a sinecure at the Five Cities Military Command.
Brother Cheng had no objections when he found out.
Yu Jie'er only listens to him.
Therefore, it was decided.
Lord Gu said, "Choose a day for you to meet. If you like each other, you can move."
Cheng Ge'er obediently nodded in agreement.
Lord Gu gently stroked the top of his head and said, "Be a good boy and grow up well. When you get married and have a future, your godfather will be at ease."
Tears streamed down Cheng Ge'er's face, soaking his clothes in an instant.
Lord Gu sighed, "Don't cause any more trouble. Your godfather is also helping you find out where your mother is. Maybe we'll meet again in the future."
When Cheng Ge'er and Yu Jie'er heard their mother being mentioned, they couldn't help but burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.
Sixth Master Gu couldn't help but say from the side, "Third Brother is too soft-hearted. Zhao almost harmed my entire family. If she comes again in the future, who knows if she has good or bad intentions. If the two of them only think about their birth mother and abandon their adoptive parents, I don't know how Third Brother will repay the Ninth Branch's kindness."
Gu Jingcheng was the son of a concubine in the ninth branch of the family, and he had no children of his own. He would not inherit much of the family property, so he was willing to move next to the Marquis's mansion and adopt two children.
But that doesn't mean they deserve to be bullied.
Sixth Master Gu pointed at Cheng Ge'er and said, "There are some things my third brother can't say, but I can. My third brother owes your father a debt of gratitude and has taken good care of you all these years. He even went to find your father's relatives to help you settle down. But Zhao Shi hates us for this and almost killed my two daughters. Many people in the manor have also contracted serious illnesses because of her and almost lost their lives. Everyone in the manor knows about this, which is why we have to send you out of the manor to find good families to raise you. My third brother has already repaid the debt he owed your father. If you are ungrateful and ignore your adoptive parents in the future, making things difficult for my third brother, then you can never expect anything from the Marquis's manor again."
Cheng Ge'er sniffled, hiccuped, and after a long while said, "We are not ungrateful people."
Qin Yuan comforted them, "There's no need to cry. These are all things for the future. Just remember that your godfather always hopes for the best for you. Think about this before you act or speak, so you won't regret it later."
Cheng Ge'er choked up and said, "We will never forget our godmother's teachings and will keep them in our hearts."
Gu Jinghui was in a bit of a predicament, since his younger brother Gu Jingjun was telling the truth and had every reason to be angry and annoyed. But looking at the two children, he felt sorry for them and his heart ached.
Qin Yuan then said to Rong Mama, "It's already late, and things have been discussed. Why don't we have Xiao Hong and Zi He take them down to talk and calm things down? Otherwise, if this continues, I'm afraid they won't be able to sleep tonight."
Madam Gu also said, "It is indeed getting late. After washing up, go to sleep. You have to get up early tomorrow to do your homework."
Cheng Ge'er asked, "If we live with other people, can we still go to school?"
"Yes, we can. If you want to study, we'll hire a tutor for you; if you want to practice martial arts, we'll find someone to teach you."
Having received Lord Gu's promise, Cheng Ge'er and Yu Jie'er followed Xiao Hong out.
Lord Gu said, "No matter what, it's always a good thing to strive for progress."
Sixth Master Gu said in a rather sarcastic tone, "I hope Third Brother's good intentions won't be in vain."
Gu Jinghui looked at Qin Yuan with pleading eyes, but Qin Yuan seemed lost in thought, as if pondering something.
When the couple returned to Wutong Garden, it was already past midnight.
Lord Gu was quite tired from all the commotion today. He had originally wanted to be intimate with his young wife, but now he had lost interest.
After a quick wash and changing into their nightgowns, the two lay down on the bed.
Lord Gu opened his arms and embraced Qin Yuan, burying his face in the fragrance of her hair. His heart softened, and he wished he could stay with his little wife for the rest of his life, far away from all that messy stuff.
Unfortunately, Qin Yuan said, "My lord, what my sixth brother said just now reminded me of something."
Gu Jinghui rolled over and lay flat, opening his tired eyes in the darkness to stare at the canopy above the bed and sighed.
"If you, like your sixth brother, think that they will inevitably be ungrateful when they grow up, then don't say anything. I only ask to have a clear conscience now. I cannot control what they will become in the future."
Qin Yuan smiled and said, "My sixth brother and I are not the same."
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