the next day.
Remembering Lord Gu's instructions, Gu Shiliu delivered the firefly lanterns he had made to the main room, saying that the Lord and his wife had caught them the day before and that he was presenting them to the old lady and the children to play with.
Brother Cheng and Sister Yu cheered and surrounded them. Although it was daytime and they couldn't see clearly, they were already looking forward to the night falling.
“My godfather is so good. He thinks of us,” Cheng Ge’er said, holding the lamp, his lips parted in a smile but tears welled up in his eyes.
Yu-jie blinked and asked, "Brother, if this lamp is hung in the room, we can see it when we go to sleep at night, so we don't need to turn on the light?"
Cheng Ge'er replied, "Yes."
Yu Jie'er said quietly, "When we were in the northern frontier, we never saw these things. I never expected there to be so many fun things in the capital."
“Yes,” Cheng Ge’er sighed softly, glancing at his younger sister with a hesitant expression, his demeanor becoming more and more like that of an adult.
Madam Gu happily pulled Gu Shiliu aside and asked him questions again and again, becoming more and more satisfied with each question. Turning to Rong Mama, she said, "These two are truly a loving couple. Hui-ge'er used to dislike these things and always found them boring. Ah, putting everything else aside, their sentiment is truly rare."
“That’s right,” Rong Momo chimed in, “Madam can rest assured, the Marquis and his wife are a perfect match, and they will surely have many children and grandchildren in the future.”
Madam Gu smiled and said, "Did you hear that just now? Sixteen said that the Marquis was thinking about sending it here last night, but he thought it was too late and he didn't want to disturb us."
Rong Momo nodded.
Madam Gu's eyes showed satisfaction.
"Now that the world is at peace, Hui-ge'er has also made great contributions, bringing honor to our ancestors, and is becoming more and more popular. How wonderful! All thanks to Hao Yuan'er."
Rong Momo chimed in, "Since the Marquis got married, he has indeed changed a lot. It's true that a man is completely different when he's married and when he's not. Take my son-in-law, for example. He used to have a stern face and was always cold. He really lived up to his surname. Now he's very shrewd and knows how to handle interpersonal relationships. He always has a smile on his face. It's clear that the Marquis made the right choice in this marriage."
The more Madam Gu talked, the happier she became. She then ordered someone to find some of the good items she had saved up over the years to send to Qin Yuan.
Sixth Master Gu and Mr. Songshan received the lanterns last night. In addition, Sixteenth Master Gu thoughtfully told them the place in the mansion with the most fireflies, saying that when the two of them were inspired to write poetry, they could go there to enjoy the scenery.
"The ancients often said that fireflies are born from decaying grass, and places with abundant water and dense vegetation are indeed the places with the most fireflies." Mr. Songshan said, "I did not expect that the Marquis's residence had such a good place. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Marquis."
Gu Shiliu couldn't help but laugh and said, "Sir, you also know that our Marquis is a martial artist. These are all things that the Madam said. I also heard the Marquis mention that there is a Firefly Garden in Yangzhou, which was used by the emperors of the past to release fireflies."
“Yes,” Mr. Songshan said with some surprise, glancing at Gu Shiliu, “It was Emperor Yang of Sui.”
Gu Shiliu said he had never heard of this emperor, and then said, "The Marquis said that fireflies are poetic insects, and you literati love them the most. Oh, right, the Marquis also said that a place like the Firefly Garden is as good a place for scholars as a cockfighting arena is for spoiled brats. I am a rough man and don't know any of that. Sir, you have many stories in your belly. Could you tell me sometime?"
Mr. Songshan chuckled and said, "That's a long story. Let's wait until tomorrow. Don't you still need to deliver the lantern to Sixth Master?"
Gu Shiliu smiled and nodded, saying, "Then it's settled. I benefited a lot from listening to Mr. Songshan's story. Sixth Master is also a poet. If Mr. Songshan wants to go to appreciate insects, he can go with Sixth Master. There is also a good place in the manor to listen to insects. The Marquis and his wife have also gone to listen to them."
Upon hearing this, Mr. Songshan nodded and said, "The Marquis cherishes his wife, which is why he is engaging in this refined activity. No wonder the Marquis invited me to his residence to tell stories. As for the matter of watching fireflies and listening to insects, we can discuss it another day."
Gu Shiliu laughed and said, "Sir, you are truly amazing. You guessed it right away."
Mr. Matsuyama thought to himself, "What's so difficult about that? Anyone with eyes can probably figure it out if they stay in the mansion for a quarter of an hour."
Gu Jinghui's words and actions were those of a martial artist, yet his actions of admiring fireflies and listening to insects seemed entirely motivated by a desire to please the beauty.
That's understandable.
Lady Hou is as beautiful as a fairy, and she is also exceptionally talented and insightful. She is also very sensible and thorough in handling affairs. It is impossible for the Marquis not to cherish her. After all, who hasn't been young before?
However, Lord Gu fell in love much later than others.
Mr. Songshan thought for a moment and said, "I have long heard that the Marquis respects the Libationer Qin."
After seeing Gu Shiliu off, Mr. Songshan blew out the lamp and quietly watched the flickering fluorescent light.
After a long pause, a low sigh echoed from inside the room: "Perhaps we can stay in this Marquis's mansion for a while longer."
When Master Gu obtained the firefly lamp, the situation was quite different. Gu Shiliu clearly explained Qin Yuan's intention to win him over and get closer to Mr. Songshan.
Sixth Master Gu sighed, “Third Sister-in-law is thoughtful and meticulous in her actions. Mr. Songshan is capable of winning over Brother Siyuan, so he must be very talented. How could I let Third Sister-in-law down? Go back and tell Third Brother that I understand.”
Gu Shiliu said, "I think Mr. Songshan is quite interested in this. Why don't you invite him to have some wine and watch the fireflies, and compose a few poems? People develop a relationship with each other after a few visits. He is staying at the mansion for a while now, so it's a good opportunity for you to visit him more often."
Sixth Master Gu nodded.
In the evening, I invited Mr. Matsuyama to go firefly watching together.
Mr. Songshan had already read Master Gu's poetry collection and knew his level of skill. He wanted to refuse to go, but that would be too polite. If he went, he would find it boring.
He said, “Madam has returned the poems and notes I have written during my travels over the years, along with some of my thoughts, which I am currently studying.”
With a look of curiosity, Master Gu asked, "Mr. Songshan, may I take a look?"
Mr. Songshan handed over the poem, which Master Gu quickly took with both hands, gently unfolded, and read carefully.
Seeing this, Mr. Songshan's opinion of Master Gu improved considerably. He thought to himself that although this man was not very talented, he was not vulgar in his behavior and could treat this storyteller with courtesy. It would be good to have some dealings with him.
After a long while, Master Gu closed the poem and sighed, "Sir, you write good poems, and my third sister-in-law also discusses poetry well."
Mr. Songshan said calmly, “When Ye Mengde of the Song Dynasty was cooling off at Phoenix Pavilion, he was homesick and wrote: ‘Sometimes I see sparse stars falling on the painted eaves, and a few fireflies drifting by.’ The scenery in his poems is common, but what is rare is his ingenuity. It can be seen that with ingenuity, even ordinary scenery can be transformed into a fine line. The place in the Marquis’s mansion for watching fireflies must be far superior to this scene. It would be rather dull for just the two of us to watch it. If Sixth Master is willing, why not invite more people to enjoy it together and compose and discuss poetry? That would be a refined affair.”
At this, Master Gu's eyes widened immediately. He looked at Mr. Songshan and asked, "What do you think, sir? Should I start a poetry club in the mansion?"
Mr. Songshan thought for a moment and said, "If we were to start a poetry club in the mansion, we would have to invite other people to the mansion. Your third sister-in-law probably wouldn't come out to participate."
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