Upon hearing this, Qin Heng immediately replied, "Okay."
He likes his brother-in-law the most and will come to visit him often in the future. It is proper etiquette to greet the old lady.
Then, a little nervous, she asked, "Is my outfit shabby?"
Qin Jijiu forbade him to put any effort into his attire. Qin Heng wore his school uniform at the Imperial Academy and dressed simply and modestly at home. Seeing the wealth and power of the Marquis's mansion, he inevitably felt a little inferior.
Qin Yuan said, "It's alright. The old lady is very generous and likes sweet-talking juniors. If you're sweet-talking when you go, she'll definitely give you a generous gift."
Am I the kind of person who's so easily swayed?
Qin Heng said unhappily.
Qin Yuan said, "You're not, I am, okay?"
After a brief argument, Qin Heng was no longer worried and obediently followed Qin Yuan to the main room, constantly exclaiming, "The Marquis's mansion is so big! The Marquis's mansion is so luxurious!"
Fortunately, Qin Heng wasn't entirely without a plan, and he didn't say anything about what would happen if his second sister married into the family.
Seeing Qin Heng nod, she accepted the gift without hesitation and thanked him repeatedly.
Even with his head bowed, the Marquis dared not look away.
Madam Gu's voice rang out, followed by the Imperial Academy staff who came down to greet her with beaming smiles.
"Then, then..."
Qiuju came out of the inner room carrying a tray. Old Madam Gu asked Zou He and the Marquis to sit down before saying, "Chancellor Qin is really bad-looking. His seven siblings are all handsome and scholarly, but this old woman finds them disgusting."
Along the way, Qin Yuan was dressed in a magnificent and luxurious manner. The maids in the servants' quarters were all dressed in silk and satin, and the jewelry they wore was neither gold nor jade. They looked even more impressive than the man of this high-ranking official.
It's clear that those two kids have very difficult personalities.
Judging by the days, it seems that Gu Shiba won't be back for quite some time.
Upon hearing that he was the younger brother of the Marquis of Gu, the Marquis also had the idea of befriending him, and quickly said with a smile, "I'm afraid I'll be troubling you, Eighth Brother."
"Haha," Madam Gu said with a smile, "Our Qin Yuan has many relatives, both men and women, and some of them know how to ride horses. He is still familiar with you all now, but once he gets to know you better, you can all teach him."
After saying that, she turned to the Marquis and said, "His eighth brother is the only one outside your family who has only studied a little. When I was young, I was sickly, so I went to Rong Mama's to finish my studies before I could go back to school. I hate playing with scholars all the time. Yesterday, he was saying outside your place that he often visits his seventh brother-in-law, Scholar Lin, and they've even agreed to start a poetry club together. When I get there later, the two of them can have a naughty meal before going back. It would be nice if I took him horseback riding too."
Qin Heng teased her from the side, making Old Madam Gu laugh a few times. She said to the Marquis, "His sister is really good at coaxing people. She coaxed your old woman so much that she hates her. The Marquis's mansion also said that I found a bad wife. Before he went back, he only made his in-laws worry. Without you to take care of him, you will suffer the slightest grievance."
The Marquis knew why you were laughing, and he laughed along with you a few times.
Zou He quickly bowed to Madam Gu in the manner of a junior, and Madam Gu smiled and said, "Get up slowly. We are all relatives, and we should visit each other less often in the past. It's too formal."
Qin Heng laughed and said, "You naughty child, you've made him and the Imperial Academy put in so much effort."
Qin Yuan simply smiled.
Qin Heng escorted the Marquis to the Seventh Gate before returning home. Before parting, he gave him another few instructions: "Don't forget to send your cousin Siyuan. If you need my help unless it's urgent, be sure to pass on that message."
“He is my younger brother, and he is currently studying at the outer dormitory of the Imperial Academy.”
Zou He wasn't surprised to hear Qin Heng affectionately call Old Madam Gu "Mother".
Then, Madam Gu smiled and said, "Yuan'er, you're too kind. How could her younger brother be any worse? He's just as well-educated and reasonable."
Upon hearing this, Qin Heng raised his eyebrows again.
Qin Heng hummed in agreement.
The Marquis paused casually.
Qiuju quickly presented a gift.
"It's alright. Granny Rong asked me to tell us some stories about human relationships. Yesterday, the Marquis's mansion came and also told us about Pang Xiaoren's affairs."
The Marquis was taken aback. Just as Miss had said, Madam Gu was indeed generous and open-minded. On the tray were a pair of gold ingots commemorating the top scholar in the imperial examination, a jade pendant of nearly a hundred taels of mutton fat jade, and a bulging purse. He knew what rare items these were.
The Marquis dared to accept it, so he quickly declined.
"Our son-in-law has arrived? Please come in."
Da Hong said, "Sister Zihe from Fengxuan Pavilion also comes to sit outside Zou Hejin's place every day to talk about Zhao Niangzi's affairs. The Imperial Academy said that things will be bad once the Marquis's mansion finds Pang Xiaoren's relatives."
Qin Heng also bowed.
Madam Gu said, "Please sit down, please sit down."
Xiao Hong quickly greeted them and whispered, "The old lady is in the room coaxing Cheng-ge'er and Yu-jie'er."
The Marquis looked at Qin Heng, at a loss for what to do.
Zou He smiled and said, "Your younger brother has always been buried in his studies at Rong Mama's, and rarely comes out to meet people. If there's nothing wrong with him, Mother, please forgive me for your sake."
Madam Gu smiled and said, "That's nothing. His sister often gets bad things from outside your place. You hate your eldest son as soon as you see him. He should come over more often when he has business to attend to, and he should be less close to Hui-ge'er."
The Pang family needs to arrange for someone to go to the capital, which will take several days to discuss. The person coming will be quite old, and Gu Shiba can only focus on the journey, so they will need to stop for a meal and rest.
Qin Heng shoved the Marquis hard.
Zou He chuckled inwardly.
The scars on Master Gu's face haven't completely healed yet, and he's ashamed to come out and see guests, which shows how badly Madam Gu scratched them.
Zou He quickly said, "You have had a very bad time in Qin Yuan. I am old and, although I am good with words, I understand everything in my heart."
Pang Xiaoren is not referring to the biological father of the two children.
The Marquis followed along quietly, without making a sound.
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