"Thank you for reminding me, Aunt Yu. I'm so grateful for all the trouble you've gone through these years, always making offerings and sacrifices. I'll always remember your kindness." Unlike his confrontational attitude towards Gu Chonghu, Gu Shaoyong was gentle with Yan Ruyu, even wearing a smile on his face.
Of course, this doesn't mean he was truly grateful to Yan Ruyu. In fact... he genuinely hoped to repay Yan Ruyu for all her "good intentions." Including! The sacrificial ceremony!
Yan Ruyu understood perfectly. Although a flash of resentment crossed her mind, the smile on her face grew even gentler: "My child, what's this talk of hardship? It's all part of Aunt Yu's job. Men are responsible for external affairs, and women for internal affairs. Your grandfather is out there directing the nation, working tirelessly for the prosperity of China. I can only help him by taking good care of the household chores so that he can have some peace of mind when he comes home."
"I can't do any more than that."
As she spoke, she gave Gu Chonghu a 'gentle' look.
Gu Chonghu was clearly very receptive to this, and looked at Yan Ruyu and said, "Fourth brother did say something sensible. You have indeed worked hard managing the household affairs all these years, and he should remember the kindness of his stepmother."
As she spoke, she looked at Gu Shaoyong and said, "Didn't you hear what your Aunt Yu said? Hurry up and go back to your room to wash up, and then go to offer incense to your mother. It's getting late, and your eldest brother should be back soon. You two brothers are now my only two remaining sons, Gu Chonghu. Have a good drink and a chat later. Although it is said that brothers are related by blood and that even if the bones are broken, they are still connected by tendons, we can't really ignore each other. Let's connect and strengthen our bond."
"Relationships are built through interaction. You two brothers have too few opportunities to talk together, so you need to get to know each other better. Otherwise, when you go out, people will think that the Gu brothers are at odds, which will only make us a target for others."
Gu Shaoyong smiled noncommittally, nodded randomly, and said, "Then Huiyu and I will go back to our room to freshen up."
Without waiting for Gu Chonghu to say anything more, she took Zhou Huiyu and left gracefully.
Even in the heart of Beijing, where land is incredibly valuable, the Gu family, as one of the four major families in China, occupies a vast area. In addition to the main building, the Gu family also has many smaller buildings arranged in a staggered pattern, one for each adult male of the Gu family.
Therefore, although Gu Shaoyong said he was going back to his room, he was actually going back to his own small building.
Although Gu Shaoyong had previously seemed somewhat resigned to his fate due to disillusionment, he had actually managed his territory quite well. While not flawless, it was practically impenetrable.
The servants and guards in the small building are ostensibly all Gu family members, but in reality, they are all his own people.
So, as soon as she returned to the small building where Gu Shaoyong belonged, Zhou Huiyu relaxed a bit and even breathed a sigh of relief.
“Actually, you don’t need to be so nervous.” Gu Shaoyong smiled at Zhou Huiyu and said, “No matter what they think, after all these years, the old man should know my determination and be prepared to compromise, so he won’t let anything happen to you again. Especially not in the Gu family compound.”
"Those people may have some influence, but they mostly rely on the old man's power. If the old man doesn't agree... not to mention far away, at least in the capital, they can't cause too much trouble."
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