It was past noon, and the sun was blazing overhead.
As soon as her two aunts left, Gu Qianlu hurriedly went to the bathroom to wash and change.
Today is my first formal visit to the eldest son and sister-in-law since I entered the family, so I must not be careless about my attire.
She carefully selected a more dignified accessory from her makeup box, then, as if something else had occurred to her, she turned to look at Xiao Cui beside her and said,
"Xiao Cui, go and see for yourself if the kitchen has made any sweet soup today."
If you have any, please bring a portion in a food box and take it to Baixiangju later.
"Don't worry, Miss! Cui'er will definitely complete the task well!" After saying that, Xiao Cui ran towards the kitchen with the food box.
In a moment, Xiao Cui walked into the room carrying two boxes of pastries in her left hand and a bucket of sweet soup in her right, a smug and delighted smile on her face, boasting...
"Miss, you're so lucky! When I got there, these were all that were left!"
The kitchen manager said that if we had come any later, there wouldn't have been even a scrap of soup left.
Upon hearing this, Gu Qianluo smiled happily and took out thirty copper coins from her purse, placing them in Xiao Cui's hand.
"You've worked hard! This is a reward for you!"
Xiao Cui took the tip and quickly hid it in her sleeve pocket, reminding her, "Miss, it's time to go!"
Gu Qianlu nodded, took a step towards the door, and hurried as fast as she could, finally arriving at Baixiangju before 3:15 PM.
The Baixiang Residence of the Marquis's Mansion is located on the east side of the mansion. It is a courtyard with scenery as beautiful as a landscape painting, and it is also the largest residence in the mansion.
Before Gu Qianluo even reached the door, she saw an older nanny coming out to greet her from afar, and a faint smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.
"This old servant greets the Second Madam. I am a first-class maid at Baixiangju, and they all call me Granny Liu."
"This servant is acting on the orders of the First Madam and has come specifically to greet you."
"Thank you for your trouble, Granny Liu!" Gu Qianlu nodded slightly and glanced at Xiao Cui beside her.
Xiao Cui was always quick-witted, and Gu Qianluo understood her meaning immediately with just a glance.
Xiao Cui took out some reward money from her prepared purse and handed it to Granny Liu, saying,
"Granny Liu, these are sweets that my mistress specially prepared for the eldest young master and his wife. I wonder if the eldest wife would like them?"
Granny Liu glanced at it, a faint smile on her lips, and reached out to take the sweet box.
"Second Madam is so thoughtful! Our First Madam loves sweets the most, and I think she will definitely like them too."
"That's good." Gu Qianlu nodded in satisfaction.
"Second Madam, the First Madam is already waiting in the flower hall. Please follow this old servant."
"Thank you for your trouble, Granny."
As Gu Qianluo and Granny Liu passed through the simple and elegant carved octagonal gate, a picturesque scene immediately unfolded before their eyes.
The residence is filled with pavilions and towers, and the fragrant lotus pond is dotted with strangely shaped rocks and artificial hills.
They walked along the winding stone path towards the main courtyard. The place was quiet and serene, with lush grass and fragrant flowers, like entering a paradise, which was very pleasant.
A moment later, Gu Qianluo followed Granny Liu to the flower hall.
Zhang was seen studying needlework with a graceful young girl. Gu Qianlu raised an eyebrow, turned to look at Granny Liu, and asked, "Granny, who is this young lady?"
"Reporting to Second Madam, this is our First Madam's niece from her maternal family. She comes to keep the doctor company every day after school to relieve his boredom."
Zhang, with her keen hearing, looked up at the sound and smiled faintly, saying...
"Oh! Second sister-in-law is here! Come over here and sit down! Yushan, this is the second brother's new bride I told you about. Come forward and greet her."
"Qianlu greets you, sister-in-law. I was delayed by some matters in the courtyard and have only just arrived. I hope you will forgive me."
"What are you saying, sister-in-law? We're all family, there's no need to be so polite."
Sister-in-law, this is my niece, Yushan, from my maternal family.
Upon hearing this, Chen Yushan slowly stood up and curtsied to Gu Qianluo, saying, "Yushan greets the Second Madam."
"No need for formalities. Yu Shan loves sweets, so I brought some over today."
After saying this, Granny Liu placed the food box on the table.
"Oh! Isn't this Yushan's favorite apple shaved ice? Sister-in-law, you're so thoughtful."
After Zhang finished speaking, she took out two boxes of sweet soup from the food box, placed them on the table, and began to enjoy them.
Gu Qianlu raised an eyebrow, seeing Zhang's delight, and took out some pastries from another food box, saying,
"Sister-in-law, Yushan, Qianluo also brought some desserts. Would you like to try them?"
"My lady, Shan'er, what are you eating? Why didn't you tell your husband about the good food?"
Suddenly, a clear and bright voice came from behind.
Upon hearing the sound, Gu Qianluo turned her head and saw a handsome and elegant man in white walking in through the main gate of the flower hall.
The man's facial features are quite similar to Chen Jinheng's; from a distance, one might mistake him for Chen Jinheng.
However, when the person walked in, she realized that his temperament and eyes were the complete opposite of Chen Jinheng's.
Zhang's eyes narrowed slightly. Seeing the man approaching, she quickly stepped forward, took his hand, and said...
"Jinran, did the school end so early today?"
"Yes, I heard that we have distinguished guests visiting today, so I closed the classroom early and came to see them. Madam, who is this gentleman?"
Madam? It seems this man is Chen Jinran, the eldest son of the Marquis's mansion.
Most of the three generations of the Marquis of Zhongyong's family were born into military families, but Chen Jinran was the only exception.
In her previous life, Gu Qianluo had heard her stepmother, Madam Lu, mention this person when she returned to her parents' home.
He was born to the Marquis's first wife. He was frail and sickly from a young age, but this did not stop him from pursuing an official career. He won second place in the imperial examination on his second attempt and was promoted to Hanlin Compiler by the Hanlin Academy, where he was in charge of compiling historical records and lecturing at the Imperial Lectures.
However, due to years of working tirelessly day and night, he eventually couldn't take it anymore and retired from his official career ahead of schedule.
I heard that he opened a school at home, specifically to recruit sons of high-ranking families who were unwilling to attend academies, and he was quite famous among officials.
"This is your second sister-in-law, Gu Qianluo."
Upon hearing the sound, Chen Jinran walked gracefully to Gu Qianluo, cupped his hands in greeting, and...
"I've heard that Miss Gu is a beauty of unparalleled grace and charm, and seeing her today confirms it. I am Jinheng's elder brother, it's a pleasure to meet you!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Qianlu smiled slightly, curtsied, and said,
"Qianlu greets elder brother! Elder brother is too kind. Sister-in-law's beauty is truly breathtaking!"
Gu Qianluo glanced at the man's expression and condition, noting that he did not appear as weak and frail as the rumors suggested.
On the contrary, when I listened to him speak, I felt that he was radiant and full of energy.
Seeing Gu Qianluo's uncertain expression, Zhang raised an eyebrow, affectionately took Gu Qianluo's hand, and said with a smile in her eyes,
"Luo'er, you're so funny. I don't know why, but every time I see you, I feel like we've known each other for a long time."
"Actually, Qianluo feels the same way. Every time I meet my kind and amiable sister-in-law, I feel like we've known each other for ages."
"Ahem, ahem, since Madam and Second Sister-in-law have such a good relationship, let's stay for dinner tonight."
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