Granny Zhang could not fathom her inner thoughts. Her gratitude was evident in her words. After calming herself down, she asked in confusion, "Madam, the eldest daughter and Miss Huaiyu have not expressed their gratitude to you. Why do you still go to such lengths? In my humble opinion, it would be better to just keep it superficial. That way, you can still gain a reputation for benevolence."
When Granny Zhang said these words, her attitude was completely different from before. Previously, she had been somewhat wary and respectful, but now, it was entirely out of concern for Gu Qinlan.
After spending some time with the two girls from the Zheng family, she had a rather unpleasant impression of them.
She had never seen such an ungrateful person!
Her wife puts her whole heart into thinking about them, but what kind of faces do they have behind her back?
The lady is merely their sister-in-law and foster mother. Wouldn't it be wiser to do a little pretense, raise them to adulthood, and help them get married, in exchange for a good reputation, rather than doing things this way?
Gu Qinlan understood that Granny Zhang was genuinely speaking up for her out of pure sincerity, so she smiled and said, "Granny, ever since I stepped into the high walls of the Prince Duan's mansion, this honor has been inseparable from me. Countless eyes are secretly watching me. I had no intention of getting involved in this conflict, but they haven't committed any serious wrongdoing yet, and I can't stand idly by."
Granny Zhang sighed, with a hint of helplessness: "Madam's considerations are meticulous, but this old servant has not thought things through enough."
Gu Qinlan smiled gently at her: "I am grateful for your kindness, Granny. It is getting late, and you have suffered a lot today. I will have Fuyu accompany you back to rest. There is no need for us to rush our conversation."
Granny Zhang stood up and bowed respectfully to Gu Qinlan: "I dare not trouble Miss Fuyu. It is more appropriate for her to stay by Madam's side and take care of her. This old servant can go back on my own."
Gu Qinlan said casually, "It's alright. Let Fuyu accompany you back. It will also serve as a warning to the people there, so they don't get carried away and overstep the rules."
Unless Fuyu leaves, how can she calm down and carefully read the second half of the letter?
Granny Zhang thought that Gu Qinlan was worried that she would be embarrassed if she went back alone and would be ridiculed by the people in the eldest daughter's courtyard, so she had Fuyu accompany her to give her courage.
This misunderstanding moved Granny Zhang even more, and as she stepped out of the room, she couldn't help but secretly wipe away a tear.
She was strict and demanding throughout her life, and all the women who had been taught by her harbored resentment towards her. She originally thought that her later years would be as desolate as those of her other old sisters, but unexpectedly, it was the woman who had treated her most harshly who gave her warm care.
She is truly blessed!
Otherwise, how could he have encountered such a kind lady?
She secretly resolved to serve her mistress wholeheartedly and help her solve all her problems.
Little did Gu Qinlan know that she had quietly won over a loyal servant. At this moment, her mind was entirely focused on the latter half of the mysterious letter.
After everyone had left, she returned to her desk, picked up the letter, and continued to examine it.
She had expected the latter part of the letter to contain some embarrassing words, but to her surprise, the letter ended with a painting.
A painting depicting the sunset in northern Xinjiang.
On the vast Gobi Desert, military tents are scattered like stars, a fiery red sunset hangs in the sky, and the smoke rising from the military camps pierces the clouds.
This extremely simple painting captivated Gu Qinlan.
Is this the northern frontier where he is? Is this what the scenery of the northern frontier looks like? How she longs to witness that magnificent landscape for herself!
She will definitely achieve it in this lifetime.
When Fuyu brought Granny Zhang back, her gaze fell upon the painting, and she too was deeply attracted by it.
“Young lady, is this painting really by your son-in-law? It’s truly unexpected that he, a military general, could paint such exquisite works. Our son-in-law is truly a man of both literary and martial talents, an outstanding individual.”
Gu Qinlan smiled gently and replied, "Do you only know about his talent in both literature and martial arts?"
Fuyu nodded without hesitation: "My daughter's husband is naturally an outstanding hero, a paragon among men!"
Gu Qinlan pictured Zheng Dinglian's face in her mind and thought to herself that he truly deserved the reputation of being an outstanding person.
Fuyu asked, "Miss, would you like some writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone prepared?"
Gu Qinlan's gaze fell on the wound on her head, and she felt pity for her: "You should go and rest first. It's not advisable to travel these next few days. Leave any matters to the maids below."
If it weren't for the fact that Hongye's eloquence was inferior to Fuyu's, she wouldn't have made Fuyu go through all that trouble.
Fuyu replied firmly, "It's just a superficial wound, I don't feel any pain anymore. Miss, I'm not such a delicate person."
Gu Qinlan waved for her to leave: "Even if you are not delicate, you should rest in bed and recover as soon as possible so that you can better fulfill your duties."
After saying that, she called Hongye: "Take her back to her room to rest. If she refuses to rest, you should not rest either."
Hongye immediately took Fuyu away without hesitation.
Although Fuyu was unwilling, she could not break free from the pull of the red leaves and could only cry out in despair.
Gu Qinlan smiled as she watched them leave, then personally spread out the paper, moistened the brush tip, turned around, picked up the inkstone and ink stick, and began grinding ink.
She had originally planned to write to Zheng Dinglian to ask for medicine after returning home, and coincidentally, he sent her a letter, so she mentioned asking for medicine in her reply.
Before putting pen to paper, she first conceived the idea in her mind, and when she put pen to paper, her handwriting flowed as smoothly as flowing water.
Her handwriting is exceptionally beautiful, unlike the typical feminine style of young women, it reveals a unique boldness and grandeur.
Considering Zheng Dinglian's writing style, she guessed that he might not like overly ornate writing, so she also chose a straightforward vernacular style.
She gave a general account of the various events that had occurred in the household during this period, and provided detailed descriptions of the Zheng family's various owners.
Recalling the battlefield situation Zheng Dinglian mentioned in his letter, as well as his experience of being disfigured and seriously injured in his previous life, Gu Qinlan couldn't help but feel worried. In her letter, she specifically instructed: "War is merciless, and swords have no eyes. Please be cautious and prioritize safety."
After a moment's thought, she added, "I hope the Crown Prince will return safely."
At the end of the letter, she wrote down her request for medicine.
Gu Qinlan paused briefly when signing off, and Zheng Dinglian's letter was signed "Written by Fu Dinglian".
So she also neatly wrote down the four characters: “Wife Qinlan’s letter”, revealing deep emotions between the lines.
After the ink on the letter had completely dried, she carefully folded it and placed it in an envelope. On the elegant envelope, she wrote the words "To Zheng Dinglian" in her delicate handwriting.
Before night had fully fallen, Gu Qinlan decided to summon Jiang Ye.
Jiang Ye was very perceptive and knew that it was already night, so he did not step into Gu Qinlan's boudoir. Instead, he stood under the eaves and said humbly and politely, "Whatever Madam commands, Jiang Ye will obey."
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