Chapter 473 Worrying Life
Maybe it was because of blood ties or because she had only seen this old lady so far, but she actually remembered her grandmother's face.
Her palms were covered with sweat, her fingertips subconsciously grasped the hem of her skirt, and even her voice trembled a little: "Thank you, grandma."
"Oh, you kid!" Grandma patted the back of her hand, her tone a little resentful, but her eyes were as soft as cotton. "You've only been away for a few days, so why are you so polite to an old woman when you come back? You used to call me 'Grandma' so crisply."
These words made Yue'er's ears turn red instantly. She quickly lowered her head and stared at the tip of her shoes, feeling helpless.
She really didn't know how to get along with her family. She was afraid of being too casual and seeming disrespectful, but also afraid of being too polite and alienating them. She could only freeze in place, even her fingertips tensed.
"Come on, come on, go inside quickly, it's windy outside." Grandma pulled her into the yard without asking any more questions.
As soon as I entered the courtyard, I heard my aunt Su's loud voice ringing in the house. "Jiayue is back! Come out and see!"
In fact, she didn't need to shout, because the family had already heard the noise and came out of the house.
There were men in coarse shorts, women in aprons, and children jumping around. Suddenly, they surrounded them in a circle. Yue'er was dazzled by the sight and subconsciously shrank closer to Jiang Luli. Her head began to ache slightly.
She really can't tell who is who!
"Don't be afraid, I'll explain them one by one." Gu Jiayue noticed her panic and quickly comforted her in her mind, her tone as patient as if she were coaxing a child. "Take a deep breath and wait, just like when I helped the lady receive guests in the Marquis' Mansion before, it's okay."
Yue'er took a deep breath obediently, and the air slid through her throat, making her calm down a little.
She remembered that when she was in the Marquis' Mansion, when there was a party at home, she, as the eldest daughter, had to help receive the guests.
Every time Hua Chao would stand behind her and remind her in a low voice while passing her tea.
"This is the wife of Lord Li from the Ministry of Personnel. She likes to talk about orchids."
"That's the daughter of Minister Wang from the Ministry of Rites. I talked to you about the Book of Songs last time."
It's not that she can't remember things, she just can't match names with faces. As long as she knows the identity of the person in front of her, she can respond naturally and never make a mistake.
Although Hua Chao is not around now, fortunately Sister Gu is there as a "little reminder" in my mind, so I should be able to cope with it.
"Glad you're back, glad you're back!" A woman in a blue apron came forward and greeted everyone with a smile, "Hurry up and sit down. Don't stand in the yard. I just made some tea."
"This is mother Li." Gu Jiayue's voice sounded in time.
Yue'er looked up at Li, and her eyes instantly turned red.
Compared to the well-maintained appearance of the Marquis' wife, her biological mother looked much older.
Although he was in his early forties, his eyes were already covered with fine wrinkles, and his hands had become a little rough and floury at the knuckles from years of work.
Yue'er moved her fingers, wanting to reach out and touch the corner of her mother's eyes, but she didn't dare. She could only whisper, "Mom..."
Mrs. Li was stunned for a moment, then smiled and nodded, her eyes a little red. She quickly turned around to serve tea. "Hey! Are you tired? You don't even have the energy to speak. Sit down quickly. No need for help. I'll pour you some tea right away!"
As Li finished speaking, a teenage girl approached with a tray containing several cups of steaming tea. Her steps were brisk, her eyes sparkling, and she looked incredibly clever. "Master Jiang, teachers, please have some tea!"
"This is your younger sister, Gu Zhigeng, who has the same father and mother as you." Gu Jiayue reminded again.
Yue'er took a closer look and found that Gu Zhigeng's eyebrows and eyes were 70% similar to hers. Especially that small mouth, it was as if they were carved from the same mold.
Gu Zhigeng noticed her gaze and turned back to wink at her playfully, then leaned close to her ear and whispered softly, "Sister, I know you don't like strong tea, so I made you some honey water. I'll bring it to you right away!"
This quirky look made Yue'er couldn't help but laugh, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, and the tension in her eyes also dissipated a lot.
With their arrival, the Gu family's yard instantly became lively, as if it was injected with vitality.
The eldest and second uncles pulled two old hens from the chicken coop in the backyard. The eldest uncle's knife slashed, and the chicken blood dripped down the rim of the bowl. The eldest and second aunts, Mrs. Su and Mrs. Sun, quickly brought two basins of hot water and squatted beside the stone slabs in the yard to pluck the chickens' feathers. Their fingers flew, and they quickly pulled out a handful.
Gu Zhigeng and his cousin Gu Bailu surrounded their uncle, tilting their heads and acting like a spoiled child. "Uncle, can you give us the most beautiful feathers from the chicken? We want to make shuttlecocks!"
"I've saved them for you!" The uncle smiled and picked up a few colorful feathers from the stone next to him and handed them to the two little girls. "Take them and play with them. But don't go near the basin of water. Be careful not to get burned."
"Thank you, uncle! Uncle is the best!" Gu Zhigeng and Gu Bailu took the feathers and ran away happily.
"Stop!" Second Uncle put his hands on his hips and shouted in mock anger, "You two heartless little girls! And what about me? Can't you see me? I picked wild strawberries for you yesterday!"
Gu Bailu turned around, chuckled, and stood on tiptoe to pat Second Uncle's arm. "Dad, why are you still jealous of First Uncle? You're like a little kid!"
"That's right, second uncle, shame on you!" Gu Zhigeng also joined in the fun and made a face.
"Alright, alright, stop it!" Second aunt Sun poked her head out of the kitchen, holding a vegetable in her hand. "Come in and help me wash the vegetables. The chicken will be in the pot soon!"
"Here we come!" The two little girls jumped into the kitchen like butterflies.
After a while, the delicious aroma of chicken wafted out of the kitchen, mixed with the freshness of vegetables. The whole yard was filled with the fragrance of food, which made people drool.
Jiang Luli's eyes were always on Yue'er, worried that she would feel uncomfortable because of the unfamiliar environment and people.
But after observing for a while, he found that Yue'er gradually relaxed. Her eyes would turn red when she talked to her mother, she would smile when she joked with Gu Zhigeng, and she would respond softly to the elders' concern.
He breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps this was the blood relationship. Even if he had lost his memory, his body would subconsciously be close to his family.
At this moment, Song Qiquan and Fang Yuezhu stepped forward, bowed to Gu Jiayue, and spoke sincerely. "Master Gu, our term as trainee teachers has expired, but we don't want to leave Qiushi Academy. We'd like to continue teaching there and study with you and Master Jiang. Do you agree?"
Both of them were scholars. According to the latest regulations of the court, after passing the scholar examination, if they wanted to continue to participate in the provincial examination, they had to teach in a school for more than four months, perform well during this period, and also needed the signature and evaluation of the school principal.
Those who judged poorly had to continue teaching and could not take part in the provincial examination; only those whose judging scores were above average could qualify for the provincial examination.
In fact, they have been at Qiushi Academy for a long time, far exceeding the four-month term.
Because of drought and plague, the school had suspended classes for a period of time. Gu Jiayue had clearly stated at the time that she could write "excellent" on their evaluation forms, allowing them to directly qualify for the provincial examination, but they refused. After discussion, they decided to stay for another four months.
They didn't hide their thoughts and continued, "We feel that the Qiushi Academy's library contains a lot of knowledge that we haven't encountered before. There are also learned people like Master Gu Yuchuan and Master Du. We can learn a lot from communicating with them."
Now Jiang Shanchang has also returned. He was a child prodigy who could compose poetry at the age of three. If they could get his guidance, their chances of passing the imperial examination would be better.
They had heard of Jiang Luli's reputation a long time ago, and it was a rare opportunity for them to receive guidance from such a person.
Gu Jiayue quickly explained the situation to Yue'er in her mind. "They're all good kids. They don't have any bad intentions. They just want to learn more. Please agree to their request and tell them they don't have to teach anymore. After the college entrance examination is over, there will definitely be students in our school who will pass the examination and become scholars. Then we can let the new scholars teach. There will be less of a shortage of teachers, and they can focus on preparing for the provincial examination."
Yue'er nodded, straightened her back, and said to Song Qiquan and Fang Yuezhu, imitating the teacher she remembered, "Just stay here and relax. You won't need to take classes anymore. I'll arrange a separate class for you. Master Du and Jiang Shanzhang will teach you about the provincial examination. Just focus on preparing for it."
After she finished speaking, she turned to look at Jiang Luli, her eyes slightly questioning: "What do you think, Mr. Jiang?"
Jiang Luli naturally wouldn't refuse.
Although he had his own selfish motives for coming to Taohua Village and staying in Qiushi Academy, since he chose to stay and be a teacher, he would do his part well.
What's more, he is a powerful prince, and it is his duty to train talents for the court.
In a few years, when his incompetent cousin ascends the throne, these learned people will be able to enter the court and help his cousin stabilize the situation.
If there is no injection of fresh blood, his cousin will be killed by those old ministers in a few years!
He sighed helplessly in his heart, he really was a worrier.
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