Chapter 151 Jasmine Blossoms
In the sweltering heat of midsummer, the back garden of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion remained a cool and refreshing sight. A stream of flowing water, channeled from beside the artificial hill, murmured gently, bringing a touch of coolness. Most striking of all were the dozens of jasmine plants planted along the covered walkway. At their peak bloom, the verdant leaves were dotted with countless white buds, some already in full bloom, releasing a delicate and intoxicating fragrance. This subtle aroma, neither overpowering nor overpowering, lingered in every corner of the courtyard, even making the sweltering air seem refreshed.
Today is Gu Mingzhu's first birthday.
Before dawn, the mansion was already bustling with activity. Servants were quietly arranging the halls, hanging colorful silks, and setting up incense tables. Su Wanrou personally went to the small kitchen to oversee the cooks preparing the various items for the baby's first birthday celebration and the dishes for the evening's family banquet. Although she didn't plan a grand celebration and only invited a few close relatives, all the proper etiquette had to be observed.
Gu Yangui had also taken a day off and was sitting by the window watching the wet nurse dress Mingzhu in a brand-new red silk brocade shirt with a hundred children design and tiger-head shoes. The little girl was dressed up like a lucky doll from a New Year's painting, fair and plump, with a pair of almond-shaped eyes that looked just like Su Wanrou's, her eyes sparkling with curiosity about her new clothes and the busy crowd around her. Every now and then, she would reach out her chubby little hands to grab the pearl hairpin in the wet nurse's hair.
"Zhuzhu, you can't be naughty today." Gu Yangui smiled and reached out his hand to his daughter.
When Mingzhu saw her father, she immediately opened her arms and babbled, wanting to be held. Gu Yangui took her in, and the little girl nestled comfortably against his broad chest, her tiny hand instinctively grabbing the buttons on his clothes.
"Daddy," Mingzhu looked up and called out in her childish voice, her words already quite clear.
"Mmm," Gu Yangui's heart softened, and he lowered his head to rub his chin against his daughter's soft hair. "Zhuzhu is one year old today, she's a big girl now."
At 9:00 AM, the auspicious time has arrived.
In the main hall, ancestral tablets were enshrined on an altar, laden with fruits, pastries, and all sorts of delicacies. A thick, scarlet carpet covered the floor, upon which sat a huge square table of rosewood inlaid with mother-of-pearl and ruyi patterns. The table was overflowing with items used for the baby's first birthday celebration: ancient books, seals, writing brushes and ink, an abacus, coins, account books, a small bow and arrows, rouge and powder, jewelry, embroidery thread... dozens of items in total, all polished to a gleaming shine.
Holding Mingzhu, Gu Yangui stood side by side with Su Wanrou before the altar, first burning incense to pay respects to their ancestors. Ten-year-old Mingxuan, holding the hand of four-year-old Gu Sheng, stood quietly behind their parents, their little faces full of solemnity. Gu Sheng, on the other hand, couldn't contain himself and stood on tiptoe to try and see what was on the table.
After the ceremony, Gu Yangui gently placed Mingzhu in the center of the carpet and said softly, "Zhuzhu, go and pick one you like."
All eyes were fixed on the little snowball in the red shirt. Mingzhu sat on the soft carpet, blinking her big eyes, curiously examining the glittering, oddly shaped objects before her. She looked at this one, then at that one, seemingly having some difficulty making a choice.
Su Wanrou couldn't help but feel a little nervous, and subconsciously clenched the handkerchief in her hand. Although the first birthday celebration is just for good luck and can't be taken seriously, as parents, they always have some beautiful expectations.
Mingzhu tilted her head and thought for a moment, then crawled towards the small, gem-encrusted dagger. Gu Yangui's eyebrows twitched slightly, and the close relatives watching the ceremony also let out a low gasp of surprise. Could this delicate little girl actually have the spirit of a heroine in the future?
To everyone's surprise, Mingzhu reached out her chubby little hand, touched the cool gemstone on the dagger sheath, and then lost interest, instead crawling towards the rouge box beside her. She picked up the delicate enamel box, shook it, and heard the sloshing sound of the rouge inside. Finding it amusing, she grinned, revealing a few small white teeth.
The women laughed and said, "It seems our young lady will be a beauty enthusiast in the future."
However, Mingzhu put down the rouge box after playing with it for a while. Her gaze was drawn to something inconspicuous on the corner of the table—a round fan with a white jade frame and a silk gauze surface, embroidered with several elegant jasmine flowers. This was originally used by Su Wanrou in the summer, but she thought the design was appropriate for the occasion, so she casually placed it among the items for her first birthday celebration.
Mingzhu seemed particularly interested in the pure white jasmine flowers. She crawled over on all fours, reached out her little hand, grabbed the round fan, and hugged it tightly to her chest, refusing to let go. She even tried to smell the fragrance of the flowers on the fan, her little nose twitching, which amused everyone.
"Oh my, our young lady loves flowers!"
"This jasmine embroidery is so skillfully done, no wonder the children love it."
Su Wanrou looked at her daughter, who was hugging a fan embroidered with jasmine and smiling so broadly her eyes disappeared. A slight thought stirred in her heart. She and Gu Yangui exchanged a glance, both seeing the same idea in each other's eyes.
After the baby's first birthday celebration, everyone came forward to offer their congratulations, saying auspicious things such as "May the arrival of Jasmine bring fragrance to the whole house" and "The young lady has discerning eyes and will surely be of noble character in the future."
The afternoon family dinner was warm and lively. Mingzhu, held by her wet nurse, also symbolically tasted a few bites of the well-cooked longevity noodles specially prepared for her. She seemed to really enjoy the lively atmosphere, full of energy and showing no signs of sleepiness.
After the banquet ended and the guests were seen off, the sun was already setting. The summer heat subsided slightly, and a cool evening breeze brought with it the increasingly rich fragrance of jasmine under the eaves.
Gu Yangui and Su Wanrou sat in the garden pavilion, holding Mingzhu, who was a little tired from playing. Mingzhu leaned against her mother's chest, still clutching the round fan in her little hand, her eyelids already starting to droop.
"After the banquet," Su Wanrou gently patted her daughter and whispered, "Zhuzhu grabbed this jasmine fan today, and I suddenly thought, how about giving her a nickname, 'Mo'er'?"
"Mo'er..." Gu Yangui repeated softly, his gaze falling on his daughter's peaceful sleeping face, then looking at the jasmine blossoms outside the pavilion quietly exuding fragrance in the twilight. "Gu Mingzhu, her nickname is Mo'er. Good, this name is very good. Pure white as jade, with a clear and far-reaching fragrance, she doesn't compete or fight, yet she has her own fragrance. May our daughter be like that too."
Su Wanrou smiled sweetly: "That's exactly what I meant."
At this moment, Mingxuan led Gu Sheng over. Gu Sheng, his little face flushed from running, held up a freshly picked, budding jasmine branch and presented it to Su Wanrou like a treasure: "Mommy, here! It smells so good!"
Su Wanrou took the flower branch, held it to her nose and sniffed it lightly, then smiled and said, "Thank you, Sheng'er, it smells so good."
Mingxuan walked to his father's side, looked at his sleeping sister, and whispered, "Father, has my sister's nickname been decided?"
“Yes,” Gu Yangui nodded, “call her Mo’er.”
"Mo'er," Mingxuan murmured softly, his gaze towards his younger sister filled with brotherly affection, "It sounds so beautiful."
As night deepened, the wet nurse carried the sleeping Mingzhu back to her room. Gu Yangui and Su Wanrou, however, were not sleepy and strolled hand in hand in the courtyard. The moonlight, like water, shone on the blooming jasmine flowers, making the pure white blossoms seem to be enveloped in a soft halo, tranquil and beautiful.
“Time flies,” Su Wanrou said softly, leaning on Gu Yangui’s arm. “In the blink of an eye, Zhuzhu is already a year old. I remember this time last year, she was still an infant…”
Gu Yangui put his arm around her shoulder, his voice low and gentle: "Yes, the children are growing up, and we are getting old too."
"Who said you're old?" Su Wanrou looked up and glared at him. In the moonlight, his well-defined profile was still handsome, but he had a more composed demeanor than when he was young.
Gu Yangui chuckled and hugged her even tighter: "With you and the children by my side, even when I'm old, I'll be content."
The two stopped in front of the row of jasmine flowers. A night breeze blew by, making the fragrance of the flowers even more intoxicating.
"This jasmine, you planted it yourself the year we got married." Su Wanrou recalled the past, her tone filled with nostalgia. "You said that the fragrance of jasmine is refreshing, just like me."
Gu Yangui hummed in agreement, his gaze gentle: "Now it seems that Mo'er is more like you. She looks like you, and now she seems to have a quiet and well-behaved nature as well."
Su Wanrou felt a sweet warmth in her heart and rested her head on his shoulder. The couple fell silent, simply enjoying the beauty of the summer night. The air was filled with the fragrance of jasmine, and also with the tranquil and profound happiness that life had brought them together.
Jasmine blossoms, year after year. May this happiness, as pure and lasting as the fragrance of flowers, continue forever, accompanying their precious daughter in peace, joy, and a lifetime of fragrance.
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