Chapter 956 Newlywed Life (Second Update)
At Fushou Courtyard, Old Madam Gu got up early, dressed herself up, and sat in the main hall waiting for her grandson and granddaughter-in-law to come and pay their respects.
She waited until the sun was high in the sky, but the person never showed up, and she chuckled.
Granny Zhang looked at her strangely: "Madam..."
Madam Gu covered her face with her handkerchief and said, "Who was on duty in Changqing's courtyard last night? Bring them here."
Granny Zhang went to Gu Changqing's courtyard and summoned a nanny surnamed Wu, who was the one who fetched water and ropes for Gu Changqing.
After entering Fushou Courtyard, Granny Wu immediately reported to Old Madam Gu that the young master had asked for water several times during the night and had requested various small props: "...I didn't realize that the young master was quite good at making trouble."
Upon hearing this, Madam Gu's smile vanished, and she frowned, saying, "Did you wear the person out of their body?"
Her grandson can't have such a strange hobby; it would ruin his reputation if word got out. Besides, his granddaughter-in-law is the daughter of the Yuan family, a truly noble and virtuous lady.
If anything goes wrong, don't explain it to the Yuan family.
Zhang Mama glanced at her mistress. Having served the old lady for many years, she knew her character all too well. The old lady valued social standing the most, and she would look down on women of low social status, no matter how gentle or virtuous they were, such as Yao Shi.
But the old lady was much more tolerant of daughters born into noble families.
The old lady was somewhat resentful when she failed to arrange a marriage with the Ling family, but upon hearing that she was to marry the eldest granddaughter of the chief minister Yuan, her displeasure vanished instantly.
Granny Wu dared not utter a sound.
She didn't know if it was damaged or not, and she couldn't go in to take a look. She just heard that it was quite noisy.
Granny Zhang smiled and said, "Madam, don't worry. Don't you know the young master? He's a caring person."
"You may leave now," said Old Madam Gu to Granny Wu.
"Yes." Granny Wu respectfully withdrew.
"I hope this doesn't really cause any trouble..." said Madam Gu worriedly.
"No, it won't happen," Zhang Mama said with a smile, handing Old Madam Gu a cup of tea to calm her nerves.
Madam Gu took the teacup, took a sip, and said, "I've heard that Baolin is a talented woman."
Her grandson was going to marry the daughter of the Yuan family, so she naturally had to investigate the girl's background carefully. She was shocked to find that the girl was well-read and fluent in six languages.
In the past, it was widely known in the capital that Wen Linlang was the most talented woman, but compared to Yuan Baolin, she was simply no match.
Yuan Baolin was simply a low-key person who didn't show off, but it was precisely this unassuming nature that made her even more favored by Old Madam Gu.
Granny Zhang smiled.
No matter how you look at it, it's because the young master's wife comes from a good family. Even if she weren't a truly talented woman, the old lady wouldn't mind.
On the contrary, if her background were not good enough, even if she had amazing talent, the old lady would not say a good word about her.
Madam Gu said, "Go to Changqing's courtyard and tell them not to come to pay their respects anymore, and to rest well."
Zhang Mama hesitated before saying, "What about Madam..."
The lady in question is Madam Yao. For Gu Changqing's wedding, Madam Yao has temporarily moved back to the mansion and will not return until after she has had her daughter-in-law's tea.
Madam Gu snorted, "You don't need to worry about her. She won't hold it against you."
It's one thing for Old Madam Gu to dislike Yao, but it's another to understand Yao's character. Yao would never mistreat her daughter-in-law.
...
When Gu Changqing woke up, he felt someone nestled in his arms. He was dizzy for a moment, and then unspeakable memories flooded his mind like waves.
Realizing what he had done, he wanted to punch himself.
Yuan Baolin woke up later than Gu Changqing. When she opened her eyes, Gu Changqing was no longer in the room. Her clothes were intact, and she didn't know who had dressed her.
She intended to call her maid to come in and serve her, but found that her voice was so hoarse that she couldn't speak. She tried to get out of bed herself, but her legs didn't feel like her own anymore.
Gu Changqing pushed open the door and entered.
The moonlight followed behind him, shrouding his face in shadow, yet his handsome features were still clearly visible.
Having practiced martial arts for many years, he is tall and slender with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, possessing excellent body proportions.
He was holding a bowl of barley porridge. When he saw the bed curtains being lifted and Yuan Baolin sitting awkwardly on the edge of the bed, his eyes flickered, and he calmly said, "You're awake."
Yuan Baolin nodded.
Gu Changqing stepped inside and closed the door.
"I'll light the lamp," he said, seeking her opinion.
Yuan Baolin pinched her throat and asked in a hoarse voice, "Is it still not dawn?"
Gu Changqing opened his mouth: "It's already dark."
Yuan Baolin blushed deeply.
Gu Changqing said in a normal tone, "Don't worry, the elders have already spoken to them, and the handkerchief has been taken away. Grandmother is very happy."
His intention was to reassure Yuan Baolin, but when he uttered the phrase "Yuan handkerchief," both of them felt awkward.
The wedding was supposed to be a fake one, but it went wrong on the very first day, and they ended up tumbling into a ditch.
"Um, that..." Yuan Baolin blushed, not daring to look at Gu Changqing's expression.
Gu Changqing wasn't much more composed than her, but he was a man after all, and he couldn't possibly deny what he had done in a roundabout way.
He held up the barley porridge and said solemnly, "What happened last night was my fault. I broke my promise first. I will not marry another person in the future, nor will I fall in love with anyone else. If you want to leave, you can get a divorce at any time; if there is no more suitable place for you, I will take full responsibility for you."
Yuan Baolin looked up at him, staring intently: "Really... you won't fall in love with anyone?"
"No," Gu Changqing said confidently. "You can rest assured."
Yuan Baolin lowered her eyes, her voice tinged with disappointment: "Oh."
"Drink your porridge first," Gu Changqing said to her.
He was a typical straight man and didn't notice anything wrong with Yuan Baolin's tone, assuming that her sullen mood meant she was angry with him from the previous night.
She hadn't said whether she agreed to light the lamp, so Gu Changqing walked to the bedside in the dark.
Fortunately, there was a faint candlelight under the eaves, and the night sky was bathed in the cool, clear moonlight, so it was still visible.
He handed her the bowl of porridge.
"You feed me," Yuan Baolin whispered.
Gu Changqing was taken aback.
Yuan Baolin said aggrievedly, "I don't have the strength, it's all because of you."
Gu Changqing: "..."
...
The next day, Yuan Baolin, who had slept for a day and a night, finally got up very early. Because it was so early, the old Marquis had not yet set off for the military camp.
She and Gu Changqing went to pay their respects to the old Marquis.
The marriage was arranged by the old Marquis himself. He was very satisfied with Yuan Baolin, and even if he wasn't, he wouldn't mistreat her.
"Changqing, please take good care of Baolin and don't bully her," he said to Gu Changqing.
Gu Changqing cupped his hands in acknowledgment and replied, "Yes, grandson will remember."
“Go and pay your respects to your grandmother,” the old Marquis said.
Yuan Baolin said sweetly, "Grandfather, Baolin will take her leave now. I will come to see you another day."
"Um."
Hearing the word "grandfather" was quite comforting.
The two went to Fushou Courtyard to pay their respects to Madam Gu.
Old Madam Gu held Yuan Baolin's hand, looking her over from left to right, and the more she looked, the more she liked her.
She was already beautiful in the portrait, but she was even more beautiful in person.
With her extensive knowledge of traditional Chinese storytelling, Yuan Baolin successfully portrayed a virtuous and obedient granddaughter-in-law.
Madam Gu was so pleased with herself that she gave Yuan Baolin five sets of jewelry in one go.
Yuan Baolin had seen all kinds of gold and silver jewelry, but she was still flattered and said, "Grandmother, this is too precious, Baolin cannot accept it!"
Old Madam Gu patted the back of her hand and said, "Take it! You must take it! You should produce offspring for the Gu family as soon as possible. I'm looking forward to holding a big, healthy great-grandson!"
Yuan Baolin smiled and said, "Baolin will try her best."
Gu Changqing, who was sitting to the side drinking tea, choked a little.
After leaving Fushou Courtyard, the two went to Yao's place.
Lord Gu was also there.
Madam Yao liked Yuan Baolin very much, not because of her background, but because of her personality. Unlike other daughters of wealthy families, she had a calm side and a lovely side. She was clever but not eccentric, straightforward and without sharp edges, and got along well with the people in Bishui Hutong.
"Pauline has met her father and mother."
Yuan Baolin greeted the two of them.
Gu Changqing also bowed to the two of them: "Father... Mother."
Since Yao married into the Marquis's mansion, Gu Changqing had always addressed her as "Madam," and this was the first time he had called her "Mother."
Madam Yao stared blankly at Gu Changqing, wondering if she had misheard.
Yuan Baolin glanced at the two of them, then tugged at Gu Changqing's sleeve: "Shouldn't we be serving tea to Father and Mother?"
Gu Changqing's eyelashes trembled: "Yes."
The servants poured tea, and the two knelt on the cushions, offering the teacups with both hands.
When Gu Changqing presented a cup of tea to Madam Yao, he said solemnly and sincerely, "Mother, please have some tea."
He really did call her "mother," he wasn't deaf.
Suddenly, Yao was overwhelmed with mixed feelings, and a sour feeling welled up in her nose.
From the day she married into the Marquis's mansion, she never had any expectations or hopes. However, when the moment truly arrived, an indescribable emotion welled up in her heart.
Lord Gu stared at her intently. She slowly reached out and took the teacup her eldest son offered, her eyes slightly red as she smiled and said, "Eh."
The description of Yuan Baolin's fluency in six languages appears in Chapter 256, "Three Hairpins."
(End of this chapter)
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