Chapter 110 The Wicked Stepmother and the Poor Child 3
Having come all this way and confirmed that Shen Ci was on her last breath, she had achieved her goal. If it weren't for the fact that dying now would inevitably lead to bad speculation and could easily backfire, she would have sent Shen Ci to his death right now.
Having achieved her goal, Zhou Jingxuan was too lazy to continue acting and turned to leave with her entourage.
As soon as she left the main courtyard, the sadness and sorrow on her face instantly turned into grievance. She went straight to Gu Hongjian to cry and complain. As soon as she saw Gu Hongjian, she collapsed into his arms.
“Gu Lang, I just went to visit my sister and ran into two children.”
I originally planned to get closer to them and become familiar with them, but who knew they would not only be mean to me, but also tell me to get lost.
Is there something I did wrong that made the children dislike me?
Am I incapable of being a good mother?
Zhou Jingxuan's appearance was even more gentle and graceful, and now that her eyes were red, she looked even more pitiful, which made Gu Hongjian's heart tighten.
Upon hearing her tearful complaint, Gu Hongjian frowned deeply. This was no good! He immediately sent someone to summon his two children to him.
Gu Mingzhang and Gu Mingzhu were brought before their father, whom they hadn't seen in a long time. Before Gu Hongjian could even speak, Gu Mingzhu mustered her courage, tugged at her father's clothes, and pleaded softly.
"Father, would you please go and see Mother?"
"My mother is sick; she needs her father."
Gu Hongjian impatiently flung her small hand away, his voice filled with scolding and reproach as he sternly roared at her.
"You two are so insensible!"
From now on, Aunt Zhou will be your mother. She will take good care of you, and you must treat her with the same respect and devotion you would show to your own mother!
Did you hear me?!
Forcing a cow to drink water, or making a child call someone else "mother," is pointless. The child is just young, not stupid.
"She is not our mother! We only have one mother!"
Gu Mingzhang stubbornly raised his head and retorted, "As the older brother, I understand better."
How dare he contradict his own father in front of his lover! Doesn't that make him lose face and lose face?
Gu Hongjian was furious!
"You worthless brats, it seems I've been too lenient with you all."
"You're all forbidden from eating tonight. Go back and reflect on your actions!"
As the saying goes, once you have a stepmother, you'll have a stepfather. Now, the stepmother hasn't even married into the family yet, and the biological father has already become the stepfather.
The two children had never seen their father treat them so cruelly. Before their mother fell ill, the family was always full of laughter and joy, and their father would hold them and ride them like a horse. They didn't know when it all disappeared.
The two identical little faces showed the same fear and disbelief, tears welling up in their eyes, but they stubbornly held them back.
Nighttime, inside the main courtyard.
The two little ones, who were punished by not having dinner, refused to go back to their own rooms and secretly slipped back to Chen Ci's bedside.
"Aunt Dangui, is Mother not going to wake up?"
Gu Mingzhu lay by the bedside, reaching out her small hand to gently touch Shen Ci's cold hand. Her voice was trembling with tears; she was afraid, for her mother hadn't spoken to them in a long time.
Gu Mingzhang also stayed close to the edge of the bed, guarding his unconscious mother.
Seeing her two young masters like this, Dan Gui's heart broke. She turned her back and secretly wiped away her tears, not daring to let them see. She then took out the snacks she had hidden and stuffed them into their hands.
"No, Miss, Young Master, Madam... she's just too tired and has fallen asleep."
She'll get better; how could she bear to leave you all?
The two children didn't have much of an appetite; they only took a few small bites of the snacks before putting them down.
Without needing anyone to tell them, they took off their shoes and carefully climbed onto the bed, afraid of bumping into their mother, and then nestled on either side of Shen Ci.
Only when I lean on my mother's still-warm body can I feel safe and warm.
"Brother, Mother feels warm," Gu Mingzhu whispered.
"Yes, Mother will be alright."
Gu Mingzhang said this, as if to comfort her, and also as if to tell himself that his mother would definitely get better.
In late spring, the weather isn't too cold, but it can still get a bit chilly at night.
However, the room was as cold and desolate as an ice cellar. Looking at the mother and her two children huddled together on the bed, Dan Gui couldn't stop her tears from flowing.
Shen Ci lay in bed, fully conscious. She felt willing but unable to do anything. Feeling her two small, soft children nestled beside her, she began to feel heartache.
In their original lives, they never saw their mother awaken again. This is so wrong, so unfair!
The next day, Shen Ci still showed no signs of waking up.
Zhou Jingxuan, who moved into the Gu residence yesterday, has already begun to act like the mistress of the house and started to reorganize the inner quarters.
She knew that since she didn't have children yet, she had to win over Shen Ci's child first, so that Gu Hongjian would trust her more and feel at ease with her.
After carefully dressing up, Zhou Jingxuan went to see Gu Hongjian with a gentle and virtuous appearance. She was very content to be with her Gu Lang every day.
“Gu Lang, I thought about it for a long time after I got back yesterday. The two children may have some misunderstandings about me.”
I think the children are still young. While academic studies are important, character development is even more important. So, I suggest we let them take a break from their studies for a few days.
This way, I'll have more time to spend with them, ease the tension, and make it easier to discipline them later.
Once the children are close to me, I'll use my family's connections to find them the best tutor in the capital. That way, their future won't be hindered.
Zhou Jingxuan spoke with concern, yet also made a firm promise.
Upon hearing this, Gu Hongjian hesitated only slightly. At this moment, his mind was completely focused on Zhou Jingxuan and the power behind her. Compared with his career, the future of his two children was nothing.
Moreover, the Zhou family has a stronger background, and the tutor they find will definitely be better than the one that Shen Ci has found.
One was a merchant's daughter with a basic understanding of literature, and the other was a noblewoman raised in an official's family. In terms of educating children, Zhou Jingxuan was definitely more knowledgeable.
"You've thought things through thoroughly."
Now that the household affairs have been entrusted to you, you are naturally in charge of everything.
Without much thought, Gu Hongjian took Zhou Jingxuan's hand and said affectionately, which made Zhou Jingxuan very happy. Gu Lang really treated her well and was very obedient to her.
With Gu Hongjian's consent, Zhou Jingxuan immediately took action and personally went to see Mr. Liu, who was in charge of the two children's education at the mansion.
Mr. Liu was an old Confucian scholar, somewhat pedantic, but extremely concerned with etiquette and rules. When he heard that Zhou Jingxuan wanted to dismiss him and prevent his two children from continuing their studies, the old man was so angry that his beard trembled.
Mr. Liu pointed at Zhou Jingxuan's nose and started cursing. Now that she's about to lose her job, what does she care about being respectable?
“Absurd, utterly absurd.”
Madam Gu is still bedridden, yet you all enter the room.
Now they're going to delay the studies of their legitimate sons and daughters. What's the difference between this and ruining their future? It's utterly disgraceful and shameless!
To engage in illicit relations without a matchmaker, and to rush into becoming someone's concubine, is truly a disregard for propriety and morality!
"You call yourself the daughter of an official? It's utterly shameful!"
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