Chapter 5: The Family Her Mother Helped Her Choose
After the carriage stopped, Gu Ruanci got off and took off her veil early.
Seeing the face that was almost exactly the same as her best friend's when she was young, the woman's eyes filled with tears.
"Yes, you are a soft word..."
Gu Ruanci solemnly knelt down in front of her and called softly, "Mother..."
The woman's heart was broken by the word "mother".
"Madam, you should be happy that the child is back. Come in quickly and speak kindly..."
Duke Shouguo Gu Congyun, who was waiting with them, came over, put his arm around his wife's shoulders, and comforted her softly.
Gu Ruanci did not hesitate and called out politely, "Father..."
Gu Congyun's heart melted instantly. He and his wife only had four sons, and he had always dreamed of having a daughter. That's why when Ye entrusted her with the care of her, he accepted her without hesitation.
But the child later went on to learn skills for many years, and now he has finally returned, and his dream has finally come true.
"Good boy, get up quickly. This is not the place to talk. Let's go inside first."
Lady Zhuang Hefeng of the Duke of Shou held Gu Ruanci's hand tightly, fearing that she would lose her.
Gu Yulou, who was driving the carriage, and his two other sons who came out to greet them were completely ignored by them and could only follow them helplessly.
"The young lady is home!"
"Greetings to the young lady!"
The servants in the Shouguo Mansion all knew that the eldest daughter would be coming back today. Even though they also knew that this was not the biological daughter of the Duke and his wife, Gu Congyun had already included her in the family tree long before Gu Ruanci came back.
Therefore, each of these greetings is sincere and genuine.
"Over the years, I have failed to fulfill my filial duties to my parents. I hope you will punish me..."
In the mansion of Duke Shouguo, Gu Ruanci once again solemnly knelt in front of Gu Congyun and Zhuang Hefeng with a sincere look on his face.
Ever since Zhuang Hefeng received Gu Ruanci's response, he felt nothing but heartache.
"Good boy, why do you have to do this? You have suffered so much over the years. If we were in Dizhou back then, how could the Jing'an Marquis Mansion dare to treat He Sheng like that?"
Ye Hesheng is Gu Ruanci's biological mother and the original wife of Marquis Jing'an.
Gu Ruanci held no grudge against the Gu family. She said with relief, "Even if you were all here, nothing could have been changed about what the Jing'an Marquisate and the Ye family did back then. I left that filthy place with my mother, and I've never regretted it. They don't deserve to be my family."
"Get up first. We've finally got you back. Get acquainted first," Gu Congyun interjected at the right moment. "This is your second brother, Gu Yuting, and this is your fourth brother, Gu Yuxuan. Your eldest brother is at the border and can't come back, but he wrote to say you're his biological sister and that with him around, no one will bully you. Your third brother, Gu Yulou, is a martial arts fanatic and not good at speaking. He was the one who went to pick you up just now."
Gu Yuting, who had just been forgotten at the door, walked forward and handed Gu Ruanci an exquisite little box.
"Welcome home, little sister."
His eyes were full of sincerity. He had known since he was a child that he had a younger sister, the daughter of his mother's best friend.
It’s a pity that Aunt Ye met the wrong person. Fortunately, she has a stubborn personality, otherwise her younger sister would have been ruined by the Marquis of Jing’an’s Mansion.
"Sister, please open it and take a look..."
Although Gu Yuxuan, who was standing next to her, was also meeting her for the first time, he seemed very natural in calling her sister.
Gu Ruanci smiled easily, and then opened the box with Gu Yuting's tacit consent.
An exquisite South Pearl came into view, and even Gu Ruanci, who had seen many treasures with his master, was amazed.
"This was a gift from the Emperor for a painting I made in the palace last year. The Emperor once said I could give it to anyone I wanted."
Gu Yuting explained the origin of Nanzhu, hoping that Gu Ruanci could accept it with peace of mind.
Gu Yuxuan continued, "Everyone knows that my second brother has profound attainments in painting at such a young age. Even many people in Dizhou City have begged for a single painting from him, so it's better to give my sister one of his masterpieces..."
After saying that, he deliberately came over and took Gu Ruanci's arm, adding: "Sister, we are a family, there is no need to be polite with Second Brother..."
Gu Ruanci smiled gently. She knew that this younger brother was the only child born in Dizhou City to the Duke of Shou and his wife. He was then left at home and cared for by servants for many years. She saw his desire for family affection and his lively personality.
Gu Yuting explained with a smile, "Since my sister is back, she can paint anytime. I can't run away anyway... But this Nanzhu is unique, so I should give it to my sister first."
Gu Ruanci thanked them softly. Although she had never met these family members, she had been in correspondence with them over the years.
Looking at the happy atmosphere between them, Zhuang Hefeng couldn't help but feel sentimental again.
"These past few years, I've always thought about how your mother was able to save my marriage, but she ruined her own life. Luckily, before she died, she brought you to your master and wrote to us ahead of time, entrusting you to us... Over the years, every time I saw the family from the Marquis of Jing'an's mansion, I wanted to just rush over and chop them down..."
When Zhuang Hefeng mentioned Ye Hesheng, he naturally felt sad again.
"We, Hefeng and Hesheng, agreed to be sisters for life, but she left first..."
"Alas, it's also your maternal grandfather's fault. If your mother had somewhere to go in Dizhou City, things wouldn't have turned out like this."
Gu Ruanci understood the deep bond between them, and while feeling sad, she comforted Zhuang Hefeng, "Mother, you know my mother's character best. She would give up everything to give me a lifetime of freedom. How could she bow to those people?"
Everyone tried to comfort him for a while before he gave up.
"Nongchun, Zangxia, you two have worked hard these years. You haven't seen your family for many years. Your parents are waiting outside. Go reunite with them..."
The two maids who came back with Gu Ruanci were both selected by Zhuang Hefeng from among the children born in the family. They were about the same age as her.
After receiving Ye Hesheng's letter that year, the Duke's Mansion sent them over.
"Thank you, ma'am..."
Nongchun and Zangxia happily saluted them and then went out to find their families.
The atmosphere here was intimate and warm like spring, but at the Marquis of Jing'an's Mansion, there was chaos.
Zhou Zhili sent people out again and finally found out the whole story.
Knowing that the daughter he had met back then had actually married into the Gu family, Zhou Yuzhi lost his temper again, and Zhou Zhili became even more disappointed with this daughter whom he had not seen for ten years.
"It's shameful. She just returned to Dizhou and moved directly into someone else's house. What's more, the Shouguo Mansion only has four sons and no daughters. She is ruining her reputation by moving in like this. How did Ye Shi discipline her children all these years? She has no dignity left in her?"
The old lady also looked like she was about to kill someone: "Did Ye Shi come back with us? Is she also living in the Shouguo Mansion?"
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