Chapter 178
Seeing that everyone had arrived, the lady clapped her hands with a smile and called out, "Alright, alright! Everyone's here, so stop sitting here chatting! The food's getting cold, come and take your seats!"
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone in the hall stood up with smiles, greeted each other, and walked towards the dining room next door, which had already been prepared.
Su Zhelan followed closely behind Mr. Su Yan, almost stepping on his shadow, afraid of losing him. Su Yan seemed to sense his unease, slowing his pace and intentionally or unintentionally shielding him between himself and Gu Linzhao.
Inside the dining room, a huge round rosewood table was laden with a dazzling array of dishes, steaming hot and fragrant. The seating arrangement seemed casual, reflecting the relaxed atmosphere of a family dinner.
The lady warmly invited everyone to take their seats. Su Yan naturally walked to a seat near the side, and Su Zhelan immediately followed suit, sitting down in the empty seat to his right without a second thought, as if that seat was made for him. Gu Linzhao, on the other hand, casually sat down to Su Yan's left, effectively separating Su Yan and Su Zhelan from the slightly noisy younger generation on the other side of the table.
Su Zhelan sat upright, her hands neatly placed on her knees, her eyes downcast, trying to minimize her presence.
The lady, seated at the head of the table, couldn't help but laugh at Su Zhelan's obedient yet nervous demeanor. She picked up the serving chopsticks, took a piece of tender fish, and was about to place it on Su Zhelan's plate across the table: "Good girl, don't just sit there daydreaming! Try this, it's a live fish that was delivered this morning, it's very fresh!"
Su Zhelan was flattered and quickly accepted the small plate with both hands, whispering her thanks, "Thank you, Madam..."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a middle-aged man sitting opposite Su Yan, who looked cheerful and somewhat similar to Su Yan in appearance, also spoke up with a familiar teasing tone: "Su Yan, your little apprentice is really well-behaved, much more likable than when you were that stubborn mule! Don't let him go astray!"
Upon hearing this, Su Yan didn't even lift his eyelids. He picked up his chopsticks and replied in a flat tone, "Even eating can't shut you up."
A low chuckle immediately rippled across the table.
Gu Linzhao laughed heartily from the side, trying to smooth things over, saying, "Brother, don't worry! Su Yan is very dedicated to teaching his disciple! Zhelan is also a smart and reliable child!"
As the banquet progressed, the atmosphere became increasingly lively. With fine wine and delicious food, everyone was no longer confined to their original seats, rising to toast each other and chatting.
As the undisputed protagonist of the day, Su Yan naturally became the center of attention. His elder brothers and brothers-in-law took turns coming forward, exchanging intimate words of reunion after a long separation, and inevitably making good-natured teasing remarks.
Although Su Yan still didn't talk much, the usual indifference on his face had melted away considerably. Occasionally, he would shake his head helplessly, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
Su Zhelan, who had been sitting right next to Su Yan, was unknowingly pushed to the outer edge by the surging crowd. He stood quietly to the side, watching the lively and heartwarming scene before him, feeling both happy for his master and vaguely lonely and at a loss.
Just then, a warm and strong hand gently patted his shoulder. Su Zhelan turned around and saw that Gu Linzhao had appeared beside him at some point, holding a half-finished glass of wine in his hand, with his usual cheerful yet slightly teasing smile on his face.
"What, are you seeing things?" Gu Linzhao asked with a smile, following Su Zhelan's gaze to Su Yan, who was surrounded. "This whole family is quite a handful, isn't it?"
Su Zhelan nodded shyly and said softly, "Yes...everyone is very enthusiastic."
Gu Linzhao laughed heartily, tilted his head back and finished the remaining wine in his cup. He casually placed the empty cup on a passing servant's tray, then crossed his arms, nodded with his chin toward the center of the crowd, and began to introduce Su Zhelan as if she knew her own treasures:
“Look, those two sitting at the very top, see them? That energetic old man is your master’s father. They’re an old married couple, very loving, but they’re always worrying, especially about their youngest son.” He said, winking at Su Zhelan.
"The one drinking with your master, the one with the loudest voice, is his older brother. He's been married for a long time, has a generous and quick-witted personality, and is a master at managing the family business. The one next to him handing him a handkerchief to wipe his sweat is his sister-in-law, a woman of strong character, bold and straightforward, a perfect match for your master's older brother! They have a son and a daughter, and over there, those two mischievous kids secretly drinking each other's wine." Gu Linzhao pointed to two laughing and playing boys and girls not far away.
Then, his gaze turned to two women on the other side, who were dressed in fine clothes and looked about seven or eight parts similar, but had very different temperaments.
"Look at those two over there. They look almost identical. They are your master's twin sisters. They're both married and living very happily."
He first pointed to one of them: "That's the eldest sister, she's also a very outgoing person."
Then he pointed to another one: "That's my second sister," he paused, and smiled meaningfully, "Her brother-in-law is a son-in-law who married into the Su family. See him? He's sitting next to my second sister, quietly peeling shrimp for her, that pale-faced scholar."
"My eldest sister has a daughter who takes after her father; she's very resilient. As for my second sister, she doesn't have any children yet, but judging from how affectionate they are, I guess it'll be soon."
In just a few words, Gu Linzhao vividly described the Su family—a large, diverse, yet harmonious household. Su Zhelan listened intently, her initial unease gradually replaced by warmth and wonder.
The lively atmosphere of the banquet subsided slightly, and people gathered in twos and threes to chat. Su Zhelan was standing quietly on the outer edge, watching her master surrounded by his family, and thinking about Gu Linzhao's introduction. Just then, an elegantly dressed woman with a gentle demeanor walked towards her with a smile, holding a wine glass.
Su Zhelan recognized her as the second sister Gu Linzhao had just pointed out to him. She resembled Su Yan in appearance, but was gentler, with intelligence and a hint of mischief in her eyes.
"You must be Su Zhelan?" The second sister's voice was also gentle, with a smile. "I am your master's second sister. There were too many people earlier, so I didn't have a chance to talk to you properly."
Su Zhelan quickly bowed respectfully: "Su Zhelan greets...Second Miss." He was momentarily at a loss for words.
The second sister covered her mouth and chuckled, "Just call me second sister, no need to be so formal." She looked Su Zhelan up and down, her eyes revealing undisguised affection, "What a pretty girl, so likable."
Su Zhelan felt a little embarrassed by her praise and lowered her head slightly.
His second sister seemed to notice his restraint, and softened her tone, speaking as if in casual conversation: "Don't let Su Yan's current aloof appearance fool you, making him seem like a born healer. When he was little, his parents forced him to read countless classic texts!"
Upon hearing this, Su Zhelan looked up in surprise.
Seeing his interest, the second sister opened up, her tone filled with nostalgia and a touch of melancholy: "Our family has been in business for generations. We may not have much else, but we have plenty of money. But in our parents' generation, they always felt that merchants had a low social status, and they were eager to change their family's fortunes. So they placed all their hopes on Su Yan. His eldest brother showed his business talent early on, and our parents let him be. We two older sisters, being women, had no hope for an official career. So, from the moment Su Yan was born, he carried the burden of bringing honor to our ancestors and achieving academic success."
She sighed softly, "That child is well-behaved. He knows his responsibilities are heavy and studies hard every day without ever complaining. But I know he's not happy inside. He finds all that classical Chinese meaningless. His parents hope he will succeed, and they scold and punish him whenever he slacks off. He just silently endures it, and his personality is becoming more and more sullen... It breaks my heart to see him like that. He looks like he has a lot of pent-up frustration inside, and he looks so gloomy."
Su Zhelan listened intently. He had never imagined that his now carefree master had such a repressed past.
"Fortunately, he later met his master, that old divine doctor." The second sister's eyes showed gratitude. "The divine doctor enlightened him, saw his talent in medicine, and wanted to take him as his apprentice. That was probably the first and only time in his life that he 'rebelled'? He actually left a letter and secretly followed the divine doctor away."
At this point, the second sister's tone became somewhat wistful and apologetic: "At that time, my parents were anxious and regretful, and only then did they realize that they had pushed him too far. The family immediately spent a lot of money and offered a reward everywhere to find him, just hoping to find him and tell him that we were wrong, and that as long as he was safe, we would do whatever we wanted."
She suddenly chuckled, glancing at Gu Linzhao who was talking to Brother Su Yan not far away. Lowering her voice, she said to Su Zhelan, "Guess what? This hefty reward led to an interesting misunderstanding. Back then, Gu Linzhao was just a naive young swordsman wandering the martial world. When he saw Chen'er's handsome face on the wanted poster, he thought our family had some deep-seated grudge against this beauty, so without a word, he kidnapped her! He gagged her all the way back to the capital to collect the reward!"
Su Zhelan's eyes widened in shock as she stared in disbelief at Gu Linzhao's tall and imposing back. She simply couldn't believe that he had once committed such a "kidnapping" act, and the kidnapper was none other than her master!
The second sister laughed heartily: "But when we got home, we found out that it wasn't like that at all! Gu Linzhao was so embarrassed and kept apologizing. We were both angry and amused. We quickly untied Su Yan, and the whole family hugged each other and cried, clearing up all the misunderstandings."
Her smile gradually warmed. "Since then, my parents have stopped pressuring him. As long as he is happy, whether he practices medicine to help the world or travels the world, it is up to him. But they were worried about his safety, so they spent a lot of money to ask Gu Linzhao, who is skilled in martial arts, to protect him all the way."
"At first, Su Yan got angry when he saw Gu Linzhao, but he couldn't go against his family's worries and had to go with them. Who knew that after this journey..."
The second sister winked at Su Zhelan, everything was understood without words, "Through all the ups and downs and arguments, we actually developed feelings for each other. Later, he brought Gu Linzhao home and openly told us about our relationship. We were all very happy. As long as he is happy, nothing else matters."
"Later on, every time they returned from their travels, they would stay at home for a while. It's just that this time it was a little longer, and they brought back a little apprentice like you." The second sister looked at Su Zhelan tenderly.
Su Zhelan was listening intently, marveling at the unexpected encounter, when her gaze involuntarily drifted back to Su Yan, who was surrounded by his family not far away.
Just then, Su Yan, who had been listening to his brother with his eyes slightly lowered and seemed somewhat absent-minded, suddenly looked up as if he sensed something, his gaze piercing through the crowd and landing precisely on Su Zhelan, who was talking quietly with her second sister.
He saw the smile on his second sister's face, a smile that was nostalgic, teasing, and a little "malicious," and then he saw Su Zhelan's stunned expression, her eyes filled with shock and... sympathy. Alarm bells rang in his drunken head!
Although he had drunk quite a bit and his mind was working slower than usual, even a fool could tell that his troublemaking second sister was definitely going to tell Su Zhelan all those old stories about him! Especially the one he least wanted to talk about, the one where Gu Linzhao kidnapped him!
A surge of embarrassment and anger, mixed with the effects of alcohol, instantly rushed to his head. Su Yan, no longer caring about his brother's words, abruptly raised his hand, pointing in his second sister's direction. His finger even wobbled slightly due to the intoxication, and his voice was higher than usual, carrying a somewhat indistinct yet undeniable tone:
"Second Sister! You...you mustn't say it! Shut up! Don't tell him...don't talk about those things!"
His sudden action and drunken shout silenced the lively dining table for a moment. Everyone's eyes turned curiously to Su Yan, then followed his finger to his second sister, who looked innocent yet had a sly smile, and Su Zhelan, who was standing next to her with a flushed face and at a loss for what to do.
Caught red-handed, the second sister didn't panic at all. Instead, she chuckled, winked at Su Zhelan, and whispered, "See? Getting anxious! Feeling guilty!"
Su Zhelan's face turned even redder, so embarrassed she wished she could crawl under the table.
Seeing that his second sister not only didn't stop, but was also whispering with Su Zhelan, Su Yan became even more anxious. He tried to stand up by supporting himself on the table, but his body swayed. Fortunately, Gu Linzhao, who was next to him, caught his arm quickly.
"You...you still dare to talk about it!" Su Yan glared at his second sister with blurry, drunken eyes, his tone carrying a rare, childlike grievance and stubbornness. "You're not allowed to talk about me anymore!"
Gu Linzhao supported him, looking at his unusually drunken state, feeling both amused and distressed. She quickly tried to smooth things over, smiling at her second sister, "Second sister, second sister, please have some mercy and give us some face! If you keep talking like this, someone will definitely come looking for me to settle the score when he sobers up tomorrow!"
Upon seeing this, the people at the table burst into even louder laughter, clearly aware of Su Yan's "dark history" and delighted with it.
Su Yan's ears turned bright red from everyone's laughter. He was still angry and wanted to say something, but Gu Linzhao half-supported and half-carried him back to his seat, whispering in his ear, "Okay, okay, I won't say anymore, I won't listen. Let's drink, let's drink..."
The second sister, seeing that things were going well, mouthed "we'll talk again next time" to Su Zhelan, then walked away with a smile, holding her wine glass.
The family banquet didn't last very late, and it ended early in a warm and lively atmosphere. Gu Linzhao half-supported and half-carried the unsteady and tipsy Su Yan, and after bidding farewell to everyone, they headed towards the courtyard where they usually stayed.
Su Zhelan stood under the corridor, watching her master being carefully supported by Gu Linzhao as he walked away, feeling a little empty inside.
As night fell, the Su residence quieted down, with only the lanterns hanging under the eaves swaying gently in the evening breeze, casting dappled shadows.
He stood there for a while, feeling there was nothing to do. His mind, which had been filled with various emotions and information during the day, gradually cleared up. A thought clearly surfaced in his mind—he still wanted to know where the General's Mansion was.
He took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind, and beckoned to a servant who was on duty nearby.
"Excuse me... do you know... how to get to the General's Mansion?" Su Zhelan's voice was soft, with a hint of probing.
The servant was respectful and thought carefully for a moment before enthusiastically pointing out the way: "Young master, the General's Mansion is on Xuanwu Street in the east of the city, not too far from here. Go out of the mansion gate, walk east, cross two intersections, and turn north when you see a particularly magnificent stone archway. There are two very imposing bronze lions at the entrance, and the plaque above the vermilion gate that reads 'Imperial Decree for the Northern General's Mansion' is there."
Su Zhelan listened attentively, silently memorizing the words. After thanking the servant, she turned and walked towards the gate of the mansion.
He walked slowly, pondering how to explain his purpose to the doormen he might encounter.
Just as I reached the front yard, before I even got close to the gate, I heard a cheerful voice coming from the side:
"Su Zhelan? Where are you going so late?"
Su Zhelan's heart skipped a beat. She turned around and saw that it was indeed Madam. She was taking a walk in the courtyard with her maid to digest her food, her face still flushed with the joy of the banquet.
Su Zhelan immediately felt a little guilty, her eyes flickered, and she quickly lowered her head, hastily making up a lie: "Madam... I... this is my first time in the capital. I heard the night market is very lively, and I'd like to... just stroll around..."
Upon hearing this, Madam Su's smile deepened, showing no suspicion whatsoever. She strode forward and, without a word, pulled a heavy, exquisitely embroidered purse from her sleeve and shoved it into Su Zhelan's hand.
"Oh dear! We should go for a stroll! The night view of Beijing is famous!" she said enthusiastically. "Here you go! This is your allowance from your aunt. Buy whatever you like, whether it's good food or fun activities! Don't try to save money for your aunt! Have fun and come back when you're satisfied!"
Holding the rather heavy purse in her hand, Su Zhelan felt it was burning hot and quickly refused, "No, no, no! Madam, this is unacceptable! I... I have money, I can't take your money..."
"Oh! Why are you being so polite with me!" Madam Su deliberately put on a stern face, but her tone remained kind. "Your master is my son, so you are his disciple, just like my junior! It's only right for an elder to give you some pocket money! Take it now! Otherwise, your aunt will get angry!"
As she spoke, she deliberately glared at him, as if to say, "I won't let you leave until you accept it."
Seeing her insistence, Su Zhelan couldn't persuade her otherwise. She was also thinking about finding Sheng Xuan, so she blushed and accepted the purse with great embarrassment, clutching it tightly in her hand and whispering, "...Thank you, Madam."
"That's more like it!" Madam Su immediately beamed with joy, then added, "Go on, be careful, and come back soon!"
Su Zhelan felt as if she had been granted a pardon. After thanking him again, she turned around and walked out of the grand gate of the Su residence as if she were fleeing.
Standing on the bustling streets of the capital, where the city lights were just coming on, he held the heavy purse in his hand, looked back at the brightly lit Su residence behind him, and felt a complex warmth well up in his heart. But soon, the thought of going to find Sheng Xuan took over again.
He took a deep breath of the cool night breeze and, following the directions given by his servant, disappeared into the night of the capital.
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