Chapter 612 - 614: Meeting the Elders
Chapter 612: Chapter 614: Meeting the Elders
"It’s all thanks to her Seventh Uncle. Anyone in the village who wants to learn, whether they’re a boy or a girl, can go study a bit." Liu Liu’s humble words were tinged with pride. Nowadays, who didn’t envy their Gu family?
"In the future, if you have children, they can go too," Hong Daya said at that moment.
But Liu Liu quickly chided her, "Fifth Sister-in-law, isn’t it a bit too early to be talking about this?
You seemed distracted just now. Are you worried about your Lebao again? Nothing much is happening here anyway, so why don’t you head back first?"
’She’s not even officially married into the family yet. It’s really not appropriate to say these things.’
Hong Daya was displeased. ’Why can’t I even say what I want?’
But her concern for her daughter at home was stronger. "Then I’ll have to trouble you two sisters-in-law. I’ll bring Lebao over later to meet her new cousin-in-law."
"Alright, you should hurry back. Otherwise, the child will be crying and fussing, looking for you all over the village." Li Xiaohua gave her a little push with a smile. "Little children shouldn’t cry so much; it’s bad for their throats."
The moment Hong Daya thought of her daughter, she didn’t give it a second thought and simply turned and left.
Liu Liu was so exasperated she almost laughed. ’Whenever it comes to her precious daughter, Hong Daya loses all reason and even forgets her manners.’
But as a sister-in-law, she had to cover for her. "Your Fifth Aunt has a little girl at home who’s very clingy. If she can’t see her mother, she cries nonstop. She’s just worried the child will cry herself sick, so she rushed back to check."
"That’s completely understandable. I’m sorry to have been a bother to you aunts."
"Let’s not talk like that. Thanking each other back and forth makes us seem like strangers." Liu Liu then had a servant woman bring tea. "This is Granny Chen. She manages the household chores. If you need anything, just ask her."
As for buying a young maidservant or anything like that, Liu Liu had no such intentions.
Li Xiaohua said, "My house is just up ahead. Once you’re rested, I’ll take you over to my place for a visit, so you know where it is."
Liu Liu cut in before Xu Nuo could reply, "Hold on now. If she’s going to be visiting, it won’t be your turn first. Don’t forget, there’s still Mother-in-law’s and Eldest Sister-in-law’s houses. Your place? She probably won’t be able to visit until after the wedding."
Li Xiaohua said, "Oh, how silly of me..." ’Looks like I’ll have to wait a bit longer to show off my newly renovated courtyard.’
Meanwhile, the first place Gu Lehuan went after entering the village was, of course, Gu Dashishi’s home.
Gu Yuanmu personally led his son inside. The moment he saw Li Cuicui, he called out excitedly, "Mother, Le Huan is back!"
Gu Lehuan looked at his grandmother, his heart filled with joy, but his head dropped to his chest in the next instant.
He hadn’t expected to see two beautiful young girls standing next to his grandmother. Not daring to let his eyes wander, he respectfully greeted her, "Grandmother."
"Le Huan is back," Li Cuicui said, sizing up her grandson. "You’ve gotten thinner, but you also look much stronger.
It seems you’ve suffered a bit these past two years, but it wasn’t without its rewards."
Gu Lehuan replied, "It wasn’t a hardship. I was just away from home and missed the elders and my brothers and sisters."
Li Cuicui watched him with a smile. ’This grandson of mine has learned to say the right things.’ "Not bad. It seems your time as a peddler wasn’t wasted. Your tongue has certainly gotten sharper.
This just goes to show, whatever you do, you must commit to it fully. It’s better to let your sons go out into the world than to keep them cooped up by your side."
Gu Yuanjin and his brothers all hung their heads low. Ever since their old lady had crippled their own father, this damnable sense of oppression was ever-present.
It wasn’t that they wanted to keep their children cooped up, either; they were just afraid their children would be schemed against if they went out, only to meet a bad end.
"Since you’re back, go and pay your respects to your grandfather. I imagine he’d like to hear you talk about the exciting life outside.
Tell him all about the bustling, extravagant life in the Capital. He’ll never get to experience it in this lifetime, but he should at least get to hear about it."
Gu Yuanjin secretly swallowed. ’Father must have provoked Mother again. She’s really twisting the knife. I wonder if they’ve put away the cups on the kang table. We’ve already had to buy new ones so many times this month.’
Gu Lehuan said with a smile, "Then I can talk to Grandfather for days and nights. I’ve heard all sorts of news from wandering the streets and alleys.
Even if I haven’t experienced some things firsthand, the news we peddlers get is the fastest and most reliable."
The faces of Gu Yuanjin and his brothers twitched. ’This foolish boy... We were just thinking he’d gotten so much smoother, but it turns out he’s still a blockhead.’
Gu Yuanmu reached out to pull his son’s arm, wanting to warn him, but Gu Lehuan turned back and grinned at him. "Father, looks like I’ll have to freeload a meal here today. I imagine I’ll be tied up chatting with Grandfather for a while."
’I haven’t been back in so long; it’s time I showed some filial piety to my grandfather. After he broke his leg, I only sent some Silver back as a small token of my devotion. Now that I’ve finally made a rare trip back, I should naturally spend more time with him.’
Gu Yuanmu was speechless. ’Stupid son. Might as well let his stupidity kill him.’
But you couldn’t really blame Gu Lehuan. Gu Yuanmu had felt it was a family shame that shouldn’t be aired in public, so in his letters, he had only said that Gu Dashishi had broken his leg.
’How am I going to solve this dilemma?’ He looked to his brothers for help.
To his dismay, they all turned their heads away. It was almost enough to give him a heart attack.
’What happened to brothers sticking together through thick and thin?’
Li Cuicui acted as if she hadn’t seen their exchange of desperate glances. "Come, Grandmother will take you in to chat with your grandfather. I imagine your grandfather will be too excited to sleep tonight."
’Yes, and he probably won’t be able to eat, either. What a way to save on a meal.’
Gu Lehuan immediately ran over to support Li Cuicui. "How is your health, Grandmother? I have been unfilial and have caused you hardship."
Li Cuicui patted the back of his hand. "My health is great. I eat well and sleep soundly. It’s just that your grandfather’s temper has gotten a bit strange lately. Don’t be too surprised by what you see in a moment."
Gu Lehuan started, "I won’t..."
Watching the grandmother and grandson walk toward the right wing of the house, Gu Yuanmu finally snapped out of it. He was about to follow when his other brothers grabbed him.
"What are you trying to do, join in the fun? Father won’t be so angry when he sees his grandson, but if he sees us, he’ll definitely act up with all his might. The wedding day is almost here; you should try to keep him from getting too worked up."
Gu Yuanshui was even more blunt. "Worried now, are you? Where was this concern earlier? If you had just explained things to Le Huan sooner, would he be walking right into this?"
Gu Yuanmu asked, "So what do we do now?"
Gu Yuanshui let go of his arm. "Nothing to be done. Don’t worry, Mother went in with him. Father won’t dare go too far."
The old man knew what was good for him better than anyone.
If he didn’t want to go hungry later, he wouldn’t dare throw a tantrum in front of Li Cuicui.
Li Cuicui wasn’t like her sons, who worried about this and that. Her methods for tormenting people were so extreme that even her sons were secretly left speechless just hearing about them.
Inside the room, Gu Dashishi had already heard the commotion. But he was powerless to resist now, able only to prop himself up against his pillows.
"Grandfather, your unfilial grandson is home." The moment Gu Lehuan saw the emaciated Gu Dashishi, his eyes reddened with emotion. "You’ve suffered so much, Grandfather."