Chapter 333 - 334: Teething
Chapter 333: Chapter 334: Teething
Gu Wenheng finally reached his next scheduled break, having at last taught mental calculation to all the eunuchs he was instructing.
"So, you don’t have to go to the palace anymore starting tomorrow?" Jin Qianqian asked, bouncing Gu Ben Can in her arms as she played with him.
Gu Wenheng let out a sigh of relief. "That’s right, no more palace visits. I don’t know what’s been going on lately, but everything from the tea to the meals has been so exquisite it’s unnerving. I asked the little eunuchs, and they said it’s all being sent over from the harem."
"I’ve been trying everything to figure it out, but I’ve gotten nowhere. Even the little eunuchs have their lips zipped shut; they won’t breathe a single word."
"Sending them so openly is quite brazen. Could it be the Holy Emperor’s idea?" Jin Qianqian didn’t believe any of the concubines in the harem would dare to so blatantly send things to a man from outside the court.
Gu Wenheng shook his head. "I discreetly asked the old Imperial Tutor’s attendant. The Imperial Tutor usually has very simple meals in the palace; there’s no way he’d be served such an elaborate spread."
The most unnerving part was that the menu was different every single day. That wasn’t the kind of treatment an official of his rank could expect.
Jin Qianqian mused, "That’s very strange. We’ve only just arrived in Shangjing; there’s no way we’d know anyone in the palace."
Besides, the Little Prince is still in his infancy, so it’s not as if anyone would be trying to win over officials on his behalf. Moreover, they weren’t so conceited as to think that someone would even give an official of Gu Wenheng’s current rank a second glance.
"If you can’t figure it out, don’t dwell on it," Gu Wenheng said, reaching out to stroke his son’s head, only to have the little one grab his hand in a tight grip. "If they truly have an ulterior motive, they’ll reveal themselves eventually."
Just then, Gu Ben Can grabbed his father’s hand and tried to shove it into his mouth. Gu Wenheng didn’t dare use brute force to pull away, so the little guy actually succeeded.
Seeing his fingers already covered in drool, Jin Qianqian gave his hand a sharp smack. "You’re a hopeless father! How could you let the baby chew on your hand?"
Gu Wenheng replied, "I washed them just a little while ago. If he wants to chew, let him chew. He’s probably teething and looking for something to gnaw on."
Jin Qianqian carefully pried open the baby’s mouth and saw that his gums were indeed a little pale. "I wouldn’t have noticed if you hadn’t mentioned it. I’ll make some teething sticks for him in a bit."
Gu Wenheng mentally calculated the days. ’Second Brother and his family should have arrived home by now, right? I just wonder how they’ll be settled in.’
Jin Qianqian replied, "They’ll probably have them stay in Eldest Brother’s old house for the time being. Knowing Second Sister-in-law’s personality, the other wives certainly won’t welcome her."
"As for our house, even if they get any ideas about it, they’ll never get past Mother."
"Actually, among all the brothers, Old Gu the Second is probably the one who values kinship the most. It’s just that he’s been completely under Mrs. Wang’s thumb all these years, so he doesn’t have the final say in most things."
Gu Wenheng had the memories of his body’s previous owner and could still recall a few times when this quiet, taciturn second brother had secretly slipped him some copper coins so he could afford to buy paper and brushes.
"I sensed that, too," Jin Qianqian said. "From Old Gu the Second and his son, all I felt was the joy of a family reunion, unlike the others who all seemed to have ulterior motives."
That was also why, before they departed, Jin Qianqian had Housekeeper Fu prepare so many provisions for them and slipped Gu Yuanmu two hundred taels in silver notes. At least that way, they would have a foundation to re-establish themselves when they returned home.
Fortified by the support Jin Qianqian had provided, Gu Yuanmu and his family finally returned to Gaoling Village.
Seeing the escort agency’s caravan enter the village, the villagers tending to the fields along the road immediately gathered around.
Looking at the familiar faces, Gu Yuanmu, a man standing nearly six feet tall, felt his eyes grow red.
"Old Gu the Second, is that you? You’re back?" Liu Chunsheng blinked, making sure he wasn’t mistaken before looking the group over.
’I can’t believe Old Gu the Second’s family has struck it rich too, even using a horse-drawn carriage,’ he thought. ’What kind of amazing fortune does the Gu family have? How do they keep producing such capable people?’
"Chunsheng? Yes, we’re back. Can you tell me where my parents are living?"
Liu Chunsheng pointed down the road. "Just go straight. It’s the third house up ahead. The old matriarch probably isn’t home right now, though. She should be at the ancestral hall in the center of the village, helping with the cleaning."
"The ancestral hall?" Gu Yuanmu asked, a question forming in his mind.
"Every family in the village sent someone back to their old home to retrieve their ancestral tablets. Your father went back a few months ago, too. Said he was going to have the ancestral graves moved over as well." Liu Chunsheng pointed toward the center of the village. "The Gu family has a new ancestral hall there. The Clan Leader should be there in person, supervising the cleaning right now. You’ll find everyone if you head that way."
Gu Yuanmu thanked him profusely before heading in the direction Liu Chunsheng had indicated.
Staring at this new village, which was even nicer than their old home in Kao Mountain Village, Gu Yuanmu felt as if he were in a dream. There was so much to see, he couldn’t take it all in.
Especially seeing the rows of brick-and-tile houses, it was clear the Gu family was truly prospering now.
"If I’d known they would all end up so well-off, why did we even bother running?" Wang Caiyue gritted her teeth. "Back then, everyone was so secretive, and it made our lives miserable."
"Shut up," Gu Yuanmu hissed, feeling even more embarrassed as he noticed the dart masters giving them strange looks. "Going to Shangjing was your idea in the first place. Don’t you dare try to pin this on anyone else."
"You..."
"Who are you looking for?" Granny Song, who was sweeping the entrance area with a young maid, sized them up. A few of the people in the group felt vaguely familiar to her.
"Excuse me, is this Gu Dashishi’s house?" Gu Yuanmu asked, giving his father’s name. ’Chunsheng did say my parents’ house was here.’
"It is, but the Old Master isn’t home right now. May I ask who you are?"
Realizing she was speaking to a servant, Wang Caiyue stuck her chin out. "We’re the family of the second son. This journey has exhausted us. Hurry up and take us inside to rest."
Granny Song knew the master had a second son who had been away from the family, but that claim alone wasn’t enough for her to risk letting these people into the house.
"My sincerest apologies, I didn’t realize you were the Second Master. But I am merely a servant and cannot make decisions for the family. Please wait here a moment. I will send someone to fetch the Old Madam right away."
"Do you think we’d come all this way just to impersonate relatives?" Wang Caiyue huffed. "Can’t you see that we, your masters, are all travel-worn? And you’re just going to make us stand here?"
"Mother, please, that’s enough!" Gu Lehuan just wanted to see her relatives as soon as possible; she didn’t want her mother to be here throwing her weight around.
"And who do you think I’m doing all this for? For you..."
"Well, well, well. I was wondering who it could be. To think it’s really our Second Sister-in-law, back at last. You’ve only just arrived and you’re already scolding Mother’s servants. My, aren’t you impressive!"
Liu Liu, bored from being at home all day, was taking a stroll through the village with her maid. When she noticed a commotion at her mother-in-law’s house, she came over to see what was going on, only to find a few familiar faces.