Chapter 128.2
It had also been a busy day in the estate. Everyone was so tired that the masters went to rest early while the servants, who still had unfinished work, kept yawning while moving their hands and feet.
When Yao shi entered her courtyard, she accidentally found Gu Jinyu waiting for her in the room.
In her eagerness to spend the twins’ birthday with them, Yao shi ended up neglecting Gu Jinyu all day, and now she felt very apologetic.
She walked over to Gu Jinyu and stroked the hair on her sideburns, saying, "Sorry, mother is late."
Originally, she had planned to come back right after lunch, but she was too reluctant to part with JiaoJiao and Yan"er, staying there for several more hours as a result. She was completely unaware of how late it was until Grannie Fang reminded her repeatedly.
However, there was no grievance or anger on Gu Jinyu"s face. On the contrary, she was very happy as she said, "Mom, do you know how many guests came today?"
"Hm?" Yao shi was in a daze. Apparently, her daughter stayed up in the middle of the night waiting for her not because she felt aggrieved that she was late, but because the party was so lively that she was still absorbed in happiness till now.
Yao shi sat down beside her. Holding back her tiredness, she said with a smile, "Did a lot of guests come?"
"En!" Gu Jinyu recited the names of the distinguished guests one by one, several others with more details emphasized, "...Lord Zheng… of the Imperial Academy came! He is one of the two Directors of Studies and is believed to become the next Imperial Academy Chief!"
“That’s truly great." Yao shi nodded with a smile.
Gu Jinyu continued, "An Junw.a.n.g didn"t come to the estate in person, but he sent someone to give me a gift! Look, Mom, these are all from him! This daughter received so many gifts today that I can"t use them all my life. Since my sister refuses to go back home, her birthday must’ve been very dull. Tomorrow, I will choose some valuable gifts to send to my sister."
Yao shi told her it wasn’t necessary. Turning around, she saw that An Junw.a.n.g"s gift to her daughter looked really expensive, but it actually couldn’t compare to what An Junw.a.n.g gave to JiaoJiao and Yan’er.
So it was really unnecessary.
Gu Jinyu continued to show off, "The Crown Princess also gave this daughter a present!"
This was the point Gu Jinyu wanted to show off the most, but Yao shi suddenly recalled one thing due to this.
When Wu Yang was talking with the elderly woman, he seemed to have called her… Empress Dowager.
The elderly woman wasn’t able to hear him clearly as he spoke in a very low voice, but Yao shi happened to pa.s.s by him and accidentally heard it.
Maybe... She just heard him wrong?
After all, how was it possible for Liulang"s grandaunt to be the Empress Dowager?
Otherwise, the Empress Dowager not only made a pouch for her daughter, but also arranged her daughter"s hair in her coming-of-age ceremony then? Even the several princesses of the imperial family couldn’t have had such treatment!
"I must have been thinking too much." Yao shi shook her head in disbelief.
"Mom, what did you say?" Gu Jinyu, who didn’t catch what she said, asked.
Yao shi replied, "Oh, nothing. I’m saying, since these are the gifts you received from the guests, you should keep them for yourself."
Gu Jinyu insisted, "How could I? I want to share it with my sister!"
Yao shi felt her exhaustion kicking in. She patted Gu Jinyu’s hand and said, "No need, keep them for yourself instead. Besides, she doesn"t have many rooms there, she has nowhere to store them."
But Gu Jinyu still wanted to send things to Gu Jiao. She wanted Gu Jiao to know that even if she, Gu Jinyu, was just a daughter wrongly brought back by her parents, she still remained very well-regarded by everyone, and no one could look down on her!
"Alas." Suddenly thinking of something, Gu Jinyu sighed and said, "The only thing I’m disappointed about is that my eldest brother was in the military camp all day and couldn"t come back to attend my coming-of-age ceremony."
Yao shi couldn’t bear to tell her that her eldest brother had gone to JiaoJiao"s place today...
The Imperial Academy district wasn’t far from the Marquis Ding"an Estate. If Gu Changqing really had the heart, he could definitely come back to attend Gu Jinyu"s coming-of-age ceremony.
It only showed that Gu Changqing still hadn"t really accepted Gu Jinyu in his heart.
Yao shi really didn’t have a good impression of Gu Changqing. In her view, he was an unaffectionate person, so she advised Gu Jinyu, "If you have nothing to do in the future, don"t go looking for your eldest brother."
"What"s the matter, Mom?" Gu Jinyu asked, puzzled.
Yao shi took her hand and said earnestly, "Heed mother’s advice, alright? Your eldest brother will never accept us."
"Oh." Gu Jinyu bowed her head.
She answered positively, but the next morning, when she heard that her eldest brother had returned home, she immediately went to the vicinity of Gu Changqing"s courtyard.
Gu Changqing came out from practicing swordsmanship and saw her. He asked coldly, "Is something the matter?"
"That..." Gu Jinyu sheepishly and uneasily took out a pouch from behind her and said, "I want to thank eldest brother for the birthday present he gave to me. This is my thank-you gift to eldest brother! I made it myself!"
It was Concubine Ling who prepared the birthday present, and Gu Changqing had long ceased to remember this matter.
He didn"t reach for it.
Gu Jinyu spoke in a low voice, "I know I"m not my father"s flesh and blood, and I don"t deserve to call you eldest brother. I robbed my sister"s life. If possible, I"d rather the mixed-up didn’t happen, the glory and wealth of the Marquis Estate would’ve then belonged to my sister. I know I shouldn"t have occupied the magpie nest!"
All this time, Gu Jinyu was also at the receiving end of Gu Changqing’s resentment. Now it turned out she wasn’t Yao shi"s own flesh and blood, and he actually had been angry with the wrong person for years.
Gu Changqing took the pouch and said, "Many thanks."
Eldest brother accepted her gift!
Gu Jinyu felt incredulous and excited at the same time!
"Is there anything else?" Gu Changqing asked.
"No, no! Then, I shall pay my respects to grandmother!" Gu Jinyu suppressed her excitement, saluted Gu Changqing respectfully, and went to Old Madame Gu’s place with delight.
……
The exam of the Imperial Academy would be held on the 27th of the tenth month. Before that, Feng Lin also arrived in the capital on the 22nd.
He first reported his name to the Imperial Academy and was a.s.signed a dorm room. He then inquired about Xiao Liulang"s address before rushing to find Xiao Liulang.
He didn"t go alone. He was with an acquaintance.
Little Jing Kong opened the gate.
Little Jing Kong looked at the people outside the gate and exclaimed, "Big brother Feng Lin! Big brother Chengye!"
That’s right, Lin Chengye was here as well.
He was also a student of the Imperial Academy.
It was just that Lin Chengye was admitted to the Imperial Academy neither by topping the provincial exam and being enrolled directly nor through a local county recommendation. He was specially accepted by the Imperial Academy on account of the Lin Family donating a building to the Imperial Academy.
The two met on the way, and then Feng Lin entered the capital together with the Lin Family"s entourage.
Hearing that Feng Lin planned to visit Xiao Liulang, Lin Chengye said that he would also like to pay a visit to his little teacher.
Both of them were very happy to see Little Jing Kong.
Feng Lin patted Little Jing Kong on the head and said, "I haven"t seen you for a few days, you"ve grown taller!"
Little Jing Kong’s face suddenly turned dark.
Clearly there was no such thing! He measured himself every day!
Lin Chengye pinched his little cheek, saying, "Fat, fat."
Little Jing Kong"s face became even darker!
What fat!
He wasn’t fat!
He didn’t grow width wise!
Little Jing Kong gritted his teeth in anger. Adults of this generation truly know how to drive children mad!