After Gu Qizheng left, Gu Fu thought she could have some peace. However, not long after, Aunt Yang arrived with Gu Shishi.
Aunt Yang had worn richly-colored clothes and jade accessories to see the Old Madam, giving her a dignified and elegant appearance. After returning to her courtyard, she immediately changed her clothes. Before she could even sit down, she heard that Gu Fu had been punished to kneel in the ancestral hall, so she rushed over without even having a cup of tea.
Following the sound of footsteps, Gu Fu turned her head and saw Aunt Yang wearing a pearl hairpin and a flowing gold hairpin. She wore a lotus-colored narrow-sleeved jacket and a bright persimmon-red robe over it, with silk-lined pants embroidered with red plums and a hundred-pleated skirt using the latest fashionable style—skirt doors side-worn, swaying gracefully as she walked. She did not appear bulky in her winter clothes; instead, she looked charming and graceful.
It must be said that Gu Qizheng had a good eye; Aunt Yang’s appearance, figure, and fashion sense were top-notch.
Behind Aunt Yang was Gu Shishi, who looked very unwilling. When Gu Shishi noticed Gu Fu looking at her, she raised her chin, turned her face away, and let out a loud ‘humph.’
Gu Shishi hadn’t always been this way. During the five years that Gu Fu was away, she was the only daughter in the main household. Second Madam Li treated her very well to avoid gossip, and Aunt Yang, having only one child, naturally spoiled her. The result was her current naive and willful demeanor.
Gu Fu wasn’t surprised by this, as she had known her since childhood…
Gu Fu knew that while Aunt Yang was scheming, she wasn’t clever. She couldn’t see the bigger picture, and her plans were always easily seen through.
For instance, just now, Aunt Yang had entered quickly, furrowing her delicate eyebrows and acting as if she wanted to come to Gu Fu’s rescue. She clearly intended to use this opportunity to make Gu Qizheng see her as a kind-hearted stepmother who cared for Gu Fu like her own child while also currying favor with Gu Fu.
And now, after confirming that Gu Qizheng was truly gone, Aunt Yang immediately dropped her “caring mother” facade, waving her handkerchief and swaying her hips as she approached Gu Fu, her eyes full of disdain.
Gu Fu didn’t need to guess to know that Aunt Yang intended to take advantage of Qizheng’s absence to give her a hard time.
Sure enough, Aunt Yang instructed the maids and servants to wait outside the ancestral hall, leaving only the three of them inside.
Aunt Yang covered her mouth with her handkerchief and asked sarcastically, “Second Miss, after such a long journey, why haven’t you gone to rest? Did the master punish you to kneel in the ancestral hall?”
Gu Fu withdrew her gaze and looked at the incense burner in front of the ancestral tablets, then said lightly, “Auntie can ask my father.”
Naturally, Auntie Yang didn’t dare to ask. She thought for a while and felt that the only thing that could make Gu Qizheng so angry was Gu Fu’s marriage, so she asked on her own, “Is it because of the Second Young Lady’s marriage?”
Seeing no reaction from Gu Fu, Auntie Yang added another comment, pretending to be concerned but actually striking a sore spot, “This matter is indeed worrisome. The Second Young Lady is… nineteen this year, right? Normally, girls like the Second Young Lady would have been engaged at thirteen or fourteen, and seventeen would be considered late to get married. But the Old Madam kept you at Zuowang Mountain to practice Buddhism, wasting the prime years for your marriage. You should have reminded the Old Madam. The whole household knows how much the Old Madam loves you. If you end up unable to find a good match because of your age, the Old Madam would be heartbroken.”
Auntie Yang’s voice was pleasant, but when she mocked, it became pretentious and even more grating than the incessant summer cicadas.
Gu Fu glanced at Auntie Yang, noticing her eyebrows feigning worry while the corners of her mouth slightly lifted, revealing a stark contrast in her emotions. Gu Fu decided to unify her expressions for her.
Adjusting her posture from kneeling to a less elegant cross-legged sitting position, Gu Fu said, “I think Auntie should thank me.”
Auntie Yang was initially puzzled, then felt that Gu Fu was just being mysterious, so she fearlessly chuckled, “What do you mean by that, Second Young Lady?”
Gu Fu said calmly, “If I had reminded Grandmother earlier, she would have returned home with me. By then, she would not only be looking for a husband for me but also a new wife for my father. Auntie, don’t you think you should thank me?”
Auntie Yang’s smile froze as if she had just thought of this possibility.
Without waiting for Auntie Yang to speak, Gu Fu continued, “But what’s destined to come will come. Father has entrusted the task of finding a husband for me to Auntie Li. Grandmother will surely focus on finding a new wife for my father. By then, Auntie, your days might not be as relaxed as they are now.”
After years of enjoying comfortable days, Auntie Yang was left flustered and lost by Gu Fu’s words, her emotions clearly displayed on her face.
While Auntie Yang was defeated, Gu Shishi was unhappy with Gu Fu using her father’s remarriage to mock her mother. She stepped forward, picking up on Gu Fu’s age and using her unmarried status as a weapon against her, “Instead of worrying about my mother, you should worry about yourself. I can’t face people knowing there’s an unmarried sister at home. You’re an old maid with no shame, coming back just to anger Father and deserve to be punished.”
Gu Fu looked at Gu Shishi, her raised eyes showing a hint of frost, “Do you really think I’m an old maid embarrassing you, Fourth Sister?”
Gu Shishi’s neck felt cold under Gu Fu’s gaze, but she stubbornly replied, “Of course!”
Gu Fu didn’t get angry but laughed instead, “Then you’d better be careful. You know the order of seniority, right? As long as I’m not married, it won’t be your turn. So…”
Gu Fu slowly curved her lips into a malicious smile, “As long as I drag it out for three or four years, you’ll be an old maid just like me.”
Fearing that Gu Shishi might not understand, Gu Fu deliberately slowed her speech, watching Gu Shishi’s expression change from confusion to shock and finally to denial, shaking her head, “No, you wouldn’t dare! You wouldn’t dare!”
Dragging it out for three or four years would make Gu Fu over twenty. Unless she became a nun, no official family’s daughter in the capital remained unmarried at that age. Gu Shishi didn’t believe Gu Fu would go to such lengths over a mere insult.
Gu Fu said leisurely, “Just so you know, I’m not afraid of what people say. Not only am I not afraid, but I find those who talk about me laughable. The question is whether you are afraid.”
Gu Shishi saw the smile in Gu Fu’s eyes and retreated two steps in fear—she dared, she really dared!
Yes, why wouldn’t she dare? When she was eight, their third brother’s classmate repeatedly spilled his lunch on purpose. She dared to swap clothes with their brother, disguise herself as him, and beat the bully until he was searching the ground for his teeth.
If she could do something that bold, what wouldn’t she dare to do?
After five years, Gu Shishi finally remembered that Gu Fu was a wild, unrestrained person who never followed the rules.
Normal people couldn’t compete with someone who was fearless.
The mother and daughter’s mindset shifted from initially wanting to laugh at Gu Fu to feeling unsettled. Just then, someone else entered the ancestral hall and asked Auntie Yang and Gu Shishi, “What are you doing here?”
Auntie Yang and Gu Shishi turned to look at the newcomer. Auntie Yang curtsied, “Eldest Young Master.”
Gu Shishi also greeted, “Big Brother.”
When they called out, Gu Fu adjusted her posture and resumed kneeling properly on the cushion, sighing internally about how lively the ancestral hall was today.
The eldest young master of the Gu family, Gu Fu and Gu Shishi’s elder brother, was naturally Gu Chen.
Auntie Yang feared Gu Qizheng and Gu Chen the most in the household. Seeing Gu Chen, she couldn’t help but make excuses, pretending to show concern for Gu Fu.
But now her mind was occupied with the idea of Gu Qizheng remarrying, making her lose her composure. In the end, she fled in a hurry.
Before leaving, Gu Shishi wanted to complain to her brother that Gu Fu was planning to keep her from getting married, but Auntie Yang pulled her away before she could say a word.
Gu Chen watched them leave and, after their figures disappeared, turned to look at the properly kneeling Gu Fu.
Like Gu Qizheng, Gu Chen knew Gu Fu had spent the past five years in the northern frontier. Not only did he know, but their cousin Mu Qingyao knew, as she was Gu Fu’s closest friend. Even though the Old Madam had used the pretext of practicing Buddhism to cover for Gu Fu, they always managed to see Gu Fu when they visited the Old Madam.
After a year without seeing Gu Fu despite frequent visits, they became suspicious and discovered she wasn’t at Zuowang Mountain. They confronted Gu Qizheng, who told them the truth and asked them to help keep the secret.
As one of the insiders, Gu Chen had a lot to say to his sister. Earlier, he had held back in front of the old madam, but now, having a chance to speak privately with Gu Fu, he found himself unsure of how to begin.
He feared saying too much might hurt his sister’s feelings but also feared that not saying enough would lead her to repeat her mistakes.
He paced back and forth in his indecision, sighing heavily and hesitating.
The heavy sighs gave Gu Fu a headache, and she said directly, “Big Brother, just say what you want to say. Don’t hold it in until you make yourself sick.”
Hearing her, Gu Chen couldn’t hold back any longer. He walked up to her and reprimanded, “You should know what I want to say. The military camp is full of men! By doing such disgraceful things, don’t you realize it will bring shame to our family’s daughters?”
Gu Chen was too embarrassed to explicitly state what Gu Fu had done and used “such disgraceful things” to refer to it.
Hearing this, Gu Fu was initially stunned. Then, slowly, she put away her nonchalant demeanor and seriously said, “Protecting the country is not a disgraceful thing.”
Her words were sincere and straightforward, not impassioned, but presented as a simple fact, making them hard to ignore.
Gu Chen looked into Gu Fu’s eyes, and although he was standing and she was kneeling, making it seem like he was looking down at her, he felt an illusion of being scrutinized from above.
If you enjoy my translations, you can consider supporting me on ko-fi! Thank you!
Release schedule: Every Monday.
Unlock chapters to read ahead!
