Chapter 122: Xiuli Returns to Her Parents’ Home

Page 1 of 3

Mrs. Li was somewhat moved by Xiulan’s words. The key was not anything else, but the He family’s standing. It would be an enormous help to Fifth Brother when he pursued the civil examinations in the future. Besides, the He family was wealthy and influential; even if their daughter was not particularly beautiful, that was hardly a serious flaw.

In Mrs. Li’s mind, for a family as distinguished as theirs to want their daughter to marry a countryman, there was probably some shortcoming in the girl’s appearance. But when it came to living together and running a household, beauty was secondary. If the marriage could help Fifth Brother advance in life, then it would be a fine thing indeed.

“All right. Call Fifth Brother over, and let’s ask what he thinks.”

Mrs. Li was impatient by nature and could never leave matters hanging, so she hurriedly sent for Fifth Brother.

Gu Xiulan repeated everything she had just said, then asked Gu Chengren what he thought.

Gu Chengren pondered for a long while before saying, “Eldest Sister, did the Yang family really put it that way? Something about this doesn’t feel right to me. Why would a family of their standing take a liking to me? I’m only a licentiate student, not even a scholar yet.”

Gu Chengren was still clearheaded enough to sense that something about the matter was strange.

“Listen to yourself. Isn’t Jiang Binghao a licentiate student too? Didn’t our family marry Xiuli to him? What’s wrong with being a licentiate student? Once you take the examinations in autumn, you’ll become a scholar, won’t you? The Yang family must have the same idea we do,” Mrs. Li said dismissively, waving her hand.

“Fifth Brother, if you ask me, this marriage can work. Let’s not even discuss whether the He girl is pretty or plain. A wealthy family like theirs couldn’t have a daughter who was truly ugly. The important thing is that, since their family is so well connected in the prefectural city, they will certainly help you when you pursue the examinations and seek a future in government service. My son, a man’s prospects are what matter most. Once you have a bright future ahead of you, what trouble could there be afterward?”

Gu Chengren thought it over and felt his heart stir. His mother’s words made sense. He was determined to pursue the examinations and enter officialdom, but he also understood that in these times, without someone to support him, even if he truly passed the provincial and metropolitan examinations, he might not be able to go very far. If he had the backing and patronage of a father-in-law’s family, his official career would be a smooth road indeed.

“Eldest Sister, you said the He girl is staying at the Yang residence. Could you find some opportunity for me to meet her? As long as she isn’t terribly ugly, I’ll agree to the marriage.”

Gu Chengren had made up his mind. This marriage was entirely feasible.

Gu Xiulan smiled. “You really are worried about the girl’s appearance, aren’t you? There’s no need. I already looked her over for you. When Madam Yang came to see me yesterday, I happened to meet the He girl as well. Put your mind at ease. She isn’t as pretty as Xiuli, but she’s quite attractive.”

Gu Chengren was stunned. He had not expected his eldest sister to have seen the girl already. He trusted her judgment completely, which meant that the He girl could not possibly be ugly. Yet that only made the matter more puzzling. With so many good families in the prefectural city, why had the He family not chosen a husband for their daughter there? Why seek out a country boy like him?

“Eldest Sister, do you think there might be something else behind this?” Gu Xiuyun, who was sitting nearby, clearly found the matter strange as well.

Old Master Gu, who had remained silent until then, finally added, “Eldest Daughter, you’ll have to put some effort into this. Go back and make careful inquiries. What exactly does the He family mean? Our Gu family has always had a spotless reputation. We must not grasp at a momentary advantage only to ruin the good name of our household.”

Page 1 of 3

Page 2 of 3

What the old master feared was that the He girl had poor morals, and that the He family, having no other choice, wanted to marry her off somewhere far away. If that were the case, the Gu family could never accept such a daughter-in-law.

Gu Xiulan nodded. “All right, Father, Mother. I’ll make some careful inquiries when I return. But from what I saw, the He girl is somewhat spoiled, yes, but she doesn’t seem to have any improper behavior. In any case, I’ll spend more time investigating and we’ll decide afterward. Fifth Brother, why don’t you come stay with me in the county town for a while? You have some schoolmates there, don’t you? Ask them to make inquiries as well.”

The matter had, for the time being, been discussed and settled. The Gu family had no objections to the He family’s status or wealth. Their only concern was the girl’s character. That would require patient investigation. As long as there was no serious problem with her conduct, Gu Chengren was quite willing to accept the marriage.

Everyone was still eagerly discussing the matter when they heard Wenqing and Wenjing shouting outside, “Little Aunt and Little Uncle are back!”

The Gu family hurried out of the house. Gu Chengren and his brothers, together with their wives, all went to the gate to welcome the married daughter home for her return visit.

The county town was far from the village, so Jiang Binghao had hired a carriage. When it stopped outside the Gu residence, Jiang Binghao climbed out first, then turned around and helped Xiuli down.

Xiuli was dressed in red again that day. Her dark hair was coiled up, with a gold hairpin and two red velvet flowers tucked into it. Her attire was simple enough, but the smile on her face, together with the festive red of her clothing, made her look radiant and charming—a bride newly married and thoroughly content.

Once Xiuli had alighted, Jiang Binghao reached back into the carriage and carried down a great many gifts. A new son-in-law was expected to bring presents when returning to his wife’s family, and the most important of these was a pig’s head. If the groom prepared a pig’s head for the return visit, it meant he was highly satisfied with his new bride. If he did not, it was considered a very serious matter.

Of course, some families did not bring an entire pig’s head, but merely wrapped up some prepared pig’s-head meat. That conveyed the same meaning. Jiang Binghao, however, had brought a genuine pig’s head, tied with red silk. The Jiang family had also prepared many other gifts—pastries, wine, tea, and the like—all decorated with red silk.

Gu Chengren and the others hurried forward to help Jiang Binghao unload everything. Then Jiang Binghao turned and took Xiuli’s arm, and the young couple entered the Gu family courtyard together.

Old Master Gu and Mrs. Li stood outside the main room. Tears glimmered in Mrs. Li’s eyes as she watched Gu Xiuli and Jiang Binghao approach. This was the youngest daughter she had always cherished and doted upon. Now that Xiuli had married and become another family’s daughter-in-law, how could Mrs. Li not worry about her? Seeing that her daughter looked well and that Jiang Binghao was so careful to protect her, Mrs. Li finally felt reassured.

When the couple came before the old master and his wife, they knelt together and kowtowed.

“Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, your son-in-law pays his respects,” Jiang Binghao said.

“Oh, no, no, there’s no need for that. Get up quickly.”

The old master bent down and helped Jiang Binghao to his feet, then pulled a red envelope from his waist and pressed it into the young man’s hand. It was a greeting gift for the new son-in-law, and also money given in recognition of the change in forms of address.

Page 2 of 3

Page 3 of 3

After accepting the red envelope, Jiang Binghao supported Xiuli, and everyone entered the east room together. The old master and Mrs. Li drew the young couple onto the kang to sit. Xiulan, Xiuyun, and the others sat in various places—some at the far end of the kang, some along its edge, and others on chairs. Mrs. Li held her daughter’s hand and looked her over from every angle, her face filled with maternal affection.

Today was Little Aunt’s return visit, so none of the children in the household were allowed to go out. Jiaoyan had therefore been unable to visit the Miao family. She now leaned against Gu Chenyong, watching with great curiosity as Mrs. Li and her daughter talked.

Who would have thought that Mrs. Li could show such warmth and tenderness? It was a pity, though, that apart from her several daughters, there was probably no one else who could receive such treatment from her.

Inside the room, Mrs. Li and Old Master Gu guided everyone through another round of introductions to Jiang Binghao. Xiulan’s husband and Xiuli’s husband were introduced especially carefully. Once everyone had been presented, Mrs. Li waved her hand and had Wensheng lead the younger children outside. No matter how large the room was, it felt cramped with so many people inside. The children could not sit still there anyway, so they might as well go out and play.

Jiaoyan and the others darted outside at once. To be honest, the weather in June made the room nearly unbearable. The kitchen was still busy frying and cooking, and the kang was hot as well, making the entire room stifling. It was much cooler outdoors.

A large group of children played in the courtyard, naturally making quite a racket. But today Mrs. Li would not lose her temper. No matter how noisy things became outside, she merely smiled from ear to ear.

Jiaoyan did not get along with the children from the Lü and Guan families. In particular, Lü Xuejiao seemed to look down on all the Gu children, scarcely deigning to meet their eyes. Jiaoyan did not like playing with her either, and stayed off to one side with Wen Ying and Wen Qian, playing catch-the-stones and tossing beanbags.

At some point, a furry creature wandered over beside Jiaoyan and Wen Ying. Jiaoyan turned her head and saw it at once.

“Oh! How did the little bear get out?”

The family had kept this little bear because Jiaoyan liked it so much. Normally, it was kept behind a closed door and could not get out. Perhaps, with so many people around that day, someone had forgotten to shut the door and accidentally let it loose.

A plump, furry little bear, clumsy and utterly endearing, had appeared in the courtyard. Every child turned to look toward Jiaoyan. The Gu children had seen it before, but the children from the Guan and Lü families had never encountered such a creature and found it fascinating.

“Big Sister, what is that? It’s so much fun! Look, it can even roll around!”

Lü Xueyan watched the little bear rolling on the ground and found it immensely entertaining. She walked toward Jiaoyan.

“Can I play with it?” Xueyan asked.

“It’s a bear, and it’s wild, so it’s dangerous. You’re too young. You should stay farther away from it.”

Jiaoyan looked at Xueyan, a four-year-old girl. The bear was unfamiliar with her, and if anything happened, it would be disastrous.

“Big Sister, look! She won’t let me play with it. Big Sister, go find Mother and tell her they’re bullying me!”

Xueyan ignored Jiaoyan completely. Pointing at the bear, she burst into tears.

Page 3 of 3