Chapter 25
Twins
Today, Yuheng Garden was very lively. As soon as Granny Li left, Gu Yuan sent someone over. Not only were there people, but there were also some broken things. Gu Yuan almost thought of something and sent them over.
Tea leaves, incense, the Four Treasures of the Study, chessboard, buttercup, rattan ball, glass beads, goat’s milk, jade pendant, jade ring… Just packing up these trivial things made Gu Yanfei happy.
Juan Bi counted them one by one.
“These are top-quality fur tips. I have to keep them myself.”
“This jade pendant and chessboard are for you.”
“These should be for Qing Guang.”
“…”
“Meow!” Deeply satisfied with this, the kitten slapped a paw on the rattan ball.
The small rattan ball rolled around and around as the kitten chased it. The crisp ringing of the bell was endless.
Gu Yanfei fell asleep under the sound of the bell and was woken up by the ringing again.
She slowly ate her breakfast before Granny Li led her to the Gu family’s ancestral hall on the west side of the Marquis Mansion.
The white stone path that led to the ancestral hall was clean. Pine trees and cypress trees lined both sides of the stone path, the atmosphere solemn and quiet. A plaque hung at the entrance of the building in front of them. The words “Gu Family Ancestral Hall” were written in a flamboyant manner.
It was a beautiful day. The sky was blue and the sun was shining. The five main rooms under the blue sky and white clouds were quiet and still.
When Gu Yanfei arrived, the building was already filled with the fragrance of clothes and hair. Women of various families were all present in the Marquis Mansion. Laughter sounded continuously, and the atmosphere was harmonious.
“Second Lady, this way.” Granny Li smiled and led the way for Gu Yanfei. She was friendly but not overly so.
The people in the building also noticed Gu Yanfei’s arrival. More than ten burning gazes surged towards Gu Yanfei like a tide. These gazes were sizing her up, or full of curiosity, contempt, and casualness.
Madam Gu also looked at Gu Yanfei with a burning gaze. Gu Yuan’s words to her yesterday rang in her ears again.
“Grandma, now that we’ve found my sister, shouldn’t we open the ancestral hall as soon as possible? I think there’s no time like the present. Why don’t we choose tomorrow?”
Madam Gu narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips into a straight line.
For the sake of the marriage between the Gu and Fang families, she had originally planned to open the ancestral hall and change the family tree as soon as she returned to the capital. However, it was different from Gu Yuan asking her to do it. The latter made her feel threatened.
Madam Gu was unhappy. Before her second granddaughter returned, Gu Yuan had always been very filial to her.
Gu Yanfei’s gaze swept across the people in front of her. Those familiar faces matched the names in her memory.
She stopped outside the building, the sun a faint golden halo around her.
The morning light fell into her eyes, making her pupils sparkle. Her fair skin shone like pearls.
Besides her beautiful face and noble bearing, she also exuded a temperament as bright as the sun.
A few girls from the Gu family hid behind the ladies and whispered to each other. Occasionally, words like “the eldest branch,” “the second sister,” and “looks like her elder brother” floated over.
“Second Sister.” It was Gu Yunrong who spoke first.
She smiled sweetly, and a pair of shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks. She was gentle, generous, and amiable.
“What a lovely young lady!” A beautiful middle-aged woman in her early 30s with an oval face praised Gu Yanfei affectionately. A gentle smile appeared on her fair face. “This must be my second niece. She really looks like my sister-in-law… I’m your second aunt.”
This beautiful woman was Madam Wang of the Dingyuan Marquis Household.
Gu Yanfei bowed to Madam Gu and Madam Wang. “Madam Gu, Second Madam.”
This form of address made everyone’s expressions a little subtle. They secretly exchanged glances. They wondered if this girl was wooden and slow or if she knew the rules too well.
Madam Gu’s expression was as calm as water. She directly vented her anger on Gu Yanfei and said coldly, “Come earlier next time.”
As she spoke, her gaze swept across the strands of yellow and white hair on Gu Yanfei’s shoulder. She frowned and said, “Hurry up and get rid of your cat. That cat is strange. It must be a demon!”
She felt uncomfortable at the thought of a cat in the residence.
Gu Yanfei smiled without saying anything and sat down.
“…” Madam Gu’s heart burned with anger, and the undercurrents in her eyes surged.
Amidst the stiff atmosphere, a gray-clothed old woman hurried over to report that the Marquis and the Patriarch had arrived. Hence, all the women, including Madam Gu, looked straight ahead.
The five doors ahead were wide open. From outside, a group of men of various ages and appearances filed in.
At the front was an old man in a black robe with a white beard. He walked with vigorous steps and was full of energy.
“Thank you for your trouble today, Uncle.” Beside the old man was a blue-robed man in his 30s. He was tall and had handsome facial features. Unfortunately, his figure was slightly bloated. It was the current Marquis of Dingyuan, Gu Jian.
Gu Jian was very respectful to the Gu family’s patriarch.
“It’s my duty, there’s no need to exchange pleasantries with me,” the Patriarch said, stroking his beard and smiling broadly.
The two masters from the fourth and fifth families of the Marquis Mansion followed closely behind. They were also talking to the elders harmoniously.
Gu Yuan followed behind without a word. He was only 17 years old, and his handsome face still had a hint of childishness, but he was tall and stood out from the crowd. His every move exuded arrogance.
The women surrounded Madam Gu and took a few steps forward. They greeted each other politely.
A moment later, everyone sat down in the front hall of the ancestral hall. Gu Jian and the patriarch sat side by side at the head of the table. Madam Gu was at the bottom. The others sat down one by one.
On such a big occasion, most people had no right to speak at all. Most of them were silent. Some were playing with their handkerchiefs, some were absent-minded, some were yawning secretly, and some were secretly sizing up Gu Yanfei.
After some small talk, Madam Gu finally got down to business. She raised her hand and pointed at Gu Yanfei, who was sitting beside her.
“Patriarch, this girl is Rong’er’s twin sister. Back then, their mother, the Xie family, had a difficult labor. After giving birth to the two of them, she passed away.”
“You also know that at that time, the border area was in chaos. The wet nurse took care of the two sisters alone and was unable to do anything. She accidentally lost this girl and only carried Rong’er to the capital…”
Madam Gu had already come up with an excuse. She did not care about everyone’s reaction and spoke confidently.
The chief and the elders looked at each other, silently exchanging glances.
The story of the twins was outrageous. It was obviously made up, but no one questioned it.
...
Madam Gu had already spoken to the Patriarch and the others. Yesterday, she had asked her trusted aide to hint at them. To put it bluntly, the Patriarch and the others had only come today to go through the motions.
It did not matter what the truth was. The key was that this matter was beneficial to the entire Gu family.