ebookland Chapter 185 Letter from Nanjing
Chapter 185 Letter from Nanjing
Old Hei said, "I am old and a generation older than you, so there are some things I need to ask on behalf of Guiying first."
Zhu Zi immediately became serious, realizing that they were testing him.
"Please tell me."
Age and family background were secondary; what he had heard was that Guiying's father had died early and her mother had remarried, and that she had been living with her aunt.
Now that their niece has become their daughter-in-law, will things change for their family?
"I heard that your family is a kind family, especially your mother. Her family is not well-off to begin with, but she still adopted Guiying. That's really good!"
Zhu Zi chuckled. Wasn't he supposed to be testing him? Why is he praising him now?
Then, Lao Hei changed the subject and asked about his family: "I don't know how many people are in your family, and what kind of business do you do now?"
Zhuzi honestly replied, "I have five brothers: one older brother and three younger brothers. My eldest brother and third brother are both married; they are from the same village."
"Five sons? Your parents must have had a tough time."
Zhu Zi agreed, "That's right. My parents have worked hard for us brothers for half their lives. If I had children..." Zhu Zi quickly interrupted, "It's not even close to happening yet, we can't say anything too soon."
Old Hei, however, pressed for details, "What if it were you?"
Zhu Zi blushed and said, "Having many children makes a mother suffer. I only need one child."
Old Hei stroked his beard and exchanged a glance with Qingru, both seeing the agreement in each other's eyes.
"Excuse my bluntness, but you have many sons. It takes a lot of effort for each son to get married. What will happen if you and Guiying get married?"
Knowing that Guiying might also be eavesdropping behind the door, Zhuzi composed himself and said solemnly, "To be honest, although my brothers and I are poor, we are all men of principle. We are perfectly capable, so why should our parents empty their pockets for us? My eldest brother and my third brother got married with their own hard-earned money. As for myself, I have already saved enough for a house. As long as Guiying marries me, we can immediately move out and live on our own, without burdening our parents or causing Guiying any hardship."
Old Hei's eyes showed admiration, and even Qingru congratulated him, "Not bad, you have guts!"
Zhu Zi, on the contrary, became embarrassed. "Anyway, that's just how I think."
Old Hei asked again, "So what kind of work will you do after you get married? Continue farming? Guiying has lived in the city for a long time, and she's so fair and delicate. How can she withstand the wind and rain?"
Zhu Zi frowned slightly and pondered, "Before we came here, my parents and I discussed it. If Guiying really couldn't get used to life in the countryside, I would take her with me to make a living. I'm strong enough to carry bricks at the dock or pull a rickshaw, so I won't let her go hungry. We agreed long ago that the man would be the breadwinner and the woman would stay at home, so I won't let her suffer."
Guiying could no longer hold back, pushed open the door and rushed out, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at the pillar.
"Don't say anymore, Mr. Xin, Sister Qingru, I... I believe my second cousin will treat me well. It's okay to farm in the countryside. I'm a farmer by nature. As long as my cousin treats me well, a little hardship is nothing."
Qingru chuckled: "Alright, love conquers all, then I wish you two lovers a long and happy life together, and that you'll soon be living a good life."
Old Hei stopped interrogating him, swallowing the even sharper words. Guiying couldn't bear to see him questioned, and no amount of advice from others would change anything. Besides, as things stood, this pillar seemed alright.
Qingru said, “Wo Niu Village is located in a remote area. Although the scenery is beautiful and you won’t go hungry, it’s still hard to make money. These days, if you have a minor illness or disaster, it’s not easy to make a living. Here’s what we’re going to do: my family has a shop that sells both north and south products. Guiying, if you can’t bear to leave me after you go back to get married, you can come back to work at the shop. The same goes for your second cousin.”
This was a pleasant surprise, and Guiying quickly thanked her, saying, "I'm glad you don't mind, I'm also reluctant to part with you."
Qingru playfully pinched Guiying's nose, feigning jealousy, "Nonsense, your favorite is clearly Cousin Zhuzi, why would you miss me?"
Qiu Shuang chimed in, "That's right, with your brother Zhu Zi around, you don't even need us anymore."
As soon as the adults came out, the two little ones also ran out.
"Brother Zhuzi~" Little Erlang ran ahead and shoved Zhuzi into his arms, causing him to stumble back a few steps.
"Little Erlang?" Zhu Zi asked incredulously.
Xiao Erlang patted his chest and said, "That's me. I have a name now. I'm called Lü Zhenhua, and I'm Qingru's younger brother."
Zhu Zi looked at Qing Ru with a questioning gaze.
Qingru nodded, "From now on, Xiao Erlang will be my younger brother, and he will no longer have the surname Niu."
Zhu Zi thought about it and realized it made sense. Niu Da had sold Xiao Erlang's mother and sister, and the stepmother he found treated him badly. No wonder Xiao Erlang changed his surname.
However, since everyone in the village shares the same surname, Zhu Zi has a responsibility to take on the role of Xiao Erlang's elder brother. He cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Miss Lü. I entrust Xiao Erlang, no, Lü Zhenhua, to you from now on."
Qingru nodded. "Don't worry, he won't be mistreated here."
Zhu Zi is the village chief's son. His speaking on behalf of the "Niu" and "Lü" families is equivalent to formally acknowledging Xiao Erlang's change of surname, which is recognized in front of the clan.
The banquet was immediately restarted in the courtyard, and the leftover dishes from inside the house were reheated and brought out to the courtyard.
Everyone else was just eating for fun, but Zhu Zi was the main one. He hadn't been sleeping or eating well these past few days, so he should eat more.
Seeing Guiying serve food to Zhuzi, Zhuzi blushed and thanked her. The two were very happy together, and a subtle, ambiguous feeling arose between them. Although Qiushuang and the two children were always causing trouble, every time their eyes met, the affection between them seemed to be so strong that no third person could possibly interfere.
Qingru was happy to see the loving couple. Xin Wuhui helped Lao Hei down to rest; both of them had drunk too much and probably had already gone to bed early.
A sense of melancholy washed over her; Qingru didn't know why. Whenever she had a moment to herself, Guo Zixing's image filled her mind, yet they had never shared such a tender moment together.
Shaking her head, Qingru shook off her thoughts and prepared to go to sleep, but suddenly someone rushed in through the door.
Zhang Xun barged in in a flurry of activity, but the servants, who all recognized him, didn't stop him.
He had a serious expression, but then he saw people feasting and drinking in the courtyard. He quickly changed his demeanor and hurriedly pulled Qingru aside.
"What's wrong?" Qingru noticed his strange expression and thought something had happened again.
"Something's happened." Zhang Xun shattered Qingru's suspicions.
Qingru asked in surprise, "What? Explain yourself! What happened? Who's in trouble?"
Zhang Xun wiped his face, his expression becoming even more serious and tense. "Tonight, we received a call from Nanjing saying that the young master has disappeared after sending Su Chuan there?"
"What do you mean by 'missing without a trace'? How could a perfectly healthy person just disappear? Besides, Commander Guo assigned a whole regiment to follow them, and they've all vanished without a trace?"
Zhang Xun quickly calmed the anxious Qingru down, "Don't rush, listen to me. The whole group is unharmed and on their way back. We're searching along the way, and only the eldest young master is in trouble."
"Tell me what exactly happened! Why are you talking about all that irrelevant stuff?"
Zhang Xun looked troubled but still spoke up, "After the young master delivered the person to the government, he was preparing to return home. However, several important figures there hosted a banquet and invited him. These people are high-ranking and powerful, and also elders, so the young master couldn't refuse and went with them. The adjutant who went with him waited outside the hotel, but the young master didn't come out until the next day. When he inquired further, he learned that the young master had already left, and the important figures at the banquet had already gone home. But… but the adjutant waited all night and didn't see him come out at all…"
Qingru fell into deep thought. How could this be? The situation was becoming increasingly complicated and confusing.
"So, what did the commander say?"
"Ever since the letter came from over there, the Marshal has been furious like never before. He even wanted to go to the government in person to demand an explanation. Everyone tried their best to persuade him, but in the end, it was the old lady who stopped him... Right now, the Marshal asked me to call you and Regiment Commander Jiang over."
Qingru nodded and went to the Marshal's Mansion with Zhang Xun. Guo Zixing had suddenly disappeared; she was determined to find out what had happened.