"Young General, Young General..."
Steward Cao hurried after him, shoving a box of pastries into his hands. "You can't go empty-handed, can you? At least bring something to make a better impression!"
He had gotten up early to buy these pastries from the county town.
The Young General was usually careless and sloppy in his actions, never considering such matters.
"Ah, this..." Gu Zhenshan glared at him. "Always doing useless things!"
What could a box of pastries represent?
Was finding his sister more important, or was delivering pastries more important?
This idiot had no grasp of priorities.
Steward Cao: "..."
Whether you give them or not, this servant is going to have some porridge.
"It's Uncle Gu who's here!" Little Xi Tian heard the commotion and called out.
The whole family heard and looked towards the door.
This morning, Jin Huai Hua had stewed the leftover lamb bones and cabbage from last night, and also cooked a large pot of millet porridge and a few eggs. The whole family ate warmly...
Gu Zhenshan's tall and straight figure swayed in. He had thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a high-bridged nose. Although he was wearing a clean cotton robe, the沧桑 (cāngsāng - vicissitudes of life) and haggardness on his face could not be hidden.
A circle of dark stubble around his lips and chin, his hair tied in a high ponytail, a curved saber and a jade pendant hanging from his waist, and a fan tucked into his belt – it was a rather mismatched image for a martial man...
"Eating, haha!" Gu Zhenshan's laughter was hearty, and he took two steps towards the dining table.
Gu Shi's eyes widened, and she stared blankly at Gu Zhenshan. The chopsticks in her hand clattered to the floor, her expression filled with shock.
This person looked so familiar, and the sense of closeness came from the bottom of her heart...
It was as if the cat she had raised since it was small had suddenly gotten lost one day, and after many years, the cat had returned.
He looked like a stranger, but her heart knew.
Gu Zhenshan's eyes swept over Old Man Yun and everyone at the table, finally landing on Gu Shi...
They stared at each other for five seconds, and the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly awkward, neither of them speaking.
Gu Zhenshan felt she looked like his sister, yet something was not quite right.
When his eldest sister ran away from home, he was just a little kid.
But his sister had already come of age then, beautiful and fully grown, so it was easy to remember her appearance.
However, seeing this old woman before him, Gu Zhenshan found it a bit hard to accept...
It was Little Xi Tian who let out a soft burp and pulled Gu Zhenshan down to sit. "Uncle Gu, you haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll get you a bowl of porridge!~"
Gu Zhenshan placed the pastries on the table, paused for a moment, and then asked Gu Shi, "Madam... Madam, are you from Feiyan Village?"
When Jin Xiaolou heard this, she covered her mouth and giggled.
At home, outsiders called Gu Shi "Big Madam" or "Auntie," so it was a bit unaccustomed for someone to suddenly call her "Madam."
"Don't laugh!~" Yun Xiaobao flicked Jin Xiaolou on the forehead.
Gu Shi smiled and nodded, "That's right, I'm from Feiyan Village!~"
She found Gu Zhenshan's appearance quite familiar, but she didn't dare to recognize him rashly...
They say girls change a lot as they grow, becoming more beautiful.
But men's appearances can also change beyond recognition with the passage of time.
A handsome young man could suddenly become a middle-aged uncle who had gained weight.
A short, dark, and thin little boy could grow into a handsome and tall young man...
When Gu Shi left home, Gu Zhenshan was too young. Suddenly, a man in his forties with a stubbly beard came to recognize her, so she had to be cautious.
"Then, then were you born in the capital? Do you know the Jingbei General's Mansion?" Gu Zhenshan asked again.
As soon as she heard the words "Jingbei General's Mansion," Gu Shi's expression froze, and the unbearable memories buried in her heart surged like a flood...
Being punished by kneeling, verbal abuse, slaps, burned hair, being tied to a tree and whipped, and so on.
She lamented her childhood. For a child to grow up happily, they must have a complete and intact childhood.
Therefore, Gu Shi was very tolerant and loving towards any children in the family, even Jin Xiaolou, whom she raised as her own grandson...
She thought no one would ever mention the General's Mansion again, but unexpectedly, this man appeared and insisted on recounting her painful past.
Gu Shi was extremely resistant.
"I... I haven't heard of the Jingbei General's Mansion!~" Gu Shi turned her face away, wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes.
Little Xi Tian blinked her big eyes, raised her little head to look at her mother, then at Uncle Gu, and suddenly seemed to understand something.
Gu Zhenshan clenched his fists and stood up abruptly. "Impossible! You were beaten and abused by your concubine aunts, and you had no choice but to run away from home, escape to Feiyan Village, get married, and have children, right?"
Gu Zhenshan roared, tears flowing uncontrollably. "Your real name is Gu Ran'er, you like to raise cats, you like pink, and you can write music and sing, compose poetry, and you are skilled in chess, calligraphy, and painting, right? Wuwu..."
Gu Zhenshan was crying uncontrollably. He walked around the dining table to Gu Shi. "You are my sister, why don't you admit it? Tell me, how much hardship and suffering has your brother endured to find you all these years? I don't care, I just want my sister to call me brother, I just want you to admit you are the eldest daughter of the Jingbei General's Mansion, wuwu, Sister, say something, say something..."
The Yun family fell silent after hearing this.
Old Man Yun was too shocked to speak.
His wife was the eldest daughter of the Jingbei General's Mansion?
What kind of immortal wife had he married...
Little Xi Tian pouted, resting her chin on her hand and smiling at her mother.
Zhao Guihua nudged Du Tieshan with her hand and whispered, "Is this man crazy? What is he talking about? I don't understand a word!"
If Mother was the daughter of a General's Mansion, she would have had a life of luxury, with no worries about food or clothing. Why would she come to the countryside to suffer?
This logic didn't make sense at all...
Du Tieshan stacked her empty bowls and smiled helplessly. "I don't understand either, Sister-in-law. Let's go inside and check. The soybeans seem to have sprouted. We can stir-fry a plate for lunch!~"
Zhao Guihua said "Oh," and numbly followed Du Tieshan back into the house...
They couldn't interject in such matters. Just sitting there would be awkward, so it was better not to join the fray.
After crying for a while, Gu Zhenshan took out a portrait from his怀 (huái - embrace/bosom), unfolded it, and handed it to Gu Shi. "Sister, look, is this you at sixteen or seventeen?"
Little Xi Tian, Old Man Yun, and Yun Erman all crowded around.
With just one glance, everyone was stunned by the beauty...
"Wow, Mother is so beautiful!~" Little Xi Tian exclaimed.
The girl's charm and allure were vividly displayed in the portrait.
She was described as having a graceful and beautiful appearance, naturally beautiful, with rosy cheeks like peach blossoms, so beautiful it was unbelievable.
Unexpectedly, Gu Shi rolled up the portrait and said expressionlessly, "This is not me!~"
The whole family: "..."