"You..." Madam Gu put down her needlework, her eyes blurred with tears as she looked at Gu Zhenshan, "You must have had a very hard time these past years, haven't you?"
As a flood of emotions and unforgettable memories surged into her mind, Madam Gu could no longer maintain her composure. Tears streamed down her face like a broken string of pearls.
Gu Zhenshan took Madam Gu's hand and choked out, "Compared to my hardships, Sister, you are the most tragic and pitiable. If that incident hadn't happened back then, you wouldn't have had to flee to the countryside and live a life of toiling in the fields..."
"Wuwu, Sister, it's all my fault for being useless. If I had grown up sooner and found you sooner, you wouldn't have suffered so much. Sister, wuwu, I'm sorry!~"
Upon hearing this, Madam Gu's tears turned into a smile. "Who says life in the countryside isn't good? Although life here is a bit simple, I've never gone hungry. Moreover, I've given birth to four sons and one daughter, and my life is full and vibrant. What's not good about it?"
"Sister..." Gu Zhenshan's eyes were red from crying. "I mean, if you had stayed in the General's Mansion, you could have married better and lived a more prosperous life!~"
Having led troops in battle for so many years, he had experienced all sorts of hardships and had no intention of looking down on country folk...
Madam Gu handed him a handkerchief and smiled helplessly, "You're over forty years old, and you're still crying like this. You're just like when you were a child!"
Gu Zhenshan blinked and then chuckled, "It's because Sister liked to tease me when we were little and always made me cry..."
The atmosphere in the room finally eased a little, and Gu Zhenshan told Madam Gu many things about the General's Mansion.
"Where are Mom and Dad buried?" Madam Gu asked.
She was not a cold-blooded or heartless person. Over the years, she had thought about returning to the General's Mansion to sweep her parents' graves and burn incense...
But even though she had the thought, she never had the courage to go back. After all, with a family to support, farming, and fleeing from famine, the life of a farmer had long since worn away her glamorous side.
Gu Zhenshan wiped away his tears. "They are buried on a mountain outside the capital. Both Father and Mother are buried together. Sister, please come back with me. Come back to see Mom and Dad, and then live peacefully in the General's Mansion. I will take care of your family..."
Fearing that his sister would disagree, he emphasized that he would buy houses and set up businesses for the elders and young of the Yun family, and he had even helped find future wives for the children.
When Madam Gu heard this, she couldn't help but laugh and cry. "I'm not going! I finally escaped from the capital, why would I go back?"
"Sister..." Gu Zhenshan anxiously jumped off the kang and patted his chest. "Even if it's for your brother's sake, you have to go back!~"
Madam Gu: "???"
What was going on?
Seeing him like this, it seemed like she had no choice but to go back...
Seeing Madam Gu's confused expression, Gu Zhenshan sat down again and explained his situation in detail.
Finally, he asked Madam Gu with a serious expression, "Sister, did you curse the General's Mansion? Why can't the concubines in the mansion get pregnant? A fortune teller said that as long as you are brought back, things will definitely turn around. So, Sister, you absolutely must help me!~"
Madam Gu: "..."
This was truly absurd.
When she left the General's Mansion, she did have a lot of resentment in her heart, but in order to escape and support herself, how could she have had the time to curse others?
"I didn't!" Madam Gu shook her head.
She disdained to do such a thing...
"Zhenshan, you should get yourself checked. In my opinion, it's your own problem, and it has nothing to do with those concubines!" Madam Gu reminded him.
"No... no way!" Gu Zhenshan looked bewildered. "I, I've seen imperial physicians, and they all said there's no problem!"
Madam Gu said helplessly, "Are the imperial physicians always reliable? Aren't they just saying nice things because you have a bad temper and get angry easily?"
Gu Zhenshan: "..."
Could it really be his problem?
"Then Sister must also return to the General's Mansion with me. We'll leave tomorrow morning!~" Gu Zhenshan said sternly.
There was another war in the Northern Frontier. As the Great General of Pacifying the North, he had been idle and unproductive all day, and the Emperor had long been displeased with him...
Gu Zhenshan was also a man who cared about his country. With the enemy already at the border, how could he stand by and do nothing?
Madam Gu blinked. "Leave tomorrow morning?"
"That's right!" Gu Zhenshan put his hands on his hips. "After I bring Sister to the General's Mansion, I have to go to the Northern Frontier to quell the war. When I return, we'll have a good reunion..."
Outside the door, Old Man Yun almost rushed in when he heard this.
"Daughter, did you hear that? That general wants to take you away!" Old Man Yun stomped his foot.
This wouldn't do at all. His wife was the spiritual guide of their entire family. If she left, the Old Yun family would surely fall apart.
Little Xi Tian glanced at her father. "Dad, Mom won't leave!"
How many times did she have to say it for her father to believe her...
Jin Xiaolou said, "Wherever Auntie goes, I'll follow, and I'll bring Xi Tian sister along too!~"
In the Old Yun family, he liked Auntie and Little Xi Tian the most.
When Yun Xiaobao heard this, he pinched him hard. "You wish! No one is allowed to take Grandma and little auntie away!"
Even if they were to leave, he would follow.
Inside the house, Madam Gu was stunned for a moment, then shook her head. "I already said that I don't want to go back for now. If Zhenshan has something important to do, you should go back first. Anyway, you've found your way back, and you can come anytime..."
Gu Zhenshan's expression was extremely disappointed.
He had finally found his sister, but she was unwilling to go back with him.
After carefully considering it, he sighed. "Alright. As long as Sister is happy living here, that's all that matters. The border war is urgent, so I won't stay any longer. After I finish this business, I'll come to visit Sister again!~"
He planned to set off immediately. If he didn't drive out those invaders this time, he wouldn't be able to explain himself to the Emperor...
After speaking, Gu Zhenshan took out a silver note from his sleeve and placed it on the kang table. "Sister, this is three hundred taels of silver. Please keep it. Buy whatever you want to eat, and since the New Year is approaching, buy more meat and firecrackers to celebrate the Spring Festival with joy!"
Upon seeing this, Madam Gu quickly pushed the silver note back. "Zhenshan, we don't lack anything at home. I can't accept your money!~"
Three hundred taels was not a small sum; it was a fortune...
"Sister, this money is nothing to me. Please accept it!" Gu Zhenshan pleaded.
Madam Gu smiled slightly. "As you can see, I'm living very well now. I have enough to eat and wear, and my children and grandchildren are all around me. What use do I have for this money? You, be careful when you fight outside, and do your best. I'll come to the General's Mansion to see you when I have time!~"
Hearing this, Gu Zhenshan burst into tears again, sobbing uncontrollably.
After sobbing for a while, just as he was about to say something, he suddenly heard a loud bang from the door...