Gu Jinghui couldn’t sit still under the gaze, hurriedly glanced at Qin Yuan, conveying a clear message in his eyes.
Old Madam Gu reprimanded, "Why are you looking at Yuan’er? You’ve caused the trouble yourself, and now you expect Yuan’er to speak on your behalf. That’s not how one treats others."
Gu Jinghui quickly defended himself, "Mother, how could this matter be something I caused?"
Old Madam Gu sneered, "Then tell me who is responsible for starting it."
Gu Jinghui: "..."
Whether it began with Mrs. Zhao’s poisoning or the edict from Princess Fuyun, it seemed he was involved in everything, yet Marquis Gu felt quite aggrieved.
Old Madam Gu continued, "You’re nearly thirty now; it’s not fitting for me to constantly lecture you. But you should definitely consider why these troubles find you and not others."
Gu Jinghui could only lower his head in silence and listen.
Fortunately, his mother was indulging only in words today. A real man endures for the calm after the storm, retreats for a broader view.
Qin Yuan said, "Mother, the Marquis and I are still hungry. We’ll need to prepare to welcome the Princess later. I wonder if Xiuxiang has made enough food."
"You glutton," Old Madam Gu followed her daughter-in-law’s lead and changed the subject, "Even with the two of you joining, it’ll be enough."
Qin Yuan laughed, "Mother, I did bring some food along. It’s just that I crave a taste from mother’s little kitchen."
Old Madam Gu chuckled and said, "You should come here more often, Xiuxiang can make a variety of dishes. I eat less now at my age, wasting her skills otherwise."
Xiao Hong had already entered with Brother Cheng and Sister Yu. Seeing them conversing, they quietly waited before finally greeting politely.
Ceremonies exchanged.
Sister Yu sat beside Old Madam Gu sweetly asking, "With the Princess visiting, do we all need to go outside to meet her?"
Brother Cheng stayed silent, but his ears perked up.
Old Madam Gu said, "Does Sister Yu want to get close to the Princess?"
Seeing everyone looking at her, Sister Yu timidly replied, "I-I’m just a bit curious."
Old Madam Gu said, "As the Princess is here to extend imperial comfort to the Marquis Mansion, and given the unresolved smallpox within the house, we’ll not go out to greet her. Only your adoptive father and mother should attend."
Sister Yu and Brother Cheng seemed somewhat disappointed.
Noticing this, Qin Yuan slightly furrowed her brows, choosing not to waste words with them, she simply sat quietly next to Gu Jinghui, watching Qiujie and the maids setting the table.
Xiao Hong approached and whispered, "Madam, Brother Cheng has finished reading the ’Three Character Classic’ and insists on learning how to compose couplets now."
Qin Yuan was quite surprised, she glanced at Brother Cheng, who, as a small boy, was also perking up his ears, with his eyes glancing over, and she chuckled, "Xiao Hong, you’ve learned quite a few characters yourself over these days, haven’t you?"
Xiao Hong replied, "Yes."
Qin Yuan said, "Brother Cheng is diligent, you should strive to be as diligent as him. Can you write all the characters you recognize?"
Xiao Hong blushed, "I can write some."
Qin Yuan said, "It’s not enough to just recognize the characters, you must also be able to write them. Look at Sister Cui Ming and Sister Hong Ye, they can write and perform calculations, and now that they’re managing the accounts independently, it has helped me a lot."
Xiao Hong’s eyes lit up, asking, "Does learning more characters mean I can enter Wutong Garden?"
Qin Yuan smiled and nodded.
Xiao Hong immediately grinned widely, and even the braid at the back of her head swayed back and forth.
Qin Yuan asked, "Is your surname Sun?"
Xiao Hong said, "Yes."
Qin Yuan asked, "Is the accountant Sun from the outer courtyard a relative of yours?"
With this remark, Old Madam Gu, Nanny Rong, Sister Hong Ye, and Sister Cui Ming all glanced over.
Xiao Hong quickly shook her head, "No, we just share the same last name."
Sister Hong Ye breathed a sigh of relief.
At this point, the food was already set on the table, and Qiujie began serving the dishes, so Qin Yuan said with a smile, "I’ll talk to you later."
Xiao Hong then retreated to the side.
After hastily finishing the meal, Qin Yuan and Marquis Gu immediately bade farewell, and Old Madam Gu did not try to keep them, waving a hand, "Off you go, don’t delay here."
Brother Cheng felt somewhat disappointed and whispered to Xiao Hong, "Did madam not say anything else?"
Xiao Hong thought for a moment and replied, "Madam is busy preparing to welcome the Princess, so she can’t attend to these matters for now. The mansion will open soon, so be patient and wait. Like madam said, why not learn to write characters during this time?"
Brother Cheng said, "You think I don’t want to learn? Starting to write is crucial; if the posture is wrong, it becomes a habit, and the writing won’t look good."
Xiao Hong said nothing.
Brother Cheng stamped his foot, saying, "Sister Xiao Hong, say something."
Xiao Hong laughed, "How can I dare to accept the title of sister? Madam has asked me to practice writing characters more, so I can be like Sister Hong Ye and Sister Cui Ming, and help madam with work in Wutong Garden. I’m a servant; being able to read and write is enough, I’m not too particular about other matters. If you’re in a hurry, why not ask Nanny Rong for advice?"