“Yes, Missy!” Nanny Li responded and withdrew. Her words had no intentions of selfishly destroying Gu Fangzi’s image, but because she was truly concerned about it. If Gu Fangzi’s life was too dominant, then whoever she was with would end up miserable. If so, what would happen to her young master? There were so many good women to choose from under the sky to become his concubine;with that many for the young master to pick at random, why did it had to be Gu Fangzi?
Seeing the situation, Sang Wan also followed and withdrew.
“Oh, also,” Wang Shi stopped them, “Send Fengju a letter. Tell him that the marriage will not proceed so there won’t be any need for him to hurry and he can handle what he has to before coming back! Oh, and don’t tell him about the Gu family’s matter yet! He wouldn’t be of any help even if we told him!”
Sang Wan and Nanny Li accepted. In their mind, their thoughts were the same: Things are about to get troublesome!
But who would have thought that by the time a letter was sent, they instead received a message from Shi Fengju even though their letter was presumed to still be on the way to him!
It was not a written message, but a message by the word of mouth. Qian He reported that the young master had hurried over to Gu Fangzi’s house and will be back in a few days.
Once Wang Shi was done listening, her expression changed into an unsightly one. She became silent for a while before asking bitterly, “How did your young master know about the Gu family’s matter?”
Qian He saw the change in expression of the old mistress’s face and his body stiffened as he braced himself with a smile, “Erm, uh, Miss Gu sent someone to await the young master at Qingzhou Wharf. After reading Miss Gu’s letter, he hurriedly hired a carriage to rush over there and let this servant report back to Old Mistress…”
Wang Shi glared at Qian He and snapped, “What a capable person he is! He’s already this close to home yet he doesn’t even bother to see his mother first! If he isn’t here, then what’re you back for? Leave! Scram!”
Qian He did not seem frightened, but he dared not voice his grievance. Crawling up, he turned and fled.
“Mother, calm down a little,” Sang Wan smiled and coaxed, “Old Master Gu is, in the end, a relative; not going over to show concern would be unreasonable. He got the news in a rush, and not coming back first must have been unintentional! Also, he sent Qian He back to report that he had arrived safely! You’re his mother, there’s no one other than you in his heart!”
Those words calmed Wang Shi’s heart and she could not help but look at Sang Wan before sighing, “Sang Wan, you really are a good daughter-in-law. It’s fortunate that you’re here, otherwise, I might have already died of anger!”
“Mother, please don’t say that!” Sang Wan laughed, “Sang Wan has always been taken care by Mother, and had never done anything for Mother. If Mother says so, Sang Wan will feel ashamed!”
Wang Shi smiled, “Mother really likes your gentle temperament. It always makes me comfortable in the heart! Oh well, Mother isn’t angry anymore! With such a good daughter-in-law, what’s there to be furious about! I’m alright now, you may return. I wish to have some time alone!”
Sang Wan smiled, “Then, please rest well Mother! I’ve still got to send someone to bring Lord’s luggage in, and when he returns, I’ll make a fuss over it!”
What a good wife! Wang Shi’s smile became even broader and she quickly advised, “Don’t tire yourself out, let the servants handle it!”
Sang Wan agreed and left with a smile.
Some time ago, Shi Fengju’s fleet had things to do at Jinling and stopped there. But he never expected to receive a letter urging him to return home before August the sixth to marry Gu Fangzi into the family!
“Damned!” Shi Fengju could not help but stomp his foot. His first thought was not about Gu Fangzi, but Sang Wan. What would Sang Wan be thinking, was she alright?
He had made a promise to her, an agreement to last a year with each other. But now with his Mother wanting to marry his cousin to him, how can he face Sang Wan?
Shi Fengju burned with anxiety and immediately gave some instructions to his treasurer who was accompanying him. After he was done, he took a few servants with him and a light luggage before rushing back to Qingzhou.
The thought of how Sang Wan must be feeling, his heart became even more anxious and he sat restlessly. Really, if he could, he would have grown a pair of wings and immediately flew straight home.
Little did he expect to encounter an official’s ship on the way which forced him to wait two days in vain for the ship to pass before his ship lined with the other civilian ships could cross slowly.
One delay after another made his mood even more restless than before.
Once his ship finally leaned by the pier of Qingzhou, Shi Fengju’s restless heart finally calmed down and his thoughts now began coming up with how he should speak with Sang Wan and what they should do after.
From here, things began to turn even more dramatic and unexpected than before!
Shi Fengju never thought that Gu Fangzi would actually send someone to wait for him at the wharf, and even more so a letter written by her!
In the letter, Gu Fangzi narrated how sad she was for the loss, and as Shi Fengju read it, he could somewhat imagine her tearful expression as well as her grief-stricken face. There was no way he could ignore her, and thus, he sent someone to report home while he hired a carriage to Gu Fangzi’s house with Zhan Huan and a few others accompanying him.
Gu Jin was a good-for-nothing and rarely came into contact with the rest of his relatives. The fields had long been sold and the Gu family’s relatives saw nothing worth to seize except for the orphan, Gu Fangzi. But with the Shi family backing her, they dared not touch anything belonging to her! Therefore, they were sloppy with the funeral arrangements. If not for the Shi family’s household department and several other Shi family’s servants, those relatives would have long disappeared and would not have offered their diligence for the funeral preparations to be caught up with!
Even though she long knew those bunch of relatives were unreliable, during such dreary time, she was able to experience it and her heart felt extremely chilly!
So this was what others called relatives!
If not for the Shi family, she dared not imagine what would become of herself and what she would have to go through! Perhaps, there was a possibility that they might team up and set a trap to sell her off.
Gu Fangzi felt a chill down her spine! After the painful thought, it strengthened her determination to hold on tightly to the Shi family which was like a huge tree.
When Shi Fengju arrived at the Gu family’s house, the preparations were going well with the help of the Shi family’s household department. Seeing so, Shi Fengju secretly heaved a sigh of relief.
On the next day after Gu Jin’s funeral, all the relatives dispersed.
In the humble house, there was only Gu Fangzi, who was in white, and Shi Fengju, as well as the members sent by the Shi family.
“Management Liu, have someone come and refurbish this place a little. Buy whatever that needs to be bought and have a capable maidservant to come stay with Miss Gu. Double that servant’s pay, and charge all those additional expenses to me.” Shi Fengju glanced at the four walls of the Gu family’s house and sighed to himself.
Gu Fangzi’s body stiffened. She glanced at Management Liu and the rest before speaking gently, “Please go out first!”
The crowd withdrew. As tears flowed from her eyes, she called out, “Big Cousin!”
“Fang’er, don’t cry, don’t be sad!” Shi Fengju’s heart tightened and he somewhat felt a tingling feeling at the top of his head.
“How can I not be,” Gu Fangzi choked on her tears, “I’m now left with nothing, even Big Cousin doesn’t want me anymore. What use is there to be alive!”
“Don’t say that!” Shi Fengju was startled and quickly said, “Fang’er, I’ve said that!”
“But your actions showed it!” Gu Fangzi sobbed, “Otherwise, why would you instruct Management Liu to do so?”
Shi Fengju smiled bitterly, “Fangzi, what wild imaginations are you having? This place is so run down, how are you supposed to live here? And you also have to observe mourning——”
“Wasn’t it arranged to have me married into the family in early August?” Gu Fangzi raised her head and looked at him tearily before asking.
Shi Fengju hesitated for a moment and spoke awkwardly, “Fangzi, your father just passed away recently. With that, how can you still proceed with the marriage?”
“So what you mean is that I have to mourn for three years?” A glint could be seen in Gu Fangzi’s eyes and she gazed deep into his.
Shi Fengju quickly added, “Three years will be over quickly! Fangzi, I promise, I will marry you in after three years”
Shi Fengju’s eyes lit up and his heart felt somewhat relieved. He subconsciously thought of the three years. After those three years, Sang Wan should have left the Shi family by then, right? He should be happy! But at this moment, that thought did not do so. On the contrary, he felt slightly depressed.
Gu Fangzi seemed to have heard the most ridiculous joke bestowed by the heavens, and she laughed indifferently before stating bitterly, “Big Cousin, three years, three years! Do you know how old I will be after three years! I, how can I wait three years!”
“Fang’er…” Shi Fengju felt strange, like someone in his heart was somehow shattered. The cousin in front of him seemed like a stranger, to a point he was sure he had never met her before.
“Uncle is your father. If you don’t be filial and mourn for him, do you think you’re being reasonable?”
“He is not!” Gu Fangzi exclaimed, “I do not have such a father! I do not! He had never been a responsible father and never cared for my upbringing, so why must I be filial toward him? He killed my mother, and now, he wants to destroy my entire life! I hate him, I hate him!”
“Fang’er, calm down a little!” Shi Fengju quickly wrapped his arm around her shoulders, “Fang’er, you mustn’t say that! No matter how irresponsible he was, he is still your father. A man dies like a candle going out, so don’t say anymore! If others were to hear you, they will judge you!”
“I don’t care! I don’t care at all!” Gu Fangzi lunged into his arms and broke out in tears. Hugging him tightly, she cried, “I only care about you, only you! So Big Cousin, you cannot not have me, you cannot!”
“I never said I don’t want you, I never.” Shi Fengju murmured. His raised hand patted her on the back, but he could not detect his inability of the situation.
“Then marry me! At August the sixth!” Gu Fangzi lifted her head that was deep in his embrace and wiped away her tears to show her glistening eyes, “We can marry within the 100 days. It’s not like that has never happened before!”
Shi Fengju suddenly froze.
He had not expected Gu Fangzi to suggest this.
“Fang’er, if,” Shi Fengju’s voice was somewhat weak, “if I say that I will wait for you for three years, and after that period, I will marry you and make you my wife, will you agree? Will you agree to wait?”
Shi Fengju’s hope rose from his heart all the way to his eyes as he waited nervously for Gu Fangzi’s answer.
Gu Fangzi noticed the strangeness in his expression and took it that he was trying to deceive her heart and she became infuriated deep down. Looking at him grudgingly, she spoke softly, “Big Cousin, I’ve always known that you were engaged, and know that your wife in this lifetime will never be me. But, what does that matter! I love you from the deepest part of my heart! And I also know that your heart is true to me! With that, I’m already satisfied!”
