Chapter 1025: Taking a Shine to Gu Dexing

Xu Er’s wife looked at Xu Ling, knowing this girl would be beyond help without further guidance, she nodded and said, "Yes, daughter-in-law will remember, and won’t give Girl Ling any special treatment."

Xu Ling heard Elder Xu’s words and almost fainted from anger. Grandfather intended to starve her for three days and nights?

Oh no, boo hoo, grandfather clearly favors the second branch of the family and wants to mistreat the first branch!

Xu Ling cried, though she still held hope in her heart, thinking Grandfather was just trying to scare her. It was impossible he would actually starve her for three days, nor would he let her kneel in the ancestral hall for three days; at most, he would let her return to her room in the middle of the night.

But Xu Ling was wrong. When Elder Xu decided to correct someone, he would not hold back, and he would mean what he said; he wouldn’t spare her just to be lenient.

Elder Xu now found Xu Ling annoying and didn’t want to see her anymore, so he said, "Everyone out, let her kneel inside alone."

With that, he left the ancestral hall first.

Xu Er and Xu Zhao Ming hurried after him.

Xu Er’s wife was the last to leave, and she said to Xu Ling, "You’ve grown up in Jiangnan, accustomed to the power there, aware that the doors of noble families are not easy to enter. I won’t say much, but think carefully about it... Don’t mess up the rest of your life. Your grandfather won’t let you fool around."

Saying that, she got up and walked away.

She instructed the women guarding the door, "Keep a good watch, report back if anything happens."

"Yes." The two women nodded and escorted Xu Er’s wife out of the ancestral courtyard.

Xu Ling listened to Xu Er’s wife’s words, thinking about the influence of the Jiangnan Families and official’s daughters, and cried her heart out.

...

Elder Xu had already returned to the study in the front yard, sitting in the chair, blowing his beard and glaring in anger, but after more than an hour, he finally suppressed his inner rage and began to discuss serious business: "Gu Jin’an won’t do, think about it, among the Gu Family’s children, who matches well with our Xu Family girls?"

Xu Zhao Ming admired his grandfather’s persistence. You really do not give up, but: "Grandfather, why must it be a Gu Family member? Qi Kangming is also not bad. He placed third in this Prefecture Examination and is Brother An’s cousin. If we marry into the Qi Family, it will also benefit our family."

Elder Xu shook his head and said, "You’re still too young, you only see benefits, but not the risks... That Qi Family suddenly appeared out of nowhere, we don’t know their background or what they’ve encountered before. If we marry into them, and something suddenly surfaces, what will our family do?"

Qi Kangming is indeed good, but the Qi Family is not stable enough. Elder Xu feared that the Qi Family might have been involved in some unfavorable matters outside, which would involve the Xu Family.

Xu Zhao Ming was taken aback, "Brother An said the Qi Family fled from famine; their old home is in the Northwest, there shouldn’t be a problem."

But Elder Xu, being wise and experienced, had thought earlier, if Gu Jin’an didn’t work out, he would choose Qi Kangming. However, after investigating the Qi Family, he found some issues and ultimately shook his head, giving up on Qi Kangming, mentioning another person who is not as good as Qi Kangming but more dependable.

"What do you think of Gu Dexing?" Elder Xu asked.

Xu Er and Xu Zhao Ming were both taken aback.

"Father has taken a fancy to Gu Dexing?" Xu Er pondered a bit and said, "He seems honest, doesn’t talk much and doesn’t make much trouble, usually follows Gu Jin’an around."

Xu Er, you haven’t seen what Gu Dexing was like before, if you had, you might have picked up a bench to hit him.

Elder Xu nodded, "Yes, besides Gu Jin’an and Qi Kangming, Gu Dexing is the best choice. Though he isn’t famous for talent, he passed the county examination and the Prefecture Examination. This time he even placed twelfth in the Prefecture Examination. Among eight county students who ’crossed the Dragon Gate’, he ranked twelfth, proving he’s not mediocre, it’s just that being between talented young ones like Gu Jin’an and Qi Kangming, makes him appear average."

Gu Dexing was genuinely mediocre before. He had attended private school from a young age, yet three years ago, Scholar Shang still held no hope for him.

He achieved such good results in the recent Prefecture Examination after later improving himself, studying with Gu Jin’an at Scholar Shang’s Family; and because Master Xia wanted to win over the Gu Family, he studied for a while in town; lastly, under the personal guidance of Master Ouyang, he produced such results.

"Moreover, his family has a share in the Gu Family’s Business, though they only receive dividends, the few ventures that the Gu Family does are very profitable and can be passed down generations, so his family won’t worry about money."

"His background is clean, when at the old home in the Northwest, his ancestors were village chiefs, and currently, his father is still the Clan Leader of the Gu Family, and the maternal family is said to be scholarly, which compares better than Gu Jin’an’s family background."

Gu Jin’an doesn’t even know who his maternal family is.

"He also carries the last name Gu, making him a clan relative to Gu Jin’an, as long as their relation doesn’t exceed five degrees it counts as a close relation, meanwhile the Qi family carries an outside surname, even if this generation gets close to Gu Jin’an’s house, in three generations it won’t be close anymore, the benefits gained won’t last long."

The Great Chu values same-clan helping same-clan, sometimes this same-clan is closer than kin through marriage.

"As long as Gu Dexing can become a Scholar, marrying into our family won’t be a loss." Elder Xu grew more satisfied with Gu Dexing the more he spoke, though the one dissatisfaction was: "His birth mother died too early, leaving just an old father."

For people lacking both parents, the Great Chu people are disdainful, yet flaws can’t hide virtues, Elder Xu was still very satisfied with Gu Dexing.

Xu Er agreed with the evaluation of Gu Dexing but added, "Father, today Girl Ling had an argument with Gu Dexing’s aunt, our families are practically at odds, can we still discuss the marriage?"

Mrs. Chen has a fiery temper, having just quarreled with Xu Ling today, if their family approached for marriage now, they might get chased away with a knife by Mrs. Chen.

Elder Xu said, "Although that Mrs. Chen has a bad temper, she manages a food shop, and someone who can run a business isn’t so petty and vengeful. She’ll understand the pros and cons. As long as we show a hint of wanting to marry into her family, she’ll definitely have a matchmaker over immediately."

He had heard, Mrs. Chen had been looking for potential brides for Gu Dexing these past two years, worried that he’d remain unmarried too long, but her standards were high, always wanting to find a wealthy official’s daughter for him, which hadn’t succeeded yet.

However, their Xu Family in Tianfu County was an actual wealthy family that met Mrs. Chen’s requirements.

Xu Er relaxed after listening and asked, "Then father, which girl from our family do you want to pair with Gu Dexing? Is it still Girl Ling?"

Elder Xu glared at him and scolded, "Are you foolish?"

If he paired Girl Ling with Gu Dexing after the argument today, Mrs. Chen would explode.

Xu Er, feeling reprimanded, shrank his neck and didn’t dare speak.

Elder Xu pointed at him and said, "Miss Zhong, I intend to marry Miss Zhong to Gu Dexing."

"What?" Xu Er was taken aback, not expecting Elder Xu to favor his own daughter, Miss Zhong, this time.