Chapter 500: Chapter 336 Teacher Returns to Beijing
"Keep your voice down, Old Jue is grieving! Wasnât there a daughter? The one who married a peddler, why hasnât she come back to see him?"
"That peddler son-in-law got rich later, didnât he? He took the whole family to Yingnan Mansion ages ago! Thereâs been no news since, itâs been twenty or thirty years, and they havenât returned. How can Old Jue still count on her?"
Gu Chengyu, upon hearing this, couldnât help but sigh at Old Jueâs unfortunate fate. Yet, he didnât know what had happened to the manâs family for all five members to die.
Then suddenly, an idea struck him. Guo Moruo had lost his close family and was looking for a place to settle down. Perhaps he could find a solution with Old Jue.
As those people said, the old man had only one son and one daughter. The sonâs entire family of five perished, and the old man seemed lifeless, with no will to live. Isnât this just like a pillow when youâre sleepy?
Anyway, Guo Moruo and his group needed to establish a household registration. If they registered under the old manâs name and then left the Capital to live in a place where no one knew them, wouldnât that be perfect?
Although it was possible to set up a different registration, it wasnât easy. Gu Chengyuâs previous household registration was processed by Mr. Wang, after pulling significant strings. That registration wasnât fake; it belonged to a household that had just suffered a death and could withstand scrutiny. Finding such a match was rare.
This current situation was ready-made. As long as the old man agreed to let Guo Moruoâs family register, and then they left the Capital for a place where no one knew them, wouldnât it be a win-win?
However, it was necessary for Guo Moruoâs group to agree. After all, taking care of the elderly and burying them properly wasnât a trivial matter. Gu Chengyu wasnât sure Guo Moruo would agree. Once he had the idea, he gestured to Ming Mo to gather information from those chatting coachmen.
Ming Mo understood and approached them, "Uncles, what were you talking about just now?"
Gu Chengyu glanced at Old Jue, noticing he was still immersed in his sorrow, oblivious to the surrounding happenings.
After a brief look, Gu Chengyu turned his attention elsewhere. Once Ming Mo discerned the story, he would report back.
As the approaching boat came closer, Gu Chengyu instructed Ming Yan to bring the two back carriages forward. Though his group didnât have many people, they had a lot of luggage. Returning to the Capital permanently meant they had to bring back all the essentials.
Gu Chengyu had brought three carriages, and if they werenât enough, they would have to hire two more.
The crowd was edging closer to the inner side of the dock as the boat slowly approached the shore. The boatâs steward shouted orders for people on board to disembark. Gu Chengyu had already noticed Steward Liang from the Liang Mansion in line to disembark.
He brought two servants down, glancing at the dock, seemingly searching for someone to receive them.
Ming Yan quickly waved, "Steward Liang, over here!"
Seeing Ming Yan, Steward Liangâs eyes lit up, and he led the two attendants towards Gu Chengyu.
"Greetings to Mr. Gu, I didnât expect you to come personally." Steward Liang, with the two attendants, bowed respectfully, peering into the carriage behind Gu Chengyu.
"No need for formalities, Steward Liang. Was the journey smooth for the teacher?" Gu Chengyu watched as the passengers disembarked, expecting the teacher to come out the last.
"It was relatively smooth, young master."
"Xian, now that weâre in the Capital, you may have to return to the Duke Mansion. Iâm not sure if anyone from the Duke Mansion came to pick you up." Mrs. Ning held her granddaughterâs hand, feeling reluctant.
Returning to the Duke Mansion might make it difficult to leave again. After living together for three years, she had gotten used to having her granddaughter near her knee. Now that she was going to the Duke Mansion, she wondered if those people would treat Xian well.
Thinking this, Mrs. Ning began to cry.
Yao Mengxian quickly held her grandmotherâs hand, using a handkerchief to wipe her tears. She was also reluctant to leave her grandparents. She knew that once she returned to the mansion, the peaceful days at her maternal grandparentsâ house in the Prefecture were gone forever.
However, as the daughter of the Duke Mansionâs main branch, she couldnât continue staying at her grandparentsâ. Her cunning stepmother was mindful of appearances, not leaving any room for gossip.
"Even after returning to the mansion, Iâll come out often to visit you, so donât worry." She spoke with tearful eyes, sniffing as she suppressed her tears to avoid making her grandmother sadder.
"Yes, madam, the Duke Mansion is in the Capital, not far from our home. You must relax and take care of your health. If you miss her too much, you can bring Miss back for a long stay." Mrs. Yan hurried forward to comfort the two, seeing their reluctance. The madamâs health couldnât take too much grief.
"Enough of this display! Is the Duke Mansion a lair of wolves and tigers? Stop your lamenting." Liang Zhirui couldnât watch any longer and came forward to stop them.
He also didnât want to part with his granddaughter, but after all, Xian was the daughter of the Duke Mansion. No matter how much he wished otherwise, he had to send her back. Suddenly thinking of Xianâs marriage, Liang Zhirui sighed, realizing it needed to be settled soon.
"Sir, Mr. Gu has come to receive us." Steward Liang boarded the boat to report to Liang Zhirui.
Liang Zhirui didnât expect Gu Chengyu to come personally, assuming he would send someone instead.
"Well! Letâs pack up and disembark," Liang Zhirui kept a straight face, though in reality, he was very pleased with Gu Chengyu, his favorite younger disciple.
The passengers had mostly disembarked, and Ming Mo and the others went to help Liang Zhirui move their luggage. Seeing the teacher wasnât off yet, Gu Chengyu figured it was because of the luggage and prepared to board the boat to help.
Mrs. Gao led Qing Dai and the others with their belongings ready, carrying two large bundles to Mrs. Ningâs room, preparing to disembark together.
"Teacher!" The last time Gu Chengyu returned to Jingyuan Prefecture was over a year ago, and seeing his teacher again made him very excited.
Gu Chengyu boarded the boat, just in time to encounter Liang Zhirui and his group about to disembark.
Liang Zhirui looked at the young man in front of him, tall and elegant, and felt deeply moved. When he first accepted him as a disciple, he was just a kid. Who wouldâve thought heâd grow up like this?
Standing in front of Liang Zhirui, Gu Chengyu was even taller than him.
Looking past Liang Zhirui, he saw his teacherâs wife, Mrs. Ning, and Yao Mengxian wearing a veil hat.
"Greetings to teacherâs wife, greetings to Miss Yao!" Gu Chengyu paid his respects to both, with Mrs. Ning responding with a smile.
Yao Mengxian nodded slightly towards Gu Chengyu, "Greetings, Mr. Gu!"
Qing Dai stood behind Yao Mengxian, secretly observing Gu Chengyu. In the past year and more, Mr. Gu had grown even more outstanding.