Chapter 715: Chapter 551 Clan Studies
The purpose of Gu Changbaiâs return this time was to find a way to get Gu Changqing to go to the Capital, so he could conveniently stay at the Gu Mansion.
Unexpectedly, Gu Changqingâs family had such plans, saving him the trouble of persuasion.
"Third Brother! I think thereâs no elder at Xiao Baoâs residence in the Capital, so youâd better go along."
After saying this, Gu Changbai glanced at Gu Chengyu, who didnât even turn his head. Did he think that by encouraging his parents to move to the Capital, he could stay at his mansion?
I must say, thatâs too naive. When he gets tired of it, he has plenty of ways to deal with them.
"The Capital must be very prosperous, right? Itâs just too far away, and going to the Capital makes returning home not easy." Uncle Gu had only been to the Prefecture, so he couldnât imagine how far the Capital was.
Only then did Gu Chengyu turn around and smile, "Uncle! If Hua gets admitted as a scholar and then a scholar, you can go to the Capital and enjoy life with him!"
Uncle Gu placed all his hopes on Gu Wanhua, and saying this would make Uncle Gu happier than directly inviting him to visit the Capital.
Unfortunately, after hearing this, Uncle Gu didnât show any happiness but rather sighed lightly. His face clouded with worry, clearly troubled.
Gu Chengyu guessed that something might have happened with Gu Wanhua. He recalled the concubine Gu Wanhua took earlier, seemingly named Yan Bi. Could it be that heâs distracted and has lost interest in the imperial exams?
"Second brother, you and your wife have just returned, surely your belongings are not yet arranged. Letâs catch up when youâre settled."
Uncle Gu, too, had lost interest as he stood up and spoke to Gu Changbai.
Mrs. Lv perked up her ears at this moment. What did that mean? Did Uncle imply he wanted them to stay at her house?
But where was there space in her house? Living in her courtyard seems inconvenient, doesnât it?
Next to the main house were only two side rooms; Xiao Bao was sleeping in one, and Gu Changbai and his wife certainly couldnât sleep in the other, which would feel somewhat awkward.
"Oh! Second Brother, would you rather stay at Third Brotherâs house or come back with me?" Uncle Gu suddenly remembered that Third Brotherâs house had been divided, and the once spacious courtyard was now split, no longer as roomy.
Although the main family no longer lived here, the house was locked, and there were still some miscellaneous items stored inside.
Of course, Gu Changbai wouldnât go to his eldest brotherâs house; his purpose for returning was Third Brotherâs family.
Moreover, he had already inquired about the current state of the Gu Family; the real prosperity was with the third branch. The eldest brotherâs family only ran a small business, which couldnât compare to the third branch.
"I already moved my belongings into the courtyard, so? You see..."
Gu Changbai couldnât speak directly; otherwise, it would seem like he was snubbing his eldest brother. Besides, if Gu Changqing didnât speak up, it wouldnât be easy for him to directly suggest staying.
Everyone else in the house understood Gu Changbaiâs unfinished meaning.
Uncle Gu was slightly displeased, but since the second brother already said so, he couldnât force it.
Besides, third brotherâs family lived comfortably, and itâs indeed better for second brother to live there than at his place, avoiding his wifeâs complaints.
Mr. Gu felt a bit strange inside; wasnât such matters supposed to be free to decide where they stay?
He didnât have time to speak before the second brother decided. However, he didnât think much afterward; the three brothers were close, and it didnât matter whose house they stayed in.
His house wasnât very spacious, but didnât the eldest family have an empty room? They could have the eldest clear one for them to live in if needed.
The front yard even had guest rooms, though they werenât as spacious as those in the inner courtyard.
"Eldest Brother! Let Second Brother stay here; our courtyard is more spacious than yours, saving the hassle of moving belongings around."
Gu Changbai showed a smile when Mr. Gu spoke.
Though Gu Chengyu disliked Gu Changbai moving in, he couldnât stop it.
It seemed he needed to find an opportunity to discuss Gu Changbaiâs motives with his parents to prevent them from being schemed against.
"Xiao Bao! Uncle will call upon some clan members tomorrow to discuss setting up a banquet for you. The scholarâs archway has been erected, and since youâve passed the imperial examination and become an official in the Capital, we canât wait any longer."
Gu Chengyu nodded; erecting an archway was indeed trivialâit would happen sooner or later anyway.
"While youâre still at home, we need to open the ancestral hall once more; these matters of glorifying the ancestors must be made known to them."
Uncle Gu thought for a while, realizing there were many things to deal with upon Gu Chengyuâs return.
"Uncle! I can only stay for about a month before I must return to the Capital, so itâs better to keep everything simple."
"So rushed? Youâre back, so naturally, more people would visit; this month is bound to be busy."
Uncle Gu understood social etiquette; with Gu Chengyuâs return, his classmates and friends would seek to meet him, plus visiting teachers was necessary.
Though the status was now different, respecting teachers and principles must still be observed.
Gu Chengyu certainly understood; he had planned things before returning, and indeed there were quite a few matters this time around.
"Uncle! Previously, I heard the Yang family started a small private school in the village. Why donât we, the Gu Family, also set up one? Instead of a private school, letâs establish a clan school!"
Because the Yang family previously set up private education in the village, children from surrounding villages attended their school, leaving Gu Chengyu disinclined towards a clan school initially.
However, with the family rules now in place, and also planning to purchase more land for schooling, itâs reasoned.
Providing funds to an external school wouldnât be as reassuring as having one run by the family with teachers they trust. If unsatisfied, they could even change teachers.
"Clan school?" Mr. Gu seemed puzzled; with a private school already established in the village, why set up a clan school?
But Uncle Gu had some insight; he heard large families have clan schools. If the Gu Family could have one, it surely would be great, though he wondered if the familyâs land could support its expenses.
"A clan school would be great; with thirty acres of land, itâs barely enough." Uncle Gu sat and calculated; if all Gu Family children came to study, it surely wouldnât suffice.
If they selected only the smart and agile ones, then it might be sufficient.
Gu Chengyu realized Uncle Gu was troubled. Before becoming a scholar, he contributed ten acres of land to the family, and later upon passing further exams, he added another twenty acres, making thirty.
Family members werenât well-off, so if they had to pay out of pocket for schooling, they likely wouldnât want to.
If they could waive tuition and help with stationery, parents might be willing.
"Uncle! Iâll contribute fifty more acres to the family for this, shouldnât that be enough?"
Gu Chengyu did this for the familyâs prosperity, hoping children could rise through education, thus doing good for the family.