She doesn’t want the Face-Blind Husband - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: The Tao Manor

Tao Xinhe arranged for all kinds of gifts to be sent back to her natal family. Gu Ningxi interrupted her from time to time:

“Madam, is my father-in-law taller or shorter than my brother-in-law?”

“Father-in-law doesn’t have a beard, right?”

“What should I talk to them about? What if I accidentally call them using the wrong address?”

She smiled perfunctorily while appreciating Gu Ningxi’s nervousness.

“It’s all from my own family, how could they embarrass my husband?”

She the finally sent the anxious husband out of the mansion. She quickly returned to the hall to wait for his relatives- the second aunt of the Gu family’s visit.

While sitting inside the flower hall, Tao Xinhe took a sip of the half-cold tea cup absent-mindedly. She stuck out her tongue a bit due to its bitter taste, when she took a closer look, she found out that she had taken the wrong cup of green tea. It turned out to be her husband’s.

She couldn’t help shaking her head and laughing. Liu Guang was so sincere, she quietly hinted to put one or two more kuding1Kuding, is a type of plant that grows in China. According to historical documents, this plant has been applied as a medical herb for over 2000 years. During the Song dynasty, it was presented as a tribute tea to government officials. in the after-dinner tea of the master, and this maid added half a cup of it!

This silly husband actually held back his vomit and swallowed it, but unfortunately she wasn’t able to pay attention at that time, otherwise it must be interesting to observe his expression carefully.

Tao Xinhe contemplated for awhile, then she gently covered the teacup, pushed it away, and changed back to her cup of hawthorn nectar tea, which was sweet and sour. She then drank it slowly.

Hmph, next time Gu Ningxi makes her angry again, I’ll make him drink an even bitter tea. Drinking Kuding Tea won’t cause any harmful effects to anyone. In fact, it can clear away heat and dampness.

Thinking of this, Tao Xinhe became complacent. She chuckled, and then yawned again. She couldn’t help pinching the center of her eyebrows. She began to hope that her second aunt would come soon, or she wouldn’t be able to hold herself back from falling asleep.

Second Aunt Gu came eventually. She had her only biological daughter Gu Runing tag along.

Both mother and daughter look quite similar, and in terms of facial features alone, they are both better than Tao Xinhe, who has the appearance of a middle-aged woman. But no one will compare themselves to their own relatives if they don’t have any problems.

Seeing Tao Xinhe, Second Aunt Gu hurriedly asked:

“He Niang, you have a lot of experience and known a lot of people, have you ever heard of Ji Changbo?”

Tao Xinhe was not wary after hearing this person, and nodded in surprise.

Looking at the earnest second aunt and the shy cousin, she seemed to understand something, and was deliberating over what to say:

“Ji changbo’s surname is Cheng, and he is a famous scholar. His family has been loyal for generations. His Grandfather, father, uncle, brother, and younger brother all died on the battlefield. Some of the family members died of illness, and some remarried and left the house. I heard that Ji Changbo is modest and courteous, without any trace of savagery or contempt.”

Tao Xinhe saw that the more she talk, the more Gu Runing smiled, she was pulling her mother’s sleeves and shaking them back and forth.  She had a spring-like look on her face. She seemed to have confirmed something.

She hesitated for a moment whether to avoid talking about such topic with an unmarried girl, but after thinking about it, she stiffened her hair and finished:

“However, Sir Cheng is thirty-two years old this year, and he seemed to be a little older. His wife died early, and some people say that Sir Cheng had a hard life. After he returned from the battlefield when he was twenty-five or twenty-six years old, he dismissed all his outside room, all his concubine’s room and the common rooms. He had all of them cleaned-up in one fell swoop.”

Gu Runing interjected with a smile:

“Sir has no biological heirs either.”

Tao Xinhe frowned, turned to her second aunt, and lowered her tone more earnestly:

“I’ve heard some gossip that Sir Cheng got his roots wounded on the battlefield, so he can, uh, not do that. Second aunt, as a relative I would like to advice you. For my cousin-in-law’s sake you should think carefully about it.”

Gu Runing understood what she meant, but she didn’t know whether she should show it in front of her mother and sister-in-law. After a pause, she raised her hand to cover her face, stamped her foot and said,

“Sister-in-law!”

Second Aunt Gu patted her daughter lightly, then muttered,

“Don’t make any trouble.”

Then she changed to a serious expression, and said to Tao Xinhe:

“Thank you, He Niang, for explaining about it carefully. In this way, Ning Niang’s and Sir Cheng’s marriage is not marrying too high right?”

Tao Xinhe couldn’t help wondering, did she not explain it clearly?

Ji Changbo, Cheng Shicheng is impotent!

Looking at the appearance of the second aunt and cousin, they seem to still want to marry this person? Why?

She couldn’t help supporting her chest with one hand, then closed her eyes. She then rubbed her forehead with the other hand, and let out a casual “hmm”, feeling quite speechless with the situation.

***

“Minister Gu is here!”

Gu Ningxi walked inward slowly, accompanied by the loud shout of the young servant from the Tao Manor, and then she whispered to the person next to him:

“Shihua, remember to remind me of the identity of every person I encounter here later.”

As he spoke, he straightened his neckline and cuffs, adjusted his breath quietly, and tried his best to calm down his nervous mood. He felt that his heartbeat was a little faster now than when he was taking the palace examination and during the wedding night inside the bridal chamber.

“This servant is Shishu. Master don’t worry, this servant will not leave you at every step, so just go forward generously.”

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Gu Ningxi followed his words, walked forward with his head held high. Then he really lived up to the “Gu Sicheng’s beauty” that the scholars secretly praised about him. He carried himself with a chic demeanor, which made the little maids saluting on the roadside blush secretly.

Walking into the flower hall of Tao Manor. He felt the warmth and soft fragrance of the hall. Gu Ningxi then saw a man in a blue robe standing with his hands behind his back, as if he was silently looking at him.

Putting a polite smile on the corners of his lips first, Gu Ningxi took advantage of the opportunity of Shishu untying the cloak for him, and bowed his head and ears to wait for the answer.

After a while, he stood up straight again, crossed his hands over his chest, and performed a peer salute, in fact, he was flattering the person opposite him. Then he said in a friendly tone:

“Mu Xian, thanks for the patience, I wish you a happy new year.”

Tao Muxian’s had a distorted expression, he stared at Gu Ningxi intently, then he called “Brother-in-law” faintly. He then raised his hand perfunctorily as a return greeting, and didn’t bother to worry about not being recognized.

He looked behind Gu Ningxi, and found that there was no one else behind him, so he turned his head and asked in a low voice, “Why didn’t sister come back?”

Without waiting for Gu Ningxi’s answer, a woman in a beautiful traditional Chinese dress, walked in, followed by two women in maid costumes, carrying tea and snacks.

Gu Ningxi involuntarily avoided them and then moved back after three steps, then quickly searched for his black-clothed servant with his eyes, then waited for his prompt.

The woman spoke softly,

“Hello, big brother-in-law. Have you just recovered from your illness? Please take a seat it’s pretty cold outside. We’ve already sent someone to report to Father-in-Law. He is currently busy about his affairs. He might not come here for the time being. Since we’re all from the same family, there is no need to talk about etiquette, please go to the study room to pay a visit later.”

Hearing the title “big brother-in-law”, Gu Ningxi was so happy that he guessed that the person who came to greet him was Mistress Hong, brother-in-law’s new bride.

The reason is very simple. Both his brother-in-law and sister-in-law likes to address his wife as “sister”, and they never used “Eldest Sister” or “Big Sister” as a form of address. They would refer to the second sister-in-law as “Second Sister”. Since they’re quite familiar with me, they also used the same form of address such as “Brother-in-Law”.

Only the girl from the Hong family, who had just recently entered the family, would cautiously address “Big Sister”, “Big Brother-in-Law” and even “Second Sister”.

After hearing what she said about “father-in-law”, Gu Ningxi was even more sure of the identity of the person talking to him. So he nodded and said:

“Thank you, Sister-in-Law, please take care of me. I will go to visit my father-in-law.”

Hong sipped a smile and offered him some tea, she loved to see her eldest brother-in-law’s handsome profile, which woman doesn’t like to admire such a beauty?

What’s more, back when he was at the same age of her husband, her eldest brother-in-law had already become the top scholar. Which helped him obtain an official position in court. He had also become a colleague of her father-in-law. I heard that he’s also very knowledgeable, which made him appear more dignified and elegant.

So the girl from the Hong family, felt like helping Gu Ningxi a little bit. She walked to Tao Muxian’s side lightly, and prepared to take care of the elder brother-in-law in place of her elder sister-in-law who was not here today. She would try to stop her husband from causing him any unnecessary trouble.

Gu Ningxi saw his brother-in-law and his wife sitting in front of him unceremoniously, but he didn’t take it too seriously. He took the opportunity to sit in the first guest seat on the right, and continued the preface, conveying the meaning of an affectionate husband:

“He Niang has something to do at home, so she can’t come. That’s why I visited alone.”

Tao Muxian just murmured and complained:

“What can you even do here? What is my sister thinking?”

Hong’s arm quietly twisted her husband’s side, and he stopped speaking with a painful “Hey”. He puffed up his cheeks slightly, and glanced at her. He turned his face away from Gu Ningxi, as if feeling a bit sullen.

Gu Ningxi pretended not to hear him. He tilted his head and managed to hide the smile on his lips, and then put on a sincere posture. He had to explain that she had to receive people and manage the other matters at home.

Tao Muxian muttered:

“I wanted to live with my sister for a few days.” It made Hong cough again.

Mistress Hong responded appropriately:

“Thanks to the care of the elder sister and elder brother-in-law, everything in the house is in order. When the elder sister was here, she was able to set the rules here clearly. Once the Second sister comes, this wife would like to ask the elder sister for advice on what to prepare. Please help this wife to inform the elder sister when you return home.”

Gu Ningxi nodded and said “Okay”, he lowered his head and drank two sips of tea. While thinking about it, he had nothing else to say, so he got up and went to meet his father-in-law.

The eldest brother-in-law is so handsome, looking at the jade-white skin and bright eyebrows, I think the eldest sister can eat two more bowls of rice every time she see his beautiful countenance.

Mistress Hong was admiring Gu Ningxi’s side profile without silently, when she suddenly saw him stand up. She quickly tugged at her husband Tao Muxian’s sleeve.

Tao Muxian curled his lips and said in a low voice reluctantly:

“Brother-in-law, there is something I want to trouble you for.”

Gu Ningxi said “Oh?”, then sat down again, his momentum increased, and he faced him with an accommodating smile:

“Mu Xian we’re a family, just tell me anything.”

Tao Muxian nodded at Mrs. Hong by his side he said,

“Her family has a relative who wants to ask you for a painting.”

Mrs. Hong immediately added:

“A relative of mine was about to get married. They are currently preparing for her dowry. They wanted me to ask you for a painting that’s worth 500 taels of silver. They sincerely wished that you’d accept their request. They also added, that if the 500 taels of silver is not enough they can also add more. Just tell them the specific amount.”

Five hundred taels was enough for the Gu family who only had two simple masters. Gu Ningxi and Tao Xinhe, would be able to spend it for two months worth of household expenses. It was also more than three times Gu Ningxi’s monthly salary.

After remembering that his wife had only made a handful of new clothes since she came out of his filial piety period. Also, knowing that clothes and jewelries required a huge sum of money.

Gu Ningxi brushed off his robes, and responded with a leisurely smile:

“Sister-in-law’s relatives are also my own family, so I would gladly help. Who are they? What kind of painting do they want? I will try my best.”

***

In the Gu mansion, after listening to Aunt Gu’s narration from beginning to end, while Gu Runing adding details from time to time, Tao Xinhe finally figured out that Gu Runing did not want to marry Ji Changbo himself, but fell in love with his seventeen-year-old adopted son.

This made sense, Tao Xinhe thought.

The names of the men in her husband’s generation are based on the “Ning-” generation. The second uncle died early but he named his daughter Ru Ning, which is a homonym for “Ning”. It can be seen how much hope is placed on his daughter. He hoped for his daughter to be happy all her life.

Tao Xinhe faintly envied Gu Runing for meeting someone she liked before marriage, unlike her, who only met Gu Ningxi for the first time after taking off her hijab during the wedding night, presumably he was the same.

What is more important, the emotion that is limited to the status of husband and wife, or the bond formed by spontaneous acquaintance?

***
TL NOTE:

I still can’t bear to not like Gu Ningxi. He’s such a precious persimmon. I can see that he really love his wife. Ughh this is why I’m getting even more frustrated. (⁠ノ⁠ಠ⁠益⁠ಠ⁠)⁠ノ⁠彡⁠┻⁠━⁠┻

😤 SEE YOU NEXT CHAPTER.

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