Chapter 224

It was almost noon when Gu Ying said that she felt tired and wanted to go back to Yu Xue Zhai to sit for a while.

Only then did Aunt Zhao let her leave. She hurried to the kitchen to prepare lunch.

After Mrs. Liu passed away, the Earl manor was still relatively peaceful and lively. Since this was the first time Aunt Zhao was organizing the Lantern Festival party, she was trying even harder.

The entire manor was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

After leaving the main hall, Gu Shuang secretly pulled Gu Ying’s arm, “Sister, I’m so nervous...”

The young girl’s red lips parted slightly as she let out a soft sigh.

Gu Ying smiled and comforted her, “Don’t worry. As long as he is willing to come propose marriage, sister will have a way to make mother agree to his proposal.”

Gu Shuang had heard sister say this many times, but she was still anxious. Noon was approaching and she started worrying again whether that blockhead Young Master Fu would show up or not.

She also wondered if Young Master Fu's family would look down on her and not allow Young Master Fu to come propose marriage.

Gu Ying pressed her lips into a smile. “Don’t worry, he won't.”

The person he wants, he will definitely try his best to pursue, just like in their past life, when he defied his family for a merchant woman of common birth.

Young Master Fu Xunzhi’s courage and fearlessness was much more precious compared to other rich heirs in Bianjing.

“Wuwu, sister...” Gu Shuang sat restlessly, barely speaking a few sentences when Yanzhi, who had been waiting in the front hall for news, rushed in excitedly and loudly announced, “Mistress, there are people outside blowing suona horns and beating drums! From the looks of it, it’s people brought by Young Master Fu. They are currently at the gate of the Earl Manor. The Earl has already invited Young Master Fu in!”

Gu Shuang immediately stood up, her heart thumping anxiously in her throat. “Sister, he really came!” Everything was going as expected.

Gu Ying pressed her onto the embroidery stool. “You’re still an unmarried young lady. Be more demure. First, calmly sit down and let uncle and Aunt Zhao talk to him.”

“I...” Gu Shuang’s face turned red as she kept swallowing saliva. Her pair of dark, bright eyes shone with dazzling stars. “Sister, I’m so happy!”

At first there was tension, but afterwards there was only joy left.

In this life, being a daughter from a concubine, she had never been well regarded by the noble ladies. Thus, she had always upheld the principle of keeping a low profile and being prudent and discreet, carefully living in the large residence.

She rarely fought for anything for herself.

Only Fu Xunzhi was the one person she wanted to try her best to reach for.

Gu Shuang brushed aside the hair by her ear, a blush slowly creeping up her cheeks.

No matter how her parents responded, as long as he was willing to come, she would be very content.

Gu Ying decided to wait and see first.

For Young Master Fu to be able to persuade his parents to come propose marriage, it meant that half the deed was already done. Although he was only a fifth-rank ministerial clerk now, there was still room for advancement in the future.

Moreover, he was very talented himself. He simply didn’t understand the sinister scheming and fawning needed to get ahead in officialdom, thus he was marginalized by others.

With the Crown Prince’s help in the future, he would certainly rise rapidly.

Gu Ying sat steadily like Mount Tai, and took out the military books from her room that she had been reading to flip through. “Yanzhi, go listen in on news from the front hall again.”

Yanzhi responded indignantly, “Fourth young mistress, just wait, this servant will go right away!”

Gu Shuang was extremely shy. Clutching her skirt, she would occasionally peek out the window.

Not long after, Aunt Zhao came straight to Yu Xue Zhai with a dark expression on her face. “Ying, you’re here too. That works out well. Come give your opinion on this.”

Gu Shuang instantly turned pale and stood up. “Mother, why have you come?”

As soon as Aunt Zhao entered the room, she went over and sat on the embroidery stool. She looked at her bright and clever daughter, then at Gu Ying who was sitting leisurely by the bookcase completely unruffled. Her expression grew even darker. “This is just unbelievable. Today, the Fu family from the corner of Yanliu Alley actually came to propose marriage to my Shuang’er!”

Gu Shuang pressed her lips tightly together, her heart thumping quickly. She didn’t dare reveal that she had long known Young Master Fu Xunzhi, and only feigned confusion. “Ah?”

Gu Ying smiled. She went over and sat next to Aunt Zhao, gently saying, “Auntie, isn’t this good news? Why are you so angry?”

Aunt Zhao frowned. “I know of this Fu family. In the past, everyone in their family were officials, and their status was quite established, with the head of the family even becoming third-rank at one point. But when it reached Fu Xunzhi’s grandfather's generation, the family declined. Although they’re an official family, but... he's just a fifth-rank minor official. How can he match my Shuang’er, a proper daughter of the Dongping Earl Manor?”

Hearing the man she loved belittled, Gu Shuang pouted angrily. “Mother, you have that wrong. I’m not a proper daughter, at best I’m just a daughter of a concubine...”

Aunt Zhao was furious. “Keep your mouth shut. Just days ago I had Lady Qin look everywhere for a good match for you, hoping to find someone outstanding in status and looks for you. That Fu Xunzhi is ordinary-looking and has no outstanding talents. He’s completely unworthy of you. I’ve already told your father to turn down the proposal after chatting with him.”

Gu Shuang pursed her lips and lowered her eyes without speaking, feeling very aggrieved inside. Yet no matter how aggrieved she felt, she didn’t dare defend that blockhead Fu further, only looked pleadingly at sister with her eyes.

Seeing Aunt Zhao’s darkened expression, Gu Ying had already expected today’s situation in her heart.

After all, given the differences in background between the two families, along with Aunt Zhao’s arrogance, her looking down on the Fu family was to be expected.

She pulled Aunt Zhao’s hand over and slowly said, “Auntie, do you hope that sister finds great wealth and nobility in marriage in the future, or that she lives a good life?”

Aunt Zhao said, “As her mother, I naturally hope that she gains both great wealth and nobility as well as a good life.”

A trace of a smile appeared in Gu Ying’s eyes. She laughed, “Auntie, you also married highly. You’ve lived over ten years of ups and downs in this Earl Manor. I believe auntie understands just how difficult life inside noble households is for women, no? Even with my aunt’s status, hasn’t she still been suppressed for many years by the main wife Mrs. Liu? Although auntie is favored, what use is that? In the end, aren’t you still a servant who can be casually ordered around by the main wife? If Mrs. Liu didn’t die, your daughters could still only allow themselves to be arranged by the main wife, with no idea who they would marry in the future. Now that there are options, naturally auntie must choose a good match for her daughter.”

“Well... not so. Take the Ye Family for example—”

At this, Aunt Zhao faltered.

What kind of status was the Ye Family? How could she dare set her sights on their eldest son?

She sighed deeply.

The truth was, in the end, she was still just a concubine. After all the years as Earl Gu's concubine, she had been suppressed by the main wife Mrs. Liu for so long.

Although she was favored, what did that matter?

Did it change the fact that in the end, she was still just a servant-girl that the main wife could order around casually?

If Mrs. Liu didn’t pass away, her daughters could still only allow themselves to be arranged by the main wife. Who knew what kind of family they would marry into in the future?

Now there was some freedom of choice, so naturally she had to carefully select an excellent marriage prospect for her daughter.