She should have been informed ages ago about what happened. What kept Chen Fu? Nothing bad was happening, right?
Madame Gu was a bit anxious. She looked very worried.
Cai Ming had been watching and waiting outside the yard all the time, but no one came to get them.
Madame Gu headed towards the front yard personally, in case she missed something important.
When Cai Ming arrived, the crowd gathered at the front yard was already disbanded. Cai Ming caught up with Chen Fu and asked him what happened. Chen Fu said that the marriage proposal was already made.
However, the Old Master did not ask him to inform Madame Gu, so he could not possibly disobey the order. So he told Cai Ming what happened briefly and got back to his own work.
Hearing what happened Cai Ming was shocked too.
For one moment, she had no idea what to tell Madame Gu. It took her a long time before she went back to Madame Gu.
As they came to Pear Yard, it was already very late.
Madame Gu was very furious seeing Cai Ming’s slow steps. “What is going on? What happened? I hate it when I can’t work, otherwise nothing like this would happen!”
Madame Gu was worried that without her, the whole Gu Mansion would collapse.
Cai Ming was dodging her eyes, not sure what she should say. She was, after all, a maid. So she had to reply against her will. “Madame Gu... all is well. Lady Ruxue’s marriage with Lord Ling is done. Chef Chen Fu says that Madame Huo came with the matchmaker and that Lord Ling offered many presents. Everyone was tired after this, so they all went home.. I believe that the Old Master will tell you what happened tomorrow.”
Cai Ming was talking when she sneaked a look at Madame Gu. She was worried that Madame Gu would get angry so she, as a maid, would suffer seriously.
However, Madame Gu did not get angry. She gazed forward, and her pupils were losing focus. She was silent for a long while.
She was thinking... She was thinking that without her, the Gu Mansion was functioning well too. She thought of her most adored children – one of them dead, one of them changed.
***
The following day Gu Chaoyan went to Yellow Crane.
She had no thoughts about Gu Ruxue’s marriage with Lord Ling, but she did find the whole thing strange. She had to understand what on earth happened. She had not seen Zhou Huaijin for a long while.
Zhou Huaijin was still dressed in a purple robe, with no dragon stripes on the surface. He looked intimidating and handsome as he sat there with a flat look on his face. Seeing Gu Chaoyan coming towards him, he showed a brief smile and said with a gentle voice, “Hey.”
Gu Chaoyan nodded. She habitually took the seat next to him.
Zhou Huaijin liked tea, and Gu Chaoyan liked the smell of the tea. Although Yellow Crane was mainly serving hot-pot, the tea sold well as well.
“I have one jar of wine brewed by me here. The chefs of the Yellow Crane should have a taste. If it tastes okay, the wine can be used as the brand liquor for the whole restaurant.” Gu Chaoyan said, and asked Sword One to deliver the wine to the kitchen.
Zhou Huaijin did not like liquor, so he said nothing as he took a glance at it.
With his eyes upon Gu Chaoyan, he said with an assured tone after seeing her healthy face. “I have found out what you wanted to know about Lord Ling.”