Gu Youyou laughed heartily, "Haha, are these supposed to be better than me? I must say, Young Master, you have a unique taste!"
Because she read Yue Rujing’s jokes, Gu Youyou became entirely energized, and the fatigue from days of continuous travel dissipated by half in an instant.
"Oh my, I heard Ajing is back, my son!"
The message brought by the city guard reached the Lingnan Marquis Residence, and the place immediately erupted into commotion.
Yue Rujing was sent to the Tianzong on Qi Mountain by the Marquess at the age of eight, returned home once at ten, again at thirteen, then at fourteen, and frequently from fifteen to twenty years old. Now Yue Rujing was twenty-three, and it had been another three years since he last came home. In the Marquis Residence, aside from the one male Marquess, all the women of the household had long been yearning for his return.
"Grandmother, big brother has come back."
"Maternal grandmother, cousin has come back."
"Where is he? Where is my eldest grandson?"
"Mother, Ajing will be here soon. Please take it easy."
"Oh, I heard Brother Zijin also came..."
Riding on horses, Yue Rujing and his two companions arrived at the Lingnan Marquis Residence. The residence’s main gate was already bustling with people, with a tall, imposing middle-aged man at the forefront and the rest all women.
Yue Rujing, accustomed to mingling among these women, was already used to such scenes. Dismounting his horse, he immediately strode towards them.
"Second Aunt, eldest aunt, youngest aunt!"
"Eldest sister, second sister, third sister... cousin!"
Standing beside Gu Youyou, Jin Zijin smiled faintly, seemingly unfazed, but Gu Youyou was already dumbstruck.
Don’t tell her this courtyard is the Grand View Garden from "Dream of the Red Chamber"!
The Marquis Residence was severely imbalanced, with far more females than males.
This scene was... truly astonishing.
"Oh Ajing, my eldest grandson, you’ve gotten thinner!"
"My son, you’ve suffered!"
What kind of scene is this?
"Big brother, we’ve missed you so much!"
"Shoo, shoo, shoo, don’t cling to your big brother. You must be tired from the journey, go inside and rest first." The old lady used her walking stick to shoo away the delicate young girls, at last, making way for everyone.
Gu Youyou seemed to understand why Yue Rujing had grown up somewhat effeminate, just like Jia Baoyu.
The banquet to welcome and cleanse away the dust from travel had a rather odd atmosphere!
Men and women sat at separate tables, with only three people at the large table opposite: Jin Zijin, Yue Rujing, and the Marquess.
Their table seemed overly crowded, packed with Yue Rujing’s aunts and a heap of sisters, plus her—filled to the brim.
Gu Youyou ate the delicacies on the table with an uneasy heart. It wasn’t the overcrowding that bothered her, but ever since Jin Zijin introduced her as his wife, those young girls started treating her as an outsider.
Of course, to those young girls, she was indeed an outsider and she paid little mind to it. The point was, ever since Jin Zijin introduced her as his wife, the Marquess’ eyes would occasionally and seemingly unintentionally flit towards her.
How should she describe that feeling? His surreptitious glances were hard to articulate; they held a kind of expectation akin to looking at one’s daughter-in-law, yet also guarded.
What was all that about?
If it were because of the relationship between Jin Zijin and Yue Rujing, and if it were time to examine a potential match for the younger generation, it would make sense for the old lady and the Marchioness to be the ones glancing, not you, a grown man looking at someone else’s young wife. What’s the meaning of that?
Being watched by such an important figure would definitely intimidate anyone else.
Lucky for Gu Youyou, having been accustomed to significant events, she managed to avoid any impropriety.
"Sister-in-law Youyou, where are you from?"