bayedsolid Chapter 416 Exorbitant Return Gift
Chapter 416 Exorbitant Return Gift
Also, when the Gu clan chief's mother was alive, she would always lend a helping hand without hesitation whenever she saw the Gu family bullying him.
Not only did she shower him with affection in her words, but she also made him new clothes from time to time.
One by one, these incidents, when strung together, form a dense, impenetrable net that tightly envelops him.
So it was all because of my father, haha...
Gu Chenglin's gaze grew increasingly deep, his nails almost digging into his palms.
Those scenes flashed through his mind; behind everything that happened to him, there seemed to be his father's shadow.
Is that what fatherly love is?
Dongfang Jin's waist ached from being squeezed so tightly, but she still endured it, her voice gentle like flowing water: "Alright, it's all over now, there won't be any more trouble in the future."
If you keep hugging me, my back is going to break.
Gu Chenglin seemed not to hear her, his arm tightening even more like an iron clamp, his hot breath brushing against her ear: "Go to the space."
"it is good."
This guy needs comfort more than ever. Dongfang Jin nodded slightly, and the two figures disappeared from the spot in an instant.
------
Meanwhile, candlelight flickered inside the Shuimo Hall.
Duke Rongguo, Gu Haozhen, frowned deeply, his gaze fixed on the rare treasure in the sandalwood box, as if frozen in place.
His voice was filled with undisguised shock as he turned to Hua Miaoyan beside him: "Miaoyan, where do you think that girl got all these treasures?"
As he spoke, he carefully picked up a passion fruit and examined it repeatedly in the candlelight.
"Look at this passion fruit, its color is bright and its size is plump. Compared with the one in the Treasure Pavilion, it is simply worlds apart."
Hua Miaoyan's eyes were also filled with amazement as she stared intently at the golden passion fruit.
His voice trembled slightly: "Could this be the legendary passion fruit that can enhance internal energy and takes a hundred years to bloom and a hundred years to bear fruit?"
“Yes, it’s passion fruit.” After saying that, he picked up the thousand-year-old purple ginseng next to him.
"This child is really..." He is really generous. How can this young daughter-in-law have so many of these rare treasures?
This stirred within Hua Miaoyan an urge to uncover the secret.
Gu Haozhen put down the purple ginseng with its flowing roots and whiskers, his expression solemn: "That's right."
This passion fruit is dark green for the first thirty years, turns light green for the next thirty years, and gradually turns golden in the last few decades.
Previously, the colors available on the market were either light yellow or pale gold; such a pure golden yellow is truly rare.
After saying that, Gu Haozhen felt a sudden dizziness. He could only take one of these treasures to the auction house.
How did that girl get it, since it could cause such a sensation at the auction?
But when she saw the two exquisitely embroidered pouches next to the brocade box, she exclaimed, "What are these?"
Gu Haozhen looked at the somewhat familiar object, picked it up and examined it closely. He had seen this object before on Cang Nanxi and his son, His Majesty, Long Yi, and An Ying.
Suddenly, Master Jingkong came to mind... Yes, Master Jingkong also has a treasure chest—the Qiankun Bag.
"Miaoyan, this is a treasure. Quickly drip the blood onto the purse."
As Gu Haozhen spoke, he picked up a dagger and slashed his and Hua Miaoyan's fingers.
The blood instantly disappeared from the purse.
Seeing this, Hua Miaoyan was also deeply moved: "This...this...is what you meant by 'accommodation'..."
Gu Haozhen immediately covered her mouth, shook his head at her, and then looked outside.
Hua Miaoyan understood immediately. She knew there were still potential dangers in the manor, so she suppressed her excitement and nodded.
At the same time, a sense of unease quietly began to grow in her heart.
With so many rare and precious treasures, could there be a huge hidden danger behind them?
The two looked at each other and saw the same worry in each other's eyes.
------
The next day, as dawn broke and the sky was still tinged with the pale light of dawn, the Rongguo Duke's mansion was bustling with activity like never before.
The vermilion gate was wide open early in the morning, and the copper rings on the door knocker gleamed coldly in the morning light.
Two rows of servants, dressed in brand-new indigo short jackets, stood at attention with their hands at their sides, as neat as if they had been copied and pasted.
Manager Song, the gatekeeper, stood on tiptoe, craned his neck, and eagerly scanned the long street with his eyes.
He would occasionally shout orders, "Hang the lanterns higher, make sure they're not crooked!"
Inside the mansion, the long blue stone steps were swept spotless, and a glass lantern with a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix hung under the eaves.
Each piece of glass was polished to a shine, and when they collided with each other in the breeze, they made a crisp and melodious sound.
The maids carried gilded lacquer boxes, their steps light and hurried, the pastries inside still steaming hot.
Osmanthus-flavored lotus root with a bright red and glossy appearance; rose-flavored poria cocos cake with a skin as thin as a cicada's wing;
The peach blossom pastry resembles blooming peach blossoms; the plum blossom cake, adorned with colorful dried fruits, is just like a plum blossom blooming proudly in the snow.
There were also jujube paste and yam cakes, mung bean cakes, and layered shortbread, all mingling with the fragrance of jasmine and magnolia adorning the maids' hair, drifting gently in the air.
In the garden, the servants were busy setting up the banquet tables.
Carved nanmu wood eight-immortal tables are arranged in a row, covered with Shu brocade tablecloths, and ivory chopsticks and gilded cups are neatly arranged.
Outside the second gate, the matrons led the maids from Duchess Hua Miaoyan's courtyard into the courtyard one after another.
Duan Jing'an was dressed in a rose-red horse-face skirt, with jingling jade pendants around her waist. As she walked, she directed the maids to set the table.
After they stepped forward to pay their respects, they all obediently began to busy themselves with their tasks.
Gu Mingyu was still holding a book in his hand, and every now and then he would stand by the artificial hill, curiously observing the lively scene.
Today, his uncle's children came to visit. He was a little disappointed that he couldn't go with his mother to attend Aunt Qi Xian's wedding yesterday.
In his memory, the Rongguo Mansion had never been this lively. Now, it felt like his home had come alive.
Inside the main room, Hua Miaoyan, supported by her head maid Mengyao, sat upright on the canopy bed.
The other maids surrounded her, some combing her silver hair, others choosing jewelry for her.
"Bring me those pearl earrings," Hua Miaoyan ordered slowly. "Today is a day for family reunion, we can't lose face."
As they spoke, the entire Rongguo Duke's Mansion, from masters to servants, was swept up in this busy and festive wave, awaiting the official start of the family banquet.
……
The Rongguo Duke's Mansion resembles a magnificent palace, its vermilion gates gleaming solemnly in the morning sun.
The rows of gilded copper nails on the door, each one round and full, highlight the noble and extraordinary nature of the Duke's Mansion.
The door knocker with its animal head and ring is heavy and majestic, as if a gentle knock could unlock the echoes of history.
The pair of stone lions in front of the gate, with their mouths wide open and lifelike, stare with eyes like copper bells, exuding an imposing aura without being angry, as if they are guarding the century-old glory of this mansion.
At the main gate of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion, on the bluestone road, the sound of horses' hooves and the creaking of wheels intertwined in a pleasant rhythm.
Prince Dun sat upright on his tall horse, his posture dignified.
Dongfang Yuan rode in a beautifully decorated carriage, the light gauze curtains swaying gently in the wind.
She hadn't been to the Rongguo Mansion for many years. That's right, the Rongguo Mansion was the maternal grandmother's house of Dongfang Yuan's father.
Her grandmother was the aunt of Duke Rongguo, Gu Haozhen, and her sister-in-law was also Gu Haozhen's elder sister.
After she married Cang Nanxi, she went to Cang Nanxi's fiefdom the day after her homecoming.
He was gone for more than a decade, and when he returned, he was busy dealing with matters of the court.
Because of her injury and the loss of her eldest daughter, she never left the palace and never attended any banquets.
The late autumn wind, carrying delicate sycamore leaves, swirled in front of the vermilion gate of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion.
She wrapped her cloak tighter around herself, stood on the carriage, and looked at the magnificent mansion. Scenes from the past and the present overlapped repeatedly before her eyes.
Although some of the vermilion lacquer on the corner of the gate has peeled off, its majesty remains undiminished.
The beast with its ring on the door knocker has its eyes wide open in anger, and time seems to have left few marks on it.
Once upon a time, she stepped through this gate, dressed in a brocade dress and surrounded by maids and servants, smiling and chatting.
At that time, her eyes were bright, and she was full of hope for the future.