Yan Shi’s third son, Yang Yi, was a teacher at Jixing Town’s academy. Though the academy was large, with several teachers, he hadn’t taught Gu Chengyue. Still, Shen Xuanqing had asked him and learned that the young man had good character, several close friends, and a decent reputation at the academy. He was sociable and articulate, certainly not the type to bury his nose in books without any practical sense.
Only after all these inquiries did they agree to matchmaker Sun’s proposal—otherwise, they wouldn’t have felt at ease.
Lu Gu fed Lingjun the milk fruit while waiting for Shen Yan to finish getting ready.
When the two of them arrived at the new house, everyone else had already eaten. Eggs and flatbread had been left for them in the pot.
Ji Qiuyue was chopping greens to feed the chickens with Zhao’er. When she saw them arrive, she let Zhao’er go play with his aunt and ahma to keep him from causing mischief under her watch.
Today was supposed to be Shen Yan's day off from chores - she was dressed in her finest new clothes. What if they got stained before the important meeting?
Lu Gu and Shen Yan stayed in the main hall with the two children. Zhao’er, now able to run around, was a little troublemaker, never staying still—whether digging in the front yard or dashing through the main hall to chase the family’s dogs.
Dahui had never been a patient dog with either pups or children. After being chased by Zhao'er, he simply ran away, darting straight to the backyard. The space there was large, with stacks of hay and straw, and as long as he hid behind them, he wouldn’t be seen. With the other dogs keeping Zhao'er company, the child wouldn’t remember to look for him.
The dogs in the family all had different temperaments. Take Guaizi, for example—despite being older, he still wasn’t very steady. When Zhao'er chased him, he would dash around wildly. He ran so fast the child couldn’t catch up, and he’d even turn back to bark at Zhao'er a couple of times, seeming even more excited than the kid.
The dogs all indulged Zhao'er. Though it looked like they were being chased, they were really just playing.
“Slow down, slow down, be careful not to fall!”
Both Lu Gu and Shen Yan called out, grabbing Zhao'er and holding him still, afraid he might trip and hurt himself. But he wasn’t willing, he was having too much fun. He wriggled, insisting he wanted to keep playing. No amount of coaxing could calm him, so they had to let him go.
Little Lingjun was a year younger and had just learned to walk. Watching Zhao'er run around, he fussed and squirmed, sliding down from Lu Gu’s lap. But he couldn’t run yet, he could barely walk steadily, and was a bit more timid, not daring to move recklessly. So he just held onto the table and took a few steps.
After letting Zhao'er run around for a while, Lu Gu worried he might get too carried away. The front and back eaves of the main hall had steps, and while adults could manage fine, children weren’t so steady on their feet. If he tripped, it wouldn’t be a small matter. So Lu Gu brought out some flaky pastries - slightly salty and crisp, and broke off a small piece for Little Lingjun. Holding the rest, he pretended to take a bite and said with a smile, “Mmm, so delicious.”
Zhao'er, who had been chasing the dogs, immediately turned his head at the mention of food.
“Little Ahma,” he called sweetly as he ran over, not needing to be taught.
Lu Gu smiled and said, “If you want pastry, you have to sit still. Look at your little brother. If you sit down properly, I’ll give you some.”
Zhao'er’s face was flushed from running, but at these words, he plopped down onto a small stool and reached out.
“Eat slowly, no one’s fighting you for it. Have some water.” Lu Gu handed him a bowl of water.
After all that running, Zhao'er really was thirsty and drank eagerly without needing further persuasion.
With the two children causing chaos and occasional tears, Shen Yan’s nervous heart was temporarily eased. Today was a big day for her, so Lu Gu hadn’t even let her hold Little Lingjun—the child was too young, and his need to relieve himself was unpredictable.
The sun climbed higher, and the Shen Shunwang family had already finished their morning chores. After feeding the livestock, Wei Lanxiang simply took Shen Yan over to their place, carrying a string of meat and a fish. Shen Yan carried two baskets - a smaller one for sewing supplies and a larger one holding rice, autumn bamboo shoots, cabbage, and eggs.
Today, they had pretended to invite Gu Chengyue over to help the Shen Shunwang family with work, so of course, they had to provide a meal. Typically, the girl’s family would prepare the food, so they brought the ingredients to cook there.
The fish was a big one, Shen Yaoqing had bought it from someone in the neighboring village yesterday. The meat was also from yesterday, a generous portion. There was plenty of rice and vegetables too—two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and a side of egg soup would be enough for the Shen Shunwang family and the Gu family’s visitors.
“Second Sister-in-law.” Zhou Xiangjun was tidying up the sweet potatoes, persimmons, and dried mountain fruits on the windowsill—it wouldn’t do to have things too messy when guests arrived. Seeing them enter, he hurried over to take the things they were carrying.
He glanced at Shen Yan and smiled. “Yu ger is in the room. He was just asking why you hadn’t come yet.”
“Ahma, I’ll go right now.” Shen Yan pressed her lips together in a smile, understanding Zhou Xiangjun’s meaning. For once, she showed a hint of a young girl’s shyness.
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