newbobooks Chapter 142 People from my hometown of Linyi have arrived.
Chapter 142 People from my hometown of Linyi have arrived.
Chu Ruohan looked at Gu Junze sitting at the tea table, who was sitting leisurely in the armchair, his expression calm and composed, his slender fingers gently holding the teacup.
His posture suggested that all the world's troubles were irrelevant to him.
She really hadn't expected that Gu Junze could take the top spot, after all, he had never shown any talent in front of others.
All she knew was that his handwriting was terrible; the strokes were strong and forceful, yet also lively and elegant...
"I knew Daddy was the best, much better than Uncle."
Gu Yun's eyes sparkled with admiration for his father, and his face radiated barely suppressed excitement.
They looked as if they had also benefited from the glory and felt honored.
Upon hearing his son's words, Gu Junze couldn't help but smile indulgently.
He raised his head and looked at Chu Ruohan with tender eyes, "As a father, I can't let Yun-ge'er down."
Gu Junze has really changed a lot. He's no longer as aloof as before, and he even jokes around with the little guy and Chu Ruohan.
Yu Ling then reported: "The young master is first, our Chu family's young masters are thirty-seven, and the third young master is last..."
Upon hearing this, Chu Ruohan raised an eyebrow slightly. Gu Chengyan also passed the imperial examination?
In her previous life, Gu Chengyan was also among the top candidates. In this life, she tried to trip him up in many ways, but unexpectedly, he was still able to pass the imperial examination.
It seems that Gu Chengyan has some real talent and learning.
Unfortunately, he was only interested in power and had a wicked heart.
“Oh, right,” Yu Ling suddenly remembered something and continued, “There’s a rumor going around that the Anyang Marquis’s mansion has good feng shui, and that the young master and the third young master are the two outstanding talents of the Gu family.”
Two heroes?
Upon hearing this address, Chu Ruohan couldn't help but find it amusing, and a slight, mocking smile appeared on her lips.
Given Gu Chengyan's arrogant and self-important nature, he would probably be furious to learn that he and Gu Junze were both called "Twin Heroes" while he was only ranked last.
Chu Ruohan was unaware that the name "Double Heroes" originated from her own younger brother...
On the other side, Gu Chengyan did not return to the Marquis of Anyang's residence. He wandered aimlessly until he stopped outside a gate overgrown with weeds.
The paint on the door had long since peeled off, revealing the mottled wood grain.
A complex emotion flashed in his eyes—longing, guilt, and deep helplessness.
He originally planned to come over immediately after passing the imperial examination to tell his mother about it and make her happy.
However, when he actually stood before that door, he lacked the courage to go in. Once again, he was trampled underfoot by Gu Junze.
Looking up, the three large characters "Mental Hospital" stung his eyes.
He clearly remembered that the Emperor had ordered that no one was allowed to visit his mother.
All of this was caused by Chu Ruohan.
One day, he will take care of those two bastards, Chu Ruohan and Gu Junze.
Gu Chengyan stood outside the door for a long time, the autumn wind ruffling his hair and soaking through his clothes...
After a long while, Gu Chengyan slowly turned and left.
Mother, please bear with me a little longer. When I pass the imperial examination next spring and am in the top three, I will definitely take you away in a grand and glorious manner.
Meanwhile, just a door away, Gu's mother was being brutally beaten by the old woman guarding her, her mind clouded.
"Look at this madwoman! She dared to scratch me just now! Hit her! Hit her hard!"
She swung the stick in her hand and struck Gu's mother hard, each blow accompanied by a dull thud.
Gu's mother let out a painful groan, her body curled up into a ball.
Another plump old woman frowned and said impatiently, "Alright, stop hitting her. If you kill her, where will we earn money? She's the only one in the whole yard with any looks who can get those dirty men to spend a few copper coins on her..."
Upon hearing this, the scarred old woman stopped whipping, spat, and muttered curses under her breath.
Gu's mother lay on the ground, her body covered in wounds, but her face wore a foolish smile.
Chu Chenyu has truly brought glory to the family. Chu's father was overjoyed, and the smile on his face never stopped.
Father Chu waved his hand and said, "Hold a banquet and celebrate for three days! Our Chu family has finally produced someone promising!"
People even came from my hometown of Linyi.
People in her hometown treated Chu Ruohan, the wife of the heir apparent, with great respect and all wanted to curry favor with her.
"Madam, you are truly a lucky star for our Chu family!" an elderly man with gray hair said with a beaming smile. "If it weren't for your blessings, how could Young Master Chenyu have achieved such great success?"
"Yes, yes," a distant relative, a sister-in-law, also arrived. "Young Master's wife, look at you! Not only are you stunningly beautiful, but you are also so blessed. In the future, our Chu family will surely rise to prominence under your leadership and become one of the most prominent families in the capital!"
Faced with these people's flattery, Chu Ruohan remained indifferent, saying that talking about being of the same lineage and sharing the same breath was all a lie.
In the previous life, after Chu's parents died, Chu Ruohan was imprisoned. Chu Chenyu asked these people for help. What did they say?
"You still have the nerve to come begging to us?"
"When you were doing so well in Beijing, did you ever think of us people from your hometown? Now that you're in trouble, you want to ask us for help? It's not that easy!"
"That's right, that's right. We shouldn't be implicated because of a woman who married out of the country."
Only Chu's father was very happy. He hadn't seen these people for a long time. He was even happier than when he himself was appointed as a junior official.
At the banquet, everyone toasted and exchanged drinks.
After a few rounds of drinks, my third uncle from my hometown suddenly stood up. His face was flushed and his eyes were glazed; he was clearly quite drunk.
The wine glass in his hand was still swirling, and wine was spilled all over the floor.
He staggered up to Chu Chenyu, grabbed his arm, and stammered, "Chenyu, you've really brought honor to the Chu family!"
"Back in the day, your great-grandfather was a high-ranking official in the imperial court. Our Chu family was much more prosperous than it is now... It was only later that he was framed and demoted. Otherwise, how could our Chu family have fallen to this state!"
The Third Uncle's voice sounded particularly abrupt in the noisy banquet, and the originally lively atmosphere instantly quieted down.
Chu's father's face also turned somewhat ugly, and he secretly blamed his third uncle for speaking so recklessly in front of so many guests.
He forced a smile and quickly tried to smooth things over, saying, "Alright, Third Uncle has had too much to drink and is talking nonsense. Hurry up and help him down to rest!"
Upon hearing the order, the servants rushed forward, but Uncle San was still struggling, muttering, "Drink, drink some more..."
Chu's father knew about these old stories, and they were nothing like what his third uncle had said.
He was nothing but a low-ranking official of the sixth rank, and he was demoted for making a mistake.
If Uncle San's drunken ramblings were to get out, it might bring unnecessary trouble to the Chu family.
With so many people talking, once some things are said, it's hard to control the situation.
Father Chu took a deep breath and turned to face everyone. "Please excuse my rambling. Third Uncle is getting old, and he tends to talk nonsense when he's had too much to drink. Come, let's continue drinking. Today is a joyous occasion, and we can't spoil everyone's fun!"
Everyone then came to their senses and echoed each other, and the atmosphere at the banquet gradually became lively again.