As for life after marriage, Gu Chengyu said he didn’t want to think too much about it right now. It was still early; there was no need to worry yet.

Yao Mengxian hurriedly stood up, her watery almond eyes not daring to look at Gu Chengyu. She curtsied and said, "Xianxian greets Grandfather, greets Mr. Gu!"

Gu Chengyu nodded and said, "Miss Yao, there’s no need to be so formal."

"Teacher’s wife looks in good spirits today. Is there some happy occasion?" Gu Chengyu stepped forward to salute Mrs. Ning, then smiled and made polite conversation.

"Isn’t it that in two months’ time, Xian is about to reach her hairpin ceremony? Of course one’s spirits are high when joy is at hand." Mrs. Ning looked at Gu Chengyu with a broad smile, a faint hint of meaning in her eyes.

Gu Chengyu’s heart gave a jolt. Right, once she came of age, the wedding date wouldn’t be far off.

"So Miss Yao is about to come of age. Congratulations."

This was an important day for a young lady. As a man, Gu Chengyu really didn’t know what he ought to say, so he could only squeeze out this rather dry sentence.

When the time came, he would certainly have to prepare gifts. As the betrothed, his offerings couldn’t be light. At the very least, aside from the jewelry bestowed by her elders, all the rest of the hairpin ceremony ornaments ought to be on him.

Seeing the two of them so proper and restrained that they didn’t even dare look at each other, Liang Zhirui let out a soft sigh.

He lifted his eyes to his granddaughter’s expression; her brows were full of shy delight. It seemed she wasn’t without feelings either.

Mrs. Ning cleared her throat, knowing young people were too embarrassed to speak much, and so she was about to have the meal served.

"The gift Mr. Gu sent the other day was far too precious. Your little girl feels unworthy of it." Yao Mengxian suddenly spoke softly.

"They’re just some little trinkets to amuse you, nothing worth taking to heart."

Gu Chengyu thought back. Those gifts were indeed things he’d bought over in Jiangnan, though all the close households had been given the same.

And those little trinkets had been sorted out with help from his second sister. How would he know what girls in the inner courtyard liked?

Originally he had only prepared bolts of cloth and some jewelry; weren’t those the standard things one sent to young ladies?

It was his second sister who’d said that women cooped up in the rear courtyard got bored and insisted he send those playthings. He hadn’t even wanted to look at them—weren’t those the little toys his own nephew played with?

The two exchanged a few words before the conversation slowly cooled. Just as Mrs. Ning was about to speak up, a voice from outside interrupted her.

"My lady, the clothes are here." Lianxin walked to Yao Mengxian’s side, holding a tray in her hands as she spoke softly.

"This servant greets Mr. Liang, greets Mr. Gu." Seeing that Gu Chengyu was already inside, Lianxin hurriedly saluted Liang Zhirui and Gu Chengyu.

When Yao Mengxian saw the garments on the tray, her face flushed an even deeper red.

Knowing her niece was shy, and that this kind of matter, once put openly on the table, was in the end somewhat out of bounds, Mrs. Ning said, "Jinyu, this is a robe I made for you. Though my skill is inferior to your second sister’s, it is still a token of my heart. Take it back and try it on."

It wasn’t as if Mrs. Ning had never made clothes for Gu Chengyu before, but if she had made this, why would she have Lianxin carry it in? Wasn’t it obvious that it was made by Yao Mengxian?

At this moment, how could Gu Chengyu not understand that this garment was meant as Yao Mengxian’s return gift?

Since the other side wished to observe propriety, Gu Chengyu couldn’t tear the veil off. "Many thanks, Teacher’s wife. Your robes have always fitted me well. Once I put them on, I feel full of vigor. Even my mother at home praises them endlessly."

These words immediately made Mrs. Ning grin from ear to ear. No wonder she liked this young disciple of her husband’s the most—his tongue was truly sweet.

"How could I compare to your second sister? Your second sister’s embroidery workshop is famous throughout the Capital. These days, people even have to queue up to get a garment from her workshop."

Speaking of this, Mrs. Ning was full of emotion. This whole family had been born farmers, yet each of them had a special skill.

In recent years, Gu Wan’s workshop had indeed taken the Capital by storm. Those unique designs, exquisite embroidery, and the way they launch new patterns every so often made the noble ladies and young misses in the Capital flock to them.

Some large households even followed and imitated the styles. Every time Ruyi Embroidery Workshop released a new design, it would steal all the limelight in the Capital.

"If Teacher’s wife has taken a fancy to anything, just let my second sister make yours first. What need is there for you to queue?"

Gu Chengyu picked up the garment on the tray and examined it carefully, then smiled. "Teacher’s wife’s handiwork is excellent. These plum blossoms are truly lifelike."

From the moment Gu Chengyu picked up that garment, Yao Mengxian’s heart had leapt into her throat. Hearing him indirectly praise her now, she finally felt a bit calmer.

She had already given it away, so there was no point in being so nervous. If Mr. Gu disliked her craftsmanship, at worst he simply wouldn’t wear it and let it sit at the bottom of a chest. He would never say to her face that the garment wasn’t finely made enough.

Gu Chengyu had seen Mrs. Ning’s handiwork before; everyone’s embroidery techniques were different, and this piece was definitely not hers.

Since it was made by his fiancée, and with such fine work that he could see she had put thought into it, he naturally had to praise it. That was only proper.

"Let’s have the meal first. I came straight here after being relieved of duty and still haven’t eaten. If we delay any longer, it’ll be hard to digest." Seeing that Gu Chengyu was satisfied, Liang Zhirui let out a breath of relief, though his heart felt a little sour.

Girls, once grown, had to be married off. In the past she’d made clothes for him; now they were for her future husband. He didn’t know whether, after she married, she would still remember this old codger of a grandfather.

Thinking this way, he suddenly found even the sight of Gu Chengyu somewhat irritating.

After dining at Liang Mansion, Gu Chengyu prepared to return home. He had asked Gu Chengchi to come to the residence today to discuss some matters, and the man was likely already there by now.

"My lord, Fourth Master and Fourth Madam have arrived. They are in the main courtyard at the moment." Sure enough, as soon as he stepped into the residence, Steward Chen came forward to report to Gu Chengyu.

Gu Chengyu nodded and walked toward the main courtyard.

Before he even reached it, he heard laughter from inside, and couldn’t help but smile to himself.

"Ping, come to Grandmother." Mrs. Lv’s cheerful voice rang out. As soon as Gu Chengyu stepped into the main room, he saw a little boy of about four or five fling himself into Mrs. Lv’s arms.

"Father, Mother!"

"Fourth Brother, Fourth Sister-in-law!"

After greeting one another, Gu Chengyu waved Ping over. Ping was Gu Chengchi’s eldest son, four years old this year.

"Why didn’t you bring Shuang?" Gu Chengyu turned to Gu Chengchi and asked after his second son, Gu Wanshuang, whom he’d had just last year.

"He caught a chill a couple of days ago and has a slight fever today, so we didn’t bring him. It’s nothing serious though. He took his medicine and went to sleep early. You came back rather late today. Did you go to Liang Mansion?"

Gu Chengchi sized up this younger brother, his face full of smiles. The little brat who had once been a tiny bean had, in the blink of an eye, grown so tall.

"Yes. I went to pay my respects to my teacher today. Tomorrow I’ll visit my senior brothers."

Looking at the beard on Gu Chengchi’s chin, Gu Chengyu felt a laugh stir in his chest. Gu Chengchi was only in his early twenties; why did he have to dress himself up like an uncle?

But he also understood that if he didn’t keep a beard, patients might not trust him. As the saying went, ’a hairless mouth can’t be relied on.’

When it came to seeing a doctor, people really did prefer those who were old, the kind who looked experienced at a glance.