After the carriage came to a stop, Gu Ruanci stepped down and had already removed her veil early on.
Seeing a face almost identical to that of her dearest friend in her youth, the woman’s eyes welled up with tears.
“That’s right, you are Ruanci…”
Gu Ruanci knelt solemnly before her and softly called out, “Mother…”
At this address, the woman’s heart shattered.
“Madam, you should be happy that the child has returned. Let’s take Ruanci inside now…”
Shouguogong Gu Congyun, who had been waiting alongside her, stepped forward, gently placing an arm around his wife’s shoulders to comfort her.
Without hesitation, Gu Ruanci properly addressed him, “Father…”
Gu Congyun’s heart instantly melted. He and his wife only had four sons and had always dreamed of having a daughter. That was why, years ago, when Lady Ye entrusted her child to them, he had accepted without a second thought.
But this child had spent many years away learning her craft. Now that she had finally returned, his dream had at last come true.
“Good child, rise quickly. This is no place to talk. Let’s go inside first.”
Shouguogong’s wife, Zhuang Hefeng, tightly held Gu Ruanci’s hand, afraid she might lose her.
Gu Yulou, who had driven the carriage, and the other two sons who had come out to welcome them were completely overlooked and could only follow helplessly.
“The young mistress has returned home!”
“Greetings to the young mistress!”
The servants of Shouguo Gongfu all knew that the young mistress was returning today. Even though they were aware she was not the biological daughter of the Duke and his wife, Gu Congyun had already registered her in the family genealogy long before Gu Ruanci’s return.
Thus, every greeting was sincere and heartfelt.
“All these years, I have been unable to fulfill my filial duties by your side. Please punish me, Father and Mother…”
Inside Shouguo Gongfu, Gu Ruanci once again knelt solemnly before Gu Congyun and Zhuang Hefeng, her expression earnest.
Since bringing Gu Ruanci home, Zhuang Hefeng’s heart had been filled with nothing but heartache.
“Good child, why must you say such things? You have suffered all these years. If we had been in Dizhou back then, how would Jing’an Houfu have dared to treat Hesheng that way?”
Ye Hesheng was Gu Ruanci’s birth mother, the original wife of Jing’an Hou.
Gu Ruanci held no resentment toward the Gu family. She spoke with acceptance, “The actions of Jing’an Houfu and the Ye family back then could not have been changed even if you had all been there. I have never regretted leaving that filthy place with Mother. They are not worthy of being my family.”
“Rise first. We’ve finally brought you home. Take some time to get acquainted,” Gu Congyun interjected at the right moment. “This is your second brother, Gu Yuting, and this is your fourth brother, Gu Yuxuan. Your eldest brother is currently at the border and cannot return, but he wrote to say you are his true younger sister. With him here, no one will dare bully you. Your third brother, Gu Yulou, is obsessed with martial arts and not good with words. He was the one who went to fetch you earlier.”
Gu Yuting, who had been forgotten at the entrance earlier, stepped forward and handed Gu Ruanci an exquisite small box.
“Little sister, welcome home.”
His eyes were filled with sincerity. Since childhood, he had known he had a younger sister, the daughter of his mother’s closest friend.
It was a pity that Aunt Ye had married poorly. Fortunately, she was strong-willed, or else this younger sister would have been ruined by Jing’an Houfu.
“Sister, open it quickly…”
Beside them, Gu Yuxuan, though also meeting her for the first time, addressed her as “sister” quite naturally.
Gu Ruanci smiled gently and, with Gu Yuting’s silent permission, opened the box.
A fine southern pearl came into view, astonishing even Gu Ruanci, who had seen many treasures while following her master.
“This was bestowed by His Majesty last year when I was painting in the palace. The Emperor said I could give it to anyone as I pleased.”
Gu Yuting explained the pearl’s origin, hoping Gu Ruanci would accept it without reservation.
Gu Yuxuan added, “Everyone knows Second Brother achieved profound mastery in painting at a young age. How many in Dizhou Cheng would beg for one of his paintings yet never receive it? Why not gift Sister one of his finest works instead…”
After saying this, he deliberately walked over and took Gu Ruanci’s arm, adding, “Sister, we are family. There’s no need to stand on ceremony with Second Brother…”
Gu Ruanci smiled gently. She knew this younger brother was the only child born to the Shouguogong couple in Dizhou Cheng. Afterward, he had been left at home and cared for by servants for many years. She could see his longing for familial affection and his lively nature.
Gu Yuting explained with a smile, “Now that Sister has returned, I can paint for her anytime—it’s not like I’m going anywhere. But this southern pearl is one of a kind, so it should go to Sister first.”
Gu Ruanci thanked him softly. Though she had never met these family members before, they had corresponded over the years.
Watching their harmonious and joyful atmosphere, Zhuang Hefeng couldn’t help but be moved by the scene.
“All these years, I’ve often thought about how your mother saved my marriage back then but ended up ruining her own life. Thankfully, before she passed, she brought you to your master and wrote to us in advance, entrusting you to our care… Every time I saw that family from Jing’an Houfu over the years, I wished I could rush over and cut them down…”
Mentioning Ye Hesheng naturally brought another wave of sorrow to Zhuang Hefeng.
“We, one ‘Hefeng’ and one ‘Hesheng,’ promised to be sisters for life, yet she left first…”
“Ah, it’s also the fault of those beasts from your maternal grandfather’s family. If only your mother had somewhere to go in Dizhou Cheng back then, things wouldn’t have turned out this way.”
Gu Ruanci understood the depth of their bond. While feeling sorrowful herself, she comforted Zhuang Hefeng in return: “Mother, you know my mother’s temperament best. She would rather give up everything to secure my freedom in life—how could she ever bow to those people?”
After much more comforting from everyone, the matter was finally set aside.
“Nong Chun, Cang Xia, you two have worked hard all these years. It’s been a long time since you’ve seen your families. Your parents are waiting outside—go reunite with them…”
The two maidservants who returned with Gu Ruanci had been selected by Zhuang Hefeng from the household servants years ago, both around the same age as her.
After receiving Ye Hesheng’s letter back then, the Duke’s residence had sent them over.
“Thank you, Madam…”
Nong Chun and Cang Xia joyfully bowed to them and then went out to find their families.
While the atmosphere here was intimate and warm as spring, over at Jing’an Houfu, chaos reigned.
Zhou Zhili had sent people out again and finally managed to gather some details.
Upon learning that the daughter from all those years ago had truly entered the Gu family, Zhou Yuzhi flew into another rage, and Zhou Zhili grew even more disappointed in this daughter he hadn’t seen in ten years.
“Utterly disgraceful. She just returned to Dizhou and immediately moved into someone else’s residence. Besides, Shouguo Gongfu only has four sons and no daughters. By living there like this, she has completely disregarded her reputation. How has Lady Ye been raising her child all these years? Has she no shame?”
Laofuren also wore an expression as if she wanted to devour someone: “Has Lady Ye returned with her? Is she also staying at Shouguo Gongfu?”