The husband who forced her to marry her couldn't keep her warm, and she didn't want him to

Before leaving, Gu Jinchu went to pay his respects to his father.

Zizhu Pavilion is at the end of the corridor next to the bamboo forest. Unlike Moxiangju which is filled with the fragrance of flowers, there are many willow and locust trees planted in the yard.

It is lush and green inside, with large patches of green swaying in the wind. The entire yard is like the poetic and picturesque scene described in the book.

In front of the main door, two maids with women's hair combed came in with a large round plate with crabapple flowers. My father's new maid Chun Xing saw them and came over to greet them:

"The Third Miss is here." He glanced into the room and said, "Madam Lian is waiting for the Master to have breakfast."

Gu Jinchu nodded. Chun Xing stood in front of the door and helped the third lady push the door open. She followed behind and stepped in.

When he walked to the east room, Gu Jinchu looked up and saw Li Xianglian first.

Aunt Lian was wearing a moon-white long dress with dark patterns, and her hair was simply tied into a bun. There was no jewelry on her head, wrists, or ears.

Her face, as white as jade, was simple and elegant, and her watery almond-shaped eyes looked at her father with a smile.

She is neither dignified nor plain, yet has a clean and clear look that does not belong to her age.

Apart from his mother, his father's legal wife, he only had one concubine. Gu Jinchu didn't have the curiosity to count how many concubines there were in the room.

If we talk about the person who is best at vying for favor and knows how to do it without showing it, it is the non-competitive Concubine Lian in front of us.

She and her father have a friendship from their youth, and she knows what her father likes best about her, and she is well aware of this.

When Gu Huanian saw Gu Jinchu coming to pay her respects, he asked her to sit down and answer the question.

My father has paid more and more attention to health preservation in recent years, and doesn't care much about body management.

He was in his prime, wearing a green official uniform with a egret pattern and a silver leather belt tied loosely around it, but his fat belly could still be seen around his waist.

On the table in front of him were Xianghe meat patties, a plate of braised donkey meat, sliced ​​smoked pigeon, and a pot of steaming stew. Aunt Lian beside him was curled up to serve her father the soup.

"Master, this soup has been simmering on the stove all night. You have to get up early before dawn every day to take care of your health."

Gu Jinchu lowered his head upon hearing this, a smile forming on his lips.

My father was only thirty-three years old, but his handsome face became increasingly puffy and he even started to have bags under his eyes.

It can be seen that he really needs to pay more attention to his health.

Gu Huanian drank the soup in the bowl, raised his hand to signal Aunt Lian, looked at his daughter and asked, "Why did Chu Jieer come here so early?"

Gu Jinchu smiled and said, "I am planning to go to my grandparents' home in Baodi today. I wonder if my father has given any instructions?"

Hearing his daughter's words, Gu Huanian's brows softened, "Yesterday your grandmother said that Chu Jie'er is now sensible and has grown into a big girl. Now you are doing very well."

Not to mention the tense relationship between father and daughter before, Gu Huanian was somewhat disappointed with his eldest daughter.

He was a scholar, and his enlightenment education was dominated by Confucianism, and he paid the most attention to the moral education of women.

"Your mother and maternal grandparents have doted on you in the past. You should be more restrained in your character... Your maternal grandparents are different now than they were in the past. You are your father's eldest daughter. When you return to the Zheng family, you represent your father. Your words, actions, and posture must all be respectful."

Gu Jinchu confirmed everything his father said. The last time he saw his father in his previous life was after his mother died unexpectedly.

She came back with a pregnant belly, and the Gu family thought she came for her mother's huge dowry, without considering that she was pregnant and was the fifth wife of the Jiang family.

He was just relying on the so-called filial piety. Thinking of the expressions of his father and the Gu family behind him at that time, Gu Jinchu was able to speak so calmly, which showed that he had been patient again and again.

Gu Huanian was very satisfied with his daughter's performance today. At least it showed that Zheng did not say anything to Chu Jie'er. Otherwise, based on his understanding of his daughter, he would not be so respectful now.

Seeing that the master did not continue to speak, Aunt Lian beside him said, "Hello, Third Miss. I was serving the master just now and was unable to greet you in time. I hope Third Miss will not blame me."

Gu Jinchu didn't say anything, but looked at her with a smile, wanting to know what she was going to say.

"I wonder if Miss San can have breakfast. This is the mutton soup I made specially for the master. Would Miss San want to have a bowl?"

Gu Jinchu frowned slightly when she heard this. She could only accept roasted mutton.

As soon as she entered the door, she smelled the unique fishy smell of mutton. She didn't even dare to breathe heavily while sitting there, let alone drink the soup.

Aunt Lian did not miss the disgust on Gu Jinchu's face, and immediately bowed to her in fear:

"I have overstepped the bounds. Miss San has a small kitchen set up by Madam. I heard that the chef was hired by Madam from Qianwei Restaurant at a high price. You must look down on my poor cooking skills..."

After she finished speaking, she stood behind her father. Gu Jinchu looked up at her and naturally did not miss it. His father's face darkened after hearing her.

In the entire Gu family, only Sui'antang had a small kitchen. Later, as my grandmother was often unwell, Cuihuayuan also built a small kitchen, which was not comparable to the one in Sui'antang.

Gu Jinchu sneered in his heart. Did Li Xianglian think that her father let her stay in Zizhu Pavilion just to get back at her mother and daughter?

After all, he has not seen the world and is short-sighted.

She looked a little gloomy, looking at her father across from her:

"Even Aunt Lian doesn't know, but doesn't Father know? My daughter has always been afraid of the smell of mutton since she was a child. She always vomits a few times. Aunt Lian really blames me wrongly."

Li Xianglian was stunned. She really didn't know about this.

After hearing what his daughter said, Gu Huanian seemed to remember something.

When Chu Jie'er was a child, she went to see a doctor because of vomiting. It was found that she could not stand the taste of mutton. Her mother even said privately that this child was really delicate.

He couldn't help but express his concern for her. He was happy to see the recent changes in his eldest daughter, and the Zheng family behind Zheng also needed to be maintained well.

He had not yet responded to the previous incidents of wrongly accusing Chu Jie'er, and immediately asked Zhang Shun to bring him a silver note of 100 taels.

He just said that his eldest daughter had grown up, and as a father he didn't know what her family liked, so he let her decide for herself what to buy.

Gu Jinchu knew that his father had his own private vault, but he also knew that it was not managed by his mother.

It was only at the end that someone told her that her father's private vault was managed by the unwilling Aunt Lian.

She thanked her father and told him another reason for coming. "Father, every year around the Dragon Boat Festival, the palace will release a group of palace maids who have reached the age of marriage."

"Mother plans to invite a female official back to teach me and my sisters the rules. After all, my father's official position has to keep rising, and the women in the family can't..."