Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside Chapter 1183: Return Gift
Previously on Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside...
After downing one cup, she set it aside, swished her mouth with fresh water, then seized another cup of wine, gulped it down in two swift swallows, and declared with delight, "It has a tea aroma."
Ouyang Ming felt astonishment. Detecting tea flavor in the wine marked a first in her sixteen years of existence. Furthermore, despite its tea notes, this brew carried a fierce kick; mere breaths later, the liquor surged through her... This Miss Gu Er truly knew how to captivate with her unique wine creations.
Only upon arriving here did she learn from Grandfather that blending various wines could produce a brew boasting fresh tastes.
Ouyang Ming adored the wine delivered by Gu Jinli. Unlike any in Great Chu, it proved endlessly fascinating and delicious, yet her innate composure limited her to a single cup of each variety before she stopped.
Still, one puzzle lingered for her. Hadn’t the Gu Family already delivered a greeting gift on the third day after the sisters entered the city? Why another now, and framed as thanks?
Could it be...
"Which Gu Family member visited Grandfather today? Was it Brother Cheng’s elder brother?" Ouyang Ming inquired. She’d encountered Brother Cheng before; the boy looked strikingly handsome, much like Gu Jin’an, the man she’d saved en route, though the younger brimmed with energy while the elder exuded calm.
The maid delivering the wine answered, "It was indeed Brother Cheng’s older brother, this year’s top scholar in the Jianghuai provincial exam."
Sure enough, it was him; he must have figured out who she was and shared her rescue tale with the Gu sisters, prompting this fresh token of gratitude.
"Deliver the wine to Grandfather," Ouyang Ming directed, then turned to chief maid Shan Cong, "Fetch a bolt of Jingyun Silk from inside, and carry the stone-breaking bow to the front yard study as a reply gift for the two Miss Gus."
The Gu Family’s offerings—be they wine or fans—shone with exceptional quality, demanding an equally fine reciprocation to uphold courtesy.
Mrs. Han showed surprise at this: "Third Miss, that stone-breaking bow is your prized treasure; are you certain about parting with it?"
Ouyang Ming eyed the two wine bottles and grinned, "Miss Gu Er gifted me this novel brew that thrilled me, so I’ll respond in kind. Rumors say she excels in martial skills, making the stone-breaking bow a perfect match for her."
Though Mrs. Han hated to lose the stone-breaking bow, she held her tongue and signaled Shan Cong to act.
Shan Cong, overseer of Ouyang Ming’s domestic matters and keeper of her personal vault’s key, returned roughly two quarters-hour later, having rallied servants to transport the Jingyun Silk and stone-breaking bow. After alerting the two wine-bearing maids, they all set off for the front yard study.
Prior to departing, Ouyang Ming charged Shan Cong: "Instruct Grandfather to inform Scholar Gu that the rescue was simple righteousness, nothing to fuss over, and no further thanks are needed."
Exchanging gifts endlessly proved a hassle.
"Yes." Shan Cong acknowledged and departed alongside the maids.
Hearing his third granddaughter had bestowed the stone-breaking bow on Gu Jinli, Master Ouyang paused in shock before bursting into laughter. Ming girl seemed smitten with the Gu family’s second daughter, going so far as to offer her the stone-breaking bow.
This stone-breaking bow, a bloodied relic from ancient battlefields that he’d obtained fortuitously, went to Ming girl due to her passion for riding and shooting. Who’d have thought she’d pass it on so readily.
Was this akin to gifting a famed blade to a worthy warrior?
Yet, the stone-breaking bow suited the Gu family’s second girl splendidly.
Gu Jin’an beamed upon receiving Ouyang Ming’s return gifts. These two items vastly outshone their family’s modest offerings. What thrilled him most, however, were Shan Cong’s next words.
Shan Cong relayed Ouyang Ming’s message to Master Ouyang.
Gu Jin’an brimmed with joy at the news. Her sharpness shone through; she’d anticipated his recognition of her.
Yet her plea to halt future gifts stirred faint discomfort; he yearned to shower her with more treasures.
"Hear that, Good Brother An? No more gifts required; our house skips such rituals," Master Ouyang remarked while savoring the duo of innovative wines, eyes shut in blissful sigh, "Superb stuff, infused with tea fragrance."
The Gu family’s second miss grew ever more extraordinary, crafting wines of such diverse allure.
Watching Master Ouyang relish the wine, Gu Jin’an chuckled and declared, "I shall bring you a few more bottles some other day."
He stressed, "It’s not a gratitude gift, just some small tokens of respect from a younger generation to you, not worth much."
Master Ouyang accepted readily, chuckling, "Well then, I won’t be polite with you, but no more ham, please. It takes too long to make, a delicacy that takes three years to craft."
Brewing the wine merely involves collecting ingredients and mixing them properly.
"Yes, I will listen to you," Gu Jin’an replied, then proceeded to talk with Master Ouyang about the incidents in Linhe Prefecture.
Master Ouyang remarked, "That Tong family deserves it... Actually, there are many families with private mines in Great Chu, but daring to make and sell scimitars was a crime leading to family extermination, beyond saving for the Tong family."
However...
The revelation of this affair felt suspiciously timely. The Tong family had operated secret mines for years unscathed; why did it surface precisely when Tong San crossed paths with Gu Jin’an?
Master Ouyang pondered deeper; might Gu Jin’an have orchestrated something behind the scenes?
Yet with others present in the study, Master Ouyang held back his queries, suppressing his doubts silently, and shifted to the bandits that struck Gu Jin’an’s convoy: "They indeed came from Central State. Ever since the Northwest drought, many refugees have flooded into Central State, with quite a few turning to banditry. Even after several years, they haven’t been eradicated."
Master Ouyang heaved a sigh. Great Chu plunged into chaos after Duke Wei’s faction fell five years back; the Emperor obsessed over purging warlord ministers, ignoring the peril of challenging them while the realm teetered. Such upheaval risked provoking divine fury.
People whispered that the Northwest drought marked heaven’s punishment on the Emperor.
Gu Dexing shot back, "The Northwest is no longer suffering from natural disasters; in another two years, the bandits formed by refugees will surely be wiped out by the court’s army, so there’s no need for concern."
Master Ouyang laughed heartily, "You think too ideally."
The Northwest’s woes stemmed not from natural calamities but endless warfare. Restoring its peace from five years ago demands another Duke Wei. True calm arrives only through one who tames the region’s unruly forces and Rong tribes alike.
Northwest stability would free the court to crush bandits; without it, the plague lingers forever, swelling the hordes of marauders.
"Let’s not discuss this; this is a soldier’s matter, unrelated to us," Master Ouyang, reluctant to linger on the stifling Northwest topic, pivoted to their feast plans, "Brother Wang said the three families will host together, for one day, serving hearty farmhouse dishes?"
Gu Jin’an nodded firmly, "Yes, farmhouse dishes are hearty and mostly meat dishes, suitable for farm folk."