Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside Chapter 1263: The Painting

"Eh." Gu Jin’an responded, acknowledging Master Qi before shifting his gaze to Young Master Dou, subtly urging him to speak and then proceeding to exit with Master Ouyang.

Young Master Dou did not depart immediately, instead engaging in a conversation with Boss An within the room for an additional fifteen minutes before finally emerging.

"Wasting time like this—are you intending to leave or not?" Master Ouyang, already seated in the carriage, glared impatiently at Young Master Dou.

Young Master Dou chuckled. "Why the hurry? Your esteemed young master is here now, isn't he?"

As he spoke, he turned towards Magistrate Gu, who had come to see them off, and clasped his hands. "Lord Magistrate, I will have to ask you to keep a vigilant eye on Dou Ou Bank from this point forward."

He then drew Boss An closer. "Brother An is naturally too refined—whenever difficulties arise, he simply grits his teeth and endures them alone. As his brother, I truly cannot bear to witness him in such a state, so I must implore Lord Magistrate to offer him more support in the future."

Master Ouyang’s expression shifted slightly upon hearing this. He remarked to Gu Jin’an, "Did those two just go in there to swear an oath of brotherhood?"

Not long ago, Little Douzi had still harbored intentions of physically harming Boss An; now, in the blink of an eye, they were addressing each other as brothers. That brat surnamed Dou possessed truly boundless audacity.

Gu Jin’an offered a smile. "Young Master Dou is astute; naturally, he comprehends the advantages of establishing a good rapport with Boss An."

The implication was clear: if their objective was to claim a portion of the Fan Family’s wealth, they would require Magistrate Gu’s cooperation. This was precisely why Young Master Dou had addressed the magistrate in such a manner, ensuring the magistrate was aware of Boss An’s association with them.

Magistrate Gu responded with a smile. "Young Master Dou is merely jesting. Boss An is a distinguished merchant from Great Shang within the Prefecture; should he encounter any predicaments, he is welcome to approach this office at any time."

"Thank you, Lord Magistrate, for your kind consideration," Boss An replied with a remarkably nuanced smile.

The group engaged in amiable conversation for a brief period. Master Qi also interjected a few words, bringing his two sons forward to ensure they were recognized by Magistrate Gu.

Around the midway point of the hour of Si, while the Prefecture City residents were still engrossed in discussions regarding the demise of Boss Fan, Gu Jin’an and his companions’ carriage finally departed, leaving the Prefecture behind.

As for Magistrate Zheng, Luo Wu, and the others, they had concluded their stay in the Prefecture earlier and were not traveling with Gu Jin’an’s party.

Master Ouyang, advanced in years and somewhat portly, found the journey during the intense summer heat rather taxing. Consequently, the return trip extended longer than the outbound journey, and it was not until the evening of the eighth day of the eighth month that they arrived back at Dou Ou Bank in Tianfu County.

Upon receiving the news, Qi Kangming and his contingent promptly emerged to greet them. "Good Brother An, you have finally returned."

As he spoke, he glanced at Gu Dexing and chuckled. "Now you can finally rest easy."

In the preceding days, the Xu Family and Mrs. Chen had made multiple inquiries with Gu Dexing regarding the precise return time of Good Brother An and his companions, and whether they would be present for Gu Dexing’s betrothal ceremony with Xu Zhong.

The Xu Family intended to leverage this occasion to extend an invitation to Master Ouyang and Young Master Dou for a banquet, thereby facilitating closer ties between the Xu Family’s younger generation and these two influential figures.

Mrs. Chen, conversely, sought to display her own standing, aiming to demonstrate that her family was in no way inferior to Gu Jinli’s household, proving they also associated with nobility and maintained a favorable relationship with them.

Young Master Dou regarded Gu Dexing with a hint of surprise. "You still have not returned home?"

With the betrothal gifts scheduled for delivery to the Xu Family on the morrow, yet he remained occupied at the bank today; such diligent effort warranted a more generous inclusion in the congratulatory gifts, he mused.

Gu Dexing responded, "There is no urgency. All arrangements pertaining to the betrothal gifts have been finalized; I shall return tonight."

His second aunt had already approached him three times at the bank with inquiries about whether Master Ouyang and the others would be attending the betrothal ceremony; if he were to return to reside in the village, he anticipated such inquiries would escalate to three times daily.

"Then, come back with us later," Master Ouyang, who held considerable affection for Gu Dewang, extended a slightly warmer disposition towards Gu Dexing as well. Observing his commendable performance at the bank, he added, "Tomorrow, arrange for Brother Wang to fetch me, and I shall accompany you to the Xu Family."

Gu Dexing stood momentarily stunned; such an unexpected stroke of fortune had not crossed his mind. His hands, occupied with carrying luggage, froze until Qi Kangming nudged him. Only then did he set down the luggage, bow respectfully to Master Ouyang, and express his gratitude, "Thank you, sir."

Master Ouyang offered a silent smile and proceeded into the bank. After Young Master Dou inquired about the recent banking operations and reviewed several account statements, Master Ouyang finally escorted Gu Jin’an, Gu Dexing, and the others back to town.

...

Upon hearing of Master Ouyang's return and his agreement to visit the Xu family, Madam Chen was overjoyed. She immediately began boasting throughout the village, proclaiming, "You all know Master Ouyang, don't you? He's that renowned Great Scholar whose elder brother is even the Imperial Tutor! Can you believe it? Someone born into such esteemed lineage actually favors our Brother Xing, Brother Wang, and Brother Fa, treating them as if they were his own grandsons. He's even consented to deliver the betrothal gifts to the Xu family tomorrow. Oh, I simply don't know what to say; even genuine grandsons aren't pampered this much."

After Mrs. Chen concluded her Braggadocio about her family's connection with Master Ouyang, she shifted her focus to their ties with Young Master Dou, causing the other village women to grow intensely envious, their eyes nearly turning red.

He Dalang's wife interjected with a sour tone, "Wife of Da Gui, aren't you exaggerating a bit? The Capital is such a distant place—how are we to ascertain if that portly old man truly hails from there? For all we know, he could be some impoverished elder from a secluded mountain dwelling."

She continued, "Furthermore, how old is your Brother Xing already? The sons of boys his age in our village already have two or three children. He's only just getting engaged now; what is there to brag about?"

This line of thought emboldened her to further criticize, "Speaking of which, I don't understand what's happening with your Gu family either—your boys and girls are all aging, yet none have arranged marriages. Your Brother Xing is like that, and so are Mrs. Cui's Sister Xiu and Good Brother An. Especially Good Brother An—good heavens—he's even achieved the highest honors, yet his marriage is still unsettled. Perhaps he intends to remain a bachelor forever, hahaha!"

Whenever the topic of marriage age arose among the village women, they became quite animated, and someone quickly concurred, "Exactly, precisely! The young men and women of your Gu family all marry far too late. Outsiders claim you Gu-surnamed folk are blessed, but from my perspective, all that good fortune was poured into accumulating wealth; your marital luck appears to be lacking."

Madam Chen, thoroughly incensed, was on the verge of verbally lashing out when Da Gou and Ergou came charging from a distance, howling ferociously at the group of women and baring their teeth as if preparing to attack.

"Ah! The Gu family's wolves are here again, flee!"

"Don't bite me, don't bite me, I haven't done anything wrong!"

The women scattered, pleading with the two wolves for mercy. However, Da Gou and Ergou, acting under Brother Cheng's direct orders, paid them no mind and relentlessly pursued them.

They chased the terrified women all the way to their doorsteps, causing them to hastily slam their doors and hide inside. The wolves then wagged their tails and trotted back, seeking commendation from Brother Cheng.

Brother Cheng was deeply displeased. Hmph, those meddlesome gossips were at it again, chattering about his elder brother. What business was it of theirs that his brother hadn't yet arranged a marriage?

"Come, let's head home," Brother Cheng, still harboring annoyance, returned home. He found himself unable to enjoy his dinner that evening and experienced restless sleep. In the dead of night, he rose and went to find Gu Jin’an.

The air was warm, and Gu Jin’an had not yet retired for the night; the door was left ajar, and he was occupied with drawing. Brother Cheng immediately entered. "Big Brother, could you ask Father and Mother to send a matchmaker to the Ouyang family to propose, please?"

Gu Jin’an swiftly put aside his drawing. "You're speaking foolishly again. Haven't I told you this is something that cannot be rushed? It would jeopardize Third Miss's reputation."

With several lamps illuminated, the room was bathed in a considerable amount of light. Brother Cheng's gaze fell upon his elder brother's unfinished artwork.