Chapter 320: Chapter 321: Seventh Aunt

"Madam, please slow down." Just as they were fidgeting anxiously, a voice came from outside the door.

Gu Lehuan shot to his feet, keeping his head bowed as he stood there meekly.

"I’m so sorry to have kept you waiting." Jin Qianqian knew it was her fault they had been waiting for a long time, so she apologized the moment she spoke.

She went straight to the host’s seat and sat down. "You must be from Miss Xu’s family. Please, have a seat and we can talk."

Gu Lehuan thought the voice sounded a little familiar, but he didn’t have the courage to stare at the official’s wife. Keeping his head down, he said in a low voice, "My Cousin Xue promised you, Madam, that she would send over any estate she found for your review. She recently acquired a small one nearby, but it’s inconvenient for her to leave the house, so she asked me to make the trip in her stead."

Jin Qianqian asked casually, "Is something the matter with Miss Xu?"

Gu Lehuan was debating whether to tell her the truth about Xu Nuo’s situation when he looked up and saw a familiar face.

"Seventh Aunt," Gu Lehuan blurted out, startling Sanhua beside him. She quickly grabbed his arm. "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Jin Qianqian squinted at Gu Lehuan. Though everyone had been covered in dirt and grime while fleeing the disaster, in her body’s original memories, Gu Lehuan still vaguely resembled his childhood self.

"Le Huan?" Jin Qianqian called out tentatively.

Gu Lehuan immediately jumped with excitement. "Seventh Aunt, it really is you! I was afraid I had recognized you incorrectly."

The Seventh Aunt before him was a completely different person from the one he remembered. Not only was her face much fuller, but her entire bearing was so imposing that if he had seen her on the street, he would never have dared to approach. He would have, at most, thought she merely bore a resemblance.

Jin Qianqian wailed silently in her heart. ’My luck is really something else. How have I managed to run into all of Ancient Wen Heng’s lost relatives? Who’s next?’ Even now, she couldn’t help but find a little humor in her misfortune and poke fun at herself.

Sanhua hadn’t expected Gu Lehuan to be acquainted with an official’s wife. And judging by the way they addressed each other, she guessed they really were family.

She no longer dared to hold him back, instead staring at Gu Lehuan with a complicated expression. ’I thought he was just lucky to have connected with the young miss and found a job, but it looks like his whole life is about to change.’

Jin Qianqian stood up and walked over, studying Gu Lehuan carefully. "You’re taller and sturdier than you were a few years ago. How have you all been? Are you with your father and mother?"

"We’re all together. It’s just that by the time we reached Shangjing, all our travel money was gone. We’ve had to take odd jobs here and there just to survive."

Jin Qianqian glanced curiously at his clothes and then at the maid behind him. "Is Miss Xu really your cousin?"

’In her original memories, Second Sister-in-law didn’t have any distant cousins here in Shangjing.’

Seeing his lie exposed, Gu Lehuan scratched his head sheepishly. "It’s a bit of a long story... Oh, right, where’s my Seventh Uncle?"

Jin Qianqian didn’t hide anything. "Your Seventh Uncle is at the Hanlin Academy right now. He should be back later. He’ll be very surprised to see you."

Jin Qianqian could already picture Ancient Wen Heng’s expression. ’It’ll probably be more shock than pleasant surprise.’

’They had just finally gotten his other brothers settled, and now his second brother’s entire family shows up. This is going to be another headache.’

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Unaware of her internal monologue, Gu Lehuan was still focused on his promise to Xu Nuo. He picked up the deed that had been resting on the table. "Seventh Aunt, this is the estate Mr. Xu found. Do you think it will suit your needs?"

Jin Qianqian took it and glanced over it. Afraid that the two of them wouldn’t be able to explain things clearly, Xu Nuo had attached a note detailing the estate’s location, the amount of arable land, and the amount of mountain terrain. Everything was marked with perfect clarity.

Jin Qianqian handed the deed to Housekeeper Fu beside her. "Find some time to take care of this, and go have a look at the estate while you’re at it."

Jiang Zhongfu accepted the deed respectfully and glanced at Gu Lehuan with curiosity, committing the young man’s face to memory. ’This is one of the family’s young masters.’

Just as they were speaking, Ancient Wen Heng entered through the main gate.

Xu Dawang, who was guarding the second gate, hurried over and relayed Jin Qianqian’s message. "The Madam is still in the side hall."

Ancient Wen Heng rubbed his face. ’I thought I could finally get some rest. Who knew I’d have to deal with something else?’

He turned and walked directly toward the side hall in the front courtyard. ’What is all this?’

Ancient Wen Heng had just returned home and hadn’t even changed out of his official robes. The sight of him startled Gu Lehuan, who nearly lost his footing.

He looked cautiously at this Seventh Uncle, who was so different from his memory, and greeted him with a trembling voice, "Seventh Uncle?"

"It’s good to see you’re all well. Your grandfather and grandmother will be relieved. Where is everyone living now?" Ancient Wen Heng had endured a long day and was exhausted. He walked over, sat down, and asked in a cool tone.

Gu Lehuan still hadn’t recovered from the shock of learning that his uncle was the top imperial scholar. Now, seeing him in the flesh wearing official robes made him even more nervous. "We rented a small cottage by the moat and are getting by with odd jobs. But the whole family is doing well."

’Except for the part where I was almost sold off as a live-in son-in-law,’ he didn’t dare add.

"Since we know where to find you, bring your father and mother over tomorrow afternoon for a family gathering." Ancient Wen Heng made the decision on the spot, setting a time. He really didn’t have the energy to deal with them any more today.

Jin Qianqian could see the exhaustion in his eyes. She smiled at Gu Lehuan and said, "Your Seventh Uncle has had a lot on his plate lately. You can see how tired he is. So, it’s settled. Bring your father and mother over tomorrow, and the two brothers can catch up on old times."

Gu Lehuan was weighing the situation in his mind. ’Seventh Uncle and Seventh Aunt’s words felt a bit distant. They never once mentioned letting us move into the mansion.’

’But he could understand. After all, they were brothers from a branch of the family that had already split off. They couldn’t be so shameless as to just move in.’

’Being able to reconnect with this branch of the family and learning that his grandparents and everyone else were safe and sound was already the best news he’d had in a long time.’

He was filled with excitement, and he wanted to rush home right away to tell his family the good news.

Gu Lehuan quickly stood up. "Now that I know where Uncle and Aunt live, I’ll bring my father and mother to visit tomorrow. I won’t disturb Seventh Uncle’s rest any further."

Jin Qianqian appreciated perceptive people. She summoned Housekeeper Fu and had him prepare a gift for the Le Family to take with them. From her earlier chat with Le Huan, she could guess that their lives weren’t easy.

After they had seen their guests off, Ancient Wen Heng immediately rested his head on Jin Qianqian’s shoulder, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. "Let me just lean on you for a bit. I’m so tired I don’t even want to move."

"If I had known, I would have slacked off earlier. I had just arrived at the Hanlin Academy when I was summoned to the palace again. I had to stare at numbers all afternoon."

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