Chapter 425: Chapter 426: Contrast

By the time they reached the top of the slope, breathless, they saw Gu Wenheng had actually set up a kang table and was sitting in the snow, sipping tea and admiring the view.

Compared to their own sorry state, the fact that he possessed such leisure and elegance immediately made the three officials grind their teeth in silent frustration.

Gu Wenheng acted as if he had only just noticed them. He raised the teacup in his hand and asked with a smile, "Would you gentlemen care for a cup?"

’He knew these men wouldn’t obey him right now, but that was fine. He could slowly wear them down along the journey.’

After all that exertion, they were parched, but they couldn’t swallow their pride. They could only say stiffly, "No, thank you. We’ve delayed Mr. Gu for long enough. We should hurry to the next town, otherwise it’ll be dark."

Gu Wenheng glanced at the sky and said with feigned seriousness, "You’re right, it is getting dark. We’ve been delayed for quite some time."

The faces of the three officials darkened at once.

After that, they learned their lesson. Whenever they arrived somewhere, they would inquire about the road conditions ahead.

But even so, despite being in the same traveling party, he somehow managed to make the journey feel like a pleasant excursion, while they, trailing behind, always seemed to run into one problem after another.

The men conferred with each other before approaching Gu Wenheng together.

"Mr. Gu, when we stop to rest in the next town, please allow us to host. We should all have a drink together."

Gu Wenheng replied, "How could I possibly let you do that? I have quite a large retinue, which would be a considerable expense. It’s better if we all just pay for our own."

Throughout this hurried journey, Gu Wenheng never mistreated his own people, always arranging for the finest food and accommodations.

He Gaofei and the others fell silent. They were on a limited budget from their families for this assignment, and along the way, they had already witnessed Gu Wenheng spend money like water. At times, the food and lodging for them, the officials, couldn’t even compare to that of his guards.

The cost of a single meal for over a dozen burly men was enough to give them a headache.

They had only intended to invite Gu Wenheng himself, but they hadn’t expected him to "misunderstand" them, suddenly adding more than a dozen mouths to the bill.

But the offer had been made, and even if it pained them, they had to bite the bullet and agree. He Gaofei took the lead, saying, "It’s only proper. Everyone has had a hard journey."

Gu Wenheng had, of course, familiarized himself with the three men’s family finances before the trip, but he hadn’t expected them to agree so readily.

Ever since telling Yang Wenlan and the others that she was returning to Fu County, Jin Qianqian had begun politely declining banquet invitations and accelerating her arrangements for all her affairs in the Capital.

As for her other shops, with the Cao Family now involved, Jin Qianqian decided not to make any major changes and let them continue to operate as they had been.

Cen Junren and his family were still living in the side courtyard. Even though Luo Luo would be returning to Fu County with her, Jin Qianqian generously allowed the rest of them to continue staying there.

As for his tutoring fee, Cen Junren absolutely refused to accept any more. Left with no alternative, Jin Qianqian had Xu Dawang send them supplies and food every few days, which would at least help subsidize their expenses a bit.

Then there was the bookshop. With so many people submitting manuscripts, Jin Qianqian had her staff sift through them for the most creative and appealing stories. These were then compiled into booklets and sold directly in the shop, and the silver coins earned were reinvested into acquiring more manuscripts.

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To prevent any chaos in the process, Jin Qianqian specifically assigned two shopkeepers and two Scholars to jointly manage the little bookshop, ensuring that all accepted manuscripts were of superior quality.

As the weather grew colder by the day, Jin Qianqian began to pack her luggage. She had already confirmed the escort agency’s departure schedule and was preparing to set off in two days.

She sent for Gu Lehuan. "In this cold weather, you must be careful when you travel through the countryside," she told him. "If it’s really too much, just take a break. Don’t push yourself recklessly just because you’re young, or you’ll ruin your health."

Ever since his engagement, Gu Lehuan had been full of motivation. Besides, with everyone about to hole up for the winter, business for a traveling salesman was excellent, so he didn’t dare waste a single day.

"Seventh Aunt, don’t worry, I know my limits. It’s just that I won’t be able to go back and celebrate the New Year with the elders this year. I’ll have to trouble you to send them my regards."

Jin Qianqian said, "That’s partly why I called you over. I figured you wouldn’t be going back, but you should still send a family letter home, so they don’t worry."

Gu Lehuan said, "...I don’t know what to write." ’Besides, I can barely recognize any characters. How am I supposed to write a letter?’

Jin Qianqian said irritably, "Your engagement is a huge deal! Aren’t you going to write a letter and tell your father and mother? When I go back this time, your mother is probably going to give me trouble over it."

Gu Lehuan grew anxious. "She can’t do that! I’ll have the steward help me write a letter right now. These were all my own decisions; my mother has no reason to blame you."

"If only your mother were that reasonable!" Jin Qianqian shot back. "Not that I’m afraid. The worst that can happen is that we have an argument. The important thing is that you properly appease your fiancée. If the relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law goes badly, you’re the one who will suffer in the end."

It was unclear if Gu Lehuan had taken her words to heart. "That won’t happen. We won’t be living together in the future..."

Hearing this, Jin Qianqian’s eyes snapped to him. "What do you mean by that? Was that Xu Nuo’s idea?"

Gu Lehuan didn’t understand. "Miss Xu and I will be in Shangjing in the future, so we’ll naturally spend less time with my parents. That way, there won’t be any conflict, right?"

Jin Qianqian said, "You can’t say things like that again. It’s fine if it’s just us hearing it, but if other people found out, they’d assume it was all Xu Nuo’s idea, which would be terrible for her reputation."

Gu Lehuan scratched his head, finally understanding that what he had said was indeed inappropriate.

’Anyone who didn’t know better would assume that Xu Nuo, as the daughter-in-law, didn’t want to be filial to her elders.’ "That was just my own thought," he said. "It has nothing to do with Miss Xu.

"Seventh Aunt, I’ll be more careful from now on. I just spoke without thinking."

Jin Qianqian advised, "You need to be more mindful of your words. When you’re free, spend more time at the shop and observe how the waiters interact with customers. Even though you’re a traveling salesman, there are still certain professional courtesies and things to avoid that you should know."

Gu Lehuan knew he was a bit socially awkward, so now that Jin Qianqian was giving him this opportunity, he was eager to seize it. "Thank you, Seventh Aunt! I’ll be sure to go often."

Jin Qianqian added, "After we’ve left the residence, you should move in here."

If it had been any of her other nephews, Jin Qianqian would never have made such an offer.

But Gu Lehuan was different. He had always been dutiful and knew his place. However, it was precisely because of this disposition that Jin Qianqian wanted Xu Dawang and the others to help look after him, lest he be taken advantage of.

"There’s no need," Gu Lehuan immediately refused. "I’ve already tidied up my own little courtyard. I’m quite happy living there alone."

Jin Qianqian felt a strong urge to knock some sense into his stubborn head. "Don’t just see yourself as a simple traveling salesman. Shangjing is full of people from every walk of life, including the unsavory kind. When they see there’s a profit to be made, do you really think they’ll leave you in peace?"

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