coobybook Chapter 45 Gu's Mother's Past
Chapter 45 Gu's Mother's Past
Gu Peiyan thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a story to tell Wei Dongning.
The books he had read were all boring and tedious to her.
Telling her these things isn't putting her to sleep; it's hypnosis.
After Wei Dongning finished tidying up, she obediently lay down on the bed, wrapped herself tightly in the quilt, and only her little head was sticking out: "I'm ready, you can start talking."
Gu Peiyan lay down beside her and pulled the blanket closer to herself: "Once upon a time, there was a young lady from a wealthy family. From a young age, she was raised to be a sheltered young lady who never left the house. She always longed for life outside the mansion and wanted to know what the outside world was like. But her family was very strict, and she could only visit temples occasionally with the help of her elders."
"Oh, then wouldn't that mean there's no freedom at all?"
“But this is the kind of education noble ladies usually receive.” Gu Peiyan met Wei Dongning’s sympathetic gaze, her teasing tone seemingly telling Wei Dongning that only she was so rebellious.
Wei Dongning couldn't refute it, so she closed her eyes again: "Alright, you can continue."
"A new manager came to that house. He was quite handsome, but he was also very eloquent. Knowing that the young lady longed for the outside world, he would tell her stories about what he had heard and seen. Before long, the young lady developed a liking for this manager."
Wei Dongning couldn't help but open her eyes again and commented, "It's a bit hasty to like someone, but I can understand it."
“Indeed.” Gu Peiyan nodded and continued, “The steward knew what the young lady was thinking, so he neither agreed nor refused, and continued to tell her stories as usual. After a while, the young lady developed the idea of going out to see the world. The steward couldn’t resist her request, and whenever he found an opportunity, he would take her out for a stroll.”
"Unfortunately, the good times didn't last long. One day, when the steward took the young lady out to play, the young lady's mother appeared in her room. Upon discovering that the young lady was not there, the entire mansion began searching for her."
Wei Dongning felt a sudden tightness in her chest, gripping the blanket tightly: "Have they been discovered?"
"Yes, Miss has never seen her parents so angry. The steward was tied up by the other servants and forced in front of everyone. Miss wanted to say something in his defense, but her parents interrupted her. As a result, the steward was beaten to death right in front of Miss, and she couldn't break free from the force that was holding her."
"Oh my god. The manager shouldn't be a slave, right? So, wouldn't they be using torture?"
"Wealthy families always find a way to do it."
"and after?"
"Later, the young lady was soon married off to a minor official of the sixth rank and had a child. Unfortunately, her life was not good. She had a difficult childbirth when she gave birth to her second child, and the child died. She was also left with health problems and passed away less than two years later."
Gu Peiyan's voice was filled with an undeniable sorrow.
Wei Dongning opened her eyes, crawled out of bed, and stared straight at his tense profile.
She realized what he was talking about after hearing the rest.
It was the story of his mother who died young.
Not knowing how to react, Wei Dongning reached out and grasped Gu Peiyan's hand.
Gu Peiyan's eyes softened instantly: "I'm no longer sad. She should have been reborn into a family that truly loves her."
"Mmm, I'm not sad, it's just that I almost peed my eyes."
"..." Gu Peiyan silently covered her with the blanket again: "You should go to sleep quickly."
He shouldn't have had any expectations of her mouth.
Wei Dongning suppressed a laugh and snuggled deeper into the blankets: "I hope you have sweet dreams tonight."
"Thank you for your kind words."
Perhaps Wei Dongning's blessing had an effect, because Gu Peiyan had a rare dream about her mother who had passed away many years ago.
She looked exactly the same as the mother he had seen when he was a child, still looking at him with the same loving gaze.
Wei Dongning was awakened by the sound of sobbing beside her.
In her half-asleep state, she thought she was hallucinating.
After struggling to regain her senses, she turned her head to look in the dim moonlight and saw a tear sliding down Gu Peiyan's cheek.
Wei Dongning gently patted him as if she were coaxing a child.
After racking my brains for a long time, the only song that came to mind was "Lupin Flower".
"The stars in the sky are silent, the children on the ground miss their mothers..."
After humming these two lines three times, Gu Peiyan regained her composure.
Don't ask why she only sang these two lines, because it's easy to burst out laughing when she sings the later parts.
Gu Peiyan was half asleep when she felt someone humming something in her ear.
Just as I was trying to hear it clearly, the sound abruptly stopped.
In the end, he simply assumed that his mother was coaxing him to sleep, just like she had when he was a child.
When I woke up again, I felt refreshed.
While sitting in the carriage on the way to court with Gu Song, she excitedly told him about her dream about her mother the day before.
Gu Song was overcome with grief.
Although it was an arranged marriage by his parents, his feelings for his wife grew over time and he couldn't be faked.
When his wife passed away, he was also sick for five whole days.
If it weren't for Gu Peiyan, it's questionable whether he could have survived.
"She has never appeared in my dreams to see me."
“Father…” Gu Peiyan hesitated before speaking.
After my mother passed away, many people advised my father to remarry, but he refused them all on his own.
That's when he realized how deep his father's feelings for his mother were.
"It's alright... Did she say anything to you?"
Gu Song actually wanted to ask him if she had any messages left for him.
But when the words were on the tip of his tongue, he hesitated to ask them.
Gu Peiyan didn't want to see her father's disappointed expression, so after a moment's hesitation, she chose to tell a trivial little lie: "Mother told you to take care of yourself and not to work so late into the night every day. She also said that you shouldn't get angry so often, as she doesn't want to see you so early in the morning."
"Okay, I understand. I will definitely live well as she said." Tears welled up in Gu Song's eyes.
Afraid of being discovered by her son, she quickly raised her hand and wiped it away.
When Wei Dongning woke up, she practiced martial arts as usual, following the tasks assigned to her by Wei Liangzhe. Then, she wandered around the Gu residence aimlessly.
Remembering what Xiao Fu said a couple of days ago about Suweixuan having a new batch of pastries, I thought I'd go check it out.
Upon arriving at Suweixuan, we found a long queue already formed in front of the door.
Xiao Fu wanted Wei Dongning to sit and wait for her at a teahouse not far away.
But Wei Dongning was someone who would go to great lengths for food and didn't want to sit in the teahouse waiting anxiously; she insisted on standing with Xiao Fu.
At least she has someone to chat with, so she won't be too lonely.
Ahead of them in line was a couple who were slightly older than them.
Before it was even their turn, the young woman had already started calculating: "There are eight pastries in one package. Two for each of us, the children, and my mother-in-law is just right."
Suddenly, the man standing next to her got angry: "What do you mean two pieces per person? My mother is old and needs three pieces, and my child is still young, so he also needs three pieces. I work so hard, of course the remaining two pieces are mine!"
"what about me?"
“You should be more sensible. If you, as a mother, eat pastries in front of your child, aren’t you setting a bad example for him? He’ll only think about pastries and won’t want to eat proper meals anymore!”