The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 624 - 624 300 Family Affair (First Update)_3

Chapter 624: 300 Family Affair (First Update)_3 Chapter 624: 300 Family Affair (First Update)_3 The old sacrificial priest felt as if his heart was pierced by ten thousand arrows, and he felt he could no longer look straight at this book…

Before long, June arrived, and the Capital City had fully entered summer.

Last winter had been especially harsh in the Capital City, and this year, it was exceptionally hot.

Because a young lady had fainted from the heat during a lesson, the girls’ school had taken the unusual step of allowing several days off.

News of the little nun from the Yuan Family returning to the Capital spread quickly, but what really caused the story to ferment was the matrimonial prospect of the little nun with the Prince of Anjun. It was said that Minister Zhuang intended to form an alliance with the Yuan Family and had already sent someone over with a formal proposal.

Once the proposal had been accepted, as long as the couple’s birthdates and zodiac signs did not clash, they could proceed with the marriage discussions.

However, this year’s marriage arrangements involved not just the little nun from the Yuan Family. Zhuang Yuexi, Du Xiaoyun, Gu Jinyu, and other young ladies had also reached marriageable age, and their families had long been busily arranging matches for them.

Gu Jinyu had also ended her stay at Ciyu Village and returned to the Marquis Residence, waiting for the arrangements that the Old Lady Gu and the Imperial Concubine had in store for her.

Seeing that she had tanned a shade darker and appeared haggard and rough, Old Lady Gu’s white eyebrows furrowed in disapproval: “What have you done to yourself? Didn’t you say you were just staying at the Manor for a few days? What have you been doing? Looking like this, how am I supposed to take you out?”

Gu Jinyu did not speak.

She also did not try to ingratiate herself with Old Lady Gu as she had done in the past.

Old Lady Gu, unable to contain her anger, said impatiently, “Stay inside for the next few days and refrain from going out. Remain in your chambers and recuperate properly!”

Gu Jinyu said softly, “I would like to visit my mother.”

Old Lady Gu was utterly infuriated by the mention of her, “That damned Yao Family woman, having used me to deal with Concubine Ling, moved out of the Residence straight away!”

When others asked about her, Old Lady Gu had no choice but to vaguely say she moved back with Gu Yan.

The noble women and daughters of the Capital thought the Yao Family lady had moved back to the Manor to recuperate with Gu Yan, so they said nothing.

They knew about Gu Yan’s frail health.

Now hearing that Gu Jinyu wanted to visit the Yao Family lady, Old Lady Gu naturally forbade it: “You will go nowhere! You are still a daughter of the Marquis Residence, so behave and remain here!”

“Yes,” Gu Jinyu replied respectfully.

Yet despite her verbal agreement, she turned around and stealthily left the Residence!

“Mother!”

She arrived at Bishui Alley, and after dismounting the carriage, she eagerly hurried into the Courtyard.

The Yao Family lady was sitting in the Passageway working on a netting project.

At this time, the several children in the house had gone off to school or work and had not yet returned, and Gu Yan had gone to his studies.

Only she and Mama Fang were idling at home.

To say they were idling was not entirely accurate; in the morning, Auntie Liu had called her over to help embroider her daughter’s wedding gown, and in the afternoon, several girls from the Wan Family had come over to seek guidance on embroidery and culinary skills.

The young ladies from the Wan Family had just left.

Her days were rather fulfilling.

The baby in her belly was growing day by day, and she could already feel the movements.

Occasionally, she would worry about Gu Jinyu.

Yet, having heard that she had gone to the Manor outside the city to relax, she did not think it right to call her back.

Upon hearing the familiar voice, she was taken aback.

As she was about to turn around, Gu Jinyu had already walked over, intending to throw herself into her mother’s arms as always, but she abruptly noticed her mother’s slightly protruding belly.

After the weather warmed up, clothes were worn less frequently, which made it easier to show a pregnancy.

The Yao Family matriarch was thin and frail, making her five-month pregnant belly stand out prominently.

Gu Jinyu’s almond-shaped eyes widened, “Mother… you… you…”

“You’re back?” The Yao Family matriarch said with a knowing smile, pulling her hand, nodding and saying, “Yes, mother is pregnant, five months along.”

“In that case, it must have been when Auntie Ling was still in the Marquis Residence that you became pregnant…” Mid-sentence, Gu Jinyu realized she mentioned someone she shouldn’t have and apologetically said, “I’m sorry, Mother, I shouldn’t have brought up that person.”

Auntie Ling had harmed the Yao Family for more than ten years, and indeed, the matriarch preferred not to speak of her.

The Yao Family matriarch skipped over that, patted the chair beside her, and said, “Sit down, let your mother have a good look at you.”

Gu Jinyu did as she was told and sat down.

The Yao Family matriarch raised her hand and gently stroked the hair at Gu Jinyu’s temples, with a mix of distress and surprise, she said, “You’ve gotten tanned, and your hands have become rough, did you have a hard time at the manor these past few months?”

There were many manors belonging to the Marquis Residence outside of the Capital City; the Yao Family matriarch didn’t know which one she had gone to.

Gu Jinyu lowered her eyes and did not speak for a long moment, but tears fell with a plop onto the back of the Yao Family matriarch’s hand.

The Yao Family matriarch was immediately thrown into a panic, “Jin Yu, what’s wrong with you?”

Gu Jinyu did not answer, but instead stood up, knelt down in front of the Yao Family matriarch, and said with choking sobs, “Mother, Jin Yu is wrong…”

The Yao Family matriarch was bewildered and increasingly anxious, “Stand up and talk, what happened to you? Did something happen? Don’t scare me…”

Gu Jinyu shook her head with tears in her eyes, holding the hand that the Yao Family matriarch used to try to help her up, and said sobbingly, “Mother… I… I’m sorry, Mother… I…”

The Yao Family matriarch was frantic, “What… what is it with you?”

“I…”

“Miss Second, really, isn’t it just that you haven’t visited the lady for a while? She is your mother; would she mind that?”

Housekeeper Madam emerged smiling from the kitchen, carrying a plate of fried peanuts and said to the Yao Family matriarch, “Didn’t the lady crave these just now? They are ready.”

People with pregnancies have no resistance to food, and the attention was suddenly drawn there, she said to Gu Jinyu, “You try some too!”

Housekeeper Madam placed the peanuts on a small stool beside them and helped Gu Jinyu to her feet, “The floor is cold. Miss Second, your filial piety is understood by the lady, no need for self-blame. Were you living well in the manor? It seems to me, Miss Second, that you’ve grown taller, not so skinny anymore, and your complexion isn’t pale either.”

Gu Jinyu’s former thinness was the result of the princess consort’s upbringing, avoiding sweets and greasy foods, leaving her fragile as a leaf. Now, though she might be a bit tanned and her skin a little rougher, she was indeed fuller.

The Yao Family matriarch noticed it was true.

Distracted by Housekeeper Madam’s interruption, Gu Jinyu awkwardly stopped her confession to the Yao Family matriarch and followed up with what Housekeeper Madam had said, “I missed Mother so much, I haven’t visited for so long, I didn’t even know about Mother’s pregnancy, I am truly unfilial.”

The Yao Family matriarch breathed a sigh of relief, “So it’s about that, you scared me to death, I thought something had happened. I don’t blame you, but why did you suddenly go off to live in the manor? Were you unhappy at the Marquis Residence?”

“No.” Gu Jinyu lowered her gaze, “I went there because it’s close to the Residence where Father is supervising the work, so I could accompany him.”

“I see.” The father and daughter were close; the Yao Family matriarch didn’t suspect otherwise.

The mother and daughter talked for a while longer, with Housekeeper Madam always at their side.

Later, when the Yao Family matriarch grew tired and went to take a nap, Housekeeper Madam took Gu Jinyu to the front courtyard and said to her, “Miss Second, whatever you were about to tell the lady earlier, I hope you will never speak of it again in the future.”

Gu Jinyu was startled, “Housekeeper Madam…”

Housekeeper Madam continued, “The lady suffers from a very severe depression, which took great effort for the eldest miss to cure. I do not want the lady to relapse, and now that she is pregnant again, she especially cannot afford to be upset.”

“It was my lack of consideration…” Gu Jinyu sadly lowered her head, “I originally came to confess to Mother. I did something unforgivable to my sister, usurped her credit, and caused her harm. I didn’t want to keep it from Mother anymore.”

Housekeeper Madam was of course aware of these matters; she just didn’t expect Gu Jinyu to genuinely have the courage to admit it.

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