Chapter 46 Returning Home
In the following days, Gu Qingheng, completely abandoning his previous indecisiveness, happily played with Tang Lian and explored Lianzhou from end to end.
This marked change left Gu Yu in a state of great curiosity, wondering what his brother-in-law had experienced to undergo such a profound transformation!
When uncertain about something, it was best to ask directly.
However, when Gu Yu, full of questions, finally spoke, Gu Qingheng merely smiled mysteriously, refusing to reveal the reason to Gu Yu. He simply stated it was a little secret between him and Sister Lian, one that a third person must never know!
With that, Gu Yu felt it inappropriate to press further. He decided to abandon his curiosity, thinking that it was a good thing for his brother-in-law to have come to terms with the situation, and there was no need to probe into the details.
After all, if Gu Qingheng had insisted on staying, it would have been extremely troublesome.
And so, after staying in Lianzhou for a few days, Gu Yu and Gu Mengyao felt it was time to return home, having been away for a considerable period.
Furthermore, Tang Lian was to accompany Ruan Zhizhi to Chiyan Fort to visit her maternal grandfather, leaving no extra time for her to stay here.
Therefore, when Gu Yu informed his brother-in-law about their upcoming departure that evening, Gu Qingheng’s expression remained exceptionally calm, as if he had already anticipated it and was not at all surprised.
This, in turn, made Gu Yu feel a sense of strangeness. He hadn’t expected his brother-in-law to accept the news so peacefully… Gu Yu had, in fact, been preparing to offer some words of comfort to Gu Qingheng, thinking he might be upset!
“Brother-in-law, why are you always giving me such strange looks?”
“Gu Qingheng, I’ve noticed you’ve changed.”
“???”
After hearing Gu Yu’s news about leaving Lianzhou, Gu Qingheng showed no overly dramatic reaction. This prompted Gu Yu to gaze at him with a complex expression in his eyes, which Gu Qingheng noticed, causing him to inquire with confusion.
What was wrong with his brother-in-law?
He was speaking so suddenly, it was impossible to guess the reason!
“You’ve finally matured. Alas! It truly wasn’t easy. I was originally thinking about how to persuade you, but I never expected it to be so simple. I worried for nothing.”
“……”
Upon hearing Gu Yu’s words, Gu Qingheng couldn’t help but roll his eyes toward the sky. He thought, his brother-in-law was still his brother-in-law; he would likely never be serious!
He naturally felt sad about the impending separation, but Sister Lian disliked seeing him like that, so Gu Qingheng was determined not to show any signs of dejection.
He had already made a promise to Sister Lian: in three years, when they meet again, he would have become an accomplished adult!
Therefore, to avoid disappointing Sister Lian, Gu Qingheng felt he must study diligently.
When he next saw Sister Lian, he intended to confess his feelings earnestly!
With such thoughts, Gu Qingheng’s fighting spirit was ignited. He wished he could return to Lian Town immediately to study and then make a stunning debut during the imperial examinations.
If Gu Mengyao knew of Gu Qingheng’s intentions, she would likely sigh helplessly.
If she had known it would be so easy to motivate Gu Qingheng to study diligently, she would have certainly enlisted Lian’er’s help much earlier.
However, it wasn’t too late now.
“Brother-in-law, I remember you had many books in your spatial item when we went to the capital! Since we have nothing to do now, quickly give me a few books. I want to read to pass the time.”
“Gu Qingheng, are you Qingheng? Don’t say such terrifying things; it’s quite frightening!”
“……”
“You’re usually unwilling to read, why are you so conscientious now! You look like you’re possessed by a ghost; it’s truly terrifying.”
Faced with Gu Qingheng’s sudden diligence and studiousness, Gu Yu’s face was filled with horror, as if he had truly seen Gu Qingheng possessed by a ghost.
Such exaggerated expressions and tone made Gu Qingheng’s lips twitch in frustration. He thought, he just wanted to read a book; did he really need to be so shocked???
…
The next morning, Gu Yu and the other two bid farewell to the Sect Leader and his wife. After they tried to dissuade them for a while and saw that their decision was firm, they did not continue to persuade them. Instead, they arranged for a carriage to be prepared.
As well as some local specialties from Lianzhou, which were to be taken back by the Gu family trio.
“Brother Gu, Sister Mengyao, Brother Qingheng, take care on your journey. I can’t…”
“Lian’er, we understand. Be happy here and find your own happiness. Don’t force yourself just to become stronger. Remember to take it step by step; haste makes waste.”
As Tang Lian said goodbye to the Gu family trio, her eyes turned red before she could even finish her sentence.
Tang Lian felt a deep attachment to the Gu family.
When she was alone and without support, it was the Gu family who took her in, and her time living with the Gu family had been very happy.
Although the days weren’t entirely peaceful and were even filled with some danger.
However, as long as she had the company of the Gu family members, any difficulty was not a problem and would eventually be resolved.
Now, leaving such a life behind and embarking on a new one, Tang Lian felt a mix of reluctance and a degree of apprehension.
Although Tang Lian was more mature than her peers, she was still just a child.
Therefore, upon hearing Tang Lian’s slightly choked words, Gu Mengyao quickly comforted her, urging her to take good care of herself and not to resort to any crooked paths or push herself too hard in her desire to become stronger. Everything should be done gradually.
“Yes, Lian’er, listen to your Sister Mengyao! But don’t slack off either. After all, becoming stronger allows you to earn more money. If you’re too weak, you won’t be able to earn anything.”
“Sister Lian, if you’re unhappy staying here, then come back to the Gu family in Yang Family Village. I will take good care of you and won’t let anyone bully you.”
Afterwards, when Gu Yu and Gu Qingheng spoke, Tang Lian found herself wanting to laugh and cry at the same time.
But inwardly, she was deeply moved.
When Tang Haocang and his wife heard Gu Qingheng’s words, they felt a sense of helplessness, wondering if their impression had been so poor that they were worried about Tang Lian’s well-being there.
“Mhm, I’ll be fine. You all should be happy too.”
Finally, Tang Lian nodded vigorously at the Gu Yu trio.
Then, as the carriage arrived, after bidding farewell to Tang Haocang and the others, the trio boarded the carriage. Gu Da drove the carriage and they set off for home.
However, after the carriage had traveled only a hundred meters, Gu Qingheng suddenly poked his head out from behind the curtain. As he waved towards Tang Lian, he shouted loudly.
“Tang Lian, you must not forget! Wait for me, and don’t fall for anyone else!!!”
“I know, Brother Qingheng, and you shouldn’t talk and laugh with other women either!”
Upon hearing Gu Qingheng’s words, Tang Lian’s face lit up with a smile, and as she replied, she raised one hand and held up three fingers, waving them at Gu Qingheng.
Seeing this, Gu Qingheng also smiled and held up three fingers.
This was a secret between the two of them.
The carriage traveled quickly, and Tang Lian’s figure gradually faded from view, but Gu Qingheng’s heart held her image deeply.
…
“Phew! We’re finally home. This journey was truly exhausting.”
“Brother-in-law, I’m a bit sleepy. I’m going to sleep first. Don’t call me for dinner! I want to sleep until dawn.”
“As if I wouldn’t sleep. Mengyao, don’t busy yourself either. I’ll take out food from my spatial item, and we can just have something to eat.”
“Mhm, okay.”
After a month of travel, Gu Yu and the other two finally returned to the Gu family home in Yang Family Village. Gu Da and the others returned to the Gu Residence in the capital to report their safety to Gu Qing.
They had been away from home for such a long time, and the house needed a good cleaning. However, due to the exhaustion from the journey, Gu Yu decided to rest first and deal with the cleaning tomorrow. He didn’t want to start tidying up now.
Although Gu Mengyao wanted to tidy up the house, seeing Gu Yu and Gu Qingheng looking at her with pitiful expressions, she could only nod helplessly.
Because they were eager to get home, they had not rested along the way and had driven straight back. It was normal to be tired now.
Fortunately, they were finally home and didn’t have to worry about anything else. They should just get some good rest!
Tomorrow they could get back on track. After the two-month transition, Gu Mengyao’s tension from the battlefield had completely disappeared. Returning to village life now had no adverse effects.
After dinner, Gu Yu, worried that Gu Mengyao would go and tidy things up instead of resting, acted spoiled, pulled Gu Mengyao, and went back to their room.
Gu Qingheng, finding it overly affectionate, shivered his shoulders, thinking his brother-in-law was becoming increasingly shameless.
However, he shouldn’t think about these things now; resting was the most important thing!
Thus, after the Gu family trio returned home, they immediately fell asleep. When they woke up at dawn, they were immediately rejuvenated!
Later, after finishing the tasks of cleaning the house, organizing belongings, and notifying others of their return, the trio was once again exhausted. Fortunately, the matters were mostly resolved.
After such a long absence, the Village Chief and the Yan Min couple were very worried. Gu Yu did not hide anything this time and revealed that Gu Qing was not dead.
Having known them for so long, these people were not bad people, so it was fine to tell them.
Yan Min was friends with Gu Qing, so he was very happy to hear that Gu Qing was not dead. When the Village Chief heard that Gu Qing was a Vice General, he became even more enthusiastic towards the Gu family.
Subsequently, when Gu Yu went to see Director Qingshan, upon hearing that the Wang Clan had suffered many losses, he couldn’t hide his joy.
In short, he was happy whenever the Wang Clan ran into trouble!
Gu Yu naturally would not let the Wang Clan’s actions of secretly sending people to deal with them go unpunished. Although he couldn’t move the Wang Clan, he could still inflict severe damage on them.
Upon hearing Gu Yu’s intention, Director Qingshan wholeheartedly agreed, even offering to discuss strategies if they encountered any difficulties.
After teaching for so many years, Director Qingshan had quite a few capable individuals among his students.
