Chapter 145: Changing the Address

The Gu family’s courtyard faced east. Mother Gu hurried back home, and together with Su Wan, they set up a table on the north side of the main hall and lit the incense and candles they had bought.

Gu Huaizhi knelt three times and kowtowed nine times toward the north, then prepared to open the good news letter.

The clan leader’s wife nudged Mother Gu with her elbow and said, “Use the silver hairpin on your head to open it.”

Mother Gu had been waiting for this day for what felt like an eternity. Her fingers trembled as she pulled out a silver hairpin from her hair and nervously used it to open the letter. This silver hairpin would be given to the messenger as a reward.

The messenger accepted the silver hairpin and read the letter aloud: “Congratulations! Your esteemed master, Gu Huaizhi, has achieved first place in the Guangling Prefecture examination.”

He placed the letter in Gu Huaizhi’s hands, his face beaming with a smile, and congratulated him, “Congratulations to the newly appointed juren (successful candidate)!”

“Thank you both for your efforts.” Gu Huaizhi took the good news letter and posted it on the wall in the center of the main hall.

Su Wan immediately slipped a pouch into each of the two messengers’ hands. “Please buy yourselves a drink, sirs.”

The messengers weighed the pouches, smiled, and tucked them into their sleeves. They congratulated him again, saying, “Gu juren is exceptional and erudite, the first jieyuan (first place candidate) our county has produced in decades. We are certain that you will surely achieve high honors in next year’s imperial examinations! We look forward to seeing you return home in glory.”

Hearing this, Mother Gu, overjoyed, took out another handful of silver and handed it to the two messengers. “Thank you for your kind words, sirs. Please enjoy a simple cup of tea.”

The messengers accepted the tea Su Wan offered, drank a bowl, and then took their leave.

By this time, the Gu household was packed with people. After all, this was the first juren to come out of Xinghua Village in decades, not to mention the county’s jieyuan. They congratulated Gu Huaizhi, helped hang lanterns and decorations, and presented their gifts of congratulations.

“Gu Dalang^[1]In Chinese culture, “Dalang” (大郎) is a traditional way of addressing the eldest son in a family. The term “大” (Da) means “big” or “eldest,” and … Continue reading, you’re truly amazing, becoming the jieyuan! If it weren’t for your poor health, you might already be a high-ranking official by now!”

“Good things are worth the wait. Gu Dalang has just passed the provincial examination; next year, he might return as the top scorer of the imperial examination!”

“Gu Dalang ranked first in the prefectural examination, became jieyuan in the provincial examination, and if he wins the top spot in the imperial examination next spring, he would achieve the ‘Triple Crown.’ That’s not just a first for Xinghua Village, it’s a rare feat in the entire Great Zhou.”

“Exactly! And to think the Song family still tried to compete with Gu Dalang—they even lost their lives over it.”

The clan leader’s wife tugged at the woman’s sleeve and said, “This is a joyous occasion. Don’t mention that family; it’s bad luck.”

Everyone continued to congratulate Gu Huaizhi, wishing him success in becoming the top scorer in the imperial examination next year.

Gu Huaizhi thanked each person in return for their good wishes.

Su Wan set out plates of snacks, melons, and fruits, inviting the guests to have tea, and then went into the kitchen to help Mother Gu with the cooking.

“Wanwan, Huaizhi has passed the provincial examination as the top scorer. Our family will need to celebrate for three days, so you’ll have to work hard for a few days,” Mother Gu said to Su Wan as she skillfully chopped vegetables. “I still have some money left. Should we hire a few villagers to help with the banquet?”

“Sure.” Su Wan had already planned for this. She knew that no matter when guests arrived, they would need to set up a table with a meal, and if it were just the few of them, they would be exhausted by the end of the three days. “Let’s borrow a few tables from the neighbors and give them a red envelope as thanks.”

Mother Gu agreed without any objections.

Gu Huaizhi’s success in the examination was a matter of great pride for the family. Many of his former classmates came to congratulate him, and a few local gentry even visited, hoping to form connections with Gu Huaizhi.

Even though they had hired quite a few villagers to help, after several busy days, both Mother Gu and Su Wan had noticeably lost some weight.

It was the last day, and most of the people who were supposed to come and offer their congratulations had already done so. Mother Gu, with her hands supporting her aching back, sat on a bench and said, “If Dalang becomes a jinshi (successful candidate in the imperial examination) next year, we’ll hire even more people. Right now, I’m so tired that I could fall asleep while standing.”

Su Wan couldn’t help but laugh, saying, “If Huaizhi becomes a jinshi, we’ll have a three-day banquet at Zuixiang Pavilion instead of hosting it in the village.”

Mother Gu slapped her thigh and said, “Great idea! Three days of banquets!”

But then her smile froze. “Three days of banquets… How much money would that cost?”

These days, a single day’s expenses at the restaurant were several hundred taels of silver. The thought of spending so much without any income in return made Mother Gu’s heart ache.

“This is a rare and joyous occasion; it’s worth making a big celebration. We can always earn more money.” Su Wan was completely unconcerned; after all, she was quite the little rich lady.

Mother Gu beamed with joy. “We’ll talk about it next year!”

Su Wan stood behind Mother Gu, massaging her shoulders and back.

“Oh my—” Mother Gu was startled and quickly stopped her. “Wanwan, you should rest; who knows if more people might come later.”

“It’s fine, I’m not tired.” Su Wan continued to relieve Mother Gu’s muscles and joints.

Mother Gu couldn’t win against Su Wan’s insistence. She felt both heartache for Su Wan and a sense of satisfaction, thinking she hadn’t misplaced her affection. All she hoped now was for Gu Huaizhi to achieve great success soon and keep his wife by his side.

Gu Huaizhi returned from the clan’s ancestral hall and saw the weary faces of Mother Gu and Su Wan, and his heart softened.

“You’ve both worked hard these past few days. Let’s finish up early today and start sending off the guests.”

Mother Gu widened her eyes and said, “The people coming over the next two days are all of status and position. You are just a juren for now. Sending the guests away might stir up gossip, and if you offend them, they might make things difficult for you later!”

“My feet are big; I can’t fit into small shoes. I’ll just tear them apart.” Gu Huaizhi joked, which was rare for him.

Mother Gu laughed and scolded him before bringing up a serious matter. “When are you planning to go to the capital?”

“We’re going together.” Su Wan leaned on Mother Gu’s shoulder, acting playfully. “I’ll be busy with business, so I won’t have time to take care of things at home. You can stay home and help look after Huaizhi.”

Mother Gu wasn’t keen on going to the capital. “Jingyun and Baozhu are studying at the academy, so it’s inconvenient for me to go to the capital. Don’t overwork yourself; as long as you have enough money to spend, that’s fine. Hire a few maids to take care of you. You were a young lady at home before, and now that you’re more well-off, you can live as you did before.”

“But I want to eat the food you cook, Mom.” Su Wan affectionately rubbed her head against Mother Gu.

Mother Gu was stunned and suddenly looked at Su Wan, her voice trembling with excitement, “W-what did you just call me? Wanwan, what did you just say?”

Su Wan blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed. Calling her “Mom” felt awkward; previously, she didn’t know how to address Mother Gu. Since she had allowed Gu Huaizhi to share her bed, continuing to call Mother Gu “Aunt” felt too distant. But having grown up without parents, calling someone “Mom” was very difficult for her.

Just now, the word slipped out naturally and wasn’t as hard to say as she had imagined.

“Mom,” Su Wan called out softly, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.

“Yes!” Mother Gu grasped Su Wan’s hand, which was hanging near her chest, and her eyes welling up with tears.

Su Wan hugged Mother Gu’s neck. “Will you, Second Brother, and Third Sister come to the capital with us? Our family should stay together as one.”

Mother Gu looked at Su Wan, who was acting like a child, her chin now sharp and thin. She couldn’t bring herself to refuse. “Alright, the whole family should be together.”

She let go of Su Wan’s hand, went inside, and prepared a big red envelope as a gift for Su Wan’s change in address.

Having received Mother Gu’s promise, Su Wan looked up at Gu Huaizhi and raised her eyebrows triumphantly.

Gu Huaizhi’s gaze was deep, fixed firmly on Su Wan, as he pondered the meaning behind her change in address.

He took a deep breath, just about to say something, when Liu Er’s voice came from outside: “Gu Dalang, someone from the county is here.”