Chapter 37: Aunt

This was the first time Gu Yuzhu had come face-to-face with her maternal aunt, Yan Fengjiao—and sure enough, she lived up to her reputation.

Aunt Yan Fengjiao’s appearance was completely different from that of her mother, Yan Fengru. Not that Yan Fengru wasn’t good-looking—when she was young, she must have been a dignified beauty with well-defined features.

But Yan Fengru’s looks carried a sense of strength and energy. Her phoenix eyes that lifted at the corners gave off a commanding presence.

Yan Fengjiao, however, was not like that. Her features were especially delicate, with fair skin and a pair of moist, almond-shaped eyes that could melt one’s heart. Just looking at her facial features alone, she indeed resembled Gu Qingbai, her older brother—this aunt was clearly the one he took after.

Perhaps it was because she had married well and lived a smooth life, but Yan Fengjiao exuded a carefree elegance. Yet, her nature was actually that of a straightforward and fiery little pepper. As soon as she entered, she headed straight for Gu Yuzhu.

“Oh my, I’ve finally laid eyes on our little Yuzhu! Auntie missed you so much! Your mother said you fell asleep at your uncle’s house and couldn’t come to mine—I even saved a bunch of treats for you! Pity you didn’t get to eat them. Next time, you must come over and Auntie will take you to the orchard to pick cherries.”

“Let Auntie take a look at you—how are you so pretty and lovable!”

“Oh dear, who scratched your little cheeks until they turned red? Auntie just happened to bring a few boxes of balm for your mother—jasmine balm from Rouge Studio. Let’s rub it on our Yuzhu’s little face to make it smell sweet and feel soft and smooth.”

Who would’ve guessed that Yan Fengjiao was a chatterbox? But the moment Gu Yuzhu heard “balm,” her eyes immediately lit up.

To be honest, over these past few days, she had been a bit worried about their family’s livelihood. Though her mother, Yan Fengru, was capable, that was from the perspective of her adult soul. Deep down, Gu Yuzhu still preferred being helpful herself.

But in terms of actually doing something, she had no idea where to begin. Inside she was an adult, but on the outside she was still a five-year-old child. In this unfamiliar era, there were many things she wanted to do but couldn’t. That feeling of powerlessness made her very uneasy.

She had thought about it a lot. Given her current situation, it was more or less like living in a “farming novel” setting—most commonly, people in those stories made food or sold skincare products. But making food—she was still too little. As for skincare, she wasn’t particularly skilled at it. Thankfully, she had a golden finger—her special spatial ability. Even if her mother wanted to make food later, they wouldn’t lack ingredients.

Still, when her aunt mentioned Rouge Studio and jasmine balm, Gu Yuzhu was truly interested. Yan Fengjiao was observant, and the moment she saw the little girl’s eyes light up, she knew the child liked it.

She scooped up the soft, fragrant little girl and planted several kisses on her forehead and cheeks.

Yan Fengru couldn’t help but nag, “You’re not young anymore—why are you still carrying her around? She’s not light these days.”

Yan Fengjiao rolled her eyes at her sister but didn’t put Gu Yuzhu down.

“Sis, I’m really jealous of you—you have such a precious daughter. Unlike my two little rascals, if I don’t spank them for a day, they’ll tear the roof off the house. What’s wrong with me wanting to cuddle my niece?”

Yan Fengjiao had twin sons, both four years old now—the perfect age for mischief. Boys were especially energetic, and the two of them, having grown up together, were practically tearing the house apart. And her household had an old lady who spoiled them rotten.

That mother-in-law of hers…

Speaking of the Sun matron, Yan Fengjiao was practically speechless—like she had too many complaints and nowhere to start.

But some things weren’t appropriate to say in front of the Lü family’s servants. So she hugged Gu Yuzhu and ordered the maids and older women behind her to wait outside—they’d go inside to talk privately as sisters.

The maidservants and older women serving Yan Fengjiao were all quick-witted. At that moment, they knew not to overstay their welcome. One of the older women even smiled and asked if she should carry the young lady (Gu Yuzhu) outside.

After all, when sisters wanted to talk privately, having a child present could be inconvenient.

Though Gu Yuzhu was still young and not heavy, Yan Fengjiao, as a pampered young madam who didn’t usually lift a finger at home, still had to exert some effort to carry her.

This older servant also knew their young madam had a good relationship with her eldest sister, so naturally she gave some respect and was willing to take care of this young lady.

After all, servants had to act according to their masters’ moods.

Their young madam had given birth to a pair of twin sons and was favored by the master—naturally, she had a solid footing in the Lü family. Most of the servants around her were very perceptive.

Sure enough, once she entered, Yan Fengjiao grabbed her sister and began venting. Yan Fengru listened carefully, and finally Yan Fengjiao concluded with, “I’m really jealous of you, sis. No mother-in-law hovering over you. Mine just keeps making trouble, especially if it has anything to do with those two grandsons of hers—it’s a whole other level.”

Yan Fengru had no temper when it came to this younger sister. “You—some things can be said to me, but don’t speak so carelessly in front of others.”

Yan Fengjiao playfully glared at her sister. “Do you really need to remind me, sis? Of course I know better.”

The two sisters chatted privately for quite a while. Gu Yuzhu openly listened to them talk about everything under the sun, and in her heart, she couldn’t help but feel moved by how close her mother and aunt were.

Thinking about it, it made sense. Her maternal grandparents had passed away early, and as the eldest sister, her mother had essentially acted as both mother and father to raise her younger siblings.

Wasn’t Yan Fengjiao’s affection for her sister almost like that for a mother?

When their conversation finally shifted back to business, Yan Fengjiao said, “Last time, when you mentioned Brother Bai’s education, I specifically asked around. Qingsong Academy and Songyun Academy are about the same in size, but overall, Qingsong is better.”

“Our two little rascals will need to start schooling in a few years too. The old lady personally looked into it and said they’ll also be going to Qingsong. I don’t think there’s any need to compare further—let’s just send Brother Bai to Qingsong.”

“Oh, and sis, doesn’t Cousin Zhou’s son also attend Qingsong Academy? If Brother Bai goes there, they’ll be classmates—good to have someone to look out for each other.”

If she hadn’t mentioned it, Yan Fengru might not have thought of that. But hearing it now, it made perfect sense.

“I wouldn’t have thought of that if you hadn’t brought it up. In that case, Qingsong Academy it is. Is there anything special we need to prepare for the entrance gift?”

“Need you ask? I already prepared it for my darling nephew.”

“How can I let you go to all that trouble?” Yan Fengru said.

But the moment she said that, Yan Fengjiao grew upset. “Are you treating me like an outsider now?”

Yan Fengru was always strong and cold with her stepchildren and stepdaughters, but when facing her own younger siblings, she couldn’t hold that stance. She sighed and said, “You’re married now and have your own household. I know you mean well, but how could I let you go to such trouble? If your… in-laws found out, they might not be too happy about it.”

Yan Fengjiao understood what her sister meant, but she didn’t take it to heart.

“The old lady at home knows about this.”

At that, both Gu Yuzhu and Yan Fengru were shocked.

In ancient times, the hierarchy of “scholar, farmer, artisan, merchant” wasn’t just for show. Scholars held the highest status, which meant that raising one came at a tremendous cost.

It often took several generations of effort from a family to produce a single scholar—such was the level of sacrifice required.

It wasn’t that Gu Yuzhu was overly cautious, but based on what Yan Fengjiao had said, her mother-in-law didn’t seem like the generous type. She was sharp and calculating—not someone who would willingly make a losing deal.