Chapter 360: Want to Build Houses

Gu Fei tilted her head to look at her eldest brother, clapping her hands. "Eldest Brother, you truly have the air of a scholar now. It’s just as they say—clothes really do make the man."

Her eldest brother wore a cyan robe, his posture tall and refined. Gone was the simple-faced country boy in coarse, short-hemmed clothes. He now exuded a scholarly aura from head to toe.

Gu Qing smiled, took a silver bracelet from his robes, and handed it to Gu Fei. "Eldest Brother doesn’t have anything fancy to give you. Just wear this for now." The money for the bracelet had come from his father.

Beaming, Gu Fei slipped the bracelet onto her wrist. Everyone chimed in, "It’s beautiful."

It truly was beautiful. Gu Fei’s skin was now fair as snow, and her outstretched wrist seemed whiter than snow itself. Against her skin, the silver bracelet created an indescribably lovely contrast.

As Mrs. Chen watched, she grew melancholic. "The whole family is finally back together today. Come to think of it, it’s been so long since we’ve all had a proper reunion dinner."

"It’s just that Sanlang isn’t here. SIGH... Who knows where he is now. He hasn’t even written back."

Sanlang had joined the border army, and at the time, they were said to be heading to the Southern Border. The Southern Barbarians there caused trouble every year, forcing the court to dispatch a large army to suppress them.

Gu Fei thought for a moment. ’Based on the travel time, Third Brother should still be on the road. He can’t have reached the Southern Border yet.’

Seeing Mrs. Chen on the verge of tears, Gu Zhang quickly changed the subject. "Weren’t we supposed to hold a coming-of-age ceremony? Everyone’s here now, so let’s get it done. We can eat after it’s over."

Mrs. Chen shot him a reproachful glance, then beckoned to Gu Fei. "Sit down. Mother will do your hair."

Gu Fei obediently sat down. Mrs. Chen let down her hair, smoothed it with a wooden comb, then coiled it into an updo and inserted a golden hairpin.

Lan Zhi and Li Chunhua each held up a mirror, one in front and one behind. Gu Fei gazed at the glittering golden hairpin in her hair. "Oh, Mother, you’re the best! I can’t believe you bought me a golden hairpin."

Mrs. Chen laughed. "Now that we’ve sold most of the peppers, the family isn’t short on silver. It’s high time you girls had some nice things to wear."

She looked at Li Chunhua and Lan Zhi. "You both have one, too. Mother has them ready. When the family celebrates the wedding in a few days, you’ll both get to wear them."

Lan Zhi’s face immediately turned red.

Gu Fei chimed in playfully, "Mother, has an auspicious date been chosen?"

Mrs. Chen beamed. "It has. The sixth of next month is a very auspicious day."

"When the time comes, we’ll have Lan Zhi marry from our house in the city. She can arrive in a proper bridal sedan with music and fanfare. It’ll be so lively!"

If Mrs. Chen hadn’t brought it up, Gu Fei would have almost forgotten. ’Right, our family owns a three-courtyard mansion in the city now.’

For the past few days, Gu Zhang had been so busy with errands and purchases that when he couldn’t make it back home in time, he would stay at the mansion.

After the informal coming-of-age ceremony, the family sat down together for a lively meal.

Gu Zhang poured himself a cup of wine and took a few small sips. Then, he turned to Gu Fei. "There’s something I need to discuss with you."

"I’ve been thinking. Our family acquired about two thousand mu of land, right? Five hundred mu of that is right near here. Your mother is always complaining about how lonely it is living on this estate with no neighbors to talk to. Plus, it’s not a long-term solution for your aunt and uncle to keep staying in Young Master Su’s courtyard. What if we set aside a few mu for them to build houses? We could all live next to each other, and it would be much livelier."

Then Gu Zhang quickly added, "Of course, we’ll provide the land, but they’ll still have to pay what’s fair. We won’t have a say in how much land each family takes or what kind of house they build. They’re our family and fellow villagers. I feel like doing this much is more than enough."