Yanzhi muttered to herself, “Miss is missing Master so much. Since Master has written a letter to Miss, what is Miss waiting for? If I were her, I would read it eagerly without delay... Unfortunately, I'm not well educated...”
How could it be the same?
Gu Ying came to her senses with a shake of her head.
If she didn't have this new life, she would have had silly expectations of her father. But now that she had been reborn, she knew her father’s neglect of her and her brother was not just a short period, but a full seven or eight years.
She hated him and resented him in her heart.
It was not until she heard that he had betrayed his country and died on the battlefield that she felt extremely grieved when she was thrown into the dilapidated temple.
The corner of Gu Ying's mouth twitched slightly, and a touch of bitterness welled up in her heart. She slowly opened the envelope.
As she unfolded the letter, the first sentence that caught her eye was her father's familiar handwriting.
"A Ying! Daddy's dear daughter! Unfilial girl!"
She chuckled.
Somehow, it reminded her of her father's blustery personality back when he was still in the Duke of Dongping’s residence.
At that time, when she was still young, she was often recklessly held in her father’s arms. Other young girls had been taught since childhood to be well-behaved as women.
Only her father would hold her unscrupulously in the courtyard, spinning circles and letting her ride on his shoulders to watch the exciting lion dances. He would also excitedly throw her up in the air and catch her steadily.
Mother would always stand smilingly nearby, telling them to be careful.
No matter how brave and stalwart Father was outside, he was like putty in front of Mother, very easy to manipulate.
The big man who could take on hundreds of enemies alone on the battlefield, would always speak gently to Mother and her, “Zhuo Zhuo, do you think A Ying and I were playing well just now? Am I a good dad?”
“You always said I don’t know how to be a dad. Now that we have a child, have I taken good care of her?”
“Zhuo Zhuo, you really have a good eye for men. All the women in Bianjing are jealous of you.”
“When A Ying grows up, should I teach her martial arts?”
“Our daughter can’t learn all those delicate young ladies’ manners and graces. After she learns my family’s cudgel skills from me, she’ll be able to fight back herself if anyone dares bully her in the future.”
Mother asked him, “If she can fight people herself, what use would you, her dad, be?”
Father then said, "I'll be responsible for helping her resolve any trouble of course!"
Mother then laughed, “Gu Boqing! Still so crude in front of the child!”
Father was grinning from ear to ear. He put her down, carried Mother horizontally, and walked into the room.
Little her stood at the door and occasionally heard Father bullying Mother. Mother cried, which also scared her into wailing loudly. Father would then rush out of the room in a fluster and hold her to coax her, swearing with four upright fingers that he definitely didn't bully Mother. Even if he did, it was to have a son for her.
Gu Ying’s eyes went out of focus for a moment as scenes from her childhood flashed across her mind. Those memories from the dilapidated temple were among the few warm ones in her life during that period of torture.
Until... Mother passed away...
Only then did the light in Father’s eyes gradually disappear completely.
Gu Ying felt a sourness in her nose. She stopped reminiscing and continued reading.
The deeper she read, the tighter her frown became.
Yanzhi craned her neck eagerly, “Mistress, what did Master write in his letter?”
Gu Ying quickly finished reading the thick three pages of the letter, which were full of her father's grief over the years.
He missed her and her brother. He wanted to come back to visit them but didn’t dare to. He was afraid they resented him and that coming back would open old wounds. That was why he didn’t dare return to Bianjing for so many years.
She pressed her lips thinly, her voice low and sullen, “Father said in the letter that he sends money and writes to us every month of every year. But he has never received a single letter from me! He thought my brother and I blamed him and wanted to sever ties with him!”
When Yanzhi heard this, she was dumbfounded, “But Old Madam always read Master’s letters to you, Mistress. In his letters, Master always said he was too busy with military affairs at the border to come back.”
And this was what made Gu Ying even angrier.
“She lied to me!”
She was furious beyond measure. “She deceived me!!!”
“But why would Old Madam do this?” The more Yanzhi thought about it, the more confused she got.
The Mistress was Old Madam’s granddaughter, the same as Eldest Sister, Third Sister and Fourth Sister. Just because Master didn't serve Old Madam, would she favor and discriminate between them like this?
Even if Old Madam favored Eldest Sister’s family greatly, how could she sow discord between father and child?
The glory of the Duke of Dongping’s residence was all earned by Master at the borders. Without Master, how could there be the present Duke of Dongping’s residence?
What good would come out of Old Madam doing this?
Yanzhi also felt angry. “Has Old Madam gone mad? Master is her own son!”
Gu Ying couldn't help but sneer coldly. She clenched the three pages tightly in her hand, her knuckles white from the force.
“What a great grandmother I have!”
Her eyes were ominous, slightly red.
“Back then, when A Ning was harmed by Eldest Sister’s family to that state, she didn't say a word for A Ning as his grandmother! She even allowed Eldest Sister’s people to continue tormenting A Ning!"
In her last life, she even allowed innocent A Ning to die pitifully that winter when she got married! Her brother's whole body was frozen snow white in the vast expanse of white snow, and was just abandoned there uncared for in the Wind and Sunset Pavilion!
If she didn’t have this new life, how would things have been?
Would she still have to watch her dear grandson die again before her eyes?
This woman was her own grandmother!
Gu Ying couldn’t help feeling aggrieved. A raging fire ignited in her chest!
She could no longer sit still. Her face was as heavy as water as she called for someone to ready her carriage before leaving for the Ye family residence again.
She couldn’t let her brother continue misunderstanding their father. Their whole family must reunite peacefully in this life!
...
As soon as Gu Ying’s carriage left the Duke’s residence, Zhao Changdu received the news.
At that time, he was seated with an imposing manner on the tiger skin chair at Floating Clouds Tower, and waved his hand lightly after listening to his subordinate’s report, signaling for them to continue protecting Gu Ying secretly.
Kneeling below were two brothers from Floating Clouds Tower reporting.
To Zhao Changdu’s left and right in the front row luóhàn chairs sat Ye Qingchi and Su He, who had just returned from Changzhou.
Su He had a somewhat empty look in his eyes and stared blankly ahead.
A 17 or 18-year-old girl in green clothes sat quietly by his side. She had a pair of bright, intelligent eyes that blinked brightly, forming a sharp contrast with the slightly dull-looking Su He beside her.
Ye Qingchi asked, “Didn’t she just leave the Ye residence? Why did she go back there again so soon?”
Zhao Changdu said lightly, “She said she’s going to visit A Ning.”
His tone was light, but laced with some displeasure.
The corner of Ye Qingchi’s mouth quirked upwards. “She’s visiting her brother. Are you really that petty?”
Zhao Changdu impatiently glanced at him. “It’s different with A Ying now. She’s pregnant and shouldn’t be rushing about tiring herself out.”
That’s what he said, but he didn’t stop Gu Ying from going to the Ye family, did he?
Yanzhi muttered to herself, “Miss is missing Master so much. Since Master has written a letter to Miss, what is Miss waiting for? If I were her, I would read it eagerly without delay... Unfortunately, I'm not well educated...”
How could it be the same?
Gu Ying came to her senses with a shake of her head.
If she didn't have this new life, she would have had silly expectations of her father. But now that she had been reborn, she knew her father’s neglect of her and her brother was not just a short period, but a full seven or eight years.
She hated him and resented him in her heart.
It was not until she heard that he had betrayed his country and died on the battlefield that she felt extremely grieved when she was thrown into the dilapidated temple.
The corner of Gu Ying's mouth twitched slightly, and a touch of bitterness welled up in her heart. She slowly opened the envelope.
As she unfolded the letter, the first sentence that caught her eye was her father's familiar handwriting.
"A Ying! Daddy's dear daughter! Unfilial girl!"
She chuckled.
Somehow, it reminded her of her father's blustery personality back when he was still in the Duke of Dongping’s residence.
At that time, when she was still young, she was often recklessly held in her father’s arms. Other young girls had been taught since childhood to be well-behaved as women.
Only her father would hold her unscrupulously in the courtyard, spinning circles and letting her ride on his shoulders to watch the exciting lion dances. He would also excitedly throw her up in the air and catch her steadily.
Mother would always stand smilingly nearby, telling them to be careful.
No matter how brave and stalwart Father was outside, he was like putty in front of Mother, very easy to manipulate.
The big man who could take on hundreds of enemies alone on the battlefield, would always speak gently to Mother and her, “Zhuo Zhuo, do you think A Ying and I were playing well just now? Am I a good dad?”
“You always said I don’t know how to be a dad. Now that we have a child, have I taken good care of her?”
“Zhuo Zhuo, you really have a good eye for men. All the women in Bianjing are jealous of you.”
“When A Ying grows up, should I teach her martial arts?”
“Our daughter can’t learn all those delicate young ladies’ manners and graces. After she learns my family’s cudgel skills from me, she’ll be able to fight back herself if anyone dares bully her in the future.”
Mother asked him, “If she can fight people herself, what use would you, her dad, be?”
Father then said, "I'll be responsible for helping her resolve any trouble of course!"
Mother then laughed, “Gu Boqing! Still so crude in front of the child!”
Father was grinning from ear to ear. He put her down, carried Mother horizontally, and walked into the room.
Little her stood at the door and occasionally heard Father bullying Mother. Mother cried, which also scared her into wailing loudly. Father would then rush out of the room in a fluster and hold her to coax her, swearing with four upright fingers that he definitely didn't bully Mother. Even if he did, it was to have a son for her.
Gu Ying’s eyes went out of focus for a moment as scenes from her childhood flashed across her mind. Those memories from the dilapidated temple were among the few warm ones in her life during that period of torture.
Until... Mother passed away...
Only then did the light in Father’s eyes gradually disappear completely.
Gu Ying felt a sourness in her nose. She stopped reminiscing and continued reading.
The deeper she read, the tighter her frown became.
Yanzhi craned her neck eagerly, “Mistress, what did Master write in his letter?”
Gu Ying quickly finished reading the thick three pages of the letter, which were full of her father's grief over the years.
He missed her and her brother. He wanted to come back to visit them but didn’t dare to. He was afraid they resented him and that coming back would open old wounds. That was why he didn’t dare return to Bianjing for so many years.
She pressed her lips thinly, her voice low and sullen, “Father said in the letter that he sends money and writes to us every month of every year. But he has never received a single letter from me! He thought my brother and I blamed him and wanted to sever ties with him!”
When Yanzhi heard this, she was dumbfounded, “But Old Madam always read Master’s letters to you, Mistress. In his letters, Master always said he was too busy with military affairs at the border to come back.”
And this was what made Gu Ying even angrier.
“She lied to me!”
She was furious beyond measure. “She deceived me!!!”
“But why would Old Madam do this?” The more Yanzhi thought about it, the more confused she got.
The Mistress was Old Madam’s granddaughter, the same as Eldest Sister, Third Sister and Fourth Sister. Just because Master didn't serve Old Madam, would she favor and discriminate between them like this?
Even if Old Madam favored Eldest Sister’s family greatly, how could she sow discord between father and child?
The glory of the Duke of Dongping’s residence was all earned by Master at the borders. Without Master, how could there be the present Duke of Dongping’s residence?
What good would come out of Old Madam doing this?
Yanzhi also felt angry. “Has Old Madam gone mad? Master is her own son!”
Gu Ying couldn't help but sneer coldly. She clenched the three pages tightly in her hand, her knuckles white from the force.
“What a great grandmother I have!”
Her eyes were ominous, slightly red.
“Back then, when A Ning was harmed by Eldest Sister’s family to that state, she didn't say a word for A Ning as his grandmother! She even allowed Eldest Sister’s people to continue tormenting A Ning!"
In her last life, she even allowed innocent A Ning to die pitifully that winter when she got married! Her brother's whole body was frozen snow white in the vast expanse of white snow, and was just abandoned there uncared for in the Wind and Sunset Pavilion!
If she didn’t have this new life, how would things have been?
Would she still have to watch her dear grandson die again before her eyes?
This woman was her own grandmother!
Gu Ying couldn’t help feeling aggrieved. A raging fire ignited in her chest!
She could no longer sit still. Her face was as heavy as water as she called for someone to ready her carriage before leaving for the Ye family residence again.
She couldn’t let her brother continue misunderstanding their father. Their whole family must reunite peacefully in this life!
...
As soon as Gu Ying’s carriage left the Duke’s residence, Zhao Changdu received the news.
At that time, he was seated with an imposing manner on the tiger skin chair at Floating Clouds Tower, and waved his hand lightly after listening to his subordinate’s report, signaling for them to continue protecting Gu Ying secretly.
Kneeling below were two brothers from Floating Clouds Tower reporting.
To Zhao Changdu’s left and right in the front row luóhàn chairs sat Ye Qingchi and Su He, who had just returned from Changzhou.
Su He had a somewhat empty look in his eyes and stared blankly ahead.
A 17 or 18-year-old girl in green clothes sat quietly by his side. She had a pair of bright, intelligent eyes that blinked brightly, forming a sharp contrast with the slightly dull-looking Su He beside her.
Ye Qingchi asked, “Didn’t she just leave the Ye residence? Why did she go back there again so soon?”
Zhao Changdu said lightly, “She said she’s going to visit A Ning.”
His tone was light, but laced with some displeasure.
The corner of Ye Qingchi’s mouth quirked upwards. “She’s visiting her brother. Are you really that petty?”
Zhao Changdu impatiently glanced at him. “It’s different with A Ying now. She’s pregnant and shouldn’t be rushing about tiring herself out.”
That’s what he said, but he didn’t stop Gu Ying from going to the Ye family, did he?
