"Don't worry, just talk about your understanding of the I Ching and teach the children how to read the calendar. Uncle Liu can cover veterinary knowledge and how to raise livestock.
Your lectures on the I Ching can instill a broad perspective in the children.
Uncle Liu's veterinary knowledge might spark an interest in some children, and our children don't participate in the imperial examinations. Schooling is for acquiring more knowledge. As long as they benefit from it, your classes will be a success," Gu Qingcheng said.
Children's personalities are not yet formed before the age of thirteen or fourteen, and they are not clear about their interests and hobbies. Therefore, it is very necessary to have experienced elders teach them.
They can discover knowledge that interests them and choose their future career paths.
In addition to Uncle Kang and Liu Yidao, Gu Qingcheng also planned to invite people with expertise like Liu Ding and Wu Fan to lecture the children on various subjects.
In the blink of an eye, the dark night passed, and dawn arrived. The crowing of roosters awakened the sleeping villagers of Phoenix Village.
Gu Qingcheng had just finished brushing her teeth and washing her face when Huang Wenming was already impatiently knocking on the door outside.
Mi Guo, yawning, opened the door and lazily greeted, "Scholar Huang, good morning!"
"It's not early anymore, it's already 5 o'clock. I was afraid you might oversleep, so I came to wake you up. It seems you're up quite early!" Huang Wenming's eagerness was unconcealed.
His attire today was also refreshing, catching Mi Guo's eye.
Huang Wenming was wearing a silver robe with gold flecks, made of Hangzhou silk. The cuffs were embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns in silver thread, and a light silver belt with bat patterns was tied around his waist.
His long, flowing hair was tied high with a black ribbon, and his posture was upright and elegant, exuding a scholarly aura, making him even more handsome than usual.
Mi Guo and Gu Qingcheng looked astonished. Mi Guo said with surprise, "Mr. Huang, you look exceptionally dashing today. Dressed so smartly? If I were a young lady, I'd fall for you!"
"Haha, there's an important event today, so of course, I had to dress up properly," Huang Wenming said gleefully, hearing their compliments. He spread his arms and turned around for them to admire him from all angles.
Gu Qingcheng felt a pang of envy and said, "Isn't this the scholarly robe of you scholars? When did you have it made?"
"Made? Where would I get it made? This is what I wore before. I couldn't bear to throw it away when I was fleeing famine, so I kept it in my bundle. I didn't even pawn it when I was at my hungriest, just hoping that one day I could wear it again. I never expected this dream to come true!" Huang Wenming said with emotion.
Gu Qingcheng yawned and said, "It's only this early, I don't think Gui Xiang is even up yet. Mr. Huang, have you had breakfast?"
"I haven't eaten yet. I came right over to wake you up, afraid you'd oversleep!"
So that was Huang Wenming's plan. Gu Qingcheng was fine with it; she was always an early riser. Otherwise, being woken up from a deep sleep by Huang Wenming banging on the door would have been quite something!
"If that's the case, shall we have breakfast together?" Gu Qingcheng asked politely.
"Certainly. I've heard that Young Master Gu is a very good cook. I'll try it today." To Gu Qingcheng's surprise, Huang Wenming was not being polite at all.
Mi Guo had intended to just have milk and bread with her sister, but since they were inviting Huang Wenming to stay for breakfast, they couldn't let him eat food he'd never seen before.
So, Mi Guo made red bean congee, stir-fried preserved vegetables, fried three poached eggs, and cured meat. On the table, she thoughtfully placed sliced pears and apples.
The Gu family's meals were indeed refined. This was Huang Wenming's impression after having breakfast at the Gu residence.
The dining table was set in the backyard, overlooking the beautiful scenery of the mountain below. At this time, the sky was slowly brightening, and morning mist was rising from the mountains. Looking down from the Gu family's backyard, the forest scenery was clear, and the smoke from the chimneys of the houses at the foot of the mountain could still be faintly seen.
The red bean congee was soft and easy to eat, the cured meat was fragrant and fried to perfection, and the poached eggs were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The seven-minute-cooked poached eggs with runny yolks were Gu Qingcheng's favorite.
What a delicious meal, how delightful!
Huang Wenming, after eating his fill, wiped his mouth and said, "Young Master Gu, let's go. It won't be good if we make them wait any longer."
Gu Qingcheng saw his anxious and restless demeanor and could only say, "Alright, let's go."
"We should go to my place first to pick up the gifts. We can't go empty-handed, can we?" Huang Wenming said to himself.
Since Gu Qingcheng only needed to provide her presence, she didn't mind his fuss and followed him.
Upon arriving at Huang's house, Gu Qingcheng discovered that Huang Wenming had also invited He Hua and Mei Xiang to come along. Huang Wenming wasn't particularly close to them, but he knew they were good friends with Gui Xiang, so he shamelessly asked them to accompany him for the matchmaking.
Seeing that it was such good news, the two ladies naturally agreed enthusiastically. When they saw Gu Qingcheng also present, they suddenly realized that when Young Master Gu asked about wedding customs yesterday, it was for Scholar Huang. It made sense, as they hadn't heard of Young Master Gu having any interest in any of the village girls. Although they didn't follow Gu Qingcheng every day, if a person had love in their heart, it couldn't be hidden in their words and actions. They were all experienced, so they understood!
"Young Master Gu, good morning!" the two ladies quickly greeted. After some pleasantries, Huang Wenming hired a helper to carry a basket of gifts, and they set off.
As they walked in a group, carrying gift baskets, it was evident they were going for some auspicious occasion, which immediately attracted a group of mischievous children from the village to follow them.
Before they even reached Gui Xiang's house, the crowd following them grew larger. Along the way, villagers saw them and looked at them curiously, with some even stopping to ask, "Where are you going so early in the morning? What are you doing?"
He Hua and Mei Xiang just smiled and said nothing. Unable to get an answer, the villagers were extremely curious. Those who had the time secretly followed to watch the fun.
When Huang Wenming arrived at Gui Xiang's doorstep, he became nervous and hesitant to step forward, instead looking at Gu Qingcheng for a cue. Gu Qingcheng chuckled. No wonder people joked that scholars were useless; Huang Wenming was clearly like a "silver-plated candle" now, waiting for her to take the lead.
Alright, Gu Qingcheng gently knocked on the door and called out, "Gui Xiang, are you there?"
"Yes," Gui Xiang responded when she heard Gu Qingcheng's voice. To her surprise, so many people were standing outside, especially Huang Wenming, who was looking at her with an intense gaze, making her face flush. However, since they had come all this way, she couldn't let them stand outside. She quickly opened the fence gate and invited everyone in.
Gui Xiang had no close relatives, so for her marriage, she had to personally greet guests, boil water, and serve tea. The familiar scent of tea gradually calmed Gui Xiang's emotions.