Gu Chuan noticed her at this moment. "Wow, Yingzi has grown so much. I didn’t notice before; she’s really become a young lady now."

Yingzi smiled slightly and was about to speak when Sister Guihua came in through the curtain. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Gu Chuan smiled at Sister Guihua and said, "Sister, your cooking has really improved. In the past two years I’ve been away, there’s nothing I missed more than your dishes."

Sister Guihua laughed heartily. "Young Master Chuan is getting better at talking; it makes me so happy to hear that."

Gu Chuan continued with a smile, "I brought some small trinkets for Yingzi and Ah Shong. They’re not worth much, but they’re in my luggage. Once Nanxing sorts everything out, I’ll give them to you tomorrow."

Sister Guihua quickly bowed, "Thank you, Young Master Chuan, for thinking of us even when you’re away."

Gu Chuan smiled, seeing that his father had drunk quite a bit, he quickly got up and supported his father to the backyard.

Sister Guihua swiftly tidied up and saw Yingzi standing there in a daze. She called out, "What are you doing just standing there? Are you tired? If so, go upstairs to rest. I just had your father take a brazier up."

Yingzi snapped back to reality, took her embroidery hoop, and went upstairs.

After tidying up the kitchen, Lao Jiu helped her pour water and carried a brazier upstairs.

Guihua pulled Ah Shong along as they went upstairs, asking as they walked, "What did the teacher teach today?"

Ah Shong thought for a moment, "Today, I learned three characters. The teacher said I have to practice writing them at home."

Guihua responded with a smile, "Good, go upstairs and practice writing. Your father brought up a brazier, so your hands won’t freeze while you’re practicing."

Once inside the room, Ah Shong took out paper and pen to start writing. Guihua sat beside him, stitching a shoe sole, while Lao Jiu watched their son write.

Guihua rubbed the needle against her scalp and suddenly said, "It’s because we’re with Doctor Gu that we can live like this."

"If it were our own family, I wouldn’t be able to afford such expensive coal."

Lao Jiu replied, "Yes."

The couple watched their son practice writing while chatting idly. Next door, Yingzi sat by the fire in a daze.

That day, Yun Jiao’s words not only failed to wake her up but also made her resent Yun Jiao.

She felt that Yun Jiao looked down on her and was humiliating her.

Since that day, she had secretly vowed that the more it was like this, the more she would find a scholar to marry, to show those who looked down on her.

In the past few months, her mother had also engaged a matchmaker.

The matchmaker suggested several prospects, all of whom were either small business owners or laborers, not even as good as Da Lang from the Shen family.

Yingzi felt that the matchmaker was insulting her. She’s so beautiful; was the matchmaker blind?

Today, when her mother called her to help in the kitchen, saying that Gu Chuan had returned, she suddenly realized with a start.

She wanted to find a scholar to marry. Wasn’t Gu Chuan one?

With a brother-in-law as the Grand Secretary, it was only a matter of time before he became an official.

Moreover, Gu Chuan was different from others. They had known each other for a long time and grew up together. She felt Gu Chuan always cared for her and perhaps already had feelings for her. Now, she just needed to make her intentions clear.

The more she thought about it, the more excited she became. Yun Jiao humiliated her so much—if she became Gu Chuan’s wife, wouldn’t Yun Jiao be furious?

Just thinking about the scene made her happy.

Today, when she went downstairs, she realized, as she had never before, that Gu Chuan was really handsome, fair-skinned, much better looking than San Ya’s husband.

She lamented her blindness. How could she not have noticed such a good candidate before?