Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 104 Women’s Heart

Chen Xuan quickly realized that it was Master Gao who had returned. He was the real backbone of the Gao family, but his return was too sudden and there was no information at all beforehand.

Chen Xuan had been in the Gao family for more than half a year, but had never seen him before. He couldn't help but be curious and couldn't help but look up slightly to take a look.

There was a middle-aged man standing in front of the Gao family's door. He looked no more than 40 years old, with a wisp of green beard, about 1.7 meters tall, slightly fat, and wearing a round-necked, double-breasted blue and black robe.

He is 60% similar to Gao Jingming, clearly an enlarged version of him. He also looks outstanding, not quite a handsome man, but he can be called a handsome uncle.

This man stood straight with his back and looked easy-going, but his gaze was quite dignified, as if he had cultivated an air of dignity from being in a high position for a long time, which was something that ordinary people could not learn.

Behind him, Butler He stood respectfully. It must be Master Gao.

It is obvious that Gao Jingming has inherited his mother's genes, and he should be even more handsome than him when he grows up.

As Chen Xuan looked around, Geng Hong, Xiao Cai and the others who had returned with him also seemed a little surprised, but soon they all saluted and said, "Greetings, Master."

Mr. Gao was slightly surprised and waved his sleeves gently, saying: "No need to be polite. As the head of the family, I have been away from home for a long time. I have troubled you to take care of it. Thank you for your hard work."

"Master, you are embarrassing us. We are unworthy..."

It can be seen that the Gao family treats their servants very well. Their attitude is not harsh, but easy-going. Mrs. Gao is like this, and so is Mr. Gao. It is said that people from the same family resemble each other.

It was obvious that Mr. Gao's mind was not on the others, but his son Gao Jingming. He hadn't seen him for many years and wanted to go up and hug him in his arms, but he restrained himself.

It was estimated that when he returned, the Gao family had held a grand welcome ceremony and even the door was not closed. It was just that Chen Xuan and the others came back late and missed it.

At this moment, Gao Jingming rushed forward and said excitedly: "Dad, you are back, I missed you so much"

As he said that, he threw himself into Master Gao's arms, hugged him tightly and was reluctant to let go, indulging in the long-lost embrace of his father.

Mr. Gao's expression was also somewhat moved. He touched Gao Jingming's head and said, "Ming'er, do you miss your father? Are you good when your father is not around? You are so old and still act like a spoiled child."

"Dad, I miss you, every day, you are so good"

"Haha, Daddy misses you too. Let's go home. Everyone can go home," he said, patting Gao Jingming's shoulder. The latter sentence was addressed to the others.

He then took Gao Jingming's hand and walked towards the Gao family's interior. However, he paused and turned back to look at Chen Xuan and said with a smile: "You must be Chen Xuan, right? My family often mentioned you in letters. Good boy, from now on, make this your home."

"Thank you, sir," Chen Xuan immediately said with gratitude, even though the other person was just saying it out of courtesy, he couldn't help but express his gratitude.

He nodded and walked away with Gao Jingming. The meaning was conveyed, and he would not really pull Chen Xuan aside to ask about his well-being.

Everyone dispersed and returned to their respective positions. Gao Jingming naturally followed his father to his mother's side. It could be felt that with the return of Master Gao, the atmosphere in the entire Gao family became more enthusiastic and people worked more actively.

But Mr. Gao’s return had little to do with Chen Xuan and the others, and they all continued to do what they were supposed to do.

Little did they know that with the return of Mr. Gao, the reactions of some individuals in the Gao family were quite intense and even excited.

For example, the third and fourth wives were so anxious that they not only asked the maids to take the young masters and young ladies away and dress them up carefully, but they themselves were also busy washing, dressing up, and wanting to wear the most beautiful and sexy clothes, but they didn't know which one to wear. They were so conflicted.

Why are they like this? Of course, it's because the master has returned, and there is a chance for a long drought to finally rain. As someone who has been through this, I have been holding it in for almost a year, and I am also very lonely at midnight. Although I will secretly play with the five gentlemen, it doesn't help.

Moreover, when the master comes back, he naturally wants to be close to his children. He naturally has to dress them up and take good care of them. If the children perform poorly, it will make the master lose his respect.

Although the master would most likely not go to their place on the first night after his return, it was always a good idea to be prepared. If he didn't have enough fun at his sister's place, then this would be his chance. Master Gao brought Gao Jingming to Madam Gao's courtyard, where the two chatted and asked about trivial matters in their studies and life. Listening to Gao Jingming's animated description, Master Gao's eyes were filled with love and emotion. Being an official away from home, he couldn't accompany his children to grow up, which was a bit regrettable. Who wouldn't want their children to enjoy the happiness of family life?

In fact, he had also thought about taking his children to the place where he was working, but it was too far away, and he didn't have much time to take care of them when he was busy. Besides, Gao Jingming already had a good teacher, so taking them there would not be worth the effort.

Inside the room, Mrs. Gao was also dressing up. Although they were an old couple, she wanted to show her best side to her husband. Occasionally, she would listen to the conversation between the father and son outside, with a happy smile on her face.

While dressing up, looking at her still beautiful face in the mirror, she suddenly felt emotional. After all, she was not a young woman. As she aged, she would eventually grow old. How long could this look last? A few years or ten years?
Looking at the maids busying around her, Madam Gao suddenly whispered, "Qingyu, Qinghe, Qingping, Qingmei, how old are you? How long have you been with me?"

No one knew why she suddenly asked this, but the maids answered truthfully: "Madam, we have been with you for almost ten years. We came to you within two or three years. Now we are all in our early twenties."

Upon hearing this, Madam Gao nodded and said, "It's been ten years. Time flies so fast. Before I knew it, the people around me have changed twice."

Although the maids didn't know why she suddenly asked this, they already had a vague guess in their hearts.

Then Madam Gao continued, "Since I married the master, the people around me have changed twice. You are the third group. The people from the first two groups, except Jingwei, have all been freed to start their own families..."

Hearing this, the maids immediately became uneasy, feeling nervous and confused, with a hint of anticipation.

The Jingwei that Mrs. Gao mentioned was one of the first personal maids when she married Mr. Gao. She was favored by Mr. Gao and became the second wife of the Gao family.

Because she was once Mrs. Gao's personal maid, and was closer to her, Mrs. Gao arranged for the Second Lady to accompany Mr. Gao when he went to serve as an official far away. This made her feel more at ease, so as to prevent Mr. Gao from having more sisters outside. Even if she couldn't stop him, at least there were people around to keep an eye on him and report to him at any time, so she could be mentally prepared to make arrangements in advance or handle the matter properly.

Now that this matter is mentioned, Mrs. Gao also feels that she is getting older and she has to prepare in advance. This woman is old, and whether she admits it or not, it is gradually becoming difficult to please men.

She continued, "You are not young anymore. Keeping you tied to my side will only delay you. If you are determined to find a good man and start a family, I have seen your wholehearted service to me over the years. I will give you freedom and prepare a generous dowry. After all, we are master and servant. If any of you have ideas and the master is also interested, I don't mind matchmaking. After all, you are family, so I feel at ease."

Hearing this, the maids panicked and were at a loss. They had never thought they would be faced with such a problem. They were at a loss. Do they have the qualifications to be the master's concubine? But if they left the Gao family, what would they do?
As they were bewildered, Madam Gao continued calmly, "This matter isn't urgent right now, but you should also consider it. You are still young ladies, and your future is up to you to decide. I won't force you to do anything, but once you have made up your mind, you can't regret it. Now, calm down and continue to dress me up. Just give me an answer in three to five months."

"Yes"

Several maids continued to dress her up, but Ke Xin was a little confused.

Mrs. Gao is actually thinking about her own future. She will also grow old. Men like young and beautiful women. She understands this truth, so she has to pave the way for herself in advance. Once she is old, the master will have to stick to those vixens. If there is someone around who is favored by the master, that would naturally be the best. After all, she is his own person, and he has done him a favor, so he will naturally give priority to her.

Of course, she would not force the maids to do anything. The virgin girls and maids in the inner courtyard of the Gao family could find good husbands. It would be somewhat lowly for them to be the master's concubines without a formal marriage. If they wanted to become good wives, she would naturally give them freedom.

Anyway, since the maidservants around her are willing, she will try her best to facilitate the relationship for her own sake. If they are unwilling, she will find other ways and arrange other young women. In any case, she must tie the master's heart to her side.

This woman, even though Mrs. Gao is the mistress of the Gao family, is not immune to this. When the master is not around, she is the head of the family, but when the master is around, she can't escape being around men.

There are many things going on in the harem and in women’s minds.

Although the identity of the hostess is almost unshakable, once a man is bewitched by a vixen, his life will be difficult in the future, and some bad things will also be frustrating.

Mr. Gao and Gao Jingming talked for the whole afternoon until dark, and then the family had a happy meal together...

After Chen Xuan came back, he naturally returned to the courtyard. When he had nothing to do, he would read books and practice calligraphy. He had long been accustomed to this kind of life and did not have too many extra ideas for the time being. Moreover, it was inconvenient for him to do anything at such a young age.

As the night deepened, Gao Jingming returned to the courtyard. In the past, he would usually stay with Mrs. Gao after returning from school.

When he came back, he kept complaining, asking why his parents didn't let him live there. He kept urging him to come back early and go to bed. Did his parents not love him anymore?
Chen Xuan almost laughed out loud when he heard what he said. It would be abnormal not to drive you away. Your father rarely comes back. It would be too troublesome to keep you there.
Anyway, that night, the cat slaves in the Gao family mansion were barking louder than usual...

(End of this chapter)