After being nudged by Gu Taozhi, Li Xiang finally agreed and decided to travel more often and relax.
It was just that the incident happened suddenly and Li Xiang was unprepared. He could only ask if there was still time to prepare.
"It's okay, there's still some time before the Chinese New Year, and there are still a few days until my family meeting starts, so just feel free to prepare!"
In this regard, Gu Taozhi also gave Li Xiang enough time to prepare. Naturally, he also gave himself some time to rest, prepare gifts for returning, and adjust his condition to the best.
A week later, Prime Minister Li arranged everything and flew from Shonan Province to the capital with Gu Taozhi.
With Li Xiang accompanying him to carry his luggage, Gu Taozhi was in a much better mood along the way.
After getting off the airport and walking around for a while, it was almost afternoon.
When the Gu family knew that their young lady was coming back, they also sent a special car to pick her up. However, Li Xiang had not seen the car, and she seemed very low-key.
The person who came to pick him up was the housekeeper of the Gu family. His white hair suggested that he was already old. He was short in stature. He was wearing a very formal suit. He was very energetic and seemed to be getting stronger with age.
Seeing Li Xiang was very natural, with no special expression. He was very happy when he saw Gu Taozhi coming back. He asked while driving,
"Miss, why are you so much thinner when you come back this time than when you came back a month ago? Is it because the food in Shonan is not to your liking? Whatever you want to eat later in the evening, Uncle Fu, I will cook it for you myself."
After the trip to Longfeng Mountain, I almost lost a lot of weight because I took medicine and rested when I returned to southern Hunan.
Uncle Fu, whose name is Fuze, is over sixty years old. He has worked in the Gu family for more than fifty years. He has watched Gu Zhongtian get married and start a business, and then the two young ladies were born and grew up. He is also very respected in the family.
Gu Taozhi pulled her hair back, touched her knees and said, "No, I like Xiangnan's food very much, but I'm losing weight recently and have no appetite. I can eat anything at night, except fish..."
As he spoke, he glanced at Li Xiang awkwardly.
Fu Ze was stunned. First he was surprised that Gu Taozhi still needed to lose weight for his figure, and then he was surprised that his lady usually liked fish the most. Unexpectedly, even her taste had changed after coming back a month later.
"Well...Miss, I see you haven't been this happy for a long time. Did something good happen?"
Gu Taozhi replied with a smile, "It's nothing special. It's just that I have someone to accompany me when I come back this time, and someone to help with my luggage, so my mood will naturally feel better!"
But these words had a different meaning in Fuze's ears. He thought that Li Xiang was just a licking dog that Gu Taozhi brought back from southern Hunan, and he immediately shook his head.
"Miss, just call me next time for this kind of thing. I will fly to Shonan to help you carry your luggage."
"Definitely next time."
Fukuzawa was wondering in his heart. His young lady had been arrogant since she was a child. She didn't look down on the young master who was also from a wealthy family in the capital. She didn't even have any contact with her. How could she bring such a Shonan back after staying in Shonan for a while?
Country bumpkin?
Fukuzawa didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.
The good thing is that the young lady will not be forced to get married this time in the family meeting. The bad thing is...can this boy be accepted by the head of the family?
Fuze sighed and continued,
"Miss, at this family meeting, I'm afraid the situation for the master is not very optimistic. Moreover, the second young lady has also contracted a strange disease. The master and his wife are almost dying of worry."
Now the Gu family's situation has reached the point of internal and external troubles. Now that the family business has just been settled, internal competition for the position of head of the family has begun again. The second young lady has also contracted a strange disease, which makes Gu Zhongtian miserable.
The most important thing is that Gu Taozhi took money from the family to go to southern Hunan to expand the family business and recruit talents, which was said to be used to train Gu Taozhi.
However, many tribesmen strongly objected at that time, but Gu Zhongtian defied all opinions and insisted on giving money to Gu Taowai to train.
Now, although the money has been returned, the news they received was that Gu Taozhi had accomplished nothing in southern Hunan and relied on others to return the money to the family through unknown means.
Not only that, she has lost a lot of weight now that she has returned to the capital, and even having someone to help her carry her luggage has become a joyful thing.
It's simply embarrassing.
Although Fuze was worried, he still couldn't avoid being scolded by his clan members when he returned to his family.
"It's okay, my sister's condition will definitely get better." Gu Taozhi was very optimistic.
Fukuzawa was puzzled, but still agreed with a smile on his face,
"I hope, as long as people can come back to celebrate the New Year."
...
When the two of them arrived in the capital, it was also the time when the family meeting was about to begin, so they followed Kang Fu directly to the meeting place.
As an aristocratic family in the capital, the Gu family has numerous properties in the capital, almost all of which are allocated from the top.
But as the venue for the Gu family's family meeting, it is natural that the three old men of the Gu family live in an alley within the second ring road of Beijing. It is a standard courtyard house in the Qing Dynasty. Its area is almost as big as a golf course, and there are hundreds of large and small ones.
Come to a hut, which is enough for all the tribesmen to stay and sleep after the meeting before leaving.
Li Xiang did not expect that there was nothing special about it from the outside, but as soon as he entered the courtyard, there was something special. The grand festive decorations and the huge structure opened his eyes.
Suddenly, when Li Xiang looked at Gu Taozhi again, his eyes were swollen and he was a little more shocked. It seems that only this kind of status and background can cultivate such a noble family...
After getting off the car, Li Xiang could smell the smell of stew coming from the house. The red bricks and tiles on the roof were also covered with a thin layer of snow. Almost all the houses in the yard were decorated with couplets and inverted pictures.
With the word "Fu" and the sound of children playing and laughing, and the sound of firecrackers exploding from time to time, a New Year's atmosphere instantly hit us.
Li Xiang unloaded the luggage from the car and followed Gu Taozhi behind him.
"Just give me your luggage."
Arriving at the door of a small cabin, Kangfu gestured to the luggage in Li Xiang's hand.
This must be Gu Taozhi's room.
Li Xiang handed over the luggage without thinking.
After Fuze put his luggage in, he walked out and saw that Li Xiang's hands were empty. "Where is your luggage? Don't you have it? I'll take you to the guest room."
It was at this moment that Gu Taozhi interrupted Fuze's words, "Um, Uncle Fu... it would be nice if he shares a room with me."
As he spoke, a red cloud appeared on his face.
"Wha, what?!" Fukuzawa was obviously shocked.
Gu Taozhi lowered his gaze, not daring to look at anyone at all, "Uncle Fu, I haven't been embarrassed to tell you on the way...his name is Li Xiang, and he is my...boyfriend."
Originally, she subconsciously wanted to say it was her 'husband', but she changed her mind when it came to her mouth.
Fuze sighed. After all, he was a butler and did not have many rights, so he had to say, "Miss, you have to rest for a while. I will call you later when dinner is served."
Fukuzawa was confused. How could a young man from southern Hunan win over his own lady, who was unmatched by the wealthy children of various aristocratic families in the capital?
I originally thought it was just a bitch, but I didn't expect it to be true.
Just...wait, Li Xiang?
Where have you heard it?
...
"Is your sister here?"
After Fuze left, Li Xiang asked curiously.
"My father took her over and found a famous traditional Chinese medicine doctor in Beijing. I should see her after dinner."
Gu Taozhi said truthfully,
"How about we go sit in the main courtyard first and let you get to know each other?"
"Ah...Okay." Li Xiang said anxiously.
No matter how much preparation I made, I was still a little nervous when it came to the ‘battlefield’.
The Gu family's main courtyard is very large. At this time, about twenty tables of various sizes have been set up. Each table has a charcoal-burning stove for heating and an awning to protect it from snow.
And there were quite a few people sitting there, but it wasn't full yet.
Li Xiang learned from this that not all members of the Gu family can come to the family annual meeting. Only the immediate relatives of the three old men and those with close ties can come to the meeting.
The Gu family annual meeting is mainly to summarize the year and make plans for next year, mainly focusing on the family business. After today, everyone will go back and celebrate the New Year with peace of mind.
But it's not that simple. At the same time, the three branches of the Gu family compete for connections and strength. It is not just for the family members to see, but also for those who come to curry favor with the Gu family.
It’s just that this year’s annual meeting may be a little special.
Because the position of the head of the Gu family has been under scrutiny for a long time, and among Gu Zhongtian's descendants, there are only two, Gu Taozhi and Gu Yaoyao. Among the three descendants of the old man, he is the only one who has only female children, plus his own daughter
After Gu Taozhi went out to make a living, not only did he do nothing, but he also had Gu Zhongjin killed in southern Hunan...
Gu Zhongtian's situation now is precarious.
There is a rather large main table at the end of the main courtyard, which is for the three old men and their direct children.
"This is my first time seeing such a scene. I didn't expect there are so many people in your family. It's so lively." Li Xiang sighed.
Li Xiang is now alone in Cumin, and he feels a little emotional when he sees so many people.
"Hubby, having too many people is not a good thing." Gu Taozhi sighed.
Seeing Gu Taozhi's expression, Li Xiang looked again and found that almost all the Gu family members present looked at them with a bad face, and some even covered their lips and discussed in a low voice, as if they were deliberately avoiding them.
"She was the one who killed the third child of the Gu family?"
"I heard that this is the case, but that's just hearsay, so don't spread it nonsense."
"I don't know where she got the honor to come back. She has accomplished nothing, and she even brought back someone with whom I don't know who she is related to."
"Yeah, if it had been the other way around, I wouldn't have been ashamed to come back."
There was a table chatting quietly like the aunts at the village gate, but they were still heard.
When Gu Taozhi heard these words, the defense in his heart collapsed, his eyes were filled with tears of anger, and his delicate body was shaking. He glanced at Li Xiang and then lowered his head, holding the corner of his clothes tightly in his hands, and said at a loss, "
Husband, I...wu, I..."
"Didn't your father explain clearly what happened to your third uncle when he came back?" Li Xiang was puzzled.
"I don't know... ugh."
"Don't worry. Since I will accompany you back as your bodyguard, I naturally cannot tolerate others making you unhappy."
Li Xiang said with firm eyes,
"After today, no one will dare to say anything wrong to you again!".