CHAPTER 782: CHAPTER 782: STILL SO TIMID

The Shang Family Elders also deeply shared the same sentiment, Master Shang Youhu was secretly wiping away his cold sweat, feeling exceedingly fortunate. Good thing he hadn’t insisted on helping Shang Shisan’s family, otherwise he would have offended Master Ouyang.

It is said that Master Ouyang is quite formidable, having some connections with the Ouyang Family in the Capital and is also a Great Scholar.

Although Ouyang Hu does not avoid his identity, he did not wish to disturb the peace of Qingfu Town because of it, so he did not disclose his identity, only saying that he was from the Capital and belongs to the same clan as the Capital Ouyang Family.

Yet even so, it was enough to astonish the Shang Family Elders.

What luck does the Gu Family’s second son have? How come all his teachers are famous Great Scholars? Truly enviable.

"Wenyuan, it’s the auspicious time, you may commence the apprenticeship ceremony now," Jiang Jiao reminded.

Upon hearing this, Scholar Shang saluted towards Master Ouyang: "Thank you for your efforts, sir."

Master Ouyang nodded and sang aloud, "Gu Family’s son initiates the apprenticeship ceremony, commence!"

As Master Ouyang’s voice rose, everyone followed him to the incense table, firstly paying homage to heaven and earth, then to Confucius and Mencius, the sages of ancient times.

After the homage was paid, they removed Gu Jin’an’s outer robe for him to change into the student robe prepared by the Shang Family. Then, Scholar Shang bestowed upon Gu Jin’an the ’Seven gifts’ of brush, ink, paper, inkstone, and educational instructions, thus the apprenticeship ceremony was finally complete.

Gu Jin’an kneeled and kowtowed nine times to Scholar Shang: "Disciple greets Master, the disciple is slow, please take care of the disciple from now on."

Scholar Shang, smiling, accepted his gesture and helped him up, saying, "Now that we’re teacher and student, there’s no need for such formalities. I will do my utmost to teach and protect you, hoping to see you succeed."

While it was said he would look after Good Brother An, in truth, Good Brother An no longer needed his care. Instead, it was his family that would rely on the Gu Family in the future, his Yuanyuan relying on Good Brother An as an elder brother to support them.

Gu Jin’an earnestly nodded, "Master, rest assured, the disciple will not let you down."

Jiang Dahu, watching from the side, expressed his satisfaction with a hearty laugh: "Enough now, you both are teacher and student, you’re family now, anything else can be said later, let’s start the feast. The people from Yanfu Building have already brought the food and drinks, I am starving here."

With that remark, laughter erupted among the attendees.

Scholar Shang declared, "Very well, everyone please be seated!"

Hearing this, the Shang Family people took their seats and commented, "I heard we are having ham today, that ham is quite luxurious."

The apprenticeship is a significant event; Gu Jinli specifically brought out three hams for the banquet to honor Gu Jin’an.

Scholar Shang was overjoyed that day, drinking with all the guests. The banquet had not yet ended when he got himself drunk. However, his tolerance for alcohol was good, and even though drunk, he did not make a fuss, but rather laid down on the table and fell asleep.

Jiang Dahu mocked, "It’s been over twenty years, and Wenyuan still can’t hold his liquor."

Then he pulled Gu Jin’an aside, "Seems like we can only drink with you now, you better not be like your Master, getting knocked out after a few drinks."

Gu Jin’an laughed, "Good Brother An will try his best, hopefully the uncles and grandfathers won’t force me to drink too much."

Brother Cheng hurriedly chimed in from the side: "That’s right, that’s right, you can’t just keep serving big brother drink after drink. Getting drunk is very uncomfortable."

Jiang Jiao teased him: "Then why don’t you drink on behalf of your big brother? How about that?"

Brother Cheng shook his head: "No way, I’m just a kid, I can’t drink yet."

Jiang Jiao: "Nonsense, my young boys started drinking with their chopsticks dipped in alcohol at the age of three, and you’re already eight, you should be able to down a few drinks."

Saying that, he picked up a cup of wine and laughed: "Come on, try this cup first."

Jiang Jiao thought Brother Cheng would be scared off, but instead, Brother Cheng blinked, took the wine cup, and turned to hand it to Jiang Dahu: "Grandpa Jiang, Brother Cheng offers you a cup, here, drink."

Jiang Dahu: "...Haha, you rascal, such a clever trick. Alright, seeing how smart you are, Grandpa Jiang will drink this for you."

Jiang Dahu took the wine cup and drank it in one gulp, then poured another cup and handed it to Gu Dashan: "Dashan, this cup is for you... no more to say, we’re family from here on out."

Distressed by the fact that Scholar Shang and his wife had no children, Jiang Dahu and Mrs. Jiang had worried for several decades. They had considered letting Scholar Shang take a concubine to bear a child, but Scholar Shang was unwilling, saying he preferred a harmonious and dispute-free life with his family over having a son.

Although his relationship with Xue Niang was extremely good, having a child with a concubine would mean their relationship could never return to how it was before. It was better not to take a concubine and to live peacefully with Xue Niang and their daughter.

Now that they had Gu Jin’an as an apprentice, everything felt complete.

Gu Dashan smiled and accepted the wine cup, drank the wine inside, and said to Jiang Dahu: "Your family and Wenyuan’s Family have been kind to our families, we remember that. We’ve long been one family."

Hearing this, Jiang Dahu was truly moved to the verge of tears... This Gu Dashan was genuinely sincere, and though it was said that Gu Dashan’s father mistreated him, how dare that Old Thief Gu treat such a good son poorly. It really angered him. If he ever met Old Gu, he would definitely give him a good beating to vent some anger for Gu Dashan.

The feast for the ceremony of becoming a disciple continued until the afternoon before it ended.

Gu Jin’an didn’t go home but stayed to take care of Master Shang, saying he would go back home after school the next day.

Gu Dashan didn’t feel uncomfortable about it and only told him: "Don’t worry about home, just take good care of your master."

Gu Jin’an nodded, covered the already sleeping Brother Cheng with a small quilt, then escorted the families out of the Shang Family’s main gate.

Once Mrs. Chen boarded the mule cart, she began to chatter recklessly again: "After becoming a disciple, Good Brother An is practically half a Shang family member now, right? This is almost like adopting Good Brother An out, how could Sister-in-law Dashan and her husband not feel pained?"

Gu Dagui scolded: "Would you shut it? If Xiao Yu hears this, Brother Xing, Brother Wang, and Brother Fa can forget about studying under Master Ouyang. If they can’t study under Master Ouyang, your dream of marrying into the prominent Old Sealed Lord’s family will never come true."

Mrs. Chen snorted: "Master Ouyang has already agreed to teach the three Wang brothers. Someone as renowned as he is can’t take back his word. Besides, he wants to teach the Wang brothers because they are smart. What does that have to do with Xiao Yu? Even if that girl is overbearing, she can’t possibly influence Master Ouyang not to teach them, right?"

"[Aunt Da Gui], what are you saying? Are you talking about me? I just heard you mention my name." Gu Jinli’s cart was just above the Chen family’s, and with her good hearing, she had heard Mrs. Chen’s words.

Mrs. Chen, who had been put in her place by Gu Jinli over the years and was quite afraid of her, was so startled by the sound of Gu Jinli’s voice that she shuddered and accidentally leaned against the side of the cart: "[Aunt Da Gui] was praising you, saying your ham is delicious!"

Gu Dagui, seeing this, was at a loss for words and whispered to Mrs. Chen: "Why are you still so cowardly? Xiao Yu just says a few words and you’re scared into bumping into the cart, can’t you be a bit more dignified?"