The second house of the Gu Family previously lived in a three-part courtyard, which has now been converted into a place where only Madam resides, living in the main residence of the second courtyard, known as Shi'an Garden.
Lin Youning lives in the back at Tingxue Hall, with a perfectly square little garden in between the front Shi'an Garden and Tingxue Hall, which is precisely located within that little garden.
The passage on both left and right sides of the main residence are connected to the Hanging Flower Gate, with the east side of the gate leading to the Marquis Mansion and the west side connecting to the large garden of the Marquis Mansion, and along the wall of bright green is a corridor that directly leads to the Noble Family Garden at the front.
In the middle of the small garden, there are winding paths paved with pebbles hidden among the flowers and fake rocks. What catches one's eye the most is the large vine trellis at the northeast corner of the corridor, with wisteria hanging down, where every summer, lying in a deck chair below offers a view of wisteria blossoms swaying in the wind.
Lin Youning recalls that Madam once said this wisteria is at least a hundred years old, planted after the Gu Family established their home in the Capital, remaining to this day.
Following the corridor along the west side of the Hanging Flower Gate heading south, there is a peach grove located at the southwest corner of the garden.
Many noble families favor the elegance of chrysanthemums, plums, orchids, and lotuses, yet none plant peach trees in their courtyards. Those unaware might laugh at the Gu Family for lacking the depth of a noble family, but those in the know understand that the Gu Family's peach trees are no ordinary trees.
The Gu Family plants ornamental peach trees. Although they bear fruit in the fall, the quality is not great for eating, so these peach trees are mostly for decoration. Blooming every March and April, unlike regular peach blossoms, this peach grove in the Gu Family contains twelve kinds of ornamental peach trees, each a rare find among noble families, mostly collected by ancestors, preserved over a century to this day.
The Gu Family does not flaunt themselves among the noble families, so few are aware of their peach blossoms. The strict discipline of the family ensures that even the servants follow the rules closely, preventing word from spreading, with only a few well acquainted noble family friends knowing about the Gu Family's peach grove.
The last stream flows from the east Hanging Flower Gate to the west gate, traversing through the courtyard and extending into the Gu Mansion's large garden by the Crescent River.
As Lin Youning walked along, she observed the familiar courtyard, slowly making her way to the passage that leads to the An Garden but stopped beside the doorway without standing directly in it.
'Do not stand in the center of the door'—In her past life, Madam doted on her and did not emphasize strict rules, which she did not understand at the time. It was only after she had to support the Gu Family's main house on her own and suffered ridicule for her lack of etiquette in social interactions that she gradually learned and understood.
Shanmoi, standing two steps behind her lady as per etiquette, felt nothing amiss about her lady's silence. Serving by her side since she was five, she knew her lady had always been gentle and silent, or more accurately, timid.
Lin Youning took in the scenery of the small garden at a glance, her hands clenched tightly around the silk handkerchief resting on her abdomen. This was the heritage of the Gu Family, accumulated over a hundred years. In her previous life, she did not understand, but now she grasps the profound love Madam held for her by letting her live here.
As Gu Xuanfeng entered through the east Hanging Flower Gate, he saw a delicate, frail figure standing gracefully by the passage, in a plain hemp dress, without any extra adornments, but just standing there quietly, the words 'virtuous and serene' suddenly sprang to his mind.
[Apologies, it took over three hours to write these thousand words, and unfortunately, I lack the understanding, having to research every rule and detail.]