Gu Zi felt a quiet satisfaction with the outcome.
Youthful love, after all, was often an immature bloom that bore fruit prematurely—fruit lacking the proper nourishment, destined never to become a first-rate harvest. Such early affections should serve as nourishment instead, feeding the soul, allowing the flower to mature fully, and eventually yielding fruit that was large, ripe, and sweet.
That very day, Gu Zi received a letter from Guangcheng, sent by Yang Zhen. Along with the letter came a small wedding gift.
The note cheerfully announced that Yang Zhen had married her military officer husband. Even more heartening was news of Yang Zhen's brother, Yang Tao, who had pulled himself together, found steady work away from home, and now sent regular remittances to Aunt Yang, who was taking care of both herself and little Yuanyuan, who had just started kindergarten.
