《The Prime Minister's Darling》


 Chapter 1

    <h4>Chapter 1: Crossing Over</h4> <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>As Studios <strong> Editor: </strong>As Studios</h4>


    After the rain, the coolness ofte autumn wafted through Clearspring Vige.


    Miss Gu Jiao chased him to the vige entrance, sweating profusely. ¡°Master Qin, Master Qin¡­¡±


    Slurp!


    As she slipped, she fell t on her face.


    Then, the carriage before her sped off, sttering mud all over her.


    ¡°Hahahahaha!¡±


    The people surrounding her burst intoughter.


    Gu Jiaoniang was the vige fool. She had a crippled husband at home, but she ignored the honest man at home and kept chasing after Young Master Qin in town.


    And who was Young Master Qin? His father was a minister, he was an exemry schr, and he had the looks to match. Why would he fancy some dirty tramp?


    ¡°Hah! A toad lusting after a swan¡¯s flesh!¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Take a good look at yourself in the mirror! You think Young Master Qin will ever take a liking to someone like you?!¡±


    ¡°Whore!¡±


    ¡°Freak!¡±


    ¡°Moron!¡±


    Miss Gu Jiao was furious. Perching her hands on her hips, she stammered back fiercely, ¡°You¡­ you people aren¡¯t allowed to scold me¡­¡±


    A child hopped out. ¡°Hehehe! So what if we do? Moron, moron, moron! Freak, freak, freak!¡±


    Humiliated, Miss Gu Jiao flew into a rage and pounced towards the child, but she tripped and fell into the water¡­


    At the bottom of the ice-coldke, the unconscious woman suddenly opened her eyes.


    <i>What¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t I crash my ne into an iceberg during a mission and die? Why am I in the water?</i>


    Gu Jiao swam towards the shore with all her might.


    However, she did not know if it was because she had fallen badly, but she could not exert much strength.


    When she finally made it ashore, she felt like she was about to copse.


    When the vigers on the shore saw Gu Jiao sink, they were about to use their poles to scoop her up, but she had floated up on her own. Everyone looked at each other and dispersed in an instant.


    Before Gu Jiao could understand what was going on, she saw a group of people in strange clothes running away.


    Shey on the chilly grass and wiped the water off her face. Then, she was startled.


    She looked at her hands in surprise.


    These hands belonged to a fourteen or fifteen-year-old; but she was already twenty-eight years old. How could she have such petite hands?


    Moreover, as the exquisite queen of the secret agent world, she knew how to take care of herself. However, her hands were covered in frostbite scars, and parts of her skin were even cracked.


    Soon, Gu Jiao realized that not only had her hands changed, but even her clothes and figure had changed.


    A bold guess shed in Gu Jiao¡¯s mind.


    She went to the surface of the water to check her current appearance, but she almost fell in again.


    <i>What¡¯s with all this garish stuff?</i>


    Gu Jiao took some water and washed the inferior rouge off her face. Unexpectedly, she looked even uglier after washing it off¡ªnot only was her face sallow and thin, but there was also a big red patch on her left cheek that extended to the end of her eye.


    In her previous life, even a small pimple would have Gu Jiao hopping mad for three days. Now, confronted with such an ugly visage, she wished she could die on the spot again!


    ¡°Speaking of which, where is this? What dynasty is it?¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a sharp pain in her head. A memory that did not belong to her surged forth.


    It turned out that she had transmigrated to a dynasty that existed outside of history. This vige was called Clearspring Vige, and it was located at the foot of Clearspring Mountain.


    The original owner¡¯s name was also Gu Jiao, and she was the only child of the Gu family¡¯s third branch.


    Old Master Gu was a schr when he was young. After passing the county examination to be a junior schr, he became the administrator of Clearspring Vige; he would hold this position for many years. Clearspring Vige was poor and he did not earn much, but at the least he would not starve.


    Old Master Gu had three sons, as well as a daughter who had left the family. The eldest son, Gu Changhai, had a son and a daughter with Madam Zhou. The second son, Gu Changlu, had two sons with Madam Liu.


    The first two houses were considered prosperous, but when it came to the third house here, it was as if they had been cursed to be barren no matter what.


    It was not easy for them to give birth to Gu Jiao, but she was a girl. Furthermore, she was ugly and born stupid.


    As the vigers would say¡ªshe was a good-for-nothing. No one would buy her even if she put herself up on sale!


    Ever since Gu Jiao was born, the third branch had no more children.


    Rumors gradually spread in the vige that Gu Jiao was inauspicious, that her birth had ruined any chance for the third branch to have any sons.


    At first, the Gu family simply listened and did not take it to heart. It was only when Gu Jiao¡¯s parents passed away one after another that the Gu familypletely felt that this child was truly a jinx.


    The Gu family pulled strings everywhere to marry Gu Jiao off. The problem was, who would dare to marry her?


    Coincidentally, one day when Gu Jiao was strolling at the vige entrance, she bumped into a man who had fainted from hunger and picked him up.


    As Gu Jiao digested the memories in her mind, she walked towards a dpidated straw hut in the west of the vige.


    That was the home she lived in now.


    <i>Ouch¡ª</i>


    Halfway there, she felt a sharp pain on the back of her head. Gu Jiao raised her hand and touched it. Her hand was covered in blood.


    She must have hit a rock under the water just now and broken her scalp. There was still a lot of blood; she had to stop the bleeding as soon as possible.


    As Gu Jiao thought about it, she entered her courtyard.


    Although it was called a courtyard, it was actually just a small open space surrounded by a rickety fence. Other than the central room, there were a total of two rooms in the small straw hut. The slightlyrger room in the east belonged to Gu Jiao.


    It was not even asrge as the coatroom she had in her previous life.


    <i>What a dismal transmigration¡­</i>


    As Gu Jiao sighed, she raised her hand and pushed open the door. However, the moment she crossed the threshold, she acutely sensed that there was someone in the room.


    Judging from his breathing, it was a man.


    The man was hiding behind the door, trying his best to hold his breath.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s lips curled into a cold smile. She walked into the house casually and mmed the door shut. Almost at the same time, she grabbed the man hiding behind the door and threw him to the ground.


    The man was bigger than she had imagined.


    In her previous life, Gu Jiao would not have been afraid no matter how tall he was. However, now that she had such a petite and frail body, she had to use a lot of strength while pressing her entire body against him to lock him down.


    With one hand, she pulled off her headband and tied the other party¡¯s wrists together. With the other hand, she grabbed the other party¡¯s neck and said coldly, ¡°Speak! Who are you? What are you doing in my house?!¡±


    The man was stunned at first, then embarrassment surged to his head. ¡°Gu Jiao, are you crazy!? It¡¯s me!¡±


    <i>We know each other?</i>


    <i>Committing a crime on an acquaintance?</i>


    <i>That¡¯s even more abominable.</i>


    Not only did Gu Jiao not let go of him, she pressed down on the man¡¯s waist even harder.


    ¡°You¡­ Get off me!¡± The man gritted his teeth and barked coldly.


    ¡°Pfft~¡± Gu Jiao sneered.


    She had always been the one ordering others around; no one would order her around. Besides, this was her house, and she had yet to question him about what he was doing inside!


    Gu Jiao raised her fist, nning to teach him a lesson, but her elbow identally knocked open the window behind her.


    As the light shone in and illuminated the man¡¯s handsome face, Gu Jiao¡¯s eyes widened.

 Chapter 2

    <h4>Chapter 2: Husband</h4> <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>As Studios <strong> Editor: </strong>As Studios</h4>


    As a connoisseur of finer things, Gu Jiao had collected many handsome men in her previous life, but none of them¡­ To be precise, all the handsome menbined could notpare to the one before her right now.


    This person had a very clean face, and the corners of his eyes were as exquisite as jade. His eyes were very cold, as bottomless as ake in winter.


    His face was sickly pale, but it was flushed red from embarrassment, making him look a little alluring.


    Moreover, with his age, rather than calling him a man, it seemed more suitable to call him a young man.


    ¡°Looked enough yet?¡± Xiao Ling gritted his teeth and asked.


    ¡°Not quite enough, but¡­¡± Gu Jiao nced at his body and narrowed her eyes. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to crush that body of yours. ¡±


    With that, Gu Jiao got up.


    However, although she had gotten up, her eyes were still glued to him.


    ¡°Gu Jiao, you¡­¡± Xiao Ling was infuriated by her gaze.


    ¡°Need any help?¡± Gu Jiao reached out with a grin.


    ¡°No need!¡±


    Xiao Ling turned around coldly and stood himself up with a nearby chair.


    It was obvious that he had trouble moving, but he still rejected Gu Jiao¡¯s good intentions.


    Afterwards, he ignored Gu Jiao and limped out of the house.


    Gu Jiao finally remembered who he was. It was her Host¡¯s husband, Xiao Ling.


    Xiao Ling was picked up by Gu Jiao. After he woke up, the Gu family asked him about his situation. When they realized that he was an orphan and had nowhere to go, they made a decision on the spot. ¡°It¡¯s improper for men and women to touch each other, and besides, our daughter saved your life. So why don¡¯t the two of you get married?¡± Thereafter, they used their standing to force Xiao Ling to marry Gu Jiao.


    And, rather than Gu Jiao marrying into his family, it was more like he was married into the Gu family. The dpidated house they were currently living in was given to them by the Gu family, and their farnd was also distributed by the Gu family. They were all of the worst kind.


    When they got married, Gu Jiao did not know that Xiao Ling was a cripple; when she found out, she gradually started to despise him. Turning her back on him, she would go and look for Young Master Qin in town.


    Everyone in the vige felt indignant for Xiao Ling. They would say that it was like a fresh flower had been nted in cow dung; Xiao Ling was that flower, and the cow dung was her.


    Gu Jiao did not know how Xiao Ling thought about all these, but to ignore her while she was in such a sorry state, it was obvious how much he hated the original Host of her body.


    Gu Jiao opened the cab door and nned to change out of her wet clothes; sadly, she realized that there was not a single clean garment in the cab.


    ¡°Brother Xiao, are you there?¡±


    A sweet voice suddenly came from outside the door.


    The person who came was a young woman wearing a flowery purple coat. She had her hair in a glossy bun, with makeup on her face. A basket covered with a flowery cloth hung from the crook of her arm, making it impossible to see what it was carrying.


    Gu Jiao quickly found this person in her Host¡¯s memories¡ªthe young widow of Clearspring Vige, Xue Ningxiang.


    Xue Ningxiang was their neighbor, and she loved to visit their house, preferable when the original Host was not around, though they would asionally bump into each other. As the Host was rather dumb, she suffered a lot at Xue Ningxiang¡¯s hands.


    It was also Xue Ningxiang who divulged the news of Young Master Qin arriving in the vige to her Host.


    ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t this Sister Ningxiang? It¡¯s still so bright out, what brings you to my house?¡±


    Xue Ningxiang was shocked by Gu Jiao¡¯s sudden appearance. Then, she said in disappointment, ¡°Why is it you?¡±


    Gu Jiao smiled and rapped on the door. ¡°This is my house. Is it so strange to see me? Why are you disappointed?¡±


    Xue Ningxiang coughed. Obviously, she was disappointed not to see Xiao Ling.


    Xue Ningxiang looked at Gu Jiao again.


    She was still the same person, but she had be a little unfamiliar. She no longer seemed as dull as before, and her eyes were spirited. Even though she was slopping wet, she did not make people feel that she was in a sorry state. Instead, she emanated an intimidating aura.


    <i>I must be seeing things. How would a fool ever change?</i>


    Xue Ningxiang raised her chin and said, ¡°I¡¯m here to look for Brother Xiao!¡±


    Gu Jiao smiled faintly. ¡°Brother Xiao? Calling him so intimately¡­ Are you that close with my husband?¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡± Xue Ningxiang could not be bothered with her.


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t?¡± Gu Jiao stood in her way.


    Xue Ningxiang did not take Gu Jiao seriously at all. She raised her hand and pushed Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao gently gave way and tripped her feet.


    ¡°Uwah¡ª¡±


    Xue Ningxiang fell t on her face with her basket.


    ¡°You idiot! You tripped me!¡±


    This tripping scene had happened many times in the past, but this time, the person who tripped was Xue Ningxiang.


    Gu Jiao crossed her arms and leaned against the door, looking at her as if she was saying,?<i>So what if I did? Trip me back if you can~</i>


    Xue Ningxiang seriously suspected that she was seeing things.


    In fact, Xue Ningxiang and the original owner of the body had been at odds for a long time. Of the two women in the vige who attracted the most gossip, one was the vige fool, Gu Jiao, and the other was the widow, Xue Ningxiang. However, Xue Ningxiang was good-looking and diligent, and carried herself with more dignity than Gu Jiao.


    When Xiao Ling fainted at the vige entrance, it was Xue Ningxiang and the Host who found him. The difference was, Xue Ningxiang was afraid of getting herself into trouble and went to the vige to call for help, while the Host directly picked him up and brought him home.


    After it was confirmed that Xiao Ling was a guiltless schr, Xue Ningxiang immediately regretted it.


    Xue Ningxiang was about to start cursing when Xiao Ling walked out with a cold expression.


    When Xue Ningxiang saw him, her expression immediately changed. She cried meekly, ¡°Brother Xiao, she bullied me! She tripped me with her foot!¡±


    Gu Jiao looked at Xiao Ling and spread her hands in innocence. ¡°She pushed me first.¡±


    Xue Ningxiang said excitedly, ¡°Brother Xiao, listen, she admitted it¡­¡±


    ¡°Does Sister Ningxiang have any business here?¡± Xiao Ling interrupted her.


    Xue Ningxiang was taken aback.


    She looked at Xiao Ling, then at Gu Jiao. She picked the basket from the ground and said, ¡°I¡­ That¡­ You helped me read the letterst time, but I haven¡¯t been able to thank you properly. Didn¡¯t you run out of food at home? I went to the fields to dig up a few sweet potatoes to give you¡­¡±


    Xiao Ling said, ¡°There¡¯s no need, Sister Ningxiang. We still have cornmeal at home. You should bring these back and have them yourself.¡±


    Xue Ningxiang bit her lip. ¡°But¡­¡±


    Gu Jiao raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°He already told you to take it back. Didn¡¯t you hear him?¡±


    Her voice was not loud, but there was a terrifying chill hidden in her half-smile.


    Xue Ningxiang¡¯s scalp went numb. She did not dare to stay any longer and left dejectedly with her basket.


    Gu Jiao smiled at her husband. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a cripple like you to attract women.¡±


    Xiao Ling nced at Gu Jiao indifferently and returned to the house on his walking stick.


    ¡°Ouch¡ª¡±


    The wound hurt again.


    Gu Jiao held her scalp and returned to her room.


    She sat on the stool and touched the wound. It was a huge gash. Although it was not too deep, if not cleaned in time, it would most likely be infected. However, these were ancient times; where would she even find disinfectant?


    ¡°If only my medicine box was here.¡±


    As soon as this thought shed through her mind, Gu Jiao felt a sharp pain in her head again, causing her to faint.


    However, when she woke up, she realized that another box had appeared on the table in front of her.

 Chapter 3

    <h4>Chapter 3: Medicine Box</h4> <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>As Studios <strong> Editor: </strong>As Studios</h4>


    This box was not big and looked very battered and old, as if it had been repeatedly thrashed about roughly. Its surface was uneven and the paint had fallen off; those who did not know better would think that it had been picked up from some trash heap.


    However, this small battered box gave Gu Jiao an infinitely deep sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    Gu Jiao opened the box in a daze. When she saw the medicine inside, her mind buzzed.


    <i>Seriously?</i>


    <i>It¡¯s my medicine box!</i>


    <i>Why is it here?!</i>


    ¡°I¡¯m not dreaming, am I?¡±


    Gu Jiao pinched herself.?<i>It hurts! It isn¡¯t a dream!</i>


    <i>The box was also real, and the medicine inside was all genuine!</i>


    Gu Jiao remembered that the little medicine box was also beside her when the ne crashed.?<i>Was it because of that, that it came here?</i>


    <i>But¡­ how did it be so battered? Where¡¯s that blindingly bright paint?</i>


    In the past, even when the medicine box was still shiny, Gu Jiao had already found it ugly. Now that it was all battered, Gu Jiao felt that it was even uglier.


    However, she could not help but feel a sense of familiarity in her heart. Gu Jiao hugged the box tightly in her arms. ¡°I won¡¯t think of you as ugly anymore. Big Sis will treat you well in the future!¡±


    Gu Jiao wiped the small medicine box. Fortunately, it was only broken on the outside, and nothing inside was damaged.


    Gu Jiao took a few pieces of gauze and a bottle of saline from the small medicine box and disinfected the wound. She then picked out an antibacterial ointment and applied it on herself. Afterwards, she took two anti-inmmatory pills. She thought that she also had to bandage the wound, butter, she realized that there was no need.


    After dealing with her injury, Gu Jiao felt a little hungry. She ced the medicine box in the cab and nned to go to the kitchen to find something to eat. However, before that, she needed to change into clean and dry clothes.


    Gu Jiao hesitated for a moment before passing through the central room and knocking on Xiao Ling¡¯s door.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Xiao Ling¡¯s cold voice came from the room.


    Gu Jiao said, ¡°I want to borrow some clothes. I haven¡¯t washed my clothes in the cab, so I don¡¯t have any spares to change into.¡±


    Xiao Ling did not respond for a long time. Just as Gu Jiao thought that he would not lend her his clothes, the door opened and Xiao Ling handed her a dry garment.


    The material of the long garment was rather poor, and its color was a little faded, but it was washed very meticulously.


    In her previous life, Gu Jiao would never wear a man¡¯s clothes, but the situation left her with little choice. After all, she would rather not wear the moldy ones in the cab!


    After changing her clothes, Gu Jiao washed her dirty clothes before heading to the kitchen.


    <i>The kitchen¡¯s quite clean. Xiao Ling must have cleaned it up.</i>


    The rice jar was empty, but as Xiao Ling had mentioned, there was still half a jar of cornmeal. Not only that, Gu Jiao also found two eggs and a handful of spring onions in the cupboard.


    Gu Jiao took out the eggs and made two egg cornmeal pancakes. She sprinkled some chopped onions on them, then made half a pot of cornmeal soup with the leftover batter.


    Gu Jiao brought the prepared food to the central room.


    The door to Xiao Ling¡¯s room was ajar.


    In her memories, the two of them always ate their own food. When Xiao Ling cooked, he would always leave a portion in the pot for the Host, but the Host would go to the Gu family to eat most of the time.


    Gu Jiao hesitated, but eventually knocked on Xiao Ling¡¯s door.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Xiao Ling¡¯s cold voice came from the room.


    Gu Jiao said, ¡°I made dinner. Do you want to eat together?¡±


    Gu Jiao rarely cooked, and even if she did, she would not make his portion. Therefore, he had nned to wait for Gu Jiao to finish first before making his own.


    Xiao Ling suspiciously eyed the closed door.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to eat, I¡¯ll eat first.¡± Gu Jiao wanted to wait for him, but she was so famished that her stomach was pressed against her back, and she was just short of fainting on the ground.


    She had to replenish her strength as soon as possible.


    Gu Jiao had just sat down; before she could pick up her chopsticks, the door creaked open.


    Xiao Ling walked out.


    Xiao Ling was not here to eat.


    However, when his gaze inadvertentlynded on Gu Jiao, he paused.


    The long garment he had given Gu Jiao was one that was too small for him, but it was nheless still too big for Gu Jiao. Her thin body made the garment look baggy and clumsy.


    Probably to make it easier for her to work, she had her hair and sleeves rolled up, revealing a fair and slender neck, and her bony wrists.


    She was no longer as domineering and crazy as before. She simply sat there quietly, eating her food seriously.


    She did not even seem like her anymore.


    Xiao Ling¡¯s gaze paused for a moment, but in the end, he looked away coldly.


    At this moment, Gu Jiao noticed him and said to him, ¡°You¡¯re here. Sit down and eat.¡±


    There was another set of bowls and chopsticks opposite Gu Jiao. It was obvious that she was not calling for him as an afterthought; she had really made food for Xiao Ling.


    However, Xiao Ling was motionless.


    Gu Jiao understood what he was worried about. The Host did not have a good rtionship with him, so it would be quite suspicious if she suddenly made food for him. However, Gu Jiao could not simply say that she was no longer the person she used to be.


    After some thought, Gu Jiao said, ¡°There¡¯s not much firewood at home. If you don¡¯t eat now, we¡¯ll have to waste another batch reheating the foodter.¡±


    Perhaps this sentence had moved Xiao Ling, but he finally sat down opposite her.


    When the Host first met Xiao Ling, she must have been stunned by his looks. Otherwise, she surely would not have picked him up. In the eyes of outsiders, the Host¡¯s disdain for Xiao Ling was because of his crippled legs, but Gu Jiao could see that it was something else.


    The Host was stupid, but Gu Jiao was not. There were some things that the Host could not see through, but when Gu Jiao flipped through her memories she understood everything.


    Xiao Ling had been deliberately provoking the Host.


    He did not want to consummate their marriage, and did not want the Host to get close to him.


    Actually, it just so happened that she had the same intention.


    Although she was teasing him, she probably could not do anything with him when it came down to it.


    Gu Jiao was quickly full. She took her bowl and chopsticks to the kitchen and came out with a basket.


    Xiao Ling did not ask her what she was going to do, and she did not mention anything. It had always been like this between them.


    Unexpectedly, when Gu Jiao reached the door, she suddenly turned around and said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying just now, the firewood¡¯s really about to run out. It¡¯s not dark out yet, so I¡¯ll go to the back of the mountain to cut some firewood. It might rainter; if I¡¯m not back by then, remember to bring the clothes in.¡±


    Xiao Ling gazed at her deeply.


    The Gu Jiao of the past would not notice any changes in the weather, nor would she tell him where she was going.


    After Gu Jiao left, Xiao Ling was left behind with the food on the table which he did not know was even edible.


    Their family was poor. No matter how much Xiao Ling disliked Gu Jiao, he would not hold it against food.


    He scrunched his brows, picked up his chopsticks, and picked up a piece of scallion egg pancake.

 Chapter 4

    <h4>Chapter 4: Rescue</h4> <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>As Studios <strong> Editor: </strong>As Studios</h4>


    When Gu Jiao went out to chop firewood, they really werecking firewood. On the other hand, she also wanted to enter the mountains to find something to fill her belly.


    Although their family was not so destitute that they could not even eat, they were close. If Xiao Ling ate alone, their stores might have been able tost a few more days. With her included, though, the situation became a little problematic.


    It waste autumn, and the sky was clear. There were no clouds in sight for thousands of miles.


    Not only was it unpolluted, but Gu Jiao also felt that the sky above her was especially blue; it was a hue of blue she had never seen before. The air was also very fresh and refreshing.


    She hade here for no apparent reason. She wondered if the lunatics at the research institute would even miss her; they would probably grit their teeth and me her for suddenly disappearing without sending them thetest research results.


    On the surface, while she was an MD at M University¡¯s research institute, she was actually a secret agent. She entered the organization at the age of eight, and all her des after that were just a cover for her true identity.


    Of course, she did not n to live a life of bloodshed. She had made an agreement with the organization that this would be herst mission; after she was done, she would leave. Unexpectedly, something happened to the ne¡­


    Now that she thought about it, the ne crash was too coincidental.


    However, there was no point in thinking about this now. She was already dead, so it was impossible for her to go back and take revenge on anyone.


    Probably no one would feel sorry over her death.


    Her parents divorced when she was two years old. After that, they formed their own families and had new children. She had always been superfluous.


    In a sense, her fate was really simr to the original owner¡¯s. The Host¡¯s parents had passed away early, and she was also redundant in the Gu family.


    Even if the original owner of the body died, no one would truly feel sorry for her.


    Gu Jiaoughed self-deprecatingly, feeling a little chilly in her heart.


    Because she was worried that it would rain, Gu Jiao did not go too deep into the forest. Even so, she still discovered many good things, and there were a variety of edible fungi growing everywhere.


    There were some wood ear fungus growing on a tree stump that was fat and thick, almost covering most of the stump. Gu Jiao had found a big one.


    This area had clearly been cut down by the vigers. There were many tree stumps like this, and there were also many wood ear fungi growing out.


    Gu Jiao picked them piece by piece. Soon, her basket was loaded.


    Seeing that the basket was almost filled, Gu Jiao stopped picking fungi. She cut some dry firewood and secured the firewood and basket together with rope. Carrying them on her back, she prepared to go down the mountain.


    However, just as Gu Jiao turned around, she suddenly felt something under her feet, as if she had stepped on something.


    Immediately after, she heard a muffled groan. It was very low and weak.


    She blinked and slowly moved her leg away.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be that unlucky, right¡­?


    She took a deep breath and looked down. In the weeds, she spotted a white-bearded old man, who fainted from her stomp¡­


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±


    <i>No, wait, why would there be someone just lying in a gutter somewhere?</i>


    <i>And, why would I just happen to step on him?</i>


    With her conscience good, Gu Jiao stepped over him.


    However, a couple momentster, Gu Jiao returned expressionlessly.


    ¡°Just so we¡¯re clear, I didn¡¯t save you out of goodwill.¡±


    ¡°Cluck, cluck¡ª¡±


    In a tightly tied cloth bag beside the old man, some pheasants pped their wings and cried out.


    Gu Jiao raised her eyebrows and casually nced at the cloth bag. The bag instantly stopped moving.


    Then, she looked at the white-bearded old man in front of her¡ªa huge footprint was left on his face where Gu Jiao stepped on him. It looked truly tragic.


    Judging from his clothes, he seemed like an ordinary viger.


    However, there was an indescribable dignity between his brows.


    Gu Jiao put down the dry firewood on her back and began to check the other party¡¯s pulse.


    When she was in school, she studied western medicine. However, in order to carry out a very special mission, she infiltrated the National Healer Sage¡¯s family for five years under the pretext of bing a disciple.


    From his pulse, there was no illness in his body. Gu Jiao guessed that he had caught a cold and suddenly had a high fever, then identally fell into the gutter and dislocated his left arm.


    Gu Jiao took out her small medicine box from the basket on her back and ced an ice pack on his forehead.


    Thereafter, Gu Jiao re-adjusted his arm, and also cut a piece of firewood. She tore off his sleeve and secured his arm.


    After doing this, Gu Jiao took his temperature again and realized that it was still high, so she gave him a fever injection in his muscles.


    Not far away, there was a small straw shed for the vigers to rest on the mountain.


    Gu Jiao moved him there.


    His fever had subsided and he was about to wake up. Gu Jiao got up and went down the mountain. Before she left, Gu Jiao left her umbre for him.


    ¡°Personally, I don¡¯t give treatment for nothing.¡±


    When she finished speaking, she took the bag with the pheasants away.


    As soon as Gu Jiao arrived home, the rain started. Soon, it became a torrential rain. The mountains, the vige, and the straw shed were all enveloped in rain and fog.


    Gu Jiao went straight to the kitchen.


    Xiao Ling had already cleaned up the dishes, wiped the stove, and put away the clothes.


    Gu Jiao put down the firewood and cloth bag, and opened the cupboard to take a look. She asked in confusion, ¡°You finished everything?¡±


    She had left quite a lot.


    <i>Thatd looks lean, but his appetite sure isn¡¯t small.</i>


    <i>Is he at the age where he¡¯s still growing?</i>


    Gu Jiao raised her eyebrows, then found a cage to lock the pheasants in.


    Gu Jiao separated the smaller pieces of firewood from therger pieces, and picked out the ones that needed to be chopped.


    By the time she finished chopping the firewood, it was already evening. The rain had not stopped, and the house was cold and humid. She found a brazier and nned to light a fire for herself. Suddenly, she thought of something and walked to Xiao Ling¡¯s room, knocking lightly on his door.


    ¡°Do you want to warm yourself by the fire?¡±


    She asked softly.


    There was no response from the room.


    She called out again, but there was still no response.


    Gu Jiao saw that the door was ajar and gently pushed it open. She poked her head out and saw that under the dim yellow oilmp, his thin figure was already asleep on the old table.


    He was still holding an open book in his hand.


    The book was yellowed and the cover was cracked, pasted over with oilskin paper.


    Schrs in the countryside had a hard time, especially the sort that Xiao Ling was. He had been oppressed by the Gu family and her Host for a long time, and could not even attend a private school. He had to rely on himself for his studies.


    Gu Jiao hesitated for a moment before walking over quietly. She took a cotton shirt from the cab and draped it over him.


    It was already midnight when Xiao Ling woke up.


    He had not slept well for the past few days, nor had he thought that he would fall asleep on the table. When he opened his eyes, he realized that there was an additional cotton shirt on him. He frowned, and a trace of vignce shed across his eyes.


    He frowned as he looked at the book in his hand. Suddenly, he heard a crisping sound. He spun around and spotted a brazier on the ground.


    The cold room had been warmed up by the fire in an instant.


    Xiao Ling¡¯s gaze fell on the brazier, and he revealed a thoughtful expression.


    There was only a brazier at home. If she gave it to Xiao Ling, then Gu Jiao would not have one.


    After Gu Jiao hid the small medicine box, she quickly crawled under the nket, wrapping herself up like a small silkworm pupa.


    Perhaps it was because she had toiled a few times during the day that her small body was exhausted. Therefore, although it was a little cold, she still fell asleep very quickly.


    Gu Jiao had not dreamt for many years, but tonight, she had a dream.


    She dreamed that a doctor came to town and Xiao Ling went to look for him to treat his leg. However, an ident urred at the medical hall where the doctor was, and many people were injured.


    Xiao Ling had a crippled leg and could not run as fast as the others, and his other uninjured leg was also hurt in the ident.


    And while the injury did not kill Xiao Ling, it would make him miss the exam three dayster.

 Chapter 5

    <h4>Chapter 5: Rascals</h4> <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>As Studios <strong> Editor: </strong>As Studios</h4>


    Gu Jiao was very surprised by her dream. Not only did she dream, she actually dreamt of a man.


    ¡°Do I miss him that much?¡± Gu Jiao rubbed her chin curiously.


    However, it was just a dream after all, and Gu Jiao did not really take it to heart.


    At this moment, the sky was starting to brighten, though there were still a few stars in the sky. It looked like it would be a sunny day.


    Gu Jiao could not remember how long it had been since she had woken up so early. In her previous life, although it was true that she worked at the research institute, those who were familiar with her knew that she was a night owl through and through, and most of her research and surgeries were scheduled in the afternoon. As for the missions from the organization, it was rare for her to get those which started at dawn and ended at dusk.


    Gu Jiao was wearing her own clothes today.


    Last night, after Gu Jiao brought the brazier into Xiao Ling¡¯s room, she roasted her clothes around the brazier for a while. However, her movements were very light, and she did not wake Xiao Ling up.


    Gu Jiao went to the backyard to get water and wash up.


    Xiao Ling¡¯s door was open; he was no longer in the house.


    She thought that she had woken up early, but unexpectedly, someone was earlier than her.


    Gu Jiao walked around the house, but there was no sign of Xiao Ling. She only realized that there was a bucket missing beside the water vat.


    Gu Jiao looked at the remaining half of the water vat and rubbed her chin without saying anything.


    The bolt on the front door was still in ce. Xiao Ling had gone out through the back door of the kitchen, and after going out he locked it from the outside. This way, outsiders could not enter as they pleased, but if Gu Jiao wanted to go out, she could still leave from the front.


    After Gu Jiao washed up, she returned to her room to apply ointment and take some anti-inmmatory medicine.


    At this moment, Xiao Ling had yet to return. Gu Jiao leavened thest bit of cornmeal first. This was thest bit of food.


    Gu Jiao had to think of a way to sell the pheasant she brought back and exchange it for some food for her family. However, the original owner had never left the vige, so Gu Jiao did not know the way to town.


    It would take some time for the flour to rise. Gu Jiao took a broom and swept the backyard, central room, and her own room. Since Xiao Ling was not around, she did not enter his room.


    She had only washed half of yesterday¡¯s clothes, and there were still a few pieces in the wardrobe. Gu Jiao took them all out and ced them in therge wooden basin in the backyard.


    There were soap pancreas in this dynasty, which the Host had seen on a peddler¡¯s stretcher; however, the vigers were poor and could not afford them. Instead, they used soap pods plucked from trees.


    Gu Jiao smashed the soap pod and smeared it evenly on her clothes. She kept hitting it with the club until a fragrant foam appeared; only then did she start to wash it repeatedly.


    The decontamination ability of the soap was not as strong as she had imagined, but Gu Jiao was very determined to wash her clothes clean.


    Eventually, a small hole showed through the undergarment.


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±


    When Gu Jiao finished washing her clothes, she had almost used up half a vat of water.


    At this moment, the flour was also risen. Gu Jiao made cornmeal buns and steamed them in the pot.


    Xiao Ling still had not returned.


    There were a total of two wells in the vige. The old well was at the end of the vige and was rtively close to them, but it was almost dry. Gu Jiao guessed that Xiao Ling was fetching water and had gone to the new well at the entrance of the vige.


    That ce was only a short distance away from the ce where Gu Jiao fell into the water yesterday. A normal person would be able to make a round trip in less than fifteen minutes, but Xiao Ling¡¯s legs were crippled, and he had to carry a bucket of water as well. Gu Jiao estimated that he should have returned by now.


    Gu Jiao stood in front of the stove and looked in the direction of the front door. Ultimately, she still opened the door and left.


    Gu Jiao found Xiao Ling behind arge pagoda tree near the old well.


    Xiao Ling was surrounded by a few fierce-looking rascals. His bucket had fallen to the ground, the water spilled all over the ground.


    The rascals each had two chicken feathers sticking out of their heads.


    <i>An ancient version of punks?</i>


    Gu Jiao recognized not only the rascals from her vige, there were also some from the neighboring vige. They caused trouble all day long; while they did not kill or burn people, they nheless did harm the vigers.


    Xiao Ling¡¯s walking stick had been snatched away by a little rascal. The little rascal was young and looked to be only thirteen or fourteen years old, but he was very arrogant.


    He pushed Xiao Ling to the ground and pointed his walking stick at Xiao Ling¡¯s face. ¡°How many times have I warned you? Don¡¯t appear in front of me again! Are you f*cking deaf? Hurry up and get out of Clearspring Vige!¡±


    The little rascal¡¯s voice was clearly still breaking, and sounded somewhat familiar.


    The little rascal waved a walking stick at Xiao Ling. Gu Jiao did not have time to think carefully; she walked up in a few steps, raised her hand to block for Xiao Ling, and kicked the little rascal square in the butt.


    ¡°Uwah! Who the f*ck dares to kick me¡ª¡± The little rascal ate dirt after getting kicked. He turned around and was about to start cursing, but he choked.


    Gu Jiao did not care if he was choking or not. She went forward, snatched the walking stick from his hand, twisted his arm behind his back and jammed the walking stick to his neck, strangling him.


    The little rascal was extremely ufortable from being strangled and instantly cried out, ¡°Sister! Sister! What are you doing!¡±


    Gu Jiao was startled.


    When the rascals at the side saw that their boss was being bullied, they swarmed towards Gu Jiao.


    The little rascal roared angrily, ¡°All of you, f*cking stop! She¡¯s my sister!¡±


    The rascals were stunned.


    Gu Jiao¡­ finally remembered who this little rascal was. He was the youngest son from the Gu family¡¯s second branch, Gu Xiaoshun.


    Gu Xiaoshun was 13 years old this year. He was the youngest of the Gu family¡¯s grandchildren and the only one who was truly close to her Host. He did not mind that the Host was an idiot, nor that the Host was ugly.


    Perhaps, it was because Gu Xiaoshun was too much of a mess himself. Refusing to study properly and fooling around all day, his brothers and sisters always chided him, and his parents always beat him up. Only the Host would foolishly hold his hand, coaxing him with sweets from her own mouth.?<i>¡®Little Shun really knows how to fight. Little Shun is really amazing.¡¯</i>


    Gu Xiaoshun knew that Gu Jiao was like this because she was stupid, but he was not that smart himself.


    He simply felt that he would be nice to whoever treated him well.


    ¡°Sister! Sister! It hurts!¡± Gu Xiaoshun cried out in grievance.


    Gu Jiao let go of him and put her right hand behind her back. She used her left hand to pull him up and asked indifferently, ¡°Why did you bully your brother-inw?¡±


    ¡°Brother-inw?¡± Gu Xiaoshun suspected that he had heard wrongly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to beat him up?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Gu Jiao was puzzled.


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Gu Xiaoshun nced at Xiao Ling and whispered, ¡°You told me that you don¡¯t want this cripple anymore and wanted me to chase him away, so that you can be with that Young Master Qin!¡±


    He thought that his voice was soft, but everyone present heard him.


    Xiao Ling¡¯s gaze went cold.


    The other rascals could not bear to watch.


    Gu Xiaoshun said, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve forgotten? You told me yourself!¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun would not lie to her, so it seemed that the Host of her body had certainly said such things. However, even the Host had forgotten¡ªyet, this younger brother of hers did not forget a single word!


    ¡°I just¡­ said it casually, and you took it seriously?¡±


    Gu Jiao gritted her teeth.


    ¡°Then what should we do now?¡± Gu Xiaoshun realized that he seemed to have done something wrong. He stood there, his head drooping like a little quail.

 Chapter 6

    <h4>Chapter 6: Selling Pheasants</h4> <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>As Studios <strong> Editor: </strong>As Studios</h4>


    Gu Jiao bent down and, with her left hand, picked up the walking stick on the ground. She walked over to Xiao Ling and handed it to him.


    Xiao Ling took the walking stick indifferently and stood up.


    He went to pick up the bucket that had fallen to the ground.


    ¡°Hey, you go,¡± Gu Jiao said to Gu Xiaoshun.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Gu Xiaoshun eagerly trotted over and picked up the bucket before Xiao Ling could.


    ¡°Go fetch water,¡± Gu Jiao said to Gu Xiaoshun.


    ¡°Go fetch water!¡± Gu Xiaoshun said to one of his underlings.


    The rascal¡¯s mouth twitched. He grabbed the bucket and went to fetch water.


    Xiao Ling walked back expressionlessly, not saying a word throughout the entire process.


    When there was some distance between them, Gu Xiaoshun finally spoke again, ¡°Sister, what¡¯s the matter? You don¡¯t hate him anymore? And, and! Sister, how did you be so strong!? What was that move just now? Do it on me again! I¡¯ll use itter!¡±


    Gu Jiao red daggers at him.


    Gu Xiaoshun shut his mouth resentfully.


    ¡°Boss! Water¡¯s here!¡± The rascal walked over with a bucket full of water.


    ¡°Hurry up and bring it to my sister¡­ Cough.¡± Under Gu Jiao¡¯s oppressive gaze, Gu Xiaoshun took the bucket. ¡°Alright, pass it to me. You guys can go!¡±


    ¡°So, we still going to the neighboring vigeter to¡­¡±


    ¡°No more of that! Shush! All of you, scram!¡±


    The rascals dispersed.


    Gu Xiaoshun smiled at Gu Jiao. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t get mad. If you don¡¯t hate Brother-inw anymore, then I won¡¯t bully him anymore.¡±


    ¡°You bully him often?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    Gu Xiaoshun scratched his head. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think so. Only three or four times a month. Or four or five times? Maybe six? Seven? Eight?¡±


    Towards the end, Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s voice became softer and softer. He had a poor memory and did not even know how many times he had bullied Xiao Ling.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± Gu Jiao said.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Gu Xiaoshun giggled and followed behind Gu Jiao with the bucket.


    Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks when his gazended on Gu Jiao¡¯s stiff right arm. ¡°Sister, is your arm hurt?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Gu Jiao said.


    ¡°No way you¡¯re fine! You¡¯re bleeding!¡± Gu Xiaoshun put down the bucket and grabbed Gu Jiao¡¯s arm. He rolled up her sleeve and saw that her right wrist was all bloodied. ¡°Was it when I hit you with my stick just now?¡±


    ¡°I already said I¡¯m fine.¡± Gu Jiao pulled her hand back.


    ¡°And what happened to your head?¡±


    ¡°I hit it when I fell into the water before.¡±


    <i>The wound¡¯s hidden all the way in my hair! How is this kid¡¯s eyes so sharp?</i>


    Gu Xiaoshun continued, ¡°You fell into the water? When?¡±


    Gu Jiao left without looking back.


    ¡°Hey! Sis! Sis! Wait for me!¡±


    When Gu Xiaoshun followed Gu Jiao home, he was surprised to find a young schr at the door. The other party was wearing a long robe, and he appeared refined and elegant; however, he also exuded a certain haughtiness.


    ¡°Who are you? What are you doing at my sister¡¯s house?¡± Gu Xiaoshun asked with his hands on his hips.


    The other party did not even look at Gu Xiaoshun, and simply red at Gu Jiao coldly. ¡°Did you get someone to bully Brother Xiao again? You evil woman!¡±


    ¡°How dare you scold my sister!?¡± Gu Xiaoshun put down the bucket and raised his fists at the person.


    Although he was only 13 years old, he was really capable. Otherwise, he would not have be the number one rascal in all the surrounding viges.


    It was impossible for a weak schr to be his match.


    ¡°Xiaoshun,¡± Gu Jiao called out to him.


    Almost at the same time, Xiao Ling also changed his clothes and came out of the house.


    ¡°My ssmate,¡± Xiao Ling said to Gu Jiao and her brother.


    His ssmate snorted in disdain and walked over to support Xiao Ling. He took the heavy bag from him, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    When Gu Xiaoshun saw that Xiao Ling had brought his bag, he could not help but be stunned. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Could it be that she was afraid of him and was really nning to leave?


    His ssmate did not want to talk to Gu Xiaoshun.


    Gu Jiao did not ask further and simply walked into the house silently.


    When she brushed past Xiao Ling, he nced at her slightly stiff right hand.


    Gu Jiao had covered her hand with her sleeve, so he could not see the blood flowing down her wrist.


    However, when she had already entered the house she suddenly heard Xiao Ling¡¯s cold voice behind her. ¡°I¡¯m heading to town for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Is it for your leg?¡± Gu Jiao asked subconsciously.


    For some reason, that dream came to Gu Jiao¡¯s mind. She did not really believe in these sort of things, but¡­


    ¡°Are you having an exam in three days?¡± Gu Jiao looked at him.


    Shock shed across Xiao Ling¡¯s eyes, but he still nodded. ¡°¡­ Yes.¡±


    Her ssmate said angrily, ¡°Why are you telling her this? What if she doesn¡¯t let you go again!? Have you forgotten that you missed thest exam because of her?! And your leg as well, if she hadn¡¯t locked you up at home, you wouldn¡¯t have missed Doctor Zhang!¡±


    Gu Jiao turned to look at Gu Xiaoshun.


    She did not remember any of these happening.


    Gu Xiaoshun pointed at him and said, ¡°Are you even listening to yourself? What do you mean my sister stopped him from going? My sister was sick. How is it right for him to leave my sister alone when they just got married?¡±


    At the mention of this, Gu Jiao had an impression of what happened. Not long after she got married, her Host had indeed fallen sick, but it was not a real illness; she was simply pretending to be sick because someone told her that Xiao Ling would never return after leaving¡ªshe would be a young widow, just like Xue Ningxiang.


    She did not want to be a young widow, so she locked Xiao Ling up.


    She did not know that Xiao Ling had missed the exam half a year ago because of this, as well as his only chance to treat his leg.


    Gu Jiao nced at Xiao Ling¡¯s leg. ¡°About that, actually¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother Xiao, let¡¯s go! The carriage¡¯s still waiting at the vige entrance!¡± His ssmate interrupted Gu Jiao and pulled Xiao Ling towards the vige entrance without looking back.


    ¡°I want to eat osmanthus cake!¡± Gu Jiao suddenly walked out, looking at Xiao Ling. ¡°Li Ji¡¯s osmanthus cake! I only eat theirs! If you don¡¯t buy it back for me, I won¡¯t let you in! I¡¯ll even burn all your books!¡±


    ¡°You evil woman!¡± His ssmate gritted his teeth as he helped Xiao Ling into an old carriage at the entrance of the vige. ¡°Brother Xiao, don¡¯t listen to her! Li Ji is a famous brand, their osmanthus cakes are really difficult to buy! By the time you¡¯re done, Doctor Zhang will have already left! He¡¯s a doctor from the capital, he¡¯s better than any doctor in town; only he can treat your legs. You can¡¯t let that evil woman drag you down!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my sister, ordering him around like this!¡± Gu Xiaoshun gave Gu Jiao a thumbs up.


    Gu Jiao held her forehead. ¡°Do you know where the market is?¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun nodded. ¡°Yeah. Sis, why are you asking? You headed there? What for?¡±


    ¡°I want to sell some pheasants.¡±


    ¡°Pheasants? Sis, where did you get the pheasants?¡±


    ¡°I found them in the wild.¡±


    She did not mention anything about forcefully taking it as her consultation fee.


    Gu Xiao took it for granted that his sister had caught it herself. ¡°Sister, I realize that you¡¯ve changed. You¡¯ve be more awesome than before!¡±


    Not that she was not stupid anymore, but that she was more awesome than before; Gu Xiaoshun had never treated the Host as an idiot in his heart.


    Gu Xiaoshun told her the direction of the market. Both the market and the medical hall were in town, but one was in the west, while the other was in the east.


    Gu Xiaoshun insisted on apanying her, but Gu Jiao refused.


    The Gu family did not like Gu Xiaoshun getting too close to Gu Jiao, saying that Gu Jiao was stupid and would make him stupid as well.


    Gu Jiao returned to the room and opened the small medicine box. She used some iodophor to clean her wound and applied some antibacterial ointment.


    <i>I¡¯m so hungry.</i>


    Gu Jiao went to the kitchen.

 Chapter 7

    <h4>Chapter 7: Dean</h4> <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>As Studios <strong> Editor: </strong>As Studios</h4>


    When Xiao Ling arrived in town, he was immediately dragged to the medical hall by his ssmate.


    There was a long queue outside the medical hall; everyone was here to see that great doctor.


    The two of them stood at the end of the line.


    His ssmate stood on tiptoes and looked around. ¡°It¡¯s not toote. We should be able to see him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay you back for the fareter.¡± Xiao Ling said.


    His ssmate patted his chest. ¡°We¡¯re from the same school and from the same hometown. Why are you being so polite? By the way, you hungry?¡±


    They had left in a hurry¡ªneedless to say, they had not eaten anything.


    He took out a clean bag from his wide sleeve and opened it to reveal three beautiful cornmeal buns.


    ¡°Where¡¯d these steamed bunse from?¡± Xiao Ling felt that these steamed buns looked a little familiar.


    His ssmate said, ¡°It¡¯s from your stove. It was just steamed when I went over!¡±


    Xiao Ling frowned. ¡°How many did you leave behind?¡±


    His ssmate replied strangely, ¡°Aren¡¯t there only three in total? Don¡¯t you remember how many steamed buns you made yourself?¡±


    Xiao Ling pursed his lips and remained silent.


    After a while, he said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you leave one for her?¡±


    His ssmate was shocked. ¡°What, for that evil woman? Why leave any for her? Hasn¡¯t she hurt you enough? Besides, she won¡¯t eat what you cook!¡±


    His ssmate picked up a steamed bun and took a bite; his eyes instantly widened. ¡°Brother Xiao, the steamed buns you made today are delicious!¡±


    Xiao Ling stepped out from the queue.


    His ssmate was stunned. ¡°Brother Xiao, where are you going? It¡¯s almost your turn!¡±


    Xiao Ling did not say anything and simply walked forward with his head lowered.


    His ssmate looked at the long queue that almost reached the alley behind them, and stomped his feet anxiously. He said to the woman behind him, ¡°Auntie, we¡¯re going to the restroom for a bit. We¡¯ll be back soon!¡±


    He caught up with Xiao Ling. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°To buy osmanthus cakes,¡± Xiao Ling said as he walked through the alleys and arrived at Li Ji¡¯s shop.


    Li Ji was an established brand, and there were no fewer people queuing here than at the medical hall.


    His ssmate was anxious. ¡°Are you crazy? You¡¯re really buying osmanthus cakes for that evil woman!? Doctor Zhang only attends to patients for half a day! By the time you¡¯re done buying the osmanthus cakes, you¡¯ll have missed your chance to see him!¡±


    Xiao Ling was a stubborn person. Once he made a decision, nothing could make him change his mind.


    Two hourster, Xiao Ling had bought some of Li Ji¡¯s osmanthus cakes.


    ¡°I hope Doctor Zhang hasn¡¯t left yet!¡± His ssmate pulled Xiao Ling towards the medical hall.


    However, when they returned to the entrance of the medical hall, they realized that the long queue had disappeared. There were only somemoners watching the going-ons, as well as a group of solemn-looking soldiers.


    His ssmate looked at the middle-aged man beside him and asked, ¡°Uncle, did something happen here? Why are the patients gone?¡±


    The middle-aged man said, ¡°Just now, a lunatic rushed into the medical hall, saying that his wife died from their malpractice. He started shing with a knife, everyone inside was injured! You see that woman at the door? She was thest to enter. The moment she entered, that lunatic came! She was lucky and managed to run out, but she also fell and smashed her head!¡±


    <i>Isn¡¯t that woman the one behind us at that time?</i>


    <i>If we didn¡¯t leave, Xiao Ling would¡¯ve been thest to enter.</i>


    <i>With Xiao Ling¡¯s legs, it was impossible for him to escape, so he would very likely be among those who were injured.</i>


    On the way back, neither of them said a word.


    It was getting dark, and the wheels of the carriage rattled as they made their way down the silentne.


    At this hour, the town¡¯s carriages were no longer willing to go to the countryside. They spent twenty copper coins to rent a mule cart¡ªthere was no carriage, only a simple awning with nothing to block the chilly wind.


    The two of them were frozen stiff.


    Suddenly, a thin and weak little figure barged into Xiao Ling¡¯s line of sight.


    Xiao Ling¡¯s gaze froze.


    This was a fork in the road.


    In front of him was the road back to the vige, and to the west was the road to the market.


    On the path from the market, Gu Jiao was walking while carrying a heavy basket on her back, all out of breath.


    The afterglow of the setting sun had already dissipated. Her thin, bony figure was enveloped in thest trace of twilight.


    She raised her hand to wipe her sweat, revealing the gauze on her wrist. There were traces of blood on the gauze.


    ¡°Stop the cart,¡± Ling Xiao said.


    The coachman stopped the cart.


    ¡°Why did you stop the cart?¡± his ssmate asked in confusion. Then, he saw Gu Jiao walking over.


    Gu Jiao did not notice them and thought it was an ordinary mule cart. She did not look up and turned around without looking sideways, walking past the carriage.


    ¡°Come up,¡± Xiao Ling said.


    Only then did Gu Jiao turn her head and look at Xiao Ling in shock. Beside Xiao Ling was his ssmate from earlier.


    His ssmate still wore that expression of disgust, but he did not say anything about not allowing Xiao Ling to speak to her.


    ¡°Come up,¡± Xiao Ling said again, his voice cool.


    He was clearly a youth of only 16 or 17 years old, but he had a calmness and presence unfitting for his age.


    Gu Jiao hesitated for a moment before climbing up.


    She sat opposite Xiao Ling, took the basket off her back, and ced it on the ground.


    Xiao Ling looked at the basket and asked, ¡°You went to the market?¡±


    Gu Jiao nodded. ¡°Yes, I went to sell a couple of pheasants, and bought some rice and white flour.¡± And, also some other things.


    Xiao Ling gazed at her, as if seeing through her and realizing something, but he did not say a word.


    On the other hand, his ssmate looked at Gu Jiao strangely.?<i>This stupid, evil woman knows how to do business?</i>


    However, Gu Jiao did not seem to notice his gaze. She asked Xiao Ling, ¡°What about you? Did you see the doctor in town today?¡±


    ¡°You still dare to ask! It¡¯s all your fault! If you hadn¡¯t shouted that you wanted to eat osmanthus cake, we wouldn¡¯t have missed Doctor Zhang¡¯s consultation!¡± There was no way his ssmate would mention that Xiao Ling had avoided a cmity because he went to buy osmanthus cake for her.


    ¡°Then¡­ that¡¯s a pity.¡± Gu Jiao lowered her eyes and muttered.


    Although she uttered words of regret, it somehow gave the feeling that she did not mean it at all.?<i>Could it be that she already heard about what happened at the medical hall?</i>


    <i>Impossible. With her personality, how can she be so calm after knowing that she had saved Brother Xiao by some freak chance? Thest time she saved Brother Xiao, she forced him to marry her. If she knew that she saved him again this time, she¡¯d be all over herself by now!</i>


    His ssmate sneered. ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten the osmanthus cake! I¡¯m not letting you have any!¡±


    Gu Jiao was unfazed. ¡°Oh.¡±


    His ssmate¡¯s words failed to achieve his intended effect.


    After that, no one said anything else.


    A very elegant carriage approached them.


    His ssmate¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He perked up and said, ¡°Look! That¡¯s the dean¡¯s carriage!¡±


    ¡°What dean?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    His ssmate said, ¡°The dean of Divine Academy! Where Brother Xiao is going to take the exam in three days! He¡¯s from the capital, and used to be the head of the capital¡¯s Four Greats. He¡¯s truly knowledgeable; his results in the imperial examination from twenty years ago have never been surpassed by anyone until now! A single piece of advice from him is better than studying ten years of the ssics! How good it would be if I could be his disciple! However, I heard that the dean hasn¡¯t taken any disciples for many years. I¡¯ve been in the academy for half a year, but I haven¡¯t even seen his face before¡­¡±


    His ssmate lost himself in his rambling, so excited that he forgot he was talking to the person he hated most.


    In the carriage.


    Dressed in a white uniform, the dean sat respectfully to the side. In the main seat was an old man in a cloth garment.


    The old man¡¯s left arm was bandaged, and he was holding a small broken umbre in his arms. Arge footprint could vaguely be seen on his face.


    Looking at his appearance, the dean was at a loss for words. He did not know what happened, and did not dare to ask.


    He bowed respectfully. ¡°Why did you suddenly leave for the mountains? Why didn¡¯t you tell the students so that I could send someone to pick you up?¡±

 Chapter 8

    <h4>Chapter 8: Alone</h4> <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>As Studios <strong> Editor: </strong>As Studios</h4>


    The paths in the vige were not easy to travel, especially the path to Xiao Ling and Gu Jiao¡¯s house. There were too many potholes, and it was easy for the wheels to get caught.


    The mule cart stopped at the vige entrance.


    ¡°Brother Xiao.¡± His ssmate was the first to jump out of the carriage. He reached out and helped Xiao Ling down, then carried Xiao Ling¡¯s bag down.


    After Xiao Ling got his footing, he turned around and nced at Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao jumped out of the carriage lightly and carried the basket on her back.


    Xiao Ling looked away and said to his ssmate, ¡°You should go back. You don¡¯t have to send me home.¡±


    It was indeedte, and the coachman was getting impatient.


    His ssmate said, ¡°Alright, then I¡¯m leaving. Don¡¯t forget about the exam in three days. The academy isn¡¯t on holiday that day, so I won¡¯t be picking you up. Remember to go yourself.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xiao Ling nodded mildly and took his bag.


    It was not easy to walk at night, and they did not have antern, so Gu Jiao did not move and waited silently for Xiao Ling at the side.


    His ssmate nced at her coldly and pulled Xiao Ling further away. He whispered, ¡°Brother Xiao, in three days if you do well and pass the exam, you¡¯ll be able to stay at the academy! You won¡¯t have to suffer under this evil woman anymore! Don¡¯t worry about the treatment for your leg, I¡¯ll continue to ask about Doctor Zhang. Oh, and eat the osmanthus cake yourself. Don¡¯t let that evil woman take advantage of you!¡±


    When Gu Jiao walked back from the market with the basket on her back, she was covered in sweat, but it had all dried while they were on the cart. Her reddened face was pale from the cold, and it was a little eye-catching under the moonlight.


    Xiao Ling nced at her from the corner of his eye. His ssmate wanted to say more, but he was interrupted by Xiao Ling. ¡°Got it. You should go back.¡±


    His ssmate continued to p his mouth, but Xiao Ling ignored him. Grabbing his bag with one hand and holding his walking stick with the other, he turned around and headed home.


    Gu Jiao followed behind him.


    Gu Jiao maintained the right distance from him, so as not to let him feel that she was too close, but still close enough that she could support him in time if he tripped.


    However, Xiao Ling was very familiar with this road. Nothing happened along the way home.


    It was already dark, and all the households had closed their doors. Only Xue Ningxiang came out to pour away the bathwater, and she was frozen at the door for a while.


    ¡°Ah Xiang, why aren¡¯t youing in? What are you looking at?¡±


    In the room, Xue Ningxiang¡¯s mother-inw wasying on the bed as she asked in a hoarse voice.


    Xue Ningxiang blinked in a daze and replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    She must have been mistaken.?<i>Why would Xiao Ling be with that fool? They might be married, but they¡¯re worse enemies than most.</i>


    At the Gu family¡¯s old residence.


    Today, it was the eldest branch¡¯s turn to cook. Madam Zhou and her daughter, Gu Yue¡¯e, carried the piping hot food to the central room and set the dishes.


    In the Gu family, women did not eat at the table. Only Old Master Gu, his eldest son Gu Changhai, his second son Gu Changlu, and his three grandchildren were at the table.


    Old Madam Wu brought her two daughters-inw and granddaughter, Gu Yue¡¯e, to the kitchen to eat.


    As a junior officer, Old Master Gu fared far better than the vigers who only knew how to tend their fields. Everyone else could count on their hands the number of times they saw meat in a year, but the Gu family could afford to eat meat twice a month.


    Today was one of the days they had meat.


    There was pork belly stewed with cabbage, and even the soup emitted a rich, fatty fragrance.


    However, there was not much pork belly; there was barely enough even if each of them only had a couple pieces.


    After Gu Changhai and Gu Changlu each picked up a piece, under their father¡¯s dignified presence they did not dare to have any more designs on the meat. They turned around, helping themselves to the pickled vegetables.


    Old Master Gu did not eat much either, only having a small piece himself. He also picked medium-sized pieces for Gu Xiaoshun and Gu Ershun, then gave the rest to Gu Dashun.


    Gu Xiaoshun counted carefully. There were a total of five pieces, and all of them were big pieces even!


    ¡°Why can he have so many pieces?¡± Gu Xiaoshun muttered bitterly as he ate.


    Gu Ershun said softly, ¡°That¡¯s because Eldest Brother is a schr. We¡¯re counting on Eldest Brother to stand up for us.¡±


    When he said this, however, he could not help but nce at the meat in Gu Dashun¡¯s bowl.


    He craved it.


    He really craved for it.


    However, he was already used to this sort of differential treatment.


    There were many men in the family, but only their eldest brother was any good at studying. This year, their eldest brother even passed the admission exam for the county school and became an official schr, an academic achievement greater than his grandfather¡¯s.


    ¡°Tsk.¡± Gu Xiaoshun rolled his eyes. ¡°My brother-inw is also a schr. Why don¡¯t I see you guys asking him to eat more meat?¡±


    ¡°How is that the same? Big Brother has already been admitted to the county school. He doesn¡¯t evenpare to Big Brother.¡±


    ¡°My brother-inw just didn¡¯t take the exam.¡±


    The two brothers were still continuing to argue when Old Master Gu mmed his chopsticks on the table; the two of them instantly mmed up.


    When the old master was angry, not just his three grandchildren, even Gu Changhai and Gu Changlu would be a little frightened.


    The house was eerily silent.


    ¡°Ershun, have you read the book I gave you? I made some annotations on it. Take a look, and ask me if you don¡¯t understand something.¡±


    It was Gu Dashun who was speaking.


    He was the only one who dared to speak when the old man was angry.


    His voice was clear and his tone was calm. Neither too fast nor too slow, he really carried himself with the demeanor of a schr.


    He was the treasured apple in Old Master Gu¡¯s eye¡ªthe Old Master¡¯s anger quickly dissipated.


    ttered, Gu Ershun smiled. ¡°Okay. Thanks, Big Brother!¡±


    Back then, Old Master Gu taught all three of his grandsons, but only Gu Dashun could pass the examinations. Eventually, Old Master Gu was no longer able to teach him, so he sent Gu Dashun to a private school in town.


    The private school was too expensive, so the Gu family could only afford for their most outstanding grandson to be admitted.


    Gu Ershun dreamed of being like Gu Dashun.


    Old Master Gu said in a dignified manner, ¡°Don¡¯t disturb your big brother these few days. He has an exam to take.¡±


    Gu Ershun nodded respectfully. ¡°Got it, Grandpa.¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun did not want to stay any longer. He finished his meal in a few bites and left.


    He wanted to leave, but he could not leave through the front door of the central room, nor the back door of the kitchen. Madam Wu was not as easy to deal with as the old man.


    Gu Xiaoshun decided to climb over the wall.


    However, he had only climbed halfway when Madam Liu caught him. ¡°Gu Xiaoshun! Get down!¡±


    Madam Liu dragged Gu Xiaoshun down.


    Madam Liu pped his head and scolded in a low voice, ¡°Your grandparents are all here. Are you tired of living?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hit my head!¡± Gu Xiaoshun said impatiently.


    ¡°It¡¯s already sote. Where are you going out to?¡±


    ¡°My sister hasn¡¯t been here for a day. I want to see how she¡¯s doing.¡±


    Madam Liu snorted. ¡°It¡¯s good that she¡¯s not here. See how she¡¯s doing? She¡¯s already married, yet she still goes to her parents¡¯ house every day. How shameless!¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun pursed his lips and said, ¡°That¡¯s not what Third Uncle and Third Aunt said before they passed away. Grandpa and Grandma promised Third Aunt that for Sister they would find someone to marry in, so brother-inw married into the Gu family, and Sister¡¯s still a member of our family.¡±


    Madam Liu could not argue against him, and simply pinched him hard.


    Gu Ershun was obedient but useless. Gu Xiaoshun was neither obedient nor useful. She had given birth to her two sons in vain!


    ¡ª


    Gu Jiao bought rice and noodles at the market. She did not expect Xiao Ling to have bought something as well, a few in steamed buns.


    Gu Jiao went to the kitchen to heat up the steamed buns.


    It was Xiao Ling who prepared the fire.


    Gu Jiao did not argue.


    When she went out, the wound on her wrist was not serious. However, at the market she did someone to cause her wound to tear. Serendipitously, she felt the house was not a safe ce to leave it, so she had brought the medicine box with her and bandaged it on the spot.


    Neither of them made any mention of the three cornmeal buns from the morning. Xiao Ling did not exin, and Gu Jiao did not question him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat here. It¡¯s warm,¡± Gu Jiao said. She was freezing, and she was even shivering.


    Xiao Ling hesitated for a moment before nodding and sitting down on the stool beside Gu Jiao.


    This was the first time the two of them were so close. They were so close that he could clearly see the birthmark on the side of Gu Jiao¡¯s face as he sat on her left.


    In the past, Gu Jiao had always covered herself with thick makeup, but now, she was bare-faced and did not hide anything.


    The corners of Xiao Ling¡¯s beautiful lips twitched, but he did not say anything.


    Just like how she would not ask about him, he would not ask her either.


    They were twopletely unrted people to begin with, so there was no need for them to have a deeper rtionship.


    The white steamed buns were pretty nd, but Gu Jiao had been famished for the entire day, so she was not picky about it.


    Gu Jiao choked and went to get a drink of water. When she returned, Xiao Ling was no longer there, and a pouch was left on the small stool.


    Gu Jiao opened it.


    It was osmanthus cake.

 Chapter 9

    <h4>Chapter 9: Protective</h4> <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>As Studios <strong> Editor: </strong>As Studios</h4>


    In the blink of an eye, it was the day of Xiao Ling¡¯s exam.


    Gu Jiao woke up early and leavened some dough. Then, she steamed a basket of porcin-white steamed buns, and cooked a pot of wild fungus soup.


    The wild fungi were picked on the mountain, and they had already finished the first harvest. These were freshly picked yesterday, and there was still a lot left; she nned to sell them at the marketter.


    In fact, she had also picked some wood ear fungus, but fresh wood ear fungus was poisonous and had to be sun-dried before it could be eaten.


    While waiting for dinner, she went back to her room to take her medicine.


    The wounds on her wrist and the back of her head had already healed, and she was almost finished with the medicine. The ointment was more efficient, and there was still more than half of the bottle left.


    On the other side, Xiao Ling had also got up.


    Gu Jiao knew that he had studiedtest night and did not wake him in the morning, but he was still very early.


    Gu Jiao arranged the bowls and chopsticks, and scooped half a bowl of wild fungus soup for him. She was worried that he would need to use the toilet after entering the examination hall, so she specially did not fill it to the brim.


    However, Gu Jiao did not know if it was her imagination, but she felt that the look which Xiao Ling¡¯s gave her from time to time was a little resentful.


    The exam would take an entire day, so Gu Jiao prepared some steamed buns and water.


    After pausing for a moment, she seemed to have thought of something and stuffed another ten copper coins into the bag.


    Xiao Ling¡¯s eyes flickered when he saw her stuffing the copper coins in, but he did not say anything.


    Gu Jiao handed him the bag she had packed. ¡°I¡¯ve already arranged for transportation and paid the fare. I asked them to send you directly to the academy.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Xiao Ling replied. He took the bag and walked out with his walking stick.


    Gu Jiao looked at his crippled leg and resisted the thought of sending him to the vige entrance. He would not be receptive to the idea either way.


    When Xiao Ling arrived at the vige entrance, Second Uncle Luo¡¯s ox cart was already parked under the pagoda tree. There were many people sitting there, vigers bringing their vegetables and eggs to sell in town.


    When the vigers saw him, they crowded him, smiling and greeting.


    Xiao Ling was a schr. He appeared cold and aloof most days, but he did not put on much airs. Any family who wanted to read or reply to a letter woulde looking for him. Although Gu Dashun was also a schr, Gu Dashun was in a private school during the day and buried himself in his studies at night when he returned home, so the vigers rarely looked for Gu Dashun.


    There was onest seat on the ox cart. It was probably reserved for him.


    Just as Xiao Ling was about to go up, he felt a figure sh past and block his way.


    The other party pressed on the ox cart with one hand and supported another figure behind her with the other. ¡°Shun¡¯zi, hurry up!¡±


    It was Madam Zhou and her son from the Gu family¡¯s eldest branch.


    Madam Zhou blocked Xiao Lingpletely, not giving him a chance to get on the ox cart.


    On the ox cart, a woman said, ¡°Hey, Shun¡¯zi¡¯ mother, Ling came first.¡±


    Gu Dashun stopped halfway while climbing the cart.


    He turned his head and looked past his mother at Xiao Ling.


    Xiao Ling¡¯s eyes were cold and his expression indifferent.


    Madam Zhou snorted nonchntly. ¡°My Shun¡¯zi has an exam to take! So what if he came first? Why should he dy my Shun¡¯zi from taking his exam just because he came first?¡±


    Everyone in the vige knew that Gu Dashun was someone promising. He had been admitted to the county school a while ago, and it was even said that he did not have to kneel and bow when he met the county magistrate.


    Although Xiao Ling was a good young man, he was not as important as Gu Dashun¡¯s future.


    If Gu Dashun made it big, not only would he bring glory to the Gu family, but the entire Clearspring Vige would also benefit from him.


    No one made a sound.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Second Uncle Luo said awkwardly, ¡°Ling¡­ he¡¯s also going to take the exam.¡±


    Last night, when Gu Jiao came to look for Second Uncle Luo, she had already exined to him that Xiao Ling was going to take an exam at the academy. Since Xiao Ling could not walk easily, she instructed him and asked him to make sure to send him there. For this, she even gave him two copper coins.


    Second Uncle Luo was puzzled. The fool from the Gu family, who did not get along with Xiao Ling, seemed to have be an entirely different person when she was talking to him.


    However, before he could ask further, Gu Jiao had already left.


    Even upon hearing that Xiao Ling was also going to take the exam, Madam Zhou did not take it to heart at all.?<i>How can Xiao Ling¡¯s exam evenpare to my son¡¯s?</i>


    On the other hand, Gu Dashun looked at Xiao Ling in shock. ¡°Are you¡­ going to Divine Academy too?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Xiao Ling replied indifferently.


    When Xiao Ling first came to the vige, he was already a junior schr; at that time, Gu Dashun was also a junior schr. Later, when Gu Dashun passed the academy¡¯s exam to be a schr-officiate, Xiao Ling was still a junior schr, so Gu Dashun did not think much of Xiao Ling.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been to the private school for half a year¡­¡± Gu Dashun shook his head.


    Obviously, he was insinuating that Xiao Ling had no chance of passing the exam at all.


    Second Uncle Luo, who had originally nned to persuade another viger to give up their seat for Xiao Ling, silently held back his words.


    <i>If he doesn¡¯t stand a chance, there¡¯s no need to go through the trouble.</i>


    Second Uncle Luo took out his money pouch.


    The fare for going to the market was two copper coins, while the slightly better ces cost three copper coins. Gu Jiao gave him two more on top, for a total of five copper coins.


    When Second Uncle Luo counted the copper coins and returned them to Xiao Ling, Gu Dashun was pushed onto the ox cart by Madam Zhou.


    However, before he could seat himself properly, a thin hand suddenly reached out from behind, grabbed the back of his cor, and yanked him down from the ox cart!


    Gu Dashun was two years older than Xiao Ling, and he was already neen this year. He was a sturdy young man, but he was pulled so hard that he staggered and almost fell to the ground.


    Madam Zhou was scared out of her wits and hurriedly went to Gu Dashun.


    ¡°Who is it!?¡±


    She spun around angrily.


    Then, along with everyone she spotted the spindly and small Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s eyes were cold, exuding an unruly chill.


    Everyone was shocked.


    ¡°Gu Jiao, are you nuts?!¡± Madam Zhou wondered who was so bold, but it turned out to be this fool.


    ¡°Take the copper coins back.¡± Gu Jiao ignored Madam Zhou and only looked indifferently at Second Uncle Luo, whose hand was frozen in midair. She frowned impatiently. ¡°I booked the ox cartst night. If you want to go back on your word, then refund everyone¡¯s fares as well.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡± Madam Zhou asked.


    ¡°Exactly what it means. If Xiao Ling can¡¯t get on the ox cart today, then no one is allowed to get on the ox cart,¡± Gu Jiao said.


    ¡°And on what basis?¡± A woman snorted.


    Gu Jiao slowly pulled out a sickle from behind her back. ¡°On the basis of me being an idiot?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s faces turned pale when they saw the de.


    Madam Zhou, who had wanted to rush forward and pull Gu Jiao¡¯s hair, was so frightened that she did not dare to take a single step.


    <i>This fool¡­ A fool¡¯s really capable of anything.</i>


    <i>However, this fool has never liked Xiao Ling in the past. Why would she make things difficult for the Gu family, who she had always been close with, for his sake?</i>


    Not only the vigers, even Xiao Ling¡¯s eyes shed with shock.


    ¡°If you want to go get Old Master Gu, hurry up,¡± Gu Jiao said, puffing on the sickle which she had polished until it gleamed.


    Madam Zhou really wanted to go.


    However, she was stopped by Gu Dashun.


    <i>It¡¯s impossible to reason with a fool. And it¡¯ll be bad if I was dyed for the exam.</i>


    <i>Sure, Xiao Ling will also miss the exam, but Xiao Ling wouldn¡¯t pass anyway, so it doesn¡¯t matter for him. I¡¯m different.</i>


    Eventually, it was Second Uncle Luo who thought of the idea to get Madam Zhou to buy one of the vigers¡¯ dishes, so the viger would give up his seat to Gu Dashun.


    Gu Jiao did not care whose seat Gu Dashun had bought.


    However, in order to prevent any more incidents along the way, Gu Jiao carried the sickle on her back as she followed.


    There were no extra seats for her in the ox cart.


    She dragged her thin, small body for more than ten miles, sending Xiao Ling safely to the examination hall.

 Chapter 10

    <h4>Chapter 10: Beat You Up</h4> <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>As Studios <strong> Editor: </strong>As Studios</h4>


    After Xiao Ling entered the examination hall, Gu Jiao left, carrying the basket on her back.


    She was going to the market to sell the wild mushrooms and dried wood ear fungus in the basket, and also do something else.


    Divine Academy¡¯s reputation had spread far and wide, and plenty of people came to take the exam. There were locals, and there were also foreigners like Xiao Ling.


    Each referee held a rmendation letter from a vige school, county school, or prefectural school, and they entered the corresponding examination hall.


    Because their levels were different, Xiao Ling and Gu Dashun were assigned to different examination halls.


    Xiao Ling was in thest row.


    Divine Academy prided itself on its high level of education, and most of those who came to attempt the admission exam were at least schr-officiates. It was not easy to pass the exam to be a schr-officiate these days, so it was alreadymendable for Gu Dashun to have be one before the age of 20.


    Xiao Ling was only 17 years old, and the youngest among all the examinees.


    He was also the most handsome.


    s, he was a cripple.


    All the other examinees looked over with curious gazes, but their gazes did not linger, and they soon turned their attention to filling in their papers.


    In the morning, they would be tried on poetry; in the afternoon, on the ssics.


    Most of the examinees who coulde here were erudite and well-learned; it was not difficult for them topose some poems on the spot. However, the ssics in the afternoon were a different story.


    Topics for the ssics exam were all derived from the original Four Books and Five ssics, and examinees were strictly topose their answers in the eight-segment essay format.


    The eight-segment essay wasposed of eight sections: introduction, supplementation, preliminary exposition, initial argument, central argument,tter argument, final argument, and conclusion. It did not allow for figures of speech, had to be written in the tone of the sages, and quotations could onlye from the Cheng or Zhu schools. The restrictions were severe.


    In addition, the topics this time were very difficult. After a day, practically all of the examinees¡¯ faces had turned green.


    When Xiao Ling came out, his ssmate had been waiting outside the examination hall for almost an hour.


    ¡°Ling! Here!¡± He waved at Xiao Ling.


    Xiao Ling went over on his walking stick.


    His ssmate said, ¡°I heard a lot of peopleining that the ssics this year is tricky. Sigh, just your luck. The topics this time were personally set by the dean. If nothing had happened to you back then and you were able to take the exam with me, then it wouldn¡¯t have been so difficult¡­ It¡¯s all that evil woman¡¯s fault!¡±


    Xiao Ling nced at him, his furrows deepening.


    His ssmate continued, ¡°By the way, has she been bullying you these past few days? I was so worried that you wouldn¡¯t be able toe today.¡±


    <i>Indeed¡­ I almost couldn¡¯t make it.</i>


    Xiao Ling paused.


    Suddenly, as though sensing something, he raised his head to look ahead.


    At this moment, the exam had just ended; the street at the entrance of the academy was packed with throngs of people.


    A slender figure with a small basket on her back stood against the wall with her arms crossed, looking a little nonchnt.


    From time to time, people would walk past her while giving her all sorts of looks because of her face; however, she was unfazed by them. She was not angry, ashamed, or embarrassed.


    Soon, her ssmate spotted Gu Jiao as well, and frowned. ¡°Ah! Why is she here? Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s here to cause trouble for you! Tell me honestly, did you have to escape from your home today?¡±


    Actually, Xiao Ling was not sure if Gu Jiao was here to look for him. He only knew that she was leaning there, clearly waiting for someone¡­


    Due to the sheer number of examineesing out from the academy, Gu Jiao¡¯s attention was eventually drawn towards them.


    Gu Jiao turned her head and looked over. In the sea of people, she spotted the handsome young man with a single nce.


    She smiled and walked towards Xiao Ling.


    ¡°Are the exams over?¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao Ling nodded. ¡°Have you been waiting for a long time?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Gu Jiao tugged at her ear.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to the market? Why haven¡¯t you gone home?¡± Xiao Ling had seen the wild fungi in her basket and knew that she would go to the market. However, the market would have closed by noon.


    ¡°I happened to have something to do nearby,¡± Gu Jiao said.


    ¡°What business could you have here?¡± His ssmate rolled her eyes.


    However, Gu Jiao¡¯s words had reminded him.


    He had finished ss early that day and went to the medical hall. There, he discovered that Doctor Zhang hade again, and even saved a person from their deathbed.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s Doctor Zhang?¡± Xiao Ling was slightly taken aback.


    Previously, during the dispute at the medical hall Doctor Zhang had also suffered some superficial injuries. Actually, the one who attended to the assant¡¯s wife was not Doctor Zhang; he waspletely innocent. Nheless, the incident had riled him, provoking him to proim that he would nevere again for the rest of his life.


    His ssmate replied firmly, ¡°Of course! I saw that person being carried in with my own eyes¡ªhe was covered in blood, his neck was crooked, and his breath was gone. Other than Doctor Zhang from the capital, who else can save him?¡±


    Gu Jiao looked at a little ant on the ground silently.


    His ssmate continued, ¡°If Doctor Zhang can even save someone like that, he will definitely be able to treat your leg. Don¡¯t worry yourself with all these, I¡¯ll go ask when Doctor Zhang¡¯s consultation hours will be.¡±


    ¡°When will you be going?¡± Gu Jiao suddenly asked.


    His ssmate gave her a disdainful look. ¡°Why should I tell you?¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±


    They had dinner in town. His ssmate insisted on bringing Xiao Ling to try the Yangchun noodles near the academy, saying that they tasted like home.


    After dinner, Xiao Ling and Gu Jiao took a mule carriage back to the vige. This time, Xiao Ling had requested a ride with a carriage.


    Night hadpletely fallen. There were no oilmps in the carriage, and the bright moonlight streamed in from outside.


    Gu Jiao sat opposite Xiao Ling. She stretched out her long legs, tensing her toes.


    She had bought new shoes.


    Unlike the embroidered shoes which a daughter of a rich family would wear, they were just a pair of cheap cloth shoes. The shoes were in and ck, but they looked surprisingly good on her.


    She looked very adorable as she yed with her shoes, and her eyes seemed to be filled with stars.


    The mule carriage stopped at the vige entrance, as usual.


    After the two of them got out of the car, Gu Jiao also followed behind him as usual, keeping that usual distance.


    The news of Gu Jiao having a falling out with Gu Dashun for Xiao Ling¡¯s sake had already spread throughout the vige. Xue Ningxiang had been keeping vigil by the door, only to see the two of them walking out of the night one after another.


    <i>Was I really not seeing things thest time?</i>


    <i>Did the two of them really get together?</i>


    ¡°Idiot Gu!¡±


    As her voice broke the silence of the night, Xue Ningxiang turned around and returned to her house.


    Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling stopped outside their house and turned to look at the young man who was trotting towards them. It was Gu Ershun from the second branch of the Gu family.


    Gu Ershun and Gu Xiaoshun were both from Madam Liu¡¯s family. However, Gu Ershun had always been closer to his cousin, Gu Dashun, rather than his own younger brother.


    Gu Jiao only nced at him indifferently before looking away. She unlocked the door and entered the house with Xiao Ling.


    Gu Ershun strode over, and stood at the door with his hands on his hips. He eximed angrily, ¡°Idiot Gu, what do you think you¡¯re doing?! How dare you treat Big Brother like that! Do you know that you almost dyed Big Brother¡¯s exam!? You even embarrassed Big Brother in front of the entire vige!¡±


    <i>Not listening, not listening¡­</i>


    Gu Jiao stepped through the doorway and was about to close the door.


    Seeing that she was ignoring him, Gu Ershun was furious. He stepped one foot into the house and held the door with one hand. ¡°How dare you!? Grandpa asked me to look for you! Hurry up and kowtow to Big Brother to apologize! Otherwise, I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡±


    Gu Jiao tugged at her little ear impatiently.


    <i>Annoying.</i>


    ¡°Did you hear me? If you don¡¯t settle this today, don¡¯t even think about¡­¡±


    Halfway through his sentence.


    Gu Jiao raised her foot and kicked him, sending him flying!

 Chapter 11

    <h4>Chapter 11: Under One Roof</h4> <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>As Studios <strong> Editor: </strong>As Studios</h4>


    Gu Ershun was stunned by Gu Jiao¡¯s kick.


    Although his status in the Gu family was not as high as Gu Dashun¡¯s, he had been pampered by Madam Liu since he was young. Usually, she could not bear to let him do farm work, so she only let him study in the house like Gu Dashun.


    Only the Heavens knew if anything he studied stayed in his head, but it was true that his body was delicate.


    Hey on the ground, motionless, for a long time.


    <i>What¡¯s with that fool today? She actually dared to kick me??</i>He really wanted to rush up and give her a tight p, but he would never admit that Gu Jiao¡¯s kick had actually scared him.


    ¡°You, you¡­ just you wait!¡± Leaving those harsh words behind, he clutched his stomach and fled.


    Gu Jiao bolted the door and entered the house. She immediately spotted Xiao Ling standing in the central room, looking at her, clearly trying to get a read on her.


    She thought for a moment and said calmly, ¡°He tripped and fell by himself.¡±


    Xiao Ling: ¡°¡­¡±


    Originally, the Gu family was waiting for Gu Ershun to bring Gu Jiao over so they could give her an earful, but in the end, Gu Ershun returned alone. Covered in dirt and clutching his stomach, he looked as if he had been beaten up.


    Madam Liu hurriedly walked forward. ¡°Ershun, what¡¯s wrong? Where¡¯s that girl?¡±


    Gu Ershun exaggerated what had happened in front of Gu Jiao¡¯s door. ¡°¡­I kindly persuaded her toe over and make things clear and apologize to Big Brother, but she didn¡¯t listen and even kicked me. Since she was my little sister, I couldn¡¯t retaliate¡­¡±


    Madam Liu blew her top when she heard this. ¡°That little b*tch! She must be raised by a whore! She¡¯d even kick her own brother!?¡±


    Inparison, Madam Zhou was much calmer.


    <i>That girl dares to raise her hand against Dashun; what¡¯s Ershun even to her?</i>


    However, she was still a little puzzled.?<i>That silly girl has been behaving rather odd recently.</i>


    ¡°Outrageous!¡± Madam Liu could not take it anymore. She rolled up her sleeves and pped Gu Xiaoshun. ¡°You! Go teach that little hussy a lesson! Avenge your brother!¡±


    ¡°No way I¡¯m going.¡± Gu Xiaoshun rolled his eyes at Gu Ershun. ¡°Who knows what he actually did there?¡±


    Gu Ershun said indignantly, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything! I was just speaking to her nicely! Who would¡¯ve guessed that she would kick me out of nowhere!? She¡¯s a fool, a lunatic, and a jinx!¡±


    ¡°Who are you scolding?¡± Gu Xiaoshun stood up defiantly.


    Gu Ershun quickly hid behind Madam Liu.


    ¡°You¡¯re even speaking up for that jinx!? Who¡¯s your real sibling here?!¡± Madam Liu was so infuriated that she wanted to beat Gu Xiaoshun up, but with Old Master Gu around, she did not dare to hit his grandson.


    She turned around and gave her husband a look. ¡°Why don¡¯t you say something!?¡±


    What could Gu Changlu even say? When that girl had note to eat for a few days, nobody had gone to ask on her. Yet, now they all wanted to denounce her.


    He did not want to go.


    It was not because he felt injustice for Gu Jiao; rather, it was because he was the most cowardly among the three brothers. When the youngest Third Brother got into trouble, he had been by Third Brother¡¯s side; if he had helped Third Brother out, Third Brother might not have died.


    However, the flood had been too fierce. Frightened, he turned tail and fled, leaving Third Brother behind.


    He did not dare to tell anyone about this; only the old master knew.


    He had always felt a little guilty towards the third branch.


    ¡°Changhai.¡± Old Master Gu called for his eldest son. ¡°Go over.¡±


    Gu Changhai hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Father, Jiao¡¯jiao¡¯s not right in the head, so I think we should just forget about this matter. If this blows up, the vigers will start gossiping that we¡¯re being mean to Third Brother¡¯s child.¡±


    Madam Liu exploded. ¡°How can we let it go just like that? It wasn¡¯t your Dashun that was injured! Didn¡¯t you see how badly Ershun was kicked?¡±


    Gu Ershun held his stomach in grievance.


    The jinx truly did not go easy on him; he was still in pain.


    Old Master Gu mulled with a dark expression on his face.


    Gu Changhai said softly, ¡°Father, if this blows up, it won¡¯t be good for Dashun¡¯s reputation.¡±


    At the end of the day, Gu Ershun was the one who was kicked, not Gu Dashun. Gu Dashun had only been yanked around by Gu Jiao in front of everyone and was slightly embarrassed. However, Gu Dashun did not get injured and was not dyed for his exam, so there was no need to implicate his good reputation simply to vent their anger.


    At this moment, Gu Dashun also realized that reputation was the most important to a schr; otherwise, the Gu family would not have forced Xiao Ling to submit back then. He could not afford to make a mistake on this matter.


    He said gently, ¡°Forget it, Grandpa. Sister is stupid, so if we bicker with her it will make us seem petty.¡±


    Madam Liu was so angry that she stumbled backward.?<i>And why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? If you really don¡¯t mind, then you should¡¯ve stopped Ershun from going over just now!</i>


    Old Master Gu was obviously very satisfied with his eldest grandson¡¯s words. ¡°Sensible words. You should learn from your eldest brother, don¡¯t squabble with that girl so much that you forget your position as an older brother.¡±


    Thest part was naturally directed at Gu Ershun.


    ¡°And you, don¡¯t go out and cause trouble. You¡¯ll implicate your big brother¡¯s reputation.¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun did not go scot-free either.


    Of course, Gu Xiaoshun did not take it to heart at all.


    ¡ª


    Gu Jiao did not know that there was a ruckus at the Gu family because of her.


    She had made a small fortune in town today and bought a lot of things. Granted, she had also used up a lot of things¡ªone shot of anesthetic, two blood clotting agents, some sutures and other trauma medicine were all gone.


    Gu Jiao took the salt, star anise, fennel, and other ingredients to the kitchen and started boiling some water. Then, she lit a brazier with the firewood in the stove.


    She brought the brazier towards Xiao Ling¡¯s room.


    It was close to the twelfth lunar month, and the night was still very cold. While she could go to bed early, Xiao Ling still needed the light at night to work on his books. Furthermore, his leg had to be kept warm to avoid making the injury worse.


    The door was ajar. Gu Jiao knocked on the door. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Come in,¡± Xiao Ling replied.


    Gu Jiao pushed the door open and entered.


    Xiao Ling was bent over the desk, copying from a book. There was only a small oilmp beside him, and the light was very dim.


    Gu Jiao ced the brazier on the ground, and walked over to turn the oilmp up to the brightest. After thinking for a while, she also went to get the oilmp from her room. ¡°It¡¯s too dark, you¡¯ll hurt your eyes.¡±


    Xiao Ling¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Take the brazier.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t feel cold if I¡¯m asleep,¡± Gu Jiao said.


    After a pause, she seemed to have thought of something and said, ¡°Can Ie to your room to warm up before I sleep?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Xiao Ling nodded as he sat up straight, and continued to copy the book on his desk.


    Gu Jiao knew that he earned money by copying books for others. It was honest work, but he still earned two taels a month. However, the Gu family would take one tael from him each month, on the basis that he was paying for the original Host¡¯s food.


    The Host did not know that he had been paying for her meals in the Gu family, and thought that the Gu family was genuinely being good to her.


    To be fair, Xiao Ling only had a bad attitude towards the Host because the two of them had a bad rtionship, and not because Xiao Ling had a poor character.


    Gu Jiao paused and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to give the Gu family money anymore. I¡¯ll eat at home in the future.¡±


    Xiao Ling¡¯s hand that was holding the pen paused.


    Gu Jiao brought over the wet mattress and clothes to roast.


    Her movements were very light, and her breathing very quiet. If Xiao Ling had not seen her from the corner of his eye a few times, he probably would not have felt that there was another person in the room with him.


    When the clothes were done, she suddenly asked him before she left, ¡°By the way, what¡¯s your ssmate¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Feng Lin.¡± Xiao Ling replied.


    Xiao Ling copied books until midnight. When he got up, he realized that Gu Jiao had dried his clothes and ced them neatly on the chair.


    He picked up his clothes and was about to keep them in the cab when he saw a new pair of shoes at the bottom.

 Chapter 12

    <h4>Chapter 12: Medical Practitioner</h4> <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>As Studios <strong> Editor: </strong>As Studios</h4>


    Ever since losing her nightlife, Gu Jiao woke up earlier than a rooster every morning.


    Before dawn, she carried the bucket out the door.


    She went to the old well at the entrance of the vige to draw water.


    The vigers woke up early. At this moment, there were already a few wives and their daughters-inw fetching water beside the old well. Everyone was taken aback when they saw her.


    The news of Gu Jiao causing a ruckus at the ox cart spread like wildfire in the vige. Everyone knew she had dragged Gu Dashun down from the ox cart. She must be a fool through and through; after all, nobody in their right mind would raise a hand against their own cousin!


    <i>But¡­</i>


    <i>What¡¯s with her fetching water so early in the morning?</i>


    <i>That fool had never worked a day in her life, sleeping in untilte in the morning every day!</i>


    Gu Jiao ignored everyone¡¯s gazes and calmly went to the old well. She put down the bucket and fetched water before carrying it home with a shoulder pole.


    It was not until she was far away that everyone came back to their senses.


    Were they seeing things? That little fool did not look silly at all just now. Moreover, she looked really good when she was fetching water, and she looked good when she walked.


    After Gu Jiao finished fetching the water, she steamed a steamer of meat buns.


    She had bought a piece of cured meat yesterday and soaked it in water before she went to sleep. The excess salt was leached out, while the vor of the cured meat had been preserved.


    As the fragrance of the meat buns wafted out, even the dogs next door were drooling and whining.


    Gu Jiao brought two buns as she went up the mountain.


    She had picked most of the wood ear fungus, though there were still many wild mushrooms.


    In actual fact, the vigers would also see these ingredients when they went up the mountain to chop firewood, but most of them did not dare to pick them. Firstly, they did not know how to differentiate poisonous mushrooms, and secondly, they did not know how to remove the poison from fresh wood ear fungus.


    After picking the mushrooms, Gu Jiao went straight to the market.


    The eastern part of town was a rich and prosperous area, and the best medical halls and restaurants were there, as well as the magistracy and the academy. Inparison, the western part of town was far moreplicated; markets, workshops, gambling houses, brothels¡­ all sorts of people were gathered there.


    Gu Jiao arrived at the market and casually found an empty space to set up a stall.


    The woman beside her remembered her and smiled at her. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here. Do you still have the mushrooms fromst time? My eldest grandson likes them, can I exchange something with you for them?¡±


    She sold sweet potatoes, and while the price of sweet potatoes was notparable to that of the mushrooms from the mountain, Gu Jiao did not mind. She handed the basket to her and let her pick them herself.


    The woman grabbed two handfuls and reced them with tworge and red sweet potatoes.


    After a while, the woman on the other side also came over and said with a smile, ¡°I¡­ Can I exchange some radishes with you? I also want to stew some for my family.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Jiao nodded carelessly, signaling with her eyes for her to help herself.


    The woman exchanged two of her big radishes for two handfuls of Gu Jiao¡¯s mushrooms.


    After that, a few more vendors came and exchanged their vegetables for Gu Jiao¡¯s mushrooms.


    All of these were being observed by two men in the tea shed diagonally opposite.


    ¡°Shopkeeper Wang, were you talking about her?¡± The person asking was a man in his early thirties. He was tall, and had strong facial features.


    A middle-aged man in his forties beside him said, ¡°Yes, Boss, that¡¯s her.¡±


    The younger man was the branch manager where they worked. He looked at Gu Jiao and frowned. ¡°Exchanging such expensive mountain goods for some cheap vegetables. Is she stupid? Someone even put rotten food inside, but she didn¡¯t even say anything. She must be really stupid!¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Shopkeeper Wang could not say anything.


    He had a feeling that she was not stupid, but simply did not care.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not mistaken?¡± the branch manager asked.


    ¡°I was there when she saved the patient, I saw her suture that deep, long gash with my own eyes. I won¡¯t be mistaken,¡± Shopkeeper Wang said as he gestured.


    What Shopkeeper Wang did not mention was that that was the second time he had seen her¡ªthe first time was at this market. This was the reason why he knew that she woulde here to do business.


    ¡°How old is she?¡± The branch manager frowned. He found it hard to believe that she was the doctor who managed to save a man who had one foot in the grave.


    <i>She¡¯s too young and too poor, and she even has that birthmark on her face.</i>


    <i>But surely Shopkeeper Wang wouldn¡¯t lie to me.</i>


    The previous incident at the medical hall left a huge impact. Not only was Doctor Zhang gravely offended, it also greatly upset the headquarters in the capital. The branch manager¡¯s position was in danger, and he urgently needed a capable doctor to hold the situation together.


    The branch manager said, ¡°Go and ask her where¡¯s her master. I¡¯m willing to pay a high price to hire her master.¡±


    <i>This girl¡¯s medical skills couldn¡¯t havee from nowhere. It¡¯ll definitely be more reliable to hire her master over her.</i>


    Shopkeeper Wang felt that this was feasible, and turned around to approach her. Unexpectedly, as he took his first step a young man copsed in front of a chicken stall, scaring the chickens in the cages away.


    ¡°Ahh! My chickens! My chickens!¡± The chicken seller hurriedly went after his chickens.


    The marketce descended into chaos.


    Shopkeeper Wang and the branch manager looked at the young man at the same time, stunned.


    The young man showed symptoms of chest tightness, blueness in his skin, and shortness of breath. This was almost identical to the symptoms of the patient who had died after being treated at the medical hall. However, this was more violent and urgent; that patient at least managed to make it home, but this young man was about to suffocate to death on the spot.


    <i>It¡¯s an incurable disease. Even if the doctors from our medical hall came, he can¡¯t be cured!</i>


    At this critical juncture, a lithe figure rushed over from the crowd and knelt down on one knee in front of the young man. With one swift motion, she ripped open his clothes and stabbed him in the chest with something!


    Everyone gasped!


    <i>Is she trying to kill him!?</i>


    In the next second, Gu Jiao pulled out the needle core, and a small stream of air hissed out.


    Everyone saw the chest of the young man who was about to suffocate dete, and his breathing instantly returned to normal.


    Shopkeeper Wang was dumbfounded. ¡°Do¡­ Do we still ask for her master?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to ask!?¡±?<i>If our medical hall had a doctor like this, then nobody would¡¯ve died after treatment that day!</i>


    The branch manager pushed Shopkeeper Wang away resolutely; he stood up and strode towards Gu Jiao.


    ¡°You mean, you want me to practice medicine at your medical hall?¡± While listening to the branch manager¡¯s words, Gu Jiao cast a nce at the young man¡¯s fading figure.


    His lungs were ruptured by a broken rib, eventually leading to air getting trapped in his chest and thereby causing his lungs to copse. Although the air in his chest had been released, he still needed follow-up treatment. Unfortunately, he had promptly left after his breathing recovered.


    Gu Jiao pulled her gaze back and asked the branch manager, ¡°Which medical hall are you from?¡±


    The branch manager grinned. ¡°In Clearspring Town, only our Spring Rejuvenation Hall can be called a proper medical hall!¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± She rubbed her chin.


    The branch manager thought that she would not agree easily, and he was already anticipating that she would put on airs. Unexpectedly, Gu Jiao said, ¡°You came at the right time, I was about to look for you. I can work at Spring Rejuvenation Hall, but let me make it clear¡ªI¡¯ll only have consultations once a month.¡±


    ¡°One¨C, once?¡± The branch manager was stunned.?<i>No way, she already agreed? Not putting on airs? Or negotiating the price? No, I mean, just once!? She¡¯ll receive consultations only once a month?!</i>


    ¡°I¡¯m very busy,¡± Gu Jiao added earnestly.


    <i>Busy¡­ selling vegetables?</i>


    The branch manager looked at her basket, and the corner of his mouth twitched.


    Frankly speaking, he was truly unsatisfied with only once a month. However, doing business was about taking things one step at a time; he would have her enter Spring Rejuvenation Hall first, then he would bargain with her slowly when they became more familiar with each other.


    The branch manager said, ¡°Fine¡­ Once a month it is!¡±


    Gu Jiao then looked at him firmly, as though what followed was actually the important part. ¡°In addition, I have another condition.¡±


    ¡ª


    After ss, Feng Lin rushed to the medical hall.


    After the incident, business was a little quieter at the medical hall, and the staff were listlessly sorting out the herbs in the great hall.


    ¡°May I ask if Doctor Zhang is here?¡± Feng Lin called out to a shop assistant.


    The shop assistant said, ¡°Doctor Zhang has returned to the capital.¡±


    ¡°When will hee again?¡± Feng Lin asked politely.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± the shop assistant replied.


    ¡°Can you help me ask? My friend¡¯s leg has been injured for half a year. Only Doctor Zhang can treat him,¡± Feng Lin asked persistently.


    The shop assistant looked at him impatiently. ¡°To tell you the truth, Doctor Zhang won¡¯te again. If you really want to find him for treatment, you can go to the Spring Rejuvenation Hall headquarters in the capital to look for him. However, his consultation fee is very expensive.¡±


    ¡°How much?¡± Feng Lin asked.


    ¡°Ten taels.¡±


    ¡°What? Ten taels?¡±


    Feng Lin was stunned. Even if he and Xiao Ling added up all their savings, they would not have so much silver.

 Chapter 13

    <h4>Chapter 13: Leg Treatment</h4> <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>As Studios <strong> Editor: </strong>As Studios</h4>


    Feng Lin left in disappointment. Just as he was about to walk out of the hall, he heard a polite voice from ahead. ¡°Is this young man here to see a doctor?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Feng Lin was startled for a moment. He looked at the other party¡ªit was a young man dressed in luxurious garments. His presence was strong, but his demeanor was gentle.


    Feng Lin did not know him. ¡°And you are¡­¡±


    The staff recognized him and wanted toe and greet him, but they were stopped with a nce from the branch manager.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m from Spring Rejuvenation Hall,¡± the branch manager said cordially. ¡°Good sir, are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Feng Lin shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m not sick. I¡¯m asking on behalf of my ssmate.¡±


    ¡°May I ask for your name?¡±


    ¡°My name is Feng Lin.¡± Feng Lin sped his hands formally in greeting.


    ¡°My surname is Hu.¡± The second boss returned the gesture.


    ¡°So it¡¯s Doctor Hu.¡± As the other party mentioned that he was from the medical hall, Feng Lin naturally treated him as a doctor here.


    The branch manager did not correct him. He smiled and said, ¡°May I inquire about your ssmate¡¯s condition?¡±


    Feng Lin sighed and said, ¡°His leg was injured half a year ago. He looked for many doctors, but none of them could cure it; I think only Doctor Zhang from the medical hall can manage it. But I heard that¡­ Doctor Zhang will nevere to the medical center again.¡±


    ¡°Whoever said he won¡¯t?¡± The branch manager coughed lightly and added, ¡°He¡¯lle, he¡¯ll be here tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°The consultation fee¡­¡±


    ¡°A hundred coppers, no negotiation!¡±


    <i>Cough!</i>


    All the staff in the hall choked.


    Feng Lin also choked. ¡°A-a hundred copper coins?¡±


    ¡°Is it too expensive?¡± The branch manager blinked and hurriedly added, ¡°My mistake. Ten copper coins!¡±


    Feng Lin: ¡°¡­¡±


    The staff: ¡°¡­¡±


    No matter how stupid Feng Lin was, he knew that treatment was very expensive. Not to mention Doctor Zhang from Beijing, even a barefoot doctor from the countryside could not be consulted with a mere ten copper coins.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that Doctor Zhang¡¯s consultation fee is ten taels?¡± he asked doubtfully.


    The branch manager¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°A consultation¡¯s cheaper than a house call.¡±


    ¡°Cheaper¡­ by that much?¡±


    ¡°Our clinic has had people die before, and business is poor. So it¡¯s the off-season price!¡±


    Feng Lin was left speechless again.


    The staff were also dumbfounded.


    ¡ª


    Feng Lin immediately went to the vige and told Xiao Ling about the consultation. ¡°¡­ The consultation fee is only ten copper coins, while the medicinal fees are separate. Their business is poor right now, so I think the medicinal fees won¡¯t be too expensive either.¡±


    The medical hall¡¯s business had indeed been affected, but it was still unbelievable that it was so cheap all of a sudden.


    Feng Lin said excitedly, ¡°I asked Shopkeeper Wang afterwards, and Shopkeeper Wang also said the same thing, so it can¡¯t be fake. I happen to be on break at the end of the month. We¡¯ll go together!¡±


    Even the appointment date had been set. It certainly seemed to be true.


    Three dayster, the exam results came out, and Gu Dashun hade in second.


    The candidates this time were from all over the nation, with several hundreds of participants, including many from wealthy families. Many have had private tutors since they were young, and their learning conditions were much better than Gu Dashun¡¯s. Even so, Gu Dashun was still able to secure second ce, which was truly a great honor for the Gu family.


    Particrly since the questions this time had been personally set by the dean. News spread in the academy that the master was probably going to break his seclusion and recruit a disciple to pass his skills down to from this batch of candidates.


    Gu Dashun felt that he stood a very good chance.


    ¡°How did Ling do?¡± Old Master Gu asked.


    Gu Dashun smiled. ¡°He got in too.¡±


    He was also second ce, but from the bottom.


    A total of 100 people were admitted this time, and Xiao Ling was ranked 99th.


    Thinking that he had left Xiao Ling so far behind, Gu Dashun could not help but feel a little smug, though he said, ¡°He hasn¡¯t been to a private school for half a year, and has been studying hard at home. It¡¯s already very impressive that he can get such results.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been studying hard for so long, but he almost didn¡¯t get in; it¡¯s obvious that studying requires talent. In this regard, you¡¯re much better than Ling.¡± It was rare for Old Master Gu to say so much. Originally, he did not dare to harbor too much expectation for Gu Dashun, but now that the results were out, he felt confident that Gu Dashun would definitely secure the next year¡¯s autumn examinations.


    Old Master Gu was overjoyed, and asked his second son to go to town to get two catties of pork belly.


    Today, it was the second branch¡¯s turn to cook. Madam Liu knew that most of the pork belly would go into Gu Dashun¡¯s stomach, so she secretly hid two pieces in a jar.


    ¡°Mother, you¡¯re hiding meat!¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun had sneaked in.


    Madam Liu stumbled in fear and almost knocked the jar over. She turned around and smacked Gu Xiaoshun. ¡°Lower your voice! What are you shouting for?!¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun raised an eyebrow. ¡°I want to eat meat.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Madam Liu turned around and clutched the jar tightly.


    Gu Xiaoshun snorted. ¡°If you don¡¯t give me some, I¡¯ll tell Grandpa and Grandma that you¡¯re hiding meat!¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Madam Liu was so angry that she raised her fist. Other people gave birth to sons to enjoy their life, but her own sons gave her grief instead.


    Madam Liu also knew that Gu Xiaoshun was really capable of doing such a thing. Regretfully, she opened the jar and cut a small piece for him.


    Before Gu Xiaoshun could even make out the taste of it, it was gone. ¡°Only half a mouthful? There are two big pieces in the jar!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for Ershun!¡± Among her two sons, only Ershun was willing to study. Madam Liu hoped that Ershun would be sessful in the future, so she could follow him and bask in his glory; she certainly could not count on Xiaoshun. It would already be a blessing if he did not ruin the household in the future.


    Gu Xiaoshun wanted to bring some meat to his sister, but he could not really snatch his mother¡¯s jar by force. However, seeing that his mother was not paying attention, he removed the lid from the pot and snatched a few white steamed buns before bolting off!


    ¡°Little b*stard!¡± Madam Liu was riled.


    White flour steamed buns were also precious toe by; usually, only Gu Dashun had them while they all ate cornmeal buns instead.


    Madam Liu was so angry that she picked up a stick and chased after him. However, Gu Xiaoshun was too fast and disappeared in an instant.


    Gu Xiaoshun ran straight to his sister, his hands scalded red from the steamed buns.


    ¡°Sister!¡± He rushed into the kitchen, but he froze as a fragrance wafted to his nostrils.


    He sniffed. ¡°Smells good, Sister. What are you cooking?¡±


    ¡°I found them in the wild.¡±


    She sold two of the three pheasants fromst time, and raised the remaining one for a few days before ughtering it today.


    ¡°What¡¯s that in your hands?¡± Gu Jiao looked at him.


    ¡°Steamed buns.¡± Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s head drooped. He had wanted to give her something delicious, but he never thought that his sister would actually have chicken meat. In an instant, his white steamed buns seemed a little unpresentable¡­


    Gu Jiao brought a bowl to ce the steamed buns. Then, she filled a basin with cold water. ¡°Put your hands in.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Gu Xiaoshun did not ask why and obediently did as he was told. Once his hand was soaked in water, it no longer hurt.


    ¡°How about you eat here?¡± Gu Jiao said to him.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Gu Xiaoshun was taken aback.


    ¡°I had reserved a portion for you and was just thinking about how to send it over. But now that you¡¯re here, you saved me the trouble of making the trip,¡± Gu Jiao said, opening the cupboard to get a bowl of raw meat. She dropped them into the pot.


    Gu Xiaoshun looked at the bowl of meat and knew that her sister was not just being polite because he was here. She had really left it for him.


    There was a whole drumstick inside, and he saw it all.


    Gu Xiaoshun suddenly felt a lump in his throat.


    He came behind Gu Jiao and bent over, resting his forehead on her back. He rubbed against her and said, ¡°Sister, why are you so good to me? Are you actually my real mother?¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 14

    <h4>Chapter 14: Repaying Gratitude</h4> <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>As Studios <strong> Editor: </strong>As Studios</h4>


    Gu Jiao finally understood why the Host and Gu Xiaoshun could y together. Their intelligence was basically on the same level.


    She had made pheasant stew with mushrooms today. Although the taste of the pheasant was delicious, its meat was firmer than poultry. She had to stew it in a big iron pot for four hours before it was cooked enough.


    She also made a refreshing sd of fungus and shredded radish, with a staple of white rice and some cornmeal pancakes baked on an iron pot.


    Although Xiao Ling¡¯s score was at the bottom, Gu Jiao still took it earnestly. She had ughtered the pheasant in order to celebrate Xiao Ling¡¯s aplishment; however, she would not say it explicitly.


    ¡°Go call your brother-inw for dinner,¡± she said to Gu Xiaoshun as she went to take the pancakes she had baked.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Gu Xiaoshun went over eagerly.


    Xiao Ling had just finished copying a book.


    When outstanding candidates passed the exams to be schr-advocates or senior schrs, books with their annotations would be borrowed by bookstores so that they could be copied and sold to other candidates. Such books were more expensive than usual, but aspirants still flocked to buy them.


    Xiao Ling¡¯s handwriting was pleasing to the eye, and the books he copied had the best sales.


    ¡°Brother-inw! Time to eat!¡± Gu Xiaoshun stuck his head in through the crack in the door.


    It was great to be thick-skinned. Despite bullying him half to death several days ago, he was now being so affectionate.


    Xiao Ling¡¯s expression was as chilly as ever. He did not show any surprise at the change in Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s attitude. Of course, neither did he throw a tantrum at Gu Xiaoshun for his past insensibility.


    Gu Xiaoshun suddenly felt that he was quitefortable being with his brother-inw.


    The three of them sat down to eat.


    Gu Xiaoshun snagged a piece of mushroom first. In his impression, his sister did not cook, so this was his first time tasting her cooking. However, he did not expect it to be so delicious!


    Then, he picked up a piece of meat.


    <i>Heavens!</i>


    It was so delicious that he was about to weep!


    Gu Jiao scooped out two drumsticks¡ªone for Xiao Ling, one for Gu Xiaoshun.


    The drumsticks were stewed through with vor, while juicy and sulent. With one bite, Gu Xiaoshun felt like he was about to ascend to heaven.


    Xiao Ling was very calm.


    However, if Gu Jiao knew about his past appetite, she probably would not think that way.


    The two of them quickly finished their bowls of rice. Gu Xiaoshun stood up to scoop more rice; when he saw that Xiao Ling¡¯s bowl was empty, he said, ¡°Brother-inw, I¡¯ll get more rice for you too!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xiao Ling did not refuse.


    It was unknown if he did not reject his good intentions, or if he did not reject him calling him brother-inw.


    Gu Xiaoshun quickly went to get more rice.


    This was the mostfortable meal Gu Xiaoshun had ever eaten. It tasted good, and the atmosphere at the dining table was good. Although his sister and brother-inw did not speak much, he could! The three of them were eating happily!


    After dinner, Xiao Ling helped Gu Jiao with the dishes, while Gu Xiaoshun went to the backyard to chop firewood.


    After entering the kitchen, Xiao Ling suddenly ced a money bag beside Gu Jiao¡¯s hand.


    Gu Jiao looked at him strangely.


    ¡°Household fees,¡± he said.


    Two taels of silver, which he earned from copying books for more than a month. He only had about ten copper coins left on him. However, he was about to finish copying the book on hand; in two days, he should be able to bring it to town to exchange for money.


    Gu Jiao raised her eyebrows at the money bag on the stove. She took it and epted it.


    After they cleaned up the kitchen, Gu Jiao went to the vige entrance to get water. Gu Xiaoshun snatched her shoulder pole over. ¡°Sister, go rest. I¡¯ll handle this kind of rough work!¡±


    He picked up the shoulder pole and left. Gu Jiao could not stop him even if she wanted to.


    At this moment, everyone was eating in their homes, so no one was out to fetch water. He upied the old well alone and was fetching water when two formidable men rode over and stopped beside Gu Xiaoshun without a word.


    The two of them dismounted.


    Gu Xiaoshun felt a chilling killing intent.


    He was but a little rascal from the vige; with a nce, he immediately realized that they were martial arts practitioners. All the rascals in the surrounding vigesbined were no match for either of them.


    ¡°Are you from this vige?¡± one of the burly men asked.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Yes, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Gu Xiaoshun asked in a daze.


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for someone!¡± The burly man shed a broken umbre and asked fiercely, ¡°Have you ever seen this umbre?¡±


    <i>Why wouldn¡¯t I have seen it before? That¡¯s my sister¡¯s umbre!</i>


    Gu Xiaoshun was beside himself.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen it before, haven¡¯t you?¡± The burly man narrowed his eyes menacingly.


    ¡°I¡­ I, I, I¡­¡± Gu Xiaoshun stuttered.?<i>What did Sister do? Why are there such terrifying people looking for her?</i>


    ¡°Kid.¡± The burly man¡¯s rough hand reached out, gently pressing on Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I advise you to tell the truth. Otherwise, I¡¯ll ask someone else¡­¡±


    <i>This person¡¯s so strong, I can¡¯t even move my body!</i>


    Gu Xiaoshun gritted his teeth. ¡°It¡¯s mine!¡±


    The man was stunned.


    He exchanged a look with hispanion.


    The burly man withdrew his hand and asked skeptically, ¡°Your umbre? Are you sure?¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s legs were already starting to go weak, but he obstinately said, ¡°It¡¯s my own umbre, of course I¡¯m sure! There¡¯s a mark on the handle of the umbre with the word ¡®Xiao¡¯, I carved it myself!¡±


    It was true. He had been bored, so he carved his name on his sister¡¯s umbre, but he only knew how to write that word.


    Of course, the burly men knew that there was a word carved on the umbre handle, so when he said this, they believed him for the most part.


    ¡°So you were the one who went to the mountain that day?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re the one who stepped on our master¡¯s face?¡±


    ¡°¡­It was me!¡±


    ¡°As well as the one who fixed our master¡¯s arm?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes! Yes to all of them!¡±


    ¡°And pricked his backside with a needle?¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun almost stumbled and fell.?<i>Dearest sister of mine, why are you going around stabbing people¡¯s butts for no reason?!</i>


    Gu Xiaoshun took a deep breath and closed his eyes. ¡°Yes, yes, yes! I did all of those! If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask around. Other than me, who else in the surrounding viges would do such a thing?¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun felt that he would be beaten to death here today, but the pain he had imagined did note. He carefully opened his eyes, only to see the two burly men take a big step back and bow deeply to him!


    ¡°Benefactor! We¡¯ve finally found you!¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister! Sister!¡± Gu Xiaoshun ran into the kitchen as if he had been reborn anew. ¡°I think I¡¯m in trouble!¡±


    ¡°Keep your voice down. Your brother-inw is studying.¡± Gu Jiao gestured at him.


    Between sobs and wails, Gu Xiaoshun told Gu Jiao everything that had happened at the vige entrance. ¡°¡­Sister, what should we do now? What benefactor? Are they ckmailing me?¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡± Gu Jiao recalled what had happened on the mountain that day and nodded thoughtfully. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask who they were?¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun lowered his head. ¡°I forgot to ask.¡±


    ¡°Have they left?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Gu Xiaoshun cried.


    Gu Jiao put down the broom. ¡°Okay, wait for me here.¡±


    ¡°Sister, don¡¯t go!¡± Gu Xiaoshun held her back.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Gu Jiao smiled and walked towards the vige entrance.


    Gu Xiaoshun did not know what his sister had said to the two of them, but they left obediently.


    At dawn the next day, a carriage rode into the vige and stopped outside the Gu residence.


    A refined middle-aged man alighted from the carriage.


    Today, the eldest branch was cooking. Madam Zhou and Zhou Yue¡¯e had woken up early.


    Gu Yue¡¯e was carrying a basket on her back and headed for the fields to cut grass for the pig feed. The moment she opened the door, she spotted a middle-aged man about to knock on their door, as well as therge carriage behind the man.


    Gu Yue¡¯e had never seen such a scene before and was stunned.


    The middle-aged man asked in a pleasant voice, ¡°Excuse me, is this Administrator Gu¡¯s home?¡±


    Gu Yue¡¯e turned around and ran into the house. ¡°¡­Mother, Mother! Someone is looking for Grandfather!¡±


    The one who came out was Gu Changhai.


    Gu Changhai was Old Master Gu¡¯s eldest son, and would asionally follow the Old Master Gu to the magistracy. He was more knowledgeable than most in the vige.


    It was obvious that the other party had powerful backing.


    Gu Changhai said politely, ¡°My father is washing up. And you are¡­¡±


    The middle-aged man cupped his hands in greeting and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m a steward from Divine Academy. I¡¯m here today to deliver the admission documents for Young Master Gu.¡±


    <i>Aren¡¯t the admission documents supposed to be collected at the academy? Why did they go to the trouble of having someone send them over personally?</i>


    <i>Did our Dashun do too well?</i>


    Gu Changhai felt his back be even straighter. He proudly called out into the house, ¡°Dashun, the academy sent someone here to hand you the admission documents!¡±

 Chapter 15

    <h4>Chapter 15: A p to the Face</h4> <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>As Studios <strong> Editor: </strong>As Studios</h4>


    For Gu Dashun to be able to do so well, it took more than simply being smart; he had to do his due diligence.


    He had woken up earlier than Madam Zhou and Gu Yue¡¯e and was studying in his room. When he heard his father calling him, he put down his book and walked out. ¡°Father, what is it?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the middle-aged man outside the door.


    He vaguely felt that he looked familiar, but could not remember where he had seen him before. However, the presence he gave off was anything but ordinary. He had no idea why he hade to their house.


    ¡°Father, what were you saying just now? I was studying, so I didn¡¯t hear you clearly,¡± he turned to Gu Changhai and said.


    Gu Changhai pointed at the middle-aged man and said with a smile, ¡°This is the steward from Divine Academy. He¡¯s here to deliver the admission documents to you!¡±


    ¡°Admission documents?¡± Gu Dashun was as puzzled as Gu Changhai. The academy had already informed the candidates that the results would be released three days after the exam, and the admission documents would be ready in seven days, whereupon they would go to the east gate of the academy to collect them.


    There were still three days before the seventh day.?<i>Why are they already prepared? And even delivering them to our doorstep?</i>


    The middle-aged man realized it at this moment. He smiled and said, ¡°So there¡¯s another examinee in your house. However, Master Gu, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve misunderstood. The document in my hands is not for this examinee, but for another Young Master Gu.¡±


    Gu Changhai replied strangely, ¡°But only Dashun in our family is an examinee.¡±


    The middle-aged man maintained a polite smile. ¡°I suppose I didn¡¯t make myself clear before. May I ask if Young Master Gu Xiaoshun is here?¡±


    Both the father and son were stunned.


    Gu Changhai took a while to find his voice. ¡°You, you¡­ you must be mistaken, right? Gu Xiaoshun didn¡¯t take the exam.¡±


    <i>Gu Xiaoshun is a ruffian! A scoundrel! He would never take the exam even in eight lifetimes!</i>


    <i>And even if he did, he would definitely not be able to get in!</i>


    The middle-aged man smiled warmly and said, ¡°I¡¯m not mistaken. It¡¯s Gu Xiaoshun. My master personally rmended him. He¡¯s allowed to enter the academy without an exam.¡±


    Gu Changlu, who had just woken up, heard his son¡¯s name. He walked over and said, ¡°What¡¯s going on with Xiaoshun? Did he get into trouble again? That bastard! I¡¯ll go beat him up now!¡±


    Gu Changlu had just woken up and his appearance was really sloppy, but the middle-aged man¡¯s smile did not fade at all. ¡°My master had ascended the mountain and hurt himself when he fell; fortunately, Young Master Gu was around and saved him. I suppose I¡¯ll have to trouble you to hand the admission documents to Young Master Gu. He¡¯ll be enrolled at the academy in four days.¡±


    ¡°Our family can¡¯t afford to pay two tuition fees!¡± Gu Changhai eximed.


    Gu Changlu was still confused and did not understand what was happening.


    The middle-aged man looked at Gu Dashun, then at Gu Changhai. This time, there was no smile in his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s written on the document that all tuition fees are waived. In addition, the books and uniforms have also been prepared. Please pass them along with the admission documents to Young Master Gu.¡±


    His own father and second uncle had not noticed, but Gu Dashun had. The man had addressed him as ¡®examinee,¡¯ but always referred to Gu Xiaoshun as ¡®Young Master Gu¡¯.


    Moreover, he had gotten second ce, but the man actually did not know that this was his house.


    Gu Dashun¡¯s face did not look too good.


    He wanted to ask about the man as well as the identity of that old master in detail, but after the middle-aged man handed a mahogany brocade box to Gu Changlu, he had left in the carriage.


    For a while, Gu Changlu could not quite grasp the situation. ¡°Big Brother, was that person¡­ saying that Xiaoshun¡­ can also go to school?¡±


    During breakfast, the whole family found out about this.


    ¡°When did you go up the mountain? Who did you save? Why didn¡¯t you tell your family?¡± Madam Liu kept asking him a number of questions.


    ¡°I¡­ How would I know? I¡­ I just saved him.¡± His sister did not want him to tell anyone, so he could only take the me. However, he did not expect the oue to be like this. He was going to school? Just like that?


    ¡°Ahem, since there¡¯s no need to pay for tuition, why not let Xiaoshun go? Better than him causing trouble outside all day,¡± Gu Changlu said.


    ¡°If he leaves, who will help out in the fields?¡± Madam Zhou was dissatisfied.


    They did not have to pay for tuition, but they were the ones who would be exhausted with one less person working in the fields!


    Gu Dashun looked at Madam Zhou. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s a good thing to have more schrs in our household. I can help in the fields after school.¡±


    ¡°How can I ask you to do it?¡± Madam Zhou tly refused. Her son was born to study, not to dig in the fields!


    Upon hearing this, Madam Liu was dissatisfied.?<i>So her son¡¯s of noble-bearing, but my own son is of peasant-stock??</i>However, it was true that Gu Xiaoshun was indeed useless. On the other hand, if Ershun were to be stopped from studying, Madam Liu would definitely retort.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ Xiaoshun needs to change. At the very least, he needs to be able to sit still like Ershun,¡± Gu Dashun said again.


    His words hit the nail on the head.?<i>That¡¯s right, with Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s personality, can he even study at all? What if he offends the teachers and drags Gu Dashun down with him?</i>


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we¡­ let Ershun go instead?¡± Madam Liu asked.


    <i>Not only is Ershun smarter, he¡¯s also more well-behaved than Xiaoshun. If he¡¯s allowed to study there, he¡¯ll definitely be able to be a schr-officiate!</i>


    However, Madam Zhou did not find this agreeable. She felt that while Ershun looked eager to learn, several times when Dashun was teaching him, he did not absorb anything at all.


    He was also unsuited to studying. Madam Liu was simply indulging in her wild fantasies, as she had always pinned her dream of being a schr-officiate¡¯s mother on Ershun.


    But this time, the men at home did not object, so Madam Zhou did not say anything.


    Throughout the entire process, no one asked for Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s opinion.


    Three dayster, Xiao Ling and Gu Dashun each received their admission documents and uniforms at the academy.


    They had to prepare their own materials. As for Gu Xiaoshun, they knew that he did not have any, so new ones were specially prepared for him. However, now they were all Gu Ershun¡¯s.


    Gu Jiao carried a basket on her back as she sent Xiao Ling to town.


    As usual, she sent him to the academy before going to the market.


    Xiao Ling had changed into a brand new uniform. Gu Jiao had seen others wearing this uniform: Feng Lin, as well as many other students from the academy. However, none of them matched Xiao Ling; he was tall and slender, his new clothes were as white as snow, and his eyebrows were perfect as though painted.


    His person was impable, his appearance unparalleled.


    After a while, Gu Jiao¡¯s gazended on his feet.


    Realizing that he was wearing the new shoes she had bought for him, Gu Jiao smiled.


    ¡°Do the shoes fit?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao Ling nodded lightly.


    Gu Jiao handed him his walking stick and they left together.


    When they arrived at the vige entrance, Second Uncle Luo¡¯s ox cart was already waiting. Not many people were going to town today; aside from the two of them, there were also Gu Dashun and Gu Ershun.


    The two of them had also put on their uniforms.


    To be honest, everyone in the Gu family looked decent, and Gu Dashun was better-looking than most of the men in town. However, even he was nothing when ced next to Xiao Ling.


    Xiao Ling did not do anything special, but he nevertheless looked like a painting, exuding a schrly aura.


    Gu Jiao had told Xiao Ling about how Gu Xiaoshun had saved someone from the academy, so the two of them knew that Gu Xiaoshun should be the one going to the academy today.


    However, the two of them did not show much surprise when they saw Gu Ershun appear on the ox cart in a school uniform that was obviously a size too small. It was as if they had expected the Gu family to do something so shameless.


    Gu Jiao sneered.


    Xiao Ling rummaged through his bag and realized that Gu Jiao had snuck some copper coins in again. This time, there were twenty of them.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Gu Ershun rolled his eyes at them.


    The ox cart soon arrived near the academy.


    ¡°Just stop here. We¡¯ll walk over ourselves,¡± Gu Dashun said.


    Xiao Ling and Gu Jiao stayed on until they reached the entrance of the academy.


    After Xiao Ling entered the academy, Gu Jiao carried the basket to the market.

 Chapter 16

    <h4>Chapter 16: Thugs</h4> <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>As Studios <strong> Editor: </strong>As Studios</h4>


    The new enrollees this time were divided into four sses based on their grades. From best to worst, they were: Heaven-Grade ss A, Heaven-Grade ss B, Earth-Grade ss A, and Earth-Grade ss B.


    Gu Dashun came in second, and naturally was in Heaven-Grade ss A. Xiao Ling was secondst, and entered Earth-Grade ss B.


    As for Gu Xiaoshun, he was also assigned to Earth-Grade ss B.


    At first, Gu Dashun had wondered what big shot Gu Xiaoshun had saved, but in the end, he was only enrolled in the worst ss. It seemed that the other party did not hold much sway in Divine Academy.


    ¡°That¡¯s Earth-Grade ss B. Go ahead.¡± After giving Gu Ershun directions, Gu Dashun turned around and headed for Heaven-Grade ss A.


    Gu Ershun had dreamed of going to school like Dashun since he was young. Now that his wish had finallye true, he was naturally overjoyed.


    However, when he thought about how he was actually assigned to the same ss as Xiao Ling, he felt a little unhappy. Although he did not know what Heaven-Grade ss A and Earth-Grade ss B actually meant, Xiao Ling was ranked second from the bottom. How good could the ss he went to be?


    <i>Later, I¡¯ll have to find the old master whom Gu Xiaoshun saved and get him to transfer me to Gu Dashun¡¯s ss!</i>


    Gu Ershun thought this was simply matter-of-fact; he did not think that there was anything wrong with this idea.


    He looked disdainfully at the students present and raised his chin as he entered. Suddenly, the lecturer said, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Gu Ershun said, ¡°I¡¯m a new student, Gu Ershun.¡±


    When the teacher heard this, he stopped looking at him and said indifferently, ¡°Where did this freeloadere from? There¡¯s no such person in the ss. Get out.¡±


    Gu Ershun was stunned.


    All the students looked at him, and Gu Ershun¡¯s face flushed red. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡±


    ¡°Is Gu Xiaoshun here?¡± The teacher interrupted him.


    The ssroom was very quiet.


    ¡°Is Gu Xiaoshun not here yet?¡± the teacher asked again.


    The students began to whisper among themselves.


    <i>Gu Xiaoshun and Gu Ershun. It¡¯s obvious that they¡¯re rted, but the teacher didn¡¯t even ask¡­</i>


    As the students whispered among themselves, they peered towards Gu Ershun, a hint of provocation in their looks this time.


    Gu Ershun could not stand it anymore and turned around to look for Gu Dashun. He had hoped that Gu Dashun would help him resolve the problem, but he did not expect that Heaven-Grade ss A had already begun their lesson.


    Gu Ershun had nowhere to go. He was so embarrassed that he wished he could find a hole to hide in.


    After ss, Gu Dashun was called out by the teacher of his ss.


    ¡°Master Chen.¡± Gu Dashun bowed respectfully.


    Teacher Chen thought for a moment and asked him, ¡°Do you know about your younger brother¡¯s admission?¡±


    Gu Dashun nodded. ¡°I do. A steward from the academy personally sent my brother¡¯s admission documents to the vige. May I ask¡­ did something happen?¡±


    Teacher Chen frowned. ¡°The one who was admitted is Gu Xiaoshun, but the one who arrived was Gu Ershun. Do you know anything about this?¡±


    When Gu Dashun saw Teacher Chen¡¯s expression, he felt that something was wrong. His gaze flickered, and he lowered his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not certain, as I had left first. Those two are my cousins from my second uncle¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°I understand. You can go back to ss first,¡± Teacher Chen said.


    ¡°Master, my brother¡­¡± Gu Dashun looked at Teacher Chen uneasily.


    Teacher Chen waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s rted to your second uncle¡¯s family and has nothing to do with you. Keep studying hard. You did well this time, the dean thinks very highly of you.¡±


    Gu Dashun left for his ss.


    He nced in the direction of the corridor.


    <i>Gu Ershun is timid, surely he won¡¯t spout any nonsense.</i>


    ¡­


    On the other hand, after Gu Jiao went to the market, she went straight to where she set up shopst time. Everyone seemed to know that she wasing here to sell goods from the mountain and had reserved a ce for her.


    Gu Jiao brought freshly picked mushrooms and dried ck wood ear fungus today.


    ¡°Is this edible? Don¡¯t they say it¡¯s poisonous?¡± Thedy selling sweet potatoes asked as she held a piece of ck wood ear fungus.


    ¡°The ones I sell are edible,¡± Gu Jiao replied.


    After being dried in the sun, the ck wood ear fungus no longer had any tannic acid or porphyrin, so it would not cause any toxic reactions.


    Thedy selling sweet potatoes believed her. ¡°Can I still exchange them for sweet potatoes?¡±


    Gu Jiao nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±


    More than half of the ck wood ear fungus and fresh mushrooms in her basket were exchanged with simply produce by the nearby vendors. Only a small portion was actually sold to passersby.


    Gu Jiao grabbed the basket with one hand.


    The basket was heavy with radishes, sweet potatoes, winter melons, and pumpkins, but she easily carried it up.


    Everyone watched her leave the market with their mouths agape.


    Gu Jiao did not return to the vige. Instead, she walked into a dusty alley.


    Xue Ningxiang had alsoe to the market.


    Her mother-inw¡¯s old legs were acting up again. Without the money to go to the medical hall in town, she could onlye to the market to find a barefoot doctor to buy some herbs.


    After buying the medicine, she was about to go back when she happened to see a familiar figure.


    She fixed her gaze on her to confirm that she was not mistaken. However, she could not help but feel even more puzzled.


    ¡°Why would shee here? And she¡¯s headed to that kind of ce?¡±


    Past that alley was a seedy area; as far as Xue Ningxiang knew, there were gambling dens, brothels, and illegal workshops¡­


    Xue Ningxiang really could not figure out why Gu Jiao went there.


    <i>Is she being tricked, or¡­</i>


    Xue Ningxiang frowned and quickly followed after her.


    However, as soon as she passed through the alley, Gu Jiao was gone. Opposite her was arge gambling den, on her left was a brothel, and on her right was a ce whose business she could not discern. From time to time, miserable screams would ring out. A person stumbled out, their face bruised, and they vomited blood and fell to the ground, unable to get up again.


    Xue Ningxiang was terrified. She turned around and was about to head back the way she came, but she was blocked by a few thuggish men in the alley.


    ¡°Yo, where did this youngdye from? Isn¡¯t she quite aelyss!¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t that right? How about you y with us for a while?¡±


    As the two men in front spoke, they stretched out their groping hands towards Xue Ningxiang. The two men behind did not attack, and simplyughed wretchedly.


    The four of them surrounded her so tightly that not even water could pass through.


    Xue Ningxiang wanted to scream, but one of the men had covered her mouth.


    The four men coordinated well, as if this was not the first time they had done such a thing. One covered her mouth, two others picked her up, then, everyone began to grope her.


    Xue Ningxiang could not scream or move; tears of despair flowed from her eyes.


    At this moment, a cold voice came from behind them. ¡°Hey, move aside.¡±


    The few of them were in high spirits when they suddenly heard a woman¡¯s voice. They were secretly delighted.?<i>Anothermb to the ughter!</i>


    However, when they turned around, they saw a little girl with a red patch on her face.


    Not only was her face ugly, she was also skinny. It was obvious that she had not developed well.


    The few of them immediately lost interest in assaulting her. The man covering Xue Ningxiang¡¯s mouth yelled, ¡°Get lost!¡±


    ¡°I said, move.¡±


    Her voice was not loud, and her tone was casual. However, for some reason, everyone felt a strange chill in their hearts.


    ¡°Pfft~¡± It was the same man covering Xue Ningxiang¡¯s mouth. He smirked disdainfully, let go of Xue Ningxiang, and walked towards Gu Jiao.


    Then, he threw a fist towards Gu Jiao!


    Xue Ningxiang could not bear to look and shut her eyes!


    Crack!


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    The sound of bones breaking and screaming shocked everyone.


    Gu Jiao did not give anyone a chance to react. She grabbed the second man¡¯s cor and threw him against the wall, knocking him out on the spot.


    The remaining two people pounced at her, but before they could even touch her clothes, she hadnded two solid kicks right where it hurt most. They copsed on the ground, unable to get up.


    However, at this moment, the first man to fall to the ground suddenly stumbled to his feet. Grabbing a brick, he aimed for the back of Gu Jiao¡¯s head¡ª

 Chapter 17

    <h4>Chapter 17: Period</h4> <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>As Studios <strong> Editor: </strong>As Studios</h4>


    ¡°Ah¡ª!¡± Xue Ningxiang screamed.


    However, Gu Jiao spun around and sent him flying with a kick.


    Xue Ningxiang was dumbfounded. She did not understand how Gu Jiao did it at all!


    After Gu Jiao finished beating them up, she left with the basket on her back. She did not even look at Xue Ningxiang, giving the impression that she only attacked them because these shameless people were blocking her way.


    Xue Ningxiang snapped out of her daze and stood up shakily. ¡°You¡­ hold on!¡±


    Gu Jiao continued walking.


    Xue Ningxiang wanted to chase after her, but her clothes had been torn by those men. If she walked out just like that, her body would be exposed; she was so anxious that tears streamed down her face.


    Gu Jiao stopped in her tracks and rubbed her temples in frustration. She took out her own cotton jacket from the basket and tossed it at Xue Ningxiang.


    Xue Ningxiang was stunned. She looked at the coat, and then at Gu Jiao. ¡°You¡­ aren¡¯t you cold?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it if you don¡¯t want it.¡± Gu Jiao reached out.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wear it! I¡¯ll wear it!¡± Xue Ningxiang quickly put on the shirt.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s cotton jacket was a little too small, especially around her chest, which made Xue Ningxiang panicky.


    Xue Ningxiang bent down and picked up the herbs that had fallen to the ground. She whispered to Gu Jiao, ¡°Thank you¡­ for just now.¡±


    She really did not expect to encounter such a thing, nor did she expect Gu Jiao to save her. She felt a littleplicated, but regardless, her gratitude came from the bottom of her heart.


    It was also at this moment that she was really sure that Gu Jiao was different from before.


    ¡°Are¡­ are you not stupid anymore?¡± she asked gingerly.


    Gu Jiao did not answer her.


    ¡°She must still stupid¡­¡± Otherwise, why would she save her? She had bullied her so much in the past.


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Xue Ningxiang saw blood dripping from Gu Jiao¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯re hurt!¡±


    Gu Jiao answered calmly, ¡°It¡¯s not my blood.¡±


    She was not lying¡ªit really was not hers.


    However, something came to her mind and she wiped away the blood with a handkerchief.


    Xue Ningxiang turned around and looked at the four thugs lying on the ground.?<i>The four of them aren¡¯t bleeding, so where did the blood on that girl¡¯s hande from? What was she doing just now?</i>


    The two of them left the alley.


    Gu Jiao looked at the sky.


    Xue Ningxiang suddenly grabbed her sleeve and looked at her pitifully. ¡°I¡­ Can I go back to the vige with you?¡±


    Gu Peiaotuo scowled slightly.


    She was not going back to the vige.


    Xue Ningxiang felt that it was reasonable for Gu Jiao to refuse. After all, her rtionship with Gu Jiao was not good, and it was already a stretch for her to save her simply on ount of them being from the same vige. There was no reason for her to apany her back as well.


    Xue Ningxiang retracted her hand silently.


    Gu Jiao said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m going to the academy first.¡±


    Xue Ningxiang¡¯s eyes lit up as she raised her head. ¡°Then, can Ie with you?¡±


    Gu Jiao did not reply.


    She turned around and headed towards the east of the town.


    Xue Ningxiang followed tentatively. Seeing that Gu Jiao did not chase her away, she was delighted as she followed her.


    Xue Ningxiang had had her feet bound, and women with bound feet walked slower.


    Gu Jiao scratched her head in frustration, but she would still stop and wait for her.


    When the two of them arrived at the academy, ss had just ended.


    Xiao Ling walked out with his book bag, and was startled when he spotted Gu Jiao at the entrance of the alley opposite.


    He walked over with a calm expression. ¡°Were you in the area today as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gu Jiao replied vaguely.


    Xue Ningxiang was shocked. It was at least seven to eight miles between this ce and the market.?<i>This, this, this¡­ could this even be called ¡®in the area¡¯?</i>


    Xiao Ling finally noticed Xue Ningxiang beside Gu Jiao.


    A trace of surprise shed across Xiao Ling¡¯s eyes. Even if he racked his brains, he could not figure out why the two of them were together. Moreover, Xue Ningxiang was even wearing Gu Jiao¡¯s clothes.


    Second Uncle Luo¡¯s ox cart was already waiting in the alley. He had already informed him this morning and asked him to pick him up at five.


    The three of them got on the ox cart, with Gu Jiao sitting between the two of them.


    Xue Ningxiang had a good impression of Xiao Ling, but after what had just transpired she still had a lingering fear of men. She did not even greet Xiao Ling.


    Xiao Ling was not bothered by Xue Ningxiang¡¯s attitude towards him. He simply felt that it was a little strange, but did not inquire further.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s cotton jacket was on Xue Ningxiang, while she herself only had a thin jacket. She did not feel cold when she was walking, but once she sat down, she felt a little chilly.


    Xiao Ling looked down at his academy uniform and hesitated. Their rtionship did not seem so good that he could just pass it to her, but she would catch a chill again if he did not. Just as he was hesitating, he saw Xue Ningxiang lean weakly towards Gu Jiao, using her body to warm her up.


    Xiao Ling: ¡°¡­¡±


    After the ox cart passed through the alley, they saw Gu Dashun waiting there.


    Gu Ershun had already been driven home, so Gu Dashun was the only one waiting for the ox cart.


    Gu Dashun ignored Xue Ningxiang in the ox cart and only looked at the expressionless Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling. Thinking of how calm they had been this morning, he suddenly felt that they had guessed this oue from the beginning.


    <i>Yet they didn¡¯t say anything and simply watched as Gu Ershun was chased out and I was suspected of mischief by my teacher.</i>


    <i>Whose idea was it? Xiao Ling¡¯s? Or this fool¡¯s?</i>


    A breeze blew past, and Gu Jiao gently pushed away the hair covering her face, not minding the birthmark on her face at all.


    Gu Dashun had never seen Gu Jiao like this.


    No, he had actually seen her like this before¡ªon the morning of the exam, when she yanked him off the ox cart. At that time, she had been equally calm and assured; he simply did not pay attention in his fit of anger.


    <i>What exactly happened to that fool? Her temperament suddenly changed, she stoppeding to the Gu residence for dinner, and then got together with Xiao Ling.</i>


    ¡°Are you thirsty?¡± Xue Ningxiang untied the water bag from her waist and handed it to Gu Jiao.


    <i>Even that widow, who had always been at odds with her, became her friend?</i>


    Gu Dashun knitted his brows deeply.


    When the ox cart arrived at the vige, Gu Dashun jumped off.


    Gu Jiao did not bicker with him. She just sat on the ox cart and looked at him with a faint smile. ¡°Remember to send Xiaoshun to school tomorrow.¡±


    Gu Dashun clenched his fists.


    ¡ª


    After returning home, Gu Jiao felt exceptionally cold, and her hands and feet were freezing. At night, her period came.


    People in the rural countryside were not well-nourished, and most of the time the girls¡¯ periods camete. She was already 14 years old, but this was actually her first time having her period.


    She did not know if it was because she had fallen into the water a few days ago, coupled with the wind today, that caused her body to be too cool. Her stomach hurt terribly.


    Having been in the organization for many years, she was already used to all kinds of pain; however, it was solely this kind of abdominal pain during her period which she could never tolerate.


    Xue Ningxiang came to return Gu Jiao¡¯s clothes. As soon as she entered the house, she found Gu Jiao sitting on a chair with a pale face. She immediately asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Gu Jiao said mildly.


    <i>This girl roughhoused four men in the day, yet now she¡¯s so weak she can¡¯t even stand up. How can it be nothing??</i>Xue Ningxiang looked at her clutching her stomach and came to a realization. ¡°Are you having your period?¡±


    Gu Jiao did not have the strength to bother with her.


    When Xiao Ling heard themotion in the house, he walked over and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Gu Jiao did not say anything; instead, it was Xue Ningxiang who replied, ¡°She¡¯s having her period and it hurts a lot. Do you have brown sugar? Boil some sugar water for her.¡±


    Xiao Ling was frozen on the spot.


    Xue Ningxiang did not think too much about it. She thought that since the two of them had been married for half a year, they must have consummated their marriage long ago. Surely, there was nothing that should not be said between them.

 Chapter 18

    <h4>Chapter 18: Blushing</h4> <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>As Studios <strong> Editor: </strong>As Studios</h4>


    Xiao Ling left awkwardly.


    There was no brown sugar at home, and the market was closed sote at night. If they wanted some, he could only borrow it from someone else.


    Xiao Ling had never asked to borrow anything from anyone, let alone brown sugar which women would consume when they had their period.


    He stood under the roof, his cheeks burning.


    However, after taking a few deep breaths, he still got up and headed to the east of the vige.


    ¡°Auntie Zhang.¡± He knocked on the Zhang family¡¯s door.


    Auntie Zhang opened the door and saw him. She smiled and asked, ¡°Oh, Ling. It¡¯s sote, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ came to borrow some brown sugar,¡± Xiao Ling said, pretending to be calm.


    In the countryside, brown sugar was a raremodity and most people would not have it at home. Auntie Zhang¡¯s daughter-inw had just given birth and was in confinement; Xiao Ling happened to overhear her asking Second Uncle Luo to buy brown sugar for her at the market.


    ¡°Why do you need brown sugar? Is the Gu girl pregnant?¡± Auntie Zhang asked.


    Xiao Ling¡¯s face burned again. ¡°No, no!¡±


    ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s her period. What¡¯s wrong? Her first time?¡± Auntie Zhang was experienced and instantly understood what was going on when she saw his expression.


    <i>Who ever knew? Ling¡¯s the sort to dote on others too, huh.</i>


    Auntie Zhang returned to her room and filled a bowl with brown sugar for him. She teased him, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing for a woman to have her period. It means that she¡¯ll be able to bear children for you soon!¡±


    Xiao Ling had no idea how he left.


    He boiled some brown sugar water and brought it to Gu Jiao¡¯s room. Xue Ningxiang had already returned home, and Gu Jiao was lying on the bed, a little weak.


    He looked straight ahead as he entered her room and ced the brown sugar water on the table. ¡°Drink it first. Call me if it¡¯s not enough.¡±


    With that, he turned around and left.


    Although he left very quickly, Gu Jiao¡¯s sharp eyes noticed that his ears were flushed red.


    Gu Jiao chuckled lightly and drank all the brown sugar water in the bowl.


    She did not expect the brown sugar water to be effective. Her body warmed up, and she felt much more at ease. In no time at all, she was asleep.


    That night, she dreamt again.


    She dreamed that she woke upte the next day, that Xiao Ling went out alone and met Gu Xiaoshun at the vige entrance.


    The two of them went to the academy together and entered the same ss.


    Gu Xiaoshun was a slipshod person. He slept through the entire morning ss, giving everyone a terrible impression of him. When it was time for their room assignment, no one was willing to stay with him; only Xiao Ling stood up.


    The two of them were assigned to the westernmost dormitory. The building had been in disrepair for a long time, and as soon as the two of them entered, the roof copsed¡ªXiao Ling was severely injured, while Gu Xiaoshun was slightly hurt.


    The next day, Gu Jiao really woke upte.


    Because of her experience from her previous dream, Gu Jiao was much calmer this time.


    <i>Xiao Ling¡¯s not around; he must have left for school.</i>


    Second Uncle Luo¡¯s ox cart was in town, so she walked there and arrived at the academy at noon.


    Gu Xiaoshun was sleeping soundly on the desk when the student in front of him poked him with his brush. ¡°Hey, time to eat!¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun rubbed his eyes and sat up. ¡°Ah, is it lunch time?¡±


    The surrounding students looked at the creases on his face caused by his book and burst outughing.


    Everyone in the ss knew that Gu Xiaoshun got in because of his connections. However, no one had expected him to be sopletely ignorant and ipetent.


    Even the worst ss in the Divine Academy had never had such a bum.


    Everyone looked at Gu Xiaoshun with a hint of disapproval.


    Soon, Teacher Zhang arrived.


    Teacher Zhang said, ¡°Today, we are going to assign you your dormitories, four students to one dormitory. Discuss among yourselves, thene to me to get your keys.¡±


    There were a total of twenty-six people in Earth-Grade ss B, which meant that there would be one dormitory with only two people.


    Everyone quickly split up into their groups. Xiao Ling¡¯s deskmate had two childhood friends in the same ss, and he asked Xiao Ling to join them.


    On Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s side, things were much more bumpy. No one was willing to share a room with him, and he ended uppletely alone. There was another student who had applied for leave yesterday and had just entered the school today; as he did not know anyone, he was also alone.


    However, it was obvious that this ssmate also despised Gu Xiaoshun. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to be in the same room as him!¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Then I¡¯ll stay in the dorm on my own!¡± Gu Xiaoshun folded his arms and pointed his chin at him.


    Of course, he could not actually live alone. Or was that lone student going to sleep on the streets?


    Xiao Ling said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll trade with you.¡±


    The student shed tears of gratitude and thanked him several times, only stopping short of calling him father.


    Gu Xiaoshun said casually, ¡°Brother-inw, you don¡¯t have to stay with me! It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to stay with you, I just think¡­¡±


    Xiao Ling had already taken the key from Teacher Zhang and left expressionlessly.


    Gu Xiaoshun puckered his lips and reluctantly followed.


    All the best dorms had already been taken, and thest remaining one was the most remote. The two of them carried their bags and walked forward.


    Halfway there, a manservant ran over, sweating profusely. ¡°Which of you is Xiao Ling?¡±


    Xiao Ling stopped and turned to him. ¡°I am.¡±


    The servant was panting. ¡°Your family¡¯s here and waiting for you outside, it¡¯s something urgent! Please see her immediately!¡±


    Xiao Ling was an orphan.?<i>The only person who can be called his family¡­ is her.</i>


    Xiao Ling paused and said to Gu Xiaoshun, ¡°It¡¯s your sister.¡±


    ¡°My sister¡¯s here?¡± Hearing that it was Gu Jiao, Gu Xiaoshun perked up. ¡°Then what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s hurry up and go find my sister!¡±


    They were only a few steps away from their assigned dormitory. They could drop their things inside before going to see her.


    <i>But she said, it¡¯s something urgent.</i>


    Xiao Ling quickened his pace. Carrying his bag and walking with his walking stick, he went to the entrance of the academy with Gu Xiaoshun.


    Crowds of people wereing and going on the streets, and her clothes were inconspicuous, but Xiao Ling still recognized her at a nce.


    She stood in the cold wind, her face a little flush from the cold. Perhaps because she did not like the noise, she was frowning from time to time.


    ¡°Sister! Sister!¡± Gu Xiaoshun excitedly ran towards Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao nced at him and quickly looked away to look at Xiao Ling behind the crowd.


    Xiao Ling happened to be looking at her too. Their eyes met, and Xiao Ling was stunned for a moment. Gu Jiao smiled.


    Xiao Ling averted his gaze and walked towards her.


    ¡°Sister, why are you looking for us?¡± Gu Xiaoshun asked.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing,¡± Gu Jiao said casually. ¡°I just came to have lunch with you.¡±


    After saying that, she saw Xiao Ling looking at her skeptically. She adjusted Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s cor and said in earnest, ¡°It¡¯s your first day of school. I¡¯m worried about you.¡±


    The two of them went to a nearby noodle shop, where they had three bowls of Yangchun noodles.


    It was the ce where Feng Lin had brought Xiao Ling and Gu Jiao to eatst time.


    Xiao Ling was not enjoying his meal.


    Gu Jiao said, ¡°Aren¡¯t these the noodles from your hometown? Don¡¯t you like them?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not as good as your cooking.¡± This sentence slipped out from his mouth; after saying that, Xiao Ling himself was stunned.


    Gu Jiao was also startled for a moment. Then, she propped her chin on her hand and looked at him as she smiled and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll cook for you tonight.¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun had a big appetite, and after finishing one bowl he originally wanted to have another, but for some reason, he suddenly felt full.


    ¡°Huh? Why am I feeling so full?¡±

 Chapter 19

    <h4>Chapter 19: Genius</h4> <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>As Studios <strong> Editor: </strong>As Studios</h4>


    After dinner, Xiao Ling and Gu Xiaoshun returned to the academy and were informed that their dormitory had copsed.


    ¡°When did it copse?¡± Xiao Ling asked.


    The student said, ¡°Not long after you left. Many people saw you going to the dormitory and were worried that you would be buried inside.¡±


    <i>We wanted to go there first, but¡­</i>


    Xiao Ling paused.


    Gu Xiaoshun ran to the copsed dormitory; the ground was covered in broken walls, the floor cracked by fallen beams. Thinking about what would happen if those hit a person on the head, he patted his chest in fear. ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that my sister came to eat with us! Otherwise, we would have been buried alive!¡±


    Including the time at the medical center, this was the second time. Both times, it was because of her that they avoided a sudden disaster.


    Xiao Ling looked in the direction where Gu Jiao had left, a thoughtful expression on his face.


    The Divine Academy had always been rtively tight on their dormitory space, and this time they had admitted a total of 101 students, theirrgest batch of students yet. Therefore, the academy really did not have any extra dormitories, so they could only let the two of them continue their studies without any amodations.


    As the amodation fees were included in the tuition fees, they were usually not refunded. However, considering that this was not a problem stemming from the students, the academy took the initiative to bear Xiao Ling and Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s daily fare.


    Gu Xiaoshun did not care. He did not like the Gu family, but he did not really love the Academy either. It was the same for him either way.


    ¡°Brother-inw, aren¡¯t you d?¡± Gu Xiaoshun whispered to Xiao Ling on the way back to the ssroom.


    ¡°Why would I be d?¡± Xiao Ling returned the question.


    ¡°Now you can go back and sleep with my sister!¡± Gu Xiaoshun did not actually understand what he was saying. He was 13 years old this year; while he was not exactly ignorant about certain topics, he was not exactly knowledgeable about them either. He had this idea in his head that a man had to hug his wife to sleep¡ªas for what they would do afterwards, he actually did not know.


    Therefore, he was not embarrassed at all when he said this.


    Xiao Ling choked. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±?<i>But I¡¯m not spouting nonsense, now Brother-inw can go back and sleep with Sister!</i>


    The two of them entered the ssroom; it was mathematics in the afternoon. The examinations only tested candidates on the eight-segmented essay, and mathematics was not included, so the imperial court did not pay much attention to it. This subject was taught only because the dean wanted it to be so, as he hoped to nurture future talents for the nation.


    As soon as Xiao Ling sat down, Teacher Zhang called him out. ¡°The dean is looking for you.¡±


    Xiao Ling went to the Impartial Hall to find the dean.


    As soon as he reached the door, he bumped into Gu Dashuning out from the Impartial Hall.


    There was a smug look on Gu Dashun¡¯s face that had yet to fade. As soon as he saw Xiao Ling, he frowned. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Xiao Ling ignored him and walked past him on his walking stick.


    Gu Dashun scowled.


    <i>Is Xiao Ling also here to look for the dean?</i>


    On the first day of Gu Dashun¡¯s enrollment, Teacher Chen told him that the dean admired him very much, and then secretly hinted to him that the dean had ns to choose a personal disciple from this batch of students and told him to work hard.


    Of course he had to work hard.


    He was talented. On top of that, if he also had the guidance of a literary magnate like the dean, he would not have to worry about not being able to pass the imperial examination.


    He had barely slept the night before as he was writing a piece, and he had brought it to Teacher Chen in the morning. At noon, Teacher Chen showed it to the dean, and thereafter the dean had called him in to ask him a few questions about the piece, and he answered them well.


    He could see that the dean was very satisfied.


    He thought that his disciple¡¯s matter should be in the bag, but for some reason, Xiao Ling was also here.


    <i>Is it because of their dormitory?</i>


    He had heard that Xiao Ling and Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s dormitory had copsed at noon. For him to encounter something so unlucky, it was obvious that fate did not favor him.


    At this thought, Gu Dashun sneered arrogantly and returned to his ssroom.


    In the Impartial Hall, the dean pointed at the eight-segmented essay on the desk and asked Xiao Ling, ¡°Did you write this yourself?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao Ling said.


    The dean¡¯s sharp gazended on Xiao Ling.?<i>This young man is only 17 years old, and his face still bears the marks of inexperience, but there¡¯s a calm and coolness in his demeanor unbefitting one of his age.</i>


    <i>He¡¯s also crippled, yet he carries himself with more nobility than any healthy student.</i>


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer the first two questions?¡± the dean asked.


    Everyone knew that he scored bottom-ce in the examinations; however, what they did not know was that he had handed in two nk papers for three questions.


    He should not have been epted, but this piece was simply too astonishing.


    The essay from the student named Gu Dashun was not bad either, but only rtive to a freshman¡¯s standard. Compared to Xiao Ling¡¯s, his certainly paled inparison.


    Xiao Ling did not answer the dean¡¯s question.


    <i>What a stubborn child.</i>?The dean sighed in his heart and waved his hand. ¡°Alright, go back to ss.¡±


    Xiao Ling gave a student¡¯s salutations and turned to leave.


    An old man in cloth clothes walked out from behind a curtain.


    ¡°Master.¡± The dean immediately stood up and bowed respectfully.


    The old man picked up Xiao Ling¡¯s article and shook his head after reading it. ¡°This student of yours bears a lot of hostility.¡±


    After Gu Jiao bade farewell to Xiao Ling, she went to the marketce nearby.


    The marketce in the eastern part of town was simr to the market in the west, but it was more high-end and the prices were correspondingly more expensive. However, the western market was closed now, so if she wanted to buy something she could only go to the shops or this marketce.


    Gu Jiao bought five catties of white flour, two catties of high-quality pork belly, and two catties of salt. In total, it cost more than a hundred copper coins.


    When she passed by a clothier, she remembered that when she was keeping Xiao Ling¡¯s clothes a few days ago, she noticed some of his garments were torn.


    She went in and bought a new set of inner wear. Then, she asked the boss for some rags; she would patch up those that could still be mended.


    Although she had never mended her clothes before, she had once sutured a heart. If she treated fabric as she did human skin, it should be easy to sew!


    After Gu Jiao put all the things she had bought away into the basket on her back, she prepared to return to the vige. When she walked out of the shop, she realized that there were suddenly a lot of soldiers on the street.


    Themoners were whispering at the side.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I heard that a patient escaped from Leper Mountain, and the soldiers are searching the streets for them!¡±


    ¡°Oh dear, a leper? Isn¡¯t that terrible?¡±


    ¡°Indeed! Don¡¯t go out too much these few days, lest you identally bump into them! Once you contract this illness, there¡¯s no curing it!¡±


    In ancient times, leprosy was an incurable disease. After being infected, one could only be sent to the leprosy colony to await their death.


    Gu Jiao suddenly remembered something; Xiao Ling¡¯s brother seemed to have passed away because of leprosy.


    After the soldiers finished searching this street, they went to the next street over.


    Gu Jiao returned to the vige.


    Gu Jiao did not take the matters on the street to heart. After returning to her room, she went to make Yangchun noodles.


    Just as she was kneading the dough, there was a loud bang outside the door, as if something had hit against the door to her house.


    Gu Jiao wiped her hands with a dry cloth and walked over to take a look. She saw an olddy copsed in front of her house.

 Chapter 20 - 20: Choice

    Chapter 20: Choice


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The olddy was lying on her side on the ground. Messy hair covered her face, her body was dirty, and she was wearing cotton clothes. Gu Jiao¡¯s first impression was that she was from this vige, who was just returning from the fields but had somehow fainted at her door.


    The loud bang just now was from her smashing her head against the door. Her forehead was injured and she was bleeding a little.


    Gu Jiao had encountered scammers before in her previous life, but if this was one, it would be her first time meeting a scammer willing to actually risk their life for a scam.


    Rather, the woman had really fainted.


    Gu Jiao squatted down, wanting to see which family she was from so that she could send her back. However, as she turned her body over, Gu Jiao realized that something was wrong.


    There were symmetrical patches of blemished, discolored skin and red blotches on her face, as well as on the backs of both her hands.


    Gu Jiao frowned slightly. This is clearly¡­


    ¡°Sis! We¡¯re back!¡±


    At this moment, Gu Xiaoshun, carrying an old book bag, ran towards Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao turned to look at him, her eyes sharp. ¡°Don¡¯te over!¡±


    Gu Jiao had never spoken to Gu Xiaoshun in such a stern tone before. Gu Xiaoshun was stunned.


    ¡°Sister¡­¡± He took two more steps forward.


    ¡°I said, don¡¯te over!¡± Gu Jiao¡¯s tone became even harsher.


    This time, Gu Xiaoshun did not dare to move at all. He simply stood there in a daze, about ten paces away from Gu Jiao.


    When he saw Gu Jiao, he naturally saw the olddy lying at Gu Jiao¡¯s doorstep.


    His intuition told him that this had something to do with this olddy.


    He asked, ¡°Sister, who is she?¡±


    Gu Jiao narrowed their eyes and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Go back to the Gu family first.¡±


    She had originally nned to call Gu Xiaoshun over for dinner, but now that something like this had happened, the safety of her family could no longer be guaranteed. She could not let any harm befall Gu Xiaoshun.


    Gu Xiaoshun was clearly upset, but since his sister had said so, he would just go back first.


    ¡°In that case, Brother-inw, I¡¯ll be going first.¡± He turned around and said to Xiao Ling, who was behind him.


    Gu Jiao was slightly taken aback. Xiao Lings back too?


    Not only Xiao Ling, even Feng Lin hade over.


    Feng Lin had helped his deskmate review his homework, and his deskmate gave him a basket of grapefruit as thanks; he then gave Xiao Ling half of them. However, he was worried that Xiao Ling would not be able to carry them back, so he brought it back to the vige for him.


    Besides, Gu Xiaoshun had always bullied Xiao Ling, so Feng Lin was also a little worried about Xiao Ling going home with him and wanted to keep an eye on the two of them.


    Xiao Ling and Feng Lin both noticed the olddy on the ground.


    ¡°You¡¯d better note over either,¡± Gu Jiao said to the two of them.


    Feng Lin squinted strangely. ¡°Is she dead? No way, did you kill her?¡±


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t you dare spout nonsense!¡± Gu Xiaoshun could not stand him always ndering his sister.


    Feng Lin scoffed. ¡°Am I wrong? Something must have happened to that olddy. Otherwise, why wouldn¡¯t she let us near?¡±


    Xiao Ling walked over with a cool expression.


    ¡°You¡­ don¡¯te over,¡± Gu Jiao said.


    Xiao Ling still came over.


    Actually, he could tell from afar that something was wrong. He walked closer and took a closer look, confirming his guess.


    Seeing him walk over, Feng Lin quickly followed.


    ¡°Hey! Why are you all going over? Sister, I¡­ I¡­¡± Gu Xiaoshun scratched his head anxiously.


    Feng Lin came to Xiao Ling¡¯s side and looked at the olddy with red spots on her face. An ominous feeling surged in his heart. ¡°Brother Xiao, this is¡­¡±


    ¡°Leprosy,¡± Xiao Ling said with a frown.


    Feng Lin¡¯s body swayed as he almost fell!


    ¡°This, this, this, this¡­ This olddy is a leper¡­¡± Feng Lin was so shocked that he was stammering.


    Leprosy was known as one of the most terrifying infectious diseases. It was said that as long as one person in the vige was infected, the entire vige would be infected. Moreover, there was no treatment for this disease¡ªif someone was infected, they could only wait for death.


    In the previous dynasty, there was a tragedy where tens of thousands of people died because they did not pay enough attention to leprosy.


    When the emperor of the current dynasty ascended to the throne, his first major edict was the establishment of the leper colony on the mountain, where all of the lepers would be sent to be centrally managed.


    ¡°You touched her?¡± Xiao Ling looked at Gu Jiao calmly.


    Gu Jiao nodded.


    However, she had only touched her briefly, and her skin was not damaged. The probability of her being infected was not high.


    But others might not think so.


    If anyone knew that Gu Jiao had interacted with a leper, they would definitely send her to the Leper Mountain together with the patient.


    In a ce like Leper Mountain, once you went up, you could forget abouting down again.


    Feng Lin pulled Xiao Ling more than ten steps away and said in shock, ¡°You heard her. She touched that leper. You have to send her away immediately! Otherwise, your entire vige will be infected!¡±


    Xiao Ling scowled slightly.


    Feng Lin stomped his feet and said, ¡°Brother Xiao, why are you still hesitating?! Haven¡¯t you always wanted to get rid of that evil woman? She touched the leper herself, and there¡¯s a high chance that she¡¯s also infected. ording to imperialw, she has to be sent to Leper Mountain. This is a legitimate opportunity to get rid of her!¡±


    Feng Lin had thought about it. Xiao Ling was a schr, so if he really abandoned his wife it would ruin his reputation. However, this situation now was truly timely¡ªnot only could he protect his reputation, he could also get rid of that evil woman!


    ¡°No one¡¯s getting sent to Leper Mountain,¡± Xiao Ling said calmly.


    Feng Lin was stunned.


    Xiao Ling walked towards Gu Jiao with his walking stick. ¡°Bring me a dry cloth.¡±


    Gu Jiao did not ask further and went to the house to get a clean piece of cloth.


    Xiao Ling took the cloth from her and squatted down in front of the olddy.


    Realizing what he was going to do, Gu Jiao said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Xiao Ling wrapped the cloth around the olddy¡¯s face and covered her mouth and nose. ¡°Carry her in.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Jiao nodded.


    ¡°Hey! Brother Xiao!¡± Feng Lin stopped him.


    By now, Gu Xiaoshun had the gist of the situation. The olddy was a leper, and his sister did not let him go over as she was afraid he might get infected.


    But was he, Gu Xiaoshun, such a disloyal person?


    Gu Xiaoshun ran over to help his sister and brother-inw carry her into the backyard.


    Feng Lin was beside himself with anxiety.


    This is madness!


    You¡¯re all crazy!


    Then, he gritted his teeth and risked being infected, entering the house with them!

 Chapter 21 - 21: Treatment

    Chapter 21: Treatment


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The few of them ced the olddy on a straw mat in the backyard.


    Fortunately, the backyard of their house was big enough. Otherwise, they might not be able to fit a leper and still maintain their distance.


    ¡°What should we do now?¡± Gu Xiaoshun looked at the olddy on the ground and asked.


    ¡°Go wash your hands first,¡± Gu Jiao said.


    The three of them washed their hands with clean water and acacia.


    Then, Xiao Ling entered his room and wrote a prescription.


    Gu Jiao stood behind him and asked softly, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Although Gu Jiao had inherited the Host¡¯s memories, the Host could not read, so she did not recognize the words from this dynasty.


    ¡°A prescription.¡± Xiao Ling said.


    ¡°What is this word?¡± Gu Jiao pointed at the first word on the prescription.


    ¡°This?¡± Xiao Ling read it out, ¡°Wolfberry root-bark.¡±


    ¡°And this?¡± Gu Jiao continued pointing.


    ¡°Sophora root, catnip, wild ginger¡­¡± Xiao Ling recited the prescription ording to where Gu Jiao was pointing.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s expression was very serious, as if she was really trying to read. Although it was a little inappropriate, Xiao Ling did not think too much about it.


    ¡°Why do you have a prescription for leprosy?¡± Gu Jiao asked in confusion.


    Xiao Ling paused and said, ¡°Back then, my brother was also infected with leprosy. A barefoot doctor gave him an ancestral prescription, and I saw with my own eyes that my brother¡¯s condition improved after drinking it.¡±


    The Host had identally heard him mention that his brother had leprosy. The Host was stupid and did not understand what leprosy was, so she did not take it to heart nor mention it to anyone.


    Feng Lin knew about this; it was because Xiao Ling¡¯s brother had leprosy that he was despised by the vigers. That was why he left his hometown and came to Clearspring Town to study.


    On the way, the two of them bumped into each other by chance. After asking his identity, Feng Lin realized that he was his childhood neighbor¡ªhowever, Feng Lin¡¯s family had moved away back then. After not seeing each other for many years, both of them had changed a lot; if he had not matched his name to his household register, Feng Lin would not be able to recognize him at all.


    ¡°Since he¡¯d gotten better, why did he pass away?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    Xiao Ling lowered his eyes and said, ¡°The news of him contracting leprosy leaked out, and he was taken to Leper Mountain by the soldiers. Not long after, he died of his illness on the mountain.¡±


    So that¡¯s how it was.


    Gu Jiao nodded and said, ¡°Is this the prescription for your brother¡¯s treatment back then?¡±


    Xiao Ling nodded. ¡°Her symptoms are very light now, simr to my brother¡¯s back then. If she¡¯s treated properly she might be cured.¡±


    Gu Jiao had already understood the prescription. It was certainly indeed the right prescription, but it was slow to take effect and could only dy the development of leprosy. It would be a little difficult to cure it entirely.


    However, Gu Jiao did not say anything.


    Feng Lin took the prescription. ¡°I¡¯ll go get the medicine!¡±


    Xiao Ling reminded him, ¡°Remember to go to a different medicine hall.¡±


    Feng Lin paused for a moment and suddenly understood. ¡°Got it!¡±


    They could not let anyone see that this was a prescription for leprosy. Otherwise, they would be exposed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go too!¡± Gu Xiaoshun said.


    ¡°What are you going for?¡± Feng Lin did not want to go with him.


    Gu Xiaoshun raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m keeping an eye on you so you don¡¯t report it to the authorities!¡±


    Don¡¯t think I hadn¡¯t heard you! This fellow was just urging Brother-inw to send Sister to Leper Mountain as well!


    Feng Lin rolled his eyes.


    If Xiao Ling had not touched the olddy, he would have reported it to the officials. However, Xiao Ling had already touched her¡ªif he reported it to the officials, Xiao Ling would be arrested along with the others as well.


    Regardless, Gu Xiaoshun stood firm, so Feng Lin had no choice but to bring him along.


    They could not take the ox cart; it would be dangerous if word got out. The two of them went to several major medical halls in town on foot. About two hourster, they had brought all the herbs and even a medicinal jar.


    Gu Jiao took the herbs to the kitchen to simmer.


    While waiting for the medicine, Gu Jiao asked Xiao Ling, ¡°Why are you back? I heard that Gu Dashun has moved to the dormitories.¡±


    Xiao Ling told Gu Jiao about the copse of their dorm.


    As expected, Gu Jiao thought to herself, but she looked a little surprised. ¡°Fortunately, you¡¯re fine.¡±


    Xiao Ling gazed at her deeply.


    The backyard was too cold. Gu Jiao tidied up the grain hut, moved a bamboo bed in, and spread some cotton on it. It could barely pass for a bed.


    ¡°You guys go out. I¡¯ll feed her,¡± Gu Jiao said to them.


    ¡°Sister, be careful,¡± Gu Xiaoshun said worriedly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know my limits.¡± Gu Jiao sent them out and discreetly took out the small medicine box hidden in the basket.


    Xiao Ling¡¯s judgment was right, this patient was indeed in the early stages of leprosy. Moreover, hers was a bacterial type¡ªthere was little skin damage, and it was less contagious. As long as she was treated for her illness, she could recoverpletely without anyplications.


    Her fainting was not caused by leprosy, but by fatigue. Her clothes were ripped, and her shoes were worn¡­


    Gu Jiao could not help but think about the soldiers she met in town. Could it be¡­ she¡¯s the patient who escaped from Leper Mountain?


    After the olddy regained consciousness, Gu Jiao gave her chlorobenzene sulfoxide and rifampin from the medicine box. In addition, she added a special medicine from the research institute.


    As for the bowl of herbal medicine, she also tried feeding the olddy some, but she seemed to especially dislike bitter medicine and spat it all out with a look of disdain.


    ¡°Olddy, where are you from?¡± Gu Jiao inquired about her background so that she could send her back safely.


    In the end, the olddy looked at Gu Jiao calmly, snorted, and fell asleep.


    Gu Jiao:¡±¡­¡±


    Gu Jiao packed her things and came out. She went to the backyard to wash her hands first.


    ¡°Sister!¡± Gu Xiaoshun, who had been waiting in the backyard, went over to her. ¡°What took you so long?¡±


    ¡°The olddy drank the medicine slowly, so I had to feed her for longer,¡± Gu Jiao said casually.


    ¡°Um.¡± Gu Xiaoshun looked around and asked softly, ¡°Sister, can she really be cured? I heard that leprosy can¡¯t be cured.¡±


    Gu Jiao smiled faintly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it can be cured.¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun had never heard that leprosy could be cured, but for some reason, he believed his sister when she said this.


    If Sister says it can be cured, it will definitely be cured!


    It was gettingte, so it was time for Gu Xiaoshun and Feng Lin to go back.


    Before leaving, Feng Lin secretly said to Xiao Ling, ¡°Brother Xiao, I know you¡¯re a righteous person and can¡¯t bear to leave her in the lurch, but I still have to remind you that leprosy can¡¯t be cured. Take advantage of the fact that no one in the vige has noticed and send her away when she wakes up.¡±


    He could not hold it against Xiao Ling, because it was precisely this spirit of his that led to Xiao Ling saving him from the great fire at the courier station without even knowing who he was.


    Brother Xiao is simply a chivalrous person at heart.


    ¡°Also, pay attention to that evil woman. She interacted more with the patient. In case¡­¡±


    ¡°She has a name,¡± Xiao Ling interrupted Feng Lin.


    Feng Lin was stunned and looked at Xiao Ling in confusion.


    To be honest, Xiao Ling was not a person who would warm up after interacting with someone for a long time. From beginning to end, he emanated an aura that kept strangers away. If not for the fact that he had saved his life back then, Feng Lin would probably think that he was an extremely cold person.


    However, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that Xiao Ling had treated that evil woman differently recently.


    Brother Xiao¡­ you¡¯ve changed!!!

 Chapter 22 - 22: Feeding Medicine

    Chapter 22: Feeding Medicine


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The four of them understood the seriousness of the matter. Although they did not agree to it explicitly, they all hid it.


    Gu Jiao told Gu Xiaoshun not toe over for the next few days. Although early bacterial leprosy was not as infectious, there was still a certain risk.


    Gu Jiao did not go up the mountain to pick mushrooms for a while, instead staying at home to take care of the olddy for a few days.


    It was probably because she had taken good care of her that the olddypletely awoke at noon on the third day. She was no longer in a daze, but mentally she seemed a little off.


    When Gu Jiao asked her who she was, she widened her eyes at Gu Jiao. When Gu Jiao asked her where she lived, she continued staring at Gu Jiao.


    Could it be dementia?


    ¡°Do you remember what illness you¡¯re suffering from?¡± Gu Jiao continued to ask.


    The olddy¡¯s eyes were still wide open.


    Gu Jiao had no choice.


    It seemed that not only did this olddy not remember who she was, but she had alsopletely forgotten about her illness.


    Actually, it was good that she had forgotten. Gu Jiao could keep watch on her and not let her go out, but she could not prevent the vigers froming. If the olddy identally let slip about her leprosy, she, Xiao Ling, Gu Xiaoshun, and the other close contacts would be in trouble.


    As for where to settle her in the future, that was a matter for next time. The most important thing now was to cure her; nobody must find out that she had leprosy.


    With this thought in mind, Gu Jiao picked up the medicine jar and went to brew medicine for the olddy.


    She had to take the medicine from the medicine box, but she also had to take the Chinese medicine as well. Otherwise, she would not be able to keep the medicine box secret.


    When the olddy saw Gu Jiao holding the medicine jar, she turned her face away in disdain.


    Gu Jiao vaguely heard a resentful snort. This olddy had quite a temper!


    The medicine had to be simmered over a fire for an hour. While waiting for the medicine, Gu Jiao took out the medicine box and checked it.


    She had used a lot of medicine recently and had not had the chance to take stock. She had to check how much medicine she had left, and which of them could not be used casually.


    However, she was a little dumbfounded after checking.


    There was a new bottle of anti-inmmatory medicine that she had originally consumed, and an additional tube of antibacterial ointment. There were also a few other items which she could not remember putting in.


    Gu Jiao looked at the motionless small medicine box, rubbed her chin, and fell into deep thought.


    At the end of the month, the academy had another exam.


    Gu Dashun had entered Heaven-Grade ss A with the aplishment of cing second in the admission exam. After that, he lived up to everyone¡¯s expectations and performed very well, taking second ce again in this exam.


    Teacher Chen was very happy, but Gu Dashun did not seem very content.


    Teacher Chen thought that he was ming himself for not being good enough to get first ce, so he patiently assured him, ¡°You and Hanzhi are both outstanding talents among the new students. Hanzhi is two years older than you and started his studies earlier, so you don¡¯t have to worry about your current results.¡±


    Of course, Gu Dashun was not worried about this. The student named Xu Hanzhi was only a little more outstanding, simply because he had studied a few more years than him, but he felt that he did not have as much potential as he did and was very confident he could readily surpass him.


    Rather, his ambition did not stop there.


    He was here to be the dean¡¯s personal disciple, and had hoped that the dean would be his teacher.


    Ever since thest time, he had written many other good articles. Teacher Chen had shown them to the dean, but the dean had never asked to see him again. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there anything else?¡± Teacher Chen noticed that seemed to be hesitating to say something.


    Gu Dashun thought for a moment, then mustered his courage and said, ¡°I heard that the dean had set the admission examination questions this time. I wonder if the dean has any ns to take in disciples?¡±


    ¡°There are indeed.¡± After some thought, Mr. Chen came to a realization. s, the dean¡¯s choice isn¡¯t Gu Dashun.


    Gu Dashun followed Teacher Chen¡¯s gaze and saw a trace of pity in his eyes. He felt a chill in his heart. ¡°Is it Xu Hanzhi?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not him.¡± Teacher Chen shook his head. ¡°This matter hasn¡¯t beenpletely settled yet, so don¡¯t ask for now. Even if you can¡¯t be the dean¡¯s disciple, the dean will still find time to personally guide outstanding students in the academy.¡±


    How is that the same? One of them seeds the dean¡ªnot only will he obtain knowledge, he will also obtain the dean¡¯s personal connections.


    His casual guidance pales inparison.


    As a descendant of a poor family, he had always dreamed of soaring into the sky. It would have been one thing if he was not outstanding enough, but he had possessed the qualifications to be chosen by the dean.


    How could he ept this?


    Gu Dashun wanted to ask more, but Teacher Chen refused to say anything else.


    At the Impartial Hall.


    The dean looked at Xiao Ling, who was wearing a cold expression on his face, and said gently, ¡°Have you thought about it?¡±


    Xiao Ling said indifferently, ¡°You¡¯d even want someone who¡¯s third from the bottom?¡±


    In this exam, Xiao Ling ced thirdst. And he did not improve by one ce; rather, it was because Gu Xiaoshun ced deadst.


    The dean cleared his throat and said, ¡°I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. How about this? Go back and think about it for a few days, there¡¯s no need to rush to give me an answer. I¡¯ll be at the academy before the new year. Come back and give me your answer after you¡¯ve thought it through.¡±


    To hear such words from the dean, it could be said that he was being very sincere.


    Although the Divine Academy was only an academy in a township, the dean was once the head of the Four Greats in the capital; his reputation and talent were unquestionable. If not for unforeseen events in his family, he would not have left the capital to teach in a backwater town like this.


    He had seen so many studentse and go, but Xiao Ling was the first to really give him an urge to take him in as a personal disciple.


    ¡°Do you want him that much? Aren¡¯t you afraid that you won¡¯t be able to handle him?¡±


    After Xiao Ling left, the old man in cloth garments snorted indifferently from behind a screen.


    The dean bowed to the screen, then said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m truly afraid that I won¡¯t be able to subdue him. In that case¡­ how about Master take him in as a disciple?¡±


    It was silent behind the screen. After a while, the old man sighed faintly. ¡°Have you forgotten? I¡¯ve said that I would never take in a disciple again in this life.¡±


    The young marquis was deceased, the Imperial College forever closed, and the teacher¡¯s heartpletely dead.


    After school, Xiao Ling and Gu Xiaoshun took Second Uncle Luo¡¯s ox cart back to the vige. When they left town, they found that there were several more checkpoints on the road, all searching for lepers. The two of them became even more vignt.


    When Xiao Ling arrived home, Gu Jiao told him about the olddy¡¯s condition. ¡°¡­She doesn¡¯t remember anything.¡±


    Xiao Ling did not think that this was a bad thing, at least not for now. If she doesn¡¯t know, she can¡¯t let it slip.


    ¡°Is she making a fuss about going out?¡± Xiao Ling asked.


    Gu Jiao shook her head. ¡°Not at all, I told her that she has tuberculosis and can¡¯t go out to get some air, that the red blotches on her face are from the cold. Because tuberculosis is contagious, it¡¯s best for her to stay in her room to prevent others from getting sick. From the looks of it, she seems to have taken it to heart and has been quite obedient the entire afternoon.¡±


    Xiao Ling went to the house to see the olddy. Her condition had improved greatly, and the damage on her skin had faded a lot. If one did not look carefully, one could hardly see the red blotches on her face.


    What Gu Jiao did not mention was that after a few more days of treatment, her leprosy would lose its infectiousness.


    In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the month. It was also the day Feng Lin and ¡°Doctor Zhang¡± agreed to treat Xiao Ling¡¯s leg..

 Chapter 23 - 23: Husband and Wife

    Chapter 23: Husband and Wife


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling both woke up early.


    Xiao Ling went to the vige entrance to get water.


    Gu Jiao first went to the hut to check the olddy¡¯s condition. The red blotches on her face were so faint that they could barely be seen, and the skin damage on the back of her hand had basically disappeared.


    Although it was still far from aplete cure, she was no longer infectious.


    Gu Jiao rubbed her chin in satisfaction and turned to the kitchen to brew medicine for her.


    Seeing the bitter medicine in front of her, the olddy rolled her eyes in disdain.


    In order to better let her drink the medicine, Gu Jiao asked Xiao Ling to bring some candied fruits from town. The olddy liked to eat candied fruits; however, if she did not drink the medicine, they would not give her any candied plums.


    Gu Jiao ced a bowl of medicine and a small te of candied fruits on the table at the same time.


    ¡°So little!? Only three of them?!¡± The olddy was evidently dissatisfied with the amount of candied fruits.


    ¡°Candied fruits are very expensive. If you don¡¯t want them, then it¡¯s fine,¡± Gu Jiao said as she reached for the te of candied fruits.


    The olddy red at Gu Jiao resentfully and snatched the candied fruits, cradling them in her arms as she drank the bowl of medicine bitterly.


    Because Xiao Ling was going to the medical hall for treatment today, Gu Jiao had to go too, but she could not leave the olddy alone at home.


    Gu Jiao had considered bringing the olddy along, but there were checkpoints on the roads. If the constables recognized the olddy, all their previous efforts would be in vain.


    Although she was not sure if the olddy was the leper they were looking for, it was better to be safe than sorry.


    After some thought, Gu Jiao called Gu Xiaoshun over.


    ¡°Sister! You¡¯re finally willing to let me in!¡± Gu Xiaoshun said excitedly.


    Gu Jiao said, ¡°I¡¯m going to town with your brother-inw today. Stay at home and help me take care of the olddy, her illness is no longer contagious and I¡¯ve disinfected the house.¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun did not understand what disinfecting meant, nor did he ask his sister how she knew that the illness was no longer contagious. He agreed without any hesitation. ¡°Okay! Sister, don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll keep an eye on her!¡±


    ¡°Lunch is in the pot. Just bring her a portion,¡± Gu Jiao continued.


    Gu Xiaoshun patted his chest and said, ¡°Sister, I¡¯ve got this, don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Thinking of something, Gu Jiao reminded him, ¡°If anyone asks, just say that she¡¯s your brother-inw¡¯s rtive and is here to seek refuge with him.¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun obediently said, ¡°Okay!¡±


    As soon as Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling left, the riff-raff under Gu Xiaoshun came knocking.


    ¡°Boss! We¡¯ve finally found you! I heard that you went to study. Why are you messing around with Dashun? Let¡¯s go and find ourselves a scuffle or two!¡± ¡°Scram, scram, scram! I¡¯ve got business to attend to!¡± Gu Xiaoshun chased them away without thinking.


    Although he felt itchy after holding it in for too long, he had to do what his sister had instructed him to do.


    When Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling arrived at the Spring Rejuvenation Hall, Feng Lin had already been lingering at the entrance for a long time. He had agreed to meet at Spring Rejuvenation Hall at nine o¡¯clock; however, he was worried that too many people would look for Doctor Zhang for treatment, so he came at seven.


    Unexpectedly, after waiting here for more than an hour, there was no sign of a queue.


    Just as he was wondering, he spotted Xiao Ling and Gu Jiao.


    His expression went glum in an instant. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Gu Jiao smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m just here to take a look.¡±


    Feng Lin did not understand. Aren¡¯t they saying that this evil woman has someone else she admires? Then why is she pestering Brother Xiao recently? Now she¡¯s even following Brother Xiao to his treatment!


    Brother Xiao¡¯s really too much. Why bring this troublesome woman with him for something as important as treating his leg? What if she messed something up?


    Feng Lin said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m warning you, when we enter the medical hallter, you¡¯re not allowed to speak nonsense or touch anything. Don¡¯t cause trouble for Brother Xiao, lest you dy his treatment!¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Gu Jiao replied. She was neither annoyed nor angry.


    On the other hand, Xiao Ling frowned and cast a nce at Feng Lin, before heading in on his walking stick.


    Shopkeeper Wang was the one who received them.


    Shopkeeper Wang had also been waiting for a long time. He weed them with a smile, ncing at Gu Jiao surreptitiously. Then, he said to Feng Lin, ¡°Young Master Feng, you¡¯re here. You must be Young Master Feng¡¯s friend, Young Master Xiao, right? I¡¯m Shopkeeper Wang of Spring Rejuvenation Hall.¡± Xiao Ling nodded mildly.


    Shopkeeper Wang secretly drew a breath of amazement. This Young Master Xiao is so handsome; he might be wearing rags, but he¡¯s more refined and noble than any other young master I¡¯ve seen.


    ¡°And this is¡­¡± Shopkeeper Wang looked at Gu Jiao as if he did not know her at all.


    Xiao Ling paused. ¡°My wife, from the Gu family.¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡®My wife, from the Gu family.¡¯ That has a nice ring to it.


    Shopkeeper Wang cupped his hands and smiled. ¡°So it¡¯s Madam Xiao. Forgive my poor manners.¡±


    Gu Jiao: It doesn¡¯t sound half as gooding from you.


    ¡°Mister Wang, is Doctor Zhang really here? Why isn¡¯t there a single patient in line here?¡± Feng Lin asked.


    ¡°Sigh, that¡¯s because Doctor Zhang¡¯s injuries have yet to recover and he can¡¯t receive arge number of patients. I didn¡¯t release the news, and only informed a handful of patients whose conditions are indeed very anxious. Yours is the only appointment in the morning, the rest are in the afternoon!¡± Shopkeeper Wang had long known that Feng Lin would question him, and already prepared a script in advance.


    ¡°I see.¡± Feng Lin did not doubt him.


    Shopkeeper Wang smiled and said, ¡°Young Master Feng, please take a seat in the hall. I¡¯ll bring Young Master Xiao inside to sec Doctor Zhang.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I go in too?¡± Feng Lin asked.


    Shopkeeper Wang smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that is against our regtions.¡±


    Feng Lin thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll pass Brother Xiao over to you. Shopkeeper Wang, please, you must have Doctor Zhang cure him!¡±


    Shopkeeper Wang nced at Gu Jiao from the corner of his eye and smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll do our best.¡±


    After Xiao Ling and Shopkeeper Wang entered the back room, Gu Jiao stood up.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Feng Lin asked warily.


    ¡°Toilet,¡± Gu Jiao said.


    Feng Lin¡¯s face turned red. ¡°Sheesh, go quickly ande back quickly. Don¡¯t wander around!¡±


    Gu Jiao carried her small basket and went to the courtyard in the back.


    When she walked into the treatment room, Xiao Ling was already asleep on the rattan chair.


    Shopkeeper Wang and the branch manager were both there.


    ¡°Miss Gu.¡± The branch manager cupped his hands in greeting.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s gaze swept across the incense stove on the table andnded on Xiao Ling¡¯s handsome sleeping face. She asked, ¡°Is this incense safe?¡±


    The branch manager replied amiably, ¡°It¡¯s just a calming incense, made here in our Spring Rejuvenation Hall. It¡¯s not harmful to the body. Will Miss Gu be giving him treatment now?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Jiao walked over and ced the small basket on the table. It contained her medicine box, but she did not intend to take it out in front of them.


    The branch manager actually wanted to ask Gu Jiao, If Young Master Xiao is your husband, why won¡¯t you tell him directly? Or are they actually not husband and wife?


    However, the branch manager was a shrewd businessman. In order to conduct business well, one ought to speak less and listen more.


    He definitely would not pry into things he had no business knowing..

 Chapter 24 - 24: Treatable

    Chapter 24: Treatable


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Gu Jiao pulled the screen, and checked on Xiao Ling behind it.


    At home, Gu Jiao had already observed Xiao Ling and realized that the problem was mainly with his ankle. After careful inspection, Gu Jiao was certain of her guess.


    His ankle had been fractured before, but the doctor then did not realize it and thought he only injured his leg. However, even if the doctor did not deliberately mean to treat his ankle, he had his leg put in a splint, so Xiao Ling did not use his foot much and his ankle healed by itself. However, since the bone fragments inside had not been cleaned up, he would feel piercing pain whenever he walked.


    He had never shown it, so Gu Jiao spected that he only had a typical stiff ankle, and that it did not hurt. Now that her diagnosis confirmed it, she understood how much restraint he usually showed while enduring it.


    Sigh¡­ Truly heart-wrenching.


    Gu Jiao had done many simr surgeries in her previous life, so it was not difficult for her. The only issue was that the medicine and surgical consumables needed had not appeared in this era yet.


    However¡­ Thinking of what she had discovered a few days ago, Gu Jiao decided to wait a little longer. Besides, now was not the best time for a surgery; he had to recuperate first, so it was better to wait until the academy was closed for the holidays.


    The branch manager and Shopkeeper Wang waited outside the screen the entire time without spying on them.


    Previously, the branch manager had actually wanted to let the other doctors from Spring Rejuvenation Hall observe Gu Jiao¡¯s medical skills, but this was the first time she hade here, so it would seem a little abrupt. Thus, he dropped the idea for the time being.


    Just now, Gu Jiao had specially pulled the screen when she went in to treat him¡ªthat alone clearly meant that Gu Jiao was unwilling to reveal her medical skills. Thinking of this, the branch manager was a little d that he did not raise that idea just now.


    However, the branch manager was wrong about one thing; it was not that Gu Jiao was unwilling to reveal her medical skills, but rather, that she could not let anyone discover her medicine box.


    Gu Jiao stayed inside for a long time.


    The diagnosissted 15 minutes, while admiring him took 3 hours.


    Cough!


    No stripping of clothes was involved!


    Gu Jiao ced the small medicine box into the basket on her back, and walked out with it.


    The branch manager weed her and smiled politely. ¡°Miss Gu, you¡¯ve been in there for so long. Are Young Master Xiao¡¯s injuries veryplicated?¡±


    Gu Jiao said without changing her expression, ¡°It¡¯s quiteplicated. I¡¯ll have to operate on him.¡±


    It was true that it wasplicated, but it was also true that she was admiring his looks.


    The branch manager was a little startled when he heard that there was going to be surgery. Surgery was a medical skill only used on the battlefield, and people rarely dabbled in it. Firstly, it was very risky, and secondly, it also required the doctor to be very skilled. Even the best doctors from Spring Rejuvenation Hall did not dare to operate on the injured.


    ¡°Are you¡­ sure?¡± The branch manager seemed doubtful.


    Thest doctor from Spring Rejuvenation Hall who dared to operate on someone was already 50 years old. He was even the descendant of a medical family.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Jiao nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll think about the date first, I¡¯ll inform you when it¡¯s decided. In addition, there are some things that need to be prepared. The money¡­ will be deducted from my consultation fees.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± The branch manager smiled.


    The Spring Rejuvenation Hall was not a charity. Patients who came here had to spend money, and the better the doctor¡¯s medical skills, the higher the consultation fees they couldmand.


    ¡°But¡­ can you treat any illness?¡± the branch manager asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the case,¡± Gu Jiao said. ¡°I¡¯ll only know after I¡¯ve seen them. You¡¯d best give me the more difficult cases; don¡¯t waste the number of consultations you have.¡±


    Hark, hark! Now this is confidence!


    The branch manager did not think that she was boasting shamelessly. In fact, anyone who had witnessed her medical skills had every reason to believe that she could revive the dead.


    Gu Jiao needed to find some herbs to make medicine for Xiao Ling and carried the basket to the hall.


    The branch manager smiled strangely. ¡°Old Wang, say, since her medical skills are so good, do you think she¡­ can treat that person in the capital?¡±


    ¡°The one from the capital?¡± Shopkeeper Wang was stunned. It took him a long time to react. ¡°Are you talking about the duke¡¯s son?¡±


    The branch manager¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Yes, him!¡±


    Shopkeeper Wang hurriedly waved his hand. ¡°No, no, no! There¡¯s no way!¡±


    He¡¯s a noble from the capital! Spring Rejuvenation Hall is nothing to them. There¡¯s no way!


    ¡°I think Miss Gu¡¯s medical skills are pretty good¡­¡±


    ¡°Look, we only have one head on our shoulders.¡±


    Shopkeeper Wang cruelly extinguished the branch manager¡¯s idea.


    It was not that he was unwilling to earn money from the duke, but the young master¡¯s illness was truly difficult to treat. If they messed up his treatment, heads would roll.


    Speaking of which, that young master was quite pitiful. Back then, when the duchess gave birth to him, he was less than a month old and was born in a dpidated temple. She did not bring a midwife with her, so she found one from a nearby vige.


    He was born prematurely, and in terrible conditions. In addition, the midwife¡¯s skills were not good; when she finally gave birth to him, the duchess was half-dead.


    To make matters worse, the duchess was actually pregnant with twins. After giving birth to the first one, she had almost exhausted all her strength. The second child was held for a long time in her belly, and when he came out, his entire body was purplish.


    The young master was the second child, and his elder sister came before him.


    The young master was born weak. He had been taking so much medicine since he was young, it was as if he had been soaked in a medicine jar.


    In order to cure the young master¡¯s condition, the duke¡¯s household had looked for many famous doctors over the years. Unfortunately, the young master¡¯s condition had never improved; instead, since he had been imbibing so much medicine frequently, he had grown weaker and weaker.


    It was said that he was on hisst breath.


    If they were unlucky, the young master would die right after he took their medicine.


    And If the young master really died in their hands, thebined heads of all the doctors in the Spring Rejuvenation Hall would not be enough to pay for his life.


    The branch manager also understood the stakes, but he did not relent.


    He was an extremely ambitious person. Otherwise, he would not have understood the great value of Gu Jiao.


    As it is, that young master seems to be the same age as Lady Gu.


    The second boss said, ¡°How about this? We let Miss Gu treat Xiao Ling¡¯s injuries first. If he really recovers, then there¡¯s no harm in letting her have a shot at the duke¡¯s son.¡±


    Shopkeeper Wang:¡±¡­¡±


    When Xiao Ling woke up, there was an old doctor with a white beard in the room.


    ¡°You are¡­¡±


    The old doctor smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m Doctor Zhang. You fell asleep just now. It¡¯s my fault, I forgot to remove the calming incense.¡±


    Xiao Ling paused. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Let me see your leg.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The old doctor followed Gu Jiao¡¯s instructions and went through the process.


    To be honest, he was very surprised. He had seen Xiao Ling¡¯s leg before.


    With the current medical skills of the Spring Rejuvenation Hall, it was impossible for them to cure it.


    Does that girl really have a way to make him¡­ stand again?


    Xiao Ling took the prescription from the old doctor and went to the hall.


    Feng Lin bolted up. ¡°You¡¯re finally out. What did Doctor Zhang say? Can your leg be treated?¡±


    Xiao Ling nodded and said, ¡°Doctor Zhang told me to use some herbs to smoke it for now, ande back next month.¡±


    In order not to affect his studies, Gu Jiao did not let the old doctor mention the surgery for the time being.


    ¡°I told you, Doctor Zhang would definitely be able to treat you!¡± Feng Lin was filled with joy.


    Xiao Ling looked around as if he was looking for something..

 Chapter 25 - 25: Expert

    Chapter 25: Expert


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    At this moment, Gu Jiao walked over from the backyard with a small basket on her back.


    ¡°It took so long for you to go to thetrine?¡± Feng Lin muttered softly.


    Xiao Ling¡¯s gazended on Gu Jiao. When she approached, he asked her, ¡°Are you feeling unwell? Let the doctor have a look at you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, let¡¯s go,¡± Gu Jiao said.


    She did not look like she was sick. Xiao Ling went to get the herbs. When he paid the bill, he realized that the medicine for half a month cost less than one tael of silver. ¡°Did you make a mistake?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s the price,¡± the clerk said.


    ¡°I told you long ago, their business is not good, so they lowered the price,¡± Feng Lin whispered into his ear.


    But isn¡¯t this too¡­ ridiculous?


    However, other than this, Xiao Ling could not think of any other reason. It could not be that some noble was secretly helping him.


    The group left the Spring Rejuvenation Hall.


    The branch manager personally sent them to the door. When he brushed past Gu Jiao, the second boss grinned and extended five fingers to Gu Jiao.


    The medicine¡¯s five taels of silver. Its on your tab.


    Gu Jiao gave him a domineering look. Deduct it¡­ from the consultation fee!


    Speaking of which, the branch manager had not asked her to treat anyone else yet, so she did not know what kind of business he would give her.


    ¡°Brother Xiao, I¡¯ll send you back.¡± Feng Lin said.


    Xiao Ling said firmly, ¡°There¡¯s no need, Second Uncle Luo¡¯s ox cart is just over there. Go back to the academy and study, you¡¯re having your exam next year.¡±


    At the mention of this, Feng Lin had a migraine. He was actually not very knowledgeable, and his teacher always remarked that his essays were too rigid and not creative enough. It was fine if he encountered a conservative examiner, but if the examiner followed the newer schools of thought he would definitely fail.


    Feng Lin sighed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go to the academy first. Be careful on the way back.¡±


    With that, he red at Gu Jiao again, as if worried that Gu Jiao would cause trouble for Xiao Ling. However, ever since Xiao Ling said that she had a name, he had never called her a little evil woman again.


    After Feng Lin left, Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling did not return to the vige immediately. Instead, they went to the stores to buy something.


    Gu Jiao bought some candied fruits, peanuts, and melon seeds. She realized that the olddy was easy to coax; as long as she was given something to eat, she could stay in the house for an entire day.


    Xiao Ling, on the other hand, bought some brown sugar. Last time, he had borrowed brown sugar from Auntie Zhang¡¯s family, but he had yet to return it to her.


    When the two of them carried the items onto the ox cart, Second Uncle Luo smiled. ¡°Are you buying New Year¡¯s goods? It¡¯s about time, it¡¯s almost the end of the year.¡±


    The two of them were stunned.


    They suddenly realized that New Year¡¯s wasing.


    The two of them were not actually muddle-headed, it was just that they did not have the habit of nning for New Year¡¯s. The lights of myriad households and the family reunions on New Year¡¯s Eve were always the loneliest days for them.


    In her previous life, Gu Jiao left home at the age of eight and moved into the organization¡¯s research institute. Whenever New Year¡¯s Eve rolled around, the organization would collectively take a break, and she would be the only one left in the empty institute.


    Gu Jiao did not know much about Xiao Ling¡¯s situation. Perhaps he had lively New Year¡¯s Eves before, but now it was all gone.


    She was a lonely soul in a different world, and he was a loner in a foreignnd.


    Second Uncle Luo¡¯s words left the two of them momentarily at a loss.


    However, the two of them did not say anything. They only took the things in their hands and silently boarded the ox cart.


    The ox cart traveled slowly. When they arrived at the vige, the sky was already dark.


    Second Uncle Luo drove the ox cart back to his house. Gu Jiao threw everything into her small basket, and walked towards her house with Xiao Ling.


    Halfway through, she saw from afar that something seemed to have happened at the entrance of her house. A throng of people surrounded it, and the crowd was imprable; there were faint cursesing from within the crowd.


    Auntie Zhang, who was at the door and could not leave because she was feeding her two grandsons, shouted at the two of them, ¡°Oh my, Ling, why are you only back now? Something happened at your house!¡±


    ¡°What happened, Auntie Zhang?¡± Xiao Ling asked.


    ¡°The Gu family went to your house and quarreled with your, uh¡­ great-aunt!¡±


    Great-aunt?


    When did such a persone to their house?


    Could it be¡­ that olddy?


    The olddy was suffering from dementia. She would be bullied badly!


    Gu Jiao turned to Xiao Ling and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look first.¡±


    Aunt Zhang hurriedly said, ¡°Hurry up and go! Your grandmother¡¯s not easy to deal with!¡±


    Gu Jiao had been here for so long, but she had never seen the original owner¡¯s grandmother; she only knew that her surname was Wu. When she was young, she was a shrew and got herself married to Old Master Gu. Old Master Gu was a schr, andter became the vige¡¯s administrator¡ªreasonably speaking, Madam Wu should restrain herself ordingly, but Madam Wu instead became more and more arrogant.


    In the vige, Madam Wu was known as the foremost person who should not be trifled with. That was why Auntie Zhang was worried that Xiao Ling¡¯s ¡®great-aunt¡¯ would be bullied.


    When Gu Jiao arrived at her house, she realized that all the women from the Gu family were here. Madam Wu and her two daughters-inw, Madam Zhou and Madam Liu.


    Of course, Gu Xiaoshun and Gu Ershun were also there.


    Gu Ershun stood beside her mother, while Gu Xiaoshun stood beside the olddy.


    However, it was different from what Auntie Zhang had described¡­ It seemed to be Madam Wu and the other two who were being scolded until their faces turned beet-red!


    ¡°You, you, you, you, you¡­ If you have the guts, say what you just said again!¡± Madam Wu ced her hands on her hips and pointed at the olddy.


    The olddy had someone bring a stool for her. She sat on it boldly, crossing her legs, and grabbed a handful of melon seeds. As she ate, she said casually, ¡°Why do I have to repeat myself? Is your brain not good enough to understand, or are you deaf?¡±


    Madam Wu had domineered in the vige for so many years, but no one had ever humiliated her like this.


    It was no wonder that her two daughters-inw invited her over to join them; with this old woman¡¯s abilities, her two daughters-inw would not be able to withstand it at all!


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! He must give me a tael of silver tonight!¡± Madam Wu could not win the argument, and instead started to act shamelessly.


    The olddy spat a mouthful of melon seed shells on her face. ¡°Pfft! Did he eat your rice, or drink your porridge? Even prostitutes aren¡¯t as shameless than you! Don¡¯t mention a tael, he won¡¯t be giving you even a copper coin!¡±


    To actuallypare Madam Wu to those shady women from the brothels, Madam Wu was about to blow up in anger!


    Madam Wu: ¡°You, you, you, you¡­¡±


    The olddy did not give Madam Wu a chance to retort at all. ¡°Also, don¡¯t say that it¡¯s for my Jiao¡¯jiao¡¯s food. How much does she even eat? Yet you¡¯re asking for so much? Jiao¡¯jiao originally wanted to find a husband to marry into the Gu family, but you went and chased them both out. Since you chased them out, they have nothing to do with your Gu family anymore!¡±


    Madam Wu was so angry that she was trembling. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s just living in separate houses!¡± What did she mean by chasing them away? If word got out, the Gu family¡¯s reputation would be ruined!


    The olddy munched on another melon seed. ¡°Oh, so you admit that you¡¯re living separately! Since you¡¯re living apart, why do you still ask Ling to give you money?! So shameless!¡±


    Madam Wu¡¯s eyes were spinning.


    Where did this crazy womane from!? Pm, I¡¯m, I¡¯m¡­ Pm so pissed!


    On the other hand, the vigers were about to die ofughter.


    Madam Wu had never lost a spat in the vige, yet today, she was rebuked and shut downpletely.


    It was the Gu family¡¯s fault that they were living separately. However, at that time, the Gu family announced to the public that it was Xiao Ling¡¯s idea; if it was Xiao Ling who was unwilling to live with the Gu family, the vigers could not say anything.


    Everyone in the vige also knew that Gu Jiao had been eating at the Gu family¡¯s house despite that, but they did not expect the Gu family to be receiving money for it!


    Gu Jiao was only a fourteen-year-old girl, how much could she eat? However, the Gu family actually asked Xiao Ling to give them one tael a month!


    Was this not simply extortion?


    One tael of silver was enough for an entire family to eat for two months!


    Madam Zhou and Madam Liu only came to ask for it because they realized that Xiao Ling had not given it to them this month. Who would have thought that the situation would go out of control?


    What should we do now?

 Chapter 26 - 26: Great-Aunt

    Chapter 26: Great-Aunt


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Our mother-inwdoesn¡¯t knowhow to keep her mouth shut, and she¡¯s been tricked into saying all sorts of things all this while.


    If this goes on, our mother-inw will spill all of the Gu family¡¯s secrets!


    The sisters-inw exchanged nces and made a decision in their hearts. They could not let them quarrel anymore, they had to quickly pull their mother-inw back.


    ¡°Mother! Let¡¯s not lower ourselves to her level! Let¡¯s go back first!¡± Madam Zhou went forward and grabbed Madam Wu¡¯s arm.


    Madam Liu also walked over and grabbed Madam Wu¡¯s other arm. ¡°That¡¯s right, Mother. Let¡¯s not argue with this crazy woman!¡±


    If they had said that at the beginning, the vigers might have believed them. However, after their spat, Madam Wu and her two wives had beenpletely riled up, but the olddy was still calm andposed. If they had to say who was the crazy one, it would be Madam Wu.


    The vigers¡¯ delighted expressions infuriated Madam Wu.


    Madam Wu rolled up her sleeves and spat, ¡°Old fart! Do you know who I am? I¡¯m the vige administrator¡¯s wife!¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡± The olddy rolled her eyes. ¡°And I¡¯m the emperor¡¯s mother!¡±


    The people around them all burst outughing.


    This olddy was quite the character. She did not hold back at all, and was not afraid that she would be beheaded if word got out.


    Madam Wu was an unreasonable person, but she had finally met someone who was more than her match. She could not win with her words, so she nned to attack her directly. ¡°I swear I¡¯ll chase you out of the vige today¡ª¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, the olddy sshed a basin of cold water on Madam Wu, causing her to be petrified on the spot.


    Then, ignoring everything else, the olddy turned around and entered the house. She did not want the stool, nor did she care for Gu Xiaoshun. She mmed the door and bolted it shut!


    She slipped away real quick!


    Everyone¡¯s stomachs hurt fromughing.


    Just now, this olddy¡¯s true abilities had beenpletely unleashed. They had thought that she would fight Madam Wu to the bitter end, but it turned out that she was not blinded by anger at all. Knowing that she could not defeat Madam Wu and the other two, she first insulted Madam Wu, then took the opportunity to lock Madam Wu and her daughters-inw outside!


    When had Madam Wu ever suffered such humiliation? She found a rock on the ground and rushed forward in a rage to smash the door.


    However, the rock did not reach the door. Instead, a bright sickle flew over with a whoosh, chopping into the door!


    Madam Wu was shocked, and her hand that was holding the rock instantly froze.


    If the sickle had been half an inch higher, it would have shed her hand.


    Madam Wu was so shocked that she let go. The rock fell to the ground and smashed her foot.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Madam Wu screamed.


    How could a rock for smashing a door be small? Of course she had to specially pick thergest one! Madam Wu was in so much pain that she cried when such a huge rocknded on her foot!


    The scythe flying over, and Madam Wu dropping the rock on her own foot¡ªthis all happened too quickly, and themotion was simply too much for everyone to take in.


    It had been a long time since such a hugemotion had happened in the vige.


    Everyone turned around and saw Gu Jiao walking forward calmly.


    She carried a small basket on her back. Her thin figure looked harmless, but her cold eyes emitted a murderous aura.


    Everyone involuntarily shrunk their necks and automatically made way for her.


    Heavens know how she threw that scythe. If it didn¡¯t hit the door, wouldn¡¯t it be sticking out of someone¡¯s head right now?


    Thinking of this, everyone could not help but feel a chill run down their spines¡­


    Madam Liu was the first to react and yelled at her, ¡°Miss Jiao, you came back at the right time! Hurry up and get that crazy woman to open the door! Look at how she hit your grandmother with that stone!¡±


    ¡°Pfft~¡± Gu Jiaoughed coldly. ¡°Second Aunt, arc you getting old-sighted at such a young age? The person who picked up that stone, and who hit her foot with it¡ªdon¡¯t you clearly know all that?¡±


    When she said this, Madam Liu was dumbfounded.


    This, this, thisss, when¡¯d she get this good at dissing people?


    If she had only been muddle-headed when she pulled Gu Dashun and kicked Gu Er shun, then calling her and Madam Wu blind in public would have been a clear sign of falling out with the Gu family.


    ¡°You damn brat! How dare you scold your grandmother?¡± Madam Wu rolled up her sleeves and was about to walk forward when she almost tumbled to the ground in pain.


    Madam Zhou hurriedly supported her mother-inw. ¡°Mother, be careful!¡±


    Madam Wu was in pain and anger. She pointed at Gu Jiao and yelled, ¡°Bloody ingrate! Why didn¡¯t I drown you back then!¡±


    At this moment, Xiao Ling came over.


    Recently, Xiao Ling and Gu Jiao had been seen together with each other frequently, and rumors were spreading in the vige that their rtionship had gotten better; however, Xiao Ling had never affirmed their rtionship explicitly, so many were still guessing that this was all Idiot Gu¡¯s wishful thinking.


    ¡°Ling, look at what your great-aunt and Gu Jiao have done. Your grandmother¡¯s already getting on in years¡­¡± Madam Zhou chided Xiao Ling.


    Unexpectedly, before she could finish, she heard Xiao Ling say indifferently, ¡°Since she¡¯s already old, she shouldn¡¯t be out and wandering.¡±


    Madam Zhou suspected that she had heard wrongly!


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Xiao Ling walked to Gu Jiao¡¯s side and asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Gu Jiao shook her head and plucked the sickle off the door.


    Xiao Ling said towards the door, ¡°Great-aunt, we¡¯re back.¡±


    The door creaked open.


    Xiao Ling and Gu Jiao walked in.


    Everyone looked at each other. Were our eyes ying tricks on us just now? Did Xiao Ling really talk to Idiot Gu?And he even asked her if she was okay? Did they really get together?!


    Xiao Ling closed the door after entering the house, but it was not shut tightly, so they could hear his unhurried voice. ¡°If you encounter such a thing again in the future, report it to the officials. I¡¯ll go to the magistracy personally to submit a report.¡±


    As soon as he said this, the three women from the Gu family, who had originally nned to rush in, froze in their tracks.


    Could this sort of thing be reported to the authorities?Xiao Ling said it so self-righteously¡­ We might actually get reported!?


    Who could¡¯ve known that that cripple was so cold-hearted!


    ¡°Mother, remember that issue with the third branch¡­¡± Madam Zhou reminded her softly.


    There was indeed something fishy back when the family had separated¡ªthe third branch¡¯s fields and their daughter-inw¡¯s dowry had been confiscated by them. If this matter was really brought to the authorities, they were afraid that they would be found out.


    Madam Wu gritted her teeth and left with her two daughters-inw.


    The people involved had all left, so those who were watching the show also returned home.


    Gu Ershun also left, while Gu Xiaoshun circled around the vige before sneaking into his sister and brother-inw¡¯s house.


    Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling were sitting on chairs in the central room, while the olddy sat on a stool opposite them. Her legs were crossed, and she was munching on melon seeds, not at all thinking that she should exin herself for the trouble.


    The vigers thought that Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling were different from what they had imagined, but the two of them felt that they hadpletely misjudged this olddy.


    Not knowing how to do anything, not knowing how to answer when asked, while also reacting stiffly; Gu Jiao really thought that she had dementia. Yet, when she fended off Madam Wu just now she was practically like a master fending off a mewling kitten.


    ¡°These past few days, was that all an act?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    The olddy said unhappily, ¡°Is this how you talk to your great-aunt?¡±


    Did you get addicted to acting?


    No, wait, this didn¡¯t seem like an act.


    Gu Jiao said solemnly to Gu Xiaoshun, ¡°Come with me..¡±

 Chapter 27 - 27: Search

    Chapter 27: Search


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Gu Jiao closed the door. ¡°Tell me everything that happened today.¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun honestly exined what happened in his caregiving experience.


    It turned out that the olddy really did not remember anything. When she woke up at Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling¡¯s house, she thought she was part of the household. She grabbed a handful of melon seeds and asked Gu Xiaoshun, ¡°Which of those two unfilial kids is my grandchild?¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun remembered his sister¡¯s advice and did not dare tell the olddy that she actually had leprosy.


    However, he could not actually say that his sister and brother-inw were her real grandchildren. In a moment of desperation he said, ¡®You¡¯re my brother-inw¡¯s great-aunt, and you came all the way to seek refuge with him¡¯.


    Gu Jiao had not expected that the olddy did not actually suffer from dementia, so she did not prepare an excuse for Gu Xiaoshun to deal with her.


    ¡°Then she said, ¡®Why does it seem like your sister is the head of this household?¡¯ I said, ¡®What¡¯s wrong with that? Brother-inw married into the family!¡¯ Then she asked again, ¡®If he married into her house, then where¡¯s the rest of the family?¡¯ So I said that you two have been living separately from the main household.¡±


    Hearing this, Gu Jiao held her forehead. How was she the head of this family? Both Xiao Ling and her had always been busy with their own things, and would only asionally have a meal together.


    Xiaoshun, you dummy. You¡¯ve been tricked by the olddy.


    No wonder the olddy was able to pinpoint the Gu family¡¯s sore spots so urately; she hadpletely understood their situation after hearing from Gu Xiaoshun.


    ¡°Then why did she always ignore me when I asked her questions?¡± It made her think that she was slow to react.


    Gu Xiaoshun said, ¡°She said you¡¯re unfilial, and she doesn¡¯t want to talk to you!¡±


    Gu Jiao:¡±¡­¡±


    All I did was just give her a few candied fruits fewer!


    Gu Jiao came to the central room. Clearly, Xiao Ling had already spoken to the olddy. She did not know what Xiao Ling had said, but the olddy no longer had that high and mighty presence from before, and was a little listless.


    ¡°I¡¯m so tired from that spat. I¡¯m going to sleep for a bit. Call me when dinner is ready!¡± The olddy snorted and swung her big butt towards them before returning to her room.


    Gu Jiao looked at Xiao Ling.


    Xiao Ling paused for a moment and said, ¡°Back then, that barefoot doctor told us that the medicine has to be taken for a year ording to the prescription; however, if the infected person recovered quickly, then they will cease to be contagious in a month.¡±


    He did not forcefully persuade Gu Jiao to keep her, but only told her that she would not be contagious soon, hoping that Gu Jiao would agree to taking her in.


    Gu Jiao did not know that this little dolt was able to showpassion to strangers.


    Maybe the olddy reminded him of his elder brother, who passed away early.


    ¡°Alright, then Great-aunt can stay,¡± Gu Jiao said with a sigh.


    She did not intend to chase her away in the first ce.


    However, it would be good if she could have him owe her a favor.


    The two of them temporarily acknowledged her as their great-aunt. This was the safest method now.


    It turned out that their decision was correct, because that very night, a group of soldiers barged into Clearspring Vige, searching every house for the patient who had escaped from Leper Mountain.


    The only outsider in the vige was the olddy; when they found out that she had arrived in the vige only recently, the soldiers rushed into Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling¡¯s house promptly.


    When they arrived, the olddy had just finished eating and went into the house to warm herself up; both husband and wife were still eating at the table.


    Dinner was quite sumptuous¡ªstir-fried cured meat with cabbage, scallion egg pancakes, wild mushroom stew, cold-cut wood ear fungus sd, and spiced peanuts.


    Of course, no one was drinking.


    The fragrance of cured meat and scallions assaulted their nostrils, making the soldiers hungry in an instant.


    ¡°Constables, is anything the matter?¡± Xiao Ling asked.


    The soldiers came back to their senses and said, ¡°I heard that an olddy came to your house. Where is she?¡±


    Xiao Ling brought her to the olddy¡¯s house. ¡°She¡¯s my great-aunt, she had just arrived from Su County a few days ago.¡±


    As he spoke, he went forward and took a te which the olddy had not hidden in time. ¡°You¡¯re secretly eating those candied fruits again. Didn¡¯t I tell you that you can¡¯t have too much sweet food because of your age?¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Caught red-handed, the olddy turned away resentfully.


    The soldiers did not have an illustration of the leper, but the higher-ups had described her characteristics to them¡ªher face and the back of her hand were blotched red, while her face was sallow and she was in low spirits.


    Aside from her age, the olddy in front of them was dissimr in every other way.


    Not only did she not have leprosy spots, but herplexion was rosy and she was in unbelievably good spirits.


    Leprosy could not be cured. While some prescriptions could dy the onset of the disease, it was absolutely impossible for a patient to recover so well in just ten days.


    Most of the soldiers¡¯ suspicions were dispelled, and seeing that Xiao Ling did not avoid or despise the olddy at all, they felt that it was even more unlikely.


    However, the leader did not dare to let his guard down. He returned to the kitchen and pointed at the medicine jar on the stove. ¡°Whose medicine is this?¡±


    Xiao Ling said, ¡°It¡¯s mine. I have a leg injury, I went to the medical hall in town to get this medicine.¡±


    ¡°Let me take a look at the medicine,¡± he said.


    Gu Jiao went to get the medicine packet.


    That person opened a packet and found some ginseng.


    This ginseng was verymon for improving blood cirction, and martial arts practitioners were not unfamiliar with it. There was also safflower, which was alsomon for treating injuries.


    With these two herbs present, he could basically tell that the medicine was not for leprosy.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°Xiao Ling,¡± Xiao Ling said seriously. ¡°If you have any doubts about my identity, you can go to the Divine Academy to find the dean and check my household register.¡±


    That person knit his brows. ¡°The dean of the Divine Academy? Is his surname Li?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Xiao Ling said.


    The soldiers exchanged nces and became more polite to Xiao Ling.


    Generally speaking, there was no need to go to the dean to check a household¡¯s registry. Xiao Ling had gone out of his way to tell them, to insinuate that he was someone important to Master Li.


    Although Xiao Ling was unwilling to be the dean¡¯s disciple, it did not stop him from using his authority to intimidate others.


    When the need arose, there was no need to hesitate.


    Master Li¡¯s name was certainly very useful. After asking as few more routine questions, the soldiers left.


    However, the soldiers did not go far; instead, they dispatched someone to discreetly go to Xue Ningxiang¡¯s house next door.


    ¡°Is the olddy next door really that person¡¯s great-aunt?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°When did she get here?¡±


    ¡°Just a few days ago,¡± Xue Ningxiang said.


    ¡°But I heard that she came ten days ago?¡± The soldier stared into Xue Ningxiang¡¯s eyes and asked.


    Xue Ningxiang said seriously, ¡°Who told you that? How would I not know when I live next door?¡±


    The soldier looked at the infant in Xue Ningxiang¡¯s arms. A cold glint passed his eyes, but he still left in the end.


    Xue Ningxiang¡¯s back was drenched in cold sweat..

 Chapter 28: Dreaming 28

    Chapter 28: Dreaming 28


    Editor: As Studios


    The olddy had indeed arrived ten days ago, but for the first few days her mind was unclear, and she didn¡¯t even remember her own arrival, so Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling had pushed back the date of her arrival by a few days.


    This was different from the day the olddy went missing in Qingquan Town.


    However, what neither Gu Jiao nor Xiao Ling knew was that when the olddy had copsed at Gu Jiao¡¯s door, Xue Ningxiang had heard themotion.


    She felt that something was wrong with the old woman¡­


    ¡°Ah Xiang.¡± The voice of the mother-inw came from the neighboring room.


    Xue Ningxiang steadied her mind and walked towards her mother-inw¡¯s room: ¡°Mother, are you awake?¡±


    ¡°I thought I heard someone in the room just now. Did something happen to my younger son?¡± The old woman was now most worried about the younger son who had gone to be a soldier, after having already lost one of her sons.


    Xue Ningxiang spoke softly: ¡°My brother is fine, but a sick person from Mafeng Mountain has escaped and the officers came to search our ce. They have already left.¡±


    ¡°Man or woman? How old?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t say.¡± said Xue Ningxiang.


    ¡°How could a leper from Mafeng Mountain run to our ce¡­cough cough¡­¡± Xue Ningxiang¡¯s mother-inw coughed violently twice, muttered a few words, and then fell fast asleep in a daze.


    Xue Ningxiang closed her eyes.


    Although she was not a good person, Gu Jiao had saved her life.


    The search for the leper by the authorities did not cause much disturbance in Qingquan vige and life went on as normal.


    Gu Jiao asionally thought that the olddy had a mysterious background because her presence had caused many officers to search, yet did not reveal or provide any information about herself.


    But upon seeing the olddy, who was holding a jar of sunflower seeds and cracking them like a squirrel, Gu Jiao instantly thought that she was overthinking.


    With nothing to do, Gu Jiao mended all the clothes of Xiao Ling at home.


    She guessed correctly. To mend fabric is as repairing human skin. It was easy!


    When Xiao Ling returned home, he found that his tattered clothes had been mended. Without guessing, he knew that it was Gu Jiao who had mended them.


    Gu Jiao had never mended clothes before, or at least he hadn¡¯t seen it since he moved in. Unexpectedly, she mended them well, with fine and neat stitches. The only thing that confused him was why, unlike other people whose stitches are on the inside, she left the thread ends on the outside when mending clothes.


    The olddy¡¯s recovery was much better than Xiao Ling¡¯s elder brother. Xiao Ling had once asked the doctor how long it would take for his elder brother to no longer be contagious. The doctor said a month. Although the olddy had not taken the medicine for a month, her condition was much better than a month¡¯s worth of treatment. She was now able to eat at the same table.


    What Xiao Ling didn¡¯t expect was that at the first meal they shared, the olddy almost caused him to choke.


    ¡°I was wondering,¡± the olddy drank a sip of corn and pork bone soup indifferently, ¡°what¡¯s going on between you two? I¡¯ve been here for so long now, but I haven¡¯t seen you two share a room.¡±


    Xiao Ling and Gu Jiao choked at the same time.


    ¡°My husband is still young.¡± Gu Jiao said calmly.


    The olddy looked Xiao Ling up and down, nodding, ¡°That¡¯s right, he¡¯s too young. We wouldn¡¯t want to drain his energy.¡±


    Xiao Ling: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡ª


    The vigers began to specte whether the women of the Wu family would seek an opportunity to regain their lost face after their defeat with the olddy. Surprisingly though, they haven¡¯t seen them for several days.


    It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t want to go out, but that Master Gu wouldn¡¯t let them.


    The previous incident had made a big noise and subsequently reached the ears of Master Gu.


    Before his third son¡¯s death, Master Gu had promised to take good care of Gu Jiao. Though he did not say it outright, he intended to keep Gu Jiao at his side all her life, and eventually arrange for an iing son-inw.


    The reason why he vited his original promise was mainly that he believed Gu Jiao was a curse. Having already taken the lives of his third son and daughter-inw, he could not let her curse fall on Dashun.


    However, Master Gu had never allowed the Wu family to demand household expenses from Gu Jiao. The Wu Family told Master Gu that it was Xiao Ling who wanted to show filial respect to Master Gu and also to support Dashun¡¯s studies.


    Master Gu believed them.


    Now that he knew the truth, Master Gu felt utterly embarrassed: ¡°From now on, Ling will also study and should not ask him for any more money!¡±


    The Wu family was furious.


    Wu¡¯s wife said, ¡°What can a cripple do with studying? He¡¯s just wasting money. I heard he failed his examinations again this time! It would be better to give the money to Dashun. When Dashun bes sessful in the future, he will definitely return the favor!¡±


    Her Dashun was going to be a schr in the future. A mere grain of rice bestowed by a schr would be enough for that crippled little family to live on.


    Master Gu still cared about face. His neighbors had constantly stabbed him in the back, and he did not have the nerve to ask his son-inw for money again.


    Master Gu warned Wu not to cause trouble by bringing his daughter-inw to the Gu Family again.


    Those who had a rough couple of days were not only Wu and her daughter-inw. Dashun also experienced the first setback in his life.


    He finally found out who the head of the academy had favored, and it turned out to be Xiao Ling, someone he would not have suspected in a million years.


    Xiao Ling was not only disabled, but his knowledge was also shallow. There was almost nothing good about him other than his face.


    He didn¡¯t understand, how could the academy head have taken a liking to such a bottom-ranker?


    Dashun began to recall the changes in the academy head¡¯s attitude towards him. The head used to praise him more than once and even met him alone. But ever since Xiao Ling had gone to meet the head, he waspletely ignored.


    He was sure there was nothing about his schrship that dissatisfied the academy head.


    Did Xiao Ling fabricate something in front of the head, making the head think hecked virtue and felt repulsed by him?


    It must be so!


    Otherwise, why would the academy head choose Xiao Ling, who ranksst every time, over him?


    Xiao Ling looked like an honest person, but he was actually very mean behind his back!


    Thinking about how Xiao Ling had stolen something that originally belonged to him, Dashun felt Xiao Ling was absolutely despicable.


    ¡°Xiao Ling, you just wait!¡±


    ¡ª


    That night, Gu Jiao had another dream.


    Unsurprisingly, she dreamed about Xiao Ling again.


    Xiao Ling finished copying the text book and took it to the bookstore at noon. Unexpectedly, a theft case urred at the bookstore and suspicion fell on Xiao Ling.


    There was actually a witness at the time, Dashun. Dashun saw with his own eyes that Xiao Ling had left before the owner had entered the bookstore, and knew that Xiao Ling had never entered the owner¡¯s room.


    However, Dashun refused to disclose the truth, insisting that only Xiao Ling had gone to the second floor. This didn¡¯t directly use Xiao Ling of being a thief, but it did eliminate any suspicions from others.


    However, Xiao Ling wasn¡¯t easy to fool, he immediately cracked the case based on several footprints in the backyard.


    At this point, the incident should have ended. Unfortunately, an investigation dyed his return to the vige which resulted in him getting caught in a heavy snowstorm.


    Halfway, the donkey cart skidded into a ditch and disfigured Xiao Ling¡¯s face in a crash.


    The gruesome scar stayed with Xiao Ling for the rest of his life, leaving him with an indelible shadow.

 Chapter 29: 29 Cheating people

    Chapter 29: 29 Cheating people


    Editor: As Studios


    The day after, Gu Jiao woke up and sat at the edge of her bed, dazed for quite a time.


    This time, she was not dazed by her own dream, but by her husband¡¯s streak of bad luck.


    Why is he such an unlucky teenager?


    Is he really that unfortunate?


    Moreover, this time it has damaged his beautiful face. This won¡¯t work, absolutely not!


    The whole issue started because of the meddling Gu Dashun. If it wasn¡¯t for his false testimony, Xiao Ling wouldn¡¯t bete returning to the vige in his attempt to prove his innocence. As a result, he got caught in the heavy snow, had an ident, and ruined his handsome face.


    ¡­


    Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling finished their breakfast before dawn, while the olddy was still sound asleep in her room. Gu Jiao gently saw Xiao Ling off.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to snow today. Wear moreyers.¡± Gu Jiao handed him a cloak.


    Xiao Ling looked at the stars in the night sky, doubting it would snow, but he still epted the cloak she handed out. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    As usual, Gu Jiao escorted him to the edge of the vige.


    Xiao Ling got on the oxcart, Gu Jiao stood beside him waiting until a drowsy Gu Xiaoshun came carrying his book bag, then she turned around and left.


    Gu Jiao knew Xiao Ling would go to the bookstore that afternoon and knew that he would be framed, but she didn¡¯t remind him not to go.


    She remembered the details of how Xiao Ling solved the case, so she knew to where the thief took the stolen goods.


    ¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ve left the food in the pot. Eat when you¡¯re hungry, and remember to take your medicine. If you skip a dose, I¡¯ll know.¡± Gu Jiao told the old woman inside the main hall.


    Since the olddy wasn¡¯t truly senile, there was no need to watch over her. She wasn¡¯t contagious anymore, so there¡¯s no fear of her hurting anyone, and as for someone hurting her? Unlikely.


    The olddy snorted dismissively.


    Gu Jiao left carrying her basket and happened to pass by Gu Yue¡¯e who was emptying water outside the Gu¡¯s mansion.


    ¡°Good morning, sister Yue¡¯e.¡± She greeted.


    Under the influence of her mother and the second wife, Gu Yue¡¯e was distant from Gu Jiao. Seeing Gu Jiao taking the initiative to say hello, she didn¡¯t respond and lowered her head and went back inside.


    ¡°Who¡¯s talking?¡± Zhou Family inquired from inside.


    ¡°Jiao.¡± Gu Yue¡¯e said softly.


    Zhou Family swung open the door.


    Gu Jiao greeted her as well: ¡°Good morning, Auntie.¡±


    ¡°Uh ¡­ Good morning, good morning.¡± Zhou Family tried to maintain politeness. She nced at Gu Jiao carrying the basket and asked with an awkward smile, ¡°Jiao, where are you going this early?¡±


    Gu Jiao smiled: ¡°I am going up the mountain to pick some fresh produce and then sell it in the town.¡±


    Zhou Family¡¯s eyes flickered, ¡°Does it sell well? I heard wild produce is poisonous ¡­¡±


    ¡°I know which ones are not poisonous, my husband taught me.¡± If she said that it was her own knowledge, nobody would believe it.


    Zhou Family saw the things in Gu Jiao¡¯s basket a few days ago when she made a big fuss about it, seeds, candy, brown sugar, and peanuts. It must have costed a lot of money. This girl probably made a good amount of silver by selling the produce.


    Zhou Family¡¯s eyes shed, she chuckled: ¡°Can you take Auntie with you? You can¡¯t pick that much by yourself, can¡¯t you? Let Auntie help you!¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Gu Jiao readily agreed down.


    Zhou Family chuckled to herself, thinking what a fool, so easy to fool. Once she recognises all the produce, then there wouldn¡¯t be anything left for Gu Jiao to pick.


    Zhou Family wouldn¡¯t invite Liao Family to such a good thing, but Liao Family heard it herself, came out carrying a basket: ¡°I¡¯m also going with you!¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Gu Jiao smiled.


    Gu Jiao went to pick mushrooms in the mountains with the two aunts.


    She could indeed easily trick them into picking some fungus and poisonous mushrooms and sell them, but that would end up hurting innocent people, which she wouldn¡¯t stoop to.


    She picked some normal winter mushrooms with them, enough to fill everyone¡¯s baskets, before she was satisfied and left.


    ¡°Can this really be sold for money?¡± Zhou Family asked dubiously.


    ¡°Just follow me and you will see, they are really good sellers.¡± Gu Jiao said.


    Zhou Family wanted to go by herself, so she could keep whatever she sold without handing it all over to the family. Unfortunately, Liao Family had the same idea, so in the end, both of them went with Gu Jiao.


    ¡°Miss Gu Jiao, this is not the way to the marketce.¡± Halfway down the road, a member of the Liao family asked Gu Jiao curiously.


    Gu Jiao said, ¡°The marketce would be closing by now. Let¡¯s go to the market in the east of the town. The prices there are higher.¡±


    As soon as they heard they could sell for more money, the two stopped questioning.


    When they passed an alleyway, Gu Jiao suddenly said, ¡°I need to use the restroom. Please wait for me.¡±


    ¡°Go, go,¡± said a member of the Zhou family.


    Liao sneered, muttering, ¡°Lazy people always need the toilet!¡±


    Gu Jiao went through the alleyway to the back door of Huichun Hall and went inside.


    A quarter of an hourter, Gu Jiao came back.


    ¡°What took you so long?¡± Liaoined.


    Gu Jiao smiled vaguely, ¡°I had a bout of diarrhoea.¡±


    Zhou hurriedly said, ¡°OK, Miss Gu Jiao, where¡¯s the marketce? let¡¯s go sell our goods quickly; we wouldn¡¯t want them to lose their freshness.¡±


    ¡°OK.¡± Gu Jiao nodded with a smile.


    Gu Jiao led the two people on.


    Suddenly, a figure darted out from an alleyway on the side. Gu Jiao didn¡¯t dodge or avoid, and collided head-on with the person.


    The man was knocked to the ground.


    Gu Jiao immediately pulled out a sickle and said, ¡°How dare you bump into me?¡±


    The man was stunned, thinking, who exactly bumped into whom?


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t care. She advanced on the man with her sickle, and they quickly became entwined in a fight. The man¡¯s bundle was knocked off and fell to the ground. He could not pick it up in time, as Gu Jiao chased him several hundred meters with her sickle.


    Zhou and Liao couldn¡¯t help but open the bundle that had fallen on the ground and seeing the silver inside, they were immediately ovee with greed.


    The silver was not stolen by them, nor was it robbed, they found it on the street.


    What they found was theirs!


    Without speaking, they decided to take the silver and leave, not leaving any for G¨³ Ji¨¡o!


    The two of them hastily started grabbing the silver. They even ended up in a physical fight over who could grab more!


    ¡ª


    Over at the Academy, after Xiao Ling had finished his meal, he took his transcribed books to Yipin Pavilion.


    There were many bookstores in Qingquan Town, but this one was thergest. So, even at noon, business was still very good.


    The books written by Xiao Ling sold the best, so the bookstore staff knew him well.


    An attendant greeted him politely, ¡°The shopkeeper is out. Could you please wait in the ountant¡¯s office on the second floor?¡±


    Just as Xiao Ling was about to enter, a salesclerk called him from behind, ¡°Are you Young Master Xiao?¡±


    Xiao Ling turned around.


    ¡°Do you remember me, Young Master Xiao?¡± the salesclerk asked, smiling.


    ¡°I remember. You¡¯re from Huichun Hall. What can I do for you?¡± Xiao asked.


    The salesclerk awkwardly exined, ¡°It¡¯s like this:st time, we mixed up a few of your prescriptions. The shopkeeper asked me to find you. Would you have time toe to Huichun Hall with me to pick up your medicine ¨C and also, for a free check-up?¡±


    Normally, if a mistake was made preparing a prescription, the correct one would just be delivered, but Huichun Hall was offering a free check-up as an apology.


    Makes sense.


    Xiao Ling left with the Huichun Hall clerk, leaving Gu Dashun, who was hiding behind the bookshelves, watching contemptuously after him.


    Xiao Ling fetched his medication at Huichun Hall and got a check-up. The clerk personally escorted him back to the academy, but as soon they got off the carriage, they heard the students of the academy whispering.


    ¡°Have you heard? The bookstore was robbed, and they say the thief is a new student from our first tier ss.¡±


    ¡°A new student from the first tier? What¡¯s his name?¡±


    ¡°Gu Dashun!¡±

 Chapter 30: Live together 30

    Chapter 30: Live together 30


    Editor: As Studios


    Xiao Ling was escorted away by an errand boy from Huichun Hall before he had a chance to step foot in the bookstore. He went straight to Huichun Hall to procure medicine, and everyone at the hall could serve as witnesses to his whereabouts, so naturally no one suspected him.


    Gu Dashun, however, was a different story. Someone had seen him on the second floor, right where the victim¡¯s room was located.


    The victim had happened to be away at that time, and Gu Dashun was the only one on the second floor.


    Those who have visited the bookstore knew that the second floor, aside from office rooms, contained guest rooms reserved for the elite and were not open to ordinary folks. In theory, a poor schr like Gu Dashun should not have been on the second floor at all.


    Gu Dashun cried out in innocence, ¡°An old man asked me to fetch some books for him upstairs! He said he wanted to discuss poetry and philosophy with me!¡±


    As an ambitious schr, Gu Dashun had long understood that his status as a provincial graduate could bring many opportunities for him in the future. Some people might even seek to befriend him, so he didn¡¯t suspect anything at the time.


    ¡°Who is the old man you¡¯re talking about? Call him out!¡± said someone in the bookstore.


    Panicking, Gu Dashun said, ¡°He was not there when I went upstairs!¡±


    ¡°Has any of you¡­ seen this old man?¡± the speaker in the bookstore asked the crowd.


    Everyone shook their heads.


    They had only noticed Gu Dashun because he was wearing a Tianxiang Academy uniform, making him stand out wherever he was.


    As it happened, Gu Dashun¡¯s conversation with the old man had urred right on his way to the restroom, an unobserved area.


    Therefore, the crowd only saw Gu Dashun carrying books up to the second floor. They didn¡¯t see anyone inviting Gu Dashun up there.


    Now, this was really getting on his nerves.


    The victim¡¯s boy servant said, ¡°I can¡¯t believe someone from Tianxiang Academy would do such a rotten thing. Some very valuable items were in my young master¡¯s package. If you took the silver ticket, my master won¡¯t me you, but you must return that letter! Or we¡¯ll report it to the authorities!¡±


    Wrongly used, Gu Dashun¡¯s only hope was to find that old man. However, it was as if the man had just vanished into thin air.


    Seizing upon an idea, Gu Dashun argued, ¡°If I stole something, where¡¯s the stolen goods? It¡¯s not like I could¡¯ve eaten them!¡±


    The chief constable squinted, ¡°Search his house!¡±


    Gu Dashun did not worry about the search at all. He was innocent and he knew that they would find nothing incriminating, even if they turned his house upside down!


    However, it turned out to be a p in his face.


    When the constables invaded the Gu residence, Zhou and Liao just got home and were in the backyard burying the silver.


    Quickly, the constables recognized the bag of silver as the one the victim had lost.


    In Gu Jiao¡¯s dream, Xiao Ling deduced from the footprints in the backyard and on the exterior wall that the culprit had climbed through the window and acted alone, was about six feet tall, and had a slightlyme left foot. But it was not a severe impediment, for he could climb two-story walls. The thief also had some skills.


    The residue in some footprints at the crime scene was a fine mix of lime and sandalwood, a characteristic of the sandstone road in the casino and was used originally for warding off evil.


    Therefore, the thief must be either a gambler or a casino frequenter who would eventually bring the stolen silver to the gambling houses near the marketce.


    Gu Jiao only needed to stake out the necessary path to the marketce.


    Unfortunately, Gu Dashun was not Xiao Ling. He couldn¡¯t solve the case or prove his own innocence and could only watch as he, along with Zhou and Liao, were taken to jail.


    ¡°Oh my.¡± In the ount room of Huichun Hall, the second proprietor was sipping tea leisurely, looking rather pleased with himself.


    Shopkeeper Wang cast him a sidelong nce and said, ¡°Are you happy about getting someone into trouble?¡±


    Indeed, the second proprietor was the mysterious old man who had lured Gu Dashun to the second floor.


    With a grin, the second proprietor held up three fingers, ¡°Not just one person. Three.¡±


    Shopkeeper Wang shivered, ¡°That girl is ruthless. She schemes against her own family without a second thought. We have to be¡­ very careful when dealing with her, right?¡±


    The second proprietor stared at the bustling street and said, ¡°What do you know? One must not advise others to be kind if they haven¡¯t experienced their pain.¡±


    Shopkeeper Wang didn¡¯t understand those words. Although he worked for the second proprietor, he didn¡¯t know much about him. He only knew that he was the legitimate son of the Hu Family but not exactly favored by the old master.


    With a softugh, the second proprietor took a sip of tea, ¡°I¡¯m liking this girl more and more.¡±


    ¡ª


    As this case had nothing to do with Xiao Ling, he didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. He only knew that Gu Dashun had stolen something, but not what he had stolen or from whom.


    However, since he had been to the bookstore, the Dean still asked him about Gu Dashun¡¯s situation at the Zhongzheng Hall.


    ¡°Did you see Gu Dashun when you were at the bookstore?¡± asked the Dean.


    Xiao Ling replied, ¡°Yes, but I left for Huichun Hall at the fourth clock of the afternoon, so I have no idea what happened after that.¡±


    He was telling the truth.


    The Dean paused and then asked, ¡°Did you see Gu Dashun talking to anyone in the backyard?¡±


    Xiao Ling shook his head, ¡°I didn¡¯t go to the backyard.¡±


    The Dean massaged his temples in frustration, ¡°Alright, I got it. You may return to your ssroom.¡±


    As Xiao Ling was about to leave the hall, the Dean called out to him again, ¡°Do you think Dashun would really steal?¡±


    In an indifferent tone, Xiao Ling replied, ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem up to me to determine.¡±


    Indeed, once the theft was reported, the authorities got involved. Gu Dashun¡¯s innocence or guilt depended solely on the evidence. Unfortunately, all the evidence pointed at Gu Dashun¡­


    Having left the Zhongzheng Hall, Xiao Ling was questioned by his own teacher as well as the superintendent from his ss at the academy. They were all trying to get information about Gu Dashun.


    By the time he was through with all the questioning, it was gettingte.


    A furious blizzard began to descend.


    It was really snowing.


    Xiao Ling gazed at the snowy sky and began to walk towards the academy gate where he saw a familiar petite figure.


    In her small apricot flowered jacket and carrying a tiny back-basket, she was kicking pebbles on the ground, looking sweet and docile.


    A flicker of emotion passed through Xiao Ling¡¯s eyes as he moved towards her, leaning on his walking stick.


    Seeing him, Gu Jiao smiled softly, ¡°School¡¯s over?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Recalling something, Gu Jiao said, ¡°I waited for you, but you didn¡¯te out. So, I asked Uncle Luo and Xiaoshun to leave first.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll hire a carriage.¡± said Xiao Ling.


    Gently tugging on his sleeve, Gu Jiao suggested, ¡°The snow has worsened. Riding is not safe. Let¡¯s stay at an inn for the night.¡±


    Xiao Ling looked at her small pale fingers on his sleeve, ¡°¡­ Okay.¡±


    Perhaps due to the approaching New Year, all the inns were fully upied. It took them several tries before they finally found an avable inn.


    Xiao Ling requested, ¡°Two rooms please.¡±


    The waiter replied, ¡°Sorry, sir, we only have one room left.¡±

 Chapter 31: 31 Shared Pillow

    Chapter 31: 31 Shared Pillow


    Editor: As Studios


    Upon hearing that it was thest room avable, the two of them were taken aback.


    The waiter looked at them with confusion, ¡°What are you two hesitating about? I ain¡¯t bragging, but with the New Year approaching, all the inns are doing quite well. With the unexpected heavy snowfall today, many out-of-town businessmen have been stranded in our town. If you keep being picky, you won¡¯t find a ce to stay!¡±


    They¡¯d understood that rooms were scarce all along their journey, but¡­ this seemed somewhat inappropriate.


    A hint of conflict emerged in Xiao Ling¡¯s brows.


    As for Gu Jiao¡­ She didn¡¯t feel conflicted at all. They were a legally married couple, so what¡¯s the big deal about sharing a bed? Besides, it was not her who wanted to sleep with him. They were simply out of rooms, right?


    However, she still yed along and showed an equally troubled expression, which made her appear even more agreeable.


    Most of the time, Xiao Ling was a man prone to gentleness rather than severity. The way she hung her head, like a harmless little rabbit, subtly exuded a sense ofpliance.


    At this point, insisting on dragging her frail figure through the snowstorm to find another inn seemed too harsh.


    Xiao Ling steadied his mind and said, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll stay.¡±


    The waiter led the two to a room on the second floor.


    The room, being thest avable for good reason, was small and gloomy. Considering the snowy weather, however, the inn offered them a pot of charcoal for heating free of charge.


    The room cost two hundred wen.


    It normally cost a hundred wen, but the price had been raised for the New Year period.


    After cing the charcoal, the waiter left, informing them that they could dine in the grand hall or request for food to be delivered to their room.


    Oh, they even have room service here, Gu Jiao was pleasantly surprised.


    However, Gu Jiao didn¡¯t dine at the inn. As she perched on the window sill, she salivated at the sight of an Osmanthus Cake stall across the alleyway.


    She realized that she had slightly changed from her past life. For instance, she used to dislike sweet and hot vors, but now she was drawn to Osmanthus Cake and Pickled Vegetables.


    ¡°Do you want Osmanthus Cake?¡± Xiao Ling, who was beside her, noticed her drooling.


    Gu Jiao nodded, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Truth be told, Gu Jiao wasn¡¯t that greedy, or at least not as greedy as Xiao Ling saw her. But after spending this time together, Gu Jiao had discovered a fact: he seemed to find it hard to resist when she acted obediently.


    Xiao Ling took Gu Jiao out of the inn.


    The snowfall outside had intensified, but the wind had died down, creating a serene beauty as the snowkes gently fell to the ground.


    Amidst the snowy scenery, Xiao Ling appeared even more handsome, attracting unblinking gazes from passersby.


    In the morning, Gu Jiao had reminded Xiao Ling to wear an extra overcoat. Unfortunately, she had forgotten her own advice when they went out. Furthermore, her petite form was indeed more susceptible to the coldpared to her past life. As such, her shivering was entirely genuine.


    Xiao Ling, walking in front, turned around and nced at her, then took off his overcoat and handed it to her.


    Her eyes widened as she looked at him innocently, seemingly notprehending his intentions, ¡°Huh?¡±


    Xiao Ling opened his mouth, his brow furrowing. Exuding a touch of helplessness, he reluctantly draped the overcoat over her.


    The overcoat retained his warmth and emitted a faint, pleasing fragrance.


    Gu Jiao blinked her watery eyes, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Her voice was soft and sweet.


    It even caught her off guard.


    Xiao Ling didn¡¯t respond, but Gu Jiao noticed that he had slowed his pace.


    Oh, he¡¯s actually waiting for her now?


    When they reached the stall, they discovered that, apart from Osmanthus Cake, it also sold steaming hot Tangyuan (sweet rice dumplings).


    Gu Jiao¡¯s eyes gave away her excitement, they were almost glowing.


    Xiao Ling ordered two bowls of rice wine Tangyuan and sat down with Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao requested for an additional poached egg.


    The stall owner assumed it was for her and poured it into her bowl. However, when the Tangyuan was served, Gu Jiao scooped up the poached egg with a spoon and transferred it into Xiao Ling¡¯s bowl.


    Coming from a poor background, they rarely ate out. Seeing Gu Jiao hand over her only poached egg to him, Xiao Ling¡¯s eyes revealed a hint ofplexity.


    ¡°Sir, another poached egg, please.¡±


    His voice was low and moist, evoking a chillier sense amid the snowfall.


    The vendor had been touched by the young couple¡¯s affections and deliberately cooked arger and prettier poached egg.


    Gu Jiao quietly poked the bright yellow poached egg with her spoon.


    It¡¯s just that¡­ she really doesn¡¯t like poached eggs¡­


    After finishing the Tangyuan and poached egg, they returned to the inn; Gu Jiao carrying a box of Osmanthus Cake.


    The initial n was to buy the Osmanthus Cake, but after consuming a bowl of Tangyuan and a poached egg, she waspletely stuffed.


    The room wasn¡¯t particrly cold with the charcoal heating. After removing the overcoat, Gu Jiao called the waiter for some hot tea.


    The waiter asked if they needed hot water.


    Gu Jiao requested for some.


    After washing up, the two of them prepared to rest.


    As there was only one bed and due to the freezing temperature, sleeping on the floor was not an option. Therefore, they each took a quilt. In this freezing weather, one quilt would not suffice; they needed two.


    Gu Jiao couldn¡¯t sleep due to the cold; her hands and feet were icy.


    Listening to Xiao Ling¡¯s breathing, she knew he wasn¡¯t asleep either.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Gu Jiao wanted to call him, but it dawned on her that she hadn¡¯t formally addressed him, nor had he addressed her, up until now. Just as if they were uncertain about the true nature of their rtionship.


    Married? No.


    Friends? No, neither.


    Lovers¡­ No, definitely not!


    In the end, Gu Jiao still decided to reluctantly call him her husband.


    ¡°Husband.¡±


    It was the first time she had addressed him this way and her voice slightly faltered.


    Xiao Ling didn¡¯t respond for a while, probably stunned by this sudden form of address.


    After a long pause, he finally asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Are you cold?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    ¡°Are you very cold?¡± Xiao Ling counter-asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Jiao¡¯s thin voice echoed in the night,ced with a slight nasal sound due to the cold.


    Xiao Ling hesitated for a while before finally sharing half of his quilt with her.


    In the spirit of sharing, Gu Jiao covered him with half of her quilt, resulting in aplete sharing of their quilts.


    The young man¡¯s body was like a furnace, radiating warmth.


    Gu Jiao immediately felt a lot warmer.


    Xiao Ling froze, deliberating whether to kick this uninvited guest out of his quilt.


    ¡°Husband, I¡¯m not cold anymore.¡±


    The young girl¡¯s voice was soft, tinged with a trace of cute satisfaction.


    Xiao Ling¡­ couldn¡¯t bring himself to kick her out anymore.

 Chapter 32: 32 Embracing Each Other

    Chapter 32: 32 Embracing Each Other


    Editor: As Studios


    In her previous life, Gu Jiao had never shared a bed with anyone, not even a female roommate. She thought she would have trouble sleeping, but within a short time, she fell asleep in theforting aura.


    While she journeyed into dreand, Xiao Ling did not fall asleep as quickly.


    He looked at Gu Jiao lying beside him, the soft glow from the snow outside shining on her face through the paper window. She was lying on her side, the half of her face marked with the birthmark was pressed beneath her.


    She was probably cold, her small face was glowing red. Her eyshes were long and her features were delicate, if not for the birthmark, she would be a beautiful and enchanting youngdy.


    For some inexplicable reason, a sense of regret shed in Xiao Ling¡¯s heart.


    But quickly, he furrowed his brows, trying to discard this interloping emotion.


    Xiao Ling was a poised sleeper, hardly moving an inch the entire night.


    Gu Jiao was well-behaved too, aside from moving closer and closer to Xiao Ling, wrapping her arms and legs around him, and cing her small head on his shoulder, she did nothing else.


    Gu Jiao slept until dawn. When she woke up, Xiao Ling was already up, sitting by the window reading a book.


    The daylight seeped through the paper window, illuminating his handsome face like jade. Gu Jiao wasn¡¯t sure if she was mistaken, but it seemed like he was blushing slightly.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± Xiao Ling greeted Gu Jiao formally but without ncing at her on the bed.


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m up. Good morning.¡± Gu Jiao rubbed her eyes and yawned softly, being freshly awake, she was slightly dazed and her voice carried a hint ofziness.


    What normal man could resist this early in the morning?


    Xiao Ling felt a rise in his chest and quickly stood up, ¡°I¡¯ll go get breakfast!¡±


    As he spoke, he left, leaving a perplexed Gu Jiao scratching her head.


    The snow had stopped overnight, and the sun now shone brightly.


    As the academy was closed today, after breakfast, the two hired a carriage and headed back to the vige.


    Passing the vige entrance, they overheard the vigers gossiping around the well: some people returning to the vige at night had slipped and fallen in the sudden snowfall, and in a neighboring vige, someone even capsized his carriage into a ditch, almost losing his life in the process.


    Xiao Ling thought about their decision to hire a carriage back to the vigest night. If not for her suggestion to spend the night at an inn, they might have been victims of an ident, too.


    At this point, Xiao Ling was at a loss for words.


    After all¡­ this was the third time he managed to avoid cmity thanks to her.


    They got home.


    The olddy in the house had already risen and was sulking in the main room.


    Gu Jiao had thought they would be done with their business early yesterday and that they would be able to get back before the snowfall. Therefore, she left only one meal in the pot. Little did she expect that the schrs at the academy would upy Xiao Ling until the snow started falling heavily.


    Evading from the fate despite her dreams, she could only persuade Xiao Ling to stay overnight in the town.


    The olddy couldn¡¯t kindle a fire, she had eaten cold steamed bunsst night, and again this morning, almost breaking her teeth.


    Gu Jiao was puzzled and wondered, as an old impoverishdy, how could she not know how to make a fire? Is she an old mistress from a wealthy family, or is she the Empress Dowager?


    Silently, Gu Jiao took out a pack of candied fruit and a box of osmanthus cake, ¡°You¡¯re allowed to have two pieces today.¡±


    The olddy, ¡°No! Five pieces!¡±


    Gu Jiao, ¡°Three pieces.¡±


    The olddy, ¡°Deal!¡±


    The olddy, holding her candied fruit and osmanthus cake, turned her back and began munching eagerly.


    The word about Gu Dashun and the Liao and Zhou families being arrested had quickly spread through the vige, and even some from the neighboring vige came to witness the excitement. They weren¡¯t aware yet of the connection between this incident and Xiao Ling and Gu Jiao, so they ran to the old Gu Family mansion for information.


    Noon arrived, and two warrant officers came to visit, looking for Gu Jiao.


    As it turned out, once the Liao and Zhou families were taken to the Yamen, under strict interrogation, they truthfully confessed the origin of the silver: it fell from the person who had a fight with the little fool, and they were ovee by greed, so they pocketed the silver and returned to the vige before the little fool came back.


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s what happened. I was wondering why I didn¡¯t see both of you when I went back.¡± Gu Jiao said with an unwittingly enlightened expression.


    The officer looked at her and asked, ¡°Why did you start to fight?¡±


    Gu Jiao spoke coldly, ¡°He bumped into me! Bullied me! And insulted me!¡±


    Being bumped and insulted, she grabbed a sickle and chased after him, shing for several streets. Girl, you¡¯re a hero.


    If anyone else had acted as such, the officers might have suspected something, but they had already heard from Liao and Zhou families that Gu Jiao was a simpleton. The actions of a simpleton can¡¯t be judged bymon sense.


    Therefore, even at this stage, no one suspected that Gu Jiao was purposely waiting there to catch a thief, intentionally letting the thief escape, and leaving the silver behind for the Liao and Zhou families to covet. Even Liao and Zhou families thought that everything was an ident.


    Only Xiao Ling had a vague feeling that everything was too coincidental.


    ¡°That person might have been a thief. What happened to him in the end?¡± the officer asked.


    ¡°He ran away.¡± Gu Jiao shrugged.


    ¡°Do you remember what he looked like?¡± the officer went on to ask.


    ¡°He looks¡­um¡­¡± Gu Jiao recalled and gestured, while the other officer, an artistic officer from the Yamen, sketched the appearance of the thief, ¡°Like this?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Gu Jiao frowned.


    At that moment, Xiao Ling came out with a sketch.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°Yes! It¡¯s this man!¡±


    The officer and the artist shared an awkward nce. The illustrious Yamen artist was unexpectedly surpassed by a student, wasn¡¯t it like having one¡¯s rice bowl smashed?


    Once they had the sketch, the Yamen solved the case fairly quickly.


    However, the Liao and Zhou families weren¡¯t released immediately because when the Yamen officers initially questioned them about the silver, they confidently imed it was earned from selling mountain goods.


    This was a significant amount, coupled with their lies and refusal to hand over the silver. They were found guilty of embezzlement and each fined twenty taels of silver and given thirtyshes.


    As for Gu Dashun, the shameful actions of his mother and his second aunt reflected poorly on his family¡¯s integrity, and he too was nailed to the pir of shame.

 Chapter 33: 33 Tease

    Chapter 33: 33 Tease


    Editor: As Studios


    The Gu family really took a hit this time. Losing their entire capital ¨C forty taels of silver ¨C and the reputation that Gu Dashun had painstakingly built was also demolished.


    For a long stretch of time afterwards, the Gu family probably wouldn¡¯t have the strength to stir up any more trouble.


    Gu Jiao was delighted and ate half a bowl more for dinner.


    It snowed a bit in the afternoon that day but it wasn¡¯t heavy and it stopped after a while. It didn¡¯t affect s anyone¡¯s ability to get around, but it was a bit cold. When Xiao Ling got home, his hands were frozen stiff.


    Gu Jiao hurriedly handed him the ginger soup she¡¯d prepared.


    Even with frozen hands, he drank the soup in a calm and unhurried manner, exuding a natural elegance and nobility.


    Gu Jiao watched him intently.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± He turned to ask.


    Caught staring, Gu Jiao wasn¡¯t at all embarrassed. She smiled, ¡°nothing. Carry on drinking your soup. I¡¯ll go serve dinner!¡±


    Gu Jiao dished out the hot food from the pot and invited the olddy to join them for dinner.


    They were halfway through their meal when an uninvited guest arrived.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the door,¡± Gu Jiao put down her chopsticks.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it.¡± Xiao Ling got up with his crutch before her.


    ¡°You eat.¡± The olddy said to Gu Jiao.


    Although in the olddy¡¯s mind, Xiao Ling was her grand-nephew and Gu Jiao was merely her granddaughter-inw, she never showed favoritism to Xiao Ling.


    While Gu Jiao continued her meal, Xiao Ling opened the door, finding not a viger, but a young master and his servant standing there.


    The young master was dressed grandly and exuded an air of nobility. It was clear he was from a well-to-do household.


    Xiao Ling was a bit surprised. Of course, they were also surprised, as they were looking for Gu Jiao and they had never expected that a young man would be the one to open the door.


    The young man was dressed in the white uniform of the Tianxiang Academy, his demeanor pure and refined, his features exquisite and elegant.


    Both the master and servant were taken aback to find such a delicate-looking young man in such a remote countryside.


    The young master spoke, ¡°May I ask¡­ is this Miss Gu¡¯s home?¡±


    ¡°Who are you? Why are you looking for my wife?¡± Xiao Ling asked coldly.


    His wife?


    The young master was taken aback: ¡°My family name is Qin¡­¡±


    ¡°Young Master Xiaoqin?¡± Gu Jiao had somehow wandered over. She looked curiously at the young master standing outside her door. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Young Master Xiaoqin nearly turned and ran when he saw her: ¡°I was about to ask you the same thing! What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°This is my home. Where else should I be?¡± Gu Jiao retorted.


    ¡°How did youe to be in Gu¡­¡± Speaking midway, Young Master Xiaoqin suddenly understood and stammered: ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re¡­ Miss Gu?¡±


    Gu Jiao raised an eyebrow and lightly touched her chin. ¡°So you didn¡¯t know who I was after all.¡±


    She had chased after him for so long and he hadn¡¯t even bothered to figure out her identity.


    Xiao Ling¡¯s face froze over; he gave Young Master Xiaoqin a cold look and then turned to go back inside without a backward nce.


    Gu Jiao: ¡°Hey.¡±


    She had the feeling that Xiao Ling was upset.


    It was only now that Young Master Xiaoqin realized Xiao Ling had a limp. So that was why a handsome young man like him would marry a girl who didn¡¯t act properly. He was disabled after all.


    ¡°What are you doing at my house?¡± Gu Jiao asked coldly.


    Young Master Xiaoqin then noticed something else ¨C the young girl¡¯s eyes no longer held the former fanaticism toward him; she didn¡¯t appear to be the slow-witted girl anymore.


    ¡°If you have things to say, just say it. If you have nothing to say, please leave. I won¡¯t see you off,¡± Gu Jiao was about to close the door as she spoke.


    Young Master Xiaoqin came to his senses, reached to hold the door. ¡°I came to ask if you have picked up a letter?¡±


    The silver in his package was taken by someone from the Zhou and the Liao families, but not the letter. It was casually dropped onto the avenue. Since the constables couldn¡¯t find it, they thought of Gu Jiao who had been at the scene and could have picked it up.


    They didn¡¯t tell Young Master Xiaoqin that Miss Gu was the vige fool from Qingquan Vige, or else Young Master Xiaoqin would never have gone to ask for it himself.


    Upon hearing Young Master Xiaoqin¡¯s words, Gu Jiao was surprised.


    Honestly, she didn¡¯t expect the letter¡¯s owner to be him. In her dreams, she had only been focused on looking for Xiao Ling. How could she remember what the owner of the letter looked like?


    But she did indeed pick up that letter.


    Gu Jiao went back into the house, found the letter and then went back outside to ask him, ¡°you mean this?¡±


    Young Master Xiaoqin¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°So you really did pick it up! But why didn¡¯t you tell the constables?¡±


    Gu Jiao shrugged. ¡°They didn¡¯t ask.¡±


    That was¡­ true.


    The constables simply forgot.


    ¡°Here you go.¡± Gu Jiao handed the letter to him without any hesitation.


    Young Master Xiaoqin immediately took the letter from her. The envelope was still sealed, showing no signs of being opened.


    The joy of retrieving what he¡¯d lost caused Young Master Xiaoqin¡¯s opinion of her to improve instantly. Perhaps, the nonsensical things she did in the past were simply due to being slow-witted, but essentially she was a good girl who wouldn¡¯t keep things she found.


    ¡°Oh, thank you so much!¡± Young Master Xiaoqin sincerely expressed his gratitude.


    Gu Jiao cut her eyes at him and casually asked, ¡°Just a verbal thanks?¡±


    Young Master Xiaoqin was startled.


    Gu Jiao smiled lightly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you nning on providing any substantial rewards like silver?¡±


    Young Master Xiaoqin was stumped.


    Where was the girl who picked up lost things and didn¡¯t keep them?


    A quarter of an hourter, Gu Jiao returned to the house holding a hundred taels of silver. This sum of money was three times the amount that the Zhou and Liao families had seized, moreover, it was willingly given by Young Master Xiaoqin. It was both fair and legal!


    ¡°Hmm? Where¡¯s Xiao Ling?¡± Gu Jiao asked the olddy.


    The olddy gestured towards Xiao Ling¡¯s room with her chin.


    Gu Jiao proceeded to Xiao Ling¡¯s room.


    Xiao Ling was currently copying books, a cold expression on his face.


    Gu Jiao carried the earned¡­ um, no, the newly-acquired silver over, gently cing it on Xiao Ling¡¯s table.


    Xiao Ling paid no attention to it.


    ¡°Are you mad?¡± Gu Jiao asked quietly.


    Xiao Ling simply turned his back to Gu Jiao, ignoring her.


    That sulky attitude of his, had made Gu Jiao¡¯s heart melt.


    Gu Jiao leaned down to whisper in his ear, ¡°Why am I so blind at such a young age? He¡¯s obviously so ugly¡­¡±


    Xiao Ling¡¯s eyshes slightly quivered.


    She was so close that her breath tickled his earlobe.


    Gu Jiao spoke softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was his letter. I simply picked it up and then forgot about it. When he came to ask for it just now, I swindled him out of a hundred taels.¡±


    All the dissatisfaction in Xiao Ling¡¯s heart evaporated with herst sentence.


    That she had swindled Young Master Xiaoqin meant that she must have truly given up on him after all.


    In fact, he shouldn¡¯t have been upset. After all, they were not really husband and wife. One day, he would leave her and this ce. He didn¡¯t care about her and Young Master Xiaoqin¡¯s rtionship before, and he shouldn¡¯t care now.


    He couldn¡¯t exin why he got so angry earlier.


    Gu Jiao gently soothed him, ¡°Are you still angry? I won¡¯t look at him anymore.¡±


    ¡°You can look at whoever you like,¡± Xiao Ling¡¯s voice was frosty.


    Gu Jiao grinned and whispered into Xiao Ling¡¯s ear, ¡°He¡¯s nowhere near as good-looking as you.¡±


    Xiao Ling: ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 34: Buy Mountain

    Chapter 34: Buy Mountain


    Editor: As Studios


    With money in hand, Gu Jiao was contemting what to do next.


    The next day, when Xiao Ling returned home from school, the family of three sat down for their meal in the hall.


    They were considered a family of three, despitecking familial ties. The trio shared an oddly harmonious rapport.


    As the olddy gnawed on arge chicken leg, she nced at Gu Jiao and said: ¡°Speak up!¡±


    Gu Jiao wondered, how did the olddy know she had something to say?


    ¡°I want to buy a mountain,¡± Gu Jiao pronounced.


    ¡°A winter coat or an autumn coat?¡± The olddy shot Gu Jiao a speechless look. She criticised Gu Jiao for dawdling over such a small matter.


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about clothes, but a real mountain¡ªthe one behind our vige,¡± said Gu Jiao. She often picked fungus and mushrooms on that mountain and noticed its abundance of good stuff. If she could buy it, she could gather mountain products, herb-picking, logging, and hunting¡­ In short, the whole mountainside was a valuable asset. It would definitely be a profitable venture.


    ¡°Go buy it!¡±


    To their surprise, the olddy didn¡¯t hesitate at all. When it came to spending money, the olddy was undeniably generous.


    If it were the original owner¡¯s biological mother, Mrs. Wu, she would probably jump up and scold Gu Jiao: ¡°You disaster star, the spendthrift! Even a mountain you want to buy, do you think money is blown by the wind?¡±


    In the eyes of most vigers, the mountain was worthless. At most, they could chop some firewood or pick some wild vegetables. Although there were mountainous fruits and game, nobody would buy the entire hill for these reasons.


    Gu Jiao, with impressive knowledge of mountain goods and the ability to handle any danger deep in the mountains, saw the mountain as a treasure trove.


    In the past, she would make the decisions. Xiao Ling would never interfere with her decisions, but ever since the olddy came, there seemed to be a subtle shift in their interactions.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about the mountain behind Uncle Luo¡¯s house, right?¡± Xiao Ling asked.


    ¡°Mm-hm,¡± Gu Jiao nodded.


    Qingquan Vige was surrounded by mountains on three sides. The mountain that Gu Jiao had her eye on was situated in the middle. It was a mountain that vigers frequently visited, with Uncle Luo¡¯s house located at its foot.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go ask Lizhengter,¡± said Xiao Ling without any hesitation.


    Scratching her head, Gu Jiao wondered why Xiao Ling needed to ask Lizheng, her grandfather; she could have asked him herself. She had not shared her intentions only to have him running around for her.


    After dinner, Xiao Ling headed to the Gu family¡¯s old mansion.


    Zhou and Liao families had been flogged thirty times each by the Yamen and had been staying obediently at home to recover. Hence, the mansion was rtively peaceful.


    ¡°Brother-inw! Why are you here?¡± The door was opened by Gu Xiaoshun.


    ¡°I came to find Lizheng,¡± Xiao Ling replied.


    Despite being married with Gu Jiao, he always addressed Lizheng by his title.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Gu Xiaoshun was merely surprised that his brother-inw hade to visit but not about his address for the old man. After all, the Gu family hadpelled his sister to marry, and subsequently exploited money from Xiao Ling. Each incident was a debt in itself.


    ¡°Grandpa, my brother-inw is here!¡± Gu Xiaoshun led Xiao Ling to the old man¡¯s room.


    The old man was slightly taken aback to see Xiao Ling. If he remembered correctly, this was the first time Xiao Ling had visited the old Gu mansion since marrying Gu Jiao.


    ¡°What brings you here sote?¡± the old man asked.


    Xiao Ling casually replied, ¡°I came to ask Lizheng how to buy the mountain behind Uncle Luo¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking about this? Is someone from the academy looking to buy a mountain?¡± No matter how imaginative the old man could be, he would never expect his own granddaughter to be interested in buying a mountain. ¡°Buying that mountain would require a significant sum of money¡­ Plus, it¡¯s not up for sale to just anyone. That mountain isn¡¯t managed by the vige or the county Yamen. It¡¯s the temple¡¯s property.¡±


    ¡°A temple?¡± Xiao Ling frowned in surprise as he had no idea there was a temple around.


    The old man confirmed, ¡°Indeed, a temple. You probably haven¡¯t been there since you arrived not long ago. It¡¯s on the other side of the mountain. Walk around the foot of the mountain, and you¡¯ll reach it in about two hours. If someone from your academy wants to buy the mountain, you¡¯ll have to negotiate with the temple¡¯s abbot.¡±


    As if a memory had sprung to his mind, the old man added, ¡°Actually, Jiao was born in that temple.¡±


    When Xiao Ling returned home, Gu Jiao met him promptly and asked, ¡°How did it go? What did the Gu family say?¡±


    Xiao Ling ryed precisely what the old man had said.


    ¡°So, the mountain belongs to the temple¡­¡± Gu Jiao hadn¡¯t gone to that temple before. Wait, ording to what her grandfather said, she was born in that temple, so technically, she had been there before. ¡°Did they mention approximately how much the mountain would cost?¡±


    ¡°Not specifically, but smooth negotiations may not be possible with only a hundred taels,¡± said Xiao Ling.


    ¡°Oh, I can handle that,¡± as Gu Jiao spoke, she pulled out a handful of silver coins from her pocket and ced them on the table.


    The olddy paused her melon-seed-munching.


    But Gu Jiao was not finished. She pulled out another handful, and another, and yet one more handful from her pocket.


    The olddy and Xiao Ling were both stunned. These silver coins, when added up, must be worth two to three dozen taels ¨C where did she get them all from?


    Xiao Ling collected his thoughts and asked, ¡°Are all these earned by selling mountainous products?¡±


    ¡°Mm-hm!¡± Gu Jiao widened her eyes, looking utterly sincere. ¡°I didn¡¯t earn them through fighting¡ªI promise!¡±


    Xiao Ling: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡ª


    Even in ancient times, students didn¡¯t get many holidays. Apart from a ten-day holiday every month, there was the agriculture break during farming seasons, clothing handover break in September, and the biggest break was the New Year¡¯s holiday from December to January.


    The New Year¡¯s holiday usually began in early December, but this year it was postponed tote December. Because the holiday was about to begin, there would be no monthly breaks for the next half-month.


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t want Xiao Ling to take leave from the academy for this matter, so she decided to visit the temple herself.


    Learning from her past mistakes, Gu Jiao didn¡¯t just leave food in the pot for the olddy this time, but asked Xue Ningxiang to take care of her.


    ¡°Your aunt-inw¡­¡±


    ¡°Her disease is under control now. It¡¯s not contagious.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    How could Gu Jiao not know about Xue Ningxiang helping her cover up? She guessed that Xue Ningxiang had figured it out. But Xue Ningxiang had neither used her nor distanced herself from her.


    Xue Ningxiang never asked how Gu Jiao cured leprosy, she just believed Gu Jiao was right, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will take good care of your aunt-inw.¡±

 Chapter 35: See each other 35 times

    Chapter 35: See each other 35 times


    Editor: As Studios


    Gu Jiao went to the other side of the mountain with a basket on her back.


    The temple was halfway up the mountain, and the path was extremely difficult. There was a section without steps and entirely covered in umted snow. Luckily, Gu Jiao, who had been diligent in climbing and exercising since she arrived here, was not deterred by this hazardous mountain road.


    Her pace was faster than average, but it still took her about two hours to reach the temple, almost at noon.


    The temple was notrge, and the ancient and weather-beaten que read ¡°Ning¡¯an Temple¡± inrge characters. Perhaps it was because there were fewer people due to the snow, but Gu Jiao did not encounter a single worshipper along the way.


    There weren¡¯t many monks in the temple either. Gu Jiao hadn¡¯t seen a single one since she entered.


    ¡°Could it be that this temple is deserted?¡±


    But the ground was clean and tidy, as if it was taken care of every day.


    As she was wondering this, Gu Jiao arrived at the Guanyin Hall. She stood behind a pir and absentmindedly nced at the Hall. Finally, she saw the first living person of the day.


    It was a woman dressed in silk, although exquisitely dressed, she wasn¡¯t ostentatious. A white cloak draped over her body, reflecting the light of the snow on the ground.


    From Gu Jiao¡¯s angle, she could only see the woman¡¯s back, but she could feel a gentle and graceful aura emitting from her.


    The woman devoutly performed several prostrations and put her hands together: ¡°I pray to the Bodhisattva to bless my child to be safe and smooth¡­¡±


    Her voice was even soft and pleasant to the ear.


    Gu Jiao rarely took an interest in strangers, especially women. She didn¡¯t like women, did she?


    But just as she was engrossed in watching, there suddenly came a sharp rebuke from the side: ¡°Who brought this rascal who dares to peep at my mistress!¡±


    Gu Jiao snapped back to reality, and looked in the direction of the rebuke to see a maid in light-green armor walking from the opposite corridor. The maid was scolding not her, but several little monks hiding behind another pir.


    The little monks who were caught peeping at the beauty yelled in a panic and ran away in all directions.


    So, there are monks, but these are such little monks!


    One of the chubby little monks ran in the wrong direction,ing towards Gu Jiao, and with a smack hit Gu Jiao¡¯s leg and fell on his butt.


    Gu Jiao was charmed by this puzzled little chubby monk and wanted to touch him!


    But before she could extend her hand, the little boy scrambled up and ran away, chirping with rm.


    The woman inside the hall finished her prayers and walked out, saying to the green-armored maid, ¡°Liuliu, don¡¯t be rude.¡±


    ¡°Mistress,¡± grumbled Liuliu,ing forward, ¡°if we don¡¯t teach these little pests a lesson now, they will have no respectter and will run into your meditation room without a second thought!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re just children,¡± the mistress said.


    Maid Liuliu pouted, clearly not agreeing, but didn¡¯t continue to argue with the mistress.


    Just when Gu Jiao thought they were going to leave, the woman inside the hall looked in her direction.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s figure waspletely hidden by the pir. Even the maiding straight towards her didn¡¯t notice her. Gu Jiao wondered how this woman had sensed her presence.


    ¡°Who is there?¡± The maid was immediately alert.


    Gu Jiao had to step out.


    She was wearing a poor pale purple flower short jacket, brown cotton pants, ck cloth shoes on her feet that were already soaked by snow, and a worn-out small basket on her back. But she wasn¡¯t skilled in arranging a woman¡¯s hairstyle, so she had made a small bun on top of her head.


    She indeed had the appearance of a rural poor girl, especially considering the conspicuous red birthmark on her face.


    The maid¡¯s face immediately showed a trace of contempt.


    However, the woman showed no signs of disgust in her eyes.


    The snow stopped, and the roof of the temple was covered with auspicious snow. The green and elegant mountain was wrapped in silver, and between heaven and earth was a vast expanse of pure white, but none of thesepared to her beauty.


    This was the first time Gu Jiao had seen such a beautiful woman.


    The most beautiful was her temperament ¡ª gentle, graceful, serene, and dignified.


    ¡°Did you alsoe to pay your respects to the Bodhisattva Guanyin?¡± The woman asked Gu Jiao with a smile.


    Such a gentle voice, such a gentle smile¡­


    Gu Jiao was taken aback before saying, ¡°No, I came to see the Abbot.¡±


    With a gentleugh, the woman said, ¡°The Abbot has gone down the mountain¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, another maid hurried over with a food box in her hand. There was unthawed ice on the road, her foot slipped, and she fell forward with a cry. Not only did she fall, but the food box in her hand also flew out, about to hit the woman. Gu Jiao took a step forward and blocked the food box with her arm.


    The food box broke open in mid-air, the soup and vegetables spilled out, drenching Gu Jiao!


    ¡°Mistress, are you alright?¡± Liuliu anxiously looked at her mistress.


    The woman shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Having said that, she turned to look at Gu Jiao, concern in her eyes, ¡°But what about you?¡±


    She was standing in front of her, and the food box was originally going to hit her. If the young girl hadn¡¯t blocked it for her, her face might have been hit.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Gu Jiao said.


    The weather was too cold, the food had already cooled down, but the soup sticking to her was ufortable.


    Seeing Gu Jiao¡¯s predicament, the woman felt guilty. She looked at the maid who had fallen on the ground and sighed, ¡°Can¡¯t you walk properly?¡±


    The maid also had a hard fall, her knee was swollen. Bearing the pain, she got up andined, ¡°The road was too slippery¡­¡±


    The woman knew it wasn¡¯t intentional, but a girl had been hurt. She felt guilty and said to Gu Jiao, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for myck of discipline, and for dirtying your clothes. Pleasee with me to the meditation room to change into a clean outfit.¡±


    Gu Jiao thought for a moment, and did not refuse.


    This woman seemed to be a regr visitor to the temple, having a separate meditation room in the temple. It was located at the end of the corridor and looked no different from the other meditation rooms, but the interior was elegantly and quietly furnished, matching her temperament perfectly.


    The two maids also entered the room.


    The woman asked the maid in green armor named Liuliu to open a crate.


    Liu immediately wasn¡¯t happy, ¡°Mistress, these are all young mistress¡¯s clothes!¡±


    A country girl like this wasn¡¯t worthy of their young mistress¡¯s clothes, was she?


    The woman¡¯s gentleness receded slightly, ¡°You go back and get another serving of vegetarian food, and be sure to bring some for this youngdy too.¡±


    Feeling the pressure from her mistress, the maid lowered her head and obeyed, ¡°Yes.¡±


    The woman personally chose a suit of clothes for Gu Jiao from the box, ¡°These are my daughter¡¯s clothes, I don¡¯t know if they will fit you, but they must be better than wet clothes. Please change into them quickly, youngdy.¡±


    Gu Jiao went behind a screen to change and then came out.


    She had thought the clothes would be a bitrge, but surprisingly they fit her well.


    ¡°There¡¯re really suitable for you.¡± The woman smiled and said. They were her daughter¡¯s clothes, but the girl wore them with even more ir. ¡°How old are you?¡±


    Gu Jiao answered, ¡°Fourteen.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Same as my daughter. My daughter was born in this temple.¡±


    Gu Jiao: How coincidental, so was I.

 Chapter 36: 36 Birthmarks

    Chapter 36: 36 Birthmarks


    Editor: As Studios


    Thedy pointed to the heated brick bed next to her and smiled gently, saying, ¡°Sit down and talk.¡±


    Gu Jiao sat down on the bed, with a small table between them. Several exquisite pastries were set on the table.


    Thedy pushed the pastries towards her, ¡°Are you hungry? Have something to eat first. The vegetarian meal will be served soon.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Having climbed up the mountain for so long, Gu Jiao was indeed hungry and picked out a piece of yellow flower-shaped pastry.


    Gu Jiao was very quiet.


    ¡°Is it tasty?¡± thedy asked her.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Jiao nodded, seeing thedy looking at her with suspicion, she paused and said, ¡°It tastes better than the pastries from Liji.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s Liji?¡± thedy asked her.


    ¡°The best pastry shop in the town,¡± Gu Jiao replied.


    Thedy finally felt relieved. Actually, she had made these pastries herself. When she was bored in the residence, she would make pastries to kill time. Unfortunately, among her two children, her son was weak and often sick and couldn¡¯t eat, while her daughter was in great health but didn¡¯t like eating. It made her doubt whether her pastries were just too bad.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s appreciation was not feigned, she genuinely found the pastries tasty.


    Thedy found fulfillment in Gu Jiao¡¯s appreciation. She couldn¡¯t help but look at Gu Jiao more closely, noticing the birthmark on her face, which she had noticed already.


    Such a good youngdy, it¡¯s such a pity, thedy quietly regretted.


    Then, she noticed Gu Jiao¡¯s hands. They were the hands of someone who hadbored for many years with callouses and crisscrossing scars.


    Thedy thought of her own daughter, thankful that she was born in the Marquis Residence, where she didn¡¯t have to suffer the hardships of ordinary folks; if not, as a mother, she wouldn¡¯t be able to bear the heartache.


    Gu Jiao sat in thedy¡¯s room for a while, and all the chestnut cakes had gone into her belly, and the presiding abbot had just returned to the temple.


    In the end, Gu Jiao didn¡¯t forget her main business. After bidding farewell to thedy, she went to the abbot¡¯s meditation room.


    The abbot was quite old, with a white beard, but he was astoundingly energetic, probably a result of his years of martial arts practice.


    Gu Jiao briefly stated her intention: ¡°¡­I wonder if the abbot would be willing to sell?¡±


    After she had finished speaking, she did not hear the abbot¡¯s answer for quite a while. Looking closely, she saw that the abbot was staring at her¡­ face without blinking.


    Just as Gu Jiao was about to ask, ¡®Is there something on my face?¡¯ she remembered, there was indeed something on her face, wasn¡¯t there?


    ¡°Abbot?¡± Gu Jiao reminded.


    ¡°Ahem, ahem!¡± The abbot returned to his senses, cleared his throat and sat upright, saying, ¡°You just said¡­ you want to buy the mountain?¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°Yes.¡±


    Abbot: ¡°How old are you this year?¡±


    Hmm?


    Isn¡¯t the topic changing too quickly?


    ¡°Can¡¯t I buy a mountain because I¡¯m too young?¡± Gu Jiao asked ndly.


    ¡°Ah, no, no! Amitabha, young benefactor, please do not misunderstand!¡± The abbot ced his hand on his chest and said, ¡°The brother Jingxin who manages the temple¡¯s property is not here. It will take him two or three days to return. Why note back in a few days?¡±


    ¡°Okay, I will find a day to visit again before the year ends.¡± After Gu Jiao had spoken, she stood up to take her leave.


    The abbot¡¯s gaze remained fixed on her birthmark.


    Gu Jiao frowned slightly, ¡°Abbot, although I don¡¯t mind how others view me, as a monk, isn¡¯t it inappropriate for you to keep staring at others¡¯ ws?¡±


    The abbot hurriedly apologized, ¡°The old monk was rude. Please, young benefactor, do not take offense!¡±


    After Gu Jiao left, the abbot remained dazed for a long time.


    One of his disciples came up and asked, ¡°Abbot, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I remembered something,¡± the Abbot replied.


    ¡°What is it?¡± the disciple asked.


    The abbot heaved a long sigh and said, ¡°It¡¯s something from many years ago.¡±


    One night, he had drunk too much and identally left a mark using a special kind of ointment on the face of a newly born baby girl¡­


    The next day when he woke up and recalled the foolish thing he had done, he quickly went to apologize to thedy of Marquis Residence. But he found that the face of the baby in her arms was clean and without any trace of the ointment.


    Since he had been drunk, his memory was not very clear. He thought that since the baby girl¡¯s face did not bear any mark, it meant he must not have done it, right?


    After so many years had passed, he hadpletely forgotten about it. But when he saw that girl earlier, memories rushed back and he began to question whether or not he had left a mark on someone¡¯s face that night?


    But wait, the baby he marked was the daughter of Marquis Residence, and that girl just now mentioned she was a viger at the foot of the mountain.


    After leaving the abbot¡¯s meditation room, Gu Jiao went to find thedy she had met earlier. However, she was told that thedy had already descended the mountain.


    ¡°These few boxes of pastries were left for you the benefactor by thedy. Please, you must ept them.¡± The monk who cleaned the meditation room handed Gu Jiao arge bundle.


    Gu Jiao held it and felt its weight and knew that thedy had left all the pastries for her.


    Gu Jiao sighed lightly, she hadn¡¯t returned thedy¡¯s clothes yet¡­


    The clothes given to her by thedy were beautiful, but they were not suitable for climbing the mountain road, she estimated it would snag after a few steps. This couldn¡¯t be med on bad quality, after all, those who could afford such material would not need to walk themselves.


    On the way home, Gu Jiao walked quite fast because she was somewhat worried that the olddy might not get along with the next-door family. After all, the olddy was bad-tempered, always finding faults with others, belonging to the extremely unsociable type.


    To her surprise, when Gu Jiao entered the house, she was stunned.


    What¡¯s happening? Why are there so many people? And they¡¯re all women?


    Neither Gu Jiao nor Xiao Ling usually interacted with the vigers. In the past, the vigers would onlye over when they needed to write or read a letter. The record was three visits in a day, not more.


    So, Gu Jiao didn¡¯t understand why their main hall was suddenly filled with so many people.


    The olddy was sitting domineering at the top chair. Uncle Luo¡¯s wife was by her side, holding a pot of tea in a very beguiling manner.


    On the other side was Gui Fang, the young wife from Aunt Zhang¡¯s family. Gui Fang was holding a tray with melon seeds and a cup of tea.


    Gu Jiao was even more puzzled. Didn¡¯t Sister Gui Fang just give birth?


    The rest of the people seemed to not have the privilege toe near, so they stood across, pushing and squeezing each other, looking like a vige version of a pce drama!


    ¡°Alright, you all may leave,¡± the olddy put down the melon seeds, waved her hand.


    Everyone withdrew, but before leaving, they all paid respect to the olddy with their heads tilted.


    Seeing the imperial concubines bowing was a pleasing sight, but seeing a group of women from the vige bowing, that was arge-scale ident site!


    Gu Jiao was utterly shocked, she grabbed Xue Ningxiang who was nearby and asked, ¡°What did my grandmother do this time?¡±


    Xue Ningxiang couldn¡¯t hide her admiration and said, ¡°Grandmother was telling stories to the vigers! She told it so well!¡±


    Gu Jiao twitched at the corner of her mouth, ¡°And the part about paying respect, what¡¯s that about?¡±


    Xue Ningxiang thought for a while before understanding what Gu Jiao meant, ¡°Oh, you mean that? That was taught by Grandmother. She said that¡¯s how they do it in the theater!¡±


    Performers in the theater definitely do not do that!


    Grandmother was brazenly deceiving everyone into paying respect to her.


    Gu Jiao was puzzled, where did this grandmothere from, who was so mischievous?

 Chapter 37: 37 Surgeries

    Chapter 37: 37 Surgeries


    Editor: As Studios


    People of ancient times loved watching operas. After all, there wasn¡¯t much else they could do, especially women.


    In the countryside, it was quite difficult to see an opera. The nearest theater was in the town, and it would take quite a few copper tes to get in, a luxury the country folk couldn¡¯t afford.


    The elderlydy, though unable to sing, could narrate, and quite in detail too.


    ¡°Where did you hear these operas from?¡± Gu Jiao leaned in to ask.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡± The elderlydy shook her head.


    Seeing that the olddy didn¡¯t look like she was lying, Gu Jiao continued: ¡°Do you remember anything else?¡±


    The elderlydy thought hard: ¡°No more.¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±


    Gu Jiao asked again: ¡°Can you stop bamboozling people in the future?¡±


    The elderlydy took her time to think again: ¡°No.¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡ª


    The end of the year wasing, and Gu Jiao became busier, having less time to constantly watch over the olddy. Although the olddy asionally acted weird, she was mostly able to contain herself, not causing any trouble for Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling.


    Gu Jiao went to the temple once more afterwards. The master in charge of the treasury had yet to return, so Gu Jiao decided to visit again after the new year.


    The academy had another exam before the new year. Most likely due to the influence of the theft incident, Gu Dashun¡¯s performance was significantly worse this time, dropping him to tenth in the ss.


    The performance of Gu Xiaoshun remained stable, perpetually at the bottom.


    Xiao Ling advanced one rank. But that was not because he did well, it was because the original secondst and fourthst were absent due to illness, and he tied with Gu Xiaoshun for the bottom position.


    Many teachers at the academy knew about Xiao Ling¡¯s admission essay. But since then, he had never written any essays, basically turning in nk papers during exams.


    Some people suspected that he had exhausted his talents, others suspected that he cheated to get into the academy, but Headmaster Li remained steadfast, believing in Xiao Ling¡¯s talent.


    No matter what others said, he didn¡¯t want to give up on Xiao Ling.


    The imperial examination takes ce every three years. The autumn examination will be held next year. If they miss it, they will have to wait for the next one after three years.


    Those who participate in the autumn examination must be degree holders, that is, schrs.


    There will be a county examination shortly after the new year. Headmaster Li hesitated for a bit, then took the initiative to register Xiao Ling.


    Gu Jiao, unaware of all this, was preparing for the uing surgery. She needed to ensure a good night¡¯s sleep and adjust herself to be in top form.


    She had performed this type of surgery countless times in her previous life, so she shouldn¡¯t be burdened by it. But performing surgery on a stranger and on Xiao Ling were two different things.


    She couldn¡¯t afford having any regrets on such a perfect person.


    Before sleep, Gu Jiao checked the first aid kit. As expected, all the anesthesia and injections needed for the surgery had appeared.


    These medicines were not the kind sold in pharmacies in her previous life, but were from the research institute. Gu Jiao seriously suspected that as long as the research institute doesn¡¯t close, her medical kit would continue to be replenished.


    Well, it¡¯s good news!


    Gu Jiao had a good night¡¯s sleep, prepared breakfast after waking up, and started brewing the medicine for the olddy.


    When Gu Jiao brought the medicine to the olddy¡¯s room, the olddy hesitated, looking at the pills in the te and then at the medicine in the bowl, she frowned, ¡°Why do I feel that this medicinal soup is optional?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it, the medicinal soup is as important as the pills.¡± Gu Jiao said, keeping a straight face.


    The olddy cautiously drank the pills and soup, suffering from the bitterness, she severely suspected that Gu Jiao was taking revenge for her past entricities.


    Gu Jiao once again left the olddy in the care of Xue Ningxiang. Then she and Xiao Ling got on Uncle Luo¡¯s ox cart to go to the medical hall.


    Fen Lin naturally couldn¡¯t miss such an important day.


    He had been waiting at the medical hall early in the morning. As the weather was getting colder, he didn¡¯t like to wait inside, thus freezing into a small icicle outside.


    As soon as he saw the young couple on the ox cart, his face darkened.


    He had an impulse to curse at the shameless couple. But he held back. Xiao Ling did nothing wrong, it was just this woman bing more and more shameless, always clinging to Xiao Ling!


    Gu Jiao, seeing Fen Lin, remained indifferent: ¡°Didn¡¯t you go home for the new year?¡±


    Fen Lin hmphed, ¡°My home is so far away. How would I go back?¡±


    Only then did Gu Jiao remember that transportation in ancient times was inconvenient. A journey that would only take a day by high-speed rail in her previous life could take a month here. Fen Lin might not even have reached home when the new year holiday would end.


    Gu Jiao: ¡°Oh.¡±


    Fen Lin, feeling like he had punched cotton: ¡°¡­¡±


    The surgery date had been fixed in advance, and the Shopkeeper Wang and the old doctor had been waiting in the consulting hall since dawn.


    Fen Lin and Gu Jiao both followed them in.


    The old doctor first asked about Xiao Ling¡¯s medicinal fumigation at home in the past few days.


    ¡°I have been fumigated with medicine before going to sleep every night.¡± Xiao Ling truthfully responded.


    Every evening when he would return from school, Gu Jiao would already have prepared his meal and medicine.


    The old doctor nodded in acknowledgement.


    Fen Lin said, ¡°Doctor Zhang, is Xiao Ling¡¯s leg almost recovered?¡±


    The old doctor replied, ¡°We will only know after the surgery.¡±


    ¡°What? Surgery?¡± Fen Lin was dumbfounded.


    A trace of astonishment also shed in Xiao Ling¡¯s eyes.


    Gu Jiao was worried about this kind of reaction, which was why she hadn¡¯t told them. Surgery was not amon concept in this era, and public eptance was low. Most believe it was only used on the battlefield.


    Fen Lin said in rm, ¡°Doctor Zhang, you didn¡¯t mention this before!¡±


    Of course, the old doctor wouldn¡¯t spill the truth, and instead said with a serious face: ¡°We didn¡¯t have the conditions to perform it at the time. Now, after a period of medicinal fumigation, Xiao Ling¡¯s meridians are open and he¡¯s ready for surgery.¡±


    But this was a big deal. It involved using a knife on a person¡¯s body. Fen Lin was very hesitant, ¡°Is there no other way besides surgery?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± The old doctor nodded.


    ¡°Will it definitely be sessful?¡± Fen Lin asked again.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be guaranteed.¡± The old doctor answered honestly, ¡°If it¡¯s sessful, he¡¯ll be able to walk normally again. If it fails, he might be worse off than he is now.¡±


    That was exactly what Gu Jiao had said earlier. Even if she was the most skilled doctor of the research institute, she couldn¡¯t confidently say that there was absolutely no risk in any surgery.


    ¡°Xiao Ling¡­¡± Fen Lin was looking to back out. He was a conservative and was not willing to take such a big risk.


    However, Xiao Ling gave a faint smile andzily said: ¡°Then let¡¯s go ahead with the surgery. Thank you, Doctor Zhang.¡±


    He agreed so quickly, that even Gu Jiao looked at him.


    In fact, even after spending so much time together, Gu Jiao never really understood him. However, for a moment there, it seemed as if she felt a trace of cold indifference on him.


    It was as if¡­ he didn¡¯t care at all if the surgery might fail.


    Was he really that bold, or did he just not care about his own life?

 Chapter 38: 38 Successful

    Chapter 38: 38 Sessful


    Editor: As Studios


    Fen Lin made eye contact with Gu Jiao, hoping she could persuade Xiao Ling. However, Gu Jiao pretended not to see him, infuriating Fen Lin.


    Before the surgery, the old doctor handed over a strange document, causing Xiao Ling to falter.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± he asked.


    The old doctor coughed lightly, ¡°It¡¯s a surgery consent form, and a family member needs to sign it.¡±


    This was puzzling.


    He had been a doctor for decades and had never heard of such a thing!


    However, it was strongly requested by Miss Gu, so they had no choice but toply.


    Fen Lin couldn¡¯t sign the document, Xiao Ling himself couldn¡¯t either, so now it was Dr. Gu who was going to experience what it was like to be a family member. She then realized in dismay that she didn¡¯t know how to write her own name!


    How sad, isn¡¯t it?


    Didn¡¯t they think of this problem when they asked the second shopkeeper to prepare the surgery consent form?


    If she wrote her name ¡®Gu Jiao¡¯ hastily with the ink pen she used in herst life, wouldn¡¯t it be regarded as gibberish?


    The scariest thing was the sudden silence.


    Gu Jiao held her pen, scratching her head and cheeks in frustration, her face flushing red.


    The n to show off in front of Xiao Ling backfired.


    Xiao Ling nced at Gu Jiao, assuming her ability to write based on how well she was holding the pen.


    In the end, Xiao Ling ended up signing Gu Jiao¡¯s name on her behalf.


    Xiao Ling was then taken to a specially arranged room. Using the calming soup on multiple asions could easily give the game away, so this time, the old doctor handed him a bowl of Ma Fei San (an ancient anesthesia).


    The Ma Fei San, an ancient anesthetic, was reportedly invented by the miraculous doctor Hua Tuo. The original recipe was lost, so nowadays, most doctors use medicine made from mand flower powder or juice.


    This type of medicine not only numbs and calms the patient but also causes muscle rxation and inhibits the sweat nds. That¡¯s why it¡¯s also called the Paralysis Medicine.


    The Paralysis Medicine was highly poisonous, so of course, Gu Jiao wouldn¡¯t use it on Xiao Ling. The medicine in the bowl was actually the calming medicine from the Huichun Hall.


    Xiao Ling fell into a deep sleep shortly after drinking it.


    Gu Jiao made an excuse to leave Fen Lin behind. This time, it was going to take longer than before, so instead of excusing herself saying she needed to use the restroom, she said she was going to browse street shops to see if there were any holiday goods to buy.


    Fen Lin was livid. He had just let Xiao Ling go, and now he¡¯s about to be operated on. And what¡¯s she doing? Going shopping?!


    She was indeed a heartless woman!


    From the back door, Gu Jiao returned to Huichun Hall. The old doctor was already waiting for her at the door of the room.


    The old doctor was an old staffer of the Huichun Hall and had been working here for no less than thirty years. His medical skills might not match those of Dr. Zhang¡¯s in Capital City, but he was an absolute gentleman in his field. Otherwise, the second shopkeeper would not have trusted him to be part of this.


    The old doctor was extremely curious about this surgery, so much so he was considering apanying Gu Jiao inside.


    However, Gu Jiao seemed to have no clue of his intentions and closed the door as soon as she entered the room.


    The old doctor: ¡°¡­¡±


    Gu Jiao felt sorry for the old doctor. She decided to give him a few medical prescriptions as a gesture of gratitudeter. As for the secret of her first aid kit, she had no intention of letting anyone else know, at least for now.


    Gu Jiao opened the first aid kit and first gave Xiao Ling a local anesthetic.


    ¡­


    Two hourster, Gu Jiao came out with a small basket on her back.


    The old doctor and the second shopkeeper quickly approached, asking in unison, ¡°How¡¯s the surgery?¡±


    Gu Jiao nodded, ¡°The surgery was very sessful.¡±


    Her operation was faultless, but the recovery time varies from person to person. Also, his ankle had been injured for a long time. Even if the surgery was sessful, he would have to undergo a long period of rehabilitation for his legs and feet.


    At least, if the surgery was sessful, he would no longer be in pain.


    Thinking about how he endured pain day and night, always going to fetch water and firewood, doing everything he could. Gu Jiao couldn¡¯t help but feel mixed emotions.


    If she had known about the pain he was in, she wouldn¡¯t have considered his pride and not let him do anything.


    When Xiao Ling woke up, the old doctor was still by his side.


    The old doctor told him the situation. The surgery was very sessful. He advised him to go home, rest, and return after ten days. ¡°¡­remember, during these ten days, you must avoid exerting force, stay in bed as much as possible, and avoid spicy food and alcohol¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Suddenly, Xiao Ling made a confused noise, looking at the old doctor in a haze.


    Thinking Xiao Ling might not have understood, the old doctorughed, ¡°When I said you should avoid alcohol, it means you are not to drink any. You¡¯re young, you shouldn¡¯t even be drinking when you¡¯re not sick.¡±


    Xiao Ling nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Once the old doctor finished speaking, he signaled to his colleague from the Grand Hall to call for Fen Lin and Gu Jiao.


    The first thing Fen Lin said when he hurried into the room was, ¡°You¡¯re still alive, aren¡¯t you Xiao Ling?¡±


    Gu Jiao rolled her eyes at him following closely behind Fen Lin!


    Fen Lin walked to Xiao Ling¡¯s bedside, intending to check his injuries, but they were already all bandaged up, leaving onlyyers of gauze visible.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Fen Lin asked.


    The anesthesia had worn off, and he was feeling some pain. However, he has gotten used to the pain by now. So, he shook his head, ¡°It doesn¡¯t.¡±


    The old doctor had already informed Fen Lin of Xiao Ling¡¯s condition while he was still unconscious, so Fen Lin wasn¡¯t particrly worried.


    Suddenly recalling something, he turned his head fiercely, ring at Gu Jiao, ¡°You weren¡¯t here when Dr. Zhang spoke just now. You didn¡¯t hear what he said. Let me repeat it to you, remember it!¡±


    He repeated the old doctor¡¯s words verbatim to Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao listened very attentively.


    The old doctor at the side was sweating coldly. Kid, you probably don¡¯t realize that these instructions are from her, do you¡­


    By the time they left the Medical Hall, it was gettingte. Uncle Luo helped Fen Lin support Xiao Ling onto the oxcart, after which Uncle Luo first took Fen Lin back to the academy, and then returned with Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling to the vige.


    Midway, Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling¡¯s stomachs growled in unison.


    The two had eaten breakfast before leaving, but after being busy all day, they forgot about lunch.


    The sky was overcast, suggesting it was going to snow.


    Gu Jiao thought for a moment and said to Xiao Ling, ¡°It¡¯s about to snow. We won¡¯t eat outside. Let me go buy a few green onion pancakes first.¡±


    There happened to be a ce selling green onion pancakes nearby. Xiao Ling nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    The ce that sold green onion pancakes was just around the corner they were passing by. Gu Jiao lightly jumped off the cart and strode confidently toward the shop. Perhaps because she was walking too quickly, she was knocked into by someone.


    For the record, this time it wasn¡¯t her purposely bumping into someone else, but someone else purposely bumping into her.


    It wasn¡¯t as if she was only a doctor in her previous life. Did they really think such a minor trick could deceive her? The people who took advantage of her hadn¡¯t been born yet!


    The person who bumped into Gu Jiao quickly disappeared into the crowd.


    Gu Jiao sneered, looked at the ground, nudged a stone with her toes, and then kicked it with the tip of her shoe. The stone shot out and hit the man¡¯s head right on target.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡± The man screamed and fell down, and then turned his head to see Gu Jiao, looking like a miniature grim reaper, standing behind the crowd.

 Chapter 39: Ritual Wine

    Chapter 39: Ritual Wine


    Editor: As Studios


    Perhaps it was the piercing power of her gaze that prated through the crowd, striking the pickpocket¡¯s eyes like a de.


    The pickpocket instinctively sensed danger and scrambled up to run!


    Oh¡­ No one had ever escaped from Gu Jiao before!


    Gu Jiao chased him into a side alley.


    The pickpocket summoned all his strength, but Gu Jiao kept gaining on him, and in his panic, he seemed to have chosen a dead-end street. There was no way out ahead!


    The pickpocket panicked and pulled out a dagger hidden in his sleeve as his blood surged.


    ¡°Stay back! Or I¡¯ll kill you!¡± He roared in anger.


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t even blink. With one foot on the wall, she sprang up and in a sh kicked the dagger from the pickpocket¡¯s hand, sending it flying off.


    The pickpocket¡¯s eyes widened. In the next second, Gu Jiaonded a kick on his chest before he could even cry out, sending him sprawling on the ground.


    Gu Jiao walked over coldly, used her foot to turn him over, and picked up the purse that had fallen from his sleeve.


    Xiao Ling was still waiting in the ox-cart, so she didn¡¯t have time to waste on the thief. She didn¡¯t intend to report to the officials and was about to leave when the thief quietly grabbed the dagger from the ground.


    However, before he could attack, Gu Jiao stepped on his wrist, instantly breaking his bones.


    ¡°Ahh¡ª¡± The pickpocket screamed miserably. He didn¡¯t understand how she had done it. She hadn¡¯t even looked back ¨C did she have eyes in the back of her head?


    ¡°Catch him!¡±


    Suddenly, several men rushed in from the end of the alley. After giving Gu Jiao a cursory nce, they dashed towards the pickpocket.


    ¡°Did you find it?¡±


    A panting young master arrived at that moment.


    Perhaps he had run too fast and was now out of energy. He leaned against the wall, gasping for air.


    Gu Jiao walked past him.


    He suddenly spoke, ¡°Miss Gu?¡±


    Gu Jiao stopped and looked at him, ¡°Young Master Xiaoqin?¡±


    The town was so small that she could bump into him even while catching a thief?


    On the other side, the wardens who had seized the pickpocket came back. One of them handed a scroll to Young Master Xiaoqin, saying, ¡°Young Master, we¡¯ve found it!¡±


    ¡°That quickly? Wasn¡¯t it said that habitual thieves are hard to catch?¡± Young Master Xiaoqin took the scroll.


    The warden nced at Gu Jiao and said, ¡°She caught him.¡±


    After thest incident, Young Master Xiaoqin¡¯s impression of Gu Jiao had changed. Although Gu Jiao had extorted him a hundred taels of silver, he preferred her money-minded side to being beaten up by her.


    ¡°Thank you again,¡± Young Master Xiaoqin politely said.


    Gu Jiao nced at him, ¡°Why do you keep getting robbed?¡±


    Young Master Xiaoqin embarrassingly answered, ¡°I suppose the news leaked, and I was targeted by the rival.¡±


    He didn¡¯t specify what news, and Gu Jiao didn¡¯t ask.


    Gu Jiao simply wanted to retrieve her purse and didn¡¯t care about anything else. She ignored Young Master Xiaoqin and left without showing any emotion.


    Watching her unhesitant figure, Young Master Xiaoqin furrowed his brows in confusion. Was she¡­ truly not interested in him anymore?


    ¡°Young Master.¡± Another guard ran up, ¡°I found a handkerchief on the ground, could it belong to the youngdy just now?¡±


    Young Master Xiaoqin immediately took the handkerchief and chased after Gu Jiao.


    When he finally found Gu Jiao, she had already bought green onion pancakes and was back in the ox-cart.


    ¡°Miss Gu! Miss Gu!¡± Young Master Xiaoqin, a pampered schr, had drained all his energy while chasing the thief. His pursuit now was solely powered by willpower.


    He was panting heavily, leaning against the ox cart, unable to speak for quite some time.


    The gaze of Xiao Ling turned somewhat cold.


    Gu Jiao shrugged, feigning innocence with a look saying, ¡°This has nothing to do with me, I don¡¯t know him.¡±


    ¡°You need something?¡± Xiao Ling asked indifferently.


    Young Master Xiaoqin was startled by the sound, looked at Xiao Ling, and an embarrassed expression appeared on his face: ¡°Ah¡­ Master Xiao is here too¡­¡±


    Xiao Ling: So you chased after me while I was away?!


    Young Master Xiaoqin handed over the handkerchief in his hand: ¡°Miss Gu, you dropped your handkerchief.¡±


    Gu Jiao took a look and said, ¡°It¡¯s not mine.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Young Master Xiaoqin became even more embarrassed. He had chased all the way and it was not hers, feeling somewhat ashamed.


    In his haste, Young Master Xiaoqin tilted, and the painting in his arms fell out,nding precisely on the ox cart, spreading out at Xiao Ling¡¯s feet.


    It was a painting of the misty rain in Jiangnan, featuring mountains, rivers, and a canopy boat in the rain. Even Gu Jiao, who knew nothing about calligraphy and painting, thought this painting was full of rich and expressive strokes, creating a far-reaching artistic conception.


    Obtaining this painting was not easy; his father had instructed him to take good care of it after he got it, not to be seen by others.


    Now that the painting was suddenly exposed, Young Master Xiaoqin was originally quite nervous, but seeing Gu Jiao staring at the painting with evident curiosity, he suddenly did not rush to collect the painting.


    He proudly said, ¡°This is a masterpiece by the young master of Zhaodu! It¡¯s called ¡®Spring Mountains in Misty Rain¡¯, drawn by Young Master during his travels in Jiangnan when he was twelve. The Young Master¡¯s paintings are priceless, and I bought it for a high price from a friend!¡±


    Gu Jiao picked up the painting, her eyes widened: ¡°He could paint so well at twelve?¡±


    Her shocked look was rather charming, and even the red birthmark on her face didn¡¯t look ugly in Young Master Xiaoqin¡¯s eyes.


    Young Master Xiaoqin then boasted even more: ¡°This was just a casual sketch of his. Allegedly, he discarded it for not being satisfied with it, and it was secretly preserved by a servant. If you like it¡­ you can take a longer look at it!¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±


    Xiao Ling¡¯s nce lightly swept over the painting, and he casually said, ¡°It¡¯s a fake.¡±


    It took Young Master Xiaoqin a moment to realize that he was referring to the painting before he stamped his feet: ¡°Nonsense! This painting is clearly authentic, how can it be a fake?¡±


    Xiao Ling said, ¡°It¡¯s a fake.¡±


    Young Master Xiaoqin raised his voice, ¡°How can you tell it¡¯s a fake?¡±


    Xiao Ling seemed to think it was a waste to even nce at him: ¡°How can¡¯t you tell it¡¯s a fake?¡±


    Thisment was too arrogant, as if implying that the painting was atrociously forged, full of ws at every spot.


    Young Master Xiaoqin finally couldn¡¯t restrain his anger: ¡°What do you know? Do you, a poor schr, understand painting? I¡¯ve had it professionally appraised! This is indeed the Young Master¡¯s work!¡±


    ¡°He never painted this one.¡± Xiao Ling nonchntly said.


    ¡°How do you know he didn¡¯t paint it? Do you know him?¡±


    As soon as he said this, Young Master Xiaoqinughed himself.


    How could a country cripple possibly know the prestigious young master of Zhaodu?


    The master of Zhaodu has many sons, and each one a young master. But there is only one who gets addressed as the young master of Zhaodu.


    Young master of Zhaodu is the legitimate son of the Duke of Xuanping, his birth mother is Princess Xinyang, both are greatly loved by the current emperor.


    He ascended to Jinluan hall at the age of three, bing famous after a battle with a group of schrs! He entered the Guozijian at four years old, read through the national book hall at five years old, and mastered thenguages of six nations!


    The head of Tianxiang Academy is on the list of the four top schrs of Capital City because one has to be at least eighteen to make the list, and his imperial examination scores remain unsurpassed because this young master has never participated in it!


    He was appointed as the libationer of Guozijian by the emperor at the age of twelve, and emissaries from five nations came to congratte this young libationer, a truly resplendent and unparalleled figure in Zhaodu!


    Unfortunately, the young master, despite his unparalleled origin and brilliance, tragically died in a sudden fire at the Guozijian and was reportedly burned alive.


    He died on New Year¡¯s Eve, only fourteen years old.

 Chapter 40: Learning to Write

    Chapter 40: Learning to Write


    Editor: As Studios


    Xiao Ling did not bring this up because he was close to him.


    If he doesn¡¯t believe me, then forget it..


    Gu Jiao originally admired that painting, but when she heard that it was a fake, she lost interest and returned it to Young Master Qin..


    Young Master Qin looked at her disdainful expression and tried to defend it. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him! This painting is real!¡±.


    Gu Jiao said firmly, ¡°If my husband says it¡¯s fake, it¡¯s fake!¡±.


    ¡°You¡­¡±.


    Young Master Qin was really furious..


    If it was the past, he would not care how an ugly little girl looked at his painting. However, today, for some reason, he did not want to embarrass himself in front of her..


    Young Master Qin straightened his back. ¡°It¡¯s real! He hasn¡¯t seen the world and doesn¡¯t know anything about art!¡±.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who hasn¡¯t seen the world!¡± Gu Jiao refused to allow anyone to degrade her hubby like this!.


    Previously, when Young Master Qin came to look for Gu Jiao to get the letter, Xiao Ling only heard about what happened after the incident. Now, he really experienced Gu Jiao¡¯s coldness towards Young Master Qin for himself..


    She actually quarreled with Young Master Qin for his sake..


    Xiao Ling looked at Gu Jiao thoughtfully, then suddenly reminded Young Master Qin, ¡°If you intend to gift this painting, I advise you not to make a fool of yourself.¡±.


    With that, Xiao Ling said to Second Uncle Luo, ¡°Let¡¯s go back, Second Uncle Luo.¡±.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Second Uncle Luo did not get involved in young people¡¯s affairs, and rode the ox cart away with a grin..


    Young Master Qin looked at the backs of the two, eating scallion pancakes in the cold wind. He was so angry that he really wanted to curse them!.


    However, this matter still left a thorn in his heart. When he brought the painting back to the Qin household, his father could not wait to wee him. ¡°How did it go? Did you find the painting?¡±.


    ¡°I did find it¡­¡± Young Master Qin wanted to say something, but hesitated..


    His father panicked. ¡°What happened? It¡¯s not torn, is it?¡±.


    ¡°It¡¯s not torn¡­¡± With a sigh, Young Master Qin eventually told his father what Xiao Ling had said..


    His father was even more unyielding than him. ¡°And you believe the words of a damn cripple?.


    ¡°He¡¯s a student of the Divine Academy.¡± Young Master Qin had seen Xiao Ling when he went to look for Gu Jiao to get the letter. At that time, Xiao Ling was wearing the uniform of the Divine Academy..


    ¡°So what if he¡¯s a student of the Divine Academy?¡± His father said disdainfully..


    ¡°They¡¯re all very amazing,¡± Young Master Qin said..


    His father said nonchntly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you amazing too? I spent a lot to hire a teacher for you from the capital, there¡¯s no way you¡¯re inferior to them. Besides, they¡¯re all bookworms who only know how to study and have never experienced the world.¡±.


    Young Master Qin thought to himself, That¡¯s what I said back then as well!.


    Young Master Qin was actually a very prideful person; if it was someone else who had reminded him like that, he would not have listened at all. However, Xiao Ling¡¯s gaze and presence at that time were inexplicably convincing..


    In the end, Young Master Qin could not convince his father. He watched helplessly as his father wrapped up the painting and got someone to send it to the nobles in the capital..


    ¡ª.


    It snowed for three days in a row; the roads in the vige were closed, and the ox cart could not move. Many of the vigers originally wanted to go to the market to do some business before the new year, but due to the heavy snow they could only put it aside..


    For the past few days, everyone had been cooped up at home, and no one hade to look for the olddy to listen to her opera. The olddy was bored, so she asked Gu Jiao to call Xue Ningxiang over..


    The olddy did not know that Xue Ningxiang and Gu Jiao had argued with each other in the past; when she arrived, their rtionship had already improved. Moreover, ever since Xue Ningxiang encountered the lechers she had been avoiding men..


    She did not have a good impression of Xiao Ling at all..


    On the other hand, she clung to Gu Jiao from time to time, making the olddy wonder if this young widow had taken a fancy to her granddaughter-inw!.


    However, Xue Ningxiang¡¯s needlework was good and she was well-groomed, so the olddy still weed her..


    Before New Year¡¯s, her brother-inw at the border sent a letter to her family..


    Xue Ningxiang could not read, so she went to look for Gu Jiao..


    Uh¡­ Of course, Gu Jiao can¡¯t read either, but what gave you the impression that I suddenly can read? You actually brought the letter to me?.


    Gu Jiao was at a loss!.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Seeing Gu Jiao frown, Xue Ningxiang said in a panic, ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re not stupid anymore, so I thought you could read too.¡±.


    Gu Jiao: Just because I¡¯m no longer stupid, doesn¡¯t mean I can suddenly read!.


    However, Xue Ningxiang did not want to trouble Xiao Ling. Firstly, the shadow in her heart had notpletely healed. Secondly¡­ she knew that she was wrong in the past, so she wanted to avoid being close with Xiao Ling now..


    Xue Ningxiang lowered her head, not knowing what to do..


    Gu Jiao scratched her head woefully. If Xue Ningxiang had been unreasonable with her she would definitely refuse her outright; however, Xue Ningxiang was being meek, so she could not find it in herself to reject her..


    Gu Jiao told herself that it was not because she was soft¡ªit was only because Xue Ningxiang had helped her with a lot of needlework. She was a very useful neighbor..


    She also wanted to be a useful neighbor for Xue Ningxiang as well, in exchange for her helping with all the needlework at home in the future!.


    Gu Jiao took the letter to Xiao Ling¡¯s room. She no longer needed to knock when she entered his room..


    Xiao Ling had been recuperating in bed for the past few days. Knowing that he had to study, Gu Jiao personally made a small table that could be ced on the bed, and he was practicing calligraphy on it..


    A seventeen-year-old young man, with a slim figure, cool eyes, petite wrists, and an elegant presence..


    How could there be such a good-looking person in this world?.


    Gu Jiao rubbed her chin..


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Xiao Ling noticed and turned to look at her..


    Gu Jiao had stared at him a few times and was caught red-handed every time; however, she had never once been embarrassed for it. She walked over casually and sat down on the other side of the small table. Handing the letter to him, she said, ¡°Can you read this letter for me?¡±.


    As she spoke, Gu Jiao saw some red paper on the small table. ¡°Eh? What¡¯s this?¡±.


    ¡°It¡¯s red paper. Feng Lin gave it to me,¡± Xiao Ling said, as if he was exining that he did not buy it..


    Gu Jiao did not care where it came from, and asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s it for?¡±.


    Xiao Ling thought for a moment and said, ¡°For papercuts to decorate the windows, and for writing couplets.¡±.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. She had never done papercuts or put up couplets..


    In her previous life, she had seen others putting them up. She had always been envious, but in her understanding, those were things that a family would do when they had their annual reunion..


    She did not have a family, so she had never done such a thing..


    ¡°Do you want to write some?¡± Xiao Ling asked..


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to.¡± Gu Jiao lowered her head, touching her fingers..


    Xiao Ling remembered how she had pointed at the words on a prescription and asked him how to read them. He also remembered how she had grabbed the pen without a word to sign his surgery consent form..


    So she wanted to learn how to write..


    Gu Jiao: No! I don¡¯t want to!.


    Xiao Ling moved his books and the letter to the bed, and spread out a piece of red paper. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you.¡±.


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 41: Being Alone

    Chapter 41: Being Alone


    Gu Jiao never anticipated that, after spending her past life studying hard for exams to get into university, postgraduate school, then the doctoral program, she would have to start from the basics in her new life in an area she had the least proficiency in ¨C Chinese calligraphy.


    Gu Jiao was feeling utterly dejected and defeated.


    Even if she did have a beauty by her side who was an absolute feast for the eyes, she didn¡¯t want to learn calligraphy. No, not at all!


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with your name,¡± said Xiao Ling.


    His voice was somewhere between that of a teenager going through puberty and that of a mature man. Rather than sounding like the awful croak of a drake, it had a refreshing baritone quality.


    Feeling absolutely helpless, Gu Jiao silently watched as he wrote her name on paper.


    Unlike the sloppy signature she had scrawled on the consent form for the surgery, this time her name seemed more tidy and elegant.


    Yet Gu Jiao still didn¡¯t understand.


    Gu Jiao was sitting opposite to Xiao Ling. From her perspective, the characters appeared upside down. Sensing her confusion, Xiao Ling turned the paper around for Gu Jiao to scrutinize.


    Afterwards, he meticulously wrote each stroke and their order down for her.


    Seeing all the strokes, Gu Jiao felt a headacheing on.


    These weren¡¯t traditional characters, nor were they written in regr script or seal script. They were of a style that was entirely unfamiliar to her.


    Seeing Gu Jiao awkwardly attempting to grip the writing brush, a deep look of misery on her face, Xiao Ling remarked, ¡°Your brush holding position is wrong. Move your hand up a bit, your wrist should not be so stiff.¡±


    ¡°Like this?¡± Gu Jiao adjusted her grip as he instructed.


    In her past life, Gu Jiao actually had a standard grip for holding a pen. But her brush holding skills were obviouslycking in front of Xiao Ling, a learned schr from ancient times.


    ¡°The index finger,¡± Xiao Ling said.


    ¡°Uh?¡± Gu Jiao inquired, puzzled.


    Hesitating for a moment, Xiao Ling reached out extending his slender, jade-like finger, gently adjusting her index finger upwards.


    In any other circumstance, she would have scandalized the situation by eximing, ¡°he touched my finger, rounding it off counts as holding hands.¡± But right now, he was teaching her literacy. She rounded it off as being in a learning environment, one in which Gu Jiao always maintained an earnest demeanor.


    Taking off her shoes, she crossed her legs and sat opposite him, diligently practicing each stroke with focus.


    Xue Ningxiang was waiting in the outer room. Why was Gu Jiao taking so long in there? The letter wasn¡¯t that long, surely it wouldn¡¯t take this long to read?


    Little did Xue Ningxiang know, the pair hadpletely forgotten all about the letter by now, with one person absorbed in reading, the other engrossed in practicing calligraphy.


    Every once in a while, Xiao Ling corrected Gu Jiao¡¯s brush holding technique, but he didn¡¯t put pressure on her to improve her handwriting. After all, being able to prevent the ink from spilling outside the paper was an aplishment in itself for a first-time brushholder.


    If Gu Jiao were to catch wind of his thoughts, she might blow a fuse. After all, she remembered clearly that she, reigning as an academic over-achiever of the modern age, wasn¡¯t in any way a calligraphy novice!


    Nevertheless, Gu Jiao¡¯s memory was excellent. She was able to remember the intricate sequences after just writing once, however the calligraphy was frankly, dreadful to look at.


    From Xiao Ling¡¯s perspective, she resembled a young chick who was just beginning to learn calligraphy.


    After all, the characters he wrote at the age of two looked better than these.


    The two ended up spending half a two-hour period together in the room, and it wasn¡¯t until the old grandmother, bored and desiringpany, decided to visit Gu Jiao that she discovered the two engrossed in writing.


    The old grandmother didn¡¯t venture close enough for a better look, she just nced from the doorway. Seeing the red-coloured paper, she made a quick guess, ¡°Ah, writing spring couplets? Hmm, right, it is about time, it needs to be done soon. Once you are finished,e to inform me.¡±


    She wanted a set of spring couplets!


    This was truly a beautiful misunderstanding. Initially, Gu Jiao had not thought that Xiao Ling had brought the red paper for anything other than writing spring couplets, but they got distracted by her literacy lesson instead.


    Now, with the old grandmother¡¯s reminder, they decided to get back on track and started to write the spring couplets!


    ¡°I will cut the paper!¡± Gu Jiao put down her brush and rushed off to find a pair of scissors.


    Gu Jiao thanked her aunt for rescuing her from water and fire. She couldn¡¯t continue with the calligraphy any longer, her fingers would be ruined!


    Xiao Ling nced at the red paper before him, a far-off look in his eyes.


    However, when Gu Jiao returned with neatly cut sheets of red paper andid them by his side, he distractedly picked up his brush and wrote a few sets of spring couplets.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to write a few for young Xue too,¡± the old grandmother reminded.


    The old grandmother was quite fond of Xue Ningxiang, as she was of Gu Jiao. Although she didn¡¯t say it out loud, Gu Jiao was acutely aware of the goodwill or ill will people had towards her.


    When she first met Xue Ningxiang, there was some hostility on Xue¡¯s part. By now, however, all the malice had vanished.


    The olddy¡¯s affection for Xue Ningxiang was different from her affection for Gu Jiao. She saw Gu Jiao as family, whereas her affection for Xue Ningxiang was that of a host¡¯s generosity towards a guest.


    In other words, she thought Xue Ningxiang was a decent guest, well-suited for frequent visits.


    Upon the olddy¡¯s reminder, it dawned on them that they hadpletely forgotten about Xue Ningxiang and her letter. Their faces flushed with embarrassment.


    What frame of mind did Xue Ningxiang have while waiting for them in the outer rooms¡­?


    Half of a two-hour periodter, Gu Jiao arrived at Xue Ningxiang¡¯s house with her letter, along with spring couplets written by Xiao Ling himself, as well as a te of sesame candies and chestnut cakes.


    ¡°Why so much?¡± Xue Ningxiang eximed, surprised.


    Gu Jiao couldn¡¯t very well admit that she was there to apologize. She replied with a straight face,


    ¡°It¡¯s almost New Year¡¯s, Aunt asked me to bring them over. She says the spring couplets are for you, the chestnut cakes and sesame candies are for your mother-inw and your son.¡±


    Xue Ningxiang immediately thanked her.


    ¡°Just now¡­¡± Gu Jiao hesitated, but decided to give an exnation anyway.


    Just as she was about to speak, Xue Ningxiang shed her a knowing smile.


    Gu Jiao wondered: What on earth did she understand?!!


    Being a married woman herself, Xue Ningxiang could guess exactly why a young wife would spend so long in her husband¡¯s room.


    Why would she be upset about such a thing? The reason she had quietly left instead was to avoid seeing or hearing anything inappropriate.


    ¡°Just¡­¡± She leaned closer to whisper into Gu Jiao¡¯s ear, ¡°next time remember to close the door. Your aunt is still in the house.¡±


    Gu Jiao: I think there might have been a misunderstanding¡­


    Apparently, in the letter, Xue Ningxiang¡¯s brother-inw had mentioned that he had performed a small merit at the border pass, earning a promotion to Corporal, as well as ten taels of silver as reward. He entrusted all the silver to Xue Ningxiang, asking her to take care of his mother and son, and not to neglect herself.


    He assured her that he would earn more silver in the future and asked her not to be economic with herself.


    That little brother-inw is quite a decent man.


    Gu Jiao asked Xue Ningxiang if she wanted to reply, but Xue shook her head. Nowadays, as it was the holiday season, everyone was at home, and there was no one at the post station to deliver the mail.


    After delivering the things to Xue Ningxiang, Gu Jiao returned home. Xue Ningxiang epted the food but only required one set of spring couplets, saying that the spring couplets were very expensive. When Gu Jiao exined that they were not bought from the shop, rather Xiao Ling wrote them, Xue Ningxiang countered: ¡°The paper used is expensive.¡±


    As the paper was gifted by Fen Lin inrge quantities, Gu Jiao didn¡¯t dwell on the price. It was only after sheter asked Xiao Ling did she realize that the paper used to write spring couplets was several times more expensive than ordinary paper.


    ¡°It¡¯s not usually this expensive. The price goes up during the New Year,¡± Xiao Ling exined.


    ¡°So¡­ Does Fen Line from a wealthy family?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    Xiao Ling thought for a moment before shaking his head, ¡°I have never asked, but it should¡­ not be too good.¡±

 Chapter 42: 42 New Year’s Eve

    Chapter 42: 42 New Year¡¯s Eve


    Fen Lin¡¯s financial situation was only slightly better than Xiao Ling¡¯s once was, but it was really not that great, which could be seen from his daily living expenses.


    However, when it came to things concerning Xiao Ling, he had always been unconditionally generous. Just take the red paper for this asion, a dozen pieces costing almost half a tael of silver.


    Normally, all he ate at the academy was pickled vegetables with a steamed bun.


    In the evening, the sky started to snow again.


    Fen Lin was alone at the academy.


    He was reading in his bedchamber, a single oilmp not bright enough, but he didn¡¯t want to light a second one.


    There was a cold wind blowing through the door cracks, causing him to shiver.


    He didn¡¯t light a fire because the academy didn¡¯t allow it, and he was too frugal to do it.


    The dormitory was shared by four people, and the chill was less noticeable when his ssmates were around. But now, being alone, he felt as if all the cold wind blew directly into his stomach.


    This was his first Lunar New Year away from home.


    He missed his parents, his sisters back home, but he couldn¡¯t go back.


    Home was so far away, and the travel expenses could be saved. More importantly, he wanted to spend all his time studying, not wishing to stay idle for a day.


    Being the only son in his family for three generations, his sisters were married off to amodate his education: one to a widower as a second wife, another to a tea merchant over fifty years old.


    They had sacrificed their lives for him, he couldn¡¯t afford not to try, he could not fail to return home with honor.


    After warming his hands with his breath, Fen Lin wrapped himself up a bit tighter in the quilt, and continued to read.


    Thunk, thunk, thunk!


    Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.


    Strange, who woulde looking for him at this time?


    Everyone had already gone home for the holidays, even the teachers had gone home for the New Year. An empty academy was remaining, with only him left.


    ¡°Could it be a ghost¡­¡± he scared himself, his face paling as he wrapped himself tighter in the quilt, ¡°Who¡­ who are you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    A familiar girl¡¯s voice came from outside.


    Fen Lin threw off the quilt, put on his shoes, walked over and opened the door. Seeing Gu Jiao covered in snow, he thought he would rather see a ghost!


    This is a boys¡¯ dormitory!


    What was she, a woman, doing here?!!!


    ¡°Why are you here? Did something happen to Brother Xiao?¡± Apart from this, Fen Lin couldn¡¯t think of any other reason. Without waiting for Gu Jiao to answer, he immediately put on a cloak and asked Gu Jiao, ¡°Where is Brother Xiao?¡±


    ¡°At home.¡± Gu Jiao said.


    Fen Lin left the room without a word.


    Looking at his hurried back, Gu Jiao calmly said: ¡°There¡¯s no carriage.¡±


    During the Lunar New Year, coupled with the snowy weather, it was impossible to hire any ox or horse carts.


    Without thinking, Fen Lin replied: ¡°If there¡¯s no carriage, can¡¯t we walk? Hurry up!¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°Oh.¡±


    The one who couldn¡¯t move wasn¡¯t her.


    The fact proved that Fen Lin had less stamina than Gu Jiao. Along the way, Gu Jiao did not blush or pant, while Fen Lin was on the verge of copsing several times.


    When they finally arrived at Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling¡¯s house, Fen Lin felt like his legs weren¡¯t his anymore.


    Using thest bit of his strength to push the door open, he was slightly dumbfounded by the scene inside.


    Xiao Ling was sitting in the hall on a chair, watching Grandma teaching Xiaoshun to cut window decorations, looking really healthy and not at all sick.


    ¡°We¡¯re back.¡± Xiao Ling greeted them.


    ¡°It¡¯s little Fen, take a seat!¡± Grandma also greeted.


    Xiaoshun typically didn¡¯t like Fen Lin, but surprisingly, he didn¡¯t give Fen Lin a disdainful look today.


    Fen Lin was puzzled, he looked at Gu Jiao nkly: ¡°Didn¡¯t Brother Xiao¡­¡±


    Gu Jiao shrugged: ¡°You said that, I didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    Fen Lin: ¡°¡­¡±


    He had never realized before how cunning this woman could be.


    Fen Lin spent his first Lunar New Year away from home with Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling. Though he initially thought he¡¯d feel ill at ease because of Gu Jiao and Xiaoshun, who he disliked, the atmosphere turned out to be surprisingly harmonious.


    Gu Jiao cooked dumplings following the vige tradition, and also made osmanthus sugar rice cake following his and Xiao Ling¡¯s hometown tradition. As soon as the taste of home hit his tongue, tears welled up in his eyes.


    It was not because of being moved, but rather because the food was so, so, so delicious!


    Ah!


    Isn¡¯t this little witch a local? Why on earth did she make the sugar rice cake so delicious?!


    Fen Lin ate while shedding tears.


    At first, he was crying simply because of the delicious food. Later, the food evoked memories of his hometown and he started missing his sisters and his old parents back home.


    He wondered how they were faring during the year he had not been at home.


    Seeing him crying so pitifully, Xiaoshun, for once, didn¡¯t ridicule him, instead giving him his portion of the sugar rice cake.


    Without a doubt, it was a lively Lunar New Year¡¯s Eve, not only for Fen Lin, but also for Gu Jiao and the others.


    Gu Jiao used to spend New Year¡¯s Eve alone in the organization in her previous life. After growing up, she was no longer an experimental object in the organization, but there was still only her in that room she moved to.


    Xiaoshun used to spend the New Year with the Gu Family. The Gu family was bustling, yet no one ever noticed him. For instance, he was certain no one would notice he ran off tonight.


    Grandma couldn¡¯t remember her past New Year¡¯s celebrations, but she was happy with this one. She had personally pasted a couplet, and taught Xiaoshun, that fool, to cut window decorations, which indeed turned out worse than hers, making her feel better! Besides, Jiaojiao let her eat five pieces of candied fruit, usually she was only allowed to eat two.


    Xiao Ling was calm, he was never a man to show his emotions, but Gu Jiao could still feel a touch of mncholy emanating from him.


    More than usual.


    They stayed up until midnight together.


    There were only three rooms in the house, it was unfair to inconvenience Grandma by sharing a room. Therefore, Gu Jiao tidied up Xiao Ling¡¯s room for Fen Lin to stay for the time being.


    No matter how close Fen Lin and Xiao Ling were, he had no idea that the couple hadn¡¯t shared a room yet. He readily took the room.


    This was the second time the couple shared a bed, Gu Jiao¡¯s bed was much more spacious than the one at the inn, and the quilt was thicker.


    The lights went out on Lunar New Year¡¯s Eve was not put out, the oilmp on the table emitted a faint light.


    Both of themy in their own bedcovers, Xiao Ling had his eyes closed, but Gu Jiao knew he was not asleep.


    ¡°Did you enjoy the New Year?¡± Gu Jiao asked quietly.


    Before Xiao Ling could answer, a slender hand slipped into his bedcovers and held his cold, rigid hand.


    Gu Jiao: ¡°Next year will be better.¡±

 Chapter 43: 43 Nightmare

    Chapter 43: 43 Nightmare


    Xiao Ling despised New Year¡¯s Eve because he would always dream of boundless, raging fires on that night.


    He tried not to fall asleep, but the moment he closed his eyes, he could deeply feel the despair within that fiery light.


    ¡°Xiao Ling, let¡¯s make it clear, we are only husband and wife in name! You cannoty a hand on me!¡± Gu Jiao said seriously.


    ¡°Who wants toy a hand on you?¡± he grumbled, turning his face away.


    Gu Jiao brought a bowl of water over. ¡°Who can guarantee that you guys say one thing but do another? To prevent you from fooling around, I¡¯ll leave a bowl of water here. If you dare toe over and spill this bowl of water in the middle of the night, then you¡¯re a beast!¡±


    ¡°Alright, if Ie over, I¡¯m a beast!


    How could he possibly go over to her?


    He had absolutely no desire for this woman!


    The next morning when he woke up, he arrogantly nced at a bewildered Gu Jiao, as if to say, see, I¡¯m really not interested in you, right?


    Who knew that Gu Jiao, far from being happy, gave him a resounding p: ¡°You¡¯re worse than a beast!¡±


    Xiao Ling woke up with a start!


    He sat up and realized that this wasn¡¯t his room. A few crookedly pasted ¡°Fortune¡± characters were on the wall, and hideous New Year window cut-outs were on the window.


    They were the masterpieces of the olddy and Gu Xiaoshun.


    Xiao Ling finally remembered where he was and looked next to him.


    Gu Jiao was lying on her side facing him, her chubby cheeks squished, and her small mouth was pouting.


    She had been clutching his hand all night.


    Xiao Ling thought about the strange beast dream, his handsome brows knitting. Coldly, he withdrew his hand from Gu Jiao¡¯s.


    Being rejected in her sleep, Gu Jiao grumbled and grabbed his hand again.


    Xiao Ling took her hand off once more, but it was useless, and she entwined their fingers again.


    He didn¡¯t know how many times he wrestled with her. In the end, he was the one worn out, and he drifted back into a deep sleep.


    Until daybreak, the nightmare didn¡¯t appear again.


    ¡ª


    For three days Fen Lin stayed in Qingquan Vige, sleeping in the same bed with Xiao Ling and Gu Jiao for three nights. Apart from her holding his hand on the first night, afterwards, they used their limbs lovingly. Each time Xiao Ling awoke, he would always discover the two of them cuddled together under the quilt.


    Xiao Ling would get angry and ask her, ¡°You¡­ did you do this on purpose?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Gu Jiao would gaze at him cluelessly.


    Which made Xiao Ling unsure for a moment, who exactly was cheeky while they slept. Maybe he was the one who led her into his arms¡­


    Today was the day Xiao Ling¡¯s stitches would be removed. Technically, Gu Jiao could do it at home, but that risked a higher chance of exposure. Moreover, the olddy had also finished her Traditional Chinese Medicine, and it was time to get a new batch.


    Though that prescription was only for supplementary treatment, it significantly improved the recovery process.


    After breakfast, she took Xiao Ling and Fen Lin to Huichun Hall in town on Uncle Luo¡¯s ox-cart.


    Workers had all gone home for the new year, so only the Boss, Shopkeeper Wang, and the old doctor who had been impersonating a renowned physician for Xiao Ling, remained in Huichun Hall.


    These three had made a special trip from home, wanting to see the actual effect after removing the stitches.


    Even Gu Jiao herself was eager for it.


    She was certain the operation procedure was wless, but the final recovery level needed to be seen.


    The stitches were taken out by the old doctor; that much medical skill, he had.


    After that, everyone¡¯s gaze fell unconsciously on Xiao Ling.


    Too many things were at stake on this operation. The Boss hadn¡¯t given up on treating the Young Master, even though he had been scolded for it by his family when he went back for New Year.


    Shopkeeper Wang was a bit eager for the operation to seed since he was a man of conscience. However, he also hoped for the operation to fail since to be a man of conscience, one would first have to be alive¡ªa dead man is a ghost.


    Treating the Young Master would truly lead to death!


    Xiao Ling sat on the chair. He gradually moved his feet, which had just had the stitches removed, to the ground. The crutch was beside him, but he didn¡¯t reach out for it.


    He leaned on the chair and stood up, first using his unharmed left foot. When he stepped forward with his right foot for the first time, he felt a softness beneath his sole, and his entire body lurched forward!


    Gu Jiao quickly steadied him, and they ended up in a full embrace.


    They were simply a young couple. No one made a sound, even, but Xiao Ling¡¯s ears were burning.


    Gu Jiao hadn¡¯t noticed his peculiarity. All her attention was on his ankle.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± she asked, looking at his ankle.


    Xiao Ling shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    He had been injured for half a year and had been using crutches for half a year. His right foot was seldom bearing weight¡ªafter all, every time he tried, it caused a heart-wrenching pain.


    The fall just now wasn¡¯t exactly stable, but it seemed like it didn¡¯t hurt anymore.


    Xiao Ling grabbed his crutch and tried to walk another step¡ªit was confirmed, it really didn¡¯t hurt anymore.


    He was always expressionless, but this time he was somewhat dazed, as if he hadn¡¯t expected that he could truly recover to this extent.


    He had thought that he would limp and suffer for the rest of his life¡­


    ¡°Brother Xiao, have you actually gotten better or not?¡± Fen Lin anxiously asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not in pain anymore, just a bit powerless.¡± Xiao Ling said.


    Fen Lin couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°So¡­ is this a real recovery? Why are you feeling weak?¡±


    The old doctor slowly said, ¡°Young Master Fen, don¡¯t worry. Young Master Xiao is not in any pain, which means the surgery was very sessful. However, he has been injured for a long time, with obstructed blood and qi, weakness of muscles and bones, and stiffness in the ankle. It still needs careful conditioning, coupled with strenuous training.¡±


    ¡°Can it be restored like to how it was before?¡± Fen Lin asked worriedly.


    The old doctor nced subtly at Gu Jiao and smiled, ¡°As long as Young Master Xiao is not afraid of hard work.¡±

 Chapter 44: 44 Documents

    Chapter 44: 44 Documents


    The sessful operation greatly encouraged the second shopkeeper, and he decided to discuss taking on a new patient with Gu Jiao.


    Of course, as the matter was of great importance, he could leave out some irrelevant information for now, such as, if the treatment fails, there will be beheadings¡­


    However, before he could mention who the prospective patient was, Gu Jiao tly refused.


    ¡°Why?¡± The second shopkeeper was shocked.


    Gu Jiao stated without hesitation, ¡°It¡¯s too far away, I don¡¯t do out-patient service. Tell him that if he needs treatment, he shoulde to Huichun Hall by himself.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± The second shopkeeper was dumbfounded. The patient was someone who could even invite an Imperial doctor to his residence, how could he possibly stoop to visit a small town¡¯s medical hall?


    The second shopkeeperughed awkwardly, ¡°It¡¯s not far, not far at all. It¡¯s just in a hot spring vi nearby Qingquan Town.¡±


    Gu Jiao raised an eyebrow, ¡°Isn¡¯t it far if it¡¯s outside of the town?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± The second shopkeeper was speechless.


    The second shopkeeper often thought that Gu Jiao was highly capable and certainly not like a vige woman. However, at that moment, herint about the twenty-mile-away hot spring vi far away showed that she was indeed a vige woman who had never traveled far.


    Looking at Gu Jiao somewhat pitifully, the second shopkeeper protested, ¡°We agreed, you would take a case once a month.¡±


    Gu Jiao spread out her hands, ¡°Yes, I agreed to take a case once a month, not to do an out-patient service once a month.¡±


    Second Shopkeeper: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°If Miss Gu said no, then it¡¯s no. At least we managed to save Huichun Hall from danger,¡± Shopkeeper Wang sighed in relief after learning about Gu Jiao¡¯s refusal.


    The second shopkeeper was at a loss, ¡°What do you know? I¡¯ve already sent out the invitation¡­¡±


    Shopkeeper Wang jumped out of shock, ¡°Landowner! What did you say?¡±


    The second shopkeeper coughed lightly and said, ¡°I thought she could surely cure Young Master Xiao, so¡­ I sent the invitation in advance.¡±


    Everyone in Zhan Country knew that the young master of the Marquis¡¯s Residence was ill. Despite the severe consequences of failing to treat the young master, many doctors still lined up to diagnose him, driven by a heavy reward.


    If they sent the invitation now, by the time their turn came, the young master might already be gone.


    Shopkeeper Wang was simply at a loss for words about what to say to the second shopkeeper!


    Gu Jiao was oblivious to the conversation between the second shopkeeper and Shopkeeper Wang. She went to the grand hall to fetch some medicine, and in order to not let anyone see that she was fetching medicines for treating leprosy, she mixed in several other herbs, which she could use to make some wound-healing medicine at home.


    Fen Lin returned to the Academy, while Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling rode Uncle Luo¡¯s bullock cart back to the vige.


    Although Xiao Ling¡¯s pain was relieved, he hadn¡¯t regained his strength in his right leg and foot yet. He had to rely on a crutch for the time being.


    Walking with Gu Jiao with the help of his crutch, he saw a horse carriage parked outside their house from a distance. The emblem on the carriage seemed quite familiar.


    The carriage seemed to have just arrived. The coachman lifted the curtain to help a dignified middle-aged man alight the carriage.


    ¡°Excuse me, is this Xiao Ling¡¯s house?¡± The middle-aged man politely asked outside the gate.


    ¡°That would be me.¡± Xiao Ling replied indifferently.


    The middle-aged man turned around and upon seeing Xiao Ling and Gu Jiao, he disyed a kind smile, ¡°I am the steward from Tianxiang Academy. My family¡¯s old master and the principal asked me to deliver some items here.¡±


    If the Gu Family was here, they would recognize that he was the man who delivered Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s enrollment documents before.


    He took out a letter from the package and handed it to Xiao Ling, ¡°This is from the principal.¡± He then handed a brocade box to Gu Jiao, ¡°This is from our old master for Young Master Gu.¡±


    Upon hearing that Gu Xiaoshun also received something, they guessed who the ¡®old master¡¯ he was referring to was.


    Xiao Ling took the letter, and Gu Jiao received the brocade box.


    Gu Jiao said, ¡°Steward Liu, pleasee in and have a seat.¡±


    Steward Liu smiled, ¡°Not necessary, I still have things to do, so I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±


    At this moment, the old woman inside the house called Xiao Ling, so Xiao Ling limped in with his crutch.


    Steward Liu took out a brocade pouch from his bosom and handed it to Gu Jiao, ¡°This is from our old master for Miss Gu.¡±


    ¡°Why is he giving this to me?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    Steward Liu just smiled and did not respond, and went up the horse carriage to leave.


    Gu Jiao went back to the room to see the gifts from the old man. The gift for Gu Xiaoshun was a very delicate wolf-fur brush, and hers was a piece of warm and smooth mutton-fat jade.


    As her body was cold in nature, wearing the warm jade on her body was almost like sticking a miniature heat pad on herself.


    Even if Gu Jiao didn¡¯t know anything about jade, she could tell that this was a valuable piece of jade. Its value was definitely not lower than Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s wolf-fur brush.


    Gu Jiao rested her chin on her hand and murmured, ¡°Hmm, I thought I managed to hide it¡­¡±


    So the old man had known it was her all along.


    Gu Jiao was very pleased with her New Year¡¯s gift. She quickly went to see what the principal had sent for Xiao Ling, only to see Xiao Ling sitting on the chair, with a dark face, looking as if he wanted to tear something up.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Gu Jiao peeked around and asked.


    Xiao Ling wanted to destroy the unwanted evidence, but Gu Jiao had alreadye up to him and sessfully took the document from his hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? It seems to have the official seal of the Yamen on it.¡± Gu Jiao pointed to a character on the document that she had just learned and read aloud, ¡°Test. Is there an examination?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, the county examination.¡±


    Damn principal, he had secretly registered him for this month¡¯s county examination without his knowledge!


    He didn¡¯t want to take the county examination!!!


    ¡°Did you register for it?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    ¡°The principal did.¡± Xiao Ling grinding his teeth replied.


    This surprised Gu Jiao, ¡°Did the whole ss get enrolled?¡±


    ¡°Probably not.¡± Xiao Ling replied.


    That made sense. Gu Xiaoshun was not among them.


    Xiao Ling was notorious in ss for being a low achiever. From the time he entered school until the winter vacation, he had never managed to escape from being among thest three in all exams. But even with such lousy performance, the exemry principal did not give up on him. He personally registered him for the county examination. What a great educator he was!


    The image of the principal in Gu Jiao¡¯s mind instantly became towering!


    ¡°Husband, I think, we should visit the principal and give him some gifts!¡± Gu Jiao¡¯s eyes sparkled. In her past life, she wanted to bribe her teachers, but no one would do it for her and her grades were too good that she didn¡¯t need to do it anyway.


    Seeing Xiao Ling¡¯s bad grades, shouldn¡¯t they secure a good rtionship with the principal as soon as possible?


    ¡°No need.¡± Xiao Ling refused, and seeing Gu Jiao looking at him in surprise and confusion, he reluctantly turned his head away, ¡°It¡¯s too far.¡±


    Gu Jiao asked, ¡°Where is it?¡±


    Xiao Ling held back his betraying conscience, ¡°Near the hot spring vi, outside the town.¡±


    Gu Jiao instantly forgot about the event at the medical hall, ¡°Not far, not at all! You just rest at home and recuperate, Xiaoshun and I will go tomorrow!¡±

 Chapter 45: 45 Outpatient

    Chapter 45: 45 Outpatient


    Xiao Ling was truly unwilling for Gu Jiao to visit the sly old dean, but this suggestion was unanimously approved by the family members, who happened to be his aunt.


    Old Lady: ¡°Hmm, a visit is indeed due.¡±


    Xiao Ling went back to his room, brooding and bundling himself in his quilt.


    Gu Jiao was surprised, looking at him: ¡°You are¡­still sleeping with me tonight?¡±


    Xiao Ling felt a surge of embarrassment: ¡°¡­ I went to the wrong room.¡±


    Gu Jiao quirked an eyebrow, her hands nonchntly crossed over her chest: ¡°You¡¯ve never gone into the wrong room in half a year of living in the west chamber, but three days in my room and you¡¯re lost.¡±


    Xiao Ling¡¯s earlobes turned red, he muttered defiantly: ¡°I already said, I went to the wrong room!¡±


    Gu Jiao casually: ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    Xiao Ling: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡ª


    Gu Jiao was a woman of actions, she prepared the New Year¡¯s gifts for bribing the teacher that very night.


    The next day, when Gu Xiaoshun came over for breakfast and heard that his sister was going to take him to visit the dean near the hot spring vi, he was beyond excited.


    I¡¯ve lived this long and have never been that far from home!


    I¡¯ve lived this long but never have my sister taken me out!


    The truth was¡­if Gu Jiao didn¡¯t bring him, Xiao Ling would never have allowed a single young woman to travel that far alone.


    Taking an ox cart just wouldn¡¯t work. It¡¯s too slow. Who knows if they¡¯ll still be on the road when darkness falls. Unfortunately, all the cart shops in town were closed, renting a horse-drawn carriage was impossible.


    After much consideration, Gu Jiao, with her brother, showed up at Huichun Hall.


    Facing the sudden appearance of Gu Jiao, the shop owner was somewhat bewildered: ¡°What can I do for Miss Gu?¡±


    Gu Jiao unflinchingly said: ¡°I¡¯ve thought it through. The hot spring vi isn¡¯t far, we¡¯ll reach there in one hour by carriage. Let¡¯s set out promptly! You have a carriage, don¡¯t you!¡±


    Just yesterday, she was self-assured in not making house calls. Why did she change her mind overnight?


    The shop owner stared incredulously at the bundle in her hands, and at Gu Xiaoshun standing at the door with arge bundle: ¡°You brought another person and so much stuff with you? Is it all for treating the illness?¡±


    Gu Jiao shook her head with a smile: ¡°These are New Year gifts for the dean. I forgot to mention, the dean of my husband¡¯s academy lives near the hot spring vi. After we examine the patient, I can pay him a visit!¡±


    The shop owner nearly spurted out his tea. I think your main intention is to visit the dean and treating the patient is an afterthought. Spinning a free carriage ride as such a noble cause, aren¡¯t you ashamed?


    Ultimately, the shop owner gave in.


    The shop owner, Gu Jiao, Gu Xiaoshun, along with the old doctor all got on the carriage.


    The ride was quite fast, in less than an hour they reached the mansion near the hot springs vi. A tall que at the entrance read ¡®Leng Residence¡¯.


    This should be the dean¡¯s alternate residence.


    As the story goes, the dean used to hold an official post in the Capital City. It was only after his mother fell seriously ill, that he resigned and left the city, purchasing a property here for his mother to spend the rest of her years.


    Gu Jiao brought Gu Xiaoshun off the carriage and knocked on the sealed gate of the courtyard.


    Shortly, a servant opened the door for them. Upon seeing these two shabbily dressed country folks, he didn¡¯t show any disdain but politely asked: ¡°May I ask who you are¡­¡±


    Gu Jiao responded: ¡°My husband and my brother are students at Tianxiang Academy. We¡¯vee especially to visit the dean.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± The servant appeared shocked.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± An elderly voice came from within the mansion.


    The servant quickly responded: ¡°It¡¯s the master¡¯s students, madam!¡±


    The old woman spoke in a bit of a dazed voice: ¡°Well then, invite them in quickly. It¡¯s freezing outside, let theme in and have some hot tea.¡±


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t know the dean personally, but the attitudes of his family and the servants were quiteforting.


    The servant opened the gate and said: ¡°Pleasee in with me. The master has gone out fishing and might be back soon, or he could be out until nightfall. Thedy who was talking just now is my master¡¯s mother.¡±


    The servant led them to meet the old Madame Leng but when they arrived at her bedside, she was already sleeping soundly.


    Madame Leng was already in her twilight years, much like a baby, waking and sleeping unpredictably throughout the day.


    ¡°You two can sit in the tea room for a while, I¡¯ll bring you some tea.¡± The servant took Gu Jiao and Gu Xiaoshun to the tea room. With attentive hospitality, he served tea and lit the brazier, treating them with utmost respect regardless of their humble status.


    After sitting for a while, Gu Jiao estimated that the dean wouldn¡¯t be back so soon and Madame Leng wouldn¡¯t wake up that quickly, so she told the servant that she would go find the dean herself.


    The fishing spot wasn¡¯t too far, the servant gave her directions.


    ¡°I want to go too.¡± Gu Xiaoshun said.


    Gu Jiao coaxed him: ¡°If Madame Leng wakes up and finds that both of us are not here, she might think we were disrespectful.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Gu Xiaoshun obediently stayed back.


    Once outside the mansion, Gu Jiao got back into the shop owner¡¯s carriage.


    ¡°I thought you would be a while.¡± The shop owner said.


    ¡°The dean isn¡¯t in.¡± Gu Jiao asked, ¡°Where is the patient you told me about?¡±


    ¡°Ah, over there.¡± The shop owner gestured towards a small path leading straight to the Green Mountain. At the foot of the mountain was a beautifullyndscaped mansion amidst various other dwellings. It was the famous Marquis Residence¡¯s hot spring vi.


    The shop owner didn¡¯t introduce much about the patient, only mentioned he was the young son of a certain marquis from the Capital City. He had been born prematurely and had been feeble since birth. They searched for renowned doctors for years, but his condition didn¡¯t improve.


    ¡°That young lord is about your age. Rumors say he won¡¯t live to see fifteen,¡± the shop owner said regretfully.


    ¡°Does that mean he only has a year left?¡± Gu Jiao was fourteen this year.


    ¡°Yes, but he might not even make it to June.¡±


    ¡°Is his condition really that serious?¡±


    The shop owner sighed and nodded: ¡°Yes, poor marchioness, she only has this one son.¡±


    Although the young master had an elder twin sister, it didn¡¯tpensate for the pain of losing a son.


    The shop owner didn¡¯t tell Gu Jiao much more that was unrted to the condition.


    As they talked, the carriage arrived at the entrance to the Hot Springs Vi.


    A huge archway stood with the words ¡®Hot Springs Vi¡¯ written in golden letters, and a smaller column of cursive script on the right read ¡®Marquis Residence¡¯.


    Everyone alighted from the carriage.


    Gu Jiao stood under the grand archway, feeling as insignificant as a rabbit.


    Even this, just a vi of the marquis, was grandly magnificent. The shop owner had passed by the vi many times, but this was his first time actuallying in. Honestly, the sheer grandiosity of the entrance stunned him. Of course, he didn¡¯t know that Gu Jiao was nkly staring at the arch not because she was awestruck, but was simply wondering if the gold on it was real.

 Chapter 46: 46 Coma

    Chapter 46: 46 Coma


    Two guards stationed under the archway, unlike the sloppy bodyguards that can be found around therge houses in town, these men were burly and stern, clutching long spears, standing tall and imposing. At first nce, one could tell they were well-trained and disciplined.


    Having submitted their assigned card many days ahead, the Second Master¡¯s name was rightly registered, and the guards let them through.


    He introduced Gu Jiao and the old doctor, ¡°Here are our doctor from Huichun Hall and his medical apprentice.¡±


    It wasn¡¯tmon to see a girl acting as a medical apprentice, but it wasn¡¯t unheard of either.


    The guard didn¡¯t say much, but looked suspiciously at Gu Jiao¡¯s small back-basket.


    ¡°What¡¯s inside?¡± A guard asked.


    Gu Jiao promptly showed him the contents of the basket.


    The guard rummaged around, only to find some food and a shabby little box. He returned the basket to Gu Jiao.


    ¡°Go straight down this road, once you¡¯ve passed the first pavilion, someone will be there to receive you.¡± The guard gave the three of them directions.


    The Second Master thanked the guard, and proceeded towards the pavilion with Gu Jiao and the old doctor.


    They had barely walked a few steps when another carriage arrived outside the archway. Assuming it belonged to someone from the vi, the Second Master didn¡¯t pay it much attention, only for a powerful voice to stop him, ¡°Excuse me sir, are you the master ahead?¡±


    The Second Master turned around in surprise, only to see a round man of about the same age as Shopkeeper Wang striding towards him.


    Following behind the man was a doctor in his fifties and a young medical apprentice carrying a first aid kit.


    The Second Master¡¯s face darkened.


    However, the man didn¡¯t seem to notice his displeasure and, with a cheerful smile, approached and gave a salute, ¡°Such a coincidence, sir! Did you know that I would bring a doctor to treat the young master and decided to wait for me here? And, who are these two?¡±


    ¡°The doctors from Huichun Hall.¡± The Second Master said indifferently.


    He didn¡¯t borate further. The man assumed that the old doctor was the doctor and the girl with the birthmark was just an apprentice.


    ¡°Who is he?¡± Gu Jiao asked the Second Master.


    With a cold stare at the man, the Second Master replied, ¡°He oversees the affairs of the Hu family. He¡¯s the shopkeeper at the Capital City¡¯s Huichun Hall.¡±


    ¡°My surname is He,¡± said Mr. He amiably to Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao cast him a sideways nce, ¡°Do you mean ¡®he¡¯ as in ¡®lotus¡¯? The white ones?¡±


    Mr. He: ¡°¡­¡±


    He got the feeling she was insulting him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± the Second Master said, not bothering about being civil to him.


    But Mr. He stopped him again, his tone held a trace of ridicule, ¡°So, you are also here to treat the young master. Does his father and your elder brother know about this?¡±


    Naturally¡­ they don¡¯t. If he had made them aware of this, his father would have been the first one to disapprove.


    The Second Master¡¯s face turned pale.


    At this moment, Gu Jiao spoke, ¡°Who is this old master? And who is this Big Master?¡±


    The Second Master took a deep breath, ¡°The old master is my father, and the Big Master¡­ is my younger brother.¡±


    Gu Jiao looked confused, ¡°Why is your younger brother the Big Master and you¡¯re only the Second Master? Are you a child of a concubine?¡±


    He shook his head.


    He was the legitimate son.


    The true eldest son of the Hu family.


    Unfortunately, his mother passed away early. Soon after, his father remarried and his stepmother gave birth to his younger brother who was more intelligent and favoured by his father.


    His father gradually forgot about him, his legitimate son, and under the pretense of him being mediocre, dispatched him to a small remote town¡¯s Huichun Hall. As for the family business, it was practically handed over to his younger brother.


    In reality, his title of the Second Master was an embellished one.


    Shopkeeper He was merely a shopkeeper, yet relying on being the favourite of the Big Master, he didn¡¯t even bother to respect the Second Master, the rightful heir of the Hu family, ¡°The young master of the Marquis Residence is not amoner from the town whose death could be treated lightly. You better not overestimate yourself and bring disaster upon the Hu family!¡±


    Gu Jiao turned to him and said irritably, ¡°You love crowing so much. Are you a rooster?¡±


    Shopkeeper He was taken aback.


    Gu Jiao and her twopanions left.


    They passed through the pavilion and met a few servants of the vi.


    The servants were dressed better than the masters of the big houses in town. They exhibited a distinctive aura and maintained their decorum. Their manners were not as warm as the servants at the medical hall, but they followed their duties precisely, and no one found fault with them.


    Gu Jiao and herpanions were led away by a servant just as Shopkeeper He and his party arrived.


    ¡°More from Huichun Hall? How many from Huichun Hall havee?¡± A smart servant girl greeted Shopkeeper He.


    Despite having support from the Hu family and Huichun Hall, Shopkeeper He dared not behave arrogantly in front of any of the vi¡¯s maidservants.


    Shopkeeper He politely smiled, ¡°Miss, if you look carefully at this token, you¡¯ll see that I represent the Huichun Hall of the Capital City. Those people are from Huichun Hall of Qingquan Town and they have no connection with our Huichun Hall in the Capital City, nor with the Hu family! If anything happenster, I hope you won¡¯t me our Huichun Hall.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you all from Huichun Hall?¡± asked the servant girl.


    ¡°Not the same, not the same,¡± Shopkeeper He replied with a smile.


    The servant girl pondered for a moment, ¡°So, you just share the same name for your ce?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ I guess you could say that.¡± Shopkeeper He was unable toe up with a better exnation on the spot.


    The servant girl nodded, ¡°Understood. Our Marquis Residence would never hold innocent people ountable.¡±


    Shopkeeper He heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that the Second Master couldn¡¯t possibly have hired a superb doctor. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have requested Dr. Zhang from the Capital City¡¯s Huichun Hall in the first ce. This time, there is likely to be trouble.


    Luckily, he was clever enough to sever ties with the Second Master in time.


    Shopkeeper He and his party were swift. By the time Gu Jiao and herpanions arrived, Shopkeeper He¡¯s team had also reached.


    The maid apanying Shopkeeper He stepped behind the curtain into the main room. She whispered to the housekeeper, ¡°Those individuals are from the Capital City¡¯s Huichun Hall. These people are from the town.¡±


    This implies that Gu Jiao¡¯s group was riding on their coattails.


    The housekeeper had seen this many times. However, since they were here, it wasn¡¯t right sending them away before examination. She ordered, ¡°Let those threee in first.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± The maidplied.


    The maid called in Shopkeeper He and hispanions.


    The young master had been ill for many years. Many doctors had been consulted but they were prohibitively censored after each check-up, thus, the exact nature and severity of the young master¡¯s illness remained unknown outside the residence.


    On this asion, Shopkeeper He had brought a renowned healer from Jiangnan, well-known for his extraordinary ability to treatplex diseases. They had been very confident prior to the visit, but after just one nce at the patient, the healer was speechless.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Dr. Liao?¡± Shopkeeper He asked.


    Dr. Liao didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he turned and asked a maid in the room, ¡°How long has the young master been unconscious?¡±


    ¡°Ten days,¡± the maid replied.


    Dr. Liao turned ashen-faced.


    He forced himself to take the young master¡¯s pulse and stumbled to his feet afterward.


    ¡°With my inferior medical expertise, I¡¯m unable to treat the young master. I¡¯m afraid your noble house¡­will have to seek a more skilled practitioner!¡±


    What he really meant was that the young master was suffering from a heart mdy, which was incurable in the first ce. Moreover, he had been unconscious for ten straight days. Even Daluo Immortals wouldn¡¯t be able to save him. They should better start preparing for the inevitable!

 Chapter 47: 47 Rescue

    Chapter 47: 47 Rescue


    As soon as Doctor Liao finished speaking, he fled the scene, fearing that if he lingered any longer, he wouldn¡¯t escape before the young master passed away. If the young master died, it would be as if he had died under Doctor Liao¡¯s care!


    ¡°Doctor Liao! Doctor Liao!¡± Hang Zhuanggui hadn¡¯t expected the renowned doctor, hired at great expense by the head of the household, to show such cowardice. He ran away without even attempting to treat the patient!


    However, he understood why Doctor Liao fled. The young master¡¯s condition was extremely critical, anyone could see that he was not going to make it.


    No wonder it was said that the Lady of Marquis Residence didn¡¯t even celebrate her birthday. Every day, she climbed up the mountain on her knees, prostrating herself with each step, praying for the Bodhisattva¡¯s blessings for her son.


    This situation was indeed beyond any human¡¯s ability to redeem¡­


    Hang Zhuanggui followed him out.


    The young apprentice who had followed his master ran off swiftly, so swiftly that Hang Zhuanggui didn¡¯t even catch a glimpse of his robe.


    The second-inmand, noticing the hurried departure of the three, harboured uneasy suspicions. Seeing Gu Jiao rising to her feet and about to go inside, he suddenly stopped her: ¡°I have just remembered some business at Huichun Hall.¡±


    Gu Jiao, ¡°Oh, then you go take care of it.¡±


    Second-inmand: ¡°Come with me.¡±


    He wanted Gu Jiao to treat the young master, but that was contingent on the premise that Gu Jiao could cure him. However, the demeanor of Hang Zhuanggui and hispany had shaken his conviction.


    His younger brother was backing up Hang Zhuanggui, and he knew his brother¡¯s capabilities well. The doctor they¡¯d brought in must be a renowned local healer. If the healer left as soon as he walked in, it could only mean that the young master was beyond help.


    There might be numerous medical techniques for treatment, but to confirm death only one would suffice.


    He couldn¡¯t let Gu Jiao get involved in this.


    If Gu Jiao walked in there right now, the young master might just die before her very eyes. In that scenario, she wouldn¡¯t escape unharmed.


    Of course, Gu Jiao wouldn¡¯t miss his underlying message.


    In her previous life, she was a doctor, but that was just a cover for her real identity. She was not a good person in nature, she would not gamble with her own life.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s go,¡± nodded Gu Jiao.


    Just when Gu Jiao turned around, a sharp pain suddenly struck her chest.


    ¡°Young Master ¨C ¡± a maid¡¯s frightened scream came from inside the room.


    The young master started convulsing on the bed.


    Gu Jiao suddenly felt unwell.


    She was absolutely certain she was not ill, so this feeling of restlessness was utterly iprehensible.


    ¡°Is it possible that I have so much medical ethics that I¡¯d suffer from guilt and heartache just by ignoring a patient?¡±


    He was in pain, and so was she.


    How strange.


    In the end, Gu Jiao still walked in.


    The Marquis Residence had imperial doctors at its disposal. They were currently in the pharmacy, preparing medicine for the young master. They were not in the young master¡¯s chamber, so the servants hurried to fetch them.


    In the midst of the chaos, no one noticed whether or not Gu Jiao had entered the room.


    By the time Gu Jiao reached the bedside, he had already lost his heartbeat.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s expression turned stern. She climbed onto the bed without uttering a word, knelt beside the young master, put her hands on his chest, and began performing emergency cardiac resuscitation for him.


    ¡°Miss Gu¡­¡± The second-inmand was shocked as he entered the room. What on earth was she doing to the young master?


    At this point, Gu Jiao had no time to worry about whether the first aid kit would be exposed or not. Shemanded seriously, ¡°Guard the door! Don¡¯t let anyone in!¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay!¡± The second-inmand was still bewildered, but he promptly shut the door.


    The old doctor stayed in the room, looking for ways to help.


    Gu Jiao continued performing chestpressions on him for a while, but there was no response, ¡°Get my first aid kit out! Light up all the oilmps and candles! All of them!¡±


    The old doctor swiftly took out the small worn-out box from the knapsack, only to find he couldn¡¯t open it.


    Gu Jiao opened the first aid kit herself, while he went to light up the oilmps and candles.


    Gu Jiao injected a dose of adrenaline into the young master¡¯s veins.


    The old doctor was dumbstruck. This girl¡­ What strange things was she poking into the young master¡¯s veins?


    The effects of the first shot of adrenaline were not as desired.


    At this point, the housekeeper and the maids of Marquis Residence arrived with the imperial doctor. Remembering Gu Jiao¡¯s instruction, the second-inmand blocked their way in a stride.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± The housekeeper asked irritably.


    It was a young servant boy who had brought Gu Jiao and the others here, and he had gone out. Among the people present, only a maid called Yu Ya recognized him. She was the one who had brought Shopkeeper Hang here.


    Yu Ya pointed at him and said, ¡°I recognize him! He¡¯s the one who impersonated the Huichun Hall in the Capital City!¡±


    The second-inmand proimed indignantly, ¡°Impersonation? We are from Huichun Hall! Just not the one in the Capital City!¡±


    Yu Ya used, ¡°Housekeeper, you see! He admitted it!¡±


    The second-inmand was perplexed, ¡°Did I mean that?¡±


    Although the housekeeper didn¡¯t misinterpret the second-inmand¡¯s words, she did not have much regard for medical halls outside the Capital City. The fact that they were allowed inside was only because the Lady Marquis was desperate, like trying to save a dying horse.


    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of you blocking the way?¡± She asked coldly.


    The second-inmand braced himself, and said, ¡°Our doctor from Huichun Hall is inside, trying to save your young master. If you don¡¯t want anything bad to happen to him, it¡¯s best not to disturb her!¡±


    ¡°Housekeeper, they¡¯re lying!¡± One of the maids said.


    She had seen everything that happened inside the room. The young master had already stopped breathing!


    ¡°Are you sure you can save the young master?¡± The housekeeper¡¯s stern voice hung over the second-inmand¡¯s head like a de.


    The second-inmand broke out in a cold sweat.


    Cunning housekeeper, she was shifting the me onto them. If anything went wrong with the young master, it wouldn¡¯t be due to their carelessness but due to Huichun Hall¡¯s ipetence.


    The truth was, they had cared for the young master to the best of their abilities, but if the young master died, someone still had to take the me and face the wrath of the Marquis and his wife.


    Who would want to be that person?


    The second-inmand¡¯s legs were trembling.


    Miss Gu, are you capable or not?


    No, she wasn¡¯t.


    She had already used three doses of adrenaline!


    The old doctor gradually realized that something was amiss. Although he had no idea where these strange injections came from, he understood that they must be life-saving measures.


    ¡°Miss Gu¡­ give it up¡­¡±


    ¡°Let me try once more!¡± Gu Jiao counted the time before administering the fourth injection into the young master¡¯s body.


    If this one didn¡¯t work, she couldn¡¯t do anything else¡­


    The people outside couldn¡¯t wait anymore, every second was a torment for them.


    Drops of cold sweat rolled off the second-inmand and hit the floor.


    The housekeeper¡¯s eyes turned sharp: ¡°Break the door down!¡±


    Two sturdy maids pushed the second-inmand aside and lifted their legs to kick the door, when suddenly, Yu Ya, the maid, spoke out, ¡°Housekeeper! Listen!¡±


    The housekeeper gestured for silence, and everyone immediately fell quiet.


    ¡°¡­So noisy.¡±


    It was the young master¡¯s voice.


    Very soft, very weak.


    They hadn¡¯t heard the young master speak for ten days. They truly thought he was going to die, but just now¡­ just now¡­


    ¡°Did¡­ did you all hear that?¡± The housekeeper asked nervously for the first time.


    Everyone nodded in unison.


    Although it was very faint, they had indeed heard it!

 Chapter 48: 48 Intimacy

    Chapter 48: 48 Intimacy


    Soon, the door was pulled open from the inside.


    The room was eerily quiet. All the previously lit candles had been extinguished, and the light was somewhat dim.


    The old doctor copsed on the floor, drained of all energy, as though he had just returned from the dead.


    Truthfully, he did not save the person himself, he had merely assisted by carrying a box and lighting a fewnterns and candles. However, he was the only one who witnessed Gu Jiao bring someone back from the brink of death in the King Yama Hall.


    Before today, he had never experienced such a terrifying ordeal, nor did he believe he would ever face something simr in the future.


    The housekeeper beckoned the maids to help the old doctor up, while she herself moved towards the bed with small, unsteady steps. To her surprise, a young girl, appearing to be a vige damsel, was sitting on the edge of her young master¡¯s bed.


    This was the bed of the Marquis Residence¡¯s Young Master!


    Where did this wild girle from to dare defile the Young Master¡¯s bed!


    The housekeeper was about to reprimand her when she unexpectedly noticed that it wasn¡¯t the girl who insisted on being on her Young Master¡¯s bed but that the Young Master¡­ was holding the girl¡¯s hand.


    The housekeeper had grown up alongside the Young Master and thus was very familiar with his temperament. ¡­ Oops, character. His traits included being aloof, indifferent, and avoiding close contact with others. He never even held hands with his own mother or sister.


    The housekeeper, suspecting her eyes were ying tricks, took another closer look. She confirmed that it wasn¡¯t the maid being clever, it was indeed the Young Master who had grabbed her hand. The grip was so tight that it had turned the girl¡¯s hand red.


    Surprisingly, the girl didn¡¯t wince in pain and shake her hand free¡­


    The Young Master had fallen asleep once more. Yet, his breath andplexion were drastically different from when he had been unconscious, allowing the housekeeper to realize that he had improved.


    ¡°Ah, how is it possible? Just a moment ago he still seemed¡­¡± the maid who just entered the room had her eyes wide open.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± The housekeeper silenced her immediately. During Lunar New Year, if she dared to utter a word suggesting the Young Master had died, her mouth would be torn apart!


    ¡°Ahem, she is my assistant.¡± the old doctor exined.


    So, she was a medicine assistant from Huichun Hall.


    The housekeeper looked somewhat appeased and asked in a low voice, ¡°Did our Young Master wake up just now?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Jiao nodded, turning towards her, ¡°He woke up for a while, had some medication, and fell back asleep.¡±


    As Gu Jiao turned her face towards the housekeeper, arge birthmark on her left cheek became visible. She had appeared to be a little beauty from a side view, what a pity¡­


    She had been contemting the fact that if the Young Master fancied this girl, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing to keep her as a concubine.


    The Young Master seemed to be sleepingfortably; his brows rxed. The housekeeper couldn¡¯t remember thest time the Young Master had a good sleep. He was typically restless while sleeping, often panting for breath, or was troubled with sweating and chest pain.


    Not wanting to disturb him, the housekeeper stood silently by the side.


    Gu Jiao had been preupied with the rescue and hadn¡¯t had a chance to see his face. Now that she took a closer look, she was taken aback by his handsome features.


    This was an incredibly beautiful patient! So handsome that it was almost illegal!


    Fine then, considering your good looks, I will allow you to hold my hand.


    The floor beneath her was heated from below, the warmth spread evenly andfortably, not too dry.


    Gu Jiao was overtaken by fatigue, her head started nodding off slowly. She finally let herself copse in sleep after countless nods.


    The old doctor and the housekeeper both jumped in shock to see Gu Jiao actually sleeping by the Young Master¡¯s pillow. The sight left both of them speechless. The old doctor lost his voice in the shock!


    The housekeeper¡¯s mouth twitched uncontrobly in irritation. Allowing you to hold her hand was a favor, how dare you sleep by the Young Master¡¯s pillow! You¡¯ve taken advantages of our kindness!


    Now, the housekeeper couldn¡¯t care less about disturbing the Young Master. She hurriedly went to pull Gu Jiao up. But as she reached out her hand, the sleeping Young Master seemed to sense something and woke up abruptly.


    He was frail and lean, with skin thinner than most people, the green veins under his skin clearly visible.


    He nced coldly at the housekeeper.


    The housekeeper shuddered from the nce, stumbling back several steps!


    The Young Master of Marquis Residence was notoriously hard to handle. He was temperamental, indifferent, and moreover, he unabashedly took advantage of his illness. Everyone refrained from crossing him, and he had no qualms infringing on the norms.


    Not a single maid in his room had been able to serve for an entire month. If they weren¡¯t chased away by him, they were frightened away.


    The housekeeper was the trusted aide of the Marquise¡¯s wife; else she would have been driven away countless times by him.


    Knowing that she couldn¡¯t confront him head-on, the housekeeper gave a forced smile and said softly, ¡°Young¡­¡±


    The Young Master: ¡°Out!¡±


    Housekeeper: ¡°Yes!¡±


    The housekeeper exited nimbly.


    The old doctor was at a loss: Should¡­ should I leave as well?


    No one responded!


    Poor old doctor!


    The Young Master looked at the girl, sound asleep by his pillow. Her face was turned towards him, one cheek was pressed into chubby folds, and her mouth was slightly puckered ¨C she appeared somewhat cute.


    The side of her face that was exposed had a birthmark on it.


    The Young Master named Gu had an aversion to anything with ws and rejected any personal proximity.


    Except for this time.


    He didn¡¯t find her repulsive. Seeing her sleeping, hearing her breathing nearby, he was struck with an irresistible urge to get close to her.


    Ordinary people might have hesitated, but Young Master Gu was no ordinary person. From his birth, he had lived like a man waiting to die; such a person could hardly be expected to follow societal norms.


    He foundfort in her proximity and decided to close the distance.


    Young Master Gu moved closer to her, still holding her hand and didn¡¯t let go. He weakly lifted his other hand, adjusted her side of the nket.


    Afterward, he snuggled up next to her and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.


    When Young Master Gu woke up, Gu Jiao had already left. He flew into a rage and tore several antique paintings from the previous dynasty, highly treasured by his father.


    ¡ª


    After leaving the vi, the second boss asked about the condition of the Young Master at Marquis Residence.


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t respond at first, but asked, ¡°What did the Imperial Doctor say?¡±


    The second boss hadn¡¯t been idle outside and had gleaned some information from the Imperial Doctor, who was quite generous to share all he knew, ¡°¡­he mentioned a deficiency of heart qi, stagnation of blood, it¡¯s a heart ailment.¡±


    ¡°What about Doctor Li¡¯s opinion?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    The old doctor had also examined the Young Master¡¯s pulse when he had fallen asleep. He appeared thoughtful and said, ¡°It should be a heart disease.¡±


    Gu Jiao remained silent. In reality, her diagnosis was simr to theirs. In terms of modern medical terms, the Young Master suffered from congenital heart disease.


    This illness was dreadfully difficult to treat during ancient times.


    Merely using medicine was not enough; it required surgery that was moreplicated than Xiao Ling¡¯s operation, and she didn¡¯t possess the current requirements for such an operation.


    ¡°Miss Gu, is there a cure for this?¡± asked the second boss.


    Gu Jiao took a moment to consider, then replied, ¡°I have left him some medicine for now; let¡¯s stick to conservative treatment.¡±

 Chapter 49: 49 New Year Greetings

    Chapter 49: 49 New Year Greetings


    Shopkeeper He, after escaping the vi, didn¡¯t leave immediately but instead waited at a nearby spot, observing the vi¡¯s movements.


    Seeing the young master nearing death, he wondered if that fool at the Hu family would blindly proceed.


    If the young master dies under his treatment, the Hu family would perhaps have nowhere to turn to!


    As Shopkeeper He was overjoyed by this thought, he saw Gu Jiao and her twopanions emerging from the vi, unscathed.


    He was taken aback.


    What happened?


    Did the young master not die? Or did they, like him, flee without treating him at all?


    But looking at theirposed demeanor, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case¡­


    While Shopkeeper He stood there, dumbstruck, Gu Jiao and herpanions boarded a carriage to go to Director Li¡¯s residence.


    That maid named Yu Ya came running out: ¡°Hey! You from the Huichun Hall! Wait for me!¡±


    But the carriage had already gone too far to hear her shouts.


    Yu Ya, leaning against the gateway, was gasping for breath.


    Shopkeeper He emerged from behind arge tree and approached her, asking, ¡°Miss, did something happen to the three of them?¡±


    Yu Ya responded, ¡°What could have happened to them? It¡¯s my family¡¯s young master¡­¡±


    Shopkeeper He¡¯s eyes lit up!


    Did the young master really die from their treatment?


    Yu Ya paused to catch her breath, then continued, ¡°My family¡¯s young master has woken up, and he¡¯s throwing a huge tantrum!¡±


    Shopkeeper He understood each word she said, but putting them together left him confused: ¡°Do you mean the young master¡¯s illness¡­¡±


    ¡°The Huichun Hall really has a miracle doctor! Our young master woke up! He¡¯s even got the energy to get angry!¡± Yu Ya was incredibly happy, her young master tore up four of the Marquis¡¯s antique paintings in one breath, he hasn¡¯t been this lively in a full year!


    Shopkeeper He admitted he was having some difficulty following her line of thought¡­


    Yu Ya sighed with regret, ¡°We were too ecstatic, and we forgot to pay them their consultation fee!¡±


    ¡°Wait, you mean¡­ They ¡­¡± Shopkeeper He couldn¡¯t bring himself to finish the sentence, finding it absolutely improbable!


    To his surprise, Yu Ya nodded vigorously, ¡°Yes! Yes! They were the ones who revived our young master!¡±


    This must be a blind cat stumbling upon a dead rat!


    Shopkeeper He couldn¡¯t believe for a second that a physician from a small town could be this skilled, but that wasn¡¯t going to stop him from taking credit for it!


    ¡°Indeed, our Huichun Hall provides miraculous revivals!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡±


    Yu Ya rolled her eyes at him.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Shopkeeper He awkwardlyughed, ¡°That person is our Huichun Hall¡¯s subordinate, the master at the Hu family!¡±


    Yu Ya sneered, ¡°Weren¡¯t they just name-twins? They¡¯re from the town¡¯s Huichun Hall, and you are from the capital city¡¯s Huichun Hall! There¡¯s no rtion between the two! They and the Hu family have no connections! Have you already forgotten the words that you said? Hehehe!¡±


    ¡ª


    After such a near-death experience, the subordinate at Huichun Hall could hardly remember to ask for his consultation fee! Gu Jiao did remember, but she assumed he had collected it.


    By the time their carriage reached Director Li¡¯s house, he had just returned from fishing. Shedding off his formal academy attire, he donned the clothes of a fishermanplete with a fisherman¡¯s hat and raincoat. At first nce, he looked just like any other fisherman.


    Of course, on closer examination, one could still discern his extraordinary demeanor and manner of speech.


    Gu Jiao and the second master at Huichun Hall disembarked from the carriage.


    ¡°You are?¡± Director Li didn¡¯t recognize Gu Jiao nor did he know the second master at all.


    Gu Jiao politely replied, ¡°Xiao Ling is my husband. My younger brother and I havee to visit you, and my brother is inside.¡±


    The director¡¯s attitude immediately changed. He usually disliked visits from students, but if the visitor was Xiao Ling¡ªhis future beloved student¡¯s family¡ªthen it was a different matter.


    The second master at Huichun Hall: Why do I feel like the director suddenly has the kind of eyes one might use to look at their daughter-inw?


    Director Li, in a gentle voice, asked: ¡°How should I address you?¡±


    Gu Jiao answered: ¡°My surname is Gu. The vigers call me Mother Jiao.¡±


    In reality, the vigers call her ¡°the little fool.¡±


    Gu Jiao then introduced the second master and hispanions to Director Li, ¡°¡­they happened to be in the area today and gave me a ride along their way.¡±


    The director very politely refrained from asking why they were in the area, expressing sincere gratitude to the second master for helping his student and his student¡¯s family. He invited them toe inside and have a seat.


    ¡°Is this director¡­ the director of Tianxiang Academy?¡± Upon entering the courtyard, the second master quietly asked Gu Jiao.


    ¡°Yes.¡± If her husband is a student at Tianxiang Academy, then wouldn¡¯t his director be the director of Tianxiang Academy? Took you long enough to realize that, didn¡¯t it?


    The second master had been nervous all morning treating the young master. He had even forgotten his own name, let alone realizing this?


    By the time it dawned on him, he felt that things were far from simple.


    While the director¡¯s reputation might not be noticeable in a small town, in the capital, everyone sought after his presence. He was a student of the old Wine Server and was the leader of the city¡¯s four greatest schrs. The second master, younger by a few years, grew up in the director¡¯s shadow. Every parent hoped their son would grow up to be like the director, a brilliant talent, but sadly, most only grew up to be mediocre.


    The director was the nightmarish figure of their generation.


    Because of him, how many parents considered their own sons failures?


    In terms of background, the Hu family had hundreds of years of history in the medical field, while the director came from humble beginnings. But in terms of influence, all the descendants of the Hu familybined couldn¡¯tpare to Director Li.


    He had once held the position of Cab Schr and had moved to this town to care for his sick mother.


    The director had moved to the Qingquan Town before the second master, who had initially contemted visiting him, but eventually decided against it, thinking of his childhood shadow.


    Of course, the main reason was also the understanding that the director wouldn¡¯t meet him.


    ¡°I heard¡­ he doesn¡¯t ept gifts.¡± The second master said to Gu Jiao. The director was known for his integrity during his official career, which had led him to offend many people, and setting up the academy here further highlighted his disapproval of private interactions.


    Gu Jiao took out the mountain produce from the basket, ¡°Director, this is Xiao Ling¡¯s gift to you!¡±


    The director hurriedly epted it, his swift action resembling someone afraid of a change of mind: ¡°Xiao Ling is very thoughtful.¡±


    The second master looked bewildered: Hold on, don¡¯t you even want to pretend to refuse? If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d think that someone of your stature, the respected director, was in need of these meager mountain goods!


    Director Li: While my mouth says no, my body is honest. The betrothal gifts have arrived with my daughter-inw!


    Encouraged by Gu Jiao, Xiaoshun also presented his New Year¡¯s gift¡ªa wood carving.


    He had loved carving since he was a child, and that¡¯s why he had etched his name on Gu Jiao¡¯s umbre handle in the past. This wood carving was originally meant for Gu Jiao, but she suggested that it was more urgent to give it to the director first, and another one could be carved for herter.


    Xiaoshun thought his sister¡¯s point made sense, so he handed over the wooden carving!


    He had carved an image of Gu Jiao, lifelike and exquisitely detailed, her face without the birthmark, as beautiful as a fairy.


    But¡­ is it really okay to gift your sister¡¯s carving to your director?


    The corner of the second master¡¯s mouth twitched.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s lips stiffened too, she had not anticipated that Xiaoshun¡¯s carving would be this.


    Director Li also looked a bit confused, cing a student¡¯s wife¡¯s carving in his room didn¡¯t seem quite appropriate, did it?


    Just then, Old Lady Li woke up, and her eyes brightened at the sight of the wooden carving: A Bodhisattva!


    Old Lady Li took the wooden carving of Gu Jiao, respectfully ced it on the table in her room, and even lit two joss sticks.


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±


    The director: ¡°¡­¡±


    Everyone else: ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 50: 50 mother and child

    Chapter 50: 50 mother and child


    The group left after having lunch at the dean¡¯s house.


    By the time they reached the town, it waste in the day. Boss Er had the carriage drop Gu Jiao and her brother off at the vige.


    Madame Li was very pleased with the Bodhisattva statue Gu Xiaoshun had given her. On their departure, she had the dean give her cherished Buddha beads to Gu Xiaoshun which she had kept for many years.


    The beads were made of jade and had been blessed in front of a Buddha; their value and significance far surpassed that of ordinary jade.


    However, Gu Xiaoshun did not fancy the Buddha beads, so he gave them to Gu Jiao.


    Naturally, Gu Jiao would not covet his possession, but if she took it back to the Gu Family, it would inevitably be imed by her family members. So she chose to ept it for now, nning to return it when he got married and established his own household.


    ¡°Sis, I¡¯m going in.¡± Gu Xiaoshun said.


    Gu Xiaoshun entered the Gu Family mansion, while Gu Jiao, with the basket on her back, continued on her way and soon entered her own house.


    Xiao Ling and the olddy were sitting in the main hall having dinner. The olddy seemed displeased. When she saw Gu Jiao¡¯s return, she revealed a warm, weing expression for the first time, ¡°Jiaojiao, you¡¯re back!¡±


    Gu Jiao nodded; such enthusiasm wasn¡¯t necessary.


    She was used to the olddy¡¯s aloofness. Now this sudden warmth made her feel somewhat ufortable.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Gu Jiao, seeing the food on the table rapidly cooling as neither of them were touching it, asked.


    The olddy grimaced and said bitterly, ¡°Ling¡¯s cooking is terrible!¡±


    The pretty boy¡¯s culinary skills were even worse than Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s!!!


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Gu Jiao was lost for words. She looked at the olddy, then at Xiao Ling. She hadn¡¯t tasted Xiao Ling¡¯s cooking, so she didn¡¯t know whether it was good or bad.


    However, it was understandable for the olddy to be picky, but why was he also picky about his own food?


    Didn¡¯t he always cook for himself before?


    Xiao Ling remained silent, looking serious.


    Gu Jiao sighed, remade the food, and even cooked a few egg pancakes.


    The olddy¡¯s eyes gleamed as if they were emitting green light!


    Xiao Ling was still serious, but Gu Jiao felt, maybe it¡¯s because she had seen too much of the olddy, she perceived a hint of green light in his eyes as well.


    Xiao Ling usually did not talk much at the dinner table, but the olddy did. If Xiao Ling didn¡¯t let her talk, she would hum, ¡°I am your godmother!¡±


    You have to respect the godmother you recognized, even if you need to kneel.


    The olddy asked about the visit to the dean, ¡°Did you see the dean?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did. He lives with an old mother and a young servant. Their life is simpler than I imagined.¡± Gu Jiao had thought, given the dean¡¯s status, his house would be extravagant, with numerous servants, but there were none of those things.


    His mansion wasrge, but it was also elegant, quiet, in, and unadorned.


    The olddy, ¡°Just the two of them?¡±


    Gu Jiao, ¡°Three, including the servant.¡±


    Gu Jiao came with the mentality from her previous world, where a servant was also a human being.


    ¡°Does he not have a wife and children?¡± asked the olddy.


    ¡°His wife is deceased.¡± Xiao Ling suddenly spoke up, pausing a moment before continuing, ¡°She died when they were young. He never remarried.¡±


    ¡°How pitiful.¡± The olddy fell silent.


    After dinner, Gu Jiao brought out the gifts that the dean had given her: arge box of osmanthus-voredyered pastries, and two fish that the dean had caught himself.


    The olddy loved theyered pastries, but Xiao Ling clearly disliked the two fish, his eyes reflecting disdain.


    After Gu Jiao had cleaned and marinated the fish, she boiled some water for washing. As she was undressing, something fell out.


    Picking it up, she found it to be a white jade ring.


    The jade ring was of superb quality, warm and smooth to the touch. It was by no means ordinary.


    ¡°Strange, how did I end up with this thing?¡± she said. She didn¡¯t recall the dean or Madame Li giving her such a valuable treasure.


    She smelled the jade ring and caught a faint whiff of a medicinal scent.


    ¡°Could it be his?¡± she wondered.


    Wenquan Vi.


    Madame Hou had just returned from her daily trip up the mountain to offer prayers when she heard her son had woken up. Overjoyed, she asked for details about his condition and how things had progressed on their way back.


    The housekeeper recounted everything to her, ¡°Young Master¡¯s situation was very grave. Thankfully, the miracle doctor from Huichun Hall was able to revive him.¡±


    She did not dare to say that Young Master had truly lost consciousness. After all, she had not seen it with her own eyes. She also left out the incident of the young medicine boy climbing onto the bed, only praising his quick thinking in caring for the Young Master.


    As they talked, they arrived at Gu Yan¡¯s courtyard.


    After waking up, Gu Yan had viciously torn apart several antique paintings. After he finished, he copsed, motionless as a dead fish, wheezing heavily. His appearance was miserable to behold.


    However, Madame Hou was just happy that he was awake; filled with gratitude, she rushed over and sat beside the bed, holding her son¡¯s hand, ¡°Yanyan, you¡¯re awake?¡±


    Gu Yan replied dryly, ¡°I¡¯m not awake. I¡¯m still unconscious.¡±


    Madame Hou chuckled at his retort. Instead of getting angry, she responded with a smile, ¡°Yanyan, you have the energy to talk back to mom! Do you know how scared mom was when you were unconscious? Thank God¡­¡±


    ¡°What does this have to do with God?¡± Gu Yan grumbled.


    Madame Houughed and said, ¡°Yes, yes, yes! It¡¯s your good fortune and strong vitality!¡±


    Gu Yan solemnly said, ¡°She cured me, I know it was her. She also left medicine for me.¡±


    Gu Jiao had treated him while he was unconscious. He wasn¡¯t awake when she left the medicine either. But he had this intuition, the instinctive trust that she was the one who did all these things.


    Madame Hou thought Gu Yan was referring to a ¡°he,¡± the old doctor from Huichun Hall, and quickly nodded in agreement, ¡°Yes, yes, you¡¯re right, it was the doctor from Huichun Hall who saved you. Mom will make sure to thank them properly. Huh? Yanyan, where¡¯s the jade ring you always wear on your hand?¡±


    The jade ring was something Gu Yan always carried with him. She didn¡¯t know where he had gotten it from, but he had kept it since he was a kid and never let anyone touch it. Once it got lost under a nket and he was so furious that he actually passed out.


    ¡°She took it,¡± Gu Yan said calmly.


    ¡°Who?¡± This time Madame Hou didn¡¯t guess the old doctor.


    Instead of answering her question, Gu Yan said, ¡°She took it by ident.¡±


    Although they had only met once, he felt as if he understood her very well. He couldn¡¯t exin this deep-seated intuition.

 Chapter 51: 51 Surprises

    Chapter 51: 51 Surprises


    In the next few days, Gu Jiao did not go out, instead, she stayed home to learn calligraphy with Xiao Ling, and to assist with his rehabilitation.


    Xiao Ling did not seem to care much about whether he would stand again, a fact Gu Jiao noticed before his surgery. She didn¡¯t know what he had gone through, but his heart was as gray as ash, utterly devoid of a passion for life.


    Fen Lin was worried about the risks of surgery, but Xiao Ling agreed without any hesitation. This wasn¡¯t fearlessness but a casual indifference to life or death.


    But Gu Jiao would not let him die, or let him be disabled.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for your exercise,¡± Gu Jiao announced, after tidying up the house and entering Xiao Ling¡¯s room.


    She had grown increasingly unconcerned about acting like an outsider. She even entered without knocking.


    Xiao Ling¡¯s face immediately turned sour.


    Not because she came in without knocking, but because he didn¡¯t want to exercise.


    Gu Jiao anticipated his resistance, deprived him of any chance to decline. She approached him, pulled him off the chair. Quite a change, from a guest to a pest who not only went into his room at will but also caught and pulled him around.


    Xiao Ling frowned, unable to resist due to his disability, he was nheless dragged out of the room.


    ¡°The crutch,¡± Xiao Ling said.


    Gu Jiao raised an eyebrow, ¡°From today onwards, no more crutch.¡±


    Xiao Ling nced at her and said inly, ¡°Without the crutch, I can¡¯t walk.¡±


    Gu Jiao crossed her arms over her chest, her demeanor flirtatious, ¡°If you can¡¯t walk, I¡¯ll support you. I will be your crutch!¡±


    She did not miss how unenthusiastic his rehabilitation was every time he leaned on the crutch, cing all his weight on it, neglecting to exercise his right leg.


    Xiao Ling¡¯s eyebrows furrowed.


    Gu Jiao grinned, ¡°If you want the crutch, walk back to the room and get it.¡±


    But with a weakened right leg, how could he go back? He could only hop back.


    The thought of himself hopping frustratingly made Xiao Ling decisively give up!


    This was how Gu Jiao squashed Xiao Ling¡¯s attempts of sloth with the crutch.


    He couldfortably use the crutch, but he couldn¡¯t do the same with Gu Jiao¡¯s slender figure because¡ª


    ¡°My lord, you¡¯re not supposed to entirely depend on me, you need to exert your strength.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it!¡±


    ¡°Could you exert more strength?! I¡¯ll be crushed by you.¡±


    ¡°How can you expect a woman to do all the work on her own?!¡±


    Xiao Ling gritted his teeth, ¡°¡­Just, just helping¡­!¡±


    Stop bbering nonsense and shut up?!


    Thus, Xiao Ling was forced to take his walking seriously. Previously, going back and forth a dozen times wouldn¡¯t tire him out. But now, just a single round was enough to exhaust him. Moreover, Gu Jiao insisted that he had to make a minimum of a hundred steps every day.


    By the end of a hundred steps, Xiao Ling was dripping in sweat.


    Gu Jiao handed him a handkerchief to wipe the perspiration, ¡°My lord, does your body ache? Feels like you¡¯ve been run over by a carriage, too tired to move even a finger and legs trembling non-stop¡­¡±


    Xiao Ling: ¡°¡­¡±


    With thepletion of that day¡¯s torment, the time hade for him to have a go at Gu Jiao.


    ¡°Did you practice your writing today?¡± he asked seriously.


    A second ago, Gu Jiao was gloating, but suddenly she froze.


    Xiao Ling felt a moment of satisfaction and payback, narrowing his eyes, ¡°You make me walk so much, and yet you don¡¯t practice writing a single character. You have a hundred characters left from yesterday to write.¡±


    Gu Jiao frustratingly scratched her head!


    She hated writing with a brush! Especially the characters in Zhan Country that had so many strokes!


    Xiao Lingughed, stating, ¡°If you don¡¯t write it today, it will be doubled tomorrow. Then, you¡¯ll have to write two hundred characters.¡±


    Gu Jiao mmed the writing brush down, ¡°Then tomorrow, you will walk two hundred steps!¡±


    Xiao Ling: ¡°I¡¯m not walking.¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°Then, I¡¯m not writing!¡±


    Xiao Ling: ¡°Suit yourself.¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±


    Whether she practices writing or not didn¡¯t matter, but he had to continue his recovery, or else he¡¯ll limp all his life.


    Xiao Ling did not care if he was crippled or not. He gave Gu Jiao a nce, returned to his room with an expression of victory.


    Xiao Ling had noticed that Gu Jiao didn¡¯t like writing, perhaps her interest in the characters on the medicine form was just a fleeting curiosity. After experiencing the boredom of writing, she backed out.


    He was certain Gu Jiao wouldn¡¯t write.


    Who knew that the next day, as soon as he woke up, he saw a small figure sitting cross-legged on his bed, arms folded, pouting angrily. She looked like a small, irate cat and had heavy dark circles under her eyes. She was giving him a terrible death stare.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Xiao Ling stared at her in shock, he didn¡¯t know how long she had been there, was she watching him sleep?


    Gu Jiao let out a cold humph, retrieved a thick stack of practice papers from behind her. She flipped them at himmandingly. ¡°A man! Here are the characters you asked for!¡±


    Xiao Ling looked at those characters, then her dark circles, his eyebrows crinkled, ¡°You couldn¡¯t have been up all night writing these, could you?¡±


    How many could that be? Wasn¡¯t she crazy?!


    Gu Jiao, like an animal revealing its fangs, ¡°One thousand characters! Today, you walk one thousand steps!¡±


    Xiao Ling: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡ª


    From that day, life at the Gu family became bustling and lively. Apart from cracking seeds, eating sweets, and teasing Xue Ningxiang¡¯s son, the olddy also had another amusement¡ªwatching the two of them torment each other.


    ¡°Jiaojiao, Ling is one step short!¡± The olddy loved the drama.


    Upon hearing this, Gu Jiao stormed out of the kitchen with a cleaver in hand.


    Seeing Gu Jiao, who held a cleaver capable of ughtering a cow, Xiao Ling looked devastated!


    The shy little girl he had seen in the snow, waiting for him to help her with her cape, was not what she seemed¡­


    Before they knew it, the fifteenth day of the first month passed, and Tianxiang Academy reopened.


    Xiao Ling got up early, packed up his things.


    After all this time, the dormitory at the academy should have been repaired. Once he moved into the dormitory, he wouldn¡¯t have to be pushed into walking anymore.


    While he was packing, Gu Jiao didn¡¯t say a word.


    As usual, Gu Jiao saw him onto Uncle Luo¡¯s carriage and handed him his crutch. When she left, she seemed to remember something, smiled at him and said, ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been so busytely I almost forgot to tell you something. Since it might be inconvenient for you to practice walking at the academy, thest time I visited the dean, I talked to him about it. For the next few months¡­ you don¡¯t have to stay at the academy¡­ until you¡¯ve fully recovered.¡±


    Xiao Ling: Thunderstruck!!


    Not long after Gu Jiao left, Gu Xiaoshun arrived.


    Gu Xiaoshun sat beside Xiao Ling, ¡°Brother-inw, why did you bring luggage?¡± He brought only a book bag.


    Xiao Ling couldn¡¯t say that he had been tricked by his sister, so he counter-asked, ¡°You¡¯re not staying at the academy?¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun said, ¡°You¡¯re not staying, Brother-inw, so of course I won¡¯t either! I¡¯ll apany you! Just in case something happens along the way.¡±


    As the first vige chief in a radius of ten miles, he waspletely qualified to protect his brother-inw!


    Xiao Ling held back his anger, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡±


    ¡°Sis said not to tell you. She wanted to surprise you!¡± Gu Xiaoshun shrugged and said cheerfully, ¡°How is it, Brother-inw? Are you surprised? Astonished?¡±


    Xiao Ling¡¯s teeth clenched hard, Gu, Jiao!

 Chapter 52: 52 Encounter Again

    Chapter 52: 52 Encounter Again


    Meanwhile, Gu Dashun had also left the Gu Family¡¯s old house.


    Gu Dashun didn¡¯t look well.


    The New Year was absolutely terrible for the Gu family. There used to be many people giving New Year greetings, almost breaking their doorway. But this year, after hearing about the Yamen incident, they feared their reputation would be damaged, so the Gu family home was deserted.


    The vigers didn¡¯t have much thought about Gu Dashun.


    They had lived as neighbors for so many years; they all knew about the behaviors of the Liao and Zhou families. However, they knew Gu Dashun was a promising young man, who had always been distinct from the other kids in the vige.


    His future had been bright, but it had been ruined by his mother and his second uncle. The vigers sighed for him.


    However, Gu Dashun did not see it that way. He felt that everyone was mocking him, all of the nces towards him were filled with scorn and ill will.


    When he got on the ox cart, he noticed that Gu Xiaoshun and Xiao Ling were chatting andughing.


    He used to be pleased when Gu Xiaoshun didn¡¯t stick with him. But now he felt a sense of loneliness and humiliation.


    Xiao Ling and Gu Xiaoshun ignored Gu Dashun all the way and afterwards, both of them went into the ss Beta together, leaving him feeling a bit satisfied when they saw the ss que.


    Even if they were cheating, they would never rise above their current status.


    The academy held a test for the returning students. Gu Dashun aimed to be the first in order to regain face, but he was unusually nervous and didn¡¯t perform as well as before, not even managing to remain in the top ten.


    Gu Xiaoshun still rankedst. He attended school just to make his sister happy, rather than striving for academic sess. Therefore, he felt no pressure about being thest.


    However, he did learn something. He liked carving, and Xiao Ling told him¡ªthe highest level of carving is not about carving people or objects but carving words and books. If he could carve the entirety of the Four Books and Five ssics without a mistake, he truly would be amazing.


    Gu Xiaoshun took this to heart. Since that day, he no longer dozed off in ss and became more focused than ever. He vowed to remember every single word taught by the Master. He wanted to be a real master of carving!


    The poor student who asked for leave before the holiday attended the exam this time and managed to rank third from the bottom. Xiao Ling fell to the secondst as he had wished.


    However, his good life did not end there. The day after the exam, he was called to the Director¡¯s Zhongzheng Hall.


    Seeing the sly smile of the Director on the chair, Xiao Ling¡¯s eyes were instantly filled with caution.


    The Director said with a mild smile, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I didn¡¯t call you here for this exam. Did you receive the materials for the county exam? The county exam is in ten days. I promised Ms. Gu Jiao that I would help you review your lessons after the school starts, so you could pass the exam for the degree of Xiucai. Starting from today,e to Zhongzheng Hall to study every noontime.¡±


    I haven¡¯t even discussed with you about secretly registering for the exam, and now you¡¯re nning to take my lunch break?!


    Xiao Ling expressed a thousand refusals!


    The Director continued with emphasis, ¡°Gu Jiao told me that you have been studying very hard and you are not stupid, but somehow you always don¡¯t do well in exams. Maybe it¡¯s because your study method is wrong, or perhaps your motivation for studying is low¡­ She asked me to think about a solution.¡±


    Not only did she prevent me from living on campus, but she also asked the Director to give me private coaching. I should have visited more than once to discuss so much!


    Xiao Ling¡¯s beautiful face turned ck.


    ¡°What do you say? Shall we start now?¡± The Director looked at Xiao Ling with a smile.


    Xiao Ling sneered, and said carelessly, ¡°I will not take part in the county examination, so you¡¯d better give up on this idea!¡±


    After saying this, he left without looking back, leaning on his crutch.


    ¡ª


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t know anything about the academy. She was still nning that the Director would start giving Xiao Ling private tutoring today, and that he had good talents, but he just didn¡¯t put his mind to studying. Once guided by a prestigious teacher, he would definitely rise!


    Gu Jiao happily cleaned up the house, washing the clothes and chopping the firewood. Then she said to the olddy, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m going to the temple for a while.¡±


    The olddy, cracking a sunflower seed, said, ¡°What are you doing in the temple? Asking Bodhisattva to bless Ling to pass the examination?¡±


    Huh?


    Gu Jiao was stunned.


    So, that is also a method?


    Although she believed in science, wasn¡¯t there a saying that at the end of science is theology?


    She could also go to the temple and ask Bodhisattva to bless her husband, to turn him from a poor student into a top student!


    Well, actually, she was going to buy a mountain.


    The New Year was over, and the junior monk, who was the host¡¯s brother, should have returned from his travels.


    Gu Jiao: ¡°I will¡­the lunch.¡±


    The olddy waved her hand, ¡°Little Xue wille to cook. You can go!¡±


    The olddy didn¡¯t like the food that was hot in the pot. Although Xue Ningxiang¡¯s cooking skills were not as good as Gu Jiao¡¯s, the olddy preferred fresh-cooked food.


    Who spoiled her into having this preference?


    Gu Jiao often felt that the olddy was just an ordinary person, but the habits she asionally showed made Gu Jiao feel that she was more than ordinary.


    She was thinking too much. Gu Jiao touched her chin and went to the other side of the mountain with a basket on her back.


    When she reached the foot of the mountain, Gu Jiao saw a luxurious carriage and felt strange. The temple was just a small one. Why were there always noble people visiting?


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t care about it. She walked up the hill stepping towards the top. As she was about to reach thest few steps, suddenly a woman fell from above.


    This was a mountain road and the steps were extraordinarily steep. Falling like this, she would be dead.


    What¡¯s worse, Gu Jiao was right under her, and she didn¡¯t want to fall with her.


    In the blink of an eye, Gu Jiao sidestepped and stretched out her hand to pull her.


    The woman twirled on the spot to stabilize herself. Then she looked up at Gu Jiao, and Gu Jiao looked at her as well.


    When their eyes met, they both were surprised, saying, ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±


    Gu Jiao: Isn¡¯t this thedy I met at the templest time?


    Thedy: Isn¡¯t this the girl who blocked the food box for me at the templest time?


    Thedyughed with surprise, ¡°Girl, you saved me once again.¡±


    Gu Jiao asked calmly, ¡°Why does something happen to you every time I see you?¡±


    Thedyughed awkwardly.


    Gu Jiao saw the red swelling on her forehead, and also saw the dirt on her knee. She asked, ¡°Did you kneel all the way up here?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± thedy nodded. ¡°I asked the Bodhisattva to bless my son, and the Bodhisattva showed mercy. So, I am here to fulfill my vow.¡±


    Although Gu Jiao also wanted to light incense to ask the Bodhisattva to bless Xiao Ling to pass the examination, if she was asked to kneel up here step by step, she would definitely refuse to do it.

 Chapter 53: 53 thousand gold

    Chapter 53: 53 thousand gold


    ¡°Miss, are you here to see the abbot again?¡± If she remembers correctly, that was why she camest time.


    Gu Jiao pondered and responded with a serious nod, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Originally intending to pray for Xiao Ling¡¯s blessing from the Bodhisattva, she realized how stingy the Bodhisattva was, requiring so much supplication before granting any blessing.


    Thedy hurriedly said, ¡°Then you should go quickly. The abbot is in the temple. If you gote, he might go down the hill again.¡±


    The abbot has been going down the hill more frequently these days, reportedly because a family in the town wants to adopt a child from the temple.


    Gu Jiao looked at her as if to say, can you walk alone? If you fall again, there won¡¯t be anyone to rescue you.


    Understanding Gu Jiao¡¯s gaze, thedy softlyughed and replied, ¡°I think I was just tired and felt a little dizzy, but I¡¯m alright now. Besides, there are only a few steps left.¡±


    Gu Jiao asked, ¡°Do you often feel dizzy? More in the morning or at night? More when you¡¯re hungry or right after eating?¡±


    Caught off guard by Gu Jiao¡¯s series of questions, thedy politely replied, ¡°Mostly in the morning just after getting up. If I don¡¯t eat, I¡¯ll also feel dizzy.¡±


    After hearing thedy¡¯s response, Gu Jiao took a piece of sesame candy from her pouch and handed it over, ¡°Eat more sweets.¡±


    After giving the candy to thedy, Gu Jiao went looking for the abbot.


    This was Gu Jiao¡¯s second visit to the temple and many of the young monks remembered her. Knowing she was there to purchase somend, they directed her to the abbot¡¯s meditation room.


    As it happened, the abbot had just finished receiving a guest who passed by Gu Jiao on his way out of the meditation room.


    He was a man in his early thirties, with an attractive appearance and dressed in luxurious clothes.


    He was the second devotee Gu Jiao saw at the temple.


    ¡°Is it young benefactor Gu who¡¯s arrived?¡± a warm voice came from inside the meditation room.


    Gu Jiao made a sound of acknowledgment before stepping into the meditation room.


    Surprisingly, a couple of bald, young monks were seated in the meditation room. All were four to six years old, with round faces, mischievous and innocent eyes.


    With their simr shaved heads and clothing, Gu Jiao suddenly felt a little face-blind.


    The young monks were gazing wide-eyed at Gu Jiao.


    This was Gu Jiao¡¯s second visit to the temple, but on herst visit, the young monks had not had a chance to see her, as they were chased off by a maid apanying thedy.


    So, strictly speaking, this was the first time they¡¯d met.


    The pupils of the young monks widened.


    After a while, they all covered their mouths and started whispering very quietly.


    ¡°Wow! She has a flower on her face!¡±


    ¡°Why does she have flowers on her face?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we have them?¡±


    ¡°I want to have flowers too!¡±


    Young monks eximed one after another about flowers, which Gu Jiao understood.


    So, they thought the birthmark on her face was a flower?


    ¡°Did you paint that flower on your face?¡± one of the monks asked.


    Yes indeed, painted from birth and it can¡¯t be washed off. Do you feel envious? Jealous?


    Gu Jiao calmly watched the curious group of young monks.


    The abbot cleared his throat and told the young monks, ¡°You go and find Brother Jingchen.¡±


    Although the monks were reluctant to go, Brother Jingchen was so captivating that after hesitating, they ran out to find him.


    A line of young monks stepped over the threshold one by one, but thest one stumbled and fell with a thud.


    Gu Jiao immediately recognized him. Although she didn¡¯t recognize his face, she did remember his clumsy movements. Wasn¡¯t he the little fellow who bumped into her thighst time?


    Gu Jiao was hoping to tease him, but he quickly got up without giving her a chance to reach out.


    Feeling a touch of regret, Gu Jiao pouted.


    The abbot motioned for Gu Jiao to take a seat.


    After sitting down and taking a few sips of the bitter tea, she asked the abbot, ¡°Was the man who left the meditation room earlier a devotee or, like me, here to buy somend?¡±


    The abbot smiled warmly and said, ¡°He was not here to purchase anynd. He came to adopt a child.¡±


    Gu Jiao appeared incredulous.


    The abbot exined, ¡°All the young monks in the temple are orphans. Sometimes, kind-hearted folke to adopt them.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Gu Jiao thought about the thickheaded little tumbleweed. He was so silly, surely no one would want to take him, especially with so many clever monks around.


    The abbot said, ¡°I¡¯ve discussed thend purchase with my younger fellow disciple. He said if Young Benefactor Gu really intends to buy it, we can sell it¡­ but it would be a bit more expensive thanst time.¡±


    ¡°How much was it before?¡± Gu Jiao inquired.


    ¡°Two hundred and forty-nine tael,¡± said the abbot.


    ¡°What about now?¡± Gu Jiao asked further.


    ¡°Two hundred and fifty tael,¡± the abbot answered.


    A spasm twitched at the corner of Gu Jiao¡¯s mouth: I seriously suspect your fellow disciple is mocking me!


    The abbot saw Gu Jiao¡¯s displeasure and acknowledged silently that the price was indeed exorbitantly high. However, his junior was in charge of the temple¡¯s finances. He decided the amount; even the abbot could not interfere.


    The abbot said, ¡°If Young Benefactor Gu finds this too expensive, she can consider some other hills.¡±


    Gu Jiao asked, ¡°Do you have any other hills in the temple?¡±


    The abbot confessed honestly, ¡°We do not.¡±


    A spasm twitched at the corner of Gu Jiao¡¯s mouth again, ¡°¡­¡±


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t have enough money to buy the hill. However, she hadn¡¯t taken the consultation fee from treating the young master at the hot spring vist time.


    The medical bill for that treatment was quite high. She used three doses of adrenaline alone and gave all her heart failure medication to the young master.


    She decided to ask Mr. Er, the second shopkeeper, for more fees from the consultation!


    When Gu Jiao descended the hill, thedy and the carriage had already gone.


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t ask about her whereabouts and headed into the town instead.


    Upon arriving at Huichun Hall, she noticed a strikingly luxurious carriage parked outside. Such a carriage was absolutely extraordinary in town.


    What was happening today? She noticed luxury carriages everywhere, was it reminding her¡­ that it was about time she bought one too?


    Shopkeeper Wang was very courteous upon seeing Gu Jiao. He gave her a warm personal wee, ¡°Miss Gu, what brings you here? Come in and sit down. I¡¯ll make you a pot of tea.¡±


    Gu Jiao replied bluntly, ¡°There¡¯s no need for tea, I¡¯m here to collect the consultation fees.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Shopkeeper Wang was taken aback, ¡°What consultation fees?¡±


    Gu Jiao looked at him, ¡°The fees from treating the young master at the hot spring vi. I treated the young master of the Marquis Residence, didn¡¯t I? Where¡¯s the money?¡±


    At the mention of this, shopkeeper Wang was all smiles, ¡°Miss Gu, your timing is perfect. Did you see that carriage outside? It¡¯s from the Marquis Residence! Mr. Er was in such a rushst time he forgot to ask for the consultation fee. I assume they¡¯re here to deliver it!¡±


    So, it was a carriage from the Marquis Residence. No wonder it was so extravagant.


    Shopkeeper Wang, still smiling, asked, ¡°Mr. Er is in the ounting room, do you want to see him?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. Once the people from the Marquis Residence have finished their business, I will go and find him.¡± After saying this, Gu Jiao turned and went into a room behind the hall.


    Just as she left, an attendant opened the curtain of the carriage.


    First, a shiny little maid jumped out, and then, with the assistance of the little maid, a young girl dressed in blue with green bamboo hat gracefully descended.

 Chapter 54: 54 Narrow Road

    Chapter 54: 54 Narrow Road


    The half-transparent gauze curtain on her hat reached down to her ankles, yet it did little to conceal her graceful figure.


    The women in the town did not usually wear such hats; only the high-borndies of Capital City would pay such meticulous attention to detail.


    The hand she rested on her maid¡¯s arm was delicate and long, as fine as jade. Just a nce at it suggested that only a person of great wealth could have such a hand.


    She stepped off the carriage and entered Huichun Hall without any dy, leaving the surrounding crowd in stunned silence long after she was gone.


    Her appearance in this impoverished town was as if a fairy maiden had descended from the heavens.


    ¡°Whose daughter is this? The Qin family¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, Miss Qin isn¡¯t this refined!¡±


    ¡°Could it be from the Lu family?¡±


    ¡°No, doesn¡¯t seem like it either.¡±


    In this town, the wealthiest families were the Qin and Lu families; one had aunts married into wealthy business families and the other had a county Marquis in power; their influence was unparalleled in Qingquan Town.


    Their daughters were undoubtedly prestigious, and themon folk rarely got a chance to see them. Nheless, everyone sensed that this young mistress might not belong to any local family.


    Of course, those who had truly seen the daughters of the Qin and Lu families knew there was an abyss of difference. The daughters of the Qin and Lu families would not even be fit to serve this maiden.


    That such a personage had entered Huichun Hall inevitably aroused people¡¯s respect for the establishment. Either she was a fool, or Huichun Hall had some real skills.


    ¡°Is your boss here?¡± The youngdy walked into the Grand Hall and addressed the dumbstruck Shopkeeper Wang.


    Speechless in awe, Shopkeeper Wang had lived for many years but had nevere across a woman so stunningly beautiful and elegant.


    The maid frowned in displeasure and said, ¡°Mydy is speaking to you. Is your boss here or not?¡±


    Mistress?


    Could this be the twin sister of the young master of the Marquis Residence?


    Heavens!


    He never thought he would meet such an important dignitary in his lifetime!


    Finally snapping out of his stupor, Shopkeeper Wang broke a sweat and said, ¡°Yes, he is. I shall call him right away.¡±


    The youngdy replied casually, ¡°No need. Just inform him that I will meet him myself.¡±


    ¡°No, no, I insist!¡±


    How could he let the guest from the Marquis Residence wait? Since deputy boss was not busy, Shopkeeper Wang made the decision to lead her to the Study Room behind the Grand Hall.


    Shopkeeper Wang guessed correctly that the youngdy was there to pay consultation fees. However, besides paying for consultation, she also gave a generous tip.


    Thedy was not present when her younger brother had been treated. She had heard about itter, but it did not stop her from understanding the sequence of events.


    ¡°That old doctor and his young assistant ¨C my brother is quite satisfied with them. Next time, make sure it¡¯s them again,¡± she said and stood up to leave.


    The daughter of the Marquis Residence personally visited Huichun Hall as a token of gratitude for saving the young master¡¯s life. It didn¡¯t mean that Huichun Hall was qualified to befriend her.


    The deputy boss, being shrewd, knew his ce. He knew he couldn¡¯t court her favor, so he didn¡¯t pander needlessly.


    He courteously agreed to thedy¡¯s request and personally escorted her to the doorstep.


    ¡°You may go back now,¡± she said unhurriedly.


    The deputy boss bowed and waited until she got into the carriage and left before turning back and entering Huichun Hall.


    After the carriage had travelled some distance, thedy looked towards her waist and her face slightly changed, ¡°Oh no, my jade pendant is missing!¡±


    ¡°Is it that jade piece gifted by your father? It was with you when we left the house today, wasn¡¯t it? How could it be lost?¡± The little maid searched around hastily, but the carriage was empty.


    The maid suggested, ¡°Could it¡­ could it have been left behind at Huichun Hall? We didn¡¯t go anywhere else today.¡±


    The young maiden nodded thoughtfully, ¡°Hmm, go and look for it.¡±


    The carriage returned and stopped near Huichun Hall.


    The maid lifted her skirt and walked into the Grand Hall.


    Upon seeing her re-enter, Shopkeeper Wang was taken aback, ¡°Miss, why have youe back? Is there anything else you need?¡±


    The maid snapped back, ¡°Mydy has lost her jade pendant! Now call someone to search for it!¡±


    Hearing this, Shopkeeper Wang immediately became cautious, ¡°May I ask, what does Lady Gu¡¯s jade pendant look like? What kind of jade is it?¡±


    The maid motioned with her hands, ¡°This big, it¡¯s round and made of mutton-fat jade.¡±


    Shopkeeper Wang immediately gathered the staff to search around the Grand Hall. The maid didn¡¯t sit idle, she went to the study room.


    She remembered herdy sitting there. Perhaps the pendant could have been left there.


    The deputy boss was not there, and she didn¡¯t wait for him. Instead, she went in directly and searched through the room, but found nothing.


    Next, she meticulously searched the corridor and veranda but still found no sign of the pendant.


    While passing by a chamber, she noticed that the door was slightly ajar and after some hesitation, she decided to enter.


    In the room, there was a battered wicker-basket that seemedpletely out of ce in this setting. The basket contained some mountain produce and an old beat-up box.


    The maid disdainfully looked at the box and then noticed a purse next to it.


    When she opened the purse and nced inside, she had a hunch that something was wrong. She emptied out the contents of the purse onto the table. A few silver coins rolled onto the floor.


    The maid did not bother to pick them up; instead, she fixed her gaze on the jade pendant and a jade finger-cot that had fallen out along with them.


    Stunned, she mumbled, ¡°Isn¡¯t this mydy¡¯s jade pendant and the young master¡¯s jade finger-cot? How did they end up here?¡±


    Gu Jiao hade for her monthly menstrual herbs and upon entering the room, she saw a young girl going through her purse.


    She walked in coldly, looked at the mess on the table and the floor, and asked, ¡°Did you do this?¡±


    The maid raised her head to look at Gu Jiao.


    Even though Gu Jiao looked in and was dressed like a peasant woman with a birthmark on her face, the maid¡¯s scorn was undisguised, ¡°Yes, I did. And are these things yours?¡±


    Gu Jiao looked back at her, arms folded, her eyes calm and unflinching.


    The maid, being a maid of the Marquis Residence, led a life better than the daughters of affluent families. Her presence intimidated many, yet this peasant woman dared to stare at her in such a manner.


    Exasperated, the maid snapped, ¡°Are you deaf? Didn¡¯t you hear my question?¡±


    Gu Jiao chuckled, ¡°Huh.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± The maid was so infuriated with Gu Jiao¡¯s attitude that she lost her cool even more and used, ¡°You stole from my master, and now you don¡¯t dare to admit it, do you?¡±

 Chapter 55: Meeting at 55

    Chapter 55: Meeting at 55


    ¡°What happened?¡± The second wholesale dealer and shopkeeper Wang asked, the question posed by the second dealer.


    The second dealer had just gone to exchange silver at the bank across the street, and no sooner had he entered the grand hall than he heard shopkeeper Wang talk about the Marquis¡¯ daughter losing something in Huichun Hall. He went with shopkeeper Wang to look for it, but unexpectedly saw this scene in the side room.


    This side room was specifically prepared as a rest area for Gu Jiao. Although Gu Jiao didn¡¯t use it often, people rarely intruded. When the maid said, ¡°She stole my youngdy¡¯s belongings,¡± they thought it was a little thief who had sneaked in.


    But then they found there were only two people in the side room ¨C Marquis¡¯ maid and Miss Gu.


    So, is Miss Gu the thief the maid was referring to?


    The little maid didn¡¯t know Gu Jiao. When she saw the second dealer and shopkeeper Wange up, she immediately pointed to Gu Jiao and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you are here! It¡¯s this little thief who stole my youngdy¡¯s jade pendant! She stole my young master¡¯s jade thumb ring too!¡±


    The second dealer was stunned, ¡°Might there be some misunderstanding? She wouldn¡¯t steal!¡±


    How could the little girl steal? She could freely ess his ounting room, and she had never touched the valuable objects in there.


    Moreover, the girl¡¯s eyes were clear. If she had really been caught stealing, she wouldn¡¯t be so unashamed, surely?


    But shopkeeper Wang didn¡¯t think so. Although he hadn¡¯t apanied them to the Marquis Residence that day, he heard about it from the second dealer and the old doctorter. It was Miss Gu who had saved the Young Marquis. She had the opportunity to steal his jade thumb ring.


    Moreover, the day the Marquis¡¯ daughter came to Huichun Hall, the jade pendant was stolen and appeared on Gu Jiao¡¯s desk, which made shopkeeper Wang suspicious.


    The little maid became angry: ¡°What do you mean she wouldn¡¯t steal? Mean to say I am falsely using her? What does she amount to, that it would be worth it for me to travel all the way here to frame her?¡±


    This was not a pleasant thing to say, but the logic was not unreasonable. The maid worked for the Marquis, her status was even more eminent than many rich families¡¯ daughters. If she wanted to nder someone, she would pick someone of suitable standing. Gu Jiao was like an ant on the ground, she wouldn¡¯t go out of her way to squash her.


    Unless she really stole something from the Marquis Residence.


    ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t mistake this for something else? There are many things in this world that look the same.¡± The second dealer still stubbornly believed in Gu Jiao¡¯s innocence.


    ¡°Mistook?¡± The little maid grinned sarcastically, ¡°Do you think the ornaments my youngdy and young master wear are cheap stuff from the street? This jade pendant is a gift from the pce. Your entire Hu Family couldn¡¯t afford it even if you were to squander all your wealth!¡±


    The second dealer¡¯s face turned pale for a moment. If it¡¯s such a precious item, it certainly couldn¡¯t be Gu Jiao¡¯s. But he still didn¡¯t believe that Gu Jiao would steal, ¡°Isn¡¯t it possible that it could be a fake?¡±


    Perhaps the item in Miss Gu¡¯s hand is fake!


    Shopkeeper Wang nced at the second dealer worriedly. The second dealer had absolute trust in Gu Jiao, which would undoubtedly offend the Marquis Residence. He did not want the second dealer to get into trouble.


    Just as he was considering his words, nning to persuade Gu Jiao to confess and not to offend the Marquis Residence, Gu Jiao said faintly: ¡°It¡¯s not fake, it¡¯s real.¡±


    ¡°You heard her! She admitted it!¡± The little maid said viciously.


    ¡°Yu Ru.¡±


    A gentle, distinguished voice slowly sounded from outside the door.


    ¡°Miss! You¡¯re here!¡± The little maid immediately assumed a respectful expression and bowed to the youngdy.


    The young girl, wearing a dark veil, raised the gauze of her veil and her skirt hem, and walked slowly. Her demeanor maintained elegance andposure.


    She was wearing a perfume that could only be afforded by a nobledy from the capital. As she moved lightly, a faint essence filled the room, making the atmosphere fragrant.


    ¡°Achoo!¡± Gu Jiao sneezed.


    She was allergic to this kind of perfume.


    The little maid red at Gu Jiao. Seeing that she didn¡¯t bow to herdy and even dared to sneeze rudely, she thought that a vige girl was just a vige girl, never able to be refined!


    The youngdy spoke as usual, ¡°This jade pendant cannot have a counterfeit. The jade used is a Kunlun mountain mutton-fat jade, and in Zhan Country, only the royal family has the right to mine it. Counterfeiting things used by the royal family is a serious crime, let alone it is impossible to replicate it exactly.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Gu Jiao touched her chin.


    ¡°You, what¡¯s that attitude?¡± The little maid continued to re at her, but because the Marquis¡¯s daughter was present, she was not as domineering as before.


    The youngdy looked at Gu Jiao and said in a warm voice, ¡°You are that little drug boy, right?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Gu Jiao responded, without asking how she had guessed it. It was not hard to figure out.


    The youngdy said slowly, ¡°Take the jade pendant as a gift, return the thumb ring to me, and I¡¯ll act as if nothing happened.¡±


    ¡°Miss!¡± The little maid stamped her foot.


    Shopkeeper Wang did not expect such a dramatic turn in the situation. The Marquis¡¯s daughter was truly magnanimous! Such a valuable item was given away without a second thought. Moreover, she didn¡¯t publicize it, saving both Miss Gu and Huichun Hall¡¯s reputation.


    Seeing that Gu Jiao remained silent, the youngdy continued, ¡°The jade pendant is mine, if you like it, you may take it. But the thumb ring belongs to my brother. I need to get it back to return to him.¡±


    Shopkeeper Wang was anxious at the side. He thought, hurry up and agree, hurry up and agree!


    Gu Jiao looked at the young girl expressionlessly and said, ¡°Take back the thumb ring, leave the jade pendant with me.¡±


    She had suspected earlier that the jade thumb ring belonged to the young Marquis, and now it confirmed her spection.


    She did not exin that the jade thumb ring identally slid into her sleeve pocket while she was rescuing the young Marquis. Firstly, she could not describe the rescue process, and secondly, they would not believe it.


    So why waste her breath?


    The youngdy said, ¡°You sure do know how to pick things. This thumb ring only has special significance to my brother, and when ites to value, indeed it¡¯s not as precious as the jade pendant.¡±


    Gu Jiao said, ¡°The thumb ring is yours because it indeed belongs to your brother. The jade pendant is not yours, so you have to return it to me.¡±


    The little maid snorted, ¡°Not our master¡¯s? Could it be yours? Don¡¯t you pee and look in the mirror, can you even afford such a valuable jade pendant?¡±


    The youngdy: ¡°Yu Ru.¡±


    The second dealer frowned, ¡°Please watch yournguage, youngdy!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, I can¡¯t help it.¡± Gu Jiao finished, stretching out her hand, ¡°I¡¯ll say it onest time, give me back the jade pendant.¡±


    The little maid stepped back, ¡°Dream on! This is my youngdy¡¯s!¡±


    The youngdy squeezed her fingers, suppressing her anger, and said to the second dealer, ¡°Second dealer, you have witnessed everything today. She has openly admitted to her theft. In consideration of your Huichun Hall treating my younger brother¡¯s illness, I will not inform the authorities. But I hope nothing like this happens again!¡±


    From start to finish, Gu Jiao only admitted one thing: that the thumb ring belonged to the young master. She never said she had stolen it. However, in their talk, they turned it into her admitting to theft.

 Chapter 56: 56 Apologies

    Chapter 56: 56 Apologies


    The standoff between the two parties hadsted for quite some time, attracting the attention of all the staff at Huichun Hall.


    Only three people at Huichun Hall were aware of Gu Jiao¡¯s medical qualifications: the second boss, the shopkeeper Wang, and the elderly doctor.


    Although the rest of them often saw Gu Jiao there, they merely thought of her as a family member of a patient.


    Both the second boss and Shopkeeper Wang treated her with great courtesy, and everyone else thought of her as the wife of a student at Tianxiang Academy.


    One should never underestimate a schr, as they could potentially be local dignitaries, wealthy businessmen, or local officials in the future.


    However, they never expected her tomit such an act.


    ¡°Who would have thought? She seemed so honest and straightforward, but she turned out to be a habitual thief.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she stole someone¡¯s jade pendant, and their jade ring.¡±


    ¡°I wondered why she came to Huichun Hall today even though her husband hasn¡¯te and she doesn¡¯t have to pick up any medicine. She must have set her eyes on that richdy? That¡¯s why she followed her in to steal!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not afraid of tarnishing her own husband¡¯s reputation.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? What a misfortune for a schr to end up with such a wicked woman!¡±


    Among all the people present, probably everyone except the second boss believed Gu Jiao was guilty.


    Isn¡¯t it obvious? She¡¯s so poor, how could she possibly own such an exquisite jade pendant?


    ¡°Miss, please keep your jade pendant safe.¡± As the maid spoke, she bent down and hung the jade pendant around the young girl¡¯s waist.


    Gu Jiao reached out to take it.


    ¡°How dare you!¡± The maid¡¯s eyes turned cold, and gave Gu Jiao a p.


    However, before her p couldnd on Gu Jiao¡¯s face, she was knocked down by Gu Jiao¡¯s counter p.


    Everyone was stunned, not having seen clearly how Gu Jiao made her move. By the time they reacted, the maid was already on the ground, her cheeks swelling.


    The young girl was shocked as well.


    Gu Jiao extended her hand, scarred by years of hardbour, and plucked the jade pendant from the girl¡¯s waist.


    Throughout the process, Gu Jiao held her breath, not wanting to smell the fragrance on her.


    The young girl stared at her with wide eyes, ¡°You¡­ how dare you!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t believe that a rustic vige girl had dared to touch her!


    After retrieving the jade pendant, Gu Jiao did not rush to put it in her purse. Instead, she took out a clean handkerchief from her bosom and thoroughly wiped the jade pendant.


    The young girl could hardly breathe.


    This peasant girl¡­ was she insinuating that she was dirty?


    When Gu Jiao wanted to annoy someone, she did it thoroughly and from all angles.


    The girl felt as though her chest was blocked, and she was struggling to breathe.


    The girl gritted her teeth and shouted angrily, ¡°Go report to the officials!¡±


    ¡°Who wants to report to the officials?¡±


    Along with a majestic and clear male voice, the stern-looking academy director walked over.


    Another formidable character had arrived, and the workers of Huichun Hall cleared a path for him.


    The director entered the room, looked at the young girl who was fuming with rage, and then at the maid who had been unable to get up from the ground for quite some time. He then respectfully stood next to Gu Jiao.


    His position made his stance clear.


    He turned around and looked at the young girl calmly, ¡°Is it thisdy who wants to report to the officials? May I know what happened that made you so angry?¡±


    His words were courteous, but his tone was not.


    The girl knitted her brows, and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The director answered, ¡°I am the director of the Tianxiang Academy.¡±


    The girl, ¡°Director Li?¡±


    The director, ¡°Indeed, it is I.¡±


    The name of Dean Li is well known in the Capital City; the young girl certainly wouldn¡¯t be unaware of it. Despite Dean Li taking on the role of a small-town teacher after his withdrawal, his influence in the Capital City still persisted.


    The young girl was fairly civil to him. She nced at Gu Jiao and demanded, ¡°She stole something from our house. I want it back.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t steal anything. The jade pendant is mine.¡± Gu Jiao might not care about the young girl¡¯s opinion, but she did care about the dean¡¯s. As the wife of Xiao Ling, she didn¡¯t want to leave a bad impression on him.


    ¡°What about the jade finger ring?¡± the girl asked.


    ¡°It identally fell into my sleeve pocket. I discovered it when I arrived home.¡± Gu Jiao exined honestly.


    The maid fumed, ¡°That¡¯s not what you said just now. You admitted that you stole it!¡±


    See, this was why Gu Jiao didn¡¯t want to exin to them: they wouldn¡¯t listen properly at all.


    ¡°Give me the jade pendant to look at.¡± Dean Li said to Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao passed the pendant to him.


    Dean Li remembered that his teacher also had a jade pendant just like this one, and remembered that the teacher had given Gu Xiaoshun a New Year¡¯s gift. He roughly understood the situation.


    The jade pendant was given out by his teacher. As for whether it was given to Gu Jiao herself, or given to Gu Xiaoshun and then passed to Gu Jiao, it didn¡¯t matter.


    What mattered was that Gu Jiao most definitely did not steal anything.


    His teacher had withdrawn from society and didn¡¯t want others to know his whereabouts, so naturally, he didn¡¯t mention his teacher.


    He smiled faintly and said to the young girl, ¡°Miss, you¡¯re mistaken. This jade pendant isn¡¯t yours. It was given to me by my teacher, andter I presented it to her husband.¡±


    ¡°Her¡­ her husband?¡± The young girl looked Gu Jiao up and down.


    ¡°Her husband is my personal disciple.¡± The dean unterally dered his disciple¡¯s status.


    By saying this, everything could be exined.


    His master was an esteemed official of Guozijian, greatly favoured by the emperor before his retirement. It wasn¡¯t surprising that he would have items from the pce.


    However, the young girl was still somewhat amazed. Many people in the Capital City desired to be disciples of Dean Li, but he had always politely declined. How could a poor country girl, who presumably was married to a poor country boy, have caught his eye?


    Just as the young girl was harboring doubts, a worker from Huichun Hall came running over, panting, ¡°Found it! Found it!¡±


    ¡°Achoo!¡± Gu Jiao smelled the scent of powder from the jade pendant and sneezed again.


    The jade pendant was found in the bushes, covered in the same scent that the young girl wore. Compared to Gu Jiao¡¯s pendant, this one appeared more likely to belong to her.


    ¡°Is everything clear now?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    ¡°Even if the jade pendant isn¡¯t something you stole, you certainly stole the jade ring.¡± The maid muttered under her breath.


    ¡°Enough, Yu Ru.¡± The young girl stopped her, looked at Gu Jiao with aplicated expression, stepped forward, bowed slightly and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I misunderstood you.¡±


    ¡°Miss!¡± The maid was shocked!


    Herdy was a noble daughter from the Marquis Residence, how could she be apologizing to a lowly country girl?


    Even if she wronged her, wouldn¡¯t simply clearing her name be enough? Why apologize?


    The young girl said to the maid, ¡°You should apologize to thisdy as well.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Apologize!¡±


    The young girl¡¯s tone turned stern, and the maid, not daring to defy her, glowered and apologized to Gu Jiao.


    The young girl turned to the shopkeeper and said, ¡°I hope this incident won¡¯t affect Huichun Hall¡¯s treatment for my brother.¡±


    The shopkeeper nced at Gu Jiao, saw she had no objections, and nodded at the young girl with a smile, ¡°How could we let personal issues dy our treatment? Our Huichun Hall is here to save lives with skilled and benevolent hands.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± The young girl nodded, and with her bruised maid, left.


    Dean Li looked at her retreating figure and mused, ¡°The Gu family? The Gu family from the Capital City?¡±


    The shopkeeper sighed, ¡°Who else but the Gu family in the Capital City could raise such an extraordinary daughter?¡±


    Who among us does not make mistakes? However, to promptly acknowledge one¡¯s errors, and sincerely apologize to a humble country girl, reveals a noble and generous character.


    What Dean Li didn¡¯t reveal was that the youngdy was indeed named Gu Jinyu.

 Chapter 57: 57 Parents

    Chapter 57: 57 Parents


    After leaving the medical hall, Gu Jinyu went directly to a tea house in the town where the Marquise had already been waiting for a long time.


    Gu Jinyu enters the tea room, dives into the Marquise¡¯s arms like a baby swallow, and tenderly calls her mother.


    Holding her daughter who had been away for many days, the Marquise said, ¡°You¡¯re already so old. Still crawling into your mother¡¯s arms? Shameless.¡±


    Gu Jinyu held on even tighter, whining, ¡°No matter how old I am, I am still your and father¡¯s daughter. How can I be shameless?¡±


    The Marquise pinched her small nose, ¡°You¡¯ve been really spoiled by your father!¡±


    Gu Jinyu hummed, ¡°Who asked Dad to have only one precious daughter like me?¡±


    The Marquise didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry, and asked her, ¡°Did you sessfully pay the medical fee at Huichun Hall earlier?¡±


    Upon mentioning this, Gu Jinyu started to evade eye contact.


    The Marquise quickly noticed her daughter¡¯s anomaly, ¡°What happened? Was Huichun Hall not satisfied with the medical fee?¡±


    Talking about the medical fee was a real mess; the Marquise thought the servant had paid it, and the servant thought the Marquise had paid it.


    If the Marquise had not casually asked, they would have been none the wiser of their overdue medical payment to Huichun Hall.


    Because of this, the Marquise nned to visit Huichun Hall personally. However, just as she left the vi, she ran into her daughter who had rushed over from the Capital City. After learning about what had happened, Gu Jinyu voluntarily took up the responsibility to pay the medical fee. However, the Marquise was not idle either; she went up the mountain to offer incense to the Bodhisattva.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that Huichun Hall was not satisfied with the medical fee, but¡­¡± Gu Jinyu exined what had happened at Huichun Hall in detail, without embellishment or concealment. Her mother had taught her the importance of not judging a book by its cover since she was young, so she did not purposely emphasize the fact that the girl from the vige was ugly and had a prominent red birthmark on her left cheek.


    ¡°I was wrong, I shouldn¡¯t have been so hasty.¡± She bowed her head in apology.


    The Marquise spoke with deep concern, ¡°There are always people with higher status than us in this world. Just because you are of higher status than her, you can look down on her. If you meet someone more privileged than yourself in the future, could they look down on you?¡±


    Although the Marquise adored her daughter, she was not without principles.


    Gu Jinyu yfully clung onto the Marquise¡¯s arm, ¡°I am the Marquis¡¯s beloved daughter. Who could look down on me?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± the Marquise looked at her helplessly and scolded her.


    ¡°But, what¡¯s the issue regarding my brother¡¯s jade ring?¡± Gu Jinyu asked.


    The Marquise replied, ¡°Your brother said that she took it identally. You know that your brother wouldn¡¯t lie.¡±


    Still, Gu Jinyu was confused. ¡°What does ¡®taking it identally¡¯ mean? How would he know if she did it identally? Did he see it?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± The Marquise had principles when it came to spoiling her daughter, but she didn¡¯t follow them when it came to her son, who had a limited time to live; she didn¡¯t want to restrict him with rules.


    Her son did not want to talk about the incident from that day, so she didn¡¯t ask further.


    It was just a jade ring. If it was lost, it was lost. The most important thing was that her son was happy.


    Gu Jinyu hummed sourly, ¡°I also ¡®identally¡¯ took itst time, yet he ignored me for an entire month! Aren¡¯t I his sister?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± The Marquise tapped on her forehead, she was both exasperated and amused, ¡°If not you, then who else? Could it be the girl who took his jade ring?¡±


    Because of thispletely impossible joke, Gu Jinyu¡¯s mood improved. She leaned into her mother¡¯s arms, stretching out her small hand, ¡°Mom, my hands are cold.¡±


    The Marquise felt the back of her hand, which was indeed a bit cold. She immediately put down the candy in her hand, picked up an exquisite hand warmer, and began to warm her daughter¡¯s hand.


    Gu Jinyu nced at the sesame candy in the te with a strange expression, ¡°Mom, where did you get this? It doesn¡¯t look clean, be careful not to get a stomachache.¡±


    Thinking about the little girl, the Marquise softened her gaze, ¡°A kind-hearted girl gave it to me, so I epted it.¡±


    ¡ª


    Meanwhile, Gu Jiao received her consultation fee¡ªa total of twenty taels¡ªenough to buy the hill with the silver she had in her hand.


    Thendlord was worried that today¡¯s events might have upset Gu Jiao, so he hesitantly asked, ¡°Uh¡­ next month¡¯s consultation¡­¡±


    Gu Jiao replied indifferently, ¡°I promised to be on duty once a month. I will fulfill my promise.¡±


    Having said that, she took the silver and went to the academy.


    The dean left before returning to the academy.


    When Gu Jiao arrived at the academy, sses had already ended. The students, dressed in white academy uniforms, were leaving one after another. Gu Jiao was still waiting in the same old spot at the entrance of an alley, but she didn¡¯t see Xiao Ling or Gu Xiaoshun.


    Just as Gu Jiao was wondering if the two of them had been kept back by their teacher, Xiao Ling and Gu Xiaoshun unexpectedly approached from another direction.


    Xiao Ling and Gu Xiaoshun were both carrying a bunch of items. It was only when they approached Gu Jiao that she realized they were holding incense candles and bundles of joss paper.


    Gu Jiao asked, ¡°What are you buying these for?¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s jaw dropped, ¡°Sis, did you forget? It¡¯s our third uncle and aunt¡¯s death anniversary today!¡±


    Gu Jiao was speechless.


    She had really forgotten.


    Original Master¡¯s memories did contain this important day. Unfortunately, Gu Jiao was not the Original Master and had forgotten this day.


    ¡°Thank goodness you remembered.¡± Gu Jiao said to Gu Xiaoshun.


    Gu Xiaoshun scratched his head awkwardly, ¡°Actually, I also forgot. It was brother-inw.¡±


    Gu Jiao raised her eyebrows and nced at Xiao Ling. She didn¡¯t remember ¡°herself¡± ever mentioning her parents¡¯ death anniversary to him. He must have heard it from the vigers. Considering their current pretend marital status, it¡¯smendable that he remembered.


    Gu Jiao: ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Xiao Ling stood still with his crutches, his face expressionless. He was still angry about Gu Jiao¡¯s ¡°secret understanding¡± with the Dean and nned not to talk to her for a whole day!


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t understand the cause of his sudden displeasure. Since he helped her remember her parents¡¯ death anniversary, it certainly couldn¡¯t be because of her!


    Gu Jiao carelessly got on the ox cart.


    Gu Jiao, who thought their rtionship was excellent, specifically chose the seat closest to him.


    Xiao Ling was seething with anger, while the person who angered him had absolutely no sign of regret. Xiao Ling was even angrier as a result.


    After the three of them returned to the vige, Liao family took Gu Xiaoshun away directly. Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling went to the graveyard at the edge of the field.


    The graves of Gu Sang and his wife, Madam Xun, were situated side by side. Due to rarely being attended to, the grass on the grave had already grown half a person¡¯s height.


    Xiao Ling was sulking by himself, but he still rolled up his sleeves and pulled out the grass from the grave one by one.


    He was so focused on pulling out the grass without realizing that Gu Jiao was staring nkly at the graves behind him.


    In the original host¡¯s memories, Gu Sang was swept away by a flood. The vigers spent half a month retrieving his body along the river bank. By the time the body was found, it was already swollen beyond recognition. Madam Xun only took one look at it and immediately copsed. She never recovered after that.


    She hung on for just one more year before she passed away on the anniversary of her husband¡¯s death, leaving behind their five-year-old daughter.


    They were both outstanding parents, iparably superior to Gu Jiao¡¯s parents from her previous life. Sadly, they passed away so early.


    It seemed that whether in her past life or this one, she was destined to grow up without the love and care of her parents.

 Chapter 58: 58 County Examination

    Chapter 58: 58 County Examination


    The two of them left to go home after paying homage to Gu Jiao¡¯s parents¡¯ tomb.


    They put in a fair bit of elbow grease in tidying up the tombstone, ending up covered in dirt.


    Knowing Xiao Ling¡¯s penchant for cleanliness, Gu Jiao suggested at the riverside, ¡°You can wash your hands.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Xiao Ling responded, limping on his crutches towards the river.


    Gu Jiao watched him walk. To be honest, the surgery was sessful, and he tried hard to rehabilitate, but he still hadn¡¯t given up his crutches.


    Is his rehabilitation too weak?


    Gu Jiao touched her chin.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to wash?¡± Xiao Ling turned to ask her.


    Gu Jiao chuckled: ¡°Wash! Let¡¯s wash together!¡±


    It¡¯s just washing hands, why so enthusiastic? It¡¯s not like they are bathing, right?


    Xiao Ling asked and then remembered that it was the river where she had fallen into. Probably she didn¡¯t approach out of fear. He med himself for his tactlessness and nned to quickly wash and leave. But Gu Jiao had already squatted down next to him.


    The river water was quite cold, but both of them, not being pampered young masters or delicate youngdies, endured and washed.


    However, just as they were about to stand up, something fell from Gu Jiao¡¯s arm into the river with a plop.


    ¡°My pouch!¡± Gu Jiao didn¡¯t expect this turn of events. She tried to grab it, but it was toote. The pouch was full of small silver coins, which were heavy and sunk quickly.


    Without a second thought, Gu Jiao jumped into the river.


    Xiao Ling turned pale!


    Her jumping into the water was even more unexpected than the pouch falling in. Xiao Ling didn¡¯t have time to react, and she vanished from sight.


    Xiao Ling looked at the rippling surface of theke, his toes twitching.


    He would¡¯ve been able to swim before, but now with his injured leg, he wasn¡¯t confident he could save her.


    Just as Xiao Ling was in a fierce internal struggle, Gu Jiao emerged from the water clutching her pouch: ¡°Got it, I got it.¡±


    Xiao Ling quickly pulled her onto the shore.


    Gasping for breath, Gu Jiao sat on the grassy ground, water dripping from her.


    Xiao Ling frowned at the pouch she clutched in her hand: ¡°It¡¯s just a pouch. Is it even worth risking your life over a handful of silver coins?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about the silver.¡± Gu Jiao shook her head, opened the pouch, and dumped out everything inside. She didn¡¯t nce at the silver coins but picked up a palm-sized package, wrapped in wax-sealed leather.


    ¡°Do you have a handkerchief?¡± she asked Xiao Ling.


    He took a clean handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her.


    He thought she was going to dry her face, but surprisingly, she used it meticulously to wipe the leather package.


    When the package was dry, she carefully peeled off the waxyer, opened the leather wrapping, and revealed a document stamped with an official seal.


    The document was dry and undamaged.


    Gu Jiao breathed a sigh of relief.


    This was the exam document for the county examination that the dean had given to Xiao Ling, which Xiao Ling didn¡¯t want and threw into the pile of discard papers.


    When Gu Jiao found the document while cleaning his room, she thought he had dropped it identally, so she carefully stored it away.


    She handed him the document, ¡°You should keep it, I am all wet and I don¡¯t want to wet the document.¡±


    Xiao Ling: ¡°You did this for this? But I¡­¡±


    Won¡¯t take the exam.


    You can wash your hands by the river in such weather, but if you fall in, it¡¯ll be tough to endure.


    Gu Jiao was trembling from the chill wind. With her eyes wide open and glistening, she extended her small hand toward him continuously. Water droplets fell ¡®pitter-patter¡¯ from her sleeve, but they didn¡¯t wet his papers at all.


    The words circled in his mouth, but ultimately he did not say them, instead, he said: ¡°Anyway, I won¡¯t pass the exam, so why try so hard?¡±


    Gu Jiao sternly replied: ¡°How do you know you won¡¯t pass the exam without trying? Even if you don¡¯t pass this time, isn¡¯t there next time? And if you don¡¯t pass next time, isn¡¯t there a time after that? You will pass someday!¡±


    Xiao Ling said, ¡°If I keep failing and never amount to anything¡­¡±


    ¡°Who says failing the exam means you¡¯ll amount to nothing? There are countless paths in life, studying is just the easiest route to take. If you don¡¯t like it, you can do other things.¡± Thinking of something, Gu Jiao carefully looked at him, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t¡­dislike studying, right?¡±


    Xiao Ling looked at her eyes, full of hope like a little deer¡¯s, as if by simply saying he didn¡¯t like to study, she would be hurt.


    Xiao Ling sighed softly and epted the papers.


    ¡°Are you a fool?¡±


    His voice was very soft and low.


    Gu Jiao tilted her head and looked at him: ¡°Hmm? What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Xiao Ling turned his back on her, unbuttoned his College Examination gown, turned around, bent down to drape it over her, ¡°Go home.¡±


    ¡ª


    After falling into the water, Gu Jiao fell ill. By the day of Xiao Ling¡¯s provincial exams, she was still running a fever, but she still got up early and made breakfast for Xiao Ling, as well as dry food for him to take to the Exam Site.


    Provincial exams consist of five rounds. One round is taken every alternate day, each roundsts for a full day and all their needs are met within the Examination room.


    The first round is the preliminary, which one must pass in order to qualify for the second round of retests. Those who pass all five rounds qualify to take part in next month¡¯s District Examination.


    After the District Examination, there is the College Examination. Those who pass the College Examination would be schrs of Zhan Country.


    Of course, there are different levels among the schrs.


    The top-ranking candidates are called State Sponsored Schrs, who receive provisions from the Official Government every month; the next are the Additional Schrs, who are not given provisions; and finally, the Attached Schrs.


    Gu Dashun is a true State Sponsored Schr, which has brought great pride to the Gu Family for a long time.


    Gu Jiao felt that her own husband didn¡¯t have to be a State Sponsored Schr like Gu Dashun. Being an Attached Schr is decent enough! She did not have high expectations. As long as he managed to pass the examination, that would be sufficient. Even if he did not, that was fine too. She could support him; he didn¡¯t have to take the Imperial examination.


    Gu Jiao sat in the ox cart, her little body trembling from the cold. As her nose ran, she said in a nasally voice: ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. We are here just for fun; treat it as a formality. I checked it out, there are five rounds in total. It¡¯s no matter if you don¡¯t perform well in the first one, there are still four more. I will apany you here every day¡­ Achoo! Achoo! Achoo!¡±


    Upon finishing her words, Gu Jiao sneezed three times consecutively, making her see stars.


    Xiao Ling looked deeply at her without saying a word.


    The examiner distributed the papers to the candidates.


    The reason he had found himself here was because someone had risked their life for those exam papers he had discarded.


    But that didn¡¯t mean he would take the exam seriously.


    He nned to hand in a nk answer sheet.


    ¡°Achoo!¡± A sneeze from a student in the next Examination room echoed into Xiao Ling¡¯s ears.


    The image of a certain someone sneezing while riding in the ox-cart surfaced in Xiao Ling¡¯s mind, her small face was flushed with high fever, her gaze was a bit blurred and scattered, her small body was swaying, but she insisted on not going back.


    Thinking about how someone was waiting for him the entire day in the ox-cart with their frail and sickly body, Xiao Ling irritably picked up his pen!


    Xiao Ling only took the first exam and then didn¡¯t go again.


    The news quickly reached Gu Dashun.


    Generally, only taking one exam meant one of two things: First, the student performed exceptionally well, ranking first, and was directly selected for the District Examination or second, they performed too poorly to qualify for the following four retests.


    The first situation was umon. After all, even if one performed exceptionally well in the first round, it didn¡¯t guarantee them the lead in the following four rounds. Let alone Xiao Ling who was one of the worst in ss Beta, even if he gave his best, it was impossible for him to secure the first position.

 Chapter 59: 59 Monks

    Chapter 59: 59 Monks


    ¡°I heard Ling took the county exam.¡± At dinner, Master Gu mentioned Xiao Ling.


    After what happened to Young Master Xiaoqin earlier this year, although no one thought Gu Jiao had deliberately caused it, they still felt that Gu Jiao had caused Xiao Ling bad luck, since they were now married.


    Now, hearing Xiao Ling¡¯s name made all three, mother-inw and daughters-inw alike, feel choked up, but they didn¡¯t dare to speak since it was Master Gu who had brought up the topic, so they kept their heads down and quietly ate supper.


    ¡°Hmm, he only took one part.¡± The one who answered was Gu Dashun.


    Gu Changhai wondered, ¡°Why only one? Didn¡¯t you take five?¡±


    Gu Dashun thought for a moment, ¡°Maybe he messed up? If you fail the first part, they won¡¯t let you continue.¡±


    Gu Changhai: ¡°Do they refund the exam fee?¡±


    Gu Dashun: ¡°No refund.¡±


    Gu Changhai picked up a piece of pickles with his chopsticks, ¡°Tsk, two taels of silver! Even if you threw it in the dung pit, it would at least make a bubble.¡±


    Master Gu frowned at his eldest son, and Changhai immediately shut up.


    The entire table¡¯s appetite was ruined by the mention of poop, except for Dashun¡¯s.


    Don¡¯t think he doesn¡¯t know, it was the headmaster himself who registered Ling for the exam, disregarding Dashun and pinning high hopes on Ling. Such action was destined to lead to disappointment.


    A sense of revengeful pleasure rose in Gu Dashun¡¯s heart.


    After ten days, the county exam results were announced.


    Gu Dashun was waiting tough at Xiao Ling, but he was struck dumb by unexpected news!


    On the red announcement from the academy adorned with mboyant characters, it read ¨C Xiao Ling topped the County Examination!


    Actually, the Yamen didn¡¯t announce the results so quickly. The headmaster, out of urgency, personally visited the county Yamen. After inquiring about the results, he didn¡¯t even wait for the official announcement and put up the good news himself.


    It was ced in the most conspicuous position, ensuring that every passerby could see it!


    The headmaster stood under the announcement, grinning like a fool.


    Those in the know said his student had topped the county exam, and to those who didn¡¯t, it seemed like his own son had passed the exam.


    He even specifically called Xiao Ling to the Zhongzheng Hall: ¡°¡­. I knew my hard work wouldn¡¯t go wasted.¡±


    Indeed, you were moved by me!


    Xiao Ling looked at him without expression: ¡°I just hate sitting for so many exams.¡±


    The headmaster leisurely said: ¡°Oh, then you could have submitted nk test papers!¡±


    A nk submission meant you don¡¯t have to continue further, right? Admit it Ling, you appreciate your headmaster! You couldn¡¯t bear to disappoint your headmaster!


    Xiao Ling didn¡¯t bother to argue and turned to leave.


    The good news hadn¡¯t reached the vige yet, so Gu Jiao was clueless. She had been staying at home for a few days due to a cold, but now she was packing up to go to the temple.


    ¡°The pastries from there were goodst time, bring back some.¡± The olddy stopped her as she was leaving.


    After thinking for a long time, Gu Jiao recalled the pastries the olddy was referring to were the ones ady at the temple had given to her the first time she went there: ¡°They¡¯re not from the temple, but were brought by a visitor. I don¡¯t know if I will run into her this time.¡±


    That¡¯s what she said, but in her heart, she felt that having met her twice in two trips, the probability of meeting her again was high.


    Gu Jiao packed some local produce in a basket, intending to exchange them for some of thedy¡¯s pastries.


    However, until she arrived at the top of the mountain, she didn¡¯t run into thatdy. Instead, she encountered a few mischievous little monks.


    The little monks finished their homework, poking their small heads over the door one after another after another, all tacked up in a pile, obviously waiting for someone.


    As Gu Jiao approached carrying her basket, all their eyes widened in surprise!


    ¡°She¡¯s here! She¡¯s here!¡±


    She¡¯s here with her basket!


    She¡¯s here! She¡¯s here!


    She brought something for us!


    ¡°Quick, quick, quick, hide!¡±


    The little monks rapidly retreated, but there were too many of them. Insistently squeezing each other, those on top couldn¡¯t get down, and those at the bottom couldn¡¯t back away. Finally, they tumbled over themselves, rolling around on the ground like small melons.


    Looking at the lineup of little monks suddenly sprawling in front of her, Gu Jiao was confused: ¡°¡­.¡±


    Hmm?


    Arge-scale collective insurance fraud?


    ¡°Jing Fan! Jingxin! Jingshan! Where did you guys go again!¡±


    Falling t on their faces in front of a prettydy ¨C they were utterly shameless! Even their senior brother is calling them out!


    The little monks scrambled up to run away!


    Suddenly, Gu Jiao spoke up: ¡°What were you guys doing just now?¡±


    The little monks halted.


    Monk 1: ¡°We weren¡¯t watching you!¡±


    Monk 2: ¡°Right, we weren¡¯t watching you!¡±


    Monk 3 nodded vigorously!


    Gu Jiao raised an eyebrow: ¡°Then why were you watching me?¡±


    Little monk one-two-three: ¡°You¡¯re pretty!¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±


    The little monk pointed at Gu Jiao¡¯s birthmark: ¡°Your freckles are pretty!¡±


    It was funny. The children in the vige were terrified of her, often teasing or avoiding her, but these little monks who had never left the mountain couldn¡¯t help but admire her birthmark.


    Won over by them, Gu Jiao pulled out some sesame candy from her basket and offered it to the little monks.


    ¡°We cannot ept things from a female benefactor.¡± Little Monk number one refused.


    Gu Jiao thought for a moment and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you monks beg for alms? You beg me for alms, and once you do, this sesame candy will be yours.¡±


    The little monks thought that was reasonable! They immediately brought out their alms bowls, Gu Jiaopleted the formality of begging and distributed the candies among them.


    The little monks sat on the steps, holding their bowls, and started eating with zest.


    Gu Jiao took a headcount and asked, ¡°Oh? Weren¡¯t there four of you? Now there are only three?¡±


    Little Monk number one: ¡°You mean Jingkong? He¡¯s going down the mountain!¡±


    So the one who rolled and fell was called Jingkong.


    From the little monks, Gu Jiao learnt the full story. Jingkong had been adopted by a wealthy family. The couple had been married for ten years and had no children, so they were nning to raise Jingkong as their own son.


    ¡°He must be upset about leaving, isn¡¯t he?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    The three little monks shook their heads simultaneously.


    Little Monk number one, the most active and spokesperson of the group, replied, ¡°Not at all, he¡¯s been wanting to go down the mountain for a while.¡±


    Gu Jiao was puzzled, ¡°Why?¡±


    Little Monk number one: ¡°Because he said once he goes down the mountain, he can eat meat!¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±


    What has this little monk been misled into believing?


    Gu Jiao asked again, ¡°But you guys must be upset, right?¡±


    The three little monks shook their heads once again.


    Little Monk number one: ¡°Actually, he can¡¯t eat meat even after going down the mountain. He¡¯s allergic to meat, but he isn¡¯t aware of it!¡±


    Someone allergic to meat, you¡¯re joking right?


    Gu Jiao: ¡°And you guys won¡¯t tell him?¡±


    Little Monk number one: ¡°If we tell him, he won¡¯t leave!¡±


    Gu Jiao paused for a moment, then said with a sigh, ¡°You really thought this through for him.¡±Getting adopted by a kind family is obviously better than being a monk on the mountain for life.


    Little Monk number one, proudly imed, ¡°Who told him to eat so much, he finished all our food!¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±


    What¡¯s with these stic monks?


    But ultimately, the rolling Jingkong couldn¡¯t leave the mountain, since the adoptive family suddenly stoppeding. The Abbot found out that the wife of the wealthy family was pregnant, their joyous news having been confirmed by the doctor the previous night.


    The doctor assured them it was a boy.


    When Gu Jiao went to the abbot¡¯s meditation room, she found Jingkong sitting on a stone outside, with a brand new bundle beside him. He was still, his little figure looking rather lonely.


    Obviously, he already knew he was abandoned by the family set to adopt him and was now enveloped by a wave of sadness.


    Gu Jiao thought for a moment, walked over and asked, ¡°Can I sit here for a while?¡±


    Jingkong didn¡¯t reply but silently moved his bundle aside.


    So, Gu Jiao sat down next to him.


    As a ¡®beauty chaser¡¯, Gu Jiao always found beautiful things irresistible. Even the little monks in the temple were kind of cute, but the one before her was especially adorable. With a round head, big eyes and long, dark eyshes, he was like a cutesh demon.


    ¡°Feeling down?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    ¡°What?¡± Little Jingkong responded, realising that Gu Jiao was asking him a question, he blurted out, ¡°I¡¯m not sad at all!¡±


    His voice was childish.


    Gu Jiao raised an eyebrow: ¡°So, you don¡¯t want to go down the mountain?¡±


    With his hands folded on his chest, Little Jingkong turned his face and arrogantly stated, ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s so great about going down the mountain? I heard you get forced to eat meat! I don¡¯t want to break my vows!¡±


    Wow, you¡¯re pals don¡¯t seem to think so.


    Teasing him, Gu Jiao said, ¡°Really don¡¯t want to go down the mountain?¡±


    Little Jingkong looked determined: ¡°Of course I don¡¯t! I won¡¯t go down the mountain in this life! I am going to be a monk for life! When I grow up, I want to be the Abbot of the temple!¡±


    Gu Jiao silently gave him a thumbs up. That¡¯s some ambition.


    Gu Jiao nced at him and sighed, ¡°Well if you¡¯re so determined, then forget it. I was going to talk to the Abbot, let you stay at the foot of the mountain with me for a few days.¡±


    Little Jingkong with his waist cocked: ¡°I told you I¡¯m not going down the mountain! Especially not with you! Go on, ask me again!¡±


    Gu Jiao asked, puzzled, ¡°So, you want to go down the mountain with me?¡±


    With one swift motion, Little Jingkong grabbed his bundle: ¡°Yes!¡±


    Gu Jiao stood there, ¡°¡­!!¡±

 Chapter 60: Adopt 60

    Chapter 60: Adopt 60


    Gu Jiao had never been so bamboozled in her life, and particrly by a doughy little dumpling.


    ¡°You clearly stated that you wouldn¡¯t go down the mountain with me, monks should practice honesty!¡±


    ¡°That was just the past me, and now the current me ispletely unconnected! Now, I promise to go down the mountain with you!¡±


    Gu Jiao: Is that even allowed?


    The little monk dashed into the house, ¡°Master! Someone wants to adopt me!¡±


    Gu Jiao: Hold on, I¡¯m pretty sure those weren¡¯t my exact words!


    ¡°Who might that be?¡± asked the kindly abbot.


    The little monk pointed at Gu Jiao, ¡°Her!¡±


    Gu Jiao, who had just stepped into the meditation room was stunned, ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s the young Gu, Amitabha.¡± The abbot raised his palm in a Buddhist greeting to Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao cleared her throat, saying, ¡°Master, what I actually meant was¡­¡±


    The abbot gave her a gentle smile. ¡°Young Gu, I understand your intentions. You needn¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t make things difficult for you.¡±


    Gu Jiao heaved a silent sigh of relief. Thank goodness the abbot understood.


    The abbot gravely said, ¡°The child is actually a student of my junior brother. Normally, you¡¯d need his okay first. But I am aware of the kind of person you are, young Gu. Therefore, I can make the decision for him.¡±


    Gu Jiao was confused. ¡°Wait, what? What decision did you make?¡±


    ¡°Now, Little Monk, you must obey young Gu once you leave the mountain. Do you understand?¡± said the abbot to the little monk.


    With a nod of his head, the little monk replied, ¡°Yes, I understand, Master!¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­ Does it always go down as straightforwardly as this?¡±


    Gu Jiao said, ¡°I believe we should ask the opinion of others as well. For instance, what his fellow disciples think¡­¡±


    Bam!


    A chair was moved into the room.


    ¡°Here, Little Monk, this is your favorite bamboo chair. Your big brother has gifted it to you. Remember your big brother once you¡¯re down the hill!¡±


    Thud!


    A spinning top was shoved into the little monk¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Here, Little Monk, this is your favorite top. Brother Two has given it to you. Don¡¯t forget Brother Two!¡±


    Subsequently, each of the disciples brought farewell gifts with such speed, as if worried Gu Jiao might change her mind if they were too slow.


    Gu Jiao had to resist a grin. What on earth did this little monk do to turn his fellow disciples into such a frenzied mess¡­


    Was there still time to change my mind?


    Gu Jiao came up here to buy the mountain, but she ended up with an extra charge on her way down.


    The abbot cracked a smile and said, ¡°Buy one get one free!¡±


    Gu Jiao: I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯ve profited in any way!


    ¡ª


    Today was Xiao Ling¡¯s big day.


    Regardless of his personal feelings, he had made the enormous transition from being thest in ss Beta to being the first in the county examination.


    If it had been a top student from the Upper Division who made the first rank, the celebration would not have been such a big deal.


    Frankly speaking, the leap was too big.


    Hence, Xiao Ling was the center of attention at the Academy for the whole day. ording to Uncle Luo, some folks had gone to the vige to spread the good news. By now, every viger must know.


    Sure enough, as soon as he reached his front door, he saw people crowding in and outside his house.


    Country folks love a bustling scene. They would gather around whenever anything happened in any household.


    Xiao Ling took a deep breath, preparing for the onught of chatter from his fellow vigers. But something unexpected happened.


    The vige folks were so densely packed, he couldn¡¯t get into his house. So, he tapped on the shoulder of a woman in the front: ¡°Miss Zhao, I need to get inside.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡± Miss Zhao asked, with a dismissive shrug.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Ling,¡± he said.


    Miss Zhao quickly nced at him, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Ling. You¡¯re back.¡±


    Having spoken, she turned back to concentrate on whatever was happening inside, ignoring Xiao Ling.


    Xiao Ling was a little taken aback.


    Weren¡¯t you all here for me? Why the indifference?


    Xiao Ling tried to call out to a few others, but all of them seemed too busy to pay him any attention. He was puzzled. If they weren¡¯t here for him, why were they crowded in front of his house?


    It was only after he struggled to make his way onto the doorway stopped by the sight.


    There in his drawing room was a midget of a monk!


    The little monk was obediently sitting on a small stool beside his grandmother, looking innocent and adorable.


    The vigers had never seen such a tiny monk before, both cute and good-looking. It was quite a novelty!


    Xiao Ling¡¯s spotlight, his moment of glory, had been usurped by a little monk! Who could hein about this to?


    It wasn¡¯t until dusk when the vigers started to trickle away, leaving Xiao Ling in the dark. Particrly when Gu Jiao came out with a bowl of vegetables and the little one flung himself at her, his face grew even darker.


    ¡°Tell me, what really happened?¡± He looked questioningly at his grandmother and Gu Jiao.


    Grandma rolling her sunflower seeds in her mouth said, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, I didn¡¯t bring him home!¡±


    After taking a pause, Gu Jiao then spoke, ¡°What if I told you that he came with the mountain I bought? Would you believe me?¡±


    Xiao Ling: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Jingkong, go wash your hands in the backyard. I¡¯ve already fetched the water for you.¡± Gu Jiao promptly sent the little monk away and recited the events to Xiao Ling, excluding, of course, the part where she got manipted by the little one. It was a bit embarrassing and something she would never admit to, ¡°¡­ He was just too pitiful, so I brought him home.¡±


    Xiao Ling eyed Gu Jiao suspiciously. He felt like she wasn¡¯t someone this benevolent, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not the one who was conned?¡±


    Gu Jiao¡¯s eyes widened in defiance, ¡°Definitely not! He¡¯s just a few years old, how could he possibly con me? I¡¯m not that dim!¡±


    Xiao Ling was doubtful.


    Gu Jiao quickly tried to change the subject, ¡°If you don¡¯t like it¡­¡±


    Xiao Ling cut her off, ¡°It¡¯s okay. As long as you¡¯re happy.¡±


    They weren¡¯t a real couple. She was at liberty to foster as many children as she wanted.


    Gu Jiao stepped into the kitchen to serve the meal.


    Jingkong returned to the main room after washing his hands. He walked toward Xiao Ling and examined him top to bottom before asking earnestly, ¡°Are you my dad?¡±


    Xiao Ling balked, ¡°Did she im you as her son?¡±


    Jingkong shook his head, ¡°Not really. Jiaojiao said it was up to me. So I¡¯m asking you, do you want to be my dad or something else?¡±


    Xiao Ling casually said, ¡°I don¡¯t have a son as big as you.¡±


    Jingkong corrected him very solemnly, ¡°I¡¯m not big, I¡¯m only six!¡±


    Xiao Ling chuckled, ¡°Really? You seem more like three to me.¡±


    Jingkong looked down, feeling cheated by a few extra years, ¡°¡­¡±


    Jingkong tilted his head thoughtfully, ¡°So, you want to be my big brother?¡±


    Before Xiao Ling could answer, Jingkong agreed thoughtfully, nodding his head, ¡°Alright then, nothing tastes better than dumplings, and nothing is more fun than¡­¡±


    Xiao Ling shuddered, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    What a mischievous little monk!!!

 Chapter 61: 61 Arrogant

    Chapter 61: 61 Arrogant


    The woodcutter on Back Mountain loved to curse, a fact that the little monks had often heard. The other three no longer remembered it, but Little Jingkong never forgot.


    He took theirints at face value, after all, the dumplings truly did taste delicious, and he really did want to y with Jiaojiao.


    ¡°Don¡¯t repeat that again.¡± Xiao Ling stated sternly.


    ¡°Why?¡± Little Jingkong blinked, asking innocently.


    Xiao Ling opened his mouth, ¡°Jiaojiao won¡¯t like it.¡±


    Speaking of this, he discreetly nced towards the kitchen.


    She was so far away, she likely hadn¡¯t heard him say her name.


    By the time Gu Jiao brought the food from the kitchen, the two men of the family had already established their rtionship.


    Xiao Ling pointed at Gu Jiao, saying, ¡°She¡¯s your sister, your real sister.¡±


    There could be no improper thoughts now.


    Moreover, since Gu Jiao already had a brother, having one more made no difference.


    Little Jingkong now understood Gu Jiao¡¯s family rtionship and, sounding like a little adult, sighed, ¡°Fine, even though I¡¯m not her one and only little brother, neither are you her one and only man.¡±


    He patted his little chest, indicating he too, was Jiaojiao¡¯s little man!


    Xiao Ling was speechless¡­


    Little monk, you sure are bold on your first day home.


    To show that he was a responsible little man, Little Jingkong even helped Gu Jiao set the bowls and chopsticks.


    In reality, the little monks from the temple had a tougher life than ordinary kids. They practiced martial arts, went to school, and worked, without missing a single thing. So despite his small stature, he approached his tasks in an impressive manner.


    Dinner was a dry pot of wild mushrooms, green pepper with chicken eggs, cornmeal porridge, and cabbage buns. They could afford meat on normal days, but since they were too busy to go to town to get any meat today, they went without.


    The little monk looked at the table full of vegetarian dishes and couldn¡¯t hide his little disappointment, ¡°No meat?¡±


    Xiao Lingughed, ¡°Aren¡¯t you a monk? Can monks eat meat?¡±


    Little Jingkong stated quite seriously, ¡°But now that I¡¯m down the mountain, I¡¯m not a monk!¡±


    Xiao Ling nced at his small bald head.


    Little Jingkong quickly covered his bald head with his small hand, ¡°My¡­ my hair will grow back!¡±


    Xiao Ling seriously replied, ¡°Our family can¡¯t afford meat.¡±


    Little Jingkong let out an ¡°Ah¡± and looked at the furnishings in the house. They were indeed very frugal, as if they were really poor.


    ¡°Oh.¡± He didn¡¯t argue about wanting meat anymore. Removing his hand from his head, he obediently went to pick up the vegetables.


    He is Little Jingkong who isn¡¯t picky with his food. He is easy to take care of!


    Gu Jiaoughed, ¡°Your brother-inw is just teasing you. We¡¯ll have meat tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Um!¡± Little Jingkong grinned ear to ear, then as if remembering something, he red at Xiao Ling with a serious expression, ¡°Naughty brother-inw!¡±


    Little Jingkong¡¯s appetite was really not to be underestimated. Fortunately, Gu Jiao made enough steamed buns.


    After dinner, Gu Jiao started to clean up the dishes and bowls, but Little Jingkong insisted on washing his own.


    It was a habit fostered in the temple. In order for them to be independent, his senior brother insisted they do things like getting dressed, washing, and doing dishes themselves.


    Only bathing needed help, after all, he was too small and couldn¡¯t even reach over the rim of the tub.


    The house didn¡¯t have a tub, just a wooden basin. But he was so small that even if he was given a basin, he still wouldn¡¯t be able to bathe by himself.


    Gu Jiao had never bathed a child this young before, and it felt a bit strange.


    She took the basin to the kitchen. The stove in the kitchen, which had just been used for cooking, still had some unextinguished firewood in it. The kitchen was warmer than Granny¡¯s room, and she had hot water ready in the kettle, so she could add it to the basin whenever the water cooled down.


    Gu Jiao went into the room to take out Little Jingkong¡¯s clothes.


    Little Jingkong obediently sat on the small stool and waited for Gu Jiao.


    But to his surprise, it wasn¡¯t Gu Jiao who turned up but Xiao Ling.


    Obviously, he preferred Gu Jiao who was full of kindness towards him and often charmed him over cold and somewhat disdainful Xiao Ling.


    ¡°Sigh.¡± Little Jingkong sighed.


    He was quite disappointed.


    Xiao Ling: ¡°¡­¡±


    After his bath, it was time for Little Jingkong to go to bed.


    There were only three rooms in the house without any extras for him. Considering his small size, Gu Jiao figured that he could share a room without much trouble.


    The Granny¡¯s room was the warmest, and seemed to be the perfect choice.


    ¡°Go and sleep with your grandma.¡± Gu Jiao gave him a small pillow.


    Little Monk came to the olddy¡¯s room with the small pillow, but instead of rushing in, he stood at the door, earnestly examining it: ¡°If you agree to share half of the preserved sweets you have hidden, I¡¯ll sleep with you.¡±


    Without a word, the olddy mmed the door shut!


    Little Monk returned to Gu Jiao¡¯s room with his pillow: ¡°Grandma won¡¯t sleep with me.¡±


    Thinking of the olddy¡¯s entric temper, and then hearing the violent m of the door, Gu Jiao was not surprised, and pulled up the quilt, saying, ¡°Then you sleep with me.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Little Monk smiled happily, put the pillow on the bed, climbed up with his short legs, and just as he was halfway up, Xiao Ling lifted him up.


    Xiao Ling: ¡°You sleep with me.¡±


    Little Monk: ¡°I don¡¯t want to sleep with you.¡±


    Xiao Ling: ¡°No, you do.¡±


    Little Monk was brought back to the room by Xiao Ling.


    Xiao Ling¡¯s bed was not as big as Gu Jiao¡¯s, but it wasn¡¯t small either. It was quite spacious for the two of them, but Little Monk didn¡¯t lie down properly on one side. Instead, he sprawled out in the middle of the bed like a bullseye.


    Xiao Ling put his crutch aside, his eyebrows slightly furrowed: ¡°Sleep well.¡±


    Little Monk rolled around on the bed: ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Xiao Ling said coldly: ¡°If you keep this up, I¡¯ll throw you out and you won¡¯t be allowed to sleep.¡±


    Little Monk was about to speak.


    Xiao Ling said: ¡°I¡¯ll also lock the door, and you won¡¯t be allowed to get to the other side.¡±


    With his retreat route blocked, Little Monk fell silent.


    Xiao Ling raised an eyebrow, saying, ¡°You better behave yourself, or I might consider letting you squeeze in.¡±


    Little Monk was taken aback for a moment, then climbed up and said, ¡°I should be the one saying that to you. Jiaojiao said that I am part of this family too! So I should be the one letting you squeeze in with me!¡±


    Xiao Ling understood the beginning of the sentence, but what did thest two sentences mean?


    He asked indifferently, ¡°What do you mean, ¡®you let me squeeze in¡¯?¡±


    Little Monk put his hands on his hips and looked at him: ¡°Because I am part of the family, so I have a share in the house too! You and Jiaojiao are married, so you two should share a room, that one is yours! This one is mine! Jiaojiao doesn¡¯t want to sleep with you, so now I¡¯m taking you in!¡±


    Xiao Ling: unexpectedly, he couldn¡¯t argue¡­


    Children are the most unpredictable beings. One second, Little Monk was chattering away with Xiao Ling, the next, he turned andid his head on the soft pillow, fast asleep with drool flowing.


    Xiao Ling liked tranquility and naturally wasn¡¯t ustomed to this little thing that chirped all night, but he didn¡¯t actually throw him out.


    He picked Little Monk up from the pillow, tucked him into the quilt, and settled him down.


    Xiao Ling looked at this little guy who had stolen his limelight. Because of his arrival, everyone had forgotten that he made the top score in the county exam.


    Although his original intention foring first wasn¡¯t to show off, his heart still felt a bit ufortable, as if¡­something was missing.


    The door creaked open-


    The door was gently pushed open a crack, and Gu Jiao whispered through the gap, ¡°Are you asleep?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Xiao Ling paused, nced at the soundly sleeping Little Monk, and said, ¡°He is asleep.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ming in.¡± Gu Jiao stepped in quietly, holding amp, ¡°I noticed yourmp is almost out of oil, you can use mine tonight.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Xiao Ling sat on the edge of the bed, responding indifferently.


    Gu Jiao ced themp on his table: ¡°Um¡­ I haven¡¯t congratted you yet oning first in the county exam.¡±


    Xiao Ling¡¯s eyelids lifted slightly.


    ¡°Here you go.¡± Gu Jiao handed him something.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Xiao Ling asked.


    Gu Jiao smiled slightly: ¡°This is your reward for your incredible progress.¡±


    Xiao Ling turned away, ¡°I¡¯m not a child, I don¡¯t need any rewards.¡±


    Even so, he still reached out and took it. It was a sachet Gu Jiao had made by hand filled with dried flowers for aiding sleep, which she had also made herself.


    Gu Jiao whispered, ¡°Keep the sachet with you, and you¡¯ll have a good night¡¯s sleep.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Xiao Ling want to ask her how she knew his sleep was poor.


    Gu Jiao guessed what he wanted to ask, and smiled, ¡°You forgot, we¡¯ve slept together.¡±


    Xiao Ling¡¯s eyebrows twitched, but he maintained his calm demeanor.


    Gu Jiao intended to return to her room, she took a step and then suddenly turned back, leaning in to whisper in his ear, ¡°Did you¡­did you just call me Jiaojiao?¡±

 Chapter 62: 62 Sickly Cute

    Chapter 62: 62 Sickly Cute


    The two of them were too close; her breath fell on his ear, and he could clearly feel his earlobe burning.


    ¡°No,¡± he denied, not turning his head to look at her.


    Gu Jiao, however, kept staring at him. His earlobe and cheek were both hot, the slender and slightly reddish neck under his ck hair was filled with adolescent naivety and charm.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, I heard it anyway.¡±


    With that, Gu Jiao went out, satisfied.


    Xiao Ling this time gave her a nce and noticed she had grown taller. Although her body was still slender, it had filled out in all the right ces.


    Where was he looking?


    Xiao Ling shamefully withdrew his gaze.


    That night, Xiao Ling had a rather peaceful sleep.


    Upon waking, he nced to see a little foot sprawled across his chest.


    Little Xiaoshun was spread out in all directions, sleeping in the most presumptuous manner.


    Xiao Ling moved his little foot away, remained silent for a moment, took out the sachet given by Gu Jiao, ced it in the most eye-catching position on the pillow, and then started to study with themp.


    Upon waking, Xiaoshun noticed the sachet on the pillow, rubbed his big eyes and asked in confusion, ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s this?¡±


    Xiao Ling casually replied while studying, ¡°It¡¯s a sachet.¡±


    Xiaoshun hadn¡¯t seen a sachet before and kept turning it over, ¡°Who made it? It¡¯s so pretty!¡±


    ¡°Your sister made it,¡± Xiao Ling said.


    ¡°Is it for me?¡± Xiaoshun grabbed the sachet, swiftly climbed up, and excitedly bounced around the bedchamber.


    Xiao Ling looked at him without change in his expression: ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much, it was given to me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Xiaoshun suddenly stopped bouncing.


    Xiaoshun didn¡¯t believe it and took the sachet to Gu Jiao, who was cooking breakfast in the kitchen, for confirmation.


    Gu Jiao had no choice but to admit.


    Xiaoshun felt wronged.


    He wasn¡¯t a greedy child, it¡¯s just a child¡¯s nature that he doesn¡¯t understand why the bad brother-inw gets one and he doesn¡¯t!


    Looking at his aggrieved expression, Gu Jiao was moved.


    Gu Jiao had never raised a child, so she neglected the fact that this might cause a psychological imbnce. She main reason is that she didn¡¯t expect Xiao Ling to be childish enough to show off the sachet to Xiaoshun¡­


    Gu Jiao exined to Xiaoshun the origin of the sachet. Being a sensible child, Xiaoshun was no longer unhappy after knowing its significance.


    Boldly, he went back to his room and returned the sachet to Xiao Ling.


    Xiao Ling squinted at him, ¡°Not angry anymore?¡±


    Xiaoshun arched his chin and gave him a pitiful look: ¡°So your grades are that bad! Justing first once, and you need a reward! I alwayse first at the temple, I¡¯m used to it, I don¡¯t need a reward!¡±


    Xiao Ling: ¡°¡­¡±


    Today was another day of wanting to kick the annoying little monk out.


    After a while, Gu Xiaoshun came home for breakfast and met the new member of the house, Xiaoshun.


    Xiaoshun finally learned that there were not only two men in the house, Gu Xiaoshun was also a man of the house, he just didn¡¯t live here.


    Compared to Xiao Ling who always set traps for Xiaoshun, Gu Xiaoshun did not pose enough threat to make Xiaoshun cautious. Xiaoshun happily became good friends with him!


    After the two went to school, Gu Jiao also prepared to go to town.


    The winter clothes for olddy after she came here were made by Xue Ningxiang, back then Xue Ningxiang wasn¡¯t busy. But with theing of spring, Xue Ningxiang had to start farming and had no time for sewing. Gu Jiao nned to buy a few sets of ready-made clothes for the olddy in town.


    Xiaoshun also needed some new clothes, he was abandoned at the temple when he was half a year old and had never left the mountain since, his pack was filled with little monk robes.


    Hearing that Gu Jiao was going to the town, Xiaoshun immediately had stars in his eyes: ¡°Can I go? Can I go?¡±


    If it were just for buying clothes, Gu Jiao would of course take him, but Gu Jiao had other things to do.


    Gu Jiao rubbed his little bald head: ¡°I¡¯ll take you next time.¡±


    Gu Jiao could see that Xiaoshun still wanted to go, but he did not throw a tantrum and obediently stayed.


    This kid, quite a worry saver.


    Gu Jiao took her small basket and went to town.


    She wasn¡¯t going to practice medicine; she just had a habit of carrying a first and kit with her. After all, the secret of the first aid kit was too great, she felt at ease only having it with her; she might also need the medicines inside.


    Gu Jiao headed towards the street brimming with gambling houses, brothels, and martial arts arenas.


    An hourter, she emerged, rubbing her right wrist and feeling quite refreshed.


    She had sweated a lot, having taken off her cotton and now only wearing a thin jacket.


    ¡°A few days of not being here, and my skills have gotten rusty.¡±


    While she was sighing, she turned around with the intention of going to the shop in the east of the town to buy clothes for the olddy and the little monk, when within a few steps, she sensed something amiss.


    Someone was tailing her!


    Gu Jiao faintly raised the corner of her lips, not at all surprised that she had been targeted.


    All the better, she thought. She hadn¡¯t had enough practice. A few more would be just the thing.


    Just as she was about to exit the alley, she leisurely stopped in her tracks.


    The group after her also came to an abrupt stop, all with vignt eyes locked on her.


    Gu Jiao casually turned around, casting an indifferent nce at the crowd: ¡°All eight of you,e at me all at once!¡±


    The burly man at the front squinted coldly: ¡°You certainly have a big mouth! Girl, do you know who we are?¡±


    Gu Jiao looked at himnguidly: ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are, either fight or scram.¡±


    The muscr man at the front scoffed: ¡°This ce, Heishui Lane, is no ce for you girl. I¡¯m giving you a chance to beg for mercy. All you have to do is cut off your right arm and promise never to interfere with our business again, and I¡¯ll spare your life!¡±


    Gu Jiao¡¯s patience wasn¡¯t for these people, she had said what she wanted to say and they were still chattering, this was quite annoying!


    Gu Jiao dashed towards them, kicked off the wall, and with another spinning kick, her footnded on the face of the leading muscr man. He didn¡¯t even have time to react before he was sent flying!


    ¡°Big Brother!¡±


    They were all dumbfounded.


    Gu Jiao wouldn¡¯t give them the chance to react, her palm forming a knife, she instantly knocked out three more.


    Just like that, half of their force was gone.


    The remaining four lunged at her, Gu Jiao seized the first two, swung them around, and fiercely smashed them into the other two.


    The four of them were sent flying, vomiting blood, clutching their chests, they could barely believe this was real!


    Gu Jiao dusted off her hands, turned to leave, but then a shadow whistled over her head.


    There¡¯s another one?


    And he knows light-footed techniques?


    He really esteemed her highly!


    Gu Jiao picked up a wooden stick from the ground, bounded up the wall in a few steps, and whacked down the man in ck!


    The man in ck waspletely shocked as he tumbled down.


    Miss, do you have a grudge against me?


    Gu Jiao: ¡°Hah, ying dumb won¡¯t help.¡±


    The man in ck: No really, I don¡¯t know you!


    Gu Jiao knocked him out with a single blow of her stick!


    The man in ck: ¡°¡­¡±


    Having finished with him, Gu Jiao spotted another nearby. However, that person was extremely vignt, and the moment she noticed him, he quickly disappeared into the crowd.


    ¡°Hurry! The assassin is over there!¡±


    Apanying a harsh cry from the end of the alley, several muscr guards rushed over.


    They looked at the unconscious assassin, then at the thugs littered all over the street,pletely bewildered as to what had taken ce. Had the assassin been shing with the local ruffians and both sides suffered?


    But this was a skilled assassin, how could he have been taken down by these thugs?


    ¡°Miss, are you hurt?¡± one of the guards asked Gu Jiao.


    ¡°No,¡± Gu Jiao shook her head. She felt that the guards¡¯ uniform seemed familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before.


    As she was pondering, a carriage stopped at the entrance of the alley.


    The curtain of the carriage was gently lifted by a pale hand, revealing a sickly but handsome young face.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s eyes brightened, Little Sick Beauty?

 Chapter 63: 63 Siblings

    Chapter 63: 63 Siblings


    At the sight of Gu Jiao¡¯s eyes, Gu Yan knew she remembered him. A hint of joy spread across his normally indifferent handsome face.


    The moment Gu Jiao saw him smile, her mood brightened. She was about to approach him to greet him when she saw him put his finger to his lips.


    Gu Jiao immediately understood and lowered her gaze, pretending to see nothing.


    Though these guards were from the Warm Spring Vi, they hadn¡¯t encountered Gu Jiao before, hence, they didn¡¯t recognize her. Since Gu Jiao seems unbothered, they continued their search.


    Once they were out of sight, Gu Jiao approached the carriage.


    It was amon folk¡¯s carriage, very rudimentary. It was a good disguise that the guards would never suspect that their precious Young Master from the Marquis Residence might be hiding in it.


    The coachman was a local, paid well in silver, he wouldn¡¯t spill the secrets.


    Gu Jiao pulled back the curtain and turned to the delicate and sickly young man in front, asking, ¡°What brings you here? And why did you lose your guards?¡±


    ¡°I came to look for you,¡± Gu Yan honestly replied.


    ¡°To look for me? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Gu Jiao subconsciously reached in to check his pulse, only remembering mid-way that she was a mere assistant in the Marquis Residence.


    She silently withdrew her hand.


    A slight smile appeared on Gu Yan¡¯s pale face, ¡°I know it¡¯s you.¡±


    How did he discover that?


    Did she identally reveal something?


    Gu Jiao felt slightly baffled.


    Gu Yan was amused by her confusion, ¡°Others might not know, but you cane in.¡±


    Her secret seems to be increasingly difficult to keep. First, it was the old man, then the second master and the old doctor, and now the Young Master of Marquis Residence.


    But Gu Jiao decided to keep denying, ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who treated you; it was Doctor Li from Huichun Hall. I¡¯m just his little assistant!¡±


    Gu Yan smiled gently, ¡°Alright, little assistant, are youing in? If not, they are going to find me.¡±


    After a moment of hesitation, Gu Jiao climbed into the carriage.


    She sat down beside Gu Yan.


    This carriage was so shabby, Gu Jiao was surprised that the Young Master could bear it.


    But for Gu Yan, there was no hardship, as long as he could see her.


    Gu Yan smiled and extended his thin, pale wrist, ¡°Little assistant, do you want to check my pulse?¡±


    Gu Jiao replied calmly, ¡°It may not be urate.¡±


    Gu Yan nodded with a smile, ¡°Sure.¡±


    After checking his pulse, Gu Jiao found that it was much steadier than before.


    Then she opened the first aid kit and brought out a stethoscope.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Gu Yan asked curiously.


    ¡°A stethoscope. Now take off your clothes.¡± Doctor Gu said indifferently.


    Gu Yan was startled, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Gu Jiao unbuttoned his clothes and ced the stethoscope inside.


    The heart rhythm was still irregr with some noise. The medicine for heart failure seemed to be working on him, but it wasn¡¯t magical.


    ¡°You must be suffering, right?¡± Gu Jiao withdrew the stethoscope.


    Gu Yan lowered his head, his slender pale fingers buttoning up his clothes, ¡°It¡¯s not that bad, truly. It¡¯s better than before.¡±


    He had been suffering from heart disease for many years and hadn¡¯t experienced what it was like to be normal. Any improvement, no matter how slight, was a relief to him.


    ¡°I apologize for the incident with the jade ring.¡± Gu Yan suddenly spoke up.


    Gu Jiao was taken aback, she had almost forgotten about it since it didn¡¯t matter if irrelevant people misunderstood her. ¡°It was I who took your ring first; it¡¯s me who should apologize to you.¡±


    Gu Yan hated to be treated distantly by her: ¡°I don¡¯t want your apology.¡±


    Gu Jiao smiled briefly and did not continue on the subject: ¡°Why did you lose your guards?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re annoying,¡± Gu Yan replied.


    Gu Jiao lifted the curtain and looked at the man in ck on the ground: ¡°But you might be attacked.¡±


    Gu Yan replied with a smile, ¡°He is not an assassin, he is my secret bodyguard, it was he who led them away.¡±


    Gu Jiao blinked innocently, ¡°That¡¯s really unfortunate for him, getting injured by a few thugs.¡±


    Another dark guard not far away spat out a mouthful of old blood. Youngdy, is it really okay to lie with your eyes wide open?


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Gu Yan chuckled, ¡°He was injured by thugs, let¡¯s ignore him, let him fend for himself.¡±


    ¡­ No need to go that far though.


    Gu Jiao cleared her throat. ¡°You have more than one dark guard, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Gu Yan¡¯s smile didn¡¯t fade. ¡°I have two.¡±


    It appears that the one who got away was definitely his dark guard. Thankfully, she did not catch up to him. It would have been a hassle if she had knocked out that one as well.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s face was a capital letter¡¯s worth of embarrassment.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Gu Yan asked.


    ¡°Gu Jiao,¡± Gu Jiao answered.


    Gu Yan was surprised, ¡°Your surname is Gu. My name is Gu Yan. We are from the same family 500 years ago.¡±


    Gu Jiaoughed. Was the esteemed young master of the Marquis Residence degrading his status to im kinship with a vige girl? Won¡¯t he be reprimanded by the Marquis and the Marquise?


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Gu Yan asked.


    Having gotten up early and walked a long way, Gu Jiao was indeed a bit hungry now.


    Town West wasn¡¯t as bustling as Town East. There weren¡¯t many high-end restaurants. After a while, they found a passable small restaurant.


    ¡°Have you been to a ce like this before?¡± Gu Jiao asked as she stepped down from the carriage.


    ¡°No,¡± Gu Yan replied honestly.


    As the frail young master who¡¯d be willing to copse at the slightest wind, the Marquis Residence had brought him up with utmost care. They would never allow him to visit such ces of themon folk.


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t too interested either. Firstly, he didn¡¯t have the energy to fuss over such things, and secondly, he was too world-weary to bother.


    Things are different now.


    He didn¡¯t feel as sick, and more importantly, he wanted to see her.


    The two found a secluded corner to sit in. Gu Yan¡¯s appearance, temperament, and attire made it impossible not to attract attention. He hated being stared at, but if it meant being with her, he didn¡¯t mind.


    The waiter, having never seen such a noble young master,pletely forgot his manners.


    Gu Yan ordered a table full of delicious dishes.


    Gu Jiao knitted her brows, ¡°Can you eat all this?¡±


    There were Braised Lion¡¯s Heads, Candied Pork Hocks, and Steamed Assorted Meats. With his illness, he had to watch his diet!


    Gu Yan rested his chin on his hand and watched her, ¡°You help me eat.¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±


    Gu Jiao really wanted to be more reserved, but he ordered all the dishes she loved.


    Actually, they were also things that Gu Yan had always wanted to eat, but the imperial physician wouldn¡¯t let him.


    In the end, Gu Jiao was the one eating hearty meat dishes, while Gu Yan could only drink porridge on the side.


    But, watching her eat as if he could taste the food himself, was a satisfying feeling he had never experienced before.


    After the meal, Gu Yan went to pay the bill while Gu Jiao took another look at the first aid kit.


    As expected, there was more medicine for heart failure.


    Gu Jiao removed the original packaging and, likest time, poured it into several small porcin bottlesbeled with dosages and instructions in cinnabar.


    When Gu Yan came over, Gu Jiao handed him the medicine, ¡°Your medicine is almost finished, right?¡±


    Gu Yan looked at the medicine in her hand and was momentarily lost in thought.


    Gu Jiao continued to dig her own grave, ¡°Doctor Li gave it to me!¡±


    Gu Yan: ¡°¡­Oh.¡±


    ¡°Take your medicine on time. It¡¯s okay to go out for a change of mood, but don¡¯t run away from your guards again, especially because your dark guards aren¡¯t verypetent¡­ one stick and they fall¡­


    Gu Jiao said earnestly, but when she saw him smiling at her, her heart stuttered and she quickly added, ¡°I didn¡¯t hit them! I didn¡¯t! I don¡¯t hit people!¡±


    ¡ª¡ªThere seems to be three hundred taels of silver buried here.


    Gu Yanughed inwardly like an idiot.

 Chapter 64: 64 Marquis

    Chapter 64: 64 Marquis


    Gu Yan couldn¡¯t stay in the small restaurant for long because the guards from the Marquis Residence came looking for him.


    Gu Yan didn¡¯t let them disturb Gu Jiao, and he quietly bid her farewell.


    As she watched his retreating figure, Gu Jiao felt a slight tug at her heartstrings. ¡ª¡ª He was handsome and from a prestigious family, gentle as jade and polite. Why would heaven torture such a perfect and obedient boy?


    The polite and obedient boy lost all sense of humor as soon as he got into the carriage of the Marquis Residence, his harsh temperament was all out, his eyes turned icy cold, and he was like apletely different person than who he was in front of Gu Jiao.


    The man in ck who was knocked unconscious by Gu Jiao had returned to Gu Yan¡¯s side with hispanion. Both of them tried their utmost to make themselves inconspicuous, and they didn¡¯t even dare to breathe loudly.


    They had seen the unabashedly shameless side of their young master. Was he capable of maintaining this obedient facade in front of the Marquise and the Marquis as well!?


    Who was that annoying devil who was always so irritable!?


    Strictly speaking, the two subordinates had failed in their duty today, yet their young master didn¡¯t me them, showing he was in an exceptionally good mood. Considering this, would it be the right time to ry the news to him then?


    ¡°Haven¡¯t left yet, got anything else?¡± Gu Yan asked with distaste.


    The two exchanged a nce, and in the end, the man in ck who was knocked unconscious spoke up, ¡°The Marquis is on his way here.¡±


    Gu Yan¡¯s aura turned cold all of a sudden.


    After a pause, he stretched out his hand: ¡°The paintings.¡±


    The two quickly handed over a priceless antique painting in their possession each.


    Gu Yan grabbed them and promptly tore them to shreds!


    Meanwhile, Gu Jiao was also preparing to leave.


    The dishes served today were delicious, so Gu Jiao bought a portion of Candied Pork Hock and a bowl of Braised Lion¡¯s Head. She paid a fifty wen deposit and asked the shopkeeper to pack them in two jars to take home.


    Just as she was carrying the jars out of the restaurant, a rider on horseback raced past. He was whipping his horse, rudely dispersing the crowd on the street.


    An old woman, trying to avoid his whip, stumbled and bumped into Gu Jiao¡¯s jars.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s jars fell to the ground, shattering with a loud crash. The soup and pork sprinkled all over the ground and were immediately trampled on by a panicked auntie.


    ¡°Oh dear¡ª¡ª¡±


    The auntie¡¯s foot slipped, and she almost fell. Gu Jiao stepped forward and pulled her aside.


    The old woman, realizing what had happened, immediately apologized to Gu Jiao: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss. I didn¡¯t mean for this to happen.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t her to me for this incident; the real culprit was the man who had been recklessly riding his horse on the street.


    Unaffected by the chaos he had caused and not even sparing a nce at Gu Jiao, the man was about to whip the horse again when Gu Jiao grabbed his whip.


    Then, without giving him a chance to argue, she yanked him off his carriage unceremoniously.


    The man fell hard on the ground, losing control of his horse, which galloped away.


    He was a martial artist, so the fall didn¡¯t injure him too much, it was just a minor injury. However, he was furious. Who would dare to throw him off his horse in public!


    He charged at Gu Jiao, who held the whip in her hand, and with just one swing, she sent him flying.


    He crashed into a carriage behind him.


    The carriage wobbled violently. A young girl inside couldn¡¯t keep her bnce and hit her head against the carriage wall, letting out a cry of pain: ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª¡±


    At that moment, the carriage came to a halt. The man that Gu Jiao had smacked down seconds ago was scrambling to his feet in fear, kneeling by the side of the carriage, he begged, ¡°I havemitted a fault! Please, my lord, punish me!¡±


    Gu Jiao furrowed her brows in confusion. Marquis?


    Inside the carriage, the Marquis was supporting his daughter, Jin Yu, who had bumped her head. Worried, he asked, ¡°Jin Yu, are you all right?¡±


    Jin Yu¡¯s forehead was red, a minor injury. Compared to any of Gu Jiao¡¯s numerous old and new wounds, this was nothing. But what could you expect from someone who had been pampered her whole life?


    She has never suffered or been wronged in any way.


    Gu Jinyu covered her forehead, looking pitifully at the Marquis with tears welling up in her eyes: ¡°It hurts.¡±


    ¡°Let me look at it.¡± Once the Marquis lifted her hand to inspect her reddened forehead, his anger red.


    He threw the curtain back forcefully, looking icily at the kneeling guard: ¡°What happened?!¡±


    The guard pointed at Gu Jiao, exining, ¡°I was leading the way ahead when she confiscated my whip, yanked me off my horse, and whipped me until I collided with the Marquis¡¯s carriage.¡±


    The bystanders, who were trembling in fear at the Marquis¡¯s anger, dropped to their knees, all except for Gu Jiao, who stood defiantly in the open.


    The Marquis¡¯s icy gaze made its way to Gu Jiao¡¯s face.


    It was a face that you wouldn¡¯t wish toy eyes on a second time, her eyebrows and eyes were cold. The blood-red birthmark made her skin appear unusually fair, adding a hint of wildness to her grant allure.


    Her eyes were cold and sharp, not shrinking away from the Marquis¡¯s gaze.


    She was dressed like a rural viger, not much younger than Jin Yu, yet she carried such a terrifying sharpness in her eyes.


    The Marquis snapped, ¡°You¡¯ve quite the nerve!¡±


    Whether it was beating up his guard in the street, or refusing to kneel before him, she was undoubtedly audacious!


    However, Gu Jiao did not falter under his reprimand; instead, she strode forward, whip in hand.


    The guard abruptly stood up, drawing his sword to block her path.


    Without even batting an eyelid, Gu Jiao whipped his sword back into its sheath!


    Everyone was stunned!


    The Marquis was dumbstruck too.


    Gu Jiao walked up to the carriage, unphased by the crowd that was buzzing around her.


    She held out her hand to the Marquis.


    The Marquis frowned, ¡°What for?¡±


    Gu Jiao calmly stated, ¡°A jar costs fifty coins, candied pork hock sixty coins, braised lion¡¯s head forty coins, and I will need to order another set from the shopkeeper which is an additional hundred coins. That brings the total to two hundred and fifty.¡±


    The Marquis: ¡°¡­¡±


    Feeling like he was being mocked.


    The Marquis nced at the mess on the floor, then towards the guilty guard. His face lowered in realization, and everything became clear to him.


    The Marquis coldly snorted, ¡°My man was certainly at fault, but aren¡¯t you being too arrogant, youngdy? Aren¡¯t you afraid that I will order your execution?¡±


    Gu Jiao nced at him, seeming to contemte his words seriously, then stated a momentter, ¡°Two hundred and forty-nine coins.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± The Marquis waspletely bewildered ¨C what on earth was going on?


    Gu Jinyu recognized Gu Jiao. She tugged at the Marquis¡¯s sleeve, gently shaking her head at him.


    The Marquis furrowed his brows, speaking to Gu Jiao, ¡°My daughter has pleaded on your behalf, therefore I will spare you!¡±


    With that, he tossed Gu Jiao a silver ingot, let down the curtain, and ordered his coachman to drive off.


    Gu Jiao only stated the amount of two hundred and forty-nine coins. He had given her more than what she asked for.


    Gu Jiao broke off a small piece from the silver ingot, casually tossing the rest back into the Marquis¡¯s carriage.


    The silver ingot hit the Marquis squarely on the head, causing a bump to form immediately!


    The Marquis: ¡°!!!¡±

 Chapter 65: Hold the wrong

    Chapter 65: Hold the wrong


    Marquis Gu was consumed with rage, a strained tension evident across his handsome face. Just as he was about to apprehend the little wretch and bring her to justice, a guard from the Marquis Residence rode up to him, saying: ¡°Marquis, something has happened to the young master!¡±


    Forgetting his anger towards Gu Jiao, Marquis Gu quicklymanded the guard to lead the way and raced towards the site of his son¡¯s mishap.


    Gu Yan¡¯s carriage had overturned midway. Although the secret guards managed to steady the carriage and prevent aplete tumble, it was still severely tilted and Gu Yan was thrown off.


    Gu Yan, always so frail and delicate that the household staff wouldn¡¯t dare let him suffer even a minor bump or scrape, had Marquis Gu frantic with worry. However, upon seeing Gu Yan, he found his sonpletely unharmed.


    Gu Yan was sitting on a stool, sunlight warming his long, outstretched legs.


    ¡°Brother!¡± Gu Jinyu got off her carriage, lifting her skirt as she approached Gu Yan. She knelt down beside him, holding his hand. ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    Marquis Gu, his expression odd, walked forward, staring unblinkingly at his son. ¡°Is anything hurting?¡±


    Gu Yan responded with indifference: ¡°I won¡¯t die.¡±


    Marquis Gu had already been informed about his son¡¯s improved condition. He had his doubts, but seeing Gu Yan now, he could tell it was true.


    The carriage toppled, but the individual was unscathed, previously an impossibility.


    Relieved, Marquis Gu let his son ride in his own carriage.


    The rtionship between father and son was strained, upon getting into the carriage, neither spoke. Only Gu Jinyu would asionally break the awkward silence in the carriage.


    On Marquis Gu¡¯s forehead was a swelling, a result of being hit with silver coins, to which Gu Yan kept staring steadfastly.


    Gu Jinyu thought her brother was worrying about their father, so she quickly exined, ¡°Brother, you don¡¯t know who we just ran into ¡ª it was that little medicine girl who took your jade ring¡­ Father gave her silver, but she didn¡¯t want it. Look at what she did to him.¡±


    ¡°She did this?¡± Gu Yan widened his eyes.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Jinyu nodded.


    Gu Yan suddenly burst outughing.


    He made no attempt to hide his glee over their father¡¯s misfortune.


    Marquis Gu felt an urge to hit someone in irritation. If this weren¡¯t his own son, he would have probably killed him by now!


    First, he was enraged by a wild girl, and now back home, he has to put up with his own son¡¯s antics. He was at a loss; was this a coordinated attack on him?


    The carriage soon arrived at the Hot Springs Vi.


    The vi staff, aware of the Marquis¡¯s arrival, were ted, as if it were New Year¡¯s again.


    It was no wonder they were so excited; the Marquis was rarely able to visit the vi due to his official duties in the Capital City. The Marchioness and younger master generally resided here, while the youngdy divided her time between the vi and the city.


    The kitchen staff prepared a feast to wee Marquis Gu and dust off the grime of travel. The family of four enjoyed a rare meal together.


    After dinner, Gu Jinyu led her brother back to their respective rooms, leaving Marquis Gu alone with Marchioness Yao.


    When in their children¡¯s presence, the couple appeared affectionate. The moment their children left, however, Marchioness Yao¡¯s smile faded slightly. ¡°It¡¯ste, my lord. You should rest. I¡¯ll have a room prepared for you.¡±


    Marquis Gu took hold of her hand, whispering gently, ¡°Are you still angry with me?¡±


    Marchioness Yao turned her face away. ¡°Dare I ever be angry with you, my lord? Please, don¡¯t be so absurd.¡±


    Marquis Gu looked at her affectionately, saying with regret, ¡°I¡¯m to me for not being able to visit you more often, but I truly have been busy. You¡¯re aware of the situation in the Capital City. The princes are all bing influential, and the Emperor is in his prime¡­¡±


    Marchioness Yao interrupted him. ¡°As for matters of the court, it¡¯s best not to discuss them with a simple woman like me. It¡¯s beyond myprehension. You¡¯vee to the vi unexpectedly, is there something you wish to address?¡±


    Marquis Gu swallowed his words.


    Of course, there was a matter of urgency.


    However, he was still unsure whether it was too early to inform her.


    With a calm demeanor, Marquis Gu said, ¡°I sought an eminent physician in the Capital City to treat Yan¡¯yan. I¡¯ve brought him along.¡±


    Marchioness Yao remarked, ¡°Yan¡¯yan¡¯s condition has improved significantly.¡±


    Marquis Gu responded, ¡°I¡¯m aware. Jin Yu has already informed me. The doctors at Huichun Hall are skilled, and Yan¡¯yan¡¯s health has greatly improved. However, they still doubt whether they can fully cure him. There¡¯s always hope if we get another doctor¡¯s opinion.¡±


    At this, Marchioness Yao and Marquis Gu were in agreement.


    Marquis Gu moved closer to his wife, whispering in her ear, ¡°I¡¯lle to youter, leave the door ajar.¡±


    Marchioness Yao nodded silently, then withdrew behind the curtains to her inner room.


    Watching his wife¡¯s retreating form, Marquis Gu sighed in resignation.


    Marquis Gu headed to the study before sending for Doctor Zhuge, who had been waiting for some time, to visit Gu Yan¡¯s room.


    Gu Yan was sleeping, Marquis Gu chose not to wake him, and after sending everyone else out, left Doctor Zhuge in the room.


    Marquis Gu was so wary mainly because Doctor Zhuge had a somewhat unique identity. It was imperative no one discover that he had left the Capital City or that he was associated with Marquis Gu¡¯s residence, the An Ding House.


    Marquis Gu watched Doctor Zhuge with a cold gaze. ¡°Your apprentice treated my son, and afterward, my son uttered some outrageous ims. I hope you understand, I am not a person who can be fooled! Never try to deceive me.¡±


    ¡°Of course not, my lord,¡± replied Doctor Zhuge calmly.


    Marquis Gu gave him a long, prating look, letting him pass to Gu Yan¡¯s bedside, where Doctor Zhuge took a drop of blood from Gu Yan¡¯s fingertip using a silver needle.


    Then, they proceeded to Gu Jinyu¡¯s room.


    Marquis Gu said, ¡°Jin Yu, the doctor wants a drop of blood from your fingertip.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is it for preparing medicine for my brother again?¡± A few months ago, a physician had taken her blood, saying it would serve as a guide when preparing her brother¡¯s medication.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s for medicine again,¡± Marquis Gu answered without batting an eye.


    Gu Jinyu hated pain, but for her brother, she could tolerate it. She closed her eyes and reached her hand out. ¡°Doctor, go ahead.¡±


    Doctor Zhuge took a drop of blood from her fingertip.


    With tear-filled eyes, Gu Jinyu winced in pain. Marquis Gu consoled her lovingly. Then, he left to await the results in the study.


    About fifteen minutester, Doctor Zhuge arrived with aplex expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s the result?¡± Marquis Gu asked anxiously.


    Doctor Zhuge looked steadily into Marquis Gu¡¯s eyes, saying, ¡°The young lord and your daughter¡¯s blood are ipatible. They are not rted by blood.¡±


    Although he had prepared himself, Marquis Gu was still thunderstruck when the confirmation came from Doctor Zhuge¡¯s lips, leaving him reeling.


    There was no doubt that Gu Yan was his son; the boy took after him in every way, right down to his temper. The only trait Gu Yan had inherited from his mother were his eyes.


    On the other hand, Gu Jinyu had never resembled either him or Marchioness Yao ¨C the older she got, the less alike she seemed.


    Marquis Gu couldn¡¯t help but be puzzled. Had his children been born at separate times, he would have doubted their legitimacy. However, they were twins; it was inconceivable that while one was his, the other might not be.


    He had never contemted the possibility of a mix-up.

 Chapter 66: Fainting Meat

    Chapter 66: Fainting Meat


    Marquis Gu was stunned for a while before he regained his voice, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this, especially the madam. I don¡¯t want her to be affected in any way.¡±


    Doctor Zhuge said, ¡°As long as the marquis will spare my useless apprentice, I will keep the marquis¡¯s secret for a lifetime. But, are you sure that the madam gave birth to twins?¡±


    I am certain, the madam was conscious during childbirth.¡±


    ¡°Then there is only one possibility.¡±


    A mixup.


    Marquis Gu pondered for a moment and ordered, ¡°You stay in the mansion for now, I will call you if needed.¡±


    Doctor Zhuge gave a bow, ¡°Ready to obey the Marquis at any time.¡±


    ¡°You may leave.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After Doctor Zhuge left, Marquis Gu copsed onto a chair, devoid of any energy, his mind felt nk.


    The night in the vi was terribly quiet, the thin moonlight silently fell on the ground, casting a light shadow on the trees and flowers in the courtyard.


    No doubt the children were switched.


    The how and why could only be asked of the servants who attended the birth at the Yao family.


    Unfortunately, after so many years, those people are no longer in the Marquis¡¯s Residence, making them difficult to find.


    Besides, he was not sure if the child was still alive.


    To say that he didn¡¯t care a bit would be false, but to say that he cared to the point of impulsiveness would be false too.


    The madam¡¯s health has been severely affected by her son¡¯s illness, he must consider whether she could withstand the blow of the truth.


    If telling her would harm her, then he would rather keep this secret for a lifetime.


    At the same time, he also has to consider Jin Yu¡¯s situation.


    Jin Yu is the child he raised with all his heart, and he loves her more than his four sons. He doesn¡¯t want Jin Yu to be hurt in any way.


    Finally, there is the other child.


    He had not yet decided whether he wanted to im that child, but he must find her no matter what.


    She is the only chance for Gu Yan¡¯s recovery, she can save Gu Yan¡¯s life.


    ¡°Servant!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marquis.¡±


    ¡°Call for Aunt Fang.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Aunt Fang is the housekeeper of the manor and also the personal maid of Madame Yao.


    When Madame Yao¡¯s brother got married, she unknowingly visited the Yao family in Qing City while pregnant, and stayed there for half a year before returning to Capital City. She intended to give birth in the Capital City, but thebor started halfway.


    Although Aunt Fang was not with Madame Yao at that time, she still knew more about what happened than most people.


    ¡°My lord, you summoned me?¡± Aunt Fang entered the room and greeted Marquis Gu.


    Marquis Gu raised his hand slightly without turning on the lights. His face was half-hidden in the darkness, cut by the moonlight in half light and half shadow.


    Marquis Gu asked, ¡°Where did the madam gave birth?¡±


    Aunt Fang was taken aback, ¡°Why does the marquis suddenly ask this?¡±


    Marquis Gu replied indifferently, ¡°I heard that the madam often goes to that temple to pray to the Bodhisattva recently and Yanyan¡¯s condition improved. I n to also pray there sometime.¡±


    Aunt Fang found it strange. The Marquis¡¯s Residence never believed in Buddhism, why would they suddenly mention going to the temple to pray?


    ¡ª


    On the other hand, Gu Jiao had taken the silver and asked the shopkeeper to make more candied pork hock and braised lion¡¯s head, again storing them in jars. Afterwards, she went to the Cloth Shop to buy several pairs of shoes and some clothes.


    With so many things, her small basket couldn¡¯t fit, and she wrapped tworge bundles and held them carefully.


    Xiaoling knew she woulde to town today, and whenever she came to town, she would always pick him up from school, so he told Uncle Luo to wait.


    After waiting for almost an hour, even Xiaoshun began to wonder if his sister had already gone back, then Jiaojiao showed up.


    She was small, and the bundles were shockinglyrge, almostpletely covering her. She struggled to poke her small head out from the side of the bundles, her cheeks were red and she was panting heavily.


    She wasn¡¯t tired, she was suffocating.


    The three quickly helped her to carry the bundle and put it in the ox cart.


    Once settled, Gu Xiaoshun urged, ¡°Uncle Luo, let¡¯s go back to the vige, I¡¯m starving!¡±


    Uncle Luoughed, ¡°Okay!¡±


    Gu Jiao wiped the sweat from her forehead, ¡°Why are you guys still not leaving?¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun said, ¡°We¡¯re waiting for you, brother-inw said you wereing.¡±


    Gu Jiao nced at Xiao Ling and said seriously, ¡°If you wait that long, aren¡¯t you afraid I would have gone back already?¡±


    Insisting on waiting for her, really!


    Xiao Ling responded casually, ¡°So you came sote, aren¡¯t you afraid we would have left already?¡±


    Going from the cloth shop to here was not on the way, so she had to make a detour just to check if he was waiting for her, really!


    Gu Xiaoshun touched his stomach and started to murmur: Suddenly I feel full, but why?


    When they arrived home, Xiao Jingkong had been waiting at the door for a long time. The olddy told him that Jiaojiao would be back by the time he counted to a hundred.


    After unknowingly counting to a hundred several times, the ox cart finally entered the vige.


    He ran out, shouting, ¡°Jiaojiao! Jiaojiao!¡±


    He really liked to call her Jiaojiao, and Gu Jiao went along with it. Seeing the little boy running towards her, she was about to warn him not to fall, but he fell.


    He must be used to falling by now. He didn¡¯t forget to hold his own bald head and rolled like a small winter melon to Gu Jiao¡¯s feet.


    Gu Xiaoshun was carrying the bundle, so Gu Jiao had her hands free. She picked up Xiao Jingkong and dusted him off, ¡°Did it hurt when you fell?¡±


    Xiao Jingkong shook his head, ¡°No! Doesn¡¯t hurt! I¡¯m really good at falling!¡±


    Gu Jiao: It¡¯s only impressive if you cause someone else to fall, not if you fall yourself.


    ¡°Call them.¡± Gu Jiao pointed to Xiao Ling and Gu Xiaoshun behind her.


    Xiao Jingkong was a polite little boy and obediently called out to his brother-inw Xiao Ling and Brother Xiaoshun.


    Even though he actually didn¡¯t want to call them.


    Gu Jiao took Xiao Jingkong home.


    Xiao Jingkong was hopping and skipping, incredibly happy!


    After they got home, Xiao Jingkong went to the kitchen and brought back a fewrge baked sweet potatoes.


    ¡°Jiaojiao, eat sweet potato! I baked it!¡±


    In fact, Xue Ningxiang brought the sweet potatoes over when she came to cook at noon. She made the fire, she washed the potatoes, and Xiao Jingkong just used tongs to ce the cleaned potatoes into the stove. Even when the potatoes were done, Xue Ningxiang was the one who pulled them out.


    But in Xiao Jingkong¡¯s opinion, hepleted the most important step in baking the sweet potatoes ¨C baking them, so they were his baked sweet potatoes!


    The things Sister Xue did were separately called getting the sweet potatoes, washing the sweet potatoes and pulling out the sweet potatoes!


    Gu Jiao gracefully took a bite.


    ¡°Is it good? Is it good? Is it good?¡± Xiao Jingkong asked with a tilted head.


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s good.¡± It was just a bit cold. It didn¡¯t matter if she ate it, Xiaoshun would be fine too, but Xiao Ling¡¯s stomach was delicate and he might upset it.


    Gu Jiao took the sweet potato to heat up in the kitchen and took out two bowls, filled them with Candied Pork Hock and Braised Lion¡¯s Head, and delivered them to Xue Ningxiang.


    Xue Ningxiang gave her some boiled eggs and steamed buns in return.


    When Gu Jiao returned, Xiao Jingkong had already set the bowls and chopsticks.


    The five family members sat down to eat.


    Xiao Jingkong obediently waited to be fed.


    Gu Jiao put a piece of meat from the pork hock that was fatty but not greasy into his bowl.


    Xiao Jingkong was so excited he started screaming with joy. He grabbed the chopsticks to pick up the meat. But before he could get it to his mouth, he smelled it and his eyes rolled back in his head. He fell backwards with a thump!


    He was sprawled on the ground, head tilted, tongue out, unconscious!


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±


    There really were people in this world who fainted at the sight of meat!

 Chapter 67: 67 is disappointing

    Chapter 67: 67 is disappointing


    Is there anything wrong with his physical health?


    Gu Jiao brought the child back to the room for a check-up, but found nothing wrong.


    Having lived two lives, she¡¯d seen people faint at the sight of blood, faint at the sight of a needle, but this was the first time she¡¯d seen someone faint at the sight of meat. Truly, you live and learn.


    The others were also surprised, but upon hearing the young fellow snoring, they knew he was fine.


    When Xiaojingkong woke up, the meat on the table was gone. He leaned over the table and burst into tears!


    ¡°My meat! My meat! My meat¡­¡±


    Everyone: It¡¯s not that we didn¡¯t leave any meat for you, it¡¯s that you simply can¡¯t eat it.


    Comforting others wasn¡¯t Gu Jiao¡¯s strong suit, so the olddy personally stepped in. She had deceived the world¡¯s most powerful people before; a little kid was nothing to her!


    In a short while, the olddy hadforted and quieted him.


    After leaving the olddy¡¯s room, Xiaojingkong went to Gu Jiao¡¯s room and tearfully said to Gu Jiao, ¡°The meat said it doesn¡¯t want to be eaten by me.¡±


    Gu Jiao was bbergasted: ¡°Ah¡­ it doesn¡¯t want to be eaten by you¡­¡±


    With teary eyes, Xiaojingkong bravely said, ¡°Granny said it was because I¡¯m still too small. When I grow up, it will be willing to be eaten by me.¡±


    Gu Jiao waspletely impressed by her Granny¡¯s wit. Who could think of such an excuse? She must have deceived many people before, right?


    The olddy couldn¡¯t remember clearly either. She only vaguely felt that she had indeed deceived quite a lot of people, both more and less powerful than her, all fooled by her convincingly.


    After Xiao Ling bathed Xiaojingkong, he, wearing his little pajamas, returned to Xiao Ling¡¯s, umm, scratch that, his own room!


    Having cleaned herself, Gu Jiao was also preparing to rest.


    At this moment, Xiaojingkong walked over with a small pillow.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Gu Jiao looked at him, ¡°Are you feeling unwell somewhere?¡±


    Xiaojingkong opened his watery eyes wide: ¡°My bed says it doesn¡¯t want me to sleep on it tonight.¡±


    Gu Jiao was struck, why did that sound so familiar?


    Could it be¡­ he¡¯s taken a piece of faulty logic and applied it elsewhere?


    Gu Jiao crossed her arms: ¡°Your bed didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    Xiaojingkong: ¡°It did.¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°It didn¡¯t; It can¡¯t talk.¡±


    Standing straight, Xiaojingkong said, ¡°How does Jiaojiao know it can¡¯t talk? Even my meat can talk, so my bed should be able to as well!¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡± I¡¯m speechless and can¡¯t argue against that.


    Gu Jiao sternly went to find the olddy.


    Whoever indoctrinated him with this faulty logic should fix it!


    The olddy promptly bolted the door,id down on the bed and covered her head with the quilt: ¡°I¡¯m sleeping! I¡¯m sleeping!¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±


    It¡¯s not right to be so irresponsible. After deceiving the boy, you don¡¯t even provide after-sales service. Bad review!


    Gu Jiao wouldn¡¯t use force on a small child, so she eventually took Xiaojingkong back to her own room.


    Xiao Ling didn¡¯t say a word throughout.


    Xiaojingkong, with a victorious little expression, waved at Xiao Ling: ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep in the main room tonight then! Don¡¯t miss me too much!¡±


    Xiaojingkong, gleefully hugging his pillow, bounced around on Gu Jiao¡¯s bed for a while, tired himself out and fell asleep.


    If Xiaojingkong thought he could sleep with Gu Jiao all night like this, then he was too naive.


    As soon as he fell asleep, Xiao Ling came over with his walking stick and unceremoniously lifted him back to the main room.


    No scheme is the deepest scheme, your brother-inw is still your brother-inw!


    When Xiaojingkong woke up and found himself lying on the bed in the main room, he went through an expected bout of heartbreak!


    He felt his sleep was wasted!!!


    Of course, he would never think it was because Jiaojiao didn¡¯t want him ¨C anyone could guess he was sneaked back into the room by someone!


    Despite Xiaojingkong usually being understanding, he couldn¡¯t hold it in this time. He looked up, yelled and kicked his legs, crying loudly, ¡°Bad brother-inw! Bad brother-inw! He stole a child! He snuck me over in the middle of the night! He¡¯s a kidnapper!¡±


    The olddy, who was eating melon seeds in the main hall, was so startled that she spilled her seeds!


    Kidnapper? Is that how you use it?


    Xiao Ling had gone to school, Gu Jiao had gone to pick mountain products, and the house was left to Xiaojingkong and the olddy.


    The olddy once again tried to distract him with her deceptive ways, but this time Xiaojingkong wasn¡¯t easily fooled.


    ¡°I want it to be dark! I want it to be dark!!¡±


    ¡°It will be dark at night¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no! I want it now! Now! Wah¡ª¡±


    Understanding children usually don¡¯t cry, but when they do, it¡¯s hard for people to handle.


    Xiaojingkong cried loudly, and his crying attracted all the vigers. Their questioning gazes made it seem as though the olddy had been abusing this little monk at home.


    The olddy waspletely overwhelmed!


    The olddy, who hadn¡¯t provided after-sales service the night before, eventually had to take all the responsibilities herself.


    ¡ª


    Gu Jiao was still unaware of Xiaojingkong¡¯s meltdown after waking up; she had no experience in child care, and, having grown up neglected, she had no experience in this aspect.


    If she had been picking mushrooms on the back mountain, she should have heard Xiaojingkong¡¯s crying. She unfortunately had ventured a bit farther today, to the other side of the mountain to dig for bamboo shoots.


    The time she¡¯d adopted Xiaojingkong, she¡¯d found bamboo shoots near the temple.


    When she sold mountain products at the market, someone had exchanged some winter bamboo shoots for some of her fungus. She¡¯d used the bamboo shoots to make chicken soup, and Xiao Ling drank all of it.


    She didn¡¯t have any winter bamboo shoots now, but spring bamboo shoots also taste good.


    The path in the woods was difficult to traverse, so not many people came to dig for bamboo shoots. Gu Jiao quickly filled up her little basket.


    Just as she was about to descend the mountain, a painful groan came from deep in the woods.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s first reaction was that a viger was injured. Without any hesitation, she walked towards the source of the sound.


    Arriving on the scene, she found a man had fallen into a two-meter-deep trap.


    The trap looked familiar¡­


    Well¡­ it seemed like the one she¡¯d dug earlier in the year.


    Since there¡¯d been no catches, she¡¯d forgotten about the pit.


    She¡¯d never expected that after such a long time, she wouldn¡¯t catch any game, but a human being would fall into it!


    Who would dare venture this deep into the forest?


    Gu Jiao poked her head over and looked into the deep pit.


    The man, noticing a shadow overhead, immediately looked up.


    Their eyes met, and they were both stunned.


    ¡°Is it you?¡±


    ¡°Is it you?¡±


    They spoke in unison!


    Gu Jiao: Isn¡¯t this the stinky marquis who ran into my stuff on the street with his guards, knocked it over, and almost refused topensate me?


    Marquis Gu: Isn¡¯t this the stinky girl who hit my guard on the street, extorted my money and hit me over the head?


    Marquis Gu¡¯s face immediately cooled, and the glimmer of hope for redemption that had been rising in his heart vanished into thin air.


    Gu Jiao: Hehehe.


    Gu Jiao turned around and walked away!


    This person, she wasn¡¯t saving!

 Chapter 68: 68 Father and Daughter

    Chapter 68: 68 Father and Daughter


    The Marquis looked at Gu Jiao appearing, then looked at her leaving, the fury in his heart ring up.


    ¡°You stand still!¡± he barked.


    Heh, just because you tell me to stop, I will? Who are you to me?


    Gu Jiao left nonchntly with no hesitation due to his status or his anger.


    The arrogant attitude was something the Marquis has never seen in his life!


    He had already learned of her status from his daughter ¨C a junior apprentice at Huichun Hall, and her master, Doctor Li, had the credit for curing Yanyan.


    Because of this, he decided to let her previous offenses in the town slide.


    But what she did! Leaving him unattended in the deep mountains!


    And her gaze just now, amoner dared to disdain a Marquis! Such brazen provocation of the Marquis Residence ¨C was she tired of living?


    Wait until he gets out, he will surely punish her for disrespect!


    If she wouldn¡¯t help, fine. He can get out on his own!


    Awooo¡ª¡ª


    A faint wolf¡¯s howl came from the deeper part of the woods.


    Usually, an adult wolf doesn¡¯t howl during the day. This must be a young wolf, yet to control its wolf instincts well. The sharp howl must mean it¡¯s hungry.


    Without a doubt, the alpha wolf would soone out to hunt.


    Gu Jiao had sat down under a nearby tree, starting to wait for the wolf.


    The Marquis pulled out a dagger from the trap. Being tall, he wasn¡¯t deep in the pit, struggle was his foot was caught in the trap.


    He attempted to use the dagger to pry the trap open, but this trap seemed unusual. Despite his efforts, it did not budge.


    ¡°You can¡¯t pry it open,¡± Gu Jao drank some water casually.


    The animal trap she set up wouldn¡¯t be easily pried open.


    The Marquis furrowed his brows: ¡°You didn¡¯t leave? What for? Waiting to see my embarrassment?¡±


    Gu Jiao said, ¡°You aren¡¯t funny, nor attractive.¡±


    The Marquis: ¡°¡­!!¡±


    Did she really mean what she said?


    And what did she mean he wasn¡¯t attractive?


    It¡¯s not that the Marquis had a high opinion of himself, but the remark about his good looks overshadowing his talent has apany him from childhood to adulthood. Even after establishing his household, most people still talked about his appearance.


    This was the first time anyone has said he wasn¡¯t attractive.


    In essence, the Marquis was a man who held appearances as important as dirt, but being told this by Gu Jiao, he felt slightly ufortable.


    The young wolf howled again, and the adult wolf should be arriving soon. He didn¡¯t think a young girl would be capable of dealing with an adult wild wolf, or even several.


    He barked harshly, ¡°What are you waiting for? Quickly think of a way to get me out of here! Once the wolves arrive, you won¡¯t be able to save yourself!¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Gu Jiao said.


    Wait for what?


    If they wait any longer, the wild wolves truly will arrive!


    Marquis was getting anxious.


    Even for a man with martial arts skills like him, there was no guarantee he could kill an adult wolf in his current state, with his foot caught in the trap.


    The rustling sounds wereing from the grass. The wolf has arrived.


    Gu Jiao climbed a tree.


    Seeing her hopping up the tree without a word, the Marquis was so angry it seemed to cause him chest pain.


    Would it kill her to save him before climbing the tree?


    Would she leave him in the trap as a sacrifice for the wolves?


    As expected, the wolf discovered the Marquis in the trap. Its eyes glowed green, its huge bloody mouth opened, and saliva dripped onto the ground.


    The Marquis gripped his dagger tightly.


    The wolf lunged into the trap with a swoosh, swiped the Marquis¡¯s dagger away, and viciously bit towards his neck!


    In the nick of time, a thin figure descended from the sky, grabbed the wolf by the head, and sliced its throat with a sickle¡­


    Hot, fresh blood sshed onto the Marquis¡¯s face.


    The Marquis was stunned!


    Just a moment ago, he genuinely believed that his death was inevitable. At the explosion of blood, his first thought was that it was his own, not until Gu Jiao tossed the wolf to the ground did he realize it was the wolf¡¯s.


    Gu Jiao dusted her hands, bent down, and pried open the animal trap with the sickle.


    Looking at the calm andposed Gu Jiao, Marquis Gu, for a moment, doubted his own vision.


    Did this girl really just kill a wolf? From her nonchnt demeanor, it seemed like she had merely chopped up a bag of cabbages!


    In her past life, Gu Jiao was tasked with handling creatures far more terrifying than wolves. If she couldn¡¯t even kill a wolf, she would have died a thousand times over on her missions.


    Gu Jiao effortlessly held the wolf in one hand, the dangling rope from the tree in the other, and made her way out of the trap in three brisk steps.


    ¡°You want toe up?¡± She tossed the rope over to him.


    The Marquis could never admit that he was stunned by this girl. He grabbed the rope without a word and let Gu Jiao pull him up.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s animal trap wasn¡¯t sharp; it just held tightly. His other foot, however, was sprained, and swollen up quite high.


    It took him a long while sitting on the ground before he finally snapped back to reality: ¡°Did you¡­ just use me as bait?¡±


    Gu Jiao did not respond.


    Marquis Gu gritted his teeth: ¡°Speak up! Did you use me as bait?¡±


    Looking him straight in the eyes, Gu Jiao replied: ¡°If I had not, the wolf would have caught you. It was easier for me to kill it while you were in the trap. Had you been in open space, the wolf would have bitten you a couple of times at least.¡±


    The Marquis was furious: ¡°So you DID use me as bait?! You heartless wretch!¡±


    Gu Jiao dered, ¡°I am not a wretch. I have parents.¡±


    The Marquis sneered coldly, ¡°Really? Where¡¯s your father then?¡±


    Gu Jiao pondered and earnestly said, ¡°He can¡¯te here, but you can go find him.¡±


    Rolling up his sleeves, the Marquis challenged, ¡°Good, tell me, where is he?¡±


    If a child isn¡¯t taught, the me lies with the parent. He was eager to see what kind of rascal fathered such a heartless girl.


    Gu Jiao nced at the ground below his feet: ¡°He is underground.¡±


    The Marquis was at a loss for words.


    Gu Jiao started packing up, ready to head down the mountain.


    The Marquis called out in a cold voice: ¡°Are you nning to just leave me here?¡±


    Gu Jiao gave him a baffled look.


    What are you to me? Why should I care about you?


    Upon seeing her reaction, the Marquis felt an inexplicable pain in his chest. He soon realized that this girl was naive about the world; she had no idea how powerful a Marquis could be. She was a baby calf, unafraid of tigers.


    The Marquis sternly stated: ¡°Fortunately, I am not a bloodthirsty man.¡±


    Or else, you would be dead!


    Gu Jiao looked deeply into his eyes, then slowly nodded: ¡°Indeed we¡¯re fortunate.¡±


    Had anyone tried to kill her, she would make sure he ended up dead. Completely.


    The Marquis couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill creeping up his neck.


    ¡°Do you know the way to the nearby temple?¡± The Marquis asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Jiao replied.


    ¡°Lead the way.¡± The Marquis ordered.


    Gu Jiao nced at the wolf carcass on the ground and hesitated.


    The Marquis surmised she was reluctant to leave the wolf. Selling it could fetch her a good amount of silver, a significant wealth for a poor peasant such as herself.


    Without patience, he said: ¡°I¡¯ll buy it!¡±


    Without refusing, Gu Jiao simply said: ¡°Twenty taels.¡±


    The Marquis casually handed her a note representing twenty taels of silver: ¡°Can we go now?¡±


    Gu Jiao pocketed the note and looked back at the wolf: ¡°What are you nning to do with it?¡±


    Without a second thought, the Marquis replied: ¡°Toss it away!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you want to throw it away?¡± Gu Jiao asked with a puzzled look.


    In a tone of disdain, the Marquis responded: ¡°Just a mere wolf carcass, can I not afford to throw it away? Now hurry up and lead the way.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Jiao bent down, easily picked up the wolf and slung it over her shoulder, ¡°You¡¯ve already thrown it away. I just picked it up, you can¡¯t ask for it back.¡±


    The Marquis was dumbfounded.

 Chapter 69: Good Luck 69

    Chapter 69: Good Luck 69


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just say that you could carry it earlier? You appeared so indecisive. Were you trying to determine which hand to use?¡±


    Marquis Gu felt that if he were to die young, it would certainly be because of this annoying brat.


    Thinking about how his own daughter was gentle and adorable then looking at this girl, she was absolutely insufferable!


    Thank goodness she¡¯s not his daughter!


    Gu Jiao,pletely unaware of Marquis Gu¡¯s inner monologue, led the way with the wolf on her back and swiftly exited the forest.


    Arriving at the foot of the stairs, she pointed upward, saying, ¡°Follow these stairs up, and you¡¯ll see the temple.¡±


    With that, she turned to ascend the mountain.


    Marquis Gu called out to her: ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t you going to lead me up?¡±


    Gu Jiao halted, turned around to face him, and asked in bewilderment, ¡°Why would I lead you up?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Marquis Gu briefly lost his breath. He took a deep breath and asked insincerely, ¡°Why do you think I bought your wolf? Do you think I would throw it away immediately after buying it?¡±


    Gu Jiao thought for a moment, then answered seriously, ¡°Because you¡¯re a fool with too much money?¡±


    Marquis Gu felt as if he was about to vomit blood!


    Ahhhh!


    What kind of infuriating brat is she!


    He originally found his son Gu Yan quite irritating, but ever since he met this girl, he¡¯s started to appreciate his son a touch more!


    In the end, Maricus Gu was unable to coerce Gu Jiao into guiding him. Truthfully, he already knew how to climb the mountain upon seeing these stairs; he just couldn¡¯t swallow his pride and wanted to order this girl around. However, she waspletely unresponsive¨C


    Marquis Gu was understandably upset, but he couldn¡¯t really resort to violence against a girl, especially if there was a high likelihood he would lose in a physical confrontation¡­


    ¡°Next time, if this Marquis sees you again, we¡¯ll be settling old and new ounts together!¡±


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t even bother to respond, leaving him behind as she sauntered down the mountain!


    Marquis Gu clutched his chest, which felt like it was about to burst, and only after calming his emotions did he start to hobble up the mountain.


    He went straight to the head monk and introduced himself.


    The head monk looked at the blood-stained man before him. He almost thought he was some desperate bandit and was about to call his disciples for an eighteen Arhats formation to eradicate the bandit¡­


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Lord Ding¡¯an, please pardon this humble monk for not receiving you earlier,¡± the head monk said awkwardly.


    The Marchioness was a regr at the temple, but this was Marquis Gu¡¯s first visit, so the head monk did not recognize him.


    Marquis Gu spoke calmly, ¡°You need not be formal, monk. I came here today because I wanted to inquire about something.¡±


    The head monk looked behind him, ¡°Did youe here alone, Marquis?¡±


    Marquis Gu replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    How could he have gotten lost if he wasn¡¯t alone?


    It actually was quite strange that he didn¡¯t dismount his horse. When he reached the foot of the mountain, he had already been given directions to go up. However, because he was riding a horse, it would have been inconvenient for him to climb the stairs, so he thought about taking a shortcut through the forest.


    Unexpectedly, he fell into a trap which not only trapped him but caused his horse to disappear too. In the end, he had to honestly climb the mountain by foot.


    With the unexpected information from Gu Yan, the head monk knew this was important and instructed his disciples to guard the gate without allowing anyone near it: ¡°You can speak now, Marquis.¡±


    Marquis Gu said directly: ¡°My wife gave birth here on that night. So, I want to know, were there other women that night who also gave birth here at the temple?¡±


    An ominous premonition rose from the pit of the head monk¡¯s stomach: ¡°Why do you ask, Marquis?¡±


    Marquis Gu said tly: ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about why I¡¯m asking. You just have to answer me, ¡®yes or no?¡¯.¡±


    After mulling it over, the head monk pinched the Buddha bead in his hand: ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Marquis Gu tightened his grip on his chest: ¡°Can the monk tell me where that child is now?¡±


    The head monk shook his head: ¡°I don¡¯t know. That benefactor only came once and did not leave a name. She came down the mountain a couple of days after giving birth to a daughter.¡±


    Marquis Gu was not surprised to hear it was a daughter. After all, if it wasn¡¯t, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible for them to have made a mistake in the first ce.


    A thought urred to him, and he asked: ¡°Did the woman appear wealthy?¡±


    The head monk shook his head again: ¡°No, she had patches on her clothes.¡±


    He had only seen the female benefactor from a distance and didn¡¯t even get a good look at her face. He only vaguely remembered her wearing extremely humble clothes.


    Many people came to donate to the temple, and the reason he remembered her was mainly because she had climbed the mountain to donate while heavily pregnant.


    No one expected a downpour to start in the afternoon, and she, along with the Marquise, had no choice but to spend the night in the temple.


    Who startedbor first wasn¡¯t quite clear, but the Marquise had people looking after her. The female benefactor, however, was all on her own in the Meditation Room. It wasn¡¯t until the midwife arrived that they realized she was about to give birth as well.


    It was an extremely chaotic night.


    Especially because the head monk himself was tricked into drinking alcohol¡­


    Recalling the past was unbearable, and the head monk gathered his thoughts, sping his hands together saying, ¡°Amitabha.¡±


    Marquis Gu was silent.


    He had imagined that the child might not have been taken by a respectable family like theirs, but he didn¡¯t anticipate that it would be a family so poor that they had to wear patched clothes.


    What kind of child would such a family raise? He didn¡¯t dare to think about it.


    One only needs to look at Jin Yu to know that upbringing matters more than birth. She was raised excellently in the Marquis Residence, so one can infer that the family in which one grows up is the most important.


    Could a child who¡¯s grown up amongmoners and viges truly be a well-mannereddy worthy of the Marquis Residence?


    However, the child¡¯s situation is indeed quite tragic. Even if he decided not to recognize her, he won¡¯t ill-treat this child, who, after all, is part of the Marquis lineage.


    He wouldpensate her in other ways.


    After ending his conversation with the head monk, Marquis Gu stood up to leave: ¡°¡­The reason for my visit to the temple today, I hope you will not divulge to anyone.¡±


    Although the head monk didn¡¯t know why Marquis Gu was secretly investigating that woman¡¯s child, he nodded in agreement.


    Marquis Gu then left to return to his residence.


    The journey without the horse was truly agonizing.


    Especially since one of his feet had swollen up like a pig¡¯s hoof.


    After much difficulty, he reached the foot of the mountain, and with thest bit of his energy exhausted, he sat on thest step, panting heavily.


    Suddenly, he felt a shadow looming overhead as though a colossal entity was epassing him.


    He put his hand on the dagger at his waist and cautiously lifted his head, only to see a plump, tall horse.


    This horse looked familiar¡­


    Wait, isn¡¯t this the horse he lost earlier?


    The next second, he noticed someone sitting on the horse with an even more familiar face, and also a wolf in front of them.


    ¡°Is that you?¡± eximed Marquis Gu, standing up in surprise!


    It was Gu Jiao¡¯s first time riding a horse from ancient times. It was a peculiar feeling. Sitting atop the magnificent horse, her petite body suddenly exuded an aura of a king overlooking his kingdom!


    She tugged at the reins in her hand, looking down at Marquis Gu from her lofty position, and firmly nodded, ¡°Yes, it is me.¡±


    Marquis Gu: ¡°¡­¡±


    Marquis Gu looked at her mount in bewilderment: ¡°Where did you get the horse?¡±


    Gu Jiao answered honestly: ¡°Found it.¡±


    A dark line appeared on Marquis Gu¡¯s forehead. She just happened to find a horse? Just how lucky could she be?!

 Chapter 70: 70 Quarrels

    Chapter 70: 70 Quarrels


    ¡°This is my horse,¡± Marquis Gu said seriously.


    Gu Jiao looked at him with doubtful eyes, seemingly evaluating the truth of his words.


    Marquis Gu¡¯s heart fluttered under her gaze, suddenly reminded of the wolf ordeal, and he hurriedly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t toss it away, I identally lost it!¡±


    Lost items can be picked up, but if the owner ims them, they must be returned, otherwise, it would constitute a crime of misappropriation.


    The Zhou and Liao families had suffered from not returning the silver coins they found belonging to Young Master Xiaoqin, resulting in them being punished at the Yamen and fined a considerable amount of silver.


    Of course, Marquis Gu didn¡¯t know about the blunder of the Gu Family, but he thought he should be able to frighten a young girl: ¡°If you don¡¯t return it to me, you¡¯ll be taken by the county magistrate to get a beating!¡±


    Rural folks might not have heard of the marquis, but they definitely knew about the county magistrate.


    The county magistrate is the true local tyrant, feared by every rural individual!


    Hearing his words, Gu Jiao didn¡¯t immediately retort.


    Marquis Gu felt hopeful!


    The next second, however, he heard her ask him, ¡°How can you prove this is your horse?¡±


    Marquis Gu was taken aback.


    Indeed, how could he prove it?


    To travel incognito, he didn¡¯t ride his precious warhorse, instead choosing a guard¡¯s horse, even deliberately erasing the seal of the Marquis Residence on the saddle.


    ¡°The horseshoe! It¡¯s a feature of military warhorses and different from ordinary horseshoes found in the market,¡± Marquis Gu finally thought of some evidence.


    Unfortunately, Gu Jiao said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen other horseshoes, how do I know you¡¯re not making things up?¡±


    Marquis Gu choked.


    This was like a schr meeting a soldier, he couldn¡¯t argue clearly!


    Gu Jiao proposed fairly, ¡°Well then, how about this? You go to the Yamen and report this. If the county magistrate says the horse is yours, then I¡¯ll give it back to you.¡±


    Could the county magistrate with his tiny brain dare to not grant the horse to him? But the question was, would he, the Marquis of Zhaodu, actually go report to a small county Yamen?


    What the heck, did the Marquis of Ding¡¯anck a horse? Was he that poor? Poor to the point of not being able to afford a meal? Or poor to the point of begging on the streets? Arguing over a horse she found on the street with a dumb country girl?


    Especially considering it was an ordinary horse of no great value.


    Didn¡¯t he have any shame?


    Gu Jiao gave him a look and pondered for a moment. ¡°If you really want it, I could sell it to you. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to find and bring it back.¡±


    What part of it was difficult for you? It carried you all the way, didn¡¯t it? You even saved the energy of walking! And the wolf wasn¡¯t carried by you, either!


    Marquis Gu was literally half infuriated to death by Gu Jiao.


    However, he really couldn¡¯t walk anymore.


    He could only hire a carriage when he reached the town, but it was at least 20 to 30 miles from here to the town. He was afraid his legs would break before he could get there.


    ¡°Fifty taels,¡± said Gu Jiao.


    Marquis Gu red up: ¡°How can an old horse be more expensive than a wolf? You¡¯re inting prices!¡±


    Gu Jiao sternly retorted: ¡°The wolf is not an essential need for you, but the horse is.¡±


    Essential need begets inted prices!


    Marquis Gu was so mad that he felt a pain in his liver!


    In the end, Marquis Gu bought back his own horse for fifty taels of silver.


    His own horse, where could he go to reason about this?


    ¡ª


    When Marquis Gu returned to the vi, it was already dusk. The afterglow of the sunset fell on the eaves of the vi, casting a dazzling golden glow.


    Marquis Gu handed the horse to the guards in the house and dragged his swollen feet towards the living quarters of the family of four.


    Just as he arrived at the door, he heard an uproar from inside. He crossed the threshold and saw that almost all the servants in the courtyard were present, hiding behind trees and flower bushes, daring neither to move nor to flee.


    Under the gaze of all the servants on a wicker chair in the corridor, his son Gu Yan was unexpectedly lying down.


    Standing next to Gu Yan was Gu Jinyu, her small face white with anger.


    In Gu Jinyu¡¯s arms was a little white rabbit.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you let me keep a rabbit?¡± Gu Jinyu asked discontentedly.


    Gu Yanzily hummed, ¡°Just because I said so.¡±


    Gu Jinyu stomped her foot angrily, ¡°Give me a reason at least!¡±


    Gu Yan propped one arm behind his head, leisurely saying, ¡°This is my courtyard. If I say you can¡¯t keep it, you can¡¯t keep it!¡±


    ¡°This courtyard is also mine!¡± Gu Jinyu retorted, hugging the rabbit even tighter.


    Gu Yan hummed faintly, ¡°Your courtyard is in the Capital City!¡±


    Gu Jinyu spent half her time in Capital City, unlike Gu Yan who lived here all year round. Naturally, Gu Yan believed this ce to be more his than hers.


    The servants dared not intervene nor truly leave in case the sibling quarrel escted. They wouldn¡¯t be able to take the responsibility.


    Marquis Gu roughly understood what was going on. Gu Jinyu had always liked pets since she was a child, but Gu Yan was quite resistant to them. The siblings often quarreled about owning pets.


    He had always been puzzled about why they, twins, should have been the closest of people and hence should have had very good affection for each other. However, Gu Yan was bullying Jin Yu even before he could talk.


    Gu Yan wouldn¡¯t let Jin Yu breastfeed from Mrs. Yao, crying loudly whenever she did. He also didn¡¯t let Mrs. Yao hug Jin Yu, and even if they were lying in the cot together, he would punch and kick Jin Yu.


    At that time, Gu Yan was just a little sukling, and everyone dismissed it, attributing it to be a child¡¯s possessiveness.


    As Gu Yan grew up, he stopped bullying Jin Yu in such a way, but he also didn¡¯t get any closer to Jin Yu.


    The things that were once perplexing seemed to gradually be clear after learning about Jin Yu¡¯s identity.


    Gu Yan and his sister had been in their mother¡¯s womb for ten months. They were indeed the closest people in the world. Therefore, Gu Yan was able to clearly feel that the little girl lying next to him was not his sister after he was born.


    He wanted his sister.


    Only his sister could make him feel as secure as he had in his mother¡¯s womb, but there was apletely strange baby girl lying next to him.


    It was no wonder he always cried so loudly; he was crying for his sister.


    Unfortunately, no one understood him.


    Until he grew up, he forgot about it himself, but his resentment toward Jin Yu remained deeply ingrained.


    Marquis Gu felt this guess was absurd. Yet apart from that, he really couldn¡¯t think of a better exnation.


    The quarrel between the siblings continued.


    Jinyu pleaded, ¡°The rabbit is not noisy or rowdy. Why won¡¯t you even let me keep this? Can you be reasonable?¡±


    Gu Yan stared at the sky, ¡°No, I won¡¯t.¡±


    Jin Yu bit her lip, ¡°Why?¡±


    Gu Yan raised his brow arrogantly, ¡°Because I feel like it!¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Jin Yu¡¯s face turned red with anger!

 Chapter 71: 71 Kisses

    Chapter 71: 71 Kisses


    In the end, Gu Jinyu was unable to outdo Gu Yan.


    Even though she was the only daughter of the family, after all, Gu Yan was the youngest, and after all, Gu Yan¡¯s health was indeed frail.


    Seeing Gu Jinyu reluctantly letting people take away her pet bunny, Gu Yan raised a triumphant brow, and a mix of emotions welled up in the heart of their lordly father.


    Gu Yan was a loner since childhood, he didn¡¯t get close to anyone, including anyone from the Yao family, yet he allowed them to be close to him.


    He kept a distance from anyone who were kind to Gu Jinyu and there was hardly anyone in the house who was not kind to Gu Jinyu.


    Their lordly father always thought it was his son¡¯s fault, he never thought that after losing the most important person in his life, the son would be the one most hurt.


    However, even though he considered his son at fault, he never reprimanded him harshly. Instead, he would quietlypensate doubly for the grievances Jin Yu suffered.


    But the grievances Jinyu suffered could bepensated; what about those suffered by his son?


    They couldn¡¯t give what their son wants: would that child be able to provide it?


    After Gu Jiao descended the mountain, she didn¡¯t rush home, but first took the wolf to the market, where it was sold for eighteen tael of silver.


    After that, Gu Jiao went to the academy to pick up Xiao Ling and Gu Xiaoshun when school finished, and the three of them headed back to the vige together.


    The olddy, who had been bothered by little monk Jing Kong all day, was finally liberated.


    Shey limp on the rattan chair like a salted fish,pletely devoid of energy, feeling like she would drop dead on the spot if they didn¡¯t return soon!


    Lil¡¯ Jing Kong had been looking forward to Gu Jiao¡¯s arrival all day, but as soon as she came home, he ran away.


    He closed himself away, sitting in a corner, his little face against the wall. He looked as pitiful as could be.


    Gu Jiao was puzzled about what had happened and was surprised not to see Jing Kong, ¡°Huh? Where¡¯s Jing Kong?¡±


    The olddy weakly pointed in the direction of the west room, ¡°He¡¯s upset and is hiding from you.¡±


    ¡°Upset?¡± Gu Jiao was confused. ¡°Who upset him?¡±


    The olddy nced at Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling and grumbled, ¡°You two! Who told you to take him over in the middle of the night? Who told you to leave before dawn?¡±


    The first sentence was aimed at Ling and thetter at Gu Jiao.


    ¡°I¡¯m worn out!¡± The olddy announced that she was through dealing with these two!


    Gu Jiao initially didn¡¯t understand, but once the olddy exined, Gu Jiao got it.


    Gu Jiao then went to the west room.


    Upon hearing someone was approaching, Lil¡¯ Jing Kong¡¯s ears perked up, although he still refused to turn around.


    Coming behind him, Gu Jiao bent down to his level, looking at his side profile, ¡°You¡¯re upset with me?¡±


    Jing Kong turned his body away, continuing to show his back to Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao whispered, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to, I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d be scared.¡±


    Unable to hold back, Jing Kong blurted out, ¡°I wasn¡¯t scared! I¡¯m not that timid!¡±


    Gu Jiao feigned surprise, ¡°Really? Then why are you upset?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I¡­ I was just¡­.¡± Jing Kong stammered, but couldn¡¯t bring himself to say ¡°I missed you¡±.


    Gu Jiao moved to face him, even though he kept his gaze lowered and didn¡¯t look at her, Gu Jiao stared intently at him, ¡°Alright, I was wrong today. I apologize to you, can you forgive me?¡±


    Jing Kong quickly nced up at Gu Jiao, then instantly dropped his gaze, fiddling with the corner of his robe, he said softly, ¡°I can forgive you, but only if I get a kiss.¡±


    Gu Jiao felt her heart melting, what utterly adorable little creature was this? And a single kiss? Let alone one, she¡¯d even give him ten!


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t hesitate and nted a kiss on his little face!


    Jing Kong was stunned!


    With his big eyes wide open, like ck grapes, he stared nkly at Gu Jiao for a few seconds, and then all at once, he let out a shout!


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    You really kissed him after what he said in jest!


    Jing Kong covered his face with his little hand, ran away in shy embarrassment!


    After receiving the kiss, Little Clean Sky blushed like a drunk all night.


    At mealtime, he sat next to Gu Jiao, shy as a violet.


    Xiao Ling gave him a bath in the evening, as usual. He sat in the small tub and pushed his left cheek towards Xiao Ling: ¡°Just wash this side, don¡¯t wash the other side, the kiss is there!¡±


    Xiao Ling expressionlessly grabbed the washcloth from the tub, and with a smack, mmed it onto his right cheek.


    Little Clean Sky: ¡°¡­¡±


    Little Clean Sky: ¡°!!!¡±


    ¡°Waaaaa¡ª¡ª¡±


    The olddy, who was sneaking a cardamom in the kitchen, was startled by Little Clean Sky¡¯s heartbreaking cry and almost lost her breath.


    The olddy growled angrily, ¡°Ling! What did you do to him again!¡±


    Xiao Ling didn¡¯t do anything but wash all traces of the kiss off the little monk¡¯s face.


    Little Clean Sky cried pitifully.


    In the end, it was Gu Jiao who came over and gave him another peck to stop his tears.


    After that, Little Clean Sky became extra cautious, always guarding his face with his little hand to prevent sneak attacks from his wicked brother-inw.


    He was bald and could go to sleep immediately after his bath.


    Holding his little pillow, he first bid the olddy goodnight, then went over to Gu Jiao¡¯s room: ¡°Jiaojiao, I am going to sleep, see you tomorrow.¡±


    Gu Jiao stroked his small bare head, ¡°Go to sleep, I¡¯ll wake you up tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Um!¡± Little Clean Sky bounced back to the west room.


    He took off his shoes and climbed into bed.


    Xiao Ling was copying books at his desk.


    Little Clean Sky, cautiously, cast an alert nce at his wicked brother-inw and moved his pillow to put some distance from Xiao Ling¡¯s pillow!


    Xiao Ling didn¡¯t even lift his eyelids and snorted softly.


    Little Clean Sky, with hands on hips, said, ¡°You better not touch my kiss!¡±


    Xiao Ling raised an eyebrow, ¡°Your kiss?¡±


    Little Clean Sky, triumphantly said, ¡°The one from Jiaojiao! The one you don¡¯t have!¡±


    Xiao Ling slowly turned his gaze on him, resting them on his chubby baby face, and leisurely stated, ¡°I won¡¯t have to. When you¡¯re asleep, they¡¯ll fly away on their own.¡±


    Little Clean Sky¡¯s face changed drastically!


    He could already envision the heartbreak when the two little kisses would abandon him while he was not paying attention. He was shattered!


    The two little traitors!


    After the shock of three seconds, Little Clean Sky sprang out of the bed, ran to Gu Jiao¡¯s room, and got a veil to wrap around his face and head.


    He was wrapped up snugly, looking like a little peasant woman ready to work in the fields.


    Then, with a standard farmer¡¯s pose, he strode back into the room.


    Little Clean Sky lifted his chin to his wicked brother-inw and said, ¡°I¡¯ve covered them! They can¡¯t fly away now!¡±


    Little Clean Sky was a very intelligent child. Though he was just over three years old, he could recognize more characters than his older brothers. When the other monks were still trying to figure out the sutras, he had them memorized upside down and inside out.


    So when he once told Xiao Ling ¡°I alwayse first, it¡¯s a habit,¡± it wasn¡¯t a boast, but a in statement of the fact.


    He had his own logic, unaffected by anyone. His elder monks couldn¡¯t out-argue him, even the abbot couldn¡¯t beat him. In the temple, he was a headache for all.


    Only when dealing with Xiao Ling did he asionally get sidetracked.


    However, his logic was still unbeatable. So, no matter how Xiao Ling tried to mislead him, he always found his own solution.


    Xiao Ling asked, ¡°What¡¯s the use of covering them? Once you take off your veil tomorrow, they¡¯ll still fly away.¡±


    Little Clean Sky said, ¡°No, I¡¯ve nted them! In the morning they¡¯ll sprout! And from now on they can¡¯t leave me anymore!¡±

 Chapter 72: 72 Prefectural Examination

    Chapter 72: 72 Prefectural Examination


    Xiao Ling had nothing to say.


    In fact, Xiao Ling had never raised a child before, and he didn¡¯t know if other people¡¯s children were as peculiar as this.


    Xue Ningxiang¡¯s child definitely wasn¡¯t. That little one only knew how to eat, unlike the little monk that Gu Jiao brought back, who was filled with weird and bizarre thoughts.


    Little Jingspace, who was peacefully waiting for his ¡°seed¡± to sprout, fell fast asleep, snuggled in his nket.


    The west room, which Gu Jiao had carefully tidied and fixed up, was no longer damp. The bedding, freshly aired just a few days ago, was soft and warm.


    Little Jingspace was sleepingfortably, his little face seemed to be suffused with a blissful smile.


    Xiao Ling gave Little Jingspace a nce, then shrugged it off and continued copying texts.


    Xiao Ling copied a line, furrowed his brows slightly, put down his brush and picked up a book to read.


    Soon he realized that he wasn¡¯t really into reading either, he frowned deeply.


    After a while, he turned his head, his gaze falling on the unconventionally sprawling little monk.


    He stood up, walked over to the bed, bent a little at the waist, extended his slender jade-like fingers, gently untied the headscarf wrapped around Little Jingspace¡¯s head.


    Little Jingspace, deep in sleep, was oblivious to his cunning brother-inw¡¯s shenanigans.


    Xiao Ling looked at his rosy little face and mischievously extended his fingers to pinch and pull at it!


    After finishing her work, Gu Jiao came to the west room to call Xiao Ling for his rehabilitation exercises.


    The door was open, so she walked in openly, and what she saw was Xiao Ling lying on the bed, his exquisite hand reaching out and then retracting over Little Jingspace¡¯s face, as if he was pulling out invisible grasses!


    And he was doing it so seriously, more seriously than studying!


    Gu Jiao was perplexed.


    What in the world was he doing?


    Was he bewitched?


    Could a bookworm, of all people, be so childish when ying with a kid?


    The next day, Little Jingspace was woken up by Gu Jiao.


    The first thing Little Jingspace did upon waking up was to feel for his headscarf. Seeing it was still intact around his head, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    An entire night had gone by, there must be sprouts by now. From now on, Jiaojiao¡¯s kisses would always be on his face!


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t have the heart to tell him that his little seeds and sprouts had already been mercilessly plucked clean by your brother-inwst night!


    After breakfast, Gu Jiao sent Xiao Ling to the vige entrance. Previously, she would send him alone, but now she was joined by Little Jingspace. The mother-daughter¡­ no, sister-sister pair saw him off together.


    They looked just like a family of three, quite a picture indeed!


    It¡¯s worth mentioning that Xiao Ling had topped the county examination, earning him a certain fame in the town, and also more people seeking his service for copying books. But Gu Jiao, wanting him to focus on his preparations for the examination, forbade him from doing such jobs to supplement the family ie.


    Xiao Lingpleted all the books he had promised to copy previously and earned ten taels of silver. This wasn¡¯t even half of his usual volume of scribing, but he made several times more silver.


    He handed over all the silver he had earned to Gu Jiao, and since then, truly stopped taking on any copying work.


    The date for the Prefecture examination was drawing close, and the prospective candidates started to make arrangements.


    In the current dynasty, both the county and prefecture examinations were held earlier than in the previous dynasty. Byte February, the candidates had to set off for the Imperial College in Prefecture City.


    The trip from the town to Prefecture City took several days, even by horse carriage. Since Xiao Ling still needed crutches despite daily rehabilitation, Gu Jiao was quite uneasy about having him travel alone.


    Gu Jiao wanted to apany him to Prefecture City, but with the elderly and a child at home, she couldn¡¯t just leave them behind.


    Luckily, Feng Lin had asked for leave from the Academy and would apany Xiao Ling to Prefecture City.


    Before leaving, Gu Jiao packed a bundle for Xiao Ling. In addition to clothes and silver, she also packed a few bottles of emergency medicine from her first and kit, in case he experienced motion sickness from the long journey or suffered from upset stomach due to unfamiliar food and water.


    The carriage to the town was arranged by the dean of the Academy. Gu Jiao didn¡¯t decline as no hired carriage could match the quality of the dean¡¯s carriage, even though she could easily afford to hire one now.


    The carriage driver was also from the Academy and knew Prefecture City area very well.


    Before dawn, the driver arrived at the vige with the carriage, while Feng Lin waited in the town.


    Gu Jiao put the bundle into the carriage and slipped a purse to the driver. ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, I can¡¯t ept this!¡± The driver was tasked by the dean to transport Xiao Ling to the examination, he had never seen the dean treat any student with such care before, so naturally he dared not ept Gu Jiao¡¯s tip secretly.


    Especially since the dean was an honest and upright man. If he found out that the driver had epted a bribe, he would surely kick him out of the Academy.


    Gu Jiao said, ¡°Go ahead, take it. The red packet I gave to the dean is muchrger than this.¡±


    The driver: ¡°¡­¡±


    On the other side, in the outhouse, Little Jingspace and Xiao Ling were having a man-to-man talk.


    Little Jingspace, with a serious expression, asked: ¡°Do you want to talk?¡±


    ¡°Talk about what?¡± Xiao Ling was nonchnt.


    Little Jingspace took a nce at him and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to turn your back to me when urinating. I won¡¯t peek.¡±


    Xiao Ling kept his face expressionless: ¡°Get to the point.¡±


    Little Jingspace, with a serious look, said, ¡°I heard that you had been married to Jiaojiao for quite a while but had never traveled far.¡±


    Xiao Ling raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°So?¡±


    Little Jingspace stared straight ahead: ¡°We¡¯re a bit worried about you at home.¡±


    Xiao Ling gave a faint smirk: ¡°Hmph.¡±


    Little Jingspace solemnly raised a palm and made a ¡°time-out¡± gesture: ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel too much pressure, it won¡¯t matter much even if you don¡¯t do well in the exam. When I grow up, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll do well. The family need not rely on you, I can shoulder it!¡±


    Saying this, he stood up majestically from the little toilet, adjusted his little pants, and exited with an imposing expression on his face!


    Xiao Ling, who was snubbed even while in the toilet: ¡°¡­¡±


    What kind of overbearing little monk was this that he even forced himself into here?!

 Chapter 73: 73 Home visit

    Chapter 73: 73 Home visit


    Meanwhile, Lord Gu had settled in at the Wenquan Vi.


    Lord Gu, holding a significant position in the capital, should not be absent for long, but facing such a grave matter, he had already written to his second son in the capital, asking him to request leave on his behalf from the emperor.


    Ordinary marquises might not be able to get audience with the Emperor, but who else¡¯s sister is a favored concubine of the Emperor if not Lord Gu¡¯s? Hence, there was no difficulty for the second young master of the Gu family to meet with the Emperor.


    The Emperor was aware of Gu Yan¡¯s condition and guessed that Lord Gu might stay because Gu Yan¡¯s not well. He instructed Lord Gu to stay peacefully at the vi and resolve the family affairs properly.


    ¡­ He just omitted to say that Lord Gu could return to the capital once he had handled the aftermath of Gu Yan¡¯s situation.


    Lord Gu, oblivious to the subtle intents of the Emperor, was busy searching for that child from all those years ago.


    Lord Gu first sought the midwife who had delivered Yao¡¯s child years ago.


    The midwife was from a nearby vige, so the search boundary wasn¡¯t too wide, and news came quickly.


    However, it turned out that the midwife¡¯s family had moved away many years ago, supposedly they had amassed arge sum of silver for delivering a child for a noblewoman in a temple, then they settled and prospered in the town.


    By the time Huang Zhong found that family, unfortunately, the midwife had already passed away years ago, and her family knew very little about the birth she assisted in the temple.


    Having no other option, Lord Gu, like a desperate man trying a dead horse as if it were alive, started from the neighboring viges and indeed found some clues.


    There were five children born in the temple, among them one was eighteen, another was neen, and a third was only seven. Their ages didn¡¯t match. The other two whose ages did match were vigers at the foot of the mountain, one lived in Xinghua Vige and the other in Qingquan Vige.


    Lord Gu¡¯s confidant bodyguard first went to Xinghua Vige, but upon arrival found that it was a boy and his birth month was also incorrect.


    The twins were born in October, while that boy was born in August.


    Therefore, only the child of Qingquan Vige remained.


    If this one also didn¡¯t match, they would have to search outside Qingquan Town, which would greatly expand their search area.


    ¡°Lord.¡± The bodyguard in charge of the investigation was called Huang Zhong, a trusted associate that Lord Gu had brought from the capital city. He said, ¡°My lord, Qingquan Vige isn¡¯t near the foot of the temple mountain, but rather on the other side of it, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±


    The chances seemed quite slim.


    Lord Gu thought the same, hence putting Qingquan Vige in as thest ce for inspection.


    He said: ¡°Go and check it out first. If it¡¯s not the one,e back, don¡¯t arouse suspicion. If it is¡­ I¡¯ll wait for you at the teahouse in town.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Huang Zhong immediately set off for Qingquan Vige by carriage.


    Huang Zhong, in his early forties, was a muscr man with a genial face. At first nce, he seemed like a good person, who could easily gain the trust of strangers.


    ¡°That¡¯s a child from the Gu Family!¡± an old man who was sunbathing at his doorstep remarked.


    The old man, a little hard of hearing and sight, was forgetful but remembered that the Gu family had a child who was born in the temple.


    ¡°Which Gu family?¡± Huang Zhong asked.


    ¡°Lizheng! Gu Lizheng!¡± The old man waved his hand, pointing him the way.


    Do they also have the surname Gu? What a coincidence.


    After thanking the old man, Huang Zhong drove his carriage towards the old residence of the Gu family.


    Gu Dashun and Gu Xiaoshun had gone to study, Gu Lizheng had taken Gu Changhai to the Yamen to collect rice, and Gu Changlu and Gu Ershun were sowing seeds in the field. Only Gu Yue¡¯e and thedies of the Wu family were left at home.


    It was Gu Yue¡¯e who opened the door.


    Although not her first time seeing a nobleman and a carriage, Gu Yue¡¯e still appeared startled: ¡°Who¡­ Who are you looking for?¡±


    Given that she was a country girl who had seen little of the world, her reaction was normal. Huang Zhong smiled and said, ¡°Is Mr. Gu Lizheng at home?¡±


    Gu Yue¡¯e, shy about speaking with a strange man, turned and dashed into the house. ¡°Grandma! Someone¡¯s looking for Grandpa!¡±


    The Grandmother-Granddaughter-inw trio was chopping chillies in the backyard. Seeing Gu Yue¡¯e rushing in all flustered, the Wu woman frowned impatiently: ¡°Who¡¯s looking for your Grandpa?¡±


    Gu Yue¡¯e pointed to the back: ¡°Don¡¯t know him, he came in a huge carriage.¡±


    At the mention of a carriage, the expression on Wu¡¯s face changed.


    Wu put down her kitchen knife, wiped her hands on a cloth, and quickly walked towards the entrance.


    The carriage that Huang Zhong sat in, drawn by two horses, one more horse than the carriage the steward had used when sending a message to Gu Xiaoshunst time, made Wu Family wonder about the man¡¯s identity. He must hold a higher rank than the Academy¡¯s dean!


    But why would such a high-ranking person visit their home?


    With a smile stered on her face, a member of the Wu Family asked, ¡°Who are you? What business do you have with my husband?¡±


    ¡°My name is Huang. I heard that there¡¯s a child born in a temple in your home, and I¡¯d like to inquire about this child.¡±


    The smile on the woman¡¯s face vanished instantly.


    He is here for that little disaster, nothing good everes from associating with a sinful child!


    Just as she was about to close the door with a grim face, a woman named Liao Family stepped forward. With a bright smile, she said, ¡°Information isn¡¯t free.¡±


    Huang Zhong understood, and with an unchanged smile, he took out a silver ingot from his pocket.


    The eyes of the mother-inw and daughter-inw pair bulged out instantly.


    Liao Family reached her hand out to get it, but Wu Family snatched the silver right out from under her!


    Liao Family gritted her teeth in secret!


    As soon as Wu Family received the silver, her face brightened up, ¡°Ask what you want, go ahead!¡±


    ¡°How old is the child? Is it a girl?¡±


    ¡°Fourteen! A girl!¡±


    This time, Huang Zhong¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Which month was she born?¡±


    Wu Family was stumped by this, who would bother to remember the birthdate of a good-for-nothing idiot?


    Liao Family hurriedly said, ¡°I-I-I-I know! She was born in the tenth month!¡±


    That was the month she had just gotten pregnant with Gu Xiaoshun, so it was deeply ingrained in her mind.


    Even the month matched. Huang Zhong¡¯s heart began to stir, ¡°What day?¡±


    ¡°Was it the 17th or the 18th?¡± Liao Family couldn¡¯t remember this clearly. It seemed that aside from Gu Xiaoshun, no one bothered to remember Gu Jiao¡¯s birthday.


    Twins, a boy and a girl, were born on the 18th. With these clues, they are very close to the truth.


    Huang Zhong managed to suppress his pounding heart, and asked further, ¡°Which temple was she born in?¡±


    Liao Family pointed and said, ¡°The one on that hill, which other could it be?¡±


    Just then, Gu Changlu came out carrying a hoe.


    Liao Family waved him over, ¡°Is our Ershun¡¯s daughter born on the 17th or the 18th?¡±


    ¡°The 18th, why?¡± While Gu Changlu spoke, he eyed the unfamiliar man and his carriage at the doorway.


    Huang Zhong¡¯s excitement knew no bounds, everything matched, it had to be her.


    Who would¡¯ve thought, the child they never expected to find turned out to be the one they were looking for!


    Gu Changlu came up to Wu Family and Liao Family. Meanwhile, Zhou Family also came out to watch the excitement.


    Only Gu Yue¡¯e being timid, was peeking out from the back door of the hall.


    Huang Zhong¡¯s excitement was beginning to show, Gu Changlu scrutinized him up and down, then asked Liao Family, ¡°Why the sudden interest in Jiao?¡±


    Liao Family pulled Gu Changlu aside, pointed at Wu Family¡¯s pocket and whispered, ¡°He came to inquire about Jiao¡¯s news and gave a silver ingot, but my mother took it all!¡±


    Gu Changlu gave Liao Family a stern look, displeased by herining about his mother in this tone. But he also didn¡¯t agree with Wu Family¡¯s actions.


    He walked over to Wu Family, ¡°Mother, we can¡¯t ept this silver.¡±


    Wu Family tightly clutched the purse, ¡°Why can¡¯t we ept it?¡±


    Gu Changlu nced at Huang Zhong, ¡°We don¡¯t know who he is, and why is he inquiring about Jiao¡¯s matters? What if he¡¯s a bad guy with ill intentions towards Jiao?¡±


    At his words, Wu Family became upset, what does it matter to her if that little disaster is alive or dead? Dead is better, it would save the family from all the misfortunes she brings!

 Chapter 74: Identifying Relatives

    Chapter 74: Identifying Rtives


    ¡°Rest assured, I don¡¯t mean any harm,¡± Huang Zhong said, ¡°It may be a bit abrupt, but could I meet Miss Gu Jiao?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Gu Changlu rejected without a second thought.


    If the other party doesn¡¯t even let him meet her, how can he bring her to the town to meet the Marquis? He surely could not knock out a whole family, and kidnap the child, could he?


    Moreover, he didn¡¯t even know who the child was yet!


    Huang Zhong thought there was a high chance that the child could be his young mistress, so he dared not offend the child¡¯s adopted parents.


    He softened his tone, ¡°May I know where the child¡¯s parents are? I have something to discuss with them.¡±


    Madame Wu said, ¡°Her parents passed away. I¡¯m her nanny and I took care of her. So you can talk to me!¡±


    Had the child been orphaned since young? Huang Zhong¡¯s emotions becameplex. He thought for a moment and then asked, ¡°May Ie in and talk?¡±


    Madame Wu lead Huang Zhong into the house.


    Huang Zhong proceeded to ask some detailed questions about the childbirth years ago, especially why Madame Xun, with her heavy pregnant belly, climbed the mountain.


    It turns out that Madame Xun was not from this vige. She married far away. A letter from her parents reached her, saying that her father was dying and wanted her to find a way to visit him.


    Madame Xun was pregnant, so naturally, her inws wouldn¡¯t allow her to travel far. In desperation, she decided to go to the temple to pray to the Bodhisattva.


    She went to the temple without telling her inws, saying that she went to pick some wild vegetables, thinking that she could be back before dark. But, unexpectedly, a thunderstorm broke out, and she was trapped in the temple, where she slipped and fell.


    The Marquis¡¯ wife gave birth prematurely due to twin pregnancy, but her premature birth was an ident.


    The Gu family initially didn¡¯t know she had gone to the temple. It was raining heavily and she hadn¡¯te back, so Gu Sang insisted on going out to find his wife, but was stopped by his two brothers.


    To enter the forest in a thunderstorm was like asking for death!


    Madame Xun returned two dayster. By that time, she had already given birth to a daughter, who had a red blotch on her face, so ugly it didn¡¯t look like Gu Sang¡¯s biological child.


    Gu Sang had a well-known handsome face. Many people from nearby viges were willingly married to him, but he chose Madame Xun, mainly because of her substantial dowry.


    Madame Wu once suspected that Madame Xun had fallen and miscarried in the mountains. Out of fear of me, they picked up a child and brought it back.


    Madame Xun was an honest person. She said that it was her child, born in the temple. If they didn¡¯t believe her, they could ask the abbot of the temple.


    Madame Wu and her second daughter-inw, Madame Liu, went to ask and confirmed that Madame Xun had given birth in the temple, and the baby was alive when born, and her crying was heard throughout the temple.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t picked up?¡± Madame Wu asked at the time.


    The monks allughed: ¡°Do you know who the other woman inbor was at the temple that night? It was a noblewoman from the capital city. Who could possibly pick up her child?¡±


    Madame Wu was immediately stunned into silence.


    A noblewoman¡¯s child was more precious than gold. Not to mention picking one up, not even stealing was an option.


    Upon hearing this, Huang Zhong was entirely certain that the child Madame Xun had given birth to was the one he was looking for.


    However, it seemed that Madame Xun didn¡¯t know she had taken the wrong child.


    ¡°Also a Gu, what a coincidence.¡± Huang Zhong suddenly felt a sense of fate. He quickly asked, ¡°Did Madame Xun and Sang love their child?¡±


    What kind of question is this? Madame Xun and Gu Sang treated the child as if they should¡¯ve tied the child to their waistbands!


    This was also something that Madame Wu was not happy about. Madame Xun, that barren hen, upied such a wonderful husband like Sang, but couldn¡¯t produce a son.


    They finally had a daughter, not only was she ugly, she was also dumb.


    The dumbness was discovered as she grew up. Other kids could jump and hop around, but she still didn¡¯t know how to walk. She didn¡¯t call out ¡®mother¡¯ until she was three.


    Despite that, Sang and his wife didn¡¯t despise her at all and loved the child dearly.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s hard days only started after the couple passed away.


    Of course, Madame Wu did not mention that.


    Huang Zhong had too much information to digest in his head at the moment, so he didn¡¯t notice Madame Wu¡¯s reluctance to speak.


    He looked at Madame Wu and her group, suppressing his excitement, he said, ¡°Honestly, the noblewoman who gave birth in the temple that year was mydy. The two children¡­ might¡¯ve been mixed up.¡±


    Madame Wu and the others were dumbfounded.


    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t really understand, could you repeat?¡± Madame Wu stuttered.


    Huang Zhong smiled and replied, ¡°The daughter of Sang is my young mistress.¡±


    Madame Wu opened her mouth and asked, ¡°Your family is¡­¡±


    Huang Zhong gently answered, ¡°The Residence of Marquis Ding¡¯an.¡±


    Boom!


    The whole room was stunned as if they all had been hit by a thunderbolt.


    They didn¡¯t quite understand what Ding¡¯an meant, but they understood thest two words.


    The Marquis Residence!


    Was that girl actually from the Marquis Residence?


    ¡°Does the title of Marquis hold a higher rank than that of the county magistrate?¡± Madame Liu asked tentatively.


    The Marquis Residence is not an official title, it is a mansion. The Marquis is the official, but Huang Zhong understood what Madame Liu meant. He chuckled, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Huang Zhong didn¡¯t borate on how much bigger of a difference it was, as they wouldn¡¯t understand anyway.


    In the Capital City, anyone who would dare to ask such a question might have already been squashed to death by the Marquis.


    How dared anyone topare him with the insignificant county magistrate? Who were they looking down upon?


    Even though, Huang Zhong was more polite to the Gu family. After all, they had raised his young mistress for a while. He said with a pleasant expression, ¡°Our Marquis is in town right now. Could I take the child to meet our Marquis?¡±


    These people werepletely dumbfounded, so much so that they couldn¡¯t even speak. First, they were surprised. They never thought that Gu Jiao¡¯s background was so extraordinary; second, they were scared. They had always mistreated Gu Jiao during these years. If the Marquis found out that they were so harsh on his biological daughter, would they be sent to jail in Yamen?


    At the time when everyone was at a loss, Gu Changhai arrived home.


    He first noticed the carriage outside the door and then saw the shocked faces of his family. He took a nce at the powerful aura of Huang Zhong, furrowed his brows, and asked Madame Wu, ¡°Mother, what happened?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s your father?¡± Madame Wu looked behind him.


    ¡°My father went to see my uncle, and asked me toe back first.¡± Gu Changhai answered.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Madame Wu didn¡¯t know how to tell her son.


    Huang Zhong understood their dilemma and smiled, ¡°How about I send a message to the Marquis first, you can discuss how to tell her. If it¡¯s absolutely inconvenient for you to tell her, I can do it.¡±


    Given such a significant matter, it was only right and reasonable to give them some time to digest, but it couldn¡¯t be dyed for too long. Regardless, he had to meet that child today.


    Once Huang Zhong left, Madame Wu and her daughter-inws nervously shared Gu Jiao¡¯s origins with Gu Changhai.


    Despite Gu Changhai being a grown man, his reaction was no stronger than the women¡¯s. His face turned pale, and his legs weakened.


    If they had treated Gu Jiao well, the news would have been reason for joy but the key point was that they¡­ they had never treated Gu Jiao as a proper human being!


    She couldn¡¯t enjoy good food or drink, all the heavy and dirty work was left to her. Cutting pig grass, feeding pigs, shoveling pig manure¡­ It was just because she was so dumb and always messed things up that they gradually stopped asking her to do these chores.


    But she was still often beaten and scolded. Not only that, when she was not even fourteen, they forcefully married her off to ame man they had found, and even drove both of them away to live separately.


    What if the Marquis found out about all these? Would they still have a way to survive?

 Chapter 75: 75 True or False

    Chapter 75: 75 True or False


    ¡°Dashun¡¯s father, would you actually say something? What should we do now?¡± In distress, Zhou¡¯s was like an ant on a hot pan. When asked who in the Gu family had treated Gu Jiao the worst, the answer would either be from the Wu Family or her.


    Of course, the Liao Family wasn¡¯t all roses but Gu Xiaoshun often drew away half of the ire intended for the Liao Family. Liu was the one who punished Gu Xiaoshun the harshest.


    There¡¯s a saying, ¡°Anger gives rise to evil thoughts, plunging one into extreme despair.¡± When a person is pushed to their limit by anger or fear, they can do anything to protect themselves.


    At that moment, Gu Changhai made a bold decision: ¡°Let Yue¡¯e go.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Zhou¡¯s was stunned.


    Both the Wu Family and Gu Changlu couple was stunned too.


    Did they hear this incorrectly? Gu Changhai, the master of the first house, wants to substitute his daughter for Jiao¡¯s mother?


    ¡°Big brother, that¡¯s uneptable!¡± Gu Changlu was the first to object.


    Ignoring the guilt that came with betraying the third house, hecked the courage to make such a ruthless move.


    Liu wasn¡¯t thrilled either. It was not her daughter who would be the marquis¡¯ daughter. She would gain no benefits but would have to live in fear because of the first house, which she would rather not do!


    Neither Wu¡¯s nor Zhou¡¯s said a word. One was Yue¡¯e¡¯s wet nurse, and the other was her mother; both stood to benefit directly from this.


    Furthermore, neither of themcked courage.


    Gu Changhai began to persuade the second house: ¡°Brother, sister-inw, if you¡¯re not considering for yourselves, won¡¯t you think for Ershun? Ershun is also a smart child, it¡¯s just that Dashun was born first, and our family couldn¡¯t afford to educate two children at once, hence Ershun was put on hold. If Yue¡¯e goes to the Marquis House, I¡¯ll definitely have her bring Ershun to the Capital City to study! Given Ershun¡¯s intelligence, wouldn¡¯t he make a name for himself there?¡±


    This statement struck a chord with Liu.


    Liu had always dreamed of riding on Ershun¡¯s coat-tails. She was confident that Ershun could make it big; it was just that the opportunities had all been taken by Gu Dashun!


    Gu Changhai continued, ¡°Jinyu, the daughter of the third house, is not rted to us and we can¡¯t rely on her. Moreover, she might be sent back by the Marquis¡¯ Residence! Don¡¯t expect the Marquis¡¯ Residence topensate us with a sum of money. They¡¯ve also raised a daughter for the third house, so we don¡¯t owe each other anything! If any debt exists, it¡¯s what we owe them! Every year, how much does the Marquis¡¯ Residence spend on the third house¡¯s daughter, and how much do we spend on Jiaoniang? If we really calcte, don¡¯t we still have to pay them?¡±


    Hearing this, the change on the faces of the couple from the second house was immediate.


    Gu Changhai continued, ¡°But as long as Yue¡¯e is over there, and says good things about us, wouldn¡¯t the Marquis¡¯ Residence be willing to amodate us? Yue¡¯e is the child that you watched grow up; don¡¯t you understand her temperament? She¡¯s the closest to her second aunt!¡±


    Liu straightened her back.


    Truth be told, the rtionship between Yue¡¯e and Liu wasn¡¯t particrly intimate, but because Yue¡¯e was obedient, diligent, and gentle, Liu didn¡¯t dislike her, and they had never argued before.


    Zhou¡¯s quickly chimed in, ¡°Yes, she always tells me that she likes her second aunt the most! She even says that her second aunt is beautiful! Much better than me!¡±


    Under normal circumstances, Zhou¡¯s would never admit that Liu was better looking than her. But right now, wasn¡¯t her task to coax Liu?


    Beguiled sessfully, Liu smiled shyly, ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t like Yue¡¯e?¡±


    With Liu convinced, Gu Changhai turned his attention to Gu Changlu, ¡°Second brother, I know that you dislike farming and prefer doing business. Therefore, once Yue¡¯e reaches the Marquis Residence, let her buy you the best shop in the town. You can sell whatever you want!¡±


    Suddenly, Gu Changlu could no longer find the words.


    It was true that he felt guilty towards the third house but ¡­ he truly wished to have his business.


    ¡°What about father¡¯s¡­¡± Liu began weakly.


    Gu Changhai was deeply familiar with the old master. The old master might indeed be indifferent towards Gu Jiao and might disregard his daughters, but he might not be able to do such an immoral thing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell himter.¡±


    Liu sneered, ¡°You better! And don¡¯t involve us!¡±


    Gu Changhai grinned, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sister-inw, it¡¯s my idea. If the old master wants to me someone, let him me me alone.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t the Marquis¡¯ Residence suspect anything?¡± asked Gu Changlu suddenly.


    Gu Changhai grinned, ¡°How could they? Who could guess that we were so bold? Moreover, once the Marquis asked in the vige that day, he won¡¯t ask again.¡±


    Zhou¡¯s asked, ¡°What about blood rtionship analysis? I¡¯ve heard of such a thing.¡±


    Gu Changhai chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s even easier! Yue¡¯e is a kinswoman to the third house. At the time, let her find a way to rece the blood from the Marquis Residence with the blood of the third house¡¯s daughter. This would naturally fool them.¡±


    And just like that, the family decided the fates of both Gu Jiao and Gu Yue¡¯e, just like they had decided on Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling¡¯s fates long ago, without considering the will of those involved.


    Gu Yue¡¯e, sobbing, didn¡¯t want to go and be someone else¡¯s daughter. But no matter how Zhou¡¯s and Liu tried to persuade her, she wouldn¡¯t listen. Gu Changhai had to p her to subdue her.


    Zhou¡¯s changed Yue¡¯e into decent clothes. Liu brought out the most prized jewelry she had seized from the Xun Family to adorn Gu Yue¡¯e.


    Just now, Gu Changhai¡¯s pnded on Yue¡¯e¡¯s head, leaving no traces on her face. However, she had cried, and her eyes were swollen red.


    The Gu Family¡¯s exnation was that the young girl was struggling to ept the fact and was a little upset.


    Huang Zhong felt that this was understandable. The kindness of upbringing is always greater than the kindness of birth, and it was normal to have forged deep connections over so many years.


    However, Huang Zhong didn¡¯t expect the girl who had opened the door for him to be his young mistress. Just a while ago, she was dressed even more shabbily and appeared more timid, exuding an aura of modesty.


    Huang Zhong then thought of the dignified and elegant Gu Jinyu, and he couldn¡¯t help sighing.


    Gu Yue¡¯e kept crying.


    Unwilling to see her in distress, Huang Zhong said, ¡°The Marquis is not asking you to return immediately. He only wishes to meet you today. If you really can¡¯t bear to leave¡­¡±


    Wu Family quickly interrupted, ¡°No, no! It¡¯s perfectly natural for a family to reunite! There¡¯s absolutely nothing that could be hard to let go. The Marquis is her biological father!¡±


    Huang Zhong personally drew the curtains of the carriage, ¡°Miss, please get on the carriage.¡±


    Gu Yue¡¯e didn¡¯t move. Wu Family urges, ¡°Go, Yue¡¯e¡­ Uh, Jiaoniang.¡±


    Zhou¡¯s and Liu supported Gu Yue¡¯e onto the carriage.


    This was probably the time when Gu Yue¡¯e received the greatest respect from her family since her birth. The whole family treated her like a Bodhisattva, yet Gu Yue¡¯e failed to rejoice.


    She didn¡¯t want to go to a strange ce, and she didn¡¯t want to leave her home.


    Regardless of Gu Yue¡¯e¡¯s feelings, her family all began to fantasise their blissful futures.


    Gu Changhai urged, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, the sooner the better.¡±


    If they didn¡¯t leave soon, the old master would return, and then Yue¡¯e wouldn¡¯t be able to leave.


    Unexpectedly, Huang Zhong and Gu Yue¡¯e didn¡¯t run into the old master, but Gu Xiaoshun who was returning from the academy!


    Living his carefree life, Gu Xiaoshun was on his way back, swinging his book bag as he walked.


    Gu Changhai eximed, ¡°Why has Xiaoshun returned so early?¡±


    Xiao Ling had went to the provincial city for the examination, so Gu Xiaoshun didn¡¯t have to ride Uncle Luo¡¯s oxcart. Walking back on his own, he was much quicker than the oxcart!


    At this point, Huang Zhong¡¯s carriage was nearly out of the vige, hence Zhou¡¯sforted them, ¡°It¡¯s okay, he can¡¯t see.¡±


    As Gu Yue¡¯e sat in the carriage, would Xiaoshun actually have the gall to open the curtains?

 Chapter 76: 76 daughter

    Chapter 76: 76 daughter


    Perhaps the Gu family has forgotten that Gu Xiaoshun had been notorious for his light fingers since he was a child.


    Because of this, he received a fair amount of beatings from the Liao family when he was a child.


    As the carriage brushed past Gu Xiaoshun, he casually lifted the curtain. ¡°Oh, Gu Yue¡¯e?¡±


    Gu Yue¡¯e was only two months younger than Gu Jiao, which technically made her Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s older sister, but Gu Xiaoshun always addressed her by her first name.


    Gu Yue¡¯e was immediately flustered.


    Although she didn¡¯t want to leave home, she feared more to fail and be beaten to a pulp by her father.


    Huang Zhong stopped the carriage.


    He hopped off the carriage, confronted Gu Xiaoshun, snatched the curtain from his hand, and coldly asked, ¡°Where did this rug rate from?¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun, in his Tianxiang Academy uniform, didn¡¯t look serious despite his appearance. Each strand of his hair seemed to spell out his notorious reputation.


    Reading too many books seemed to make people forget that he was the first-rate scoundrel in the town.


    Just now, he had seen Gu Yue¡¯e crying in the carriage.


    He suddenly had an ill feeling ¡ª Gu Yue¡¯e was of age to be married. Her family was anxious about her marriage. The ones that were not good enough, the Gu family would not ept, and the ones that were good enough, the Gu family could not afford.


    Could it be that this old mogul was nning on buying Gu Yue¡¯e to be one of his secondary wives?


    Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s temper red. ¡°So you don¡¯t even recognize your master Xiaoshun, yet you dare toe and snatch people from the Gu family? Yue¡¯e, get out of the carriage!¡±


    Gu Yue¡¯e did not move.


    Gu Xiaoshun stepped onto the carriage, intending to pull Gu Yue¡¯e off.


    As a person trained in martial arts, Huang Zhong wasn¡¯t going to let a youngster snatch a person from him. He grabbed Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s arm and coldly said, ¡°Kid, let¡¯s talk this out peacefully.¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun retorted, ¡°How much silver did my uncle take from you? Enough to sell off his own daughter?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®your uncle¡¯s daughter¡¯? This is the maid from the third branch of the Gu family, Gu Jiao¡¯s maid! Wait a minute, are you from the Gu family?¡± Huang Zhong paused, as if something seemed off.


    At this moment, Gu Changhai with Zhou and Liao families arrived, panting heavily.


    Gu Changhai sternlymanded, ¡°Xiaoshun! Come here!¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun, ignoring Gu Changhai, looked at Huang Zhong strangely, used one hand to pull back the curtain, and pointed at Gu Yue¡¯e with his other hand: ¡°Are you nuts? I don¡¯t recognize my own sister? Open your eyes wide and take a good look, this is the eldest daughter of the Gu family, Gu Yue¡¯e!¡±


    In ye sunny weather, the town¡¯s streets were bustling with people.


    Lord Gu sat in the private room on the second floor of the tea house, sipping tea while listening to the coachman¡¯s report.


    The window by his side was wide opened, allowing the sunlight and noise to flood into the room. Unlike the hustle and bustle of the capital city, the activity of the town bore more local vor.


    ¡°¡­ went to the vige, the household is also surnamed Gu.¡± The coachman said.


    As this matter was of great importance, Lord Gu only trusted his confidants to carry out the task. The coachman was no exception.


    The coachman reported everything he found out at the Gu family in detail.


    When the coachman mentioned that the other party is also surnamed Gu, Lord Gu¡¯s reaction was not big. However, when he learned that the child was indeed the girl who was mistakenly taken away years ago, his teacup ttered to the table.


    The coachman was startled: ¡°Lord, are you okay?¡±


    Lord Gu cleared his throat, and said sternly, ¡°I¡¯m fine, where is the person now?¡±


    The coachman said, ¡°On the way. Guard Huang told me to inform you in advance. He will bring the person over soon.¡±


    Lord Gu nodded, ¡°Got it, you can go.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    The coachman left.


    He had finally found the child, without too much trouble, as if it was destined by god for him to recognize her.


    He wondered who the child would resemble, him or Yao family.


    Time seemed to slow down. Lord Gu was gradually bing impatient sitting upstairs, and decided to go downstairs.


    No sooner had he stepped out of the tea house than he bumped into a small dumpling-like child clutching a box of pastries.


    The child let out an ¡°Aiyo,¡± falling face-first onto the ground. The box of pastries in his hand flew out, pastries scattered all over the ground.


    The child saw his hard-won pastries gone and was totally dumbfounded.


    ¡°What happened, Jingle?¡±


    Seeing him lying stunned on the ground, Gu Jiao quickly ran up to him after buying a candy hawthorn, and picked him up.


    Looking at Gu Jiao and then at the scattered osmanthus cakes on the ground, the boy¡¯s lips began to tremble and his big eyes filled with tears: ¡°The osmanthus cakes are gone ¡­¡±


    Today was Jingle¡¯s first time visiting the town, seeing so many people, and lining up for osmanthus cakes for the first time.


    He was so precious about them that he hadn¡¯t eaten a single one, and now they were all gone.


    Gu Jiao took a look at the osmanthus cakes on the ground, and asked him, ¡°Are you hurt? Did you get injured anywhere?¡±


    Jingle clutched his own little heart, and said pitifully, ¡°I¡¯m hurt here.¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±


    It was an osmanthus cake from Liji. They had queued for more than an hour to buy it. No wonder the kid was so heartbroken.


    But was there the need for such dramatics?


    Using a handkerchief, Gu Jiao wiped his little hands clean: ¡°Be careful next time.¡±


    ¡°I was very careful! It¡¯s not my fault, he bumped into me!¡± After Jingle finished speaking, he pointed to Lord Gu who was standing awkwardly to one side.


    Strictly speaking, it was indeed his fault because he was moving too quickly. At that time, Jingle had been standing still obediently under the eaves, waiting for Gu Jiao to buy candy hawthorn for him.


    However, Lord Gu hadn¡¯t done it purposely. It was just that Jingle was so small that he didn¡¯t see him.


    Just as he was about to order someone to pick Jingle up, Gu Jiao appeared.


    Howe this girl is always around? Lord Gu wondered.


    Gu Jiao gave Lord Gu a cold stare. Lord Gu felt somewhat guilty under her piercing gaze, but as a respectful lord, he wasn¡¯t going to apologize to a child.


    He cleared his throat and said sternly, ¡°Who told him to block the way? You bring a child out, can¡¯t you look after him properly? Forget it, I¡¯m in a good mood today. I¡¯ll let you off this time. This amount of silver can buy a hundred boxes of osmanthus cake!¡±


    With that said, he took out an ingot, and dropped it on the ground in front of them.


    Ordinary people would have been grateful for such a sum of silver, but Gu Jiao and Jingle didn¡¯t react at all.


    Lord Gu swept them a cold nce: ¡°Hmph, suit yourselves!¡±


    With that, he briskly walked away.


    Given his rich and prestigious appearance, nobody dared to speak up for Gu Jiao and Jingle.


    But just as he was about to pass by Gu Jiao, she discreetly stuck out her foot, causing him to trip.


    Caught off guard, he was sent sprawling and fell face-first onto the ground!


    Enraged, he twisted around and red at Gu Jiao: ¡°You damn girl, are you looking for death?¡±


    Gu Jiao shot back his own words: ¡°Who told you to stand in the way?¡±


    Having tripped him, Gu Jiao took Jingle and walked away.


    Lord Gu was livid this time. Coincidentally, the local magistrate was passing by with his constables.


    In his rage, Lord Gu ordered the magistrate to arrest her!

 Chapter 77: 77 Oaths

    Chapter 77: 77 Oaths


    No sooner had the county magistrate left than Huang Zhong arrived.


    ¡°Marquis! Marquis!¡±


    ¡°Howe it¡¯s just you? Where¡¯s the child?¡±


    ¡°Almost been swindled! The Gu Family deceived us!¡± Huang Zhong told the story of how the Gu Family had sent a decoy, ¡°Luckily, we ran into brother Xiaoshun, otherwise we would have made a mistake again!¡±


    The Marquis was livid. Very well, these people were asking for death! He would deal with themter!


    ¡°Are you deaf when I ask you something?¡± The Marquis red at Huang Zhong.


    Huang Zhong sneered, wasn¡¯t he hesitant about recognizing the child at first? Why was he so anxious now?


    Huang Zhong took out a lifelike wooden carving from his bosom: ¡°Brother Xiaoshun gave it to me, he said this is the young miss!¡±


    Thest wooden carving had been given to the head of the courtyard¡¯s old mother, and then Gu Xiaoshun carved a new one, which had not yet been presented to Gu Jiao.


    Having learned his lesson, Huang Zhong didn¡¯t reveal the truth to Gu Xiaoshun but simply said that his master had received Gu Jiao¡¯s favor and wanted to invite her to the town to thank her.


    Gu Xiaoshun, afraid that they would make the same mistake again, presented him with the carving.


    The Marquis was struck by a sense of familiarity looking at the wooden carving.


    ¡°There¡¯s something missing.¡± Huang Zhong fumbled in his bosom, took out a small patch, and pasted it onto the left face of the wooden carving, ¡°Brother Xiaoshun said, the young miss has a red birthmark on her face.¡±


    A red birthmark¡­


    The Marquis finally realized why the wooden carving looked familiar. Wasn¡¯t it the same wretched girl whom he had just ordered to be arrested?


    ¡°Did you get it wrong?¡± The Marquis frowned.


    ¡°Absolutely no mistake this time!¡± Huang Zhong had confirmed with the vigers and it was indeed the child from the Gu Family¡¯s third branch!


    The Marquis felt as if he had been struck by a thunderp; he began to wobble unsteadily.


    Noticing the oddness of his master, Huang Zhong asked worriedly, ¡°Marquis, what¡¯s wrong? You wouldn¡¯t despise the young miss because of her facial w, right? Brother Xiaoshun said that although she has a birthmark, she doesn¡¯t look bad at all!¡±


    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; Xiaoshun never thought his sister was ugly.


    Just as Huang Zhong was waiting for the Marquis to respond, in the next second, the Marquis had disappeared!


    Naturally, the Marquis went after Gu Jiao. He had no idea that the wretched girl was the one he had been looking for!


    What had he done?


    He had personally sent her to prison!


    Whether she could be recognized or not was one thing; it would even be difficult to collect her blood for the medicine now!


    When the Marquis arrived at the county government, the county magistrate and his men had just arrived.


    Earlier, his identity had been revealed in order to gain the county magistrate¡¯s obedience. Now, when the county magistrate saw him, he hurriedly greeted him. However, the Marquis didn¡¯t even spare him a nce and walked straight to the carriage holding Gu Jiao and the other.


    An unexpected thing happened; the carriage was empty, not a single figure inside!


    The Marquis red: ¡°Where are they?¡±


    The county magistrate was also taken aback. Right, where had they gone? He had seen her get onto the carriage with the child, they had not stopped along the way. How did they just disappear?


    Could that girl be some hidden expert?


    Wiping the cold sweat from his brow, the county magistrate said: ¡°I, I have been negligent. I will immediately send people to catch her and give her severe punishment! Let her dare to run away again!¡±


    A mere ninth-ranked official, daring to severely punish the lineage of the Marquis Residence? The Marquis berated: ¡°You dog official! Even children you arrest! And give severe punishment! Can¡¯t you soar to the heaven?¡±


    With a stupefied expression, the county magistrate said, ¡°Wasn¡¯t¡­ Wasn¡¯t it you who ordered me to arrest them?¡±


    The Marquis kicked him: ¡°Just because I told you to arrest them, you did? Who is the real parent of the people? You don¡¯t stand up for the people and instead curry favor with the powerful. What use are you?¡±


    The county magistrate, greatly disheveled, was speechless.


    The evening twilight set in, thest sliver of sunset disappeared over the horizon, where the sky was gray and half-illuminated.


    Gu Jiao, holding Little Jingkong¡¯s hand, paced leisurely along the silent street.


    Although there were no Osmanthus Cakes left, candy haws were still avable.


    Little Jingkong was small in stature, but not short on courage. The series of incidents had not frightened him at all. He licked his candy haw, very seriously, one bite at a time!


    Gu Jiao paused, before finally asking, ¡°Are you scared?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Little Jingkong paused his nibbling on candy haw, his big twinkling eyes looked at Gu Jiao. It took him a while to understand, ¡°I¡¯m not scared!¡±


    So he said.


    Gu Jiao just made an acknowledging sound.


    It¡¯s good that he¡¯s not scared.


    The first thing Gu Jiao learned was the rules of survival, she hadn¡¯t paid much attention whether she was good or bad. However, ever since she began caring for Little Jingkong, she seemed to gradually care more.


    To teach a child about things such as escaping from prison didn¡¯t seem right.


    Just as Gu Jiao was wondering how to educate Little Jingkong, he shook her hand, ¡°Jiaojiao, you are very amazing!¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Gu Jiao dismissed it as child¡¯s talk.


    Little Jingkong: ¡°I also want to be amazing! Even more amazing than Jiaojiao! This way, Jiaojiao doesn¡¯t have to be amazing anymore!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Gu Jiao stopped in her tracks, she looked at him puzzled.


    Little Jingkong lifted his head, his clear eyes stared unblinkingly into Gu Jiao¡¯s, ¡°Jiaojiao, you must have had a tough time, right? Master says that all powerful people must have suffered a great deal, and they will continue to bear hardships in the future.¡±


    Actually, he didn¡¯t understand why people should still suffer after bing strong. His master said, it¡¯s because all powerful people were destined to climb uphill, and climbing uphill was hard, only descending was easy.


    This was the first time someone had asked Gu Jiao if she was having a hard time.


    When she joined the Organization at the age of eight, whipping, electric shocks, tortures¡­ She almost trained herself to unconsciousness daily, there were people who cared if she could handle the next task, but nobody cared if she was having a tough time.


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t know how to react for a moment.


    Thinking of the recent incidents, Little Jingkong drooped his head down, ¡°Did I¡­ bring trouble to Jiaojiao?¡±


    Gu Jiao hadn¡¯t expected him to say that. She stroked his bald head, ¡°No, having Little Jingkong around is not hard at all.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Little Jingkong looked at her, startled.


    Gu Jiao saw a hint of hesitation in his eyes. This carefree little child was, in reality, more sensitive than anyone else.


    Gu Jiao nodded assertively, ¡°Yes, really.¡±


    A smile returned to Little Jingkong¡¯s eyes. He patted his tiny chest firmly, ¡°Jiaojiao, wait until I grow up. I¡¯ll carry you uphill when I grow up!¡±


    If all strong people have to climb uphill, then he would climb uphill with Jiaojiao on his back!


    Jiaojiao wouldn¡¯t have to walk. He would bear all of Jiaojiao¡¯s hardship!


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t really understand the uphill-downhill metaphor, but she could feel the child¡¯s concern.


    She squatted down and gently almost teasingly touched the little one¡¯s nose.


    At this moment, Gu Jiao had no idea that the solemn oath made by someone at the tender age of three and a half, would indeede true when he grew up.


    Nobody expected that the cute little rice dumpling would one day be an awe-inspiring divine general¡ª


    No one within the six nations, or in the whole Universe, dared to make her suffer hardship anymore.


    By the time they returned to the vige, Little Jingkong had already fallen asleep, drooling in Gu Jiao¡¯s arms.


    There was a carriage parked at the edge of the vige. Gu Jiao paid it no mind, until she approached and spotted someone standing by it.


    It wasn¡¯t just anyone ¨C it was the Marquis, the very man who had ordered her and Little Jingkong to be thrown into the dungeon.

 Chapter 78: Honesty 78

    Chapter 78: Honesty 78


    Besides Huang Zhong, his bodyguard, there were no others around Marquis Gu.


    Gu Jiao ruled out the possibility that he was here to capture her.


    But if he wasn¡¯t here to capture her, why had he appeared?


    Gu Jiao had no penchant for this haughty marquis who thought ofmoners as insects. Holding her little Junior Pure Land tightly, she watched him with caution.


    If he dared to hurt them, she wouldn¡¯t mind iming his life right there and then.


    Marquis Gu noticed Gu Jiao¡¯s hostility. He cleared his throat and sternly said, ¡°I¡¯m not here to capture you. I bear no ill will.¡±


    Despite his deration, Gu Jiao remained wary of him.


    Marquis Gu¡¯s emotions wereplex. He was struggling with epting that this girl who had repeatedly outsmarted him, was, in fact, his long-lost blood. He also felt remorse over their past grievances.


    Regardless, since he hade, he needed to speak his mind.


    Marquis Gu gestured to Huang Zhong, who retreated to a distance.


    Marquis Gu brushed his wide sleeve and said, ¡°My family name is Gu. I am the Marquis Ding¡¯An, the Ding¡¯An Marquis of Warm Spring Vi.¡±


    Gu Jiao had long guessed his identity. During their first encounter, Gu Jinyu was in his carriage.


    She recognized Gu Jinyu¡¯s voice.


    There could not be a second person who sat in Gu Jinyu¡¯s carriage and referred himself as the Marquis.


    In another encounter in the woods, she saw his face up close. His face bore a striking simrity to Gu Yan. Even she wouldn¡¯t believe if he wasn¡¯t Gu Yan¡¯s biological father.


    Even though he had not confessed, Gu Jiao chose to keep her knowledge to herself.


    Marquis Gu: ¡°About today¡­¡±


    Gu Jiao cut him off: ¡°If you¡¯vee to apologize, save it. I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    Marquis Gu¡¯s eyes narrowed: ¡°No, I¡­how could you speak so disrespectfully? Are you oblivious of your manners?¡±


    He had indeede with a sliver of remorse. However, he was a marquis, how could he apologize to a mere girl?


    Didn¡¯t she realize all parents should be respected? She was ill¡­


    Frowning, ¡°True, Yao Shi and I didn¡¯t teach her.¡±


    Gu Sang and Xun Shi had departed too soon to impart any teachings on her either.


    The rumor was she had been a fool, and the illness had only just receded.


    This consideration prompted Marquis Gu to show more leniency towards her.


    Fighting his rising anger, he told her, ¡°I came to see you because I have something to tell you. You might not believe me, but you¡­and I¡­we¡­¡±


    Why was it so hard to spill the truth?


    Marquis Gu sighed inwardly.


    ¡°You and I, what?¡± Gu Jiao racked her brain but couldn¡¯t figure out any probable rtion between the man and her. Although she had lived two lifetimes and encountered peculiarities, she posed hesitantly, ¡°You don¡¯t happen to be infatuated with me, do you?¡±


    Despite her scarred face, Gu Jiao was still petite. Some men might prefer women like her.


    Marquis Gu stumbled, nearly falling into the well in front of him!


    What in the world did she think of him? Did she have to defame her own father to this extent?


    Marquis Gu, struggling to control his hot-tempered nature, burst out, ¡°Do you know who I am? I am your¡ª¡±


    ¡­


    Fifteen minutester, Marquis Gu, with a limp in his stride, a bruised face, returned to his carriage.


    Huang Zhong came over. Seeing Marquis Gu¡¯s condition, he was baffled: ¡°My lord, were you¡­beaten up? It couldn¡¯t have been by Missy, right? You couldn¡¯t beat Missy?¡±


    Marquis Gu roared: ¡°I merely overlooked her behavior!¡±


    There was no way he would admit he couldn¡¯t beat her!


    It was simply too disastrous. Even Huang Zhong couldn¡¯t bear to witness it. In the ten-plus years of his service, he had never seen the Marquis in such disarray.


    Huang Zhong asked: ¡°Missy was so harsh? Didn¡¯t you tell her that you¡¯re her father?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Marquis Gu¡¯s anger red up: ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell her?¡±


    Huang Zhong was confused: ¡°How¡­ did you say it?¡±


    An indignant Marquis Gu said: ¡°I said I was her old man! She used me of insulting her and then assaulted me!¡±


    And she was particrly ruthless!


    Marquis Gu had never been so wronged in his life!


    Huang Zhong: Didn¡¯t you think to refer to yourself as her father? Didn¡¯t you like the term ¡°daddy¡±?


    ¡ª


    Having beaten up Marquis Gu, Gu Jiao took Junior Pure Land, who was sound asleep, home.


    Xiao Ling was away, taking exams in the Provincial City and would only return the following month.


    With one person absent, the house seemed quieter.


    Though quiet when at home, spending most of his time in his room, every time Gu Jiao opened the door to the western room and didn¡¯t see the young man studying at his desk, she felt oddly ufortable.


    She ced Junior Pure Land on the bed, covered him with a nket, and then proceeded to prepare dinner in the kitchen.


    Junior Pure Land had had his fill in town, so Gu Jiao did not wake him but opted to dine with the olddy in the main hall.


    Gu Jiao asked: ¡°Huh? Xiaoshun didn¡¯te?¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun would always eat dinner before returning to the Gu Family¡¯s old residence.


    ¡°He said he would stay at the academy for a while,¡± the olddy replied, picking up a piece of braised pork.


    With both Ling and Little Simpleton gone, the braised porkcked its usual aroma!


    Gu Jiao asked curiously: ¡°Why did he suddenly decide to stay at the academy?¡±


    The olddy replied: ¡°I don¡¯t know. But he left in quite a hurry.¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun had disrupted the Gu family¡¯s ns, causing Marquis Gu¡¯s couple, and Liao Shi to dread him and he had taken refuge in the academy to avoid punishment.


    The academy didn¡¯t allow outsiders. The only person from the Gu family who could enter was Gu Dashun. So, if the Gu family was able, they could have Gu Dashun beat him up. But it seemed Gu Dashun couldn¡¯t beat him either!


    ¡°I¡¯ll send him some silver tomorrow,¡± Gu Jiao worried that Gu Xiaoshun wouldn¡¯t have enough to cover his meals.


    ¡°I already gave him some money,¡± said the olddy.


    ¡°Where did you get the silver from?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    When the elderlydy first arrived, she was penniless. Nowhere near being able to afford silver, she didn¡¯t even have a copper te to her name.


    During the New Year, Gu Jiao had indeed given her arge red envelope, but that contained only banknotes.


    The olddy grunted: ¡°You think I tell stories for free?¡±


    Bewildered, Gu Jiao asked, ¡°You¡¯re setting up a sideline business while at home?¡±


    Keeping a straight face, the olddy said, ¡°Besides, there were your medicines. You said you didn¡¯t need them anymore, so I sold them.¡±


    Gu Jiao asked curiously: ¡°What medicine?¡±


    The olddy replied, ¡°Golden Sores Medicine! You meddled with it for several days at home, you thought I didn¡¯t know?¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°Oh, so you knew.¡±


    She made the medicine during the day at home while Xiao Ling was out. The olddy was present, but considering that the olddy wouldn¡¯t know about Golden Sores Medicine, she didn¡¯t bother hiding it from her.


    She had high standards for the quality of her medicinal products and had produced a dozen or so bottles, keeping only the three with the best efficacy.


    When the remaining containers disappeared, she didn¡¯t mind, assuming that the olddy had thrown them away. Who would¡¯ve thought they were secretly sold by the olddy?


    From the sound of it, Gu Jiao was convinced the olddy was a veteran: ¡°Have you done this kind of thing before?¡±


    ¡°Do you mean selling medicines? Hmm, maybe! But I don¡¯t think I sold Golden Sores Medicine,¡± the olddy seriously reflected, retrieving a name from the sparse memories, ¡°It seems it was an aphrodisiac.¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±


    Modern records state that the virtuous Empress once peddled aphrodisiacs and manipted the pce¡¯s concubine ranking system.


    The Virtuous Empress¡¯ famous quote: ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me about feelings, your majesty, the highest bidder gets the bed!¡±

 Chapter 79: Dreaming 79

    Chapter 79: Dreaming 79


    After dinner, Gu Jiao tidied up the house and made the bed in the western room for Xiao Jingkong. Then, she went back to her room to sleep.


    Two months had passed since herst dream, and Gu Jiao hadn¡¯t had any dreams since then.


    Unexpectedly, that night, she had another dream.


    But this time, she didn¡¯t dream about Xiao Ling, but about ¡°herself¡±.


    She dreamed that she became the daughter of the Gu Residence, met Gu Jinyu from Wenquan Vi, and returned to the Capital City with him.


    She moved into a mansion with intricate carvings and paintings. Every day, more than a dozen servants waited on her, and unfamiliar family members cared for her deeply.


    The servants respectfully called her Miss Gu, but the good times didn¡¯tst.


    Gu Jinyu was devastatingly beautiful, serene and elegant, knowledgeable and eloquent.


    In contrast, she was scarred, coarse, illiterate, and spoke awkwardly.


    Next to Gu Jinyu¡¯s strong contrast, she became an utterughingstock.


    Everyone was saying that the Gu Family had brought home a rustic country girl.


    The servants began to ridicule her, thedies started to distance themselves from her, even the family members who once loved her seemed unsure of how to face her.


    In order to reim what should have been hers, she did some terrible things under someone else¡¯s instigation, causing everyone to be thoroughly disappointed in her.


    In the end, she was sent to a vi outside the Capital City, where she spent her days in deep mncholy, and then died from illness in a cold winter.


    Upon waking up, Gu Jiao wondered why she would have such a dream.


    When she dreamed about matters rted to Xiao Ling, she understood that those were events that were going to happen, but it wasn¡¯t the case when it involved herself.


    Not because of anything else, but because the ¡°her¡± in the dream was simply not her.


    She was not unlearned, nor did she have a dull tongue.


    She wouldn¡¯t care about what others thought of her, wouldn¡¯t envy Gu Jinyu, wouldn¡¯t be instigated by others, and definitely wouldn¡¯t use those incredibly stupid tactics against Gu Jinyu.


    If she really wanted to kill someone, she would do it cleanly.


    As for being heartbroken because she wasn¡¯t loved by her family, that was even more ridiculous.


    So, why would she have such a wild dream? Had she gone mad?


    Meanwhile, after several days of long-distance travel, Xiao Ling and Fen Lin¡¯s carriage finally arrived at the Prefecture City of Pingcheng.


    They didn¡¯t arrive early. The inns around the Exam Site were all filled, so they had to settle for one a street away.


    Two taels of silver for a room, the price was extortionate.


    But there was nothing to be done about it. After all, all the candidates were waiting for a ce to stay. They could only obediently pay the silver.


    When the Prefecture Exam ended, the price would drop by half as the first group of examinees who did not pass left. When the College Examination ended, the price would drop by half again.


    Fen Lin and the coachman had eaten some unclean food on the road, which gave them a stomachache and almost prevented them from continuing their journey. Luckily, they had diarrhea medicine prepared by Gu Jiao.


    Xiao Ling was fine, except that he had some problems getting used to sleeping every night.


    Two dayster, the Prefecture Exam began.


    The Prefecture Exam was held at the Imperial College in Pingcheng, with candidates brought into the venue with their examination passes at the fourth quarter of the hour.


    Unlike the written papers of the County Examination, the Prefecture Examination issued fishbone examination passes, or examination reminders, to each candidate. These cards disyed the candidate¡¯s name, examination booth, and seat number.


    There were four main examination halls in the Imperial College of Pingcheng, with the candidates who had ranked first in their respective County Examinations and those who had ranked near the top assigned to the Examination Hall marked with the letter ¡°A¡±. Xiao Ling was among them.


    Eachrge examination hall was divided into countless small examination rooms, each amodating one person. The room was notrge but was equipped with a desk, a straw cushion, and a narrow wooden bed.


    Other than the examination pass, candidates were not allowed to bring anything else into the examination room. The necessary stationery was provided by the Imperial College, with meals and bedding delivered by specialized staff.


    Candidates could rest whenever they felt tired, as long as they didn¡¯t cheat or vite the examination rules. Even if they chose to sleep for four days and nights, no one would interfere.


    The Prefecture Examination didn¡¯t have a situation where one¡¯s performance in one section would determine everything, so all the candidates had toplete all three sections dutifully. Apart from going to the restroom under supervision, candidates were not allowed to leave their rooms at any other time.


    Once they left, regardless of the circumstances, they could not return to the examination hall.


    The first section was the Scripture Recitation Challenge.


    The requirement for the Prefecture Examination was to be proficient in at least three scriptures. The ¡°ssic of Filial Piety¡± and ¡°Analects of Confucius¡± werepulsory, while candidates could choose one more from either the ¡°Book of Songs¡± or ¡°Rites of Zhou¡± to recite silently from a specified passage.


    This seemed simple, but you should know that aside from the ¡°ssic of Filial Piety¡±, which had only 2,369 characters, the other three books contained over ny thousand characters. Even if you excluded the ¡°Rites of Zhou¡±, which had the most characters, there were still over fifty thousand characters, making the memorization workload enormous.


    The volume of the scripture recitation challenge was also veryrge. Even the fastest candidates would have to write until the afternoon, with most people only managing to hand in their papers gradually at dusk.


    However, Xiao Ling stopped writing and went to sleep after half an hour.


    His test paper was covered with a nk piece of paper and weighed down with the ink b.


    The invigtors were stunned.


    Could it be¡­ he finished?


    No, that¡¯s impossible. No one could finish that fast!


    Unless they could recite the few scriptures backwards and forwards, allowing them to write without thinking.


    This was not something ordinary geniuses could achieve. Who did he think he was? The young sacrificial wine¡ª the young lord of Zhaodu?


    The invigtors thought that he most likely couldn¡¯t answer it, so he simply gave up instead.


    And he was a County Examination Schr, what a disgrace to their county!


    After the examination, a designated person came to collect the papers. Each paper was first sealed with a surname, then put into a special box. Even the invigtors couldn¡¯t see the examination papers. When they finally saw the papers, the names were already sealed, so they didn¡¯t know which paper belonged to which candidate.


    Perhaps because Xiao Ling had left a deep impression on the invigtors during the first section of the examination, they paid special attention to him during the next two sections.


    The second section was a misceny, testing the candidates¡¯ rhetorical abilities. There were few restrictions on wording andposition, making it the most rxed out of the three sections.


    Xiao Ling again finished in half an hour and went to sleep after covering his paper.


    Could you¡­ at least not give up so easily? The misceny is so simple! You can¡¯t even write that? How did you top the County Examination? Are all the candidates this year unmotivated?!


    Thest section was the eight-legged essay, which spanned two days, showing its difficulty.


    The prefect from the Capital City personally set the question, which was exceptionally tough. He presented two unrted sentences from the ¡°Analects of Confucius¡±¡ª ¡°humble in poverty, unarrogant in wealth; diligent in affairs and guarded in discourse¡±, and asked the candidates to connect them together and answer the questions.


    Within quarter of an hour, two candidates couldn¡¯t stand the pressure and passed out.


    They were carried out, and this section of their examination was invalidated.


    The invigtor cursed inwardly, with such a difficult question, your dad shouldn¡¯t have called that!


    He thought that Xiao Ling would undoubtedly give up and go to sleep within half an hour again, but to his surprise, Xiao Ling continued to sit still without moving.


    ¡°¡®Humble in poverty, unarrogant in wealth, diligent in affairs and guarded in discourse¡¯. Why did Mr. Zhuang set such a difficult task? Ahen, can you help me with it?¡±


    The girl¡¯s radiant smile shed across his mind, clear as day, as if it were yesterday.

 Chapter 80: 80 Old Friends

    Chapter 80: 80 Old Friends


    On the fourth day at dusk, the examination ended.


    Fen Ling arrived early in the morning and stood guard the entire day. All other examinees had trickled out, but there was no sign of Xiao Ling. This made him uneasy.


    Just as he was contemting asking those inside about his friend, he saw Xiao Ling emerge, his expression icy.


    Fen Lin hurried to meet him and found his face pale. ¡°What happened?¡± he asked. ¡°Are you feeling unwell? Or did the exam go poorly?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Xiao Ling said dismissively.


    Fen Lin gathered from the sound of his voice that it was not a health issue. ¡°I overheard some of the students who finished saying that this test was especially difficult. Don¡¯t get discouraged; you may have done better than they did!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s return to the Inn.¡± Xiao Ling turned and headed towards the Inn.


    Fen Ling hesitated, at a loss for words.


    He felt like he had never seen Xiao Ling like this, so cold that it made people hesitate to approach him. He felt an intimidating aura radiating off Xiao Ling, as if he might do something terrifying any moment.


    ¡°Li¡­Ling, wait for me!¡±


    Despite his fear, Fen Ling gritted his teeth and chased after him.


    Now he no longer addressed him as Brother Xiao, although he was actually older than Xiao Ling. Using ¡°Brother Xiao¡± stemmed from Xiao Ling saving him and was merely a respectful address.


    But after spending New Year¡¯s Eve together, their bond had strengthened. Continuing to use ¡°Brother Xiao¡± would seem too distant!


    Xiao Ling was moving slowly with his crutch, so Fen Lin quickly caught up.


    The two men continued on their way to the Inn.


    As they were passing a tea house, two middle-aged men dressed in splendid attire stepped out. One of them nced at Xiao Ling absentmindedly and initially paid him no mind. However, after a moment, he seemed to realize something and turned his head to look at Xiao Ling again.


    At this time, Xiao Ling and Fen Lin had crossed the road and were on their way to the inn on the opposite side.


    The man¡¯s gaze trailed Xiao Ling, all the way until he disappeared around the corner.


    ¡°Master Zhuang, what¡¯s wrong? Did you spot someone you know? Want me to greet them for you?¡±


    The one who asked was the Governor of Pingcheng, family name Luo.


    Zhuang Xianzhi shook his head: ¡°No need, he¡¯s not someone I know. There¡¯s just a slight resemnce.¡±


    The young master is already dead. He had personally excavated the young master¡¯s body from the ruins of Guozijian, the body charred beyond recognition by fire. That ghastly sight was one he would never forget, no matter how much time had passed.


    Perhaps, it wasn¡¯t that they even looked alike, he could just be seeing things.


    In the six nations across the world, another individual with the looks and talent of the young master was impossible to find.


    ¡°Shall I confirm it for you?¡± Governor Luo offered, noticing Master Zhuang seemed quite interested in the man he had mistaken.


    Zhuang Xianzhi shook his head again, ¡°No need. That old friend of mine is dead.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± If the man was dead, then confirmation was not necessary.


    Xiao Ling and Fen Lin returned to the Inn, just as they entered, they heard a voice shout: ¡°Fen Dunzi!¡±


    Fen Lin¡¯s hair stood on end!


    Shadows of a childhood bully shed before his eyes!


    He wasn¡¯t the same old Dunzi anymore!


    He¡­ he had lost weight!


    Looking up, Fen Lin saw a young schr energetically descend the stairs, he approached Fen Lin with a smile on his face, ¡°It really is you, Fen Dunzi! You¡¯ve changed so much, I almost didn¡¯t recognize you! Wait, who¡¯s this?¡±


    The young man¡¯s gazended on Xiao Ling.


    Xiao Ling was breathtaking, even more so than a woman, one could not help but take a second look at him. Frankly speaking, and speaking without fear of Fen Lin punching him, it was Xiao Ling who first caught the young schr¡¯s attention, followed by Fen Lin standing beside him.


    Fen Lin recognized the young man after a moment, ¡°Du Ruohan?¡±


    The young manughed, patting Fen Lin on the shoulder, ¡°It¡¯s me!¡±


    ¡°It really is you!¡± Fen Linughed, then turned to Xiao Ling to introduce him. ¡°Ling, do you remember him? Little Du! We three used to attend a private school together!¡±


    The young man turned to Xiao Ling in disbelief, then said to Fen Lin, ¡°You must be mistaken? He¡¯s not Xiao Ling!¡±


    Fen Lin stated confidently, ¡°I¡¯m not mistaken! It is Ling!¡±


    The young man skeptically looked at Xiao Ling, ¡°That¡­ Xiaoliu who moved away after living for a year?¡±


    Fen Lin said, ¡°Yes! It¡¯s him! He moved away less than two years before your family also moved. By my calctions, we three haven¡¯t seen each other for ten years.¡±


    The young man was still doubtful that the person before him was Xiao Ling.


    He questioned Fen Lin, ¡°I can recognize you, why can¡¯t I recognize him?¡±


    In fact, Fen Lin didn¡¯t recognize Xiao Ling at first nce either. He only knew it was his childhood neighbor from seeing Xiao Ling¡¯s travel pass. Furthermore, since Xiao Ling had saved his life, he no longer had any doubts about Xiao Ling¡¯s identity.


    As for the fact that Xiao Ling couldn¡¯t remember the past, that was quite normal! Ten years had passed since he moved away at not quite seven years old, and what could a six-or-seven-year-old child remember?


    ¡°That kid, he was very timid when he was small, always hiding behind his mother.¡±


    Xiao Ling went upstairs first. The young man and Fen Lin followed behind, whispering quietly. The one speaking was the young man.


    ¡°Ling is different now! He¡¯s brave! He even saved me!¡± Fen Lin said.


    ¡°He is different¡­¡± The young man took a nce at Xiao Ling¡¯s receding back, and always felt an air of a Capital City young master about him, an air that was hard to notice for those who had not been exposed to it before.


    ¡°What happened to his leg?¡± There was no good opportunity for the young man to ask this question in front of Xiao Ling earlier


    ¡°He got injured saving me about half a year ago, and is now in treatment.¡± Having finished saying this, feeling guilty, Fen Lin asked, ¡°By the way, where did you go after moving away?¡±


    ¡°I went to Capital City.¡± the young man said.


    Fen Lin¡¯s eyes widened: ¡°You actually went to Capital City?¡±


    That was the ce Fen Lin dreamed of going, but the defenses in Capital City were strict. For civilians like them, unless they were trying for an examination, there was no way to get a pass to Capital City.


    The young man chuckled and said: ¡°My aunt works as a concubine in Capital City. She brought our whole family there. Now, do you still envy me?¡±


    Fen Lin fell silent.


    The young manughed loudly: ¡°Just kidding, let¡¯s go!¡±


    The three had dinner together, and from the young man¡¯s conversation, Fen Lin learned that he was currently studying at a well-known academy in the Capital City. He had passed the preliminary exam two years ago and nned on taking the provincial examination this August. This trip was to increase his exposure to the world and expand his experience.


    Throughout the process, only the young man and Fen Lin conversed, Xiao Ling hardly spoke and seemed not to want to interact.


    ¡°The kid wasn¡¯t like this before¡­¡± After Xiao Ling returned to his room, the young man pulled Fen Lin aside and whispered.


    In a light voice, Fen Lin said: ¡°His mother and older brother have passed away. He¡¯s had a tough time these years.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± The young man didn¡¯t say anything else. After a while, he changed the subject, ¡°You¡¯re also taking the exam this year, right? I¡¯ll wait for you in Capital City!¡±


    Fen Lin thought for a moment and said, ¡°Ling and I will take it together.¡±


    The young man smirked: ¡°How do you know he can pass? That kid isn¡¯t smart, don¡¯t you remember how often he was scolded by the tutor?¡±


    Even if he didn¡¯t remember Xiao Ling¡¯s appearance as a child, the young man didn¡¯t forget Xiao Ling¡¯s embarrassing moments. Xiao Ling wasn¡¯t stupid, he was just slower in responsiveness than others. People like that can be hard-working, but they struggle in studies.


    Fen Lin seriously said: ¡°Ling has changed now, he was first in the county exam. This time¡­ although the topic was difficult, I believe he can pass the preliminary exam.¡±


    The young man chuckled sarcastically: ¡°Let¡¯s bet, he won¡¯t pass.¡±


    Fen Lin decisively kicked him out!


    No one can look down on Xiao Ling, even his childhood friends aren¡¯t allowed to!


    The young man was chased out of the inn, feeling bored. He lost the mood to wander around and returned to the Governor¡¯s Mansion in boredom.


    The guards of the Governor¡¯s Mansion saw him and respectfully opened the door for him.


    As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he was stopped in his tracks by a stern scolding: ¡°Where have you been? Coming back sote!¡±


    The young man turned around grinning nervously, smiled and said, ¡°Hello, Uncle. Weren¡¯t you going to mark exam papers? You finished so quickly?¡±


    Zhuang, the governor, said sternly: ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject! I¡¯m asking you, where have you been?¡±


    The young man forced augh and said: ¡°I ran into two old neighbors from Song County, so we chatted for a while. Dinner¡­ I had dinner with them as well.


    With a cold voice, Governor Zhuang spoke: ¡°You think I would believe you just because you say so? Did you do something inappropriate again? I promised your aunt to take you out, not to let you idle around! Someone! Lock him in his room! Without my permission, he¡¯s not allowed to step a foot outside!¡±


    The young man cried out: ¡°I didn¡¯t! Uncle! I really went to meet friends! They are staying at the Yue Lai Inn! One is named Fen Lin! And the other is Xiao Ling! Xiao Ling is a candidate for this year¡¯s exam! He just finished answering the entric question you set! His face turned green from the difficulty! If you don¡¯t believe me, send someone to check!¡±

 Chapter 81: 81 puppies

    Chapter 81: 81 puppies


    Once these words were spoken, Du Ruohan understood that he was beyond salvation today.


    He hated his own mouth with a passion. How could he speak the truth at such a critical moment!


    As expected, by the time Governor Luo arrived to mediate, Du Ruohan had already been ¡°taken care of¡± by Zhuang Xianzhi using family punishment until he was unrecognizable to his own parents.


    Governor Luo, awkward yet respectful, asked, ¡°Sir, should we investigate the two individuals?¡±


    Zhuang Xianzhi vetoed it outright, ¡°Does that kid ever speak the truth?¡±


    A twitch appeared at the corner of Governor Luo¡¯s mouth: The young master Du indeed spoke the truth when he criticized your test questions as very perverse¡­


    Gu Jiao was oblivious to what was happening in Pingcheng. She was currently on her way to the hot springs vi.


    This morning, the second shopkeeper personally came to her, telling her about the clinic schedule for the month, ¡°¡­.I understand that we have previously discussed outpatient visits, but you know Gu Yan¡¯s situation. It is really not convenient for him toe out.¡±


    The second shopkeeper did not know that Gu Yan hade to her not long ago, and she had given him a follow-up consultation.


    Gu Jiao hesitated, then said, ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± The second shopkeeper was taken aback, She is so easy-going?


    All my killer arguments prepared for the way here, never got a chance to use?


    The weather was clear and the coach moved quickly. They reached the vi in less than two hours.


    The attitude of the people in the vi had changed dramatically from their previous visit. The guards were still maintaining their stern faces, but their manners were highly polite.


    The maid who came to meet them was the same asst time. Supposedly, her name was Yu Yaya.


    Yu Yaya led Gu Jiao, the second shopkeeper, and the old doctor to a pavilion near the garden, ¡°The young master is soaking in the hot springs, please wait a moment here. I will go and inform the young master of your arrival.¡±


    The hot springs were close to the pavilion, Yu Yaya wasn¡¯t sure where the young master would prefer to have the consultation, if it was at the hot springs, there would be no need to guide them to the mainpound.


    Yu Yaya went ahead to ask for the young master¡¯s instructions, while she ordered another young maid to bring refreshments and tea from the kitchen to entertain Gu Jiao and the others.


    Their treatment had greatly improved from thest time.


    The second shopkeeper tasted a rose pastry and could not contain his grin.


    ¡°Is it that delicious?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    The second shopkeeperughed, ¡°Things from the Marquis Residence are precious not because they are delicious, but because they are hard toe by.¡±


    What he was tasting wasn¡¯t just a pastry, but honor itself!


    ¡°Woo! Woo!¡±


    As they waited, a cry from a tiny creature sounded from the garden.


    All of them heard, the old doctor looked in the direction of the sound and wondered brusquely, ¡°What is that noise?¡±


    The second shopkeeper paused his pastry-eating, he listened carefully but didn¡¯t recognize the sound.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go check.¡± Gu Jiao said.


    ¡°Eh¡­ perhaps you shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± The second shopkeeper tried to dissuade her, but was Gu Jiao the kind of person to be easily stopped?


    After she spoke, she got up and walked down the stairs towards the garden.


    Following the sound, she quickly found the small creature trapped under the fence.


    It was a small puppy, recently born, somehow stuck in the fence. There were brambles under the fence, the result being that the more it struggled, the deeper the thorns prated its skin.


    The puppy was in terrible pain, its eyes welled up. Seeing someone approaching, it extended its little tongue, whether from fear or excitement, unknowingly, it licked a thorn, which caused it to whimper in pain.


    ¡°What a silly little pup.¡± Gu Jiao squatted down, petting its fluffy head, ¡°Stop moving.¡±


    The puppy didn¡¯t understand and continued writhing in pain.


    To rescue it, she would have to move the fence and then carefully pull out the thorns embedded in the puppy¡¯s skin, one by one.


    Gu Jiao chose the best position and started to pull at the fence.


    At that moment, a maid d in apricot-colored armor approached, ¡°Who are you? Stop what you are doing!¡±


    Gu Jiao did not stop.


    Gu Jiao was dressed in a simple peasant outfit, carrying a small basket on her back.


    The maid found the outfit somewhat familiar, but didn¡¯t pay it any mind. She stormed over, grabbed Gu Jiao¡¯s basket and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me telling you to stop?¡±


    Gu Jiao averted her gaze. Her icy stare was so sharp, it frightened the maid into loosening her grip.


    Then, the maid recognized her, ¡°Is it you?¡±


    Gu Jiao also recognized her: the maid from Huichun Hall who had turned her wallet inside out and ndered her as a thief. She was Gu Jinyu¡¯s confidante, named Yu Ru.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Yu Ru frowned upon seeing her, recalling that someone had mentioned that the doctor from Huichun Hall hade to examine the young master. Her face darkened, ¡°You¡¯re just a medicine boy, there¡¯s no need for you to follow every time!¡±


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t bother to pay her any attention and started to pull at the fence.


    Yu Ru barked, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? All the flowers here belong to the young mistress! Can you afford to pay if you damage them?¡±


    ¡°Woof! Woof!¡± the puppy whimpered in pain.


    Yu Ru nced at it and sneered, ¡°Just for a mutt? Is it your dog? It¡¯s true, like master, like dog! Do you know how much each peony inside costs in silver? Even if I sold you and your dog¡­¡±


    She was being so noisy.


    Disturbed, Gu Jiao furrowed her brows and abruptly pulled up the fence.


    ¡°You¨C¡± Yu Ru¡¯s face changed as she lunged at her.


    Actually, when Gu Jiao pulled up the fence, she intentionally avoided the peonies, but Yu Ru, lunging forward, crashed into the fence, causing it to swing, knocking down a peony nt in the process.


    It was the most vibrant one.


    Yu Ru¡¯s face turned pale.


    She hastily backed away several paces, covered her mouth with one hand and pointed at Gu Jiao with the other, ¡°You¡­ you ruined the Young Mistress¡¯s flowers!¡±


    ¡°You did it yourself! Why me others?¡±


    The voice belonged to Yu Yaya.


    After reporting that Gu Yan had returned, Gu Yan had asked her to lead the people to the hot springs. She just happened to witness this scene.


    ¡°Shameless!¡± Yu Yaya said.


    Yu Ru was Gu Jinyu¡¯s personal maid, few servants in the vi dared to speak to her this way.


    Yu Ru¡¯s face turned dark: ¡°It was her who ruined it! She was the one who uprooted the fence! If you don¡¯t believe me, ask¡­ ask them! They all saw it!¡±


    Sometime during the arguing, some curious servants had gathered.


    Yu Ru asked for their testimony.


    Yu Yaya put her hands on her hips: ¡°Okay then, say it! Who was the one who ruined it?¡±


    The crowd lowered their heads.


    Yu Ru¡¯s backing was Gu Jinyu ¨C it was obviously not worthwhile to offend her for a mere medicine boy.


    It wasn¡¯t that they weren¡¯t afraid of Gu Yan, but Yu Yaya¡¯s confrontational attitude was not clearly backed by Gu Yan. Who didn¡¯t know that the young master detested such disputes between servants?


    Yu Ru sneered, ¡°See? It was her who ruined it!¡±


    Being pointed at by Yu Ru, Gu Jiao ignored the surroundingmotionpletely. She removed all the thorns from the puppy¡¯s body and wrapped it with a clean cloth.


    The cloth quickly became soaked with its blood.


    ¡°Whimper¡­ whimper¡­¡± the puppy whimpered in pain.


    The second boss and the housekeeper arrived at the same time.


    The housekeeper remembered clearly Gu Jiao¡¯s all too fresh misbehavior of climbing into bed and did not have a good impression of her; even less so seeing the bloody puppy in her hands: ¡°Don¡¯t you dare throw it away?¡±


    This remark was aimed at both Gu Jiao and the second boss.


    The second boss knew that Gu Jiao would not throw it away.


    The young girl would not bow to hardness, couldn¡¯t they just ask nicely, instead of being rude? They were hopelessly worsening the situation.


    ¡°Give it to me. I¡¯ll put it in the carriage.¡± The second boss reached out to take the puppy.


    But Gu Jiao didn¡¯t give it to him.


    The Housekeeper said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, throw this beast out! If not, she can get out too!¡±


    ¡°Who are you telling to get out?¡±


    Apanied by a calm voice, Gu Yan¡¯s sedan was carried over by his servants.

 Chapter 82: 82 Refreshing

    Chapter 82: 82 Refreshing


    ¡°Young Master!¡±


    Nurse Fang and the rest hurriedly paid their respects to Gu Yan.


    The second-inmand also made a bow.


    Rankings were clearly paramount in Zhan Country, as a businessman, the second-inmand bowed to the son of a marquis. Gu Jiao was no exception, but she was not ustomed to bending her knee to people.


    She simply stood, fixedly looking at Gu Yan.


    When everyone else bowed down, she became the odd one out. It was impossible for people not to notice.


    The second-inmand subtly tugged at her sleeve, signaling her to greet him.


    Though they were here to treat the young master, it didn¡¯t mean they could be disrespectful to him, right?


    Gu Yan, however, seemed to ignore it. He didn¡¯t greet Gu Jiao, nor did he force her to.


    He turned to Nurse Fang, ¡°Are you going to make me ask a second time?¡±


    Nurse Fang was too astonished earlier, and forgot to respond. As she regained her senses, she told Gu Yan how Gu Jiao was refusing to throw out the puppy.


    As for the matter of Gu Jiao breaking the peony flower, she did not mention that. After all, she did not witness it, and it was not her ce to mention it even if she had.


    All the servants of the house knew how much Gu Yan hated such little creatures for being noisy. Not long ago, a rabbit kept by Gu Jinyu, despite being silent, was thrown out by Gu Yan. This girl was like a moth to a me, she probably doesn¡¯t even know how she¡¯ll die!


    As expected, when Gu Yan¡¯s eyes fell on the bloody puppy held by Gu Jiao, his aura turned cold at once.


    Nurse Fang coldly huffed.


    You wouldn¡¯t discard it when told, now it falls into the young master¡¯s hands, right?


    ¡°Where did this doge from?¡± Gu Yan asked.


    ¡°I found it.¡± Gu Jiao said, ¡°It was stuck in a fence, and injured by the thorns.¡±


    Gu Yan¡¯s gaze swept toward the fence.


    The fence that Gu Jiao had picked up had been reinserted, but the freshly disturbed soil still showed signs of movement.


    Yu Ru nced at the broken peony flower and took the chance to say, ¡°She even snapped the youngdy¡¯s peony flower! All for this dog!¡±


    Yu Ya snorted, ¡°You were the one who broke it!¡±


    ¡°It was her!¡± Yu Ru coldly pointed at Gu Jiao.


    ¡°You did it!¡± Yu Ya stood with hands on hips.


    Gu Yan¡¯s face became icy cold, and it was clear to all that he was angry.


    He had a heart condition, and he was not supposed to get angry easily as it could make him ill. Otherwise, the lord and thedy would not have spoiled him so. Even when he took the ancient painting just to tear it apart in a tantrum, they let him have it even though they knew.


    ¡°Both of you, shut up!¡± Nurse Fang scolded harshly.


    The two maids immediately fell silent.


    Gu Yan looked at everyone present and then back at Gu Jiao in the flower bed, ¡°You all saw that it was her who did it, right?¡±


    The tone was clearly usatory, and everyone bowed their heads in tacit agreement.


    ¡°No¡­ it wasn¡¯t her¡­¡± Yu Ya was somewhat frightened by Gu Yan¡¯s aura, her voice weakening.


    Gu Yan said indifferently, ¡°They all say it was her who did it, yet you¡¯re the only one saying it wasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Because it wasn¡¯t.¡± Yu Ya muttered softly.


    Yu Ru smirked in triumph.


    No matter what, the young master was the biological brother of the young miss. How could the young master ever choose not to believe the personal maid of the young miss, and instead believe an outsider?


    As for the maid Yu Ya, she was only a third-grade maid in the young master¡¯s courtyard, without the eligibility to serve the young master up close.


    The weight of her words was certainly minimal.


    ¡°Very good.¡± Gu Yan nodded, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Yu Ya was taken aback, ¡°Me?¡­ Yu Ya.¡±


    Gu Yan ordered, ¡°Everyone except the bean sprout, leave my vi immediately!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Yu Ya!¡±


    Wait, should they leave the vi? Does he mean her?


    Yu Ya was stunned.


    All present were shocked with the sudden change in color on their faces. Why was the young master not punishing Yu Ya and the young apothecary, but instead driving them away?


    The only person with a normal expression was Gu Jiao, who had not shown even the slightest facilitation on her face from start to finish, focusing solely on soothing the injured puppy.


    In disbelief, Yu Ru rushed forward, ¡°Young Master, I am¡­¡±


    Who do you think you are?


    Two guards swiftly appeared, pinned her down with one finger, and threw her and all those who tried to smear Gu Jiao out.


    The guards preparing to step forward to execute the order were stunned.


    Where did these twoe from?


    Brazenly grabbing their jobs in broad daylight?


    Mysterious guards: Heh, you know nothing about our young master.


    Such a good opportunity to curry favor with him, how could we let you have it?


    Finally, only Nurse Fang was left.


    She was the personal maid of Yao Family. If the guards from the vi were there, they would surely not dare touch her. But the secret guards did not hesitate to carry her out.


    Nurse Fang: ¡°Let me go! I want to see madam! I need to see the madam!¡±


    Shoosh!


    One of the guards sealed her mute point, and she was unable to make a sound.


    The guards all gave a thumbs up in admiration, even daring to handle Nurse Fang, you guys are tough.


    The guards quickly disappeared into the dark after finishing their task.


    When the young master needed them, they were his hidden weapons. When the young master didn¡¯t need them, they were simply like air!


    The second-inmand¡¯s mouth fell open in astonishment.


    Gu Yan motioned for his pnquin to be put down and got off it. He walked up to Gu Jiao and smiled gently, ¡°Satisfied?¡±


    Second-inmand: Wait a moment, what is happening? Did you throw all those people out just to appease a little maid?


    Gu Jiao considered his question seriously, then nodded, ¡°Satisfied.¡±


    Gu Yan¡¯s smile widened.


    He was already good-looking, so a smile turned him simply astonishing and outshined everything else in the courtyard.


    ¡°It¡¯s bleeding a lot, is it severely injured?¡± Gu Yan asked, looking at the puppy in her arms.


    ¡°Yes, I need to find a ce to bandage it.¡±


    ¡°You can do it in my courtyard.¡±


    Gu Yan led Gu Jiao back to his room, ¡°Bean sprout, get a clean small mat here.¡±


    It¡¯s Yu Ya!!!


    Yu Ya, hands on her hips, roared internally!


    Glum-faced Yu Ya grabbed a small mat and ced it on Gu Yan¡¯s desk.


    Gu Jiao used iodine and cleaned the puppy¡¯s wounds, applied some of her homemade wound-healing herbs, and in some ces wrapped it in gauze.


    ¡°Do you have sheep¡¯s milk?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes, Bean Sprout!¡± Gu Yan ordered Yu Ya to fetch a bowl of fresh sheep¡¯s milk.


    The puppypped up the milk, then drifted off to sleep.


    Gu Yan sat cross-legged on the bed, intently ying with Gu Jiao¡¯s stethoscope.


    He put the stethoscope to his ear, bowed his head, and alternated between listening to his heart and stomach.


    Wow!


    The sounds were so loud!


    The grim and deste young master Gu had finally be a curious baby.


    The old doctor took Gu Yan¡¯s pulse as a matter of routine.


    Gu Yan cooperated well with the old doctor, his good manners surprising thetter.


    The doctor was also pleasantly surprised by Gu Yan¡¯s pulse. Of course,pared to a normal person, there was still quite a gap, butpared to his past readings, he had vastly improved.

 Chapter 83: 83 Beating up Dad (First Update)

    Chapter 83: 83 Beating up Dad (First Update)


    The old chief doctor couldn¡¯t help but admire Gu Jiao¡¯s medical skills once again.


    Heart disease¡­ incurable heart disease, was truly a terminal illness at that time, to have such an improvement was indeed a miracle.


    ¡°The young master¡¯s pulse is good, he just needs to continue taking the medicine.¡± Unknown to others, Gu Jiao had already given the medicine to Gu Yan several days prior. He continued his act, ¡°I¡¯ve been refining this medicine for a long time, and finallypleted itst night. Miss Gu, did you bring the medicine? Remember to give it to young master Guter.¡±


    Gu Jiao: The medicine has already been given to him more than ten days ago.


    The sudden blooper¡­


    Gu Yan was rolling withughter on the bed!


    The events in the small garden were eventually reported to the housekeeper.


    These past few days, thedy of the manor contracted a chill, she feared her sickness might infect Gu Yan¡ªGu Yan¡¯s body was such that a little chill could spell death, so she moved to the Lan Courtyard alone.


    As for important matters in the manor, they were up to Lord Gu to decide.


    The household steward reported this to Lord Gu without any embellishments, he simply described the events as they happened, including Gu Jiao saving a puppy by pulling down a fence, the dispute between Yu Ru and Gu Jiao, the unintentional damage of Gu Jinyu¡¯s peonies, and the maid offending Gu Yan.


    The steward sighed: ¡°Yu Ru is from the Capital City and has always looked down on the servants from the vi, so it serves her right to be taught a lesson¡­ It¡¯s a pity about the maid.¡±


    Lord Gu snorted coldly: ¡°What¡¯s pitiful about her? Who does she think she is, trying to drive people out? She¡¯s been a steward so long, she¡¯s forgotten that she¡¯s merely a servant as well!¡±


    Whether he recognized the child as his or not, no one, especially not a worthless servant, had the right to disrespect the child.


    The steward was at a loss for words.


    What was wrong with being a servant? Wasn¡¯t that a higher status than a little medicine boy?


    Moreover, the maid had always been favored by the lord, she was such an important person in the house, how could he suddenly say harsh words about her?


    Lord Gu said: ¡°Weren¡¯t they supposed to be here this afternoon? Why wasn¡¯t it reported to me when they arrived early?¡±


    The note said afternoon.


    They were supposed to arrive in the afternoon, but didn¡¯t expect Gu Jiao to leave in the morning.


    The local doctors usually do not have any audience with the lord. At most, after treating the illness, they might get an opportunity to show their faces by kowtowing in front of the lord.


    Which is why the steward had not reported it to the lord in advance.


    If their maid was being scolded, the steward was naturally not going to shirk his responsibility: ¡°It was my negligence, please forgive me, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Where is she now?¡± Lord Gu asked.


    ¡°She seems to have gone to the Young Master¡¯s courtyard.¡± The young master¡¯s attention towards the Huichun Hall visitors seemed a bit excessive. Even though the servants might have made mistakes, there was no need to kick out the maid and Yu Ru as well, was there?


    If thedy and the youngdy learn about this, wouldn¡¯t it make things difficult?


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and see,¡± Lord Gu announced, standing up from his chair.


    ¡°My Lord!¡± The steward called out to him, ¡°What¡­ what should we do with the people out there?¡±


    Lord Gu pondered for a moment: ¡°Keep the maid, send away the others.¡±


    The maid was thedy¡¯s personal servant. Dismissing her was not an easy thing to exin to thedy. If his son can drive her out, he can¡¯t avoid bringing her back. It¡¯s hard to be a father, even harder to be a husband.


    Moreover, apart from her fussy nature, the maid harbored no ill intentions, was fiercely loyal to thedy, and was very efficient.


    ¡°And what about Miss Yu Ru?¡± the steward asked.


    Lord Gu said coldly: ¡°That yamen, who considers herself above everyone else and mes others, should we hold on to her for New Year¡¯s? Are you responsible if she sets a bad example to Jin Yu?¡±


    The steward hurriedly acknowledged: ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I will set about it right away!¡±


    ¡°Also,¡± Lord Gu stated, ¡°tell the maid not to go to Yanyan¡¯s courtyard after shees back.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Gu Yan had a bad temper and would let go of some people every month, so this incident didn¡¯t cause much of a stir on the estate at first. However, when the servants heard that the maid and Yu Ru were also thrown out, they were greatly shocked.


    No matter how angry the young master was, he had never touched the people from the Lady and the youngdy¡¯s side before, so what happened this time?


    Gu Jiao, the person involved, knew nothing about everyone¡¯s doubts. After the blooper in front of Gu Yan, she quietly went to the front yard for a breeze, she wanted to be alone.


    It was also her fault for notmunicating with the old doctor beforehand, but she truly did not expect the old doctor to be so bold, imitating the shopkeeper¡¯s boasting act.


    The medicine he finished preparing yesterday was the one she gave to Gu Yan ten days ago. She was made a fool of, left with nothing!

 Chapter 84: 83 Beating up Dad (First Update)_2

    Chapter 84: 83 Beating up Dad (First Update)_2


    Gu Yan was standing in the corridor, smiling and watching her.


    Gu Jiao: Stop looking! Stop looking andughing! I have absolutely no face left!


    Gu Jiao cast a scornful nce at Gu Yan.


    Just at that moment, the puppy woke up, whimpering and started looking for Gu Jiao.


    Gu Yan picked it up.


    The little puppy shuddered in fear as it neared Gu Yan, whimpering loudly.


    Gu Yan did not hold back his lethal gaze.


    Heckedpassion, despised these adorable creatures, especially when this one had been held by her¡­


    She never held me!


    Gu Yan looked at it with envy, as if he would squish it in the next second.


    The puppy felt Gu Yan¡¯s killing intent and its cries got louder.


    ¡°Yelp! Yelp! Yelp!¡±


    Gu Yan snorted: ¡°Just for her sake, I¡¯ll spare you.¡±


    Although he hated that little creature, she liked it. Therefore, he could somewhat tolerate it.


    When Lord Gu stepped into the courtyard, he saw Gu Jiao and Gu Yan squatting on the grass in the front yard, building a doghouse.


    A pile of timber was scattered on the ground, Gu Jiao was cutting, while Gu Yan was assembling, nails were also hammered by Gu Jiao.


    They were perfectly in sync. Every time Gu Jiaopleted one step, Gu Yan knew what the next one was, even though he never built a doghouse before.


    Both had a simr taste.


    All sorts of mattresses for the doghouse were brought by the servants, and both either liked or disliked the same ones.


    They looked like yful children, both enjoying the other¡¯spany.


    So they were true twins of a dragon and a phoenix?


    Gu Jinyu and Gu Yan grew up together. Lord Gu tried numerous methods to make the two siblings close, but they just never got along.


    Actually, not just with Gu Jinyu, others also had difficulty interacting with Gu Yan. This child was full of thorns, hurting whoever came close.


    Lord Gu had never seen such an obedient son before. He had lost all his temper, and that little girl had also quieted down a lot.


    If she continued to be this way, she didn¡¯t seem to be that annoying.


    ¡°No, not this one. It¡¯s so ugly.¡± Gu Yan pointed to a rooftop made by Gu Jiao.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s ugly.¡± Gu Jiao said.


    It was thest step now. The doghouse would beplete once the rooftop was installed.


    Gu Yan looked towards the sky: ¡°I don¡¯t care! I don¡¯t want it!¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Gu Jiao disassembled the rooftop she painstakingly built and started making a new one.


    The siblings were quite strange. That little girl was usually quick-tempered. Apart from Xiao Ling, he had never seen her so patient with anyone else.


    Gu Yan¡¯s petty tactics couldn¡¯t deceive Lord Gu.


    He didn¡¯t want the doghouse finished because then Gu Jiao would have no reason to stick around.


    Dragon-phoenix twins are always special. Doing the same thing but watching them just seemed much more interesting than other children.


    Maybe acknowledging her wasn¡¯t such a bad thing after all.


    But if they did acknowledge her, Jin Yu might be a little aggrieved.


    Lord Gu was afraid that Gu Yan would bully Gu Jinyu even more.


    If it was another son, Lord Gu could strictly stop him, but Gu Yan was born with an ailment, so whoever displeased him could easily face his death!


    Lord Gu had a headache.


    ¡°Lord Gu.¡± Huang Zhong arrived.


    ¡°What are you here for?¡± Lord Gu moved a bit to the side, so the people in the courtyard did not see him in order not to disturb the children¡¯s y.


    Huang Zhong solemnly said: ¡°I heard that the young miss is here. I came to protect you, so that young miss doesn¡¯t beat you up again!¡±


    Lord Gu gave him a cold re: ¡°Are you suggesting I couldn¡¯t win against her? I was just letting her have her way!¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Huang Zhong responded in disbelief.


    Coming up with an idea, Lord Gu asked: ¡°Do you have a silver needle?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Huang Zhong took out a case of hidden weapons from his pocket, ¡°What do you need a silver needle for, my lord?¡±


    Lord Gu said: ¡°I need to draw a drop of her blood.¡±


    Huang Zhong asked: ¡°What do you need the young miss¡¯s blood for? Don¡¯t you believe that she is your biological child?¡±


    Lord Gu responded irately: ¡°Is it me who doesn¡¯t believe now? It¡¯s her who doesn¡¯t believe!¡±


    Huang Zhong remembered Lord Gu¡¯s ¡°I am your father¡±, and twitched the corner of his mouth: ¡°That might be due to your way of expressing it¡­¡±


    Lord Gu grumbled: ¡°Whatever it is, she doesn¡¯t believe it, so I¡¯ll provide evidence to make her believe!¡±


    Huang Zhong then asked: ¡°Then why don¡¯t you just tell the young miss directly?¡±


    Lord Gu gave him a nce: ¡°You think if I ask her, she¡¯ll give it to me?¡±


    Huang Zhong: ¡°Uh¡­ no. But isn¡¯t it a bit too much for you to prick the youngdy with a needle?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you do it?¡± Lord Gu coldly looked at Huang Zhong.


    ¡°Yo-you¡­ You prick her.¡± Huang Zhong broke out in a cold sweat. He dared not.


    Lord Gu really took the silver needle and went over.


    Everyone in the courtyard who saw him got up to pay their respects, including the second master and the old doctor seated in the courtyard drinking tea.


    He waved his hand, signaling everyone to carry on with their business and not to make any noise.


    He walked up to the two siblings.


    The light overhead dimmed, and the two looked up at him. Both ignored him and continued to work on the doghouse.


    Lord Gu, being ignored: ¡°¡­¡±


    Nevermind, he was there to draw blood. If they ignore him, it would make it easier for him to ambush.


    He stood still, waiting for the right opportunity.


    After a while, both siblings looked up with an annoyed faces.


    Lord Gu smiled: ¡°Is there a part you don¡¯t know how to do? Let me help you!¡±


    Gu Yan said with a look of disgust: ¡°You¡¯re blocking the light.¡±


    Lord Gu¡¯s face turned ck. He silently moved behind the two.


    Soon he discovered this position was much better.


    Just a prick anywhere, a single needle would do.


    Lord Gu sneakily looked for the right moment to strike.


    Gu Jiao was diligently nailing the rooftop. Suddenly she felt two undeniably scrutinizing gazes on her. She grimaced and turned her head, making eye contact with Lord Gu¡¯s gaze that he hadn¡¯t had time to withdraw.


    Lord Gu was about to strike with the needle, but didn¡¯t anticipate Gu Jiao¡¯s sharp senses. She nearly caught him in the act!


    He quickly hid his needle-wielding hand behind his back!


    Gu Jiao nced at his retracted sleazy hand, then back at her own shoulder. His guilty look¡­ was very unsightly!


    ¡°Don¡¯t get in our way!¡± Gu Yan sensed Gu Jiao¡¯s difort with Lord Gu¡¯s presence and started shooing him away.


    Lord Gu was so frustrated that he wanted to throw himself downwards!


    Didn¡¯t they recognize him as their father anymore? If these weren¡¯t his own children, he would have beaten them already!


    Lord Gu didn¡¯t give up so easily. If he couldn¡¯t do it openly, he¡¯d try to do it secretly.


    He coughed lightly: ¡°You¡¯ve all had a hard journey. Regarding my son¡¯s illness, I have many questions. Gu Jiao seems to be tired, why don¡¯t you rest in your room first, Hu and Doctor Li, please follow me to the study.¡±


    Hu, Doctor Li, and Lord Gu went to his study, while Gu Yan and Gu Jiao returned to their room with the little puppy.


    Gu Yan couldn¡¯t possibly be with Gu Jiao all the time. Taking advantage of the moment he went to the bathroom, Lord Gu also excused himself from the study to use the bathroom.


    He secretly added some calming medicine to the tea and found a maid to deliver it to Gu Jiao.


    Once she falls asleep, drawing her blood would be as easy as turning over her hand.


    Despite his clever n, Gu Jiao immediately smelt something fishy.


    She stopped the maid: ¡°Who asked you to bring this tea?¡±


    The maid replied: ¡°It was Lord Gu.¡±


    Gu Jiao¡¯s eyes turned cold.


    Not able to take advantage with his sleazy hands, he¡¯s now trying to drug her, huh?


    He¡¯s old enough to be her father, and yet turns out to be so twisted!


    Gu Jiao¡¯s small fists clenched tightly. She went to the window, opened thettice, and saw Lord Gu lurking below the window.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s murderous rage was evident!


    Lord Gu felt something was wrong from her menacing vibe. His heart throbbed as he took a step back: ¡°Well, listen, let me exin, actually I¡­¡±


    ¡°Buddha, Mountain, Shadowless, Kick -¡±


    ¡°Ah -¡±


    Boom!


    Thud!


    Thud thud thud!


    Thud.


    Thump!


    Rumble.


    ¡­


    ¡°I can¡¯t swim -¡°

 Chapter 85: 84 Imperial Examination (second revision)

    Chapter 85: 84 Imperial Examination (second revision)


    Huang Zhong found Young Master Gu on arge tree a hundred steps away from the courtyard.


    Lord Gu had been hauled up by Gu Jiao and hung on arge tree branch, like a soaking wet garment, not a single dry spot on his entire being as water dripped down from him.


    Huang Zhong was extremely startled when he saw him; it was lucky it was broad daylight, for he might have mistaken him for a ghost if it had been night!


    ¡°My Lord, why have you hung yourself on a tree?¡±


    Did I hang myself? It was that recklessss!


    ¡°And how did your face get swollen?¡±


    Still thatss!


    Every encounter with the girl spelled trouble for him, his body was soon going to bear no mark of soundness!


    He realized, thatss was his nemesis!


    ¡°I refuse to recognize her as family anymore¡ª¡±


    ¡ª


    Gu Jiao bid Gu Yan goodbye, and although he was reluctant to see her go, her promise to return soon for a follow-up examinationforted him.


    He apanied Gu Jiao in his pnquin, and then saw her onto the carriage.


    This stunned all the servants again.


    You see, Gu Yan¡¯s pnquin was his private territory. Once, Gu Jinyu, who was a child at that time, had been impetuously curious and climbed in, only to be kicked out by Gu Yan.


    ¡°You can ride it again next time.¡± Gu Yan told Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao nodded: ¡°Okay.¡±


    After leaving the vi, Gu Jiao didn¡¯t immediately return to town. Instead, she paid a visit to the Dean Li¡¯s home first.


    Dean Li was at the academy, and at home were only Madam Li and the house servants.


    Madam Li was seldom lucid and it was said that she sometimes didn¡¯t even recognize Dean Li.


    But she seemed to recognize Gu Jiao and gave her arge handful of sweets, smiling sweetly.


    Gu Jiao examined her and found that she didn¡¯t have any seriousints. It was just old age, memory degeneration, and physical debility.


    Gu Jiao left a basket of fresh mountain goods and noticed that Madam Li was constantly salivating at a mulberry tree outside the wall. So, Gu Jiao left thepound, nning to pick some mulberries for Madam Li.


    But when she approached, she discovered that the mulberry tree didn¡¯t grow wild on the roadside but was rather nted in the neighboring courtyard. It was because the crown of the tree was so tall that it poked above their own wall.


    Gu Jiao thought for a moment and knocked on the neighbor¡¯s front door.


    ¡°Ahem, who¡¯s there?¡±


    Apanied by a low cough, the vermilion front door was opened by a gracefuldy.


    Gu Jiao recognized her in an instant.


    She in turn recognized Gui Jiao.


    She covered her mouth with a handkerchief, gave a weak cough, then a gentle smile emerged: ¡°Miss, it¡¯s you?¡±


    Gu Jiao was startled. She came to pick mulberries, how did she encounter thedy from the temple?


    ¡°Madam, do you actually live so far away?¡± From here to the temple was not too close; the trip could hardly be described as anything other than arduous.


    ¡°My surname is Gu,¡± said Madam Yao gently.


    Gu?


    Was there a second wealthy Gu family over here? Of course, the answer was no.


    Gu Jiao quickly guessed her identity, but since she did not disclose that she was the Marchioness, Gu Jiao also made no mention of it.


    Madam Yao led Gu Jiao inside. She had been sunbathing in the courtyard before. There were wicker chairs, tables, and wooden stools.


    She pointed at a wooden stool and said, ¡°Sit.¡±


    Gu Jiao sat down and noticed there were no servants in the courtyard.


    Madam Yao noticed her curiosity and smiled, ¡°I wanted some solitude so I sent them to the front yard. This is the backyard. Does Miss also live nearby?¡±


    Gu Jiao replied, ¡°I was passing by, saw the mulberries and thought they looked delicious. I wanted toe in and ask permission, I hope I am not disturbing Madam Gu?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Madam Yao was very d to see Gu Jiao, although she herself couldn¡¯t pinpoint why. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone pick them for you.¡±


    Madam Yao had a maidservant pick mulberries for Gu Jiao, and started chatting with Gu Jiao in the courtyard: ¡°I don¡¯t know Miss¡¯s full name.¡±


    ¡°Gu Jiao,¡± Gu Jiao replied.


    Madam Yao smiled in pleasant surprise, ¡°Your surname is also Gu? We were from the same family 500 years ago.¡±


    Gu Yan had said the exact same thing before ¨C like mother, like son.


    Madam Yao¡¯s condition was not good. She had barely spoken a few sentences before she began to cough violently.


    Gu Jiao watched her paleplexion and hesitated, then said, ¡°Madam Gu, if you don¡¯t mind, can I check your pulse?¡±


    ¡°Does Miss Gu have knowledge of medical arts?¡±


    ¡°A little bit.¡±


    Madam Yao smiled and extended her hand onto the table.


    The maidservant came over with a basket full of mulberries and asked for further instructions. Madam Yao beckoned her to leave.


    The maidservant gently put the basket of mulberries on the table before retreating.


    Her pulse was not very good, but her physical condition was worse than what her pulse suggested.

 Chapter 86: 84 Imperial Examination (second revision)_2

    Chapter 86: 84 Imperial Examination (second revision)_2


    Gu Jiao withdrew her hand without any expression, asking Yao¡¯s family: ¡°Lady Gu, how has your sleep been?¡±


    Yao¡¯s family said, ¡°Not great, I have trouble falling asleep.¡±


    Gu Jiao asked, ¡°Your appetite?¡±


    Yao¡¯s family shook her head slightly, ¡°Can¡¯t eat much either.¡±


    Gu Jiao paused for a moment, ¡°Was it like this even before the cold?¡±


    Yao¡¯s family: ¡°Yes.¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°How long has it been approximately?¡±


    Yao¡¯s family: ¡°I can¡¯t remember exactly, but it¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    Gu Jiao asked some more questions.


    Actually the imperial doctor had also asked, but Yao¡¯s family was unwilling to open up and always gave perfunctory answers.


    Yao¡¯s family trusted Gu Jiao and answered all her questions truthfully.


    Gu Jiao added: ¡°Lady Gu, you visited the doctor before, right? What did they say?¡±


    Yao¡¯s family gave a bitter smile, ¡°They said I was weighed down by worries, asked me to rx, not to overthink, and they also prescribed medication. But after taking it, it didn¡¯t help much, so I eventually stopped taking it.¡±


    This was it.


    What the doctor referred to as being weighed down by worries, using modern terms, could be referred to as depression.


    But she was also suffering from hysteria, which could be dangerous when it res up.


    Gu Jiao took two boxes of antidepressant medications from her first aid kit and reced their packaging with a porcin bottle.


    Yao¡¯s family sat across Gu Jiao, and only saw the kit¡¯s lid being raised, failing to see Gu Jiao¡¯s movements.


    Gu Jiao passed the porcin bottle to Yao¡¯s family, exined the usage and dosage, and warned, ¡°Lady Gu, you must take the medication. Only then will the illness get better.¡±


    How could a medication handed out by a young girl be effective when the imperial doctor¡¯s medicines were all ineffective?


    But the young girl had been busy for half the day, and Yao¡¯s family didn¡¯t have the heart to reject her kind intention, she epted the medicine and smiled: ¡°Okay.¡±


    Gu Jiao gazed seriously into her eyes: ¡°You can¡¯t throw away the medication. You have to promise me, you will really take the medicine on time.¡±


    Yao¡¯s family hadn¡¯t seen such sincere eyes in a long time. Those who wanted to cure her, they weren¡¯t curing her, but the Lady of Marquis¡¯s residence.


    If she wasn¡¯t the Lady of Marquis, no one would spare her a nce.


    But this young girl in front of her, sincerely wanted to cure her as a person.


    Yao¡¯s family wanted to pay Gu Jiao for the consultation, but Gu Jiao shook the mulberries in her basket.


    Yao¡¯s family smiled.


    However, Gu Jiao did ask Yao¡¯s family for some extra consultation fee, not in silver, but in homemade pastries.


    Yao¡¯s family was very happy.


    She had not been this happy in a long time.


    Every time she met her, she always had good luck, either being saved or healed by her.


    Was this girl her lucky star?


    Perhaps due to their simr ages, Yao¡¯s family quickly thought of Gu Jinyu.


    Although they were mother and daughter, her rtionship with Jin Yu wasn¡¯t as close as with Gu Yan.


    Even if Gu Yan always wore a stern face, she could feel Gu Yan¡¯s need for her.


    If she stayed at the vi and let Gu Yan go to Capital City, Gu Yan wouldn¡¯t agree. But Jin Yu could leave without a problem, she seemed to long for the prosperity of Capital City and the bustle of Marquis Residence more.


    It¡¯s not that Jin Yu didn¡¯t love her as a mother but Jin Yu¡¯s world didn¡¯t just consist of her mother.


    Without her, Jin Yu could still live well.


    She thought, this might be a good thing.


    After all, if there came a day when Gu Yan wasn¡¯t around anymore, she wouldn¡¯t want to live either.


    At least she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Jin Yu.


    On the way back, Gu Jiao asked the second shopkeeper about the affairs of Marquis Residence.


    ¡°What specifically are you referring to?¡± The second shopkeeper asked.


    ¡°Madam Marquise.¡± said Gu Jiao.


    Asking about the Madam Marquise wasn¡¯t strange, after all, they had already met the three masters of the vi, with the only remaining being the madam, whose face they had never seen.


    The second shopkeeper didn¡¯t suspect Gu Jiao had any ulterior motives. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°The Madam Marquise¡¯s surname seems to be Yao. She has quite a story. She¡¯s the Marquise¡¯s second wife,ing from a declined family. Her father once held a nominal position in the household ministry, but it is said that he offended someone. In the end, he lost even his nominal position. When the former Madam Marquise was gravely ill, she visited several times. There were rumors in the Capital City that she took advantage of the former Madam Marquise¡¯s illness to seduce the Marquise.¡±


    Gu Jiao¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. She didn¡¯t seem that kind of person.


    The second shopkeeper continued, ¡°The truth is, she never even met the Marquise when she was in the Marquise Residence.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    The second shopkeeper gave a faint smile, ¡°Our Huichun Hall is quite famous in the Capital City. The imperial physician who treated the former Madam Marquise had some dealings with my family. The former Madam Marquise did indeed request Madam Yao to look after her children.¡±


    Gu Jiao asked, ¡°Did the former Madam Marquise have children?¡±


    The second shopkeeper replied, ¡°Indeed, she had three sons. The former Madam Marquise had the idea of Yao being a second wife to the Marquise, but Yao herself didn¡¯t agree. It was she herself who personally refused, incident that was wholly witnessed by the imperial physician who was brewing medicine at the time.¡±


    ¡°But in the end, the Marquise did cross paths with Yao, and he fell for her at first sight. He personally asked the Yao Family for her hand in marriage, and without hesitation, the Yao Family said yes. After that, as you may well imagine, all sorts of nderous rumors about Yao started in the Capital City.¡±


    ¡°For these past few years, Madam Marquise has stayed in the Hot Springs Vi to take care of Gu Yan¡¯s illness and because she didn¡¯t feelfortable in the Capital City.¡±


    ¡°The Marquise doesn¡¯t have much affection for his original wife, on the contrary, he cherishes Yao. Given Yao¡¯s background, she was technically not enough to be the Marquise¡¯s second wife. It was he himself who insisted on marrying Madam Yao. The more he cherishes Madam Yao, the more others perceive her as a seductive enchantress.¡±


    The second shopkeeper has seen Madam Yao once before. She was a woman without schemes, and her eyes were as clear as ake showing its bottom.


    If she were a seductive enchantress, then everyone in this world is.


    ¡ª


    Ten days after the prefectural examination ended, the results were announced at the Yamen.


    The candidates rushed to the Yamen first thing in the morning hoping to find out if they had passed.


    The number of candidates admitted in the prefectural examination was very limited. Out of hundreds of candidates, only fifty were epted, divided into ss A and ss B, with ten in A and the rest in B.


    Fen Lin was woken up by Du Ruohan, who sneaked out of the Governor¡¯s Mansion before dawn, ¡°Fen Lin! Fen Lin! Time to get up! Time to lose your silver!¡±


    Du Ruohan had made a unteral bet with Fen Lin that Xiao Ling would fail the exam, the bet being ten taels of silver.


    Fen Lin, yawning, opened the door, ¡± ¡­ I haven¡¯t had breakfast yet.¡±


    Du Ruohan stuffed arge meat bun into his mouth and began to pull him towards the lower floor.


    Fen Lin takes out the steamed bun, ¡°Ling hasn¡¯t eaten yet¡­¡±


    Du Ruohan said, ¡°Alright, alright! He¡¯s capable of taking care of himself, he¡¯s not going to starve to death, is he!¡±


    Without waiting for a response, Du Ruohan forcibly pulled Fen Lin to the entrance of the Yamen¡¯s office.


    Many candidates had already gathered there, crowding around the Announcement Board. Using all his might, Du Ruohan managed to squeeze Fen Lin into the innermost part of the crowd.


    In Du Ruohan¡¯s view, the chances of a blockhead like Xiao Ling passing the exam were extremely slim.


    ¡°He he, get ready to give me your silver, Feng Xiaodun!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not Xiaodun! And I didn¡¯t even¡­¡± His words were cut off halfway as his gazended on a name that was so conspicuous that no one could overlook it. He stammered, pointing to the name on the list, ¡°Look!¡±


    Du Ruohan followed the direction of his finger.


    He saw a name in a highly conspicuous position ¨C the top of the list for the prefectural examination, Xiao Ling!


    Du Ruohan¡¯s jaw nearly dropped, ¡°No way! Did that guy actually make it? And he topped the list? How is that possible?¡±


    What happened to the good old silly Xiao Ling?


    The one who couldn¡¯t even recite the three-character scripture was now the top of the prefectural exam?


    The difficulty of topping the list in the prefectural exam was far beyond the county exam, they werepletely different scales.


    Besides, the exam questions came from his twisted uncle, which were utterly baffling!


    Fen Lin extends his hand.


    Du Ruohan, ¡°What for?¡±


    Fen Lin, ¡°A bet is a bet.¡±


    Wait, didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t want to bet?


    That guy¡¯s a bad influence on you!


    Fen Lin returned to the inn in high spirits with all of Du Ruohan¡¯s money. He gave half of it to Xiao Ling. There was no need to speak of the exam results. People had alreadye to the inn to offer congrattions.

 Chapter 87: 85 Going Home (Third Watch of the Night)

    Chapter 87: 85 Going Home (Third Watch of the Night)


    Upon learning that one of his guests was the top scorer in the Government Office Examination, the Innkeeper immediately refunded Xiao Ling¡¯s group their room fees and provided them with the most expensive food and drinks. If the inn didn¡¯t have a certain dish or drink, he would send a waiter out to buy it.


    Despite having already passed the examination to be a schr, Fen Lin¡¯s performance was not so outstanding, hence he had not received this kind of treatment before.


    But this time, following Xiao Ling, he was treated magnificently.


    Worth mentioning is that Xiao Ling did so well in the examination that his essays were circted on the same day the results were announced. However, Xiao Ling turned away the many people who came wanting to be acquainted with him.


    The Imperial examination system had undergone a major adjustmentpared to the previous dynasty. While the previous dynasty held the College Examination two to three months after the Government Office Examination, the current dynasty¡¯s College Examination took ce the day after the scores of the Government Office Examination were announced.


    During these ten days waiting for the results, most candidates were extremely nervous. Once they learned they had passed, they hardly had time to breathe before the next round of examination started.


    This undoubtedly increased the pressure on candidates.


    The College Examination was divided into two sections, testing on essay writing and scripture copying.


    The difficulty of the scripture copying wasparable to the Government Office Examination, and the essay writing was still set by the Prefecture Governor.


    Xiao Ling had alreadye top in two examinations, and if he also came top in the College Examination, he would achieve the Little Sanyuan.


    Pingcheng hadn¡¯t seen a Little Sanyuan in almost ten years. All the officials in the government office had high hopes for Xiao Ling. However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, Xiao Ling turned in a nk paper for the scripture copying in the College Examination.


    The scope of the College Examination¡¯s scripture copying was not vastly different from that of the Government Office Examination. It still required candidates to be proficient in three ssics. Nevertheless, it was more challenging in terms of question quantity and type. But a nk paper was unexpected.


    Of course, unexpected things could happen in every round of examination¡ªOnce, a student identally smeared filth on his answer sheet, leading to the disqualification of his entire exam.


    That happened during the Provincial Examination, which was held every three years. Thus, three years of a candidate¡¯s hard work was wasted.


    But turning in a nk paper was really unusual.


    Especially when the nk paper was from Xiao Ling, who left the Prefecture Governor a deep impression in the Government Office Examination.


    If the Prefecture Governor remembered correctly, there were twelve evaluators and eleven of them gave a top grade to Xiao Ling¡¯s essay.


    The only one who didn¡¯t give a top grade was the Prefecture Governor himself.


    He gave Xiao Ling the second highest grade.


    However, if anyone knew that the lowest grade the Prefecture Governor gave to others was the fourth, then they could see how extraordinary Xiao Ling¡¯s achievement was.


    With eleven top grades, even if Xiao Ling performed poorly in his scripture exam, he would still be in the top ten. However, Xiao Ling was the thirdst.


    This really surprised the Prefecture Governor.


    He called in Xiao Ling¡¯s paper, only to find it nk.


    The Prefecture Governor ordered someone to bring out Xiao Ling¡¯s scripture paper from the Government Office Examination as well.


    If Xiao Ling had done unsatisfactorily in the scripture part of the Government Office Examination, then the case may end here. However, Xiao Ling¡¯s scripture paper from the Government Office Examination scored the highest possible grade in every section.


    Meaning, he didn¡¯t make a single mistake.


    ¡°And he only took half of the exam time!¡± said the invigtor who delivered the scripts.


    This invigtor happened to be the one who sat directly opposite Xiao Ling during the Government Office Examination.


    The examination papers were anonymous, so after being handed in, it was impossible to tell which paper belonged to whom. But after Xiao Ling became the top scorer in the Government Office Examination, his essay was widely circted. The invigtor secretly visited the inn to get a look at this top scorer, wondering what he looked like and how he managed to write such an outstanding piece. He realized that this top scorer was the candidate who finished both the scripture and the essay sections in only half the time.


    The Prefecture Governor had high standards.


    Getting everything right wasn¡¯t a big deal in his eyes. Nheless, finishing the exam in half the time was truly impressive.


    Of all the people he had met, only the deceased young lord of Zhaodu had performed better than this candidate.


    The Prefecture Governor immediately sent someone to the inn to ask Xiao Ling about the situation.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t turn in a nk paper,¡± Xiao Ling said.


    If what Xiao Ling said was true, then someone must have tampered with his paper, which would be a serious matter.


    The management of Imperial examination papers was extremely strict. When each candidate handed in their paper, two invigtors would jointly collect it and put a seal on the anonymized paper to prove they had taken it away.


    If a problem urred with the paper, the two invigtors were to me.


    It¡¯s noteworthy that all invigtors were paired by drawing lots after entering the examination site. Like the candidates, they couldn¡¯t contact the outside world until the end of the examination.


    It was rtively easy to bribe one invigtor, but very difficult to bribe both. Because nobody could guarantee that the two bribed individuals would definitely be paired together, or that they would be assigned to the exam site where Xiao Ling was.

 Chapter 88: 85 Going Home (Third Watch of the Night)_2

    Chapter 88: 85 Going Home (Third Watch of the Night)_2


    Despite this, Governor Luo still called over the persons in charge of collecting the papers for an interrogation. Both of them insisted that they had done nothing improper.


    ¡°What about the nk paper?¡±


    ¡°We are not sure, the examinees will cover their papers with a nk paper before handing them in. This is to prevent us from seeing their handwriting.¡±


    Resident Adviser Zhuang nodded and then turned to Governor Luo and said, ¡°After being handled by these two, the test paper should then have the names concealed, right? Names are not revealed until all exam supervisors have finished marking the papers. Now, I am very curious how that person recognized Xiao Ling¡¯s paper and sessfully swapped it with a nk one?¡±


    Governor Luo pondered for a while then replied, ¡°There are two possibilities: distribution of papers and paper marking. Xiao Ling was first in the College Examination, and by tradition, he would sit first in the Imperial College Examination. The first paper distributed would be his, so there could be an opportunity to tamper with it in advance, and he would still be able to identify the paper even after names are covered.


    Alternatively, an examiner could have had ess to Xiao Ling¡¯s paper from the College Examination, remembered his notes, and then identified Xiao Ling¡¯s paper from among those being marked.


    No matter which it was, there must have been someone corrupt among the paper markers!¡±


    The markers for the College Examination and the Imperial College Examination are not in the same batch, to prevent anyone remembering any examinee¡¯s handwriting which could subsequently affect judgment of that examinee¡¯s test.


    However, it¡¯s not impossible that someone might have secretly got hold of the College Examination papers. The security level of the papers greatly decreases once marking ispleted.


    Apart from Resident Adviser Zhuang, the other eleven examiners were confined to the secret room, subjected to Governor Luo¡¯s harsh interrogation.


    Under severe punishment, Governor Luo managed to identify the criminal.


    He was one of the paper markers, a man surnamed Wu, who worked meticulously at the Imperial College for twenty years. He was usually so honest that he seemed like an antique. Governor Luo initially thought he was the least likely suspect.


    It seems that not betraying others is not a matter of high moral standards but of insufficient incentives.


    ¡°That man offered me a thousand taels of silver to destroy Xiao Ling¡¯s test paper. I originally nned to stain it with ink to make it look like Xiao Ling had identally dirtied his own paper. I¡¯ve seen many such cases which just end up being discarded, no one checks. However, before I could act, Officer Wang, who I had distracted earlier, returned.


    I startled and spilled the ink on myself. There was no time to find more ink, so I reced it with one of the nk papers that happened to be nearby.¡±


    ¡°What did the man look like?¡±


    ¡°He covered his face, I didn¡¯t see clearly.¡±


    ¡°His voice? His height?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember¡­ I really don¡¯t remember!¡±


    Governor Luo reported the interrogation results to Resident Adviser Zhuang.


    Typically, if any malpractice urs during the Imperial examination, everyone¡¯s papers are discarded and the exam is retaken. Regardless of the trouble the government faces in organizing a second exam, retests can also cause many candidates to be mentally unsettled.


    A good exam resultes from abination of ability and luck. No one can guarantee that they will perform better in the next exam than the previous one, nor can they ensure that other candidates won¡¯t surpass them in the retest.


    Of course, for those who failed the exam, a retest would undoubtedly be an unexpected opportunity.


    The problem is, even though Xiao Ling¡¯s paper was reced with a nk one, he still passed the Imperial College Examination with eleven ¡®A¡¯s and one ¡®B¡¯ grade.


    In other words, those who were meant to pass, have passed and those who failed, deserved to fail. The only difference is that all of them moved one ce higher in rank, while Xiao Ling lost his first ce position.


    Governor Luo sighed, ¡°That person probably didn¡¯t anticipate that despite this, Xiao Ling would still pass the Imperial College Examination. It¡¯s a pity ¨C Xiao Ling could have been in the top spot.¡±


    Resident Adviser Zhuang said solemnly, ¡°This matter can be trivial or can be serious. If we look at it from a long-term perspective, it¡¯s a small issue; but if it stops Xiao Ling from advancing, then it bes a big issue.¡±


    The title Little Sanyuan could bring a schr momentary fame yet it would onlyst for a short time.


    If he really wants to achieve great things, he needs to continue to take the Prefectural Examination. After cing in the Prefectural Examination, he can thenpete in the Capital Examination.


    The Imperial College Examination is not the end goal, on the contrary, it is the starting point of the Imperial Examination journey.


    Resident Adviser Zhuang said, ¡°The decision rests with him. You go and ask him whether he wants to retake the exam.¡±


    If there would be a re-examination, it would involve not just him, but everyone who participated in the Imperial College Examination would have to go through both the eight-part essay and the ssic essay sections again.


    Governor Luo went to the inn.


    He met with Xiao Ling, delicately exined his purpose, and asked whether Xiao Ling wanted to retake the exam.


    Instead of directly answering, Xiao Ling opened the window and pointed to the students on the first floor of the Grand Hall who were discussing their results ¨C the results had been announced, with those who had failed looking dejected and those who passed beaming with joy.

 Chapter 89: 85 Going Home (Third Watch of the Night)_3

    Chapter 89: 85 Going Home (Third Watch of the Night)_3


    At that moment, no one knew what he had just experienced in his heart.


    ¡°All these candidates who passed are innocent, right?¡± he suddenly said.


    Upon hearing this, Magistrate Luo was taken aback, and then after a moment, he murmured, ¡°Yes, since you didn¡¯t fail, there¡¯s no reason to believe that any of them took an unfair spot in the examination.¡±


    Xiao Ling looked at those candidates and said, ¡°If they were to retake the test, some of them would fail, right?¡±


    Magistrate Luo sighed and nodded. It was inevitable. The pressure of having to retake an exam would affect their performance.


    ¡°And what about you, Magistrate Luo?¡± Xiao Ling asked.


    ¡°I¡­what?¡± Magistrate Luo was taken aback.


    Xiao Ling said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that your term is nearly up. A reexamination is a serious matter and needs to be reported to the imperial court. This would negatively affect your chances of reappointment, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    Magistrate Luo reluctantly nodded in agreement.


    The dynasty had strict control over examinations. If the need to retest arose because of cheating, his official career would be over.


    Without haste, Xiao Ling asked, ¡°How much do you think your career is worth, Magistrate Luo?¡±


    Magistrate Luo was taken aback!


    Was this young man openly ckmailing him?


    Without rushing, Xiao Ling said, ¡°Magistrate, being an honest official, certainly has not much silver to hand. However, the person who bribed the examiners must have spent a considerable amount of silver, right? As the one who effectively suffered, shouldn¡¯t youpensate me with that silver?¡±


    He could buy back his own future without spending a single coin and still maintain the good reputation of an upright official.


    What a profitable deal!


    Magistrate Luo fell right into the pit Xiao Ling had dug: ¡°Yes, yes- a thousand taels. I¡¯ll make sure to deliver it all to Candidate Xiao!¡±


    Xiao Ling continued, ¡°Also, if no one had tampered with the examination papers, I would have been the Little Sanyuan. This is something Magistrate Luo does not deny, right?¡±


    Magistrate Luo nodded like a pestle: ¡°Absolutely! Candidate Xiao¡¯s ability is recognized by myself and the governor!¡±


    Xiao Ling sighed softly, ¡°But the Little Sanyuanes with a cash prize. And now, I cannot im it.¡±


    Magistrate Luo: ¡°¡­¡±


    Why did he feel that this pit was getting bigger and bigger?


    The cash prize for the Little Sanyuan is granted by the imperial court and distributed by the government office. Each level of the bureaucracy, from the prefecture to the imperial college, to the county office, awards a part ¨C in total, a full one hundred taels.


    Moreover, because no one from Pingcheng prefecture had achieved the Little Sanyuan in ten years, the prize money had since doubled.


    Therefore, Xiao Ling should have received two hundred taels.


    But under the current circumstances, it would be impossible to make this transaction through official means.


    In other words, Magistrate Luo would have to pay the amount out of his own pocket.


    Magistrate Luo: I innocently thought that I could get out of this without spending a dime, how foolish of me!


    The cheating issue ended with Magistrate Luo coughing up a substantial amount.


    The prefect of the vige was a distant rtive of Magistrate Luo. As the affected party chose not to press charges, the prefect also chose not to report the matter to the imperial court.


    Therefore, Magistrate Luo kept his official position, and the candidates were free from the pressure of a reexamination. Everyone was pleased.


    As for the culprit of the cheating scandal, it was most likely another candidate who, out of jealousy of Xiao Ling¡¯s results, wanted to bring him down.


    Magistrate Luo said he would continue to investigate secretly.


    When Xiao Ling returned to the vige it was early April, and the warmth ofte spring filled the air. The willow branches around the pond had sprouted new buds, hanging down over the surface of the water like a curtain of floating emerald beads.


    The crops in the fields had also begun to grow, appearing a lush green as far as the eye could see.


    He hade to the vige around this timest year, and he could hardly believe a year had already passed.


    Zhang Bo, who had just returned from the fields, turned his head and said to his wife Zhang Shi behind him, ¡°Wife, do you think that¡¯s Ling?¡±


    Zhang Shi, who had better eyesight than her husband, looked and nodded vigorously, ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that Ling? Hey! The schr has returned!¡±


    She, too, turned around and shouted cheerfully at the vigers who were also hard at work in the fields.


    Xiao Ling¡¯s results had already been ryed back to the vige. Even though he had not seeded in the college exam, his top rankings in the county and prefectural exams had granted him the title of lingsheng ¨C a government-sponsored student.


    He was the second person in the vige to be a lingsheng since Gu Dashun.


    As early as this morning, the county office had sent several dozen pounds of grain as part of his schrship.


    The white grains of rice looked even better than those Gu Dashun had received!


    The vigers looked at Xiao Ling as if they were seeing him for the first time, wanting to approach him for a chat but not daring to.


    After all, things were different now ¡ª he was a schr!


    ¡°Zhang Bo, Zhang Shi,¡± Xiao Ling greeted them.


    This couple was very warm-hearted. When Gu Jiao had a stomachache from drinking too much cold water, it was Zhang Shi who had lent Xiao Ling brown sugar.


    The couple were so ttered that they were at a loss for words!


    Afterwards, Xiao Ling also ran into several other vigers in session. He greeted them all, neither overly enthusiastic nor particrly cold. He was still the same reserved person he had always been.


    Finally, he arrived at the entrance of his house.


    As he had not sent word of his return beforehand, his family was unaware that he would being home today.


    From the backyard came the pattering noises of Little Monk.


    Xiao Ling stepped inside.


    In the sunlight-filled backyard, Gu Jiao was washing Little Monk¡¯s hair.


    Little Monk¡¯s once bald head now sprouted little tufts of hair. He looked very proud as he asked Gu Jiao how long his hair had grown and if it was longer than it had been a few days before.


    The olddy sat in a rattan chair nearby, munching on melon seeds as she watched Little Monk bathing. Seated on a small stool next to her was Xue Ningxiang¡¯s one-year-old son, Goudan.


    Goudan was slowly gnawing on a corn cob.


    The first one to notice Xiao Ling was Little Monk.


    Lifting his head and looking backwards through his legs, Little Monk spotted an upside-down Xiao Ling.


    After staring for a while, he said, ¡°Eh? Bad Brother-inw?¡±


    Gu Jiao paused as she scooped up water, and then quietly turned her head.


    They looked at each other in silence.


    After more than a month apart, everyone at home had changed. Little Monk had grown some hair, the olddy seemed even younger, Gu Jiao seemed to have grown taller, and had a few more touches of a girl¡¯s shy beauty.


    Her birthmark was still there on her face, but it no longer looked like an ugly red spot. Instead, it seemed like a dazzling flower, adding a vibrant and attractive hue to her cold and solitary demeanor.


    She was radiant like a peach flower.


    And he had grown taller. He had lost some of his youthfulness, and in its ce was an air of refined dignity and schrly elegance.


    They continued to stare at each other in silence.


    ¡°Ling, you¡¯re back?¡± The olddy turned around with a cheerful voice, ¡°Did you bring back any delicious food?¡±


    Xiao Ling came back to his senses: ¡°I did.¡±


    As he talked, he walked forward. But he failed to notice the doorstep and almost stumbled.


    With a calm face, Gu Jiao turned back and continued to bathe Little Monk.


    But as soon as she poured a bucket of water over him, Little Monk yelled: ¡°Oh my! It¡¯s so cold!¡±


    Gu Jiao was taken aback.


    She¡­ She had scooped up the wrong bucket of water.

 Chapter 90: 86 Walking the Chicken (First update)

    Chapter 90: 86 Walking the Chicken (First update)


    The olddy nced at Gu Jiao, then at Xiao Ling, her gaze infused with deep significance.


    She could feel herself holding her great-grandchild soon!


    Gu Jiao smoothly switched the topic to Fen Lin.


    Xiao Ling answered earnestly: ¡°He returned to the Academy, he was in Prefecture City for a month and missed quite a lot of lessons.¡±


    They were much indebted to Fen Lin this time, Gu Jiao made a note of his kindness.


    While they were talking, some cute little yellow chicks strutted out confidently.


    Only then, Xiao Ling came to notice that his home began raising chickens during the month he was away.


    Gu Jiao wasn¡¯t fond of raising chickens. It was Xiaoshun who, after seeing the chicklings of their neighboring house and falling in love with them, asked Gu Jiao if they could raise a few.


    Gu Jiao agreed to raise them, with the condition that Xiaoshun himself takes care of the chicks, including feeding and cleaning up their droppings, he¡¯s not allowed to delegate the task to others.


    To underscore the hard work behind chicken rearing, Gu Jiao let Xiaoshun feed the chickens at Xue Ningxiang¡¯s house for two days and see not only the cute chicks but also the fully-grown, less adorable hens and roosters.


    Moreover, Gu Jiao told him that all the adorable chicks he sees now will one day grow into hens and roosters.


    Even this didn¡¯t dissuade him, so Gu Jiao had to let him raise them.


    He raised seven of them, each one fat and plump.


    He even named them all, from one to seven; who knows how he distinguishes between them.


    Xiao Ling brought the olddy candied dried bayberries, a specialty of Pingcheng¡ªthe bayberries have just borne fruit during this time, the berries are tiny with a strong sour taste, but this makes them perfect for candying; the sweet and sour taste is not at all greasy.


    Xiao Ling brought two cans, one with kernels removed and one with kernels intact.


    It may seem like just two cans of food, but this is Pingcheng¡¯s most famous candied dried bayberries, and it being the peak examination season meant that the goods were sold out almost as soon as they were released each day.


    Xiao Ling had to queue up at midnight, shivering in the cold for a long time.


    The olddy held up a pitted dried bayberry for Goudan (the dog).


    Goudan started drooling profusely.


    Gu Xiaoshun hadn¡¯t been let out of school yet. Xiao Ling also brought something for him¡ªit was aplete set of woodworking tools, exceptionallyprehensive.


    Zhan Country had strict control over iron, making it difficult for ordinary people to buy such detailed andplete iron tools. Xiao Ling had to coax the Prefect Luo to buy them.


    His package visibly shrunk after this.


    Xiaoshun nonchntly paraded the chickens around, but frequently cast nces at Xiao Ling¡¯s package.


    Picking up on his small odd behavior, Gu Jiao asked, ¡°Xiaoshun, are you also looking forward to your gift?¡±


    ¡°I am not!¡± Xiaoshun turned his head away proudly.


    His horrible brother-inw wouldn¡¯t buy him a gift!


    Xiao Ling observed Xiaoshun¡¯s displeasure, their rtionship was already tense, and having been separated for over a month, now it feels like they are not even familiar with each other.


    Xiao Ling took out a Kong Ming Lock from the package: ¡°If you don¡¯t want it, I¡¯ll give it to Goudan.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Xiaoshun hopped down from the chair, snatched the Kong Ming Lock into his arms, ¡°He¡¯s, he¡¯s little! He can¡¯t y with it!¡±


    Goudan looked dazedly at his brother, not at all understanding what was happening.


    Finally, it was Gu Jiao¡¯s turn.


    It was a very exquisite brocade box, the sight of it alone suggested its value.


    Gu Jiao surreptitiously measured the length of the brocade box.


    Was it a hairpin?


    With such a pricey box, it must at least be a silver hairpin, right?


    Silver hairpins aren¡¯tmonly seen in the countryside, usually it¡¯s wooden ones, and the extravagant ones are made of brass. Silver hairpins are only bought by well-off families and are only worn on important days.


    Most importantly, if a man gifts a woman a hairpin, it signifies an unspoken meaning!


    The words ¡°I like it, I like it, I like it¡± were all over Gu Jiao¡¯s face!


    Click.


    Xiao Ling opened the brocade box.


    But it was not a hairpin¡ªit was a brush!


    Gu Jiao was stunned on the spot.


    Xiao Ling said, ¡°Your handwriting always seems poor. Besides your gripping posture, it also has something to do with the brush. This is a wolf hair brush made by a famous craftsman in Pingcheng, it suits your strength very well.¡±


    He introduced it seriously, but Gu Jiao feltpletely dejected.


    Was the hairpin too hot to handle?


    Why did he have to give her a brush?


    This was like giving a whole set of test papers to a student whose mind was only on microtransactions in games, could she refuse it?!


    Watching Gu Jiao¡¯s struggle to hold back her freak-out, the olddyughed so hard her belly hurt!


    ¡ªThere¡¯s a certain need, called the need that Xiao Ling thinks you have.


    Gu Jiao, clutching the wolf hair brush, wore a face as ck as charcoal.

 Chapter 91: 86 Walking the Chicken (First update)_2

    Chapter 91: 86 Walking the Chicken (First update)_2


    Afterwards, Xiao Ling handed her a copper token, engraved with Zhouji Bank.


    ¡°I have deposited our household money in the bank. If you need it, just go get it.¡±


    Xiao Ling didn¡¯t mention a specific amount and Gu Jiao didn¡¯t ask. She was still immersed in her sudden excitement over the gift of a brush pen.


    What Gu Jiao didn¡¯t know was that this wolf hair brush was more expensive than thebined gifts of the others, and couldn¡¯t be bought with mere silver.


    However, Gu Jiao¡¯s excitement didn¡¯tst for long as she remembered her main task.


    Before leaving, Gu Jiao instructed Fen Lin to make sure Xiao Ling practiced walking every day, now she wanted to examine the result!


    Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling went to the west room to check his ankle.


    The scars from the surgery had faded to the point they were almost invisible. Gu Jiao reached out and squeezed it, ¡°Does it still hurt?¡±


    Xiao Ling shook his head, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡±


    ¡°Not at all?¡± Gu Jiao looked up at him.


    He nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Gu Jiao squeezed his calf again, it felt good to the touch. It seemed Fen Lin hadn¡¯t been cking off.


    The weakened muscles hadrgely recovered after nearly four months of rehabilitation. This meant Xiao Ling technically did not have a weakness in his legs anymore.


    His reluctance to let go of his crutch was likely more psychological.


    In her previous life, Gu Jiao had seen many such cases, some of them due to the fear of being injured again, they overly protected themselves. Yet cases like these would usually gradually fade and improve with time.


    Other cases tended to be much moreplex.


    The patient had psychological barriers.


    If they couldn¡¯t break through these barriers, they would live with their physical trauma, punishing themselves or using it as an excuse to avoid certain responsibilities.


    During Gu Jiao¡¯s ponderings, Xiao Ling had already pulled down his trouser leg and walked out with his crutches.


    Gu Jiao gazed at his cold, lonely figure, and couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he had been through?


    ¡ª


    News of Xiao Ling¡¯s sessful schr examination had quickly spread throughout the surrounding viges, and, as the vige¡¯s most influential family, the Gu Family had naturally heard about it.


    They could hardly believe Xiao Ling, who had topped two exams, had finally be an official student.


    How did the same schrly failure who barely made it into Tianxiang Academy end up bing an official student like Dashun?


    Moreover, among official students, Xiao Ling¡¯s status was obviously more prestigious; otherwise, why did he receive better quality rice than Gu Dashun?


    ¡°He was the best in two cases, just one away from being Little Sanyuan,¡± Gu Changlu remarked enviously at the dinner table.


    Was he born not to study?


    No.


    He just wasn¡¯t able to concentrate on his studies. He had two sons whom he hoped would do better, but the one who wanted to go to school they couldn¡¯t afford, and the one who got free admission, Gu Xiaoshun, was a disappointment.


    The Gu Family didn¡¯t know that it was not Xiao Ling who couldn¡¯t get into Little Sanyuan, but that he had willingly given up the opportunity.


    Everyone at the table had a somber look on their face.


    The grimmest among them was Gu Dashun.


    The thought of Xiao Ling, whom he had always looked down upon, unexpectedly surpassing him made Gu Dashun feel like he was choking. ¡°With Principal Li tutoring him personally, his improvement is naturally great. For a month before the county exam, I saw Principal Li calling him over to Zhongzheng Hall every day.¡±


    He didn¡¯t believe that Xiao Ling could rise so much suddenly all by himself. Clearly, Xiao Ling wasn¡¯t as talented as he was. If Principal Li had tutored him personally, he would have definitely put up a better performance than Xiao Ling.


    Put inly, he had lost due tock of resources.


    Normally, the Gu Family would have followed up by sourly criticizing Xiao Ling. But that evening, nobody said a word, which puzzled Gu Dashun.


    Lately, he had been sensing that the family¡¯s atmosphere was different from before. Everyone seemed weighed down with worries, except for Gu Xiaoshun.


    The Gu Family¡¯s scheme to marry off a daughter to the Marquis Residence had failed, and Gu Jiao¡¯s affairs had beenpletely exposed.


    They didn¡¯t have to put Gu Jiao through any kind of interrogation, just letting Huang Zhong walk around the vige was enough to make Gu Jiao¡¯s entire history crystal clear.


    This designer lineage from the Marquis Residence couldn¡¯t possibly be treated this way. Wouldn¡¯t this be equivalent to grinding Marquis Gu¡¯s face in the dust?


    Marquis Gu¡¯s fury could be imagined.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for Gu Jinyu¡¯s rtions with the Gu Family¡¯s third branch, Marquis Gu would have long since punished them to death!


    But while they escaped the death penalty, other punishments were inescapable.


    The old Master Gu¡¯s role as vige chief wasing to an end.


    This was the most unjust event in old Master Gu¡¯s life. He went to the n to have a drink, and the vige chief¡¯s job was lost when he came back, all thanks to the schemes of his wife and sons.

 Chapter 92: 86 Walking the Chicken (First update)_3

    Chapter 92: 86 Walking the Chicken (First update)_3


    As for Gu Jinyu, Marquis Gu had ordered the Gu Family to renounce their guardianship over him and vowed not to appear in front of Gu Jinyu for the rest of his life.


    Furthermore, he made everyone promise to remain silent on the matter, not to leak out a single word.


    So even Dashun and Xiaoshun in the Gu Family were kept in dark.


    Gu Ershun overheard some snippets, knowing there was a possibility that Gu Jiao might be the wrong child they had raised, yet he wasn¡¯t clear about all details.


    The strange atmosphere was firstly due to these revtions, and secondly due to the female family members dining at the table now.


    Gu Dashun was not ustomed to this.


    Gu Dashun nced at his younger sister Gu Yue¡¯e, then remarked, ¡°Jiao is really fortunate to marry a schr.¡±


    His own sister was not young as well. It was time for her to get married, and it would also be of great help to him if she marries a good family.


    Gu Yue¡¯e ate her food in silence.


    Everyone thought, isn¡¯t it Xiao Ling, rather than Jiaojiao, who¡¯s been really fortunate to marry the daughter of the Marquis Residence?


    It was really a stroke of good luck that fell from heaven!


    In retrospect, they¡¯d been negligent regarding this marriage. If they had known about her true identity earlier, they certainly wouldn¡¯t have arranged for her to be wed.


    She could have been their cash cow at home! Imagine the benefits they could have got by leveraging her connection with the Marquis Residence!


    The Gu Family was regretful to the point of going green with envy. But what could they do? The girl wasn¡¯t the naive fool they could easily fool around with anymore, and mending the rtionship wouldn¡¯t be easy for them.


    Madam Wu gave a meaningful nce to Madam Liu, hinting her to take a huge piece of meat from the bowl.


    This was an exceptionallyrge piece of meat, so thick that fat dripped from it. It used to be a delicacy only Gu Dashun could enjoy.


    Madam Liu, swallowing her saliva, picked up the thickest piece, initially intending to put it in Ershun¡¯s bowl. However, upon seeing the warning re from Madam Wu, she hurriedly ced it into Xiaoshun¡¯s bowl.


    Xiaoshun looked at his mother strangely: ¡°Why?¡±


    Madam Liu stammered: ¡°You rarelye home, eat some meat!¡±


    Xiaoshun had been living at the Academy recently. He was only invited back home by Dashun today.


    Dashun had no intention of making a warm invitation, yet he had no choice when their father made the order.


    Xiaoshun looked at the meat in his bowl and ate it with little interest.


    Ershun was drooling with envy.


    Dashun furrowed his brows.


    The rest of them pretended not to notice anything.


    Madam Liu cheerfully said: ¡°Xiaoshun, you haven¡¯t visited your sister since you came back, right?¡±


    Xiaoshun asked: ¡°Why?¡±


    Madam Liu stuttered,¡±Your sister cares a lot for you, why haven¡¯t you visited her when you¡¯re back?¡±


    Xiaoshun ate a mouthful of rice: ¡°I¡¯ll goter.¡±


    Madam Liu went on stuttering: ¡°Your brother-inw has been appointed as a schr, remember to extend your congrattions.¡±


    Xiaoshun replied, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    None of them had gotten to the point yet, which made Madam Wu and the eldest quite anxious.


    Gu Changhai said, ¡°Xiaoshun, your uncle prepared a jar of high-quality tea and two old hens, you should bring them to your sisterter.¡±


    Xiaoshun replied, ¡°I¡¯ll go alone. Why are youing?¡±


    Are you seriously saying that you¡¯re afraid I can¡¯t carry the things?


    Gu Changhai was absolutely angry at Xiaoshun¡¯s cluelessness. Xiaoshun was unyieldingly honest which made him unable to understand the subtleties.


    Gu Changhai decided to be straightforward: ¡°There¡¯s nosting feud among family members. We were wrong in the past, and now we should apologize to your sister. Starting today, we should be a happy family.¡±


    Marquis Gu only told them not to approach Gu Jinyu, he never said they couldn¡¯t approach Gu Jiao, as long as they kept the truth from her.


    They could guess the intention of Marquis Gu ¨C he probably worried that Gu Jiao couldn¡¯t ept the truth right away. So they would take a gradual approach, just need to patch up their rtionship with Gu Jiao prior to the father-daughter reunion!


    ¡°You want to suck up to my brother-inw now that he¡¯s a schr, isn¡¯t it?¡± Xiaoshun put down his chopsticks indifferently and asked, ¡°Where are the things?¡±


    The first part of his statement left a sour taste, but they felt hopeful hearing thetter part.


    Gu Changhai hurriedly told Madam Zhou, ¡°Go fetch them!¡±


    Zhou Family didn¡¯t dare to neglect, went to the house to fetch the tea that cost a big sum of money and the fattest two old hens from the house.


    Gu Xiaoshun put down his chopsticks, took the items and started walking out.


    Gu Changhai reached out his hand: ¡°Eh! Wait for me!¡±


    Sure, like I¡¯ll wait for you!


    You guys are the ones who owe my sister in the first ce!


    Get lost, brat!


    Gu Xiaoshun started to run outside, disappearing into a puff of smoke as he entered his sister¡¯s home, and mmed the door shut with a bang!


    Gu Changhai, whose nose was bleeding profusely from being hit by the door: ¡°¡­!!¡±


    The expensive tea and old hens that Gu Changhai had let go with a heavy heart were now gone. He couldn¡¯t make a fuss or shout. Where could he go to appeal against this?


    Gu Changhai did want to knock on the door, but after knocking for quite a while without anyone answering, he had no choice but to return home, grinding his teeth in fury.


    Gu Jiao would not deal with the Gu family members. As for the olddy and Xiao Ling, they were even less likely to do so.


    If it wasn¡¯t for Gu Xiaoshun holding the door shut, the olddy would have given the Gu family members a pot of shit and urine right on the spot!


    Gu Jiao was cooking in the kitchen.


    ¡°Sis. Sis.¡± Gu Xiaoshun, who has not been back to the vige for quite a while, was anxious to see his sister. He first rushed to the kitchen to greet Gu Jiao, and then went to see Xiao Ling and the olddy.


    Xiao Ling gave him the carving knives he brought from Pingcheng. Gu Xiaoshun was so delighted that he couldn¡¯t put down each and every small knife, looking at them over and over again.


    For a craftsman, a good knife is like a good sword to a swordsman. That kind of joy can¡¯t be reced by any regr gift.


    Gu Xiaoshun felt even more that his brother-inw was great.


    Gu Xiaoshun was fiddling with the small knives when the olddy suddenly called him into the room.


    The olddy waved at him enthusiastically: ¡°Xiaoshun,e taste the candied dried bayberry that Ling bought for me!¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun blinked his eyes: ¡°Why is granny so generous today?¡±


    Normally, getting a piece of her preserved fruit is more difficult than scaling the heavens.


    ¡°Here.¡± The olddy rummaged for a while and gave him the smallest piece.


    Gu Xiaoshun didn¡¯t pick and choose, popping it in his mouth straightaway.


    The next second, he saw the olddy, one two three four five six seven, count sevenrge candied dried bayberries into her small honey jar, and loudly protested: ¡°Jiaojiao! Xiaoshun just ate eight of my dried bayberries!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun nearly choked to death on the spot!


    All this fuss over a few dried bayberries, really?!


    Gu Jiao controls the olddy¡¯s food intake, allowing her to eat a maximum of three per day and five during the new year. Now, she has saved up seven at once, which can be considered a great fortune!


    The olddy was very satisfied, waved her hand and told Gu Xiaoshun to carry on doing whatever he was doing.


    Gu Xiaoshun was confused, had he just been used?


    Gu Xiaoshun intended to find Xiaoqi, but realized that the little guy was out.


    Xiaoqi had gone out to walk the chickens.


    Initially, he walked the chickens around his own backyard, but gradually felt that the backyard was not spacious enough, so he took the chickens out.


    When Xiaoqi walks the chickens, he goes from his house to the entrance of the vige, then returns the same way. If he encounters a viger, he would always greet them politely.


    The vigers initially were surprised, but now they were used to it, and even began to like this little monk.


    Other people¡¯s chickens would run all over the ce once they were let out, but his chickens could even keep formation.


    ¡°Xiaoqi, no cutting in line.¡± Xiaoqi said.


    The chicken that overtook the fifth in the line on a curve silently returned to the end of the line.


    Xiaoqi, who was walking the chickens, arrived outside the old house of the Gu family, the mandatory route to the vige entrance.


    He knew the rtionship between the two families, so he wouldn¡¯t go to the Gu¡¯s house or greet the Gu family members.


    However, today, he was attracted by a strange noise.

 Chapter 93: 87 Unveiled (Second Update)

    Chapter 93: 87 Unveiled (Second Update)


    It seemed to be the sound of a man reading, intermittent, always stumbling at the same ce, then starting all over again.


    Xiao Jingkong, with his obsessivepulsive disorder, was a little bit bothered. Walking with a click-ck sound, he spotted Gu Dashun under arge tree outside the Gu family residence, his eyebrows furrowed.


    Xiao Jingkong knew Gu Dashun, but he had not spoken to him, and he did not understand why Gu Dashun had to read under the tree instead of at home.


    The family was quarreling horribly over the matter of tea leaves and old hens. The second house med the main house foring up with a bad idea, while the main house used Gu Xiaoshun of the second house of messing up everything¡­


    Unable to concentrate, Gu Dashun fled to the tranquility under the tree. Unexpectedly, as he read, he realized there were a few characters he didn¡¯t recognize.


    ¡°The character is read as ¡®Duo¡¯!¡± Xiao Jingkong stood behind him and read the character in the book.


    The sudden childish voice startled Gu Dashun. He turned his head and looked at Xiao Jingkong in surprise.


    Xiao Jingkong has been in the vige for so long. He had seen and heard of him from afar, but they had never interacted.


    Seeing his confusion, Xiao Jingkong read it again thinking he didn¡¯t understand, ¡°Duo, pronounced the same as in ¡®hide¡¯!


    Gu Dashun refused to believe a three-year-old child, and nonchntly turned away his face, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense if you don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Xiao Jingkong put his hands on his hips, ¡°I am not! I¡¯ve learned this!¡±


    Gu Dashun retorted, ¡°How could you have possibly learned this?¡±


    Xiao Jingkong responded, ¡°The ¡®Vajrasattva Mantra¡¯, I can recite it by heart!¡±


    Gu Dashun looked at him skeptically and pointed at another character, asking, ¡°What about this one?¡±


    ¡°¡®Nou¡¯! ¡®All the Buddhas of the three times, by the power of prajna paramita, attain perfect andplete enlightenment!¡¯ The ¡®Heart Sutra¡¯!¡± He chirped out the phrase smoothly, without even a minor hup.


    Even though Gu Dashun was unfamiliar with Buddhist scriptures, he understood that such aplex sentence could not be possibly made up by a three-and-a-half-year-old child.


    So, he really knew it.


    Afterwards, Gu Dashun pointed out a few more characters to Xiao Jingkong. Some of them he knew, and some he didn¡¯t. To his surprise, Xiao Jingkong knew them all and could urately quote their sources.


    Xiao Jingkong looked at Gu Dashun with dismay, ¡°How do you study? I heard that you are a schr, are schrs generally this bad?¡±


    Xiao Jingkong suddenly remembered his brother-inw has also just became a schr, and he wondered if he was this bad too.


    How can support the family this way?


    Would they still be able to keep going until he is grown up?


    Concerned about his home¡¯s difficulties, Xiao Jingkong suddenly didn¡¯t feel like herding the chicks anymore and brought all of them from Xiao Yi to Xiao Qi back home.


    After putting the chicks back in their coop, he immediately went to the west chamber.


    He still hadn¡¯t mastered writing yet, mainly because of hisck of strength to hold a brush. But he had scripture books.


    He took out a few scripture books from his small box and came to Xiao Ling. Opening a page arbitrarily, he pointed at an unusual character, ¡°How to read this?¡±


    Xiao Ling gave him a nce and read it out tly.


    Xiao Jingkong frowned seriously, nodding secretly in his mind.


    He didn¡¯t misread it.


    Xiao Jingkong then pointed at another character, it was the first character that Gu Dashun did not understand earlier.


    Xiao Ling easily read it out.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Xiao Jingkong seemed satisfied.


    He then sequentially tested Xiao Ling on many other characters. Xiao Ling read all of them correctly.


    He also tested Xiao Ling¡¯sprehension. Xiao Ling¡¯s exnations were almost the same as those of the master, even more concise and clear.


    Well, it seemed like brother-inw had been studying hard, Xiao Jingkong was slightly relieved.


    But how would Xiao Ling know about his little scheme? He thought Xiao Jingkong was suddenly interested in learning characters.


    Children in the town begin to learn at the age of seven. Perhaps the little monk, being smarter than average children and having a little foundation from living in the temple, could start early.


    Better than sticking to Gu Jiao all day long.


    Xiao Ling secretly noted down the matter of early starting for Xiao Jingkong.


    ¡ª


    On the other hand, Marquis Gu¡¯s injuries had basically healed.


    He did not admit that he ended up in this condition because of being kicked by his own daughter, and simply reported that he identally fell. All the servants were forced to believe his version.


    Huang Zhong received a family letter from the Capital City.


    After reading the letter, Marquis Gu¡¯s brows gradually wrinkled into a frown.


    Huang Zhong asked, ¡°What happened, Marquis? Did something happen at the Marquis Residence?¡±


    Marquis Gu sighed, ¡°No, it¡¯s a letter from the Noble Consort.¡±


    Huang Zhong was puzzled, ¡°From the Noble Consort? Has she summoned you for something?¡±


    Marquis Gu helplessly folded the letter back into the envelope, ¡°Her birthday ising. Jin Yu¡¯s birthday is in the same month as hers. She asked me when I was going to bring Jin Yu back to the Capital City. This year is Jin Yu¡¯s hairpin ceremony and she insisted that I must not forget it.¡±

 Chapter 94: 87 Unveiled (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 94: 87 Unveiled (Second Update)_2


    Huang Zhong sighed, ¡°Indeed, before we know it, the young miss will turn fifteen.¡±


    Lord Gu replied, ¡°There¡¯s still half a year left.¡±


    The twins were born in October.


    Huang Zhongughed, ¡°Her Majesty the Virtuous Consort must be eagerly anticipating the young miss¡¯ birthday.¡±


    The Virtuous Consort was Lord Gu¡¯s younger sister. She had a great rtionship with thete Lady Gu, while her rtion with Yao Family wasn¡¯t as warm. She was somewhat indifferent towards Gu Yan but Gu Jinyu, with her talents, had always been her favourite.


    Lord Gu felt a headacheing on.


    He couldn¡¯t go back to Capital City just yet, but even if he could, he would have to take Yao Shi and Gu Yan with him.


    After all, as it was Jinyu¡¯sing-of-age ceremony, how could her biological mother not be present?


    Besides, he had observed that Gu Yan¡¯s health had improved significantly and he should be able to return to the Capital City with them.


    ¡°What about¡­ the young miss?¡± Huang Zhong was referring to Gu Jiao.


    ¡°Of course, she¡¯ll be brought along as well.¡± Lord Gu dered.


    Such decisiveness? Was he a masochist?


    Huang Zhong hesitated for a moment, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to do a blood test for familial rtionship?¡±


    Lord Gu roared, ¡°Even if we wanted to, we would need to get her consent first! You think you can get it?¡±


    Huang Zhong shrank his neck, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    Lord Gu said with a frowned expression, ¡°Yanyan is very close to her, he wouldn¡¯t be wrong about this. As for medicine trials, Huichun Hall¡¯s medicine is temporarily effective, and it wouldn¡¯t matter if the trials are dyed for some time. But¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡± Huang Zhong asked.


    Lord Gu pondered for a moment, then said, ¡°The girl grew up in a rural setting, and has all these bad habits. She doesn¡¯t have even a bit of the grace of ady, which would inevitably attract criticism once she arrives in the Capital City. Before we leave, we need to find someone to properly educate her.¡±


    Huang Zhong¡¯s eyes darted around, ¡°Are you¡­ skipping some important steps? Like, maybe the young miss herself isn¡¯t willing to go?¡±


    Lord Gu flicked his robe, ¡°Hmph! Is there a room for her to object in such a matter? I am her biological father! Whether she believes it or not, if I really want to take her with me, can she resist?¡±


    Huang Zhong curled up his lips, thinking about who was hung on a tree by the young miss once.


    Lord Gu was not bragging, at this moment, his biggest worry was not Gu Jiao, but Yao Shi.


    He didn¡¯t know how to approach Yao Shi so as to minimize the shock to her.


    ¡°Where is thedy?¡± Lord Gu asked.


    Huang Zhong recalled, ¡°She seems to be in the Peony Garden outside the hot springs. I saw her there when I passed by earlier.¡±


    Indeed, Yao Shi was indeed in the Peony Garden.


    After Gu Jinyu¡¯s peonies were ruined, Lord Gu ordered several more to be brought over quickly, and allocated a new garden for Gu Jinyu to grow peonies.


    This could be considered as apensation for losing her maid, Yu Ru.


    Gu Jinyu was ying chess with Yao Shi in the center of the Peony Garden, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    Yao Shi was lost in thought.


    Gu Jinyu waved her hand in front of Yao Shi¡¯s eyes, ¡°Mother, mother!¡±


    Yao Shi came back to her senses and apologized with a smile, ¡°Is it my turn? Let me see how to move.¡±


    Gu Jinyu took up the chess piece Yao Shi was going to move, and said softly, ¡°We¡¯ve been ying for quite a while and you must be tired. Why don¡¯t we take a break and have some snacks?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Yao Shi nodded, asking the maid to clear the chessboard and bring over a te of freshly cut melon and a box of Osmanthus Cakes she personally made.


    Gu Jinyu ate a piece of the melon and took a tiny bite of the Osmanthus Cake.


    Yao Shi noticed that she didn¡¯t seem too keen on eating the cake, probably because her aunt, the Virtuous Consort, had once said that eating too many sweets would make her fat.


    Since then, Jinyu didn¡¯t really eat sweet stuff anymore.


    ¡°Mother, you look well recently.¡± Gu Jinyu said to Yao Shi with a smile.


    Yao Shi touched her cheeks.


    Indeed, after using Lady Gu¡¯s medicine, she felt much lighter, she could eat well, sleep well, and wasn¡¯t as prone to mood swings.


    The only puzzling thing was that she kept thinking about Lady Gu. Even her distraction earlier was due to thoughts of her.


    She shouldn¡¯t have been so absent-minded while ying chess with her daughter.


    ¡°Mother, wait a moment!¡± Gu Jinyu set down her pastry, and took a cloak from a nearby room to drape over Madam Yao. ¡°The wind is strong. Be careful you don¡¯t catch a cold.¡±


    Her daughter was considerate. However, Madam Yao felt a sense of shame for receiving such consideration from her daughter.


    No one knew, but she had a secret buried deep in her heart.


    She used to abhor Gu Jinyu immensely.


    From the moment of her confinement after childbirth, she preferred Gu Yan over Gu Jinyu. She could not bring herself to feel attached to the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes.


    One year when they were both three, Gu Yan spilled a bowl of medicine soup on Gu Jinyu, who must have been very vexed. Gu Jinyu pounced onto Gu Yan and pinned him to the ground.


    Gu Yan was suffocating under her weight.


    Upon discovering the scene, she roughly yanked Gu Jinyu away. She even pped her hard!


    It was Gu Yan who initiated the fight. Gu Jinyu¡¯s counterattack was justifiable, especially since they were only three-year-old children.


    As their mother, all she needed to do was separate them, not resort to hitting her.


    To this day, she still remembers the shock and hurt in Gu Jinyu¡¯s eyes.


    Gu Jinyu cried out for her mother, but instead of feeling pain, an impulse to abandon her welled up within her!


    Although many years have passed since that incident and the children have no recollection of it, she was gradually able to rediscover her feelings for her daughter through daily interaction.


    Yet every time she recalls that incident, she is filled with the notion that she is undeserving of being a mother.


    Everyone believes that her silent agony stems from her rtionship with the Marquis or the nder of the world.


    But that¡¯s not the case.


    The thought that as a mother she could be unloving, even contemte abandoning her own child, is something she cannot forgive herself for.


    Gu Jinyu is a perfect child.


    Even after she hurt her so badly, she still showed respect for her, and infinitely tolerated her younger brother, who always picked on her.


    ¡°Mother, why are you crying?¡± Gu Jinyu noticed Madam Yao¡¯s tears.


    Madam Yao wiped away her tears and smiled bitterly, ¡°Do you ever feel that your mother¡­ hasn¡¯t treated you well these past years?¡±


    Gu Jinyu took Madam Yao¡¯s hand and solemnly said, ¡°How could that be? Mother has been very good to me, just like father and grandmother. You, along with my younger brother, are the closest people to me in this world. I will always love you.¡±


    Returning to her quarters, Gu Jinyu was called away by a maid. Another batch of peonies had arrived for her to inspect.


    Madam Yao walked back to her courtyard alone, not allowing the maids to apany her.


    As she passed by a decorative hill, she heard quarrelling voices.


    ¡°Have you gone mad? Spreading such nonsense? Fear they will hear and report it to the Marquis and Madam. It could cost you your life!¡±


    ¡°Aunt, I¡¯m not spouting nonsense! I heard it myself!¡±


    Madam Yao recognized the two voices. One was Madame Fang who worked in her courtyard, and the other was her niece, Cuicui.


    Cuicui worked as a sweeper outside the study room of the Marquis.


    The conversation continued, and Madam Yao stopped in her tracks.


    ¡°You must have heard wrong!¡± Madame Fang rebuked.


    Cuicui spoke loudly, ¡°I didn¡¯t mishear! That¡¯s what the Marquis said! Our young miss was swapped at birth! She¡¯s not the Marquis and Madam¡¯s biological daughter!¡±


    Madam Yao felt as if she¡¯d received a thunderous blow to the head. She asked in confusion, ¡°What did you say? Who was swapped at birth?¡±


    ¡°Madam?¡± Cuicui and Madame Fang turned their heads and gawked at her.


    Madam Yao stumbled towards Cuicui, ¡°Repeat your words, what do you mean by ¡®swapped at birth¡¯? Who is not the biological child?¡±


    Madame Fang quickly intervened, ¡°Madam, don¡¯t listen to her nonsense¡­¡±


    Furious, Madam Yao shouted, ¡°Shut your mouth!¡±


    Madam Yao was normally gentle, but even a rabbit, when cornered, would show its fangs.


    Cuicui bowed her head, stammering, ¡°The¡­ The young miss was swapped at birth. She¡¯s not your and the Marquis¡¯ daughter. The real young miss grew up in a vige, very ugly and foolish, often bullied by vigers. When the Marquis found her, she¡­¡±


    Madam Yao couldn¡¯t hear what followed. All she felt was darkness engulfing her vision and the world spinning around her.


    After that, her field of vision faded, and she copsed heavily to the ground.

 Chapter 95: 88 Mother and Daughter (First Update)

    Chapter 95: 88 Mother and Daughter (First Update)


    Study Room.


    As Lord Gu was pondering on how to approach the Yao Family, he heard that a servant had fainted.


    Yao Family, who had been recuperating these days, lived in the secluded courtyard, onlying over to see Gu Yan and Gu Jinyu every day.


    By the time Lord Gu arrived at the courtyard, Yao Family had already been put on a bed by Nurse Fang and Cuicui.


    Nurse Fang, who had been taking care of matters in the courtyard recently as Nurse Fang was suffering from a cold, had personally gone to call the imperial physician.


    As Lord Gu nced at the unconscious Yao Family, then at the trembling maids in the room, his face darkened: ¡°Who took care of my wife today?¡±


    The two maids knelt down with a thud.


    One of them sobbed, ¡°This ve doesn¡¯t know what happened¡­ When we returned to the courtyard¡­ mydy had already fainted in the room!¡±


    Lord Gu coldly retorted, ¡°How can you take care of my wife like this? Did you leave her alone in the courtyard?¡±


    Another maid also wept uncontrobly, ¡°Have mercy, my lord. Mydy doesn¡¯t like having people around her¡­ We didn¡¯t dare to disobey her¡­¡±


    ¡°Such a waste of space!¡± Lord Gu was angry, and just as he shouted, Nurse Fang came in with the imperial physician.


    The two of them were about to greet Lord Gu, but he waved his hand and said, ¡°No need, hurry and treat my wife.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The imperial physician walked forward with his medicine box,id a silk handkerchief on Yao Family¡¯s wrist, and began to take her pulse.


    To be honest, the imperial physician was not optimistic about Yao Family¡¯s illness.


    At first nce, Yao Family didn¡¯t seem to be seriously ill, but in fact, she had long been physically exhausted. Moreover, she had a heart disease and was most vulnerable to stimtion. When serious, she could have hallucinations and insanity, making irreversible actions.


    It was precisely because Lord Gu feared such a situation, that he was always hesitant about whether to reveal the truth.


    It took a while for the imperial physician to take her pulse this time.


    It was so long that Lord Gu had sweated coldly.


    ¡°What is it, Physician Chen?¡± He asked eagerly.


    Nurse Fang also nervously looked at Doctor Chen.


    Doctor Chen, with a thoughtful look, frowned, and took Yao Family¡¯s pulse again: ¡°Strange, really strange.¡±


    Lord Gu anxiously asked, ¡°What is strange? Is my wife very serious?¡±


    Doctor Chen shook his head, ¡°Not serious.¡±


    Yao Family¡¯s body has always been weak and she can¡¯t stand stimtion. Normally, if she faints, it would be really dangerous, but right now, her pulse was much more stable than expected.


    That¡¯s why he felt it was strange.


    ¡°What medicine has my wife been takingtely?¡± asked the imperial physician.


    Lord Gu looked at Nurse Fang.


    Nurse Fang was taken aback and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it the medicine prescribed by you?¡±


    Doctor Chen said, ¡°Bring it over for me to have a look.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Nurse Fang came to the dressing table, pulled out Yao Family¡¯s medicine box, and handed over the little medicine bottles and jars Yao Family had been taking every day to the imperial physician.


    The small pills in the vial were white, odorless, and Doctor Chen had never seen this kind of medicine.


    The jars contained small, one-gram packets of granules. Doctor Chen had never seen this kind of medicine either but, he could smell the familiar scent of traditional Chinese medicine. He vaguely recognized the odor of ginseng, sour jujube kernels, poria, cinnamon, asparagus, and rehmannia.


    ¡°Can medicines be made into these forms?¡± murmured Doctor Chen.


    He had only seen medicine made into pills before, and he had never seen it made into pills or granules, especially those white pills, whose ingredients werepletely unrecognizable.


    ¡°Where did these medicinese from?¡± Chen asked.


    Nurse Fang looked at Dr. Chen in amazement, ¡°Weren¡¯t they prescribed by you?¡±


    Doctor Chen said, ¡°I didn¡¯t prescribe these medicines.¡±


    Lord Gu¡¯s icy gaze fell on Nurse Fang, ¡°When did my wife start taking these medicines?¡±


    Nurse Fang hurriedly exined, ¡°I can¡¯t recall the exact¡­ It¡¯s been a while. Mydy has never been willing to take her medicine. She suddenly started taking it, and I thought mydy had finally listened to Dr. Chen¡¯s advice.¡±


    ¡°Did these medicines cause my wife to faint?¡± Lord Gu asked the imperial physician.


    Chen thought for a while and said, ¡°It is hard to say¡­ The calming medicine in the jar should not harm the body. But, I have never seen that other kind of pill, so I can¡¯t make a rash judgment.¡±


    Lord Gu coldly looked at Nurse Fang, ¡°Who gave these things to my wife?¡±


    Nurse Fang paled and said, ¡°The ve isn¡¯t clear either. Although the ve has been taking care of mydy, the one who spends the most time with her is Nurse Fang.¡±


    Nurse Fang has gone to recuperate and is not at the vi!


    Lord Gu clenched his fist and said, ¡°Send someone to bring Nurse Fang to me!¡±


    Doctor Chen thought and said, ¡°Lord Gu, don¡¯t be anxious. Mydy¡¯s pulse condition has improvedpared to before. It¡¯s possible that both types of medicine are harmless to mydy.¡±

 Chapter 96: 88 Mother and Daughter (First Update)_2

    Chapter 96: 88 Mother and Daughter (First Update)_2


    Marquis Gu spoke coldly, ¡°How do you exin Lady Gu¡¯s sudden fainting?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Doctor Chen couldn¡¯t exin it, ¡°Her Ladyship should be able to wake up soon, we can ask her to get the whole truth.¡±


    Madame Fang lowered her head, her fingers slowly tightening into a fist.


    Doctor Chen wrote a prescription, and Madame Fang took it and went to fetch the medicine from the pharmacy located in the vi.


    Cuicui stealthily came in through the back door while Madame Fang was preparing the medicine in the small kitchen.


    ¡°Auntie!¡±


    Madame Fang nced out warily, closed the door and asked her, ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    Cuicui spoke in a hushed voice, ¡°Huang Zhong suddenly came looking for Matron Fang, is there some kind of trouble?¡±


    Madame Fang narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°Her Ladyship has been taking medicely. She will be getting better soon!¡±


    Cuicui nched, shocked, ¡°What? I thought¡­ a slight provocation would trigger¡­¡±


    Madame Yao had reacted negatively when stimted previously, though her illness was not as grave then, she managed to survive a close call. Everything was supposed to go smooth this time, unexpectedly¡­


    ¡°The Empress Dowager has sent a letter, requesting the Marquis to bring the youngdy back to the capital for hering-of-age ceremony. Since the young master¡¯s health has improved, the Marquis will surely bring Lady Gu and the young master back.¡­¡± Madame Fang said, her cold eyes resting on the steaming medicinal decoction.


    ¡­


    Huang Zhong went to Matron Fang¡¯s house under a pretense and brought the Sick Matron Fang back to the vi.


    The Marquis personally went to interrograte her in the study room.


    Only two maids were left in the room.


    Madame Fang, carrying a bowl of steaming soup, walked in and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll look after this. You two go to the dining room and see if the porridge for herdyship is ready, and do not forget to send the fruit the young miss wanted to the Orchid Pavilion¡±.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the two maids agreed and left.


    The room was now devoid of any third person, and it was eerily quiet.


    Madame Fang held the soup bowl, stepped slowly to the bedside and looked down at the peaceful sleeping Madame Yao. She said contemptuously, ¡°Mydy, don¡¯t me your maid, me the person who doesn¡¯t want you to return to Marquis Residence


    She then pry opened Madame Yao¡¯s jaw and spoon-fed her the medicine¡­


    Today is the day for the follow-up appointment of Gu Yan at Huichun Hall.


    The second boss was not able to visit, Gu Jiao and the old doctor came instead.


    The two were directly escorted by Yu Ya to Gu Yan¡¯s courtyard.


    Gu Yan¡¯s current condition was very stable, and as long as he continued the medication, he could live for another two or three years without any problem.


    The little dog¡¯s injury had also healed. It remembered Gu Jiao, and as she arrived from afar, it hurried towards her which ended up with him falling over and yelping in pain.


    That reminded Gu Jiao of Xiao Jingkong, who always fell over.


    ¡°The dog¡¯s house was brokenst time, let¡¯s build another one,¡± Gu Yan calmly said.


    Gu Jiao hummed anomalously. The house she built was rock solid, how could it be broken?


    The servants lowered their heads in unison, pretending to know nothing about the little master tearing down the dog house in the middle of the night.


    ¡°Alright then.¡± Gu Jiao epted.


    Making another one wouldn¡¯t matter much.


    Gu Jiao stayed with Gu Yan for two hours. It was only after building a brand-new dog house that she got up and left.


    After leaving the vi, she visited Old Lady Li as usual.


    During her visit to Old Lady Li, she spotted a mulberry tree and thought of Madame Yao. She nned to check on whether Madame Yao¡¯s condition had improved.


    However, Gu Jiao had been knocking at the door for quite a while and no one opened it.


    Perhaps they were not at home.


    Or perhaps they were busy.


    Gu Jiao decided toe again next time.


    Just as she was about to turn around, she caught a faint, distant groan of pain.


    The groan was very soft and seemed toe from afar. Ordinary people would not be able to hear it, but Gu Jiao had undergone training to recognise sounds in her past life, she needed to urately discern breathing sounds amongst hundreds of different noises.


    After she got this small body, her physical strength was not as good as before; however, it was slowly recovering.


    The voice was that of Lady Gu¡¯s.


    Of this, Gu Jiao was certain.


    Gu Jiao immediately shot back a few steps, scaled the wall and leapt in without bothering whether the door was locked.


    By the time Gu Jiao reached Madame Yao¡¯s room, only Madame Yao was left inside.


    Madame Yao was lying unconscious on the bed, her face turning green, her forehead going dark, and her breath was extremely weak.


    The room was filled with the strong smell of Chinese medicine, but there was no medicine bowl.


    Gu Jiao found a few drops of not-yet-dried medicine juice on Madame Yao¡¯s pillow, she bent over to smell it.


    It was Wutou!


    Wutou is a traditional Chinese medicine used to dispel cold and relieve pain, but it has its own toxic properties and wouldn¡¯t be used frivolously. Since Madame Yao has a cold constitution, she would be absolutely prohibited from using Wutou.


    Gu Jiao was not sure about how much Madame Yao had consumed, but she certainly had to vomit it out at once!

 Chapter 97: 88 Mother and Daughter (First Update)_3

    Chapter 97: 88 Mother and Daughter (First Update)_3


    Gu Jiao pondered for three seconds, then immediately opened the first aid kit, took an infusion tube of a special material, and slowly inserted it into the Yao Family mistress¡¯s stomach through her nose.


    This kind of infusion tube is specially prepared for those desperate men in the organization. It is harder than the ordinary ones, and can be used for killing. It was beyond Gu Jiao¡¯s expectations that she would use it to save a life instead.


    Gu Jiao took out a bag of sodium chloride solution and connected it to the other end of the tube.


    She squeezed the bag, quickly pouring the solution into the Yao Family mistress¡¯s stomach.


    Just as Gu Jiao started to pour in a second bag, the two little maids who had been dismissed by Madam Fang returned to the room.


    Neither of them knew Gu Jiao, and they were instantly stunned by the scene before them.


    ¡°Who are you? What are you doing to thedy?¡±


    Once they came to their senses, they lunged at Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao couldn¡¯t be interrupted by them. She swiftly kicked a chair and knocked them both to the ground.


    Maid A: ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    Maid B: ¡°Help! Someone is trying to murder thedy¡ª¡±


    Outside the room, Madam Fang¡¯s hand shook. Already? They found out so quickly?


    Mr. Gu had just finished interrogating maid Fang when he heard the little maids shouting. He rushed to the Yao Family mistress¡¯s room and saw Gu Jiao pouring something strange into her nose.


    When he left, the Yao Family mistress¡¯s face was still normal, but now it was turning green and dark, as if she had been poisoned.


    Could this girl really be poisoning her own mother?!


    Mr. Gu was out of patience, his face turned to fury. He stormed over, ¡°Stop what you¡¯re doing!¡±


    Gu Jiao ignored him and increased the pressure on the solution bag.


    Seeing her intensify rather than stop, Mr. Gu was infuriated. He drew his whip and struck her thin back mercilessly.


    The crack of the whip echoed sharply as itnded on Gu Jiao¡¯s back.


    This was not amon whip, it was a military execution whip.


    Still, Gu Jiao didn¡¯t let go of the Yao Family mistress.


    Mr. Gu was furious. He reached out to grab Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao shot him a cold re, ¡°Get out of my way if you don¡¯t want her to die!¡±


    Mr. Gu was shocked immobile by her eyes and the murderous intent in them.


    Finally, thest drop of fluid dripped into the Yao Family mistress, Gu Jiao pulled out the tube, propped the mistress up, pried her mouth open, and poked her throat with a finger.


    The next second, The Yao Family mistress¡¯s body shuddered and she vomited out the medicines and solution.


    After she vomited, her face wasn¡¯t green anymore, and her breath became more steady.


    Meanwhile, Imperial Physician Chen arrived.


    Looking at the scene in the room, he was a little bewildered.


    He had just left after turning pills for the noblewoman. Howe the noblewoman looked like she just came back from the dead, just after he left for a short time?


    ¡°Hey? Isn¡¯t that the young pharmacist from Huichun Hall?¡± He recognized Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t speak, stood up indifferently, packed up her small first aid kit.


    Imperial Physician Chen took Yaody¡¯s pulse, his eyebrows furrowed, ¡°How did the consort get poisoned by Wutou?¡±


    Mr. Gu¡¯s brows furrowed in worry!


    Imperial Physician Chen looked at Gu Jiao, then again at the medicine on the floor, and guessed what had happened, ¡°You¡¯re fortunate Lord invited this young pharmacist to induce vomiting timely for the consort, or else she would have died. It¡¯s unbelievable. A mere pharmaceutical boy from Huichun Hall is so capable¡­¡±


    Mr. Gu didn¡¯t hear the rest of what he said, his mind was filled with the whip he had given her.


    That whip, he did not use full strength, but still at least eighty percent¡­


    Can¡¯t you stubborn girl just openly exin things?


    Must you be beaten?!


    Mr. Gu didn¡¯t want to admit he was wrong, it was obviously because she didn¡¯t exin what was going on that made him misunderstood!


    But why did he feel a little guilty?


    Mr. Gu looked at Gu Jiao with a guilty conscience, about to say something, but Gu Jiao had already packed up her first aid kit and emotionless walked away.


    The spring evening was warm, but her silhouette was chillingly cold.

 Chapter 98 - 89: The Medicine (Second Update)

    Chapter 98: Chapter 89: The Medicine (Second Update)


    The Marquis Gu began to order a thorough investigation of the Yao family¡¯s poison case.


    ording to the two maids, the medicine was decocted by Nurse Fang and also sent by her. They were dispatched by Nurse Fang to deliver things to Gu Jinyu. After that, they knew nothing.


    ¡°Bring Nurse Fang!¡± The Marquis Gu ordered coldly.


    Soon, there was a report from a servant, ¡°Master, Nurse Fang is missing!¡±


    Marquis Gu¡¯s palm clenched tightly into a fist.


    Quickly, he remembered that Nurse Fang still had a niece in his residence: ¡°What about the maid called Cuicui? Bring her to me!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The servant went on his way.


    In order not to attract attention, Nurse Fang had not taken Cuicui away.


    When Cuicui realized that something seemed wrong, she hurriedly packed up and left, but it was toote. She was caught by the guards at Vi.


    When she was brought to the Marquis Gu, she learned that the Yao family had been poisoned.


    Anyone could guess that Nurse Fang was the poisoner even without a brain.


    Cuicui sank to her knees, shivering and pleading,¡± Master, have mercy! I didn¡¯t do it! I don¡¯t know anything! I¡¯m innocent!¡±


    Marquis Gu said, ¡°Innocent? Then let me ask you, how did my wife faint?¡±


    Cuicui stammered, ¡°It¡¯s¡­.It¡¯s¡­.¡±


    Marquis Gu mocked, ¡°Well then, if this tongue is of no use, why not pull it out!¡±


    Cuicui trembled: ¡°I will talk! I will tell you everything! It was Nurse Fang¡­Nurse Fang who made me do it! She made me purposely tell the mistress what I overheard!¡±


    A tight feeling rose within Marquis Gu¡¯s chest,¡± What did you say?¡±


    Cuicui frightened, ¡°I¡­ I said¡­ the young miss is not.. not of flesh and blood ¡­ it was a misunderstanding¡­¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Marquis Gu was so furious that he smashed a teacup with a blow of his hand.


    Cuicui crawled on the broken pieces of the teacup, her hands bleeding, but she didn¡¯t dare to move: ¡°Master, have mercy¡­ it was Nurse Fang who forced me¡­¡±


    Marquis Gu had been worried about this, so he had never dared to tell the Yao family the truth. He would rather never recognize that child in his life than allow the Yao family to suffer the slightest mishap!


    But his cautiousness didn¡¯t prevent two wretched maids from revealing the truth!


    He sternly asked, ¡°My wife treated her well! Why did she do this?¡±


    Cuicui sobbed, ¡°I¡­ I am not sure¡­. Aunt¡­ I mean, Nurse Fang¡­she asked me to do things¡­and never allowed me to question why¡­. I don¡¯t know why she wanted to frame the mistress¡­. If I didn¡¯t listen to her, she would let her nephew kill me! Master, everything I¡¯ve said is true!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you are more willing to listen to her than the mistress and I. Is she the emperor?¡± In this matter, it¡¯s no doubt false that Cuicui is half truth and half lie.


    Yes, she was instigated by Nurse Fang, but her ambition is also true. Why would she work for Nurse Fang if she was not enticed by the benefits?


    There is probably nothing more to ask from her. Marquis Gu waved his hand in disgust,¡±Take her away, beat her to death.¡±¡±


    ¡°Master, have mercy! Master, have¡­.¡±


    The guards didn¡¯t give her the chance to beg for mercy, directly stuffed a cloth into her mouth and violently dragged her away for execution.


    The guards at the Vi were divided into four groups to catch Nurse Fang. It was not until nightfall that they finally found traces of Nurse Fang, but unfortunately, she was found hanged on a big tree.


    ¡°She¡¯s dead?¡± In the study room, Marquis Gu¡¯s face turned cold.


    Huang Zhong was a soldier, not being good at intrigues, but when examining a dead body, he was an old hand. There¡¯s no way he couldn¡¯t figure out that Nurse Fang was hanged on a tree after she had died.


    Marquis Gu looked solemn,¡±So¡­ was she silenced?¡±


    Whether she was silenced or not, Huang Zhong didn¡¯t dare to specte, but he was sure that Nurse Fang was murdered.


    Marquis Gu was silent for a while,¡±I see. In these days, beef up the security at the Vi, besides Nurse Fang, dismiss everyone around my wife.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Marquis Gu went to Madame Yao¡¯s room.


    Nurse Fang was also ill; she had been keeping vigil in the room and did not look well.


    Marquis Gu said to her,¡±Lay down and rest, you don¡¯t have toe over tonight.¡±


    But Nurse Fang did not retreat immediately, instead, she courageously asked,¡±Master, are you still insisting on taking the mistress back to the Marquis Residence?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Marquis Gu said.


    Nurse Fang said with heartfelt anxiety, ¡°I know our master loves the mistress, but I fear that no one in the Marquis Residence would wee her back, except for the master himself.¡±

 Chapter 99 - 89: The Medicine (Second Update) - Part 2

    Chapter 99: Chapter 89: The Medicine (Second Update) ¨C Part 2


    Lord Gu clenched his fist tightly: ¡°She is my wife, I will protect her, you need not to worry!¡±


    ¡°Lord Gu¡­¡±


    Lord Gu¡¯s eyes zed: ¡°I will not let anything happen to her again!¡±


    Nanny Fang did not refute anymore, she bowed to Lord Gu: ¡°I take my leave.¡±


    Lord Gu blocked the news about the Yao Family¡¯s Courtyard, and did not let Gu Yan and Gu Jinyu know.


    An hourter, Lady Yao stirred weakly to consciousness.


    Lord Gu sat on the edge of the bed, held her hand, and asked softly, ¡°Are you awake? Do you feel ufortable anywhere?¡±


    Yao Family¡¯sdy shook her head weakly, staring fixedly at him: ¡°Where is my child? Where is my child?¡±


    At this point, Lord Gu had nothing to conceal anymore. He tightened his grip on her hand, took a deep breath and said, ¡°She came earlier, right here.¡±


    Yao¡¯sdy was agitated again.


    Lord Gu, fearing that she might faint again, hurriedly supported her shoulders and said, ¡°Don¡¯t get excited, listen to me. She is fine, I have found her. Once you have fully recovered, I will take you to see her.¡±


    Lady Yao unhesitatingly responded, ¡°I am fine!¡±


    Lord Gu said, ¡°I know, I know, but it¡¯s toote today, and visiting her would only disturb her rest. In the morning, I promise you.¡±


    Only then did Yao¡¯sdy lie back down.


    She looked at him perplexly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡±


    Lord Gu remained silent.


    Lady Yao¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°Did you not want to acknowledge that child?¡±


    Lord Gu was startled, a wave of dread making his heart pound. His strong will to survive led him to make a firm decision between honesty and deceit ¨C ¡°No such thing! Don¡¯t overthink it! She¡¯s my own flesh and blood. How could I not want to acknowledge her? It¡¯s just ¡­ I¡¯ve made a mistake once. I don¡¯t want to be wrong a second time.¡±


    Lord Gu told Lady Yao about the issue with blood fusion.


    ¡°¡­I was considering waiting until her blood was integrated with Yanyan¡¯s and then telling you. However, Yanyan got along extremely well with her. I think, if they were not connected by blood, Yanyan would not like her so much.¡±


    Lady Yao appeared startled, ¡°Yanyan has seen her too?¡±


    Lord Gu nodded slowly, ¡°¡­Yes, she is the young medicine girl from Huichun Hall.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a portrait of her?¡± Lady Yao after all was eager to see her daughter.


    Lord Gu hesitated, ¡°This ¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I implore you, Lord Gu,¡± Lady Yao pleaded with him for the first time.


    Heart filled with bitterness over a mere portrait of a nasty girl, Lord Gu took up the brush and painstakingly sketched out an image.


    However, Lord Gu always seemed unable to deny a woman¡¯s request, even more so with Lady Yao.


    But, the moment Lady Yao scrolled open the painting and looked at it, her smile stiffened, ¡°What exactly have you drawn?¡±


    Randomly drawn circles and crosses?


    Is this round, geometric shape supposed to be a face?


    Are these two asymmetrical green beans supposed to be eyes?


    Is the nostril crookedly drawn up towards the sky?


    And the mouth is crooked too!


    Lord Gu embarrassedly coughed, earnestly saying, ¡°It¡¯s because she¡¯s ugly.¡±


    He would never admit that his drawing was ugly!


    The talented and brilliant Lord Gu always had an unknown secret- his calligraphy and painting was terribly poor. Outsiders, who assumed he refrained from gifting his ink treasures, did not know it was because he tly refused to let anyone see his work.


    ¡°You are the ugly one!¡± Lady Yao tossed the drawing back into his arms, threw off her nket and was about to get out of bed.


    Lord Gu instantly guessed what she wanted to do and calmly said, ¡°Are you going to ask Yanyan for a portrait? Heh, his drawing¡¯s even worse than mine.¡±


    Lady Yao, who wanted to kill him with her re, ¡°¡­¡±


    In the end, Lady Yao received a portrait of her daughter.


    It was drawn by Gu Jinyu.


    Lord Gu did not reveal the truth to Gu Jinyu, he only asked her to draw the physical appearance of the Huichun Hall¡¯s little medicine girl. Gu Jinyu¡¯s drawing abilities were indeed extraordinary, and among the noble maids in the capital, she could at least rank in the top three.


    Lord Gu showed the portrait to Lady Yao.


    Looking at the girl in the portrait, Lady Yao was suddenly transfixed.


    Nowadays, nightfall waste. When Gu Jiao returned to the vige, the sun had not set yet. The vige was filled with the smell of home-cooked food and the atmosphere of rural life.


    The Gu Family was quiet recently.


    Rumours abounded that Old Master Gu had lost his position as Lizheng, and the Gu Family¡¯s dozens of acres of tenant¡¯snd were confiscated. Thesends were originally allocated to the Gu Family for cultivation. The term ¡®tenants¡¯ was misleading, as the annual rental fee was not more than a few hundred catties, which was virtually free.


    This was due to the influence of both Old Master Gu and Gu Dashun.


    However, now everything was gone.


    The Gu Family¡¯s life started to be fraught.


    It was even said that Gu Dashun was on the verge of not being able to pay the upkeep.

 Chapter 100 - 89: The Medicine (Second Update) - Part 3

    Chapter 100: Chapter 89: The Medicine (Second Update) ¨C Part 3


    Of course, this had nothing to do with Gu Jiao. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with them.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s back was aching a bit, stinging like fire, but she didn¡¯t pay too much attention to it and went to the kitchen to cook dinner.


    Xiaoshun was squatting in the backyard, feeding the chicks. Halfway through, he scooped up a small yellow chick and waddled over to her. ¡°Jiaojiao, Jiaojiao, Xiaoqi won¡¯t eat! Is it sick?¡±


    ¡°I told you you don¡¯t know how to take care of chickens. See, you¡¯re going to starve it to death.¡±


    It was Xiao Ling¡¯s teasing voice.


    Xiaoshun spun around, stomping his foot indignantly. ¡°I didn¡¯t! Xiaoqi¡¯s not going to die! I¡¯ve been taking good care of it!¡±


    ¡°Let me see.¡± Gu Jiao reached out her hand.


    With a beleaguered expression, Xiaoshun ced Xiaoqi in Gu Jiao¡¯s palm.


    He spoke with confidence, but his eyes were slightly red.


    It was clear he was genuinely worried he might be the death of the little chick.


    Gu Jiao felt the chick¡¯s belly andughed. ¡°It¡¯s full, it can¡¯t eat anymore.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xiaoshun stared at the chick with wide, glossy eyes, then scratched his head, asking it with a sorrowful face, ¡°Xiaoqi, did you sneak more food again?¡±


    The chick: ¡°Tweet!¡±


    Xiaoshun took back the chick, pulled a sour face at his brother-inw, and flounced back to return Xiaoqi to its cage.


    Xiao Ling watched him go with amusement, then turned to Gu Jiao and noticed her face was a ghostly pallor.


    ¡°Dinner is ready, let¡¯s eat,¡± Gu Jiao said.


    Xiao Ling paused, ¡°Alright.¡±


    During dinner, Gu Jiao didn¡¯t have much of an appetite.


    Hugging his bowl and chopsticks, Xiaoshun asked her, ¡°Jiaojiao, are you full too?¡±


    Xiao Ling looked at herplexly.


    The granny gave her a nce too.


    Gu Xiaoshun lifted his head, rmed. ¡°Sis, why is your face so pale? Are you sick?¡±


    Xiaoshun put down his bowl and chopsticks, stood up on his stool, ¡°Nonsense! Jiaojiao isn¡¯t sick!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sick.¡±


    Indeed she wasn¡¯t. It was more likely she had been injured.


    It was painful, but this kind of pain was something she had grown used to in her past life. She didn¡¯t dwell on it. But she forgot that her body in this life was fragile. How could it withstand the beating of a military general?


    At night, Gu Jiao¡¯s condition worsened.


    The pitch-ck night sky was filled with shing lightning and rumbling thunder, casting erratic light and shadow onto the room.


    On the bed, Xiaoshun was sprawled on his little pillow, drool trailing from his mouth.


    Xiao Ling opened his eyes, looked toward the door, hesitated a bit, then sat up. He first pulled up the nket Xiaoshun had kicked off, then put on his robe and headed to Gu Jiao¡¯s room.


    Gu Jiao used to lock her door until one night Xiaoshun was startled awake by a nightmare. He ran over to seekfort from her, but couldn¡¯t open her door, so he cried for a long time.


    After that, Gu Jiao stopped locking her door.


    Xiao Ling pushed open the slightly ajar door, and was immediately greeted by a faint smell of blood.


    Xiao Ling furrowed his brows, hesitated for a moment, then stepped inside the room.


    ¡°Gu¡­ Gu Jiao.¡±


    He called her once. There was no response, so he approached her bedside.


    He reached out his hand to touch Gu Jiao¡¯s forehead. It was burning up!


    Another sh of lightning lit up the room, and Xiao Ling saw a bloody garment on a chair.


    His face changed, and he held up the garment. Then he realized it was a small piece of clothing.


    It wasn¡¯t a soft, expensive fabric, but something that had chafed against her delicate skin, under the pungent smell of blood, it still held traces of a faint, innocent fragrance.


    His ears flushing red, Xiao Ling noted the location of the bloodstains and confirmed that Gu Jiao had been injured on her back. He took a deep breath, nning to turn Gu Jiao over and call for a doctor.


    But as his hand approached Gu Jiao, it was grabbed by her icy grip.


    She murmured, ¡°What are you doing up sote? Trying to take advantage of me?¡±


    Xiao Ling felt embarrassed and tried to exin, ¡°No, I am¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take too much advantage.¡± Gu Jiao mumbled and then drifted off to sleep.


    So¡­ was she sleep talking?


    Xiao Ling was left panting and sweating nervously.


    But that wasn¡¯t the worst part.


    When he turned his head identally, another sh of lightning revealed the ominous presence of the grandmother standing in the doorway.


    Goosebumps prickled his skin!


    The grandmother entered the room expressionlessly, cing a bottle of healing balm on Gu Jiao¡¯s table.


    Xiao Ling¡¯s shirt was soaked with sweat.


    He was unsure whether he was more scared or guilty.


    After all, his hand was still on her chest, and even though she had pulled it there, from any angle, it looked like he was the one who initiated.


    ¡°Granny, you misunderstood¡­¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you two married? What¡¯s the misunderstanding?¡±


    The grandmother set down the healing balm, huffed, and left.


    Unbelievable!


    What a perfect night!


    Why don¡¯t they hurry up and present her with a great-grandchild!

 Chapter 101: 90 Candid (Revision)

    Chapter 101: 90 Candid (Revision)


    Xiao Ling had no clue about the olddy¡¯s secrets, let alone know where she got the golden wound ointment from. However, this wasn¡¯t the time to contemte these issues. Gu Jiao¡¯s condition was critical, and her wounds needed immediate attention.


    Though they had shared a bed, it was always with their clothes on. Now, however, he had no choice but to lift her garments.


    Xiao Ling steadied his emotions, then gently turned her over so she was lying on her stomach.


    His slender fingers, trembling slightly, hooked up her slightly warm undergarments, gradually revealing her skin.


    The lengthy whip mark ran from the barely visible right side of her waist all the way to her left shoulder.


    He reluctantly had to strip her of her clothes entirely, revealing her smooth and unblemished back.


    Her hands were ced on her pillow, her position entuating the beautiful shape that was unique to young girls.


    In order to assess her injuries clearly, Xiao Ling lit an oilmp in the room, but his gaze unintentionally lingered on ces it shouldn¡¯t have.


    His breath hitched for a moment, and he hurriedly looked away, daring not to gaze any further.


    Once he steadied his emotions again, he dipped his fingertips in the cool ointment and gently applied it bit by bit onto her whip marks.


    Seemingly feeling some difort in her slumber, she slightly furrowed her brow.


    The whip marks were hideous, as if not caused by an ordinary whip.


    She didn¡¯t seem like someone who would allow herself to be bullied, at least not now. Xiao Ling couldn¡¯t help but wonder how she sustained such injuries and who her adversaries were.


    That she seemed indifferent to her injuries, as if it was something she was ustomed to, perplexed him even more.


    Although she had a bitter life since childhood, it wouldn¡¯t extend to being abused constantly.


    Carrying his doubts, Xiao Ling finished applying the ointment and covered her wound with a clean piece of cloth. Only afterward, did he lower her clothes and cover her with a quilt.


    Afterpleting all this, he nned to return to his room but identally kicked something while standing up.


    With a loud thud, it seemed like a box had fallen over, its contents scattering all over the floor.


    Xiao Ling ced the small wooden box back onto the table and picked up the scattered items, cing them all back onto the table. Looking at the pile of items covering the entire table, he was left bewildered.


    ¡°What are all these things?¡±


    ¡°And, why are there so many?¡±


    The variety of peculiar objects were spread all over the table. He wondered how a small box could hold so many items.


    The day when Gu Jiao fell into the water for the first time, he hade to her room looking for something, he was certain that she didn¡¯t have this box at that time.


    First, it was the inexplicable injuries, then it was this peculiar box. How many secrets was she harboring?


    Xiao Ling shot aplex nce at the sleeping Gu Jiao. He felt irritated, yet he couldn¡¯t pinpoint what exactly was bothering him.


    Ultimately though, he didn¡¯t have a habit of prying into others¡¯ secrets. He didn¡¯t investigate the medicines on the table and ced them all back into the small medicine box.


    Even he was amazed at how the small box could fit so much inside. Truly impressive.


    Now, he truly nned to get back to his room.


    However, he must not have ced the medicine box securely as it tumbled off the tabletop with a thud, the contents once again scattering all over the floor.


    What was astonishing, however, was that these items seemed to be different from what fell out earlier!


    ¡°Is my vision ying tricks on me or¡­¡±


    Xiao Ling suspiciously looked at the medicines on the floor, for the first time doubting his own eyes.


    He ced the items back into the box, nning to overturn the box again to verify. Suddenly, Gu Jiao, who was sleeping on the bed, turned over and hurt her wound, she murmured ufortably.


    Xiao Ling halted his actions, he suddenly realized that it was inappropriate to rummage through someone¡¯s things in the middle of the night. With a sigh, he ced the box back and left her room.


    The next day, Xiao Ling woke up early.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s high fever had mostly subsided, but she was so exhausted that she continued to sleep deeply.


    Xiao Ling didn¡¯t wake her up. He made breakfast, informed the olddy, and then proceeded to the Academy.


    At the vi, the Yao family, who had waited all night, couldn¡¯t wait any longer and followed the Governor Gu to the vige.


    The door was opened by Little Kong.


    Generally, doors in the countryside were not locked, but Little Kong had bolted it to prevent people from disturbing Gu Jiao¡¯s sleep.


    Little Kong peeked his round little head through the door crack, curiously staring at the Yao family and Governor Gu at the doorstep.


    He recognized the Yao family, a beautiful woman who often went to the temple to offer incense.


    He also recognized Governor Gu, the big bad guy who had ordered the capture of him and Jiaojiao!

 Chapter 102: 90 Candid (Second Revision)

    Chapter 102: 90 Candid (Second Revision)


    They were actually together¡­


    Little Jing Kong seriously pondered for a moment, cocking his head and asking, ¡°Lady, were you also abducted by him?¡±


    Yao Family looked puzzled.


    Lord Gu¡¯s face was red with embarrassment: ¡°¡­¡±


    Last night, Yao Family indeed had Lord Gu talking a lot about Gu Jiao, but how could Lord Gu dare to tell her everything? At least he did not say that he had someone kidnap Gu Jiao and a child with her.


    Heter inquired that the child was adopted from the temple by Gu Jiao.


    She is obviously struggling to make ends meet, yet she adopts another burden. Who knows what this girl is thinking!


    Although Yao Family was confused by what Little Jing Kong said, she faintly remembered that he was the little monk from the temple. She squatted down to be at eye level with him, and softly asked, ¡°I remember you, you¡¯re the little monk from the temple. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Little Jing Kong blinked his round, ck eyes and answered endearingly, ¡°My name is Jing Kong! I¡¯m not a little monk anymore, I came down from the mountain!¡±


    She rubbed his little head which was sprouting some hair, smiling gently, ¡°I¡¯m here to see Jiaojiao, is she home?¡±


    Little Jing Kong looked surprised, ¡°Huh, you know Jiaojiao too?¡±


    Yao Family nodded, ¡°Yes, I know her.¡±


    Little Jing Kong lowered his head in sadness, ¡°You might not be able to see her today, she¡¯s sick and can¡¯t see guests.¡±


    Yao Family immediately became worried, ¡°How did she get sick?¡±


    ¡°The olddy said she was too tired,¡± Little Jing Kong thought for a moment and said guiltily, ¡°It must be tiring looking after me. ¡±


    After all, I eat so much.


    Lord Gu felt a bit guilty. Did he happen to injure that girl with a flog yesterday?


    He dared not tell Yao Family about it¡­


    Yao Family looked at Little Jing Kong pleadingly. She sounded hurried, but her voice was very soft, ¡°Can I go in and see her? I promise I won¡¯t disturb her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not certain if Jiaojiao wishes to see you, wait here while I go ask her.¡± Little Jing Kong closed the door and ran back to Gu Jiao¡¯s bedside. Speaking in an especially soft voice, he asked, ¡°Jiaojiao, thedy from the temple came to see you, do you want to see her?¡±


    Gu Jiao was fast asleep!


    After a while, Little Jing Kong opened the door, announcing to Yao Family, ¡°Okay, Jiaojiao didn¡¯t object. You can go in!¡±


    Yao Family walked inside, filled with excitement.


    Lord Gu wanted to go in too.


    Little Jing Kong stretched out a small hand to stop him: ¡°You can¡¯t go in.¡±


    Lord Gu frowned, ¡°Why?¡±


    Little Jing Kong raised his chin in defiance, ¡°Jiaojiao didn¡¯t give permission for you to enter!¡±


    Lord Gu was bewildered.


    Is it a matter of her granting permission? It¡¯s just that you, this ck-hearted little monk, didn¡¯t ask her, right?


    Lord Gu stated solemnly; ¡°If you dare, go ask her once! I do not believe she would oppose!¡±


    How can someone oppose if they aren¡¯t awake?


    Little Jing Kong thought for a moment: ¡°Okay.¡±


    Little Jing Kong ran back into the room: ¡°Jiaojiao, the big bad guy wants to see you. Do you want to see him?¡±


    What does he mean by, ¡®big bad guy¡¯?


    It¡¯s not enough that the girl is annoying, even the little monk she raised is too?


    Lord Gu¡¯s face turned utterly dark!


    Little Jing Kong took Gu Jiao¡¯s hand and shook it. ¡°I get it, you disagree!¡±


    He walked out triumphantly, dering to Lord Gu righteously, ¡°Jiaojiao denied you!¡±


    Lord Gu: ¡°¡­¡±


    Little Jing Kong moved a small stool and sat directly at the door, staring vigntly at Lord Gu.


    Lord Gu: ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Little Jing Kong: ¡°Watching you.¡±


    Lord Gu: ¡°Hmph, I don¡¯t intend to go in!¡±


    Little Jing Kong: ¡°Who knows?¡±


    Lord Gu: ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, then bolt the door!¡±


    Little Jing Kong stated, ¡°What if you climb over the wall? I need to keep an eye on you, to prevent you from doing anything bad!¡±


    Lord Gu: Is my reputation so low that I have to be watched over by a little monk?


    One big and one small, they ended up in a standoff at the door.


    For the time being, Yao Family had no concern for her husband. Her heart was filled with concern for Gu Jiao.


    After she entered the house, she went directly to Gu Jiao¡¯s bedside and sat down.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s face color was much better thanst night but still had a slightly sickly pallor.


    The saying goes ¡®when the child is ill, the mother suffers¡¯. Seeing her child so sick, Yao Family¡¯s felt a poignant pain.


    Looking around the house, her eyes welled up with tears.


    Yao Family held her hand again. The calluses and wounds on her hand were so rough that they made Yao Family¡¯s palm hurt.


    She couldn¡¯t hold it anymore, Yao Family silently started sobbing¡­


    The olddy had gone for a nap and intended to check on Gu Jiao¡¯s condition after she woke up. However, when she entered the hall, she saw Little Jing Kong sitting in front of the door like a miniature statue.

 Chapter 103: 90 Candid (Revision)_3

    Chapter 103: 90 Candid (Revision)_3


    ¡°Huh? You didn¡¯t go out?¡±


    The olddy was puzzled.


    Though Little Monk was just a three-year-old boy, he was actually very busy every day.


    He continued his habit of undertaking morning and evening sses in the temple, after waking up, he would recite Buddhist scriptures in his heart, and after reciting, he would go to the little woond behind the house to train.


    Once, the olddy hade out and saw him circling a stout tree with his hands gripping his feet, she almost thought that she had seen a little snake demon!


    He practiced all the basic exercises, asionally Gu Jiao would apany him to train, if no one apanied him, he would practice on his own, in the pure unadulterated sense of it.


    After training, he would go find his friends in the vige,e back for lunch, and help Gu Jiao with work in the afternoon.


    Now it¡¯s precisely the time for him to spend time with his peers.


    Little Monk replied: ¡°Jiaojiao is sick, I have to apany Jiaojiao.¡±


    His schedule didn¡¯t allow anyone to disturb it, only Jiaojiao could.


    This answer was not surprising at all. The olddy nced over at him andnded her sights on a strange man standing by the door.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± She asked calmly.


    Little Monk held back the words ¡°Big Bad Egg¡±, as he had promised Jiaojiao he wouldn¡¯t tell the family about their capture, to save his aunt and the wicked brother-inw unnecessary worry.


    ¡°Just a person,¡± Little Monk said disdainfully.


    The Old Lady: Can¡¯t I see it¡¯s a person?


    The olddy gave it no further thought and started heading towards the entrance.


    By this time, Marquis Gu also noticed the olddy approaching him.


    Marquis Gu was well aware of Gu Jiao¡¯s current situation, not only did he know that she had adopted a little monk, but he was also aware that she had found a me husband¡±. There was also an aunt who hade to pledge allegiance to them.


    The aunt belonged to the husband¡¯s family.


    But she herself was poor enough as it was, so why was she still bringing more people home?


    Could shee across a prime minister or an empress dowager?


    Didn¡¯t she know her own limits?


    At this point, Marquis Gu was seething with rage.


    However when the olddy came closer and he got a clearer view of her face, he was not just seething butpletely out of breath!


    ¡°Empress¡­Empress¡­Empress¡­Empress¡­¡±


    The Empress?


    Marquis Gu¡¯s knees went weak and he stumbled onto the doorstep, bowing down profoundly!


    The olddy looked at the stranger who had copsed at her feet, he was giving her such a grand salute upon their first meeting, as she rubbed her chin, she remarked, ¡°¡­There¡¯s really no need.¡±


    Little Monk turned his head and said, ¡°He¡¯s here to see Jiaojiao. The female donor has already entered, I¡¯m in charge of keeping guard here, I won¡¯t let him inside!¡±


    Not letting men enter Jiaojiao¡¯s room was nothing out of the ordinary, so the olddy did not suspect anything, nor did she bother to ask who Marquis Gu was, she yawned and went to the backyard to crack melon seeds.


    Marquis Gu pushed up from the ground with his hand, almost falling over again.


    From his perspective, he could clearly see the olddy sitting on a bench outside the door of the main room. She was dressed in rustic attire, her head wrapped in a scarf typical of vige women.


    Looking at her this way, Marquis Gu didn¡¯t think she resembled the Empress Dowager anymore.


    Zhuang Empress Dowager had married thete emperor at the age of thirteen, upon her entry into the pce she was conferred the title of virtuous empress. She had ruled the Imperial Harem for several decades, having held regency for seventeen years. Though she had not borne a single offspring for thete emperor, the current emperor was ced on the throne by her own hand, her position was thus unshakeable in both the court and the Imperial Harem.


    Ordinary people hardly ever get to see the Zhuang Empress Dowager.


    Marquis Gu had the fortune of seeing her on two asions, once at a court banquet during the Ghost Festival, where he caught a glimpse of her from afar. The Zhuang Empress Dowager¡¯s Phoenix-demeanor overshadowed even the emperor standing nearby.


    The second asion was when he had gone to the pce to visit the pregnant Imperial Noble Consort. He had run into Zhuang Empress Dowager¡¯s procession.


    He had moved aside to pay his respects to Zhuang Empress Dowager.


    He had barely dared to take a nce, her fierce gaze had almost suffocated him on the spot.


    Zhuang Empress Dowager was not a good person, which was why behind her back she was often cursed as a poisonous empress and a bewitching empress.


    Looking at the olddy in front of him, apart from a simr appearance, where was there the slightest hint of Zhuang Empress Dowager¡¯s aura?


    ¡°Auntie, are you stealing food again?¡± Little Monk suddenly noticed that the sound of the olddy cracking melon seeds was off, he turned around and saw her somehow had grabbed hold of a jar of candied dried bayberries.


    The olddy decisively turned her back to him, swinging a blow on the back of Little Monk¡¯s head, ¡°Stop sprouting nonsense! Where do I have any?¡±


    As she was speaking, she grabbed a big handful and stuffed them into her bag.


    By the time Little Monk came over to confiscate the jar, she had already hidden quite a few.


    Marquis Gu witnessed everything and was more sure than ever that she was just a food lover, not the ruthless Zhuang Empress Dowager!


    ¡ª


    Inside the house, Gu Jiao was gradually regaining consciousness.


    She could have woken up earlier, but to let her sleep peacefully, the Yao Family had made a makeshift curtain to cover the window.


    The dim light truly made one feel sleepy, and Gu Jiao kept sleeping till noon.


    When she opened her eyes and found a person sitting by her bed, warning bells immediately went off in her heart!


    She quickly pulled out the dagger from under the pillow and swirled it around the person¡¯s neck, pressing the tip of the de against their throat and holding them tightly against her!


    ¡°Jiaojiao, it¡¯s me!¡± Said Madam Yao.


    Hearing the familiar voice, Gu Jiao paused slightly, her vignt expression rxing. She put the dagger away and released her: ¡°Madam Gu?¡±


    That move just now had scared the cold sweat out of Madam Yao.


    She turned around, steadied herself, and reached out to touch Gu Jiao¡¯s forehead, ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    Gu Jiao instinctively dodged her hand.


    Madam Yao paused, feeling a little embarrassed, ¡°Did I scare you?¡±


    The light inside the room was a little dim, and Gu Jiao did not notice the redness in her eyes, but saw the blood stains on her neck.


    She had inflicted it when she had held her hostage earlier.


    She was running a high fever, her strength was not as urate as it usually was, and she had inadvertently injured her.


    But her first reaction was not to check her wounds, but to be concerned about Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao looked at her with aplex expression.


    Madam Yao noticed Gu Jiao¡¯s gaze, she covered her wound with a handkerchief andughed, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Jiaojiao, how are you doing?¡±


    She asked for the second time.


    After thinking about it, Gu Jiao gave her a response, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Madam Gu, what brings you here?¡±


    ¡°I came to see you.¡± Madam Yao walked to the window as she said this, and pulled the curtain open. The strong light immediately prated through the window paper and flooded the room.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s eyes slightly closed, taking a moment to adjust to the light, she said, ¡°Madam Gu was just poisoned, she should be resting in bed.¡±


    Madam Yao looked at her with a soft gaze, ¡°I know, I came today because there¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡±


    Gu Jiao looked at Madam Yao and suddenly saw a shiny tear at the corner of her eye.


    Madam Yao stepped forward and took Gu Jiao¡¯s hand, carefully ced it on her thin face.


    She was very weak, but this time brought a tremendous force, ¡°Jiaojiao, I am your mother.¡±

 Chapter 104: Mother 91 (Second Update)

    Chapter 104: Mother 91 (Second Update)


    Marquis Gu had been waiting outside the door for quite a long time ¨C long enough to nearly fall asleep when Madame Yao finally emerged.


    The tears on Madame Yao¡¯s face were clearly visible; her eyes were red and swollen, an indication of heavy weeping.


    Marquis Gu hurriedly took a step forward and supported her by her shoulders. ¡°Madam!¡±


    Madame Yao nodded, held back her tears, and turned to look at the elderlydy in the backyard. She respectfully bowed, ¡°Madam, I am departing now. I entrust Jiaojiao to your care.¡±


    Madame Yao had never entered the pce and naturally did not recognize the elderlydy. Yet she already knew before arriving that the matriarch of the Xiao Ling household treated Jiaojiao very well.


    The elderlydy gave her a peculiar nce and remained silent.


    Madame Yao asked Marquis Gu to retrieve the pastries she had forgotten in the carriage and personally handed them to the elderlydy, ¡°I made these myself. I¡¯m not sure if they will suit your taste.¡±


    Uh-huh, the elderlydy¡¯s expression seemed a bit more pleased.


    Just as Madame Yao was turning around to leave, the elderlydy uttered a sound in response to her.


    ¡°¡­¡± Madame Yao was taken aback for quite some time before she realized what the elderlydy meant. She had responded to her earlier statement.


    Did she only deign to respond because of the pastries?


    Nevertheless, it hardly counted as an interaction. The elderlydy merely graced her with a word.


    Madame Yao made pastries for everyone in the Gu Family, including Xiao Jingkong.


    Afterwards, Madame Yao got into the carriage to return to the Marquis Residence with Marquis Gu.


    Marquis Gu couldn¡¯t wait to know what mother and daughter had discussed: ¡°What did the girl say?¡±


    ¡°What she said¡­¡± Madame Yao remembered the scene after she revealed everything.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s reaction was calm, calmer than Madame Yao had expected. It was as if she had been told someone else¡¯s story, not her own.


    She then uttered a puzzled sound as a look of confusion shed across her eyes.


    Even though she was standing right in front of Madame Yao, she felt as if her daughter was very distant in that moment.


    Throughout the entire conversation, Gu Jiao only said a single sentence that confused Madame Yao: ¡°If only you hade earlier, even half a year would have made a big difference.¡±


    Madame Yao didn¡¯t understand.


    Gu Family¡¯s third son and his wife passed away nine years ago.


    Their daughter got married a year ago, and the Yao Family broke away from the Gu Family a year ago as well.


    Why did she wish they came half a year earlier?


    Did something happen half a year ago that they¡¯re unaware of?


    Was she hurt?


    Madame Yao left with these thoughts lingering in her mind.


    On the other hand, Xiao Ling asked for a half-day leave from the Academy, and headed to the Huichun Hall to get some herbal medicine. On his way back to the vige in Uncle Luo¡¯s ox cart, he crossed paths with Marquis Gu¡¯s carriage.


    The curtain of the carriage was blown up by the wind and Marquis Gu glimpsed at Xiao Ling on the ox cart.


    He was so startled that he stumbled and bumped his head against the carriage wall. The bump that had just subsided began to swell up again!


    He rubbed his eyes, hoping to take another look, but the ox cart had already gone far away.


    He stuck his head out of the carriage window, anxiously looking back.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Madame Yao asked.


    Marquis Gu withdrew his head, ¡°Ah, nothing.¡±


    What happened today? Did he forget to consult the almanac before leaving?


    First, he came across an olddy from the countryside who resembled the Dowager Empress, then he bumped into a destitute schr who looked like the young Marquis of Zhaodu.


    The Dowager Empress was recuperating in the summer pce; the young Marquis of Zhaodu had already passed away. Neither of them could possibly appear here.


    Marquis Gu privately grumbled, ¡°It¡¯s as if I¡¯ve seen a ghost.¡±


    Xiao Ling saw Marquis Gu¡¯s carriage as well. He didn¡¯t look into the carriage window and thus, didn¡¯t know who was inside.


    But he noticed the horse¡¯s horseshoes.


    These weren¡¯t ordinary horseshoes, these were the type used by the Marquis of the Capital City.


    The carriage seemed to being from the direction of the vige. Xiao Ling¡¯s first thought was that it was here for him. Particrly when both vehicles had passed by and were heading in opposite directions, the man inside the carriage surprisingly stuck his head out to observe him.


    Xiao Ling didn¡¯t look back. He gave a cold nce and said to Uncle Luo, ¡°Uncle Luo, could you please hurry? Jiaojiao is sick.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Uncle Luo replied.


    ¡ª


    After Madame Yao and Marquis Gu left, Gu Jiao sat in her room, lost in thought for a while.


    She remembered that whimsical dream. It turned out to be true ¨C she was indeed true-born of the Marquis Residence.


    ¡°Huh, so it seems that I misunderstood him that day.¡±


    When Marquis Gu said he was her father, he meant it literally. She had thought he was asking for a beating.


    That wasn¡¯t the point, though- the guy was so annoying, and serving him a beating didn¡¯t matter. The real issue was that dream.


    In the dream, it was not Madame Yao who hade to acknowledge her, it was Marquis Gu himself.


    Neither Madame Yao nor Gu Yan appeared anywhere in the dream. Given the rtionship between Madame Yao and Marquis Gu, it¡¯s unlikely that she was divorced. Considering the health of both Madame Yao and Gu Yan, Gu Jiao spected that they died before she returned to the Marquis Residence.

 Chapter 105: Mother 91 (Second update)_2

    Chapter 105: Mother 91 (Second update)_2


    Gu Yan died of a heart attack, and Madame Yao might have been unable to bear the shock of her son¡¯s death, dying either of illness or by suicide.


    With the loss of her dear mother and brother, the dream-self was like a rootless duckweed, holding aloof the title of the Marquis Residence¡¯sdy, but living like an outsider.


    ¡°Jiaojiao!¡±


    A little monk came in aggrievedly with his injured finger held high.


    Gu Jiao came back to her senses and turned to look at the little monk. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The little monk walked up to her and showed her his bleeding index finger, ¡°I got hurt.¡±


    Gu Jiao took his index finger and asked, ¡°How did you get hurt?¡±


    ¡°I hurt it cracking walnuts.¡± the little monk dered sullenly.


    The walnuts were brought back from the marketce by Gu Jiao. Some people exchanged vegetables for her mountain goods, some exchanged eggs for her mountain goods. She was usually toozy to bother, sometimes she herself was frightened by the things she brought back.


    ¡°Be careful next time.¡± Gu Jiao didn¡¯t restrict him from cracking walnuts again. It was inevitable for a child to stumble, she was not an over-protective parent.


    Gu Jiao took an iodine and cotton swab from the first-aid kit to disinfect the boy¡¯s wound: ¡°All right, it¡¯s not serious. No need for medication.¡±


    ¡°Blow on it.¡± the little culpable little monk said, blinking his eyes.


    Gu Jiao obliged him with a breath.


    The little monk was not a fragile child. Compared to the pain of daily training, this minor injury did not hurt at all. He just wanted aforting blow from Jiaojiao!


    The appeased little monk left the room cheerfully!


    Gu Jiao threw the used cotton swab into a special basket and put the remaining iodine back in the first-aid kit.


    Just now, she was fully focused on cleaning the boy¡¯s wound without paying a closer look. Now, a casual nce made her realize something was off.


    ¡°Howe there are suddenly so many new meds?¡±


    The meds in her box were generally ssified into two types: one was emergency supplies, which she had stocked since her tenure as a doctor at the research institute. These meds could save lives when she was putting everything at stake in the organization. The other type included the meds appeared after she moved here, such as heart failure drugs for Gu Yan, antidepressants for Madame Yao, and also anesthetics needed for Xiao Ling¡¯s operation.


    No matter which type, they all had medicinal uses for her.


    But these right now¡ª¡ª


    Six-ingredient Rehmannia Pills?


    Seven-step Invigorating Tea?


    Nourishing Yin and Kidney Tonic Pills?


    Apart from these odd tonics and such, the middle and most eye-catching ce was upied by a dazzling box of birth control products!


    Gu Jiao: Who has been messing with her first-aid kit? How has it suddenly be so indecent?!


    ¡ª


    Meanwhile, after returning to the hot springs vi, Madame Yao decided to reveal the truth to Gu Yan and Gu Jinyu.


    Lord Gu hesitated, ¡°Is this¡­ too abrupt?¡±


    Telling Gu Yan was easy. Nothing more than he who was so fond of Gu Jiao¡¯spany, would only feel happy knowing that Gu Jiao was his true sister, apart from a moment of surprise.


    It was different with Jinyu.


    She had always been the only daughter of the family, ustomed to the days of being pampered. Suddenly knowing that she is not the biological daughter of her own parents would inevitably be a great shock.


    ¡°Jinyu will be upset.¡± Lord Gu said quietly.


    Madame Yao frowned, ¡°Will she be upset? Won¡¯t Jiaojiao be too? Jiaojiao also just found out that she was not the biological daughter of the Gu¡¯s.¡±


    Lord Gu retorted righteously, ¡°How could the two be the same? What is Gu Family, and what is the Marquis Residence? That girl¡­ cough, Jiaojiao discovering her origins, she might be more than happy about it, while Jinyu will be shocked.¡±


    ¡°Happy?¡± Madame Yao shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t see it.¡±


    Gu Jiao¡¯s reaction to the news was so calm as to be almost indifferent. When she was still in the dark about her own origins, she was not as cold towards Madame Yao. But now that Madame Yao was her birth mother, she seemed to have erected a door in her heart.


    Yao Family mused that Gu Jiao couldn¡¯t ept her due to the deep emotional bond with Xiao Ling and his wife. Hence, she didn¡¯t suspect anything.


    Seeing his wife in a bad mood, Lord Gu hurriedly softened his tone and said, ¡°Jiaojiao is our child, as is Jin Yu. Jiaojiao must know the truth because she must return to the Marquis Residence; Jin Yu doesn¡¯t need to return to the Gu Family. Why would we tell her?¡±


    Regarding not sending Jin Yu back, Yao Family had seriously considered it. To be fair, she had raised Jin Yu for so many years and naturally didn¡¯t want to send her away. Besides, Xiao Ling and his wife had passed away, and Jin Yu would also be an orphan if she returned.


    However, the final decision on this matter was not up to them, but up to Jin Yu and the Gu Family.


    After all, Jin Yu is a member of the Gu Family. Even if her parents are gone, her grandparents and uncles are still there. They have the right to take Jin Yu back.


    Then there is Jin Yu herself. If she insists on going back, Yao Family can¡¯t stop her.


    Yao Family also respects Gu Jiao¡¯s decision and entirely respects her choice.


    When dealing with the issue of recognition, she was impartial to both children.


    But in Lord Gu¡¯s view, Gu Jiao¡¯s return to the Marquis Residence was a win, but Jin Yu¡¯s return was a loss. This seemed a bit unfair to Jin Yu.


    ¡°I disagree,¡± Lord Gu said.


    Yao Family replied, ¡°You want to acknowledge Jiaojiao as much as the Gu Family wants to acknowledge Jin Yu.¡±


    Lord Gu thought to himself: I don¡¯t want to acknowledge that girl! Why would I want her back? To punish myself?


    Lord Gu kept half of the Gu Family¡¯s affairs to himself. He only mentioned how difficult Gu Jiao¡¯s life had been, but he didn¡¯t dare to say how much the Gu Family had bullied her. He feared it would upset Yao Family.


    But if he did not mention it now, he was afraid Yao Family would fall into their trap.


    Lord Gu considered for a moment and said, ¡°I think their intentions are quite sinister. We better not associate with them.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Yao Family asked.


    Lord Gu told her about how the Gu Family had used Gu Yue¡¯e as a substitute for Gu Jiao.


    ¡°Such things happened?¡± Yao Family frowned, ¡°Hasn¡¯t Jiaojiao suffered a lot in their family?¡±


    Lord Gu quickly responded, ¡°I have already reprimanded them!¡±


    Now Yao Family couldn¡¯t wait to acknowledge her daughter. Thinking of her hardships over the years, Yao Family wished she could give her life for her.


    Lord Gu coughed softly and said, ¡°Given the situation in the Gu Family, we can¡¯t let Jin Yu go back and suffer.¡±


    Yao Family replied, ¡°Of course I won¡¯t let her suffer, she is also my child.¡±


    There were times when she treated Jin Yu badly because she didn¡¯t understand why she couldn¡¯t be apetent mother. Now that she knows the truth, she actually feels relieved.


    Jin Yu is not her biological daughter, so it¡¯s understandable that she can¡¯t love Jin Yu as much as she loves Gu Yan.


    But from now on, she will continue to love Jin Yu as her foster mother, adding the love she had for Xiao Ling and his wife.


    Yao Family said, ¡°No matter whether Jin Yu returns to the Gu Family or not, she will always be my child.¡±


    Hearing Yao Family say this, Lord Gu finally felt relieved. As long as Yao Family did not insist on sending Jin Yu away, Jin Yu wouldn¡¯t leave them on her own.


    That night, the couple called Gu Yan and Gu Jinyu into their room and confessed the baby swap to them.


    Lord Gu said seriously, ¡°¡­ The child you also know, the little pharmacy apprentice from Huichun Hall.¡±


    As expected, Gu Yan¡¯s eyes lit up!


    At first, when he heard that Gu Jinyu wasn¡¯t his real sister, he didn¡¯t react at all. But when he found out his sister was Gu Jiao, he was so happy he could¡¯ve jumped on the spot.


    Although Gu Yan was sitting down, Lord Gu could already picture him running around the room in a frenzy, his hands raised in a shaman¡¯s ecstatic dance!


    ¡°Um!¡± Lord Gu held his forehead.


    Stop imagining!


    In contrast to Gu Yan¡¯s excitement, Gu Jinyu was like a bolt out of the blue!


    She didn¡¯t expect that she wasn¡¯t her parents¡¯ biological daughter, and the girl who was looked down upon was!

 Chapter 106: 92 Life Story (First Update)

    Chapter 106: 92 Life Story (First Update)


    Gu Jinyu felt as though she had gone from heaven to hell overnight. Overwhelm, fear, sadness, and the anguish of losing her parents intermingled at the bottom of her heart, like a?gigantic ensnaring her entire being. ¡°Your mother wants to find a time to arrange a meeting between you and the Gu Family¡­¡±


    Yao had said much more, but Gu Jinyu did not hear a word of it.


    Yao gently took her hand, urging her to rest well.


    That night, as Gu Jinyuy in her luxuriously plush bed, she tasted insomnia for the first time.


    A great wind began to shake the leaves outside, causing them to whirr loudly.


    Gu Jinyu lifted the nket and left her bed, opening the door to a fierce gust of wind pulling at her robes and hair.


    ¡°Ah! Miss, why are you outside? The wind is so strong! You might catch a cold!¡±


    The night maid quickly approached, intending to usher Gu Jinyu back inside.


    With a cial demeanor, Gu Jinyu said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I wanted to take a walk.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ But it¡¯s veryte¡­¡± The maid noticed that Gu Jinyu had no intention of returning to her room, so she swallowed her words of caution. ¡°Wait a moment, Miss, let me fetch a cloak for you!¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Gu Jinyu nodded.


    The maid found a soft cloak from the wardrobe and helped Gu Jinyu put it on.


    As she gazed at the cloak she now wore, Gu Jinyu quietly recited, ¡°Fine horses painted in myriad colors, precious furs worth a thousand gold coins, boys are sent to exchange them for fine wine.¡±


    The maid replied, puzzled, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you suddenly reciting poetry? Are you trying to write a poem?¡±


    The maid did not understand poetry. Yu Ru, who had before, was unfortunately driven away by Gu Yan.


    Gu Jinyu lifted a corner of her cloak and murmured, ¡°Do you know what a ¡®precious fur worth a thousand gold coins¡¯ is? The cloak I¡¯m wearing is one. Some people could abstain from food and drink for generations and still not afford a garment like this.¡±


    The maid understood this, she giggled, saying, ¡°Of course, Miss is ady of the Marquis Residence! You can¡¯t bepared with ordinary folk!¡±


    ¡°What is your name?¡± Gu Jinyu asked.


    ¡°This servant¡¯s name is Xiaoli.¡± The maid replied.


    After Yu Ru had left, the servants attending to Gu Jinyu were carefully screened by the Marquis. The most recent additions were all unfamiliar faces.


    ¡°Are you from a nearby vige?¡± Gu Jinyu inquired further.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Xiaoli replied with wide, sparkling eyes.


    Gu Jinyu looked her up and down, ¡°You look even younger than me. How did your family find it in their hearts to let you serve as a maid?¡±


    Xiaoli chuckled, ¡°Miss, you jest. Entering the vi to serve as a maid is a coveted role that many in our vige cannot get! I have four sisters at home, and my position is the best amongst us!¡±


    Gu Jinyu was taken aback, ¡°Four sisters¡­ All working? Does your family not have brothers?¡±


    Xiaoli nodded, ¡°I have an older brother and a younger brother. My older brother is about to get married, and we are trying to gather the dowry. My younger brother will need to get married in the future, so we need to save up for him. But, if we all have sessful marriages, the dowry should cover their wedding costs.¡±


    There was not a hint ofint in her voice. It was as if she were born to live for her brothers.


    Gu Jinyu felt her world view being turned upside down.


    She had been raised in the Marquis Residence, with three older brothers and one younger one. Although the youngest was naughty and bullied her, he did not oppress her. Her three elder brothers were all young and promising. Even if they didn¡¯t favour her, they never thought about sacrificing her for their own pursuits.


    As Gu Jinyu heard more about Xiaoli¡¯s family, she felt a growing conviction that Lord Gu and Yao were the best parents in the world.


    She couldn¡¯t bear to leave such wonderful parents and the cherished life in the Marquis Residence behind.


    The following day, when Lord Gu and Yao came to see her, her eyes were as swollen as walnuts.


    The maid exined, ¡°Miss cried all night¡­¡±


    ¡°You may leave.¡± Yao said.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xiaoli retreated, filled with anxiety. She was worried that it was because of her negligence that Gu Jinyu was in distress. She didn¡¯t want to be thrown out of the vi.


    Lord Gu and Yao came to the bedside. Lord Gu stood nearby, and Yao sat at the edge of the bed.


    ¡°Mother ¡ª¨C¡± Gu Jinyu hurled herself into Yao¡¯s arms, her tears sshing against Yao¡¯s chest, ¡°Do not abandon your daughter¡­ I cannot bear to part from you¡­part from father¡­I do not want to leave you¡ª¡ª¡±


    Gu Jinyu¡¯s cries seemed to stir up chaos in Lord Gu¡¯s heart.


    Heforted her, ¡°Silly child, when did your mother and I ever say we would abandon you? Your mother and I have already discussed this matter, and the decision is up to you. If you want to return home¡ª¡ª¡±

 Chapter 107: 92 Identity (First update)_2

    Chapter 107: 92 Identity (First update)_2


    Gu Jinyu interrupted him through her tears, ¡°I won¡¯t go back. I want to honor Mom and Dad for the rest of my life!¡±


    Poor child, going back would make her an orphan. The Yao Family actually didn¡¯t have the heart to do that, particrly after learning how much Gu Sang¡¯s couple had adored Jiaojiao. They couldn¡¯t treat Jin Yu unjustly anymore.


    She caressed Gu Jin Yu¡¯s face, ¡°However, even if you don¡¯t return to the Gu Family, you should still pay respect at your biological parents¡¯ grave.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Gu Jin Yu agreed tearfully.


    The Yao Family responded with a nod of relief and prepared to visit Gu Yan with the Marquis. Suddenly, Gu Jin Yu grabbed her sleeve and choked out, ¡°I¡¯ve been bad. I¡¯ve stolen my sister¡¯s identity for all these years. I¡¯ve taken away the world¡¯s best parents, too. When my sisteres home, I will treat her well and give her all the love and warmth that Mom and Dad have given me all these years.¡±


    The Yao Family patted her head.


    The married couple then went to see Gu Yan.


    Gu Yan had been up all night, excited as a little mouse, chirping non-stop, much to Yu Ya¡¯s annoyance!


    Oh, how she missed the quiet and unassuming Young Master!


    Gu Yan was so happy that he had even forgotten to roll his eyes at his biological father.


    Gu Yan stated, ¡°She likes me!¡±


    Yao Family looked at her son with a spoiling gaze, ¡°Mother knows.¡±


    Gu Yan added, ¡°I like her too!¡±


    The Yao Family nodded with a smile, ¡°Mm.¡±


    Gu Yan straightened up, ¡°I want to go to her!¡±


    Yao Family held her son¡¯s hand and softly said, ¡°Give her some time to digest everything first.¡±


    Gu Yan restrained the ants in his pants, ¡°Um, okay.¡±


    ¡ª


    The vige.


    Gu Jiao had not kept her true heritage a secret from her family, and Xue Ningxiang was present as well.


    Since Gu Jiao was hurt and the olddy couldn¡¯t stomach Xiao Ling¡¯s cooking, Xue Ningxiang was summoned to help prepare the meals.


    After she finished cooking, the olddy attributed her to stay and eat with Gouwa.


    The olddy brought up the matter of the Yao Family and the Marquis during dinner, and Gu Jiao glossed over the details of their identities and the identity swap incident.


    Everyone in the room, except Gouwa, understood it clearly. Gu Jiao was actually Gu Jinyu, and Gu Jinyu was actually Gu Jiao- the two had exchanged identities.


    But Gu Jiao¡¯s tone was so calm, it was as if she were talking about having cabbage for dinner.


    Xue Ningxiang¡¯s jaw dropped. She had been living next to the Marquis¡¯s daughter for so long? She was eating at the Marquis¡¯s daughter¡¯s home?!


    Xue Ningxiang felt like she could barely hold onto her chopsticks.


    She looked at the olddy, Xiao Ling, and Little Jingkong, only to find that they remained very calm throughout the conversation, except when they learned of Gu Jiao¡¯s identity swap.


    Don¡¯t you think Lady Jiao¡¯s identity is quite impressive? Her father is a noble marquis!


    The olddy: I¡¯ve beaten up the most powerful man in Zhan Country, a Marquis is nothing!


    Xiao Ling: a second-rank marquis, with no substantial power.


    Little Jingkong: he¡¯s just a big bully who only picks on women and children. What¡¯s so great about him? Humph!


    Xue Ningxiang stared in amazement at herposed and unruffled neighbors: ¡°¡­¡±


    Had she discovered something remarkable?


    After dinner, Xue Ningxiang told Gu Jiao to go back to her room and rest; she would take care of the dishes.


    Gu Jiao, indeed, was feeling kind of weak, so she didn¡¯t fuss and returned to her room after thanking her.


    Xue Ningxiang washed the dishes, Little Jingkong went out to walk the chickens, and Xiao Ling prepared the medicine he had retrieved from Huichun Hall and brought it to Gu Jiao.


    The door was open.


    He hesitated for a moment, then knocked softly.


    Gu Jiao closed the first and kit, looked up: ¡°What happened?¡±


    Xiao Ling¡¯s gaze subtly drifted from the first and kit to her, speaking in a serious tone,¡± The medicine is ready, it¡¯s for fever.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Gu Jiao pushed the first-aid kit aside and reached out to take the medicine from him.


    She disliked bitter medicine, but considering that he had painstakingly prepared it for her, she gulped it down without leaving a drop.


    She handed the medicine bowl back to him, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Xiao Ling replied dryly: ¡°It was no trouble.¡±


    Watching his retreating figure, Gu Jiao smiled warmly, ¡°Actually, I was thanking you for putting medicine on my woundsst night.¡±


    Xiao Ling¡¯s back stiffened.


    Gu Jiao had woken up to find that her wounds had been tended to, there was the smell of medicinal ointment all over her body, and there was a bandage covering an injury on her back. It was inconceivable that the olddy could have done such a meticulous job.


    Xiao Ling didn¡¯t turn around, but he could feel Gu Jiao¡¯s intense gaze on his back; which made him recall the sight of her bare back and the curve of her body beneath him.

 Chapter 108: 92 Life Story (First Update)_3

    Chapter 108: 92 Life Story (First Update)_3


    For a young man in his prime, seeing such scenes could be a killer.


    Xiao Ling¡¯s throat went dry, he steadied himself and said solemnly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Having said that, he left with an empty medicine bowl, walking in an unusually measured manner.


    Watching his hasty retreat, Gu Jiao murmured, ¡°It seems he saw quite a bit.¡±


    Today, Xue Ningxiang was the one helping Gu Jiao apply her medicine.


    The door was actually closed, but Xiao Ling still felt uneasy looking at the shut door, so he decided to fetch some water from the vige.


    Halfway through her treatment, a knock sounded at the main entrance.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go check it out.¡± Xue Ningxiang left Gu Jiao¡¯s room, covered her with the door, and opened the main door, asking the refined middle-aged man standing before her, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Dean Liughed, ¡°I¡¯m the Dean of Tianxiang Academy, my surname is Li. May I ask if this is Xiao Ling¡¯s house?¡±


    Upon hearing that this was the man from the ce where Xiao Ling studied, Xue Ningxiang quickly replied courteously, ¡°So you¡¯re the Dean! Are you looking for Ling? He¡¯s out fetching water! Huh? Didn¡¯t you bump into him when you came from the vige entrance?¡±


    Dean Li¡¯s carriage was parked at the vige entrance, but he had walked the rest of the journey, not noticing much as it was getting dark.


    Xue Ningxiang said, ¡°Please wait, I¡¯ll go find him!¡±


    Dean Li suddenly stopped Xue Ningxiang, ¡°Um¡­ Is Miss Jiao home?¡±


    Xue Ningxiang tilted her head, ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Gu Jiao invited Dean Li into the main room and poured him a bowl of the tea she had brewed.


    Little Jingsky had been feeling a bit fiery these days, so Gu Jiao had picked some fishy grass from the mountains that could reduce internal heat and boiled it as a drink for him.


    Dean Li had never drunk such an unpleasant tea before, but he still forced himself to finish the big bowl.


    Seeing his liking, Gu Jiao poured him another big bowl.


    Dean Li, unable to reject Gu Jiao¡¯s kindness: ¡°¡­¡±


    After finishing three big bowls in session, Gu Jiao swayed the teapot: ¡°Hm? It¡¯s finished.¡±


    Dean Li, who was on the verge of vomiting: Thank Heaven, it¡¯s finally finished!


    Gu Jiao politely asked, ¡°Dean Li, is there a particr reason for your visit today?¡±


    ¡°You have visited my mother several times, and I haven¡¯t properly thanked you yet.¡± Dean Li said, taking a bundle from his arms and handing it over to Gu Jiao, ¡°The peach trees in the backyard have borne fruit, and my mother insisted that I bring some for you.¡±


    Gu Jiao epted the bundle, ¡°Thank the olddy for me.¡±


    Dean Li said warmly, ¡°My mother is getting old now. Sometimes she can¡¯t even remember how many sons she has, but she always remembers you.¡±


    ¡°How many?¡± Gu Jiao looked at him, puzzled.


    ¡°Ah.¡± Dean Li identally let slip some family matters in a moment of incaution, he smiled awkwardly, ¡°I have four elder brothers; I am my mother¡¯s youngest son.¡±


    No wonder Dean Li was not yet forty, and yet Lady Li was already old and frail.


    ¡°My brothers are all in the Capital City, it¡¯s been many years since Ist saw them.¡± There was much Dean Li left unsaid.


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t pursue it any further either.


    Dean Li said, ¡°There is also a matter rted to Ling which I came here to discuss today.¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°What¡¯s going on with him?¡±


    Dean Li: ¡°You may have heard that he passed the entrance examination, but there¡¯s something else you may not know ¨C he originally had the chance to achieve Little Sanyuan. However, someone bribed the examiner to rece his exam paper, causing him to fail his third paper.¡±


    A cold light shed in Gu Jiao¡¯s eyes.


    This was like ancient high school entrance exams, to think there would be cheaters here too.


    Dean Li continued, ¡°The matter of re-examination is of great importance. I¡¯m not clear on the reason he didn¡¯t retake the exam, perhaps he himself was unwilling, or perhaps the official government stepped in to mediate.¡±


    He had a student working in the Imperial College in Pingcheng Prefecture, thanks to which he was able to get some news, but he didn¡¯t get the full story.


    Dean Li asked, ¡°Has he mentioned this to you?¡±


    Gu Jiao shook her head, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s always been like that, keeping everything bottled up inside.¡± Dean Li said, ¡°I asked him about it afterwards, but he wouldn¡¯t say anything. In truth, not achieving Little Sanyuan isn¡¯t a big deal, as long as he passes the entrance examination, he¡¯ll get the chance to take part in the provincial examinations. That¡¯s the real starting point.¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°But¡­?¡±


    Given the climactic buildup, there was bound to be a ¡®but¡¯.


    Dean Li sighed, ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem that keen on the provincial examinations.¡±


    After some thought, he corrected himself, ¡°Not exactly, when I mentioned the provincial examinations, he didn¡¯t react much. But when I mentioned that he would have to go to the Capital City for the examination after passing the provincial examinations, his face darkened. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s urate to say so, but it seems that his earlierck of interest in studying was to avoid having to go to the Capital City for the examinations.¡±


    He doesn¡¯t want to go to the Capital City?


    Gu Jiao stroked her chin, lost in thought.


    Dean Li came to Gu Jiao to find out the situation, but his visit did not yield much. He returned home, helpless.


    This great prospect, he truly didn¡¯t want to see him wasting himself away in this small vige.


    Lost in his contemtion, Dean Li bumped into a small human rolling out from the courtyard.


    The child tumbled down from a haystack. If he hadn¡¯t bumped into someone, he would have fallen into a puddle.


    Dean Li hurriedly scooped up the little guy from the ground, brushing off the dust on him, ¡°Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?¡±


    The child widened his pair of shiny ck eyes, looking at him.


    The child was teething, so he drooled a lot. As he continued drooling, he stared nkly at Dean Li, opening his small mouth, he called out, ¡°Daddy!¡±


    Dean Li shuddered!


    Xue Ningxiang who just came out from Gu Jiao¡¯s courtyard also trembled!


    The child was learning to speak. When he saw a woman, he would call her ¡®mama¡¯, but he had never called anyone ¡®daddy¡¯. After all, he didn¡¯t have a father.


    Xue Ningxiang was horribly embarrassed. She wished she could dig a hole, and bury both the child and herself inside!


    She hurried over, lifted the child up, and fumbled out, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the kid doesn¡¯t know better, don¡¯t mind him.¡±


    Dean Liughed, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    Xue Ningxiang quickly carried the child away, but the child twisted his head around and called out to Dean Li again, ¡°Daddy!¡±


    Xue Ningxiang was so embarrassed she could cry.


    Kid, even if your father wasn¡¯t dead, there¡¯s no way he could be the esteemed Dean Li!


    You and him, what¡¯s the status difference?


    Where did you get this blind skill of acknowledging a father?


    Calling you Doggy, it seems you really are gutsy like a dog!


    Xue Ningxiang carried her son back to the house as fast as she could, mming the door shut and bolting it quickly!


    Dean Li shook his head, amused.


    Father?


    In his lifetime¡­ he feared that would never happen.


    After Xue Ningxiang took her son back to the room, she set him down on the bed and seriously corrected him, ¡°Doggy, you have no father.¡±


    Doggy: ¡°Daddy.¡±


    Xue Ningxiang: ¡°Not daddy!¡±


    ¡°Daddy.¡±


    Xue Ningxiang: ¡°I told you, you have no father! Don¡¯t call anyone daddy! No!¡±


    Doggy crawled towards the door: ¡°Daddy.¡±


    Xue Ningxiang was going nuts thanks to her son!


    If you keep acknowledging people as your father, I won¡¯t be able to keep your real father¡¯s coffin lid down!!!


    As Xue Ningxiang angrily shook the pillow, something hard fell out, making a ¡°nk¡± as it hit the stool.


    Xue Ningxiang picked up the object, took a moment to recognize it, then furrowed her brows, ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t this¡­¡±

 Chapter 109: 93 Visiting (Second Update)

    Chapter 109: 93 Visiting (Second Update)


    After fetching water, Xiao Ling came back home to find Gu Jiao sitting in the living room waiting for him.


    Gu Jiao said, ¡°Principal Li was here just now.¡±


    Xiao Ling carried the water to the backyard and poured it into the tank, ¡°Mm, I ran into him at the vige gate.¡±


    Gu Jiao came to the back door of the living room and leaned lightly against the door, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask what he said to me?¡±


    ¡°What did he say?¡± Xiao Ling asked casually.


    Gu Jiao said nonchntly, ¡°He said you have a mistress in the Capital City.¡±


    ¡°Gah!¡± Xiao Ling nearly choked!


    ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No what?¡±


    ¡°No mistress!¡±


    It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t go to the Capital City, but that he didn¡¯t have a mistress.


    Gu Jiao raised her eyebrows slightly, ¡°Oh, most people¡¯s first reaction to that statement would be ¡®I¡¯ve never even been to the Capital City, how could I have a mistress there?¡¯ All you denied was thetter part. So, you¡¯ve been to the Capital City?¡±


    Xiao Ling replied calmly, ¡°What if I have?¡±


    Gu Jiao asked, ¡°How did you get the pass to the Capital City?¡±


    The Capital City is the capital of Zhan Country, where all the most noble people in Zhan Country live. Its defenses are very strict, and ordinary people simply cannot get a pass.


    Amoner like Xiao Ling could only get in if he won an official examination, otherwise, he would have no chance of entering the Capital City.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Instead of directly answering Gu Jiao¡¯s question, Xiao Ling deflected the topic back onto her, ¡°What about that box of yours?¡±


    Gu Jiao¡¯s pupils shrank.


    Good going.


    He¡¯s learned to use her secrets to shut her up, has he?


    Leaning on his crutch, Xiao Ling moved step by step towards her, stopping less than a half-step in front of her, ¡°Tell me where that box of yours came from, and I¡¯ll tell you¡­ how I got the pass to the Capital City.¡±


    This was the first time he¡¯d been this close to Gu Jiao, his breath falling on top of her head.


    Only then did Gu Jiao realize he had grown taller.


    She could feel the youthful aura emanating from him, clear and pure, but more than that, he was slowly maturing into a true man.


    His aura was cold and dangerous, like a beast baring its fangs!


    Gu Jiao blinked, suddenly pointing her little finger, and poked his chest.


    Xiao Ling: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah¨C I didn¡¯t do it on purpose!¡±


    Xue Ningxiang, who had just arrived at the door, covered her face and acted like she hadn¡¯t seen a thing!


    The posture of Xiao Ling and Gu Jiao was indeed a bit too intimate. At first nce, it seemed as if Xiao Ling had her pressed against the wall, about to do something improper to her.


    Nice touch.


    Gu Jiao poked again.


    Xiao Ling: ¡°¡­!!¡±


    His chest was filled with the soft touch of her fingertip, all sense of his dangerous aura gone as he blushed and retreated back into the house.


    Xue Ningxiang muttered in amazement, ¡°Ah¡­ it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen Xiao Ling like this.¡±


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Gu Jiao breezed over.


    Xue Ningxiang¡¯s gaze suddenlynded on her face. It was clear who¡¯d been caught in an intimate moment by an outsider. Why was Xiao Ling the one blushing and not this girl? Had something gone wrong?


    ¡°Um¡­ that.¡±


    However, Xue Ningxiang didn¡¯t forget the important thing. She handed Gu Jiao a metal te she was holding, ¡°This, for you.¡±


    ¡°For me?¡± Gu Jiao took it and found it was a metal te made of bronze. There were no words on the te, only a strange symbol.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Xue Ningxiang nodded, somewhat embarrassed, ¡°This was found where Xiao Ling first fainted. You were carrying him back at the time and didn¡¯t realize this was left in the grass. I secretly hid it, considering selling it at the Marketce. But my mother-inw said it wasn¡¯t gold or silver and wouldn¡¯t sell for much, so I set it aside. If it weren¡¯t for today¡­¡±


    Xue Ningxiang awkwardly skipped over the part about her pillow being shaken by her husky son, ¡°The thing just fell out from underneath my pillow, I had almost forgotten about it.¡±


    A year ago, when Xiao Ling fainted at the vige gate, it was Xue Ningxiang and Gu Jiao who found him.


    Xue Ningxiang went to get help from the vigers, while Gu Jiao carried him back home. By the time Xue Ningxiang arrived with the others, Xiao Ling was already long gone. However, Xue Ningxiang discovered a heavy te left behind in the grass.


    Xue Ningxiang said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s Xiao Ling¡¯s, why don¡¯t you ask him?¡±


    Gu Jiao suddenly remembered something.


    On her first day after crossing over, Xiao Ling was sneaking around her room looking for something. Was he actually looking for this?

 Chapter 110: 93 Visiting (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 110: 93 Visiting (Second Update)_2


    Hehehe, young man, let¡¯s see who uncovers whose secrets first.


    Gu Jiao returned to her room with the bronze te in hand.


    She was certain that Xiao Ling had rummaged through her first aid kit, likelyst night.


    Usually, outsiders couldn¡¯t open her first aid kit, but she was confused by her feverst night and seemed to have forgotten to lock it.


    Those strange supplements and family nning items, did they appear after Xiao Ling had touched the kit?


    With a fierce look, Gu Jiao red at the small first aid kit, ¡°If you dare produce these useless items again, I¡¯ll burn you with a fire!¡±


    A chill wind blew by, leaving the first aid kit as quiet as a chicken.


    ¡ª


    After breakfast, Gu Jinyu started packing for her journey. She had promised the Yao Family that she would pay her respects to Gu Sang¡¯s grave.


    Before she left, she went to see Lady Yao and Marquis Gu, ¡°I should be able to run into my sister in the vige, right? I want to see her.¡±


    Lady Yao did not object.


    But Marquis Gu was worried that Gu Jiao¡¯s temper was too fierce and that she might bully Gu Jinyu. After all, the two girls had had disputes before.


    Marquis Gu had Huang Zhong and an experienced nanny apany them.


    Due to the excitement from the previous night, Gu Yan fell asleep during breakfast and was now snoozing in the bedchamber,pletely oblivious that he had missed the opportunity to go to the countryside.


    Gu Jinyu climbed into the carriage. The young maid and nanny sat in another carriage, while Huang Zhong led a few guards to escort them on both sides.


    Halfway through the trip, Gu Jinyu lifted the curtain of the carriage window and looked at Huang Zhong who was riding beside the carriage. She asked kindly, ¡°Sir Huang, you¡¯ve met my sister. What kind of person is she?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ This¡­¡± Huang Zhong was at a loss for words.


    An unruly woman who physically confronts her father?


    Huang Zhong cleared his throat and said, ¡°I have met Miss Gu, but I have not had a conversation with her.¡±


    Gu Jinyu regretfully smiled, ¡°Same for me. I didn¡¯t have a proper conversation with her. If I knew she was my sister, I wouldn¡¯t have treated her like that. I¡¯m so stupid, I didn¡¯t even recognize my own sister.¡±


    Huang Zhong thought to himself, you wouldn¡¯t recognize her because she¡¯s not your birth sister. Look at young master Gu Yan, he bonded with her immediately. There¡¯s a difference between blood-rted and not!


    But he didn¡¯t dare to say that out loud.


    The truth about the two daughters is not yet known in the Marquis Residence, only he and a few young master who know the truth. But secrets can¡¯t be concealed forever, it¡¯s up to the Marquis and his wife how they choose to disclose it.


    Huang Zhong has visited the vige several times, and has thoroughly investigated the information, including the graves of Gu Sang and his wife.


    Gu Sang died a dishonorable death and ording to vige customs, couldn¡¯t be buried in the family graveyard. His grave was quite far from the Gu family¡¯s auspicious burial ground. Madame Xun was buried next to him, supposedly at her own request before death.


    The carriages stopped at the entrance of the vige. Their arrival, especially that of Gu Jinyu who looked like an angel, couldn¡¯t help but attract the attention of the vigers.


    Gu Jinyu wore a veil, and beside her were well-dressed maids and a nanny.


    The vigers had never seen a city miss and were taken aback.


    ¡°Miss, watch your step!¡± The vige roads are rough, and Huang Zhong was concerned that the delicate Miss Gu could fall.


    Gu Jinyu, clinging to the arm of the maid, found the uneven dirt road rather troublesome for her delicate feet.


    Once the group moved away, the vigers started chatting.


    ¡°Hey? Who are they?¡±


    I don¡¯t recognize them. That man seems to have been to our vige a few times, asking a lot about the Gu family.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Look, they are going towards Gu Sang¡¯s graveyard!¡±


    ¡°Could they be from the Xun family?¡±


    There were no such grand rtives in the Gu family, so the vigers could only guess that they were from the Xun family.


    The Xun family was not from the vige and was better off than the Gu family, considered half city folk. But after Madame Xun¡¯s death, the Xun family cut off contact with the Gu family.


    When Gu Jinyu reached the graveyard, she saw a figure in simple hemp clothing, thin and standing by the grave with a coolie hat on his head and a small basket on his back.


    ¡°Sister¡­ is that you?¡±


    As Gu Jinyu said this hesitantly, Gu Jiao who was bent over weeding the gravesite paused her movements. She straightened up and looked over at Gu Jinyu nonchntly.


    Gu Jinyu immediately broke into a joyful smile, ¡°Sister, it is really you!¡±


    Gu Jiao cast her a strange nce, ignored her, and continued bending over to weed.


    Ever since she discovered the grave had an abundance of weeds on Gu Sang¡¯s couple¡¯s memorial day, Gu Jiao starteding here regrly to weed.


    Gu Jinyu was ignored, but she didn¡¯t back down. She let go of the young maid¡¯s hand and walked towards Gu Jiao.


    However, her delicate embroidered shoes weren¡¯t made for the pathway of a graveyard. She nearly twisted her ankle.


    ¡°Miss! Watch out!¡± The young maid and the elderly maid both supported her in unison.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Gu Jinyu looked at Gu Jiao awkwardly, indicating the two women to let go, and then became more careful.


    She lifted her clean skirt and came to Gu Jiao¡¯s side. She reached out her hand to Gu Jiao, ¡°Sister, let me do it.¡±


    ¡°I am not your sister,¡± Gu Jiao said, ¡°And you can¡¯t do it.¡±


    Such dirty work wasn¡¯t meant for a pampered youngdy.


    Gu Jiao used a shovel when necessary. For the tasks that didn¡¯t need one, she used her hands.


    Gu Jinyu mimicked her, reaching out to pull the weeds. The result was predictable.


    The young maid and the elderly maid didn¡¯t know the truth. But the servants at the Marquis Residence always followed the rules, and they never inquired about what they shouldn¡¯t.


    Though they didn¡¯t ask openly, they were very curious internally.


    This country girl sure had a high and mighty attitude. Their Miss lowered her dignity and kindly called her ¡°sister,¡± yet not only did she reject the courtesy, she also showed a stiff face to their Miss.


    ¡°You may leave first,¡± Gu Jinyu instructed.


    The young maid and the elderly maid stepped back about three paces.


    ¡°You may leave too,¡± Gu Jinyu said to Huang Zhong.


    Huang Zhong, who was weeding, pped his hands and stepped far back.


    Now, only Gu Jiao and Gu Jinyu remained on the gravesite.


    Gu Jiao was still weeding, as if no one else was there.


    Gu Jinyuid out the grass mats and ceremonial paper money she brought, lit the paper money on fire with a fire starter, and kowtowed three times to Gu Sang and Mrs. Xun on the grass mat.


    Then, maintaining her kneeling position, she burned the paper money and whispered, ¡°I heard that they were good people when they were alive and treated my sister very well.¡±


    Gu Jiao finally reacted and spoke indifferently, ¡°Does it scald your tongue to call them father and mother?¡±


    Gu Jinyu was taken aback.


    Gu Sang and Mrs. Xun were indeed good parents. If they knew they got the wrong child, they would be heartbroken, and they definitely would want to hear their biological daughter call them father and mother.


    Gu Jiao nced at her, ¡°If you just came to burn paper money, you don¡¯t need to. I can still afford to do this.¡±


    Gu Jinyu lowered her head, saying in a low voice, ¡°Sister, do you hate me? I know it¡¯s my fault. I took your identity, took mom and dad, took everything that should have been yours. It¡¯s only right for you to hate me, and I don¡¯t me you¡­¡±


    Gu Jiao ignored her.


    The person who had everything taken away was already deceased. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t appropriate to call it robbing, Gu Jinyu was innocent. She was also the one who was swapped at birth.


    She didn¡¯t harbor hatred in her heart. Nor did she have any favorites.


    This individual was irrelevant to her.


    Gu Jinyu did not understand Gu Jiao¡¯s thinking. She only felt that Gu Jiao was reproaching her. Such reproaching was justified, after all, she had gained the advantage.


    She sincerely assured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sister. I won¡¯tpete with you. You¡¯re the real youngdy of the Marquis Residence. Once you return to the Marquis Residence, I¡¯ll relocate to give you back the courtyard. But, since father and mother have raised me for so many years, please allow me to stay by their side and carry out my filial duties.¡±


    Gu Jiao was somewhat annoyed, ¡°Are you done yet? If so, then hurry up and leave.¡±


    Gu Jinyu pleaded, ¡°Come back to the Marquis Residence with me, sister!¡±


    ¡°Not going back.¡±


    ¡°Sister! What do I have to do for you toe back with me? You tell me, I¡¯ll agree to anything!¡±


    Gu Jiao looked at her with an indifferent smile, ¡°Including you leaving the Marquis Residence, never to appear there again?¡±


    Gu Jinyu¡¯s expression froze instantly!

 Chapter 111: 94 Slap in the face (first update)

    Chapter 111: 94 p in the face (first update)


    Gu Jiao¡¯s figure was taller than Gu Jinyu¡¯s. Even with her thick-soled embroidered shoes, Gu Jinyu still found herself being looked down upon by Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao tly said, ¡°If you can¡¯t even show this level of sincerity, don¡¯t bother persuading me to go back.¡±


    Gu Jinyu¡¯s eyes slightly reddened as she said: ¡°If you want to shoo me away¡­¡±.


    Gu Jiao indifferently responded: ¡°I don¡¯t care. You can take whatever you want, just don¡¯t bother me.¡±


    This was already the most words Gu Jiao had spoken to a stranger. She usually only exhibited such patience toward those she cared about.


    Next, Gu Jiao demonstrated the meaning of treating Gu Jinyu as if she were air.


    With a hardened resolve, Gu Jinyu finished burning the paper money. Until the end, she could not bring herself to call out to the couple Gu Sang in front of Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jinyu knelt so long that her legs had gone numb. It was her maid and nurse who came forth to help her up in the end.


    She bowed toward Gu Jiao and said: ¡°I¡¯ll leave first. I¡¯ll visit you when I have the time.¡±


    Not long after she left, a little boy nicknamed Xiao Jingkong hopped down the path joyfully: ¡°Jiaojiao!¡±


    He saw Gu Jinyu in the distance and asked curiously: ¡°Who are they?¡±


    Gu Jiao said, ¡°Strangers.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± They were strangers, so Xiao Jingkong did not need to pay them attention.


    ¡°Why did youe here?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    Xiao Jingkong said: ¡°I returned home and you weren¡¯t there, Granny told me you came to visit the graves!¡±


    Xiao Jingkong would perform his morning prayers, practice his skills, and y with his vige friends every morning. After having fun with his friends and returning home to find Gu Jiao absent, he asked Granny where she had gone.


    ¡°Who¡¯s grave is this?¡± Xiao Jingkong stared at the two old graves and asked.


    Gu Jiao looked at the two old graves and said: ¡°My parents¡¯. This one is my father¡¯s and that one is my mother¡¯s.¡±


    Xiao Jingkong crossed his arms behind his back, tilted his little head to the side and thought for a moment: ¡°If they¡¯re Jiaojiao¡¯s parents, then they¡¯re Jingkong¡¯s parents too!¡±


    With that said, Xiao Jingkong knelt and performed several deep bows to Gu Sang and the Xun family.


    He bowed very sincerely. His head even touched the ground and he call them father and mother.


    His milky voice and serious expression, coupled with his small body kneeling in front of the deste graves, would bring tears to anyone¡¯s eyes.


    A child who was adopted behaved so, while she, his biological child, couldn¡¯t even utter the words father and mother. Gu Jinyu felt a sour feeling in her heart, as if she had been pped.


    ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡± The maid noticed Gu Jinyu¡¯s unusual state.


    Gu Jinyu closed her eyes: ¡°I¡¯m alright. Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±.


    Gu Jinyu and her entourage got on the carriage and left.


    On the other side, Gu Jiao and Xiao Jingkong finished cleaning up the overgrown weeds around the graves and started walking back together.


    ¡°Jiaojiao, are you feeling better?¡± Xiao Jingkong asked while holding Gu Jiao¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Mhm, I¡¯m better.¡± Gu Jiao nodded.


    The fever had subsided. For her, that was as good as recovered.


    As for the healing of the wound and the falling off of scabs, that wasmonce to her. She didn¡¯t think much of it.


    Hearing that Gu Jiao was recovering, Xiao Jingkong was overjoyed and cheered: ¡°I just spoke to father and mother!¡±


    ¡°Oh? What did you say?¡± Gu Jiao had heard the little boy mumbling something while she was weeding, but she wasn¡¯t sure what he was murmuring.


    Xiao Jingkong puffed up his chest, looking proud: ¡°I asked father and mother to bless Jiaojiao so that she won¡¯t get sick again! Father and mother must have heard me, that¡¯s why Jiaojiao¡¯s illness is gone!¡±


    Gu Jiao thought: Is it even possible?


    Xiao Jingkong firmly believed that it was the divine intervention of Gu Sang and his wife from underneath the spring. He was certain that he was the cause of their intervention, hence the credit should go to him and not to the medicine brought back by the bad brother-inw!


    It was safe to say he was a young monk who constantly sought to outshine his brother-inw!


    After Gu Jinyu left the vige, she hurried back to the vi. Upon reaching the town, she realized she had lost something. ¡°Stop,¡± she instructed.


    The carriage stopped by the roadside, and Huang Zhong, who was on horseback, asked, ¡°Miss, what happened?¡±


    Gu Jinyu rummaged through her sleeves and bags, frowning: ¡°I lost something.¡±


    ¡°What did you lose?¡± asked Huang Zhong.


    ¡°A letter,¡± said Gu Jinyu.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have the otherse and help you search for it.¡± Huang Zhong called the maid and the nanny from the carriage behind and helped Gu Jinyu search the inside of the carriage for the missing item.


    However, despite scouring the carriage from corner to corner, they couldn¡¯t find it.


    ¡°Is it an important letter?¡± asked Huang Zhong.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gu Jinyu nodded.


    The letter was from the Empress. It had a question that was initially put before the princes. However, the Empress¡¯ son, the fifth prince, couldn¡¯t solve it, so she sent the letter to Gu Jinyu.


    Gu Jinyu, brilliant as she was, was much smarter than any of the fifth prince¡¯s tutors. She would secretly solve problems for him since they were young, and then tell everyone that he solved it by himself.


    The emperor, being unaware of the truth, believed that the fifth prince was smarter than the other princes.


    The emperor¡¯s love for the Empress and his favoritism towards the fifth prince owed much to this, which is why the Empress was particrly appreciative of Gu Jinyu.


    The question this time came from the emperor himself and was reported to have stumped all the princes.


    All of Zhan Country knew that their emperor had no interest in poetry, but rather in arithmetic and astrology.


    In her letter, Imperial Concubine Shu repeatedly urged Gu Jinyu to help the Fifth Prince solve the problem as quickly as possible.


    Whoever could solve the problem first would win the Emperor¡¯s favor.


    Gu Jinyu carried the problem with her every day, and worked on it whenever she had free time.


    However, the Emperor¡¯s problem was too difficult. She racked her brain for many days and could only solve half of it.


    Even though it was only half of the problem, the calctions involved were enormous. To her great dismay, she lost the result that she had worked so hard for.


    Gu Jinyu felt frustrated.


    If she had to go through the calctions again from the start, she might go mad.


    Gu Jinyu clutched her chest and said, ¡°Could it have been left in the vige? I was kneeling there burning paper money earlier, it might have fallen from my sleeve pocket then.¡±


    ¡ª


    Little Monk skipped home hand in hand with Jiaojiao.


    Gu Jiao went to cook, he went to feed the chickens and sweep the chicken dung and clean out the cage.


    Yet, he encountered something before he even began.


    ¡°Huh?¡± He looked at the object sticking to his heel, picked it up with a puzzled blink of his eyes. It turned out to be a folded little envelope.


    The envelope bore no name.


    He opened the envelope and took out the ¡°letter¡± inside.


    The ¡°letter¡± itself also bore no name, no signature, but was filled with nothing but numbers.


    ¡°This looks like a problem.¡± Little Monk revealed a clueless expression.


    He didn¡¯t know how to approach it since this was a field he had never studied before.


    More importantly, why did it appear under his foot?


    He was absolutely sure his shoes had been clean when he left the house.


    ¡°Could it be¡­ from my parents?¡±


    The more Little Monk thought about it, the more he believed that his plea had been heard by his parents, and they had responded to him!


    After pondering for a while, he put the letter in his pocket, ran into the kitchen, and squatted down to examine Gu Jiao¡¯s shoes.


    Gu Jiao was puzzled by his actions: ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Shaking his head like a drum, Little Monk replied, ¡°Nothing! Nothing!¡±


    His parents had left a letter only for him, and not for Jiaojiao.


    Because Jiaojiao had not spoken to his parents just now; only he had.


    With this thought, Little Monk was more convinced that this letter was from his parents in theherworld!


    However, since he had notmunicated his academic level to his parents, they seemed to overestimate his abilities.


    To not let his parents down, Little Monk decided to seek outside help.


    Little Monk went back to the kitchen with the letter: ¡°Jiaojiao, I can¡¯t solve this problem!¡±


    When Little Monk came down from the mountain, he brought numerous Buddhist scriptures and some peculiar problems said to be set by his master, some of them half-solved, and some untouched.


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t think much when she saw this problem, assuming it was another one left by his master.


    She was frying meat with the oil at the perfect temperature: not too low to undercook or too high to overcook.


    She solved the problem for him while frying the meat to a golden brown in less than a minute.


    Little Monk took the solved problem to his parents¡¯ graves.


    Little Monk was an honest child and didn¡¯t hide the fact that he asked Gu Jiao for help.


    Meanwhile, he recited the Buddhist scriptures he had learned to his parents, hoping they could set his next problem based on these scriptures.


    ¡°You rest well, mom and dad, I am leaving now! I wille to see you another day!¡±


    Little Monk ced the solved problem in front of the tomb. To prevent it from being blown away by the wind, he ced a small stone on top of it as a weight.


    Gu Jinyu and her party arrived at the entrance of the vige again.


    ¡°Miss, you wait in the carriage while we go search.¡± The maid suggested to Gu Jinyu.


    Being the precious daughter of a rich family, Gu Jinyu should not frequently show herself in such a lowly ce.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, Gu Jinyu didn¡¯t refuse.


    The maidservant, maid, and Huang Zhong set off along the path to search.


    ¡°You all search this area, Liuliu and I will go to the tomb.¡± The maidservant spoke and led the young maid to the tomb of Mr. and Mrs. Gu.


    The young maid suddenly pointed at a stone on the ground: ¡°Look! There¡¯s something under the stone!¡±


    The maidservant¡¯s eyes brightened, but when she picked up the stone, she only found a pile of burnt ashes and some half-burnt paper money underneath.


    ¡ª Indeed, on his way back, Little Monk suddenly remembered something. That is, the paper money for his parents had to be burned before they could receive it. The same goes for the problem!


    So he went back and burned the solved problem.


    Now his parents should be able to receive it!


    ¡°I am really a clever boy!¡±

 Chapter 112: 95 Monks (Second watch of the night)

    Chapter 112: 95 Monks (Second watch of the night)


    The young maid and the nanny brought back the ashes from the burnt paper, which were then handed off to Gu Jinyu.


    You could see a few words in the freshly burnt paper ash, but barely, just enough for Gu Jinyu to recognize it was her question, but not nearly enough to reconstruct theplete problem-solving process.


    Of course, Gu Jinyu wouldn¡¯t have guessed it was Xiao Jingkong who reduced it to ashes. She assumed that she had carelessly left her test paper in the pile of spiritual money and it was consequently burnt to nothingness alongside it.


    At that thought, she got a dreadful pain in her chest, feeling as if she was going to spit blood and faint on the spot!


    ¡ª


    It was still early after their meal, so Gu Jiao decided to take a walk on her newly purchased mountainside.


    Lately, she would trek up to the mountain during her spare time. Apart from collecting medicine and picking mushrooms, she had also mapped out the entirendscape of the mountain. She could now almost create a topographic map of the whole mountain with just one more trip.


    Xiao Jingkong, hearing that she was nning to climb the mountain, turned his head and asked her, ¡°Can Ie with Jiaojiao?¡±


    Gu Jiao thought for a while, then asked, ¡°Do you want to visit your master and brothers?¡±


    Though, he was primarily eager to spend more time with her, he agreed.


    Xiao Jingkong hopped down from his stool and said to Gu Jiao, ¡°Then let¡¯s go visit them.¡±


    The ce they were heading to was quite close to the temple, actually en route.


    Gu Jiao packed a small backpack. Seeing Xiao Jingkong¡¯s look of envy, she gave him a mini backpack as well.


    The mini backpack was filled with gifts for his friends.


    There were vegetarian meatballs, fried by Gu Jiao.


    There were Osmanthus cakes, bought by Gu Jiao.


    And wild fruits, picked by Gu Jiao.


    Xiao Jingkong, wearing the same backpack as Gu Jiao, was brimming with excitement. He ran to an elderly woman¡¯s house to show off, then dashed to Xue Ningxiang¡¯s and Doggie¡¯s ce to disy it some more.


    Following that, the duo set off for the mountain.


    Despite Xiao Jingkong¡¯s young age and small stature, he was tougher than most children. He managed to persist and make it round the far side of the mountain.


    On the way up, he jogged ahead, with Gu Jiao leisurely following behind him. By the time they reached halfway up the mountain, his energy had dissipated and he slouched on the steps, turning into a little salty fish.


    Gu Jiao hoisted the little salty fish ¡¤ Jingkong onto her back and carried him up the mountain.


    At the temple gates, rejuvenated Xiao Jingkong waved at Gu Jiao, ¡°Jiaojiao, you can go on with your stuff, I will go look for Jing Fan, Jingxin, and Jingshan myself!¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± replied Gu Jiao. She watched as Xiao Jingkong entered the temple and enthusiastically greeted a monk, even calling him Brother Jingchen. Only then did she set off to measure her mountainside with peace of mind.


    The acquisition of this mountaintop had cost quite a few silvers, but the more she explored it, the more worth it Gu Jiao felt it was. The mountain was teeming with a wealth of wild medicinal herbs and beasts, all now hers.


    Perhaps it was a lucky day for her, halfway she dug up two ginseng roots. They were notrge, but they were sufficient to make chicken soup.


    For some reason, Gu Jiao was suddenly reminded of the trap she had set up in the woods, but she assured herself that this time nobody could be that unlucky.


    Who would have thought the moment this notion crossed her, she heard a rustle from the woods. It seemed something had indeed fallen in.


    It was exactly where her trap was.


    ¡°No way, can it be such a coincidence¡­¡±


    Gu Jiao raised an eyebrow.


    Could it be a giant beast?


    Or a wolf might do too.


    Gu Jiao excitedly went to check her catch, only to find that¡­


    Uh¡­it was another person.


    Gu Jiao was a bit bbergasted.


    She had set it up as a trap for beasts, why did it keep capturing humans?


    But unlike the previous time, it seemed to be a monk this time.


    He was wearing grey and white robes, tall and lean, carrying something in his arms. The bit of his wrist poking out of the sleeve was as white as jade.


    Perhaps he heard the noise above, he looked up and his other-worldly face appeared in Gu Jiao¡¯s line of sight.


    This monk had a pair of narrow, peach blossom eyes and a teardrop mole under his right eye. He looked very young, nheless.


    Gu Jiao quietly marveled, in this world¡­even the monks were now so good-looking? Was he some supernatural creature from the forest, here to bewitch all the innocent young women?


    Gu Jiao watched him warily.


    He curled his thin, red lips into a faint smile, ¡°Could this young donor lend me a hand?¡±


    His voice was exceptionally pleasant to listen to!


    It had a divine, ethereal quality to it.


    Gu Jiao gave it some thought, eventually grabbed a rope from her backpack, and hoisted him up.


    Only then did she notice the soft, white bunny cradled in his arms. In the pit where he had been trapped, there was the carcass of a venomous snake.


    Gu Jiao looked at the snake, then at the bunny in his arms, and asked, ¡°Did you fall into the trap while trying to save this bunny?¡±

 Chapter 113: 95 Monks (Second watch of the night) _2

    Chapter 113: 95 Monks (Second watch of the night) _2


    ¡°Hmm.¡± He nodded his head with a smile.


    His smile was gentle, but it wasn¡¯t the motherly type of gentleness Yao family exhibited. It was the kind that could make one dizzy-headed and blush.


    Unfortunately, Gu Jiao was naturally not shy.


    Because he looked good, Gu Jiao took a few more nces, but her heart was calm.


    Upon hearing his words, Gu Jiao responded: ¡°You¡¯re quite kind¡­¡±


    She hadn¡¯t finished her sentence when he pulled out a dagger and killed the wild rabbit with one stroke.


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­..¡±


    After the monk killed the rabbit, he asked Gu Jiao for some water to wash it, and started grilling it over a fire he built.


    Gu Jiao was a bit dumbfounded.


    Killing for food, could this be a phony monk?


    ¡°Do you want some?¡± He cut off the most tender piece, skewered it with the dagger and handed it to Gu Jiao. ¡°Sharing is caring.¡±


    Gu Jiao: Isn¡¯t this when you¡¯re supposed to thank me for saving you?


    Gu Jiao hadn¡¯t had much for lunch and was a bit hungry. She epted the rabbit meat and took a bite.


    It wasn¡¯t bad, but not particrly good either. It was a bit of a waste of ingredients.


    ¡°Ah, I forgot to add salt.¡± The monk pped his forehead, pulled a small bamboo tube out of his wide sleeve, removed the lid, and began to sprinkle salt on the rabbit meat.


    ¡°It should taste a lot better now.¡± He cut off another piece and handed it to Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao epted the meat and after adding the salt, indeed the taste was a lot better. She asked, ¡°Did you save it just to eat it?¡±


    The monk replied assuredly, ¡°What else?¡±


    Gu Jiao¡¯s mouth twitched, she wondered which monk from the temple this could be? How is it that she had never seen him before?


    The monk gestured to a trap nearby: ¡°Do you want to eat snake meat? If you want, go and pull it up.¡±


    Gu Jiao asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you pull it up yourself?¡±


    The monk sighed, ¡°I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    Gu Jiao gazed at him curiously, ¡°If you were scared, why did you kill it?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill it.¡± The monk paused for a moment, correcting her, ¡°It died from biting me.¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Why on earth did you bite it?¡±


    ¡°It bit me first!¡± The monk dered righteously. Pulling up his left pant leg, he revealed a leg swollen like a pig¡¯s trotter.


    Gu Jiao was simply dumbfounded.


    You got bitten by a snake, and you bit it back? What are you ying at?


    The snake must have never imagined that it would be bitten to death by a human one day!


    And you¡¯ve been bitten by a snake and you¡¯re still in the mood to eat a roasted rabbit? Do you not know that you are about to die?


    The monk, as if sensing Gu Jiao¡¯s thoughts, sighed, ¡°I know.¡±


    Having said that, he fell to the ground with a thud, spat out some ck blood, and passed out!


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­..¡±


    What on earth kind of monk is this?!


    The snake that bit him is a highly toxic silver ringed snake. Luckily, Gu Jiao¡¯s first aid kit contained antivenom for this snake¡¯s bite.


    The antivenom, a serum derived from horse blood, contains foreign proteins and can easily cause an allergic reaction.


    Time was of the essence, so Gu Jiao had forgone administering an allergy shot, bracing herself as she injected two doses of allergy medication.


    When the monk woke up, he was no longer on the grassywn. He found himself sitting under arge tree, as rain poured down from the sky.


    He nced at Gu Jiao who was sitting next to him and hoarsely said, ¡°You know we can¡¯t take shelter under a tree during a thunderstorm, right?¡±


    Gu Jiao gave him a casual nce, saying, ¡°A person who can stay calm and roast a rabbit after being bitten by a snake, I thought you¡¯re not afraid of death.¡±


    The monk choked a little, lightly coughing before responding, ¡°I assumed I wouldn¡¯t survive, why not die with a full belly? Speaking of which¡­ did you save me?¡±


    He rolled up his trouser leg to inspect, the wound was dressed and the pain had almostpletely vanished, along with the swelling.


    ¡°You can even heal snake bites, are you an immortal from beyond this world?¡± he asked curiously.


    Gu Jiao did not reply, she only sat to one side, silently evading the rain.


    Perhaps feeling indebted for his life twice over, the monk seemed a bit ashamed. He gave a wry smile, and asked, ¡°May I ask for your name, Miss?¡±


    ¡°Gu.¡± Gu Jiao stated, she did not look towards him, only watched the ceaseless downpour.


    The monk smiled warmly, ¡°I am somewhat experienced in fortune-telling, would you like me to read your palm Miss Gu?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Gu Jiao calmly refused.


    A monk as handsome as he is usually irresistible to women, Gu Jiao was the first to deny him.


    The monk became intrigued and studied her more closely. As Gu Jiao had a hat on, her full face was not visible, only her delicate chin could be seen.


    Just as the monk was about to withdraw his gaze, he noticed a piece of bronze token that Gu Jiao was toying with.


    Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, he said, ¡°So you¡¯re from the Marquis Xuanping Residence.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Gu Jiao turned her face towards him.


    The monk¡¯s gaze briefly swept over the birthmark on her left cheek without a flicker of surprise, he simplymented, ¡°The token in your hand.¡±


    Gu Jiao looked at the token, then back at him, ¡°You recognize it?¡±


    With a smile upon his lips, the monk stretched his long legs outzily, ced an arm behind his head as a pillow and leaned against a tree. Looking out at the relentless rain, he responded, ¡°Indeed, this humble monk recognizes it.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it.¡± Gu Jiao said.


    The monk nced at Gu Jiao with amusement, ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t recognize it? How did you acquire this token?¡±


    I found it.¡± Gu Jiao replied.


    He let out a soft sight, his expression became even more yful, his beautiful eyes narrow to crescents revealing a captivating charm, ¡°What luck you have, to find something so precious.¡±


    He went on, withdrawing his gaze from Gu Jiao and continued looking towards the rain, ¡°Marquis Xuanping Residence, a noble house of countless generations, rted to the royal family, a powerful force in Capital City, they¡¯ve produced many ministers and even a queen. What specifically would you like to know, Miss Gu?¡±


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t question how a monk in a faraway temple could know so much about the Capital city, she simply responded, ¡°I¡¯ll hear it all.¡±


    The monk chuckled and said, ¡°So you want to know everything, but there¡¯s too much to cover within three days and nights. Are you interested in learning about the people of the household, or do you want to hear about some interesting events?¡±


    Gu Jiao pondered a moment, ¡°The people.¡±


    ¡°The master or the servants?¡±


    ¡°Either.¡±


    His smile deepened, ¡°It¡¯s your query, why would it be up to me? Anyway, I don¡¯t know much about the servants. Let¡¯s start with Marquis Xuanping. The Marquis title was inherited from the old Marquis. The current Marquis is the eldest son and the legitimate heir, so inheriting the family was quite natural. Nothing much to add there.¡±


    ¡°He has a legitimate sister and a half-brother. His sister is the present Empress, and the brother is a notable general. Ah, I forgot to mention, he¡¯s married to Princess Xinyang. He has a son with her, the boy was quite remarkable, but sadly died young.¡±


    ¡°Is that all the people?¡± asked Gu Jiao.


    ¡°There are a few illegitimate sons, but they¡¯re not worth mentioning.¡± The monk added with a cautionary grin towards Gu Jiao, ¡°Girl, you indeed picked up that token. But, don¡¯t unt it around; you¡¯ll invite a significant amount of trouble. Also, avoid any connections with the Marquis Xuanping Residence; that too, will bring disaster.¡±


    He grew more serious, even changing his honorific for her.


    Gu Jiao ignored his warning; she had never been one to leave risk assessment to others.


    But this Marquis Xuanping Household sounded quite powerful. How did Xiao Linge to have their token? What is his rtionship with the Marquis Xuanping Residence?


    ¡°And if¡­¡± Gu Jiao began, suddenly realizing something and turning her head. The monk who had been chattering to her side had abruptly disappeared.


    Even stranger, Gu Jiao had no idea when he had left.


    Since her arrival in this different world, this was the first time she had truly met a master.


    Gu Jiao looked at the spot where the monk had been sitting. In clear hand-writing was a word: Xiao.


    She reflected, ¡°The Marquis Xuanping Residence¡­surnamed Xiao?¡±


    Xiao Ling¡¯sst name was also Xiao, was that a mere coincidence?

 Chapter 114: 96 Going Up the Mountain (Part 1)

    Chapter 114: 96 Going Up the Mountain (Part 1)


    Soon after the monk left, the rain stopped, and Gu Jiao went to the temple to pick up Xiao Jingkong.


    Xiao Jingkong had a fun and fulfilling day in the temple, or to be precise, half a day.


    He met his kind and considerate senior monk Jingchen, some other senior monks, the abbot, and his old ymates Monk Jing Fan, Monk Jingxin, and Monk Jingshan.


    Since the abbot and senior monks were busy, he spent most of his time with the three little monks.


    Without Jingkong topete for food, the three little monks were well-nourished, and each looked much plumper than before.


    Xiao Jingkong also wasn¡¯t the old Xiao Jingkong anymore ¡ª he had reced his monk robe with civilian kid clothes and tiny tufts of hair had sprouted from his tiny shaved head.


    He was the youngest among the little monks, but he spoke the earliest and the best, to the point whereter even the abbot couldn¡¯t outtalk him.


    He proudly showed his tiny face to the little monks, ¡°See the little sprouts? Jiaojiao gave them to me!¡±


    ¡°I see it! I see it!¡± said Jing Fan.


    ¡°I see it too!¡± said Jingxin.


    Jingshan, looking dazed, thought for a while, thengged behind to say, ¡°So¡­ I see it too!¡±


    Xiao Jingkong was very pleased.


    ¡°Will those sprouts grow into little flowers? ¡°Jing Fan asked, pointing at his face.


    Xiao Jingkong paused and shook his head, ¡°Probably not, they¡¯ll only grow into kisses and stay on my face!¡±


    ¡°Can you eat them?¡± Jing Fan asked.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t,¡± Xiao Jingkong replied.


    Since they neither grew into beautiful flowers nor was edible, the three little monks instantly lost interest in little kiss sprouts.


    But Xiao Jingkong had other things to share.


    He decisively took out a jar of vegetarian meatballs that Gu Jiao had packed for him. As the jar¡¯s lid was opened, a whiff of fragrant scallions drifted out, almost filling the entire courtyard.


    The little monks were stunned.


    Jing Fan widened his eyes, ¡°Wha¡­what smells so good?!¡±


    All three started salivating.


    As Xiao Jingkong wanted to eat meat but couldn¡¯t, Gu Jiao decided to make vegetarian meat for him using tofu and other ingredients.


    Whatever they ate at home, he could eat it too ¡ª if they had roasted duck at home, he had his own ¡°roasted duck¡±; if they had sausage, he had his own ¡°sausage¡±; if they had braised pork, he had his own ¡°braised pork¡±.


    Recently, they had been eating meatballs at home, so he got his own exclusive Jingkong¡¯s small meatballs.


    In front of his buddies, Xiao Jingkong took a bite of the meatball, much to their immense surprise!


    The little monks were shocked once more!


    ¡°You¡­are you eating meat?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not allergic to meat anymore?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my gosh, that¡¯s terrifying! Brother, I want to go home!¡±


    Xiao Jingkong, being notpletely evil-minded, confessed the truth about the meatballs after unting them, ¡°They¡¯re vegetarian meat, Jiaojiao said monks can eat them too!¡±


    At first, the three little monks hesitated, fearing that Jingkong might lead them to break their vegetarian vow. In the end, it was Jing Fan, the boss among them, who bravely tasted it first. And then, they couldn¡¯t stop themselves.


    For the first time in his life, Xiao Jingkong who always stole food from others, had his food stolen!


    He was stupefied for three seconds!


    He, the expert in stealing food at the temple who¡¯s been practicing for three and a half years, was actually robbed of his food one day?


    Not only his vegetarian meatballs but also his desserts and wild fruits were stolen.


    The three previous losers seemed to have their skills peaked overnight and caught Xiao Jingkong off-guard.


    Xiao Jingkong sorrowfully pounded his chest with his little fists, realizing that what goes around,es around eventually!


    It was only today that the three little monks found out how delicious the food from the mountain foot was!


    They suddenly also felt like going down the mountain, what to do?


    Aside from the food thieving incident, the interactions among the four were rather harmonious.


    Xiao Jingkong described his life at the mountain foot to the others. Upon learning that he was currently hosting his brother-inw every day, Jing Fan asked, ¡°Who¡¯s your brother-inw? Your dad?¡±


    As they were still young and unlike Xiao Jingkong with his extraordinary intelligence, they didn¡¯t understand what brother-inw meant, but it seemed like the male master of the house should be their dad.


    Xiao Jingkong sighed, ¡°He¡¯s like a temporary dad, Jiaojiao can rece him at any time.¡±


    Although Xiao Jingkong called her Jiaojiao, he was thinking of Gu Jiao as his mother in his heart. But whether Xiao Ling was his dad, he simply couldn¡¯t guarantee.


    After all, based on his observation these days, this potential dad hadn¡¯t officially taken his position and could be at risk of losing his job at any time.


    As they chatted, the conversation turned to their homework.


    Little Monk Jing Fan said, ¡°During your time down the mountain, we¡¯ve recited so many Buddhist scriptures! You haven¡¯t recited any, have you!¡±


    Jingxin agreed, ¡°Exactly, exactly!¡±


    Jingshan nods profusely.


    Xiao Jingkong raises an eyebrow: ¡°Oh? What have you all learned by heart?¡±


    Monk Jing Fan: ¡°The ¡®Heart Sutra¡¯!¡±


    Xiao Jingkong spreads his hands: ¡°I memorized that when I was two.¡±


    Monk Jingxin: ¡°The ¡®Sutra of the Medicine Buddha¡¯!¡±


    Xiao Jingkong shrugs: ¡°I memorized that at two years and three months.¡±


    Monk Jingshan: ¡°The, um, ¡®Sirangama Sutra¡¯!¡±


    Xiao Jingkong vacantly sighs after checking his ears: ¡°It¡¯s ¡®Sirangama Sutra¡¯, dummy. You can¡¯t even say the name right; did you really memorize it?¡±


    The little monks blush.


    Did they actually learn it? They just remembered the names. And it took them several days to remember the tongue-twisting names, exhausting their little brains!


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no fun discussing scriptures with you. I¡¯m going to find the Abbot.¡± Xiao Jingkong hops down the steps and heads for the Abbot with his small legs.


    The Abbot had just sat down in the main hall, preparing to give a sermon to the monks, when suddenly, a novice monk rushed over: ¡°Abbot, it¡¯s terrible, Jingkong is here to see you! He wants to discuss scriptures and Zen with you!¡±


    The Abbot¡¯s body shakes, and the Buddha beads in his hands drop in fright.


    That little bugger ising to discuss Zen with him?


    Holy moly!!!


    Since young, Xiao Jingkong has been studying Buddhist scriptures, and everything about the scriptures intrigues him. The Abbot says one thing, and he asks ten,ing up with questions that the Abbot simply cannot answer!


    ¡°¡®All forms are illusory¡¯. So if there¡¯s a form, it¡¯s illusory, right? Is the Abbot illusory? If the Abbot is illusory, then whatever the Abbot says to me is also illusory! So I should not believe the Abbot! And if I don¡¯t believe the Abbot, I won¡¯t believe the scriptures the Abbot tells me either! So the scriptures are also illusory!¡±


    Abbot: Although you¡¯re just arguing semantics, I admit there is a tiny bit of logic in there¡­


    The Abbot, maintaining a high level of professionalism, turns back and patiently exins it to him.


    After the exnation, he says, ¡°I think you¡¯re wrong!¡±


    Abbot: ¡°Why am I wrong? Is it because you¡¯re too young to understand?¡±


    Xiao Jingkong: ¡°The Buddha is so smart, he would surely make me understand. You just didn¡¯t convey his meaning well. This is not my problem, it¡¯s the Abbot¡¯s!¡±


    Conversations like this are numerous, and more often than not, the Abbot can¡¯t convince him. Instead, he sessfully leads the newly arrived monks astray with his own logic.


    Fear of being dominated by Xiao Jingkong surfaces, and the Abbot could hardly breathe.


    By the time Gu Jiao finally came to pick up Xiao Jingkong, he had, single-handedly, thoroughly frazzled the entire main hall of monks!


    ¡°Abbot, I¡¯m leaving. We¡¯ll discuss this issue next time!¡± Xiao Jingkong¡¯s hand is held by Gu Jiao as he turns and waves to the Abbot with the other hand.


    Abbot, who wishes he could die on the spot, is as white as a sheet: Please, don¡¯te back¡­


    The siblings walk hand in hand down the mountain.


    Xiao Jingkong seems restless, as if wanting to sprint down.


    However, as it had just rained and the road was slippery, Gu Jiao, worried he might tumble down like a rolling winter melon, didn¡¯t dare to let go of his hand.


    ¡°Did you have fun today?¡± Gu Jiao suddenly asks.


    ¡°Fun!¡± Xiao Jingkong says adorably, raising his little hand to start counting, ¡°Today, I met Jingxin, Jing Fan, Jingshan, my older disciple brother Jingchen and the Abbot..¡±


    He rattles off a long list, basically everyone he met at the temple was counted.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t see your master?¡± asked Gu Jiao.


    Xiao Jingkong sighs: ¡°He kept disappearing and rarely stays on the mountain.¡±


    Old man?


    Gu Jiao recalls the weird monk in the forest; that monk looked very young and couldn¡¯t be the ¡°old man¡± Xiao Jingkong was talking about, could he?


    What Gu Jiao didn¡¯t know was that the term ¡°old man¡± was just a reference Xiao Jingkong used inparison to his own age. His master was not old at all, in fact he was more than twenty years younger than the Abbot!


    Gu Jiao then asks, ¡°So¡­ are there any good-looking monks at the temple? The most handsome kind.¡±


    The beauty of that monkpeted with that of Xiao Ling, and it would be hard to find a second one in the world.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Xiao Jingkong very sincerely lifts up his head and points at himself, ¡°Me!¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°Besides you.¡±


    Xiao Jingkong with utmost certainty says, ¡°Then there is none. I¡¯m the most handsome little monk in the world! Aside from me, none of them are handsome!¡±


    Even master isn¡¯t handsome!


    Because his master imed he was the most handsome in the world, but Xiao Jingkong believed that he was the most handsome. So he absolutely wouldn¡¯t acknowledge that his master was handsome!


    Gu Jiao grunts.


    Could that person not be a monk from this temple?

 Chapter 115: 97 Stealing Fragrance (Second Watch)

    Chapter 115: 97 Stealing Fragrance (Second Watch)


    Gu Jiao and Xiao Jingkong came down from the mountain, and Xiao Ling had already returned from the Academy.


    Gu Xiaoshun had recently moved into the Academy, partly because he had fallen out with the Gu Family, and also because he was fascinated with the knife tools that Xiao Ling had given him, and carved with them every night bymplight in his dormitory.


    As for Xiao Ling¡¯s safety, there was no need for him to worry. Uncle Luo had sprained his leg recently, so the ox cart was now driven by his son, Dazhuang.


    Dazhuang and Gu Xiaoshun were good friends, guaranteeing to take good care of Xiao Ling.


    Xiao Ling was fetching water bucket after bucket into the house, and it seemed he was having a hard time.


    Given his limited mobility, Gu Jiao seldom asked him to do such heavy work. Gu Jiao walked over and took the wooden bucket from him: ¡°Let me do it.¡±


    ¡°I can do it.¡± Xiao Ling said.


    ¡°You go start the fire, I¡¯ll cookter.¡± Gu Jiao didn¡¯t give him a chance to refuse, decisively took the bucket, shouldered it with a pole, added another bucket, and turned to fetch water from the vige well.


    Xiao Jingkong patted his chest and said, ¡°I want to help Jiaojiao fetch water too!¡±


    After saying that, he found his own custom-made tools¡ªa mini carrying pole and two mini wooden buckets¡ªfrom the backyard, copied Gu Jiao, shouldered them on his small body, and went off to fetch water with an air of determination!


    These tools were made by Gu Jiao for Xiao Jingkong. The reason was that he wanted to help but couldn¡¯t carry the big buckets. So Gu Jiao made him a set of tiny, lightweight wooden buckets that could seal without spilling water, apanied by a small carrying pole.


    Although the water he carried back each time amounted to less than a full bowl, Gu Jiao had spent quite a lot of time and energy making the tools for him.


    Back at the old well, Gu Jiao first drew water to fill Xiao Jingkong¡¯s tiny buckets. Although she allowed him to carry water, she expressly forbade him to draw water from the well himself.


    Xiao Jingkong was obedient and never went near the old well.


    The two of them carried the water they fetched back home. When Gu Jiao¡¯s two big buckets of water were poured out, the water level in the cistern rose significantly.


    As for Xiao Jingkong¡¯s two small buckets of water¡­ well, it seemed as if no water had been added at all.


    But Xiao Jingkong, looking at the full cistern, still felt that his two scoops of water had yed a significant role. He was very proud of himself!


    ¡°What are you grinning about?¡±


    It was Xiao Ling who came over.


    As soon as Xiao Ling entered the stove house, he saw a certain little monk standing on a stool, looking at the cistern with a proud face.


    He¡¯s just looking at water waves. If I didn¡¯t know better, I would think he was admiring his own handiwork!


    Hearing the voice of his nasty brother-inw, Xiao Jingkong¡¯s little face became serious. He raised his eyebrows at him, and said with a cold hum, ¡°I am working. I amboring!¡±


    Xiao Ling was a bit amused by him: ¡°You know whatbor is? What can a three-year-old kid do?¡±


    Xiao Jingkong hopped off the stool, and said angrily, ¡°I can do a lot more than you think! I can draw water! I can feed the chickens! I can help Jiaojiao do theundry! Half of the clothes at home are washed by me! I do more work at home than you do! I¡¯m not a little kid! You are!¡±


    Xiao Ling nced at his toy pole and toy buckets, and chuckled, ¡°You sure can work.¡±


    Making others do all the work.


    ying with these things, how tiring it must be.


    ¡°Hum!¡± To prove that he was indeed a capable little worker at home, Xiao Jingkong decisively walked over to the wooden tub soaking with clothes. He rolled up his pants, kicked off his shoes, and jumped into the tub. He cheerfully started trampling on Xiao Ling¡¯s court clothes with his little feet!


    Xiao Ling waspletely taken aback.


    The clothes at home¡­ were they all washed like this?


    Xiao Jingkong¡¯s little feet were trampling happily.


    Even if it wasn¡¯t raining, he could enjoy the fun of sshing water and even wash the clothes clean. He must be a clever and hardworking kid!


    Gu Jiao came out, originally nning to wash the clothes herself, but seeing Xiao Jingkong trampling on them, she decided to wait.


    Xiao Ling asked incredulously, ¡°Are all the clothes at home washed like this?¡±


    Gu Jiao grunted approvingly: ¡°Not just the clothes, the pickles you eat every day were also made by him trampling on them in the same way.¡±


    Xiao Ling was immediately: ¡°¡­!!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Gu Jiao was suddenly doubled over withughter.


    She seldomughed so much, but seeing Xiao Ling¡¯s expression, as if he had swallowed a fly, really tickled her humor in both her past and this life.


    ¡°Just kidding.¡± She said, ¡°How could I let him trample on the pickles?¡±


    Xiao Ling breathed a sigh of relief: Whew, that was close.


    Gu Jiao continued, ¡°His strength is so small that he can¡¯t trample well.¡±


    Xiao Ling: ¡°¡­¡±


    So it¡¯s not because his feet were dirty and the pickles couldn¡¯t be eaten?


    So, does that mean in the future when the little monk gets stronger, he will be able to trample pickles for me to eat?

 Chapter 116: 97 Stealing Fragrance (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 116: 97 Stealing Fragrance (Second Update)_2


    The scene was so beautiful, Xiao Ling could hardly bear to look straight at it¡­


    Gu Jiao bent over inughter.


    ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Xiao Jingkong finished stomping, worked up quite the sweat, and went back to his room to get a drink.


    Only then did Gu Jiao approach to wash the clothes that had been crumpled under his stomping.


    Xiao Jingkong had the heart to work, Gu Jiao never discouraged him, at most she had to clean up after him every time.


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t elevate it to a scientific parenting level, she just thought that as long as he was happy ying, it was good enough.


    At this time, Gu Jiao did not know that a future warrior across six nations, all his bravery and power, stemmed from the strong childhood she had given him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to spoil him like this,¡± Xiao Ling said expressionlessly.


    ¡°I also spoil you very much.¡± Gu Jiao smiled mysteriously, fetched a clean wooden basin, took Xiao Ling¡¯s clothes out separately, and began to scrub gently with her not so delicate hands.


    ¡°Your clothes are not usually washed this way. Today, you put them in the basin yourself, and he happened to see it.¡±


    The clothes they three wore were coarse linen, stomp washing didn¡¯t affect them, but Xiao Ling¡¯s service attire was silk and cotton. Gu Jiao used a dedicated wooden tub to clean it for him, and she was always very gentle.


    Because she was gentle, she was slow, washing his one piece of clothing was equivalent to washing everyone else¡¯s clothes.


    But Gu Jiao never said anything about this.


    Xiao Ling was still sunk in the great shock brought to him by her words, ¡°I also spoil you very much,¡± and then he saw her carefully and earnestly washing his clothes. Those soap-soaked white hands seemed to be grasping not his cor, but his heart.


    For a moment, he felt as if their rtionship was developing in a direction beyond his control.


    Xiao Ling broke out in a cold sweat.


    It was not possible.


    They were just husband and wife in name only. One day, they would have to part ways.


    They two¡­ absolutely should not develop the slightest thing for each other.


    At dinner, Xiao Ling sat on the bench while his dried white service attire was flying in the wind, making him a little bit irritated.


    After dinner, Xiao Ling bathed Xiao Jingkong and then took an axe to chop firewood in the backyard.


    Gu Jiao was cleaning up the kitchen.


    The olddy was secretly enjoying some dried bayberry in her own room.


    The sky started to drizzle.


    ¡°Jiaojiao! Jiaojiao!¡± Xiao Jingkong suddenly came running out of the west room with his small pillow in his arms, ¡°The roof is leaking!¡±


    Gu Jiao and him went to the west room.


    The rain wasn¡¯t heavy at that time. It seems that the afternoon rain had umted on the tiles, and it was blown down by the wind at that point.


    The ce leaking was right above their bed, not easy to catch, and if it rained heavily at night, it may cause the tile to break. This roof was already untrustworthy, and if a heavy rain fell on it, it would be disastrous.


    Gu Jiao said, ¡°We can¡¯t sleep here tonight, let¡¯s sleep on my side. Once the rain stops, I¡¯ll fix the roof.¡±


    Carrying his small pillow, Xiao Jingkong happily went to Gu Jiao¡¯s room.


    Xiao Ling, naturally, could only sleep there as well.


    Fortunately, Gu Jiao¡¯s bed wasrge enough for the three of them to lie down.


    It¡¯s just that Xiao Jingkong was a bit unwilling to share the bed with his mean brother-inw. After all, his brother-inw was so big and he would take up arge area. Unlike him, he was so small that he could just nestle in Jiaojiao¡¯s arms.


    ¡°I can sleep with Jiaojiao, I¡¯m so happy!¡±


    Little Jingkong, with a heart full of joy, got his wish andy on Gu Jiao¡¯s bed. He spread out in a big font ¨C his body was covered with Jiaojiao¡¯s quilt, the mattress beneath him was Jiaojiao¡¯s, and so was the pillow, the pillow towel, Jiaojiao, Jiaojiao, Jiaojiao¡­


    Xiao Jingkong was so excited that he rolled around on the bed.


    Suddenly, the door was pushed open, a devilish w reached out to him, grabbed his waistband, and hoisted him up.


    Xiao Jingkong panicked and pped his arms and legs, ¡°Aunt Grandma?¡±


    Olddy: ¡°You¡¯re sleeping with me tonight.¡±


    Xiao Jingkong: ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡±


    Olddy: ¡°You will.¡±


    Xiao Jingkong: ¡°Why?¡±


    Olddy: ¡°For the sake of my little grandchildren.¡±


    The olddy mercilessly hauled the kid back to her room.


    Xiao Jingkong¡¯s dream came to an abrupt end. First, he had his unreasonable brother-inw, and then his even more unreasonable great-aunt. Being a child was truly miserable!


    When Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling finished their respective tasks, Xiao Jingkong had already exhausted his energy in his mind games with the olddy, his head fell to the side, and he nodded off.


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t say anything, she bathed and then returned to her room to lie down.


    Having spent an exhausting day, she fell asleep quickly and in no time she was breathing evenly.

 Chapter 117: 97 Stealing Fragrance (Second Update) _3

    Chapter 117: 97 Stealing Fragrance (Second Update) _3


    When Xiao Ling finished washing, she had already fallen asleep on the pillow.


    Amp was left on in the room for him.


    With the weather warming, the thick nket was too hot, so she kicked it off halfway.


    Xiao Ling hesitated, then walked over and pulled the nket over her.


    Then he extinguished themp, slowlyy down beside her. At first, he faced away from her, but staying in one position too long made his body numb.


    So he turned over.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that Gu Jiao also turned over at the same time, moving her head onto his pillow.


    His lips inadvertently brushed against her cheek.


    His mind went nk for a moment, turningpletely nk.


    The rain outside was getting heavier, hitting the roof tiles with a steady rhythm, but he didn¡¯t hear it, his mindpletely focused on his own heartbeat.


    Instinctively, he raised his hand, intending to push her away, but his hand didn¡¯t quite hit the mark, approximating a new, strange warmth, his mind exploded¡­


    ¡ª


    Gu Jiao had a good night¡¯s sleep.


    Perhaps due to the golden ointment and the herbal medicine that Xiao Ling brought back, she woke up feeling no pain from her wound at all.


    However, she found a few dried blood stains on the pillow.


    ¡°Huh? Whose blood is this?¡±


    Xiao Ling was already up, tending to the stove fire.


    Gu Jiao, after washing herself, also went to the kitchen.


    The morning light was brighter than in winter, and the room was no longer pitch ck. Thus, Gu Jiao was able to see Xiao Ling¡¯s face clearly.


    She watched him for a while before blinking and asking, ¡°Did you not sleep well?¡±


    Xiao Ling, with massive dark circles under his eyes, calmly replied, ¡°I stayed up a littlete reading.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Gu Jiao had gone to bed early and couldn¡¯t confirm his im.


    Remembering something, Gu Jiao added, ¡°By the way, did you get hurt? There¡¯s blood on the pillow.¡±


    Xiao Ling replied seriously, ¡°It isn¡¯t my blood.¡±


    Gu Jiao asked with confusion, ¡°Then is it mine? But my wound ispletely healed.¡±


    Xiao Ling took a deep look at her and fabricated, ¡°You had a nosebleed because of the heat, I saw it.¡±


    Gu Jiao was very perplexed, ¡°I¡¯ve been drinking houttuynia tea every day, how could I have heat in my body?¡±


    Xiao Ling replied expressionlessly, ¡°Who knows?¡±


    Xiao Ling was so serious that it made him difficult to question. Gu Jiao was convinced, she went to the hall and forced down arge bowl of houttuynia tea.


    Drinking this much should be enough to cool me down!


    Xiao Ling closed his eyes guiltily and broke into a cold sweat.


    During breakfast, Xiao Ling suddenly remembered something: ¡°I forgot to say yesterday, I found a n school in town, and I can take Jingkong there today.¡±


    Jingkong, who was suddenly informed about his schooling: ¡°¡­?!¡±


    ¡°So sudden?¡± Gu Jiao was serving sweet potato porridge to the olddy and Jingkong.


    While sipping the sweet potato porridge, Jingkong eyed his brother-inw warily.


    ¡­It must be a plot by his evil brother-inw!


    ¡°I forgot to tell you yesterday.¡± Upon returning home, he had genuinely forgotten.


    Xiao Ling continued, ¡°Children from rich families start tutoring at home from the age of five, go to a n school or private school at six or seven once they can read a thousand characters. Jingkong might be a bit young, but he¡¯s so smart, and since he has already attended sses at the temple, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    Jingkong became even more cautious upon receiving praise from his evil brother-inw for the first time.


    Conspiracy, it¡¯s a conspiracy!


    ¡°Where is the school?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    Xiao Ling replied: ¡°It¡¯s near Tianxiang Academy. It¡¯s a private school that¡¯s been open for more than ten years. They have a preschool ss, and the school hours are simr to mine. He can go to and return from school with me every day.¡±


    And there it is, the evil brother-inw is starting to separate him from Jiaojiao!


    Gu Jiao¡¯s past life had preschools, so she epted the concept of three-year-olds going to school greatly.


    When Gu Jiao wasn¡¯t home, Jingkong was a chatterbox. The olddy suffered from his constant chattering and was more than happy for him to go to school.


    Gu Jiao looked at little Jingkong and asked, ¡°Jingkong, do you want to go to school?¡±


    No way!


    Jingkong was on the verge of saying this, but he held it back. If he confessed to not wanting to go to school, wouldn¡¯t that make him an aversion-minded child?


    The evil brother-inw was really good at setting traps!


    Luckily, I¡¯m smart!


    Jingkong replied adorably, ¡°If I go to school, Jiaojiao won¡¯t be able to see me all day!¡±


    Gu Jiao gently patted his little head: ¡°That¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll drop you off in the morning and wait for you at the vige entrance in the evening. If I have time, I¡¯ll pick you up from the school.¡±


    With the conversation moving in this direction, Jingkong can¡¯t refuse without looking like an unappreciative child.

 Chapter 118: 97 Stealing Fragrance (Second Update) _4

    Chapter 118: 97 Stealing Fragrance (Second Update) _4


    He swallowed the sweet potato porridge without really tasting it, and managed to squeeze out a cute smile. ¡°Alright, if Jiaojiao wants me to go to school, I will go!¡±


    He must indeed go to school, but to make up for the loss of not seeing Gu Jiao the whole day, Xiao Jing Kong demanded two little goodbye kisses for himself.


    Enrollment isn¡¯t cheap, the monthly tuition fee was two taels of silver, which included one daily meal. If you quit halfway, there¡¯s no refund.


    Gu Jiao ced the two taels of silver into Xiao Jing Kong¡¯s pocket, he insisted on paying the tuition himself, refusing to depend on his brother-inw.


    The pair, young and old, rode an ox cart to school.


    Gu Jiao was left at the home pondering over how to repair the roof.


    She climbed onto the roof for a look, only to find quite a number of broken tiles. She estimated if there were a few more heavy downpours, all three rooms would leak.


    She decided to entirely re-thatch the roof, and furthermore, to construct two small rooms on either side of the backyard. That way, there would be no issues with amodating Gu Xiaoshun upon her return to the vige.


    She did have some silver on hand, but it would not be sufficient to do all that was needed. She made a trip to Zhou Ji Bank in town and withdrew twenty taels of silver, meanwhile, she also asked how much was left in her ount.


    The bank shopkeeper told her, ¡°One thousand and one hundred taels.¡±


    Gu Jiao stood stunned for three seconds.


    ¡°Did you make a mistake? Is it not one hundred and ten taels, but one thousand and one hundred taels?¡±


    The shopkeeperughed: ¡°Our Zhou Ji Bank is always honest. The silver belongs to you, it¡¯s not the bank¡¯s business to swindle you!¡±


    When Xiao Ling gave her the banknote, she didn¡¯t overthink it, assuming it was one hundred and eighty taels. She never expected it to be this much.


    The original amount was actually even more, but buying a calligraphy brush for Gu Jiao took up a whole hundred taels. It was a one-of-a-kind masterpiece straight from good country, yet poor Gu Jiao hadined about his taste for a good long while.


    The remaining twenty taels had been put into Xiao Ling¡¯s bundle by Gu Jiao for his travels. Xiao Ling didn¡¯t spend it all and had deposited it into the bank.


    Gu Jiao started to doubt the situation, ¡°Did he really go to take an exam?¡±


    Are we sure he didn¡¯t go to the prefecture city to start a business copying books?


    Gu Jiao suddenly remembered the cheating incident in the college examination that Dean Li mentioned to her, as well as how Xiao Ling did not retake the exam for unknown reasons. Gu Jiao thought she understood why now.


    ¡ª


    After receiving the silver, Gu Jiao returned to the vige to arrange for the house renovation. She hired a few local artisans, exined her requirements, and urged them toplete the work in the shortest possible time.


    If you paid enough, the workers would not mind working faster. And, this was Xiao Xiucai¡¯s house, they hoped that after Xiao Ling¡¯s sess in the future, they could get a few acres of rent-freend under his name.


    While Gu Jiao was vigorously renovating her house, Gu Jinyu unexpectedly fell ill.


    The evening she returned from Qingquan Vige, she felt something was amiss but dismissed it as fatigue. In the middle of the night, however, she had a high fever.


    The old servant in the vi said it was due to encountering something unholy during the grave visit.


    The royal doctor prescribed medicine, but it had little effect.


    Lord Gu was distressed, ¡°If I had known this, I wouldn¡¯t have let Jin Yu visit the grave!¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡± Gu Jinyu covered her mouth with a handkerchief and coughed weakly. ¡°I¡¯m okay, how is my little brother?¡±


    Gu Yan hadn¡¯t been feeling well either for the past two days. Because of his naturally weak constitution and over-exciting himself, he had drained his energy.


    To stop him from moving around, Lady Yao had to stay at his bedside constantly.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine.¡± Mentioning this, Lord Gu was still gratified, his son was much stronger than before. If he had overworked himself in the past, he would have been in mortal danger. Now, after lying on the bed for a few days, he was already full of energy again.


    For the sake of caution, both he and Lady Yao felt that their son should rest quietly in the room for a few more days.


    ¡°If my little brother is fine, then that¡¯s all that matters,¡± Gu Jinyu said as she coughed.


    Lord Gu felt sorry for her, ¡°Aiya, you¡¯re so sick, yet you still worry about your little brother.¡±


    Gu Jinyu smiled, ¡°After all, he¡¯s my only little brother.¡±


    Lord Gu thought of his ungrateful daughter, Gu Jiao, and gritted his teeth, ¡°If that girl could be half as sensible as you are, that would be good enough. I heard from Huang Zhong what happened that day, she gave you the cold shoulder, didn¡¯t she? I tell you, your illness isn¡¯t due to encountering something unclean, you were sick from her irritation!¡±


    Gu Jinyu hurriedly said, ¡°Father, please don¡¯t talk like this about sister. She grew up in the countryside and her adoptive family did not treat her well. She has suffered a lot and doesn¡¯t know how to interact with others. If I were her, I wouldn¡¯t be doing any better.¡±


    Lord Gu said, ¡°You¡¯re just too kind-hearted!¡±


    Gu Jinyu shook her head, ¡°My illness really isn¡¯t because of sister. It¡¯s my own fault.¡±


    She paused, then told Lord Gu about how she lost the test paper.


    ¡°My aunt had high expectations for me and I lost the test paper I had half solved. The worry caught up to me and I fell ill.¡±


    Lord Gu patted her on the back of her hand, ¡°Silly girl, what¡¯s there to worry about? Even if you can¡¯t solve it, your aunt won¡¯t me you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Gu Jinyu looked skeptical.


    Lord Gu smiled mysteriously, ¡°Your aunt wrote another letter, guess what she said?¡±


    Gu Jinyu thought seriously, ¡°To urge father to bring me back to Beijing soon?¡±


    Lord Gu said, ¡°Naturally, and what else?¡±


    Gu Jinyu¡¯s brows slightly knitted, ¡°I can¡¯t guess.¡±


    Lord Gu looked at her fondly, and said proudly: ¡°Your aunt has prepared a big gift for you. She originally nned to surprise you when you returned to Beijing, but telling you now won¡¯t hurt. She asked the emperor for a favor, on the day of your hairpin ceremony, the emperor will personally issue an edict to confer you a county princess!¡±

 Chapter 119 - 98: Brother and Sister (First Update)

    Chapter 119: Chapter 98: Brother and Sister (First Update)


    In the room filled with a faint smell of medicine, Madam Yao sat by her son¡¯s bed, falling asleep against the bedpost through sheer exhaustion.


    Gu Yan stealthily opened his eyes, slyly surveying Madam Yao for a moment before waving his slender hand before her eyes.


    Once he had ascertained that Madam Yao was indeed asleep, a mischievous smile spread across his face as he slowly pulled the quilt aside and tiptoed off the bed.


    He had grown upmanding respect and deference, and this was the first time he had to be so careful; it felt oddly exciting.


    Gu Yan sneaked out of the room like a thief in the night.


    Madam Yao moved slightly, nearly scaring Gu Yan into another bout of illness ¨C luckily she did not wake up, but merely changed her position and continued sleeping.


    The maid who was guarding the room was being distracted by a guard, as long as he managed to get out of the courtyard, he could join them.


    Unexpectedly, he was caught by Yu Yaya as soon as he stepped into the front yard.


    Yu Yaya, clutching a newly sewn quilt, looked at him quizzically: ¡°Young Master, what are you up to? Didn¡¯t Madam order you to stay in bed? Why are you out here barefoot?¡±


    Gu Yan cleared his throat: ¡°Would you believe me if I said I just wanted some fresh air?¡±


    Yu Yaya¡¯s face darkened, her arm holding the quilt while the other akimbo, she interrogated, ¡°Are you nning to run away again?¡±


    Gu Yan blinked guiltily.


    Yu Yaya red at him, ¡°You really are trying to run! No, you can¡¯t leave!¡±


    Gu Yan¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously, emanating an ice-cold and deadly aura: ¡°Believe it or not, I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    Defiantly, Yu Yaya asserted: ¡°Even if you kill me, I won¡¯t let you leave!¡±


    Gu Yan helplessly put a hand to his forehead.


    This girl was as inflexible as ever, stubbornly defensive, just as she was when she spoke up for Gu Jiao, and now she was standing in his way again!


    Gu Yan was also known for his stubbornness, but this was then and now was different ¨C now he was determined to see the most important person in his life, he didn¡¯t care about face or pride anymore!


    All it took was a second, and Gu Yan¡¯s murderous demeanorpletely changed!


    He put on a pitiful face, gazing at Yu Yaya with watery eyes, looking as pathetic as one can get.


    If he had whimpered just a little, Yu Yaya might have thought a puppy had taken over him.


    ¡°Yo-Young Master¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡± Yu Yaya was unprepared for this surprisingly vulnerable version of the young master.


    Gu Yan bit his lip in distress. ¡°I just want to get some fresh air, just for a moment.¡±


    Faced with such adorable behavior from Gu Yan, Yu Yaya was at a loss: ¡°O¡­Only for a moment? Really¡­just a moment?¡±


    Gu Yan cooed, nodding his head: ¡°Mmm.¡±


    Yu Yaya clutched her chest: ¡°Fine¡­go ahead¡­I¡¯ll keep watch here.¡±


    No, no, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. If she stayed any longer, she might find herself unable to resist ruffling the young master¡¯s hair!


    Gu Yan managed to fool Yu Yaya. Stepping out of the courtyard, his expression hardened, and a wicked smile yed at the corner of his lips.


    He sessfully rendezvoused with the undercover guards in the small garden, they led him out of the Marquis Residence, helping him onto a carriage that was already prepared, and they sped off in the direction of Qingquan Vige!


    Huang Zhong noticed Gu Yan¡¯s absence and quickly reported it to the House of Marquis in the Orchid Pavilion.


    The Marquis asked him to speak at the door.


    Huang Zhong reported, ¡°The Young Master has slipped out! It looks like he¡¯s headed to the town!¡±


    ¡°The town?¡± The Marquis furrowed his brow.


    Gu Jinyu said, ¡°Father, could it be that he¡¯s gone to look for Sister?¡±


    ¡°In all likelihood, yes.¡± The Marquis wasn¡¯t surprised at his son¡¯s actions since he knew he couldn¡¯t keep him confined forever.


    ¡°Should we bring him back?¡±


    The Marquis shook his head: ¡°You know how stubborn he can be. Apart from your mother, who else can stop him?¡±


    inly speaking, throughout the entire Mansion, Gu Yan only respected Madam Yao.


    If he sent someone to catch him now, it could only result in two oues; either the person is knocked down by Gu Yan¡¯s guards or Gu Yan ends up getting irritated.


    The Marquis waved it off: ¡°Forget it. Let him go!¡±


    After all, that girl wouldn¡¯t harm Gu Yan.


    Besides, he also had another consideration.


    Considering the close rtionship between the siblings, perhaps Gu Yan¡¯s intervention might convince the girl to willingly return to the Marquis Residence.


    Not that he particrly wanted to acknowledge her return, but since Madam Yao and Gu Yan liked her, he would have to ept her.


    It was just past midday, and the streets were not too crowded. The carriage sped all the way to Qingquan Vige without obstruction.


    Recently, carriages had be amon sight in the vige, and the vigers were ustomed to it. However, when they saw a young master as exquisite as a jade stepping off a carriage, they werepletely astonished.


    Gu Yan had a clean and pure aura about him, like a piece of finely polished jade without a trace of impurity.

 Chapter 120 - 98: Brother and Sister (Second Update)

    Chapter 120: Chapter 98: Brother and Sister (Second Update)


    The most handsome man in the entire vige was undoubtedly Xiao Ling, followed by Gu Dashun, yet the two were as different as heaven and earth. This young boy was almost on par with Xiao Ling, and one could even say there was hardly any difference.


    The vigers were struck dumb.


    ¡°This¡­whose young master is this? Who is he looking for?¡±


    ¡°Who else could he be looking for? Of course, he¡¯s here for Ling and Miss Gu Jiao!¡±


    The vigers at the well began to tease each other with banter.


    In the past, any noble would do nothing but seek the Gu family. But recently, the Gu family patriarch suddenly resigned from his position as Lizheng. The Wu family said it was because he had grown too old and didn¡¯t want to worry the vigers anymore, so he stepped down willingly.


    However, the rumor circting in the vige suggested that the patriarch had offended someone and was screwed over.


    As for who he had offended, most vigers guessed it was the Xiao family¡ª Xiao Ling garnered excellent results in the imperial examinations, even better than Gu Dashun. The county magistrate favored him, and thus punishing the Gu family to teach a lesson on Xiao Ling¡¯s behalf didn¡¯t seem surprising.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s family was recently renovating rooms and had just finished building two new brick houses that morning. She was moving the newly furnished items into the house with the craftsmen.


    As they moved thest wardrobe, Gu Jiao felt someone approaching.


    The person poked her gently on the shoulder.


    Having learned from Yao family¡¯s previous experiences, Gu Jiao was no longer overly suspicious of others. As she turned around calmly, she saw Gu Yan, who was about to poke her a second time.


    Gu Yan didn¡¯t expect her to turn around so swiftly and froze.


    The dumbfounded look on his face was just like that of a puppy in the manor.


    Gu Jiao chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re here?¡±


    Regainingposure, Gu Yan smiled, ¡°Mm, I came to see you.¡±


    Gu Jiao noted his sweaty appearance and roughly guessed his urgency. She pointed to a chair in the lobby, ¡°Sit, I will get you a cup of tea.¡±


    Gu Yan sat down on the chair.


    While Gu Jiao headed to the kitchen to prepare the hot tea, he began assessing the room. Gu Yan, having been spoiled with luxuries ever since he was a child, had never been to such a dpidated house before. It was not just inferior to the Marquis Residence, but also to the firewood room of the vi, which was muchrger.


    The initial excitement that Gu Yan had felt gradually cooled down. He felt heartbroken.


    Genuine heartache.


    The bond of being twins made him feel the pain for Gu Jiao deeper than anyone else.


    When Gu Jiao came over with a big bowl of hot tea, Gu Yan suddenly hugged her waist and buried his head in her stomach.


    Ever since he turned three, he hadn¡¯t been so intimate even with members of the Yao family.


    But at this moment, his heart was truly in too much pain.


    During missions, Gu Jiao was quite adept at observing and understanding human behaviour, but on normal days she was rather slow. However, there was one person in this world who could perceive his emotions without her having to analyze or guess.


    Perhaps it was the telepathic connection between twins.


    He was worrying about her.


    Gu Jiao set down the bowl of tea on the table and gently patted his head, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Gu Yan responded, his face still buried in her body.


    Suddenly, Gu Jiao felt a tear trickle down the corner of her eye.


    She oddly wiped it off with her index finger and said to Gu Yan, ¡°Hm? Did you start crying?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Gu Yan denied as he choked up.


    Gu Jiao patted his head, gesturing him to look at the tear on her fingertip, ¡°See, you did cry.¡±


    Her eyes had cried along with his.


    So it turned out twins could shed each other¡¯s tears.


    Gu Yan stubbornly refused to admit that he had been crying. Wiping away his tears, he looked up at her nonchntly, ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Gu Jiao responded, ¡°I¡¯ll make something for you to eat.¡±


    Gu Yan asked, ¡°May I look around?¡±


    He was referring to the house.


    ¡°Mm,¡± Gu Jiao nodded. Thinking of something, she pointed to the cat¡¯s room, adding, ¡°The old nanny is sleeping, just avoid disturbing her.¡±


    Gu Yan began wandering around the house. It was a stretch to call it a house¡ªit was simply a one-entrance courtyard with a wide open room upon entering. To the sides were the east and west rooms, and the small, eastern room of the olddy.


    If one continued past the main room, there was a backyard; to the north of which was the kitchen and a firewood room, while eastward were two recently built rooms. To the west was the empty chicken coop and a small vegetable garden.


    ¡°This room doesn¡¯t seem to be upied.¡± Gu Yan pointed at one of the eastern rooms.


    Gu Jiao replied while picking vegetables from the garden, ¡°That¡¯s Xiaoshun¡¯s room, it¡¯s newly built. He¡¯s at the academy and onlyes home during the holidays.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s the room of that younger brother of the Gu family?¡± Gu Yan asked with a hint of jealousy.


    He had heard some things about the Gu family and knew none of them were any good, except Gu Xiaoshun who had a very good rtionship with Gu Jiao.


    ¡°Mm, yes, it¡¯s him,¡± Gu Jiao nodded.


    ¡°And what about this one?¡± Gu Yan pointed out the brand new chicken coop that was muchrger than his dog-house back home.


    Gu Jiao replied, ¡°That¡¯s a chicken coop for the monk. He has a few chicks there. He¡¯s at the monastery right now and will return in the evening.¡±


    Of course, Gu Yan also knew about the young monk she brought back from the mountain.


    He couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of jealousy¡ªjust who was her real younger brother?


    Gu Jiao hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Do you¡­want to live here? If you do, you can stay in Xiaoshun¡¯s¡­¡±


    Did she want him to stay in Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s room?


    Gu Yan snorted angrily and dismissively replied, ¡°I don¡¯t want to live here!¡±


    Gu Jiao looked disappointed, ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    Gu Yan coldly pointed to the room next to Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s and asked, ¡°Whose room is this one?¡±


    ¡°My younger brother¡¯s,¡± Gu Jiao answered.


    ¡°Younger brother? Ha! Wait, what did you say? My, my younger brother?¡± Gu Yan uncertainly pointed at himself.


    Was she implying that the room next to Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s was intended for him?


    ¡°Mm,¡± Gu Jiao nodded, ¡°But you don¡¯t want¡ª¡±


    ¡°I do I do I do I do I do I do¡ª¡±


    Before Gu Jiao could finish her sentence, Gu Yan had already dashed into the room, mmed the door shut and locked it from the inside.


    No one was allowed to drag him out of this room!


    He was going to settle down here!!!

 Chapter 121: 99 Truths (Second Update)

    Chapter 121: 99 Truths (Second Update)


    The two shadow guards were left speechless.


    Is it a Golden House or a silver house that he¡¯s so excited? Even fearing someone might drag him out, look at his determination!


    Has he forgotten that he has a congenital heart disease?


    Has he forgotten that his own firewood room is muchrger and more luxurious than this peasant courtyard?


    I don¡¯t know who¡¯s beenining day after day about the poor living conditions of the vi, it¡¯s insufficiently high-end and ssy!


    Humph!


    Double standard!


    Although the two shadow guards were silently mocking, they couldn¡¯t actually pull out their young master from there and take him away. He might not care when messing around, but they couldn¡¯t disregard the consequences.


    Couldn¡¯t strike, couldn¡¯t touch, couldn¡¯t anger. That is their delicate household¡¯s little darling!


    Shadow Guard A: ¡°What should we do?¡±


    Shadow Guard B: ¡°What can we do? Just guard!¡±


    Shadow Guard A: ¡°I mean about the vi. We can¡¯t just not go back, they will send people to look for us.¡±


    If theye looking, they¡¯ll disrupt the young master¡¯s interaction with the youngdy, then he will get upset, and when he is upset, he gets sick¡­


    The two let out a synchronised sigh!


    How did they end up with such a pampered young master?


    After some discussion, they decided that one would stay here while the other would go back to the vi to give a report.


    At the vi, the distinguished master Gu was instructing people to refurbish Gu Yan¡¯s courtyard, mainly preparing a clean and tidy room for Gu Jiao, setting up a small flower shed, and recing her furniture with new and expensive ones.


    epting that girl back was a fact he could not resist.


    He wanted to establish the image of being a good father.


    ¡­show it to the Yao family.


    ¡°Make the shed a bit wider!¡± the distinguished Lord Gu sternly said.


    A servant objected, ¡°Master, if it is wider, it will oppress the young master¡¯s pear tree.¡±


    Lord Gu sneered, ¡°You can chop it down, he won¡¯t say a thing!¡±


    As long as it is for that girl, even if Gu Yan¡¯s own house is demolished, Gu Yan won¡¯t utter a word!


    Remembering how he identally chopped off a pear tree branch while practicing his swordsmanship, as a result, that boy sulked with him for a whole month, Lord Gu felt a little aggrieved.


    Huang Zhong pondered, ¡°Master, isn¡¯t it a bit early to do the renovation now? Will the youngdy reallye to live here? What if she doesn¡¯te, wouldn¡¯t you have tampered with the young master¡¯s pear tree for nothing?¡±


    Lord Gu chuckled, ¡°Rest assured, she won¡¯t refuse! Their sibling rtionship is so good, she can¡¯t possibly refuse Yanyan.¡±


    Huang Zhong was still a bit confused, so he asked: ¡°What if the young master doesn¡¯t ask?¡±


    Lord Gu gave him a stern look, ¡°How can he not ask? Haven¡¯t you seen how much he likes that girl? He didn¡¯t know that she was his sister before, now that he knows, can he not take her back home?¡±


    While they were talking, the Shadow Guard B came in front of Lord Gu.


    Huang Zhong swiftly unsheathed his sword.


    Shadow Guard B held out the token, ¡°I am the young master¡¯s shadow guard, I am here to deliver a message to the master.¡±


    The shadow guards by Gu Yan¡¯s side were arranged by the old master Gu. When the old master Gu was young, he had trained his own army. Later, this army was incorporated into the court, and the incapacitated military officers were left by the old master Gu to serve by his side.


    These shadow guards are their sessors, outstanding in martial arts, mysterious in their movements, but not many in number, there¡¯s not a single one by Lord Gu¡¯s side.


    This is actually the first time Lord Gu has seen the old master¡¯s shadow guards. Squinting his eyes, he said, ¡°Did Yanyan send you to deliver this message? What? Do I, as the master, need to prepare a grand ceremony to wee this girl¡¯s return?¡±


    Shadow Guard B replied, ¡°Master, you misunderstood. It¡¯s not the young master who sent me. The young master had no time to mind me. I came to tell you, the young master isn¡¯ting back.¡±


    ¡°What, what? Who¡¯s noting back?¡± Lord Gu doubted he had misheard.


    Shadow Guard B wondered if his hearing was impaired. After contemting it seriously, he rified in a slow and deliberate manner, ¡°Your son, Gu Yan.¡±


    Lord Gu was dumbfounded, ¡°Why isn¡¯t heing back?¡±


    Shadow Guard B replied calmly, ¡°He¡¯s staying at the youngdy¡¯s house¡±. After a pause, afraid he hadn¡¯t heard clearly, emphasized again, ¡°Your daughter, Gu Jiao.¡±


    Lord Gu bristled, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to tell me! I know it¡¯s that girl!¡±


    Shadow Guard B looked at him with an odd face, ¡°That¡¯s weird. When I said young master, you didn¡¯t react that he was your son. When I said youngdy, you immediately recognized it¡¯s that girl. Are you excessively partial?¡±


    Lord Gu: This is my disbelief, do you understand disbelief?!


    Shadow Guard B didn¡¯t understand.


    It wasn¡¯t taught in assassins¡¯ training.


    Lord Gu was so mad that his chest hurt. I told you to kidnap that girl back, who asked you to get kidnapped by her?!

 Chapter 122: 99 Truth (Second update)_2

    Chapter 122: 99 Truth (Second update)_2


    The news quickly spread to the Yao family as well.


    Madam Yao had already moved back to Gu Yan¡¯s courtyard, having awoken shortly after Gu Yan had left.


    Indeed, she hadn¡¯t managed to keep an eye on her son, and Madam Yao shook her head in resignation.


    Her insistence on not letting her son leave wasn¡¯t solely out of concern for his physical health. She also worried whether her daughter had fullye to terms with her own origins, and whether her son¡¯s hasty visit might unsettle her.


    When she learned that Gu Yan had decided to stay in her daughter¡¯s vige, oddly enough, Madam Yao was relieved.


    If her daughter was willing to ept Gu Yan¡¯s presence, it meant she didn¡¯t feel intruded upon and might have already epted her true identity.


    However, Room Lady worried: ¡°Madam, the conditions in the vige are quite poor. How could the young master, who is used to a life of riches andforts, adapt to living there?¡±


    Room Lady could be somewhat obstinate and annoying in her ways, but her loyalty to Madam Yao and Gu Yan was genuine. As for Gu Jiao, Room Lady didn¡¯t really hold her in high regard at the moment.


    Madam Yao smiled and said, ¡°Jiaojiao will take good care of him.¡±


    Room Lady retorted, ¡°He won¡¯t get used to the food.¡±


    Gently Madam Yao replied, ¡°Jiaojiao is a doctor, she knows more than we do about what Yanyan can and cannot eat. Moreover, I¡¯m sure he would enjoy anything she makes.¡±


    Room Lady was skeptical: ¡°She¡¯s just a little herb girl who happened to treat you a couple of times. That doesn¡¯t prove her medical skills are exceptional.¡±


    Madam Yao sped Room Lady¡¯s hand, tenderly and solemnly saying, ¡°Room Lady, you don¡¯t know Jiaojiao yet. Once you do, you¡¯ll like her too.¡±


    Room Lady shook her head inwardly.


    They were servants; their likes or dislikes towards the young master didn¡¯t matter. As the daughter of thedy, Room Lady would see Jiaojiao as her young mistress in the future. Any past grievances, she would make amends for. But Jiaojiao¡¯s heart seemed too cold to them, and Room Lady feared that herdy wouldn¡¯t warm it up.


    When Lord Gu came looking for Madam Yao, she was packing things.


    Lord Gu asked in confusion, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Madam Yao replied, ¡°Preparing a few sets of clothes for Yanyan to take with him.¡±


    Her tone was rtively soft.


    She was still unaware of Lord Gu¡¯s altercation with Gu Jiao. Being a person not prone to tattle-taling, even if she was, she wouldn¡¯t expose her conflicts with Lord Gu to Madam Yao. Madam Yao suffered from a severe case of anxiety and depression; and as a doctor, Gu Jiao would avoid riling her up.


    Now that Madam Yao had reconciled with her daughter, her mood improved, hence her demeanor towards Lord Gu was also more amiable.


    Lord Gu felt consoled, but afterprehending the meaning of her words, his mood plummeted: ¡°You are sending clothes for Yanyan? Do you truly intend for Yanyan to stay there?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t he?¡± Madam Yao retorted.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Lord Gu stammered, on the verge of argument but halted himself. As Madam Yao had finally ceased disying a cold demeanor towards him, he decided not to test his luck. Smiling, he replied, ¡°He can. I was just concerned that Yanyan wouldn¡¯t adapt to living away from you.¡±


    ¡°That might be true.¡± Madam Yao agreed.


    To this, Lord Gu rejoiced. However, his joy was short-lived as he heard Madam Yao murmur, ¡°Maybe I should move there too.¡±


    Lord Gu: ¡°¡­!!¡±


    Hold on!


    How can you move there too?!


    ¡°Never mind, I shouldn¡¯t be hasty. I might scare her away.¡± Madam Yao¡¯s prior experiences suggested that her daughter wasn with her¡­¡±epted her yet.¡±


    Lord Gu let out a sigh of relief.


    But before he could fully rx, he heard Madam Yao say, ¡°Or¡­ shouldn¡¯t I ask her first?¡±


    Lord Gu immediately shook his head, looking like one of those drum-dolls!


    Suddenly, Lord Gu had an idea. He grabbed the portrait from the table and said to Madam Yao, ¡°Oops, she has been suffering alone for so many years before we appeared in her life. It won¡¯t be easy for her to ept us. Showing up all of a sudden might scare her. Let Yanyan persuade her for a few days! If you truly miss her that much, you can just look at her portrait!¡±


    ¡°The way you¡¯ve put it seems somewhat reasonable.¡± Madam Yao truly missed her daughter. The portrait was on the table. She could look at it day and night, but it was never enough.


    Madam Yao¡¯s gaze fell on the portrait of her daughter, her expression softened.


    ¡°Lord Gu,¡± Madam Yao suddenly spoke, ¡°What is that red mark on Jiaojiao¡¯s face? Is she ill?¡±


    She had wanted to ask this question for a long time, but it was not appropriate to ask when she was a stranger to Gu Jiao. After recognizing her, she hadn¡¯t had the chance.


    Lord Gu replied, ¡°She¡¯s not ill. ording to her family, it¡¯s a birthmark that has been there since birth. It wasn¡¯t so noticeable when she was little, but as she grew up, the birthmark expanded.¡±

 Chapter 123: 99 Truths (Second Update)_3

    Chapter 123: 99 Truths (Second Update)_3


    ¡°No.¡± Mrs. Yao wrinkled her brows and shook her head, ¡°I had a look at my daughter just after she was born, and she looked no different from any other newborn. If there were a birthmark, I would not have forgotten.¡±


    Lord Marquis Gu¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Did we make another mistake?¡±


    Could the child not be his and Mrs. Yao¡¯s?


    ¡°Jiaojiao is my daughter, of that I am sure. I just don¡¯t understand why her face is like this.¡±


    The midwife had passed away, and the servants had retired. They really didn¡¯t know where to find anyone else from that night.


    Mrs. Yao pondered for a moment, a lightbulb suddenly shing in her mind, ¡°Wait, there is one other person who saw Jiaojiao.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The abbot.¡±


    ¡ª


    The couple promptly went to the temple.


    Upon hearing their purpose, the abbot looked aghast, ¡°What are you saying? We got the babies mixed up? The girl with the birthmark is the daughter of the Marquis Residence?¡±


    Mrs. Yao replied gently but urgently, ¡°Yes, the abbot should have seen her. She came to the temple looking for you twice.¡±


    If the abbot still couldn¡¯t guess who it was after this, it¡¯s really beyond words.


    Could the vague memory not be a dream he had when drunk, but that his shaking hands had identally applied arge amount of mercurial pigment to the baby girl¡¯s face?


    ¡°Amitabha Buddha¡­ Sinful, so sinful!¡±


    Reluctantly, the abbot confessed the story.


    When the noble heiresses of Zhan Country are born, the midwife would mark them with mercurial pigment. The servants mine had instructed the midwife ordingly.


    However, in the countryside, this was not amon practice. The midwife didn¡¯t have that kind of skill and didn¡¯t dare admit that she couldn¡¯t do it, fearful of not getting her silver. So she requested help from the abbot.


    The sober abbot would not have agreed, unfortunately, he was induced to drink some Pear Blossom Wine by his cunning disciple.


    Just a sip was enough to get him drunk.


    He said that he had never marked a child with mercurial pigment.


    The midwife said, but you marked a monk in the temple before. Isn¡¯t that the same?


    In his drunken stupor, the abbot found the midwife¡¯s logic persuasive.


    So he went over.


    And thus, he trembled while applying the pigment.


    After that, it seemed that he wanted to find his fellow disciple but fell asleep halfway on his way.


    He slept for three days and three nights. After he woke up, the first thing he did was to go to Mrs. Yao and apologize, but he saw Mrs. Yao holding a fair-skinned baby whose face was bright and clean. Where was the mark of mercurial pigment?


    The midwife had gone down the mountain and he had never seen her again since.


    ¡°¡­ I had always thought that I had a dream.¡±


    Lord Marquis Gu asked, ¡°What about Lady Xun? Didn¡¯t she notice anything new on her child¡¯s face?¡±


    The abbot replied, ¡°Lady Xun fainted after giving birth and didn¡¯t wake up until the next day. I recklessly guess that when she saw the child, the child had probably already been switched.¡±


    Because Lady Xun was unconscious and unable to take care of the children, the midwife put the two babies in the same room. Gu Jiao was born first, and Gu Jinyu was born one or two hourster.


    The babies were wrapped in the swaddling clothes from Mrs. Yao¡¯s side, so at a nce, it was indeed easy to get confused.


    The midwife was originally present, but she had stomachache and had to go to the toilet. When she came back, the mercurial pigment had been applied.


    Although it is impossible to ask the midwife for confirmation now, Mrs. Yao and the Marquis could easily guess the situation at that time.


    The mercurial pigment was ced on the faces of the babies, and the midwife knew that there was a big problem, so she hurriedly found an excuse to leave the mountain overnight.


    When the servants of the Marquis Residence came to hold the baby, they saw a red birthmark on Gu Jiao¡¯s face. There was nothing on the youngdy¡¯s face, so they naturally took her for Lady Xun¡¯s child.


    Later, there was no mercurial pigment on the baby girl¡¯s arm. Mrs. Yao assumed that it had not been applied properly and fell off. After returning to the capital, she had someone apply it to Gu Jinyu again.


    This should be the entire sequence of events.


    After leaving, the abbot was unable to calm down for a long time.


    He went to his disciple¡¯s courtyard with a cold face, and found a monk who was disheveled and basking in the sun under a tree. He indignantly told him about the mix-up, ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t you know you¡¯ve caused me to make a big mistake?¡±


    The monk took down the Buddhist scriptures covering his face, revealing a bewitching beautiful face.


    Under the sunlight, a pair of peach blossom eyes sparkled like a pool of spring water was crushed.


    A silver facial mask covering the upper half of a face was ced on the stone stool beside him.


    Not many people had seen his true face. The abbot was one, and the girl in the forest the other day was another.


    He spread his hands innocently and said with a light-hearted smile, ¡°How could this be my fault? I didn¡¯t know I would have such a hangover after brewing wine for the first time.¡±


    The abbot was quite annoyed, ¡°You are denying it! You lied to me that it wasn¡¯t wine!¡±


    The monk sighed, ¡°Hey, older brother, don¡¯t expose me. Leave me some dignity.¡±


    The Abbot almost passed out from his annoyance, ¡°Also, who still ims to be a child at the age of twelve? It¡¯s all because of your negative influence that Jingkong causes so much trouble!¡±


    Mentioning Jingkong, the monk was silent for a few seconds. Clearly, he couldn¡¯t refute the fact that little Jingkong was particrly troublesome.


    Actually, since he was young, this disciple has been a genius. He always liked to tinker with weird little inventions. No one had taught him; he usually observed them in town and figured them out himself when he got back.


    Wine was not the most terrifying thing he had concocted. One time he tried mixing a pest repellent and ended up making arsenic instead, poisoning every monk in the temple.


    He himself had almost died too.


    The abbot asked him more than once: How on earth did he grow up?


    The monk delivered a charming smile, ¡°Alright, I tricked elder brother once, but you also sold my disciple. We¡¯re even!¡±


    The abbot replied, ¡°You were happier than anyone when Jingkong left, weren¡¯t you? How does that make us even?¡±


    He spread his hands and sighed deeply, ¡°Then, older brother, you promised to leave me some dignity. Wasn¡¯t I happy? I was only a little bit happy, the rest was sorrow.¡±


    The abbot gave him a cold look, ¡°Huh, is that right? Let me go and bring Jingkong back.¡±


    He stood up abruptly, ¡°Whoa, no way!¡±


    ¡ª


    After Mrs Yao left the temple, she instructed the carriage to go to Qingquan Vige and delivered the goods to the two children. This included clothing for Gu Yan as well as clothing selected by Mrs. Yao for Gu Jiao.


    Gu Yan believed that they were their to take him back to the residence and refused toe out of the house.


    Mrs. Yao had to give all the clothes to Gu Jiao instead.


    Little Jingkong went to school, and no one was blocking Lord Marquis Gu, but he was actually blocked by several chickens at the door!


    Several chicks hopped onto the doorstep, lined up in a row, seemingly forming a formation!


    The chicks red at him menacingly. Every time he approached they pecked him!


    Lord Marquis Gu would like to kick them away. However, as soon as he lifted his foot, the chicks began to chirp!


    Mrs. Yao looked at him.


    He withdrew his foot, stood upright and smiled!


    Lord Marquis Gu: In my entire life, I never thought I would lose to a few chickens!

 Chapter 124: 100 Fighting for Favor (first update)

    Chapter 124: 100 Fighting for Favor (first update)


    What¡¯s wrong, don¡¯t chickens usually cluck? Why do these chickens chirp instead?


    The saddest thing in the world is when even chickens have learned birdnguage, while he hasn¡¯t mastered the Turkguage¡­


    Yao Family noticed that her daughter¡¯s dwelling had been renovated, with new tiles on the roof, and the backyard had been confined and expanded with two more rooms.


    ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Yao Family looked at her daughter who was pouring water into the pot, ¡°Can I¡­live here for a few days?¡±


    Gu Jiao ced the bucket aside after filling the water and looked at Yao Family with a touch of bafflement.


    ¡°I can help with the chores!¡± Yao Family quickly proposed.


    Although Yao Family grew up in a wealthy family, her family fell down when she was young, so she did not cultivate a spoiled personality.


    Of course, it¡¯s a bit far-fetched to say that she could do farm work in the countryside, but if her daughter could bear such hardship, why couldn¡¯t she as a mother?


    ¡°There¡¯s no need, I can do it myself.¡± Gu Jiao rejected.


    A hint of disappointment shed across Yao Family¡¯s eyes. She understood that her daughter was not rejecting the work but herself.


    ¡°Then¡­ I can cook! I¡¯m a good cook! Didn¡¯t you praise my dim sumst time? I can cook for you every day!¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Gu Jiao replied.


    ¡°What aboutundry! Look at the whole family, how can you manage all this by yourself?¡±


    Gu Jiao paused for a moment, lifting her gaze to Yao Family.


    She did not speak, just looking at her steadily.


    Yao Family suddenly understood.


    It¡¯s not that her daughter didn¡¯t need her to do the work, she just didn¡¯t need her to stay here.


    She had suspected this oue, but she was still holding onto hope, it was her who was anxious after all.


    Yao Family suppressed the bitterness in her heart and chuckled nonchntly, ¡°I¡¯ll leave Yanyan in your care then. It¡¯s gettingte, you go back to your work, I¡¯ll head back too.¡±


    Having said that, she turned around with a smile.


    Her expression and tone were impable, but the trembling of her body that she couldn¡¯t control betrayed her sadness.


    Gu Jiao watched her retreating figure and spoke, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    Yao Family paused in her steps.


    Gu Jiao hesitated for a moment. She wasn¡¯t very good at expressing her emotions: ¡°It¡¯s mine.¡±


    She said so, not knowing whether Yao Family could understand.


    She had once had very terrible parents, which made her begin to reject all parents in the world.


    As she grew up, she had her own life. She thought she didn¡¯t care, but the arrival of Yao Family made her realize that the wound at the bottom of her heart had never healed.


    She could ept Xiao Ling, Little Pure Sky, the Old Lady, and Gu Yan because they would not be her mother or father.


    But she could not say these words to Yao Family.


    Yao Family stared at Gu Jiao intently for a moment. She used to think that her daughter couldn¡¯t ept her because her daughter couldn¡¯t forget the Gu¡¯s couple. Now, she wasn¡¯t so sure.


    Something must have happened to her daughter, but her daughter wouldn¡¯t talk about it, and she didn¡¯t have the heart to pry.


    With reluctance, Yao Family got into the carriage back to the vi.


    Gu Jiao continued to prepare the meal.


    The rice was cooking rather slowly.


    She didn¡¯t know if it was because Yao Family¡¯s arrival had reminded her of some past memories she didn¡¯t want to recall, which led her to remember her two-year-old self.


    At that time, she was wearing a thin nightgown, hugging a doll, barefoot, standing in the freezing cold of winter.


    She was forced out of the bed, not even given a pair of shoes to wear.


    Her parents had a fierce argument, which was actually over a small matter, but it escted uncontrobly, and in the end, the argument fell upon her head.


    She was pushed around, fell several times, and even broke her hand.


    It started with the man called dad, who left in a fit of pique, then the woman called mom also walked away.


    She was abandoned in the bustling square. She watched a group of giant people hurriedly passing her by, feeling like a tiny ant.


    ¡°Mommy¡ªWaa¡ªMommy¡ª¡±


    She was terrified. She cried out loud.


    But the woman called Mom didn¡¯te back.


    The man called Dad didn¡¯t appear either.


    ¡ª


    The rice wasn¡¯t done yet, so Gu Jiao made a couple of Syrup Poached Eggs for Gu Yan first. She went to his room to call him.


    ¡°Have those two left?¡± Gu Yan asked, pricking up his ears.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Jiao replied.


    Only then did Gu Yan open the door. But he didn¡¯t open it wide, only a small crack. He stuck out his head to look around and made sure his parents were gone before he confidently walked out.


    The olddy woke up; Gu Jiao made her a bowl of soup. Then, she spoke about Gu Yan¡¯s living arrangement.

 Chapter 125: Competing for Favor (Part 1)_2

    Chapter 125: Competing for Favor (Part 1)_2


    The olddy gazed at the delicate young boy in front of her, unable to articte why, but she had an inkling that she had encountered him somewhere before.


    ¡ªCorrect, the emperor was quite fond of the twins from the Marquis Dingham Residence, and had the virtuous empress take the twins to pay respects to the empress dowager. Therefore, the olddy had indeed met the young Gu Yan before.


    However, she was not particrly fond of children and, after granting them a few gifts, she promptly dismissed them. She didn¡¯t retain any memory of this encounter now.


    Young Gu Yan had been too small then and could not remember what the empress dowager looked like. As such, when they sat face to face now, neither could recognize the other.


    The olddy looked at the syrup in her bowl, then at Gu Yan¡¯s syrup, smacking her lips: ¡°I¡¯ll swap with you.¡±


    The olddy had dietary restrictions, so the syrup Gu Jiao made for her was not sweet enough. Gu Yan¡¯s, on the other hand, was perfect.


    Gu Yan, unaware of the exact situation, willingly exchanged with her.


    After swapping with Gu Yan, the olddy was able to taste the longed-for syrup egg!


    Mmm, it was so delicious it could move her to tears!


    Before Gu Yan¡¯s arrival, the olddy preferred Gu Xiaoshun the most because he was the easiest to manipte, helping her umte some extra sweet treats. As for Xiao Ling and little monk, one was too clever, and the other too principled for her to trick.


    Gu Yan obviously had more savvy than Xiaoshun and, on his first day among them, had immediately catered to the olddy¡¯s wish for syrup egg.


    For the sake of her own sweet desires, the olddy decided: she covered this young man!


    ¡ª


    After descending the mountain, the master of Yao family and Marquis Gu both felt an unease that they could not pinpoint. However, their thoughts were consumed by their concern for Gu Jiao, which only began to recede when they returned to the vi and took out Gu Jiao¡¯s portrait. Only then did Yao¡¯s head begin to spin.


    ¡°Marquis.¡± She stared nkly at the birthmark on the girl¡¯s face in the portrait.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Marquis Gu asked, leaning in to look at the portrait. He couldn¡¯t see what she was referring to.


    With apprehension, Yao said, ¡°The Abbot said Jiaojiao¡¯s birthmark is made from Suolong sand. But considering she¡¯s married, why have they¡­ Could they be having marital issues?¡±


    At this moment, Yao was truly reproachful toward the Gu family: ¡°They married off Jiaojiao too early. If only she were in Marquis¡¯s residence, I would have kept her a few more years.¡±


    In Zhan Country, girls be of marriageable age at fifteen, but it ismon for the daughters ofrge households to only begin choosing suitors after reaching this age.


    Marquis Gu didn¡¯t share Yao¡¯s worries. He had never intended to acknowledge this kinship from the start.


    A destitute schr was not worthy of his daughter! He decided to con the poord with some silver and dismiss him. Once they reached Capital City, who would know that the child had already been married? At that time, a boy from a family as prestigious as theirs would be found for her!


    Although the girl¡¯s appearance and character are far from Jin Yu, she is still the precious daughter of a Marquis¡¯s residence. They¡¯d definitely find a suitor.


    ¡ª


    Elsewhere, Xiao Ling, unaware of his impending dismissal by his father-inw using a sum of silver, has just finished school and is on his way to pick up the little monk from Monastic School.


    Just as he started on his way, however, he was stopped by a carriage.


    This wasn¡¯t an ordinary carriage. Its wheels were different from anything seen on the avenuesrger, higher, and sturdier. The carriage itself was made of high-quality yellow pear wood. The convertible top was made of shiny, colourful silk, with hanging giant Night Light Pearls; each was worth a hundred gold coins.


    The carriage driver was a man dressed in ck and wearning a bamboo hat. He had a sturdy arm, a tall physique, and a powerful aura.


    The horse was also very fearsome, a jet-ck Mongolian Horse. Seemingly a veteran of the battlefield, it was oozing murderous intentions, which stopped any nearby cart and horses from approaching it.


    A refined gentleman alighted from the carriage. The man appeared to be about the same age as the second master of the Huichun Hall. Yet, he carried an umonlymanding presence.


    From time to time, people nced at him.


    But he seemed not to care as he approached Xiao Ling. He closely examined Xiao Ling to confirm, and then smiled, saying, ¡°May I ask if you are Xiao Ling?¡±


    Xiao Ling eye on him skeptically, ¡°And who might you be?¡±


    The man raised his hand, with a gentle smile, ¡°Don¡¯t be rmed. My surname is Liu. My master has sent me to find you.¡±


    With that, he untied a token from his waist, ¡°I believe you recognize this token?¡±


    ¡ª


    The private school.


    sses had just ended and the children streamed out from the Monastic School. Carrying their book bags with gloomy faces, they bolted out of the ssroom as if they were being chased by a monster.


    The schoolmaster was unable to leave yet, because the little monk would not leave.


    The schoolmaster took his hundred and eighth deep breath of the day.


    If his son hadn¡¯t been a student at Tianxiang Academy, he would¡¯ve expelled this annoying little guy a hundred times over!

 Chapter 126: 100 Fighting for Favor (First Update)_3

    Chapter 126: 100 Fighting for Favor (First Update)_3


    While Xiao Jingkong was always so talkative at home, he could be quite silent during ss. However, when he did speak, the teachers would often wish they were dead!


    It didn¡¯t help that Xiao Jingkong had solid backing. His brother-inw was the direct disciple of the head of the academy, and to expel him would be like forcing the head of the academy to punish his own son.


    But looking at him, the teachers couldn¡¯t help but cringe¡­


    Xiao Jingkong held onto the Three Character ssic, seemingly reciting, yet frequently taking peeks outside.


    ¡°Jingkong, has your brother-inw not arrived yet?¡± the teacher in charge asked.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Xiao Jingkong murmured in response.


    ¡°Would you like me to take you to the entrance to check?¡± asked the teacher.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if he turns up or not!¡± gritted Xiao Jingkong.


    Despite his words, it was clear he had increased the frequency of his peeks towards the entrance.


    Could it be his wicked brother-inw was going to abandon him?


    Just like those others who had promised to take care of him, but ultimately deserted him?


    ¡°Jingkong,¡± caught the teacher¡¯s attention, who had surreptitiously appeared by his side. ¡°Your brother-inw has arrived.¡±


    He¡¯s finally here! He¡¯s finally here! The teacher¡¯s nightmare for the day had concluded!


    ¡°Really?¡± Xiao Jingkong stood up, realising he had reacted too enthusiastically. He quickly calmed down and collected his belongings and bid his teacher goodbye, heading towards the gate to meet Xiao Ling.


    ¡°You¡¯rete today!¡±


    Once inside the oxcart, Xiao Jingkongined to Xiao Ling. ¡°Did you skip sses and get held back for detention by Teacher Zhang?¡±


    Xiao Ling nced at him surprised, ¡°You know my teacher¡¯s surname is Zhang?¡±


    ¡°Brother Xiaoshun told me!¡± Xiao Jingkong noted confidently, ¡°I know a lot of things. Not only do I know your teacher is surnamed Zhang, but I also know that Gu Dashun¡¯s teacher is surnamed Chen, and the head of the academy is surnamed Li!¡±


    Xiao Jingkong said seriously, ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question. Were you held back for detention? Don¡¯t get proud just because you¡¯ve passed the Imperial Civil Service Examination. Don¡¯t forget, you are still a student in ss Beta!¡±


    Gosh, he even knows about ss Beta.


    Xiao Ling looked at him with both annoyance and amusement: ¡°Where does a kid like you get so many words from?¡±


    Xiao Jingkong ced his hands on his hips: ¡°It¡¯s clearly you who¡¯ste, and yet you don¡¯t let me speak. You adults are so unreasonable!¡±


    Xiao Ling pointed out, ¡°So you are suggesting that you¡¯re reasonable?¡±


    Xiao Jingkong crossed his arms: ¡°Of course, I am very reasonable!¡±


    Xiao Ling raised an eyebrow, ¡°So who was it that talked back to the teacher and embarrassed him in ss?¡±


    Xiao Jingkong said earnestly, ¡°He was the one who taught it wrong! I was just correcting him!¡±


    Xiao Ling chuckled, ¡°So who was it that skipped sses halfway?¡±


    Xiao Jingkong argued righteously, ¡°He was going to hit me even though I did nothing wrong! He shouldn¡¯t punish an innocent child!¡±


    The teacher had a discipline ruler and all the kids who misbehaved got two strokes on the palm of their hands. Xiao Jingkong had openly questioned the teacher, argued with him till he turned red-faced, making the teacher so angry that he¡¯d reached for the discipline ruler. Xiao Jingkong, however, had simply slung his schoolbag over his shoulder and run away!


    Xiao Ling suggested nonchntly, ¡°Since you believe you are in the right, why don¡¯t we present these issues to Jiaojiao and let her decide on who¡¯s right.¡±


    Xiao Jingkong remained silent.


    Although he steadfastly believed that he was on the side of justice, he instinctively felt that Jiaojiao would not agree with his actions.


    Xiao Ling chuckled, ¡°Why so silent? Are you afraid you can¡¯t defend your actions or do you fear that Jiaojiao would be unreasonable?¡±


    Xiao Jingkong responded boldly, ¡°Of course Jiaojiao is reasonable! And I am right too! It¡¯s just that Jiaojiao¡¯s logic and mine are not in agreement. It¡¯s a matter of difference in perspective, not a matter between me and Jiaojiao!¡±


    Xiao Ling: ¡°I don¡¯t understand you fully and I am almost dizzy with your verbosity.¡±


    The two of them kept bickering until they reached the vige.


    They got down from the oxcart and headed home, only to find an additional person in their house.


    The man was welldressed and handsome¡ªclearly not a local.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Xiao Jingkong tilted his head to ask.


    ¡°I am Jiaojiao¡¯s younger brother,¡± Gu Yan emphasized, ¡°blood brother.¡±


    Xiao Jingkong staggered!


    Hepletely miscalcted that Jiaojiao had a blood brother ¨C does that mean this guy ranks even above Gu Xiaoshun?


    A strong sense of crisis began brewing in Xiao Jingkong¡¯s heart!


    Xiao Ling, ever the troublemaker, grinned as he ruffled the little monk¡¯s head: ¡°Ah, who¡¯s Jiaojiao¡¯s most beloved little brother now?¡±


    Xiao Jingkong swiftly removed Xiao Ling¡¯s treacherous hand.

 Chapter 127: 100 Fighting for Favor (first update)_4

    Chapter 127: 100 Fighting for Favor (first update)_4


    He quietly reassured himself, don¡¯t panic, don¡¯t panic, so what if it¡¯s his own younger brother? He was here first! Besides, he had his own strengths too, didn¡¯t he?


    First of all, he was small, adorable, and charming!


    At this very moment, Xue Ningxiang brought over a few roasted sweet potatoes, and she also noticed a new handsome young boy in the house.


    Comparing to her past self, Xue Ningxiang showed more calmness now.


    After all, this family was rather odd. An aristocraticdy from the Marquis Residence acted as if nothing was unusual, so she wouldn¡¯t be taken aback even if an empress dowager suddenly appeared.


    Gu Yan observed her for a while, then took the initiative to greet her, ¡°You must be the Sister Xue from next door, my sister has mentioned you. I am Gu Yan, Jiaojiao¡¯s biological brother.¡±


    His voice was as pure as his temperament, and his tone was incredibly gentle. He smiled warmly, reflecting traces of youthful innocence and vibrancy.


    Xue Ningxiang was utterly smitten by his charm.


    Xiaobao punched his fists into his little chest in frustration: Ah! He cursed, he¡¯s already this old and still acting cute! And he¡¯s even better at it than me! Shameless!


    The shadows on the roof could not bear to look anymore, was he really this shameless? Did he even know the situation in the Marquis Residence? Painting himself in green, could he really act innocent?


    Xiaobao was fuming, even dinner had lost its appeal.


    After taking a bath, Xiaobao suddenly remembered another huge advantage.


    He¡¯s a monk! A monk who recites scriptures!


    He could recite chants for Jiaojiao!


    The master imed that he was the best scripture-reciting monk in the world. Jiaojiao would definitely love to hear him recite the chants!


    Xiaobao rummaged through his little box and took out his small wooden fish. Holding his religious instrument and wearing his Buddha Bead, he confidently went to find Gu Jiao!


    However, arriving in the backyard, he heard the mncholy sound of a flute that was as touching as a weep. Though Xiaobao was ignorant of music, even he could sense the trace of sorrow in it.


    Xiaobao clutched his heart.


    As the tune ended, tears welled up in Xiaobao¡¯s eyes.


    Boo hoo, this was the most beautiful melody in the world! His scripture recitation couldn¡¯t hold a candle to it, not even after a hundred tries, or even a thousand!


    In the second round, Xiaobao had lost again!


    Nevertheless, Xiaobao was still hopeful. He had onest ace up his sleeve ¨C he could raise chickens!


    He was Xiaobao, a super monk who could raise seven chicks! He refused to believe that Gu Yan was even better than him!


    ¡°Young Master, your dog has been delivered.¡± The guard handed over the little puppy from the vi into Gu Yan¡¯s arms, then disappeared in a sh!


    Gu Yan and Gu Jiao began ying with the puppy in the backyard.


    Having lived in the mountains all year round, Xiaobao was used to not seeing dogs. He¡¯d seen a few in the vige, but those were fierce andrge stray dogs, unlike the soft and cute little puppy in front of him.


    ¡°Woof!¡±


    Xiaobao stumbled backwards, it can bark too!


    Gu Jiao threw a small bone into the vegetable garden.


    The little puppy ran off huffing and puffing, fetched the small bone, and ced it before Gu Jiao.


    Xiaobao knew that raising chicks was already hard enough, but he didn¡¯t expect Gu Yan to be able to raise a dog too!


    How did he manage to aplish such a difficult task?


    Xiaobao had a very basic understanding of the world: smaller things were easier to take care of than bigger ones. For example, he was easy to care for since he only needed to be fed, whereas his brother-inw was harder to care for given the worries about his examinations and even his walking.


    ¡°I am really in trouble¡­¡±


    Xiaobao finally resigned himself to be a little fish washed ashore, lying lifeless on the bed in the west room.


    After cleaning up the firewood room, Xiao Ling returned to the room to find Xiaobao fast asleep on his back, snoring softly.


    Xiao Ling covered him with a nket, putting away his little wooden fish, Buddha Bead, and Buddhist scriptures, all back in his box. After doing all this, he went to the living room.


    Gu Jiao had also just entered the living room. Seeing him, she asked in a quiet voice, ¡°Is he asleep?¡±


    Xiao Ling nodded and kept his voice down, ¡°Yes, he¡¯s asleep. Where is Gu Yan?¡±


    Gu Jiao replied, ¡°He¡¯s asleep as well.¡±


    Both of them sat on chairs and simultaneously let out a sigh of relief.


    This felt somewhat like a pair of parents asking, ¡°Is Xiaobao asleep?¡± ¡°Yes, he is. How about Dabao?¡± ¡°Dabao is also asleep.¡±


    Then the parents could finally begin to do their own things.


    Gu Jiao suggested to him, ¡°Go for your rehabilitation.¡±


    In the backyard, they had speciallyid a cobblestone path for his rehab. Even though she knew his condition was psychological, she would not give up any chances at helping.


    Xiao Ling mocked himself, ¡°No matter how much I practice, I still won¡¯t be able to walk.¡±


    Gu Jiao pointed at his legs and said seriously, ¡°At least your muscles won¡¯t atrophy. The day you decide to walk, they¡¯ll be ready to support your dreams and take you wherever you want.¡±


    Something in Xiao Ling¡¯s heart was touched.


    But in the next second, he started mocking himself again.


    Dreams?


    He had no dreams.


    But her words, ¡°when you want to walk,¡± seemed to have a deeper meaning when pondered upon.


    Did she mean ¡°him walking¡± or ¡°him departing¡±?


    Xiao Ling looked at her with deep, questioning eyes.


    Gu Jiao, however, didn¡¯t exin further. She smiled slightly and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    She took his crutches and helped him to the backyard.


    The night deepened, and the whole vige fell into a deep sleep.


    The moonlight was serene, and she held his arm as they moved step by step on the cobblestone path in the backyard.


    The path seemed long, but they probably reached their destination sooner than expected. He wondered if the same was true for their rtionship.


    The next day, Xiao Ling got up early to go to the Academy, and since Xiaobao¡¯s private school was on holiday, Gu Jiao sent him off alone in the bullock cart.


    It was early in the day, and since Xiaobao didn¡¯t have school, Gu Jiao thought he would sleep in. As soon as Xiao Ling left, Xiaobao woke up.


    First, he did some squats in the backyard, then he practiced a few splits, even managed to lift his leg above his head. He made Gu Jiao ce a bowl of water on his foot.


    The little monk practicing was both serious and adorable.


    After his practice, Gu Jiao had just cleaned up the kitchen and was about to go up the mountain to pick some mushrooms.


    As Gu Yan was still fast asleep, Xiaobao, having the opportunity to be alone with Jiaojiao, naturally didn¡¯t pass up the chance, and proposed to go up the mountain with Jiaojiao!


    Gu Jiao agreed.


    The two of them each carried their little baskets, and as they opened the front door, they saw a horse-drawn carriage parked in front of their house.


    A kind-faced young man jumped off the carriage, sped his hands in greeting to Gu Jiao, and asked, ¡°Excuse me, is this Xiao Ling¡¯s house?¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    The young man replied amicably, ¡°You must be Mrs. Xiao, right? My family¡¯s steward asked me to invite Mrs. Xiao to the town for a chat.¡±

 Chapter 128: 101 Bribery (Second Update)

    Chapter 128: 101 Bribery (Second Update)


    In order to prove his identity, the young man produced a token from his own family residence.


    It wasn¡¯t a bronze badge, but a piece of iron with patterns engraved on it.


    Gu Jiao had not been here for long, and most of her contacts were fellow vigers. She had little interaction with powerful households, but she knew well that such tokens were strictly regted in Zhan Country.


    Typically, influential families could only use wooden tokens. Above that were fishbone tokens, and only officials could use iron ones.


    However, an iron token of an official carried the emblem of the official government of Zhan country, which this token clearly didn¡¯t have.


    So there was only one possibility: the other party was not an official, but his status could possibly be even higher than an official¡¯s.


    ¡°Jiaojiao?¡± Little Jingkong looked quizzically at Gu Jiao. He was young and evidently didn¡¯t understand the situation.


    Patting his little head, Gu Jiao said to the young man, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± She then turned to Little Jingkong, ¡°Go find granny.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no!¡± Little Jingkong shook his head like a drum, he¡¯d been at the academy every day without any time to y with Jiaojiao. Having a day off atst, he was determined to stick to Jiaojiao like glue!


    Looking at his shining, hopeful eyes, Gu Jiao finally did not refuse: ¡°Okay.¡±


    The young man smiled and made a gesture: ¡°Please!¡±


    Gu Jiao first went next door to inform Xue Ningxiang and asked her to look after the house; then she rode in the carriage prepared by the young man along with Little Jingkong, while the young man himself rode a horse next to them.


    The carriage arrived shortly at the only tea house in the town.


    The owner of this tea house was from the provincial city and was rumored to be quite influential. Normally, all the customers are high-profile individuals from the town; however, today the teahouse was empty, seemingly having been privately reserved.


    The other party really was a big spender.


    Gu Jiao and Little Jingkong were led by the young man into an elegantly unique private room.


    The young man had the servants serve tea and desserts.


    He seemed very attentive to Gu Jiao. Amoner would have been rather dazzled by this, but Gu Jiao remained calm.


    As the saying goes, it is not a good sign when someone gives you a warm wee without any apparent reason. Given her current status, she could not afford to be served so diligently.


    The young man said: ¡°Please wait a moment, Mrs. Xiao. I will now bring in Manager Zhou.¡±


    Gu Jiao grunted in acknowledgment.


    The young man¡¯s politeness was superficial, and Gu Jiao could feel his condescension. However, she did not insist on being treated otherwise. If some people willingly blind themselves at a young age, it is their loss, not hers.


    The young man held no regard for a peasant woman, especially since Gu Jiao was so ugly, he was even more disdainful.


    However, the manager had instructed him to ord great respect to the schr¡¯s wife, with no slighting in any way.


    The young man turned around to call his manager.


    Manager Zhou came quickly.


    Being capable of being a manager, his expression management was much better than the young man¡¯s. At least his smile looked extremely sincere.


    Gu Jiao took a te of snacks from the table, handed them to Little Jingkong and said, ¡°Go y in the courtyard. I have some things to discuss.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Little Jingkong hopped off the wooden stool, took the te of snacks, and scampered out.


    The window was open, and from where Gu Jiao sat, she could see the whole courtyard.


    Little Jingkong found a small stone stool to sit on, eating and swinging his short legs. He seems to have noticed Gu Jiao watching him, so he turned his head to give her a sweet smile!


    Gu Jiao also smiled back. Happy as ark, he continued devouring his snacks.


    Manager Zhou patiently waited for the siblings to finish interacting before stepping forward and saluted to Gu Jiao: ¡°Manager Zhou greets Mrs. Xiao.¡±


    Gu Jiao did not stand up to return the courtesy, nor did she seem ttered. She merely nodded, disying an air of cidity.


    Manager Zhou was surprised. He examined Gu Jiao from head to foot; whether it was her clothing or her appearance, she looked nothing more than an average vige woman. And since her face was disfigured, she should have felt more self-conscious and awkward than most women.


    Yet she did not behave in that way, but rather, gave off an air of aloofness.


    Manager Zhou took a moment to gather his thoughts, then addressed Gu Jiao, ¡°Madame Xiao, I am a servant of Lin family from the provincial city. Have you heard of the Lin family?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t.¡± Gu Jiao replied tersely.


    Manager Zhou was surprised. Was this woman a local? How could she not have heard of the Lin family? In Youzhou, the Lin family was as powerful as a local emperor; even the provincial governor had to give them due respect.


    The Lin family made their fortune from the salt trade. They initially established a salt gang through illegal salt dealing. When the government sent troops to crush the gang, both sides suffered heavy casualties. Eventually, the government incorporated the salt gang with a policy of amnesty.


    Although they were incorporated, the Lin family still controlled the salt business, but now they had to split the earnings from the salt trade with the government.


    And the salt gang could no longer oppress themon people or exploit them. When necessary, they also had to assist the government in eliminating pirates.


    Manager Zhou briefly exined Lin family¡¯s background, and then waited for Gu Jiao to express her surprise.


    But Gu Jiao remained still.


    Is this girl a fool?


    Perhaps being a fool is also good.


    Zhou, the steward, smiled and said to Gu Jiao, ¡°Actually, I came to Qingquan Town because of its reputation. Young Brother Xiao got into school, and we haven¡¯t congratted Mrs. Xiao yet, so this is a congrattory gift. Please ept it with a smile.¡±


    As he spoke, he gestured to a servant outside the room.


    A servant girl brought a heavy box into the room.


    After putting the box on the table, Zhou gestured for the maid to step back.


    Zhou opened the box, revealing the shining silver inside.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s eyesnded on the silver ingots, she asked indifferently, ¡°Mr. Zhou, just say what you want to say.¡±


    Seeing this country woman so calm in the face of so much silver, Zhou grew even more curious about her. Still, he hid his confusion behind a smile and said, ¡°Mrs. Xiao is a very straightforward person. To be honest, Xiao¡¯s brother has topped both county and academy exams, his performance has been ster. After reading his articles, my master appreciated Xiao¡¯s talent a lot and wanted to invite him to the provincial city to our Lin Residence.¡±


    Gu Jiao did not rush to agree.


    Zhou continued, ¡°My master sincerely wants to befriend Xiao¡¯s brother. I hope you can help arrange it.¡±


    Gu Jiao replied indifferently, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you approach him directly? Or did you and he refused?¡±


    Zhou was left speechless.


    Gu Jiao said, ¡°So, he refused.¡±


    Having said so, Gu Jiao got up to leave.


    Zhou was dumbfounded.


    Could she be this straightforward? Didn¡¯t she leave any room for negotiating? Is she still a woman? No, is she still a human?


    In his hurry, Zhou called out, ¡°Mrs. Xiao! Mrs. Xiao, please wait! Is it because you think I¡¯m not sincere enough? This silver is just a congrattory gift, everything can be discussed!¡±


    Yet, Gu Jiao remained unmoved.


    Zhou caught up with her, saying breathlessly, ¡°The local examination is around the corner, Xiao will end up going to the provincial city anyway, why not just settle down there earlier! Our Lin family will take care of everything for him!¡±


    The local examination day was indeed approaching.


    Gu Jiao stopped, looked back at him and asked, ¡°So what does he need to do? Take his bedding along, stay for the exam and leave afterwards?¡±


    ¡°Er¡­¡± Zhou was speechless by Gu Jiao¡¯s bluntness, but managed to continue, ¡°Well, my young master is also preparing for the local examination. We¡¯d like Xiao to stay for a while and help my young master with his studies.¡±


    Gu Jiao hmm¡¯d a bit, ¡°So, he is to be a teacher, but since he has already refused¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no! He didn¡¯t refuse!¡±


    Gu Jiao weirdly looked at him.


    Zhou awkwardly responded, ¡°To be precise, he didn¡¯t refuse the request that I just made.¡±


    As it turns out, when Zhou visited Xiao Ling at the Tianxiang Academy, he told him that as long as Xiao Ling could guarantee the young master of the Lin family could pass the imperial exam, their master would reward Xiao Ling with two thousand taels of silver.


    Though aware of how valuable an eligible bachelor was in ancient times, he hadn¡¯t anticipated it being this valuable.


    Isn¡¯t it better to be a rich second-generationyabout? Why crack their head studying to pass the imperial examination?


    This has always been a sore point for the Lin family. The Lin family, nicely put, came from the salt merchants, in other words, salt peddlers, once a nest of pirates. The Lin family was so poor that all they had left was money.


    Why did the government confidently enlist the Lin family? Wasn¡¯t it that the offspring of the Lin family were worthless, and within two or three generations, they would decline?


    By then, the salt gang would havepletely fallen into the hands of the government without a fight.


    The Lin family may have foreseen the crisis facing their family, but at that time, they seemed resilient, but they had already lost the power to confront the government. If they fought back, they might still kill a few thousand soldiers, but no one in the Lin family would survive.


    Being enlisted might allow the Lin family a few decades of peace. The Lin family was hoping their descendants could achieve something and maintain the family.


    The Lin family finally had a promising son, the sixth young master, after a dozen of useless dandies.


    The sixth young master, born of a concubine, was diligent and studious. Mr. Lin and his wife had high hopes for him.


    The Lin family treasured this sixth young master and spared no expense in nurturing him.


    Xiao Ling was rmended by one of the tutors of the Lin family, a schr from the capital city. Mr. Lin might have been a crude man without knowledge of the Eight-Legged Essay, but he trusted the schr from the capital.


    The schr said Xiao Ling had far better literary talent than any of the tutors in the Lin Residence and would be able to make things go twice as well with half the effort when teaching the sixth young master.

 Chapter 129: 102 Dreaming (First Update)

    Chapter 129: 102 Dreaming (First Update)


    Steward Zhou said, ¡°I pondered all night and felt that the request I made from Xiao was indeed a bit excessive. As the saying goes, the master can lead you to the door, but it¡¯s up to you to master the art. Whether my young master can pass the Imperial examination depends mainly on his own fortune. But our intention to learn from Xiao is sincere! Our lord said that as long as Master Xiao is willing to go to the Provincial City, everything else can be negotiated!¡±


    Gu Jiao nced at him, ¡°So, if he fails, we won¡¯t be med, right?¡±


    Steward Zhou hastily replied, ¡°No me, no me!¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°The silver?¡±


    Steward Zhou: ¡°It will be paid as promised! We will give it when we get to the Provincial City! We won¡¯t break our word!¡±


    Gu Jiao said, ¡°You can go and talk to my husband directly.¡±


    Steward Zhou shrugged helplessly, ¡°How could I not go? But Xiao seems to no longer want to have anything to do with us! I beg Madame Xiao to do me a favour, please take this silver first, it¡¯s all yours, regardless of the oue!¡±


    Gu Jiao took the brocade box he handed over and said indifferently, ¡°Silver or not isn¡¯t the point, I mainly consider your favor.¡±


    Steward Zhou: ¡°¡­¡±


    Must she make her greed sound so elegantly detached?


    Steward Zhou thanked her profusely while Gu Jiao repeatedly emphasized that she was simply passing a message, not being a mediator.


    Steward Zhou was all smiles, ¡°Of course! Of course!¡±


    Gu Jiao took the silver and went back to the vige with Xiao Jingkong.


    After counting, it was indeed 500 taels.


    The fee for passing the message was really not small.


    That evening, after Xiao Ling finished school, Gu Jiao told him about her daytime meeting with Steward Zhou, not omitting a word or adding any embellishments.


    After hearing Gu Jiao¡¯s ount, Xiao Ling frowned slightly. It was not because he was upset that Gu Jiao had met with Steward Zhou, but because he hadn¡¯t expected Steward Zhou to be so relentless as to track down his home.


    He said, ¡°If anyone elsees in the future, don¡¯t easily go away with them. This time we happened to meet Steward Zhou, who is not a difficult person to deal with, but what if¡­¡±


    Gu Jiao looked at him with a teasing smile, ¡°You seem to be worried about something, do you think there will be more people looking for you?¡±


    Xiao Ling opened his mouth, but then closed it, pausing for a long time before finally saying, ¡°I just want you to be careful.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Gu Jiao grinned, then looked at the box of silver on the table and asked, ¡°What do you n to do with the Lin Family issue?¡±


    Xiao Ling was aware of the Lin family¡¯s situation: it was exactly as Zhou had described. If the Lin family didn¡¯t produce a member who could serve as an official, they would have no one to protect them in thirty years.


    Of course, the Lin family could buy their way into office, but the titles they could buy were not high-ranking, and no one dared sell a position to the Lin family. Therefore, the imperial examination was indeed the Lin family¡¯s only way forward.


    It was said that the Lin family¡¯s patriarch had almost turned himself into a breeding pig trying to father useful sons.


    Xiao Ling nced at Gu Jiao and said, ¡°If they don¡¯t insist on certain results, there¡¯s no harm in giving it a try.¡±


    Gu Jiao also agreed. After all, it was 500 taels of silver.


    Moreover, the Provincial City was much farther away from the Prefecture City. If they were to take the rural examination, they would need to set off more than a month in advance and it was uncertain whether they could find a suitable ce to settle down after arriving there.


    It would be much more convenient if they could stay at the Lin Residence.


    Gu Jiao asked, ¡°Will it interfere with your own studies?¡±


    Xiao Ling replied, ¡°No.¡±


    Gu Jiao remembered the dean saying that Xiao Ling was extremely intelligent and just did not want to go to the capital to take the test. It might not be a bad thing to let him travel a bit.


    Gu Jiao nodded, ¡°Then it¡¯s decided.¡±


    Xiao Ling: ¡°Mmm.¡±


    Just when it seemed like the matter of going to the Lin family was settled, Gu Jiao had a dream that night.


    She dreamed that Xiao Ling agreed to Steward Zhou¡¯s proposal and proceeded to the Provincial City under the escort of Zhou and the bodyguards of the Lin family.


    The Lin family was indeed sincere in their request. This should have been a secure arrangement, but as the saying goes, man proposes, God disposes. On their way, Xiao Ling and his group were caught in a once-in-a-decade downpour.


    The post station where Xiao Ling was staying got flooded, and the group was scattered by the waters. Xiao Ling managed to grab onto a floating wooden nk and saved his life, but fell severely ill as a result. By the time he was found by Zhou and his men and taken back to the Lin home, he had lost a significant amount of weight.


    Luckily they left early, so even after all this dy, there were still two full months before the provincial examination.


    While recuperating at the Lin residence, Xiao Ling tutored the sixth young master of the Lin family.


    The sixth young master was a well-behaved individual. He was not a genius, but he was diligent and persistent. Xiao Ling got along with him quite well.


    However, just before the provincial examination, something big happened: a cousin from a branch family of the Lin residence stayed over. She was the niece of Lady Lin, the wife of the Lin family¡¯s patriarch.


    The young woman took an instant liking to Xiao Ling.


    Xiao Ling, despite being crippled, had managed to win her heart, which just goes to show how devastatingly handsome this man was.


    Being a decent youngdy of stature, she didn¡¯t offer herself outright at the first encounter. As it happened, the sixth young master had caught a cold.


    Having made up her mind, the cousin persuaded her maiden aunt, ¡°Given cousin¡¯s condition, it¡¯s doubtful he can pass the exam. Why not let Xiao Ling take his ce? Cousin can write his name, and he can write cousin¡¯s name. That way, the odds of us passing the exam is higher.¡±


    The young woman promised her uncle¡¯s wife that she would willingly be Xiao Ling¡¯s concubine as a token of gratitude.


    Lady Lin had seen it all before. What couldn¡¯t she see through? But the cousin¡¯s suggestion did strike a chord with her.


    The sixth young master might not have been her biological son, but this matter concerned the future prospects of the entire Lin family. Lady Lin agreed to the n.


    Xiao Ling vehemently refused and sharply rebuked the two.


    Madam Lin was just trying their luck, no harm in failing.


    However, Miss Lin turned out to be ruthless, resorting to drugging Xiao Ling in a fit of rage!


    Objectively speaking, Miss Lin was notcking in beauty, in fact, quite the flower, yet even so, Xiao Ling resisted the aphrodisiac with sheer willpower.


    But from then on, he fell ill.


    When he woke up, Gu Jiao was furious!


    What a mess Miss Lin had created, daring to y tricks on Xiao Ling? Using such despicable means to potentially ruin his¡­ future prospects!


    And it wasn¡¯t just about his own future prospects!


    This was intolerable!


    It seemed as if he would have to avoid the Lin Residence entirely.


    As a regr visitor to the Lin Residence, once Xiao Ling moved in there, he was bound to run into Miss Lin no matter how cautious he was.


    At the crack of dawn, while Gu Yan and the olddy were still fast asleep, Gu Jiao was having breakfast in the hall with Xiao Ling and Xiao Jingkong.


    Xiao Jingkong was the first to finish and returned to the west room to pack his school bag.


    As Gu Jiao sipped her porridge, she hesitated over how to initiate the conversation.


    His belongings had been packed neatly since early morning. Gu Jiao nced at the two bundles on the chair, her eyes revealing a subtle emotion.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± she said withposed demeanor, ¡°I¡¯ve thought about the situation with the Lin family, perhaps you should reconsider it again?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the issue?¡± Xiao Ling looked at her in confusion.


    Gu Jiao earnestly replied, ¡°You¡¯ll be gone so long, what about the house?¡±


    Xiao Ling was taken aback: ¡°We don¡¯t farm anyway.¡±


    Gu Jiao continued: ¡°We may not farm, but with the elderly and children at home, it¡¯s hard for me to take care of everything myself! Plus, asionally I need to go up the mountain!¡±


    Xiao Ling was confused, he didn¡¯t seem to be much help at home, and most of the work was done by her. Logically, wouldn¡¯t she find it easier if he were not at home¡­


    Gu Jiao: ¡°I can¡¯t keep troubling Xue Ningxiang!¡±


    Xiao Ling: ¡°Then how about¡­ hiring a maid?¡±


    We can afford a maid now, given that he¡¯s a man and it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to live under the same roof. But if he¡¯s away, it wouldn¡¯t be an issue.


    Gu Jiao: ¡°I¡¯m notfortable with strangers in the house.¡±


    That didn¡¯t convince Xiao Ling, especially as she was the one who had initially encouraged him to go to the Provincial City.


    Gu Jiao understood this, so she dropped a bombshell: ¡°Besides, I heard from Gu Yan that the Lin family has many beautiful daughters, who knows if you would be flirting around when you get there and bring me a few sisters-inw.¡±


    Gu Yan was a young master from the Marquis Residence, he had a way with information, and it was not surprising that he knew about the Lin family.


    And Xiao Ling wouldn¡¯t corroborate this with Gu Yan and question whether such strange ideas had been instilled in his sister.


    Xiao Ling looked deeply into Gu Jiao¡¯s eyes, ¡°So, you¡¯re jealous?¡±


    Gu Jiao: Can I say no?


    Xiao Ling took a spoonful of millet porridge, ¡°Got it, I won¡¯t go.¡±


    No way! He was so easily swayed?


    Gu Jiao nced at him and said, ¡°Actually, I was just throwing out a suggestion, the decision is yours¡­ we¡¯re talking about 500 taels of silver, aren¡¯t you feeling a pinch?¡±


    Xiao Ling said nonchntly: ¡°It seems like you are the one feeling the pinch.¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°Is it¡­ that obvious?¡±


    Then she calmly added: ¡°Actually, it doesn¡¯t matter whether we have the silver or not. The main thing is to salvage a potential bright young man. Well, discussing this now is pointless.¡±


    How could they earn this silver without going to the Lin family?


    Xiao Ling nced at her, pretending to be unaffected. Yet her lips were already pouting high enough to hang a pot of oil.


    Xiao Ling and Xiao Jingkong went into the town. He first dropped off Xiao Jingkong at his private school, and then he headed to Tianxiang Academy.


    Manager Zhou had been waiting there for quite some time.


    Seeing Xiao Ling, he greeted him with a beaming face, ¡°How did Schr Xiao consider it?¡±


    Xiao Ling replied lightly, ¡°I can tutor your young master, but there is one condition.¡±


    Manager Zhou was overjoyed: ¡°Don¡¯t just mention one condition! Even ten would be fine!¡±


    Xiao Ling replied, ¡°I won¡¯t go to Provincial City. If your young master truly wants to learn, let hime here. I will enroll him in the academy to study with me in the same ss and share the same desk.¡±


    Manager Zhou¡¯s mouth opened wide: ¡°Ah¡­ how about¡­ if I add more silver?¡±


    Xiao Ling responded indifferently: ¡°Even gold won¡¯t make a difference. If hees, I will teach, if not, you can find someone more suitable.¡±

 Chapter 130: 103 Domineering Beat Up Dad (Second Update)

    Chapter 130: 103 Domineering Beat Up Dad (Second Update)


    Not long after Xiao Ling left, Lord Gu showed up.


    He came without the Yao Family knowing, primarily concerned about Gu Yan, forever fearing that such a poor and remote ce might damage his precious son. He hoped to take Gu Yan back.


    Gu Yan was the one who opened the door.


    Upon seeing his father, Gu Yan quickly shut the door!


    Lord Gu got so angry that he stomped his feet. Despite his yelling, the door remained closed. By the time he managed to get around to the back door, Gu Yan had already bolted himself in his room.


    Lord Gu, his teeth chattering in rage: ¡°¡­.¡±


    The chickens hadn¡¯t started their daily activities yet and were quietly kept in the cage.


    Lord Gu found Gu Jiao busying herself in the backyard and pointed at the closed door, saying, ¡°You should control him!¡±


    Gu Jiao looked at him nkly, her gaze direct and cold. Ignoring him, she fetched a shiny axe from the firewood room.


    Lord Gu took a sharp breath: ¡°You¡­ what are you doing? Are you nning to mur¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, a loud ng echoed as Gu Jiao split a piece of wood.


    The wood was split evenly right down the middle, a clear sign of expert¡­ umm, firewood chopping skills!


    Lord Gu swallowed, and after a while found his voice again, saying, ¡°This ce isn¡¯t suitable for Yanyan to live. He has been spoiled and pampered since birth, and his lifestyle is unlike that of ordinary people. His health has only recently improved somewhat. If we¡¯re not careful, he might fall sick again. You¡¯re his sister, don¡¯t harm him. If you two really want to be together, move back to the vi. The vi is big and you can live in whichever courtyard you want. If you don¡¯t like any of the current courtyards, you can even have new ones built.¡±


    He swore that this was the most heartfelt speech he¡¯d ever given to this girl.


    He had made such a big concession; surely she would be moved now?


    He didn¡¯t yell at her, didn¡¯t hit her, and spoke to her nicely; surely she should be satisfied now?


    But who would¡¯ve known, Gu Jiao showed no gratitude, only inly saying, ¡°He¡¯s living fine here.¡±


    Lord Gu snapped, ¡°Look at this poor ce! How can he possibly live well here?¡±


    Gu Jiao, chopping another piece of wood: ¡°Did hisplexion improve over these years in the Marquis Residence and the vi, then?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Lord Gu was rendered speechless by her retort.


    That¡¯s right, over the years, Gu Yan lived in the finest rooms, ate the most exquisite food, had a hoard of servants, but his health was deteriorating day by day. It was only after meeting Huichun Hall that his condition improved.


    Lord Gu realized that it was pointless to argue on this. After all, fraternal twins were usually simr in their rebellious nature towards their father.


    Lord Gu, hands on his hips, took a few deep breaths before asking, ¡°Then when do you n to return?¡±


    He would grant their wish to stay temporarily, but there had to be a time limit, right?


    Lady Shu was getting impatient at the pce, he had to take them back to the capital by June at thetest. He couldn¡¯t let the siblings do as they pleased forever.


    ¡°He¡¯ll go back when he wants to.¡± Gu Jiao didn¡¯t mention herself, since she had no intention of going back at all.


    Lord Gu then fully understood that this girl was stubborn in her defiance.


    Well, he would let Mrs. Yao handle this.


    Both twins tended to be more receptive when she talked to them.


    Remembering his second purpose foring here, Lord Gu said, ¡°You may not have to go back with me for now, but you must divorce that crippled boy!¡±


    Gu Jiao paused in her chopping.


    Lord Gu said, ¡°While you two haven¡¯t consummated your marriage, you¡¯re still an unmarried girl. Once we return to the Capital City, we can simply say you were never married, and I¡¯ll arrange another good marriage for you!¡±


    Thud!


    Gu Jiao mmed the axe down onto the wood.


    If he was just ranting about her and Gu Yan returning to the capital, she could put up with that. But asking her to divorce Xiao Ling was too ridiculous.


    What kind of father would inquire about whether his daughter has consummated her marriage?


    Gu Jiao really misunderstood Lord Gu. He only knew about the chastity mark on her face.


    But none of that mattered now.


    Gu Jiao was fuming.


    While Lord Gu was chattering non-stop, even listing a long lineup of high-ranking young masters from the Capital City, he saw Gu Jiao stand up with a cold expression.


    Lord Gu felt a chill run down his spine under Gu Jiao¡¯s death re.


    This girl, how could she have such a terrifying look?


    ¡°You, on what grounds do you interfere in my affairs?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m your father!¡±

 Chapter 131: 103 Domineering Beat Up Dad (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 131: 103 Domineering Beat Up Dad (Second Update)_2


    ¡°Have you provided for me then? Even for a single day?¡±


    Lord Gu was caught off guard and stuttered after a pause, ¡°Isn¡¯t that because of the mistaken identity? I¡¯vee back topensate you now, haven¡¯t I? As long as youe back with me, you would be the Lady of the Marquis¡¯s Residence! Your mother and I would both cherish you very much!¡±


    Gu Jiao scoffed, ¡°There¡¯s no sincerity at all.¡±


    Lord Gu replied miffed, ¡°Why do you say Ick sincerity?¡±


    Gu Jiao coolly responded, ¡°If you truly want to take me back, then drive out Gu Jinyu who has upied my identity for over a decade, that¡¯s the kind of sincerity you should have.¡±


    Lord Gu¡¯s expression instantly darkened, ¡°How could you utter such spiteful words? None of this was Jinyu¡¯s fault, yet you insist on ming her! Despite her always speaking up for you, saying her illness isn¡¯t due to your bullying. Look at yourself, is this how you behave as an older sister?¡±


    Gu Jiao dryly dered, ¡°I don¡¯t have a sister.¡±


    ¡°You¡­..¡± Lord Gu thought of how affectionately Jinyu always called Gu Jiao ¡®sister¡¯. He then looked at this youngdy, who seemed to have no redeeming qualities at all, disappointing him through and through. ¡°I won¡¯t drive Jinyu away, you can quit dreaming!¡±


    Hmph, who cares?


    Gu Jiao drove him out and mmed the door shut with a loud ¡®bang¡¯!


    Meanwhile, Huang Zhong at the vige entrance was anxious waiting for the return of Lord Gu. After a while, when his master didn¡¯t show up, he thought his master might have caused some trouble. Just as he was about to go looking, he saw his Lord Gu covering his nose and walking towards him.


    ¡°Lord Gu, what happened?¡± Hud Zhong asked in concern.


    Lord Gu lowered his hand from his nose, and Huang Zhong was bbergasted. ¡°You¡­you were beaten up again?¡±


    Why was his nose bleeding? And it¡¯s swollen too?


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it all because she mmed the door so fast?¡± He tried to step through the doorway, but instead was smacked by the door, almost skewing his nose.


    Huang Zhong sighed, ¡°Can¡¯t you just avoid upsetting Miss Gu?¡±


    Lord Gu red at him, ¡°How am I the one upsetting her? She is clearly the one who¡¯s upsetting me!¡±


    Huang Zhong asked, ¡°How did she upset you?¡±


    Lord Gu coldly scoffed, ¡°She had the audacity to ask me to drive Jinyu away! How can her mind be so narrow, she can¡¯t even amodate a sister! When Jin Yu learned that she had an elder sister, what did she say?¡±


    This¡­. isn¡¯t the same, right?


    The second Miss isn¡¯t his own biological child, she has taken Miss Gu¡¯s ce for so many years. It¡¯s already good enough that she has not been sent back to her real family, let alone having the audacity toin?


    While Second Miss may be innocent, isn¡¯t Miss Gu as well?


    She suffered the hardships that should have been borne by the Second Miss, while the Second Miss enjoyed the blessings that should have been hers. Who would be happy about this?


    However, having served Lord Gu for many years, Huang Zhong understands his master¡¯s nature very well. He is immensely rebellious and tenacious at heart, he is the type to persist in doing something especially when he is told not to.


    On this point, father and daughter were indeed very simr.


    Huang Zhong let out a sigh,¡±Lord Gu, let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Lord Gu shot him a dangerous nce, ¡°The matter isn¡¯t resolved yet, how could I possibly go back?¡±


    Huang Zhong was speechless, ¡°But, you have no way to deal with Miss Gu.¡±


    ¡°Just because I don¡¯t have a way to deal with her, doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t deal with others.¡± Lord Gu coldly replied, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Academy.¡±


    The Academy had just ended for the day.


    Xiao Ling had juste out from the Tianxiang Academy and was about to pick up Xiao Jingkong from the private school.


    Lord Gu asked a young servant from the Academy to point out Xiao Ling. The young servant lifted his hand and pointed, ¡°It¡¯s him!¡±


    Lord Gu looked towards Xiao Ling and to his surprise, he recognized him. He nearly dropped his jaw!


    Wasn¡¯t this the young boy from thest time, from the vige, who bore a resemnce to the young Marquis from Zhaodu?


    How could it be him?


    Lord Gu didn¡¯t meet the young Marquis from Zhaodu often, primarily because there was no significant interaction between the two families. Despite both being Marquis residences, the Xuanping Marquis Residence held a higher status than the Ding¡¯an Marquis Residence.


    Xuanping Marquis was a genuine First-rank king.


    With power, wealth and influence, they were wealthy enough to rival a country, dominating the capital.


    The sister of Xuanping Marquis was the current Empress. Even his other sister, Consort Shu, had to perform the rites of a concubine upon meeting her.


    The off-spring from such a family could unquestionably be referred to as the Pride of the Heaven.


    Born into such excellence, yet he also possessed distinguished personal talents. At the young age of twelve or thirteen, he had already be a young ceremonial officer of the Guozijian, matched his father, Xuanping Marquis, in his brilliance and elegance.


    It¡¯s a pity that the heavens envy the gifted.


    Lord Gu took another look at Xiao Ling.


    This time, he didn¡¯t find him very simr.


    The young Marquis from Zhaodu was a pure and kindhearted youth, as gentle as jade, always carrying a dignified and beautiful smile in his eyes.


    Xiao Ling¡¯s gaze was too cold, as if his heart was shrouded in darkness.


    Lord Gu squinted his eyes discontentedly.


    At this moment, Xiao Ling walked closer, and the young servant waved at him, ¡°Xiao Ling! Someone is looking for you!¡±

 Chapter 132: 103 Domineering Beat Up Dad (Second Update)_3

    Chapter 132: 103 Domineering Beat Up Dad (Second Update)_3


    Xiao Ling stared at Marquis Gu, pausing in his stride.


    Marquis Gu did not wait for him toe over, so he himself stepped forward, disdainfully looking at Xiao Ling. ¡°So you¡¯re Xiao Ling?¡± he asked.


    With an indifferent expression, Xiao Ling looked at him: ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Marquis Gu signaled Huang Zhong, who then pulled out a stack of silver bills from his bosom.


    Marquis Gu arrogantly stated, ¡°Leave my daughter alone, and these silver bills are all yours!¡±


    Without even ncing at the silver bills, Xiao Ling replied with a nk expression, ¡°Are these not too little?¡±


    Marquis Gu lifted his chin and said, ¡°Five thousand taels, enough to squander for several lifetimes. You could even marry several beautiful wives and lead a life of luxury. Don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯ve achieved top scores twice that you have a bright future. I¡¯ve seen many like you, and not many can truly make it to the Pce Examination. With bad luck, you¡¯ll fail in the regional examination!¡±


    How much effort and resources have the great families invested to cultivate their descendants? Among those descendants, many are clever and studious. What would these poor schrs have topete with them?


    Even if they are fortunate enough to get into the Capital City, do they really think that they can make something of themselves?


    Until the regional examination, perhaps it¡¯s still a matter of merit. But, the higher you go, it bes a matter of power.


    Every year, the top three schrs are from several powerful families in Capital City. Behind this fact lies the Emperor¡¯s helplessness and countless secret political battles, something Xiao Ling and his ilk of poor, old-fashioned bookworms could never understand!


    Indeed, education could transform a group of shrimps into small fish, but it¡¯s impossible to make the carp leap over the dragon gate.


    Marquis Gu looked at Xiao Ling and advised, ¡°Your status is determined at birth. You¡¯re not worthy of being my son-inw; take these silver bills and disappear from my sight. If you think it¡¯s too little, I can add more. Huang Zhong!¡±


    Huang Zhong then pulled out another thousand-tael silver bill.


    Xiao Ling responded with a chillingugh, ¡°Marquis Gu, have you forgotten something?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Marquis Gu asked.


    Xiao Ling smirked, ¡°She is not yet your daughter.¡±


    This really came as a punch to the gut!


    Marquis Gu¡¯s haughty demeanor instantly froze.


    Xiao Ling shot back in a calm, mocking tone, ¡°If you¡¯re talking about that daughter of yours that you¡¯ve raised since a young age, then you don¡¯t need to worry at all. Even if you offer me five thousand gold taels, I would not spare her a second nce!¡±


    What kind of rejection is this?


    Is this boy too conceited?


    Does he know how many people in the Capital City want to marry Jin Yu? All superior by a thousand times to him, each the son of a noble family!


    No, this is not the time to get angry, we¡¯re almost being led astray by this brat!


    Marquis Gu clenched his fists, nning to teach this ungrateful wretch a lesson. ¡°Huang Zhong, Huang Zhong!¡±


    Huh?


    Where did he go?


    Where the hell did he go?


    Marquis Gu swiftly turned around to check where Huang Zhong had gone, only to be suddenly pulled into a nearby alley by a slender white hand reaching from behind him.


    After a few moments, Gu Jiao walked out, looking refreshed and cool.


    Xiao Ling gave her a strange look, and she simply pped her hands and gave him a warm smile, ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting. We¡¯ve had our talk, and he won¡¯t be bothering you anymore.¡±


    Marquis Gu, ¡°talked through,¡± was left helplessly leaning against a wall in the corner of the alley, like a puppet with its strings cut, his body numb with pain.


    Next to him, Huang Zhong had equally been left in the same state¡ª a soulless puppet.


    Both looked dazed, their faces swollen and beaten, utterly miserable!

 Chapter 133: 104 Baby (First update)

    Chapter 133: 104 Baby (First update)


    When Marquis Gu and Huang Zhong returned to the vi, hobbling and limping, it was alreadyte at night.


    They wanted to return earlier, but for several hours, they couldn¡¯t budge.


    When Gu Jinyu saw the two men covered in wounds, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder, ¡°Dad, Guard Huang, what happened to you guys?¡±


    Marquis Gu was too embarrassed to tell the truth and grumpily said, ¡°We had a car ident.¡±


    Gu Jinyu froze, ¡°What happened to the carriage? Why would there be a car ident?¡±


    Marquis Gu nced at Huang Zhong, ¡°Huang Zhong was drunk driving.¡±


    Huang Zhong: ¡°¡­¡±


    They say trouble alwayses looking for you, well, here it is!


    Gu Jinyu furrowed his brows, ¡°Guard Huang, why were you drinking?¡±


    Huang Zhong nced at Marquis Gu, ¡°Marquis Gu made me drink.¡±


    Marquis Gu: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡ª


    At the end of April, the ten-day holiday of Tianxiang Academy arrived. Gu Xiaoshun, who had been living in the dormitory for many days, could finally go home!


    Even though he wasn¡¯t in the vige, he knew exactly what was happening at home. To be precise, as long as Little Monk knows, he would know too.


    Because since Little Monk started private school, the three of them would have lunch together daily.


    Little Monk¡¯s private school originally provided lunch, but he couldn¡¯t eat it because it had pork fat. Xiao Ling had no choice but to bring him out to eat.


    Since they are brothers, he naturally would not leave one out.


    In his private school, Little Monk was a quiet kid who rarely spoke. But in front of Gu Xiaoshun, he transformed into a little chatterbox, babbling on and on about the entire house¡¯s affairs.


    When Gu Xiaoshun first heard that Gu Jiao was the wrong child they brought up, he was so shocked that he could hardly stand. Then, hearing that the young master of the Marquis Residence moved in, Gu Xiaoshun was almost about to faint from surprise!


    Little Monk was clearly unhappy with this sudden rival, Gu Yan, who was nowpeting for attention in the house, his words filled with helpless undertones.


    ¡°But, there are some bright sides too, you have your own room now, and you can stay at home from now on!¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun cheered up pretty quickly.


    No wait, he was always quite cheerful.


    Gu Xiaoshun was not a child who craved attention. He was neither sensitive nor delicate, and people¡¯s jealousy and envy went straight over his head.


    Perhaps it was rted to the environment he grew up in, where he was always the overlooked one, the one whose heart gradually numbed. Therefore, he did not develop the possessiveness that Little Monk and Gu Yan had.


    Probably for this reason, Little Monk was very epting of Gu Xiaoshun.


    Once home, Gu Xiaoshun met Gu Yan.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    Little Monk had beenining about Gu Yan for the past few days, but never mentioned that Gu Yan was indeed very good-looking.


    Gu Xiaoshun was transfixed.


    Seeing Gu Xiaoshun looking so simple-minded, Gu Yan quickly came to the conclusion that he was not a rival to be worried about, and took a liking to him.


    Though he was a bit jealous that Gu Xiaoshun had grown up with Gu Jiao, he was still grateful for hispanionship during the loneliest days of Gu Jiao¡¯s life.


    He even took a beating for Gu Jiao.


    That¡¯s solid camaraderie.


    Gu Yan pped Gu Xiaoshun on the shoulder, a brotherly gesture, but before he could say, ¡°From now on, we¡¯re brothers,¡± he felt his hand going numb¡­


    Darn it!


    Was this big lug¡¯s shoulder made of iron?


    So hard!


    The pampered Gu Baobao¡¯s palm instantly turned red¡­


    Gu Jiao went to fetch water.


    ¡°Jiaojiao! I¡¯ll go too!¡± Little Monk quickly grabbed his mini yoke and small wooden bucket, picked them up and went off with Gu Jiao to fetch water.


    Gu Yan also wanted to go.


    He could only manage to lift Little Monk¡¯s mini yoke and small wooden bucket, but that would be too embarrassing, wouldn¡¯t it?


    Gu Yan tried to lift the wooden bucket lying next to the water vat but couldn¡¯t budge it after a long while.


    Gu Xiaoshun said, ¡°Let me do it!¡±


    Gu Yan asked, ¡°You¡¯ll fetch water for me?¡±


    Gu Xiaoshun thought to himself, I just need a bucket for fetching my water, but if you want to put it that way, sure!


    Thus, Gu Xiaoshun ¡°helped¡± Gu Yan fetch water.


    Having been made to do all the hardbour by Mrs Liu while growing up, Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s strength had no way of dissipating except by fetching water vigorously!


    Watching Gu Xiaoshun dumping bucket after bucket of water into the vat, Gu Yan¡¯s lips curled up in satisfaction.


    It was water fetched by Gu Xiaoshun; it was his!


    After merely looking at Gu Xiaoshun, Gu Yan¡¯s perception improved significantly. Then, during a meal, when he and Little Monk were both waiting for Gu Jiao to serve them food, there was only one sweet potato ball left.


    ¡°Give it to Xiaoshun!¡± he said generously.


    ¡°Mm.¡± Little Monk nodded seriously, he had no objections.


    After the meal, Gu Jiao cut some fresh fruit, leaving only one piece once again.


    Gu Jiao hated having to decide who to give thest piece to, so she¡¯d normally n everything beforehand. However, today Gu Xiaoshun came home and disrupted their normal dining routine.


    In the past, the elder and younger ones would have started arguing over who Jiaojiao should give thest piece to.


    But today¨C


    ¡°Give it to Xiaoshun! He hasn¡¯t been home for these past few days; he should eat more!¡± Gu Yan said generously again.


    Xiao Jingkong responded with a nod, still without an opinion.


    Gu Xiaoshun felt that Gu Yan was quite nice, not like Xiao Jingkong described. He felt he should reciprocate and be more concerned about him.


    Gu Xiaoshun looked at Gu Yan, ¡°Are youfortable living at home?¡±


    When he said ¡°home¡±, it pleased Gu Yan, who smiled, ¡°Veryfortable! Our rooms are very close!¡±


    We can visit each other frequently!


    ¡°So you live at the back¡­¡± Gu Xiaoshun thought differently than Gu Yan, ¡°Who do you y with when I¡¯m not here?¡±


    With one sentence, he stumped Gu Yan.


    Gu Xiaoshun continued, ¡°What do you do during the day?¡±


    Indeed, what does Gu Yan do during the day?


    Gu Jiao was busy with the mountain affairs, and was seldom home during the day. If she was home, Gu Yan would tag along with her, but what if she wasn¡¯t?


    When Xiao Jingkong was at home, Gu Jiao never worried about what he did during the day. He was a child with solid ns, had many peers in the town that he could y with.


    The olddy often stayed home alone too, but Gu Jiao didn¡¯t worry about her either.


    She could y with dogs, chat with Xue Ningxiang¡¯s mother-inw, narrate stories to vigers. Her life was even more exciting than Gu Jiao¡¯s.


    But Gu Yan was a very introverted person.


    He found it hard to blend in with the young people in the vige.


    He had been here for several days, and he hadn¡¯t even stepped out of the front door.


    He was someone waiting for death since birth. Unlike Xiao Jingkong, he couldn¡¯t find things to keep himself busy. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to but that he really couldn¡¯t do many things.


    The situation that scared him most was the sudden silence¡­


    However, Gu Xiaoshun hadn¡¯t sensed the tense atmosphere at all.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel bored?¡±


    Strike one!


    ¡°Actually, you could hang out with Zhu and the others during the day. But with your soft and tender skin, you probably can¡¯t blend in with them.¡±


    Strike two!


    ¡°We don¡¯t have anynd for you to farm¡­¡±


    Strike three!


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not good at helping me with my chores. The work is heavier than you can handle.¡±


    Strike four!


    ¡°Ah? Right! Since you¡¯re this good-looking, why aren¡¯t you studying?¡±


    Strike five!


    Gu Yan copsed on the chair, his soul all but flown away!


    What does being good-looking have to do with studying?


    I thought you were my bro, but you turned and stabbed me in the back!


    Gu Yan never dreamt that such a situation would arise.


    He hated studying.


    When he was in the Marquis Residence and the vi, his family hired tutors for him. But he either camete or left early or slept through the ss. Because of his weak health, the tutors didn¡¯t dare scold him and couldn¡¯t control him. In the end, they just gave up.


    The vi had resident tutors, but the total number of days they spent teaching him in a year did not even reach two weeks.


    In Xiao Xiaoshun¡¯s words, he was a cker!


    Gu Yan looked at Gu Jiao with a pitiful expression, hoping his eyes could convey: He didn¡¯t want to go to school, no no no!


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t object to Xiao Jingkong going to school before, so she certainly wouldn¡¯t object to Gu Yan. Plus, his health was quite stable now, so studying wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    In everything else, she could indulge him unconditionally, but going to school was non-negotiable.


    Gu Jiao ignored Gu Yan¡¯s imploring eyes, ¡°You¡¯re grown up, it¡¯s time for you to go to school.¡±


    In his heart, Gu Yan screamed: No! I am still a baby!


    Gu Jiao began discussing Gu Yan¡¯s schooling arrangements seriously with Xiao Ling.


    Gu Jiao said, ¡°I hope he can stay with you as much as possible, so you can help each other. Tianxiang Academy and Xiao Jingkong¡¯s private school are both good options.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go with the private school.¡± Xiao Ling decided after some deliberation.


    Getting into Tianxiang Academy was difficult. Xiao Ling could ask Headmaster Li to get Gu Yan in, but the real challenge would be after he got in.


    Most of the students in Tianxiang Academy had a good academic foundation. At the very least, all were child students and the majority were schrs, so the learning pace was fast and the atmosphere intense. Gu Xiaoshun was an exception. He was carefree and unaffected, but Gu Yan might not be.


    Gu Jiao also preferred the private school. She turned to Xiao Jingkong, ¡°How¡¯s your private school?¡±


    Xiao Jingkong said earnestly, ¡°It¡¯s really good! The teachers are talented and virtuous! Their lectures are especially lively!¡±


    The teachers, who got cursed by Xiao Jingkong every now and then, were speechless¡­


    The private school was not as academically rigorous as Tianxiang Academy, but it also didn¡¯t have as much academic pressure. It was suitable for Gu Yan, who couldn¡¯t stand a high-pressure environment.


    Gu Jiao found this arrangement perfect!


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Gu Jiao asked Gu Yan.


    ¡°Can I say no?¡± Gu Baobao asked weakly.


    If the Marquis had arranged for him to study, he would have torn all the old man¡¯s antique paintings to shreds! But he couldn¡¯t bring himself to be angry with Gu Jiao. He loved her so much, how could he raise his voice to her?


    Gu Jiao pondered, then nodded, ¡°Then let¡¯s ask a different question. Do you want me to send you to school, or do you want your brother-inw to?¡±


    Gu Baobao: ¡°You send me to school!¡±


    Hmm? Seems something isn¡¯t quite right?

 Chapter 134: 105 Local Tycoon (Second Update)

    Chapter 134: 105 Local Tycoon (Second Update)


    Gu Jiao worked through the night to make a book bag for Gu Yan.


    At the crack of dawn the next day, Gu Yan was bundled up by his own sister and sent off on Luo Dazhuang¡¯s ox cart.


    Xiao Ling asked Gu Xiaoshun to ask for two hours off from the academy for him, and he himself apanied Gu Jiao in sending Gu Yan and Xiao Jingkong to the private school.


    Xiao Ling paid the silver for the admission procedures.


    Xiao Jingkong asked Gu Yan, who was waiting in the corridor, ¡°Which ss do you think you will be in?¡±


    Gu Yan grumbled, his face cold: ¡°Just not in the same ss as you!¡±


    Xiao Jingkong was studying basic education, and Gu Yan, who was already fourteen, of course, cannot join the same ss.


    He was assigned to a ss taught by Teacher Chang, where all of his ssmates were about the same age as him and had a basic understanding of the Four Books and Five ssics.


    Gu Yan was somewhat satisfied with this ss arrangement.


    However, before he could get settled, Teacher Chang brought in another new student.


    There happened to be an empty seat next to Gu Yan, and Teacher Chang had the new student sit there.


    Gu Yan, seeing the little monk sitting next to him, his eyes widening: ¡°How¡­how did you end up in this ss?¡±


    Xiao Jingkong spread his hands: ¡°I skipped a grade!¡±


    Gu Yan: ¡°¡­.¡±


    Is that even possible?!


    ¡ª


    A life of trials and tribtions began for Gu Yan. He wouldn¡¯t lose to a little monk, especially a monk whopeted for favor against him. If the monk could skip grades, so could he!


    Humph!


    Gu Yan, who had always been just muddling through, started to take things seriously for the first time.


    The two bodyguards were mystified.


    Assigned to the young master years ago by Old Lord Gu, they had a clear understanding of the young master¡¯s personality. But why had the young master changed so much since he acknowledged his sister?


    Can you believe that he even started studying?


    Following thepletion of her topographic map, Gu Jiao started nning the open-field cultivation work. Where to nt medicinal herbs, where to farm crops, where to construct a little pond ¨C everything was marked on the map.


    The mountain could be essed from behind Uncle Luo¡¯s house. It¡¯s shaped like a small undting mountain range consisting of arge peak and four smaller peaks. There¡¯s an empty plot ofnd conveniently located halfway up the slope of the first minor peak.


    What to do with this empty plot?


    After Lord Gu¡¯s unsessful attempts to threaten and tear the two sisters apart, he had not visited again. Meanwhile, the Yao family had visited several times, each time bringing homemade pastries.


    The olddy enjoyed them very much.


    The Yao family also brought a few dresses for Gu Jiao, all hand-made by themselves. Knowing that Gu Jiao had to work, they used high-quality silk for her pajamas, while her daytime clothing was made of durable cotton and linen.


    The housekeeper didn¡¯t understand her approach: ¡°Since the youngdy is suffering, just give her more silver.¡± Why bother making clothes that even the servants would consider ordinary?


    Upon hearing this, the Yao family simply smiled: ¡°Jiaojiao doesn¡¯t need my silver.¡±


    All her life, Lady Yao lived within the confines of a house, entirely dependent on men. Everyone thought she should live that way, and she, too, once thought so until she met her daughter.


    She felt that her daughter was living the life she had always wanted.


    Not wealth, but freedom.


    After being rejected for the first time, Lady Yao stopped mentioning her want to live here or forcing Gu Jiao to call her ¡®mother.¡¯


    She simply came to visit Gu Jiao, and let Gu Jiao treat her illnesses.


    When she ran out of her medicine, Gu Jiao gave her four more boxes.


    As a physician, Gu Jiao was quitefortable interacting with Lady Yao.


    The housekeeper also came. She sincerely apologized to Gu Jiao for her previous offensive behavior.


    Her apology was sincere, but she still had some objections to Gu Jiao¡¯s actions.


    She believed that Gu Jiao should return with Lady Yao, dutifully fulfill their filial duties, and shoulder her responsibilities as ady.


    Since Gu Yan had started attending school, Lady Yao and the housekeeper had visited several times without seeing him. However, once they happen to arrive on a day when Gu Yan and Xiao Jingkong¡¯s private school was on holiday. Lady Yao finally got to see her long-lost son.


    And then, Lady Yao discovered that her son had grown¡­ and put on weight!


    Lady Yao almost cried with joy.


    She never even dreamed that her sickly son would grow into a chubby kid.


    Gu Yan can¡¯t be described as fat now, but his original face was too thin, almost hollow at the cheeks. Now, there is a baby fat on his cheeks which made his face look adorable and plump; simr to a steamed bun.


    Lady Yao couldn¡¯t resist pinching his cheeks.


    What a wonderful feeling!


    Gu Jiao enthusiastically nodded in agreement.


    She got to pinch those cheeks every day, and it felt fantastic.


    After getting into the carriage, Lady Yao, with tears of joy, said to the housekeeper, ¡°See, it¡¯s the right decision to let Yanyan live here, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The housekeeper couldn¡¯t refute her then: ¡°¡­Yes, the young master has gained weight and looks healthier.¡±

 Chapter 135: 105 Local Tycoon (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 135: 105 Local Tycoon (Second Update)_2


    Gu Yan was often upset at home, neglecting meals and sleep. The Yao Family could only appease, not coerce him.


    After arriving here, Gu Yan¡¯s temper had improved significantly, and he found his own friends and ymates ¡ª¡ª Gu Xiaoshun who would always kill him in games, and Xiaojingkong who taught him to lose graciously.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Mother,¡±


    By the time the Yao Family¡¯s carriage reached the courtyard, Gu Jinyu had been pacing outside for quite a while.


    The Yao Family took her hand, wiping the beads of sweat umting on her forehead with a kerchief: ¡°Have you been waiting here for me all this while? The sun is so bright, aren¡¯t you scared of getting sunburned?¡±


    Gu Jinyu never used to expose herself to the sun before, for fear of spoiling her fair skin.


    Gu Jinyu grinned sweetly, ¡°I was missing Mother. How¡¯s it going? Did the visit to my sister and younger brother go smoothly?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your brother¡¯s private school was out today, so I got to see him and Jiaojiao. They¡¯re both doing very well,¡± when the Yao Family spoke these words, the warmth in her eyes was impossible to hide.


    Gu Jinyu¡¯s expression turned distant for a moment, she couldn¡¯t remember thest time she saw her mother this happy.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± the Yao Family noticed her daughter¡¯s daze.


    Gu Jinyu came back to herself, shing a mirthless smile: ¡°I wish to see them again too, I¡¯ll visit her when my sister is no longer angry at me.¡±


    Yao Family advised her earnestly, ¡°She¡¯s not mad at you, you¡¯ve misunderstood her. She¡¯s not one to hold grudges, she¡¯s just ustomed to her current lifestyle and does not wish for disturbances.¡±


    Gu Jinyu bowed slightly, ¡°Yes, I should not have assumed the worst of my sister.¡±


    The Yao Family chuckled and let go of her hand to go inside.


    Gu Jinyu¡¯s eyes danced with a cryptic glow as she followed suit.


    ¡°Madam, we¡¯ve dried the youngdy¡¯s clothing!¡± A maidservant came up to them holding a set of silky, soft pajamas.


    Gu Jinyu¡¯s face lit up with joy, reaching out to ept the clothing: ¡°Are these for me?¡±


    When she unfolded it, she realized that the length wasn¡¯t right, her pajamas weren¡¯t this long.


    Her fingers clenched.


    The maidservant only just noticed her, her face turned pale when sheprehended her mistake.


    Now the maidservant was at a loss, not knowing whether to retrieve the clothing or leave it be.


    Gu Jinyu chuckled, ¡°Mother, you¡¯ve made my clothes too long, just let sister wear them instead.¡±


    The Yao Family initially made those for Gu Jiao. Even though Gu Jinyu said so, if she revealed the truth, it would leave the girl feeling humiliated.


    She spoke in a gentle voice, ¡°Then your mother will make another set for you.¡±


    Truth be told, she hadn¡¯t made clothes for Gu Jinyu in a long while.


    The main reason being her creations couldn¡¯t keep up with the trends of Capital City, and Gu Jinyu thought they were too old-fashioned, thus refusing to wear them.


    Gu Jinyu affectionately wrapped her arms around the Yao Family¡¯s arm, ¡°As long as they are made by Mother, I will wear them everyday!¡±


    Gu Jinyu stayed in the Yao Family¡¯s courtyard for dinner, and Sir Gu dropped by as well.


    Since his ¡®thrashing¡¯, he started to make a recovery today. He didn¡¯t have the guts to admit that a little servant girl had beaten him up, so he just med it on Huang Zhong driving under the influence, causing a carriage ident.


    After dinner, Gu Jinyu asked her maidservant to haul over arge chest.


    Yao Family asked, ¡°What is this for?¡±


    Gu Jinyu gently replied, ¡°These are the gifts I¡¯ve picked for sister. Since I wasn¡¯t sure what she likes, I¡¯ve prepared a bit of everything.¡±


    Following that, the Yao Family instructed the maidservant to clear the dinner table and opened the chest. Each item was meticulously arranged: there were jewels, antiques, calligraphy, even embroidery¡­ It was evident that Gu Jinyu put in a lot of effort, as every item was quite exquisite.


    The object that received the most attention was an ancient guqin.


    As the Yao Family opened the guqin¡¯s case, she saw the five-stringed guqin emanating an antiquated aura, which caused her breath to hitch, ¡°Jinyu, is this¡­?¡±


    Gu Jinyu nodded with a smile, ¡°Yes, this is the Yueying Fo Xi Guqin.¡±


    This was no ordinary guqin, it was a royal gift, there was only one in all of Zhan Country.


    The true antique Fo Xi Guqin had been lost to time in the previous dynasty, this one was made by Chen Country¡¯s best guqin maker, Yueying. Hence it¡¯s known as the Yueying Fo Xi Guqin, and it¡¯s the most sessful replica of the Fo Xi Guqin till date.


    Once, Gu Jinyu yed the guqin in the Empress¡¯s pce, and the emperor happened to hear it. The emperor praised her skill, proiming it was only second to the future-third-prince¡¯s wife.


    The future-third-prince¡¯s wife was the number one talenteddy in Zhan Country, having learned to y the guqin for seventeen years, longer than Gu Jinyu has been alive.


    Deeming Gu Jinyu¡¯s talent exceptional, the emperor awarded her the Yueying Fo Xi Guqin.


    The Yao Family felt uneasy about this, ¡°How could you give away such a precious thing?¡±


    Gu Jinyu beamed, ¡°It¡¯s alright, the emperor said once he gives it to me, it¡¯s mine. I¡¯m free to do whatever I want with it.¡±

 Chapter 136: 105 Local Tycoon (Second Update)_3

    Chapter 136: 105 Local Tycoon (Second Update)_3


    Yao¡¯s wife shook her head: ¡°What I mean is, it¡¯s too precious.¡±


    Lord Gu agreed enormously: ¡°Indeed, considering that girl¡­ahem, your sister doesn¡¯t understand how to y Guqin.¡± Isn¡¯t it a waste to give it to her? An extravagant squandering of a gift from the heavens!


    Gu Jinyu hugged the ancient Guqin in her arms with a willingness to give up, her eyes lowered: ¡°But this is the best thing Jinyu can offer. Jinyu likes her sister, and wants topensate her. Jinyu would willingly give up my life for my sister. What is a mere Guqin inparison?¡±


    Yao¡¯s wife gathered her stray hair behind her ears and sighed, ¡°Poor child.¡±


    In the end, Yao¡¯s wife didn¡¯t ept the ancient Guqin, she kept the other things and would give them to Jiaojiaoter. If Jiaojiao liked them, she would keep them; if not, Yao would return them.


    Gu Jinyu returned to her house with the Guqin in her arms.


    Lord Gu caught up with her and said earnestly, ¡°Don¡¯t do such foolish things in the future!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Gu Jinyu looked at her father with a puzzled face.


    Lord Gu nced at the Guqin in her arms and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that your mother might have truly taken it just now?¡±


    Gu Jinyu widened her eyes and said in a daze, ¡°I had originally intended to give it to my sister! It¡¯s a pity my mother didn¡¯t want it.¡±


    Lord Gu breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Fortunately, your mother didn¡¯t ept it. Your sister grew up in the countryside and doesn¡¯t understand music, all she knows is about firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar. Letting her chop wood makes sense, but letting her y the Guqin? Give me a break! Giving such a good thing to her is such a waste.¡±


    Gu Jinyu said sincerely, ¡°If my sister is willing, I can teach her!¡±


    Lord Gu snorted coldly, ¡°That depends on whether she appreciates it! Alright, be sure to keep your Yueying Fo Xi Guqin safe and never casually bring it out to give to others!¡±


    Gu Jinyu lowered her eyes, no one could imitate this Fo Xi Guqin again, she had originally not nned to give it away.


    ¡ª


    While private school was on vacation, Tianxiang Academy was not, Gu Jiao was cooking dinner in the kitchen. She started preparing thest dish, estimating that Xiao Ling and Gu Xiaoshun would be back soon.


    ¡°Jiaojiao! Jiaojiao! I can¡¯t find my abacus!¡±


    Little Monk Jing Kong came running into the kitchen inplete confusion.


    Gu Jiao filled the pot with water and put the lid on it: ¡°Don¡¯t panic, I¡¯ll help you look for it.¡±


    Jing Kong had brought back quite a few things from the temple, which Gu Jiao ced in tworge boxes for him.


    Even though he was a child, Gu Jiao still respected his privacy and wouldn¡¯t go through his things normally.


    His boxes were quite messy, full of all sorts of things.


    ¡°Where did you put it?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    ¡°This one! No, it seems to be that one!¡± Despite being a very organized child, Jing Kong was somewhatcking in the area of keeping his items in order.


    Gu Jiao began to search in the box on the left, and shortly after, she found a shiny gold abacus.


    Pure gold!


    Gu Jiao asked nkly, ¡°Is¡­this the one?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Jing Kong nodded vigorously.


    Gu Jiao asked, ¡°Who gave this to you?¡±


    ¡°My Master!¡± Jing Kong took the abacus and started doing calctions on it. He had his mathematics lesson today and he wanted to revise it!


    Is your Master so wealthy that he gifted you a gold abacus?


    Ultimately, Gu Jiao couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Do you know it¡¯s made of gold?¡±


    Jing Kong nodded: ¡°Yes, I know! There are many abacuses at my Master¡¯s ce, and I specifically chose this one!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s beautiful!¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±


    Gu Jiao put back the items he had dumped out and when she picked up arge object wrapped in a broken cloth she suddenly heard the sound of a string note.


    Gu Jiao unwrapped the cloth to find it was an ancient Guqin.


    It looked quite worn out without even a case to protect it, but the sound was good, the note she¡¯d just heard was very pleasant.


    Gu Jiao plucked the strings a couple more times.


    The tonality was truly good.


    Jing Kong looked at Gu Jiao: ¡°Hmm? Can Jiaojiao y Guqin?¡±


    Instead of answering his question, Gu Jiao asked him: ¡°Can you?¡±


    Jing Kong thoughtfully replied: ¡°I can, a little! But I don¡¯t like it!¡±


    Gu Jiao asked, puzzled: ¡°Why would you have a Guqin if you don¡¯t like it?¡±


    Jing Kong sighed like a grown-up: ¡°Sigh, it was given by Master! Everything in these boxes was given by him!¡±


    Gu Jiao noticed the corner of the old Guqin was burned ck.


    Jing Kong exined: ¡°Once there was no firewood, so Master threw the Guqin into the fire. But after burning for a long time, it didn¡¯t catch on fire and got taken out again.¡±


    Gu Jiao was dumbfounded. Even if it was a broken Guqin, it shouldn¡¯t be used as firewood, right? What kind of a Master did he choose?


    Jing Kong said, ¡°Jiaojiao, if you like it, you can have it!¡±


    As Gu Jiao stroked the ancient Guqin in her hand, she unintentionally saw two words engraved on the bottom of the Guqin ¡ª¡ª Fo Xi.

 Chapter 137: 106 Treatment, the little monk with a clever mind (two updates combined into one)

    Chapter 137: 106 Treatment, the little monk with a clever mind (two updatesbined into one)


    At dinner, the entire family watched as Little Monk Jingkong was fiddling with a golden abacus, all of them feeling as if they were about to get blinded by its dazzling brilliance.


    Little Monk Jingkong did not have much understanding of gold; the currency he knew about was only copper money and silver because these were the only types he had spent in his house so far.


    As he said, he only liked the golden abacus because he thought it looked nice.


    Gu Jiao: Perhaps every child likes shiny things?


    Just one bead from the golden abacus, if sold, could provide for their family¡¯s meals for a year. But they still had moral integrity; no matter how poor they were, they would never consider taking advantage of Little Monk Jingkong¡¯s golden abacus.


    At night, Gu Jiao helped Little Monk Jingkong to tidy up all his belongings again, and found that apart from the golden abacus and the Buddhist scriptures, there were no other valuable items. The rest were just old and broken ythings, which didn¡¯t seem worth much money.


    Gu Jiao sighed in relief, ¡°That¡¯s more like it. A monk with too much wealth is quite terrifying, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    It seemed that Little Monk Jingkong¡¯s master loved him very much. Even though they were quite poor, because Little Monk Jingkong liked the golden abacus, his master did his utmost to acquire one for him.


    The private school had abaci for the students and didn¡¯t require students to bring their own. So Little Monk Jingkong would only bring out the golden abacus at home for revision, and wouldn¡¯t take it to school.


    This saved them a great deal of trouble.


    The next day, as usual, Xiao Ling took the three ¡°eldest kids¡± to school, and the Yao Family¡¯sdy came to their house with gifts brought by Gu Jinyu.


    As expected, Gu Jiao did not ept any of them.


    She did not force Gu Jiao to ept them.


    The Housemaid whispered, ¡°Madam, you should persuade Miss. Even if the second Miss is not her biological sister, she should at least pretend to ept the gifts.¡±


    The Housemaid wasn¡¯t really standing up for Gu Jinyu. Gu Jiao was not even her biological daughter; to her, giving Gu Jiao any attention was a privilege. However, sometimes, appearances are important.


    A youngdy should behave like a youngdy.


    However, Mrs. Yao spoke gently, ¡°As long as Jiaojiao is happy, it¡¯s good. In this world, there is no rule forcing someone to ept another¡¯s goodwill.¡±


    The Housemaid sighed.


    After Mrs. Yao left, Gu Jiao went to the town to order iron tools.


    Zhan Country had strict control over the production and sale of iron and salt; Gu Jiao needed arge number of farming tools. She needed to register at the Yamen and obtain an official document granting permission.


    Gu Jiao went to the Yamen.


    The local count personally received Gu Jiao.


    He chuckled and asked, ¡°What brings Mrs. Xiao to the Yamen? Is someone from the vige causing trouble again?¡±


    His words startled Gu Jiao for a moment.


    Without his reminder, Gu Jiao had almost forgotten about the troublemakers in the vige.


    After Marquis Gu suppressed the Gu Family, the local count was the first to take action, removing her father¡¯s Lizheng position. Subsequently, he waspletely in charge of sending the quarterly meal allowance to Xiao Ling.


    Of course, he did not know Gu Jiao¡¯s true identity, he only knew of her ties to Marquis Residence, and since she was Mrs. Xiao, he treated her with extra courtesy.


    ¡°I apologize for the offense caused in the past, Mrs. Xiao.¡±


    He was referring to the incident where he arrested Gu Jiao and Little Monk Jingkong on Marquis Gu¡¯s orders.


    Gu Jiao said, ¡°No problem. I came today to order some iron tools. Would the count be willing to provide an official seal?¡±


    The count hurriedly replied, ¡°Of course! Of course! How many does Mrs. Xiao need?¡±


    Gu Jiao gave him a number.


    The count startled, ¡°So many? May I ask what Mrs. Xiao needs them for?¡±


    Gu Jiao showed him hernd deed, ¡°I bought a mountain and I¡¯m going to reim some wastnd.¡±


    With this exnation, the count understood. Reiming wastnd was no small task, requiring arge amount of manpower and resources, so the need for so many farming tools was not surprising.


    Usually, these kinds of documents would take several days to process, but because the count personally handled it, he quickly issued the official permit to Gu Jiao.


    Before she left, the count said to her with a smile, ¡°If you need any help from the Yamen, Mrs. Xiao, please don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡±


    Gu Jiao nodded slightly, thanked him, and left.


    Just as she walked out of the Yamen¡¯s gate, she saw the Second Landlord huffing and puffing as he ran over, ¡°Gu¡­Miss Gu¡­I finally found you¡­I went to the vige¡­your granny said you were at the Yamen¡­you¡¯re alright, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I needed to buy iron tools, just came to get an official stamp.¡± Gu Jiao replied while giving him a curious nce. ¡°What about you? Why did you go to the vige so early in the morning?¡±


    The Second Landlord rubbed his hands together, seemingly hesitant to speak.


    Gu Jiao then said, ¡°Just say it, is there a patient somewhere?¡±


    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± The Second Landlord gestured for Gu Jiao to present him the document bearing the official seal in her hands.

 Chapter 138: 106 Treatment, Cunning Little Monk (Two updates combined) _2

    Chapter 138: 106 Treatment, Cunning Little Monk (Two updatesbined) _2


    Gu Jiao gave it to him and he asked, ¡°What kind of iron tools do you want to order? How much?¡±


    Gu Jiao handed him the list.


    He handed it to the coachman, ¡°You will take this to the iron shopter and get it done!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The coachman took the documents and the list.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk on the carriage.¡± The second shopkeeper said to Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao got onto the carriage with him.


    ¡°First, let¡¯s go to Huichun Hall.¡± The second shopkeeper ordered the coachman.


    The coachman agreed and whipped the horse carriage into motion.


    He would first drop the two of them at the medical hall, then go to the iron shop.


    The second shopkeeper wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed, ¡°A patient showed up. Quite a tricky one. I wouldn¡¯t have bothered you if I could handle it myself. Now I owe you a favor.¡±


    Gu Jiao paused before she said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Consider this my consultation for this month.¡±


    The second shopkeeper was stunned, ¡°Huh? Aren¡¯t you going to Young Master Gu¡¯s ce anymore?¡±


    Gu Jiao nodded her head, ¡°Yes, I am not going.¡±


    He is living in my house after all.


    Gu Yan went to school today. In the absence of Gu Yan, the second shopkeeper only met Granny Gu. Naturally, he was unaware that Gu Yan had already moved into Gu Jiao¡¯s house.


    The second shopkeeper looked thoughtful and nodded his head, ¡°I saw that Young Master Gu¡¯s condition has improved greatly. It¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t go this time. You can visit him next month.¡±


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t say anything.


    In no time, they arrived at the medical hall.


    Only after Gu Jiao entered the grand hall did she understand why the second shopkeeper was so anxious to find her.


    All the patients had been cleared out of the medical hall. All of the doctors, assistants, including Shopkeeper Wang, were restrained by a group of guards dressed in brocade. The grand hall was filled with a dangerous yet tranquil atmosphere.


    A young man in his early twenties with handsome eyebrows and cool features walked up, a precious sword was hanging at his waist.


    He coldly nced at the second shopkeeper, the corner of his eyes sweeping past Gu Jiao yet he didn¡¯t seem to pay her much attention. ¡°Where¡¯s the doctor you invited?¡±


    The second shopkeeper tried to remain calm as he nced at Gu Jiao, ¡°This is her.¡±


    The young guard frowned, ¡°An ugly girl?¡±


    Gu Jiao had changed into the clothes made by the Yao family, although they were not ragged, they still looked likemoner clothes. It was hard for others to associate her with a life-saving doctor.


    Especially since she was still so young.


    ¡°It¡¯s her!¡± The second shopkeeper wiped his cold sweat, ¡°She is the most skilled doctor in our Huichun Hall, if even she can¡¯t cure it, then no one in this town can.¡±


    The youth guard skeptically eyed Gu Jiao.


    She was small, yet her eyes seemed to see through life and death. They were cold and ruthless.


    The youth guard frowned and finally said, ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Gu Jiao, with her small backpack, followed the young guard to the rooms in the backyard.


    There were dozens of guards stationed in the backyard, nearly one every five steps, filling the whole backyard to the brim.


    Gu Jiao also noticed that there were some guards hiding on the roof and in the alleys.


    With such tight security, the person in question must be of high status.


    However, Gu Jiao didn¡¯t ask any questions and remained calm from beginning to end.


    ¡°You, wait outside.¡± The young guard, supposed to be one as well, rudely stopped the second shopkeeper from entering, letting only Gu Jiao in.


    Just as the young guard was about to step in, Gu Jiao suddenly said to him, ¡°You wait outside as well.¡±


    The young guard paused, ¡°¡­¡±


    Before the young guard could react, Gu Jiao closed the door with a bang!


    The young guard was silent again, ¡°¡­¡±


    The second shopkeeper tried to suppress hisughter.


    The longer he spent time with Gu Jiao, the more he realized that she was actually very protective, without any limit when she decided to defend someone.


    Inside the room, there was andscape screen. Outside the screen were two servants.


    The servants were not young, about the same age as Gu Changhai and Gu Changlu, but they had an unusually effeminate air around them, unlike normal men.


    Just when Gu Jiao was about to detour around the screen, one of the servants stopped her, ¡°Please wait.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    The man took a cloth and was intending to blindfold Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao blocked his hand and said calmly, ¡°If you blindfold me, how am I supposed to observe the patient and diagnose the illness?¡±


    The servant replied, ¡°You can take their pulse.¡±


    Gu Jiao said coldly, ¡°Traditional medicine focuses on observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking. Do you consider me a god if I just take the pulse?¡±


    The servant frowned as if he was about to scold her. However, a husky voice from behind the screen said, ¡°Let her in.¡±


    The servant immediately bowed to the screen respectfully, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Gu Jiao went around the screen and came to the bedside.


    A man was lying behind the curtains, only revealing an emaciated hand.


    Gu Jiao first sat down on a stool and took his pulse.


    ¡°Miss, whatever you want to see, just go ahead.¡± As he spoke, he was about to lift the curtain.

 Chapter 139: 106 Treatment, Cunning Little Monk (Two updates combined) _3

    Chapter 139: 106 Treatment, Cunning Little Monk (Two updatesbined) _3


    Gu Jiao suddenly gripped his wrist: ¡°No need, what I need to see is not your face.¡±


    Would she still be alive after seeing a person of his importance?


    Gu Jiao covered his face with a curtain, exposing only the area below his waist.


    After the examination, the man¡¯s face had turned red.


    Gu Jiao remained unruffled and nonchnt.


    The man cleared his throat: ¡°May I ask, what ailment do I have?¡±


    Gu Jiao looked at the screen and the man understood, saying: ¡°They are trustworthy, you can speak frankly.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± If the patient doesn¡¯t mind, Gu Jiao, the doctor, also has nothing to hide.


    ¡°Syphilis.¡± Gu Jiao spoke bluntly.


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± A servant from behind the screen charged at her, ring at Gu Jiao fiercely, ¡°Our lord¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, the man sternly stopped him: ¡°Silence! Step back!¡±


    Grinding his teeth, the servant retreated behind the screen.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the offense, please don¡¯t hold it against me.¡± The man¡¯s voice and breath held no sign of fear, suggesting he had weathered many storms.


    ¡°You knew, didn¡¯t you?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    The man nodded in pain.


    A doctor had examined him before and told him he had syphilis. It was just that he stuttered to believe it.


    He never indulged in lewd encounters, so how could he have contracted syphilis?


    Gu Jiao, not interested in the man¡¯s private affairs, merely enlightened him about the several transmission routes of syphilis, leaving him to figure out how he got infected.


    Gu Jiao continued, ¡°You¡¯ve had this illness for a while; it¡¯s already in the second stage. If left untreated, it will progress into thete stage.¡±


    Syphilis, in its first and second stages, is rtively easy to cure. Thete stage can also be managed but the damage it causes to the body is irreversible.


    The man fell silent for a while before whispering, ¡°Can you cure me?¡±


    Gu Jiao gave him a look: ¡°If I couldn¡¯t, what am I doing here?¡±


    The man was taken aback: ¡°Can you really cure it?¡±


    Gu Jiao put down her little backpack: ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, but it¡¯d be better if you could get them to leave. Their constant rm will affect my treatment.¡±


    The man looked at the screen and said in a deep voice: ¡°Did you all hear that? Leave.¡±


    ¡°My lord!¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to repeat myself?¡±


    ¡°We dare not.¡±


    The two servants left, worried and helpless.


    ¡°Why did youe out?¡± asked the young guard.


    One of the servants said: ¡°The lord asked us to leave, and we had no choice. She is just a young maiden,cks the strength to truss a chicken, she¡¯s clearly incapable of martial arts and won¡¯t cause any harm to our lord¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, the young man clenched his fist and rushed into the room. But before he could fully open the door, Gu Jiao kicked him out!


    The young guard was like a sandbag being hit hard, crashed against a big tree with a loud bang, and got hung on a branch.


    The young guard spat out a mouthful of rotten tree leaves: What¡­what happened to the so-called cks the strength to truss a chicken¡¯?


    Gu Jiao bolted the door, took out a penicillin skin test from the first aid kit: ¡°Give me your hand.¡±


    The man looked at the strange needle through the curtain, inexplicably scared: ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    Gu Jiao said: ¡°Giving you an injection, if you want to recover, be a good boy.¡±


    The man indicated that he did not want to be obedient.


    Gu Jiao looked serious: ¡°Sigh, I am a doctor of the Medical Hall. All the people in the Medical Hall are being controlled by your men. Do you think I can escape if I harm you?¡±


    The man thought Gu Jiao made sense, but it was not that he suspected Gu Jiao would have ulterior motives, he was just scared!


    Gu Jiao decisively grasped his wrist. She was adept at dealing with disobedient patients. Before the man could react, Gu Jiao hadpleted the skin test.


    The man looked at the small bump on his wrist: ¡°¡­um?¡±


    The best medicine to treat syphilis is penicillin, but unfortunately, there was no penicillin in ancient times. That makes it troublesome to cure, with few cases ofplete recovery. This is why the man thought he was hopeless.


    However, in Gu Jiao¡¯s hands, this disease really was not an incurable illness.


    The skin test showed he was not allergic.


    Gu Jiao held the syringe and walked towards him: ¡°Bear with it.¡±


    Seeing that this needle was several timesrger than the previous one, the man started shaking!


    ¡ª- It turns out, no matter how high-ranking a man is, he might still be afraid of injections!


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± The man bit into the pillow, enduring the most terrifying torture he had experienced till now.


    Gu Jiao gathered her stuff and said to him: ¡°Take precautions for istion. I wille again in seven days.¡±


    After negotiating with Xiao Ling, Zhou, the steward, immediately sent a message by carrier pigeon back to the Lin Family in the Provincial City.

 Chapter 140: 106 Treatment, Cunning Little Monk (Two updates combined) _4

    Chapter 140: 106 Treatment, Cunning Little Monk (Two updatesbined) _4


    Upon hearing that Xiao Ling was willing to teach his son, Mr. Lin didn¡¯t need to be told twice. He promptly packed his son off.


    On a sunny afternoon, chubby Lin Chengye appeared at the gates of Tianxiang Academy.


    With his youthful face, Lin Chengye who was actually 21, looked more like 16 or 17.


    Clinging to his heavy bag of books, he asked nervously and insecurely, ¡°Is¡­is¡­is this the ce?¡±


    He stammered, a problem he had since childhood, that became more pronounced when he was nervous.


    Housekeeper Zhou shook his head inwardly. Such a clever child, yet saddled with a stammer, he wondered how Lin Chengye might fare when he began school.


    That¡¯s right, Lin Chengye had always been home-schooled out of fear that he would be mocked in school.


    Now, with no other choice, despite having passed the judicial examination, Lin Chengye was still no more than an additional bachelor. To distinguish himself among the many students, he had to work extra hard.


    ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± Housekeeper Zhou warned seriously, ¡°Xiao Ling will be out in a moment, remember what I told you before?¡±


    ¡°Re¡­re¡­remember.¡± Lin Chengye nodded, ¡°Speak¡­little¡­words.¡±


    Housekeeper Zhou nodded in approval, ¡°Right, speak less. This way, no one will notice that Young Master Six stammers.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Lin Chengye lowered his head.


    The two didn¡¯t have to wait long before Xiao Ling came over from his private school, followed by Fen Lin and Gu Xiaoshun.


    Lately, Fen Lin had been dining with them.


    Smiling, Housekeeper Zhou stepped forward and greeted, ¡°Xiao Ling!¡±


    His gaze fell to the people behind Xiao Ling.


    Xiao Ling introduced, ¡°My younger brother Gu Xiaoshun, and my schoolmate Fen Lin.¡±


    Housekeeper Zhou smiled courteously, ¡°Oh, Gu Xiaoshun and Fen Lin, my apologies.¡±


    Fen Lin returned the gesture.


    Gu Xiaoshun nced at him, then asked Xiao Ling, ¡°Brother-inw, who is he?¡±


    Xiao Ling replied, ¡°He¡¯s the housekeeper of the Lin Family, surnamed Zhou.¡±


    ¡°Ah, him!¡± Gu Xiaoshun was quite aware of the fact that his brother-inw was going to teach someone. Xiao Ling had made great strides in his studies over the past six months, and many were eager to learn from him.


    Housekeeper Zhou brought Lin Chengye over and introduced, ¡°This is Lin Chengye, my young master. He is introverted and doesn¡¯t talk much. Please take care of him.¡±


    Xiao Ling looked at him and said, ¡°We have an examination today. If you pass, you can join. Do you understand?¡±


    Lin Chengye nodded, ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±


    Housekeeper Zhou breathed a sigh of relief realizing that Lin Chengye¡¯s secret remained safe.


    Actually, even if Lin Chengye failed the examination, it didn¡¯t matter. He would merely be ced in President Li¡¯s Zhongzheng Hall, and he couldpensate with extra lessons. But Xiao Ling didn¡¯t say this out loud.


    Xiao Ling took Lin Chengye to see President Li.


    To win over his favorite student, President Li went out of his way and, for the first time in his life, pulled some strings to get someone admitted.


    But Lin Chengye did not disappoint. Hepleted all the test papers that President Li gave him. His ssics and prose scores were good, and although his essay writing needed improvement, it was still good enough for admission.


    He was ced in Xiao Ling¡¯s ss Beta, sharing the same table with him.


    Lin Chengye didn¡¯t stay in the dormitory. Housekeeper Zhou spent arge sum of money to buy a residence nearby in the school district.


    Xiao Ling gave him tutorials in his spare time, an hour at noon, half an hour after school, and if he arrived early in the morning, he could have another half hour of lessons.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you move in here, Xiao Ling? It¡¯ll save you the trouble ofmuting.¡± Housekeeper Zhou suggested with a smile.


    ¡°My wife would be angry.¡± Xiao Ling tly refused.


    Housekeeper Zhou: ¡°¡­¡±


    Unable to convince Xiao Ling to stay overnight, Housekeeper Zhou changed tactics. He reced Uncle Luo¡¯s flimsy oxcart with his own luxurious carriage, and provided a ce for Xiao Ling and his group to have lunch and a siesta.


    Gu Yan and Monk Xiaojingkong needed a nap, and afortable room was certainly better than dozing off in the ssroom.


    Xiao Ling didn¡¯t object to these arrangements.


    Because he tutored Lin Chengye, the group returned to the vigete. But both Gu Yan and Monk Xiaojingkong knew that Xiao Ling was doing this to earn money to support the family,


    Gu Xiaoshun was focused on his wood carving and didn¡¯tin either.


    ¡°Are you hungry? Why don¡¯t you eat dinner here?¡± Zhou, the housekeeper, suggested to the three Gu brothers.


    The three unanimously said: ¡°No!¡±


    Housekeeper Zhou was taken aback. Wasn¡¯t his food appealing? They had a professional chef making it all! Could their sister¡¯s cooking skills be better than those of a professional chef?


    The three: Heh, you cannot even begin to imagine how delicious the food Jiaojiao (my sister) makes is!

 Chapter 141: 106 Treatment, Cunning Little Monk (Two updates combined) _5

    Chapter 141: 106 Treatment, Cunning Little Monk (Two updatesbined) _5


    The provincial exam takes ce every three years, and Xiao Ling was fortunate to have qualified for the schr¡¯s exam right after he was promoted to an academician. However, many other candidates had been eagerly waiting for this day for two solid years.


    As the provincial test approached, the atmosphere in the academy became unusually intense, even the masters started focusing less on lecturing and more on providing mock tests for the students to solve.


    Xiao Ling would also pose questions for Lin Chengye. His questions were even more profound and tricky than those given by the masters, leading Lin Chengye to suspect that Xiao Ling stayed up all night flipping through the ssics to pick out sentences no one had ever memorized!


    One noon, Gu Yan and a monk named Xiao Jingkong went to take a nap in the side house while Gu Xiaoshun was busy carving wood in the courtyard.


    Lin Chengye was utterly overwhelmed by Xiao Ling¡¯s exam questions.


    The manager, Zhou, was on guard duty at the entrance when a young servant suddenly approached him.


    Zhou stepped aside and spoke in a low voice, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°The post station was flooded, and Brother Zheng was swept away by the flood. He only managed to return to the Lin Residence a few days ago and is still recovering there.¡±


    Brother Zheng was the young man who came to propose marriage to Gu Jiao earlier. He was the son of a vice-manager in the Lin Family.


    After Xiao Ling refused to visit the Lin Family the previous time, the young Zheng left to return home, only to be caught up in a flood halfway through his journey.


    ¡°When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°Half a month ago.¡±


    The trip to the provincial city was via a mountain road, making the journey rtively slow. However,ing back from the provincial city was faster as it was downhill, which allowed Lin Chengye to perfectly avoid the flood.


    But if Xiao Ling had apanied Zhou to the provincial city at that time, he would have likely encountered the flood at the post station, just like young Zheng did.


    Upon finishing tutoring Lin Chengye, Xiao Ling noticed that Zhou had the look of someone who¡¯d had a near-death experience. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s like this.¡± Zhou then told Xiao Ling about the flooding that urred at the post station half a month ago.


    Xiao Ling was familiar with that particr post station as it was the only one on that official road. In other words, they would have had to stay at that station if they ever visited the provincial city.


    If calcted by timing, they would have reached right when the flood was happening.


    Lin Chengye couldn¡¯t have been there as he would have passed the post station long before the flood happened due to the quicker trip back from the provincial city.


    Xiao Ling then recalled the incident when Gu Jiao had stopped him from going to the provincial city.


    Such coincidences had not been the first¡ª¡ª


    Because she asked him to buy Osmanthus Cake, he avoided a dispute at the Medical Hall.


    Because she came looking for him to have lunch, he escaped a dorm copse.


    And because she wanted to spend the night in town, he avoided a snowstorm in the middle of the journey.


    One or two coincidences could be a fluke, but three or four such urrences merited deeper consideration.


    In the evening, when Xiao Ling returned home, he went to the kitchen to assist Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao cooked while he stoked the fire and added firewood.


    Both pots on the stove were in use, one steaming sweet potatoes with cornmeal buns, and the other simmering fungus and mushroom soup. The delicious aroma filled the entire kitchen.


    Xiao Ling broke a dry twig to stoke the fire with and casually mentioned, ¡°Today, Zhou told me that the post station at Qishan flooded half a month ago. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t go to the provincial city, or I would have been swept away by the flood too.¡±


    Gu Jiao responded nonchntly, ¡°Oh.¡±


    Xiao Ling lifted his eyes to look at her, ¡°Aren¡¯t you surprised?¡±


    Gu Jiao paused and then btedly responded with an exaggerated, ¡°Oh!¡±


    Xiao Ling: ¡°¡­¡±


    Xiao Ling then asked her, ¡°Did you know there would be a flood?¡±


    Gu Jiao replied with a calm look on her face, ¡°No.¡±


    Xiao Ling looked at her deeply before lowering his head to break another twig, ¡°For this trip to the provincial city, I n to stay at the Lin Residence.¡±


    Gu Jiao¡¯s hand, which was holding a spat, halted, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say we wouldn¡¯t stay there?¡±


    Xiao Ling responded seriously, ¡°It would be convenient to stay at the Lin¡¯s. Besides, I¡¯ve already asked Zhou. He told me that although the daughters of the Lin Family are beautiful, they¡¯re all married off and none are waiting in the boudoir, so you don¡¯t need to worry about anything.¡±


    Was she worried about the daughters of the Lin Family? She was worried about the cousins of the Lin family!


    Did he still intend to have that so-called blessing in his future!


    Gu Jiao couldn¡¯t breathe but was unable to express her anger, causing her face to turn incredulously dark!


    Xiao Ling was on the verge ofughing at herically frustrated expression.


    The conversation was about to continue when suddenly, young monk Xiao Jingkong came running in carrying a chick, ¡°Jiaojiao! Brother Gu Yan¡¯s puppy bit my chicken!¡±


    Ever since Gu Yan¡¯s puppy moved into the house, the family actually started to experience the literal meaning of the phrase ¡®when the cat is away, the mice will y¡¯.


    Any time the puppy and the chicks were out of their cages simultaneously, fur and feathers flew everywhere.


    The puppy wasrger, but there were more chicks, and they would form formations. Both sides fought without fear.


    Gu Jiao asked Xiao Jingkong, ¡°Did your chickens peck Brother Yan¡¯s puppy?¡±


    Xiao Jingkong immediately fell silent.


    Looking up, Xiao Jingkong said innocently, ¡°The food smells so good! I just remembered that I didn¡¯t finish my homework, I should go do that now!¡±


    The guilty party whoins first, or in this case the young monk, hopped out, ensuring he did so adorably so that Jiaojiao would forget to be mad at him.


    As he hopped along, he put the chicken back into its cage, and then took off runningpletely out of sight!

 Chapter 142: 107 Jealousy (First Update)

    Chapter 142: 107 Jealousy (First Update)


    The topic from before was shelved by Xiao Jingkong¡¯s interruption.


    Seven dayster, Gu Jiao went to the medical hall again.


    The medical hall was once again emptied out.


    Gu Jiao furrowed her brows, forgetting to mentionst time that she wouldn¡¯t allow the disruption of the medical hall¡¯s business.


    The man fromst time hadn¡¯t arrived yet. Instead, it was the young guard who had been kicked into a tree by Gu Jiao who arrived first, leading the others in clearing out the hall.


    Gu Jiao was slightly annoyed.


    Huichun Hall was the only medical hall in town. There were numerous patients who came every day; sending them all away would disrupt their treatment.


    The man didn¡¯t keep Gu Jiao waiting long before he arrived, donning arge bamboo hat.


    The hat was lined with a veil that effectively obscured his head.


    He could see outside, but no one could see his face.


    ¡°Miss,¡± he greeted her cordially, his tone lighter thanst time. ¡°The medicine you gave me really is miraculous; my condition hasn¡¯t worsened.¡±


    It had even improved a bit, but he didn¡¯t mention that fearing it might be his imagination.


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t rush to examine him. Instead, she said, ¡°You can¡¯t monopolize the medical hall anymore. The medical hall isn¡¯t your private territory. You don¡¯t have the right to evict other patients.¡±


    The young guard snapped back, ¡°What do you know? Do you have any idea who my master is?¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± The man ordered the young guard.


    The young guard realized he had almost spoken out of turn and reluctantly mped his mouth shut.


    Gu Jiao calmly said, ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are. All patients here are equal. We don¡¯t discriminate based on status, but on the urgency of the illness.¡±


    pping his hand on the table, the man passionately praised, ¡°Such fairness, treating all patients equally! If all the doctors of Zhan Country were like you, we wouldn¡¯t have problems treating themon folk! For a woman, you have such profound understanding¡­¡±


    ¡°Take off your pants!¡± Gu Jiao interrupted him.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The man¡¯s lips twitched. Couldn¡¯t she have let him finish praising her?


    Gu Jiao began to examine him.


    All the servants had left, leaving only the doctor and patient. Despite this, the man¡¯s face still turned red.


    Gu Jiao, on the other hand, was remarkably calm.


    Finally, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore and asked with a red face, ¡°Miss, how do you manage to stay soposed?¡±


    Gu Jiao merely said, ¡°Just used to it.¡±


    The man: ¡°¡­!!¡±


    What an offensive statement!!!


    ¡°I¡¯m giving you the second injection today.¡± Gu Jiao took out the penicillin.


    Struck with fear of being injected, the man panicked, ¡°Wait, can I¡­ugh¡ª¡±


    The man stiffened, biting on the quilt.


    ¡ª


    The timing of the provincial examination in this dynasty was simr to the previous one, held in August. However, some examinees from remote regions set out as early as June to find amodation in the provincial city.


    Xiao Ling was escorted by the Lin Family¡¯s fast carriage, so there was no need to hurry, but they couldn¡¯t dy too long either.


    The two men were making breakfast in the kitchen.


    Gu Jiao asked Xiao Ling, ¡°When do you n to leave?¡±


    ¡°Three days from now,¡± Xiao Ling said.


    ¡°Is Fen Lin going too?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he is.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. You can take care of each other on the road.¡± Gu Jiao was confident in Fen Lin¡¯s abilities. He might not take the most care of himself, but he would definitely take good care of Xiao Ling.


    Thinking of something, Gu Jiao then asked, ¡°Will you pass Song County?¡±


    Song County was Fen Lin¡¯s hometown, where Xiao Ling, his mother and brother had once lived.


    Xiao Ling shook his head, ¡°No, it¡¯s not on the way. If we were going to the capital city via waterway, we could¡¯ve passed it.¡±


    Song County had a canal. One of the two major salt farming routes of the dynasty passed through this county.


    Gu Jiao simply responded with an ¡°Oh.¡±


    On New Year¡¯s Eve, Fen Lin had shed many tears due to homesickness. A visit home would beforting.


    Gu Jiao said, ¡°Then I wish him sess in the provincial examination, so he can go to the Capital City for the imperial examination next year and visit home.¡±


    After saying this, she immediately felt something was off. She had forgotten that Principal Li had told her Xiao Ling didn¡¯t want to participate in the imperial examination.


    She had never pushed him.


    He had his own life and choices.


    The three days passed as quickly as a white horse crosses a chasm, and it was soon the day for Xiao Ling to set off to the provincial city.


    Manager Zhou had the carriage brought to the vige early in the morning. Knowing that they needed to load their luggage, he directly parked the carriage at Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling¡¯s front door.


    The Lin Family was the wealthiest in the provincial city, dominating the salt trade. Their carriage was even more luxurious than the Marquis Residence¡¯s, drawn by four majestic mares, each taller than an adult man.

 Chapter 143: 107 Jealousy (First Update)_2

    Chapter 143: 107 Jealousy (First Update)_2


    By the rules, merchants couldn¡¯t enjoy such a high-grade carriage; it was a privilege granted to the Lin Family by the royal court.


    The carriage was big enough, within it was a small soft couch¡ªa perfect mobile home for the ancient times.


    Gu Jiao was pretty satisfied with this mode of transport to the Provincial City.


    Many vigers came to see the spectacle, but none dared to approach due to the impressive aura of the guards and the handsome horses.


    Only the kid from next door, who was always ying in the grass, fearlessly tried to mber onto the carriage.


    Embarrassed, Xue Ningxiang tried to pull him down, but the kid resisted.


    Mr. Zhou smiled and said, ¡°No problem, let him sit there. Just watch him carefully and make sure he doesn¡¯t fall.¡±


    Xue Ningxiang understood that she was benefiting from her neighbor¡¯s grace. As a young widow of the vige, she received many cold shoulder behind her back. Sometimes people are not inherently evil, but their environment can be ruthless. Once a kind of evil bes customary, even good people may unsheathe a butcher¡¯s de.


    However, today, as a widow looked down upon by others, she could confidently sit with her son in a carriage that the vigers didn¡¯t dare approach.


    She suddenly felt a sense of pride and dignity.


    The return trip was going to take long, so Gu Jiao had quite a lot luggage prepared. Fen Lin jumped off the carriage to help her with the baggage, listening to her instructions about what each parcel contained.


    Xiao Jinkong found his brother-inw again and started another men¡¯s talk.


    The location remained the same: the privy.


    Xiao Ling was speechless. Did that little monk have a peculiar fetish for chatting while his pants were down?


    Xiao Jinkong sat proudly on his small potty. If you didn¡¯t know any better, you would think he was seated on the Dragon Throne with an unyielding aura radiating from him!


    He solemnly said, ¡°You will be away from home again, and for a longer period this time. Take care of yourself and don¡¯t cause any worries at home.¡±


    Xiao Ling didn¡¯t want to hear the little bugler¡¯s voice at this moment.


    Xiao Jinkong continued, ¡°Also, you¡¯re a mature examinee now. Don¡¯t expect anyone to spur you on. Learn to make it to the top on your own.¡±


    Xiao Ling: ¡°¡­..¡±


    Was it you who helped me top the charts each time?


    ¡°Alright, that will be all. Take care.¡± Xiao Jinkong concluded, then reached out his small hand, intending to pat Xiao Ling¡¯s shoulder like elders do. However, he forgot that he was sitting on a small potty and ended up patting Xiao Ling¡¯s butt instead.


    Turning his head to look at the little hand gripping his butt, Xiao Ling: ¡°???¡±


    Today the private school was off. Gu Yan was a person who loved to sleep in, but he still had Gu Xiaoshun wake him up to bid his brother-inw farewell.


    Afterward, he went back to his room to continue sleeping.


    ¡°Is that everything?¡± Fen Lin picked up thest parcel and asked Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao nodded, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s all for Ling. Also, I made some Pickled Vegetables for you guys to eat on your journey.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Fen Lin happily went to fetch the Pickled Vegetables.


    Watching hime out carrying a big jar of Pickled Vegetables, Mr. Zhou thought to himself, even though the Lin Family are the richest in the Provincial City, surely they won¡¯t care about a single good dish, right?


    Shortly after, when Mr. Zhou had tasted the Pickled Vegetables, he startedining why Fen Lin hadn¡¯t taken more.


    Now that everything was truly ready, Gu Jiao helped Xiao Ling onto the carriage.


    Just as the carriage was about to pull away, the long-absent Zhou Family and Gu Changhai rushed over with Gu Dashun.


    ¡°Jiao! Jiaoooo!¡± Mrs. Zhou dropped her usually frosty expression and adopted an ingratiating smile, ¡°You¡¯re going to the Provincial City, right?¡±


    While speaking, Mrs. Zhou and Gu Changhai had already approached Gu Jiao.


    Gu Dashun, who was somewhat reluctant toe,gged by a few steps behind, clutching his bundle.


    Xiao Ling knitted his eyebrows slightly; seeing this, Gu Jiao pulled down the curtain of the carriage, signaling him not to get off.


    Gu Jiao turned to Mrs. Zhou and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Oh, what kind of question is that? Our nephew is off for his examination in the Provincial City. How can we not see him off? Look, the auntie has brought some eggs as a little gift,¡± said Mrs. Zhou as she passed a basket of chicken eggs towards Gu Jiao.


    Understanding her cunning intentions, Gu Jiao didn¡¯t reach out to ept.


    Mrs. Zhou trailed off awkwardly and shot a look at her husband.


    Gu Changhai coughed lightly before saying to Gu Jiao, ¡°Miss Jiao, it¡¯s a long journey to the Provincial City for the examination. Ling¡¯s legs are troubling him. Why don¡¯t we let Dashun go with him? They could look out for each other on the road.¡±


    ¡°Who is going to look out for whom?¡± Gu Jiao retorted without hesitation.


    Even though Xiao Ling was handicapped, on a day-to-day basis, he did more work than the fully grown and able-bodied Gu Dashun.


    Having been pampered throughout his life, Gu Dashun knew nothing but reading; taking him along would be a pure burden.

 Chapter 144: 107 Jealousy (First Update)_3

    Chapter 144: 107 Jealousy (First Update)_3


    Gu Changhai was choked up.


    He is Dashun¡¯s father, how can he not know that Dashun can¡¯t fend for himself once he steps out of the house? His clothes from the Academy are always brought home for cleaning.


    If that was not the case, how could he possibly have to beg Gu Jiao to let Ling take Dashun with him?


    Originally, Gu Changhai nned to take Dashun to the Provincial City himself, but life at home was hard and they could not afford travel expenses for two.


    He had also heard about Ling¡¯s recent tutoring job. The client was a wealthy family from the Provincial City, not short of money. With Dashun apanying them, not only would travel fees be saved, but they wouldn¡¯t have to pay for anything along the way.


    He beseeched earnestly: ¡°Miss Jiao, I may have wronged you in the past, but your elder brother hasn¡¯t offended you, has he? Your elder brother focuses on his studies and doesn¡¯t know much about our family¡¯s grudges, grievances, and disputes, he¡¯s never interfered. When your parents were alive, they loved your elder brother very much, how can you bear to watch your elder brother suffer?¡±


    When Gu Sang couple were alive, they indeed loved Gu Dashun, but how did Gu Dashun, who was loved by them, treat Miss Gu Jiao?


    When Gu Jiao was bullied, did Dashun ever speak out to defend her?


    Even in that dream, Gu Dashun falsely used his brother-inw Ling for his own selfishness. It wasn¡¯t due to his conscience that he didn¡¯t go ahead with it, but rather because Gu Jiao intervened early.


    So even if you disregard the quarrels between Gu Jiao and their elders, Dashun is absolutely not innocent!


    Zhou Family chimed in: ¡°Yes, Miss Jiao, let them take Dashun with them! Look at how spacious the carriage is, an extra person won¡¯t hinder it! Let Dashune along!¡±


    ¡°Coffins underground are also pretty spacious, why don¡¯t you go lie in one?¡± The olddy came out casually.


    The vigersughed, the old woman¡¯s tongue truly never disappointed.


    Zhou Family was choked up: ¡°How do you talk?¡±


    The olddy shrugged: ¡°I use my mouth to talk. Are you using your buttocks?¡±


    Zhou Family fell over in exasperation!


    The vigers burst intoughter.


    This was simonizing Zhou Family of farting. But the fault alsoid in Zhou Family for digging its own grave. Didn¡¯t they know that there was no sarcasm that the old woman couldn¡¯t handle?


    She was thest champion of pce gossips after all. Even the three thousand powdered maids in the Imperial Harem were tidied by her, what was a mere Zhou Family in front of her?


    ¡°Why are you insisting on involving us in this affair if they are not your Gu Family¡¯s kids?¡± The olddy pointed to Dashun not far away, ¡°If you really want to bring him along, it¡¯s okay. But let¡¯s be clear about this, Ling has inconvenience in his legs. He¡¯s not going to serve Ling, he is going to take care of Ling.¡±


    Gu Changhai courteously said: ¡°Of course! Of course!¡±


    As long as they got on the carriage it would be fine. Once there, if Dashun didn¡¯t take care of Ling, could Ling kick Dashun off? Schrs value reputation the most. If Ling dared to do this, they would make it difficult for him in the Yamen and tarnish his reputation!


    The olddy said: ¡°Words carry no weight, let us write it down. Xiaoshun, bring me a pen.¡±


    Xiaoshun fetched a pen from the west room.


    The olddy said leisurely: ¡°Write it clearly. Dashun should get up at dawn every day, buy breakfast for Ling, warm up his clothes, wake Ling up and attend him in dressing. He should not miss a single thing, whether it¡¯s washing his face or rinsing his mouth, he should personally deliver it to Ling. He should clean Ling¡¯s clothes, and also empty his chamber pot.¡±


    Zhou Family¡¯s face changed drastically: ¡°What? Emptying chamber pot too?¡±


    The olddy ignored her and continued: ¡°In hot weather, he should fan Ling; when mosquitoes proliferate, he should swat mosquitoes for Ling. He can sleep only when Ling sleeps, if Ling wakes up in the middle of the night, he must awake as well. In short, he must unconditionally satisfy any request from Ling, and he is not allowed to talk back or disobey. If he does, Ling can beat him!¡±


    ¡°You¡­You¡­¡± Zhou Family got so angry that she had a chest pain, she nearly copsed onto Gu Changhai, however, the color of Gu Changhai¡¯s face was not much better than hers.


    Zhou Family started crying: ¡°Vigers, please judge for us! This is not taking care of him at all! Clearly, they are bossing around my Dashun like a servant!¡±


    The olddy had a clueless expression: ¡°Huh? This is being treated like a servant? For all these years, this is how you people have been treating the orphan of the third room, I thought this was Gu Family¡¯s way of taking care of people!¡±


    Unable to save any face, Zhou Family, along with her husband and son, shamefully left Gu Jiao¡¯s home.


    Gu Jiao pulled apart the curtain on the carriage window and handed a bag of money to Ling: ¡°I¡¯ve put some small silver and bills in it.¡±


    Small silver of ten taels, hundred tael bills, the bank¡¯s token was also inside, just sewn deep inside.


    Ling nodded, took the money bag, and said to her: ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Gu Jiao nodded, watching him until the carriage disappeared out of the vige, then she stepped into the house.


    Gu Jiao looked at the empty west room: ¡°Ah, he really left.¡±


    As she finished speaking, she noticed a sudden shadow on the ground. Turning around in surprise, she saw Ling standing at the doorway.


    ¡°Why did youe back?¡± She asked, her eyes wide open.


    Ling stared deeply at her: ¡°I forgot something.¡±


    Gu Jiao watched him approach, a series of little red hearts shing through her mind: Is it me? Is it me? Is it me?


    Did he forget me?


    Gu Jiao watched him in silence.


    Then, he walked past Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±


    Ling came out of the west room, holding in his hand an admission pass to the provincial examination: ¡°Without this, I won¡¯t be able to enter the exam site.¡±


    Gu Jiao, with a nk expression, opened the door: ¡°Take care.¡±


    Ling took a look at her, a fleeting nce in his eyes. After exiting the house, he suddenly stopped: ¡°If I said that no matter what the result is, I will not go to the Capital City for the examination, would you still think it¡¯s necessary for me to go for the provincial examination?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Jiao answered decisively, looking at his back, ¡°I hope that you don¡¯t go to the Capital City because you choose not to, and not because you aren¡¯t qualified to go.¡±


    Ling clenched his fist, his eyes filled withplexity: ¡°Then what if¡­¡±


    Gu Jiao smiled: ¡°If there are troubles or dangers, I will protect you.¡±


    That¡¯s not what he meant, but¡­ A strange emotion welled up in Ling¡¯s chest.


    This time, he really started his journey.


    When Gu Jiao returned to the west room, she found an envelope on the table.


    Gu Jiao opened it and the bank¡¯s token fell out.


    ¡°He found out so quickly¡­¡±


    So leaving the admission pass was a red herring, and returning the bank¡¯s token was the real motive?


    There was also a small note inside the envelope.


    Gu Jiao now knew many characters, she unfolded the note and saw it was written in a clear and neat handwriting: I won¡¯t stay at Lin Family, you don¡¯t have to be jealous.


    The words ¡°be jealous¡± were written particrly strong and vigorous. Gu Jiao wrinkled her small eyebrows in puzzlement, why did she read a hint of smugness from these in and unadorned characters?

 Chapter 145: 108 Inventions (Second Update)

    Chapter 145: 108 Inventions (Second Update)


    Gu Jiao made a trip to the Medical Hall.


    Today was the day of the agreed follow-up consultation with the mysterious dignitary, who was already waiting at Huichun Hall.


    This time, he did not request the hall to be cleared.


    Gu Jiao arrived a bitte due to saying farewell to Xiao Ling, making the dignitary wait for a while.


    The young guard beside him looked visibly displeased: ¡°Humph, you¡¯re the first person who has dared to make my master wait!¡±


    Gu Jiao shrugged, ¡°Oh, what an honor.¡±


    The young guard turned his head away.


    Gu Jiao entered the room.


    The man kept his face covered with a bamboo hat, concealing his features, but his dignified and noble bearing was unmistakable.


    Two attendants of a soft demeanor still stood by his side.


    Being familiar with Gu Jiao¡¯s rather unceremonious manners after several encounters, the attendants saw her ignore formal greetings toward their master and sit down. Despite their grunts of disbelief, they did not dare to utter a single word of criticism.


    The reason was obvious ¨C their master¡¯s health had truly taken a turn for the better under this young girl¡¯s care!


    Gu Jiao had administered three doses of penicillin, one every seven days, with thest dose given a month ago. His visit today was for the follow-up.


    Gu Jiao took his pulse and performed a check-up.


    ¡°Am I fully recovered now?¡± The joy in the man¡¯s voice was palpable.


    After taking off her gloves, Gu Jiao told him, ¡°Currently, your recovery seems to be going well, but it would take two years without recurrence to say you arepletely cured. Hence, routine follow-ups are needed.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± The man fell silent.


    Gu Jiao sensed that his mood was unlike the previous visits, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Can¡¯t manage the follow-ups?¡±


    He gave a small smile and replied, ¡°To be honest, I am leaving.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Gu Jiao was not surprised. His ent already hinted that he was not a native, or even from Youzhou, but from somece even farther, where exactly ¨C Gu Jiao could not guess.


    The man asked in a friendly manner, ¡°But I do believe you have cured me, Miss. May I ask, where did you learn such profound medical skills?¡±


    Gu Jiao simply replied, ¡°I have many teachers.¡±


    Which was the truth. In her previous life, she had learnt medicine in a university and a research institute andter worked in another institution. She indeed had many mentors.


    Being a discerning person, the man did not probe further when Gu Jiao showed reluctance. He said, ¡°Thank you for curing my disease. Besides the consultation fee which I¡¯ve already paid, I want to express my gratitude.¡±


    ¡°Your consultation fee is already¡­¡± Gu Jiao stopped midway as the man presented a brocade box from his attendant and ced it on the table.


    The brocade box looked valuable at first nce.


    Gu Jiao seamlessly switched gears, ¡°If you truly want to offer a token of gratitude, I will reluctantly ept.¡±


    The attendants could barely watch, ¡°Can¡¯t you be a bit more dignified and refuse?¡±


    The man smiled indulgently, sliding the brocade box toward Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao opened it to find an exquisite jade folding fan. It felt cool and smooth in her hand, a truly magnificent fan.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± the man asked.


    Gu Jiao hesitated.


    The attendants were stunned, ¡°Seriously? A fan made from thousand-year-old jade ¨C and she doesn¡¯t like it?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, we can exchange it for something else.¡± The man spoke softly.


    ¡°Um, do you have a fan made of gold?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    One attendant couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter, causing him to wobble a bit, ¡°You don¡¯t know how to be polite, do you? She¡¯s asking for gold right off the bat. Is gold as valuable as jade? A country bumpkin indeed!¡±


    The man chuckled, ¡°I don¡¯t have a gold fan. However, I do have something else made of gold.¡±


    He gave some quiet instructions to one of his attendants, whose eyes widened, ¡°Sir, are you sure? That is¡­¡±


    The man¡¯s tone was less kind now, ¡°Just do as told. Since you returned from Jiangnan, you¡¯ve been talking more and more.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The attendant reluctantly fetched a small box from the carriage.


    Surprisingly, it contained a game of Huarong Road made entirely of gold.


    Huarong Road was a popr ancient puzzle toy, frequently sold in shops, but they were generally made of wood. This was Gu Jiao¡¯s first encounter with one made of gold.


    It was both fun and shiny ¨C Little Pure Sky would definitely love it.


    Gu Jiao nodded in satisfaction.


    The man, observing a flicker of emotion on her normally cid face, barely held back a chuckle, ¡°Do you like gold, or do you like Huarong Road?¡±

 Chapter 146: 108 Inventions (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 146: 108 Inventions (Second Update)_2


    Gu Jiao said, ¡°It¡¯s not me who likes it, it¡¯s my little brother.¡±


    The man gave a slight smile, ¡°Miss, you have a little brother?¡±


    Gu Jiao gestured with her fingers, ¡°Not one, three.¡±


    The man: Only giving one gift seems rather unjust!


    The man gave Gu Jiao two more gifts, causing the servants nearby to feel their master¡¯s pursed strings tighten. Why did he have to ask such a question? Wasn¡¯t he digging his own grave? But there was no ce to vent their vexation.


    It was their master¡¯s own vanity after all.


    When Gu Jiao left the Medical Hall, her little basket contained three more extravagant gift packages!


    At the entrance of Huichun Hall, the man gave Gu Jiao a salute, ¡°Miss, until we meet again.¡±


    Gu Jiao nced at him, ¡°I¡¯ll see the doctor again, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    With that, she carried her basket and disappeared into the crowd without a backward nce.


    The servant was furious and gritted his teeth, ¡°Master, did you see her¡­.¡±


    The man was stunned as well, as no one had dared to talk to him like that in many years. But upon recovery, heughed joyously, ¡°Yes, what is wrong with me? Why do I want to see a doctor? Isn¡¯t it good to be healthy?¡±


    ¡°Master¡­.¡±


    ¡°We should head back to the capital, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡ª


    After leaving Huichun Hall, Gu Jiao headed to the only iron shop in town.


    The iron shop had been open for over twenty years and could be considered an old establishment.


    Just as Gu Jiao arrived at the shop, she heard the rhythmic sounds of iron forging. The business was booming, keeping the cksmiths very busy.


    The shop didn¡¯t have a counter, so Gu Jiao called over an assistant and asked, ¡°I ordered some ironware herest month, and today is the day to collect it.¡±


    The assistant, hauling a heavy basket of iron ore, shouted into the Grand Hall, ¡°Old Wang! Someone¡¯s here to collect their goods!¡±


    ¡°Coming,ing!¡± A cksmith, drenched in sweat, rushed out. He had a towel around his neck, which he used to wipe the sweat off his face as he looked at Gu Jiao, ¡°Who¡¯s here for goods? Are you?¡±


    She wasn¡¯t recognized becausest time the order was ced by a Huichun Hall carter.


    Gu Jiao hummed a response and handed him her order receipt.


    Literacy was rare amongst the ancient schrs, and even rarer amongst cksmiths, hence the use of numerical order tokens. Each order token had a corresponding number, which indicated which batch of goods it belonged to.


    ¡°Your order isn¡¯t ready.¡± Old cksmith frowned and said.


    Gu Jiao replied, ¡°But you promised it would be ready today.¡±


    Wiping sweat off with his towel, the old cksmith said, ¡°We just couldn¡¯t finish in time, there¡¯s nothing we could do.¡±


    ¡°About how much longer?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± the old cksmith pondered, ¡°One or two months probably.¡±


    Gu Jiao was puzzled, ¡°That long? The farm tools I ordered weren¡¯t that much, were they?¡±


    The cksmith sighed, ¡°It¡¯s not your order. Last month, the shop undertook arge order before yours, for a thousand pieces of mining equipment. We¡¯re only halfway done! We don¡¯t have enough hands or enough furnaces¡­¡±


    ¡°Old Wang! Time to forge!¡± A cksmith inside shouted.


    ¡°Yeah! I¡¯ming!¡± Old cksmith shouted back into the shop, then turned to Gu Jiao, ¡°Miss, maybe you should check back next month.¡±


    Gu Jiao wasn¡¯t willing to wait that long.


    After the old cksmith went inside, Gu Jiao also entered the iron shop. The cksmiths were all frantic, too busy to pay attention to a young girl.


    Truthfully, the shop wasn¡¯t short on manpower. With their number of workers, they should easily aplish making a thousand pieces of ironware in a month.


    So, the problem probably wasn¡¯t a shortage of hands.


    Gu Jiao observed their st furnace, and immediately identified the problem.


    Smelting iron requires extremely high temperatures. To reach such temperatures, st furnaces usually use a bellows. Gu Jiao had thought that the iron shop of this era would at least employ a water-driven bellows system, but it turned out they were still using the most primitive form of human-operated bellows.


    Human-operated bellows,monly referred to as a hand bellows, have the drawback that each nozzle only has one bag, which copses once with every pump.


    A st furnace typically has four to six nozzles, meaning that at any time, only six pumps can be made simultaneously.


    This efficiency is much lower than a water-driven bellows system.


    The water-driven bellows use water power to drive the bag. Each time the water wheel rotates, the bag can be copsed several times, greatly saving time and manpower.


    Gu Jiao shared her thoughts with the old cksmith.


    The old cksmith was astonished. How could a young girl dressed inmon clothes know all this?

 Chapter 147: 108 Inventions (Second Update)_3

    Chapter 147: 108 Inventions (Second Update)_3


    After his surprise, he said, ¡°The thing you mentioned, I¡¯ve seen it. Only the royal foundry has it.¡±


    No local craftsman knows how to make a water hammer.


    ¡°I can make one,¡± Gu Jiao said.


    The old cksmith was greatly surprised.


    Gu Jiao contemted, ¡°But, what I¡¯m going to make next is not a water hammer.¡±


    Gu Jiao mentioned a name.


    ¡°What kind of box?¡± The old cksmith said he¡¯d never heard of it!


    ¡°Do you have paper?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    ¡°What?¡± The old cksmith had been stunned by Gu Jiao, taking a long while to respond.


    Gu Jiao simply found a piece of bluestone on the ground, took out a charcoal pencil from her pouch, and began to draw meticulously.


    Other cksmiths were drawn in, but the old cksmith shouted, ¡°What are you looking at! Get back to work!¡±


    Out of respect for the master, the cksmiths suppressed their curiosity and went back to work though their eyes kept darting towards Gu Jiao.


    What on earth was this young girl drawing on the ground of their foundry?


    Ultimately, the old cksmith couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What are you doing, youngdy?¡±


    ¡°Drawing.¡± Gu Jiao said sinctly.


    ¡°Why are you drawing on my ground? I¡¯ll have to get it cleaned up afterward. It¡¯s such a hassle!¡±


    Gu Jiao smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to finish the remaining thousand-plus iron pieces within ten days?¡±


    ¡°T-Ten days?¡± The old cksmith stood straight, hands on his hips, ¡°Quit joking!¡±


    He was the cksmith. How could he not know? Even if everyone in the foundry worked non-stop, it would take at least a month!


    Unless they used the royal water hammer technology, but even so, that would still take twenty days.


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking.¡±


    The old cksmith showed his disbelief.


    ¡°If I do it, then what?¡±


    The old cksmith crossed his arms and looked down at her, ¡°If you manage to do it, I¡¯ll make your iron pieces for free, not charging you a single Copper te! Moreover, I¡¯ll take care of all your future ironwork! You won¡¯t need to pay a dime!¡±


    Gu Jiao thought seriously about his offer and felt this deal was feasible, ¡°Alright, I agree.¡±


    The old cksmith scoffed, did you just agree? You must be talking big!


    Gu Jiao quickly finished her drawing, then nodded in satisfaction, ¡°That¡¯s it. Go get a carpenter.¡±


    The old cksmith had his mouth agape, ¡°What?¡±


    Gu Jiao rolled up her sleeves, ¡°Stop dawdling. If you dawdle, you won¡¯t finish your iron pieces.¡±


    With that, Gu Jiao stood up, wrapped the charcoal pencil back into her pouch with a piece of parchment, washed her hands, then turned around and left.


    The old cksmith was utterly confused. Was this young girl teasing him? How could she possibly understand all this?


    However, for some reason, the image of her calmly kneeling and drawing on the ground convinced the old cksmith to go get the carpenter next door.


    The carpenter was a professional. As soon as he saw the blueprint on the bluestone, his eyes widened, ¡°Who drew this?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The old cksmith asked curiously.


    Without answering, the carpenter knelt down, treating the blueprint like a priceless treasure, touching it reverentially, yet afraid to smudge it.


    The old cksmith was left scratching his head at the carpenter¡¯s cautious behavior.


    A glint of green light appeared in the carpenter¡¯s eyes. Without a word, he ran back to his shop, grabbed some paper and a pen, and started to meticulously copy the blueprint.


    He had an intuitive feeling that this might be the most amazing thing he¡¯d ever create in his life!


    The old cksmith was utterly baffled, staring at the design on the bluestone from all angles, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Can something really be made out of it?¡±

 Chapter 148: 109 Little Sun Sun (Two more combined into one)

    Chapter 148: 109 Little Sun Sun (Two morebined into one)


    When Gu Jiao returned home, Gu Yan had already woken up and was sitting in the hall eating syrup egg with the olddy.


    Upon seeing Gu Jiao entering the room, the olddy quickly shoved the syrup egg towards Gu Yan, dering righteously, ¡°I¡¯ve said before that I won¡¯t eat! But you keep insisting on feeding me!¡±


    Gu Yan, ¡°¡­¡±


    Who was the one who took half of his syrup egg?


    The syrup egg was made by Xue Ningxiang. The olddy didn¡¯t show her face and instead urged Gu Yan to ask for it. Xue Ningxiang waspletely unable to resist Gu Yan¡¯s charms and without a second word, she cooked arge bowl. Little Monk and Gu Xiaoshun each got a small bowl too.


    Gu Xiaoshun ate quickly and had already returned to his room to work on his wood carvings. Little Monk was still practicing his skills on a tree trunk and had not started eating yet.


    Gu Jiao decisively confiscated the olddy¡¯s syrup egg.


    The olddy, who had already eaten a bowl and a half, wiped her mouth and returned to her room.


    As long as I eat quickly enough, Jiaojiao can¡¯t catch me!


    Gu Jiao gave the three gifts sent by the man to her three younger brothers. As soon as the items wereid out, without her asking, the three urately found the items they liked.


    Little Monk picked up the shiny Huarong Road, enthralled!


    Gu Yan chose a jade thumb ring made from thousand-year-old cold jade, which was of a better quality than the previous one.


    Gu Xiaoshun got a dagger that could cut through iron like mud. The dagger was smaller than ordinary ones, convenient to carry and could serve as an excellent carving knife.


    All three were very happy!


    Xue Ningxiang was helping Gu Jiao tidy up the backyard.


    Xue Ningxiang often came over to help. In return, Gu Jiao would help Xue Ningxiang with farming, and the olddy would asionally help look after Xue Ningxiang¡¯s child.


    Primarily because Doggy was a boy of few words, give him a piece of preserved fruit and he could lick it all morning. The olddy found it particrly peaceful and naturally felt Doggy was easy to take care of.


    As for Little Monk ¨C


    ¡°Great-aunt! You¡¯re sneaking candies again! Jiaojiao! Great-aunt is sneaking candies again! She¡¯s already eaten five today!¡±


    Little Monk, having finished his practice and catching the olddy red-handed, dered, ¡°Great-aunt is so naughty! We told her not to eat, but she still sneaks them!¡±


    The olddy trembled slightly, pesky little monk¡­


    Xue Ningxiang came over today because she had something to discuss with Gu Jiao.


    ¡°Madam Jiao, Uncle Doggy sent another letter home, could you read it to me?¡± Xue Ningxiang handed a folded envelope to Gu Jiao.


    Ever since Gu Jiao learned to read under Xiao Ling¡¯s tutge, Xue Ningxiangpletely stopped asking Xiao Ling to read the letters.


    Gu Jiao opened the letter and took a look, ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Xue Ningxiang asked.


    Gu Jiao replied, ¡°Oh, the handwriting in this letter is different, it looks like Uncle Doggy wrote it himself.¡±


    Xue Ningxiang¡¯s eyes lit up: ¡°Really? Uncle Doggy can write too?¡±


    Seeing her prideful face, Gu Jiao didn¡¯t have the heart to tell her why she could tell Uncle Doggy wrote it himself, because the writing was just too ugly! Worse than her own writing with a brush. The wording is very immature, at a grade-school level, but at least the intent is clear.


    The letter said that Uncle Doggy had been promoted and was now a personal soldier under a vice general. Although just a small soldier, being able to serve the vice general was an immense honor.


    However, this meant that the previously nned visit to his hometown this year had to be cancelled as he would now be following the vice general back to the capital to report on his duties.


    ¡°Since the vice general is only taking one hundred personal soldiers and he¡¯s one of them, it¡¯s a great opportunity,¡± Gu Jiao said.


    However, her words did notfort Xue Ningxiang, whose expression darkened, ¡°After Doggy¡¯s father passed away, my mother talked most about Uncle Doggy, hoping every day and night that he woulde back for a visit. When she heard he might pass through our vige this year, she was over the moon. Her chronic leg pain even improved a bit. Now that he¡¯s noting back, how am I supposed to exin to my mother?¡±


    Xue Ningxiang was only two years older than Gu Jiao. In her past life, she would still have been an innocent high school student, but now, she was already a sister-inw, a mother and a daughter-inw.


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t know how tofort her and continued reading, ¡°Uncle Doggy also sent you 20 taels of silver, stating that your birthday ising soon and he wants you to use the money to make two sets of jewelry.¡±


    Xue Ningxiang worriedly said, ¡°Why did he send so much? Is he not eating properly? He sent all his silver home!¡±


    Gu Jiao knew how tofort her on this, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he won¡¯t go hungry in the military camp. He just didn¡¯t have anywhere to spend his money, that¡¯s why he sent it all back.¡±


    Xue Ningxiang felt somewhat relieved.


    Gu Jiao continued reading, ¡°Uncle Doggy said he doesn¡¯t want you to farm anymore. The silver he gave you is enough for you and your mother-inw and Doggy to spend. You can rent out thend cheaply for vigers to farm.¡±

 Chapter 149: 109 Little Grandson (two sightings combined into one)_2

    Chapter 149: 109 Little Grandson (two sightingsbined into one)_2


    Xue Ningxiang hurriedly said, ¡°How can that be possible? This silver needs to be saved for his future wife!¡±


    Gu Jiao thought to herself, ¡®When a man offers to make you jewelry, don¡¯t you have any other thoughts?¡¯


    After lunch, Xue Ningxiang went to the bank to withdraw silver. Little Dog clung to her thigh and wouldn¡¯t let go. Having no choice, Xue Ningxiang had to take Little Dog along.


    The bank wasn¡¯t crowded, so Xue Ningxiang was able to withdraw twenty taels of silver after a short wait. She kept her silver securely in her bag, with Little Dog on her back and the bag in her arms.


    As she left the bank, she bumped into a young man dressed as a schr.


    ¡°Are you blind? Can¡¯t you see where you¡¯re going?¡± The schr said impatiently, brushing the arm that Xue Ningxiang had bumped into.


    Xue Ningxiang blushed and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    The schr¡¯spanion said, ¡°Just let it go. We¡¯re on our way to an exam. We can¡¯t afford to waste time.¡±


    Hearing aboutpensation, Xue Ningxiang turned pale white.


    Thankfully, the schr was persuaded by hispanion to leave. Xue Ningxiang breathed a sigh of relief, however, she quickly realized something was wrong with her bag, it felt significantly lighter.


    She hastily searched her bag and was horrified.


    All twenty taels of her silver were gone!


    Xue Ningxiang thought of the schr, her eyes shed and she chased after them, calling out, ¡°Wait!¡±


    The two young men paused.


    The schr who bumped into her turned around, visibly irritated, ¡°What now?¡±


    Xue Ningxiang mustered some courage and used, ¡°You¡­ You stole my silver!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The schr looked utterly bewildered and slightly indignant at the usation.


    Xue Ningxiang was a soft-spoken person, a little scared to confront two grown men, especially that twenty taels of silver was a huge sum! That was the money Little Dog¡¯s uncle had earned with his life, she couldn¡¯t just let it be stolen!


    ¡°It was you!¡± she forced herself to be brave, ¡°I just left the bank, I was holding everything tightly. When you bumped into me¡­ the silver was gone!¡±


    The schr was about to fly into a rage, but hispanion held him back: ¡°What are you doing? Why bother arguing with a clueless woman?¡±


    The schr snorted, ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to argue, but she¡¯s trying to frame me!¡±


    Hispanion sighed, ¡°Let it go, we should focus on the exam. Ignore her.¡±


    ¡°For your sake, I won¡¯t call the authorities!¡± The schr gave a cold huff and walked away with hispanion.


    Xue Ningxiang rushed forward, grabbing the schr¡¯s arm, ¡°Give me back my silver!¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy!¡± The schr was furious, he brushed her hand off.


    Xue Ningxiang lunged at him once again.


    The scuffle attracted attention, and they were soon surrounded by a crowd of onlookers.


    The schr was righteously indignant, ¡°You said I stole your silver, where¡¯s your proof? If you try to frame me again, I¡¯ll call the authorities! I thought you were a simple woman, especially with a child on your back. Do you ever feel ashamed for doing such dishonest deeds?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± Xue Ningxiang was so upset her face turned green.


    The crowd started murmuring.


    In this patriarchal society, especially when reading is considered supreme, no one believed Xue Ningxiang, a young widow, over the schr.


    The schrmented, ¡°I kindly chose not to report this to the authorities, firstly due to you being a woman, and secondly because we¡¯re rushing for our provincial exam, we have no time to argue with you!¡±


    ¡°How audacious! Now she¡¯s even trying to extort students who are rushing to their exams. Does she have no conscience?¡±


    ¡°Right? They spend ten years immersed in studies just to be victimized by her?¡±


    ¡°You can just tell she¡¯s no good by looking at her!¡±


    People began criticizing Xue Ningxiang. She felt so wronged that tears welled in her eyes. She hadn¡¯t tried to frame them, she really lost her silver¡­


    Little Dog, who was asleep, was also awakened by the noise.


    Seeing himself and his mother surrounded by a crowd, he became frightened and began to cry loudly.


    The head of the Academy, Master Li, had just left the pastry shop and was heading towards the town¡¯s medical hall when he heard a heart-wrenching wail.


    The sound was somewhat familiar, Master Li paused and headed towards themotion.


    Xue Ningxiang was now the center of attention, no one believed her.


    Master Li quickly recognized her, as she was the neighbour of his student! Then he recognized Little Dog, the little chubby kid who called him ¡®father¡¯.


    Master Li entered the crowd. As the head of Tianxiang Academy, even if he wasn¡¯t wearing his teacher¡¯s robes, his schrly demeanor immediatelymanded the crowd¡¯s attention.

 Chapter 150: 109 Little Grandson (two updates combined into one)_3

    Chapter 150: 109 Little Grandson (two updatesbined into one)_3


    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked.


    Xue Ningxiang was already sobbing uncontrobly.


    The schr said, ¡°This little woman is falsely using me!¡±


    Principal Li asked, ¡°What exactly did she use you of?¡±


    The schr irritably replied, ¡°She said that I stole her silver!¡±


    Principal Li then asked, ¡°Did you steal it?¡±


    The schr was furious, ¡°What kind of question is that? Of course, I didn¡¯t steal! I told you she falsely used me, didn¡¯t you hear me?¡±


    A woman spectating the situation chimed in, ¡°Indeed, these two are students traveling to the Provincial City for the examination. What rotten luck, to be used by this woman.¡±


    Principal Li scrutinized the pair closely, ¡°Which private academy do you belong to?¡±


    The schr posed proudly, ¡°We are from Tianxiang Academy!¡±


    Principal Li¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, ¡°Is that so? What are your names? Which ss are you from?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± The schr retorted impatiently.


    Principal Li smiled lightly, ¡°I am the principal of Tianxiang Academy, and I don¡¯t recall our academy ever enrolling students named like you.¡±


    The color drained from the schrs¡¯ faces instantly.


    The bystanders were shocked.


    Principal Li calmly directed a young man standing beside him, ¡°Young man, could you please report this to the officials? Tell them there are impostors posing as Tianxiang Academy students, causing ruckus and bullying women.¡±


    The pair who were shouting fiercely failed to call for officials. However, he called for them as soon as he arrived; the real from the fake will be discerned soon!


    The young man was brimming with excitement, ¡°Principal Li spoke to me! Principal Li spoke to me!¡±


    ¡°I entrusted this to you, young man,¡± Principal Li said cordially.


    The young man solemnly acknowledged and dashed towards the county office.


    This was like washing the Dragon King Temple in flood, the schr and his friend realised the situation was bad and started to run.


    Principal Li calmly said, ¡°Could two of you gentlemen stop them, please?¡±


    There was nomanding tone in his words, yet they were inexplicably convincing.


    Two strong bystanders immediately captured the pair.


    ¡°My¡­my silver¡­¡± Xue Ningxiang sobbed.


    Principal Li gave a slight nod, walked up to them, and retrieved Xue Ningxiang¡¯s silver.


    Upon seeing her recovered silver, Xue Ningxiang was overwhelmed with shock and gratitude, leading to hups, ¡°Tha¡­hic! Thank¡­hic!¡±


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Little Dog spotted Principal Li.


    Xue Ningxiang was so surprised she stopped huping.


    Here, the child was, falsely recognizing his father again!


    Principal Li, a mature man with extensive experience, was not upset over such a minor incident. An experienced teacher from the academy had told him that it wasmon for young children learning to speak to call any woman ¡°mommy¡± and any man ¡°daddy¡±.


    ¡°Daddy.¡± Little Dog wanted to be held.


    Xue Ningxiang desperately wanted a hole to bury herself in from embarrassment.


    ¡°You are injured.¡± Principal Li noticed a cut of an inch on her wrist, where blood was gushing out.


    Earlier, she was only concerned about getting back her silver and didn¡¯t notice that she had grazed her wrist on the schr¡¯s ornament.


    Principal Li courteously said, ¡°Let me look after the child, there¡¯s a medical hall nearby, I will take you there to bandage your wound.¡±


    Xue Ningxiang quickly covered her wrist with her sleeve, ¡°No¡­ no need, it¡¯s just a minor injury.¡±


    Principal Li insisted earnestly, ¡°You must get it treated. Given the hot weather, it¡¯s easy for wounds to get infected.¡±


    Xue Ningxiang thought for a moment, ¡°I will go by myself.¡±


    ¡°I was heading towards the medical hall anyways. I can apany you,¡± said Principal Li as he carried Little Dog who couldn¡¯t stop reaching out to him.


    Now that Little Dog had a daddy, he didn¡¯t need his mommy anymore. His chubby little hands wrapped around Principal Li¡¯s neck, nuzzlingfortably into his embrace.


    Xue Ningxiang was embarrassed to the core.


    They left for the medical hall, one after another.


    Principal Li had to visit the medical hall to see his elderly mother. His servant found her passed out while eating mulberries in the courtyard. The situation was critical due to her advanced age. Rather than waiting for a doctor toe to their house, Principal Li rushed her to the medical hall.


    After examining her, the doctor said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she has just fallen asleep.¡±


    Principal Li was speechless¡­


    He feared his mother might wake up hungry, so he quickly bought her favorite Osmanthus Cakes from a nearby pastry shop.


    After entering the medical hall, Principal Li found a doctor to treat Xue Ningxiang¡¯s injury while Little Dog was settled on a chair.


    Principal Li handed Little Dog a piece of Osmanthus Cake.


    Little Dog started munching on the cake happily.


    Midway through his munching, he looked up and realized his daddy was nowhere to be seen.


    Little Dog climbed down from the chair and toddled in search for his daddy, and ended up entering a private room.

 Chapter 151: 109 Little Sun Sun (Two watches combined into one)_4

    Chapter 151: 109 Little Sun Sun (Two watchesbined into one)_4


    Lady Lai slowly began to stir from her slumber, and upon opening her eyes, she saw a small child.


    The child was chubby, round and cute.


    Lady Lai waved to the child.


    The dog-like child was timid and frightened, quickly retreating. Coincidentally, Administrator Lai emerged from the room just then and the child waddled over to him and clutched his leg: ¡°Daddy¡­ Daddy¡­¡±


    Daddy?


    Lady Lai looked from her son to the small child, her aged and cloudy eyes brightened suddenly.


    The Bodhisattva had shown mercy!


    She had a grandchild!


    Due to Gu Jiao¡¯s ongoing refusal to return to the residence, this dy also held back Marquis Gu and Gu Jinyu from returning to the Capital City.


    Originally, Marquis Gu had nned to return to the Capital City by the end of June, bringing along the Yao Family and the twins. However, both Yao Family members and Gu Yan had stayed back because of Gu Jiao, much to the consternation of Marquis Gu.


    Gu Jinyu was even more upset.


    Lady Shu had promised to hold a grand Coming-of-Age ceremony for her and, at that ceremony, to confer upon her the title of ¡°County Princess¡±.


    The title of ¡°County Princess¡± was a very rare honor. Bing a ¡°County Princess¡± meant that even if the news of her not being the biological child of the Gu Family were to be revealed, her social status wouldn¡¯t be greatly affected.


    But if she was unable to return at all, what could be said about the Coming-of-Age ceremony?


    Gu Jinyu was so anxious and upset that she developed a blister on her lips.


    When Marquis Gu visited her and saw her in such a state, he couldn¡¯t help feel distressed: ¡°How are you caring for the young miss? Don¡¯t you know to avoid preparing spicy food in such hot weather?¡±


    The maidservant replied, ¡°It is a misunderstanding, Marquis. The young miss has been eating very lightly these days. Her condition is due to pent-up stress.¡±


    Gu Jinyu sighed: ¡°You shouldn¡¯t speak carelessly. All of you, leave us.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The maidservants left.


    Gu Jinyu said to Marquis Gu, ¡°Father, I am truly fine.¡±


    Marquis Gu frowned, ¡°Nonsense, you are troubled. You haven¡¯t been smiling muchtely.¡±


    Gu Jinyu lowered her gaze, ¡°I miss grandmother. She is old and had a fall at the beginning of the year. Although she healed, she isn¡¯t as nimble as before. I don¡¯t know how much longer I will be able to show her filial piety.¡±


    Her words struck a chord with Marquis Gu. Ordinarily, he was very filial, and Lady Lai had only two children left: him and Lady Shu.


    Lady Shu entered the pce and could barely see Lady Lai once a year. He, being the son, should be by his mother¡¯s side taking care of her. Considering this, he felt like he wasn¡¯t being a good son.


    Marquis Gu frowned and decided to try persuading the Yao Family again.


    To his surprise, the Yao Family was unmoved: ¡°I won¡¯t go back, neither will Yan Yan.¡±


    Marquis Gu clicked his tongue: ¡°How many years has it been since motherst saw Yan Yan?¡±


    The Yao Family responded, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. She doesn¡¯t like Yan Yan anyway.¡±


    Marquis Gu retorted, ¡°When has mother ever not liked Yan Yan? Yan Yan is her own grandson. She doesn¡¯t have time to love him enough.¡±


    But just not as much as she loved her first three beloved grandsons.


    The previous marchioness and Lady Lai were rted by marriage, both hailing from the same family background. Therefore, her children were naturally favored by Lady Lai.


    Moreover, her three sons lost their mother at a young age, which left Lady Lai with little time to show her concern for them.


    The third reason was that Lady Lai didn¡¯t respect the background of the Yao Family. The Yao Family had given birth to Gu Yan, who was sickly. Lady Lai suspected that it was because the Yao Family had a sickly constitution, causing them to pass it on to the offspring of the Gu Family.


    Initially, Lady Lai treated Gu Jinyu indifferently, but given how remarkable Gu Jinyu turned out to be, she gradually warmed up to her, especially since the Lady Shu highly regarded her.


    Marquis Gu knew he didn¡¯t have much persuasive power in this argument. He cleared his throat and said: ¡°But Jin Yu is about to have her Coming-of-Age ceremony. How can it be done without her mother being present?¡±


    The Yao Family stated: ¡°We can do it at the Vi as well.¡±


    Marquis Gu retorted: ¡°I can¡¯t stay at the Vi forever, can I? If the mother is present, the father must be there as well.¡±


    Yao Family considered it for a moment: ¡°Why don¡¯t you return to Capital City first ande back on the day of her Coming-of-Age ceremony?¡±


    Marquis Gu: ¡°¡­¡±


    Why was it so difficult to bring his wife and children back to the Capital City?


    Despite Marquis Gu¡¯s best persuasive efforts, the Yao Family refused to relent.


    Marquis Gu asked: ¡°What will it take for you to return to Capital City?¡±


    Yao Family replied: ¡°When Jiaojiao returns, I will return.¡±


    Marquis Gu: How could that girl possibly return!


    Gu Jinyu was delivering a bowl of ginseng soup to the Yao Family and inadvertently overheard their conversation from outside the door.


    Her personal maidservant was also there.


    Having been with Gu Jinyu and knowing her and Gu Jiao¡¯s background, the maidservant felt indignant on behalf of her young mistress: ¡°Why does Lady Yao only wish to return to the Capital City when Miss Jiao returns? Isn¡¯t Miss Jin Yu her daughter, too? In these past years, it has been Miss Jin Yu who has been diligently showing filial piety to Lady Yao. Lady Yao is bearing too much partiality!¡±

 Chapter 152: 109 Little Sun Sun (Two watches combined into one)_5

    Chapter 152: 109 Little Sun Sun (Two watchesbined into one)_5


    Gu Jinyu held the ginseng soup on the tray without uttering a sound.


    The little maidined, ¡°On such a hot day, the second youngdy actually went into the kitchen to make ginseng soup for her mother and even burned her hand. What has that mistress done? As soon as she arrives, the mistress takes such a biased stand¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough, she is my sister who has suffered a lot. It¡¯s only right that mother cherishes her.¡± After saying this, Gu Jinyu left with a despondent air.


    For several consecutive days, nobody in the mansion brought up the matter about returning to the Capital City. The vi seemed to return to peaceful and auspicious days.


    Only when a pair of horses and a carriage arrived at the vi, did they disturb the peace that hadsted for many days.


    The lord of the Gu family, dressed in official attire, tidied up and personally awaited the other party¡¯s arrival at the vi¡¯s main entrance door.


    A squad of dozens of guards stood in a row, from the leading carriage hauled by four horses, a young man in a white robe slowly descended.


    The young man¡¯s white robe was as pure as snow, and distinguished beyondparison.


    The lord of the Gu family flicked the wide sleeves of his official robe, stepped forward, and respectfully saluted: ¡°I, greet the Prince of An Capital!¡±


    The youth addressed as the Prince of An Capital lifted his hand slightly and said coldly yet courteously, ¡°Marquess Ding An doesn¡¯t need to be overly courteous, my sister and I are traveling across thend and this time we¡¯re rushing back to Capital City for the provincial examinations. We happened to pass by and I apologize for our sudden visit, I hope Marquess Ding An wouldn¡¯t mind.¡±


    Lord Guughed, ¡°Prince An is too respectful, it¡¯s my honour that the Prince and your sister could visit my humble residence! As it¡¯s hot, why don¡¯t Prince An and Miss Zhuange in and have a talk.¡±


    Prince An nodded, slightly turning his head, he spoke to the carriage behind him, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you getting off the carriage yet?¡±


    The carriage curtain was lifted, and a sprightly young girl poked her head out. She turned her eyes curiously as if she was a little intrigued, and then with the assistance of her servant, she hopped down.


    She stood by Prince An¡¯s side, ¡°Brother! Is this the vi with the hot spring?¡±


    ¡°Greet Marquess Ding An,¡± Prince An told his sister.


    The young girl pouted her lips, took a pose and saluted Lord Gu.


    Lord Gu¡¯s title was below Prince An¡¯s, and although the young girl was his sister, she didn¡¯t bear any rank, so ording to the rules she indeed needed to salute Lord Gu.


    However, setting aside the rules, the young girl held a precious identity, and although she saluted due to her brother¡¯s authority, her attitude didn¡¯t show much reverence.


    Lord Guughed, took it lightly as if he didn¡¯t see it, and led the siblings into the vi in a pleasant mood.


    Once inside, the Yao Family and Gu Jinyu had inherited the news, as they were women, it wasn¡¯t proper for them to greet the guests outside, so they waited respectfully for the arrival of Prince An in the Flower Hall of Tingtao Pavilion.


    Madame Yao was detached from the Capital City many years ago and was not at all concerned about the changes within, she had never heard of this Prince An, and Gu Jinyu, therefore, took time to patiently narrate the legendary life of Prince An.


    ¡°He is the legitimate grandson of Grand Tutor Zhuang, and is only eighteen this year.¡±


    ¡°Was he made a prince at the age of eighteen?¡± Madame Yao was quite surprised, even the prince¡¯s own children rarely were granted a title this early.


    Gu Jinyu shook her head, ¡°No, he was not granted the title of Prince at eighteen, he was granted this title when he was eight.¡±


    But being granted a title was not his luck, on the contrary, it was his misfortune.


    Ten years ago, Zhan Country and Chen Country had a war, Zhan Country lost, and Chen Country proposed to have Zhan Country¡¯s crown prince as a hostage. The emperor couldn¡¯t bear parting with his son, and court officials also unanimously opposed. At this time, Grand Tutor Zhuang stepped forward, and was willing to let his most outstanding legitimate grandson rece the prince and be a hostage in Chen Country.


    If it were any other minister¡¯s son or grandson, Chen Country probably wouldn¡¯t agree. But the Zhuang family is the mother¡¯s family of the empress dowager, Grand Tutor Zhuang is the emperor¡¯s brother, and his grandson is also the nephew of Empress Dowager Zhuang.


    Everyone knew that Empress Dowager Zhuang handled all the political affairs for many years, her influence was enormous, even more than the emperor. Thus, when her nephew was taken as a hostage, in fact, it wasn¡¯t much different from giving up the crown prince.


    Consequently, the emperor granted the title of Prince An to the son of Grand Tutor Zhuang and sent Prince An as a diplomatic hostage to Chen Country.


    Only until about three years ago, the two countries went to war again. This time Chen Country lost, and Prince An was finally able to return to Zhan Country.


    The Capital City had been spreading many stories about Prince An, all of which Gu Jinyu had only heard of, never having met the person herself.


    Although she was curious internally, she still maintained a respectful demeanor, not showing the slightest overreach.


    Only when Marquess Gu¡¯s entourage finally arrived at the Flower Hall, Madame Yao and Gu Jinyu paid their respect to Prince An.


    Madame Yao lowered her eyes from beginning to end, but Gu Jinyu being of a tender age could barely deter her curiosity and stole a nce in his direction.


    Suddenly she was stunned.


    How could such a handsome and noble man exist in this world?


    Noble without arrogance, elegant and profound, his every move emanates grace, also retaining an ethereal aura.


    ¡°This is Mrs. Yao, and this is my youngest daughter,¡± Lord Gu introduced.


    Prince An doffed his head slightly, ¡°Mrs. Gu, Miss Gu.¡±


    Miss Zhuang walked up, ¡°So you¡¯re Gu Jinyu? I know you!¡±


    Gu Jinyu was slightly startled.


    Both Madame Yao and Lord Gu looked at Miss Zhuang in astonishment.


    Miss Zhuang raised her eyebrows, ¡°My fourth uncle praised your calligraphy, as among the same aged peers, you write the best!¡±


    The fourth uncle Miss Zhuang was referring to was Zhuang Xianzhi, the governor of Pingcheng Prefecture.


    Miss Zhuang smirked coldly, ¡°Heh, bring the pens! I want to challenge you!¡±

 Chapter 153: 110 Crushing (an update)

    Chapter 153: 110 Crushing (an update)


    This was quite awkward. Gu Jinyu¡¯s calligraphy was renowned in the capital city for its excellence. Even though Ms. Zhuang was the niece of the Provincial Governor Zhuang, if she were to go against Gu Jinyu, she would likely lose terribly.


    Ms. Zhuang did not seem to be a gracious loser. If she were to lose badly indeed, no one could tell how she might try to trouble Gu Jinyu.


    With a pleading look in his eyes, the Marquis turned to Prince An, hoping that he might intervene and curb his sister. But Prince An clearly had no intention of intervening.


    Breaking into cold sweat, the Marquis surreptitiously signaled to Gu Jinyu, hoping that she would intentionally lose to Ms. Zhuang.


    When the Yao family saw Gu Jinyu being harassed by Ms. Zhuang, they thought inexplicably of Gu Jiao. Gu Jinyu, who grew up as the daughter of the Marquis, encountered such trouble. What would happen to Gu Jiao if she returned to the capital city, having grown up in the countryside?


    The party then entered the Flower Hall.


    A servant brought writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones.


    ¡°Ms. Zhuang, how would you like topete?¡± asked Gu Jinyu, neither haughty nor humble.


    Ms. Zhuang cocked an eyebrow and replied, ¡°We will each write a poem. My brother and the Marquis will judge whose handwriting is better.¡±


    ¡°The same poem?¡± Gu Jinyu asked.


    Ms. Zhuang sneered, ¡°Of course, otherwise how can we judge the winner?¡±


    This was really ayman¡¯s talk. Gu Jinyu saw through it but didn¡¯t debunk. ¡°Please, Ms. Zhuang, give us the poem.¡±


    Zhuang Mengyun thought for a moment and graciously penned a poem by Prince An.


    This was a poem Prince An had written during his second year visiting Chen Country. He was not yet ten years old at the time, but he had seeded in writing a seven-character quatrain with homesickness.


    His talent astonished Chen Country.


    The ruler of Chen Country, in admiration of his talent, did not take out his frustration on this hostage after losing to Chen Country.


    Gu Jinyu recognized the poem from the opening lines. It was widely circted in Zhan Country. As she admired Prince An¡¯s talent, she smoothly finished writing the full poem, surprisingly a few strokes faster than Ms. Zhuang.


    After both put down their writing brushes, the servants on either side took their works to Prince An and the Marquis for judgment.


    The Marquis was about to dere that Ms. Zhuang¡¯s work was superior no matter what, but he lost the courage to lie when he saw both their handwritings.


    Can this even be considered calligraphy?


    Ms. Zhuang, after all, was the legitimate granddaughter of the chancellor Zhuang and her uncle was the literary master, the Provincial Governor Zhuang. The Zhuang family was full of schrs, none of whom were inept, yet somehow Ms. Zhuang deviated from the norm.


    The Marquis was breaking out in cold sweat.


    Oh, my daughter, didn¡¯t your father ask you to yield to Ms. Zhuang?


    Never mind, there¡¯s no way she canpete with handwriting this bad.


    Ms. Zhuang pped her hands and haughtily asked, ¡°So, who won?¡±


    Prince An smiled faintly, ¡°Do we need to ask? Of course, you won.¡±


    The Marquis was taken aback.


    Could his lying reach such heights?


    Gu Jinyu was also quite shocked.


    Could it be that Prince An was also the type to distort the truth?


    Ms. Zhuang gave a triumphantugh and was about to make a sarcastic remark to Gu Jinyu when she heard Prince An speak again, ¡°Who canpete with you when ites to making a fool of oneself?¡±


    Ms. Zhuang was stunned.


    So were the Marquis and Gu Jinyu.


    He, he didn¡¯t give his little sister any face¡­


    Ms. Zhuang, shocked, stamped her foot, ¡°Brother¡­ how could you say that about me?¡±


    Prince An replied nonchntly, ¡°Even a three-year-old child¡¯s handwriting is better than yours. If you can¡¯t see that, it¡¯s not your handwriting that¡¯s bad. It¡¯s your brain.¡±


    Ms. Zhuang was rendered speechless with anger.


    Prince An continued, ¡°If you wish to continue making a fool of yourself, let¡¯s go for another round. Do you want topare poems, or perhaps be beaten in all forms of poetry?¡±


    Enraged, Ms. Zhuang ignored him, turned around and stormed away.


    The Marquis smiled wryly, ¡°Prince An, your way of teaching your sister is truly unique.¡±


    Prince An replied nonchntly, ¡°She is the youngest in our family and has been spoiled by everyone at home. I apologize if it caused you difort.¡±


    The Marquis forced augh, ¡°How could that be? How could that be? Ms. Zhuang is lively and charming, quite adorable in her own way.¡±


    Prince An gave a slight nod, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll take my leave now. See you tomorrow.¡±


    The Marquis, Yao family, and Gu Jinyu paid their respects and saw him out.


    Watching his retreating figure disappear into the night, Gu Jinyu muttered, ¡°This prince is quite different from the others¡­¡±


    Gu Jinyu often visited the pce to apany the noble consort and had met many princes. None of them were as outstanding as Prince An, in terms of looks, talents or personality.

 Chapter 154: 110 Crushing (First Update)_2

    Chapter 154: 110 Crushing (First Update)_2


    No woman in the world could be a match for such a man.


    The Prince of An and Miss Zhuang were settled in the most elegant courtyard of the vi. After returning to her room, Miss Zhuang locked herself in, dismissing all her maidservants who tried tofort her.


    The door was knocked.


    Miss Zhuang snapped, ¡°Get out! No one is allowed in!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± The Prince of An said.


    ¡°Brother?¡± Miss Zhuang rose excitedly, but remembering the humiliation her brother had brought her, she sat back down, crestfallen.


    ¡°I¡¯ming in.¡± Prince An announced, and after waiting for a moment, he pushed the door open.


    Miss Zhuang turned her back to him, presenting him with the back of her head.


    Prince An spoke softly, ¡°You wanted to travel with me initially, and I told you I wouldn¡¯t spoil you like our parents did, a fact which you acknowledged.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Miss Zhuang choked. She had not expected her brother to mean his words, thinking he would be like their parents, verbally tough, while spoiling her without any boundaries.


    She sobbed, ¡°I am your sister, and you have sided with outsiders to bully me!¡±


    Without getting into an argument with her, Prince An stepped forward and handed her a palm-sized box.


    ¡°What?¡± Miss Zhuang asked, indifferent.


    ¡°Open it and you¡¯ll see.¡± Prince An replied.


    Miss Zhuang nced at the box in her brother¡¯s palm.


    Her brother¡¯s hands were finely sculpted like jade, so beautiful that even the most precious jade would pale inparison.


    Miss Zhuang sighed and took the box from him.


    Inside, she found a glowing Night Light Pearl, her favorite among beautiful ythings. Her attention was immediately caught.


    Prince An said, ¡°This is a Five-Colored Night Light Pearl, a treasure of the King of Chen. I traded it for two poems.¡±


    Hearing that it was a treasure of the King of Chen, Miss Zhuang held it even more dearly.


    Her brother still doted on her!


    Miss Zhuang cheered up but felt somewhat embarrassed for capitting so quickly. Clearing her throat, she said solemnly, ¡°You must never again side with others to bully me!¡±


    ¡ª


    After pacifying his sister, Prince An returned to his room.


    A man dressed in ck emerged from behind the screen, bowing respectfully. ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    Prince An asked, ¡°Have all your men arrived?¡±


    The man in ck replied, ¡°Yes, they¡¯re hiding outside the vi, ready to take your orders at any time!¡±


    Prince An said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for them to hide. They can disguise themselves asmoners.¡±


    The man in ck contemted before asking, ¡°Your Highness, are you sure it¡¯s in Qingquan Town?¡±


    Prince An pondered for a moment before replying, ¡°His Majesty¡¯s men lost track of the Empress Dowager in Qingquan Town, which indicates that she indeed ended up here. But we¡¯re not sure where she ended up next. We need to look more carefully.¡±


    Hesitant, the man in ck asked, ¡°Did the Empress Dowager¡­ really contract leprosy?¡±


    Prince An affirmed, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Frowning, the man in ck mused, ¡°The Emperor¡¯s men have already turned the town upside down, even thoroughly searched the viges under its jurisdiction. They found no suspicious individuals. Could it be that the Empress Dowager¡¯s chances of survival are¡­dim?¡±


    Prince An said, his eyes deep and profound, ¡°In life, we need to see the person; in death, we need to see the body. Regardless of the situation, they need to go through the search process one more time for me!¡±


    Everyone believed that the Prince was naive and a delicated who only indulged in literature. But could such a vulnerabled survive for so many years as a hostage in the State of Chen?


    No one knew how much hardship the Prince had endured in Chen. He hadn¡¯t even told his parents. However, the man dressed in ck, who had apanied the Prince and witnessed those dark years, knew better than anyone else.


    He understood the Prince¡¯s abilities better than anyone else. If the Prince put his mind to something, he would see it through to the end.


    ¡ª


    Embarrassed by losing the calligraphy contest to Gu Jinyu, Miss Zhuang decided not to interact with him any longer.


    However, when she didn¡¯t seek him out, he came to her.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The next morning, Miss Zhuang eyed Gu Jinyu coldly, who had suddenly appeared in her courtyard, and asked aggressively.


    Gu Jinyu smiled, ¡°I am here to deliver a calligraphy scroll to Miss Zhuang.¡±


    Miss Zhuang¡¯s face changed, ¡°You dare to mention the calligraphy scroll? Are you deliberately trying to humiliate me?¡±


    Gu Jinyu subtly shook his head, gently smiling, ¡°Miss Zhuang misunderstands. How could I possibly humiliate you? I looked at your calligraphy scroll yesterday and realized that the problem does not lie with you.¡±


    Miss Zhuang became interested and arched her eyebrow, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

 Chapter 155: 110 Crushing (First Update)_3

    Chapter 155: 110 Crushing (First Update)_3


    Gu Jinyu narrated gently, ¡°Miss Zhuang¡¯s brushstroke is vigorous. The usual female ¡®Zanhua¡¯ style is too petite and does not suit Miss Zhuang¡¯s strength. If Miss Zhuang were to switch to a different font, she would definitely be able to embody a powerful sense.¡±


    No one hates ttery, and Miss Zhuang is no exception.


    Her rejection of Gu Jinyu diminished instantly, ¡°Well, at least you have some discernment. I have always felt there¡¯s something off with that font! No matter how hard I practice, it just doesn¡¯t feel right!¡±


    ¡°How about Miss Zhuang tries this?¡± Gu Jinyu took out a handwriting copybook and ced it on the stone table.


    ¡°Whose handwriting is this?¡± Miss Zhuang asked.


    ¡°It is the calligraphy of the young master of Zhaodu.¡± Gu Jinyu remarked.


    Miss Zhuang was instantly infuriated, ¡°You want me to practice men¡¯s handwriting?¡±


    Gu Jinyu and softly shook his head, ¡°There¡¯s no gender in handwriting; it¡¯s just that women usuallyck strength, so the ¡®Zanhua¡¯ style is easier for them. However, if we¡¯re talking about beauty, the young master of Zhaodu has the most beautiful calligraphy.¡±


    This was indeed the truth. Gu Jinyu had practiced it privately; despite not mastering its essence, the results were better-looking than that of the ¡®Zanhua¡¯ style.


    The copybook she held had been painstakingly begged for from Lady Shufei, who, in turn, had managed to convince the emperor for it. One could only imagine how treasured it was.


    She had made a tremendous resolution to bring this copybook out.


    Gu Jinyu gently urged, ¡°Miss Zhuang, why not give it a try? Starting from imitation.¡±


    Miss Zhuang felt that the characters were indeed beautiful, far surpassing the copybooks collected by the Zhuang family. Persuaded by Gu Jinyu¡¯s gentle and soft-spoken words, an opportunity presented itself.


    She ordered for a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. After copying a few characters andparing them with the previous ones, there was a significant improvement indeed.


    Gu Jinyu praised, ¡°Miss Zhuang is so smart indeed. Even after much practice, I couldn¡¯t achieve the strength of your brushwork. As long as Miss Zhuang is diligent and persists, you¡¯ll surpass me in a short while.¡±


    Miss Zhuang was feeling quite pleased with herself, ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡ª


    Ever since Xiao Ling and Fen Lin went to the provincial city for their exams, Gu Xiaoshun would apany Gu Yan and Xiao Jingkong for meals. Among the three, Gu Yan was the oldest but had the least life experience. He was a true baby Gu.


    Baby Gu was picky about his food, too.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat noodles today!¡± Gu Baobao pouted.


    ¡°But we¡¯re supposed to eat noodles today.¡± Xiao Jingkong spread his hands.


    Xiao Jingkong is a nner, arranging meals meticulously. Xiao Ling would eat anything, so heplied. Gu Xiaoshun didn¡¯t mind it either.


    Initially, Gu Yan thought it was his brother-inw¡¯s idea and cooperated out of respect. Once he realized the n was set by Xiao Jingkong, he started opposing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! I just won¡¯t eat noodles!¡± Gu Yan was daydreaming.


    Gu Xiaoshun looked at Xiao Jingkong, who frowned hard, and then at Gu Yan, who was refuting; he was at a loss.


    He missed his brother-inw. How did he manage to control these two?


    Before Gu Yan arrived, Xiao Ling and Xiao Jingkong used to fight with each other. After Gu Yan came, he shifted the internal friction. In truth, if it weren¡¯t for the huge threat of Xiao Jingkong, Gu Yan and Xiao Ling would have ended up fighting with each other.


    To put it simply, the two younger brothers fought it out, and Xiao Ling, the fisherman, gained an advantage in the process.


    Amid the chaos and not knowing what to do, Gu Xiaoshun suddenly noticed a familiar figure. His eyes brightened, ¡°Sister!¡±


    Gu Jiao, carrying a basket on her back, arrived at the academy¡¯s entrance. She looked at the trio and asked, ¡°Howe you haven¡¯t eaten yet?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all Gu Yan¡¯s fault. He isn¡¯t eating ording to the n!¡± Xiao Jingkong stated, his little face stern.


    Gu Yan humphed, ¡°Always tattling!¡±


    Xiao Jingkong struck a pose, ¡°This isn¡¯t tattling. This is stating facts! And, my report isn¡¯t ck! It¡¯s colorful!¡±


    What on earth is ck? So ugly!


    Gu Yan clicked his tongue, ¡°I¡¯ve heard of rainbow farts, but not rainbow reports. Besides, it¡¯s your n, I never agreed to it!¡±


    Xiao Jingkong argued, ¡°We¡¯ve always been eating like this!¡±


    Xiao Jingkong was a bitpulsive. Unless you could convince him logically to change his ns, you typically wouldn¡¯t win against him.


    Gu Jiao asked Xiao Jingkong, ¡°What¡¯s on the menu for today?¡±


    Xiao Jingkong replied, ¡°Yangchun noodles!¡±


    Gu Jiao turned to Gu Yan, ¡°What do you want to eat?¡±


    Gu Yan red at Xiao Jingkong and replied, ¡°Rice and fish!¡±


    Gu Jiao nodded, ¡°Good, I brought rice and dishes, including fish. We¡¯ll find a noodle shop and order another bowl of noodles.¡±


    No disagreement came from either party.


    Gu Yan was puzzled, ¡°How did you know I wanted to eat fish? What if I had said I wanted to eat meat?¡±


    Gu Jiao smiled, ¡°Because I was craving for fish today.¡±


    Twins, they sure are miraculous.


    They ate their lunch in a noodle shop. Gu Xiaoshun went back to the academy by himself. Gu Jiao then dropped Gu Yan and Xiao Jingkong at a private school. Afterward, she went to Huichun Hall and sold the herbs she had picked from the mountain.


    There was still time left in the day, so she nned to visit the iron shop and check on the progress of the farming equipment. She would be able to catch up with Gu Yan and the others after school.


    It had been twelve days since Gu Jiao handed over the blueprints.


    The piston bellows designed by Gu Jiao took the woodworker three days to build. In the following nine days, the iron shop managed to produce over a thousand iron tools for mining.


    The cksmiths were astounded.


    Is there really such a miraculous thing in the world?


    ¡°Old Wang, this contraption is certainly more useful than the empire¡¯s hydraulic press!¡± a young cksmith remarked.


    The old cksmith nodded in astonishment, ¡°Indeed, not to mention the empire¡¯s hydraulic press, I suspect not even the press from Liang Country canpare.¡±


    In terms of craftsmanship and minor inventions, Liang Country was peerless among the six countries. The hydraulic press technology of Liang Country had reached its peak. Back then, for this technology, the Zhan Country did not hesitate to exchange three mines.


    Even so, the hydraulic press technology transferred to the Zhan Country by Liang Country was just in its infancy.


    ¡°Who on earth is thatdy?¡± Seemed that young cksmith thought of something, and his eyes widened in surprise, ¡°Could she be a spy from Liang Country?¡±


    The old cksmith pped him on the head, ¡°Are you stupid? Would a spy from Liang Country casually share such powerful technology with us?¡±


    ¡°You have a point.¡± The young cksmith finally realized how painful his head was. He red at the old cksmith, ¡°Don¡¯t you know how heavy a cksmith¡¯s hand is? If you hit me a couple more times, I¡¯d be a piece of iron!¡±


    The old cksmith: Hehehe.


    The young cksmith asked again, ¡°What should we do about thatdy?¡±


    The old cksmith replied, ¡°What do you mean what should we do? Oh, you mean the farming tools? Since she has helped us make over a thousand iron tools in ten days, I¡¯ll stick to my promise. I won¡¯t charge a dime for her farming tools!¡±


    Not only that, the old cksmith also hoped to personally thank thedy.


    Unfortunately, he had been waiting all afternoon, but Gu Jiao never showed up.

 Chapter 156: 111 Slap in the Face (Second Update)

    Chapter 156: 111 p in the Face (Second Update)


    Gu Jiao did indeed n to go to the Iron Shop, but she ran into a bit of trouble.


    As soon as she arrived in town, she noticed that there were more officials than usual, but she didn¡¯t know why, so she asked an owner of the Bun Shop.


    The Bun Shop¡¯s owner was warm-hearted and didn¡¯t ignore her because she didn¡¯t buy buns, ¡°Miss, you might not be aware. Rumor has it a Prince from the Capital City hase to our town, those officials are here to protect him!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just obvious officials either, Gu Jiao noticed there were quite a few experts inmoner attire mixed among the seemingly ordinary crowd.


    This was quite a fuss.


    The road to the Iron Shop was blocked, so Gu Jiao decided to go another day.


    She went to the private school to wait for Xiaojingkong and Gu Yan, but didn¡¯t expect to bump into Gu Jinyu.


    Gu Jinyu was apanying Miss Zhuang on a shopping trip in town, and they were waiting for Osmanthus Cakes from Liji.


    Miss Zhuang naturally wouldn¡¯t queue obediently, she used silver to buy all the Osmanthus Cakes in stock, but the Cakes weren¡¯t made that fast.


    ¡°Sister.¡± Gu Jinyu saw Gu Jiao, let go of Miss Zhuang¡¯s hand, and came over to greet Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao had little interest in Gu Jinyu, she gave her a lukewarm nce, with no intention of stopping.


    Gu Jinyu caught up with her: ¡°Sister!¡±


    Gu Jiao was annoyed: ¡°I¡¯ve already said, I¡¯m not your sister. Do not call me that anymore.¡±


    Gu Jinyu was surprised: ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey! How can you talk like that?¡±


    Miss Zhuang had suddenly appeared next to Gu Jinyu.


    Because Gu Jinyu had curried favor with her, Miss Zhuang had be friends with Gu Jinyu and considered her as such.


    Seeing her friend speak to someone else so obsequiously and getting cold treatment in return, Miss Zhuang felt her own face was being insulted.


    Gu Jiao, who didn¡¯t know Miss Zhuang, had no intention of getting to know her either, and she distanced herself from the two with a nk face.


    Never having been so tantly ignored, Miss Zhuang¡¯s anger surged: ¡°You stop right there!¡±


    Gu Jinyu pulled on Miss Zhuang¡¯s sleeve: ¡°Miss Zhuang, please let it go.¡±


    Miss Zhuang snapped: ¡°What¡¯s there to let go of? This insolentmoner dares to show her true colors to me, a young mistress of a well-known family! Who gave her the courage?¡±


    ¡°She¡­¡± Gu Jinyu said awkwardly, ¡°She is my sister.¡±


    Miss Zhuang scoffed: ¡°She is your sister? Can someone like her match up to you?¡±


    Gu Jinyu exined: ¡°I¡¯m not lying, she is indeed my father¡¯s child.¡±


    Miss Zhuang looked Gu Jiao up and down: ¡°Incredibly poor and ugly¡­ Ah, I understand now, she is your father¡¯s illegitimate daughter!¡±


    Lord Gu only had one daughter whose status was acknowledged, if he had any other children, they must be born of a mistress, which would make them illegitimate!


    Gu Jinyu tried to stop her: ¡°No, Miss Zhuang¡­ it¡¯s a bitplicated¡­ I¡¯ll exin it to you slowlyter¡­¡±


    Miss Zhuang sneered coldly: ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to defend her, she¡¯s just a pathetic creature that can¡¯t show her face in public. Why do you need to give her face? I¡¯ve seen a lot of people like her, they rely on their mother¡¯s sly tricks, thinking they are a real young master, not realizing that a chicken is still a chicken, even on a tree branch it can¡¯t be a phoenix!¡±


    Though the insult was targeted at Gu Jiao, Gu Jinyu felt like it was aimed at her, her face burning hot with embarrassment.


    Gu Jiao remained incredibly calm, as though the person being scolded wasn¡¯t her.


    This made Gu Jinyu feel even more stuffed.


    This Miss Zhuang¡­ she could really insult people in a hurtful way¡­


    Miss Zhuang had been cursing for a while and didn¡¯t see the other party react, she felt like she was punching cotton, she walked a few steps forward, pointing at Gu Jiao¡¯s nose and said: ¡°You, apologize to my friend immediately!¡±


    Gu Jiao looked at her like she was a fool.


    This small gesturepletely enraged Miss Zhuang, just at that moment, the private school was dismissed, Gu Yan and Xiaojingkong came out.


    The two immediately spotted Gu Jiao, Xiaojingkong rushed to Gu Jiao¡¯s side.


    Gu Yan couldn¡¯t run, he could only watch Xiaojingkong throw him into Gu Jiao¡¯s arms.


    Xiaojingkong hugged Jiaojiao!


    Miss Zhuang was close to Gu Jiao, Xiaojingkong ran past her and identally brushed against her skirt.


    Miss Zhuang instantly red up: ¡°How do you walk? You¡¯ve dirtied my skirt!¡±


    Gu Jiao¡¯s eyes turned cold.


    Gu Yan also had a chilly expression.


    Xiaojingkong didn¡¯t catch the hostility in her words, he let go of his hold on Jiaojiao, looked at Miss Zhuang¡¯s skirt very seriously: ¡°Did I make your skirt dirty? Let me see!¡±

 Chapter 157: 111 Slap in the Face (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 157: 111 p in the Face (Second Update)_2


    Miss Zhuang violently jerked her skirt. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me with your filthy hands!¡±


    Gu Yan coldly walked over, took out a handkerchief, squatted down, grabbed the young monk¡¯s hand, and carefully wiped it.


    The little monk looked at Gu Yan with a nk expression on his face.


    Gu Yan nonchntly threw the used handkerchief on the ground: ¡°Don¡¯t touch dirty things outside.¡±


    Miss Zhuang¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Did she hear that right?


    Was he saying her skirt was dirty?


    Miss Zhuang was pissed off.


    Just now, she was admiring how good-looking this man was, and the next moment she realized he¡¯s such an arrogant jerk!


    Gu Jinyu turned to Gu Yan: ¡°Yanyan, this is Miss Zhuang, she is the sister of Prince An.¡±


    Miss Zhuang frowned: ¡°You know him?¡±


    Gu Jinyu nodded, ¡°He is my father¡¯s son, and my sister¡¯s twin.¡±


    Miss Zhuang disdainfully nced at Gu Yan: ¡°Twins, so he¡¯s an illegitimate child then? I heard there¡¯s a jinx in the Marquis Residence, you¡¯re not a jinx too, are you?¡±


    Those words were too piercing, even Gu Jinyu¡¯s face changed.


    Gu Jiao said to Gu Yan: ¡°You two, go wait for me over there.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Yan took the little monk¡¯s hand and led him back to the private school.


    As soon as the two disappeared, Gu Jiao pped Miss Zhuang!


    Miss Zhuang was stunned on the spot: ¡°You¡­ You hit me?¡±


    Gu Jiao said coldly: ¡°I hit you, do I need to pick a day?¡±


    Gu Jinyu lost color on her face: ¡°Sister, you¡­ how could you¡­ ah¨C¡±


    p!


    Gu Jiao also pped her!


    ¡°Can¡¯t you speak properly? Are you stuttering or do you have a speech disorder, can¡¯t you exin something in one go? You have too much of Marquis Residence¡¯s wealth gone into your head or what?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± Gu Jinyu staggered back in shock.


    Not far away, Lord Gu and Prince An, who were drinking tea, heard themotion from the servants and came to see what happened. They saw Miss Zhuang and Gu Jinyu both swelled up like steamed buns.


    ¡°Brother!¡± Miss Zhuang threw herself in front of Prince An, revealing her injured face, and pointed at Gu Jiao, ¡°She hit me! She hit me!¡±


    Lord Gu¡¯s head exploded when he saw Gu Jiao.


    Why is it this girl again?


    Prince An¡¯s gazended on Gu Jiao¡¯s face. Due to the birthmark on her left cheek, her face can¡¯t be considered good-looking, but her cold demeanor gave her more character than those so-called beauties in Capital City.


    Gu Jinyu also returned to Lord Gu¡¯s side, her eyes filled with tears, her face full of grievance.


    Lord Gu felt agonized: ¡°What happened?¡±


    Prince An turned his gaze to Gu Jinyu, apparently waiting for her to exin.


    Gu Jinyu lowered her gaze: ¡°There was a misunderstanding between my sister and Miss Zhuang¡­ Actually, it¡¯s also my fault for not exining clearly, it¡¯s all my fault, Daddy don¡¯t me my sister.¡±


    Lord Gu was taken aback: ¡°So she really hit them?¡±


    This is crazy, this girl has the audacity to not only beat her own father, but her sister and even the prince¡¯s sister. How many heads does she think she has?


    Isn¡¯t she afraid the whole Marquis Residence would be buried with her?!


    Lord Gu paid his respects: ¡°Prince¡­¡±


    Prince An turned to Gu Jinyu: ¡°What was the misunderstanding?¡±


    Gu Jinyu, with her gaze lowered, said: ¡°I introduced her as my sister, without making it clear, and caused Miss Zhuang to mistake her as my father¡¯s illegitimate daughter.¡±


    Miss Zhuang red at Gu Jiao: ¡°What misunderstanding? Isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Lord Gu clenched his teeth, bowed to Prince An and stated: ¡°She is an legitimate offspring of the noblewoman and I.¡±


    Prince An cast a doubt-filled gaze at Gu Jinyu. Gu Jinyu felt like dagger was stabbing her in the back, yet Prince An didn¡¯t continue his interrogation.


    Miss Zhuang, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t resist asking: ¡°If she¡¯s legitimate, what about her?¡±


    The first her referred to Gu Jiao, while the second referred to Gu Jinyu.


    Gu Jinyu¡¯s palm tightened.


    Lord Gu broke into a cold sweat and awkwardly said: ¡°Jinyu¡­ Jinyu is also my daughter with my wife.¡±


    Miss Zhuang asked: ¡°So it¡¯s not twins, but triplets?¡±


    Lord Gu wanted to say no, but as he turned his head to see Gu Jinyu¡¯s tear-stained face, he softened.


    Without saying a word, Miss Zhuang took it as confirmation.


    Miss Zhuang looked coldly at Gu Jinyu: ¡°For your own sister, can¡¯t you even speak clearly?¡±


    Gu Jinyu muttered: ¡°I wanted to, but Miss Zhuang didn¡¯t give me the chance¡­¡±


    Prince An asked: ¡°So my sister insulted her because she was mistaken as an illegitimate child?¡±

 Chapter 158: 111 Slap in the Face (Second Update)_3

    Chapter 158: 111 p in the Face (Second Update)_3


    Gu Jinyu guiltily confessed, ¡°And¡­ Miss Vi thought I was being bullied by my sister, so she argued with her on my behalf, and said a few words about my sister.¡±


    Prince An looked at Miss Vi, ¡°What did you say exactly?¡±


    The look in Miss Vi¡¯s eyes flickered, ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t say much¡­ just a few words¡­¡±


    Which words?¡± Prince An asked seriously.


    Miss Vi muttered quietly, ¡°The ones about her being a bastard.¡±


    Prince An looked at the crowd around him and casually pointed to amoner, ¡°You,e here and tell us.¡±


    The man was led forward by Prince An¡¯s guard, looking terrified. He¡¯d heard this person addressed as the Prince earlier, he was the Prince from Capital City!


    ¡°What did she say?¡± Prince An looked at themoner, his eyes briefly ncing over his own younger sister.


    At first, the man didn¡¯t dare to speak.


    ¡°You will be pardoned.¡± said Prince An, calmly and steadily.


    The man nced at Miss Vi. Even though Miss Vi was threatening him with her eyes and Prince An sounded rxed, somehow he felt Prince An was more dangerous than Miss Vi.


    He admitted, frightened and bowing, ¡°She¡­ she used thedy of being a bastard¡­ amoner¡¯s child¡­ insulted thedy¡¯s mother as a fox spirit¡­ and¡­ and insulted another person¡­ saying, ¡®The Marquis Residence has a short-lived ghost, aren¡¯t you also a short-lived ghost?''¡±


    Who the ¡®other person¡¯ was hardly a matter of concern anymore, everyone knew from her words that she was insulting Gu Yan.


    Gu Yan had been ill since his childhood and royal physicians had predicted he wouldn¡¯t survive past fifteen. However, having the physicians make such a prediction was one thing, being publicly ridiculed as a short-lived ghost by someone was another matter altogether.


    Thatdy was indeed the legitimate offspring of Marquis Gu and the Yao family, thus she was Gu Yan¡¯s legitimate older sister.


    Insulting someone as a bastard and amoner¡¯s child, insulting a mother as a fox spirit, and even ridiculing a younger brother as a short-lived ghost, who shouldn¡¯t deserve a p in return?


    Even Marquis Gu remained silent.


    Prince An raised his hand, bowing slightly to Marquis Gu and Gu Jiao, ¡°I apologize to the Marquis and Miss Gu for my younger sister¡¯s inappropriate behavior.¡±


    Marquis Gu hurriedly held him, ¡°That¡¯s not necessary! That¡¯s not necessary! This is just some petty quarrel between young girls, Prince shouldn¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    Prince An vowed sincerely, ¡°I will discipline my younger sister more strictly.¡±


    ¡°You are being overly serious, Prince¡­¡± Marquis Gu said awkwardly.


    While he was responding, he signaled to Gu Jiao with his eyes. This was the moment she was supposed to apologize for losing herposure and hitting someone.


    Instead, Gu Jiao turned a blind eye to the situation, turned around and walked away.


    Marquis Gu said under his breath, ¡°¡­¡±


    Miss Vi shouted angrily, ¡°You¡­you¡­ I will not let you go! I don¡¯t care if you are the legitimate daughter of the Marquis Residence! You hit me, I will remember you! You better bow and apologize to me right now! Perhaps, I, Miss Vi, will show mercy and spare you! Otherwise, when you return to Capital City, you will pay!¡±


    Marquis Gu¡¯s heart skipped a beat!


    Ignoring Miss Vi, Gu Jiao continued her journey towards the private school.


    Miss Vi was almost shaking with anger, ¡°This is outrageous! Do you know who I am? The Grand Tutor of Vi is my grandfather! The Empress Dowager is my aunt! Once I return to Capital City, I will ask the Empress Dowager to charge you with a grave crime!¡±


    Marquis Gu started to break out into a cold sweat.


    That ruthless Empress Dowager Vi was famous for her ferocious protection of her family. If Gu Jiao offended her, she could actually have her beheaded!


    Would it hurt to say one apologetic sentence?


    Does she have to lose her head over this?!


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Prince An harshly scolded, then told a guard, ¡°Take Miss Vi back to the Vi!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Miss Vi stomped her foot with anger, ¡°I won¡¯t go! I refuse! Who are you people, dare to touch me! Cut off your hand!¡±


    ¡°Excuse us!¡±


    The guard took a cloak from a maid and draped it over Miss Vi¡¯s arm. He then ¡°escorted¡± her onto the carriage, maintaining the propriety by keeping the cloak between them.


    Prince An nodded slightly to Marquis Gu, his gaze briefly scanning the face of Gu Jinyu, who lowered his head. Prince An did not say anything else, and also got onto the carriage.


    Miss Vi looked at her elder brother and was seething, ¡°You broke your promise! You said you wouldn¡¯t help outsiders bully me again!¡±


    Prince An spoke softly, ¡°Let me look at it.¡±


    Miss Vi turned her back, ¡°Stop it! You don¡¯t care about me at all!¡±


    Prince An started, ¡°I have a gift for you¡­¡±


    Miss Vi covered her ears, ¡°No, I don¡¯t want it, I don¡¯t want any presents! Don¡¯t think you can win me over! I want to go back to Capital City, I want to see father and mother, I want to see the Empress Dowager! I want to tell them how you colluded with outsiders to bully me!¡±


    Prince An sighed deeply, ¡°I was nning to let you enjoy a few more days in town, but if you insist, we¡¯ll leave for Capital City. It¡¯s time for your fourth uncle to return to the capital. Let him review your studies and see if you¡¯ve progressed?¡±


    Upon the mention of Tutor Vi reviewing her studies, Miss Vi fell silent.


    She lowered her hand from her ears and said weakly, ¡°Then¡­ maybe¡­ I¡¯ll stay for a few more days?¡±


    Prince An said, ¡°Then, don¡¯t cause any more trouble.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know!¡± Miss Vi replied dismissively, but secretly swore that once she was back in Capital City, she¡¯d immediately see the Empress Dowager and make sure she pulled that little hoof from the Marquis Residence out into the open, and pped her a hundred times in public!

 Chapter 159: 112 Empress Dowager (first night watch)

    Chapter 159: 112 Empress Dowager (first night watch)


    On the return cow cart, Little Jingkong had a solemn expression on his little face.


    Today, he had encountered a very ferocious female patron, who had spoken words tooplex for him to understand, and seemingly not very pleasant at all.


    But that wasn¡¯t the main point.


    It seemed that today he had been protected by Brother Gu Yan¡­


    After all, he was much smarter than Brother Gu Yan, he had skipped grades, always ranked first in exams, and Brother Gu Yan was just a baby. However, when Brother Gu Yan crouched down to wipe his small hand, andter held his hand as they walked towards the private school, it gave him an illusion that he was the baby.


    Little Jingkong fell into deep thought, feeling confused about his and Gu Yan¡¯s positions for the first time.


    Meanwhile, Prince An and Miss Zhuang returned to their vi.


    Miss Zhuang was exhausted and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.


    Prince An ordered her personal maid: ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone disturb her rest, turn everyone away.¡±


    The maid hesitated: ¡°What if Miss Gues¡­¡±


    Prince An¡¯s eyes were icy: ¡°Turn her away!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The maid hurriedly agreed.


    Prince An returned to his room.


    Soon after, a man in ck stealthily entered, saluting him: ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Prince An poured himself a cup of tea and said calmly: ¡°Any leads?¡±


    The man in ck shook his head: ¡°I¡¯ve secretly visited all the inns and medical halls in the town, and even the homes of the doctors, but there has been no trace of the Dowager Empress.¡±


    Prince An muttered: ¡°Perhaps she never visited the medical hall, nor sought any town doctors, and neither did she stay at an inn.¡±


    The man in ck was puzzled: ¡°Then where could the Dowager Empress have gone? Could she be hiding in somemoner¡¯s house?¡±


    Prince An remained silent.


    The man in ck casually said: ¡°Your highness, that¡¯s impossible. Did you forget? The Dowager Empress has leprosy.¡±


    Leprosy in its early stages only results in small red patches on the body and face, resembling frostbite or allergies, but as the disease progresses, the symptoms of leprosy be more and more apparent, and the inflicted person eventually lookspletely different from healthy individuals.


    A leper cannot hide, unless she decided to retreat into the deep mountains and forests to live alone.


    But this is even more impossible.


    The Dowager Empress has led a pampered and privileged life, she doesn¡¯t even know how to cook. If she were to stay alone in the forest, she would starve to death before being taken by the disease or any wild beasts.


    Prince An, seemingly lost in thought, said: ¡°All you have said is true. But if she is not hiding, where else could she have gone? She has leprosy and would cause a stir wherever she goes.¡±


    The man in ck asked: ¡°Are you really not considering the possibility of the Dowager Empress¡¯s death?¡±


    Prince An: ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, if she¡¯s alive, there must be sightings; if she¡¯s dead, there must be a body.¡±


    The man in ck had no arguments left.


    ¡°Perhaps, someone took her in and then cured her.¡±


    The man in ck pointed out: ¡°Leprosy can¡¯t be cured!¡± Even in the advanced medical practice of Chen country, the disease can only be dyed, with early interventions being the most effective ¨C there are no knownplete cures.


    Prince An, of course, understands how absurd his own spection is, but he is more reluctant to believe that the Dowager Empress has already died alone in some forgotten corner.


    He ordered: ¡°Go and check for old women who came to Qingquan Townst winter; don¡¯t miss the viges either.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The man in ck carried out the investigation. His efficiency was much higher than Huang Zhong and his team. In a few days, he found two leads. One in Daniu Vige and the other in Qingquan Vige, both viges located to the north and south of the town, respectively.


    ¡°The one from Daniu Vige was left destitute therest winter. When the vigers found her, she was curled up in an abandoned cowshed. They took pity on her and let her stay there, asionally providing her with some food to prevent her from starving.¡±


    Prince An asked: ¡°What about the other one?¡±


    The man in ck continued: ¡°The one from Qingquan Vige is a schr¡¯s distant rtive, she had misfortunes at home and had no one else to rely on, so she came to seek refuge with him.¡±


    If judging by clues, the old woman from Daniu Vige seemed to be the person they were looking for.


    However, for some unknown reason, Prince An decided on Qingquan Vige.


    No reason, just a gut feeling.


    To prevent alerting anyone, Prince An decided to go there in person, leaving the man in ck and his subordinates waiting in the town.


    Prince An arrived at the vige on horseback.


    The summer days were long, and the evening sky was still bright.


    Prince An tied his horse to the old locust tree at the entrance of the vige, and ording to the map drawn by the man in ck, he walked towards the house.


    At the same moment, little Jingkong was feeding the chickens in the backyard and afraid the chickens would escape, he closed the door.

 Chapter 160: 112 Empress Dowager (first night watch)_2

    Chapter 160: 112 Empress Dowager (first night watch)_2


    The Prince of An raised his hand and knocked on the door.


    The door was opened by Little Jingkong.


    On that day, before Gu Jiao made a move, Little Jingkong was taken into the private school by Gu Yan, so he didn¡¯t know what happened afterwards, nor did he see the Prince of An.


    However, after getting in the carriage, the Prince did nce back and saw Gu Jiao leading Little Jingkong out of the private school by the hand. There was also a young man who looked strikingly simr to Lord Gu following them, likely the Gu Yan who was diagnosed by the imperial physician as terminally ill.


    How peculiar, why would this little guy be here?


    ¡°Is this your home?¡± The Prince of An asked.


    Little Jingkong didn¡¯t fully open the door, only revealing a round little head through a crack in the door: ¡°Of course this is my home, who are you? What are you doing at my home?¡±


    The Prince of An spoke gently: ¡°I was just passing by and would like a bowl of water to drink.¡±


    ¡°Then wait a moment!¡± Without inviting him in, Little Jingkong closed the door. In a little while, he brought him a bowl of water, ¡°Here.¡±


    This little one is rather wary¡­


    The Prince of An took the bowl and drank all the water, then returned the empty bowl to him: ¡°Are you home alone?¡±


    Little Jingkong instantly became vignt, even narrowing the crack in the door: ¡°Are you a kidnapper? Why are you asking this?¡±


    The Prince of An calmly responded: ¡°Ah, no, just that I had your water and wanted to give thanks to your elders.¡±


    Little Jingkong said seriously: ¡°I brought you the water. Just thank me!¡±


    The Prince of An didn¡¯t expect such a response from this child. Startled for a moment, he said, ¡°Ah, thank you then. By the way, could you tell me the way to Daniu Vige?¡±


    If it was about Xinghua Vige or Yangliu Vige, Little Jingkong would know, but the location of Daniu Vige was beyond his knowledge. He was stumped on the spot.


    With a smirk, the Prince of An asked, ¡°Could you help me ask your elder?¡±


    ¡°My elder is busy. Go ask elsewhere. Go east, the seventh house is a family named Luo. Uncle Luo drives a bullock cart, he knows all the viges!¡± After giving him the direction, Little Jingkong decisively closed the door, not forgetting to bolt it!


    Jiaojiao warned him never to let strangers in when the adults are not home!


    He was a child and his granny was an old woman, neither of them were adults!


    As someone who had traveled abroad, he was experienced but he didn¡¯t expect to be refused at the door by a child.


    But he wasn¡¯t so easily deterred. If the front door wouldn¡¯t work, then he would try the back door.


    He had to see that elderlydy today.


    The Prince of An circled around to the back door.


    The kitchen¡¯s back door was closed too, but it wasn¡¯t locked.


    The Prince of An paused for a moment, gently pushed the door open, and stepped inside.


    His footsteps were so light that they made no sound.


    Just as he took a few steps inside, a figure suddenly emerged from behind the door, wielding a rolling pin and aiming a strike at his head.


    With a muffled thud, the Prince of An was knocked unconscious.


    The olddy tossed the rolling pin back onto the chopping block, looking down at the unconscious Prince of An with his face facing down, she scoffed disdainfully, ¡°Sly and sneaky, you can tell he¡¯s no good.¡±


    She had heard the entire conversation between the Prince of An and Little Jingkong. He kept asking if there were any adults at home, and even after being rejected, he still tried to sneak in. He was a thief, a definitive small-time thief!


    It wasn¡¯t unusual for the olddy to be suspicious. After their family¡¯s livelihood had improved, there had indeed been some petty thieves eyeing their property. But those thieves only came at night when Gu Jiao and Gu Yan¡¯s bodyguards were around and could be dealt with easily.


    She didn¡¯t expect the thief to be so bold as to break in in broad daylight!


    The olddy looked at his handsome face and clicked her tongue in disapproval, ¡°With your face, you should be doing something better than being a petty thief. But¡­ why does this boy look familiar¡­ have I seen him somewhere before?¡±


    The olddy¡¯s blow was hard. When Gu Jiao, Gu Xiaoshun, and Gu Yan returned from chopping firewood on the mountain, he was still unconscious on the kitchen floor.


    Gu Jiao, Gu Xiaoshun put down the two bundles of firewood from their backs, and Gu Yan also put down his half-basket of dry branches and leaves.


    ¡°Jiaojiao, we had a thief at home, granny is so powerful, she knocked out the thief!¡±


    Little Jingkong instantly turned into a broadcasting machine, repeatedly detailing the events.


    But Gu Jiao quickly recognized that he wasn¡¯t a petty thief, but thevishly dressed young man she had seen outside the private school a few days prior ¨C the Prince of An, as referred to by Gu Jinyu.


    Gu Jiao did not have a particrly good or bad impression of him. He didn¡¯t defend his sister but apologized to Lord Gu and her. At such a young age, he was so considerate. She didn¡¯t know whether he was inherently just and kind, or if there was more to him.

 Chapter 161: 112 Empress Dowager (first night watch)_3

    Chapter 161: 112 Empress Dowager (first night watch)_3


    No matter what, he couldn¡¯t let any trouble happen in their house.


    Gu Jiao grabbed him with both hands and took him to Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s room.


    The olddy hit him without mercy, arge bump rose on his head, and a bit of blood seeped out. Gu Jiao medicated him and wrapped it with a bandage.


    Next, Gu Jiao took out a silver needle and pricked a few points on his acupoint.


    The Duke of An slowly opened his eyes.


    Though the Duke of An¡¯s features were not extraordinarily delicate, there was an attractive air about him that would make anyone fall for him.


    His eyes were very charming, only his gaze seemed somewhat amiss.


    Gu Jiao looked at him curiously and waved in front of his eyes.


    He didn¡¯t react.


    What¡¯s the situation?


    Is he blind?


    At this time, it was dark outside and in the room was lit by a dim oilmp.


    Gu Jiao turned up the wick to make it brighter, but he still could not see.


    Yet he did not panic, and did not exhibit any abnormality. He closed his eyes calmly: ¡°My eyes hurt.¡±


    Hiding the fact that he could not see was his first response upon waking up, rather than asking where he was or who she was.


    What a strange man.


    Since he had said so, Gu Jiao naturally wouldn¡¯t expose him. After all, who could guarantee what the consequences would be if she did so.


    The more you know, the quicker you die.


    ¡°Then keep your eyes closed. I¡¯ll go find some herbs for you,¡± Gu Jiao said as she haphazardly applied some mint leaves wrapped in a piece of cloth onto his eyes.


    ¡°Jiaojiao!¡± A small voice peeked in from the door, ¡°Has he woken up?¡±


    It was a child¡¯s voice.


    The Duke of An began to guess Gu Jiao¡¯s identity. If he wasn¡¯t wrong, she should be the woman who had a conflict with his sister that day.


    But wasn¡¯t she the daughter of Duke Ding¡¯an?


    Why would she live here?


    ¡°He¡¯s awake,¡± Gu Jiao replied. ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m hungry,¡± Xiaojingkong honestly nodded, then asked, ¡°Is he okay?¡±


    Gu Jiao whispered, ¡°He¡¯s okay. His eyes are just ufortable.¡±


    Xiaojingkong asked again, ¡°Will he me my aunt?¡±


    Gu Jiao looked at the Duke of An, ¡°We¡¯ve had several robberies at home recently. You came in through the back door, so my aunt mistook you for a thief.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± said the Duke of An.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t me my aunt,¡± Gu Jiao said to Xiaojingkong, ¡°Go and have some snacks first. I will cook soon.¡±


    Only then did Xiaojingkong leave with relief.


    Listeting to Gu Jiao¡¯s voice, The Duke of An had a hard time associating her with the woman who pped his sister and Gu Jinyu. It seemed as if her patience and tenderness were reserved only for her family.


    When everyone else was gone, Gu Jiao asked: ¡°What brings the Duke of An here all of a sudden?¡±


    Initially, she was only guessing. Her calling him Duke of An confirmed her identity, as those who had not met him could hardly recognize him.


    The Duke of An obviously couldn¡¯t tell her that he suspected the Empress Dowager was hiding in their house. He hesitated for a moment before saying: ¡°To be frank, I came to apologize. I am sorry my sister had caused Miss Gu such difort.¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°Oh.¡±


    The Duke of An couldn¡¯t tell if she believed him or not: ¡°You mean¡­ the one who knocked me out was your aunt?¡±


    Gu Jiao said, ¡°What about it?¡±


    The Duke of Anughed indifferently: ¡°She¡¯s quite strong.¡±


    It seemed that she wasn¡¯t the Empress Dowager.


    The Empress Dowager would recognize him.


    When the Duke of An was about to excuse himself, a small squeaky voice came from the backyard, ¡°Jiaojiao! Auntie is stealing sweets again!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t! Don¡¯t tell lies, little monk!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a monk!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a little bald head!¡±


    That voice¡­.


    The Duke of An shivered, his whole body froze!

 Chapter 162 - 113: Recognition (Second Update)

    Chapter 162: Chapter 113: Recognition (Second Update)


    Gu Jiao stepped out, looking at the jar tightly held in the olddy¡¯s arms: ¡°Granny, I said you could only have three pieces a day.¡±


    The old woman stubbornly retorted: ¡°I only had three pieces!¡±


    Gu Jiao pointed at the jar: ¡°But clearly there are six pieces missing.¡±


    ¡°He ate them!¡± The olddy abruptly used Gu Xiaoshun.


    Gu Xiaoshun, who was chopping firewood, appeared totally dumbfounded. What happened? Did he eat something he wasn¡¯t supposed to?


    Gu Jiao heartlessly confiscated the old woman¡¯s candied fruit, and also uncovered the stash she had been hoarding in her room for some time.


    The olddy¡¯s face turned green.


    The Prince of An County, upon hearing the familiar voice, felt his heart tighten over and over.


    ¡­ Is it the Dowager?


    Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t see anything right now.


    However, that¡¯s okay. Soon as the day dawns, his sight will return.


    Gu Jiao, having finished confiscating the old woman¡¯s candied fruit, turned around to see the Prince of An County stumbling out blindly, standing in the doorway, looking in her direction.


    What exactly is he looking at? He can¡¯t see anything.


    Gu Jiao walked over and spoke indifferently: ¡°Prince of An, where do you live? I¡¯ll arrange for someone to take you hometer.¡±


    Gu Yan¡¯s bodyguard was lurking nearby; they could take care of it.


    The Prince of An had already decided to stay. He quietly said, ¡°I feel a little dizzy. May I stay at Miss Gu¡¯s house for the night?¡±


    Gu Jiao squinted suspiciously. Was this guy trying to scam her?


    ¡°We have no extra rooms in my house.¡±


    The Prince of An was about to reply ¡°that¡¯s fine, I can squeeze in with others¡±, but before he could, he was interrupted by a familiar voice.


    ¡°Prince of An?¡±


    The visitor was none other than Marquis Gu, who she had not seen for several days.


    Marquis Gu came to find Gu Jiao. He had thought over the previous incident where he had overstepped his bounds regarding Miss Zhuang, and it indeed deserved a p. But what exactly had Jin Yu done to deserve a p by being lumped together with her?


    He had hesitated for many days, eventually deciding to go to her vige to reassure her about bullying Jin Yu!


    No matter whether she returned to the Marquis Residence or not, she should not vent her anger on Jin Yu because she didn¡¯t like her!


    The gate was wide open, so he walked straight in.


    However, just after passing through the living room, he saw the Prince of An, who had disappeared for the whole day. Wasn¡¯t he said to be out wandering in the town? Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be buying osmanthus cake for Miss Zhuang from Liji?


    Why did he appear at his daughter¡¯s house?


    Could he also be here to hold her ountable?


    Marquis Gu dashed up in three steps, and found that the Prince of An seemed to be injured, with gauze wrapped around his head and his eyes covered as well.


    A dreadful thought shed through his mind: Did¡­ did thatss beat up the Prince of An as well?


    Heavens, what kind of little devil had he birthed?


    Marquis Gu paid his respects, almost bending his waist in half: ¡°Your Highness¡­ my daughter is, uh, unbridled. Please forgive her!¡±


    The Prince of An looked at him puzzled: ¡°Marquis, you don¡¯t seriously think that the injury was caused by your daughter, do you?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Marquis Gu was taken aback. Wasn¡¯t it?


    The Prince of An lightly tugged at the corner of his mouth: ¡°It was my own carelessness¡­ and thank your daughter for treating me.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Marquis Gu was dumbfounded.


    The Prince of An tentatively said: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect your daughter to be so well versed in the techniques of the Huangdi¡¯s Canon of Medicine.¡±


    Marquis Gu was dumbfounded and replied awkwardly: ¡°Prince of An, you overpraise her. She worked as a medicine boy in the town¡¯s medical hall for a few days, she knows just a little about the superficial things! In my opinion, you should hurry back to the vi and let the royal doctors there examine you thoroughly!¡±


    Marquis Gu said this mainly because he was indeed worried about the Prince of An¡¯s injuries; secondly, he assumed he was here to hold Gu Jiao ountable.


    Even though he didn¡¯t fancy Gu Jiao, she was still his and the Yao family¡¯s flesh and blood, so he couldn¡¯t just let her be held ountable by the Prince of An.


    He needed to hurry the Prince of An away.


    The Prince of An intended to repeat his previous trick, insisting that he felt dizzy and couldn¡¯t face a long journey. Marquis Gu said he had the best carriage, ensuring he would not feel the slightest bump!


    Marquis Gu was too determined, so the Prince of An finally couldn¡¯t persuade him and resentfully got onto the carriage heading back to the vi.


    Marquis Gu let out a long sigh of relief!


    However, the Prince of An was somewhat suspicious.


    Why was Marquis Gu so determined to take him back to the vi? Was he worried that he might discover something at his daughter¡¯s ce?


    Why would his daughter choose to live in the countryside? Could it be to hide the Dowager?


    Marquis Gu was not aware that his hasty actions had led the Prince of An to specte so much. When he got back to the vi, in order to pacify the Prince of An¡¯s anger, he presented many valuable antiques, inflicting a lot of pain to his own wealth!

 Chapter 163 - 113: Recognition (Second Update) Part 2

    Chapter 163: Chapter 113: Recognition (Second Update) Part 2


    The Prince of An County grew increasingly suspicious of Marquis Gu.


    Marquis Gu was the brother of Lady Shu, and Lady Shu belonged to His Majesty.


    Marquis Gu did not stay at the vi for such a long time in previous years. Would his decision to stay this year be rted to the Empress Dowager?


    More and more clues pieced together painted a ¡°reasonable¡± truth.


    The Prince of An County called the man in ck into his room.


    After listening to the Prince of An County¡¯s deduction, the man in ck inquired, perplexed, ¡°But if she indeed is the Empress Dowager, why wouldn¡¯t she recognize you? ording to your theory, she didn¡¯t see clearly who you were when she knocked you out, but she should have seen clearly after you fainted.¡±


    The Prince of An County, lost in thought, replied, ¡°This point is clear to me, hence I need to confirm once again. I have already visited once, another visit would raise suspicions. Tomorrow you go, say¡­ apologize for these two misunderstandings. Hope that both families can resolve their past grudges. Also hope that once she arrives at the capital, she won¡¯t mention anything about my sister¡¯s bullying, so to not ruin my sister¡¯s reputation.¡±


    The man in ck: ¡°Yes.¡±


    The Prince of An County: ¡°You must meet the Empress Dowager and inform her about the situation in the capital.¡±


    The man in ck saluted: ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    However, ¡­ ¡°Thinking of something, the man in ck, frowning, stated, ¡°If the other party is indeed the Empress Dowager, what does the Prince n to do?¡±


    The Prince of An County coldly replied: ¡°What else can be done? Of course, bring her back to the capital. We can¡¯t let her fall into anyone else¡¯s hands. Regardless of whether that person is His Majesty or anyone else.¡±


    The man in ck hesitated for a moment, then said, ¡°The current capital city may not be very safe. The cause of the Empress Dowager¡¯s leprosy remains a mystery. His Majesty concealed the Empress Dowager¡¯s condition, proiming that she is recuperating from a sudden serious illness at the royal vi. If we take the Empress Dowager back like this, won¡¯t we be telling His Majesty that we know everything? And we did so silently, secretly taking the Empress Dowager back! Won¡¯t His Majesty think we harbor disloyal intentions?¡±


    The Prince of An County snorted coldly: ¡°Is it the first day he¡¯s wary of us Zhuang n? From the moment he formed an alliance with the Marquis of Xuanping, he had been trying to restrain the Zhuang n. The Empress Dowager¡¯s illness, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s rted to His Majesty. The current court situation is increasingly unfavorable for the Zhuang n. If the Empress Dowager doesn¡¯t manage the situation, the Zhuang n might end up like the Liu family.¡±


    In the past, there were four hegemonic families in the capital: the Xiao family of the Marquis of Xuanping¡¯s residence, the Luo family of the Duke Luo residence, the Liu family of the Duke Liu residence, and the Zhuang family of the Prime Minister.


    Actually, the background of this emperor wasn¡¯t that good. His birth mother did not even have the right to raise him. He was brought up under Lady Jing¡¯s care.


    Empress Dowager Zhuang did not have a son, and she didn¡¯t get along with the mother n of the crown prince, Liu. So she brought down the crown prince and the Liu family, and ced Lady Jing¡¯s adopted son on the throne.


    However, this emperor was an ungrateful wolf. He was not only ungrateful to Empress Dowager Zhuang, but also developed fears for her after experiencing her ability to manipte situations.


    The daughter the Zhuang family sent into the pce should have been the queen, but he established the sister of Marquis Xuanping as the queen in Jinluan Hall and even married his most beloved Princess Xinyang to Marquis Xuanping.


    Under the support of Marquis Xuanping, the emperor, like a tiger adding wings, had weakened much of the Zhuang family¡¯s power. However, the tactics of Empress Dowager Zhuang were too strong. As long as she kept the emperor under pressure, the emperor could not shake the Zhuang family¡¯s foundations.


    During the time when the Empress Dowager was ¡°recuperating from her illness at the royal vi¡±, the Zhuang n was being heavily suppressed by Marquis Xuanping.


    If it continued like this, the Zhuang family would be ruined.


    So, even if the Empress Dowager would face great danger upon returning to the capital, the Zhuang family could not spare any more considerations.


    ¡°Wuyang, that¡¯s our fate.¡±


    Going to the State of Chen as a captive, that was his fate.


    Going through fire and water for the Zhuang family, it was also the Empress Dowager¡¯s fate.


    The next day, early in the morning, the man in ck changed into a guard¡¯s attire, brought arge box of gifts, and headed to Qingquan Vige.


    Gu Yan and others had gone to school, and it was Gu Jiao who opened the door for him.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    He saluted and smiled: ¡°My name is Wuyang, I am a guard of the Prince of An County, I am here today on the prince¡¯s orders to apologize to Miss Gu.¡±


    Gu Jiao said, ¡°Didn¡¯t he already apologize yesterday?¡±


    Wuyang courteously exined, ¡°Yesterday the Prince was injured and couldn¡¯t finish saying everything. I have been tasked to make another trip today.¡±


    Gu Jiao waited for him to continue.


    Wuyang asked, ¡°May I¡­ bring these gifts into the house first?¡±


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t refuse.


    Wuyang brought therge box into the living room, opened the box, took out severalrge brocade boxes from inside, and said to Gu Jiao, ¡°The Prince hopes that Miss Gu will not mention to anyone the incident of my young mistress¡¯s insolence after returning to the capital. My young mistress has been spoiled at home, and her temperament can be a bit overbearing. Our prince has already apologized to you. However, reputation is incredibly important for a girl. If she is known for bullying, I¡¯m afraid she would attract a lot of criticism in the future. Please understand the filial heart of our prince.¡±


    From the sounds of it, he seemed to want to silence her.


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t say anything, signaling him to just put the things down.


    Wuyang specifically selected two silk boxes and said to Gu Jiao, ¡°The prince was worried that he scared the young man and the old woman yesterday. He asked me to apologize to them personally.¡±


    ¡°Jingkong has gone to school, you probably won¡¯t see her. My grand-aunt doesn¡¯t like strangers, I will convey your apology for you,¡± said Gu Jiao.


    Could it be they were really guarding against him?


    Wuyang, who initially only believed a little, now believed even more. He stood up and asked, ¡°In that case, I must trouble Miss Gu, may I use your bathroom?¡±


    Gu Jiao nced at him, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Wuyang went to the bathroom as usual.


    Wuyang was stalling for time; he had to see the Empress Dowager today.


    Luckily for him, the old woman had had a nightmare that had scared her awake. She came out to the courtyard to get some air, and he happened to run into her.


    As a close confidant of Prince An, Wuyang had apanied him to see the Empress Dowager many times. Unlike Marquis Gu, who had only briefly seen her twice, once was just a glimpse of her back.


    Although the person in front of him was dressed like a country old woman, with a calm disposition, she appeared a far cry from the vicious Empress Dowager. Yet, Wuyang could still recognize her at a nce!


    Especially that mole on her right earlobe, Wuyang was certain he was not mistaken.


    Wuyang was excited, and he stepped forward!


    The old woman had just had a nightmare and was still feeling anxious when a seven-foot-tall man suddenly appeared in the backyard, giving her a great fright!


    ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked, fiercely.


    Wuyang was taken aback, ¡°I¡¯m Wuyang!¡±


    ¡°What five sheep or six sheep, I¡¯ve never heard of you! Go away!¡± The old woman was upset and waved him off. ¡°Jiaojiao! Why are there strange people in our house again?¡±


    Gu Jiao put down the silk boxes and walked over. After looking at Wuyang, she said to the old woman, ¡°He is the bodyguard of the prince who visited yesterday. He came to apologize.¡±


    The old woman raised her eyebrows, ¡°Did he bring gifts?¡±


    Gu Jiao nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    The old woman went to the hall and rummaged through porcin, jade, and tea leaves, not concealing her contempt, ¡°There¡¯s not even an Osmanthus Cake, insincere, hmph!¡±


    Wuyang was dumbfounded, what situation was this? This Empress Dowager was not what he had imagined!


    ¡°I want to eat syrup eggs!¡± the old woman said to Gu Jiao.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Gu Jiao replied, knowing she didn¡¯t have to add any syrup.


    ¡°Make a bowl for him too!¡± The old woman dered seriously, ¡°He brought so many gifts, you should offer him a meal!¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Gu Jiao nodded and went to the kitchen to prepare two bowls of syrup eggs, half a bowl with normal sugar and another with less sugar.


    The old woman graciouslymented, ¡°Jiaojiao, you can go do your chores. I can take care of the guest!¡±


    Wuyang gave an internal thumbs up to the Empress Dowager, who used the excuse of eating syrup eggs to make him stay and cleverly sent all the Gu family members out of the way. She was truly a wise and heroic leader!


    Gu Jiao picked up the shoulder pole to fetch water from the entrance of the vige.


    There was no third person in the house, and the old woman¡¯s face suddenly lit up with excitement.


    Wuyang was excited too.


    The Empress Dowager¡¯s actions just now were definitely a pretense! She was going to acknowledge him!


    ¡°Hurry, hurry, hurry! Jiaojiao will be back soon!¡±


    Yes, he had to act fast!


    Wuyang nodded vigorously. However, all he saw was the old woman swapping her bowl of syrup egg with his then starting to eat with an inexpressible joy!


    Wuyang: ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 164: 114 Rural Examination (two updates combined into one)

    Chapter 164: 114 Rural Examination (two updatesbined into one)


    The olddy, with her sweet tooth, had Wuyang acting as her handyman all day at home. Wuyang would one moment hear, ¡°Miss Gu, I¡¯m hungry, I want candied fruit,¡± and the next, ¡°Miss Gu, I¡¯m thirsty, I want to drink green bean soup, the super sweet kind¡­¡±


    When he got back to the vi, Wuyang was deeply questioning his life.


    Prince An saw him in his room and asked, ¡°How did it go? Did you see the Empress Dowager?¡±


    Wuyang appeared rather unsettled, ¡°I did see her¡­¡±


    But was that really the Empress Dowager?


    Wuyang shared his miserable experience of the day with Prince An.


    Prince An was shocked. He recalled that yesterday in the vige, he seemed to have heard some strange thingsing out of the Empress Dowager¡¯s mouth. He was so excited at the time that he didn¡¯t take it to heart. Although heter realized what she must be doing, he thought she was pretending to be insane and fooling the Gu family who were guarding her.


    ¡°My subordinate doesn¡¯t think so,¡± Wuyang spected, ¡°When Miss Gu went to fetch water and only the Empress Dowager and I were left in the room, if she had been pretending to be foolish, with no one else around, she would have shown her true colors to me.¡±


    But she didn¡¯t. The Empress Dowager was only interested in devouring her sunny-side-up eggs, and would always interrupt Wuyang whenever he attempted to speak.


    How had he never noticed before that the Empress Dowager was such a glutton?


    Prince An¡¯s impression of the Empress Dowager was not that of a woman who would neglect serious matters for a bit of food. However, it was indeed true that she couldn¡¯t consume too much sweet food, the imperial physicians had warned, stating that a light diet would be better for the elderly.


    In a murmur, Prince An wondered, ¡°What happened? Has the Empress Dowager lost her memory? And that has resulted in a drastic change in her personality?¡±


    Or, perhaps, this was the true character of the Empress Dowager, the years she had spent in the pce were all an act?


    But who can pretend for decades? Wearing a mask of cruelty for so many years, wouldn¡¯t they show some cracks?


    Prince An preferred to believe the former. The Empress Dowager had forgotten some things, and the resulting changes in her disposition had disappeared, making her apletely strange person.


    Wuyang didn¡¯t dare to specte recklessly, ¡°What does the Prince n to do? Still nning on taking the Empress Dowager back to the capital?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Prince An sighed.


    An Empress Dowager only interested in eating and drinking wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against the Emperor, but keeping her here, under Marquis Ding¡¯an¡¯s watchful eye, also made him uneasy.


    Prince An pondered for a while, seemed to think of something, and asked Wuyang, ¡°There are a few things I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Wuyang.


    Prince An pushed open the sash window, gazing out at the courtyard full of flowers and nts, ¡°How did the Empress Dowager lose her memory? And what exactly does this have to do with the Marquis¡¯ Residence?¡±


    Wuyang followed him over and asked, ¡°You mean, did they deliberately make the Empress Dowager be insane?¡±


    Prince An shot him a cold look.


    Wuyang shrank his neck and bowed his head, ¡°My subordinate made a mistake.¡±


    How could he call the Empress Dowager insane? Even though she did seem a bit foolish.


    Prince An asked, ¡°Have you found out about Miss Gu¡¯s identity?¡±


    Wuyang replied, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s clear now. She is the older sister of the twins. The Marquis¡¯s wife gave birth in the temple years ago and identally swapped her child with a vige woman¡¯s. Gu Jinyu should be the child from the vige. However, because they had been raising her for so many years and grew attached to her, even when they discovered the truth recently, they didn¡¯t send Jin Yu away. As for the real Miss Gu, it is said that she herself is not willing to return to the household. Besides, she is already married, her husband is a stranger who drifted to this ce.¡±


    Prince An then asked, ¡°Who did you ask about it?¡±


    Wuyang said, ¡°Madame Yao of the Yao family. When I asked her, she freely told me the truth.¡±


    Prince An seemed thoughtful, ¡°So, Miss Gu was not purposely ced in the vige by Marquis Gu?¡±


    Wuyang shook his head, ¡°She wasn¡¯t. I guess the Empress Dowager was taken in by Miss Gu after she had lost her memory. But¡­ why did she be the aunt of Miss Gu¡¯s husband?¡±


    ¡°The leprosy disease.¡± Prince An squinted as he spoke.


    ¡°What?¡± Wuyang was taken aback.


    Prince An ced a hand on the potted begonia on the windowsill, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that Miss Gu¡¯s husband is an outsider?¡±


    Wuyang was confused, ¡°Yes, but what does that have to do with them taking in the Empress Dowager? Could it be that Miss Gu¡¯s husband is a rtive of the Empress Dowager?¡±


    That couldn¡¯t be possible, right? The Empress Dowager, with her highly esteemed and noble status, how could she possibly be rted to a countryside pauper?


    Prince An thoughtfully said, ¡°If the Empress Dowager had leprosy and fainted on Miss Gu¡¯s doorstep, and Miss Gu touched her without knowing anything, what would you do if you were in their situation?¡±

 Chapter 165: 114 Rural Examination (Two Updates Combined)_2

    Chapter 165: 114 Rural Examination (Two Updates Combined)_2


    Wuyang¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°How could this happen? Leprosy is highly contagious; if you¡¯ve been in contact with it, you too would be sent to Mafeng Mountain! Could it be¡­¡±


    Prince An absent-mindedly smirked, ¡°Correct, to avoid being sent to Mafeng Mountain, they must shelter and cure the Empress Dowager. To avoid suspicion, they pretended she was the aunt-inw of Miss Gu¡¯s husband and came to join them.¡±


    Wuyang had an epiphany, ¡°Yes, Miss Gu¡¯s husband is a foreigner, so naturally his aunt would be too. No one would suspect them!¡±


    Prince An casually yed with a vibrant begonia flower in front of him, ¡°What intrigues me is, how did Miss Gu cure the Empress Dowager¡¯s leprosy?¡±


    Lord Gu said she was just a little medicine girl. It seems he still didn¡¯t understand his own biological daughter.


    Wuyang suddenly turned his gaze to Prince An, ¡°My Lord, if she can cure leprosy, then is it possible¡­¡±


    Prince An raised his finger, stopping him from finishing his sentence, ¡°I still don¡¯t trust her.¡±


    Wuyang sighed, his expressionplicated, ¡°I see. Then¡­ what is your n regarding the Empress Dowager?¡±


    Prince An pondered, ¡°The Empress Dowager has lost her memory, she will not leave with me even if I go and identify myself. Moreover, it may expose her identity, which would be unwise. Gather some men and steal the Empress Dowager away at midnight!¡±


    Wuyang, ¡°Steal¡­steal a person?¡±


    Why did that sound a bit off?


    Wuyang moved quickly. At night, he led seven skilled fighters to Qingquan Vige to steal¡­um no, to kidnap someone.


    When he arrived at Miss Gu¡¯s house, he discovered two covert guards lurking nearby.


    They were probably the covert guards sent by Marquis Ding¡¯an¡¯s Residence to protect the twin dragons. Wuyang figured it would be best to lure them away. Otherwise, it could get troublesome if the Empress Dowager was awakened by the noise.


    But covert guards were not ordinary guards, it was unlikely they would both leave their charge simultaneously. Just as Wuyang was figuring out how to implement his n, the two covert guards strode out of the room and disappeared into the forest on their own, their purpose unknown.


    Wuyang, ¡°¡­¡±


    That works?


    Forget it, time is vital, let¡¯s act!


    Wuyang gestured an attack signal, and the seven men in ck leapt into the air, swooping into the backyard.


    Wuyang also intended to swoop into the courtyard, but as he struck a pose, before he could even jump, he heard a loud thud. One of the ck-d men had been kicked out like a sandbag.


    Wuyang was a bit stunned.


    Did they enter in the wrong way?


    Wuyang jumped onto the wall.


    A second ck-d man passed before his eyes, tracing a beautiful parab in mid-air before crashing heavily onto the open ground outside the house.


    Wuyang was now thoroughly dumbfounded.


    Hadn¡¯t the covert guards left? Had they returned so soon?


    He looked into the backyard, but there were no covert guards in sight. Clearly, it was none other than Miss Gu who had once pped Gu Jinyu and Zhuang Caidie repeatedly!


    That day, he thought Miss Gu was too excessive, bullying even weak women who were powerless. Now it seemed she was just holding back!


    Otherwise, with a punch strong enough to knock a skilled fighter off his feet, if she had really gone all out, wouldn¡¯t she have shattered the heads of Gu Jinyu and Zhuang Caidie?


    Although the men Wuyang brought were not top-tier fighters, they were much stronger than the average fighter. Yet even they were beaten by Miss Gu without a chance to fight back.


    Wuyang felt like crying.


    He finally understood why the two covert guards from Marquis Ding¡¯an¡¯s Residence had suddenly disappeared into the forest. They were worried, afraid that if they had stayed, they might have disrupted Miss Gu¡¯s mood.


    Wuyang estimated in his mind that he probably was not a match for Miss Gu either.


    ¡°Beg your pardon, Miss Gu.¡±


    Wuyang took out a crossbow from behind him, put on a short arrow, aimed at Gu Jiao¡¯s shoulder and pulled the trigger.


    But in the blink of an eye, the door of the granny¡¯s room suddenly opened. The olddy, yawning, walked out, ¡°What¡¯s all the noise?¡±


    Startled, Wuyang¡¯s hand shook. The arrow missed!


    And it was heading straight towards the old woman. Wuyang¡¯s heart pounded in his chest!


    The speed of the crossbow was several times faster than that of an ordinary arrow. He didn¡¯t have time to catch his own arrow back!


    Just in the nick of time, Gu Jiao took a leap,nding in front of the olddy, pulling her aside. The arrow scraped past her hand and embedded in the wall behind the two women.


    Gu Jiao¡¯s hand was grazed, and it started bleeding profusely.


    With her other hand, she pulled out the arrow and threw it fiercely in Wuyang¡¯s direction in the darkness!

 Chapter 166: 114 Rural Examination (Two Updates Combined)_3

    Chapter 166: 114 Rural Examination (Two Updates Combined)_3


    The arrow was too fast for even a top-notch martial artist like Wuyang to dodge.


    He grunted in pain as an arrow hit his right shoulder and ordered the man in ck on the ground, ¡°Retreat!¡±


    Once they had left, the vige returned to tranquil.


    The olddy noticed the blood on the back of Gu Jiao¡¯s hand and eximed, ¡°Jiaojiao, you¡¯re injured!¡±


    Gu Jiao responded nonchntly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a minor scrape.¡±


    The olddy grumbled in annoyance, ¡°Now that our family is doing well, we have be the target of thieves!¡±


    Thieves?


    The petty thieves who had visited us before didn¡¯t have such skills or equipment.


    Looking out into the vast night, Gu Jiao felt that the group was not after the silver. They had headed straight for the small east room, where his aunt lived.


    Wuyang, injured, returned to the vi and went to see Prince An in the study without taking the time to have his wounds treated first.


    Prince An looked at him, puzzled, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Wuyang knelt with one knee on the ground in shame, ¡°My lord, I failed¡­ I wasn¡¯t able to bring the Empress Dowager back¡­ and almost injured her¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t dare to hide anything, and reported everything that had happened to Prince An.


    A hint of surprise shed in Prince An¡¯s eyes, ¡°Unexpected indeed¡­¡±


    Wuyang agreed solemnly, ¡°Yes, my lord, I never expected that Miss Gu, who grew up amongmoners, would have such martial skills.¡±


    Prince An¡¯s lips curled slightly, ¡°No, what I didn¡¯t expect was that she would risk her life to save an old woman who has nothing to do with her.¡±


    She was only trying to protect herself at the beginning, but now that the woman was healed, she could have simply sent her away, or at the very least, not risked her life to save her.


    ording to Wuyang, if she had moved even a little bit, she probably would have been killed by the arrow.


    He was increasingly unable to understand Miss Gu.


    Looking up at the full moon in the horizon, he muttered lowly, ¡°Miss Gu, what more don¡¯t I know about you?¡±


    Wuyang asked for orders, ¡°My lord, can I try again tomorrow night¡­¡±


    Prince An interrupted him gently, ¡°No need. Since she is so protective of the Empress Dowager, let her stay by her side.¡±


    Wuyang was astounded, ¡°My lord!¡±


    Prince An looked into the distance, ¡°Now is not the best time to bring the Empress Dowager back to the capital. Once I report this to my grandfather and make all preparations, we can bring her home safely. Miss Gu, we will meet again soon.¡±


    The next day, Prince An bid farewell to Mr. Gu and Yao Family, ¡°The rural examinations are imminent, and I can¡¯t afford to stay here any longer, I need to rush back to the capital. I am deeply grateful for your hospitality over the past few days.¡±


    For the first time, he used the term ¡°junior¡±, which left Mr. Gu tongue-tied!


    Prince An¡¯s gentle gaze rested on Mrs. Yao¡¯s face, ¡°Madam, your daughter is excellent, far superior to manydies in the capital. If you have the opportunity, please bring your daughter to my mansion to get acquainted with Mengdie.¡±


    Mrs. Yao bowed to express her gratitude.


    From behind, Jin Yu couldn¡¯t help but blush.


    Was the princeplimenting her?


    Zhuang Mengdie thought that her brother was praising Jin Yu too. She pouted, she knew there were no such triplets, and that Jin Yu was wrongly embraced by the Gu family. The real daughter was that girl!


    Both of them were not good, she didn¡¯t like anyone!


    The siblings set off on their journey back to the capital.


    Even after the carriage had gone far away, Jin Yu was still lost in Prince An¡¯s praise.


    A young heir like Prince An is someone that no girl would dislike, but most of them are just wishful thinking.


    But what if¡­ Prince An had feelings for a girl first?


    As far as she knew, Prince An had not yet discussed marriage ns. Did his statement just now¡­ hint at something to her parents?


    Jin Yu sneaked a nce at Marquis Gu and Mrs. Yao, their expressions remained calm, clearly they hadn¡¯t caught onto the hint.


    She couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious.


    Dad was a blockhead in this aspect, she couldn¡¯t rely on him; and mom only cared about her biological daughter now and didn¡¯t pay attention to her.


    What if¡­what if mom knew that Prince An was interested in Marquis¡¯s daughter? Would she let Gu Jiao marry him?


    In just a split second, Jin Yu had imagined quite a lot of scenarios.


    She was upset, on one hand, Prince An¡¯spliment had aroused her unrealistic fantasies; on the other hand, she had a desperate desire to return to the capital and ask the Empress for advice.


    On this end, Gu Jiao received the farming tools from the iron shop. There were quite a few, and an employee from Huichun Hall went to retrieve them.


    Before leaving, the old cksmith stopped her, ¡°Little brother, what is yourdy¡¯s family name?¡±


    The shop assistant replied, ¡°You mean Miss Gu? She isn¡¯t mydy.¡±

 Chapter 167: 114 Rural Examination (Two Updates Combined)_4

    Chapter 167: 114 Rural Examination (Two Updates Combined)_4


    The old cksmith was startled: ¡°Ah? Then she is¡­¡±


    The shop assistant, unaware of Gu Jiao¡¯s medical skills, replied: ¡°She is a friend of our boss.¡±


    The old cksmith asked: ¡°Could you kindly tell me where she lives, so I can thank her in person?¡±


    The shop assistant responded: ¡°Miss Gu has mentioned that if it was sessful, the fee for the farming tools would be waived.¡±


    Old cksmith: ¡°But¡­¡±


    There were no more buts, the assistant left with several carts full of farming tools.


    The old cksmith stared nkly at the departing carriage, unable to regain his senses for a long time.


    Gu Jia left the vacantnd on the hillside untouched for the time being. She hired nearby vigers to cultivate arge medicinal field on the mountain, and dug a fish pond and a canal. Water was brought into the pond from the waterfall below.


    Gu Yan¡¯s shadow guards had beborers, assigned to dig canals and nt crops everyday. After a month, the two had transformed from fair-skinned to bona fide dark-skinned due toboring under the sun.


    Autumn came in a blink of an eye.


    This year¡¯s summer was not exceptionally hot. However, the returning autumn heat made people sweat profusely.


    Xiao Ling and his party had been in Provincial City for some time. Under the arrangements of the Lin Family, they had settled down in the closest and most luxurious inn to the Imperial College.


    Zhou, the steward, had invited Xiao Ling to their residence a few times, but was respectfully declined each time.


    Lin Chengye had a tough time dealing with Xiao Ling over the past few months. He had been chubby when he first went to Qingquan Town, and lost significant weight after returning to Provincial City.


    When Xiao Ling tutored him, every session felt illuminating to Lin Chengye who couldn¡¯t fathom the depth of Xiao Ling¡¯s knowledge. It seemed greater than all the schrs in his familybined.


    However, whenever Xiao Ling presented an exam question for him, he always fell short.


    Having experienced county, prefecture, and college examinations, general test questions were not challenging for him. But Xiao Ling¡¯s questions didn¡¯t seem like test questions but rather sharp knives!


    Expectedly, the Four Books and Five ssics used for the examination also have a certain scope, with some chapters being more important to memorize than others.


    Xiao Ling seemed indifferent to this. The test questions he handed out often included a majority of topics beyond the main chapters.


    Lin Chengye, feeling overwhelmed, had lost weight due to Xiao Ling¡¯s exacting examination style.


    When Lin Chengyeined to Fen Lin, Fen Lin reassured him: ¡°You misunderstood him. It¡¯s not that he deliberately avoids important chapters, he simply doesn¡¯t know which chapters are essential.¡±


    Because he had never highlighted any chapters, he had mastered the texts from beginning to end, word for word, able to recite wlessly even in reverse!


    Despite being tormented by Xiao Ling¡¯s regimen, after returning to Provincial City, Lin Chengye didn¡¯t choose to go back to his family home. Instead, he stayed in the inn with Xiao Ling and Fen Lin.


    The provincial examination waspleted in three stages, eachsting three days.


    The first stage started on the eighth day of the eighth lunar month, which was tomorrow. Everyone residing in the inn was there for the examination, contributing to the overall tense atmosphere.


    Xiao Ling was probably the only one who seemed unperturbed.


    Fen Lin was initially also somewhat anxious, but he had so much to do that he barely had time to feel nervous.


    ¡°Little Linzi,e and help!¡± Fen Lin called Lin Chengye into the inn¡¯s small kitchen.


    This kitchen was rented at a high price by the Lin family who had even arranged a dedicated chef for it.


    The provincial examination did not cater to the examinees¡¯ dietary needs and although the chef offered to cook for them, Fen Lin declined.


    Before leaving, Gu Jiao handed him a list, documenting some precautions and rted recipes.


    The recipes were detailed and took into ount the weather. If the weather was cool, the first recipe should be used; if it was hot, the second recipe was to be utilized.


    ¡°Cookies, dried meat, oranges, pickled vegetables¡­¡±


    Fen Lin and Lin Chengye ved away in the kitchen all afternoon, finally getting all the necessary preparations done. The meat, dried in-house, smelled so good that it tempted all the test-takers staying at the inn.


    The pickled vegetables had already been prepared a few days ago, and were now perfectly marinated. Fen Lin packed three small jars of them.


    The cookies needed to be freshly made the day the exam started. Fen Lin told the chef to make sure the cookies werepletely dry and without any moisture.


    There were two chief examiners for each provincial exam, both appointed by the court.


    They and the local invigtors would enter the Imperial College on the sixth day of the lunar month, hold an admission banquet, and be sequestered by the invigtors.


    These examiners, also called paper reviewers, stayed until the end of the provincial examination, and only left after they had marked all the examination papers.


    The whole process couldst up to half a month, and during this period, they were not allowed any contact with the outside world, including the external invigtors.

 Chapter 168: 114 Rural Examination (Two Updates Combined)_5

    Chapter 168: 114 Rural Examination (Two Updates Combined)_5


    On the eighth day, the candidates arrived at the exam site early.


    Although each roundsted three days, the real test was only a day in between, with the first andst days being for checking in and out respectively.


    Early in the morning, a long line had already formed outside of the Imperial College.


    Xiao Ling and the other two arrived neither early norte, cing them around the hundredth spot in line.


    They were not in a hurry, but it was driving Mr. Zhou, the Lin Family¡¯s manager, insane.


    The provincial examination did not allow others to queue on behalf of the candidates; otherwise, the Lin Family would have booked all the slots outside the Imperial College!


    ¡°Did you bring your water?¡± Manager Zhou asked Lin Chengye.


    Lin Chengye nodded, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Manager Zhou continued: ¡°Did you bring your food?¡±


    Lin Chengye nodded again, ¡°Yes.¡±


    He could still utter a couple of words without stuttering.


    Still, Manager Zhou was not at ease: ¡°And¡­ are your clothes thick enough? In case it gets too chilly at night.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hot.¡± Lin Chengye said.


    Manager Zhou sighed. The weather had been unusual this year. It was not hot when it was supposed to be, and it was not chilly when it was supposed to be. He heard that the crops growing in the countryside were not doing well because of it.


    Just as Manager Zhou was about to give more instructions, Lin Chengye frowned, ¡°Go away, you are annoying.¡±


    Manager Zhou: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh my!¡±


    Manager Zhou had only just taken a few steps when Fen Lin scared him so much that he almost tripped over.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He turned back to ask.


    Fen Lin said, ¡°I forgot to give you this! Gu Jiao said if the weather was hot, we should bring this into the exam site. It can refresh the mind and also stop the itching from mosquitos.¡±


    It was three bottles of menthol.


    However, Gu Jiao had changed the ss bottles to jade bottles. After adding the stopper, she had sealed the opening with wax.


    ¡°Can we take this in?¡± Manager Zhou asked. Apart from water and food, nothing else was allowed in the provincial exams.


    Fen Lin exined, ¡°This can be used externally and can be consumed as well. Gu Jiao said, if anyone asks, just drink some to show them.¡±


    Xiao Ling¡¯s eyes held a hint of suspicion: ¡°You two seem to be close now¡­¡±


    Fen Lin, oblivious to hispanion¡¯s dangerous gaze, chuckled. ¡°I misunderstood Gu Jiao before because I was naive. She¡¯s actually very nice! Ling, honestly, it¡¯s a man¡¯s luck spanning several lifetimes to get a wife like her! I also want¡­¡±


    Xiao Ling¡¯s eyes became as sharp as a knife, finally making Fen Lin take notice.


    Fen Lin cowered guiltily, ¡°Alright, I don¡¯t want her.¡±


    Xiao Ling took the bottles of menthol.


    Was it one of those strange things from the box?


    He had seen these kinds of symbols before, with most of them appearing on the objects that rolled out of the box that night.


    However, that night he hadn¡¯t seen these green bottles.


    So he wasn¡¯t seeing things. The small box really could produce strange things, and always different ones?


    Did it use some kind of blinding technique or mechanism?


    Since these bottles contained medicine, did that mean the other things he¡¯d seen could also be medicines?


    Was it a little first aid kit?


    Even someone as smart as Xiao Ling couldn¡¯t figure out Gu Jiao¡¯s little box right away. Shortly afterward, it was his turn, along with Fen Ling and Lin Chengye, to be frisked by the guards.


    Fen Lin, in order to prove that what they brought was water, opened the bottle cap and drank a drop. The taste nearly knocked him out!


    Heavens, that sure was refreshing!


    After entering the exam site, the candidates were sorted into their respective examination rooms, also called exam rooms.


    The exam room was simple, with only two nks of wood. One served as a table and the other as a chair, inserted into notches on either side of the room. At night, the candidates would put the two boards together to make a bed and make do for the night.


    During these three days, candidates were not allowed to leave their exam rooms, taking care of all their needs inside.


    The first round of examination involved writing essays and poetry. In theory, it was one essay on either ¡°Analects of Confucius¡± or ¡°Doctrine of the Mean¡±, or ¡°University¡± or ¡°Mencius¡±, along with a self-made eight-line quintain.


    However, this year¡¯s provincial examination added an unconventional twist¡ª it included the ¡°ssic of Filial Piety¡±.


    Strictly speaking, the ¡°ssic of Filial Piety¡± was not long, being less than two thousand words in total, but the problem was¡­ it was not in the sybus!


    Who would memorize it if it wasn¡¯t going to be tested, right?


    When Lin Chengye saw that he had to write the ¡°ssic of Filial Piety¡± from memory, all his hair stood on end!


    Not out of fear, but excitement!


    Because Xiao Ling¡­ had¡­ tested¡­ him¡­ on it!


    Xiao Ling was a very strict teacher. Everything that Lin Chengye couldn¡¯t answer would be retested a second, third, or even a fourth time until he could.


    Not only had Lin Chengye lost weight, but he had also developed premature baldness, all thanks to Xiao Ling¡¯s torment.


    But at this moment, Lin Chengye was sincerely grateful for Xiao Ling¡¯s torment!


    Lin Chengye knew not many candidates would know ¡°ssic of Filial Piety¡±. Just with this first round, he might already be ahead of many other examinees!

 Chapter 169: 115 Perfect Answer Sheet! (Two updates in one)

    Chapter 169: 115 Perfect Answer Sheet! (Two updates in one)


    Lin Chengye began writing vigorously.


    Feng Lin, in the back row exam room, couldn¡¯t help but chuckle a couple of times after seeing the questions.


    When Xiao Ling tutored Lin Chengye, he eavesdropped in, and when Lin Chengye was afraid of Xiao Ling, he would sometimes go through the test papers himself. If he thought there were no problems, he would only then show them to Xiao Ling.


    In this back-and-forth way, he managed to memorize the ¡°ssic of Filial Piety.¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for the strict discipline of the examination site, Feng Lin would already be humming a little tune.


    Just from this one examination, the difficulty of the examiners¡¯ questions was simply nothingpared to the devilish difficulty that Xiao Ling made them endure.


    Other candidates were not as calm as the three of them. They didn¡¯t expect this year¡¯s questions to be beyond the scope of their usual study materials. This was killing them!


    However, those who could make it to the provincial examination generally had a pretty resilient mentality. Although they were screaming and roaring in their hearts, they just gritted their teeth and kept writing.


    This year¡¯s autumn heat was intense. It was already very hot when they entered the day before, but today was even hotter.


    The examination room was narrow and poorly ventted. Not long after the exam started, the students were already sweating profusely.


    The bolder candidates started to disrobe. Though it didn¡¯t look proper, the discipline of the exam site has always been that as long as they didn¡¯t cheat, the examiners would even ignore them if they defecated or farted.


    By noon, when the sun was directly overhead, the examination room got much hotter. All the candidates felt like they were being roasted on an iron te.


    Finally, a candidate from the provincial city fainted from heat.


    This candidate, being from a wealthy family and never having suffered before, was not as resilient to high temperatures as those candidates born from poorer families, who were used to hard physical work.


    The proctor was keeping an eye on him. He better wake up on his own, because once someone carries him out of the exam room, he will not be allowed to return to the site.


    After waiting a while, the candidate still didn¡¯t respond, so the proctor had to call the guard to take him outside for medical attention.


    As soon as the guard took him to the door of the Imperial College, he woke up. He cried and pleaded to return to the test, but the rules of the examination site would not be broken for anyone, not even if it were a prince.


    Therefore, the Imperial Examination demanded many things from candidates. Not only was a strong mentality necessary but a healthy body as well. Otherwise, they would not be able to withstand the high pressure of the examination.


    This little incident also added a lot of pressure to the other candidates. Plus, the weather was truly getting hotter. Everyone felt as if their examination room had turned into arge oven.


    At first, the candidates who kept their dignity and refused to undress, now no longer cared and undressed anyway. Not taking off their underwear was thest respect they had for the examination room!


    Xiao Ling also felt the heat. In the past, he would have probably fainted by now. However, in the past six months, Gu Jiao insisted on him doing her health-check regimen every day without fail. Even when he was away for exams, she would make sure someone like Feng Lin would supervise him.


    At first, he thought that all her efforts were in vain. He seemed unable to shake off the gloomy shadow in his heart and he could not stand like a normal person.


    Only now did he understand that all her hard work had not gone to waste. His body had be much stronger.


    Half an hourter, the temperature in the examination room reached its peak, and two more candidates fainted from the heat. All the candidates were irritable and dizzy and could no longer think properly.


    Xiao Ling took off his coat. Still not enough, his eyes suddenly fell on the bundle by his side.


    He opened the bundle and took out a small green bottle that Gu Jiao asked Feng Lin to bring. He smeared a few drops on his temples and forehead. Instantly, a cool sensation spread throughout his body, and he was immediately refreshed and clear-minded.


    All the heat subsided at this moment. He settled down and continued grinding out his answers.


    It was only when the sun went down that the weather lost its intense heat. After a day of exams, all the candidates were wiped out, not knowing whether it was due to the test or the sun.


    Thanks to Gu Jiao¡¯s miraculous medicine, Xiao Ling, Feng Lin, and Lin Chengye were more rxed than the other candidates.


    During the day, no one felt like eating. Now that the weather had cooled, they finally remembered to eat.


    However, to the candidates¡¯ dismay, the food they had brought was all spoiled due to the heat!


    The faint smell of spoiled food filled the examination room, causing the proctors to pinch their noses.


    But soon, a sweet citrusy smell wafted in. It was oranges! Their peels would spray out a hand full of fresh oil. They were left unspoiled!


    Gurgle~


    A candidate¡¯s stomach grumbled.


    Soon after, everyone began to salivate. The oranges were too fragrant; sour and sweet¡­


    Xiao Ling ate an orange, then took out a piece of dried meat and a cookie. Due to the water being dried out, the cookie and dried meat didn¡¯t spoil, and neither did the pickled vegetables.

 Chapter 170: 115 Perfect answer sheet! (Two updates in one)_2

    Chapter 170: 115 Perfect answer sheet! (Two updates in one)_2


    The man slowly chewed and enjoyed his food.


    The aroma of the meat mixed with the smell of pickled vegetables pervaded the entire examination site, driving all the exam candidates to the edge.


    With such challenging exam questions during the daytime and such terrible weather, wasn¡¯t it enough of a torment? Why would anyone want to eat such fragrant food in the examination site?


    Did you reallye to take the exam?


    Who brings such avish spread to an exam?


    If not for the ban on candidates talking with others, they would have screamed, ¡°Brother, share me a bite. I got you covered wherever you go in the future!¡±


    Adding insult to injury, how could there be no mosquitoes in the hot night?


    Xiao Ling and his twopanions applied some mosquito repellent and slept soundly. Whereas the candidates, who had spent the night fighting mosquitoes, came out of the exam site with dark circles so heavy they could barely keep their eyes open.


    Fortunately, on the day the exam was over, a heavy rain fell in the provincial city, cooling off the weather.


    On the 11th day, the candidates entered the examination room again.


    The second exam was a discussion on the Five ssics. Each discussion wasn¡¯t required to have many words, not less than three hundred would suffice. In previous years, it often revolved around people¡¯s livelihoods and official careers, such asmerce, agriculture and irrigation, the division of duties in the six departments, and so on.


    Yet, this year, they started off with a discussion on the pros and cons of reducing the power of the feudal lords, which directly stunned the candidates.


    Which fearless examiner set such a sharp and sensitive question?


    In Zhan Country, exam questions for the rural examinations were set by the cab every year, then inspected by the emperor. It was only after the emperor¡¯s approval that they were box-packed, sealed, and sent off to major provincial cities.


    The exam questions issued uniformly by the court were consistent. However, it didn¡¯t rule out an individual or idental situation, such as leaking or damaging the questions. Therefore, the court usually prepared eight sets of exam papers.


    The chief examiner randomly drew the questions on the spot during the examination. Whichever set was drawn was used, and as far as they were concerned, there wasn¡¯t a precedent of all the provinces getting the same set of questions.


    Unluckily, the chief examiner of this provincial city drew the most difficult set this year.


    Among these candidates, there were newbies like Xiao Ling and also those who had been taking exams for most of their lives with graying hair.


    Those who have taken exams a number of times all recognized that this year¡¯s questions are not simple; they didn¡¯t follow the usual pattern¡­


    Over the years, the examiners have had their own preferences. So, when answering questions, candidates try to cater as much as possible to the examiner¡¯s preferences. That¡¯s also the reason why every year, people pay a hefty amount of money to learn about the examiners¡¯ backgrounds and life stories.


    But the issue is that the reduction of the feudal lords is not an ordinary livelihood issue. It can¡¯t be decided by the examiner¡¯s preference, but rather by the stance of the court.


    If the court advocates for limiting the power of the lords, then the examiner surely wouldn¡¯t give high marks to a pro-feudal powers paper. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t that be tantamount to the examiner publicly rebuking the court and the emperor?


    Based on the court¡¯s appeasement policy towards the Lin Family, the candidates could roughly understand the court¡¯s stance on the feudal lords. At least, there was absolutely no chance of limiting the power of the lords within the next decade.


    To y it safe, the majority of the candidates chose to go along with the court¡¯s winds, beautifully articting the drawbacks of reducing the power of the lords in their schrly papers, anduding the court¡¯s current appeasement policy.


    In a certain examination room, Xiao Ling, without any hesitation, penned down ¨C the measure of reducing the powers of feudal lords, needs to be taken ASAP!


    For thest examination, they entered the room on the 14th, and the exam started on the 15th. The content for this one was the ¡°eight-legged essay¡±.


    This was Lin Chengye¡¯s weakest area. During the child exams, he never scored highly on the ¡°eight-legged essay¡±. He barely managed to achieve the schr¡¯s degree by relying on his scripture recitation and misceneous essays.


    However, this time he looked at the question on the exam paper and inexplicably felt that it wasn¡¯t as tricky as the usual ones Xiao Ling set for him.


    Plus, Xiao Ling had taught him some tips on the ¡°eight-legged essay¡± and made him memorize a few well-contrasted ttering phrases that didn¡¯t make much sense. But it could make the overall tone of the essay appear sophisticated and grand!


    And he effortlessly wrote it all down!


    After all, when you don¡¯t understand, just add filler content! Never leave it nk!


    Lin Chengye felt that he did a great job of filling in (even he couldn¡¯t understand what he was filling in). Although he won¡¯t score highly, he shouldn¡¯t fail like before.


    After the three-round examination was over, the candidates were exhausted to the point of looking visibly thinner. Butler Zhou waited early in the morning at the Imperial College.


    Looking at each candidate walking out, visibly thinner, he was worried sick about his Young Master Xiao Ling.


    Soon, Xiao Ling and his twopanions came out.


    No matter how crowded it was, Xiao Ling was always the one who would be noticed first.


    Butler Zhou noticed Xiao Ling first, followed by Lin Chengye walking beside him.


    Just as Butler Zhou was about to say, ¡°Young master, you¡¯ve lost weight,¡± his words got stuck in his throat.

 Chapter 171: 115 Perfect Answers! (Two in One Update)_3

    Chapter 171: 115 Perfect Answers! (Two in One Update)_3


    Eh¡­why does their young master look a bit fatter than before?


    In fact, Lin Chengye didn¡¯t get fat, it¡¯s just the other examinees who became thinner, making the three of them look fatter by contrast.


    Manager Zhou stride forward, anxiously and excitedly asked, ¡°How was the exam, young master? You didn¡¯t allow me toe for the previous two sessions, I was so suffocated! Can you pass? Was the exam difficult? Why do I feel everyone looks upset!¡±


    Lin Chengye said, ¡°We¡¯ll talkter.¡±


    Manager Zhou looked at the other examinees nearby and realized he was over-excited. Was this a ce to talk freely?


    He smiled at Xiao Ling and Fen Lin and said, ¡°Finally, the exams are over. It has been tough for both of you during this period. My master has arranged a feast at home. Please grace us with your presence.¡±


    The Lin family was the richest in the provincial city. Fen Lin was quite interested in going and broaden his horizons. However, Xiao Ling declined outright, ¡°No, we need to go back to our county. We appreciate Mr. Lin¡¯s kindness. We will surely meet in the future when the opportunity arises.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Lin Chengye and Manager Zhou were both dumbfounded.


    Especially Lin Chengye.


    Although he had anticipated that Xiao Ling would leave once the examination ended, he strangely felt a sense of reluctance when it actually happened.


    The days of tutoring with Xiao Ling was the most miserable torment in his life, but it was only when he entered the exam site that he understood it was his most valuable experience.


    ¡°You¡­ leaveter. I¡­will see¡­you off.¡± Lin Chengye, anxious, revealed his stuttering problem.


    His face changed, with a fleeting trace of panic in his eyes.


    However, Xiao Ling¡¯s face was as usual, looking at him with the same calm and cool gaze, ¡°No need. You have been away from home for so long, you should go back and check.¡±


    Fen Lin was slightly surprised. This was the first time he heard Xiao Ling uttering such cordial words after their reunion.


    Upon further reflection, he has indeed changed a lot from a year ago.


    Lin Chengye eventually failed to persuade Xiao Ling toe to his house. He was actually quite aware that the teacher-student rtionship between him and Xiao Ling was not bad. Xiao Ling was cool on the outside, but warm-hearted; he just didn¡¯t understand why Xiao Ling refused to go to his home.


    Manager Zhouughed, ¡°Young master Ling, young miss Lin is here. She heard about your hardships in the provincial examination and wanted to take you out for a few days.¡±


    Lin Chengye hated his foolish cousin!


    Xiao Ling and Fen Lin returned to the inn.


    When going upstairs, Fen Lin asked, ¡°Should we wait until the resultse out before we leave?¡±


    The results would take half a month.


    Xiao Ling lightly said, ¡°No need, the results would be reported to the county government office.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡± Fen Lin nodded. Although he really wanted to know his own and Xiao Ling¡¯s grades as soon as possible, Xiao Ling obviously seemed eager to go home. Isn¡¯t it clear? He missed his family.


    Missed his sweetheart.


    Hehehe, naughty boy.


    While the two were heading to their guest room, they could hear the excited voices of the examinees from the grand hall.


    ¡°Hey, have you heard? The royal academy will reopen in the capital city!¡±


    ¡°Really? Who told you?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be told. The imperial decree has been posted! It¡¯s right outside the government office, you can go and check it yourself! The schrs with excellent exam results will be rmended by the government office and will have a chance to enter the royal academy. If someone bes the top scorer in the provincial examination, no rmendation is needed and they can move directly into the royal academy!¡±


    Schrs refer to those who have passed the qualifying schr exam, generally, the ones who have achieved ¡°Little Sanyuan¡± will have a chance to be rmended. Even if they didn¡¯t achieve ¡°Little Sanyuan¡±, if they score highest in at least one subject, they would have a chance.


    Fen Lin tugged Xiao Ling¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Ling, you scored highest in two subjects!¡±


    Although Xiao Ling missed the Little Sanyuan opportunity for some reason, he¡¯s still an excellent student!


    Fen Lin pped his thighs and said, ¡°Oh no, if I¡¯d known earlier, you wouldn¡¯t have epted that thousand taels of silver and you should have retaken the exams! If you pass the Little Sanyuan, you could definitely go to the royal academy!¡±


    The royal academy is the highest educational institution in the Zhan Country, and all students were proud to be able to enter it.


    Xiao Ling, however, remained calm.


    He stood on the staircase, listening to the heated discussions amongst the examinees in the grand hall.


    ¡°But wasn¡¯t the royal academy closed by the emperor himself? Because a young ritual officer was burned to death there. Why is it suddenly reopening?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because Minister Zhuang led a number of arm-bone ministers to kneel outside Jinluan Hall for three days and three nights, finally managing to move the emperor.¡±


    ¡°Minister Zhuang is such a loyal minister! The emperor punished anyone who advised him against shutting down the royal academy back then.¡±


    ¡°Minister Zhuang wasn¡¯t punished, was he?¡±


    The examinees didn¡¯t wish for such a good official, who worked for the country and the people, to get into trouble.


    ¡°How could he be? If he was punished, the royal academy wouldn¡¯t be reopening.¡±

 Chapter 172: 115 Perfect Answer Sheet! (Two updates in one)_4

    Chapter 172: 115 Perfect Answer Sheet! (Two updates in one)_4


    The examinees were in heated discussion, each chiming in their own thoughts.


    Xiao Ling revealed a look of doubt and introspection.


    He quickly lost interest in listening to the gossip and returned his room expressionless.


    Lin Chengye¡¯s belongings had been cleared away by Manager Zhou. Xiao Ling tidied his own things, and Manager Zhou had settled their inn expenses, so no more silver was needed.


    At night, Fen Lin wanted to try the famed local delicacies of Provincial City.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been here for a while now, and to avoid upsetting our stomachs, we¡¯ve been eating meals from the little kitchen. I¡¯ve had enough!¡± Fen Linined.


    During the trip to Prefecture City for the examination with Xiao Ling, Fen Lin had upset his stomach by indiscriminately eating. Despite having diarrhea medicine from Gu Jiao, he was still terrified.


    The provincial examination was a serious affair. To avoid repeating the past, they had been very careful with what they ate.


    Xiao Ling happened to want to buy some things for his family, so he agreed with Fen Lin¡¯s suggestion.


    The streets of the Provincial City were wide and long, where even four horse-drawn carriages could race side-by-side without feeling crowded. The shops on both sides were bustling with people, presenting a thriving scene.


    Looking at the colorfulnterns in the hands of vendors, Fen Lin admired, ¡°The Provincial City is so lively, much livelier than our county, and even the Prefecture City.¡±


    Xiao Ling hummed in agreement.


    Fen Lin mused, ¡°What do you think Capital City looks like? If the Provincial City is this bustling, won¡¯t Capital City be even more so? Will the streets in the Capital City be wider and longer? Are there more carriages? Even bigger shops?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Xiao Ling hummed again.


    Fen Lin said strangely, ¡°What are you humming about? You¡¯re acting as if you¡¯ve been there! Ah, how I long to go to the Capital City. I dream of it, just a single trip in this lifetime and I will die without regret!¡±


    Xiao Ling said calmly, ¡°What¡¯s so good about the Capital City? It¡¯s just a ce of right and wrong.¡±


    Fen Lin sighed and shook his head, ¡°You have no ambition. You don¡¯t understand!¡±


    The Guozijian was the holynd for all schrs. If before, Fen Lin only had a sixty percent desire to go to the Capital City, now it increased to a hundred percent. If he could visit Guozijian once in his lifetime, his decade-long hard study would not be in vain.


    However, he did know how to gauge his own abilities. With his abilities, he certainly wouldn¡¯t pass the exam or be rmended by the government office.


    The special products of the Provincial City were sesame candy and donkey meat.


    Fen Lin wasn¡¯t all that interested in candy, but he drooled over the idea of donkey meat. They went to an old and renowned shop for donkey meat and ordered two bowls of donkey meat soup, two donkey meat buns, and a small bowl of braised donkey meat.


    A saying goes, donkey meat is fragrant while horse meat stinks, and one would rather die than eat mule meat. Well-prepared donkey meat can make the whole street smell fragrant.


    Fen Lin couldn¡¯t wait to take a bite of the braised donkey meat: ¡°Wow, this is so delicious!¡±


    Having be ustomed to Gu Jiao¡¯s culinary skills, Xiao Ling also found the donkey meat to be quite good.


    After their meal, they called the waiter to settle the bill, only to find out that someone had already paid for them.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± Fen Lin asked. Could it be Lin Chengye? But wasn¡¯t that guy already back to the Prefecture City? Did he sneak out this quickly? Followed them to the donkey meat shop without sitting at the same table to eat, only secretly picked up the bill?


    The waiter replied with a smile, ¡°It was a gentleman with the surname Liu.¡±


    Xiao Ling¡¯s face cooled.


    Fen Lin looked at Xiao Ling, ¡°Do you know him?¡±


    Xiao Ling answered ndly, ¡°No.¡±


    The waiter chuckled again, ¡°Master Liu sent a message that he has arranged a small banquet in Zuiyun Tower to treat Young Master Xiao and your friend. He is kindly inviting Young Master Xiao to grace him with his presence.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see what¡¯s happening. So it¡¯s another gentleman who wants to befriend you.¡± Fen Lin had encountered many people who wanted to meet Xiao Ling because of his excellent essay in the Prefecture Examination. He naturally thought that this Master Liu was one of them.


    ¡°Will you go?¡± Fen Lin asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Xiao Ling stood up, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Back to the inn.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    The two stayed in the inn for one night. The next day, they nned to hire a good carriage at the carriage station, but just as they reached the entrance, they saw a young man dressed as a servant waiting there, grinning: ¡°Are you Young Master Xiao and Young Master Fen? My master has prepared a carriage to send you two gentlemen back to the county city.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s your master?¡± Fen Lin asked.


    ¡°My master is Mr. Liu.¡± The servant replied.


    Fen Lin mumbled, ¡°Could it be the same man from yesterday?¡±


    Fen Lin nced over at their carriage and was startled by its luxury, even more so than the Lin Family¡¯s carriage. This Master Liu seemed to be quite influential!


    ¡°No, we won¡¯t ride.¡± Xiao Ling tly turned it down without hesitation.


    Fen Lin: ¡°¡­¡±


    Alright then!


    Genius has its quirks!


    They hired the fastest carriage, paying double the usual fare, and made their way back towards the County City without pause.

 Chapter 173: 115 Perfect Answers! (Two in One Update)_5

    Chapter 173: 115 Perfect Answers! (Two in One Update)_5


    Lin Chengye set out from the Lin Family early in the morning, intending to apany Xiao Ling and Fen Lin for a part of their journey, but in vain.


    He sighed. He wondered if there was a chance for him to see them again in this lifetime?


    The county examination came to an end, and the officials behind the screen began to review the papers.


    There were twelve officials behind the screen, divided into three groups of four. Each exam paper was evaluated by four officials. Any paper that scored rtively close marks by all four would be considered for a total mark. Any paper that caused a high level of disagreement would be presented to the Chief Examiner and his deputy for a re-evaluation.


    The first text examined the ssics and pentameter rhyme poetry, focusing on uracy and handwriting. In the past, there were either papers with high uracy but poor handwriting, or papers with excellent handwriting but lower uracy rates than other students.


    This year, however, an unusual situation urred. One of the examinees submitted a perfect answer sheet!


    Not only were all the answers correct, but the handwriting was also enviably perfect.


    Without a doubt, this was the first ce in the first round.


    ¡°The ¡®ssic of Filial Piety¡¯ has stumped quite a few students this year.¡± one of the officials behind the screenmented with augh. ¡°Apart from that person we just mentioned, I haven¡¯te across a second one who has written the ¡®ssic of Filial Piety¡¯ correctly. Wait a minute.¡±


    Just as he finished speaking, he discovered another excellent answer sheet. While it didn¡¯t have zero mistakes, it was far superior to those previously corrected, particrly on the ¡°ssic of Filial Piety¡±. He had answered it all correctly!


    The official facing him said, ¡°What a coincidence, I also have one here who has written the ¡®ssic of Filial Piety¡¯ entirely right.¡±


    The two smiled at each other.


    This year¡¯s examinees¡­what a lovely surprise!


    However, as they began marking the papers from the second round, the atmosphere became tense.


    The vassal princes have always been a significant problem for the court. Some were powerful lords who had controlled regions and were then recruited and given the title of vassal prince by the court. Others were princes grantednd due to their royal bloodline.


    The former had military power, thetter had bloodline, both were significant threats.


    As the saying goes, how can one sleep on a bed while a threat snores beside it? Yet the court currently did not have enough strength to get rid of these vassal princes, so most officials in the court did not advocate for their reduction.


    The Marquis Residence of Xuanping has always been at odds with the grand imperial tutor, yet their opinions on the issue of reducing the number of vassal princes surprisingly concurred.


    No one realized that this year¡¯s examination question had been set by the emperor himself.


    The emperor wanted to gauge the public opinion, to see the vision and character of the students under his reign in Zhan Country. The result, however, was a pile of ttery and sycophancy!


    Among the ttering scripts, however, there was an essay of exceptional quality. Although the author didn¡¯t advocate for reduction of vassal princes, he wasn¡¯t simply going along with the court¡¯s view. He analyzed the potential consequences of reducing vassal princes in the short term, and how a policy of appeasement could create a win-win situation on the economic and agriculture front.


    This was an essay that astonished all the officials behind the screen.


    Unsurprisingly, it would be the first ce in the second round!


    However, soon after, an examiner discovered another essay advocating for the reduction of vassal princes. It was so sharply worded that the officials behind the screen turned pale after reading it.


    Why didn¡¯t the author just go to Jinluan Hall and berate the emperor and the civil and military officials directly?


    The scolding was harsh, but his analysis was irrefutable.


    Initially, they thought cooperation and mutual win could be a new way out. After reading this essay advocating for the reduction of vassal princes, however, they immediately felt like they were bargaining with a tiger for its skin!


    If they don¡¯t reduce the number of vassal princes, Zhan Country will be doomed!


    ¡°Good heavens¡­..¡± the deputy Chief Examiner broke out in a cold sweat, feeling that Zhan Country was suddenly in great danger!


    Was Zhan Country really in imminent danger at present?


    Not at all.


    But it might not be the case several decadester. This examinee had encapsted the crises of several decades from now in a single academic essay, making everyone acutely aware of the consequences and fear thate with not reducing the number of vassal princes.


    The talent of this student was clear to see!


    Looking at the overall literary cultivation and writing skills, this candidate had won. But the question was, would they dare to rate such a sensational and potentially treasonous article number one?


    If it were to be reported to the emperor and he became angry, who could withstand that?


    The emperor merely wanted to gauge the mindsets of the exam candidates, he was not really asking for their criticism.


    The officials behind the screen hesitated.


    ¡°Let¡¯s, let¡¯s set it aside for now,¡± the Chief Examiner suggested.


    And so it was set aside for quite a while, even when the third round eight-legged essays were all corrected, they were still unable to decide who should be the first in the two essays.

 Chapter 174: 116 Drunkenness (First Watch)

    Chapter 174: 116 Drunkenness (First Watch)


    Xiao Ling hired the fastest carriage, and by the end of August, he arrived at Qingquan Town.


    On their way past Tianxiang Academy, Fen Lin first moved his luggage back to the dormitory, and when he came out, he ran into the dean.


    Seeing him, the dean was surprised, ¡°Eh? Why are you back so soon? Weren¡¯t you going to take the rural examination? Did you miss it or what? Where¡¯s Ling?¡±


    ¡°We made it! We came right back after the exam! Well¡­ I¡¯ll tell you more about itter, Ling is waiting outside for me. Goodbye, Dean!¡± Fen Lin hurriedly replied with a dryugh, running off!


    Everyone knows that Xiao Ling is the dean¡¯s darling. If Fen Lin didn¡¯t make a swift exit, the dean would probably keep him talking forever.


    Fen Lin jumped onto the carriage in a sh.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Xiao Ling asked.


    ¡°The Dean!¡± Fen Lin said, ¡°Avoid him or else he¡¯ll hold you up and you won¡¯t be able to go home!¡±


    Xiao Ling nodded in agreement and prompted the coachman to hurry back to the vige.


    The carriage fare had already been paid in the provincial city, but having travelled with them the entire journey, working hard as a coachman and servant, Xiao Ling tipped him a tael of silver.


    The coachman was astonished and quickly bowed in gratitude.


    ¡°Take care on the road.¡± Xiao Ling said.


    ¡°Thank you, Young Master Xiao!¡± The coachman got back on the carriage cheerfully.


    Doing their line of work was hard-earned money. Even if they were away for more than one month, the real ie was only two or three taels. With this additional tael, life would be much better next month!


    Xiao Ling and Fen Lin headed into the Vige.


    When they left the vige at the end of June, thete rice had just been sown, and there were only sparse young seedlings. Now, they had fully grown into a vibrant green field.


    ¡°Wow! The wheat in your vige is growing really well!¡±


    The weather this year was unusual, with little rain and dry farnd, causing many crops to wilt in the field. They had seen it with their own eyes on the way back from the provincial city and were deeply moved.


    However, the crops in Qingquan Vige seemed unaffected by the drought and were growing robustly.


    ¡°It¡¯s rice.¡± Xiao Ling corrected him. But he also wondered why the crops in his vige were growing so well.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Fen Lin responded, then suddenly pointed ahead, ¡°Look! An irrigation canal! Great job, your vige has dug an irrigation canal. A new Lizheng really makes a difference!¡±


    After Elder Gu stepped down, the vige elected a new Lizheng. It was Uncle Luo, a distant rtive. And though he was barely within the fifth degree of kinship, their houses were close by and they visited each other often, the two families had a fairly close rtionship.


    Luo Lizheng may not have the culture of Elder Gu, but he was a doer. When vigers faced difficulties, he would lend a helping hand.


    But digging an irrigation canal¡­


    It wasn¡¯t that Xiao Ling looked down on Luo Lizheng, but he knew his capabilities and limitations since they had been neighbors and fellow vigers for so long.


    He was a rtively conservative Lizheng, not prone to major construction projects, and the vige alsocked the funds for such activities.


    ¡°Hey, Ling!¡± Fen Lin eximed, ¡°Look! A waterwheel! God! Am I seeing things? Your vige actually has a waterwheel now!¡±


    Fen Lin had only seen waterwheels a handful of times in his life.


    A waterwheel was a great thing, it could draw water from the lower ground to the higher ground for irrigation. It was perfect for irrigating farnd.


    However, waterwheels were notmon in small towns like this, only rtively wealthy viges could afford a waterwheel. And on their way back from the provincial city, they had seen waterwheels several times. But due to the drought, the vige ponds had run dry, so the waterwheels were idle.


    Fen Lin wondered aloud, ¡°Where does the water in your vigee from?¡±


    Xiao Ling¡¯s gaze followed the canal toward Back Mountain behind Uncle Luo¡¯s house. He frowned and murmured, ¡°They channeled water from the waterfall on the mountain?¡±


    That wouldn¡¯t be amon irrigation canal. It would cross half a mountain and require a huge amount of manpower and resources to dig. Moreover, it would also require extreme familiarity with the terrain of the mountain.


    ¡°Oh my! Ling is back!¡±


    It was Aunt Zhang.


    Aunt Zhang just came out from Uncle Luo¡¯s house, still holding a basket of wild fruits. She felt her luck was strong because every time Ling came back from an exam, she was the first person he saw!


    ¡°Aunt Zhang.¡± Xiao Ling greeted.


    ¡°Aunt Zhang!¡± Fen Lin also greeted happily.


    Aunt Zhang recognized Fen Lin because he often visited the vige. Sheughed, ¡°You finally came back! You were gone longer than thest time! The provincial city is really far away, right!¡±


    Vigers did not understand the schedule of exams and announcement of results, and didn¡¯t know that Xiao Ling was actually the earliest homer among the external candidates for the rural examination. Compared to thest time they only knew he was away for an extra month.

 Chapter 175: 116 Drunkenness (First Watch)_2

    Chapter 175: 116 Drunkenness (First Watch)_2


    Xiao Ling didn¡¯t offer any exnation and said: ¡°Indeed, the Provincial City is further than the Prefecture City, it took over half a month of extra travel to get there.¡±


    ¡°I knew it!¡± Aunt Zhang dered in a tone suggesting she was very intelligent, ¡°Alright, you must be missing Mistress Gu (Gu Jiao) after being away from home for so long, hurry home, she is there!¡±


    Today Tianxiang Academy was on holiday but the vige school wasn¡¯t, so Gu Xiaoshun was in town taking care of the children and Gu Jiao was at home working.


    As Xiao Ling and Fen Lin entered the house, the first person they saw was not Gu Jiao, but a man dressed as a farmer.


    Both of them were taken aback.


    The man noticed the movement at the door, turned around, his eyes lit up, ¡°Ling? And this must be¡­ Schr Feng?¡±


    Fen Lin was taken aback, ¡°Eh¡­I am, but are you¡­¡±


    ¡°Luo Lizheng¡±, Xiao Ling greeted.


    Luo Lizheng chuckled while scratching his head.


    Fen Lin¡¯s face lit up, ¡°So, you are the newly appointed vige head, you¡¯re a remarkable man! You¡¯ve done everything from digging irrigation canals to building water wheels, revitalizing the entire vige crops!¡±


    Luo Lizheng was baffled at first, thenughed frankly, ¡°Schr Feng is mistaken, neither the irrigation canal digging nor the water wheel building was my doing!¡±


    Fen Lin looked startled, ¡°If not you, then who?¡±


    A guess formed in Xiao Ling¡¯s mind, he instinctively cast his eyes towards the rear door of the hall, coincidentally Gu Jiao entered the hall wiping her hands at this moment.


    Seeing Xiao Ling, her steps faltered.


    She knew the timetable of the provincial examination and roughly when the results would be announced. She estimated that Xiao Ling would not return until after the announcement, yet, he returned so soon.


    Her dumbstruck expression was somewhat adorably nk.


    Xiao Ling senses a tremor in his chest but managed to maintain hisposure.


    He calmly moved his gaze away and greeted Luo Lizheng once again.


    Luo Lizheng was perplexed, hadn¡¯t they already exchanged greetings a moment ago?


    Gu Jiao nced at Xiao Ling, the corner of her lips curling unconsciously, ¡°Howe you¡¯re back so soon? Didn¡¯t you want to stay longer in the Provincial City to enjoy yourself?¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t much in the Provincial City worth enjoying,¡± Xiao Ling replied nonchntly.


    Gu Jiao: ¡°Oh.¡±


    Luo Lizhengughed, ¡°We were just speaking about you. Schr Feng here asked me if I was the one who dug the canals and built the water wheel. Ha! Where would I get such skills?¡±


    He turned to Fen Lin, ¡°It was Mistress Gu!¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡± Fen Lin looked dumbfounded.


    Gu Jiao opened up a medicine field on the mountain, dug up a fish pond, and while introducing the waterfall water into the fish pond, she also dug a canal that flowed directly into the vige.


    Although the weather was dry and the waterfall on the mountain had decreased considerably, it was still enough to irrigate the vige farms.


    Xiao Ling nced deeply at Gu Jiao.


    ¡°No way! You¡¯ve only been gone for two months and she¡¯s already dug a fish pond?¡± Although Fen Lin knew about Gu Jiao buying the mountain, he didn¡¯t expect her to work so efficiently.


    Luo Lizheng turned to Gu Jiao and asked, ¡°About the grain threshing and winnowing cart you mentionedst time, I have asked the vige carpenter to make them. It isn¡¯t done yet though, they wanted to ask you what kind of wood would be best to use?¡±


    Gu Jiao thought for a moment and said, ¡°Red Pine, Por, Toon, or Basswood can all work, they have high hardness and don¡¯t warp easily.¡±


    ¡°Great! Then I will be on my way!¡± After saying this, Luo Lizheng looked at Xiao Ling and Fen Lin and wished them sess in their provincial exams.


    ¡°What¡¯s this grain threshing and winnowing cart about?¡± Fen Lin asked curiously.


    Gu Jiao exined, ¡°It¡¯s a cart that separates grain from the straw, and another one that sifts out the unripe grains, keeping only the normal ones.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s such a thing?¡± Fen Lin expressed doubt.


    Although he has trouble distinguishing wheat fields from paddy fields, he is aware of the grain threshing process. It usually involves grabbing a sheaf of rice and striking it on the ground, not only is this methodborious, but it might not thoroughly separate the grain either. Any remaining grains on the straw have to be plucked off manually.


    As a child, he would be paid half a copper coin for a day¡¯s work of grain plucking.


    As for separating the unripe grains and good grains, the procedure was usually to dry the grains in the sun, then on a windy day, winnow them. The good grains, being heavier, would fall to the ground while the lighter unripe ones would be carried away by the wind.


    The process of threshing rice was also to separate the rice from the husk, using the winnowing method.


    The principle of the winnowing cart Gu Jiaomissioned was simr. It can separate the unripe grains, good grains, as well as rice and husks. The winnowing cart was not only more efficient andbor-saving but also cleaner and more thorough.


    Originally, Luo Lizheng had his doubts about the usefulness of such a device, but seeing how Gu Jiao dug the canals and built water wheels for the vigers, he was thoroughly convinced of her capabilities and goodwill.

 Chapter 176: 116 Drunkenness (First Watch)_3

    Chapter 176: 116 Drunkenness (First Watch)_3


    The Gu Yan brothers didn¡¯t return home until dusk.


    Xiao Jingkong¡¯s eyelids had been twitching since noon, and upon seeing his brother-inw, he finally understood why he had been twitching all afternoon!


    He entered the room, gazing solemnly at his brother-inw.


    Hmm, he didn¡¯t look thinner.


    Jiaojiao probably didn¡¯t need to worry.


    He then led Xiao Ling to the backyard to pluck the jujubes from the tree.


    Xiao Ling looked up at the branches, ¡°It¡¯s almost September, where are the jujubes?¡±


    Xiao Jingkong¡¯s eyes were fixed on the top of Xiao Ling¡¯s head. He had previously recorded his brother-inw¡¯s height, barely reaching the first branch, but now he had surpassed the branch!


    His brother-inw had grown taller!


    In fact, over the past two months, ording to his careful observations, not only had his brother-inw grown taller, but Brother Gu Yan and Brother Xiaoshun had also grown taller, even Jiaojiao had also grown a bit taller.


    The only ones in the family who hadn¡¯t changed were him and his grandmother.


    Jiaojiao said it was because he was still young.


    But Gouwa, being even younger than him, had also grown taller!


    Xiao Jingkong wore a troubled expression!


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xiao Ling asked him.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing, forget about me.¡± Xiao Jingkong solemnly looked up at Xiao Ling and asked, ¡°How about you? How did you do in the exam? Was it hard? Are you confident? If you don¡¯t pass, the family will have to provide for you for another three years!¡±


    Xiao Ling waspletely unprepared for this, he had dodged Headmaster Li, but had not dodged the little monk¡­


    What the hell is this familial tone?


    ¡°You even know that the exam is held every three years.¡± Xiao Ling said while fondly rubbing Xiao Jingkong¡¯s head, he handed him a freshly plucked jujube, ¡°Here, y with it.¡±


    Xiao Jingkong looked at the fishy little jujube in his hand and pouted.


    Who wants to y? How childish!


    Xiao Ling brought gifts for the family members. For Granny, it was sesame candy and soybean crisp.


    Granny was delighted!


    Gu Jiao confiscated the sesame candy and limited the soybean crisp consumption to one piece a day.


    Granny was upset!


    The gift for Gu Yan was a round jade ink stone. He loved round things, especially those made of jade.


    Gu Yan: ¡°Thank you, brother-inw.¡±


    For Xiao Jingkong, it was a set of interlocking rings.


    With a proud face, Xiao Jingkong took the rings, muttering ¡°Oh, how childish,¡± then hid in the room to secretly solve the puzzle!


    The present for Gu Xiaoshun were pieces of high-quality wood for carving. He already had enough tools, but needed good wood to work with.


    ¡°Brother-inw, what kind of wood is this? Never seen it before!¡± Gu Xiaoshun asked while holding a ck piece of wood.


    ¡°Ebony.¡± Xiao Ling said.


    Ebony was not native to Zhan Country. It had been transported from Qing Country. They were lucky to have encountered a merchant caravan on the road.


    Everyone was pleased with their gifts.


    Finally, it was Gu Jiao¡¯s turn.


    Gu Jiao thought to herself that he surely wouldn¡¯t give her another brush this time. Indeed, Xiao Ling didn¡¯t gift a brush, instead, he gave her a stack of paper.


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±


    This wasn¡¯t the coarse paper sold in the market, but very expensive watermarked paper, which when held up to the light, embossed designs like curtain, bamboo, or flower patterns appeared. Hence, it was also called patterned paper.


    Patterned paper, with itsplex production process and high cost, was not even avable in Prefecture City, it was only sold in Provincial City.


    In Zhan Country, giving patterned paper is equated to giving flowers.


    A romantic moonlight, the scented sleeves adding a touch of fragrance.


    However, Gu Jiao¡¯s smile gradually stiffened on her tiny face.


    Granny, who had her sesame candy confiscated, wasughing so hard she rocked back and forth.


    There¡¯s a kind of romance called, Ling thinks it¡¯s romantic!


    ¡ª


    Feng Lin also brought something, several pieces of smoked donkey meat, and a bottle of hard liquor. The hard liquor was given to him by the shopkeeper.


    Gu Jiao had never tasted ancient wine before. It didn¡¯t smell too strong so she took a few sips. She didn¡¯t feel any effect during dinner, but by the time she started washing the dishes, she was feeling a little tipsy.


    Xiao Ling firstly sent Feng Lin to the vige entrance, then gave Xiao Jingkong a bath. When he went to the kitchen to find Gu Jiao, Gu Jiao had thrown half-washed dishes in the pot and was sitting at the back door of the house.


    With her back turned to Xiao Ling, she sat motionless, gazing at the starry sky.


    Xiao Ling walked over, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Gu Jiao slowly turned her head, with a vacant, stunned expression. Her little face was flushed and her eyes were shiny and wet.


    Her style was different from the usual cool and clear, but she looked like a child in an instant, especially innocent.


    ¡°Watching the stars.¡±


    She said.


    Her voice was soft and sweet, with a touch of childish wheedling.


    Xiao Ling took a deep breath,posed himself, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back inside. It¡¯s dark out.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t go back.¡± She shook her head, mumbling.


    Well, Xiao Jingkong usually behaves this way.


    After a few drinks, she had drunk herself into a childish stupor.


    Gu Jiao continued to gaze at the stars.


    ¡°Ling.¡± She suddenly spoke.

 Chapter 177: 117 Confession (second update)

    Chapter 177: 117 Confession (second update)


    It was her first time calling him this way, in the past she always called him her husband, but that was not an intimate term for a spouse. It was more like she was hesitant to call him by his name, and so she used his ¡°title¡± in the household.


    It was no different than when she called for Gu Lizheng or Luo Lizheng.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Xiao Ling sat next to her.


    Gu Jiao gazed at the limitless starry night: ¡°Do you know why the stars in the sky don¡¯t fall?¡±


    Xiao Ling looked at her: ¡°Why?¡±


    Gu Jiao giggled foolishly: ¡°Because they are too far away. They all have their own positions, their own orbits.¡±


    This was the first time Xiao Ling heard such an exnation. It was quite interesting: ¡°If they really are that far away, then why can we still see them?¡±


    ¡°Because they are big!¡± Gu Jiao lifted her hand, the effects of the alcohol slowing her movements. ¡°They might seem small, but in reality, they are incrediblyrge! Do you know what that star is?¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡± Xiao Ling asked.


    ¡°That one!¡± Gu Jiao pointing out the stars to him, to make it easier for him to see, she gestured in front of his face, causing her soft little body to lean against his shoulder.


    Xiao Ling stiffened!


    ¡°Did you see it?¡± Gu Jiao asked, her words slurred with intoxication.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Xiao Ling responded disoriented, the girl¡¯s sweet scent infiltrated his senses, disrupting his thoughts.


    The initiator, Gu, at three years old,pletely unaware, whispered in his ear: ¡°Do you know what that star is? I will tell only you, you mustn¡¯t tell anyone else. It¡¯s Venus! The people here call it Hesperus!¡±


    Her breath with its warm waves fell wholly on his ear.


    He hadn¡¯t heard a word she said, all he felt was his ear burning hot.


    Gu, three years old, pinched his ear, ¡°Eh? What happened to your ear? It¡¯s really red! Is it hot?¡±


    Saying so, she puckered up her little mouth and blew on his ear.


    Her fingertip was cold, the minute she touched Xiao Ling, he shivered. Initially, he thought this was already enough to suffer, but she didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°Gu Jiao!¡± Xiao Ling grabbed her hand, forcing her to sit upright, ¡°Stop fooling around! I am a man!¡±


    ¡°I know, no, you are not yet, you are not even eighteen yet, you are not a real man, you¡¯re still a child.¡± Gu Jiao waved her hands, slurring her words.


    Xiao Ling looked at her warningly, ¡°Are you asking me to prove whether I am a man?¡±


    This sentence carried a threatening tone, but Gu, at three years old was not scared, actually looking at him, and said earnestly, ¡°Ling, you are so handsome.¡±


    Xiao Ling took a deep breath, ¡°¡­ You¡¯ve had too much to drink, let me take you back.¡±


    Gu Jiao grumbled, ¡°The bowl hasn¡¯t been washed yet.¡±


    Xiao Ling said, ¡°I will wash it.¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°Oh.¡±


    Xiao Ling helped Gu Jiao up, supporting her arm with one hand, his crutches in the other, and led her back to her room.


    Sheid on the soft bedchamber, kicking off her shoes, staring up at him wide-eyed: ¡°Ling, I really want to go out and see.¡±


    Xiao Ling was about to say ¡®where can you go in your condition,¡¯ but upon reaching his lips his realized that by ¡®out¡¯, she probably didn¡¯t mean the front door.


    ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± He asked, looking at her.


    Gu Jiao gave a bitter smile, letting her gaze drop down, then looking up at the distant stars, ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve been here for so long, the furthest I¡¯ve been is to the hot spring vi.¡±


    Here? Did she really forget? Forget that she was born and raised in Qingquan Vige?


    Gu Jiao, propped on her elbow, asked: ¡°What is outside the county?¡±


    Xiao Ling thought for a moment, and said: ¡°Big county cities, prefecture cities, provincial cities, and the capital city.¡±


    Gu Jiao chuckled, ¡°Then, I want to go to the big county, prefecture city, provincial city.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go to the capital city?¡± Xiao Ling looked at her intently.


    Gu, at three years old, held on to herst shred of sanity, remembering his unwillingness to step foot in the capital city. She giggled, waving her hand and said, ¡°No, no, what¡¯s so good about the capital city? Going to other ces is enough, if someday I go back, I can brag about it to others.¡±


    Xiao Ling looked at her puzzled, waiting for an exnation for these strange words, but her head tilted to one side and holding his hand, she started to snore lightly.


    The feeling of a hangover wasn¡¯t pleasant. Gu Jiao woke up the next day when the sun was already high in the sky. Her head still hurt and the moment she sat up, it felt like her head was going to explode.


    In her previous life, she could easily hold her liquor, even thousands of cups wouldn¡¯t knock her over. This body was too weak, even a cup of liquor could render it incapacitated.

 Chapter 178: 117 Confession (second update)_2

    Chapter 178: 117 Confession (second update)_2


    Gu Jiao ignored her headache, opened the first aid kit, and found a bottle of hangover remedy right at the top.


    ¡°Huh? How¡¯d you know I was drunk?¡±


    Gu Jiao took the medicine with a sigh, patted the first aid kit: ¡°This is the most thoughtful you¡¯ve been.¡±


    The first aid kit remained silent like a chicken.


    Gu Jiao got dressed neatly, her body lethargic from the hangover. She tried to pick up her shoes three times, dropping them twice.


    Dong, dong, dong.


    There were knocks on the door from outside.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    ¡°Do-doggy.¡±


    It¡¯s Doggy¡¯s voice.


    Then came Xue Ningxiang¡¯s, ¡°Shh, don¡¯t wake up Miss Jiao.¡±


    Doggy was taken away by Xue Ningxiang.


    She must¡¯ve overslept, no one made breakfast, and the olddy wouldn¡¯t eat Xiao Ling¡¯s terrible cooking, so she called Xue Ningxiang.


    After Gu Jiao got dressed, she sat on her bed feeling dizzy before she managed to get up and open the door.


    The olddy, Gu Xiaoshun, and Gu Yan were seated upright around the table in the main room, as soon as they heard the door open, they all turned to look at her!


    ¡°Granny,¡± Gu Jiao greeted them, looking at Gu Yan and Gu Xiaoshun, ¡°Huh? Is the academy closed today? Why didn¡¯t you guys go to school? Where are your brother-inw and Little Jingspace?¡±


    The two didn¡¯t reply, just stared at her with serious faces.


    ¡°Are you¡­ okay?¡± the olddy asked suspiciously.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, what happened?¡± Gu Jiao said.


    The three exchanged nces.


    Gu Xiaoshun whispered, ¡°People who insist they¡¯re not drunk¡­ are often drunk, and people who insist they¡¯re okay¡­¡±


    Gu Yan replied emotionlessly, ¡°Are often crazy.¡±


    The olddy and Gu Xiaoshun both nodded!


    ¡°Nonsense early in the morning.¡± Gu Jiao gave them a weird look and went to the kitchen to look for food.


    Little Jingspace was squatting under the jujube tree, cleaning up the chicken dung, not noticing Gu Jiao passing by behind him.


    Gu Jiao entered the kitchen, Xiao Ling was making sobering soup, cooked with pea sprouts, seasoned with a bit of salt, it¡¯s a traditional hangover remedy.


    ¡°Morning.¡± Gu Jiao greeted.


    Xiao Ling nced at her without showing any emotions, adding more water into the pot: ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Gu Jiao rubbed her throbbing temples, suddenly recalling that she had left the dishes half washedst night to stargaze, but could hardly remember the rest.


    ¡°I drank too muchst night, I didn¡¯t do anything weird, right?¡± She asked nonchntly, showing full trust in her drinking behavior.


    Xiao Ling shot her aplicated look.


    In the courtyard, after Jingspace finished cleaning up thest bit of chicken dung, he carried the bucket to water the pea sprouts he nted in the small vegetable patch.


    As he was watering, he started humming: ¡°I have a little donkey, I never ride. One day, on a whim, I rode it to the market¡­¡±


    Gu Jiao¡¯s mind jolted, an unsightly memory shed across her mind ¡ª


    She standing atop a high bed, Xiao Ling standing solemnly right in front of her.


    A pair of showli?s were tied on her head, a belt in her hand while she drunkenly sang to Xiao Ling: ¡°¡­.I hold a small whip in my hand, feeling triumphant¡­somehow, I fell and got covered in mud¡­Little brother, I fell down, I need a kiss to stand up!¡±


    Sitting like a duck, tilted head, acting all cute and innocent!


    Gu Jiao staggered, feeling as if she was shot with a thousand arrows in her chest!


    After watering the pea shoots, Little Jingspace started to water the soybean shoots, then the songing from his mouth changed: ¡°I am Taishan from next door~ Grabbing the vine of love~Listen to me~ar-ar-ar-¡±


    In her mind, she was teasing Xiao Ling¡¯s chin and singing yfully: ¡°¡­.You are the beautiful Jenny~ Holding my hand to wander around the capital~ar-ar-ar~ Don¡¯t be scared, my Ling~ar-ar-ar-¡±


    Gu Jiao barely managed to hold onto the stove, she actually knew to change the lyrics while she was that drunk!!!


    Gu Jiao felt like she had been shot with two thousand arrows, barely managed to hold onto the stove!


    There couldn¡¯t be more, right¡­?


    There¡¯s no more, right¡­?


    Gu Jiao waited nervously for Little Jingspace to continue. After a while, he went silent, no more, finally no more¡­.


    But before she could breathe a sigh of relief, Little Jingspace began to sing again.


    He was just getting into the mood earlier because the next song required him to invest deep sorrowful emotions, which was a great challenge for a three-year-old child.


    He held the small bucket in one hand and the small wateringdle in the other, looking ahead solemnly: ¡°True love~ as vast as the open grasnds~yer uponyer~ the wind and rain cannot stop~ always long for the day when the clouds break and the sun rises~ tens of thousands of sunlight shining on you and me~¡±


    Images started to sh in Gu Jiao¡¯s mind again!


    She stopped singing halfway, jumped off the bed, and gazed at Xiao Ling with affection.


    ¡°¡­Snowkes fluttering, northern winds howling,


    Earth and sky a vast expanse.


    A lonely winter plum,


    Standing proudly in the snow,


    Just for the sake of its fragrance.


    Love who I love, without regret orint¡­¡±


    Before she finished the song, Xiao Ling turned and began to walk away. Yet, she sat on the ground, holding onto his leg, wailing like a ghost, ¡°I will love even if I die ¨C not passionately and thoroughly will not be satisfying ¨C Only through such intensity can I express my deep feelings ¨C I will love even if I die ¨C not crying until smiling will not be satisfying ¨C even if the universe ends, my heart will still be there.¡±


    Gu Jiao waspletely falling apart.


    It was even worse than when she had stepped out earlier, walked two streets, and then realized that she had forgotten to put on her underwear!


    Xiao Ling took a nce at her, ¡°The sobering soup is ready.¡±


    Gu Jiao awkwardly replied, ¡°No, no need. I am sober now.¡±


    It would have been better if she wasn¡¯t awake!


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t know how she managed to return to her room. She opened her first and kit and began to rummage through it, muttering, ¡°Amnesia pills, amnesia pills, amnesia pills¡­¡±


    KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.


    Someone was knocking on the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here!¡± Gu Jiao buried her head back into the first and kit.


    Xiao Ling, who saw all this through the door gap, was speechless.


    Xiao Ling cleared his throat and seriously said, ¡°I am going to the county office. The recruitment announcement for Guozijian has been issued to all ces, and there is a nomination quota in the county. I am going to check if there is any news.¡±


    He got the highest total score in the child exam in the county, and unless something unexpected happened, the nomination was his.


    Gu Jiao pulled her head out of the first and kit, a hangover remedy was still stuck on her forehead. She asked nkly, ¡°You are going to study at the Guozijian? The Guozijian in the Capital City?¡±


    Xiao Ling replied, ¡°Hmm, there¡¯s only one Guozijian in Zhan Country.¡±


    ¡°Why suddenly¡­¡±


    Want to go to the capital?


    Before she finished her sentence, she suddenly fell silent.


    Did her heart have a clue of why? Was it normal to be scared into abnormal behavior after a night of madness?


    Gu Jiao: ¡°I will go with you.¡±


    Xiao Ling: ¡°Good.¡±


    When Gu Jiao came out of her room after refreshing herself and changing her clothes, no sign of abnormality could be detected. She had regained her calm andposed demeanor.


    The olddy, Gu Yan, and Gu Xiaoshun were watching her closely, but couldn¡¯t find any clue even after a long time.


    Gu Jiao calmly said, ¡°You guys, don¡¯t skip school. Go get your school bags!¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Gu Xiaoshun nodded. This was his sister, his sister was back.


    Gu Yan also nodded and went into his room to get his school bag.


    Little Jingen was thrilled to hear that Jiaojiao was taking them to school. Hugging his school bag, he came out cheerfully, ¡°Jiaojiao!¡±


    Gu Jiao lightly patted his little head.


    Gu Jiao only didn¡¯t scare one person in their householdst night, and that was Little Jingen.


    In his eyes, Jiaojiao didn¡¯t do anything unusual, and his gaze towards Jiaojiao was just like any other day.


    Gu Jiao was quite pleased.


    But the fact proved that she was pleased too soon.


    The group of them got on Uncle Luo¡¯s ox cart.


    Little Jingen sat next to Gu Jiao.


    The autumn weather was high and refreshing, with a cool breeze. Everyone in the carriage tacitly chose to forget what happened, except for Little Jingen. He looked seriously at Gu Jiao and said, ¡°Jiaojiao, the song you sangst night was so good! I have learned all of it now!¡±


    Stirring up trouble out of nowhere!


    Gu Jiao, who was poked to the core: ¡°¡­¡±


    Little Jingen patted his little chest and said, ¡°I will sing it for Jiaojiao every day from now on!¡±


    Gu Jiao envisioned the frightening future of being dominated by Little Jingen¡¯s haunting song singing.


    Gu Jioa: Let the lightning strike her dead now!

 Chapter 179: 118 Release List (First Update)

    Chapter 179: 118 Release List (First Update)


    Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling first sent their three younger brothers to Tianxiang Academy and a private school, then the two went together to the county Yamen.


    The Guozijian had indeed issued the admission paper, and the names were out, but Xiao Ling¡¯s was not among them.


    ¡°How can this be?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    ¡°This¡­¡± The County Magistrate was uneasy. He awkwardly nced at Xiao Ling and then at Gu Jiao, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should speak.¡±


    ¡°Feel free to speak,¡± Xiao Ling said.


    The County Magistrate sighed.


    Anyone with discerning eyes could see that there was something fishy about it. Since the county started conducting the child examination, there had never been a candidate better than Xiao Ling. Even though Xiao Ling did not seed in the college examination, his overall performance still ranked first in the city.


    Moreover, he was a student of Tianxiang Academy, the only direct disciple announced unterally by the headmaster Li. He maintained his decorum with a spotless reputation¡ªthere was no reason for him not to be awarded a spot.


    The County Magistrate was also unhappy.


    He was the first to write down Xiao Ling¡¯s name, but who made it¡ª


    ¡°I really can¡¯t say this, please let me go. I¡¯m just a small county official, I can¡¯t afford to offend those nobles!¡±


    ¡°Who did you give the spot to?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    The County Magistrate hesitated for a moment before answering, ¡°A candidate named Fen Lin.¡±


    Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling were visibly shocked.


    ¡°Which Fen Lin?¡± Gu Jiao asked, furrowing her brows, ¡°The Fen Lin from Tianxiang Academy?¡±


    The County Magistrate was startled, looking at them both, ¡°Ah, yes! Do you know him?¡±


    Gu Jiao turned to look at Xiao Ling, ¡°How many Fen Lins are there in your academy?¡±


    ¡°Only one,¡± Xiao Ling replied.


    Gu Jiao murmured, ¡°This is strange, how could Fen Lin¡¯s score be higher than yours? No, this isn¡¯t about grades.¡±


    Xiao Ling said to the county official, ¡°He is not even local, he is from Song county. How could he get a local spot?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I also said, but¡­¡± The County Magistrate stopped midway, realizing he nearly let something slip, and quickly amended, ¡°In any case, my hands are tied! Mr. Xiao, Mrs. Xiao, you better go.¡±


    The County Magistrate truly felt sorry for Xiao Ling. Such a promising child, if only he had been born into a wealthy family, who could truly estimate his future potential?


    ¡°This situation should not be rted to Fen Lin,¡± Xiao Ling exined to Gu Jiao as they left.


    ¡°Mmm, I know,¡± Gu Jiao nodded.


    Neither of them were the type to lose their judgment easily. While others might suspect Fen Lin at first, the two of them knew Fen Lin well enough to know he was incapable of such an act of betrayal.


    Moreover, he didn¡¯t have the means to do so in the first ce, he had no powerful backing.


    This was clearly directed at Xiao Ling. Whoever was behind this was using Fen Lin to suppress Xiao Ling ¨C such a heart was condemnable!


    Gu Jiao suggested, ¡°Should we go to the Prefecture City to inquire?¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t bother! The orders came from the Prefecture City!¡± The County Magistrate quickly chased after them when he heard that they were nning to appeal. He was worried about losing his official position and hurriedly said, ¡°Let me tell you the truth, behind this is someone powerful from the Capital City, you won¡¯t achieve anything even if you go to Prefecture City!¡±


    ¡°Who is this person of power from the Capital City?¡± Gu Jiao could only think of one person in the Capital City who would hold a grudge against Xiao Ling.


    ¡°A Marquis.¡± The County Magistrate said. The man who delivered the documents carelessly let slip the rank of the person involved, which was how he found out about the Marquis. But he couldn¡¯t reveal which Marquis, he wouldn¡¯t dare!


    ¡°A Marquis?¡± Gu Jiao murmured.


    As soon as she uttered these words, a horse carriage stopped in front of the Yamen.


    The Marquis stepped down from the carriage pompously, straightened his clothes with a refreshed look, then his eyes fell on Gu Jiao and theme Xiao Ling. ¡°Ah? Is it you guys? What a coincidence! Did youe specifically to see if your names were on the Guozijian admission list? Let me guess, you didn¡¯t make it, did you? Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha!¡±


    The Marquisughed uproariously.


    ¡°I need to have a word with him.¡± After saying this to Xiao Ling, Gu Jiao pulled the Marquis onto the carriage.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    After a round of chaos, the Marquis ended up slumped in the corner of the carriage, pale-faced.


    Gu Jiao grabbed his cor and said coldly, ¡°Change the admission list back!¡±


    The County Magistrate, after seeing the Marquis¡¯s mien, hurriedly went back into the Yamen to retrieve a brocade box the Marquis had brought earlier. When he brought the box out to the carriage, the Marquis was already bruised and battered.

 Chapter 180: 118 Release List (First Update)_2

    Chapter 180: 118 Release List (First Update)_2


    ¡°Marquis Gu, I¡¯m afraid I reprieve I enforced on your behalf didn¡¯t happen. You arrived one step toote. The Guozijian¡¯s student spot is already upied by another party. You may want to keep your stuff,¡± he said respectfully, not ready to let the Marquis lift the curtain himself.


    The Marquis Gu was already too exhausted to speak¡­


    With a pause, Gu Jiao, looking at Marquis Gu who she had beaten into a pulp, asked, ¡°Did you have a hand in meddling with the student spot?¡±


    On hisst breath, Marquis Gu replied, ¡°Eh¡­eh eh eh eh eh?¡±


    Have¡­ have I meddled with something?


    Gu Jiao: Right, I beat the wrong person.


    Gu Jiao dusted off her hands and got off the carriage, maintaining an utterly serious face.


    Marquis Gu was initially nning to y dirty, not to prevent Xiao Ling from going to Guozijian, but instead to make sure he goes there. That¡¯s because only if Xiao Ling goes there, would Gu Jiao have a chance to follow him to the Capital City.


    He had Huang Zhong issue an order to the county magistrate overnight and also offered a hefty bribe, to have him reserve the student spot for himself.


    When he was just mocking Xiao Ling for not having a spot, he himself was confident of having the spot secured. Even though it was supposed to be Xia Ling¡¯s spot, having that youngster beg him a couple of times wouldn¡¯t hurt right?


    What he didn¡¯t expect was that, soon after Huang Zhong left, an order from another high-ranking official also came, and that official held even more power than the Duke of Ding¡¯an.


    The county magistrate had no choice but to betray the Duke of Ding¡¯an.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t mention it to his face, merely iming that the Duke arrived toote.


    Marquis Gu looked up at the sky in distress, wondering why he was beaten today?


    On the way back, Gu Jiao didn¡¯t ask Xiao Ling why the Marquis from the Capital City had set his sights on him? Or whether his refusal to go to the Capital City was due to that Marquis?


    If he wanted to tell her, there was no need for her to ask.


    If he didn¡¯t want to tell, then asking would be pointless.


    After Gu Jiao sent Xiao Ling to the Tianxiang Academy and barely had her foot out of the door, Xiao Ling was called by someone.


    Xiao Ling turned around indifferently and said, ¡°It¡¯s you again?¡±


    A middle-aged man greeted Xiao Ling with a smile and bowed his hand in salute, ¡°It has been a long time, young master. Do you still remember Liu?¡±


    Xiao Ling kept his face icy: ¡°Did you people meddle with the student spot?¡±


    The middle-aged man chuckled, ¡°Young Master refuses toe back to our mansion obediently, so we had to resort to tricks. Why let the meat pie fall into the hands of others when it can benefit your friend Master Feng? Of course, if the young master agrees toe back with me, I can immediately revert the student spot.¡±


    Xiao Ling couldn¡¯t be bothered with him and turned around to leave.


    The middle-aged man said meaningfully, ¡°Young Master, do you truly not want to study at Guozijian? It is a ce all schrs dream of. Moreover, the document for registration has to be submitted to the court by tomorrow. You only have one night to think about it. Once the document leaves the post station, not even the Marquis can bring back that document.¡±


    Xiao Ling paused, ¡°I told you, I am not connected with the Xiao family, nor do I know you. I will not go back to the Xiao family with you, give up this idea.¡±


    The middle-aged man sighed, ¡°Why bother, young master. Why walk a shaky wooden bridge when there is a broad highway? This isn¡¯t wise.¡±


    Xiao Ling said, ¡°I can go back, but you have to include mine and Feng Lin¡¯s names together!¡±


    ¡°Young Master, you are joking. This student spot was earned by me through painstaking efforts. If admission to Guozijian were so easy, countless candidates wouldn¡¯t be squeezing their brains out to get in.¡±


    Xiao Ling nced back at him, ¡°Isn¡¯t there still the provincial examination? If you are so mighty, why don¡¯t you directly change my score to first ce. Once I be the sessful candidate of the provincial examination, I wouldn¡¯t even need the local rmendation to enter Guozijian.¡±


    The sessful candidate of the provincial examination of various regions is directly admitted to Guozijian; this has always been the rule in the Zhan Country.


    The middle-aged manughed, ¡°We have no hand in the provincial examination. There is only this one slot. I advise the young master not to waste this opportunity lightly. Let me remind the young master onest time, after tomorrow morning, there will be no opportunity for a turnaround.¡±


    ¡°So that means, you guys can¡¯t meddle with the provincial examination.¡± Xiao Ling hooked the corner of his mouth in disdain and walked away.


    Liu, the manager, was a bit confused. He touched his chin and took a deep breath. Did he miss something?


    In September, the results of the provincial examination came out. The Yamen quickly sent the brand-new ¡°B-list¡± to various regions.


    The county magistrate rose before dawn, not to wait in the Yamen, but to go directly to the post station. As soon as he got the B-list, his hands began to tremble.


    He opened it eagerly, revealing the most prominent name on the far right of the document¡ª Sessful Candidate. Xiao Ling!

 Chapter 181: 118 Release List (First Update)_3

    Chapter 181: 118 Release List (First Update)_3


    The county chief was moved to tears on the spot and sat on the ground crying in such agony: ¡°Uhh uhh uhh¡­ uhh uhh uhh¡­¡±


    The bailiffs on the side were frightened: ¡°County Chief, what¡­ what¡­ what happened to you?¡±


    The county chief was tearful, ¡°I¡¯m overwhelmed with joy¡­ finally, under my administration, our county has produced a Zhuangyuan!¡±


    It¡¯s not easy being the first in the provincial examination, Zhuangyuan usually came from the provincial city, considering that the students from the provincial city came from better backgrounds and had more learned teaching faculties.


    The reason why so many people traveled far and wide to study at Tianxiang Academy is that, apart from the academies in the provincial city, Tianxiang Academy has the most robust faculty.


    In the cings list, a total of fifty Jinshi were listed, of which ten were students from Tianxiang Academy, this was an astoundingly frightening ratio.


    However, not all of these ten Jinshi were necessarily from the local area.


    Fen Lin and Lin Chengye also scored as Jinshi.


    Fen Lin ranked seventeenth, he was from Song County.


    Lin Chengye ranked forty-fifth, he was from the provincial city.


    The county chief counted and found that the only local to make the Jinshi list was Xiao Ling.


    Just one, but he is Zhuangyuan, one of him is worth ten others!


    No room for rebuttals!


    A bailiff scratched his head and said, ¡°Actually Xiao Ling¡­ ah, no, I should call him Xiao Jieyuan now. He only registered as a resident of our county when he married the girl from the Gu Family, right?¡±


    Otherwise, he¡¯s still an outsider!


    County Chief: ¡°¡­¡±


    County Chief: ¡°I don¡¯t care! He is registered here! He is the first Zhuangyuan produced during my tenure!¡±


    The county chief personally went to Xiao Ling¡¯s house to share the good news and the entire vige soon learned that Xiao Ling had be a Jinshi, and even the Zhuangyuan.


    ¡°Did my son, Dashun, do well in the exams?¡± Madam Zhou excitedly rushed over to Gu Jiao¡¯s house to ask the county chief.


    The county chief gave her a casual nce, ¡°No sign of Gu Dashun¡¯s name.¡±


    ¡°How could it not be there?¡± Madam Zhou was incredulous, ¡°If Xiao Ling could pass, how could my Dashun fail?¡±


    County Chief retorted: ¡°What are you trying to say? Is Xiao Jieyuan worse than your son Dashun?¡±


    In Madam Zhou¡¯s memory, Gu Dashun had always been the best. Xiao Ling, who was poor and disabled and usually rankedst in Academy, if he could pass, why can¡¯t Dashun?


    ¡°Did you check it wrong?¡± Madam Zhou turned around, saw Xiao Ling returning from the academy, hurriedly went over and said, ¡°Ling! Tell your aunt, Dashun also passed, right?¡±


    Xiao Ling said to Madam Zhou, ¡°I didn¡¯t see Gu Dashun during the provincial examination.¡±


    It was a bolt from the blue-


    Their family had sold off both mother and daughter-inw¡¯s dowry, a total of twenty taels of silver, to send Gu Changhai and Gu Dashun to the exam. Who would have guessed that someone tricked them out of their money halfway there-


    Mrs. Zhou fainted on the spot and was carried home by the vigers.


    Little Jing Kong, who had juste out of private school, had heard from Gu Xiaoshun that his brother-inw was Zhuangyuan. He did not believe it and insisted that someone must have gotten it wrong!


    ¡°Really, no mistakes.¡± Gu Xiaoshun scratched his head, ¡°The whole academy is buzzing about it.¡±


    Little Jing Kong insisted on seeing it with his own eyes.


    Gu Xiaoshun had no choice but to take him and Gu Yan to the Yamen.


    He was very small, the list was very high, he had to lift up his small head to look at it for a long time, then said: ¡°I want to see the Yamen¡¯s official document!¡±


    The bailiffs were all stunned: Little guy, you know about official documents?


    Once they found out that he was Xiao Jieyuan¡¯s little brother, the Yamen¡¯s clerk actually took out the official documents for him to see.


    Little Jing Kong examined it carefully three times, making sure it wasn¡¯t forged and there was no mistake, then he solemnly nodded his small head: ¡°Indeed, he did score first ce.¡±

 Chapter 182: 119 Entering Beijing (Second Watch)

    Chapter 182: 119 Entering Beijing (Second Watch)


    Considering how difficult it would have been for his brother-inw to score first ce given his poor performance, Xiao Net decided to praise him once he returned home.


    However, when he got home, he discovered that there was no need for him to praise his brother-inw as there were already many people in the house doing so! These were all people who hade to congratte his brother-inw!


    See, he was right, wasn¡¯t he? His brother-inw¡¯s grades were indeed low, so everyone was pleasantly surprised when he scored first!


    Being ignorant of the value of cing first in the exam, Xiao Net decided to hold back his ownmendation.


    After everyone had left the house, Xiao Net found Xaio Ling tidying up things in the west room.


    Xiao Ling was amused by the sight of the little fellow, hands on his hips, striking a pose like a little adult. He asked, ¡°Do you have something to say?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Xiao Net nodded seriously, his small figure looking much like a teacher in ss, even his voice carried an air of seriousness, ¡°You¡¯ve heard enough praise all day, I won¡¯t add to it. Just because you¡¯ve been praised doesn¡¯t mean you should be arrogant, you need to be humble and study even harder. Otherwise, if you don¡¯t get the top score next time, people willugh!¡±


    Xiao Ling looked at him. ¡°Who¡¯s going tough? You?¡±


    Xiao Net snorted, ¡°I have better things to do! If you don¡¯t top the test, you won¡¯t be able to support the family, and I¡¯m too young!¡±


    Xiao Ling smirked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it didn¡¯t matter if I didn¡¯t do well on the test before?¡±


    Xiao Net was caught off guard.


    Xiao Ling chuckled, ¡°Remember now?¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re misunderstanding! I never said that! ¡°Xiao Net decisively exercised the privilege of a child: denying responsibility!


    He learned this from the knowledge he gained in elementary school and his deskmate who only spent a day with him had taught him this trick!


    Afterwards, Xiao Net quickly changed strategies and went to follow Gu Jiao like a tail!


    At dinner, Gu Jiao shared the news about Xiao Ling going to Guilozijian Academy.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going?¡± the olddy asked.


    Gu Jiao replied seriously: ¡°Why would I go? I don¡¯t study, I have no interest in Capital City, none at all!¡±


    Everyone looked at her incredulously. After all, they remembered who had been singing and crying about wanting to go to Capital City the other night.


    Gu Jiao couldn¡¯t be left alone at home, she could cope for a day or two with the help of Xue Ningxiang, but any longer and it would be unbearable.


    In the end, the consensus among the family was to all go to Capital City together.


    ¡°However, can a single guide lead our entire family?¡± Gu Jiao didn¡¯t want to leave anyone behind.


    ¡°One isn¡¯t enough.¡± Xiao Ling said, ¡°But we also have Fen Lin, with his help we should be able to enter Capital City.¡±


    Liu Guanshi who thought he had done a good job, didn¡¯t realise that he had been outsmarted by Xiao Ling. If he hadn¡¯t been so calctive with Xiao Ling, thetter might not have gotten what he wanted.


    Guozijian Academy starts its semester at the end of October, and it was already September, so they needed to hurry.


    Gu Jiao handed over the affairs of the mine to Luo Lizheng. Luo Lizheng might not have read many books, but he recognized the characters. Moreover, his son had topped the entrance examination for primary school, so he could understand the blueprints and project ns Gu Jiao left behind.


    There wasn¡¯t much of value at home, apart from Ling¡¯s books. Xue Ningxiang promised that she would look after them.


    ¡°By the way, my uncle Dog Baby is also in Capital City, if you go there, help me see him. I will send something to him!¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Gu Jiao agreed.


    Xiao Ling went to Tianxiang Academy and the private school to cancel the enrollment of his three brothers.


    Gu Yan, who hated school, was simply overjoyed at the prospect of not having to go anymore!


    Gu Xiaoshun was only at the academy to learn the characters that could be carved onto wood carvings. He could learn just by following Xiao Net.


    As for Xiao Net, his skill level surpassed what the private school could offer. If he were to advance any further, he would have to enter a ss specializing in the Imperial Examination.


    Guozijian Academy offers elementary school, where there are many child prodigies from Zhan Country. Xiao Ling thought that Xiao Net would be better suited there.


    Xiao Ling also went to notify Principal Li.


    Principal Li was feeling mixed emotions. He had been hoping that Xiao Ling would go to Capital City for the examinations. Now that it was really happening, he suddenly found it hard to say goodbye.


    He sighed, ¡°Regardless of where you go, you will always be my disciple.¡±


    Xiao Ling wanted to say something but held back.


    This wish of yours to have a disciple, I fear, might never be fulfilled in your lifetime.


    ¡°Speaking of which, I was supposed to have a junior in Capital City.¡± Principal Li suddenly said, ¡°Regrettably, he passed away prematurely. I didn¡¯t even have the chance to meet him.¡±


    Xiao Ling gave him a faint nce, left the Zhongzheng Hall, and sneezed!


    Gu Jiao took Xiao Net on a trip to the temple.


    Xiao Net said goodbye to the monastery¡¯s abbot, his senior brothers, and his friends.


    He didn¡¯t get to see his master.


    But Xiao Net was used to it, as the master was hardly in the monastery all year round.

 Chapter 183: 119 Entering Beijing (Second Watch)_2

    Chapter 183: 119 Entering Beijing (Second Watch)_2


    ¡°You¡¯re also about to travel far?¡± little monk Jing Fan asked.


    Four young monks were sitting on the temple steps, each holding a string of vegetarian meatballs made by Gu Jiao.


    Little Jing Kong took a bite of the meatball and sighed, ¡°Yeah, our brother-inw passed the Guozijian examination, and our whole family is going to join him in school. But why did you say also?¡±


    Jing Fan chuckled and said, ¡°Because we¡¯re going on a long journey too! Our Abbot is taking us to attend a big Buddhist conference!¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Little Jing Kong was a bit tempted too, but it might be the price ofing down the mountain. Having Jiaojiao required him to give up some things.


    In his heart, Jiaojiao was the most important!


    Gu Jiao brought plenty of delicious food, in addition to vegetarian meatballs, there were vegetarian roast duck, vegetarian Dongpo pork knuckle, and two boxes of osmanthus cake from Liji.


    The four young monks enjoyed a wonderful afternoon.


    Gu Jiao also went to the Medical Hall to bid farewell to the second owner, but was informed by the shopkeeper Wang that something had happened at the Hu Family, and he had already returned to the Capital City.


    Maybe they would meet in the Capital City.


    Gu Jiao made a visit to the home of the principal of the school, and brought some gifts from the mountains and a hawthorn cake for the principal¡¯s elderly wife who was still dazed and confused but looked much better.


    The servant said that when the elderly woman was in her right mind, she would say that she had grandchildren and was so happy!


    Hot Spring Vi.


    Lord Gu had finally healed the injuries on his face and body after a few days of rest. He went to look for Madame Yao in her courtyard.


    Madame Yao was instructing her servants to pack up.


    Lord Gu paused: ¡°What are you doing, madam? Aren¡¯t you going to stay in the vi? Are you leaving?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am leaving.¡± Madame Yao nodded.


    Lord Gu panicked and quickly stepped forward to grasp Madame Yao¡¯s hand: ¡°I was wrong! I will never mistreat that girl again! I won¡¯t try to make them get divorced! You¡¯re angry! Don¡¯t leave!¡±


    It was Madame Yao¡¯s turn to be stunned: ¡°What are you talking about, lord? Whom did you mistreat? Jiaojiao? Did¡­did you try to make them get divorced?¡±


    Lord Gu felt a wave of unease in his heart!


    ¡°Lord!¡± Madame Yao pulled back her hand in sorrow and indignation.


    Lord Gu hurriedly denied it: ¡°I didn¡¯t! I said I nned to!¡±


    Madame Yao was shocked and angry: ¡°You¡­you still n to?¡±


    Lord Gu shook his head like a drum, his cheeks rippling: ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t now, I don¡¯t now. I will listen to you. Please don¡¯t leave!¡±


    Madame Yao calmed down a bit and said to Lord Gu: ¡°How can I return to the Capital City if I don¡¯t leave?¡±


    Lord Gu was stunned: ¡°You finally decided to return? Have youe to terms with it? What about Yanyan and¡­ahem, Jiaojiao?¡±


    Madame Yao remained silent with a smile.


    From the side, the maid grinned: ¡°Lord, it seems you¡¯re not yet informed. The young master has been named as the top schr and is going to study at the Guozijian, and the young master and miss will also go to the capital with him.¡±


    Lord Gu was taken aback for a moment. Had he heard it wrong? That little cripple was named as the top schr?


    He had just derided him as useless, and would he now show him up by qualifying as a top schr?


    What did this mean? Was he trying to p him in the face?


    Lord Gu sneered, it was just a top schr from a small provincial city. How extraordinary could that be? There were twenty or thirty schrs like him throughout Zhan Country, and he must be the worst of them!


    However, it did solve his urgent problem.


    If they did not return to the capital, they would have to unfairly hold Jin Yu¡¯sing-of-age ceremony at the vi!


    Gu Jinyu also heard that Madame Yao was packing up and came to help happily, but unintentionally overheard the reason Madame Yao agreed to return to the capital.


    It turned out to be only because Gu Yan and Gu Jiao were going to the capital¡­


    Gu Jinyu felt as if something had pierced her heart.


    Her mother repeatedly said she regarded her as her own, but in her mother¡¯s heart, she always loved her own flesh and blood the most.


    ¡°Ah, right.¡± Lord Gu suddenly remembered that the son of the Gu Family also took the provincial examination this year. What was that boy called?


    Gu¡­Gu¡­Gu Shunzi? Gu Shunfeng?


    Gu Dashun!


    ¡°Did Gu Dashun pass the exam?¡± asked Lord Gu.


    Madame Yao had personally gone to Yamen to check the list and remembered all the names clearly. There was no examinee with the surname Gu.


    The maid scoffed disdainfully: ¡°Are you talking about the son of that family? I heard he also took the provincial examination, but regretfully, he didn¡¯t even qualify as a schr! He is far from our young master! There¡¯s a saying, a dragon begets a dragon, a phoenix begets a phoenix, the son of a mouse will be good at digging holes! Except for the deceased Gu couple, none of that family are worth anything, and they still dream of passing the exam? In their next life, perhaps!¡±


    The words were a bit harsh and it was inappropriate to lose herposure in front of her master, but that family was indeed too harsh on Gu Jiao, so even the normally gentle Madame Yao did not refute the maid¡¯s words.

 Chapter 184: 119 Entering Beijing (Second Watch)_3

    Chapter 184: 119 Entering Beijing (Second Watch)_3


    Despite being slightly annoyed that Lady Fang was cing that disabled boy in such high esteem, Lord Gu did agree with her other words. The Yao Family was indeed detestable.


    As for Gu Jinyu, Lord Gu never considered her as part of the old Gu Family and so, he didn¡¯t think she was being insulted.


    Lady Fang didn¡¯t mean to scold her either, only targeting those from the old Gu Family.


    But the speaker had no intention while the listener took the message to heart.


    Gu Jinyu¡¯s face was flushed, more embarrassed than when she was pped in public by Gu Jiao.


    Eventually, she didn¡¯t help Lady Yao with the luggage. Instead, she turned around with teary eyes and headed back to her room quietly.


    ¡°Lady Fang,¡± Lady Yao in the room suddenly spoke, ¡°Please be careful with your words in the future, lest Jin Yu overhear them. The child is sensitive and prone to overthinking.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mydy,¡± Lady Fang bowed in acknowledgment.


    Looking at the three sets of clothes in the box, all personally made by her, Lady Yao realized that in her hurry to connect with Jiaojiao, she had somewhat neglected Jin Yu.


    These three sets of clothes were made for Jin Yu.


    Knowing that her daughter felt ufortable with them, Lady Yao did not ask her to travel with them, but instead arranged for the best coachman and carriage from the Marquis Residence to take her daughter instead.


    Lord Gu did not object to this, after all, Gu Yan was physically weak, and a good carriage would significantly reduce the roughness of the journey.


    Sitting in the jolting carriage, Gu Jinyu felt more and more that she held no weight in this family.


    They gave her only three sets of clothes but gave Gu Jiao a whole carriage!


    Looking out the window, Gu Jinyu¡¯s face was filled with grievance.


    On a bright and sunny morning, Gu Jiao, Xiao Ling and their group set out for Capital City. Fortunately, the weather held up, and after a month of arduous travel, they arrived in Capital City.


    Fen Lin did not join them; he took the waterway home. His travel permit was with Xiao Ling, and his aunt and Xiao Jingkong were registered on his permit.


    He himself was a student at Guozijian. He could enter the city with his admission documents.


    Gu Jiao and Gu Xiaoshun were registered on Xiao Ling¡¯s permit. This school district permit was different from ordinary permits; it allowed him to bring family members, but no more than two.


    As for Gu Yan and the coachman, they were both locals from Capital City.


    It was still early when they entered the city, so they went to the nearest post station first to rest, feed the horses, and inquire about housing in Capital City.


    On the way, Gu Jiao had already discussed with Xiao Ling about their living arrangements, preferably near Guozijian for convenience in attending school.


    They had spent some silver on the journey, they now had a thousand taels left. A thousand taels could buy several mansions in the county, but it was nowhere near enough in Capital City.


    The best remedy was to rent.


    They were lucky; the station had a house broker.


    A house broker, otherwise known as a protector, was akin to an intermediary in Gu Jiao¡¯s former world. They were registered in the Yamen, handling the legal buying, selling, and trading of servants, properties, livestock, and vehicles.


    This broker, named Zhang, was a man in his early thirties.


    When Broker Zhang heard that they wereing to study at Guozijian, he promptly saluted and disyed a respectful demeanor, ¡°So it turns out you¡¯re students of Guozijian! I must offer my help! Rest assured, whichever area you have your eyes on, I¡¯ll get you the lowest possible price!¡±


    Gu Jiao was unfamiliar with Capital City.


    Xiao Ling had told her about the general location of Guozijian at the northeastern corner where Chang¡¯an Avenue intersected Xuanwu Avenue a bit closer to Chang¡¯an Avenue. However, since Chang¡¯an Avenue was amercial street and could get congested, the differences between the two avenues were negligible.


    Broker Zhang was surprised, ¡°Young man, have you been to Capital City before? You seem so familiar with it!¡±


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 185: 120 Local Tycoon Xiaojingkong (One more update)

    Chapter 185: 120 Local Tycoon Xiaojingkong (One more update)


    Gu Jiao nced at Xiao Ling.


    Xiao Ling maintained a straight face as he said, ¡°I heard from our Academy¡¯s Dean.¡±


    Gu Jiao told Zhang Baoren, ¡°My husband¡¯s Dean lived in the Capital City for over a decade.¡±


    Zhang Baoren suddenly understood, ¡°Ah, now I see.¡±


    Gu Jiao asked, ¡°Are there houses on these two streets?¡±


    ¡°Ah, there are certainly¡­¡± Zhang Baoren looked at the two of them. Both were dressed simply. One imed to be a student under supervision at Guozijian, but he wasme. The other had an exceptional demeanor but was scarred.


    These two¡­ they aren¡¯t well-off financially, are they?


    Zhang Baoren smiled, ¡°Do you prefer onepartment or twopartment houses?¡±


    Gu Jiao pondered a bit before saying, ¡°We need at least five rooms.¡±


    ¡°That would require a twopartment or threepartment house,¡± Zhang Baoren replied with a smile. ¡°Twopartment or threepartment houses are not cheap. The minimum monthly rent for a twopartment house is ten tael. A threepartment house costs twenty tael.¡±


    Ten tael could feed a big family in the countryside for a year or two.


    However, remembering that this was the expensive Capital City, Gu Jiao felt better about it.


    Gu Jiao suggested going to take a look.


    Zhang Baoren didn¡¯t think they looked like people who could afford the rent and feared it might be a wasted trip. Though the other party imed to be a student under supervision at Guozijian, were there not plenty of those in the Capital City? Deciding the two weren¡¯t worth fussing over, heroes could fall from the sky in the Capital City, so he didn¡¯t take Xiao Ling too seriously.


    However, having not done any business for several days, he had time on his hands, so he took the pair with him.


    Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling visited over a dozen courtyards. Some were twopartment and others were threepartment houses, but none of them satisfied their needs.


    The two of them returned to the post station.


    Zhang Baoren followed, ¡°Do you n to finalize it today? If you wait any longer, the studentsing from all over the country to take the exams will snap up all avable rentable houses. Furthermore, the prices will not remain the same.¡±


    Gu Jiao replied, ¡°They are too small and too remote.¡±


    She was referencing the houses near Guozijian. Yet, these were not on the main streets, but at the very end of the alleyways. Dark, damp, and very close to noisy shops ¨C be it an iron shop or a carpenter shop, even a coffin shop.


    How were they expected to study peacefully?


    ¡°With this price, these are the houses avable. If you want something better, you¡¯ll have to pay this much,¡± Zhang Baoren made a hand gesture.


    ¡°Thirty tael?¡± Gu Jiao asked.


    ¡°For a onepartment house,¡± Zhang Baoren replied.


    If a onepartment house costs thirty tael, then how much more for a twopartment or threepartment house? Evidently, properties in the school district are expensive regardless of the era.


    ¡°Well,¡± Zhang Baoren sighed, ¡°let me tell you upfront, Capital City houses cost this much. Good locations and houses are already bought by the wealthy. Those wealthy people aren¡¯t short on cash and they won¡¯t rent their houses! Even if you had a hundred Baoren, you could only rent those houses we¡¯ve just seen!¡±


    Gu Jiao then asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say there were better houses, but at a higher price?¡±


    Zhang Baoren replied smilingly, ¡°There¡¯s a threepartment house, the rent is a hundred tael per month.¡±


    Gu Jiao frowned, ¡°What kind of house costs a hundred tael?¡±


    Zhang Baoren made a gesture, ¡°Right across from Guozijian. Five hundred steps away! It¡¯s the house where the young Master Zhaodu, and the young sacrificial wine used to live!¡±


    Xiao Ling¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°When did he live there?¡±


    Zhang Baoren pounded the table, ¡°He did! If you live there, you might gain his good fortune, and pass all your exams!¡±


    Xiao Ling replied indifferently, ¡°He never lived there.¡±


    Zhang Baoren rolled up his sleeves, ¡°How would you know he didn¡¯t live there? You are not him!¡±


    ¡°The price is too steep, thirty tael at most,¡± said Xiao Ling calmly.


    Zhang Baoren, of course, was aware that his price was too high. Normally, one could negotiate down to thirty tael. But considering that Guozijian was about to start the new school term, property prices had risen again.


    His absolute minimum price was fifty tael. If this family was unwilling to pay, he would find others. He didn¡¯t believe houses in the school district couldn¡¯t be rented out.


    ¡°Jiaojiao, what are you up to?¡± Little Jingkong woke up from his nap, rubbing his eyes as he ventured into the station¡¯s grand hall looking for Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao picked him up and touched his little head. His hair had grown a bit, and now he sported a buzzcut instead of his previous bald look.


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for a ce to live,¡± Gu Jiao said, ¡°Did you sleep well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, where are we going to live?¡± Little Jingkong settled into Gu Jiao¡¯s arms, clearly enjoying her ying with his hair.


    ¡°We¡¯re not sure yet,¡± Gu Jiao shook her head.


    Jingkong then turned his attention to the blueprints on the table and asked, ¡°What are these?¡±


    Zhang Baoren replied with a smile, ¡°These are house deeds.¡±

 Chapter 186: 120 Local Tycoon Xiaojingkong (One more update) _2

    Chapter 186: 120 Local Tycoon Xiaojingkong (One more update) _2


    She was afraid that children might mishandle her things, so she reached out to pocket the property deed.


    But Xiao Jingkong made an oblivious sound, ¡°I have one of these, too.¡±


    The three people were stunned.


    Xiao Jingkong scampered back to the carriage, fetched a small box from his little basket, took the box back to the grand hall, and put it down on the wooden table in front of the three.


    The table was a little high for him, so once he put it on the table, he couldn¡¯t reach to open it anymore.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Gu Jiao reached out her hand.


    Gu Jiao had seen a few boxes like this when she was tidying up Xiao Jingkong¡¯s things at home, but she had never opened them.


    ¡°Okay! Jiaojiao do it!¡± Xiao Jingkong decisively nodded.


    Gu Jiao opened the small box, and inside were a few thumb-sized seals and a few documents, which were not ordinary documents, but property deeds!


    All three of them were quite astonished.


    ¡°Let me see,¡± Xiao Ling said.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Gu Jiao took out the property deeds and handed them to Xiao Ling.


    Zhang Baoren also leaned in to take a look.


    He almost choked from surprise when he looked at them; there were properties on Changan Avenue, Xuanwu Avenue, and even on Zhuque Street!


    Did these properties reach all the way to the Imperial Pce?!


    ¡°Are these real property deeds?¡± Gu Jiao asked Xiao Ling.


    ¡°They are real,¡± Xiao Ling answered, ¡°The deeds have Jingkong¡¯s name on them. They are definitely his.¡±


    Gu Jiao looked at Xiao Jingkong in her arms: ¡°How did you get these?¡±


    Xiao Jingkong nced at the property deeds in Xiao Ling¡¯s hand; he counted his fingers: ¡°Are you talking about these papers? My master gave them to me. He gives me one each year on my birthday. I¡¯ve had three birthdays, so there are three!¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±


    Xiao Ling: ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhang Baoren: ¡°¡­¡±


    Gu Jiao suddenly could not bear to look at Xiao Jingkong¡¯s big box of junk¡­


    The locations of the three mansions were better than the ones before. Zhang Baoren had been boasting that the mansion with a hundred taels of rent was diagonally opposite Guozijian, which took five hundred steps to walk to. In fact, it took more than a thousand steps.


    The mansion that Xiao Jingkong¡¯s master gave him was much closer to Guozijian. You could juste out of the alley, take a turn, and then you would be at Guozijian.


    In his over thirty years of life, this was the first time Zhang Baoren had miscalcted. Dressed like a local tycoon but owning three grand mansions. The mansion on Zhuque Street is hard to purchase, not to mention that its residents are mostly rted to the royal family. The two mansions on Xuanwu Avenue and Changan Avenue are also priceless.


    What on earth was the background of these people?


    Xiao Jingkong didn¡¯t understand what a property deed is, but when Gu Jiao exined to him that it was a precious thing and a proof of owning a house, he quickly put all of the deeds in front of Gu Jiao: ¡°I give all of them to Jiaojiao!¡±


    The ce with Jiaojiao is the home of Xiao Jingkong!


    Gu Jiao had already epted his guqin, so she couldn¡¯t ept his property deeds now. In the end, Gu Jiao proposed to rent Xiao Jingkong¡¯s mansion for thirty taels of silver per month.


    Xiao Jingkong firmly said, ¡°No money from Jiaojiao!¡±


    Gu Jiao patted his little head and said, ¡°It will be your brother-inw who pays.¡±


    Xiao Jingkong thought earnestly and agreed. ¡°The brother-inw gives the payment to me, and I give it to Jiaojiao. That makes sense!¡±


    Both parties invited Zhang Baoren to be the guarantor and signed a lease agreement for the house.


    This was Xiao Jingkong¡¯s first time doing business, and he took it very seriously, signing it and even stamping it.


    The guarantee fee was 30% of the first month¡¯s rent, which was nine taels of silver. This was to guarantee that he would be there in person to terminate the lease at the end of it.


    Originally, the fee was 50%, but Zhang Baoren intended to gather some good karma, so he reduced it by 20%.


    ¡°The guarantee fee is paid half and half by each person.¡± Zhang Baoren smiled as he said.


    ¡°Do you have any silver?¡± Xiao Ling watched Xiao Jingkong leisurely.


    Xiao Jingkong was stumped, he had no silver. This was a story more tragic than a tragedy!


    But soon, he thought of a solution: ¡°Deduct it from your first month¡¯s rent!¡±


    Xiao Ling was both annoyed and found it amusing. The little monk did have a head for business.


    The mansion was a courtyard with two sections. Upon entering, you would find a front yard with bamboo trees around. The first row had two side rooms, a study, and a kitchen. The backyard can be essed through the passageway. Backyard had an osmanthus tree and behind the tree were three side rooms.


    They arranged the rooms just like they used to in the vige, Xiao Jingkong and Xiao Ling shared a room whereas the remaining people had their separate rooms.


    The rooms were not very big, but they had excellent light.


    The best thing was that it was not only close to Guozijian but also to several private schools which would undoubtedly solve Gu Yan and Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s schooling problem.


    When Gu Yan and Gu Xiaoshun heard that they had to continue going to school, they were dumbfounded.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t¡­didn¡¯t we drop out?¡± Both asked almost simultaneously.


    Gu Jiao opened a suitcase and said, ¡°We dropped out in the county city, but we naturally have to continue once we get to the Capital City. You guys are still young, so what should you be doing aside from school?¡±


    Both of their faces were as gray as death. So, were they getting happy on the road for nothing? And also, what did you mean by ¡®you guys are still young¡¯? It seems like you are not too old either!


    The mansion was fully furnished, but there was a lot of dust due to it being uninhabited for a long time. The group simply tidied up several rooms and moved in, intending to clean the yard and kitchen at ater stage. As for pots and pans, they decided to buy them tomorrow morning.


    Dinner was steamed bread that they bought from outside, which they ate with the pickled vegetables Gu Jiao had brought.


    The Capital City was colder than the county city; by October, Gu Jiao had already felt the chill of winter.


    Unlike in rural areas, they couldn¡¯t just go up the mountain to chop wood here; they needed to go to the marketce to buy firewood and charcoal.


    Everyone was exhausted from the journey, and they went straight to bed when they got back to their rooms.


    Next to Xiao Ling, Xiao Jingkong was sprawling and already snoring evenly.


    But Xiao Ling had no inclination to sleep.


    He had finally returned here.


    ¡°Ahen, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s lessons are too hard. Shall we go out and y?¡±


    ¡°Ahen, this little rabbit is injured. Shall we take it home?¡±


    ¡°Ahen, I want to eat jujube. Can you pick some for me from the tree?¡±


    ¡°Ahen, could you buy me an osmanthus cake?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Ahen, can you die for me?¡±

 Chapter 187: 121 Zhaodu Young Master (Second Watch)

    Chapter 187: 121 Zhaodu Young Master (Second Watch)


    Gu Jiao got up before dawn, washed up, and, as her first order of business, went to feed the chicks belonging to little monk Jingkong.


    The chicks had grown significantly and would asionally crow. If no one got up, they would eventually stop.


    There was a small marketce nearby, in a different direction than the Guozijian college, and it didn¡¯t take long to get there on foot.


    Gu Jiao put a basket on her back and headed to the marketce.


    ¡°Steamed buns! Fresh, delicious buns!¡± a vendor shouted.


    Gu Jiao went over and asked him, ¡°How much is one bun?¡±


    The vendor noticed the birthmark on her face, but he didn¡¯t react strangely at all. As expected of people from the Capital City, they were not easily shocked.


    The vendor smiled and said, ¡°Therge meat buns are three wen each, and the brown sugar buns are two for three wen! Miss, how many would you like?¡±


    The buns were big, and just one could satisfy hunger. Gu Jiao took out a food box from her small basket. ¡°Eight meat buns, four sugar buns.¡±


    They would eat the meat buns, and little monk Jingkong would have the sugar buns.


    She wondered whether four would be enough for him, his appetite was quite remarkable.


    ¡°Alright! That¡¯s a total of 30 wen! Here¡¯s a steamed bun for you!¡± The vendor packed the buns and a steamed bun for Gu Jiao.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Gu Jiao paid, then went on to buy kitchen utensils like pots and pans, followed by firewood.


    The firewood in the Capital City was not cheap. A bundle of firewood cost 10 copper tes and couldst about two to three days, considering their rate of usage at home.


    Gu Jiao bought two bundles of firewood and then asked about the price of charcoal.


    The vendor said, ¡°Miss, are you looking for ck charcoal or silver charcoal? ck charcoal is five wen per jin, and silver charcoal is twenty wen per jin.¡±


    ¡°Why is silver charcoal so expensive?¡±


    The vendor smiled and said, ¡°Silver charcoal is really handy!¡±


    It was true. ck charcoal was not only less durable, but it also produced a lot of smoke. In contrast, silver charcoalsted longer and didn¡¯t produce any smoke.


    In the end, Gu Jiao bought a hundred jin of silver charcoal for seventeen wen per jin.


    The vendor, with his mule cart, personally delivered the firewood and silver charcoal to their door.


    Xiao Ling had already risen and had cleaned up the kitchen. Now, he was silently cleaning the backyard, careful not to wake anyone.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Gu Jiao greeted.


    ¡°Morning,¡± Xiao Ling nodded.


    Gu Jiao directly asked the vendor to carry the firewood and silver charcoal to the kitchen.


    After the vendor left, Gu Jiao went over, took the broom from Xiao Ling¡¯s hands, and said, ¡°Let me do this. You go sort out the belongings.¡±


    In this journey to the Capital City, the luggage of Gu Jiao, the olddy, Gu Yan and Gu Xiaoshun was not much. Conversely, Xiao Ling and the little monk Jingkong had severalrge boxes. Xiao Ling mainly had books, Jingkong had items he brought back from the temple, of course, including his seven chicks.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Xiao Ling turned and entered the study room.


    In a short while, Gu Jiao brought him two piping hot meat buns. ¡°You eat these first, I¡¯ll go make some millet porridge.¡±


    ¡°Have you eaten yet?¡± Xiao Ling stopped her.


    ¡°Not yet.¡± Gu Jiao shook her head.


    She was about to say that she could eat while cooking the porridge, but Xiao Ling pushed the te towards her, ¡°Let¡¯s eat together.¡±


    Gu Jiao thought for a moment, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Since they had more people at home, it had been a while since they had eaten alone. Thest time was at the inn in the town, which was more than half a year ago.


    The two sat facing each other, as if it was just like old times.


    Gu Jiao chuckled.


    ¡°Why are youughing?¡± Xiao Ling asked.


    Gu Jiao held the big meat bun in her hand, ¡°I¡¯mughing about the first time I fed you. Did you not dare to eat because you thought I had poisoned the food?¡±


    ¡°I definitely didn¡¯t,¡± Xiao Ling strenuously denied.


    Suddenly, Gu Jiao leaned in, examining his handsome face from close up. ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared that I¡¯ll poison you now?¡±


    Are you so trusting of me that you just can¡¯t help it?


    Just as Gu Jiao was basking in her glee, she saw Xiao Ling look at the bun in his hand with aplicated expression. Then, he took Gu Jiao¡¯s bun and switched it with his own.


    Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡±


    After the two had breakfast, and everyone else was still asleep, Xiao Ling had to report to the Guozijian. Gu Jiao guessed that the others would probably sleep until noon, so she went with Xiao Ling to the Guozijian.


    The Guozijian officially starts sses inte October. Now, more and more jingsheng (students) have been reporting one after another, both local students from the Capital City and those who came from other ces like Xiao Ling.


    Regr jingsheng students at the Guozijian do not need to pay tuition, as all expenses were covered by the court, including their dormitory and meals, all grant from the court¡¯s finances.


    Today, Xiao Ling just needed to check-in at the Academic Affairs Office and then he could go back. Of course, if he wanted to, he could also stay in the Guozijian to study.


    The Guozijian held thergest Book Pavilion in all of Zhan Country, hence it became the holynd that all schrs dreamed of studying in.


    Gu Jiao waited for him outside the Guozijian.


    The bustling scene in front of her was quite a novelty for Gu Jiao.


    So this is the capital city, it¡¯s indeed different from the county town, the roads are much wider, with several horse-drawn carriages passing by from time to time. Most of the youngdies on the street wear face veils, and it was rather umon for someone like Gu Jiao to be uncovered.


    Gu Jiao was absorbed in the sight when suddenly the crowd surged towards one ce. Everyone lined up on both sides of the street, straining their necks to look in one direction.


    The ce where Gu Jiao was standing was not far from the street, she was pushed aside by the crowd, and even got her foot stepped on.


    ¡°Ah! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± The perpetrator hastily apologized to Gu Jiao.


    It was a boy dressed as a student, but the appearance and the deliberately lowered voice could tell that he was actually a girl.


    She had a fair and delicate look.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to!¡± The girl disguised as a student bowed apologetically to Gu Jiao.


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t mind.


    She tried to step backward.


    However, the people behind her didn¡¯t give her room to move.


    She was obstructed in the middle by the surging crowd and couldn¡¯t move freely.


    The little schr tried hard to squeeze forward, but she was too weak and couldn¡¯t get to the front.


    She gave up pushing, wiped the sweat off her forehead, and asked Gu Jiao, ¡°Ma¡¯am, what happened to your face?¡±


    Gu Jiao calmly replied, ¡°Birthmark.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± The young schr quickly covered her mouth, ¡°I thought it was rouge, right, right, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Gu Jiao didn¡¯t take offense at her inadvertent insult.


    But she herself was feeling quite guilty. It was bad enough already that she bumped into someone, let alone stepping on her, plus she spoke inappropriately and hit the nail right on the head¡­


    Ah!


    She couldn¡¯t seem to go a day without offending someone!


    The little schr looked at Gu Jiao and said, ¡°Miss, you¡¯re not from the capital city, are you? Your ent doesn¡¯t sound like it.¡±


    Gu Jiao: ¡°Hmm.¡±


    The little schr asked again, ¡°Did youe here specifically to see the Princess?¡±


    Gu Jiao curiously asked, ¡°What Princess?¡±


    The little schr eximed in surprise, ¡°The Princess! You¡¯ve been waiting here so early, isn¡¯t it because you heard that the Princess is returning from making a blessing and will pass by the gate of the Guozijian?¡±


    Gu Jiao shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know the Princess, I¡¯m not here to see her.¡±


    The little schr gasped, ¡°Who, who¡¯s here to see her because they know her? Can wemon folk know the Princess? Isn¡¯t everyone here because they¡¯ve heard of her and admire her, and just want a glimpse of her from afar?¡±


    Gu Jiao said seriously, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of her, I don¡¯t admire her.¡±


    ¡°Are you not from Zhan Country? You haven¡¯t heard of the Princess?¡±


    The little schr¡¯s outburst drew the attention of the crowd, leading them to look at the two of them. Everyone looked at Gu Jiao incredulously, apparently like the little schr, they found it strange: how could there be someone in the world who didn¡¯t know the Princess of Zhan Country?


    At that moment, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, ¡°The Princess is here ¨C The Princess is here -¡±


    With his shout, the crowd began to stir excitedly.


    A hundred-member imperial guards rode in on iron-d horses, they formed a giant formation, encircling the Princess¡¯ carriage. The crowd could not even see how many wheels were on the carriage as the imperial guards escorted the Princess and her vehicle away from the street.


    The crowd slowly dispersed.


    The little schr stomped her feet in frustration as she looked at the disappearing backs of the imperial cavalry, ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t get to see her again! It¡¯s not easy for me toe out, and I got up so early for nothing!¡±


    Breaking free from the crowd, Gu Jiao breathed a sigh of relief.


    She really wasn¡¯t used to being so close to strangers.


    Seeing Gu Jiao¡¯s calm demeanor, the little schr curiously asked, ¡°You really didn¡¯te to see the Princess, did you?¡±


    Gu Jiao replied nonchntly: ¡°I said I didn¡¯t.¡±


    The little schr asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    Gu Jiao said, ¡°I¡¯ve told you already.¡±


    The little schr asked, ¡°You really never heard of her?¡±


    Gu Jiao looked at her silently.


    The Princess was the person the little schr admired most. She absolutely wouldn¡¯t allow that there were people in this world who hadn¡¯t heard of her!


    The little schr earnestly informed Gu Jiao, ¡°Do you know who the Princess is? She¡¯s the most outstanding woman in Zhan Country, there¡¯s not a single man who doesn¡¯t like her, and not a single woman who doesn¡¯t envy her. Do you know who the great schr, Zhuang Xianzhi, of the Zhuang family is? He once was the teacher of the Princess. Do you know who was her ssmate? The young lord of Zhaodu!¡±


    Gu Jiao watched her calmly.


    The little schr was bbergasted, ¡°No way? Don¡¯t tell me you also don¡¯t know who the young lord of Zhaodu is! The Young Lord! The teenaged chief priest!¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Gu Jiao said, ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve heard of him.¡±


    It was a long time ago, young Master Xiaoqin once got a painting from somewhere, saying it was the masterpiece of the young lord, but Xiao Ling said it wasn¡¯t.


    That was the only time she had heard of the young lord of Zhaodu before.


    The little schr hit herself on the forehead, ¡°Oh my god, oh my god, did you pop out from a crack in the rock? How can you not know about the young lord, not know the Princess? One is the number one talented young man of Zhan Country, the other is the number one talented young woman, who grew up together and were childhood sweethearts. They even had a betrothal. After the young lord died abruptly, the Princess remained steadfast for him for three years until epting the Emperor¡¯s decree this year to marry the Prince. How could you have never heard of such a legendary story?¡±

 Chapter 188: 122 Adventures in the Empty Sky (First Update)

    Chapter 188: 122 Adventures in the Empty Sky (First Update)


    Gu Jiao had never heard of such things, nor was she interested. However, without Xiao Ling, she had no choice but to wait where she was, listening to the little servant girl prattle on endlessly.


    Xiao Ling went to the Mingxuan Hall in Guozijian. No one needed to show him the way, as he was well familiar with the ce.


    His figure with a walking stick attracted many students¡¯ eyes. He walked confidently through the curious gaze, staying upright.


    Mingxuan Hall is the office of Guozijian, where teaching officers and administrators wait for students from all over country to register every day.


    Today, the administrators in the Mingxuan Hall were a man named Gao, as well as two teaching officers named Wang and Xu.


    ¡°All right, you can follow Officer Xu to the dormitory. School doesn¡¯t start until the end of October. In your free time, feel free to explore the Book Pavilion.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    A student from other ce stepped out of Mingxuan Hall under the guidance of Officer Xu.


    Administrator Gao looked over the student¡¯s documents, ¡°Next.¡±


    A delicate hand, as smooth as jade, ced a document in front of him.


    This hand was more than just beautiful.


    As Administrator Gao looked up almost instinctively, he was startled by the handsome face of the student in front of him, ¡°You¡­¡±


    You what?


    Could it be¡­the Vice Chancellor?


    Administrator Gao suddenly realized he was being foolish. The Vice Chancellor had long passed away, how could it possibly be him?


    But the resemnce was uncanny, causing him to lose hisposure.


    Upon careful inspection, there wasn¡¯t much resemnce.


    Thete Vice Chancellor was a gentle and amicable young man, who always had a warm smile in his eyes. Moreover, he had a mole under his right eye.


    However, the person in front of him not onlycked the mole but also the warmth and cheerfulness. His gaze was cold.


    Administrator Gao was frustrated and med his fatigue for mistaking the identity. He picked up the registration form, ¡°Xiao Ling? From Qingquan Vige?¡±


    Same surname, Xiao.


    Could he be a rtive?


    Soon, Administrator Gao shook his head in self-mockery.


    How could there be a rtive from a small vige in the prestigious Marquis Residence?


    Administrator Gao spoke, ¡°Your grades are pretty good, you¡¯re the champion of Youzhou. You¡¯ve been directly admitted. School starts officially on the 27th of October, and everyone will be assigned to sses based on a unified test. Don¡¯t be too proud of being a champion. There are many champions in Guozijian, you¡¯ll soon realize that you¡¯re just an ordinary one among them. During this period, don¡¯t run around. Spend more time reading in the Book Pavilion. Understand?¡±


    Even though he was belittling Xiao Ling, he hardly gave so much advice to other students who were rmended in the past. This only showed how he valued the champions.


    He had seen enough, many proud students from their hometown ended up being overshadowed when they arrived here.


    Nevertheless, he wanted Xiao Ling to be prepared, given that it was a significant achievement for a small vige to produce a champion.


    Administrator Gao intended to arrange Xiao Ling in the dormitory with a few other champions, but Xiao Ling rejected, ¡°I¡¯ll live outside.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Administrator Gao was puzzled, ¡°The dormitory won¡¯t charge you. You can study with peace of mind in Guozijian. Capital City has confounding splendours that can easily lead an uninformed poor boy like you astray.¡±


    Administrator Gao is known for his blunt words, which is why he remained in a low position despite his long service at Guozijian.


    But he was kind-hearted.


    Xiao Ling calmly spoke, ¡°It won¡¯t affect my studies.¡±


    Administrator Gao sighed, ¡°All right. But if you¡¯re not living in Guozijian, you¡¯ll have to collect your waist tag yourself in three days.¡±


    While Guozijian provides free food and amodation, it doesn¡¯t force students to avail them.


    Watching Xiao Ling¡¯s receding figure, Administrator Gao sighed, ¡°What a pity.¡±


    He seemed to foresee that Xiao Ling might be dazzled by the bustle of Capital City, willingly indulging in it and letting himself decline academically.


    When Xiao Ling left Guozijian, the incessantly chatty schr had already been found by his family and had been taken away, frustratingly.


    Gu Jiao looked at him, ¡°Is it done?¡±


    Xiao Ling nodded, ¡°Yes, I will collect the waist tag of Guozijian in three days.¡±


    The two walked home together.


    The distance was indeed short, they just stepped out of Guozijian, took a few steps, and turned a corner to enter the alley where they lived, right in the middle of it.


    Not all the houses in the alley were upied, and the environment was quite peaceful.


    ¡°It¡¯s more convenient than going to school in the vige.¡± Gu Jiao smiled.


    Xiao Ling responded with a hum, ¡°I¡¯m going to visit the private school for Gu Yan and Xiaoshun this afternoon. Xiao Jingkong will take the Guozijian¡¯s entrance examination for Mingxue, two days after me.¡±

 Chapter 189: 122 Adventures in the Empty Sky (First Update)_2

    Chapter 189: 122 Adventures in the Empty Sky (First Update)_2


    Gu Jiao nodded with a smile: ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    Just a few wordster, they arrived at the mansion. Gu Jiao was more than satisfied with it.


    As the two were about to enter, a carriage came from the other end of the alley and stopped in front of their house.


    The coachman tightened the reins and jumped off the horse, asking the duo, ¡°Excuse me, is this Xiao Jieyuan¡¯s home?¡±


    Xiao Ling took a look at the emblem on the carriage; his eyes slightly chilled.


    Gu Jiao asked: ¡°What happened? Is there something wrong?¡±


    The coachman cordially exined, ¡°It¡¯s like this, our manager heard that Xiao Jieyuan was in the Capital City and had me bring some items over. The winterse early here, so next month we should start burning coal. The carriage is full of top-quality silver coal. There are also some materials and cotton stuffing, all very warm. Should I bring these items directly into your house?¡±


    Gu Jiao nced at Xiao Ling.


    Xiao Ling¡¯s expression was as cold as a knife.


    Gu Jiao told the coachman, ¡°No need, we have enough silver coal, and we don¡¯t need any cotton-padded bedding. Please take them back to your manager.¡±


    The coachman hesitated, ¡°But Manager Liu said¡­¡±


    ¡°There are no buts. If we ask you to take them back, you take them back.¡± Gu Jiao responded indifferently, then she and Xiao Ling entered the house and closed the gate.


    Eventually, the coachman left.


    Gu Jiao looked toward Xiao Ling and said, ¡°We just moved here yesterday. Only the coachman from the Marquis¡¯s Residence and Zhang Bao knew our address. Manager Liu is very well-informed.¡±


    Xiao Ling responded indifferently, ¡°We don¡¯t need to pay him any mind.¡±


    With that, he turned around and went to organize the books in the study room.


    Gu Jiao touched her chin.


    Could it be that someone was keeping an eye on them?


    Who would dare to stare at her people?


    The coachman drove his carriage out of the alley and arrived at another corner where Manager Liu waited.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± Manager Liu asked.


    The coachman responded, ¡°The young master didn¡¯t ept it.¡±


    Manager Liuughed, ¡°This young master is more stubborn than I imagined.¡±


    The coachman asked, ¡°Should I inform the Marquis?¡±


    Manager Liu smiled softly and said, ¡°No need, there¡¯s no need to bother the Marquis with such a trivial matter. Just wait and see; he¡¯ll soon realize how hard it is for schrly families to make a living in the Capital City. When that dayes, he will obediently return to the mansion.¡±


    As expected, the elderlydy and the others slept until noon. When Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling entered the courtyard, Gu Yan and the other three were listlessly squatting by the well to wash.


    There was a public well in the nearby hutong, but there was also a well in the mansion, which saved them the trouble of fetching water from outside.


    The rice porridge in the kitchen was ready. Gu Jiao reheated the steamed buns and stir-fried a te of bamboo shoots with fungus and a te of green vegetables with bean sprouts, as well as arge portion of chives with chicken eggs.


    As Xiaoshun could not eat chicken eggs, Gu Jiao prepared a small pot of tender tofu soup for him separately.


    Although Xiaoshun¡¯s food was all vegetarian, the presentation and dishware were more exquisite than the other dishes. Thus, Gu Jiao made it look as if it was unaffordable.


    Xiaoshun proudly showed off his dish, although none at the table were actually envious, they all pretended to be.


    After eating, Xiaoshun proudly went to wash his own rice bowl.


    It was a habit he had developed living in the temple; washing your own bowl.


    No one else was idle either. The elderlydy went to husk corn while Gu Yan sat down to assist her. They were the two who were least suited to manualbor and used to being pampered. Yet they still willingly shared the burden of household chores as much as possible.


    Xiaoshun went to chop firewood.


    Xiao Ling cleaned the kitchen, and Gu Jiao tidied up the two courtyards.


    Her n was to use one courtyard for growing vegetables and raising chicks and puppies, while the other courtyard would be used for the family¡¯s activities. In the backyard, there was an osmanthus tree, which Xiaoshun could use for his training.


    Gu Jiao took a hoe and went to the front courtyard to till the soil.


    Xiaoshun came over with the chicks, ¡°Jiaojiao, I¡¯m taking the chicks out for a walk!¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Gu Jiao nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t go too far.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Xiaoshun replied.


    When Xiaoshun used to take chickens for a walk in the countryside, he would walk from the head to the end of the vige. Havinge here, he decided to walk from one end of the alley to the other.


    Gu Yan¡¯s puppy was rather envious, it also wanted to go out for a walk.


    Unfortunately, its master was toozy andid down on the rattan chair after husking the corn.


    The puppy wagged its tail and happily followed Xiaoshun.


    Xiaoshun, with his seven chicks and a puppy, strolled to the end of the alley and was about to turn back, when two beggars nearby fixed their eyes on his puppy.


    The puppy was no longer the month-old puppy it had been; it had grown a little fatter. Its round and plump look made it seem particrly tender.

 Chapter 190: 122 Adventures in the Empty Sky (First Update)_3

    Chapter 190: 122 Adventures in the Empty Sky (First Update)_3


    The beggars¡¯ mouths watered, they exchanged nces, and one of them pulled a meat bun from his coat, breaking it and luring the little dog.


    This dog was somewhat stupid and fell for it immediately!


    It cheerfully ran over, and was promptly bagged by the person.


    ¡°Woof¡ª¡± The puppy gave a cry.


    Xiaojingkong turned his head: ¡°Huh? Where¡¯s Xiaoba?¡±


    Yes, Xiaojingkong had named Gu Yan¡¯s dog Xiaoba.


    After capturing the dog, the beggars now set their sights on Xiaojingkong¡¯s chickens.


    Seven chickens indeed!


    It would be enough for several days!


    The beggars yed their old trick, using therge meat buns to bait the chickens, but the seven chickens didn¡¯t move at all.


    The two beggars went on to catch them, Xiaojingkong was just a three-year-old child, nobody paid any attention to him, nor did they care about the seven half-sized chickens!


    But just as the two dashed over, the seven chicks suddenly jumped up, pping their wings fiercely.


    They were not the newborn chicks that couldn¡¯t even jump over a doorstep, they could leap as high as half a person ¡ª luckily the two beggars were short, and the seven chicks hopped onto their shoulders and pecked their heads fiercely!


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª¡±


    The two beggars cried out in pain!


    The sack containing Xiaoba fell from one of the beggars.


    Xiaojingkong walked over and opened the sack: ¡°Xiaoba.¡±


    Xiaoba had been bagged, Xiaoba was angry, Xiaoba decided to fight back!


    Xiaoba opened its big mouth and took a bite¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Oh¡ª¡ª¡±


    It bit its own tail.


    Xiaojingkong covered his eyes, he couldn¡¯t watch anymore.


    The two beggars were pecked by the seven chicks and copsed on the ground, then turned tail and ran.


    The seven chicks pped their wings chasing after them, all the way down half the street, until Xiaojingkong called them, only then did they return triumphantly.


    However, just as they were crossing the street, a horse-drawn carriage rushed past, and six of them stopped, only Xiaoqi didn¡¯t stop in time.


    ¡°Xiaoqi¡ª¡ª¡±


    Xiaojingkong took tiny steps to protect it.


    A cart driver might not notice a chicken, but he could see a child, just that the carriage was moving too fast, and even pulling the reins tightly wouldn¡¯t stop it in time.


    Just as the child was about to be trampled by the horse¡¯s hooves, a whip flew over, coiled around Xiaojingkong, pulling him out hastily.


    The horse¡¯s hooves hit nothing, the cart driver breathed a sigh of relief and continued on.


    Xiaojingkong was dazed, by the time he reacted, he was already sitting in a cold and wide embrace.


    He looked down at the ground: ¡°So high!¡±


    The man sat on a tall horse, dressed in a dark brocade robe, one hand holding the reins, the other holding the whip. The arm holding the whip circled Xiaojingkong in his embrace.


    Xiaojingkong blinked his big eyes at him: ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The man nced at the chicken in his arms and said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s just a chicken, don¡¯t do this again.¡±


    ¡°Its name is Xiaoqi!¡± Xiaojingkong pushed the chicken towards the man¡¯s face.


    ¡°Where are your parents?¡± the man asked.


    Xiaojingkong was an orphan, he was abandoned at the temple when he was only a few months old, but Jiaojiao had parents.


    He thought for a moment: ¡°My parents are dead.¡±


    ¡°An orphan?¡± The man frowned.


    Xiaojingkong shook his head like a rattle: ¡°I have Jiaojiao!¡±


    The man asked, ¡°Where do you live?¡±


    Xiaojingkong pointed a hand: ¡°Over there!¡±


    The man took Xiaojingkong home.


    Gu Yan and the others were in the backyard, only Gu Jiao was in the courtyard, she had just finished tilling the ground and was using the firewood chopped by Gu Xiaoshun to make a fence.


    She was dressed in the clothes she wore for working in the vige, very in.


    ¡°Jiaojiao! I nearly got hit by a carriage just now, but this big brother saved me!¡± Xiaojingkong pulled the man¡¯s hand and walked into the courtyard.


    Gu Jiao put down the firewood in her hand, lifted her sweaty head and looked at the man.


    The man was tall, strong-bodied, his features cold and resolute. His vibe was rather standoffish.


    However, she wasn¡¯t sure if it was her imagination, Gu Jiao always felt that the stranger¡¯s face was a bit familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before.

 Chapter 191: 123 Repaying Kindness (Second Update)

    Chapter 191: 123 Repaying Kindness (Second Update)


    The man left immediately after sending Xiao Jingkong home, before Gu Jiao even had a chance to thank him.


    Gu Jiao asked Xiao Jingkong about the incident and, upon learning that he had recklessly risked himself to save a chicken, felt he shouldn¡¯t have done so.


    However, Gu Jiao did not rush to criticize.


    With a deep frown, Xiao Jingkong asked, ¡°Big brother said I shouldn¡¯t have done it. Jiaojiao, do you also think I was wrong?¡±


    Gu Jiao asked him back, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Straightening his chest, Xiao Jingkong defended, ¡°I think I did the right thing! If I were in danger, Jiaojiao would also rush in to save me without thinking!¡±


    Well, even an idiom came out all of a sudden.


    Gu Jiao advised, ¡°But, have you ever considered that maybe Xiaoqi didn¡¯t need your help?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Xiao Jingkong was perplexed.


    Gu Jiao patiently rified, ¡°Xiaoqi is very nimble and small, the horseshoe would hardly trample it, but it could easily trample you.¡±


    Suddenly, Xiao Jingkong realized something: he was less clever than a chicken!


    He secretly vowed to practice more diligently, to be very nimble and protect his chicken!


    A few dayster, Lord Gu and hispany also arrived in the Capital City.


    An arduous journey of more than a month had taken a toll on the three. Gu Jinyu, unused to such ufortable rides, felt as if his entire body was aching.


    The Yao Family¡¯sdy had noints, as she was grateful for riding in this carriage. She would have rather endured the hardship than to have Jiaojiao or Yanyan suffer.


    ¡°It must have been tough on you.¡± She took Gu Jinyu¡¯s hand, guiltily apologizing.


    With a tender voice, Gu Jinyu addressed, ¡°I¡¯m fine. My little brother couldn¡¯t have tolerated such jostling. I¡¯m d you reserved the carriage for my sister and brother.¡±


    The Yao Family¡¯sdy patted Gu Jinyu¡¯s hand, ¡°Always you are the understanding one.¡±


    Lord Gu helped thedy and Gu Jinyu off the carriage.


    The household servants were pleased to see Lord Gu and Gu Jinyu, but taken aback by thedy apanying them.


    She had lived in the Vi for ten years without once returning home. The young gatekeepers didn¡¯t even recognize her.


    With a cold voice, Lord Gu demanded, ¡°What are you standing there stunned for? Aren¡¯t you going to pay your respects to the mistress?¡±


    The servants looked at each other, then stammered out their greeting: ¡°Greetings, mdy?¡±


    Whichdy?


    Did the lord secretly keep a woman outside?


    The Yao Family¡¯sdy was past the age of being embarrassed over such minor slights, especially since she had been taking antidepressants prescribed by Jiaojiao for the past six months, which had kept her mood and physical condition in good shape.


    Lord Gu escorted thedy and Gu Jinyu into the house.


    The news was quickly conveyed to Lady Gu at Songhe Court.


    After more than half a year¡¯s absence from her son, Lady Gu was anxious to see him and ordered someone to call for Lord Gu immediately to see her at the Songhe Court.


    Initially, Lord Gu intended to take thedy to pay their respects the following day, but since his mother had called him, he had to change course to Songhe Court.


    Lady Gu eagerly anticipated a reunion with her son, but was momentarily frozen upon seeing the Yao family¡¯sdy beside him.


    ¡°Why did shee back?¡± Lady Gu asked, without warmth in her voice.


    The question made Gu Jinyu feel embarrassed for his mother.


    ¡°Mother!¡± Lord Gu gave Lady Gu a look, indicating that she should not shame thedy.


    Lady Gu ignored him.


    The Yao family¡¯sdy dutifully greeted, ¡°Greetings, mother.¡±


    Gu Jinyu also paid his respect: ¡°Greetings, grandmother.¡±


    Lady Gu, who had been fond of Gu Jinyu, began to bear some resentment towards him now that the Yao family¡¯sdy was present.


    The Yaody¡¯s presence suggested that Gu Yan, who used to live with her in the Vi, was not with them. To Lady Gu¡¯s surprise, she had not thought of asking about his whereabouts.


    To smooth the situation, Lord Gu imed, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m exhausted from the journey. I will return tomorrow to pay my respects.¡±


    Since he didn¡¯t mention thedy or Gu Jinyu being tired, but instead said he was tired, how could Lady Gu refuse her own son the rest he needed?


    This showcases why Lady Gu wasn¡¯t keen on the Yaody. It wasn¡¯t just a matter of her unsuitable background but more so of her son¡¯s changed behavior whenever she was around ¡ª being dismissive of everyone.


    Pretending not to understand his mother¡¯s displeasure, Lord Gu cheerfully said, ¡°I¡¯ll be going now,¡± and escorted thedy and Gu Jinyu out of Songhe Court.


    Just as they crossed the threshold, they unexpectedly ran into a finely dressed, jewelryden woman.


    The woman took one look at the three of them, and a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes. Quickly, she bent down to pay her respects, ¡°Lord! Madam! Miss!¡±

 Chapter 192: 123 Repaying Kindness (Second Update)_2

    Chapter 192: 123 Repaying Kindness (Second Update)_2


    Marquis Gu frowned slightly, ¡°Lady Ling, why are you here?¡±


    The woman known as Lady Ling smiled and said, ¡°I am here to bring ginseng soup to mother.¡±


    Did she need to dress like this just to deliver ginseng soup to the olddy? Gu Jinyu could tell she was waiting here for Marquis Gu.


    Madame Gu¡¯s maiden name is Ling, the first marquis¡¯s wife was Madame Gu¡¯s niece, and Lady Ling was the half-sister of the first marquis¡¯s wife, also regarded as Madame Gu¡¯s niece.


    When little Ling passed away due to sickness, Marquis Gu married ady from Yao Family. Madame Gu was worried Marquis Gu would neglect his three sons with his first wife once he found new love, so she took in Lady Ling as a distinguished concubine.


    Marquis Gu wasn¡¯t particrly fond of Lady Ling, but with Madame Gu backing Lady Ling, her living conditions in the mansion were quite good.


    Especially after Yao moved with Gu Yan to the vi, Lady Ling almost took over as the official wife of the Marquis Residence.


    Plus, she was the aunt of the three young masters, and they got along better with her than with Yao.


    ¡°You should go deliver the soup then.¡± Marquis Gu casually remarked, and then he and Yao left.


    The next day, Yao came up with an excuse of being sick and did not go to greet Madame Gu.


    Madame Hong reminded Yao, ¡°Why trouble yourself like this, madam? It is better to observe normal etiquette and not give others reasons to criticize.¡±


    Yao gave a bitter smile, ¡°No matter how much I attend to proper etiquette, there will always be someone finding fault with me. If I don¡¯t go, the olddy would be less annoyed out of sight.¡±


    Marquis Gu and Gu Jinyu went to Songhe Court.


    Upon hearing that Yao was sick, Madame Gu coldly sneered, ¡°She just doesn¡¯t want to see me!¡±


    Marquis Gu hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that. How could Yaoyao be reluctant to see you? Look, these gifts were personally prepared by her! She respects you the most!¡±


    The gifts were indeed chosen by Yao, and she put thought into them. But Yao didn¡¯t do it for her own sake but to prevent Madame Gu from taking out her anger on Gu Jinyu.


    Madame Gu scoffed, she was not fond of Yao. She was actually relieved Yao didn¡¯te, at least she didn¡¯t have to be annoyed by her sight.


    ¡°Where is Yanyan?¡± Madame Gu finally asked about Gu Yan, ¡°Why didn¡¯t hee with you?¡±


    Marquis Gu did not dare to reveal that Gu Yan was already in Capital City. He just smiled and said, ¡°Yanyan isn¡¯t in good health. I had himeter and arranged for a doctor to apany him.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Madame Gu didn¡¯t ask further.


    Marquis Gu said, ¡°In a while, I will take Jinyu to the pce to pay our respects.¡±


    Mentioning Her Highness, Madame Gu looked at Gu Jinyu with a gentler gaze, ¡°That¡¯s good, your aunt has been thinking about you for a long time, she has sent people to inquire about you several times.¡±


    Gu Jinyuughed in relief, ¡°Jinyu has also missed aunt very much.¡±


    While they were talking, a servant came to report that the second and third sons had arrived.


    A fondness was instantly visible on Madame Gu¡¯s face that she could not conceal.


    If it was a question of whom Madame Gu treasured the most, it would undeniably be her three legitimate grandsons. Even Marquis Gu, her own son, was less important than the grandsons in her eyes.


    Gu Chengfeng and Gu Chenglin entered through the curtain.


    ¡°Grandmother.¡±


    ¡°Father.¡±


    The two bowed in salute.


    Gu Jinyu stood up and greeted her elder brothers, ¡°Second Brother, Third Brother.¡±


    Gu Chenglin gave her an indifferent nce.


    Gu Chengfeng said, ¡°No need to stand on ceremony.¡±


    He used polite words, but his tone was very distant.


    Gu Jinyu was used to it. Her brothers weren¡¯t against her, they were against her mother. They wouldn¡¯t like any child of hers.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your eldest brother? Why don¡¯t I see him?¡± Madame Gu asked.


    Gu Chengfeng replied, ¡°Eldest Brother returned verytest night and left early this morning for the military camp.¡±


    Being the eldest legitimate grandson of Marquis Residence wasn¡¯t an easy task. He was the heir of the Marquis Residence and bore the rise and fall of the Residence. He had a harder life than other children.


    Madame Gu felt sorry for her grandson but could not really pull him out of the military camp.


    Marquis Gu figured it was about time to broach the main topic. Clearing his throat, he said to the olddy Gu, ¡°Mother, there is something I need to talk to you about.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Old Madame Gu looked at him inquisitively.


    Marquis Gu nced at Gu Jinyu next to him, took a deep breath, and said gravely, ¡°It¡¯s about the true origins of the two children.¡±


    ¡­


    Gu Jiao had been busily preparing the house for several days and finally, both courtyards were tidied up. She nted spring onions, rapeseed, and lettuce in the vegetable garden and, at Xiao Jingkong¡¯s request, some peas too.


    The vegetable garden only covered the left half of the courtyard. As for the right half, Gu Jiao intended to build a grape rack and nt some gourds. Next spring, she nned to add grapes and sponge gourds.


    Xiao Ling had now acquired the identification hanger for the Guozijian. At the same time, he also registered Xiao Jingkong.


    The Guozijian¡¯s learning system was also divided into sses, ording to the grades and age of students, the four sses being known as Heaven, Earth, ck, and Yellow. However, apart from these four sses, there was another special ss dedicated to exceptionally talented children, somewhat simr to the Genius ss in Gu Jiao¡¯s previous life.


    Such a ss had only been set up in recent years, and Xiao Ling hadn¡¯t been part of it in his childhood.


    Gu Jiao paused cutting vegetables and asked, ¡°Hmm? Wasn¡¯t Guozijian closed for several years? Was the elementary school not shut down?¡±


    Xiao Ling added some firewood to the stove and said, ¡°The elementary school of the Guozijian, in the strict sense, doesn¡¯t entirely belong to the Guozijian. It was separated from the Guozijian by an alleyway. When His Majesty closed down the Guozijian, he didn¡¯t mention the elementary school. So, the school exploited this loophole and continued operating.¡±


    Given that it had been operating for several years, it should have been quite experienced in teaching gifted children.


    Gu Jiao asked, ¡°What do they test in the entrance exam?¡±


    Xiao Ling said, ¡°Based on the exams from previous years, they primarily test character recognition, writing scriptures, and arithmetic.¡±


    Gu Jiao murmured, ¡°Xiao Jingkong won¡¯t have any problems with these.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Xiao Ling nodded.


    For safety¡¯s sake, the pair spent a fair amount of silver to buy previous exam questions for Xiao Jingkong to practice. Xiao Jingkong answered most of them correctly, but his handwriting was slow and awkward¡ªit was extraordinarily ugly!


    Thus, a new item was added to Xiao Jingkong¡¯s daily schedule: practicing calligraphy.


    Xiao Jingkong wasn¡¯t pleased, thinking his sister¡¯s wicked husband was depriving him of his joy as a child!


    Xiao Ling said to him, ¡°Jiaojiao practices writing every day too. You two can do it together.¡±


    Considering the chance to be alone with Jiaojiao, Xiao Jingkong happily agreed!


    Gu Jiao hadn¡¯t dreamt in a long while.


    Thest time she dreamt was before Xiao Ling went to the provincial city for the rural examinations, four months ago.


    She had almost forgotten that she could have dreams.


    But this night, after she and Xiao Jingkong had finished practising writing and returned to their room, she soon fell into an unfamiliar dream.


    It was unfamiliar because the ones in her dream were neither Xiao Ling nor herself.


    It was the man who had saved Xiao Jingkong, whom she had almost forgotten.


    The man was dressed in azure armor, covered with a cloak as red as blood, and mounted on a majestic warhorse.


    When he passed a secluded alleyway, he was ambushed. The assassins were all first-ss masters. Still, they were no match for him.


    Just as the man was about to win, one of the assassins suddenly threw a child and stabbed at the child with a sword.


    The man was cut on the right arm by the assassin while trying to save the child.


    The assassin¡¯s sword was poisoned. Although the man survived, his right arm was futile from then on.


    This assassination was somewhat rted to Xiao Jingkong.


    The gang of assassins had been covertly spying on the man for a long time. As they witnessed the man saving a defenseless child, they decided to replicate the scenario, giving rise to the ensuing assassination.


    When Gu Jiao woke up, her expression was somewhat bewildered.


    She was bing increasingly confused about her dreams. Could she now dream about any irrelevant person?


    But no matter what, he had saved Xiao Jingkong¡¯s life. Besides, the inspiration for the assassination came from his rescue of Xiao Jingkong.


    She could not sit idly by.


    The assassination was nned for tomorrow evening. As for the location, she remembered that near the ce where the man was ambushed, there was a Xiangyun Inn


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