《The Grand Secretary’s Pampered Wife》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 3Chapter 1 A trace of thete autumn¡¯s chilliness passed through the Qingquan Vige after the rain. Sweat trickled down Gu Jiao¡¯s forehead as she run to the entrance of the vige, "Young Gentleman Qin¡ª Young Gentleman Qin¡ª " Squelch! She slipped and fell t on her face. The carriage in front of her drove away, sshing mud all over her face! "Hahahahaha!¡± The people around her burst intoughter! Gu Jiao was the vige¡¯s fool and the husband in her family was a cripple. Leaving aside the honest man at home, she would always chase after the town¡¯s Young Gentleman Qin. But who was Young Gentleman Qin? His father was andlord and he himself was a Xiucai[1]. Coupled with his good looks, how could he take a fancy to a broken shoe[2]? "A toad wishing to eat swan meat!¡± "Exactly! Why don''t you try looking at yourself in a mirror too? As if Young Gentleman Qin will look at you!" "Broken shoe!¡± "Ugly woman!¡± "Little fool!¡± Gu Jiao got angry. She fisted her hands on her hips and said fiercely, "You... You¡¯re not allowed to call me names..." One of the children jumped out and said, "Bleh, bleh! What''s wrong with calling you names? Little fool, little fool, little fool! Ugly, ugly, ugly!" Gu Jiao red up from shame and pounced on that child, only to stumble and fall into the water. At the bottom of the coldke, the unconscious woman suddenly opened her eyes. What was going on? Didn¡¯t her ne crash into an iceberg during her mission and she died? How did she fall into the water? Gu Jiao tried her best to swim to the surface. However, she didn¡¯t know whether because she had a tragic fall or not, but she struggled quite a bit. When she managed to swim ashore, she felt she was about to copse. The vigers onnd had seen Gu Jiao sink and were nning to fish her up with a pole, but she unexpectedly came up by herself. They all looked at each other in astonishment before scattering away with a whoosh! Gu Jiao didn¡¯t understand what was going on, and only saw a group of people in strange outfits running away. Shey down on the cold grass, wiped the water from her face, and then she was stunned. She looked at her hands in bewilderment. These were the hands of a fourteen or fifteen years old, but she clearly was already twenty-eight. How could such small hands belong to her? Moreover, as the beautiful and delicate queen of the secret service, she was very adept at keeping her hands in good condition. And yet, these hands were full of frostbite and some parts were even cracked. Pretty soon, Gu Jiao found that it wasn¡¯t just her hands that had changed. Her clothes as well as her figure were also vastly different. A bold guess shed through the bottom of Gu Jiao''s heart. She walked to theke and looked over the water surface to see what she looked like now, but the image reflected made her almost fall down. Just what was this gaudy thing? Gu Jiao scooped up some water from theke to wash off the low-quality rouge on her face. But who knew that washing her face clean would reveal an even uglier image. Not to mention the somewhat emaciated face and pallidplexion, there was a big red mark on the left side of her face that extended till the outer corner of her eyes. Gu Jiao, apanymander in her previous life, would fly into a rage for three days for having one tiny e. Now, she was suddenly given such an ugly face. She wished she could just drop dead right here and now! "Anyway, where is this? And what dynasty is it?" As soon as she said that, there was a sharp pain in her head, and memories that did not belong to her came flooding in. It turned out that she transmigrated into a dynasty that didn¡¯t exist in history, and this vige that she was currently at was called Qingquan Vige, which was located at the foot of Qingquan Mountain. The original soul was also named Gu Jiao. She was the only child in the third branch of the Gu Family. Old Mister Gu was a schr when he was young. He had attended an academy as a Tongsheng[3], and thenter became the Vige Chief of Qingquan Vige, staying in this position for many years. Qingquan Vige was poor, and as the Vige Chief, there wasn¡¯t really much ill gains he could get here. Even so, it was still impossible to starve to death. Old Mister Gu had three sons and a daughter who had already married out of the family. His eldest son, Gu Changhai, had a son and a daughter with his wife Zhou shi[4]. The second son, Gu Changlu, had two sons with his wife Liu shi. The first two branches could be said to be thriving. On the other hand, the third branch seemed to have been under a curse as they were unable to conceive a child at all. Then, with great difficulty, they finally had Gu Jiao. However, aside from being a girl, she also had an ugly appearance and was born a fool. In the vigers words¡ª¡ª this was a money-losingmodity. No, you couldn¡¯t even sell it! Since Gu Jiao was born, the third branch no longer had another child. A gossip gradually spread out from the vige, saying that Gu Jiao was ominous, bringing about the extreme bad luck of the son in the third branch. At first, the Gu Family merely listened to it without taking it to heart. It was not until Gu Jiao''s parents died that the Gu family thoroughly felt that the child was indeed an ominous presence. The Gu Family, using their connections, tried to marry off Gu Jiao. But the question was, who would dare to marry her? Coincidentally, when Gu Jiao was walking at the entrance of the vige one day, she happened to see a man who had fainted in hunger and picked him up. While digesting the memories in her head, Gu Jiao walked towards a small shabby house on the west side of the vige. That was her current home. Hiss¡ª¡ª Halfway through, Gu Jiao felt a sharp pain in the back of her head. She raised her hand and touched it, and her fingers were instantly covered with blood. She must have knocked her head on a rock under the water just now and got injured. More blood continued to flow out. She needed to stop the bleeding as soon as possible. Gu Jiao thought as she entered her courtyard. But calling it courtyard might be a stretch since it was really just a small open space enclosed by a fence. Apart from the main room, the small shabby house had two other rooms. Therger room on the east side belonged to Gu Jiao. And thisrger room was in reality no bigger than her cloakroom in her previous life. What a depressing transmigration ah... Gu Jiao sighed with emotion and pushed the door to her room open, but as soon as she crossed the threshold, she acutely sensed someone else inside. Judging by the breath, it was a man. The man hid behind the door as he tried to hold his breath. The corner of Gu Jiao¡¯s lips hooked up into a sneer. She continued to walk into the room and then seemed to inadvertently close the door with a bang. Almost at the same moment, she grabbed the man hiding behind the door and pressed him to the ground. The man was taller than she expected. If it was the her in previous life, Gu Jiao had nothing to fear no matter how big the other person was. However, how could she cope having this current thin and weak little body? She needed to use her strength cunningly, putting pressure using her whole person to lock the other party in ce. Then she pulled off her headband with one hand and tied the man¡¯s wrists together while her other hand grabbed his neck. She asked coldly, ¡°Who are you? What are you doing in my room?" The man was stunned at first, then a burst of shame and anger quickly rushed to his head, "Gu Jiao, you¡¯re crazy! It''s me!" Someone she knew? An acquaintancemitting a crime? That was even more hateful. Instead of letting him go, Gu Jiao sat down again, putting even more pressure to the man''s waist and abdomen. "You... Get off me!" The man gnashed his teeth and shouted in a cold voice. Scoff! Gu Jiao sneered. She had always been the one to give people orders, not a single one could boss her around. Besides, this was her room, and she was yet to ask him what he was doing sneaking around inside! Gu Jiao raised her fist, wanting to teach him a lesson, but her elbow identally knocked open the window behind her. Bright light shone in andnded on the man¡¯s clear and handsome face. Gu Jiao¡¯s eyes suddenly widened in shock. 1. ¡ü ¡ª A schr who has passed the entry-level imperial exams in ancient times; rank/degree obtained after passing the entry-level imperial exam(county exam, prefectural exam, college exam) 2. ¡ü ¡ª A loose woman. 3. ¡ü ¡ª Schrs without a Xiucai title; schrs that haven''t passed the entry-level imperial exam. 4. ¡ü ¡ª An honorific for married women added after their n names. I really like this story. I love how their family grew bigger, and despite most of them aren''t blood rted, but they are really like one big family. I also like the progress of the romance between the two leads, and the banter between the characters, especially the adopted little bro''s antics. Also, the fact that she''s ''collecting'' people not knowing they''re from opposing camps makes me wonder how things will unfold in the future since all of them cherish her dearly. Anyway, I hope you''ll have fun reading this as much as I did! If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 1Chapter 2 As someone who attached great importance to good looks, Gu Jiao had gathered many handsome men in her previous life. And yet, not a single one of them... To be exact, all those beautiful menbined couldn¡¯tpare to this one before her eyes. This person had a very clean countenance, the edges and corners of his face were as exquisite as jade carvings, and his pair of eyes looked very cold and deep that one couldn¡¯t see to the bottom. His face was abnormally pale, but because of shame and anger, a faint blush appeared, giving him an alluring look. Based on his age, Gu Jiao thought it was more appropriate to call him a young man than a man. "Have you seen enough?¡± Xiao Ling asked through gritted teeth. "I haven''t seen enough, but..." Gu Jiao¡¯s eyes swept his body and her phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, "I¡¯m afraid I¡¯d crush you." Thereupon, Gu Jiao got up in a pretentious manner. However, although she was already standing, her eyes remained stuck on him, exploring his body meaningfully. "Gu Jiao, you..." Xiao Ling was exasperated by her gaze. "Do you want my help?" Gu Jiao smiled and tried to reach out. "No need!¡± Xiao Ling, with a cold look on his face, turned sideways and helped himself up with the chair at the side. He obviously had difficulties moving about, but he still refused Gu Jiao''s good intentions. Soon after, he ignored Gu Jiao and limped out of her room. Gu Jiao now remembered who he was. It was Xiao Ling, the original soul¡¯s husband. Xiao Ling was picked up by Gu Jiao. After he regained his consciousness, the Gu Family inquired about his situation and found that he was an orphan and had nowhere to go. Thereupon, they made prompt decisions. They told him that a man and a woman shouldn¡¯t touch each other casually, but since the daughter in their family already saved him, the two of them might as well get married so as to keep her reputation and whatnot. In shhort, Xiao Ling was forced to take Gu Jiao as a wife. But rather than taking her as a wife, it was more like him marrying into and living with the bride''s family. They lived in the shabby house given by the Gu Family, and a plot ofnd for growing crops was also allocated to them, which was actually the worst type ofnd. When they first got married, Gu Jiao didn''t know that Xiao Ling was a cripple. After she learned about it, she began to dislike Xiao Ling and turned her head to "hook up" with the Young Gentleman Qin of the town. The vige folks felt indignant at the injustice done to Xiao Ling. They said that a flower was nted on the cow dung. Of course, Xiao Ling was the flower and the cow dung was Gu Jiao. Gu Jiao didn¡¯t know what was on Xiao Ling¡¯s mind, but the fact that he just ignored her current miserable appearance showed his hate and disgust towards the original soul. Gu Jiao opened the door of the cab and tried to change her wet coat, but she was sad to find that there were no clean clothes in the cab. "Big brother Xiao, are you there?" A delicate voice suddenly sounded from the outside of the house. It was a youngdy dressed in a flowered-patterned purple coat, her glossy hair was worn in a bun and her face was painted with rouge. In the crook of her arm, she carried a basket which was covered with cloth, so that one could not make out what was inside. Gu Jiao quickly dug up this character from the original soul¡¯s memory¡ª¡ª Qingquan Vige¡¯s little widow, Xue Ningxiang. Xue Ningxiang was their neighbor. She usually liked to make her way into their house, most of the time when the original soul was away. asionally, she would also let the original soul bump into her several times. And since the original soul was a fool, she suffered a lot of losses at the hands of Xue Ningxiang. Xue Ningxiang was also the one to reveal to the original soul about the news of Young Gentleman Qin¡¯s visit to the vige this time. "Yo, isn''t this Sister Ningxiang? What are you doing in my house in broad daylight??" Xue Ningxiang was surprised by the sudden appearance of Gu Jiao at first, then she said in disappointment, "Howe it''s you?" Gu Jiao smilingly tapped on the door and said, "This is my house. Why are you so surprised to see me here? What are you disappointed about?" Xue Ningxiang choked up. Of course she was disappointed not to see Xiao Ling. Xue Ningxiang looked at Gu Jiao again. She was still that same person, but was somehow unfamiliar at the same time. Her expression wasn¡¯t as wooden as before, and there was a hint of cleverness in her eyes. Even though she was soaked all over, she didn¡¯t make people feel like she was in a sorry state. Instead, there was an imperceptible intimidating aura around her. ...It must be just her imagination. How could a fool change? Xue Ningxiang raised her chin and said, "I''m looking for Big brother Xiao!" Gu Jiao smiled faintly and said, "Calling him big brother Xiao so affectionately, do you know my husband very well?" "Get out of the way!¡± Xue Ningxiang didn''t bother to talk to her further. "What if I don¡¯t?" Gu Jiao blocked her way. Xue Ningxiang ignored Gu Jiao, raised her hand and tried to push her away. Gu Jiao lightly moved aside and tripped her with her foot. "Aiya¡ª¡ª" Xue Ningxiang fell t on her face and dropped the basket in her arm. "Fool Gu! You tripped me!" This kind of tripping drama had been staged many times before, but this time the object of tripping was changed to Xue Ningxiang. Gu Jiao crossed her arms and half leaned against the door panel. She was looking at her as if to say, ¡®What''s wrong with tripping you? If you can, try it with me too.¡¯ Xue Ningxiang seriously doubted that she was seeing illusions. In fact, there originally wasn¡¯t any friction between Xue Ningxiang and the original soul¡ª¡ª the two most gossiped about women in the vige. One was the fool Gu Jiao, the other was the widow Xue Ningxiang. But Xue Ningxiang was good-looking and hardworking. Compared to Gu Jiao, she was still more decent. When Xiao Ling fainted at the entrance of the vige, he was found by Xue Ningxiang and the original soul together. The difference was that Xue Ningxiang was afraid of causing trouble so she went into the vige to call people for help while the original soul directly picked up the man back home. Later, it was confirmed that Xiao Ling was an innocent schr, and Xue Ningxiang regretted it. Xue Ningxiang was about to scold at the top of her voice when Xiao Ling came out with a cold look on his face. Xue Ningxiang immediately changed her expression as soon as she saw him and started to cry softly, "Big brother Xiao, she bullied me! She tripped me!" Gu Jiao looked at Xiao Ling and said, "She pushed me first." Xue Ningxiang instantly got excited and said, "Big brother Xiao, you heard her, she admitted¡ª¡ª" "Is anything the matter for Sister Ningxiang to drop by?" Xiao Ling interrupted her. Xue Ningxiang was stupefied for a moment. She looked at Xiao Ling and then moved her gaze to Gu Jiao. Picking up the basket, she said, "I... That... You read a letter for mest time, but I hadn¡¯t properly given my thanks. Is there not any food in your home? I¡¯m here to bring some sweet potatoes I dug up in the field..." Xiao Ling responded, "No need, Sister Ningxiang. There¡¯s still cornmeal at home. You can take them back and eat them yourself." Xue Ningxiang bit her lip, "But..." Gu Jiao raised her eyebrow and said, "Didn''t you hear it? You can take them back." Her voice wasn¡¯t loud, but there was a chill in her half-smiling eyes. Xue Ningxiang¡¯s scalp felt numb. She dared not stay any longer, and left gloomily with the basket in her arm. Gu Jiao smiled and looked at her cheap husband, then said, "I didn¡¯t notice before but you¡¯re actually pretty popr with women despite your leg." Xiao Ling cast a faint nce at Gu Jiao and then went back to his room on his crutch. Hiss¡ª¡ª Her wound was hurting again. Gu Jiao held her head and went back to her own room. She sat down on the stool and felt the wound with her hand. What a big cut, ah. Although it wasn''t too deep, if not sterilized in time, it would most likely get infected. But this was ancient times. Where could she get those disinfectants? ¡°If only I still had my medicine chest." As soon as this thought shed in her mind, Gu Jiao felt another sharp pain in her head, which made her pass out directly. When she woke up, she was surprised to find an extra box on the table in front of her. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 2Chapter 3 This box wasn¡¯t very big and it looked very shabby, as if it had been ruthlessly knocked over and fell to the ground somewhere. The surface was uneven and the paint had already worn off. One would think it was picked up in some garbage dump. However, this small broken box gave rise to the infinite familiarity from the bottom of Gu Jiao''s heart. Gu Jiao opened the box in a daze. When she saw the medicines inside, her brain buzzed immediately. Was this for real? It was her medicine chest! Why was it here? "Am I dreaming?" Gu Jiao gave herself a pinch. It hurts! It wasn¡¯t a dream! The box was real, and the medicinal materials inside were all genuine! Gu Jiao then remembered that this medicine chest was also at her side when the ne crashed. Was that why it came here, too? It was just... How did it be so tattered? Where was its blindingly golden colour? In the past, when the small medicine chest was still glittering in gold, Gu Jiao thought it was ugly. Now that it became worn out like this, Gu Jiao thought it was even uglier. Nevertheless, Gu Jiao couldn¡¯t resist the sense of familiarity that surged from the bottom of her heart. She hugged the box tightly and said, "This big sister will never hate you for being ugly again. Big sister will treat you well in the future!" Gu Jiao carefully wiped the medicine chest clean. Fortunately, it was only the external that was damaged and nothing inside was destroyed. Gu Jiao took several pieces of gauze and a bottle of Iodophor from the small medicine chest, disinfected the wound, and picked up an antibacterial ointment to apply to herself. Then she took two anti-inmmatory drugs. She thought she had to bandage the wound butter found it wasn¡¯t needed. After treating her wound, Gu Jiao felt a little hungry. She put the medicine chest into the cab and nned to go to the kitchen to find something to eat. But before that, she had to change into something clean and dry first. Gu Jiao hesitated before walking across the main room and knocking on Xiao Ling''s door. "What is it?¡± Xiao Ling''s cold voice sounded from the room. Gu Jiao replied, "I want to borrow your clothes. The outer coats in my cab haven¡¯t been washed yet so I don¡¯t have anything to change into." Xiao Ling didn¡¯t reply for a long time. Just when Gu Jiao thought he would not lend her his clothes, the door opened and Xiao Ling handed her a dry robe. The fabric of the robe wasn¡¯t very good and the color was slightly faded, but it was well starched and washed very clean. If it was in her previous life, Gu Jiao would never wear a man''s clothes. But now, who told the situation to overpower the individual? If she didn¡¯t wear this, must she wear the already moldy ones in the cab? After changing her clothes, Gu Jiao washed the dirty clothes and went to the kitchen. The kitchen was quite tidy. Xiao Ling must have cleaned it up. The rice jar was empty, but as Xiao Ling said, there was still half a jar of cornmeal. Gu Jiao also found two eggs and a handful of chives in the cupboard. Gu Jiao took the eggs out, made two cornmeal omelets and sprinkled them with the chopped chives. There was still a little bit of batter left, so she cooked half a pot of corn dumpling soup. Gu Jiao brought the prepared food to the main room. Xiao Ling''s door was ajar. In her memories, the two of them would always eat separately. Xiao Ling would cook the meal and save a bowl of food for the original soul, but the original soul would go to the Gu Family to eat most of the time. Gu Jiao paused and knocked at Xiao Ling''s door. "What¡¯s the matter?¡± Xiao Ling''s cold voice could be heard from inside the room. Gu Jiao responded, "I made dinner. Would you like to eat together?" Gu Jiao rarely cooked. Even if she did, she wouldn¡¯t do his share. Therefore, he intended to wait for Gu Jiao to leave the house before he cooked his own meal. Xiao Ling looked suspiciously at the slightly open door. "If you don¡¯t want to, then I¡¯ll eat first." Gu Jiao wanted to wait for him, but she was so starving she felt like fainting. She must replenish her strength as soon as possible. Gu Jiao had just sat down and had yet to pick up her chopsticks when the door creaked open. Xiao Ling stepped out of the room. Xiao Ling didn¡¯te out to eat. However, when his gaze inadvertently fell on Gu Jiao, he suddenly paused. The robe that he gave Gu Jiao was something he could no longer wear. Yet it was still too big for Gu Jiao. With her thin and small physique, the robe seemed empty and it looked somewhat awkward. Most probably for convenience, her hair and sleeves were rolled up, revealing a slender fair neck and thin wrists. The former domineering and crazy air around her was gone. She just sat there quietly, eating the food in the bowl in earnest. She seemed like a different person. There was a slight pause in Xiao Ling''s eyes, but eventually, he moved his gaze away with indifference. At this moment, Gu Jiao noticed him and told him, "Come, ah. Sit down and eat." There was another set of bowl and chopsticks opposite Gu Jiao. It was clear that she didn¡¯t just casually call out for him, but really cooked a meal for him. But Xiao Ling did not move. Gu Jiao understood what he was worried about. The original soul wasn¡¯t on good terms with him, so it was suspicious that she suddenly cooked him a meal. But Gu Jiao couldn¡¯t just exin that she was now a different person. After pondering for a moment, Gu Jiao said, "There isn¡¯t much firewood at home. If you don''t eat now, you¡¯re going to waste firewood when you heat up the foodter." Whether or not this sentence convinced Xiao Ling, he finally sat down opposite her. The original soul was awestruck by Xiao Ling''s appearance when she first met him, otherwise she would not have picked him up. In the eyes of outsiders, the original soul¡¯s dislike towards Xiao Ling was due to his leg problems, but it was different in Gu Jiao¡¯s view. The original soul was stupid, but Gu Jiao was not. There were some things the original soul could not thoroughly understand, but when Gu Jiao flipped through her memories, she understood everything. Xiao Ling deliberately angered the original soul. He didn¡¯t want to consummate his marriage with the original soul, and he didn¡¯t want her to get close to him. In fact, she also had the same intention. Though it might seem she was taking liberties with him before, if you really ask her to do the deed with him, she feared it was impossible. Gu Jiao was soon full. She took her bowl and chopsticks to the kitchen and headed outside with a basket on her back. Xiao Ling didn''t ask her what she was going to do, and Gu Jiao didn¡¯t say anything to him either. This had always been the case between them. But when Gu Jiao reached the door, she suddenly turned around and said, ¡°I didn''t lie to you just now. We¡¯re really running out of firewood. Before dark, I¡¯ll go to the back mountain to chop some firewood. It may rainter. If I don''te back, remember to collect the clothes.¡± Xiao Ling cast her a deep look. The former Gu Jiao would neither see the change in the weather nor tell him where she was going. After Gu Jiao went out, only Xiao Ling was left in the house, as well as the food on the table he wasn¡¯t sure whether to eat. The family was poor, and no matter how much Xiao Ling disliked Gu Jiao, it wasn¡¯t to the point he would have trouble eating the food she made. Frowning, he picked up the chopsticks and mped a piece of cornmeal omelet with chopped chives. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 1Chapter 4 Gu Jiao went out to collect firewood. On the one hand, they were really short of firewood. On the other hand, she wanted to go into the mountains to find something to fill their stomachs. Even though the family wasn¡¯t poor enough to have nothing in the pot, it wasn¡¯t far from it. The family might still be able to support it for a few days if Xiao Ling ate alone, but if they counted her in, they would somehow be unable to make ends meet. It was alreadyte autumn. Not only was there no pollution here, but Gu Jiao felt that the sky above her was especially blue, a sight she had never seen before. The air was also fresh and clean, causing one to feel free and rxed. She came here inexplicably, and she didn¡¯t know if those bunch of madmen in the research institute would miss her. Most of them were probably gnashing their teeth, ming her for suddenly disappearing without sending them thetest research results. But she was just a medical doctor at M University¡¯s Research Institute on the surface. In reality, she was a secret agent. She joined the organization at the age of eight, and all her experiences since then were only to cover up her true identity. Of course, she didn¡¯t n to live such a dangerous life forever. She and the organization agreed that this was herst mission, and she would part ways with them for good afterpleting it. Unexpectedly, something happened to her ne... Now that she thought about it, the ne crash was a little too coincidental. But there was no point in talking about it now. She was already dead there, and it was impossible to go back to take revenge. No one would feel sorry for her death. Her parents divorced when she was two years old, and then they started their own families and had new children. To them, she had always been an unnecessary existence. In a sense, her fate and that of the original soul were indeed simr. The original soul¡¯s parents had passed away early, and she was someone unneeded in the Gu Family. No one would really feel sad for the death of the original soul. Gu Jiao smiled mockingly, her eyebrows exuded a slight chill. Fearing that the rain might start pouring soon, Gu Jiao didn''t go too deep into the woods. Still, she found a lot of good things: fungus, mushrooms, and wild wood ears growing on tree stumps. The wood ears were so fat and thick that they almost covered more than half of the tree stumps. Gu Jiao picked up the big ones. It was obvious that this area had been felled by the vigers. There were a lot of tree stumps like this that had grown a lot of wood ears. Gu Jiao picked them piece by piece, and in a short while her back basket became heavy. Seeing that the harvest was almost done, Gu Jiao stopped in time and cut some dry wood. She tied the dry woods to the back basket with a rope and carried it on her back then prepared to descend. However, as soon as Gu Jiao turned around, she suddenly heard a snap as if she had stepped on something. Then she heard a muffled groan. It was very faint and weak. She blinked her eyes and slowly moved her legs away. "What bad luck is this..." She took a deep breath, looked down, and saw a white-bearded grandpa trampled unconscious by her amongst the weeds... Gu Jiao, "......" Seriously. Why would anyone lie down in a ditch? And she also happened to step on him? Gu Jiao''s conscience was able to handle it though as she stepped over him. But within two seconds, Gu Jiao came back with a straight face. "Let¡¯s just say, I didn''t save you out of conscience." "Cluck, cluck¡ª¡ª" The pheasants inside the tight sack beside the grandpa let out a cry and fluttered their wings. Gu Jiao raised her eyebrow and nced casually at the sack, which stopped moving in an instant. Then she looked at the white-bearded grandpa in front of her. Arge footprint could be seen on his face from being trampled by her foot, and it looked terrible. Judging by his clothes, he looked like an ordinary viger, but his face exuded an indescribable noble air. Gu Jiao put down the dry wood on her back and began to check the pulse of the other party. She studied Western medicine at college, butter in order to carry out a very special mission, she lurked for as long as five years in the home of a divine physician on the grounds of recognizing him as a teacher and learning Traditional Chinese Medicine. Judging from his pulse, there were no serious illnesses in his body. Gu Jiao spected that he was infected with a cold and suddenly got a high fever, then he identally fell in the ditch and dislocated his left arm. Gu Jiao took out her small medicine chest from the basket, grabbed an ice pack and put it on his forehead. Then she held his arm up, cut a piece of wood, tore off the hem of his coat, and braced his arm. After doing all these, Gu Jiao checked his temperature again and found that it was still high, so she gave him an intramuscr injection of a dose of antipyretic. Not far away, there was a small straw shed for vigers to rest on the mountain. Gu Jiao moved the other party there. Seeing that his fever had gone down and he was about to wake up, Gu Jiao got up and went down the mountain. Before leaving, Gu Jiao left him her umbre. "Well, I don''t really treat people for free." Saying that, she took a sack of pheasants. As soon as Gu Jiao arrived home, the rain began to fall and soon became a torrential downpour. The mountains far away and the vige shacks were all shrouded in the rain and mist. Gu Jiao went straight to the kitchen. Xiao Ling had already cleaned the bowls and chopsticks, tidied up the kitchen and put away the clothes. Gu Jiao put down the firewood and the sack, opened the cupboard and looked at it. She wondered, "It¡¯s all eaten?" She left a lot of the food. That thin-looking boy actually had a not-so-small appetite. Was it because he was in his growth phase? Gu Jiao raised an eyebrow and found a cage to keep the pheasants. Gu Jiao separated the small firewood from the big ones and picked out the pieces that still needed chopping. It was already dusk by the time she had finished chopping the firewood. The rain hadn¡¯t stopped and it was moist and cold inside the house. Gu Jiao found a brazier and was going to light a fire for herself when she suddenly thought of something. She walked to Xiao Ling''s room and gently knocked on his door. "Do you want to warm yourself up?" She asked softly. There was no response in the room. She called again, but there was still no response. Gu Jiao saw the door ajar and gently pushed it open. When she looked inside, she saw that the thin figure had fallen asleep on the old and shabby table under the dim light of the oilmp. He also held an unfinished book in his hand. The pages of the book were visibly yellowed and the torn cover was pasted together with oiled paper. Things were very hard for schrs in the countryside, especially Xiao Ling, who had been squeezed dry by the Gu Family and the original soul for a long time. He could not even attend a private school and had to rely on self-study. Gu Jiao hesitated but ultimately walked over to him, took a cotton-padded coat from the cab and draped it over him. Xiao Ling woke up in the middle of the night. He hadn''t slept well in the past few days and hadn''t expected to fall asleep at his table. When he opened his eyes, he found a cotton-padded coat on his body. He furrowed his brows and there was a trace of vignce in his eyes. As he frowned at the book in his hand, he suddenly heard a crackling noise. He turned his head and saw that a burning brazier had been ced on the floor for some time. The fire warmed up the cold room. Xiao Ling''s eyes fell on the brazier with a thoughtful look. There was only one brazier at home. After it was given to Xiao Ling, Gu Jiao was left with nothing. Gu Jiao hid the medicine chest and quickly got into the bed, wrapping herself up like a small silkworm. Probably because she had too much activity during the day, her little body was quite exhausted, thus she soon fell asleep despite the coldness. Gu Jiao hadn¡¯t dreamed for many years, but tonight she had a dream. In her dreams, a physician came to the town and Xiao Ling went to see him to treat his leg. As a result, a medical disturbance urred in the medical hall where the physician was at, and many people were identally injured. Xiao Ling, who was crippled on one leg, couldn¡¯t run as fast as anyone else. As a result, his other intact leg was shed in the midst of confusion. The injury did not kill Xiao Ling, but it caused him to miss the exam three dayster. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 3Chapter 5 Gu Jiao was very surprised by her dream. Not only did she actually have a dream, she also dreamt of a man. "Am I that concerned about him?" Gu Jiao stroked her chin oddly. But it was only a dream after all so Gu Jiao did not really put it to heart. At this moment, the sky was getting bright, and a few stars could still be seen on the horizon. It seemed that it would be a fine weather today. Gu Jiao didn¡¯t remember how long it had been since she got up this early. She might have worked in a research institute in her previous life, but anyone familiar with her knew she was aplete night owl who did most of her research and surgery in the afternoon. As for the missions given to her by the organization, she rarely had any that required her to work at sunrise, most of the time it was during sunset and onwards. Gu Jiao was wearing her own clothes today. After Gu Jiao brought the brazier into Xiao Ling''s roomst night, she dried her clothes around the brazier for a while. It was just that she moved so gently that she didn''t wake Xiao Ling up. Gu Jiao went to the backyard to fetch water and wash herself up. The door to Xiao Ling¡¯s room was open and he was no longer inside. She thought she got up very early, but someone was actually earlier than her. Gu Jiao walked around the house but failed to find Xiao Ling. However, she noticed that a bucket next to the water jar was missing. Gu Jiao looked at the half-filled water jar and stroked her chin without saying a word. The bolt on the front door was still shut. Xiao Ling had gone out through the back door in the kitchen and locked it from the outside. In this way, outsiders couldn¡¯te in at will while Gu Jiao could open the front door if she wanted to go out. After washing up, Gu Jiao went back to her room, applied the ointment and consumed the anti-inmmatory drugs. Xiao Ling hadn¡¯te back yet, so Gu Jiao dealt with thest bit of cornmeal left first. This was thest grain reserve they had at home. Gu Jiao had to find a way to sell the pheasants she had brought back to the town and buy some grains for the family. The problem was that the original soul had never been outside the vige, so Gu Jiao had no idea how to get to the town. Since she still had to let the dough rest for some time, Gu Jiao took a broom and swept the backyard and the main room, as well as her own room. Without Xiao Ling there, she did not enter his room. Only half of yesterday''s clothes were washed and a few more were still in the cab. Gu Jiao took them all out and put them in arge wooden basin in the backyard. This dynasty had a soap made of pig pancreas and nt ash. The original soul had seen it amongst the goods on a merchant¡¯s cart before, but the vigers were poor and most of them could not afford to buy it. Gu Jiao smashed the soap pod to bits and spread it on the clothes evenly. She kept beating them with the wooden club until a fragrant foam came out, then she began to scrub repeatedly. The soap pod¡¯s decontamination ability wasn¡¯t as strong as imagined, but Gu Jiao''s obsession with washing clothes was very strong. s, she scrubbed a small hole in her dudou[1]. Gu Jiao, "......" By the time Gu Jiao finished washing the clothes, she almost used up the remaining half of the water in the jar. At the same time, the dough was ready. Gu Jiao made some buns with the cornmeal and steamed them in the pot. Xiao Ling still hadn''t returned. This vige had two wells. The old well was at the end of the vige, which was close to their house, but it was almost dried up. Gu Jiao guessed that Xiao Ling must have gone to the new well at the entrance of the vige to draw water. It was only ten or so steps away from where Gu Jiao fell into the water yesterday. A normal person didn¡¯t need a quarter of an hour to make a round trip. Xiao Ling had problems with his leg, plus he was carrying a bucket of water. Gu Jiao calcted that he should have returned in two quarters of an hour, and it was long overdue. Gu Jiao stood in front of the stove, looked in the direction of the front door, and finally opened the door and went out. Gu Jiao found Xiao Ling behind arge locust tree near an ancient-looking well. He was surrounded by several ferocious-looking bullies. The bucket fell on the ground and the well water spilled all over the ground. The bullies each had two chicken feathers stuck on their heads. An ancient version of Shamate[2]? Gu Jiao recognized that these bullies were not only from their own vige, but also from the neighbouring viges. Although they did mischief all day long, they wouldn¡¯t go so far as murdering someone ormitting arson. Still, they gave no less troubles to the neighborhood and vigers. Xiao Ling''s crutch was taken away by a little bully. This bully wasn¡¯t very old, only 13 or 14 years old based on his appearance, and yet he was very arrogant. He pushed Xiao Ling to the ground and pointed the crutch at his face, "How many times has this great one warned you? Don''t show your face in front of me again! Are you f*cking deaf, huh? Hurry and get out of Qingquan Vige for me at this instant!" Obviously, the little bully was still in the stage of changing his voice. When Gu Jiao heard it, he found the voice somewhat familiar. The little bully was about to hit Xiao Ling with the crutch. Gu Jiao, without much thinking, walked up to Xiao Ling, raised her hand to protect him, and kicked the little bully¡¯s ass. "Ouch! Who the f*ck dare to kick this great one¡¯s¡ª¡ª " The little viin was kicked t to the ground, turned around with a swear, but then suddenly choked up. Gu Jiao didn¡¯t care whether he was already choking or not. She snatched the crutch from his hand, trapped his hands, and strangled his neck with the crutch. The little bully couldn¡¯t bear the pain of being strangled and instantly cried out, "Big sis! Big sis! What are you doing!?" Gu Jiao was stupefied for a moment. When the other bullies saw that their boss was being beaten, they immediately rushed to Gu Jiao. The little bully bellowed angrily, "All of you, f*cking stop for this great one! This is my big sister!" The bullies froze. Gu Jiao... Gu Jiao finally remembered who this little bully was. He was Gu Xiaoshun, the youngest son of the Gu Family''s second branch. Gu Xiaoshun was 13 years old. He was the youngest among the grandchildren of the Gu Family and the only one who was close to the original soul. He didn¡¯t dislike the original soul for being a fool, nor for being ugly. The reason might be that Gu Xiaoshun was also a good-for-nothing. He refused to study hard and only knew to fool around all day long. His brothers and sister always scolded him and his parents always beat him. Only the original soul would foolishly hold his hand and coax him with the candy she already put into her mouth while telling him: Xiaoshun is good at fighting, Xiaoshun is really fierce. Gu Xiaoshun was aware that Gu Jiao was acting this way because she was a fool, but he was not a smart one either. He only thought that whoever was nice to him, he would be nice to them too. "Big sis! Big sis! It hurts!" Gu Xiaoshun cried out in grievance. Gu Jiao released him. Putting her right hand behind her back, she pulled him up with her left hand. Then she asked, "Why are you bullying your brother-inw?" "Brother-inw?" Gu Xiaoshun suspected he had misheard her. "Didn''t you tell me to beat him?" "Me?" Gu Jiao asked doubtfully. ¡°Yes, ah!¡± Gu Xiaoshun looked at Xiao Ling and said in a low voice, "You told me you don''t want this little cripple anymore. You want me to get rid of him so you can be with Young Gentleman Qin!" He thought his voice wasn¡¯t loud, but everyone present heard it. Xiao Ling¡¯s eyes were cold. The bullies couldn¡¯t bear to continue watching. Gu Xiaoshun said, "Big sis, you haven¡¯t forgotten, have you? You told me yourself!" Gu Xiaoshun wouldn¡¯t deceive her. It seemed that the original soul did say such words. It was just¡­ how could this brother haven''t forgotten a word when even the original soul no longer remembered it! ¡°I just... said that casually. You actually took it seriously?" Gu Jiao felt her tooth ache. "Then, what do I do?¡± Gu Xiaoshun realized that he had done something wrong and stood there with his head down like a little quail. 1. ¡ü ¡ª Undergarment covering the chest and abdomen 2. ¡ü ¡ª Chinese transliteration of the word ''smart''. It¡¯s a Chinese subculture of young urban migrants, usually of low education, with exaggerated hairstyles, heavy make-up, mboyant costumes, piercings etc. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 1Chapter 6 Gu Jiao stooped down to pick up the crutch with her left hand, walked to Xiao Ling and handed it to him. Xiao Ling lightly took the crutch and stood up. Then, he went to pick up the bucket that had fallen to the ground. "You do it." "Gu Jiao told Gu Xiaoshun. "Oh." Gu Xiaoshun walked over before Xiao Ling and picked up the bucket. "Go and fetch water." Gu Jiao ordered Gu Xiaoshun. "Fetch some water!¡± Gu Xiaoshun yelled at one of hisckies. With a twitch of his mouth, thatckey grabbed the bucket and went to fetch water without a word. Xiao Ling walked back with an expressionless face. He did not speak a word the entire time. It wasn¡¯t until he was far away that Gu Xiaoshun spoke again, "Big sis, what happened? You don''t hate him anymore? Also, big sis, how did you get so strong? What was that move just now? Show it to me again! I¡¯ll use itter!" Gu Jiao shot him a sharp look. Gu Xiaoshun shut his mouth bitterly. "Boss! Herees the water!" Theckey came at a brisk pace with a bucket full of water. "Bring it back to my sister¡¯s... Ahem." Under Gu Jiao''s oppressive gaze, Gu Xiaoshun took the bucket and said, "Alright, give it to me. You guys can disperse!" "What about our fight in the next vige..." "What fight?! Just quickly get lost! Get out of here!" The bullies then scattered away. Gu Xiaoshun smilingly looked at Gu Jiao, "Big sis, don''t be angry. Since you don¡¯t hate my brother-inw anymore, I won''t bully him again." "Did you bully him often?" Gu Jiao asked. Gu Xiaoshun scratched his head and answered, "Well... Not very often. Only three or four times a month? Maybe four or five times? Five, six, seven, eight times, I think?" The more he spoke, the smaller Gu Xiaoshun''s voice got. He had a bad memory and he really didn''t know how many times he had bullied his brother-inw. "Let¡¯s go back." Gu Jiao said. ¡°Okay!" Gu Xiaoshun grinned and followed Gu Jiao with the bucket in his hand. Suddenly, his eyes fell on Gu Jiao''s stiff right arm and he asked, "Big sis, is your hand hurt?" "It¡¯s nothing." Gu Jiao replied. "Nothing?! It''s bleeding!" Gu Xiaoshun put down the bucket, grabbed Gu Jiao''s arm and pulled up her sleeve. When Gu Xiaoshun saw that her right wrist was red with blood, he said, "Is it from my hit that you blocked just now?" "I said it was all right." Gu Jiao pulled back her hand. "Also, what happened to your head?" "Knocked it on a rock when I fell into the water." Her wound was hidden by her hair, howe this boy¡¯s eyes were so sharp? Gu Xiaoshun said, "You fell into the water? When was that?" But Gu Jiao merely walked away without looking back. "Ah! Big sis! Big sis! Wait for me!" Gu Xiaoshun followed Gu Jiao back home. Suddenly, they found another young schr at the door of the house. The other party was wearing a changshan[1]. He looked gentle with a schrly temperament, but there was some arrogance between his eyebrows. "Who are you? What are you doing at my big sis¡¯ house?" Gu Xiaoshun asked with his fist on his hips. The other party didn¡¯t even look at Gu Xiaoshun, but only red at Gu Jiao coldly. He said, "You had others bully him again, didn¡¯t you? You wicked woman!¡± "How dare you scold my big sis?" Gu Xiaoshun put down the bucket and swung his fist in front of the man. Despite the fact that he was only thirteen, he was really capable of fighting. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be the number one bully in the surrounding viges. A weak schr would be no match for him. "Xiaoshun." Gu Jiao stopped him. At about the same time, Xiao Ling, who had changed his clothes, came out of his room. "My schoolmate." Xiao Ling said to the pair of brother and sister. The schoolmate snorted disdainfully, walked to Xiao Ling and took over the heavy bundle in his hand, "Let''s go!" When Gu Xiaoshun saw Xiao Ling with his bundle, he was stunned and asked, "Where are you going?" He¡¯s not really leaving because he¡¯s scared of being beaten by me, is he? The schoolmate didn¡¯t want to talk to Gu Xiaoshun at all. Gu Jiao didn''t ask any more questions and just walked into the room in silence. Xiao Ling nced at her slightly stiff right hand as she brushed past him. Gu Jiao covered her hand with the sleeve so that the blood flowing from her wrist was out of sight. But as she entered the room, she heard Xiao Ling''s cold voice behind her, "I''m going to the town." "To treat your leg?" Gu Jiao asked subconsciously. Somehow, Gu Jiao thought of her dreamst night. She really didn¡¯t want to believe it, but... "Do you have an exam in three days?" Gu Jiao faced him and asked again. Xiao Ling''s eyes flickered with a trace of astonishment. He nodded, "...Yes." The schoolmate said in a sour mood, "Why are you telling her all this? What if she stops you from going again?! Did you forget that you missed the examst time because of her?! And your legs... if she didn¡¯t keep you at home that day, you wouldn''t miss out on Physician Zhang!" Gu Jiao turned to look at Gu Xiaoshun. She didn¡¯t remember any of this. Gu Xiaoshun pointed to the schoolmate¡¯s nose and said, "Watch how you talk! What do you mean my big sis stopped him from going? My sister was sick at that time. Is it proper for him to leave his wife when they just got married?" At the mention of this, Gu Jiao suddenly had an impression. Not long after they just got married, the original soul fell ill, but she wasn¡¯t really ill. She was just pretending to be sick. It was because someone told her that Xiao Ling would nevere back and she would be a little widow just like Xue Ningxiang. She didn¡¯t want to be a little widow, so she kept Xiao Ling from leaving. Little did she know that Xiao Ling missed the exam six months ago and the only chance to have his leg fixed because of this. Gu Jiao looked at Xiao Ling''s leg and said, "That, actually..." "Brother Xiao, let¡¯s go! The coach is still waiting at the entrance of the vige!¡± The schoolmate interrupted Gu Jiao''s words and took Xiao Ling to the entrance of the vige without looking back. "I want to eat osmanthus cake!" Gu Jiao unexpectedly followed them out and said while looking at Xiao Ling, "Li Ji''s sweet-scented osmanthus cake! I¡¯ll only eat food from there! If you don''t buy it for me, I won''t let you in! I¡¯ll also burn all your books!" ¡°Wicked woman!¡± The schoolmate gnashed his teeth and helped Xiao Ling into an old carriage at the entrance of the vige, "Brother Xiao, don''t listen to her! Li Ji is a long-established shop, and their osmanthus cake is not easy to buy. By the time you¡¯re done buying, Physician Zhang will be gone! He is a physician from the capital, much better than the physicians in town. He is the only one who can fix your leg. You must not let that wicked woman drag you down!" ¡­¡­. ¡°That''s my big sis! That''s how you bossed him around, alright!" Gu Xiaoshun gave Gu Jiao a thumbs-up. Gu Jiao could only hold her forehead at his reaction. She then asked, "Do you know where the market is?" Gu Xiaoshun nodded and replied, "I know, big sis. Why do you ask? Are you going there? What are you going to do there?" "Sell fowls." ¡°Fowls? Big sis, where did you get it from?" "Wild pheasants." Physician Gu didn''t say it was the treatment fee she forcibly earned. Gu Xiaoshun naturally assumed that his sister caught it by herself, "Big sis, I found that you have changed. You¡¯ve be more amazing than before!" Rather than saying she was no longer stupid, he praised her for bing more amazing. In Gu Xiaoshun''s heart, he never treated the original soul as a fool. Gu Xiaoshun told her the direction to the market. Both the market and the medical hall were in the town, but one was in the west while the other was in the east side. Gu Xiaoshun insisted on apanying her, but Gu Jiao refused. The Gu Family members didn¡¯t like Gu Xiaoshun getting too close to Gu Jiao. They said that Gu Jiao was a fool and staying close to her would make him a fool as well. Gu Jiao returned to her room to open the small medicine chest, cleaned her wound with iodophor and applied some antibacterial ointment. I''m so hungry. Gu Jiao thought to herself and went to the kitchen. 1. ¡ü ¡ª A traditional Manchu dress (or robe, long jacket or tunic) worn by men. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changshan) If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 2Chapter 7 As soon as Xiao Ling set foot in the town, he was immediately taken to the medical hall by his schoolmate. There was a long line of people outside the medical hall, all of whom came to see the miracle physician for treatment. The two young men went to stand at the back of the line. The schoolmate stood on tiptoe and looked ahead, "We¡¯re not toote. We should be able to meet the physician." Xiao Ling said, "I''ll give you the payment for the carriageter." The schoolmate patted his chest and replied, "We¡¯re schoolmates and also from the same hometown, what are you being so polite for? By the way, are you hungry?" He went out in a hurry and didn''t eat anything, let alone Xiao Ling. He took out a small clean bundle from his wide sleeves and opened it to reveal three pretty cornmeal buns. "Where did you get these steamed buns?" Xiao Ling thought that the buns looked familiar. The schoolmate answered, "I took it from your kitchen. When I got there, it was just steamed." Xiao Ling furrowed his eyebrows, "How many did you leave?" The schoolmate said oddly, "Isn¡¯t there just three in total? Don¡¯t you remember how many steamed buns you made yourself?¡± Xiao Ling pursed his lips and said nothing. After a while, he said, "Why didn''t you leave one for her?" The schoolmate was surprised and said, "Are you referring to that wicked woman? Why should I leave one for her? Hasn''t she done you enough harm? Moreover, she doesn''t even eat the food you make!" The schoolmate picked up a steamed bun and gnawed a mouthful of it. His eyes widened in an instant, "Brother Xiao, howe the steamed buns you made today are so delicious?" All of a sudden, Xiao Ling walked out of the line. The schoolmate was momentarily stunned and then said, "Where are you going, Brother Xiao? It¡¯s almost us!" Xiao Ling didn''t say anything and just continued to walk away. Looking at the long line of people behind him which almost reached into the alley, the schoolmate stamped his foot anxiously and said to the woman behind her, "Auntie, we¡¯re just going to thetrine and wille back immediately!" When he caught up to Xiao Ling, he asked, "What are you going to do?" "Buy osmanthus cake." Xiao Ling said as he walked through the alley to Li Ji shop. Li Ji was a famous shop with a long-established reputation, and the number of people waiting in line here was no less than that of the medical hall. The schoolmate was somewhat angry as he said, "Are you crazy? You¡¯re really buying osmanthus cake for that wicked woman!? Did you know that Physician Zhang only treats patients for half a day? When you finish buying osmanthus cake, we won¡¯t be able to see him anymore!" Xiao Ling was a stubborn person. Once he decided on something, even eight horses couldn¡¯t pull him back. An hourter, Xiao Ling bought Li Ji''s sweet-scented osmanthus cake. "I hope Physician Zhang hasn''t left yet!" The schoolmate grabbed Xiao Ling and headed for the medical hall. However, when they arrived at the entrance of the medical hall, they found that the long queue had disappeared. Instead, a crowd of onlookers watching the bustle surrounded the ce, along with a group of dignified and solemn officers and soldiers. The schoolmate looked at a middle-aged man and asked, "Uncle, did something happen here? Why are all the patients gone?" The middle-aged man responded, "Just now a madman rushed into the medical hall. He said that the physician of the medical hall had killed his wife and waved a knife at random. The people inside were shed by him! See thatdy at the door? She was thest one to get in, and as soon as she entered, that madman came! She was lucky enough to get out quickly, but she fell and injured her head!¡± Wasn''t that the auntie behind them at that time? If they didn¡¯t leave, Xiao Ling would be thest to enter. Given Xiao Ling''s leg problems, it would¡¯ve been impossible for him to run out, then he could¡¯ve only been amongst the people who had been injured. On the way back, neither of them said a word. It was getting dark, and the wheels of the cart creaked along the silent path. At this time of the day, the carriages in town were no longer willing to drive to the rural areas, so they hired a mule cart for twenty copper coins. Since it wasn¡¯t a carriage, there was only a simple awning, without any walls to protect them from the wind. The hands and feet of the two people were stiff with cold. Suddenly, a thin little figure broke into Xiao Ling''s sight. Xiao Ling''s eyes lit up. There was a fork in the road. Ahead was the road back to the vige, and to the west was the road to the market. On the road to the market, Gu Jiao was walking breathlessly with the heavy basket on her back. The afterglow of the sunset was gone, and her thin figure was shrouded by the twilight. She raised her hand to wipe the sweat on her face, revealing the bloodstained gauze on her wrist. "Stop." Xiao Ling said. The driver stopped the cart. "Why did you stop the cart?" The schoolmate asked with puzzlement. Then he saw Gu Jiaoing on foot. Gu Jiao didn¡¯t seem to find them, thinking it was just an ordinary mule cart. Without looking up, she turned and walked past the cart. "Come up." Xiao Ling said. Gu Jiao turned her head and surprisingly looked at Xiao Ling in the mule cart. Beside Xiao Ling sat his schoolmate from the daytime. The schoolmate still had a look of hatred on his face, but said nothing to forbid Xiao Ling from talking to her. "Come up." Xiao Ling repeated in a cold voice. He was obviously just a 16 or 17 year-old teenager, but he possessed a calm and momentum that did not belong to this age. Gu Jiao hesitated for a moment before she climbed up. She sat opposite Xiao Ling, took the basket off her back and put it on the cart floor. Xiao Ling looked at the basket and said, "Did you go to the market?" Gu Jiao nodded and said, "Yes, I went to sell two fowls and bought some rice and rice flour." And, uh, something else. Xiao Ling cast her a deep look as if he understood something, but didn¡¯t say a word. The schoolmate also threw Gu Jiao a strange look. This foolish wicked woman could still do business? Gu Jiao, however, seemed to not notice him and merely asked Xiao Ling, "What about you? Did you meet the physician in town today?" "You still ask?! It¡¯s all your fault! If you didn¡¯t mor for osmanthus cake, how can we miss Physician Zhang?" The schoolmate would never tell her that Brother Xiao escaped a disaster because they bought the osmanthus cake. "That¡¯s... a pity." Gu Jiao looked down and muttered. She uttered words of regret, but somehow it seemed like she really didn''t find it regrettable. Could it be that she already knew what happened in the medical hall? Impossible. With her nasty attitude, would she remain so calm knowing that she saved Brother Xiao by ident? When she saved Brother Xiaost time, she forced Brother Xiao to marry her. If she knew she saved him again this time, wouldn¡¯t she be so proud of herself? The schoolmate scoffed, "I''ve already eaten the osmanthus cake! You don¡¯t deserve to eat them!" Gu Jiao said calmly, "Oh." The schoolmate felt his punch hit a cotton. None of them spoke again after that. Suddenly, a very elegant carriage wasing towards them. The schoolmate¡¯s mind shook and he sat upright, saying, "Look! It''s the Dean''s carriage!" "What Dean?¡± Gu Jiao asked. The schoolmate answered, "Tianxiang Academy¡¯s Dean, ah! Brother Xiao will take an examination of the academy in three days! The Dean is a native of the capital and was once the head of the four gifted schrs in the capital. He¡¯s very knowledgeable and well-educated, conversant with ancient and modern learning. His achievements in the imperial examinations twenty years ago have been unsurpassed so far! A word of advice from him is better than ten years of reading books! How good it would be if I could be his disciple! But I''ve heard that the Dean hasn''t taken any disciples for many years. I''ve been in the academy for six months and I haven''t even seen his face..." The schoolmate chattered on and on. He was so excited that he forgot he was talking to the person he hated the most. Meanwhile, inside the carriage. The Dean, dressed in white dean¡¯s uniform, sat respectfully on one side, and an old man dressed in in cotton clothing was sitting on his right side. The old man''s left arm was bandaged and he carried a small broken umbre in his arms. On his face was arge footprint. The old man¡¯s current appearance rendered the Dean unable to say a word. He knew nothing and he didn¡¯t dare to ask. He bowed respectfully and said, "Why did you suddenlye out of the mountain? And you didn¡¯t even tell this student so this student can send someone to pick you up?" If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 0Chapter 8 The roads in the vige were not easy to traverse, especially the path that led to Xiao Ling and Gu Jiao¡¯s house. There were too many potholes that it was easy for the wheels to get stuck in them. Hence, the cart stopped at the entrance of the vige. "Brother Xiao." The schoolmate jumped out of the cart first and helped Xiao Ling down with his hand. Then he carried down Xiao Ling''s bundle. Xiao Ling stood still and looked back at Gu Jiao. Gu Jiao jumped down from the cart, carrying the basket on her back. Xiao Ling withdrew his gaze and said to his schoolmate, "You can go back, no need to escort me further." It was reallyte, and the cart driver was also a little impatient. The schoolmate then said, "All right. I¡¯ll take my leave now. Don''t forget the exam in three days'' time. There is no holiday in the academy that day, so I can¡¯te to pick you up. Remember to go yourself." "I know." Xiao Ling nodded lightly and took the bundle from him. Since it was difficult to walk at night and they didn¡¯t even have antern in their hands, Gu Jiao waited for Xiao Ling silently. The schoolmate nced at her coldly and pulled Xiao Ling further away, then whispered, "Brother Xiao, be sure to take the exam three days from now. Once you pass the exam, you will be able to live in the academy and no longer be bullied by this wicked woman! You don''t have to worry about treating your leg. I''ll keep asking about Physician Zhang. Oh, and by the way, eat the osmanthus cake yourself. Don''t let that wicked woman get unearned gains!" Gu Jiao was sweating when she came back from the market with the basket on her back, but it was all blown dry on the mule cart. Her little flushed face, which was now white with cold, was somehow eye-catching in the moonlight. Xiao Ling swept her a nce from the corner of his eyes. The schoolmate wanted to say more, but Xiao Ling interrupted him and said, "I know. You go back.¡± His schoolmate still tried to open his mouth, but Xiao Ling ignored him. Clutching the bundle in one hand and leaning on a crutch in the other, he turned and headed home. Gu Jiao kept pace with him as she walked. She maintained just enough distance from him so that it wouldn¡¯t make people feel too close, but she could catch him in time if he ever fell down. But Xiao Ling knew the path well enough to get home without any trouble. It was dark now and the doors of every household were closed. Only Xue Ningxiang came out to pour the bath water and stood at the door for a while. "Ah Xiang, why are you noting in? What are you looking at?" Inside the house, Xue Ningxiang''s mother-inw, who was lying sick in bed, asked in a hoarse voice. Xue Ningxiang blinked her eyes before saying, "No, it¡¯s nothing." She must have seen it wrong. Why would Xiao Ling walk together with that little fool? Although they were husband and wife, they were more like enemies in reality. ¡­... Old residence of the Gu Family. Today was the first branch¡¯s turn to prepare the meal. Zhou shi and her daughter, Gu Yue''e, took the steaming hot food to the central hall and set the table. In the Gu Family, women were not allowed to dine at the table. Hence, only Old Mister Gu, his eldest son Gu Changhai, his second son Gu Changlu, and his three grandchildren sat around the table to eat. Old Lady Wu, along with her two daughters-inw and granddaughter Gu Yue''e, sat by the stove in the kitchen to have their meal. Old Mister Gu, as the Vige Chief, was more sessful than most vigers who only knew how to plough crops in the fields. Everyone else could rarely eat meat in a year, but the Gu Family could eat meat twice a month. Today was the day to eat meat. Stewed cabbage with pork belly. Even the soup exuded a strong aroma of meat. However, there wasn¡¯t much pork belly. One person could only get a piece. After Gu Changhai and Gu Changlu had each taken a piece of meat, they dared not think about this bowl of meat again and instead turned to pick some salt and soy sauce pickles under the majesty of their father. Old Mister Gu himself did not eat much. He only took a small piece, as well as a medium-sized piece for Gu Xiaoshun and Gu Ershun, then the rest was given to Gu Dashun. Gu Xiaoshun counted them carefully and found that there were five pieces, and all of them were big! "Why should he eat everything?" Gu Xiaoshun grumbled as he picked up some rice. Gu Ershun said softly, "That''s because eldest brother is a schr. Our family needs to depend on eldest brother in the future." As he said this, he couldn¡¯t help but nce at the meat in Gu Dashun''s bowl. He was also craving. Really craving it. But he was used to such differential treatment. With this many men in the family, only the eldest brother was good at studying. This year, eldest brother passed the entry-level imperial exam and was admitted to the county government school, which was even higher than grandfather''s original achievement. "Yeah right." Gu Xiaoshun rolled his eyes, "My brother-inw is also a schr. Why don''t you call him to eat meat too then?" "How can that be the same? Eldest brother has been admitted to the county government school. How can hepare with eldest brother?" "My brother-inw just didn''t take the exam." As the two brothers continued to argue, Old Mister Gu mmed his chopsticks on the table, so that the two people shut up in an instant. Not to mention his three grandchildren, even Gu Changhai and Gu Changlu couldn¡¯t handle the anger of Old Mister Gu. The room was eerily quiet. "Second brother, have you read the book I gave you? I put some annotations in it. Take a good look at it and ask me if you don''t understand anything.¡± The one who spoke was Gu Dashun. He was the only one who dared to speak out under Old Mister Gu¡¯s anger. His voice was clear and smooth, his tone was calm and unhurried. He truly had the demeanor of a schr. Old Mister Gu found this precious grandson pleasing to the eye. Looking at him, his anger soon dissipated. Gu Ershun smiled and said tteringly, "Then I¡¯ll thank eldest brother in advance!" Old Mister Gu taught all three grandchildren at the beginning, but only Gu Dashun passed the exam. After Old Mister Gu passed down all his knowledge to him and could no longer teach him anything, he sent Gu Dashun to a private school in the town. Private schools were too expensive, and the Gu Family could only afford to support the most outstanding one. Gu Ershun dreamt to be like Gu Dashun. Old Mister Gu said, "Don''t disturb your eldest brother these days. He has an exam." Gu Ershun nodded respectfully, "Understood, grandfather." Gu Xiaoshun didn''t want to stay there any longer. After eating a couple of bites, he left. He wanted to go out, but it was impossible to get out from the front door in the main hall or the back door in the kitchen. Old Lady Wu was no easier to deal with than Old Mister Gu. Gu Xiaoshun decided to climb over the wall. But he was just halfway up when Liu shi caught him, "Gu Xiaoshun! Get down here!" Gu Xiaoshun was pulled down by Liu shi. Liu shi pped him on the head and scolded, "Your grandparents are here! You don¡¯t want to live anymore, do you?" ¡°Don''t hit me on the head!¡± Gu Xiaoshun said without enduring it. "Why do you want to go out thiste?" "My big sis hasn''te to have a meal all day today. I''ll go and check on her." Liu shi snorted, "It''s good that she didn¡¯te. What are you checking on her for? She¡¯s already a married person but still runs to her parental home every single day. Does that look proper?!" Gu Xiaoshun twitched his mouth and said, "That¡¯s not what you all said to Third Uncle and Third Aunt before they died! Grandfather and Grandmother promised Third Aunt that they would let their son-inw marry into our family. That man surnamed Xiao is a son-inw that married into our family, so big sis is still a member of the family."[1] Liu shi, unable to retort, could only pinch him hard. Gu Ershun was useless but at least he was obedient. Meanwhile, Gu Xiaoshun was neither obedient nor useful. She really gave birth to two handfuls! ¡­... Gu Jiao, who had bought rice flour at the market, didn¡¯t expect Xiao Ling to buy it as well. He also bought several steamed buns. Gu Jiao walked to the kitchen to heat up the steamed buns. Xiao Ling started the fire. Gu Jiao was not pretentious either. The injury on her wrist was not serious when she went out, but she did something at the market, causing the wound to open up. Fortunately, she felt it wasn¡¯t safe to leave her medicine chest at home so she brought it along. Hence, she was able to bandage up the wound on the spot. Neither of them mentioned the three cornmeal buns. Xiao Ling did not exin, and Gu Jiao did not question either. "Let¡¯s eat here. It¡¯s nice and warm here." Gu Jiao said. She was so cold that she was still shivering. Xiao Ling hesitated for a moment before letting out a sound of agreement and sitting down on the small stool beside Gu Jiao. This was the first time they had been in such close proximity to each other. He sat on Gu Jiao''s left side so closely that he could clearly see the birthmark on her left face. Gu Jiao used to cover her face with thick makeup, but now her face waspletely bare, brimming with confidence even without any cover. The corners of Xiao Ling''s good-looking lips moved slightly, but he didn''t make a sound in the end. Just as she wouldn¡¯t ask about him, he wouldn¡¯t ask about her either. In the first ce, they were two unrted people, so there was no need to be deeply involved with each other. The steamed buns made of white flour was kind of tasteless, but Gu Jiao had been hungry all day, so she was not picky about it. Gu Jiao choked on her food and went to get a drink of water. When she got back to the kitchen, Xiao Ling was gone and there was a small package on the wooden stool. Gu Jiao opened it and looked. It was osmanthus cake. 1. ¡ü ¡ª Usually, it¡¯s the woman that marries into the man¡¯s family, and once they are married, the women are practically no longer part of their original family at least ording to thew. It isn¡¯t proper for them to frequent their original family¡¯s house since their loyalty should already be to their husband¡¯s family. Since it is Xiao Ling who married into the Gu Family, not the other way around, Gu Jiao is still a member of the Gu family. So there shouldn¡¯t be anything wrong with her going to the Gu Family¡¯s house. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 0Chapter 9 Today was the day of Xiao Ling''s exam. Gu Jiao got up early in the morning, made some noodles, steamed a couple of firm wheat buns, and cooked a pot of wild mushroom soup. These wild mushrooms were the ones she had picked up on the mountain yesterday. Her first harvest had already been eaten up. After cooking some, there were still a lot of the mushrooms left. She nned to carry them to the market and sell themter. In fact, she had also picked some wood ears, but fresh wood ears were poisonous. They must be dried first before they could be eaten. While waiting for the food to be cooked, she went back to her room and took her medicine. The wounds on her wrist and the back of her head were already healed. Though the medicine was almost used up, there was still more than half of the more effective ointment left. On the other side, Xiao Ling was already up too. Gu Jiao knew that he was studyingtest night, so she was careful not to disturb him in the morning, and yet he still got up so early. Gu Jiao set the table and gave him half a bowl of wild mushroom soup. For fear he might suddenly want to find thetrine during the exam, she especially didn¡¯t fill his bowl full. However, Gu Jiao didn¡¯t know if it was just her imagination, but she felt like Xiao Ling inadvertently nced over with resentment. The exam would take a whole day, so Gu Jiao packed some steamed buns and water for him. She paused all of a sudden. Unknown what came to her mind, she stuffed ten more copper coins into the bundle. Xiao Ling watched as she stuffed the copper coins inside. His pupils moved but he didn¡¯t speak. Gu Jiao handed him the bundle and said, "I have already paid for the cart. I also said to take good care of you and to take you until the academy¡¯s gate." "En." Xiao Ling answered, took the bundle and walked out the door with his crutch. Gu Jiao looked at his little crippled leg and held back the idea of sending him to the entrance of the vige. She was sure he wouldn¡¯t like that either. When Xiao Ling arrived at the entrance of the vige, Second Uncle Luo''s oxcart was already parked under the locust tree. There were many people sitting there, all of whom were vigers heading for the town to sell their own vegetables and eggs. When the vigers saw him, they all smiled. Some greeted him with snores. Xiao Ling was a schr. Although he usually looked cold, in fact, he didn¡¯t have much arrogance. Anyone who had a letter they wanted to read or answer woulde to him for help. Even though Gu Dashun was also a schr, Gu Dashun spent the day at a private school and then studied hard at home at night. The vigers seldom disturbed Gu Dashun. There was onest seat in the cart. It was supposed to be reserved for Xiao Ling. Xiao Ling was about to go up when he felt a figure pass by and stood in front of him. The other party kept her one hand on the oxcart and used her other hand to support the other figure behind her, saying, ¡°Shunzi, hurry up!¡± (T/N: I think Shunzi is Gu Dashun¡¯s nickname) They were the mother and son of the Gu Family¡¯s first branch, Zhou shi and Gu Dashun. Xiao Ling was blocked by Zhou shi and didn''t have a chance to get on the cart. An auntie on the oxcart said, "Shunzi¡¯s mother, Ling came first." Gu Dashun''s movement as he climbed up the oxcart suddenly paused. He turned to look past his mother and nced at Xiao Ling. Xiao Ling looked cold and indifferent. Zhou shi snorted unconcernedly, "My Shunzi has an exam to take! So what if he was here first? Must my Shunzi be dyed from taking his exam just because he arrived first?" Everyone in the vige knew that Gu Dashun was a promising young man. Not long ago, he was admitted to the county government school. He was a schr, ah! They heard he didn¡¯t need to kneel down to salute when he saw the county magistrate. Xiao Ling was a nice youth, but Gu Dashun''s future was more important. If Gu Dashun could be sessful, it would not only bring glory to the Gu Family, but also to the whole Qingquan Vige. No one said another word. "That..." Second Uncle Luo said awkwardly, "Ling... is also going to take an exam." When Gu Jiao came to see Second Uncle Luost night, she made it clear to Second Uncle Luo that Xiao Ling was going to take the exam of the academy, and since Xiao Ling had trouble with his legs and feet, she repeatedly told him he must send him there. He was given two more copper coins for this. In fact, Second Uncle Luo was quite bewildered. The little fool of the Gu Family, who didn¡¯t pay attention to Xiao Ling before, suddenly talked and did things as if she was a different person. But Gu Jiao left before he could ask anything. Hearing that Xiao Ling was also going to take an exam, Zhou shi was not at all concerned about it. Could Xiao Ling''s exam bepared with her son''s? On the other hand, Gu Dashun looked at Xiao Ling with astonishment, "You... Are you going to Tianxiang Academy, too?" "Yes." Xiao Ling answered faintly. Xiao Ling was already a Tongsheng[1] when he first came to the vige. At that time, Gu Dashun was also a Tongsheng. Later, Gu Dashun passed the autumn exam and became a Xiucai[2]. Since Xiao Ling was still a Tongsheng now, Gu Dashun didn¡¯t think much of Xiao Ling. "You haven''t even attended a private school..." Gu Dashun shook his head. His meaning was quite clear: Xiao Ling couldn¡¯t pass the exam at all. Second Uncle Luo, who had nned to persuade one of the vigers to make room for Xiao Ling, silently held back his words. Since he couldn¡¯t pass the exam anyway, no need to continue worrying about it. Second Uncle Luo pulled out his purse. It cost two copper coins to go to the market, and three copper coins to areas that were a bit further. Gu Jiao gave him two more, so a total of five copper coins. Second Uncle Luo counted out the copper coins and returned them to Xiao Ling. Gu Dashun was pushed into the oxcart by Zhou shi. But before he could sit down, a skinny in hand suddenly reached out from behind him, grabbed him by the cor and pulled him off the oxcart! Gu Dashun was two years older than Xiao Ling. He was already neen years old this year. He was a sturdy young man, and yet he got dragged just like that, causing him to stumble and almost fall to the ground. Zhou shi was so scared that she hurried to help Gu Dashun. "Who is it?!¡± She turned around and snarled. Then along with the others, she saw the skinny little Gu Jiao. Gu Jiao''s eyes were cold, showing an unrepressed chilliness. Everyone was stunned. "Gu Jiao, you¡¯re crazy!¡± Zhou shi wondered who could be so bold, and it turned out to be this little fool. "Take back the copper coins." Gu Jiao didn¡¯t even pay any attention to Zhou shi. She only looked at Second Uncle Luo, whose hand was frozen in mid-air, and frowned impatiently, "I paid for the oxcartst night. If you want to go back on your words, you¡¯d better return everyone''s money too." "What do you mean?¡± Zhou shi asked. "Literally, if Xiao Ling can''t get on the oxcart today, no one is allowed to get on the oxcart." Gu Jiao exined. "Just because you say so?" An aunt harrumphed. Gu Jiao slowly took out a sickle from behind her back, "More like, because I''m a fool?" Everyone turned white at the sight of the sharp edges of the de. Zhou shi, who wanted to rush up and pull Gu Jiao''s hair, was so frightened that she dared not take another step forward. A fool... A fool was capable of anything. However, this fool didn¡¯t like Xiao Ling before. Howe she suddenly went against her own Gu Family for his sake? It wasn¡¯t just the vigers who were doubtful, a trace of surprise also flitted across Xiao Ling''s eyes. ¡°If you n to invite Old Mister Gu, go ahead." Gu Jiao said as she blew on the sickle that had been polished by herself. Zhou shi really wanted to do just that. But she was stopped by Gu Dashun. It didn¡¯t make sense to reason with a fool, and it wasn¡¯t good to dy the exam. Even though Xiao Ling would miss the exam too, he couldn¡¯t pass the exam in the first ce anyway. If he missed it, he missed it. But it was different for him. Finally, Second Uncle Luo thought of a way. Zhou shi was asked to pay for the goods of one of the vigers, and the viger gave up his seat to Gu Dashun. Gu Jiao didn¡¯t care whose seat Gu Dashun bought. However, in order to prevent another ident on the way, Gu Jiao continued to carry the sickle on her back. There was no spare seat for her in the cart, so she dragged her thin and small body and travelled more than ten Li[3] on foot, sending Xiao Ling safely into the examination hall. ******* Ling: Why are you so nice to me? JiaoJiao: You look good. Ling: ¡­.. 1. ¡ü ¡ª A schr without a Xiucai title | schrs that haven''t passed the entry-level imperial exam. 2. ¡ü ¡ª A schr who has passed the entry-level imperial exams in ancient times; rank/degree obtained after passing the entry-level imperial exam(county exam, prefectural exam, college exam) 3. ¡ü ¡ª Àï | l¨«: ancient unit of distance, approx. 500 meters If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 0Chapter 10 After Xiao Ling entered the examination hall, Gu Jiao left with the basket on her back. She was going to the market to sell the wild mushrooms and dried wood ears and do something else along the way. Tianxiang Academy¡¯s reputation had spread far and wide, and many people hade to take the exam, including local and non-local residents just like Xiao Ling. Each nominated examinee held a letter of rmendation from their vige school, county school or prefectural school and entered their examination hall respectively. Xiao Ling and Gu Dashun were assigned into different examination halls because of their different levels. Xiao Ling sat in thest row. Tianxiang Academy¡¯s level was very high. Generally speaking, those who came to study here were at least schrs with the Xiucai title. Nowadays, it wasn¡¯t easy to pass the exam to be a Xiucai. For example, it was remarkable for Gu Dashun to pass it when he was just less than twenty years old. Xiao Ling was only seventeen and was the youngest amongst all the examinees. And he was also the most handsome one. Unfortunately, he was a cripple. Many examinees cast a strange look at his direction one after another, though it didn''tst long because they began to fill in the examination papers pretty soon. The exam content in the morning was poetry while Confucian ssics argumentation in the afternoon. Most of the examinees that coulde here were knowledgeable, and it wasn¡¯t difficult for them to write some poems on the spot. The difficult part was the Confucian ssics argumentation in the afternoon. The Confucian ssics argumentation exam contained all topics that came from the original text of the Four Books and Five ssics[1], and examinees must strictly use the eight-part essay[2] writing structure. The eight-part essay consisted of eight sections: opening, amplification, preliminary exposition, initial argument, central argument,tter argument, final argument, conclusion. The use of metaphors were not allowed, and it must be written in a Confucian tone. Any citations could onlye from Cheng¨CZhu school[3], which restricted the examinees greatly. In addition, the questions this time were extremely difficult so much so that the examinees'' faces were almost all green after the day''s examination. When Xiao Ling came out, his schoolmate had been waiting outside the examination hall for less than half an hour. "Ling! Here!" He waved at Xiao Ling. Xiao Ling walked over on his crutch. The schoolmate said, "I just heard many peoplein about the tricky question in the Confucian ssics exam. s, it is also your bad luck. The topic this time was written by the Dean himself. At that time, if you hadn¡¯t had something to deal with, you could have taken the exam with me and didn¡¯t need to encounter such difficulty this time¡­. It''s that wicked woman¡¯s fault!" Xiao Ling looked at him with furrowed eyebrows. The schoolmate went on to say, "By the way, she hasn''t bullied you these days, has she? I was so worried you wouldn''t be able to make it again today." Indeed... I almost couldn''t make it. Xiao Ling paused. An inexplicable feeling suddenly made him raise his head and look ahead. At this moment, the examination had just finished. A steady stream of people could be seening and going in the street before the gate of the academy. Leaning against the wall with a basket on her back was a thin little figure. She had her arms cross over her chest as she stood somewhat absent-mindedly. From time to time, passers-by would cast all kinds of nces at her due to her appearance, but she didn¡¯t care at all. There wasn¡¯t any anger, annoyance or embarrassment on her face. Soon, the schoolmate also saw Gu Jiao and his eyebrows creased up, "Ah! What is she doing here? She¡¯s not here to get you into trouble, is she?! Be honest, did you run away from home today?" In fact, Xiao Ling wasn¡¯t sure whether Gu Jiao was looking for him or not. However, the way she leaned against the wall over there seemed as if she was waiting for someone... Probably due to the sudden outpour of examinees, Gu Jiao''s attention was finally attracted to this side. When Gu Jiao turned her head and looked this way, she caught sight of the handsome young man in the sea of people. She smiled and walked over to Xiao Ling. "The exam is over?" She asked. "Yes." Xiao Ling nodded, "Have you been waiting for long?" "Not at all." Gu Jiao scratched her little ear and answered. "Didn¡¯t you go to the market? Why aren''t you home yet?" Xiao Ling had seen her back basket filled with dried wood ears and wild mushrooms earlier and knew she would go to the market. But the market closed at noon at most. "Something happened nearby." Gu Jiao said. "So? What can you even do?¡± The schoolmate rolled his eyes. However, Gu Jiao''s words reminded him of something. Today, the sses ended early so he went to the medical hall. He found that Physician Zhang came back and saved the life of a dying man. "Are you sure it''s Physician Zhang?" Xiao Ling was slightly startled. Thest time there had been an ident, Physician Zhang also suffered a bit of skin trauma. In fact, it wasn''t Physician Zhang who killed the assant¡¯s family. He was totally implicated and it pissed him off greatly. He left some harsh words, saying he would nevere here again. The schoolmate said with certainty, "Of course! I saw the man being carried in with my own eyes. He was covered in blood, his neck was askew and his breath was practically gone. Who can save him except Physician Zhang of the capital?" Gu Jiao silently looked at the ants on the ground and said nothing. The schoolmate continued, ¡°Physician Zhang can even save a man in that condition, I¡¯m sure he can fix your leg too. Don¡¯t worry about this, I''ll ask about when Physician Zhang will visit again." "When are you going?" Gu Jiao suddenly opened her mouth to ask. The schoolmate looked at her contemptuously and said, "Why should I tell you?" Gu Jiao, "..." ¡­... They had their dinner in town. The schoolmate insisted on taking Xiao Ling to try the in noodle soup near the academy, saying it had the same taste as the one in their hometown. After dinner, Xiao Ling and Gu Jiao took a mule cart back to the vige. This time Xiao Ling picked a cart with walls. Night had fallenpletely. Although there was no oilmp, the interior of the cart was illuminated by the moonlight that came in from the gaps. Gu Jiao was seated opposite Xiao Ling. She straightened her pair of long legs and stretched her toes for a moment. She bought new shoes. It wasn¡¯t the embroidered shoes the daughters of rich families wore, just a pair of cheap small cloth shoes. Unexpectedly, the pure ck vamp with no extra color looked quite good on her feet. The way she yed with her shoes was very cute, and her eyes resembled a starlight. The mule cart stopped at the entrance of the vige as usual. After the two got off the cart, Gu Jiao still walked behind him, neither too far nor too close. The story about Gu Jiao turning against Gu Dashun for Xiao Ling¡¯s sake had spread all over the vige. Xue Ningxiang specially waited at the door of her house, only to see the two people, one in front of the other, returning at night. So she didn¡¯t see wronglyst time? These two were really in a good rtionship now? "Fool Gu!¡± A voice broke the stillness of the surroundings. Hearing it, Xue Ningxiang quickly turned around and went into the house. Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling stop outside their house and turn their heads to see the young man who was running toward them. It was Gu Ershun of the Gu Family¡¯s second branch. Gu Ershun and Gu Xiaoshun were both born of Liu shi, but Gu Ershun had always been closer to Gu Dashun, his cousin, than his own brother. Gu Jiao withdrew her gaze, opened the lock of the door, and entered the house with Xiao Ling. Gu Ershun strode over, stood in the doorway with his arms crossed, and then said angrily, "Fool Gu, I see you¡¯re overturning the sky! You actually dare to do that to eldest brother! Do you realize you almost dyed eldest brother from taking the exam?! Not just that, you also made eldest brother lose face in front of the whole vige!" Don''t listen, don''t listen. Just think of it as a bastard chanting Buddhist scripture. When Gu Jiao crossed the threshold, she immediately closed the door. Seeing that she turned a deaf ear to him, Gu Ershun was furious. He put his foot inside and held the door panel with his hand to prevent the door from closingpletely, "How dare you? Grandfather told me to get you! You quickly roll over there to kowtow in apology to eldest brother! Otherwise, I''ll beat you up!" Gu Jiao impatiently scratched her small ear. What a pest. "Do you hear me? If you don¡¯t clear the whole thing today, you won¡¯t..." He was in the middle of his sentence when Gu Jiao lifted her foot and kicked him away! ****** Gu Jiao: I¡¯m only patient with Handsome Xiao. ¨q(¨s^¨t)¨r Click me if you want to read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 5 advance chapter parts/whole in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 2Chapter 11 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Jungle] [Talia R.] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [ncain] [Esther D.] Gu Ershun was directly kicked away by Gu Jiao. Even though his status in the Gu Family wasn¡¯t as good as that of Gu Dashun, he was also spoiled and raised well by Liu shi. She was reluctant to make him do farm work normally, and only let him study at home like Gu Dashun. Only God knew whether he really studied or not, but it was true that he had a delicate body. For a long time, hey t on his stomach without moving. Howe this little fool is so crazy today? How dare she kick him? Gu Ershun really wanted to rush up and give her a p, but even if he wouldn¡¯t admit it, Gu Jiao¡¯s kick had really frightened him. "You, you... Just wait and see!" After he got up, he dropped a threat, covered his stomach and ran away. When Gu Jiao bolted the door and turned to enter the house, she saw Xiao Ling standing in the main room looking at her with his eyes full of probing. She thought for a moment and said with greatposure, "He fell down by himself." Xiao Ling, "..." ¡­... The Gu Family was waiting for Gu Ershun to bring Gu Jiao to give her a lecture, but only Gu Ershun returned. What was more? He was also covering his stomach as if he had been beaten by someone. Liu shi hurried forward and asked, "Ershun, what happened to you? Where is that girl?" Gu Ershun embellished what happened in front of Gu Jiao''s house, "...I kindly advised her toe to make a clear statement and apologize to eldest brother, but she didn¡¯t listen and even kicked me. I didn¡¯t retaliate for the fact that she is my sister..." Hearing this, Liu shi blew her top, "Despicable little wench! Bitch! She even dared to kick her own elder brother!" Byparison, Zhou shi was much calmer. That girl even dared to move her hands against Dashun, not to mention a mere Ershun? However, she couldn¡¯t help but have some doubts in her heart. This girl has been a little unusual recently, ah. "This is absurd!¡± Liu shi was so angry that his son was beaten. She rolled up her sleeves and smacked Gu Xiaoshun standing on one side, "You go! Teach that little wench a lesson! Take revenge for your brother!" "I''m not going." Gu Xiaoshun gave Gu Ershun an empty look, "Who knows what he did first?" Gu Ershun said confidently, "I didn''t do anything! I just talked to her! I didn¡¯t expect she would kick me! If you asked me, it¡¯s because she¡¯s a fool, a madman, a star of disaster!" "Who are you ndering?¡± Gu Xiaoshun stood up with the aura of a bully. Gu Ershun quickly hid behind Liu shi. "You¡¯re still speaking for that star of disaster! Just who is your brother here?" Liu shi was furious that she wanted to beat Gu Xiaoshun up, but Old Mister Gu was present and she didn¡¯t dare to beat his grandson in front of him. She turned her head and gave her husband a meaningful look, "Say something!" What should Gu Changlu say? When the girl didn''te to have a meal at their home for several days, no one had even asked for her. Now he knew that she would be punished for her wrongdoing once she was brought here. He really didn¡¯t want to get her. Not only because he always felt guilty towards Gu Jiao, he was also the most cowardly amongst the three brothers. At that time, when Old Third had an ident, he was beside him. If he had pulled Old Third in time, perhaps Old Third wouldn¡¯t have died. But the flood was too violent. He was so terrified that he just ran away and left Old Third there. He didn''t dare say anything about it to anyone except Old Mister Gu. Because of this, he had always felt a little guilty towards the third branch. "Changhai." Old Mister Gu said to his eldest son, "Go over there." Gu Changhai hesitated for a while before saying, "Dad, Jiao girl is mentally challenged. I think we should just let it go this time, lest we make a big fuss and let the vigers gossip, saying that we are harsh to Old Third¡¯s flesh and blood.¡± Liu shi said angrily, "How could we just let it go like this? Is it because it¡¯s not your Dashun that is hurting, is that it? Can¡¯t you see what Ershun is like after being kicked?" Gu Ershun held his stomach aggrievedly. That star of disaster had really given him a heavy kick. Even right now, he was still in pain. Old Mister Gu had a calm face as he weighed the matter. Gu Changhai said softly, "Dad, it wouldn¡¯t be good for Dashun''s reputation if we make this matter big." In the end, it was Gu Ershun who got kicked, not Gu Dashun. Gu Dashun was just pushed and shoved by Gu Jiao in public and lost a bit of face. But Gu Dashun wasn¡¯t hurt in any way nor did he miss the exam. There was really no need to jeopardize his good reputation just to vent out this grievance. Gu Dashun also reflected at this moment. It was true that schrs valued reputation the most. Otherwise, the Gu Family couldn¡¯t have forced Xiao Ling toply with the rules and marry Gu Jiao. He mustn¡¯t be confused in this matter and make a mistake. He said gently, "Forget it, grandpa. My sister is a fool and arguing with her will make us seem unreasonable and unforgiving." Liu shi was enraged and thought to herself: Why didn''t you say that earlier? If you really don''t care about this matter, you should¡¯ve stopped Ershun from going to her just now. Old Mister Gu was clearly pleased with his eldest grandson''s words and said, "You are a sensible man. Learn more from your eldest brother, don''t squabble with a little girl all day long and forget your identity as the elder brother." Thest words, of course, were addressed to Gu Ershun. "And you, don''t go out and get into trouble if you have nothing better to do. Don¡¯t implicate your eldest brother¡¯s reputation." Gu Xiaoshun hadn''t escaped either. But he just let it into one ear and out the other, not taking it to heart. Gu Jiao didn¡¯t know that she caused a disturbance in the Gu Family. Today, she had made a small profit in town, bought a lot of things, and also consumed a lot of things, such as one tube of anesthetic, two bottles of coagnts, suture threads as well as a number of other wound medicines. Gu Jiao took the salt, star anise, fennel and other ingredients to the kitchen, boiled water while she was at it, and finally lit the brazier with some firewood from the kitchen. She then took the brazier to Xiao Ling¡¯s room. It was still very cold at night as the twelfth lunar month was approaching. In fact, she could go to bed early, but Xiao Ling had to light amp so he could study, and his injured leg mustn''t be affected by the cold too. As usual, the door to his room was ajar. Gu Jiao knocked at the door and said, "It¡¯s me." "En." Xiao Ling answered. Gu Jiao opened the door and entered. Xiao Ling was in the middle of copying a book at his table, with only a small oilmp that emitted a dim light. Gu Jiao put the brazier on the floor, walked over and lit the oilmp to the brightest. After thinking for a moment, she went to get themp from her own room, saying, "Your light is too dim, it will hurt your eyes." Xiao Ling''s pupils moved and he said, "You can use the brazier." "It won¡¯t be cold once I''m asleep." Gu Jiao responded and then paused briefly as though she was thinking of something. After a moment, she said, "Can I stay in your room and warm myself by the fire before going to bed?" "...Okay." Xiao Ling nodded, sat upright and continued to copy the book by hand. Gu Jiao knew that he earned money by copying books for others. It might seem like he didn¡¯t earn much, but in a month, he would earn a total of two taels, though the Gu Family would take most of it. Putting it in nice words, he was paying them for the meal of the original soul. The original soul didn¡¯t know that he had been paying for her meal in the Gu Family, and genuinely thought that the Gu Family was treating her well. To be fair, Xiao Ling only had a bad attitude towards the original soul due to the bad rtionship between them, not because Xiao Ling¡¯s character was bad. Gu Jiao paused and then said, "You don''t have to give the Gu Family any more money. I will always eat at home from now on." Xiao Ling¡¯s hand that kept writing suddenly halted. Gu Jiao brought over the mattress and the clothes, which were still a bit wet, to dry them uppletely. Her movements were so light and her breathing so quiet that if Xiao Ling hadn¡¯t seen her out of his peripheral vision several times, he might not have believed there was an extra person in the room. When the clothes were driedpletely and she was about to leave, she suddenly asked, "By the way, what''s the name of your schoolmate?" "Feng Lin." Xiao Ling replied. Xiao Ling copied books until midnight. When he got up, he found that Gu Jiao had also dried his clothes and stacked them neatly on a chair. He picked up his clothes and was about to put them in the cab when he saw a new pair of shoes at the bottom. Click me if you want to read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 10 advance chapter parts/whole in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 3Chapter 12 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Jungle] [Talia R.] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [ncain] [Esther D.] Ever since she lost her nightlife, Gu Jiao got up earlier than a chicken every day. Before the sky got bright, she walked outside with a bucket and went to the ancient well at the entrance of the vige to draw water. The vigers also got up early. By this time, several aunties and little wives were drawing water beside the well. When they saw Gu Jiaoing, everyone was surprised. The story of Gu Jiao making a fuss about the oxcart ride had spread all over the vige, and everyone knew that she pulled Gu Dashun off the oxcart. In the end, she was a fool, even her own cousin would be harmed by her once her illness acted up. It was just... Howe she came here to fetch water so early? This little fool never did any work and everyday, she would sleep until the sun was three poles high[1]. Ignoring everyone¡¯s gazes, Gu Jiao walked over to the ancient well, lowered the bucket, drew water, and then carried it back home with a shoulder pole. It wasn¡¯t until she was far away that the crowd suddenly came back to their senses. Were they dazzled? Just now, the little fool didn''t look like a fool at all. In addition, she even looked nice when she drew water and also when she walked away. After Gu Jiao fetched some water, she steamed a box of pork buns. Yesterday, she bought a strip of cured meat and soaked it in water before going to bed, so that the extra saltiness was soaked out, but the vor of the cured meat was preserved just right. The aroma of the pork stuffed buns wafted out that the dog next door barked greedily. Gu Jiao grabbed two pork buns and went up the mountain. Although she had harvested almost all the wood ears in the mountain, there were still a lot of wild mushrooms. In fact, the vigers could also see these ingredients when they went to the mountain to cut firewood, but most people didn¡¯t dare to pick them for two reasons. One was that they were unable to distinguish between poisonous and edible mushrooms, the other was that they didn¡¯t know they could also remove the poison of fresh wood ears. After collecting wild mushrooms, Gu Jiao went straight to the market. The east of the town was a rtively rich and prosperous area. The best medical halls and restaurants, as well as the yamen[2] and the academy were all located there. In contrast, the west of the town was much moreplex. Here, there were markets, artisan workshops, gambling houses, low-grade brothels... Basically, it was a mix of everything else. When Gu Jiao arrived at the market, she randomly found a vacant stall. The aunt next to her still remembered her. She smilingly spoke to her, "There you are. Do you still have the kind of mushrooms you hadst time? My eldest grandson likes to eat it. Can I have some more?¡± The aunt was selling sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes were much cheaperpared to the mushrooms on the mountain, but Gu Jiao didn¡¯t care. She handed her the back basket and let her take it by herself. The aunt grabbed some and put in tworge, red sweet potatoes in exchange. After a while, the aunt on the other side also leaned over and said with a smile, "I... Can I also trade radishes for some? I also want to make some stew for my family." "Sure." Gu Jiao nodded her head casually and motioned to the aunt with her eyes to grab some on her own. The aunt then traded two big radishes for two handfuls of mushrooms from Gu Jiao. After that, several vendors also came and traded their own goods for Gu Jiao''s mushrooms. Diagonally across this scene were two men sitting in a tea shack, where they could have a panoramic view of everything. "Shopkeeper Wang, is that the girl you¡¯re talking about?" The person who asked the question was a splendidly-dressed man in his early thirties, with firm facial features and a tall figure. The middle-aged man in his forties next to him replied, "Answering Second Owner, it''s indeed her." Second Owner looked at Gu Jiao and frowned, "Isn¡¯t she stupid to exchange such expensive mountain goods for such cheapmodities? Some people even put rotten goods in her basket but she didn¡¯t say anything at all. Really stupid!" "This..." Shopkeeper Wang didn¡¯t know what to say. The way he saw it, it wasn¡¯t that she was stupid, she just didn''t care. "Are you sure you''re not mistaken?" Second Owner asked. "I was there when she rescued the patient. I saw her stitch up such a deep and long cut with my own eyes. I can¡¯t be mistaken." Shopkeeper Wang answered with gestiction. What Shopkeeper Wang didn''t say was that he actually met her twice. The first time was in this market, that was why he knew she woulde here to do business. "How old is she?¡± Second Owner frowned. No matter what, he was unable to believe that she was the physician who had brought the almost dead man back to life. She looked too young and too poor, and also had a birthmark like that on her face. But Shopkeeper Wang wouldn¡¯t lie to him either. The incidentst time had a great impact. Not only it offended Physician Zhang, but also made the main medical hall in the capital very dissatisfied. His position as the second owner was in jeopardy, thus he urgently needed a capable physician to salvage the situation. Second Owner said, "Ask her who she¡¯s learning from. I¡¯m willing to pay arge sum of money to hire her master to sit in our medical hall and treat patients." This girl''s medical skills wouldn¡¯t juste out of thin air. It would be more reliable to ask her master than to hire her. Shopkeeper Wang thought this method was feasible, so he quickly turned around to go and inquire. However, as soon as he took a step, he saw a young man copse in front of a chicken stall, scaring away all the chickens in the cage. "Aiya! My chickens! My chickens!" The chicken vendor hurriedly went to catch the chickens. The scene was chaotic. Shopkeeper Wang and Second Owner''s gazes fell on the young man and they were stunned. The young man was suffering from chest tightness, cyanosis, and shortness of breath, which was almost identical to the symptoms of the critical patients in their medical hall, except that the condition of this young man was more intense and urgent. At least, those patients were still able to return home in the end, but this young man was about to suffocate to death. This was a hopeless case. Even if the physician from their medical hall came, nothing could be done anymore! At the critical moment, a small thin figure came out of the crowd. She crouched down on one knee in front of the young man, tore his clothes and stabbed him in the chest with the thing in her hand! Everybody gasped! Were they witnessing a murder? The next second, Gu Jiao pulled out the core of the puncture needle and then a small stream of air leaked out. The crowd saw that the chest of the young man, who was about to suffocate to death, had deted down and his breathing instantly returned to normal. Shopkeeper Wang was dumbfounded and asked, "Do... Do you still want to ask for her master?" "Ask what fart ah!" If they had such a physician in their medical hall, there wouldn¡¯t have been a dead person that day. Second Owner decisively pushed Shopkeeper Wang out of his way, stood up and walked towards Gu Jiao himself. "Excuse me, do you want to be a physician in our medical hall?" Hearing Second Owner¡¯s question, Gu Jiao¡¯s eyes followed the young man. The young man had a rib fracture which caused lungceration that eventually led to pneumothorax. Although the excess air was already drawn out, he still needed a follow-up treatment. Unfortunately, he walked away alone after he recovered his normal breathing. Gu Jiao withdrew her gaze and turned to the Second Owner to ask, "Which medical hall are you from?" Second Owner said with a smile, "In Qingquan Town, the only one worthy to be called a medical hall is our Rejuvenation Hall!" "Oh." Gu Jiao stroked her chin. Second Owner thought that the other party would not easily agree. Just as he prepared himself for her pretentious act, he heard Gu Jiao say, "You¡¯vee just at the right time. I was actually on my way to find you. I can work in the Rejuvenation Hall, but I¡¯ll say this in advance, I will treat patients only once a month." "Once a month?" Second Owner froze. Wait. Did she just agree? What about being pretentious? She wouldn¡¯t even raise her value? No, wait! Once a month?! She said she would treat patients only once a month?! "I''m busy." Gu Jiao said earnestly. Busy... Selling vegetables? Second Owner looked at her basket and the corner of his mouth couldn¡¯t help twitching. To be honest, he was not satisfied with only once a month. But in doing business, he should make gradual and orderly progress. First he would let her enter the door of his Rejuvenation Hall and then slowly negotiate with her again after they became more familiar with each other. Second Owner said, "Very well... Once a month it is!" Gu Jiao fixed her gaze at him as if what she would say next was the most important point, "In addition, I have one condition." ¡­... After sses were over, Feng Lin went to the medical hall without stopping to rest. After thest incident, the business of the medical hall had subsided a little. The staff were slouching in the lobby, sorting out the medicinal materials. "May I ask if Physician Zhang is here?" Feng Lin asked one of the staff. The staff said, "Physician Zhang has returned to the capital." "When will hee again?" Feng Lin asked politely. "I don''t know." The staff replied. "Could you ask for me? My friend''s leg has been injured for six months and only Physician Zhang can cure him." Feng Lin persevered. The staff looked at him impatiently and said, "To be honest with you, Physician Zhang won''t being here anymore. If you really want to seek him for treatment, you can go to the Rejuvenation Hall in the capital and look for him there, but his home visit fee can be expensive." "How much?" Feng Lin asked. "Ten taels[3]." "What? Ten taels!?" Feng Lin was stunned. Even if he and Xiao Ling put all their money together, they could not afford such an amount. 1. ¡ü ¡ª Idiom for veryte in the morning. 2. ¡ü ¡ª Government office in feudal China 3. ¡ü ¡ª Taels here is used as a currency unit for silver. But it can also be used for gold. Click me if you want to read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 10 advance chapter parts/whole in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 3Chapter 13 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Jungle] [Talia R.] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [ncain] [Esther D.] Feng Lin felt disappointed and was about to walk out of the entrance hall when he heard a polite voice in front of him, "Is the young gentleman here to see a physician?" "Ah?" Feng Lin froze for a moment and looked at the other party. He was a man dressed in fine clothes. His aura was somewhat powerful, but his attitude was very gentle. Feng Lin didn¡¯t know him. He said, "Your excellency is..." The staff recognized the man and they tried to salute him, but they were stopped by the nce of the man. "Oh, I''m from the Rejuvenation Hall." Second Owner said gently, "Is there something wrong with the young gentleman?" Feng Lin shook his head and replied, "No, I''m not ill. I''m here for my schoolmate." "May I ask the young gentleman¡¯s name?" "My name is Feng Lin." Feng Lin cupped his hands in salute . "My surname is Hu." Second Owner returned the greeting. "So it¡¯s Physician Hu." The other party said that he was from this medical hall, and Feng Lin naturally took the other party as a physician here. Second Owner didn''t correct him, but merely smiled and said, "What''s the matter with your schoolmate?" Feng Lin said with a sigh, "His leg was injured six months ago. I went to a lot of physicians but no one could heal him. I think only Physician Zhang can fix his leg. But I heard... Physician Zhang will nevere to the medical hall again." ¡°Who says he won''te anymore?¡± Second Owner coughed a little and said, "He¡¯lle. He wille tomorrow!" "The treatment fee..." "One-time price, one hundred wen[1]!" Cough! All the staff in the room choked up. Feng Lin also felt choking, "One... One hundred wen?" "Is it expensive?" Second Owner blinked his eyes and quickly said, "I was wrong, it''s ten wen!" Feng Lin, "..." The staff, "..." No matter how stupid Feng Lin was, he knew that a physician¡¯s treatment fee cost quite a sum. Even the travelling physicians in the countryside wouldn¡¯t ept a payment of ten wen. ¡°But I just heard that Physician Zhang''s home visit fee is ten taels?¡° He said doubtfully. Second Owner responded without a change in expression, "Treatment in the medical hall is cheaper than home visit." "Cheaper... Isn¡¯t that too cheap though?" "We had a death in our medical hall so business is bad. We¡¯re in low season right now!" Feng Lin again, "..." The staff again, "..." Feng Lin immediately went to the vige to tell Xiao Ling about the medical treatment, "...The treatment fee is only ten wen, and the fee for the medicine is calcted separately. They''re business is not doing well right now, so I reckon the price of the medicinal herbs won''t be too expensive either." But even if their business had taken a hit, it was still hard to believe how cheap the fee was. Feng Lin said excitedly, "I also asked Shopkeeper Wang afterwards just to be sure and he said the same thing. It can¡¯t be fake so you can just wait at ease. It also happens that I have a day off from the academy at the end of the month. I¡¯ll apany you there!" Xiao Ling thought it must be true since even the date had been set. ¡­... Three dayster, the results of the exam came out, and Gu Dashun took the second spot. This time, the examinees came from all over the country. There were hundreds of people in total and there was nock of children from great families who were taught by a tutor from an early age and whose learning conditions were much better than that of Gu Dashun. Therefore, the fact that Gu Dashun could still take second ce in the exam really gave the Gu Family a lot of face. Especially this time, the examination questions were issued by the Dean himself. It was also spreading in the academy that the Dean wanted toe out of retirement and take a post in the government, so he would be recruiting his own direct disciple from this group of examinees. Gu Dashun felt his chance to be chosen was high. "How did Ling do?" Asked Old Mister Gu. Gu Dashun smiled and said, "He passed, too." He was also second, though second to thest. A total of 100 students were admitted this time, and Xiao Ling ranked 99th. Thinking that Xiao Ling had been left behind so far by him, Gu Dashun could not help feeling a little proud. However, he said, "He hadn''t gone to a private school and only studied hard at home by himself, but he was able to get a good score in the exam." "He studied hard for so long and almost failed to pass the exam. It shows that studying is about talent, and you are much better than Ling on that point." It was rare for Old Mister Gu to say so much. Originally, he did not dare to have too many expectations from Gu Dashun, but now that the results hade out, he thought that Gu Dashun would get next year''s autumn provincial exam in the bag. Old Mister Gu was so happy that he sent his second son to the town to buy two catty of pork belly. Today, it was the second branch¡¯s turn to cook. Liu shi knew that most of the pork belly would go into Gu Dashun''s stomach once they were served, so she secretly stole two pieces and hid them in the pot. "Mom, you¡¯re hiding meat!" Gu Xiaoshun, with his sharp eyes, came in. Liu shi was so scared that she almost knocked over the pot. She turned around and hit Gu Xiaoshun, "Keep your voice down! What are you shouting for?!" Gu Xiaoshun raised his eyebrow and said, "I want meat." ¡°No!¡± Liu shi turned her back to him and guarded the pot tightly. Gu Xiaoshun harrumphed, "If you don''t give it to me, I¡¯m going to tell that you¡¯re hiding meat!" "You..." Liu shi couldn¡¯t help but raise her fist in anger. People were happy to have a son, but the son she had given birth to only knew how to make her angry. Liu shi also knew that Gu Xiaoshun was really capable of snitching on her. With no other choice, she opened the pot painfully and cut a small piece of meat for him. But before Gu Xiaoshun could taste it, it was already gone, "Why did you give me only half a bite? There are two big pieces in the pot!" "That''s for Ershun!" Of the two sons, only Ershun was willing to study, so Liu shi was counting on him to be sessful in the future. She wanted to follow Ershun in his sess. As for Xiaoshun, she didn¡¯t have any hope for him. He was brutish and naughty. She would praise the Buddha if he didn¡¯t destroy the family in the future. Gu Xiaoshun wanted to send some meat to his sister, but he just couldn''t grab the pot from his mother. He had no choice but to take advantage of his mother''s inattention to open the lid of the pot, grab a few wheat steamed buns and run away! ¡°Little brute!¡± Liu shi blew her top. Wheat steamed buns were also a good thing. Normally, only Gu Dashun could eat it while they all eat cornmeal. Liu shi was so angry that she grabbed a rod and chased him. But Gu Xiaoshun slipped away so fast, disappearing in seconds. Gu Xiaoshun ran to his big sis in one breath and his hands holding the hot steamed buns were red. "Big sis!" He rushed into the kitchen, only to smell something and freeze. He sniffed and said, "It smells good. Big sis, what are you cooking?" "Pheasant." Out of the three pheasants she gotst time, she had sold two while she kept thest one for a few days before killing it today. "What have you got in your hands? Gu Jiao looked at his hand. "Wheat steamed buns." Gu Xiaoshun drooped his little head. He wanted to give her some delicious food, who would have thought that her big sis was cooking some fowl meat? Suddenly, these few wheat steamed buns were a little shoddy and too embarrassing to show... Gu Jiao took a bowl and asked him to put the steamed buns in it, and then she gave him a basin of cold water next and said, "Your hands, put them in." "Oh." Gu Xiaoshun didn''t ask why, and just obediently did as he was told. As soon as his hand dipped into the water, the pain disappeared. "Eat here with us." Gu Jiao said to him again. "Huh?" Gu Xiaoshun was stupefied. "I saved a bowl for you. I was just thinking about how to send it, but now you¡¯vee yourself and saved me a trip." Gu Jiao said as she pulled open a cupboard, took out a bowl of fowl meat and poured it back into the pot. Gu Xiaoshun looked at the bowl of fowl meat and knew that her sister didn¡¯t just say that because he was here. She really saved a share of food for him. And he even saw that there was a whole big drumstick inside. Gu Xiaoshun''s nose suddenly felt a little sore. He came up behind Gu Jiao, bent down, pressed his forehead against Gu Jiao''s back and rubbed against it, and then he said "Big sis, how can you be so nice? Is it possible that you''re actually my mother?" Gu Jiao, "..." 1. ¡ü ¡ª w¨¦n is used to denominate both coins and paper money, but here it should refer to copper coins. Btw, copper coins are round-shaped with a square or circr hole in the centre. They can be strung together to create higher value. For example a string of 1000 wen, which is equal to 1 tael of silver. Click me if you want to read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 10 advance chapter parts/whole in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 0Chapter 14 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] Gu Jiao finally understood why the original soul and Gu Xiaoshun could get along so well. It turned out that these two people had the same level of IQ. Gu Jiao cooked pheasant stew with mushrooms. Although the pheasant meat tasted delicious, it was firmer than that of a poultry. She had to boil it in arge iron pot for two hours before it softened. She also made a tasty and refreshing wood ear sd and shredded white radish with sauce. Of course, the staple food was white rice and cornmeal pancakes baked on an iron pan. Although Xiao Ling only got the second spot tost, Gu Jiao still attached great importance to it. Hence, she killed the remaining pheasant to celebrate Xiao Ling¡¯s passing the exam. It was just that she didn¡¯t talk about it. "Call your brother-inw for dinner." She told Gu Xiaoshun as she picked up the baked pancake. "Aye!" Gu Xiaoshun went with jolting buttocks. Xiao Ling had just finished copying a book. After some outstanding examinees passed the imperial exams and became a Juren[1] or a Jinshi[2], their books and notes with their own annotations would be borrowed by book shops to copy it and sell it to other examinees. These kinds of books were more expensive than ordinary books, but there were still quite a few examinees who scrambled for them. Xiao Ling''s handwriting was very pleasing to the eye and the books he copied were best sellers. "Brother-inw! Dinner!" Gu Xiaoshun poked his small head through the gap in the door. Being thick-skinned was good. Clearly just a few days ago, he was still bullying people half to death, now he was so affectionate as such. Xiao Ling looked as cold as ever and didn''t show any surprise because of Gu Xiaoshun''s change of attitude. Of course, he also didn''t give Gu Xiaoshun a p in the face for being ignorant in the past. Gu Xiaoshun suddenly feltfortable getting along with his brother-inw. The three sat down to eat. Gu Xiaoshun started with a piece of mushroom. As far as he could remember, his sister wasn¡¯t someone who cooked, so this was his first time tasting his sister''s craftsmanship, and he didn¡¯t expect it would be so delicious! Next he picked up a piece of pheasant meat. Heavens! It was so delicious he could cry! Gu Jiao scooped up two big drumsticks, one for Xiao Ling and one for Gu Xiaoshun. The braised drumsticks were full of vor and very juicy. After taking one bite, Gu Xiaoshun felt like he was going to ascend to heaven. On the other hand, Gu Jiao saw that Xiao Ling was calm. But if Gu Jiao knew how much he used to eat before, she might not think so. The two young men quickly finished a bowl of rice, and Gu Xiaoshun went to get seconds. He caught sight of Xiao Ling''s empty bowl and said, "Brother-inw, I''ll fill your bowl too!" "En." Xiao Ling didn''t refuse. Whether it was his kindness or his call of brother-inw that he didn¡¯t refuse, no one knew. Gu Xiaoshun hurriedly went to fill another bowl of rice. It was the mostfortable meal Gu Xiaoshun had ever had. The food was delicious and the atmosphere at the table was good. Although neither his sister nor his brother-inw spoke, he did! Thus, all three of them had a good time! After dinner, Xiao Ling helped Gu Jiao wash the dishes and Gu Xiaoshun went to the back yard to chop wood. After entering the kitchen, Xiao Ling suddenly put a purse in Gu Jiao''s hand. Gu Jiao looked at him oddly. "For household expenses." He said. Xiao Ling gave Gu Jiao two taels of silver, which he had earned by copying books for more than a month. He only had about ten coppers left on him. However, he was almost finished copying the book at hand, and he should be able to take it to the town in two days to exchange for money. Gu Jiao raised her eyebrow, looked at the purse in her hand and epted it. After cleaning the kitchen, Gu Jiao intended to go to the well at the entrance of the vige to fetch water. But Gu Xiaoshun grabbed her shoulder and said, "Big sis, take a rest. I¡¯ll do this rough work!" Thereupon, he picked up the shoulder pole and left. Gu Jiao did not stop him either. At this time of the day, everyone in the vige was eating in their houses, and no one else woulde out to fetch water, so Gu Xiaoshun upied the ancient well by himself. While Gu Xiaoshun was drawing water, two mighty and majestic men galloped their horses to his direction and stopped beside him without saying a word. The two men dismounted their horses. Gu Xiaoshun felt a cold and murderous atmosphere from them. He was the small bully of the vige. At the moment, he could tell that the other party had been trained in martial arts. All the bullies in the surrounding viges were simply no match for either of them. ¡°Are you from this vige?" Asked one of the strong-looking men. "Er... Yes, what do you want?" "Gu Xiaoshun asked nkly. "We''re looking for someone!" The strong-looking man showed a broken umbre and asked fiercely, "Have you ever seen this umbre?" How could he have not seen it? That was his sister''s umbre! Gu Xiaoshun felt rmed. "You''ve seen it, haven''t you?¡± The strong-looking man narrowed his eyes dangerously. "I... I, I, I..." Gu Xiaoshun stammered badly. What did his sister do? Why did such terrifying peoplee to look for her? "Boy." The strong-looking man reached out hisrge and coarse hand and gently pressed Gu Xiaoshun''s shoulder, "I advise you to tell the truth, or I will ask someone else..." The man was so strong that he couldn¡¯t move half of his body! Gu Xiaoshun clenched his teeth and said, "It''s mine!" The strong-looking man was stunned. Then he exchanged a look with hispanion. The strong-looking man withdrew his hand and asked suspiciously, "This is your umbre? Are you sure?" In fact, Gu Xiaoshun''s legs already began to feel weak, but his mouth remained stubborn, "Of course! I''m sure about my own umbre! There¡¯s the character Xiao[3] engraved on the handle of the umbre. I carved it myself!" Thest part was true. Out of boredom, he carved his name into the handle of his sister''s umbre, but all he could write was the ¡®Xiao¡¯ part of his name. Naturally, the strong-looking men knew that there was a character carved on the handle of the umbre, so they believed most of his words. "So it was you who went to the back mountain that day?" "It''s me!¡± "You were the one who stepped on our Lord''s face?" "...It¡¯s me!" "Did you fix our Lord''s arm?" "... It¡¯s me!!! It¡¯s all me!" "You pricked his bottom with a needle too?" Gu Xiaoshun almost stumbled and fell down. Big sis, my dear big sister, what were you doing stabbing someone''s ass in your spare time? Gu Xiaoshun took a deep breath and closed his eyes, "Yes, yes, yes! I did it all! If you don''t believe me, just go and ask people, who else in this countryside besides Gu Xiaoshun could do such things?" Gu Xiaoshun thought that he was going to be beaten to death here today, but the imagined pain did note. When he opened his eyes carefully, he saw the two strong-looking men stepping back and bowing deeply to him. "Benefactor! We''ve found you atst!" Gu Xiaoshun, "..." ¡­¡­. "Big sis! Big sis!" Gu Xiaoshun ran into the kitchen like the reincarnation of the wind, "I think I¡¯m in trouble!" "Keep your voice down. Your brother-inw is studying." Gu Jiao gave him a shush gesture. With a gloomy face, Gu Xiaoshun told Gu Jiao exactly what happened at the entrance of the vige, "...What do we do now, big sis? What benefactor? Did they mistake me for someone?¡± "So it¡¯s like that." Remembering what happened on the mountain that day, Gu Jiao nodded thoughtfully, "Did you ask who they were?" Gu Xiaoshun hung down his small head and answered, "I forgot to ask." "Have they gone yet?" Gu Jiao asked. "Not yet." Gu Xiaoshun wept. Gu Jiao put down the broom in her hand and said, "Alright, wait for me here." "Don''t go!" Gu Xiaoshun held her back. "It¡¯s all right." Gu Jiao smiled and went to the entrance of the vige. Gu Xiaoshun did not know what his sister said to the two men, in any case, they obediently left. At dawn of the following day, a carriage entered the vige and stopped outside the gate of the Gu Family. A refined-looking, middle-aged man stepped out of the carriage. Zhou shi and Gu Yue''e got up early. Gu Yue''e carried a basket on her back and headed for the field to gather some pigweeds. When she opened the gate, she saw a middle-aged man who was about to knock at their gate and a big carriage behind him. Gu Yue''e had never seen someone of such stature before and was shocked. The middle-aged man said in an amicable manner, "Excuse me, is this the home of Vige Chief Gu?" Gu Yue''e quickly turned around and ran into the house, "...Mom, Mom! Somebody wants to see Grandfather!" The one who came out was Gu Changhai. Gu Changhai, as the eldest son of Old Mister Gu, asionally followed Old Mister Gu to work at the Yamen, so he was more knowledgeable than most people in the vige. At a nce, he could tell that the other party had a great background. Gu Changhai politely said, "My father is cleaning himself up. You are..." The middle-aged man cupped his hands together and smilingly said, "I¡¯m a steward of Tianxiang Academy. I¡¯vee here today to deliver the admission documents to Young Gentleman Gu." Weren¡¯t the students supposed to go to the town and get their admission documents by themselves? Moreover, it was still possible to trouble someone from the academy to deliver it in person? Was it because Dashun did too well in the exam? Gu Changhai felt his back straightened even more. He proudly rushed into Gu Dashun¡¯s room and said, "Dashun, the academy has delivered your admission documents!" 1. ¡ü ¡ª ¾ÙÈË| j¨³r¨¦n: Sessful examinees in the provincial-level imperial exam; a title/degree obtained after passing the provincial-level imperial exam. 2. ¡ü ¡ª ½øÊ¿| j¨¬nsh¨¬: Sessful examinees in the highest level imperial exam(pce examinations); highest academic title/degree in Imperial China. 3. ¡ü ¡ª Not the word ¡®Xiao¡¯ but the character for it. Xiao in simplified chinese is ¡®Ð¡¡¯ meaning small/little. But apparently, the characters of this world are different from normal Chinese characters(ording to future chapters). Click me if you want to read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 10 advance chapter parts/whole in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 2Chapter 15 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] Gu Dashun could read books so well, in addition to being really smart, it was also because he was diligent. Today, he had gotten up earlier than Zhou shi and Gu Yue''e and was studying in his room at the moment. When he heard his father call him, he put down the book in his hand and came out. He asked, ¡°Dad, what¡¯s the matter?¡± As soon as his voice dropped, he saw the middle-aged man outside the gate. He vaguely recognized the man¡¯s face, but he could not remember where he had seen him. What was certain was that the other party¡¯s outfit and bearing were out of the ordinary. It simply made people wonder why he came to their house. "Dad, what did you say just now? I was studying and didn''t hear you clearly." He turned to Gu Changhai and asked. Gu Changhai pointed to the middle-aged man and smiled, "This is the steward of Tianxiang Academy. He hase to deliver your admission documents!" "Admission documents?" Gu Dashun had the same doubt as Gu Changhai. The academy had informed them that after the exam, the results would be posted on the third day, and the admission documents would be issued on the seventh day. They could get it by going to the east gate of the academy. There were still three more days before the seventh day, so howe his admission documents were already issued out? Moreover, it was even delivered to his home. By now, the middle-aged man also understood something. He smiled and said, "It turns out that there is another examinee in your house. But I¡¯m afraid Mister Gu must have misunderstood me. The documents in my hands are not for this examinee, but for a different Young Gentleman Gu." Gu Changhai said curiously, "Dashun is the only examinee in our family." The middle-aged man maintained a decent smile on his face, "I didn¡¯t speak clear enough just now. May I ask, is Young Gentleman Gu Xiaoshun here?" The pair of father and son were stunned. It took Gu Changhai a while to find his voice again, "You... Are you mistaken? Gu Xiaoshun didn''t take the exam." Gu Xiaoshun was such a naughty boy! A rascal! He would never take an exam in his eight lifetimes! And even if he took it, it was also impossible for him to pass the exam! The middle-aged man smiled and said, "I''m not mistaken. It''s Gu Xiaoshun indeed. My Lord personally rmended him. He can enter the academy even if he didn¡¯t take the entrance examination.¡± Gu Changlu heard his son''s name as soon as he stepped out of his room. He rushed up and said, "What¡¯s the matter with Xiaoshun? Did he get into some kind of trouble again? Rascal! I''m going to beat him!" Gu Changlu had just gotten up from bed and still had an unkempt appearance. Even so, the middle-aged man''s smile didn¡¯t change at all, "My Lord went up the mountain and identally copsed on his way back. Fortunately, Young Gentleman Gu found and rescued him. Well then, this matter is settled. I¡¯d be troubling the two Misters to hand over these admission documents to Young Gentleman Gu and tell him to enter the academy in four days." "Our family can''t afford to pay for two students!" Gu Changhai suddenly spoke. Gu Changlu was still in a fog and didn''t quite understand what was going on. The middle-aged man looked at Gu Dashun and then at Gu Changhai. This time, there wasn¡¯t a trace of smile within his eyes, "It is written on the documents that there is no need for tuition payments. In addition, books and academy uniforms have also been prepared. Please hand them over to Young Gentleman Gu." His father and uncle didn¡¯t notice it, but Gu Dashun noticed that the other party addressed him as "this examinee" while he addressed Gu Xiaoshun as Young Gentleman Gu. What was more, he came second in the exam but the other party didn''t even know this was his home. Gu Dashun''s expression looked bad. He wanted to ask the other party and his Lord¡¯s identity, but as soon as the middle-aged man handed Gu Changlu a mahogany brocade box, he directly got into the carriage and left. Finally, Gu Changlu somewhat understood things at this moment, "Big brother, that man... Does he mean Xiaoshun... Can attend the academy?" The whole family learned about this matter at breakfast. "When did you go up the mountain? Who did you save? Why didn''t you tell your family?" Liu shi asked a series of questions. "I... How should I know him? It¡¯s... It¡¯s just natural to save people." His sister forbade him to tell others the truth, so he could only carry this pot[1]. But he did not expect the result would be like this. How did he end up having to go to school? "Ahem! Since we don¡¯t have to pay for anything, just let Xiaoshun go. That¡¯s better than letting him get into trouble outside all day." Gu Changlu said. ¡°Who will do the field work when he''s gone?¡± Zhou shi was dissatisfied. Not having to pay for anything was good and all, but then, they would be left with only a few people to work in the field. In the end, they would be the ones to get tired. Gu Dashun looked at Zhou shi and said, "Mom, it''s good to have many schrs in the family. After sses in the academy end, I can help in the field." "How can I let you do that?" Zhou shi disagreed. Her son was born to study, not to plough crops in the field! Liu shi wasn¡¯t pleased to hear this at all. Zhou shi was acting as if her son was a nobleman, then were her own sons lowly? But Gu Xiaoshun was indeed a worthless student. If it was Ershun being obstructed from going to the academy instead, then Liu Shi would talk back to her. "It¡¯s just... Xiaoshun has to change his temper or at least sit still like Ershun." Gu Dashun spoke again. Everyone unanimously agreed to what he said in their hearts. Correct, with Gu Xiaoshun''s awful performance, would he be able to attend sses obediently? If in case he offended the teacher, Gu Dashun would also be implicated. "What about... Let Ershun go instead?" Liu shi asked. Ershun was smarter than Xiaoshun and more disciplined than Xiaoshun. If they let him attend the academy to learn, he might be able to pass the exam to be a Xiucai! In fact, Zhou shi still disagreed. She thought Ershun only looked studious on the surface. In reality, when Dashun gave him lectures several times, he didn''t learn them at all. He was simply not fit for studying, but Liu shi was indulged in her fantasy. She always dreamt of being a mother of a Xiucai and thus put all her hope on Ershun. It was just, several men in the family didn''t object this time, so Zhou shi didn''t say anything either. Throughout the whole process, no one asked Gu Xiaoshun''s opinion. ¡­¡­. Three dayster, Xiao Ling and Gu Dashun went to get their admission documents and academy uniforms respectively. Books were prepared by themselves. Gu Xiaoshun knew Xiao Ling didn''t have them, so he intended to give him the books provided to him. However, they were now in Gu Ershun''s hands. Gu Jiao, carrying the basket on her back, sent Xiao Ling to the town, and as usual, she escorted people to the academy first before going to the market on foot. The next day, Xiao Ling changed into his brand new uniform. Gu Jiao had already seen others wearing the same uniform before, including Feng Lin, but no one was like Xiao Ling, who looked especially tall and picturesque in the snow-white attire. Indeed, the young man was so dashing that he was unrivaled in the whole world[2]. After a while, Gu Jiao''s gazended on his feet. Discovering that he was wearing the new shoes she bought for him, the corners of Gu Jiao¡¯s lips curved up. "Does it fit?" Gu Jiao asked. "En." Xiao Ling nodded faintly. Gu Jiao handed him the crutch and went out the door with him. When they arrived at the entrance of the vige, Second Uncle Luo''s oxcart was already waiting there. Not many people nned to go to town today. In fact, except for her and Xiao Ling, only Gu Dashun and Gu Ershun were there. The two of them were also wearing the academy uniform. To be honest, the members of the Gu Family were not bad-looking. Gu Dashun was even better looking than most of the men in town, but when he was ced next to Xiao Ling, he was instantly defeated. After all, if Xiao Ling stayed still, he could even be mistaken for a painting. His whole body simply exuded an elegant and schrly atmosphere. The matter of Gu Xiaoshun saving someone from the academy was known to the whole family. Gu Jiao talked to Xiao Ling about it, so they both knew that the person to go to the academy today should be Gu Xiaoshun. However, the two people didn¡¯t show much surprise when they saw Gu Ershun, who was dressed in a uniform that was obviously one size smaller than him, appeared on the oxcart, as if they had expected the Gu Family to do such a shameful thing. Gu Jiao sneered. Xiao Ling gently put his bundle to one side and found that Gu Jiao had stuffed him with copper coins again, this time twenty. "Humph!" Gu Ershun gave them both an eye roll. The oxcart soon arrived near the academy. "Stop right here. We''ll walk there by ourselves." Gu Dashun said. Meanwhile, Xiao Ling and Gu Jiao sat all the way to the gate of the academy. After Xiao Ling entered the academy, Gu Jiao went to the market with the basket on her back. 1. ¡ü ¡ª ¹ø|gu¨­: ''pot'' usually refers to fault or me. Possibly came from the idiom ''±³ºÚ¹ø'' which means to take the me for others, to be other¡¯s scapegoat. But in this context, the pot doesn¡¯t necessarily mean a bad thing. Rather than me, it''s more like credit. 2. ¡ü ¡ª Gu Jiao was quoting a verse from a Chinese poem. Click me if you want to read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 10 advance chapter parts/whole in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 0Chapter 16 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] The examinees that were admitted this time were divided into four sses. ording to the ranking from high to low, the sses were: Heaven ss A, Heaven ss B, Earth ss A and Earth ss B. Gu Dashun got the second ce in the exam and of course entered the Heaven ss A. On the other hand, Xiao Ling got the second ce to thest and entered the Earth ss B. As for Gu Xiaoshun, he was also assigned to Earth ss B. Originally, Gu Dashun thought Gu Xiaoshun saved a big shot, but in the end, he could only get people into the worst ss. It seemed that the other party wasn¡¯t much of a big deal in Tianxiang Academy. "That''s the Earth ss B. Go ahead." After showing Gu Ershun the way, Gu Dashun turned around and made his way to the Heaven ss A. Since childhood, Gu Ershun had always dreamt of going to school like Dashun. Now that he finally got his wish, he felt very ted. However, he was a little displeased to think that he and Xiao Ling were in the same ss. Although he didn''t know much about the meaning of ¡°Heaven ss A¡± or ¡°Earth ss B¡±, Xiao Ling was the second to thest in the rankings. What kind of ss could he go to? Later, he must go find that Lord that Gu Xiaoshun saved and ask him to transfer him to Gu Dashun''s ss! Gu Ershun naturally thought that there wasn¡¯t anything wrong with this idea. He nced contemptuously at the students present, then raised his chin and was about to go in. Suddenly, the teacher in the ssroom said, "Who are you?" Gu Ershun answered, "I''m a new student, Gu Ershun." The teacher stopped looking at him upon hearing his answer and said indifferently, "Where did youe from to sneak into this ss? This ss has no such person. Get out of here." Gu Ershun was stunned. All the students focused their eyes on him so that Gu Ershun flushed with embarrassment, "I... I am..." "Has Gu Xiaoshun arrived yet?" The teacher interrupted him. The ssroom was quiet. "Has Gu Xiaoshun arrived yet?" "The teacher asked again. The students began to whisper to each other. Gu Xiaoshun, Gu Ershun. It was clear what the rtionship between the two was, and yet the teacher didn¡¯t even ask him... The students continued to mutter between themselves, and the way they looked at Gu Ershun became even more thought-provoking Utterly embarrassed, Gu Ershun went to find Gu Dashun, expecting Gu Dashun to solve this problem for him, but unexpectedly, ss A had already started. Gu Ershun had nowhere to go. He was so embarrassed that he wanted to find a hole in the ground to crawl into. When sses ended, Gu Dashun was called out by the teacher of his own ss. "Teacher Chen." Gu Dashun saluted respectfully. Teacher Chen thought for a moment before he asked him, "You know about your brother¡¯s admission to the academy, right?" Gu Dashun nodded his head, "I know that a steward of the academy personally sent my brother''s admission documents to the vige. May I ask¡­ Is there something wrong?" Teacher Chen frowned and said, "The one who was admitted was Gu Xiaoshun, but the one who came was Gu Ershun. Did you know?¡± As soon as Gu Dashun saw Teacher Chen''s expression, he knew something went wrong. His eyes shed with meaning and he looked down, "I didn¡¯t know. I left home first. Those two are my younger brothers from Second Uncle¡¯s family." [T/N: This might bete but, in ancient China, cousins of the same surnames were more like brothers and sisters especially when you all live in the same residence.] "I see. Go back to ss first." Teacher Chen said. "Teacher, my younger brother..." Gu Dashun looked at Teacher Chen with an uneasy look on his face. Teacher Chen waved his hand and said, "It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s the business of your Second Uncle''s family and has nothing to do with you. You can go back to ss now. Right, you did well in the exam and the Dean is very optimistic about you." Gu Dashun went back to ss. He looked at the direction of the hallway. Gu Ershun was too stupid, he should not have said anything. ¡­... After going to the market, Gu Jiao went straight to the former stall. Everyone seemed to know that she was going to sell mountain goods here, so they had reserved this spot for her early. Gu Jiao brought freshly picked mushrooms and dried ck wood ears. "Is this edible? Is it not poisonous?" Asked the auntie who sold sweet potatoes as she pinched a piece of ck wood ears. "Goods that I sell are edible." Gu Jiao replied. After being exposed to the sun and dried up, ck wood ears had already lost their tannin and porphyrin and would not cause any toxic reactions. The aunt who sold sweet potatoes believed her and asked, "Can I still exchange sweet potatoes with you?" Gu Jiao nodded, "En." Most of the ck wood ears and mushrooms in the basket had been traded for cheap goods by the vendors nearby. Only the remaining small portion was really sold to passers-by. Gu Jiao grabbed the back basket with one hand. The basket had radishes, sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkin and everything else you could think of, and yet such a heavy basket was easily carried by her. The crowd watched dumbfounded as she walked out of the market. Gu Jiao didn¡¯t return to the vige, but rather went to a dusty alley. Xue Ningxiang also came to the market today. Her mother-inw¡¯s chronic rheumatism in the leg had acted up again. She couldn¡¯t afford to go to the town physician, so she had to go to the market to buy some medicinal herbs from a travelling physician. After she bought the medicinal herbs, she identally caught a glimpse of a familiar figure on her way home. She looked intently at the other party and made sure that she had seen it correctly. Her doubts grew. "Why is she here? Why is she going to such a ce?" Behind that alley wasn¡¯t a good ce to go. As far as Xue Ningxiang knew, there were gambling houses, brothels and shady workshops there... Xue Ningxiang couldn''t figure out what Gu Jiao was doing there. Had she been cheated or... Xue Ningxiang frowned and quickly followed. However, as soon as she passed through the alley, Gu Jiao disappeared. Opposite her was a big gambling house, and on the left was a brothel. She didn¡¯t know what the building on the right side was, however, mournful and shrill screams could be heard from there from time to time. Some people with a bloody nose and a swollen face had even been thrown out, then they vomited blood and fell to the ground, unable to get up again. Xue Ningxiang was so frightened that she quickly turned around to go back, but then she was blocked in the alley by several hooligans. "Yo, where did this littledye from? Really pretty, ah!" "Exactly! Why don¡¯t you apany these several big brothers to have fun?" As the two men at the front talked, they stretched out their wandering hands toward Xue Ningxiang at the same time. Although the other two behind didn¡¯t move, they also let out a lewdughter. The four of them swarmed around her so that she couldn¡¯t escape. Xue Ningxiang tried to scream for help, but one of the men covered her mouth. Apparently, this wasn¡¯t the first time the four of them had done this kind of thing as they worked perfectly together. One person covered her mouth while the other two lifted her up, and then all of them began to touch her evilly. Xue Ningxiang was unable to scream and unable to move. Tears of despair welled up in her eyes! Just then, a cold voice came from behind several people, "Hey, get out of the way." Several men were having fun when they suddenly heard a woman''s voice. They were secretly delighted. Someone had delivered herself to their door again? But when they looked around, they saw a little girl with a red patch on her face. Forget that her face was ugly, but even her body was thin and had yet to develop well. Several people suddenly lost interest in pressing her down. The man covering Xue Ningxiang¡¯s mouth shouted, "Get lost child!" "I said, get out of the way." Her voice was soft and her tone had a trace of indifference, but somehow a strange chill filled everyone''s hearts upon hearing it. "Ha." The same man covering Xue Ningxiang''s mouth sneered disdainfully. Then she let go of Xue Ningxiang and walked towards Gu Jiao. He threw a punch at Gu Jiao! Xue Ningxiang couldn¡¯t bear to look directly at the scene and closed her eyes! Kacha! "Ah¡ª¡ª" The sound of a bone breaking and a miserable scream startled everyone. Without giving anyone a chance to react, Gu Jiao grabbed the cor of the next man and mmed him against the wall, knocking him unconscious on the spot. The other two rushed at her, but they didn¡¯t even touch a piece of her clothes when their vital part was kicked in session by her. The next moment, they were lying on the ground, unable to get up. At that moment, the first man who had fallen to the ground suddenly got up and swung a brick towards the back of Gu Jiao¡¯s head. Click me if you want to read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 10 advance chapter parts/whole in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 2Chapter 17 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] "Ah¡ª¡ª" Xue Ningxiang screamed in rm. Gu Jiao turned around and kicked the man away. Xue Ningxiang was dumbfounded. She simply had no idea how Gu Jiao did it! After beating people up, Gu Jiao left with the basket on her back without sparing Xue Ningxiang a single nce, which made people think that she really made a move only because these shameless people blocked her way. Xue Ningxiang recovered from the great stupor and stood up trembling, "You... Hold on!" Gu Jiao kept going. Xue Ningxiang wanted to chase her, but her clothes had been torn up by those men. If she were to walk out of the alley, people would see her naked. She was so anxious that she burst into tears. Gu Jiao''s steps halted. She irritably pushed her hair behind her ear, took out her cotton-padded overcoat from the back basket and threw it at Xue Ningxiang. Xue Ningxiang was startled. She looked at the overcoat, and then at Gu Jiao. She asked, "You... Don¡¯t you feel cold?" "Give it back if you¡¯re not going to wear it." Gu Jiao held out her hand. "I¡¯ll wear it! I¡¯ll wear it!" Xue Ningxiang quickly put on the overcoat without another word. Gu Jiao''s overcoat was a little thin, especially in the chest area, which flustered Xue Ningxiang a bit. After she put on the coat, Xue Ningxiang bent down and picked up the medicinal herbs that had fallen to the ground. Then she told Gu Jiao in a soft voice, "Thank you just now." She really didn''t expect to encounter such a thing, much less Gu Jiao rescuing her. Her mood was somewhatplicated, but no matter what, her gratitude came from the bottom of her heart. At this moment, she became certain that Gu Jiao was different from before. "You... Are you not a fool anymore?" She asked carefully. Gu Jiao didn''t answer her. "No, you¡¯re still a fool..." Otherwise, why would she save her when she used to bully her? Gu Jiao, ¡°¡­¡± Suddenly, Xue Ningxiang saw the blood dripping from Gu Jiao''s left hand, "You¡¯re hurt!" Gu Jiao said faintly, "It''s not my blood." She wasn¡¯t lying, it wasn''t hers. However, not knowing what was on her mind, she still wiped the blood off with a handkerchief. Xue Ningxiang turned her head to look at the four scoundrels who were lying on the ground, and then thought to herself: Those four didn''t bleed, so where did this girl get the blood on her hand? What on earth did she do before this? The two of them got out of the alley. Gu Jiao looked at the sky. Suddenly, Xue Ningxiang grabbed her sleeve and looked at her pitifully, "I... Can I go back to the vige with you?" Gu Jiao''s eyebrows frowned slightly. She wasn¡¯t going back to the vige yet. Xue Ningxiang thought it was reasonable for Gu Jiao to refuse. After all, her rtionship with Gu Jiao wasn¡¯t good. As a fellow viger, she had already done her utmost to save her. There was really no need for her to bring her back to the vige. Xue Ningxiang withdrew her hand in silence. Gu Jiao said faintly, "I still have to go to the academy." Xue Ningxiang''s eyes lit up. She raised her head and asked, "Can Ie with you?" Gu Jiao didn''t say a word and merely walked towards the east side of the town. Xue Ningxiang tentatively took two steps, attempting to follow her, and when she saw that Gu Jiao didn''t drive her away, she happily caught up to her. Xue Ningxiang was practicing foot binding[1]. Women with bound feet tended to walk slowly. Gu Jiao scratched her little head irritably, but she would still stop and wait for her from time to time. When they arrived at the academy, sses were already over. Xiao Ling carried a bookbag as he came out and caught a glimpse of Gu Jiao at the entrance of the opposite alley. He froze for a moment. With his usual expression, he walked over to her and said, "Were you nearby today?" "En." Gu Jiao responded vaguely. Xue Ningxiang was dumbfounded. From the market to here, there was at least seven or eight Li of distance. This, this, this... This could still be called nearby? Xiao Ling finally noticed Xue Ningxiang beside Gu Jiao at this moment. A trace of surprise flitted through his eyes. He tried to rack his brain but still couldn¡¯t figure out how the two people ended up together. Moreover, Xue Ningxiang was even wearing Gu Jiao''s clothes. Second Uncle Luo''s oxcart had been waiting in the alley. He had been asked this morning to pick up Xiao Ling at the period of youshi[2]. The three people got on the cart and Gu Jiao was sitting between the two people. Xue Ningxiang used to have a good impression of Xiao Ling, but she just went through that terrible thing and her heart still had some lingering fear towards men, so much so that she didn¡¯t even say a word of greeting to Xiao Ling. Xiao Ling didn''t care about Xue Ningxiang''s attitude towards him either. He just thought she was a bit strange, but he didn''t ask. Gu Jiao''s cotton-padded overcoat was given to Xue Ningxiang, so she only had a thin undercoat on her body. It was still alright when you were hurrying on your way, but once you sat down, it was somewhat cold. Xiao Ling looked down at his academy uniform and couldn¡¯t help but feel hesitant. Give it to her, but their rtionship didn¡¯t seem that good; Don''t give it to her, but then she would freeze in this cold. In the midst of his hesitation, he saw Xue Ningxiang leaning weakly against Gu Jiao, giving Gu Jiao her body warmth. Xiao Ling, ¡°¡­¡± After the oxcart passed through the alley, they saw Gu Dashun waiting there. Gu Ershun had been "kicked out" and already returned home, so Gu Dashun was the only one waiting for the oxcart. Gu Dashun ignored Xue Ningxiang who was also on the cart and only looked at the calm-looking Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling. When he thought that they also had this same calm appearance in the morning, he suddenly realized that they might have guessed this result from the beginning. But they didn''t say anything and just watched Gu Ershun get kicked out. Even he himself was almost suspected by his teacher. Whose idea was it? Xiao Ling''s? Or was it this little fool? As the breeze blew, Gu Jiao gently brushed aside the hair on her face without the slightest concern that the birthmark on her face was exposed. This kind of Gu Jiao was something Gu Dashun had never seen before. No, he had actually seen it before. On the morning of the exam, when she pulled him off the oxcart. At that time, she was also like this, rxed and indifferent. It was just that he was so angry that day that he didn''t have the mind to pay attention. What exactly happened to this little fool? Howe she suddenly changed her temper, suddenly stoppeding to the Gu Family for meals, and suddenly had a good rtionship with Xiao Ling? "Are you thirsty?" Xue Ningxiang untied the water bag around her waist and handed it to Gu Jiao. Even the widow Xue, who never got along with her before, became her friend now? Gu Dashun frowned deeply. When the oxcart arrived in the vige, Gu Dashun jumped off the oxcart first. Gu Jiao didn''tpete with him. She remained sitting on the cart while looking at him with a faint smile, then she said, "Remember to send Xiaoshun to the academy tomorrow." Gu Dashun clenched his fist. ¡­... After returning home, Gu Jiao felt especially cold today and her hands and feet were freezing. At night, her period arrived. People in the countryside werecking in nourishment, and many would start having their periodte. This body was already fourteen years old, but this was only her first time having a period. She didn''t know if falling into the water some time ago still had some effect on her, but she felt a heavy chill right now. Furthemore, the wind was blowing hard again today, making the pain in her stomach terrible. In fact, after being in the organization for many years, she had long been used to all kinds of pain, but she was simply unable to tolerate this kind of abdominal pain during the physiological period. Xue Ningxiang dropped by to return Gu Jiao''s clothes. As soon as she entered the room, she found Gu Jiao sitting in a chair with a pale face and immediately asked, "What''s wrong with you?" "Nothing." Gu Jiao replied faintly. A woman who could beat four men with one punch during the day was now too weak to even stand up. How could it be nothing? Xue Ningxiang looked at her hands covering her stomach and eximed, "Your period has arrived?" Gu Jiao didn''t even have the strength to talk to her. Hearing the noise in this room, Xiao Ling came over and asked, "What''s the matter?" Gu Jiao didn''t speak, but Xue Ningxiang said, "Her period hase, and she¡¯s in great pain. Do you have brown sugar at home? Boil a bowl of it and let her drink it." Xiao Ling suddenly froze. Xue Ningxiang didn''t think so much. She thought that both of them had been married for half a year now, so they must have consummated their marriage long ago. Therefore, talking about this kind of thing shouldn¡¯t be a big deal. 1. ¡ü ¡ª Foot binding was the Chinese custom of breaking and tightly binding the feet of young girls in order to change the shape and size of their feet; during the time it was practiced, bound feet were considered a status symbol and a mark of beauty. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot_binding)2. ¡ü ¡ª 5-7 pm (in the system of two-hour subdivisions used in former times) Click me if you want to read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 10 advance chapter parts/whole in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 2Chapter 18 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] Xiao Ling went out awkwardly. They had no brown sugar at home, and the market was already closed at thiste hour. If they wanted brown sugar, they could only borrow it from someone else''s home. Xiao Ling never asked anything from anyone, let alone the brown sugar that women drink when it was their time of the month. He stood under the eaves, his cheeks burning a little. After taking a few deep breaths, he stepped forward and went to the east end of the vige. "Aunt Zhang." He knocked at the door of the Zhang Family. When Aunt Zhang opened the door and saw it was him, she smiled and asked, "It''s Ling. What''s the matter for you toe here sote?" "I... Came to borrow some brown sugar." Xiao Ling feigned calmness and replied. In the countryside, brown sugar was a rare thing, and most families didn¡¯t have it at home. Aunt Zhang''s daughter-inw had just given birth to a baby and was in the middle of her confinement[1]. Xiao Ling had heard before that she asked Second Uncle Luo to go to the market to buy her brown sugar. "What are you going to do with brown sugar? Is Gu girl pregnant?" Aunt Zhang asked. Xiao Ling''s cheeks were burning again, "No, she¡¯s not!" "Ah, then her period must¡¯ve arrived. Oh? Is it her first time?" Aunt Zhang was an experienced person. One nce at his appearance and she already knew what was going on. She didn¡¯t expect that Ling was also a very thoughtful one. Aunt Zhang went back to the house to get a bowl of brown sugar for him and then teased, "It¡¯s a joyful event for a woman to finally have their time of the month. It means that she would birth a baby for you soon!" Xiao Ling simply had no idea how he left there. When he brought the boiled brown sugar water to Gu Jiao''s room, Xue Ningxiang had already gone back, and Gu Jiao was lying sideways on the bed, looking a little weak. He entered the room without ncing sideways and put the brown sugar water on the table, "Drink this first, then call me if it''s not enough." He said, then turned around and left. Although he walked very fast, the sharp-eyed Gu Jiao noticed that his ears were red. Gu Jiao chuckled and drank every drop of brown sugar water in the bowl. She didn''t expect the brown sugar water to be really effective. Her body warmed up, and her whole person feltfortable. It didn¡¯t take long before she fell asleep. That night, she dreamed again. She dreamed that she got upte the next day. Xiao Ling went out alone and met Gu Xiaoshun at the entrance of the vige. The two people went to the academy together and entered the same ss. Gu Xiaoshun was always a person who feared nothing, and thus, he slept through the whole morning ss, which gave people a very bad impression. When they were assigning dormitory rooms, no one wanted to live with him, only Xiao Ling came forward. The two of them were assigned to the westernmost dormitory room, which was in disrepair. As soon as they entered, the roof copsed, causing Xiao Ling to be seriously injured and Gu Xiaoshun slightly injured. The next day, Gu Jiao really got upte. Because she already experienced such a foreseeing dreamst time, Gu Jiao was much calmer this time. Xiao Ling was no longer at home. He should have already gone to the academy. Second Uncle Luo''s oxcart went to town so she had no choice but to head there on foot. When she arrived at the academy, it was already noon. Gu Xiaoshun slept on the table until the student in front of him poked him with a brush and said, "Hey, it''s time for lunch!" Gu Xiaoshun simply rubbed his eyes, sat up and said, "Ah, it¡¯s already time to eat?" The students around him looked at the folds on his cheeks from being pressed against the book, and they all sniggered. Who in the ss didn''t know that Gu Xiaoshun had some connections with someone in the academy and came in through the back door? Nevertheless, they still didn¡¯t expect this guy to be aplete good-for-nothing. Even they, who were in the worst ss of Tianxiang Academy, had never been such a cker before. Everyone looked at Gu Xiaoshun with a hint of disapproval. Just then, Teacher Zhang of their ss came over. Teacher Zhang said, "Today, we''re going to assign your dormitory rooms. Four people will share one room. You can discuss it yourself and thene to me to get the keys to your rooms." There were 26 people in Earth ss B, which meant that there were two people that would share one room. Everyone soon formed their groups. Xiao Ling''s deskmate, who was already with his two childhood friends, asked Xiao Ling to join them. Gu Xiaoshun, on the other hand, was down on his luck. No one wanted to live in the same room as him, thus he seeded to be alone. There was also a student who took a leave yesterday and only entered the academy today. Because he didn¡¯t know everyone, he was also left out. But apparently, this student also disliked Gu Xiaoshun. He said, "I... I don''t want to share a room with him!" "Humph! Then I will live by myself!" Gu Xiaoshun crossed his arms over his chest and looked to the sky. Of course, he couldn¡¯t live by himself. Was the other student supposed to sleep on the wall then? Xiao Ling said faintly, "I will change ces with you." The student was moved to tears and thanked him several times, he was just this short from calling XIao Ling ¡®Father¡¯. Gu Xiaoshun prattled, "Brother-inw, you don''t have to live with me! It''s not that I don''t want to live with you, I just think... " Xiao Ling took the key from Teacher Zhang and left with a straight face. Gu Xiaoshun smacked his lips and reluctantly followed. All the good rooms had been picked out, and the remaining one was the farthest end room. The two people walked forward with their baggage. Just halfway through, a small boy servant ran over with his brows beaded with sweat and said, "Which one of you is Xiao Ling?" Xiao Ling stopped, turned around and said to him, "I am." The boy servant said while gasping, "Your family is here! She¡¯s waiting for you outside and said it''s urgent! She wants you to see her at once!" Xiao Ling was an orphan. The only one who could be called his family was her. Xiao Ling paused and said to Gu Xiaoshun, "It''s your sister." "My big sis is here?" As soon as Gu Xiaoshun heard that Gu Jiao was here, he was in high spirits. He said, "What are you waiting for? Hurry and let¡¯s see my big sis!" As a matter of fact, they were only a few steps away from their room, so it wasn¡¯t impossible to put in their things first before they went to see her. But she said it was urgent. Xiao Ling quickened his pace. With his baggage and his crutch, he went to the academy gate with Gu Xiaoshun. The streets were crowded with peopleing and going. As usual, Gu Jiao was wearing inconspicuous clothes, but Xiao Ling was able to recognize her at a nce. She stood in the cold wind, so that her little face was a bit reddened by the cold. And perhaps she didn¡¯t like the noise, her eyebrows would slightly frown from time to time. "Big sis! Big sis!" Gu Xiaoshun ran excitedly towards Gu Jiao. Gu Jiao nced at him and soon shifted her gaze to see Xiao Ling behind the crowd. Xiao Ling happened to be looking at her as well. Their four eyes met. Xiao Ling was a bit startled while Gu Jiao simply smiled. Xiao Ling¡¯s gaze staggered and then he walked towards her. "Big sis, why are you looking for us? What happened?" Gu Xiaoshun asked. "Oh, it¡¯s nothing." Gu Jiao said softly, "I was looking for you so we can have lunch together." After that, she saw Xiao Ling looking at her skeptically. She fixed Gu Xiaoshun''s cor and said solemnly, "It¡¯s your first day attending the academy, it¡¯s hard not to be worried about you." Soon, they went to a nearby noodle restaurant and ordered three bowls of in noodle soup. It was the same restaurant where Feng Lin took Xiao Ling and Gu Jiao to eatst time. Xiao Ling didn¡¯t eat very well. Gu Jiao said, "Aren¡¯t these noodles the same from your hometown? You don''t like it?" "It''s not as good as your cooking." This sentence was blurted out subconsciously. The moment Xiao Ling said it, he froze. Gu Jiao was also stunned for a bit, then she looked at him with her chin on her hand and said smilingly, "Alright, I will cook dinner for you." Gu Xiaoshun had a big appetite. After he finished eating one bowl, he wanted to eat another, but somehow, he suddenly felt full. "Howe I¡¯m suddenly full?" ***** Puppy: Maybe because you¡¯ve eaten my food!!! [T/N: This part is the author¡¯s joke. There¡¯s a Chinese inte ng that says ¡®being fed with dog food¡¯ which means being exposed to a couple''s public disy of affections.] 1. ¡ü ¡ª Also known as "sitting the month" in China, the period when women stay indoor after giving birth for recuperation and for feeding the baby. Click me if you want to read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 10 advance chapter parts/whole in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 2Chapter 19 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] After they had their lunch, Xiao Ling and Gu Xiaoshun returned to the academy, only to be told that their dormitory room had copsed. "When did it copse?" Xiao Ling asked. The student replied, "It copsed shortly after you left. Many people saw you on your way to your room and were worried that you had been buried inside." We were on our way, but ... Xiao Ling¡¯s expression had a slight pause. Gu Xiaoshun ran to look at the copsed room, only to see the ground filled with rubble all over, and the floor cracked by the fallen roof beam. Thinking about what would happen if this thing hit a person''s head, he was so scared that he patted his chest, "Fortunately, my big sis came to have lunch with us! Otherwise, we both have to be buried alive!" Including that time at the medical hall, this was the second time. Every time, Xiao Ling avoided an unexpected disaster because of her. Xiao Ling looked at the direction where Gu Jiao left, revealing a thoughtful look. Tianxiang Academy''s dormitories had always been rather packed. This time, there were as many as 100 students that had been admitted, and this was the first time they had thisrge number of enrollees. Therefore, there was really no spare dormitory in the academy, and they could only let the two people continue attending the academy while living outside. As the amodation fee was included in the tuition payments, generally, it wouldn¡¯t be refunded if the student chose not to live in the academy. However, considering that this wasn¡¯t the student''s choice, the academy took the initiative to bear the daily fare for Xiao Ling and Gu Xiaoshun. Gu Xiaoshun simply didn¡¯t care. He didn¡¯t like the Gu Family, but he didn¡¯t necessarily like the academy either. To him, it was the same everywhere. "Brother-inw, are you very happy?" On the way back to their ssroom, Gu Xiaoshun whispered to Xiao Ling. "Why would I be happy?" Xiao Ling asked. "You can go back and continue to sleep with my big sis!" Gu Xiaoshun was someone who talked without thinking. He was thirteen years old. To say he wasn¡¯t aware of these things wasn¡¯t true, but it was also false to say he understood it very well. In his view, a man would always want to sleep with his wife in his arms, but he didn¡¯t know what else they would do after embracing each other. Therefore, he was not ashamed when he said this. Xiao Ling choked up and said, "Don''t talk nonsense." "Oh." He didn''t talk nonsense. Brother-inw could really go back and sleep with his sisterter! Two people entered their ssroom together. The afternoon subject was mathematics. In fact, the imperial civil examination didn¡¯t include the math subject, and its focus was mainly on the eight-part essay. The imperial court simply didn¡¯t attach importance to mathematics, and it was solely the Dean''s idea to teach this subject to the students, hoping to cultivate talents for the State of Zhao. Xiao Ling had just sat down when Teacher Zhang called him out, "The Dean wants to see you." With that, Xiao Ling went to the Dean''s Zhongzheng[1] Hall. As soon as he arrived at the door, he ran into Gu Dashun who came out of the Zhongzheng Hall. A pride that had yet to subside was still on Gu Dashun''s face. As soon as he saw Xiao Ling, his brows creased up, "What are you doing here?" Xiao Ling ignored him and walked past him with his crutch. Gu Dashun frowned deeply. Xiao Ling also came to see the Dean? On the first day of Gu Dashun''s admission, Teacher Chen told him that the Dean appreciated him very much, and then quietly hinted that the Dean had the n to select a direct disciple from this group of students and asked him to work hard. Of course he had to work hard. His talent was high. If there was another literary master like the Dean who could guide him carefully, did he still have to worry about passing the imperial exam and gaining a schrly honor? Last night, he even stayed up almost all night writing an article, which he showed to Teacher Chen this morning. At noon, Teacher Chen showed it to the Dean, then the Dean called him in and asked him some questions about the article, all of which he answered very well. He could see that the Dean was satisfied. He thought he could already be assured about the disciple''s matter, but why was Xiao Ling here? Was it about the dormitory room? He heard that the room he and Gu Xiaoshun shared had copsed at noon. For him toe across such an unfortunate thing, it just proved that he didn''t have good luck. Thinking about this, Gu Dashun sneered and proudly returned to his ssroom. In Zhongzheng Hall, the Dean pointed to the eight-part essay on the desk and asked Xiao Ling, "Did you write this article yourself?" "Yes." Xiao Ling answered. The Dean''s sharp eyes fell on Xiao Ling. This young man was only seventeen years old, and his face still had a trace of immaturity. Nevertheless, he revealed the calmness and indifference that did not belong to this age. Despite his crippled leg, he seemed to possess a more noble aura than any healthy student. "Why didn''t you answer the first two subjects?" Asked the Dean. Outsiders only know that this student was in the bottom of the list, but they didn¡¯t know that out of the three exams, he handed in two nk papers. In truth, he shouldn''t have passed the exam, but the article he wrote was just amazing. Originally, the article written by the student named Gu Dashun was also good. For a new student, it was indeed good. Butpared with Xiao Ling''s article, it was immediately overshadowed. Xiao Ling didn''t answer the Dean''s question this time. What a stubborn child. The Dean thought and sighed in his heart. Waving his hand, he said, "All right, you go back to your ss." Xiao Ling performed a student salute, turned around and went out. Behind the screen, an old man in in cotton garment came out. "Teacher." The Dean immediately stood up and gave a respectful salute. The old man picked up Xiao Ling''s article and shook his head after reading it, "This student of yours is rather filled with hostility ah." ¡­¡­. Meanwhile, after Gu Jiao parted with Xiao Ling and Gu Xiaoshun, she went to the nearby market. The market in the east of the town was simr to the market in the west, it was just more upscale and the corresponding price was much higher. However, this market was closed at the moment, so Gu Jiao could only go to shops or maybe other markets to buy what she needed. Gu Jiao went to different shops and bought five catties of wheat flour, two catties of first-ss threeyer meat, as well as two catties of salt. She spent a total of more than one hundred copper coins. When she passed by a cloth shop, she remembered that when Xiao Ling got his uniform a few days ago, his middle and inner garments were torn in some parts. She went in and bought a new set of clothes. She also asked the shopkeeper for some fabric waste, so that she could mend those that could still be mended. Although she had never mended clothes before, not even her own, she had also stitched up a chest. If she regarded the cloth as a piece of human skin, needlework should be a piece of cake. Gu Jiao put all the things she bought in her back basket and prepared to head back to the vige. When she walked out of the shop, she found that there were suddenly many officers and soldiers in the street. Gu Jiao heard the people around her talking in whispers. "What happened?" "I heard that a patient on the Leprosy Mountain has run away, so the authorities are searching all over the streets!" "Aiyo! A leper ah! Isn¡¯t this bad?" "isn''t it? Don''t go out much these days, lest you identally run into that person! Once you catch this disease, there won¡¯t be any cure for you! " In this ancient time, leprosy was an incurable disease. After you were infected by it, you had to be sent to the Leprosy Mountain to wait for your death. Gu Jiao suddenly remembered something. Xiao Ling''s brother seemed to have died of leprosy. After searching this street, the officers and soldiers went to the next street. Gu Jiao went back to the vige. Gu Jiao didn''t care about what was going on in town. Upon returning home, she walked to the kitchen to make some in noodle soup. When she was kneading the dough, she heard a loud noise outside, as if something knocked against the door of her house. Gu Jiao wiped her hands with a dry cloth, and when she walked over to have a look, she saw an elderly woman lying in front of her house. 1. ¡ü ¡ª ÖÐÕý|zh¨­ngzh¨¨ng: fair and honest. It¡¯s the name of the Dean¡¯s hall or office. Click me if you want to read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 10 advance chapter parts/whole in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 3Chapter 20 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] The elderly woman was lying sideways on the ground, her face was covered with her disheveled hair, and her body, dressed in a in cloth gown, was dirty. Gu Jiao''s first thought was that she must be a resident of this vige who had just returned from the field and somehow fainted at her door. The loud noise just now should be her head hitting the door of her house. It was evident from the wound on her forehead which was bleeding a little. It wasn¡¯t that Gu Jiao hadn¡¯t seen such a scam where you deliberately injured yourself to extort the other party in her previous life, but looking through her memories, it seemed that there was no such thing in this life. The other party had genuinely fainted at her door. Gu Jiao crouched down to see which family she belonged to, so she could send her back. However, as soon as she moved the other party andid her t on the ground, Gu Jiao discovered that something was wrong. There were evenly shaped, pale skin lesions and reddish spots on her face. It wasn¡¯t clear how much the discolored patches had spread on her body, but she also had it on the back of both hands. Gu Jiao''s eyebrows frowned slightly. This was clearly... "Big sis! We¡¯re back!" Just then, Gu Xiaoshun, carrying an old book bag, rushed towards Gu Jiao. Gu Jiao turned to look at him with a grave expression and said, "Don''te over here!" Gu Jiao had never spoken to Gu Xiaoshun in such a stern tone before, so Gu Xiaoshun was stunned for a moment. "Big sis..." He took two steps forward. "I said, don''te over here!" Gu Jiao''s tone grew a bit colder. This time, Gu Xiaoshun didn¡¯t dare to move at all and just stood nkly a dozen steps away from Gu Jiao. He could see Gu Jiao, naturally, he could also see the elderly woman lying in front of Gu Jiao. His intuition told him that it had something to do with that elderly woman. He asked, "Big sis, who is she?" Gu Jiao fixed her gaze on the elderly woman and replied, "I don''t know, you should go back to the Gu Family first." She originally nned to call Gu Xiaoshun over for dinner, but now that something like this had happened, the safety at home couldn¡¯t bepletely guaranteed, and she didn¡¯t want to harm Gu Xiaoshun. Gu Xiaoshun wasn¡¯t willing, but since his big sis said so, he could only go back first. "Well then, brother-inw, I shall be going." He turned around and said to Xiao Ling who had suddenly arrived behind him. Gu Jiao was slightly startled. Xiao Ling was also back? Not just Xiao Ling, Feng Lin had alsoe along. Feng Lin helped his deskmate review his lessons, and his deskmate gave him a basket of grapefruit as a token of gratitude. He gave Xiao Ling half of it directly. Worried that Xiao Ling couldn''t carry it home, he apanied him back to the vige. Though there was Gu Xiaoshun around, he always bullied Xiao Ling before, so Feng Lin was still a bit uneasy about leaving Xiao Ling to go home with him. It could be said that hising along this time was also to keep watch on them. Xiao Ling and Feng Lin both noticed the elderly woman on the ground. "You should note over here either." Gu Jiao said to them. Feng Lin scowled and found it strange, "Is she dead? You didn''t kill her, did you?" "Hey! Don¡¯t you talk groundlessly!" Gu Xiaoshun really hated this pretty boy who always ndered his sister. Feng Lin grunted, "Am I wrong? Something must have happened to that elderly woman, otherwise why not let us go there? " Xiao Ling walked over with a cold look on his face. "You... Don''te over here." Gu Jiao said. Xiao Ling still came over to her. In fact, he could already somewhat tell what was wrong from a distance. When he got closer and had a close look, it could be said that the conjecture from the bottom of his heart had be a fact. Feng Lin saw him go there and hurriedly followed suit. "Ah! Why did you both go there? Big sis, I... I... "Gu Xiaoshun scratched his head anxiously. When Feng Lin arrived beside Xiao Ling, he looked at the elderly woman and saw red spots and white patches across her whole face. A sense of foreboding welled up in his heart, "Brother Xiao, this is..." "Leprosy." Xiao Ling frowned and said. Feng Lin trembled all over and nearly fell down! "This, this, this, this... This elderly woman is a leper..." Feng Lin stuttered in rm. Everyone knew that leprosy was one of the most terrible infectious diseases. It was said that as long as there was one infected person in the vige, the whole vige would catch it. Moreover, there was no cure for this disease. If you got it, you could only wait for your death. In the previous dynasty, there was this tragic event where tens of thousands of people died because they didn''t pay enough attention to leprosy. The first major event after the founding emperor of this dynasty ascended the throne was to establish the Leprosy Mountain, where all leprosy patients were sent for centralized management. "Did you touch her?" Xiao Ling calmly looked at Gu Jiao. Gu Jiao nodded. However, even though she touched her just now, her own skin still didn¡¯t show any damage at the moment, so the chance of being infected wasn¡¯t high. Only, other people might not think the same. If people knew that Gu Jiao had been in contact with a leper, they would definitely send her to the Leprosy Mountain together with the patient. Leprosy Mountain was such a ce where once you go up, you would nevere down again. Feng Lin took Xiao Ling more than a dozen paces away from her and said in horror, "You heard what she said. She touched the leper. She must be sent away immediately! Otherwise, your entire vige will be infected!" Xiao Ling knitted his brows. Feng Lin stamped his foot and said, "Come on, Brother Xiao, what are you still hesitating about? Haven¡¯t you always wanted to get rid of that wicked woman? It is she who touched the leper herself, and nine times out of ten she is infected. ording to the imperial courtw, she has to be sent to Leprosy Mountain. This is a legitimate chance to get rid of her!" Feng Lin had thought about it. Xiao Ling was a schr and it would ruin his reputation if he just abandoned his wife. What was happening now was simply a timely opportunity. Not only could he preserve his reputation, but he could also get rid of that wicked woman! "No one will be sent to Leprosy Mountain." Xiao Ling said calmly. Feng Lin stared nkly at him. Xiao Ling walked toward Gu Jiao on his crutch and said, "Bring me a dry cloth." Gu Jiao didn¡¯t ask much and just went into the house to get a clean piece of cloth. Xiao Ling took the cloth from her hand and squatted down in front of the elderly woman. Realizing what he was going to do, Gu Jiao said, "I''ll do it." "No need." Xiao Ling wrapped the cloth around the elderly woman''s face, so that her nose and mouth were blocked, then he said, "Let¡¯s carry her inside." "Alright." Gu Jiao nodded. "Ah! Brother Xiao!" Feng Lin spoked to stop him. At this moment, Gu Xiaoshun had also heard bits and pieces. The elderly woman was actually a leper who came from nowhere, and his sister didn''t let hime over because she was afraid he would be infected. But was he, Gu Xiaoshun, such a disloyal person? Gu Xiaoshun ran over to help his sister and brother-inw carry people into the backyard. Feng Lin stamped his feet anxiously. Crazy! All of you were crazy! Then, he also gritted his teeth and entered the house despite the risk of being infected! Click me if you want to read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 15 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 3Chapter 21 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] G O L D S T A R [Nem] Several people put the elderly woman on the straw mat in the backyard. Luckily, the backyard of their house was spacious enough, otherwise, they might not be able to amodate a leper and those who wanted to keep a distance from the leper. "What now?" Gu Xiaoshun looked at the elderly woman on the ground and asked. "Wash your hands first." Gu Jiao said. The three men washed their hands with clear water and soap pods. Later, Xiao Ling went into his room and wrote a prescription. Gu Jiao stood behind him and asked softly, "What is this?" Although Gu Jiao inherited the memory of the original soul when she transmigrated here, the original soul couldn¡¯t read, so she didn¡¯t know the characters of this dynasty. "Prescription." Xiao Ling replied. "What is this character?" Gu Jiao asked, pointing to the first character of the first word on the prescription. "Land." Xiao Ling read it as a whole, "Wolfberry Root-Bark." "What about this?" Gu Jiao continued to point down. "Liquorice, Schizonepeta, Wild gingers..." Xiao Ling read every word in the prescription that Gu Jiao pointed out. Gu Jiao''s expression was very serious, as if she was really learning to read them. Although it was somewhat inappropriate for the asion, Xiao Ling didn''t think much about it. "How can you have a prescription for leprosy?" Gu Jiao suddenly asked doubtfully. Xiao Ling paused and said, "My brother was also infected with leprosy at that time. A travelling physician wrote an ancestral prescription for him. I saw my brother get better after drinking the medicine based on that prescription with my own eyes." The original soul had identally heard him mention before that his brother had leprosy. But the original soul was a fool and didn''t understand what leprosy was, so she didn''t pay attention to it and didn''t mention it to anyone. Feng Lin knew about this. Because Xiao Ling''s brother had leprosy, Xiao Ling was also rejected by the vigers and could only leave their hometown to study in Qingquan Town. Halfway, they met by chance. But Feng Lin didn''t know that the other party was his childhood neighbor until he asked his identity. It was because Feng Lin''s family had moved away years prior, and he hadn''t seen him for many years. Both sides had changed a lot, even the name and the household register didn¡¯t match. Therefore, Feng Lin didn''t recognize him at all. "Since he got better, why did he die?" Gu Jiao asked. Xiao Ling lowered his eyes and said, "The news of his leprosy got out, and he was taken to Leprosy Mountain by the officers and soldiers. Not long after that, he died of illness on the mountain. " So that was what happened. Gu Jiao nodded and said, "So this is the prescription given to your brother?" Xiao Ling let out a sound of assent and then said, "Her current symptoms are very mild, which is simr to that of my brother. With proper treatment, maybe she can be curedpletely." Gu Jiao now had an understanding of the prescription. It was true that this medicine was directed against the symptoms, but the effect was very slow and it could only dy the development of leprosy. It would still be difficult to cure leprosy with it. However, Gu Jiao said nothing. Feng Lin took the prescription and said, "I''ll get these medicinal herbs!" Xiao Ling advised, "Remember to go to different shops." Feng Lin paused for a moment and suddenly understood, "I understand!" People should not see that this was a prescription for leprosy, or they would be exposed. "I will go, too!" Gu Xiaoshun said. "What for?" Feng Lin didn¡¯t want to be with him. Gu Xiaoshun raised an eyebrow and said, "I will prevent you from reporting to the authorities!" Don''t think he didn''t hear it. This thing just encouraged his brother-inw to send his sister to the Leprosy Mountain! Feng Lin rolled his eyes. If Xiao Ling didn''t touch the elderly woman, he was sure to report it to the officers, but Xiao Ling had already touched her. If he went to the officers now, wouldn''t they also take Xiao Ling away with them? In any case, Gu Xiaoshun''s attitude of following him was so firm that Feng Lin had to take him with him. It was impossible for them to go by cart. If word got out, it would be dangerous, so the two walked to the major medicine shops in town. After about an hour, they bought all the medicinal herbs, as well as a medicine pot. Gu Jiao took the medicinal herbs to the kitchen for decoction. While waiting for the medicine to be ready, Gu Jiao asked Xiao Ling, "Why did youe back? I heard that Gu Dashun has moved to the dormitory." Xiao Ling told Gu Jiao about the copse of their dormitory room. As expected. Gu Jiao secretly thought, but she pretended to be slightly shocked on the surface, "Fortunately, you¡¯re both all right." Xiao Ling cast her a deep look. It was too cold in the backyard, so Gu Jiao cleaned up the shed where they stored millet, moved a bamboo bed into it, spread some cotton wadding, and barely made a good bed. "You all go out, I''ll feed her the medicine." Gu Jiao said to several people. "Big sis, you must be careful." Gu Xiaoshun said in worry. "Don''t worry, I know to be cautious." Gu Jiao sent several people out and quietly took out the medicine chest hidden in the basket. Xiao Ling''s judgment was correct. This patient was indeed in the early stage of leprosy. Furthermore, her leprosy belonged to the tuberculoid type which caused less skin lesions and was less contagious. As long as a proper symptomatic treatment was given, she could recoverpletely without leaving any seque. But her passing out was not caused by leprosy, but by excessive fatigue. Her clothes were torn and her shoes were worn out.... Gu Jiao couldn''t help but think of the officers and soldiers she encountered in the town. Was she the patient who escaped from the Leprosy Mountain? After the elderly woman regained consciousness a little, Gu Jiao took the dapsone and rifampicin out of the medicine chest and gave it to her. In addition, she added a special medicine from the research Institute. As for the bowl of the traditional medicinal decoction, she also fed the elderly woman some of it, but the elderly woman seemed to dislike bitter medicine so much that she spit it out with a look of disgust. "Olddy, where are you from?" Gu Jiao tried to ask the other party about her origins, so that she could be sent back safelyter. As a result, the elderly woman only nced at Gu Jiao calmly, snorted and then fell back asleep. Gu Jiao,¡°¡­¡± Gu Jiao packed up her things and went to the backyard to wash her hands. "Big sis!" Gu Xiaoshun, who had been waiting in the backyard, came to her and said, "Why did you take so long toe out?" "The olddy drank the medicine slowly. It took a while before I fed it all to her." Gu Jiao replied lightly. "Ahem!" Gu Xiaoshun looked around and whispered, "Big sis, can she really be cured? I heard that there is no cure for leprosy." Gu Jiao smiled faintly, "Don''t worry, it can be cured." Gu Xiaoshun had never heard of leprosy being cured, but for some reason, when his sister said this, he inexplicably believed it with all his heart. His sister said that it could be cured, then it could certainly be cured! As it was gettingte, Gu Xiaoshun and Feng Lin had to go back. Before leaving, Feng Lin secretly said to Xiao Ling, "Brother Xiao, I know that you are chivalrous and unwilling to refuse to help a dying man, but I still want to remind you that there¡¯s no cure for leprosy. While people in the vige haven¡¯t discovered it yet, send them away quickly as soon as the olddy wakes up." Feng Lin couldn¡¯t criticize Xiao Ling for doing what he did today, even though it was wrong in his opinion, because this was the kind of person Xiao Ling was. Back then, he also saved him from the fire in the post station without recognizing him at all. Brother Xiao was such a heroic man. "Also, pay attention to that wicked woman. She has a lot of contact with the patient, in case..." "She has a name." Xiao Ling interrupted Feng Lin. Feng Lin was stunned and looked at Xiao Ling in bewilderment. To be honest, Xiao Ling was not someone to easily warm up even after a long time of interaction. From beginning to end, he always had an aura that repelled people. Were it not for his action of saving him at that time, Feng Lin would probably think that the other party was an extremely cold and indifferent teenager through and through. But recently, he felt more and more that Xiao Ling¡¯s attitude towards that wicked woman had somewhat changed. Brother Xiao... You¡¯ve changed!!! Click me if you want to read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 15 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 2Chapter 22 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] G O L D S T A R [Nem] The seriousness of the matter was clear to all four people, so even without a reminder, all of them tacitly shut their mouths. Gu Jiao told Gu Xiaoshun not toe to their house these days. Although the early stage of tuberculoid leprosy was less contagious, there were still some risks. For a few days, Gu Jiao didn¡¯t go to the mountain to pick mushrooms and just took care of the elderly woman at home. Maybe she was well cared for. At noon of the third day, the elderly woman woke uppletely and was no longer in a daze. Only, something was wrong with her memory. Gu Jiao asked who she was. As a result, she looked at Gu Jiao with her eyes wide open. Gu Jiao asked where she lived, but she just remained looking at Gu Jiao with wide eyes. It couldn¡¯t be Alzheimer''s, right? "Do you remember what disease you had?" Gu Jiao continued to ask. But the elderly woman just continued watching her with her widened eyes. Gu Jiao was at her wit''s end. It seemed that this elderly woman not only didn¡¯t remember who she was, but also forgot all about her disease. Actually, it was better to forget. Gu Jiao could keep an eye on her and stop her from going out, but she couldn¡¯t prevent the vigers froming to their door. In case the elderly woman identally blurted out about her leprosy, she, Xiao Ling and Gu Xiaoshun, who had a close contact with her, wouldn¡¯t have a good end. As for how to resettle her in the future, it was a matter of the future. The top priority was to cure her, and no one must find out that she had leprosy. With this in mind, Gu Jiao picked up the medicine pot and went to decoct medicine for the elderly woman. She must consume both the medicine in her medicine chest and the traditional medicinal decoction, otherwise the secret of the medicine chest would be exposed. The elderly woman turned her face away in disgust when she saw Gu Jiao bringing the medicine pot outside. Gu Jiao could even vaguely hear a resentful grunt from her. This elderly woman had a rather big temper, didn¡¯t she? The medicinal herbs should be boiled on a gentle fire for half an hour. While waiting for the medicine to be cooked, Gu Jiao took out her small medicine chest and checked its contents. She had used a lot of medicine these days, but she never had a chance to make a proper inventory of them. She had to know how much of her medicine was left and which ones couldn¡¯t be used casually. As a result, she was a little dumbfounded after the inspection. There was actually a new bottle of anti-inmmatory drugs which she had used up before, as well as an extra piece of antibacterial ointment. Apart from that, there were also several medicines that she had no recollection of putting in the chest. Gu Jiao looked at the motionless medicine chest, stroked her chin, and became lost in thought. ¡­... Near the end of the month, the academy had another exam. Gu Dashun had entered the Heaven ss A with the halo of the second-ranking new student. After that, he really lived up to expectations and performed very well. This time, he took the second ce in the exam again. Teacher Chen was very happy. On the other hand, there wasn¡¯t much joy on Gu Dashun''s face. Teacher Chen thought that he was ming himself for not getting the first ce, and patiently consoled him, "Both you and Hanzhi are the best amongst the new students. Hanzhi is two years older than you, and he started learning a few years earlier than you. You don''t have to worry about your current achievements." Gu Dashun certainly wasn''t worried about this. The student named Xu Hanzhi could only rely on the fact that he had studied a few years longer than him. Xu Hanzhi might be a little bit ahead of him right now, but his talent wasn¡¯t as good as him, so he had great confidence to surpass Xu Hanzhi in the future. However, Gu Dashun¡¯s ambition didn¡¯t stop there. He was aiming to be the direct disciple of the Dean. He really hoped that the Dean could be his teacher. Since thest time, he had made many good articles, and Teacher Chen had also shown them to the Dean, but the Dean had never called for him again. "What''s the matter? Is there anything else?" Teacher Chen sensed that he wanted to say something but felt hesitant. After thinking about it, Gu Dashun plucked up the courage to say, "I heard that the entrance exam questions were given by the Dean. I wonder if the Dean really has any ns to ept a disciple?" "There is indeed." Teacher Chen felt sorry when he thought about it. Unfortunately, the candidate the Dean had his eyes on was not Gu Dashun. Gu Dashun saw a trace of regret from Teacher Chen¡¯s eyes, and his heart cooled down, "Is it Xu Hanzhi?" "It''s not him." Teacher Chen shook his head, "This matter hasn¡¯t been decidedpletely, so don''t ask yet. Even if you can''t be the Dean¡¯s disciple, the Dean will also find time to guide the outstanding students in the academy." How could that be the same? Being the Dean¡¯s disciple meant you would inherit the Dean¡¯s mantle. You would get not only his knowledge, but also his connections. Compared to that, random guidance was much less appealing. He was a child from a poor and humble family and he dreamt of soaring into the skies one day. He could ept it if he wasn¡¯t good enough, but he had enough qualifications to be favored by the Dean. So why would he not choose him? Gu Dashun still wanted to ask questions, but Teacher Chen didn¡¯t want to talk about it anymore. ¡­¡­. Zhongzheng Hall. The Dean looked at Xiao Ling, who had a cold expression as usual, and said gently, "Have you thought it over?" Xiao Ling said faintly, "You really want the third from the bottom?" In this exam, Xiao Ling took third ce from the bottom. Not because he had improved by one ce, but because Gu Xiaoshun had been added to the bottom. The Dean cleared his throat and said, "Alright, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. For now, you can go back and think it over again for a few days first. Don¡¯t be in a hurry to give me an answer. I will be in the academy until before the end of the year. When you figure out an answer, thene to me again." The wordsing from the Dean''s mouth could be said full of sincerity. Don¡¯t look at how Tianxiang Academy was just an academy in some town. The Dean had once ranked first among the four talented schrs in the capital. His reputation and talent were beyond doubt. Had it not been for the unforeseen event in the family, he wouldn''t have left the capital to teach and educate people in the insignificant Qingquan Town. He had met so many students but Xiao Ling was the first one who really made him have the impulse to ept him as a direct disciple. "You really want him as a disciple so badly? I¡¯m afraid you can''t subdue such a difficult guy." The in-dressed old man behind the screen humphed faintly after Xiao Ling left. The Dean saluted towards the screen and said with a smile, "I''m indeed worried that I can''t subdue him. How about¡­ Teacher ept him as a disciple instead?" There was silence behind the screen. After a long time, a faint sigh from the old man could be heard, then he said, "Did you forget? I said that I will never ept a disciple again in this life." The Little Marquis was dead and the Imperial Academy was shut down forever, whichpletely turned the teacher''s heart dead. After school, Xiao Ling and Gu Xiaoshun went back to the vige on Second Uncle Luo¡¯s oxcart. On their way out of the town, they found that there were several checkpoints on the road, all searching for leprosy patients, so the two became more vignt in their hearts. When Xiao Ling got home, Gu Jiao told him about the elderly woman, "...She doesn''t remember anything." Xiao Ling didn¡¯t think it was a bad thing either. At least she couldn¡¯t let it slip if she didn¡¯t know anything. "Is she moring to go out?" Xiao Ling asked. Gu Jiao shook her head and said, "No. I told her that she had tuberculosis and the wind outside is not good for her. The red spots on her face might emerge again in the cold. Because tuberculosis is contagious, she''d better stay in her own room, lest she spread it to others. Looking at her appearance, it seems that she has listened to what I said. She had been quite calm all afternoon.¡± Xiao Ling went to the elderly woman¡¯s room to take a look at her. Her condition had improved greatly, and her skin lesions had subsided a lot. Also, without careful examination, the red spots on her face could hardly be seen. What Gu Jiao didn''t say was that after a few more days of treatment, her leprosy would lose its infectivity. ¡­¡­ In the blink of an eye, it was already the end of the month. Feng Lin made an appointment with ¡®Physician Zhang¡¯ today to treat Xiao Ling''s leg. Click me if you want to read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 15 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 3Chapter 23 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] G O L D S T A R [Nem] Both Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling got up early. Xiao Ling went to the entrance of the vige to fetch some water. Meanwhile, Gu Jiao first went to the shed to see the elderly woman. The red spots on her face had faded so much it could hardly be seen, and the skin lesions on her face and the back of her hands had basically disappeared as well. Although it was still early to say that her disease was curedpletely, it was no longer contagious. Gu Jiao stroked her chin with satisfaction and turned to the kitchen to boil medicine for her. Looking at the bitter medicine before her, the elderly woman rolled her eyes in disgust. In order to make her drink the medicine obediently, Gu Jiao asked Xiao Ling to bring some candied fruit from the town. The elderly woman liked to eat candied fruit very much, but if she didn¡¯t drink her medicine, there would be no candied fruit for her. Gu Jiao put a bowl of medicine and a small te of candied fruit on the table at the same time. "So few! Only three?!" The elderly woman was seriously dissatisfied with the number of candied fruits. "Candied fruits are very expensive. Forget it if you don''t want to eat it." Gu Jiao said, reaching out to get the te of candied fruit. The elderly woman red at Gu Jiao resentfully, grabbed the candied fruit into her arms, and then drank the bowl of medicine with great bitterness and deep hatred. Because Xiao Ling was going to the medical hall for his treatment today, Gu Jiao also had to go, but she couldn¡¯t just leave the elderly woman alone at home. It wasn¡¯t that Gu Jiao hadn¡¯t considered taking the elderly woman with them, but there were still checkpoints on the roads. In case the officers recognized the elderly woman, all their previous efforts would be wasted. Although she wasn¡¯t sure if the elderly woman was the leper they were searching for, caution was the parent of safety after all. After much deliberation, Gu Jiao called Gu Xiaoshun over. "Big sis! You finally let me in!" Gu Xiaoshun said excitedly. Gu Jiao said, "I''m going to town with your brother-inw today. You stay at home and look after the elderlydy for me. Her disease won¡¯t spread to others anymore, and I have also disinfected the house." Gu Xiaoshun didn''t understand what disinfected was supposed to mean, nor did he ask his sister how she knew that the disease would no longer spread to others. Without any hesitation, he said, "All right! Big sis, don¡¯t worry! I will look after her!" "I heated up the lunch in the pot. Just give her a serving." Gu Jiao continued to give instructions. Gu Xiaoshun patted his chest and said, "Big sis, you can rest assured leaving this work to me!" Gu Jiao suddenly thought of something and said, "If someone asks, you can say that she¡¯s your brother-inw''s rtive who came to visit him." Gu Xiaoshun said, "All right!" Shortly after Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling left, two of the bullies who had followed Gu Xiaoshun before came knocking at the door. "Boss! We came to see you! I heard that you began to study. Howe you¡¯re suddenly acting like Dashun!? Let¡¯s go ah! Let¡¯s go for some action!" "Get lost! Roll away! Roll away! This great one has a business to take care of!" Gu Xiaoshun kicked people away without a second thought. Although he felt itchy after staying quiet for too long, his sister entrusted him with a job and he must do it well. ¡­... By the time Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling arrived at the Rejuvenation Hall, Feng Lin had been lingering at the door for a long time. Originally, the appointment time he made with the Rejuvenation Hall was the hour of sishi[1], but he was worried that there were too many people looking for Physician Zhang for treatment, so he came during the hour of chenshi[2]. But he didn¡¯t know why, he had been here for more than half an hour and yet there was no sign of people queuing at all. He was wondering about this when he saw Xiao Ling and Gu Jiaoing. His face sank in an instant when he saw Gu Jiao, "Why are you here?" Gu Jiao smiled faintly, "To look around." Feng Lin didn¡¯t understand. Based on what he heard, wasn¡¯t this wicked woman supposed to have taken a fancy to someone else? Why did she keep sticking to Brother Xiao recently? She even came with Brother Xiao for his treatment! Brother Xiao, too. His treatment was such an important thing, why did he bother bringing along such a burden? What if she messed things up? Feng Lin said coldly, "I¡¯m warning you, once you enter the medical hall, you are not allowed to talk randomly and touch other people''s things. Don''t cause trouble for Brother Xiao and dy Brother Xiao''s leg treatment!" "Oh." Gu Jiao responded without disying any impatience and temper. Xiao Ling frowned at Feng Lin, and then went in with his crutch. Shopkeeper Wang received them. Shopkeeper Wang had also been waiting for them for a long time. He greeted them with a smile, nced at Gu Jiao unobtrusively, and smilingly said to Feng Lin, "Young Gentleman Feng is here. This must be Young Gentleman Xiao, a friend of Young Gentleman Feng? I am Shopkeeper Wang of Rejuvenation Hall." Xiao Ling nodded faintly. Shopkeeper Wang secretly marveled that this Young Gentleman Xiao was too handsome. He was obviously dressed in humble clothes, but he looked more noble than any other sons of great families he had ever seen. "This is..." Shopkeeper Wang looked at Gu Jiao, as though he really didn''t know her at all. Xiao Ling paused briefly then said, "My wife Gu shi." Gu Jiao: My wife Gu shi... Hm, such a pleasant form of address. Shopkeeper Wang smiled and said, "It turned out to be Madame Xiao, excuse me for myck of manners." Gu Jiao: Somehow, it doesn¡¯t sound so good when you say it. "Shopkeeper Wang, has Physician Zhang reallye? Why are there no patients waiting in line here?" Feng Lin asked. "s, isn''t that because Physician Zhang is still injured and can''t receive inrge numbers of patients? I didn''t let the news out and only told a few patients who were really in urgent need. You are the only patient in the morning and the rest are in the afternoon!" Shopkeeper Wang knew Feng Lin would ask questions, so he had already written a script in advance. "I see." Feng Lin didn¡¯t suspect him in the slightest. Shopkeeper Wang smiled and said, "Young Gentleman Feng, please have a rest in the lobby in the meantime. I''ll take Young Gentleman Xiao inside to meet Physician Zhang for diagnosis and treatment." "Can''t I go in, too?" Feng Lin asked. Shopkeeper Wang replied with a smile, "I''m afraid it''s against the rules." Feng Lin thought for a moment and then nodded, "All right. I''ll leave Brother Xiao to you, Shopkeeper Wang. You must ask Physician Zhang to heal him!" Shopkeeper Wang nced at Gu Jiao and smiled, "We will try our best." After Xiao Ling and Shopkeeper Wang entered the back wing room, Gu Jiao also stood up. "What are you going to do?" Feng Lin asked warily. "Go to thetrine." Gu Jiao answered. Feng Lin¡¯s face went red, "Go quickly ande back early, don''t run around!" Gu Jiao went to the backyard of the medical hall with the basket on her back. When she entered the wing room, Xiao Ling was already asleep on the rattan chair. Shopkeeper Wang and Second Owner were also present. "Gu girl." Second Owner cupped his hands in salute. Gu Jiao''s eyes swept the incense burner on the table beforending on Xiao Ling''s sleeping handsome face. She asked, "Is there no problem with this incense?" Second Owner said amicably, "It''s just an incense to calm the nerves, it''s made by our Rejuvenation Hall and it''s not harmful to the body. Is Gu girl going to make a diagnosis and give treatment now?" "Yes." Gu Jiao went over and put the back basket with her medicine chest in it on the table. She didn''t intend to take the medicine chest out in front of them. Second Owner actually wanted to ask Gu Jiao. Since Young Gentleman Xiao was her husband, why not tell him directly? Could it be, they were not a genuine husband and wife? However, Second Owner was a smart person. When you open a door to do business, you must have more ears and less mouth. Never ask what you shouldn''t ask. 1. ¡ü ¡ª ËÈʱ|s¨¬sh¨ª: 9-11 am (in the system of two-hour subdivisions used in former times) 2. ¡ü ¡ª ³½Ê±| ch¨¦nsh¨ª: 7-9 am (in the system of two-hour subdivisions used in former times) Click me if you want to read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 15 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 3Chapter 24 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] G O L D S T A R [Nem] Gu Jiao put up the screen and examined Xiao Ling behind it. As early as at home, Gu Jiao had observed Xiao Ling and found that his problems were mainly on his ankle. Now, after careful examination, Gu Jiao had confirmed her guess. His ankle bone was fractured, but the physician failed to diagnose it. Thinking that only his leg was injured, the physician only treated his leg. But even if the physician didn¡¯t carry out a meticulous treatment, his leg was kept immobile, so the foot was hardly used as well. In this way, the ankle recovered on its own, however the bone fragments inside had not been removed. This led to him feeling a piercing pain whenever he walked. Xiao Ling never showed himself being in pain, that even Gu Jiao spected that it was just an ordinary joint stiffness in the ankle, which was painless. But now that she made a definite diagnosis, she realized how much self-control he had to be able to endure such pain. s... What a distressing child. Gu Jiao had performed many surgeries on such cases in her previous life, which she didn¡¯t find difficult. It was just that the pharmaceutical products and surgical consumables needed weren¡¯t in her medicine chest. But... Thinking of her discovery a few days ago, Gu Jiao decided to wait for the time being. Right now wasn¡¯t a good time for surgery. He must condition the affected area first, so they might as well wait until the end of the year when the academy was on vacation. Second Owner and Shopkeeper Wang waited on the other side of the screen the whole time, without the slightest snooping. Earlier, Second Owner actually nned to let the physicians of their Rejuvenation Hall observe Gu Jiao''s medical skills, but it seemed rude to make such a request on her first day, so he had to restrain himself for now. Besides, just now, Gu Jiao specially put up a screen before she started working. This attitude itself showed that Gu Jiao wasn¡¯t willing to reveal her medical skills to others. With this in mind, Second Owner was somewhat d that he didn''t put forward the request to observe her treatment. However, there was one thing Second Owner guessed wrong. That was, Gu Jiao wasn¡¯t unwilling to reveal her medical skills. Rather, it was her medicine chest that she could not let people see. Gu Jiao stayed behind the screen for a long time. She examined people for a quarter of an hour and then admired the beauty for another half an hour. Ahem! She didn''t take off his clothes, she promised! Gu Jiao put back the medicine chest into the basket and came out with the basket on her back. Second Owner greeted her and smiled politely, "Gu girl has been in there for so long, is Young Gentleman Xiao''s injury veryplicated?" Gu Jiao said without changing expressions, "It is quiteplicated, I need to give him a surgery." Hisplicated condition was real, so was his beauty. Second Owner was stunned as soon as he heard that surgery was needed. Surgery was a medical skill only used in the battlefield, and people rarely dabbled in it. First, it was risky, and second, its demand for physician¡¯s medical skills was too high. Even amongst the physicians in their Rejuvenation Hall, only a few dared to move a de on the wounded. "Are you... sure?" Second Owner looked skeptical. The physician of their Rejuvenation Hall who dared to move a de on the patient was already fifty years old. Furthermore, he was a descendant of a medical family. "Yes." Gu Jiao nodded, "I''ll think over the date first, and then I''ll inform you when it''s decided. In addition, there are some things that need to be prepared, I have to trouble Second Owner with this. As for the money... Deduct it from my next treatment fee. " "No matter." Second Owner smiled. Rejuvenation Hall wasn¡¯t a ce for charity. Patients who came here all had to spend money. The better the physician¡¯s medical skills were, the more expensive their consultation and treatment fee would be. "That... Can you really cure anything?" Second Owner asked. "That''s not necessarily true." Gu Jiao said, "I won¡¯t know until I see it. You¡¯d better find me someplicated diseases. Don¡¯t waste the number of times I treat patients." Listen, listen. This was exactly what self-confidence was! Second Owner didn¡¯t think she was boasting at all. In fact, anyone who had seen her medical skills with their own eyes had every reason to believe that she could even make the deade back to life. Gu Jiao needed to find some medicinal ingredients for the moxibustion[1] for Xiao Ling. With this in mind, she went back to the lobby with her back basket. Second Owner had an odd smile as he said, "Old Wang, you say, her medical skills are so high, do you think... she can treat that one from the capital?" "Which one from the capital?" Shopkeeper Wang was stupefied for a while, and it took him a long time to realize who he was referring to, "Are you talking about the young master of the Marquis Estate?" Second Owner¡¯s eyes glowed and he said, "Exactly!" Shopkeeper Wang hurriedly waved his hand and said, "No, no, no! We mustn''t! We mustn''t!" That was the nobility from the capital! In front of them, their Rejuvenation Hall was nothing but amoner¡¯s ce. They were simply not enough to make them look their way! "But I¡¯ve seen how amazing Gu girl¡¯s medical skills are..." "Second Owner, we all have only one head on us." Shopkeeper Wang ruthlessly destroyed Second Owner¡¯s idea. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to make a profit from the Marquis Estate, but that young master¡¯s illness was really hard to cure. In case they tried and couldn¡¯t do it, they might end up as corpses. Speaking of which, that young master was also pitiful. At that time, the Marchioness gave birth to him prematurely in a dpidated temple. She didn''t bring a midwife with her and could only find one from a nearby vige. A premature birth, in a ce with poor conditions, and with a midwife with poor skills. Once the child was born, the Marchioness had practically lost half her life. To make matters worse, the Marchioness was pregnant with twins. After giving birth to the first baby, the Marchioness had almost exhausted all her strength. As a result, the second one was kept in her womb for a long time, and when he came out, his body was purple all over. The young master was the second twin, and the first twin was his sister. The young master developed Asthenia[2] from the prolonged stay in the womb. Whenever he took medicine, it was practically a big medicine pot. In order to cure the young master¡¯s illness, the Marquis Estate had sought many well-known physicians in recent years. Unfortunately, the young master¡¯s condition had never improved. On the contrary, the frequent intake of medicine had made him more and more weak. It was said that he was now hanging with only one breath. If they were unlucky, the young master could die as soon as they gave him medicine. If the young master really died in their hands, the heads of all the physicians in the Rejuvenation Hall would not be enough to pay for his life. Second Owner also understood the risks, but he was unwilling to give up. He was originally a very ambitious man, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have seen the great value of Gu Jiao. Speaking of which, that young master and Gu girl seemed to be the same age. Second Owner said thoughtfully, "How about this then. Let Gu girl treat Xiao Ling''s injury first. If she¡¯s really able to fix his leg, it doesn''t hurt to let her examine the young master of the Marquis Estateter." Shopkeeper Wang, "..." When Xiao Ling woke up, there was a white-bearded old physician in the room. "You are..." The old physician smiled and said, "I''m Physician Zhang. You fell asleep just now. I''m to me for this. I forgot to remove this incense for calming nerves." Xiao Ling said after a brief pause, "It¡¯s nothing." "Let me see your leg." "Okay." The old physician went through the process in ordance with Gu Jiao''s instructions. To be honest, he was very shocked. After seeing the problem in Xiao Ling¡¯s leg, he concluded that it was impossible to cure it with the current medical skills of their Rejuvenation Hall. That girl, did she really have a way to make him... Stand up again? Xiao Ling went back to the lobby with the prescription prescribed by the old physician. Feng Lin whooshed over to him and said, "Have you been examined? What did Physician Zhang say? Is there any cure for your leg?" Xiao Ling let out a sound of assent and said, "Physician Zhang told me to take moxibustion for a while ande back next month." In order not to affect his ss, Gu Jiao didn¡¯t let the old physician mention the surgery for the time being. "I told you that Physician Zhang can fix your leg!" Feng Lin was filled with joy. Xiao Ling, on the other hand, looked around. Huh? Where did that wife go? 1. ¡ü ¡ª A traditional Chinese medicine therapy which consists of burning dried mugwort amongst other herbs on or near particr points on the body. 2. ¡ü ¡ª Abnormal physical weakness orck of energy. Click me if you want to read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 15 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 2Chapter 25 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] G O L D S T A R [Nem] Just then, Gu Jiao came from the direction of the backyard with the basket on her back. "Who takes so long to use thetrine?!" Feng Lin muttered in a low voice. Xiao Ling''s gaze fell on Gu Jiao. When she approached, he asked her, "Do you feel unwell? Let the physician have a look." "I don¡¯t. Let¡¯s go." Gu Jiao said. Indeed, she did not look sick at all. Xiao Ling then went to get the medicinal herbs listed on the prescription. When he paid the bill, he found that the package of medicinal herbs was cheaper by a silver or twopared to half a month ago. He asked, "Is there a mistake?" "No, this is the price." The staff replied. "I told you earlier, their business is not doing well, so they dropped the prices." Feng Lin whispered in his ear. But this drop was also... Outrageous. But apart from this, Xiao Ling could not think of any other reason. It was even more unlikely for some distinguished personage to help him in the dark. A group of people went out of Rejuvenation Hall. Second Owner personally sent people to the door. When he brushed past Gu Jiao, Second Owner smiled and held out five fingers at her. The cost of medicinal herbs, five taels of silver. He was going to charge it to her ount! Gu Jiao threw him a domineering nce. From the treatment fee she would earn¡­ Deduct it! But then again, Second Owner had yet to ask her to treat someone else. She didn¡¯t know what kind of patient she would receive when the time came. "Brother Xiao, I will send you back." Feng Lin said. Xiao Ling replied, "No need. Second Uncle Luo¡¯s oxcart is there. Go back to the academy and study hard. You still have an examination to take next year." Feng Lin felt a headache as soon as this was mentioned. As a matter of fact, he wasn¡¯t very knowledgeable. His teacher always said that his articles were too rigid andcked new ideas. It would still be fine if he were to meet an old-school examiner, but if he ran into the innovative ones, he would probably fail to get into the list. Feng Lin sighed and said, "All right, I''ll go back to the academy now. Be careful on the road." After saying that, he red at Gu Jiao again, as if worried that Gu Jiao would get Xiao Ling into trouble. However, after Xiao Ling told him she had a name, he never called her a wicked woman again. After Feng Lin left, Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling did not return to the vige immediately, but went to a shop to buy something first. Gu Jiao bought some candied fruits and peanut seeds. She found that the elderly woman was rather easy to coax. She could stay in the house all day as long as she was given the food she liked. Xiao Ling bought some brown sugar. Last time, he borrowed brown sugar from Aunt Zhang¡¯s family, but hadn¡¯t returned it to her yet. When the two of them went to put their things on the cart, Second Uncle Luo smilingly said, "What about the new year''s goods? It''s about time to buy them too. The end of the year ising soon." The two people paused at the same time. They suddenly realized that the end of the year was approaching. It wasn¡¯t that they lived their life ignorant of the days, they just didn''t have the habit nor the n to celebrate New Year in their hearts. New Year¡¯s Eve was when a family reunited under the myriad twinkling lights. It would always be the loneliest day for them. In her previous life, Gu Jiao left home at the age of eight and lived in the experimental base of the organization ever since. During New Year¡¯s Eve, the organization would have a collective holiday, and then she would be left all alone in the empty base. Gu Jiao didn¡¯t know much about Xiao Ling¡¯s circumstances. Maybe it was also full of bustle around him once, butter people passed away one after another. She was a lonely soul in another world, and he was a lonely guest in a foreignnd. Second Uncle Luo''s words made them suddenly confused about what to do. But in the end, they didn''t say anything and just got into the oxcart silently with the things in their hands. The oxcart drove slowly. It was already dark when it arrived at the vige. Second Uncle Luo drove the cart back to his home, and Gu Jiao threw everything into her back basket then walked towards the direction of their house with Xiao Ling. When they were halfway through, they saw from afar that something was going on in their front yard. People crowded the inside and outside of their yard that not even a single drop of water could trickle through, and there were faint cursing voicesing from within. Just then, Aunt Zhang, who was at the doorway of her house and unable to leave because she was feeding her two grandsons, yelled at the two people, "Aiya! Ling, why are you back just now? Something has happened to your family!" "What''s the matter, Aunt Zhang?" Xiao Ling asked. "The Gu Family came to your door and... quarrelled... with your grandaunt!" Grandaunt? When did such a persone to their house? It couldn¡¯t be¡­ The elderly woman, right? The elderly woman had Alzheimer¡¯s disease. She would be bullied miserably in this case! Gu Jiao turned to Xiao Ling and said, "I''ll go first and have a look." Aunt Zhang said hurriedly, "Go quickly! Your grandma is not someone easy to deal with!" Gu Jiao had been here for such a long time but had never met the original soul¡¯s grandmother. She only knew that her surname was Wu and she was a shrewish woman when she was young. Later, she married Old Mister Gu. Old Mister Gu was a schr, andter he became a Vige Chief. Ordinarily, Wu shi should have curbed her temper after getting married to him, but she had be more and more arrogant instead. Wu shi was the number one person difficult to deal with in the vige, which was why Aunt Zhang was worried that Xiao Ling''s ¡®grandaunt¡¯ would be bullied. When Gu Jiao arrived at their front yard, she found that all the women of the Gu Family, namely Wu shi and her two daughter-inws, Zhou shi and Liu shi, hade. Of course, Gu Xiaoshun and Gu Ershun were there as well. Ershun stood by her mother, while Gu Xiaoshun stood by the elderly woman. However, there was something different from Aunt Zhang''s description... Apparently, the ones who had been abused badly to the point of having their faces flushed with anger was Wu shi¡¯s three-man group! "You, you, you, you, you... Say what you just said again if you have the guts!" Wu shi put one hand on her waist and pointed a finger to the elderly woman. No one knew when the elderly woman asked someone to move a stool for her. She sat boldly on the stool with her legs crossed and grabbed a handful of melon seeds. While cracking them, she said casually, "For what reason should I say it again? Is your brain so bad that you can¡¯tprehend my words? Or are you deaf and couldn¡¯t hear clearly? " Wu shi had been tyrannizing the vige for so many years and had never been so humiliated by anyone before. Her two daughters-inw couldn¡¯t be med for asking her toe and confront this old woman. It was simply impossible for her two daughters-inw to cope with this old woman''s means. "I don''t care what you say! He must bring me these taels of silver tonight!" Seeing that she couldn¡¯t win the argument, Wu shi began to act shamelessly. The elderly woman spat the melon seed shells towards her face and said, "Ptui! Did he eat your rice or drink your porridge? Brothel women have more sense of shame than you! Not to mention one or two silvers, don¡¯t even think of getting even a single copper coin!" She actuallypared her to those unscrupulous women in the brothel. Wu shi was bursting with rage! Wu shi: "You, you, you, you..." The elderly womanpletely refused to give Wu shi a chance to talk back, "Also, don''t say that my family¡¯s JiaoJiao ate your food. How much did she eat, and how much money did you get from Ling in return? My family¡¯s JiaoJiao originally should have married her husband into the Gu Family, but you people didn¡¯t honor it and drove them out instead. Since they had been driven out, they have nothing to do with your Gu Family anymore!" Wu shi trembled with anger, "That... that''s called a family division!¡± She was rmed. If such words got out, did they still want the Gu Family''s reputation? The elderly woman took another melon seed and said, "Oh, you admit that it¡¯s a family division! Since they¡¯re already living separately from you, why do you still have Ling provide you with money? Where¡¯s your sense of shame? Must¡¯ve used it to decorate your walls!" Wu shi choked up and her eyes nearly rolled back. Where did this crazy womane from? She was simply, simply... simply infuriating ah! The vigers watching the bustle were dying ofughter. Wu shi had never once lost an argument in the vige, but today she was turned into a gourd that had its mouth sawed[1]. The division was originally the doing of the Gu Family, but at that time the Gu Family imed it was Xiao Ling''s idea, and Xiao Ling himself was also unwilling to live with the Gu Family, so the vigers couldn''t say much. Everyone in the vige knew that Gu Jiao always had her meals at the Gu Family, but they didn''t expect that the Gu Family was receiving money for it. Gu Jiao was only a fourteen-year-old girl. How much food could she eat? But the Gu Family actually asked Xiao Ling to give them a silver or two a month! Wasn''t this extortion? A silver or two was enough for arge family to eat for two months! Originally, Zhou shi and Liu shi came here just to ask for the money after finding that Xiao Ling didn''t give it to the family this month. How could they expect the situation to get so out of hand? What should they do now? 1. ¡ü ¡ª someone unable to retort or make aeback. Click me if you want to read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 15 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 2Chapter 26 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] G O L D S T A R [Nem] Their mother-inw was not someone to guard her tongue. It hadn¡¯t been long since they started to quarrel, but the other party had already wormed some facts out of her. Both things that should be said and shouldn''t be said had been blurted out. If this went on, all the little secrets of their Gu Family would be exposed by their mother-inw. The two sisters-inw exchanged nces, and both of them made a decision in their hearts. They couldn''t quarrel any more. They had to pull their mother-inw back quickly. "Mother! Let¡¯s not lower ourselves to her level! Let¡¯s go back first!" Zhou shi stepped forward, took Wu shi''s arm and said. Liu shi also came over and grabbed Wu shi''s other arm, saying, "That¡¯s right, mother. Let''s not argue with this crazy old woman!!" If they had said that at first, the vigers might still have believed them, but it was clear that Wu shi and her two daughters-inw were angered after a round of argument. On the other hand, the elderly woman was calm andposed, without the slightest sign of fluster. If there was really a crazy woman here, it had to be Wu shi. The expression of schadenfreude in the vigers¡¯ facespletely enraged Wu shi. Wu shi smoothed out her sleeves and said with her saliva sttering everywhere, "You''re simply not afraid of death, are you?! Do you know who I am? I am the Vige Chief¡¯s wife!" "Oh." The elderly woman rolled her eyes at her, "Then I''m the Emperor¡¯s mother!" All the people around them roared withughter. This elderly woman was a bit interesting. She simply didn¡¯t care about who she angered to death, nor was she afraid that her words would get out and she¡¯d be beheaded. Wu shi herself was an annoying and unreasonable troublemaker. Unfortunately, she met someone with deeper skills than her. Knowing she couldn¡¯t win, she nned to get physical directly, "I will kick you out of the vige today¡ª¡ª" Before she could finish speaking, however, the elderly woman sshed a basin of cold water onto her, which made Wu shi petrified on the spot. Soon after, without caring about the consequences, the elderly woman turned around and went into the house. She didn''t want the stool, and didn''t want Gu Xiaoshun. She mmed the door and bolted it! She slipped away pretty fast! Everyoneughed till their belly ached. Just now, this elderly woman still had an overwhelming aura around her. They thought that she would strongly confront Wu shi to the end, but she unexpectedly wasn¡¯t carried away by anger. She knew that she couldn¡¯t beat the three-man team of Wu shi, so she first threw Wu shi into a daze, and then took the opportunity to lock Wu shi and her daughters-inw outside! When did Wu shi ever suffer such frustration? She found a stone from the ground and rushed to smash the door. But the stone had yet to touch the door when a bright sickle flew with a whoosh and stabbed the door panel! Wu shi was given a fright. Her hand holding the stone instantly froze. If the sickle had been half an inch higher, her hand would have been chopped off instead. Wu shi was so scared that her hand lost its grip and the stone fell to the ground, smashing her own foot. "Aiyo¡ª¡ª" Wu Shi shrieked miserably. Would the stone she found to smash the door be small? In fact, she even picked out the biggest one! Such a big stone fell on her foot that Wu shi could only burst into tears in pain! That sickle suddenly flying over and Wu shi smashing her own foot all happened so fast. The scene was simply too much for people¡¯s eyes to take in at once. One must know that it had been a long time since there was such a bigmotion in the vige. When they looked back, they saw Gu Jiaoing forward calmly and unperturbed. She was carrying a back basket, and her thin figure looked harmless. However, her cold eyes were showing a murderous look for some reason. The crowd could not help but shrink their necks and automatically make way for her. God knew how she threw that sickle. Had she failed to throw it on the door, would it not havended on the back of someone¡¯s head instead? At the thought of this, everyone felt a bout of chills on the back of their heads... Liu shi was the first to react. She yelled, "Jiao girl, you came back just in time! Get that crazy old woman to open the door quickly! Look, she smashed your grandmother¡¯s foot!" Scoff. Gu Jiao smiled coldly and said, "It¡¯s normal for the old woman to have bad vision, but how could Second Aunt have vision problems at her age? Who picked up this stone, and who smashed it on her foot, didn''t you know very well in your heart?" As soon as her words dropped, Liu shi was dumbfounded. This, this, this... How could this girl attack people verbally like this?! They could still take her actions of dragging Gu Dashun and kicking Gu Ershun before as her being a fool, but publicly criticizing her and Wu shi for having bad vision was simply shedding all pretense of cordiality with the Gu Family. "You stinky girl! You dare to speak ill of your grandmother?!" Wu shi rolled up her sleeves and was about to move forward, but she nearly fell to the ground in pain after one step. Zhou shi hurriedly supported her mother-inw, "Mother, be careful!" Wu shi was in pain and full of anger. She pointed to Gu Jiao''s nose and cursed, "Little beast! Why didn''t you just drown at that time?!" At this moment, Xiao Ling came over. Recently, Xiao Ling and Gu Jiao had been seen going out together often. It had long been rumored in the vige that they had finally gotten together, but Xiao Ling had never responded positively, so many people guessed that everything was just Gu Jiao¡¯s wishful thinking. "Ling, ah! Look at what your Grandaunt and Jiao girl have done! Your grandmother-inw is already old..." Zhou shi turned to reproach Xiao Ling. Unexpectedly, before she could finish her words, Xiao Ling said, "Since she¡¯s already old, don''t let here out to blindly wander around." Zhou shi doubted if she heard him right! "Are you all right?" Xiao Ling walked up to Gu Jiao and asked. "It¡¯s nothing." Gu Jiao shook her head and took the sickle off the door. Xiao Ling turned to the door and said, "Grandaunt, we¡¯re back." The door creaked open. Xiao Ling and Gu Jiao went in. The crowd exchanged nces with one another. They weren¡¯t dazzled just now, were they? Did Xiao Ling really talk to Fool Gu? And even asked her if she was all right? Those two were really on intimate terms now?! Xiao Ling closed the door after entering the house. However, the door wasn¡¯t tightly closed and people could still hear his unhurried voice saying, "If you encounter such a thing in the future, I will report it to the officials. I will personally go to the yamen to hand in the writtenint." As soon as these words came out, Wu shi¡¯s three-man group who intended to rush in were directly nailed on their spots. You could actually report this kind of thing to the officials? But Xiao Ling spoke so confidently... Then, it should be the truth? Thisme person was actually a ck-hearted man! "Mother, the things of the third branch..." Zhou shi reminded in a low voice. It was true that there were some shenanigans behind the family division at that time. The farnd under the third branch¡¯s name, as well as the dowry of the third wife were being withheld by them. If they really went to the yamen to report, they feared this secret would be uncovered. Wu shi gritted her teeth and walked away with her two daughters-inw. All the people involved had left, of course people watching the show had also gone home. Gu Ershun had also returned home. Only Gu Xiaoshun wandered around the vige and then broke into his sister and brother-inw''s house. Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling were sitting on the chairs in the main room, while the elderly woman was sitting on the wooden bench opposite them, still eating melon seeds with her legs crossed, without the slightest intention of exining themotion she stirred up. In fact, it wasn¡¯t just the vigers who had their eyes opened after seeing that Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling seemed different from what they imagined. Even Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling both think they were wrong about this elderly woman, okay? Previously, she could do nothing and could answer nothing. Her reaction was dull. Gu Jiao really thought she had Alzheimer¡¯s disease, but when she was arguing with Wu shi just now, she was basically a max-level pro yernding on a novice vige, alright? "Have you just been pretending these days?" Gu Jiao asked. The elderly woman said angrily, "Is that how you talk to your grandaunt?" So you¡¯ve be addicted to acting now? No. It didn''t look like an act. Gu Jiao said solemnly to Gu Xiaoshun, "Come with me." Click me if you want to read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 15 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 3Chapter 27 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] G O L D S T A R [Nem] Gu Jiao closed the door of the room and then said, "Tell me everything that happened today." Gu Xiaoshun honestly exined his experience of looking after the elderly woman. It turned out that the elderly woman really didn¡¯t remember anything. That day when she regained consciousness, she was in Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling¡¯s home, so she thought she was a member of the family. Grabbing some melon seeds, she asked Gu Xiaoshun, "Which of the two unfilial kids is my grandchild?" Gu Xiaoshun remembered his sister''s instructions and didn''t dare to tell the elderly woman that she had leprosy. But he couldn¡¯t really say that his sister or brother-inw were her own grandchildren. In desperation, he blurted out that she was his brother-inw''s grandaunt and that she came all the way to visit him. Gu Jiao did not realize that the elderly woman didn¡¯t have Alzheimer''s disease, therefore she didn''t give Gu Xiaoshun a set of rhetoric to deal with her. Gu Xiaoshun continued, "Then she asked me, ¡®Why does it seem like your sister is the one in charge of this family?¡¯ I said, ¡¯That''s normal. My brother-inw is the one who married into our family!¡¯ She asked again, ¡®Why didn''t I see anyone else?¡¯ Then I told her about the family division." Upon hearing this, Gu Jiao held her forehead directly. Which part did it look like she was in charge of this family? She and Xiao Ling had always been on their own, and would only have a meal together once in a while. Xiaoshun, this dunce ah! He was tricked by the elderly woman. No wonder the elderly woman was able to criticize the Gu Family without a pause. She actually got a thorough understanding of the enemy''s situation through Gu Xiaoshun. "Then why did she always ignore me when I questioned her before?" It made her think her reactions were dull. Gu Xiaoshun replied, "She said you were unfilial so she didn''t want to talk to you!" Gu Jiao, ¡°¡­¡± Wasn¡¯t it just giving her a few less candied fruits? Gu Jiao came back to the main room. Obviously, Xiao Ling had already talked with the elderly woman. She didn¡¯t know what Xiao Ling said to her but the elderly woman no longer had the same arrogance of someone superior she had just now. On the contrary, she looked somewhat listless as she walked. "I¡¯m damned sleepy after an argument. I''ll go to bed first. Call me when the meal is ready!" The elderly woman snorted, turned her jolting buttocks on several people, and went back to her own room to sleep. Gu Jiao looked at Xiao Ling. Xiao Ling said after a brief silence, "At that time, the physician said that the medicine based on the prescription should be taken for one year, but if the symptoms recover quickly, the disease will lose its infectivity in one month." He didn''t strongly persuade Gu Jiao to let the elderly woman stay in the house, and only told Gu Jiao that her disease would likely not be passed on to others anymore soon, hoping that Gu Jiao would agree to continue to take her in. Gu Jiao didn''t know that this ck sesame glutinous rice ball[1] also showed pity to strangers sometimes. Perhaps the elderly woman reminded him of his brother who died young. "Alright, we¡¯ll let grandaunt stay here for the time being." Gu Jiao said with a sigh. Actually, she really didn¡¯t intend to drive the elderly woman away. But if she could sell Xiao Ling a favor, that would be nice. For now, they recognized the elderly woman as their grandaunt, which was currently the safest way. Facts proved that their decision was correct, because that very night, a group of officers and soldiers broke into Qingquan Vige and went from house to house in search of the patient who had escaped from Leprosy Mountain. The only outsider in the vige was the elderly woman. When they learned that she had just arrived in the vige recently, the officers and soldiers rushed into Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling¡¯s house without another word. When the officers and soldiers came to their door, the elderly woman had already finished eating dinner and went to her room to warm herself. But the couple was still sitting at the table, having their dinner. Their dinner was quite sumptuous, a bowl of pork and cabbage stir fry, a te of scallion egg pancakes, a pot of wild mushroom pottage, a bowl of wood ear mushroom sd and a te of shelled peanuts that went well with liquor. Of course, there was no liquor. The aroma of the braised pork and scallion egg pancake assailed people¡¯s nostrils, which instantly made the officers and soldiers feel hungry. "Officers, is something the matter?" Xiao Ling asked. The officers and soldiers returned to their senses and one of them said, "I heard there is an old woman in your home. Where is she?" Xiao Ling took people to the elderly woman''s ce, "She¡¯s my grandaunt who just came from Su County a few days ago." As he spoke, he stepped forward and took the te that the elderly woman failed to hide in time. He said, "You stole candied fruits again. Didn''t we say that you are too old to eat too many sweets?" "Humph." Having been caught, the elderly woman turned her face away with bitterness. The officers and soldiers did not have a portrait of the leper, but they were told of the leper''s characteristics. They knew that she had white patches and red spots on her face and the back of her hands which were the symptoms of leprosy. Aside from that, she supposedly had a sallowplexion and fatigued appearance. The elderly woman before their eyes was different in everything except her age. She had no white patches and red spots, herplexion was ruddy and she looked unreasonably lively. Leprosy couldn¡¯t be cured. Some prescriptions could dy its development, but it was simply impossible for the patient to recover so well in just ten days. Most of the suspicions of the officers had disappeared, and after seeing that Xiao Ling did not have the slightest avoidance and dislike for the elderly woman, they thought it was even more unlikely that she was the leper. Nevertheless, the leader of the group dared not lower his guard. He went to the kitchen again and pointed to the medicine pot on the stove, "Whose medicine is this?" Xiao Ling said, "It¡¯s mine. I have a leg injury. That is the medicine prescribed to me when I went to the medical hall in town." "Show me the package of medicinal herbs." The other party said. Gu Jiao went to get the package of medicinal herbs ordingly. The man opened the package and found pseudo-ginseng inside. Pseudo-ginseng was a verymon medicinal herb for improving blood cirction and reducing blood stasis. People who practiced martial arts were no strangers to it. Apart from that, there was also safflower which was also amon medicinal herb for treating wounds. With these two kinds of medicinal herbs, one could basically be certain that the medicine was not for treating leprosy. "What''s your name?" The man asked. ¡°Xiao Ling.¡± Xiao Ling said seriously, "If several officers have doubts about my identity, they can go to Tianxiang Academy and find the Dean to check my household registration record." The man frowned, "The Dean of Tianxiang Academy? Is his surname Li?" "That''s right." Xiao Ling replied. Several officers exchanged meaningful nces and became a bit more polite to Xiao Ling. Generally speaking, they didn¡¯t have to go to the Dean if they had to check a person¡¯s household registration record. Xiao Ling specially mentioned the Dean just to tell them that he was someone under Dean Li¡¯s protection. Xiao Ling didn''t want to be the Dean''s disciple, but it didn''t prevent him from being a fox exploiting the tiger''s might[2]. His skin was thick and he didn¡¯t feel any pressure at all. The name ¡°Dean Li¡± was rather very useful. The officers asked a few more routine questions and then withdrew with the soldiers. However, the officers and soldiers had not gone far yet when they sent one person to go back quietly, who then entered Xue Ningxiang¡¯s house. "Is the elderly woman next door really that young man¡¯s grandaunt?" "Yes." "When did she arrive here?" "Just a few days ago." Xue Ningxiang said. "Howe I heard it was ten days ago?" The officer stared into Xue Ningxiang''s eyes and asked. Xue Ningxiang said firmly, "Who said that? I live next door, how could I be wrong?" The officer looked at Xue Ningxiang''s one-year-old son in her arms, and a cold glint shed through his eyes before he finally left. Xue Ningxiang''s back was drenched with cold sweat. ***** T/N: I''m not hungry! You are! 1. ¡ü ¡ª She equated Xiao Ling with a ck sesame glutinous rice ball because they are both ck inwardly. (?¨R?¨Q) 2. ¡ü ¡ª Someone who uses powerful connections to intimidate people. Click me if you want to read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 20 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 1Chapter 28 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] G O L D S T A R [Nem] The elderly woman dide to the vige ten days ago, but she was delirious in the first few days and didn''t remembering so early. Therefore, Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling dyed the elderly woman''s supposed arrival for several days, which was different from the day when the elderly woman disappeared and came to Qingquan Town. What Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling didn¡¯t know was that Xue Ningxiang had heard the noise when the elderly woman copsed in front of Gu Jiao. At that time, she could tell that something was not normal with the elderly woman... "Ah Xiang." The voice of her mother-inw came from the next room. Xue Ningxiangposed herself and went to her mother-inw''s room, asking, "Mother, you¡¯re awake?" "I thought I heard someone in the house just now. Did something happen to my second child?" Her mother-inw had already lost one of her two sons, and her most worries nowadays were his younger son who went to be a soldier in the army. Xue Ningxiang said in a soft voice, "Nothing happened to the second younger brother. It was about the patient on Leprosy Mountain who ran away. The officers came to search our house but they had already left." "Is it a man or a woman ah!? How old is the person?" "They didn''t say." Xue Ningxiang said. "How can a lepere to our... Cough..." Xue Ningxiang''s mother-inw coughed violently twice, mumbled a few words in her mouth, and then fell asleep in a daze. Xue Ningxiang closed her eyes. She didn¡¯t consider herself a good person, but Gu Jiao had saved her life before. The search of the officers did not stir up huge waves in Qingquan Vige, and everyone¡¯s daily life went on normally as before. Gu Jiao asionally felt that the elderly woman had a great background, otherwise how could her matter cause so many officers to search for her and yet they did not disclose any information about her? However, when Gu Jiao saw the elderly woman with a jar of melon seeds, incessantly making ¡®crack¡¯ ¡®crack¡¯ sounds like a squirrel, she thought she was thinking too much. Gu Jiao had nothing to do so she mended all Xiao Ling''s clothes at home. She was right. If she regarded the cloth as human skin, mending clothes would be easier! When Xiao Ling got home, he found that his torn clothes had been mended. He didn¡¯t have to guess to know that it was Gu Jiao who had fixed them up. Gu Jiao had never repaired clothes before. At least, he hadn''t seen her done so ever since he came to the vige, but surprisingly, she mended them well. The stitches were fine, well-proportioned and neat. However, there was one thing that made people baffled. Everyone else sewed clothes with the stitches inside, so howe hers were all left on the outside? The elderly woman''s recovery was much better than that of Xiao Ling''s brother. Xiao Ling once asked the physician how long it would take to lose the disease infectivity at the rate of his brother''s recovery, and the physician said it would take a month. Although the elderly woman had been taking medicine for only less than a month, the curative effect had far exceeded that of one month, and she had been able to eat with them at the same table. Only, Xiao Ling didn¡¯t expect the elderly woman to almost choke him to death the first time they ate at the same table. "I say." The elderly woman drank a mouthful of corn keel soup and said in a neither salty nor light tone, "What''s wrong with you two? I''ve been here for so long, but I haven''t seen you two sleep together." Xiao Ling and Gu Jiao choke up together. "Husband is still young." Gu Jiao said with a straight face. The elderly woman sized up Xiao Ling from head to toe and then nodded, "That¡¯s right too. You¡¯re still rather young, don¡¯t over exhaust your body with that just yet." Xiao Ling, ¡°¡­¡± ¡­... Meanwhile, after Wu shi''s group of three ate a loss under the elderly woman¡¯s hand, the vigers spected that they would find a chance to get back at her. However, they actually didn''t see theme out for several days. As a matter of fact, it wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t want toe out, but rather, Old Mister Gu forbade them to go outside. Thest incident had stirred up so much noise that it very soon reached Old Mister Gu¡¯s ears. Before Old Three died, he promised that he would take good care of Gu Jiao. Although he didn''t say it verbally, Old Mister Gu knew that he meant keeping Gu Jiao by his side for the rest of his life, and he must find her a husband to marry into the family in the future. The main reason why he broke the original promise was that he believed Gu Jiao was a star of disaster. He had already lost his third son and third daughter-inw, and could no longer allow her to jinx Dashun and the rest. However, never did Old Mister Gu connive at Wu shi¡¯s action of asking Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling for family expenses. At that time, Wu shi told him that it was Xiao Ling himself who wanted to show his filial piety to him, saying that the money could also be used to support Dashun¡¯s studies. Old Mister Gu believed it. Now that he knew the truth, Old Mister Gu really felt humiliated. He told her, "Ling himself is also attending the academy, so don''t ask him for money again in the future!" Wu shi wanted to cough up blood. Wu shi said, "What can a cripple like him possibly aplish by studying? It''s just a waste of money. I heard that he flunked the exam again this time! Might as well give the money to Dashun. When Dashun bes sessful in the future, he will definitely look after him a bit!" Her Dashun would be a Lord Juren[1] in the future, and Lords with a Juren title could enjoy a meal whenever they wished, which was enough to make that cripple¡¯s family live their life without troubles. But Old Mister Gu wanted to save face as well. The vigers were already secretly jabbing at his spine[2]. Asking him to keep allowing her to get money from his granddaughter and grandson-inw, he couldn''t do it. Old Mister Gu warned Wu shi not to bring his two daughters-inw to make trouble at Gu Jiao¡¯s house again. The group of mother-inw and daughters-inw were not the only ones who were having bad times these days. Gu Dashun had also suffered the first blow in his life. He finally knew who the Dean''s preferred student was. It was actually Xiao Ling, someone he would never expect even if you beat him to death. That guy Xiao Ling wasn¡¯t just physically disabled, but he also had a poor knowledge. Aside from his face that was worth a look, his whole person was practically useless. He couldn¡¯t understand. How did this underachiever scum get into the Dean''s eyes? Gu Dashun began to recall the change of the Dean''s attitude towards him. At first, the Dean spoke highly of him more than once and also met with him, but after Xiao Ling went to see the Dean, the Dean never spoke to him again. He thought hard but in terms of talent and knowledge, there was nothing about him that should make the Dean dissatisfied. Did Xiao Ling cook up something in front of the Dean, making the Dean think he wascking in moral character so now he was disgusted with him? That must be it! Why else would the Dean throw him aside and instead go for Xiao Ling who was always at the bottom of the list? He appeared to be someone decorous, didn''t expect him to be this malicious behind people¡¯s back! Thinking that Xiao Ling had taken something that belonged to him, Gu Dashun thought Xiao Ling was really despicable. "Xiao Ling, you wait and see!" ¡­¡­ That night, Gu Jiao dreamed again. Not surprisingly, she dreamed of Xiao Ling again. Xiao Ling happened to finish copying the book at hand, so he went to a study hall[3] to deliver it at noon. Unexpectedly, a theft had urred in that study hall, and suspicion fell on Xiao Ling¡¯s head. In fact, there was a witness at that time, which was Gu Dashun. Gu Dashun personally saw Xiao Ling leave before the owner of the stolen stuff entered the study hall. He also knew that Xiao Ling had never entered the victim¡¯s drawing room from beginning to end. But Gu Dashun refused to tell the truth, and insisted that only Xiao Ling went to the second floor. Although this did not directly prove that Xiao Ling was the thief, it ruled out other people as suspects. However, Xiao Ling was not to be trifled with either. He immediately solved the case based on several footprints in the backyard. The event was supposed to be over here, but due to this one investigation, a lot of his work had been dyed. When Xiao Ling was finally on his way back to the vige, he was caught in a heavy snowfall. Along the way, the mule cart skidded into the ditch, disfiguring Xiao Ling''s face. The hideous scar apanied Xiao Ling all his life, leaving him an indelible shadow for a lifetime. 1. ¡ü ¡ª ¾ÙÈË| j¨³r¨¦n: Sessful examinees in the provincial-level imperial exam; a rank/degree obtained after passing the provincial-level imperial exam. 2. ¡ü ¡ª Saying negative things about someone behind their backs. 3. ¡ü ¡ª I think this is more like a library and a bookstore than just a normal study room at home. To read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 20 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ No patreon but want to support us? Then, OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 0Chapter 29 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] G O L D S T A R [Nem] When Gu Jiao woke up the next day, she sat on the bedside dazedly for a long time. This time, it wasn¡¯t the dream itself that stupefied her, but rather, she was dumbfounded by the ¡°luck¡± of her husband. What kind of ill-fated young man was this? How could his luck be so bad? Moreover, it was that handsome face that was ruined this time. This wasn¡¯t good, absolutely not good! This whole thing happened because Gu Dashun had created difficulties for Xiao Ling. If he hadn''t given false testimony, Xiao Ling wouldn''t have dyed his return to the vige in order to prove his innocence. As a result, he was caught in the heavy snowfall and had an ident, which ruined one good handsome face. ¡­¡­ The sky wasn¡¯t bright yet when Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling finished their breakfast. The elderly woman was still fast asleep in her room. Gu Jiao carefully sent Xiao Ling out of the door. "It¡¯s going to snow today, so wear more." Gu Jiao brought him a robe. Xiao Ling looked at the stars in the still dull sky and didn''t feel like it was going to snow. Nevertheless, he still took the robe she handed to him and said, "Thank you." Gu Jiao sent him to the entrance of the vige as usual. Xiao Ling got on the oxcart. Gu Jiao waited with him and didn''t turn back until Gu Xiaoshun came sleepily with the bookbag in his arms. Gu Jiao knew Xiao Ling would go to the study hall this afternoon and that he would be framed, but she didn''t remind him not to go. She remembered the details of the case solved by Xiao Ling clearly. Therefore, she knew which way the thief would go with the stolen goods. ¡­¡­ "I heated up the food in the pot. If you¡¯re hungry, serve yourself the food. Also, you have to take your medicine. You can''t skip it even once. If you dump it, I''ll know." In the main room, Gu Jiao said to the elderly woman. The elderly woman didn¡¯t really have Alzheimer¡¯s, so there was no need to keep an eye on her. Anyway, she no longer had contagious disease, so Gu Jiao didn¡¯t have to worry that someone would be harmed by her. As for others harming her? There was no such thing. The elderly woman twitched the corner of her lips and she let out a humph. Gu Jiao went out with her back basket. When she passed the Gu Family¡¯s residence, she happened to meet Gu Yue''e who came out to wash her face. "Good morning, little sister Yue''e." Gu Jiao greeted her. Under the influence of her mother and the second branch, Gu Yue''e was not close to Gu Jiao. When she saw that Gu Jiao took the initiative to greet her, she said nothing and just walked into the house. "Who talked to you?" Zhou shi, who was inside, asked. ¡°Jiao girl.¡± Gu Yue''e said in a low voice. Zhou shi swished the door open. Gu Jiao also greeted her, "Good morning, First Aunt." "Er... Morning, morning." Zhou shi prided herself on being the mother of a Xiucai[1], that was why she behaved more politely than Liu shi. She looked at Gu Jiao with a basket on her back and said with a wry smile, "Jiao girl, where are you going so early in the morning?" Gu Jiao smilingly replied, "I¡¯m going to pick some mountain goods on the mountain and sell them in the town." Zhou shi¡¯s eyes moved before saying with a smile, "Do mountain goods sell for money? I heard that the things in the mountain are poisonous... " "I know which ones are not poisonous. Husband told me." No one would believe her if she said she knew it herself. A few days ago, Zhou shi with her mother and sister-inw went to their door and caused a fuss. At that time, she was able to see the things in Gu Jiao''s basket, including melon seeds, candied fruits, brown sugar and peanuts. Just how much all of that cost? She bet this girl made a lot of money by selling mountain goods. Zhou shi''s eyes shed with meaning and said while keeping her smile, "Jiao girl, can you bring your First Aunt with you? You see, you can''t pick that many by yourself, can you? First Aunt will help you pick them!" "Good." Gu Jiao agreed generously. Zhou shi suppressed her triumphantugh. A fool was a fool in the end, she was very easily coaxed. After she had recognized all the mountain goods, would she still leave her something to pick? Zhou shi wouldn''t let Liu shi take part in such a good thing, but Liu shi unexpectedly heard it by herself. She walked out with a basket on her arm and said, "Second Aunt wille too!" "Good." Gu Jiao smiled. Gu Jiao and her two aunts went to the mountains to pick mushrooms. Actually, she could have cheated them by picking some wood ears and poisonous mushrooms to sell, but that would harm innocent people. She wouldn''t be so wicked. She took the two of them to pick somemon winter mushrooms and filled several people''s handbasket and back basket before leaving contentedly. "Can this really sell for money?" Zhou shi asked with doubts. "Aunt, juste with me. It''s very easy to sell." Gu Jiao replied. Zhou shi wanted to go alone. In this way, she could sell how much she wanted to sell, and she didn''t have to give all the money to her family. Unfortunately, Liu shi also had the same idea. In the end, both of them followed Gu Jiao. "Jiao girl, this is not the way to the market." Halfway, Liu shi told Gu Jiao strangely. Gu Jiao said, "The market in the west is closing at this hour. We¡¯re going to the market east of the town, where the prices of goods are much higher." As soon as they heard that they could sell goods at a higher price, both of them said nothing more. When passing by an alley, Gu Jiao suddenly said, "I''m going to thetrine. Both aunts, wait for me for a moment here." "Go, go." Zhou shi said. Liu shi pouted her mouth and murmured, "Idle folksck no excuses." Gu Jiao walked through the alley and came to the back door of Rejuvenation Hall. She then opened the door and went in. A quarter of an hourter, Gu Jiao came back. "What took you so long?" Liu shi was dissatisfied. Gu Jiao smiled faintly, "I have an upset stomach." Zhou shi said in a hurry, "Alright, Jiao girl, where is the market? Let''s sell the mountain goods quickly, lest they lose their freshness after a while!" "En." Gu Jiao nodded with a smile. Gu Jiao walked forward with the two of them. Suddenly, a figure darted out of the side alley. Gu Jiao didn¡¯t have time to dodge and bumped into the man head-on. The man fell to the ground from the bump. Gu Jiao took out her sickle with a swish and said, "How dare you knock against me?" That man was stupefied. Girl, who actually knocked against who between us ah!? Gu Jiao didn''t care. She hacked at the man with her sickle, and the two sides quickly got tangled up. The man''s bundle was knocked off by Gu Jiao, but he didn''t have time to pick it up as he was chased hundreds of meters away by Gu Jiao. Zhou shi and Liu shi opened the bundle that fell to the ground with itching hands. When they saw the glistening silver inside, greed pervaded the two people at once. They didn''t steal this money, nor did they rob it. They simply picked it up in the street. They found it, so it was theirs now! The two people tacitly decided to pick it up and leave, not intending to give that little fool a share! They grabbed it in a flurry and even had an intense fight over who could get more! Meanwhile, over at the academy, Xiao Ling had finished having his lunch. He took the copied book with him and went to the Yipin[2] Pavilion. There were many study halls in Qingquan Town, but the biggest was only this one. Even at noon, the business was still very good. The books copied by Xiao Ling were best sellers, and everyone in the study hall knew him. An attendant greeted him politely, "The manager is not present at the moment. Why don¡¯t you go to the ounts office on the second floor and wait there for a while?" Xiao Ling was about to enter the door when a man suddenly called out to him from behind, "Is that Young Gentleman Xiao?" Xiao Ling turned around. "Does Young Gentleman Xiao still remember this humble one?" The man asked with a smile. "I remember." Xiao Ling nodded and said, "You''re from Rejuvenation Hall. What can I do for you?" The man replied embarrassedly, "Well, I gave you a few wrong medicinal herbsst time. Shopkeeper Wang asked me to find Young Gentleman Xiao. I wonder if Young Gentleman Xiao is free at the moment? Can you follow me to the Rejuvenation Hall to get the right medicinal herbs? And also... you can conveniently let the physician have a look at you again." Generally speaking, if you gave the wrong medicinal herbs to the patient, you should deliver the right ones to them directly. But the Rejuvenation Hall was also offering Xiao Ling a free examination, which sounded like an apology. Xiao Ling had no problem with it. He and the staff from the Rejuvenation Hall left. At the same time, Gu Dashun behind a bookshelf withdrew his loathing eyes. Xiao Ling went to the Rejuvenation Hall to get the correct medicinal herbs and had his leg examined. The same staff personally sent him back to the academy. As soon as they got off the carriage, they heard the students outside the academy talking in whispers. "Have you heard? There was a theft in the study hall, and the thief was a freshman in Heaven ss A of our academy." "A freshman in ss A? What''s the name?" ¡°Gu Dashun!¡± 1. ¡ü ¡ª Ðã²Å|xiucai: a schr who has passed the entry-level imperial exams in ancient times; rank/degree obtained after passing the entry-level imperial exam(county exam, prefectural exam, college exam) 2. ¡ü ¡ª The study hall Xiao Ling went to is a two-story pavilion building. I¡¯m not sure if the pavilion is named Yipin, which means superb/first-rate or it¡¯s actually a description. In any case, I¡¯ll just leave it in pinyin. To read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 20 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ No patreon but want to support us? Then, OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 1Chapter 30 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] G O L D S T A R [Nem] This time, Xiao Ling had yet to cross the doorway of the study hall when the staff of the Rejuvenation Hall called out to him. After that, he went straight to the Rejuvenation Hall to take the medicinal herbs. The whole Rejuvenation Hall could testify to it, so naturally no one suspected him. Gu Dashun, however, was a different story. Someone had seen him go up to the second floor, and the victim¡¯s drawing room was also on the second floor. The victim happened to be out at that time, and there was no one else on the second floor except Gu Dashun. Everyone who had been to the study hall knew that apart from the ounts office, there were also the drawing rooms to amodate distinguished personages in the second floor which wasn¡¯t open to just anyone. A poor student like Gu Dashun wasn¡¯t supposed to be on the second floor. Gu Dashun cried out unjustly, "A Lord asked me to pick some books and send them to him! He said he wanted to converse with me about poetry!" Gu Dashun was also an ambitious student. He knew very early that his Xiucai status would bring many conveniences to his future. It was even normal for people toe to establish some friendship with him. So he did not doubt it at that time. "Who is this Lord? Call him out!" A man of the study hall said. Gu Dashun said in a hurry, "He was gone when I went upstairs!" "Have any of you... seen any Lord?" The man asked the people around. Everybody shook their heads. The only reason they noticed Gu Dashun was because he was wearing the uniform of Tianxiang Academy. Tianxiang Academy¡¯s students would always attract people¡¯s attention no matter where they went. It so happened that Gu Dashun''s conversation with the Lord took ce on his way to thevatory, and besides the two of them, no one else was present in that area to be a witness. Therefore, people only saw Gu Dashun go up to the second floor with the books in his arms, but did not see Gu Dashun being invited by someone. This was truly frustrating to death. The victim¡¯s boy servant said, "I didn''t expect the students of Tianxiang Academy to do such a nasty thing. The bundle of my family¡¯s young master contains very precious stuff. You can take away the silver inside and my young master won¡¯t bother to argue with you about it. However, you must return the letter! Otherwise, we will file this case to the yamen!" Gu Dashun felt like dying from being used wrongly. The only way to solve this was to find that Lord. However, the other party seemed to have vanished into thin air. He simply couldn¡¯t find him anymore. Gu Dashun was suddenly struck by an idea, "You said I stole something, but where is the stolen goods? It¡¯s impossible for me to eat it!" The Chief Constable[1] narrowed his eyes and said, "Go to his house and search!" Gu Dashun wasn¡¯t worried about him searching their house. His figure was upright and wasn¡¯t afraid about his shadow nting[2]. Even if he turned his house upside down, he wouldn¡¯t find any stolen goods! As a result, Gu Dashun was given a p in the face. When the constables rushed into the Gu residence, Zhou shi and Liu shi had just arrived home and were digging holes in the backyard to bury the silver. The constables quickly recognized that these were the official silver lost by the owner. In Gu Jiao''s dream, Xiao Ling, based on the footprints in thewn and the outer side of the wall in the backyard, had judged that the thief had climbed in through the window andmitted the crime alone, and that he was six feet tall. The right footprint was deeper than the left footprint. He had spected that the thief had a slight limp on his left foot, but it wasn¡¯t that serious. Otherwise, he couldn¡¯t possibly tread on the second floor¡¯s walls. In addition, it seemed that this thief had some real skills. A mixture of fine gravel, and some kind of lime and sandalwood was left in some parts of the footprints in the crime scene. This kind of gravel road only led to gambling houses, and it was originally used to ward off evil spirits. Therefore, the thief was either a staff of the gambling house or a gambler. Once he had stolen the silver, he would most likely go to the gambling house near the east market sooner orter. Gu Jiao only had to linger on the way to the market to encounter him. Unfortunately, Gu Dashun wasn¡¯t Xiao Ling. He couldn¡¯t solve the case and prove his innocence. He could only watch himself, as well as Zhou shi and Liu shi, be put into prison. "Aiya." In the Rejuvenation Hall''s ounts office, Second Owner was enjoying his tea leisurely, seemingly very happy. Shopkeeper Wang nced at him and said, "You¡¯re so happy that you¡¯ve harmed a person?" That¡¯s correct. Second Owner was the mysterious Lord who tricked Gu Dashun into the second floor. Second Owner smiled and held out three fingers, "Not one, but three." Shopkeeper Wang shuddered despite the absence of cold, "That girl is really ruthless. She can schemed against her own family without even batting an eyelid. To cooperate with this kind of person, shouldn¡¯t we be¡­ more cautious?" Second Owner looked at the endless stream of people in the street outside and said, "What do you know? If you have never experienced the sufferings of others, don''t lightly persuade others to be kind." Shopkeeper Wang didn''t quite understand this. Although he was Second Owner¡¯s subordinate, he actually didn''t know much about Second Owner. He only knew that he was the eldest Di son[3] of the Hu Family, but he didn''t seem to be highly valued by his old man. Second Owner smiled and took a sip of tea, "I really like this girl more and more." ¡­... Because this matter had nothing to do with Xiao Ling itself, Xiao Ling didn''t ask too much about it. He only knew that Gu Dashun stole something from someone. As for who he had stolen from or what exactly he had stolen, he didn''t know. However, he also went to study hall after all, so the Dean called him to the Zhongzheng Hall to inquire about Gu Dashun¡¯s situation. "When you went to the study hall, did you see Gu Dashun?" Asked the Dean. Xiao Ling replied, "I did, but I left for Rejuvenation Hall at the fourth quarter of wushi[4]. I don¡¯t know what happened after that." That was a big truth. The Dean paused briefly and then said, "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 pressed the corners of his eyebrows and felt a headache, "All right, I know now. Go back to your ssroom first." Xiao Ling turned around and left. Just as he reached the door, the Dean spoke again, "Do you think Gu Dashun will reallymit theft?" Xiao Ling responded lightly, "This, I don¡¯t think I have the final say." That¡¯s right, ah! The owner of the stolen stuff reported it to the authorities, and the yamen had already put the case for investigation. Whether he reallymitted the theft or not, it was up to the evidence to tell, but all the evidence pointed to Gu Dashun¡­ After Xiao Ling left the Zhongzheng Hall, he was called by Teacher Chen of Heaven ss A to ask him some questions. When Teacher Chen finished his inquiry, Teacher Zhang of his own ss also asked him questions, mostly about Gu Dashun again. When he was finally freed from running about, the day was gettingte. Heavy snow started to fall. It actually snowed. Xiao Ling gazed into the snowy sky and then walked towards the academy gate. As soon as he came out, he saw a small thin figure. She was wearing an apricot-colored floral jacket, carrying her back basket as usual. She had her head bowed as she rolled the small stones on the ground with her foot, which made her look somewhat cute. Xiao Ling¡¯s pupils shook a bit and he walked over to her on his crutch. Gu Jiao saw him and smiled, "Done with things at the academy?" "En." Gu Jiao thought of something and said, "I couldn''t let them keep waiting for you. I asked Second Uncle Luo and Xiaoshun to go back first." "It¡¯s nothing. I''ll just hire another cart." Xiao Ling said. Gu Jiao gently tugged at his sleeve with her soft fingertips and said, "It''s snowing heavily, it''s not safe to travel on wheels. Let¡¯s stay in an inn for the night." Xiao Ling looked at the scallion fingers[5] on his sleeve, "...Alright." Perhaps because the end of the year wasing, so the inns were full. They went to several inns to inquire before finally finding an inn to stay in. Xiao Ling said, "Give us two rooms." The inn staff replied, "Dear guest, there is only one room left." 1. ¡ü ¡ª Chief Constable & constables are yamen officers especially for catching criminals. 2. ¡ü ¡ª The original idiom is ¡°A person standing straight doesn''t worry about his shadow nting.¡± He basically means he¡¯s innocent and the truth will prove it so no need to worry. 3. ¡ü ¡ª Di children are the title for the legitimate children of a household born of the first/legitimate wife. On the other hand, concubine-born children are called shu sons/shu daughters. 4. ¡ü ¡ª 11 am-1 pm (in the system of two-hour subdivisions used in former times). So fourth quarter of wushi is between 12:30 - 1:00 PM 5. ¡ü ¡ª Description mostly used for women¡¯s fingers. If you have scallion fingers, your fingers are white, soft and slender. To read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 20 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ No patreon but want to support us? Then, OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 2Chapter 31 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] G O L D S T A R [Nem] Hearing that there was only one room left, both of them froze. The inn staff looked at them questioningly, "What are you hesitating about? Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t tell you, the New Year is approaching, so the inns are all very bustling around this time. In addition, due to the sudden heavy snowfall today, many foreign merchants are stranded in our town. If the two of you continue to be picky, you certainly won¡¯t find a ce to stay in!" The two of them had asked everywhere until they got here. It wasn¡¯t that they didn''t know the high demands for lodging during this time, It was just... it seemed inappropriate. There was a hint of entanglement between Xiao Ling¡¯s eyebrows. As for Gu Jiao¡­ She didn¡¯t have the slightest worry at all. They were legal husband and wife. What was wrong with sleeping together? Besides, it wasn¡¯t like she was rushing to sleep with him. There was simply no other spare room, right? However, she was still very cooperative, showing the same tangled expression as him, which made her look more adorable. In most cases, Xiao Ling was also one to yield to a soft approach. Currently, Gu Jiao had her head lowered like a harmless rabbit, revealing a hint of obedience. At this time, it was a bit unreasonable to drag her thin little body and brave the wind and snow to find another ce to stay. Xiao Ling set his mind, "Then, we¡¯ll stay here." The inn staff brought them to the wing room on the second floor. It was not without reason that it would be thest remaining room. Not to mention the room was rather small, inside was also cold and gloomy. However, considering that there was a heavy snowfall today, the inn provided them with a free basin of charcoal fire. The price of the room was 200 wen. The usual price was 100 wen, but the price would always increase around the New Year. The inn staff put down the charcoal fire and made his way back. Before leaving, he told them that they could go to the lobby for dinner, or they could ask people to deliver the meal directly to their room. Oh, there was actually room service. Gu Jiao was rather surprised. But Gu Jiao didn''t intend to eat in the inn. She pushed open the window and leaned on the windowsill, drooling at the small stall selling sweet-scented osmanthus cakes at the entrance of the opposite alley. She found that she was somewhat different from her previous life. For example, she didn''t like sweet or spicy food in her previous life, but once she came here, she became very fond of osmanthus cakes and pickles. "Do you want osmanthus cake?" Xiao Ling, who was on her side, saw her drooling. Gu Jiao nodded, "En." Actually, Gu Jiao wasn¡¯t craving that much, at least not as much as what Xiao Ling could see. But during these days of getting along, Gu Jiao discovered a fact. That was, he seemed to find it quite difficult to refuse her obedient and well-behaved appearance. Xiao Ling took Gu Jiao out of the inn. The snow outside had gotten thicker and thicker, but the wind had already calmed down and the snowkes fell quietly and gently, bringing about a sense of tranquil beauty. Xiao Ling, in this snow scene, also looked even more handsome than usual, even the passers-by on the street could hardly move their eyes away from him. Earlier this morning, Gu Jiao reminded Xiao Ling to bring an extra robe, but she herself forgot to bring one when she went out. In addition, this small body of herspared to that of her previous life was really easy to get cold ah! So her shivering right now was really not fake. Xiao Ling, who was walking in front, nced back at her. He paused for a bit, then took off his robe and handed it to her. She looked at him innocently, as if she didn''t understand what he meant, "Hm?" Xiao Ling opened his mouth and slightly frowned, but seemingly having no choice, he reluctantly put the robe on her. His body temperature as well as a faint fragrance still remained on his robe. It was warm and smelled nice. Gu Jiao blinked her watery eyes and said, "Thank you." Her voice was soft and sweet to the ears. She felt a bout of tingling sensation by herself. Xiao Ling remained silent, but Gu Jiao noticed that his pace had slowed down. Yo, also know to wait for her? When they crossed the street and reached the stall, they found that the vendor was not only selling osmanthus cakes, but also steaming hot dumplings. The expression in Gu Jiao''s eyes couldn¡¯t deceive people, they were practically gleaming. Xiao Ling ordered two bowls of rice wine dumplings and sat down with Gu Jiao. Rice Wine Dumplings Gu Jiao also asked the boss to cook a poached egg. The boss thought it was for her, so she put it in her bowl, but when the bowls of rice wine dumplings were served, Gu Jiao scooped out the poached egg with a spoon and put it in Xiao Ling''s bowl. Their family was poor and they seldom ate outside. When he saw Gu Jiao giving the only poached egg to him, a trace ofplexity flitted across Xiao Ling¡¯s eyes. "Boss, another poached egg." His voice was low, and in this wind and snow, it was rather pleasing to hear and yet also sounded a bit colder. The boss was moved by the affection of the young couple, and specially cooked the poached egg big and beautiful. Gu Jiao silently poked the yellow-orange poached egg with a spoon. What to say, she really just didn¡¯t like poached eggs... After eating the rice wine dumplings and poached eggs, the two people went back to the inn. Gu Jiao also carried a box of osmanthus cake in her arms. Originally, their goal was osmanthus cake. As a result, they ate a bowl of rice wine dumplings with a poached egg, and they couldn''t be any more full. Because there was a basin of charcoal fire in the room, the cold temperature lessened somewhat. Gu Jiao took off her robe and asked the inn staff for a pot of hot tea. The staff asked the two if they also wanted some hot water for washing. Gu Jiao asked for some. After they had finished washing, they prepared to rest. There was only one bed in the room, but in this wintry weather, the ground was freezing cold, and it was simply impossible to arrange a bed on the floor, otherwise they would freeze to death. There were two quilts in the bed. Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling each got one. The moment Gu Jiao covered herself with the quilt, she understood the real reason why they had to prepare two quilts. It wasn¡¯t because they had two people, but because one quilt was not enough to shield yourself from the cold. It was too chilly for Gu Jiao to fall asleep. Her hands and feet were simply freezing. She listened to Xiao Ling''s breathing and knew that he was not asleep either. "That..." Gu jiao wanted to call him, only to find that up until now, she apparently had yet to call him officially. Of course, the same went for him. It was as if neither of them knew what kind of rtionship they really had. Husband and wife? No. Friends? Not that either. Friends with... No, this was definitely not it! Finally, Gu Jiao decided to reluctantly call him husband. "Husband." This was the first time she called him directly. She was a little unskilled and her voice sounded awkward. Xiao Ling didn''t respond for a long time, probably surprised by her call of ¡°husband." It took him a long while to ask in a low voice, "What''s the matter?" "Are you cold?" Gu Jiao asked. "Are you cold?" Xiao Ling answered her question with the same question. "En." Gu Jiao''s voice sounded delicate in the dim light of the night, carrying along a trace of nasal sound due to the cold temperature. Xiao Ling hesitated for a moment before sharing half of his quilt to her, draping it over her own quilt. Conforming with the principle of ¡®You share, I share¡¯, Gu Jiao also used half of her quilt to cover him, so that both of their quilts werepletely shared. The young man¡¯s body was scalding like a small stove. Gu Jiao instantly felt much nicer and warmer. Xiao Ling was somewhat startled then fell into a daze. He seemed to be hesitating whether to kick the uninvited guest out of his quilt. "Husband, I¡¯m no longer cold." The young girl''s voice was soft and delicate, carrying a trace of youth and ignorance, as well as contentment. Xiao Ling... couldn¡¯t, couldn¡¯t kick her out. To read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 20 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ No patreon but want to support us? Then, OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 1Chapter 32 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] G O L D S T A R [Nem] Gu Jiao had never shared a bed with anyone in her previous life; even with her female roommate, she never did. She thought she would have some trouble sleeping, but she soon fell asleep in that reassuring scent. Compared to her who went to see the God of Dreams, Xiao Ling wasn¡¯t able to fall asleep so quickly. He looked at Gu Jiao lying next to him. The thin light reflected from the snow passed through the window paper screen and fell on her face. She was lying sideways, and half of her face with the birthmark was pressed beneath. She must be really afraid of the cold. Her little face was flushed with cold. Looking at her carefully, she had long eyshes and her facial features were exquisite. If there had been no birthmark there, she should have been a beautiful and refined young girl. Somehow, a trace of pity shed through Xiao Ling''s heart. But soon, he frowned and erased this emotion from the bottom of his heart. Xiao Ling had such good sleeping behavior that he rarely moved all night in his sleep. Gu Jiao was also a good girl in her sleep. Apart from moving closer and closer to Xiao Ling, embracing Xiao Ling with both hands and feet, and also resting her little head on Xiao Ling''s shoulder, she was really well-behaved. Gu Jiao slept till dawn. When she woke up, Xiao Ling was already awake, and was sitting by the window, reading a book. The light of the morning sky shone through the window paper screen, reflecting his jade-like handsome face. Gu Jiao wondered if it was just her illusion, but he seemed to be blushing a little bit. "You¡¯re awake." Xiao Ling solemnly greeted Gu Jiao, but his eyes did not look at Gu Jiao on the bed at all. "En, I¡¯m awake, morning." Gu Jiao rubbed her eyes and yawned a little. She just woke up and was still in a daze; even her voice couldn¡¯t avoid soundingnguid and childlike. Which normal man could stand this early in the morning? Xiao Ling only felt his chest rise, and he almost soar when he stood up, saying, "I''m going to buy us breakfast!" As soon as he said that, he opened the door and rushed outside, leaving Gu Jiao scratching her little head with a bewildered look on her face. It stopped snowing in the middle of the night, and the sunshine was particrly nice today. Because the academy was closed today, after they had their breakfast, the two people hired a mule cart and went back to the vige. When passing by the entrance to the vige, they heard the vigers, who were fetching water from the ancient well, talk about something. Apparently, because it suddenly snowed heavily yesterday, several people who returned to the vige at night were hurt in an ident. The mule cart sending the people to the next vige had overturned and even fell into the ditch. It seemed that all of them were barely alive after the ident. Xiao Ling had thought of hiring a cart to go back to the vigest night. If Gu Jiao hadn''t offered to just stay in the inn for the night, they might have gotten into an ident as well. Xiao Ling simply didn¡¯t know what to say at the moment. After all... This was the third time he had avoided a cmity because of her. The two people went home. The elderly woman was already up and was sitting in the main room, sulking. Yesterday, Gu Jiao had thought that things would end very early, and she and Xiao Ling coulde back before it snowed, so she only left the elderly woman a lunch in the pot. Unexpectedly, the teachers in the academy were somitted to their work, pestering Xiao Ling for answers until the heavy snow fell. In order to avoid the misfortune in her dream, she could only stay in town with Xiao Ling. The elderly woman didn¡¯t know how to start a fire. She gnawed at the cold steamed breadst night, and gnawed at the cold steamed bread again this morning. Her teeth were almost broken! Gu Jiao was quite puzzled. Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re a poor elderly woman from a poor family, so why don¡¯t you know how to start a fire? Are you an Old Madame of a great family ah, or are you actually the Empress Dowager? Gu Jiao silently took out a package of candied fruit and a box of osmanthus cake and said, "You are allowed to eat two more today." Elderly woman: "No! Five!" Gu Jiao: "Three." Elderly woman: "Deal!" Holding the candied fruit and osmanthus cake in her arms, the elderly woman turned her back and began to eat heartily. The arrest of Gu Dashun, Zhou shi and Liu shi had already spread in the vige, and even people in neighboring viges hade to watch the fun. For the time being, people didn¡¯t know what connection Xiao Ling and Gu Jiao had with this matter, so they all went to the Gu Family''s old residence to inquire for information. At noon, two constables came to Gu Jiao¡¯s door, looking for Gu Jiao. It turned out that after they were taken into the yamen, Zhou shi and Liu shi, under severe interrogation, told the truth about the origin of the silver. ording to them, it fell from the man who fought with the little fool. They got greedy for a moment and came back to the vige with the silver, leaving the little fool behind. "Oh, so that¡¯s the case. I¡¯ve been wondering why I didn¡¯t see my two aunts when I came back at that time." Gu Jiao said with an enlightened look on her face. The constable looked at her and asked, "Why are you fighting with the man?" Gu Jiao said coldly, "He bumped into me! Bullied me! Also cursed at me!" You were bumped and cursed by someone, so you chased him with a sickle across several streets? Girl, you¡¯re a hero. If it was other people, the constables would probably only be suspicious. However, they had learned from Zhou shi and Liu shi that Gu Jiao was a fool, and her behavior couldn¡¯t be judged bymon sense. Therefore, even though they came here, no one really suspected that Gu Jiao deliberatelyy there in wait for the other party, and that she intentionally drove the thief away, leaving the money for Zhou shi and Liu shi to covet. Even Zhou shi and Liu shi themselves thought everything was just an ident. Only Xiao Ling had a faint feeling that everything was too coincidental. "That man may be the thief. What happened to him in the end?" The constable asked hurriedly. "He ran away." Gu Jiao spread out her hands. "Do you remember what he looks like?" The constable asked again. "He looks... Hmm..." Gu Jiao recalled the man¡¯s appearance and described it. The other person was a yamen painter[1]. He drew a portrait of the thief and showed it to her, "Is this him?" ¡°This..." Gujiao frowned. At this moment, Xiao Ling came out with a portrait in his hand. Gu Jiao''s eyes lit up, "This! This is the man!" The constable exchanged an awkward nce with the painter. A yamen painter unexpectedly couldn¡¯t draw better than a student. Admit it, it felt like your livelihood was destroyed, right? After getting the portrait, the yamen quickly solved the case. However, Zhou shi and Liu shi were not immediately released by the yamen. The reason was that when the yamen constables approached the Gu Family and asked them where the money came from, they swore that they earned it from selling mountain goods. The huge amount of money, coupled with the act of lying and refusing to hand the money in, properly constituted the crime of embezzlement. Each person was fined twenty taels of silver and thirty floggings with a heavy stick. As for Gu Dashun, his mother and aunt made such a scandal. With people saying their family was unrighteous, he was also nailed to the pir of shame[2]. 1. ¡ü ¡ª Yep. A criminal sketch artist. 2. ¡ü ¡ª A metaphor for saying that someone went through a great humiliation. To read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 20 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ No patreon but want to support us? Then, OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 33 Chapter 33 1Chapter 33 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] G O L D S T A R [Nem] This time, the Gu Family could be considered to have suffered a serious injury, and forty taels of silver had also been confiscated from their assets. Furthermore, the public image that Gu Dashun had painstakingly created, this time, had copsed as well. For a long time toe, the Gu Family should not have the strength toe to their doorstep and pick fault with them. Gu Jiao was very cheerful that she ate half a bowl more during dinner. There was a little snow this afternoon, but it wasn¡¯t heavy and it stopped after a while. It didn¡¯t affect the road, though it was a little cold. When Xiao Ling got home, his hands were freezing. Gu Jiao hurriedly handed him the ginger soup she boiled. Ginger Soup Even though he was already freezing like this, the way he drank the ginger soup was still neither too slow nor too fast. Such natural nobility and elegance should run deep in his bones. Gu Jiao watched him unblinkingly. "What''s the matter?" Xiao Ling turned to her and asked. Gu Jiao, who was caught in the act, was not the slightest embarrassed. She smiled and said, "Nothing, drink it well. I''ll bring the meal!" Gu Jiao brought out the food she heated up in the pot and called the elderly woman to have dinner. Halfway through the meal, an unexpected visitor came knocking at their door. "I''ll go check." Gu Jiao put down her bowl and chopsticks. "I''ll do it." Xiao Ling stood up one step ahead of her on his crutch. "Eat your food." The elderly woman said to Gu Jiao. Although the elderly woman knew that Xiao Ling was her grandnephew and Gu Jiao was only her grandniece-inw, she had never been partial to Xiao Ling. Gu Jiao continued to eat her food. Xiao Ling took off thetch and opened the door. He found that it was not the vigers but a pair of young master and servant standing outside the door. The young master was dressed luxuriously and was noble in temperament. At first nce, you could tell that he was from a wealthy family. Xiao Ling was somewhat surprised by the unexpected visitors. Of course, the other party¡¯s shock wasn''t any less. They came looking for the Gu Family¡¯s miss and never expected for a young man to open the door instead. The young man was wearing the white uniform of Tianxiang Academy, and his whole body exuded a clean temperament, as though free from all vulgarity. He had refined facial features, simply a picturesque appearance. To find such a young man as exquisite as jade in such a poor and remote area, was indeed surprising. The pair of young master and servant were stunned for a moment. The young master finally opened his mouth and said, "May I ask... Is this Miss Gu''s home?" "I wonder who is his Excellency? For what reason are you looking for my wife?" Xiao Ling asked coldly. Wife? The young master was stupefied again and then he replied, "My surname is Qin..." ¡°Young Gentleman Qin?¡± Gu Jiao came over at some time and looked at the young man outside the door curiously, "Why are you here?" When Young Gentleman Qin saw that it was her, he was so scared that he almost turned around and ran away. He said, "I should ask you this! Why are you here!?" Gu Jiao said, "This is my house. Where should I be if not here?" "How can that be..." Midway through his sentence, Young Gentleman Qin suddenly realized something and gaped, "You... Are you... Miss Gu?" Gu Jiao raised an eyebrow and stroked her chin, saying, "So you don''t know who I am." The foolish original soul had been pestering him for so long, and yet he did not even inquire about the identity of the original soul. Xiao Ling''s expression turned cold. He nced at Young Gentleman Qin coldly and entered the house without looking back! Gu Jiao: "Ai¡ª¡ª" Somehow, she felt that her husband was angry! At that moment, Young Gentleman Qin discovered Xiao Ling''s leg problem, and thought to himself: I say, how can such a handsome young man marry a little fool whocked virtue? He turned out to be a cripple. "What are you doing in my house?" Gu Jiao asked in a cold tone. Young Gentleman Qin then discovered another thing. That was, the little fool''s eyes seemed to no longer possess her previous enthusiasm for him. Also, this little fool didn''t look like a fool at all. "Speak if you¡¯ve got something to say. If there¡¯s nothing, then take care, I won¡¯t see you out." After saying that, Gu Jiao was about to close the door. Young Gentleman Qin recovered from his stupor and pressed the door still, "I came to ask if you found a letter?" The silver in the bundle was picked up by Zhou shi and Liu shi, but the letter inside was missing. It must have been thrown into the street at random. When the constables couldn''t find it, they thought of the Gu Family¡¯s miss who hade back to the scene, thinking that she might have found it. The constables didn''t tell him that the Gu Family¡¯s miss was the little fool of Qingquan Vige, otherwise Young Gentleman Qin wouldn''t havee here personally. After hearing Young Gentleman Qin''s words, Gu Jiao was surprised. To be honest, she didn''t expect the owner of the stolen stuff to be him. In her dream, she was focused solely on Xiao Ling. How could she still remember what the victim looked like? But she did find the letter. Gu Jiao walked into her room and then came out with the letter in hand, asking, "Do you mean this?" Young Gentleman Qin''s eyes lit up, "You really found it! But why didn''t you tell the constable?" Gu Jiao spread out her hands and answered, "The constable didn''t ask." That... That was true. The constable had forgotten. "Here." Gu Jiao generously gave him the letter. Young Gentleman Qin quickly took the letter which was still sealed with wax and showed no sign of being opened. To regain something he had lost was such a pleasant thing that Young Gentleman Qin instantly changed his attitude towards her. Perhaps she did those stupid things only because her brain wasn¡¯t very bright, but she was actually not bad in nature. She was a good girl who would return other¡¯s property to their owner. "Many thanks!" Young Gentleman Qin said sincerely. Gu Jiao cast him a sideways nce and said casually, "Just a verbal thank you?" Young Gentleman Qin froze. Gu Jiao smiled faintly, "How about you give me something more substantial, such as silver?" Young Gentleman Qin was petrified. Where was the good girl who would return other¡¯s property to their owner? A quarter of an hourter, Gu Jiao walked into the house with one hundred taels of silver in her hands. This was three times as much money that Zhou shi and Liu shi brought back, and it was even willingly given by Young Gentleman Qin. It was from a reasonable and legal source! "Huh? What about husband?" Gu Jiao asked the elderly woman. The elderly woman pouted her lips, pointing towards Xiao Ling''s room. Gu Jiao pushed the door and entered his room. Xiao Ling was copying books with a cold expression on his face. Gu Jiao held the money she extorted¡­ Er, no, she received and ced it on Xiao Ling''s desk. But Xiao Ling didn''t even look at it. Gu Jiao said in a low voice, "Are you angry?" Xiao Ling indifferently turned his back on her and ignored Gu Jiao. Such an ¡®unfriendly on the outside, but warm on the inside¡¯ little appearance, Gu Jiao really found it too adorable. Gu Jiao moved closer, bent down her waist, and whispered in his ear, "Say, how could I be so blind at such a young age? Clearly, he is so ugly... " Xiao Ling''s eyelids trembled slightly. At such a short distance, all her breath fell on his earlobe. Gu Jiao whispered gently, "I didn''t know it was his letter. I just picked it up casually and even forgot about it afterward. He just came to get the letter, and I even cheated a hundred taels of silver out of him." All the unhappiness in Xiao Ling''s heart disappeared in thest sentence. She actually extorted money from Young Gentleman Qin. It seemed she had indeed given up on him. Actually, he shouldn''t be angry. Their rtionship as husband and wife wasn¡¯t real. He would leave her and leave this ce one day. What about her and Young Gentleman Qin? He didn''t mind it before and shouldn''t mind it now. Only, he himself couldn¡¯t exin it. He didn''t know what that anger just now was all about. Gu Jiao coaxed him gently, "Don''t be angry anymore. I won''t look at him again in the future." "You can look at him as you please." Xiao Ling said coldly. Gu Jiao smiled and whispered into his ear, "But he¡¯s not as good-looking as you." Xiao Ling,¡°¡­¡± To read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 20 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ No patreon but want to support us? Then, OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 2Chapter 34 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] G O L D S T A R [Nem] With all the money in hand, Gu Jiao wondered what to do. The next day, Xiao Ling returned from the academy and a family of three sat in the main room for dinner. Saying it was a family of three, but in reality, they had nothing to do with each other. Nevertheless, there was some strange harmonious atmosphere between them. The elderly woman nibbled on a big drumstick, nced at Gu Jiao and said, "Just spill it out if you¡¯ve got something to say!" Gu Jiao: This elderly woman has good senses. How can she tell that I have something to say? "I want to buy a mountain." Gu Jiao said. "Winter garment or autumn garment?[1]" The elderly woman gave Gu Jiao a speechless look, as ifining that such a trivial matter wasn¡¯t worth hesitating about. "I''m not talking about clothes, I''m talking about a mountain, the mountain behind our vige." Gu Jiao frequented that mountain to collect wood ears and mushrooms, and found that there were still many other good things there. If she could buy that mountain, not only could she gather mountain goods, but also collect medicinal herbs, as well as fell trees and hunt wild animals... In short, the mountainsides were full of value, and there was simply nothing to lose. "Buy it then!" To her surprise, the elderly woman didn''t hesitate at all. The elderly woman was actually impably generous when it came to spending money. Rece her with Wu shi instead, the grandmother of the original soul, afraid that she would jump to her feet at once and scold Gu Jiao, "Little star of disaster, prodigal girl! You want to buy a mountain, you say? You think money justes along with the wind!?" In the eyes of most vigers, mountains were worthless. At best, they could cut some firewood and pick some wild vegetables. Although there were mountain goods and prey, no one would actually buy the whole mountain for these things. Gu Jiao was knowledgeable about mountain goods and was capable of dealing with any danger in the mountains, so the mountain would be a huge treasure trove in her hands. In the past, she had to make her own decisions about things like this, and Xiao Ling had never interfered in any of her decisions once. However, since the elderly woman came, their mode of getting along seemed to have changed imperceptibly. "Are you talking about the mountain behind Second Uncle Luo''s house?" Xiao Ling asked. "En." Gu Jiao nodded her head. Qingquan Vige was surrounded by mountains on three sides. The one she was interested in was the mountain in the middle, which was also the one frequented by the vigers. Second Uncle Luo''s house was precisely at the foot of that mountain. "All right, I''ll ask the Vige Chiefter." Xiao Ling didn''t hesitate about this matter either. Gu Jiao scratched her little head. It was her own grandfather, so she could ask him herself. She said it not to bother him like this. After having dinner, Xiao Ling went to the Gu Family''s old residence. Zhou shi and Liu shi had been flogged thirty times with a heavy stick by the yamen. These days, they were honestly lying in the house to recuperate from their injuries, so the house was quite peaceful. "Brother-inw! Why are you here?" Gu Xiaoshun opened the door. "I''m here to see the Vige Chief." Xiao Ling said. Although he had married Gu Jiao and became a rtive to them, he always addressed Old Mister Gu as Vige Chief. "Oh." Gu Xiaoshun was only surprised at the fact that his brother-inw came to their door and paid no attention to how he called his grandfather. After all, the Gu Family first had forced his brother-inw to marry his sister, and then squeezed his brother-inw''s hard-earned money afterwards. Every stroke was simply a debt ah! "Grandfather, my brother-inw is here!" Gu Xiaoshun led Xiao Ling to Old Mister Gu''s room. Old Mister Gu nced at Xiao Ling, somewhat not expecting to see him here. If he remembered correctly, it was the first time that Xiao Ling hade to the Gu Family''s old residence after he married Gu Jiao. "It''s sote, what¡¯s the matter?" Old Mister Gu asked. Xiao Ling replied neither salty nor light, "I came to inquire about something with the Vige Chief. How much is the mountain behind Second Uncle Luo''s house?" "Why are you asking about this? Does anyone in your academy want to buy that mountain?" No matter how imaginative Old Mister Gu was, he would never expect his granddaughter to buy a mountain. He continued, "That mountain costs quite arge sum... Besides, it¡¯s not for anyone who wants to buy it. That mountain is not under the control of our vige or the county government. It¡¯s thend that belongs to the temple." "Temple?" Xiao Ling frowned slightly. He didn''t know there was a temple around here. Old Mister Gu said, "That¡¯s right, a Buddhist temple. It hasn¡¯t been long since you''ve arrived here. Maybe you haven''t been there yet. Go around the foot of the mountain till you reach the other side, you can then walk up to there in about an hour. If people in your academy want to buy that mountain, they have to go to the temple to discuss this with their abbot." Recalling something, Old Mister Gu added, "Speaking of which, Jiao girl was born in that temple." When Xiao Ling came home, Gu Jiao greeted him and asked, "How did it go? What did the Gu Family say?" Xiao Ling ryed Old Mister Gu''s original words. "It''s the temple¡¯snd..." The original soul had never been to the temple. No, ording to Old Mister Gu, she was born in that temple, so she had technically been there. "Didn''t he tell you how much money it would cost?" "He didn''t say it specifically, but maybe one hundred taels is not enough." Xiao Ling said. "Oh. In that case, I still have more here." After saying that, Gu Jiao grabbed a handful of silver ovule ingots from her doudou and ced them down on the table. Silver Ovule Ingots The elderly woman, who was cracking a melon seed between her teeth, halted her movements. However, it wasn¡¯t over just yet. Gu Jiao grabbed another handful, then another handful, then another handful, and then another handful again. [T/N: Wait, did they alle from her doudou? Lmao.] The elderly woman and Xiao Ling were both shocked at the same time. These ovule ingots were worth at least twenty or thirty taels of silver in total. Where did she get all of these? After a momentary pause, Xiao Ling asked, "Did you earn these by selling mountain goods?" "En!" With great efforts, Gu Jiao made her eyes bigger, making her face look innocent. She said, "They¡¯re certainly not from fights!" Xiao Ling,¡°¡­¡± In ancient times, educational institutions didn¡¯t have that many vacations. Except for the rest day every ten-day period[2], the farming vacation[3] during the busy farming season, and the vacation for making clothes[4] during the ninth month, there were only the New Year holidays during the twelfth month and the first month of the next year. In the past, the New Year holiday was in the first ten days of the twelfth lunar month, but it had been postponed to thest ten days this year. And because of this quickly approaching New Year holiday, there would be no ten-day vacation in the first half of this month. Gu Jiao didn''t want Xiao Ling to ask for leave from the academy for this matter, so she decided to go to the temple by herself. Considering the lessons ofst time, instead of leaving some food in the pot for the elderly woman, Gu Jao found Xue Ningxiang and asked her to take care of the elderly woman. "Your grandaunt¡­" "Her disease is no longer serious. It won¡¯t spread to others." "Ah, that''s not what I meant." How could Gu Jiao not know that Xue Ningxiang helped her to conceal the matter by telling a lie? Naturally, what they could guess, Xue Ningxiang could also guess. However, Xue Ningxiang didn''t tell on her nor did she alienate her. Xue Ningxiang didn''t ask Gu Jiao how she cured leprosy. She simply trusted Gu Jiao. She said, "Don''t worry, I will take good care of your grandaunt." 1. ¡ü ¡ª The chinese character for mountain (ɽ) and clothes/garment(ÉÀ) have the same pronunciation (sh¨¡n). So the elderly woman thought Gu Jiao was talking about clothes, not mountains. 2. ¡ü ¡ª These rest days are observed on the tenth, twentieth andst day of every month. 3. ¡ü ¡ª A 15-day vacation during the fifth of the month. 4. ¡ü ¡ª Also 15-day vacation during the ninth of the month. To read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 20 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ No patreon but want to support us? Then, OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 3Chapter 35 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] G O L D S T A R [Nem] Gu Jiao went to the other side of the mountain with her back basket. The temple was located at the waist of the mountain, and the path leading there was quite hard to travel. Midway, there was even a section of the road without steps and was full of snow. Fortunately, ever since Gu Jiao transmigrated here, she was diligent in climbing mountains and exercising, so she was not persuaded to retreat by this dangerous and difficult mountain road. She walked faster than ordinary people, but she still spent an hour to reach the temple. When she arrived at the temple, it was almost noon. The temple wasn¡¯t very big. The words ¡°Ning¡¯an Buddhist Temple¡± was written on the simple and unadorned horizontal inscribed board which was full of vicissitudes. Didn¡¯t know whether it was due to the snowy weather, but Gu Jiao didn''t run into any Buddhist worshippers the whole way. It seemed there were not many monks in the temple. It was already quite a while since she arrived here but Gu Jiao had yet to see any of them. "Could this temple be empty?" But the ground was clean and tidy, it was obvious that someone was taking care of it every day ah! While thinking, Gu Jiao arrived at the Guanyin Hall[1]. Standing behind the pir, she inadvertently nced into the hall and finally saw the first living person of today. It was a Madame dressed in silk and brocades. But despite her luxurious attire, she didn¡¯t appear to be ostentatious. The white cloak that was draped over her was as though reflecting the snow all over the ground. From Gu Jiao¡¯s point of view, she could only see the back of the person, but she could feel the other party¡¯s gentle and elegant aura on her body nheless. She kowtowed her head piously, and then sped her hands together, saying, "Praying for Bodhisattva to bless and protect my son''s safety and well-being¡­" Even her voice turned out to be gentle and pleasant to the ears. It was rare for Gu Jiao to pay attention to a stranger, especially the other party was even a woman. She didn¡¯t like women that way, alright? Just when she was absent-minded, she heard a sudden delicate shout from the side, "Where did youe from, you little things? Dare to peek at my Madame!" Gu Jiao returned to her senses and looked along the direction of the delicate shouting voice. She saw a servant girl in a green bijia[2] walking in the hallway opposite. The servant girl¡¯s object of reprimand was not her, but rather a few little monks hiding behind another pir since who knew when. When the little monks saw that they had been caught in the act peeping on a beauty, they squeaked one after another and ran away in panic. So there were monks here, but they were little monks! One of the little dumplings escaped in the opposite direction of the rest and ran towards Gu Jiao. He bumped into Gu Jiao''s leg with a squish, and then fell butt first to the ground. Gu Jiao was instantly bought by the cuteness of the little dumpling who was dumbfounded on the spot, and simply wanted to squeeze him! But before she could reach out her hand, the little dumpling got up and ran away. The Madame who was praying to the Buddha inside the hall came out and said to the servant girl in green bijia, "Liu¡¯er, don''t be rude." "Madame." The servant girl named Liu''er murmured and stepped forward, saying, "Those few little guys, if not lectured properly once, may take advantage of you in a while and even go to your living quarters in the temple to make trouble!" "They¡¯re all just children." The Madame said. The servant girl twisted her mouth in disagreement, but didn''t continue to contradict the Madame. Just when Gu Jiao thought they were leaving, the Madame suddenly looked over at Gu Jiao¡¯s direction. Gu Jiao''s figure waspletely blocked by the pir, and even the servant girl walking past right in front of her did not notice her presence. Didn¡¯t know how the Madame sensed her. "Who¡¯s there?" The servant girl instantly became vignt. Gu Jiao had no choice but toe out. She was wearing a shabby purple floral jacket and khaki cotton trousers. Her pair of ck cloth shoes had long been soaked by the snow, and there was an old-looking basket on her back. Because she didn¡¯t know how to arrange her hair into a married woman¡¯s hairstyle, she simply gathered a portion of her hair with a finger and tied it into a simple bun on the top of her head. Her manner of dressing was that of a poor girl from the countryside, not to mention there was a red birthmark on her face. A trace of contempt appeared on the face of the servant girl. On the other hand, there was not the slightest disgust in the eyes of the Madame. When the snow stopped, the roof tiles of the temple¡¯s eaves were covered with auspicious snow. Everywhere in the mountain was covered in silver, bringing about a beautiful scenery. Between heaven and earth was a vast expanse of whiteness and iciness. However, all this was nothingpared to her beauty. Even for Gu Jiao, this was the first time she had ever seen such a beautiful woman. But the most beautiful thing about her was her temperament; gentle and graceful, serene and dignified. "Girl, are you here to pay respects to the Goddess of Mercy too?" The Madame asked Gu Jiao with a smile. Such a tender voice, such a gentle smile... Gu Jiao was momentarily stunned. She said after a moment, "No, I came to see the abbot." The Madame smilingly said, "The abbot has gone down the mountain..." Halfway through her sentence, another servant girl came in a hurry with a food case in her hands. On her path was an ice surface, and as soon as her foot stepped on it, she slipped, her whole person pouncing forward. No need to say she fell down, but the food case in her hands also flew out and was about tond on the Madame. Gu Jiao quickly stepped forward and fended off the food case with her arm. The food case split apart in mid-air. The soup and vegetables inside were spilled out and poured over Gu Jiao! "Madame, are you all right?" Liu¡¯er anxiously looked at her Madame. The Madame shook her head and said, "I''m fine." After that, she turned to Gu Jiao and couldn''t hide the worries in her eyes, "But this girl, how are you?" She was standing in front of this little girl just now and the flying food case was supposed to hit her. If not for this little girl blocking it for her, perhaps her face would have been smashed by it. "Nothing serious." Gu Jiao replied. The weather was so cold that the food was no longer hot. Just, the feeling of the sticky soup on her body was rather ufortable. The Madame looked at her messy appearance and felt guilty. She looked at the servant girl who fell to the ground and sighed, "Can''t you walk carefully?" The servant girl¡¯s fall was also miserable, her knees were swollen. She endured the pain and got up. She thenined, "The path is too slippery¡­" The Madame also knew that she didn''t do it intentionally, but she had hurt this girl after all. Her heart refused to just leave Gu Jiao like this, and said to Gu Jiao, "It''s all because of my poor discipline that the girl¡¯s clothes were soiled. Please follow me to my living quarters so you can change into clean clothes." Gu Jiao thought for a while and did not decline. This Madame was apparently a frequent visitor to this temple. A separate living quarters in the temple was actually designated for her. It was located at the end of the hallway and looked no different from the quarters of other buddhist monks, but the furnishings inside were very elegant and pleasant, whichplemented her temperament. The two servant girls also entered the room with them. The Madame asked the servant girl, who was wearing a green bijia and was called Liu¡¯er, to open the trunk case. Liu''er was immediately unhappy and said, "Madame, this trunk are filled with young miss¡¯ clothes!" She was just a wild girl from the countryside. When was it her turn to wear their young miss¡¯ clothes? The look of gentleness in the Madame¡¯s face subsided a bit, "You go out and bring in a new vegetarian meal. Remember to bring one for this girl, too." Feeling the coercion of her master, the servant girl bowed her head and said, "...Understood." The Madame personally picked out a set of clothes from the trunk case and handed it to Gu Jiao, saying, "Don¡¯t know if my daughter''s clothes will fit you, but they are better than wearing wet clothes. Girl, put this on quickly." Gu Jiao went behind the screen and changed her clothes. She thought the clothes would be a little big for her, but it unexpectedly fit her. "It really suits you." The Madame said with a smile. It was obviously her daughter''s clothes, but this little girl wore them more vividly. She asked, "How old are you this year?" Gu Jiao replied, "Fourteen." The Madame¡¯s eyes lit up and she said, "You''re the same age as my daughter. My daughter was born in this temple." Gu Jiao: What a coincidence. Me too. TEASER for NEXT CHAPTER From beginning to end, the abbot''s gaze never left her birthmark. After Gu Jiao left, it still took a long time before the abbotpletely recovered to normal. One of his disciples stepped forward and asked, "Abbot, what''s the matter with you?" "I just remembered something." The abbot said. "What did you remember?" The disciple asked. The abbot let out a sigh and said, "It was many years ago." That night, he was ordered to mark a newborn baby with the gecko cinnabar. However, he drank too much that time. As a result, his hand trembled from intoxication and applied it on the little baby girl''s face instead... [T/N: ¦Ò(£þ¡¢£þ=)hmm¡­.] 1. ¡ü ¡ª ¹ÛÒôµî | Guanyin Hall: the most important annex halls in Chinese Buddhist temples and mainly for enshrining Guanyin, the attendant of Amitabha and one of the "Western Three Saints" renowned for his mercy and sympathy. 2. ¡ü ¡ª A long, sleeveless jacket of Mongol origins which has opened side slits. To read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 20 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ No patreon but want to support us? Then, OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 36 Chapter 36 0Chapter 36 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] G O L D S T A R [Nem] The Madame pointed to the edge of the kang bed and smiled gently, "Have a seat and talk." Gu Jiao sat down on the kang bed obediently. A small table was ced between them, and there were some exquisite snacks on the table. The Madame pushed the snack in front of her and said, "Are you hungry? Have something of these first. The vegetarian meal will be here in a minute." "En." After climbing the mountain for an hour, Gu Jiao was indeed quite hungry. She picked out a yellow flower-shaped pastry. Gu Jiao remained very quiet as she ate. "Is it delicious?" The Madame asked. "En." Gu Jiao nodded her head. Seeing that the Madame looked at her doubtfully, she paused and then said, "It''s better than Li Ji." "What is Li Ji?" The Madame asked again. "The best refreshment shop in town." Gu Jiao answered. The Madame was finally relieved. In fact, these snacks were made by herself. When she had nothing to do at home, she would make snacks to pass the time. Unfortunately, between her pair of children, her son was too sick to eat, and her daughter, though in good health, didn''t like to eat the snacks she made, which made her doubt that the things she made were actually unptable. Gu Jiao wasn¡¯t just pretending to eat them. She really thought they were delicious. The Madame found a sense of aplishment in Gu Jiao. She couldn''t help looking at Gu Jiao a few more times. Gu Jiao had a birthmark on her face, and only now did she really pay attention to it. She was such a nice girl, ah! Truly a pity. The Madame secretlymented. Then, she noticed Gu Jiao''s hand. It was a pair of hands that was immersed inbour all year round. The palms of her hands were covered with calluses, and there were also intertwining scars on the back of her hands. The Madame suddenly thought of her daughter. She felt d that her daughter was born in a Marquis Estate and didn''t have to go through the hardships of themon folks, otherwise, she, as a mother, would have to grieve herself to death. Gu Jiao stayed in the Madame¡¯s room for a while, and a te of chestnut cakes went down into her small belly. At the same time, the abbot had also returned to the temple. Gu Jiao wouldn¡¯t forget her business after all. She bid farewell to the Madame and then went to the abbot''s living quarters. The abbot¡¯s age was somewhat old. But despite his gray beard, he appeared hale and hearty, full of vitality. It should be due to the perennial practice of martial arts. Gu Jiao sinctly stated her purpose, "...I wonder if the abbot is willing to sell it?" After saying that, she heard no reply from the abbot for a long time. When she fixed her eyes on him, she saw the abbot staring unblinkingly at her... face. Gu Jiao was just about to ask, ¡®Is there something on my face?¡¯ But when the words reached her lips, she remembered. That¡¯s right, isn''t there something on her face? "Abbot?" Gu Jiao called his attention. "Ahem!" The abbot returned to his senses, cleared his throat, and sat upright. He said, "Just now, you said... You want to buy this mountain?" Gu Jiao: "Yes." Abbot: "How old are you this year?" Eh? Wasn¡¯t the topic of conversation changing a little too fast? "Can''t one buy mountains if they¡¯re young?" Gu Jiao asked lightly. "Ah! No, no! Amitabha, don''t get me wrong, little benefactor!" The abbot put one of his hands before his chest and said, "My Junior Brother Disciple Jing Xin, who is in charge of temple¡¯s property, has gone out and won''t be back until two or three days. It would be better for the benefactor toe back in a few days." "All right, I wille again some time before the new year." Gu Jiao said and got up to leave. From beginning to end, the abbot''s gaze never left her birthmark. Gu Jiao frowned and said, "Abbot, although I don''t normally care what others think of me, you are a monk. Don¡¯t you think it''s a bit wrong to always stare at other people''s defects like that?" The abbot hastened to make amends, "This old monk acted discourteously, may the little benefactor take no offense!" After Gu Jiao left, it still took a long time before the abbotpletely recovered to normal. One of his disciples stepped forward and asked, "Abbot, what''s the matter with you?" "I just remembered something." The abbot said. "What did you remember?" The disciple asked. The abbot let out a sigh and said, "It was many years ago." That night, he was ordered to mark a newborn baby with the gecko cinnabar[1]. However, he drank too much that time. As a result, his hand trembled from intoxication and applied it on the little baby girl''s face instead... When he woke up the next day, he remembered what he had done and hurried to make amends to the Marchioness, only to find that the child in the Marchioness¡¯ arms had a clean and white face. There was no trace of the gecko cinnabar at all. Because he was too drunk, he was not very sure about his memory either. But since the baby''s face didn''t have it, he probably didn''t do it, right? After so many years, he hadpletely forgotten about it. However, when he saw the little girl just now, these memories came to mind all of a sudden, making him wonder again whether he really applied gecko cinnabar on people''s faces that night. No, he was tasked to mark the Marquis Estate¡¯s daughter. Just now, the girl said she was a viger from the foot of the mountain. Meanwhile, Gu Jiao went to see the Madame from earlier after leaving the abbot¡¯s quarters, only to be told that the other party had already gone down the mountain. "Herdyship instructed this humble monk to give these boxes of snacks to the little benefactor. Please ept them." The monk in charge of cleaning the quarters handed Gu Jiao arge bundle. Gu Jiao weighed it in her hand and knew that the Madame had given her all the snacks. Gu Jiao sighed softly, but she hadn¡¯t returned the clothes to her yet... The clothes that the Madame lent to Gu Jiao were good in appearance, but they were not conducive to walking on the mountain road. She reckoned she would get it ripped in two steps. This couldn¡¯t be med on people¡¯s poor upbringing. After all, people who could afford this kind of material didn¡¯t need to walk on their own. On the way back, Gu Jiao walked very fast, worried that the elderly woman would not get along with the family next door. After all, the elderly woman had a bad temper and was very picky. She belonged to the extremely unsociable type. But contrary to her expectations, Gu Jiao was dumbfounded as soon as she entered their door. What happened? Why were there so many people here? Furthermore, they were all women? Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling had never taken the initiative to socialize with the vigers. In the past, only those who had letters they wanted to write or read woulde to their home, and the highest record was three a day, then no more. Therefore, Gu Jiao simply didn¡¯t understand why their main room was suddenly packed with people? The elderly woman sat majestically in the highest seat, while Second Uncle Luo''s wife, Aunt Luo, stood beside her respectfully with a pot of tea in her hands. On the other side was Gui Fang, Aunt Zhang''s young daughter-inw. Gui Fang was carrying a tray with melon seeds and a handleless tea cup in it. Gu Jiao was even more puzzled. Didn''t Sister Gui Fang just give birth to a child? The rest of the people didn''t seem to have the qualifications to get close, so they stood on the opposite side, squeezing against each other. It looked just like a countryside version of a pce fighting drama! "All right, withdraw." The elderly woman put down the melon seeds and waved her hand. Everyone retreated a step, and before leaving, they all saluted the elderly woman in a crooked form. Imperial concubines¡¯ salutations warmed the heart and delighted the eye, but when a group of vige women, with their heads wrapped in headscarves, made the same salutation, it was simply like arge ident scene! Gu Jiao must not allow this terrifying scene again. She grabbed Xue Ningxiang nearby and asked, "What did my family¡¯s elderly woman do again?" Xue Ningxiang replied, "Grandaunt is telling the vigers a y! Listening to it was very nice!" The corner of Gu Jiao¡¯s mouth twitched, "What about the salute?" Xue Ningxiang thought for a while before she realized what Gu Jiao meant. She said, "Oh, you¡¯re talking about that? Grandaunt taught it to us. She said that¡¯s what people do in opera houses!" People in opera houses don¡¯t do this! The elderly woman was tantly tricking everyone into saluting her. Gu Jiao was left wondering. Where on earth did this elderly womane from in the end? How was she such a demon? 1. ¡ü ¡ª Gecko Cinnabar: a potion made from gecko, fed on red cinnabars, which had been dried and powdered. From this, the ancient Chinese could concoct a mixture which they use to mark a girl¡¯s arm with a small dot. Apparently, once it disappears, it means that the girl is no longer a virgin. To read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 20 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ No patreon but want to support us? Then, OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 37 Chapter 37 1Chapter 37 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] G O L D S T A R [Nem] The ancients loved listening to ys. After all, they couldn''t do much else except go to the opera houses, especially womenfolk. It wasn¡¯t so easy to hear ys in the countryside. The nearest opera house was also located in town and it required a lot of copper coins to get inside. Therefore, rural folks like them didn¡¯t get to listen to any ys. Even though the elderly woman could not sing, she could speak well, and even in great detail. "Where have you listened to a y?" Gu Jiao walked over and asked. "I don''t remember." The elderly woman shook her head and answered. Seeing that she didn''t look like lying, Gu Jiao said again, "Do you remember anything else?" The elderly woman thought about it seriously then replied, "No." Gu Jiao: ¡°...¡± Gu Jiao added, "Can you stop fooling people like that again?" The elderly woman once again thought seriously and said, "No." Gu jiao: "..." As the New Year was approaching, Gu Jiao became so busy that she couldn¡¯t manage to keep an eye on the elderly woman all the time. The elderly woman acted like a demon asionally, but she could at least handle herself without causing trouble to Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling. Later, Gu Jiao went to the temple again, but the grandmaster in charge of the property hadn''t returned yet, so Gu Jiao decided toe back again some other time. The academy held another exam before the end of the year. Perhaps still affected by the theft incident, Gu Dashun''s performance this time was obviously much weakerpared to before, and he suddenly dropped to the tenth ce in the list. Meanwhile, Gu Xiaoshun''s grades were very stable, still at the very bottom. Xiao Ling rose by one ce again, but still not because he did well in the exam this time. Rather, the originally fourth ce to thest student took a sick leave and tied for thest ce with Gu Xiaoshun. Many teachers in the academy knew about Xiao Ling¡¯s eight-part essay during the entrance exam, but he hadn''t written any more articles since then, and even during the examinations, he would basically hand in a nk sheet of paper. Some people thought that his imaginative power in writing might have declined, while some suspected that he was fraudulently admitted to the academy in the first ce. However, Dean Li had always firmly believed that Xiao Ling was a great talent. No matter what others said, he didn¡¯t want to give up on Xiao Ling. The imperial examination[1] was held once every three years, and there happened to be an autumn exam next year. If missed, one would have to wait for another three years again to take the next one. Examinees eligible to participate in this autumn must have passed the entry-level exams, in other words, a Xiucai. There would be a county exam after the opening of the New Year. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Dean Li took the liberty of submitting Xiao Ling¡¯s name to the list of examinees. Gu Jiao didn¡¯t know about all this yet. The academy was now on its New Year holidays and tomorrow was the day of Xiao Ling¡¯s surgery. She had to sleep well and adjust herself to the best condition. Actually, in her previous life, she didn''t do any less of this kind of operation, so in principle, she shouldn¡¯t have any psychological burden whatsoever. However, operating on strangers wasn¡¯t the same as operating on Xiao Ling. Such a perfect cub, she couldn¡¯t leave any cause of regret on him. Gu Jiao checked her medicine chest before going to bed, and sure enough, the anesthetics and injections, all that was needed for the surgery, had appeared without exception. These medicines were not something sold in any pharmacy in her previous life; they were all medicines from the research institute. Gu Jiao seriously suspected that as long as the research institute did not close down over there, her medicine chest could be continuously replenished. En, that was a good thing! Gu Jiao had a good sleep, and when she got up the next morning, she cooked breakfast and boiled medicine for the elderly woman. When Gu Jiao took the medicine to the elderly woman''s room, the elderly woman looked at the pills on the tray hesitantly, then looked at the medicine soup in the bowl. She frowned and said, "Why do I think it¡¯s not really necessary for me to drink this soup?" "You¡¯re overthinking. The medicine soup is as important as the pills." Gu Jiao said with a straight face. The elderly woman took the pills and drank the medicine soup with suspicion. The soup was so bitter that she rolled her eyes and seriously suspected that Gu Jiao hade to retaliate against her for acting like a demon often these days. Gu Jiao still entrusted the elderly woman to Xue Ningxiang, and then went to the medical hall with Xiao Ling on the oxcart of Second Uncle Luo. Feng Lin, of course, couldn¡¯t miss such an important day. He arrived at the medical hall early. Nowadays, the weather was getting colder and colder, but he refused to sit and wait inside and chose to freeze into a popsicle outside. Feng Lin caught sight of the couple on the cart and his face sank. He had the urge to scold this couple without morality, but he held himself back. Brother Xiao wasn¡¯t at fault, it was this woman who was getting more and more shameless, always clinging to Brother Xiao! Gu Jiao looked calm when he saw Feng Lin. She asked, "You didn''t go back for the New Year?" Feng Lin gruntingly said, "My home is so far away, how can I get back?" Gu Jiao then remembered the inconvenience of transportation in ancient times. The distance a high-speed train in her previous life could cover in one day might take a month here. Before Feng Lin could arrive home, the New Year holiday would have ended already. Gu Jiao: "Oh." Feng Lin whose punchnded on cotton: "..." The surgery date was scheduled in advance. Shopkeeper Wang and the old physician from before had been waiting in the medical hall since dawn. Feng Lin and Gu Jiao both followed in. The old physician first asked Xiao Ling about the moxibustion at home in the past days. "I had it every night before going to sleep." Xiao Ling said truthfully. Every night after he got home from the academy, Gu Jiao had already cooked the meal and prepared his medicine. The old physician nodded. Feng Lin said, "Physician Zhang, will Brother Xiao''s leg be healed soon?" The old physician replied, "Well, we won¡¯t know until after the surgery." "What did you say? Surgery?" Feng Lin froze. Xiao Ling''s eyes also shed a trace of astonishment. Gu Jiao was precisely worried about this kind of situation, that was why she prevented them from telling this previously. Surgery wasn¡¯t popr in this period of time, and everyone''s eptance of it wasn¡¯t high. It was generally believed that such practice could only be used on the battlefield. Feng Lin was immediately frightened and said, "Physician Zhang! You didn''t say this before!" Of course, the old physician wouldn¡¯t pour out the truth and said instead, "That''s because the conditions didn''t allow it at that time. Now that you¡¯ve taken moxibustion for some time, your meridians have been opened up, you¡¯re now prepared for an operation." But even so, this was still a big deal. To have people move a knife on you, Feng Lin was very hesitant, "Is there no other way than surgery?" "Yes." The old physician nodded. "Are you sure it would be sessful?" Feng Lin asked again. "This cannot be guaranteed." Feeling his conscience, the old physician replied, "If it seeds, he will be able to walk normally again. If it fails, he may end up worse than now." These were also Gu Jiao''s original words. Even if she was the best doctor in the research institute, she didn''t dare to boast that there was no risk in this surgery at all. "Brother Xiao..." Feng Lin had decided to back out. He was conservative and unwilling to take such a big risk. Xiao Ling moved his lips lightly and said carelessly, "Let''s do the surgery, have to trouble Physician Zhang." He agreed so quickly that even Gu Jiao suddenly looked at him. In fact, even though the time they had been together could no longer be called short, Gu Jiao still never really understood him. But at this moment, she seemed to feel a trace of cold indifference from him. It was as if... He really didn¡¯t care about the possibility of the operation failing. Was he just really bold, or he didn¡¯t care about his own life at all? 1. ¡ü ¡ª Just to rify, the county, prefectural, and college level exams are just the entry-level exams, passing it will give you the qualification to take the real imperial examination held once every three years, which starts with the provincial imperial examination (also known as autumn exam because it takes ce in autumn), then metropolitan imperial examination andstly, pce/court imperial examination. To read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 20 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ No patreon but want to support us? Then, OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 38 Chapter 38 2Chapter 38 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [Talia R.] [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] G O L D S T A R [Nem] Feng Lin gave Gu Jiao a meaningful nce, hoping that she could persuade Brother Xiao to back down, but Gu Jiao just ignored him, angering Feng Lin half to death. Before the surgery, the old physician handed over a strange document. Xiao Ling paused slightly. "What is this?" He asked. The old physician coughed softly and said, "The consent form for the surgery. It needs to be signed by family members." ...Very novel. He had been a physician for decades and had never spoken of such a thing before! However, since it was strongly requested by Gu girl, they had no choice but to do this. Feng Lin couldn¡¯t sign it, and Xiao Ling himself couldn¡¯t either. Dr. Gu on one side finally experienced for herself the so-called family reliance, but then, she sadly discovered that she couldn¡¯t write her own name! How tragic was this ah!?? How could she have not thought about this at all when she asked Second Owner to draw up the consent form for the surgery? If she used her doctor¡¯s signature in her previous life to sign this form, would it be regarded as an indecipherable handwriting? This kind of sudden quiet atmosphere was what she most feared. Gu Jiao grabbed the shaft of the writing brush and scratched her head. She was so anxious that her face turned red. She wanted to be authoritative in front of Xiao Ling, but shepletely fired at herself instead. Xiao Ling took a nce at Gu Jiao. To grab the writing brush so smoothly, one would think she could write. In the end, it was still Xiao Ling who signed Gu Jiao¡¯s name on her behalf. Xiao Ling was taken to a special room. Tricks such as the use of nerve-calming decoction were easy to be exposed. Hence, this time, the old physician directly handed him a bowl of Mafeisan. Mafeisan was an ancient anesthetic formtion, which was said to have been created by a divine physician named Hua Tuo. However, the real prescription of Mafeisan had been lost a long time ago. Nowadays, most of the Mafeisan used by physicians was either medicine powder or medicine juice made of mandragora. This kind of medicine could make people anesthetized and sedate at the same time, cause muscle rxation and inhibit sweat nd secretion. Therefore, it was also called a knockout drug. Knockout drug¡¯s toxicity wasn¡¯t small, so Gu Jiao certainly wouldn¡¯t use it on Xiao Ling. What was in that bowl was actually the self-made tranquilizer of the Rejuvenation Hall. Xiao Ling soon fell asleep after drinking it. Gu Jiao found an excuse to leave Feng Lin. This time would take longer than thest time, so she didn¡¯t use the excuse of going to thetrine again and instead said she would stroll the street to see what New Year merchandise could be bought. Feng Lin was so infuriated by her that he could feel his liver ache. Nevermind that she didn¡¯t stop Brother Xiao. At this moment, Brother Xiao was going to be cut by someone, and yet she was great! She still had the leisure and carefree mood to look at the New Year merchandise! As expected, she was truly a heartless woman! Gu Jiao went back to the Rejuvenation Hall through the back door. The old physician was waiting at the door of the room. This old physician of the Rejuvenation Hall was an old man who had been working here for no less than thirty years. Although his medical skills were notparable to that of Physician Zhang of the capital, his moral integrity could definitely be said to be the industry standard. Otherwise, Second Owner wouldn¡¯t trust him to participate in this matter. The old physician was so curious about this surgery that he somewhat wanted to follow Gu Jiao inside. But Gu Jiao seemed to have failed to get his intention and closed the door as soon as she entered the room. The old physician: "..." Gu Jiao thought it hadn¡¯t been easy for the old physician too, so she turned back and gave him some prescriptions to express her thanks. As for the secret of the medicine chest, she did not intend to let others know about it for the time being. After entering the room again, Gu Jiao opened the medicine chest and gave Xiao Ling an injection of local anesthesia first. ¡­¡­ An hourter, Gu Jiao came out carrying her back basket. The old physician and Second Owner both rushed forward and asked in unison, "How was the surgery?" Gu Jiao nodded and said, "The surgery was very sessful." Nothing had gone wrong with her operation, only, the specific recovery condition varied from person to person. Furthermore, his ankle had been injured for too long after all. Even if the surgery was sessful, he still needed to do a long period of rehabilitation, both on his leg and foot. But now that the surgery was sessful, he at least wouldn¡¯t have to suffer any more pain. Thinking of how he always suffered from pain many days and nights, and yet would still always go to fetch water, burn firewood... and do everything that was within his capability, Gu Jiao felt unpleasant in her heart. Had she known he was in so much pain, she would have ignored his self-esteem and wouldn''t let him do any work at all. Xiao Ling woke up with the old physician by his side. The old physician told him about his condition and that the surgery was very sessful. He was told to return home for recuperation ande back ten dayster, "...Remember, these ten days, you must not be subjected to force, stay in bed more, don''t eat spicy things, and avoid drinking..." "En?" Xiao Ling suddenly let out a puzzled sound and looked at the old physician in a trance. The old physician thought he didn''t understand. He smiled and said, "I¡¯m telling you to abstain from wine, don''t drink, understand? At a young age, even if you are not ill, you should also avoid drinking." Xiao Ling lowered his eyes and said, "En." After the old physician¡¯s advice, he asked a staff member to go to the lobby and call Feng Lin and Gu Jiao over. The first thing Feng Lin said when he rushed into the room was, "Brother Xiao, are you still alive?" Gu Jiao, who was behind him, rolled her eyes! Feng Lin came to the bedside and wanted to see Xiao Ling''s injury. However, he had already been bandaged, and he could only see a wrap of gauze on his foot. "Does it hurt?" Feng Lin asked. The effect of the anesthetic had passed, and now it hurt a little bit, but after all this time, he had gotten used to the pain, so he shook his head and said, "It doesn¡¯t hurt." While he was still asleep, the old physician went to the lobby to tell Feng Lin about his condition. Feng Lin knew that the surgery went well, so he was not particrly worried anymore. Suddenly thinking of something, he turned his head and red at Gu Jiao ferociously, "You weren''t here just now. You didn''t hear what Physician Zhang said. I''ll tell you again! Remember it well for me!" He repeated what the old physician''s said to him to Gu Jiao word for word. Gu Jiao listened very carefully. The old physician on one side secretly wiped a cold sweat. Boy, you don''t even know who gave these precautions... It was gettingte when they got out of the medical hall. Second Uncle Luo lent Feng Lin a hand in helping Xiao Ling onto the oxcart. After that, Second Uncle Luo first sent Feng Lin back to the academy, and then took Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling back to the vige. Halfway through, Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling''s stomachs growled at the same time. The two of them went out after breakfast, and then were busy for most of the day,pletely forgetting all about lunch. The sky was overcast and it looked like it was going to snow. Gu Jiao thought about it and said to Xiao Ling, "It''s going to snow, it¡¯s best not to eat outside. I''ll buy some scallion pancakes to fill our stomach." There happened to be a vendor of scallion pancakes nearby. Xiao Ling nodded and said, "All right." The ce selling scallion pancakes was just around the corner where they were passing by. Gu Jiao jumped off the oxcart lightly and strode towards her destination. Maybe she was walking too fast, she bumped into someone. Not to lie, this time she didn¡¯t deliberately bump into others, it was others deliberately bumping into her. In her previous life, Gu Jiao wasn¡¯t just a simple doctor. The other party actually wanted to cheat her with such meager skills? The person who could take advantage of her hadn¡¯t been born yet! The man plunged into the crowd after bumping into Gu Jiao. Gu Jiao sneered. She nced at the ground and made a stone fly upwards with the tip of her toe, then she kicked it again, hitting the man''s head precisely. "Ugh¡ª¡ª" The man fell down on the ground with a groan, then turned his head back and saw Gu Jiao, who looked like a little Killing God, behind the crowd. To read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 20 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ No patreon but want to support us? Then, OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 3Chapter 39 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] Perhaps her eyes were too prating; through the boundless crowd, that pair of eyes seemed like a knife stabbing the little thief. The thief, who instinctively sensed the danger, quickly got up and ran! Thieves that had managed to escape from Gu Jiao¡¯s hands, en... There was none! Gu Jiao chased him until they got into a side alley. The little thief used all his strength to shake her off, but Gu Jiao behind him was still getting closer and closer, and in a moment of panic, the thief seemed to have chosen a dead end, without a single way out ahead! The little thief panicked. Under the surge of blood, he pulled out the dagger hidden in his sleeve. "Don''te over! Or I''ll kill you!" He snarled with ring eyes. Without a lift of her eyelids, Gu Jiao kicked at the wall with one foot, borrowing the counterforce to leap midair and kick the thief''s dagger in a sh. The violent kick sent the dagger flying away. The little thief widened his eyes in shock, but the next second, Gu Jiao skillfullynded on the ground and kicked him in the chest. He couldn''t even scream and immediately fell heavily on the ground. Gu Jiao walked over coldly, pushed his body away with his foot, and then picked up the embroidered pouch that had fallen out of his sleeve. Xiao Ling was still waiting in the oxcart. Gu Jiao didn¡¯t have the spare time to spend here with him, and she had no ns on reporting to the authorities either, thus she prepared to leave at once. Unexpectedly, as soon as she turned around, the little thief quietly grabbed the dagger on the ground. However, before he could take any action, Gu Jiao stepped on his wrist and immediately broke the bone of his hand. "Ah¡ª¡ª" The little thief let out another mournful scream. He couldn¡¯t understand how the other party did it. She obviously did not look back. Did she have eyes on the back of her head or something? "Catch him!" Suddenly, several men dressed as family guards arrived in front of the alley. They swept a nce at Gu Jiao in a hurry but didn''t pay her attention and just ran straight to the thief. "Did you find it?" Just then, a young gentleman came breathlessly. Perhaps too exhausted from having run too fast, he stopped, unable to run any longer, and held on to the wall to catch his breath. Gu Jiao brushed past him. The young gentleman spoke suddenly, "Miss Gu?" Gu Jiao halted her footsteps and looked at him, "Young Gentleman Qin?" Was the town that small? Catching a thief could also lead to meeting him? On the other side, the group of guards who had restrained the little thief came back. One of them held a scroll painting in his hand and presented it to Young Gentleman Qin, saying, "Young Master, I found it!" "So fast? Aren¡¯t thieves supposedly not easy to catch?" Young Gentleman Qin took over the scroll painting. The guard looked at Gu Jiao and said, "It was this girl who caught him." After thest incident, Young Gentleman Qin''s impression of Gu Jiao had changed somewhat. Although Gu Jiao extorted one hundred taels of silver from him, he was more receptive to her greed for money than being pestered by her. "Thank you again this time." Young Gentleman Qin said politely. Gu Jiao nced at him and said, "Why do you always get your stuff stolen?" Young Gentleman Qin replied awkwardly, "It should be that the news has leaked out and thus was targeted by other families." He didn''t say anything specific about the news, and Gu Jiao didn''t ask either. Gu Jiao only wanted to get her pouch back, as for the other matters, it had nothing to do with her. She stopped talking to Young Gentleman Qin and left with a straight face. Looking at her departing back that disyed not even the slightest hesitation, Young Gentleman Qin frowned subconsciously. Was she¡­ really not interested in him anymore? "Young Master." Another guard ran over and said, "This humble one found a handkerchief on the ground. I wonder if it belonged to the girl just now?" Young Gentleman Qin quickly grabbed the handkerchief and ran in the direction of Gu Jiao''s departure. By the time he caught up to Gu Jiao, Gu Jiao had already bought scallion pancakes and returned to the oxcart. "Miss Gu! Miss Gu!" Young Gentleman Qin was a pampered schr. After chasing the little thief just now, he had already used up his physical strength. He only managed to make this trip by relying on willpower alone. He held onto the cart and gasped for air, unable to speak again for a long time. Xiao Ling¡¯s eyes became a little cold. Gu Jiao spread her hands with a look of ¡®it has nothing to do with me, I don''t know him¡¯. "Is something the matter?" Xiao Ling asked lightly. Hearing his voice, Young Gentleman Qin was stupefied for a moment then looked closely at Xiao Ling. A trace of embarrassment appeared on his face as he said, "Ah... Young Gentleman Xiao is actually here too..." Xiao Ling: So you took advantage of my absence to chase her?! Young Gentleman Qin handed over the handkerchief in his hand and said, "Miss Gu, you dropped your handkerchief." Gu Jiao looked at it and said, "It''s not mine." "Ah..." Young Gentleman Qin was even more embarrassed. After chasing her all the way here, the result was that it wasn¡¯t hers. Why did he feel somewhat losing face? In his anxiousness, Young Gentleman Qin¡¯s body inclined a bit forward, causing the scroll painting to fall off his bosom, which then happened tond on the oxcart and spread out at Xiao Ling''s feet. It was a painting of a misty rain in the south of the Yangtze River, illustrating mountains and waters, as well as a dark-awninged boat in the midst of the rain. Even though Gu Jiao didn¡¯t know a thing about painting, she also felt that this painting was well drawn and had profound artistic conception. This painting was hard toe by, so Young Gentleman Qin¡¯s father told him to keep it properly after obtaining it, and not let others see it. At this moment, the painting was suddenly exposed. Young Gentleman Qin was very nervous. But seeing Gu Jiao staring at the painting, seemingly very curious, he was suddenly in no hurry to put the painting away. He said with some pride, "This is a precious painting of the Little Marquis of Zhao[1]! It''s called "Misty Rain in Spring Mountain", which was painted by the Little Marquis when he was twelve years old. Little Marquis'' paintings are hard to obtain, but I managed to buy it from an acquaintance at a high price!" Gu Jiao picked up the painting and opened her eyes wide, saying, "He¡¯s already this good at painting at the age of twelve?" Her amazed expression looked so adorable that even the red birthmark on her face wasn¡¯t ugly in Young Gentleman Qin¡¯s eyes. Young Gentleman Qin said even more proudly, "This one is just his random painting. It is said that he wasn¡¯t satisfied with this painting and threw it away. It was secretly preserved by a servant. If you like it... I''ll let you look more!" Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡± Xiao Ling''s eyes nced faintly over the painting, and then said lightly and indifferent, "Fake." Young Gentleman Qin was momentarily stunned before he realized that he was talking about the painting. He immediately jumped to his feet and said, "Don¡¯t speak nonsense! This painting in my hands is clearly authentic, how can it be fake?" Xiao Ling replied, "It''s a fake." Young Gentleman Qin raised his voice, "Where did it look like a fake?" Xiao Ling cast him a seemingly superfluous look, "Where did it not look like a fake?" This remark was too arrogant. It was simply saying that this painting was so miserably fake that there were ws everywhere. Young Gentleman Qin finally blew his top, "What do you know? How can a poor schr like you understand painting? I found someone to appraise it! This is the original work of the Little Marquis!" "He has never painted this picture." Xiao Ling said calmly. "How did you know that? Do you know him?" After he said this, Young Gentleman Qinughed at himself. How could a cripple from the countryside know the famous Little Marquis of Zhao? There were many Marquises in the capital of the State of Zhao, and so were the Marquis¡¯ sons. Technically, all of them were little marquises, but only that one was known as the Little Marquis of Zhao. The Little Marquis of Zhao was the eldest di son of Marquis Xuanping[2], and her birth mother was Princess Xinyang[3], who was deeply favoured by the current Majesty. At the age of three, he stepped into the emperor¡¯s audience hall, battled with a group of schrs with all his might, and gained fame after a single feat! At the age of four, he entered the Imperial Academy, and at the age of five, he read through the pce hall full of dynastic history books and was proficient in sixnguages. Dean Li of Tianxiang Academy ranked first among the big four gifted schrs in the capital, which was because one couldn¡¯t be in the list until they were eighteen years old. No one had surpassed Dean Li''s achievements in the imperial examination so far, also because this Little Marquis had never taken the imperial examination! When he was twelve years old, he was appointed Chief of the Imperial Academy by His Majesty. The envoys of the other five states all came to congratte this young Chief, which was truly a magnificent sight and honor, first time ever in the capital of Zhao! Unfortunately, Little Marquis, despite his unparalleled background and talent, died unexpectedly in a sudden fire in the Imperial Academy. It was said that he was burned alive. He died on New Year''s Eve only at the age of fourteen. 1. ¡ü ¡ª Theplete trantion for this one is actually the little marquis of the capital of zhao, which I find quite a mouthful for a title, so I just omitted the capital part. I also tried to change the word order, but it¡¯s either another mouthful one or doesn¡¯t sound so good in my ears. (¨R?¨Q) 2. ¡ü ¡ª This is not the Marquis¡¯ name but his titr name meaning, ¡°proims peace¡±. His whole titr name is ¡°The Marquis who Proims Peace¡±. 3. ¡ü ¡ª Also a titr name. Xinyang is the name of a prefecture, but can also mean ¡°trustworthy and positive¡±. To read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 20 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ No patreon but want to support us? Then, OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 40 Chapter 40 2Chapter 40 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] It wasn¡¯t that Xiao Ling reminded him because he had a good rtionship with him. Since he didn''t believe him, then nevermind. Gu Jiao originally appreciated the painting very much, but when she heard that it was a fake, she suddenly lost all interest and returned it to Young Gentleman Qin. Young Gentleman Qin looked at her face with disgust and suddenly exined, "Don''t listen to him! This painting is original!" Gu Jiao said firmly, "My husband said it was a fake, then it¡¯s a fake!" "You..." Young Gentleman Qin was really angered. If it was in the past, he wouldn¡¯t care how some little ugly girl thought of his paintings, but somehow, he didn¡¯t want to lose face in front of her today. Young Gentleman Qin straightened up and said, "This is real! He just hasn¡¯t seen the world and doesn''t know a thing about painting!" "It¡¯s you who have never seen the world!" Gu Jiao would never allow anyone to belittle her family¡¯s cub like this! If Xiao Ling only heard it afterwards when Young Gentleman Qin came to look for Gu Jiao to get the letterst time, then at present, he was really experiencing Gu Jiao''s indifference to Young Gentleman Qin. She even quarrelled with him for his sake. Xiao Ling took a deep look at Gu Jiao, and then suddenly told Young Gentleman Qin generously, "If this painting is to be given away, then I advise you not to make a fool of yourself." After that, Xiao Ling said to Second Uncle Luo, "Let¡¯s return to the vige, Second Uncle Luo." "Alright!" Second Uncle Luo did not interfere with the young ones¡¯ affairs. He drove the oxcart away with a smile. Young Gentleman Qin watched the back of the two people as they ate scallion pancakes in the cold wind. He was so furious that he simply wanted to curse that unscrupulous couple! In the end, this matter left a thorn in his heart. When he took the painting back to the Qin residence, his father couldn''t wait to meet him. He asked, "How did it go? Did you get the painting back?" "I got it back..." Young Gentleman Qin wanted to say something but felt hesitant. His father panicked and said, "What happened? It¡¯s not destroyed, is it?" "Not destroyed... s." Young Gentleman Qin finally told Xiao Ling''s words to his father. His father''s attitude was even tougher than his, "Are you going to believe the words of a cripple?¡± "He is a student of Tianxiang Academy." Young Gentleman Qin met Xiao Ling when he looked for Gu Jiao to get the letterst time. At that time, Xiao Ling was wearing the uniform of Tianxiang Academy. "What about the students of Tianxiang Academy?" His father said disdainfully. "They¡¯re all very outstanding." Young Gentleman Qin replied. His father¡¯s attitude was dismissive as he said, "Aren''t you very outstanding too? I spent so much money to invite a private teacher from the capital for you, which part did you lose to them? Besides, those students only know to study to death. How could they have seen the world?" Young Gentleman Qin grumbled inwardly: that''s what I said at that time! Young Gentleman Qin was actually a very proud person. If others reminded him like that, he wouldn¡¯t listen to even half a word of it, but Xiao Ling''s eyes and aura at that time were inexplicably convincing. In the end, Young Gentleman Qin failed to convince his father, and could only watch his father wrap up the painting and let people send it to the dignitaries in the capital. ¡­... It snowed heavily for three days in a row, the roads in the vige were blocked by the thick snow and the oxcart could simply not travel through. Many people in the vige originally wanted to do some business in the market before the New Year, but they had no choice but to just shelve their goods because of the heavy snow. These days, everyone was stuck in their own home, and no one came to find the elderly woman to listen to ys. Seeing the elderly woman bored to death, Gu Jiao called Xue Ningxiang over. The elderly woman didn''t know that Xue Ningxiang and Gu Jiao had been at odds before. When she arrived here, the rtionship between the two people had already improved. Furthermore, after going through the incident with those lechersst time, Xue Ningxiang somewhat began to keep a distance from any men. From her, one could no longer see any affection for Xiao Ling at all. On the contrary, she would always cling to Gu Jiao from time to time, making the elderly woman wonder if this little widow had taken a fancy to her grandnephew''s wife! However, Xue Ningxiang was good at needlework as well as arranging her hair, so she was still very favoured by the elderly woman. Before the end of the year, her brother-inw sent a letter to their family from the border. Xue Ningxiang couldn¡¯t read, so she took it to Gu Jiao. Er... Gu Jiao couldn¡¯t read either. What gives you the illusion that I would suddenly be able to read this time? You actually want me to read a letter to you? Gu Jiao was simply at a loss! "I... I..." Xue Ningxiang saw Gu Jiao frowning and said in a panic, "You... since you¡¯re not a fool, I thought you can read too." Gu Jiao: Since when could you draw an equal sign between not a fool and literate? However, Xue Ningxiang didn¡¯t want to bother Xiao Ling. First, the shadow in her heart hadn''t beenpletely extinguished. Second, she already realized that her actions in the past were all inappropriate, so now she had to avoid suspicion with Xiao Ling. Xue Ningxiang lowered her head and didn''t know what to do. Gu Jiao scratched her little head gloomily. She was also someone to yield to the weak at times. If Xue Ningxiang were to cross her, she could certainly be harsh and unreasonable towards her, but suddenly seeing Xue Ningxiang show weakness like this, she just couldn¡¯t do that. Gu Jiao thought she was actually not this soft-hearted. This time, it was mainly because Xue Ningxiang helped her share a lot of needlework. She was a very useful neighbor. She decided to be a useful neighbor too, and in exchange was Xue Ningxiang¡¯s continuous help with all the needlework at home! Gu Jiao then took the letter to Xiao Ling''s room. Now she didn¡¯t need to knock whenever she entered his room. Xiao Ling spent thest few days in bed meditating and recuperating. Knowing that he still had to study, Gu Jiao personally made a small table that could be put on the bed, and currently he was practicing calligraphy on that table. He was a seventeen-year-old young man with a lean figure and a pure yet cold countenance. His wrist was like a jade bone, and he possessed an elegant and noble temperament. How could there be such a good-looking person in the world? Gu Jiao stroked her chin. "What¡¯s the matter?" Xiao Ling noticed her arrival and turned to look at her. He had caught Gu Jiao staring at him several times already, but Gu Jiao was never embarrassed once. She walked over, natural and poised, sat down on the other side of the small table, and handed him the letter, saying, "I have a letter for you to read." As she spoke, Gu Jiao caught sight of the red paper on the small table, "Hm? What is this?" "Red paper, from Feng Lin." Xiao Ling answered, as if exining that he didn''t buy it himself. Gu Jiao didn''t care where it came from. She asked curiously, "What is it for?" Xiao Ling thought for a moment and said, "Paper-cutting decorations and Spring Festival couplets." Gu Jiao''s eyes suddenly sparkled. She had never made any paper cutting nor posted up couplets before. In her previous life, she would always watch other people hanging these things, which also made her envious. However, in her understanding, those things were only done when the family got together for the New Year. She had no family to reunite with, so she had never done such a thing. "Want to write it?" Xiao Ling asked. "I can''t." Gu Jiao bowed her head and pointed her two index fingers at each other. Xiao Ling remembered the way she pointed to the words on the prescription and asked him how to pronounce them one by one. He also recalled the way she immediately grabbed the brush to sign her name before the surgery. She obviously wanted to learn to write. Gu Jiao: No! I don''t! Xiao Ling picked up the books from the small table and put them on the bed together with the letter. Then, he spread out a piece of red paper on the small table. He said, "I will teach you." Gu Jiao: ¡°¡­¡± ***** Xue Ningxiang: Hey, are you forgetting something ¡û _ ¡û? To read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 20 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ No patreon but want to support us? Then, OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 41 Chapter 41 1Chapter 41 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] Gu Jiao never thought that she, a top student who had gone through the College Entrance Examination [1], Postgraduate Entrance Examination [2], and Ph. D. qualifying exam in her previous life and finally hatched from the high pressure with great difficulty, had to start as a primary school student again, and it was also the area she was least good at¡ª¡ª Calligraphy. Gu Jiao listlessly walked over, her whole person not well. Although there was a beauty on the side, and this beauty was a real feast for the eyes too, she really didn¡¯t want to practice calligraphy, really didn''t want to! "Let¡¯s start with your name." Xiao Ling said. His voice was somewhere between a juvenile¡¯s voice in its changing period and that of an adult man. It wasn¡¯t that kind of ugly male duck voice, but instead it revealed a trace of a fresh deepness. Gu Jiao, who was a little resistant to ipetence, still watched silently as he wrote down her name on a piece of paper. Unlike the sign on the surgery¡¯s consent form from before, this time seemed to be more carefully and neatly written. But Gu Jiao still didn¡¯t quite understand it. Gu Jiao was sitting opposite of Xiao Ling. From her point of view, the words were upside down. Xiao Ling upended the paper and asked Gu Jiao to study it carefully. After that, he taught her the strokes and stroke order one by one, writing them on paper. Looking at so many strokes, Gu Jiao felt a major headache. This wasn¡¯t the traditional Chinese character, nor was it the clerical script[3], the lesser seal script[4] or the great seal script[5], but rather a character she waspletely unfamiliar with. Seeing how clumsily Gu Jiao held the writing brush, with a look of bitterness and resentment, Xiao Ling said, "The posture of holding the brush is wrong, raise your hand a little bit, and don''t be too stiff at your wrist." "Like this?" Gu Jiao adjusted ording to his instructions. Gu Jiao''s brush-holding posture was actually the standard in her previous life, but it wasn''t enough in front of ancient people like Xiao Ling. "Index finger." Xiao Ling said. "Hm?" Gu Jiao was confused. Xiao Ling hesitated for a moment, then stretched forward his slender jade finger, and gently pushed her index finger upwards. If he did this on other asions, Gu Jiao was sure to think, "He touched my fingers, I¡¯ll count that as holding hands." But right now, he was teaching her to write, which she counted as attending a ss, and Gu Jiao was always a serious student in ss. Gu Jiao took off her shoes, sat cross-legged opposite him, and practiced earnestly, one stroke at a time. Xue Ningxiang was still waiting in the main room. She had no idea why Gu Jiao had been in there for so long. That letter wasn¡¯t long. Did it really have to take this long to read? Xue Ningxiang didn''t know that the two people in the room hadpletely forgotten about the letter, one reading and the other practicing calligraphy. Xiao Ling corrected Gu Jiao''s brush-holding posture once in a while. As for whether she wrote well or not, he didn¡¯t force it either. After all, holding a brush for the first time without writing on the outside of the paper was already quite good. If Gu Jiao knew his thoughts, afraid she would jump to her feet at once and go berserk. She was a grand modern-day top student, how could you say it was her first time holding a brush?! Gu Jiao''s memory was still very good. Thoseplicated strokes, she just had to write them down once to remember. Only, her handwriting was simply too ugly, too horrible to look at. ording to Xiao Ling''s standard, it was indeed that of a primary school student who just started to hold a writing brush. After all, his handwriting when he was two years old was better than this. Before they knew it, they had been staying in the room for half an hour. Finally, the elderly woman came to find Gu Jiao in her boredom and leisure, only to find that the two people were actually busy writing characters in the room. The elderly woman didn''t take a closer look, but only nced from the door. She saw the red paper. She immediately had a judgment in her heart, "Writing Spring Festival couplets? Well, it''s about time to write it. If you don''t write it now, you might not be able to finish itter. Call me when you''re done." She wanted to put up Spring Festival couplets! This was really a beautiful misunderstanding. But Gu Jiao also knew that Xiao Ling was indeed nning to use these red papers to make Spring Festival couplets, he just happened to practice writing the characters first, dying the work. But now that the elderly woman proposed it, they better get back on track and start writing Spring Festival couplets! "I''ll cut the paper!" Gu Jiao put down the writing brush and went to look for scissors or something in the house. Thanking grandaunt for saving her from the suffering! If she kept on practicing like that, her hand would be crippled! Xiao Ling stared at the red papers in front of him, looking a little dazed. However, when Gu Jiao cut them neatly and beautifully, and ced them at his hand, he still took up his writing brush and wrote several sets of Spring Festival couplets. "Write some copies for Little Xue too." The elderly woman reminded them. The elderly woman liked Xue Ningxiang a lot. Of course, she liked Gu Jiao very much as well. She wouldn¡¯t say anything, but Gu Jiao could sense other people¡¯s kindness and malice towards her. For instance, Xue Ningxiang was full of malice when she met her for the first time, but now this malice hadpletely disappeared. The elderly woman''s fondness for Xue Ningxiang was different from her fondness for Gu Jiao. Towards Gu Jiao, it was a family affection, but towards Xue Ningxiang, it was the host''s fondness for her guest. To put it bluntly, she thought Xue Ningxiang was a good guest suitable for frequent hang outs. When the elderly woman said this, the two people finally realized that they had forgotten Xue Ningxiang and her letter, and both of them felt somewhat embarrassed. Don''t know what kind of mood Xue Ningxiang was in while waiting for them in the main room... Half an hourter, Gu Jiao came out with Xue Ningxiang''s letter and the Spring Festival couplets written by Xiao Ling, plus a te of sesame candies and chestnut cakes for Xue Ningxiang to bring home. "Why are you giving all these?" Xue Ningxiang was astonished. Gu Jiao certainly wouldn¡¯t say that it was her expression of apology. She solemnly said, "It''s almost New Year. Grandaunt asked me to bring these. The Spring Festival couplets are for you, the chestnut cakes and sesame candies are for your mother-inw and your son." Xue Ningxiang hurriedly thanked her. "Just now..." Gu Jiao hesitated and decided to exin in the end. Who knew Xue Ningxiang would show her a teasing smile and give her a look of ¡°I know.¡± Gu Jiao: You know? What do you know?!! Xue Ningxiang was a person with experience. The little wife entered her husband¡¯s room and didn¡¯te out for a while. What else could they do? How could she be angry about such a thing? The reason why she stayed aside without saying a word was to avoid seeing what she shouldn''t see and hearing what she shouldn''t hear. "Only..." She whispered to Gu Jiao, "Remember to close the door next time. Grandaunt is still at home." Gu Jiao: I think you¡¯re misunderstanding something here... Xue Ningxiang¡¯s brother-inw said in the letter that he made a small meritorious contribution at the border, became a squad leader, and received a reward of 10 taels of silver. All the rewards had been sent back to Xue Ningxiang. He asked Xue Ningxiang to take care of his mother and her son, and at the same time, don¡¯t treat herself badly. He said he would earn a lot of money in the future, so don''t worry about spending the money. This brother-inw wasn¡¯t bad. Gu Jiao asked Xue Ningxiang if she wanted to reply, but Xue Ningxiang shook her head. During this period, everyone had gone back for the New Year, and there was no one at the post station. Even if she wrote him a response, no one would send it. After Gu Jiao gave the things to Xue Ningxiang, she returned home. Xue Ningxiang epted all the edibles, but as for the Spring Festival couplets, she only epted one set saying Spring Festival couplets were too expensive. Gu Jiao told her she didn''t buy it from the outside, but Xiao Ling wrote it himself. But then she said, "Red paper is very expensive." The red papers were sent by Feng Lin, and there were a lot of them, so Gu Jiao didn''t think about its price. When she asked Xiao Ling, she found that this kind of paper for writing Spring Festival couplets was several times more expensive than ordinary paper. "It''s not too expensive at ordinary times, but the price will increase during the New Year." Xiao Ling exined. "That... Is Feng Lin''s family financially good?" Gu Jiao asked. Xiao Ling thought for a moment and then shook his head, saying, "I didn''t ask, but it should be... not so good." To read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 20 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ No patreon but want to support us? Then, OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 42 Chapter 42 2Chapter 42 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] Feng Lin''s family circumstances were only a little better than that of Xiao Ling''s original family. As could be seen from his daily food and clothing expenses, it wasn¡¯t really that good. Despite that, he had always been unconditionally generous towards Xiao Ling. Take these red papers, for example, if you buy a few dozen pieces of this paper, it would cost almost half a tael of silver. Usually, he would eat only pickles and steamed buns in the academy. In the evening, snow began fluttering and swirling in the sky again. Feng Lin stayed at the academy alone. Currently, he was reading a book in his dormitory room. One oilmp wasn¡¯t bright enough, but he was unwilling to light up a second one. The cold wind blew past the door, making him shiver. He didn''t burn any charcoal. First, the academy wouldn''t let him. Second, he was also reluctant. There were a total of four people living in this room, and these ssmates would be here on ordinary days, so it didn¡¯t feel so cold. But now that he was all alone, he only felt that all the cold wind went straight into his stomach. This was his first year in a foreignnd. He missed his parents and longed for his sisters, he felt homesick, but he couldn¡¯t go back. His home was indeed far away, but he had also saved a few taels of silver for travel expenses. However, at present, it was more important to spend all his time studying, he did not want to dy his studies even for a day. Each of the three consecutive generations of his family had only produced one son. In his generation, a second son hadn''t been born yet. In order to provide for his studies, one of his sisters married a widower as a second wife, while the other was betrothed to a tea merchant who was over half a century old. They put in all their life for his sake, so he had to strive hard and return to his hometown in silken robes[1]. After expelling a warm breath in his hands, Feng Lin wrapped himself in the quilt tightly and continued to bury his head in reading. Knock, knock, knock! Someone suddenly knocked at the door. Strange. Who woulde to look for him at this time? The academy was on its vacation period and everyone had gone home, even the teachers returned home for the New Year. In short, he was the only one left in this empty academy. "Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s a ghost..." He seeded in scaring himself, his face turned white and he wrapped himself in the quilt even more tightly. "You... Who are you?" "It''s me." A familiar voice of a girl came from outside the door. Feng Lin lifted the quilt, walked over and opened the door with his shoes on. When he saw Gu Jiao covered in snow all over, he inwardly cursed ¡®to hell with it¡¯! This was a men¡¯s dormitory! What was she doing here alone?!! "What are you doing here? Is something wrong with Brother Xiao?" Apart from this, Feng Lin couldn''t think of any other reason. Without waiting for Gu Jiao to answer, he immediately put on a cloak and said to Gu Jiao, "Where is Brother Xiao?" "At home." Gu Jiao answered. Feng Lin went out of the room without saying anything. Looking at his fiery back, Gu Jiao said calmly, "There¡¯s no carriage." During New Year, especially when there was a snowstorm, there was no way to hire carts and carriages. Feng Lin said without thinking, "Even without a carriage, can''t you still walk on your legs? Hurry up!" Gu Jiao: "Oh." But the one she was worried about being unable to walk wasn¡¯t her. Facts had proved that Feng Lin''s physical strength was really not as good as Gu Jiao''s. Along the way, Gu Jiao''s face wasn¡¯t red at all nor was she breathless, on the other hand, Feng Lin almost fell down several times. When they finally reached Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling¡¯s house, Feng Lin felt that his legs were no longer his own. He pushed open the door with hisst energy and looked forward, but when he saw the scene inside, he was dumbfounded. He saw Xiao Ling sitting in a chair in the main room, watching the elderly woman teach Gu Xiaoshun how to make paper-cutting decorations. How rosy was hisplexion, was how rosy it was. Just which part did he look sick at all? "You¡¯ve returned." Xiao Ling greeted the two of them. "Little Feng is here, have a seat!" The elderly woman also greeted. Gu Xiaoshun had always disliked Feng Lin, but today he unexpectedly didn''t give Feng Lin a disdainful look. Feng Lin''s was at a total loss. He looked at Gu Jiao nkly and said, "Doesn¡¯t, doesn¡¯t Brother Xiao..." Gu Jiao spread out her hands, "That''s what you said, I didn''t say anything." Feng Lin£º¡°¡­¡± Why didn''t he find this woman so cunning before? Feng Lin spent his first New Year''s Eve away from home at Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling¡¯s house. Because of the presence of Gu Jiao and Gu Xiaoshun, people he hated, he thought he would be ufortable, but unexpectedly, the atmosphere turned out to be harmonious. Gu Jiao made dumplings ording to the vige¡¯s customs, and also made osmanthus sticky rice cakes ording to the custom of Feng Lin and Xiao Ling¡¯s hometown. When the vor from his hometown reached the tip of his tongue, Feng Lin¡¯s tears suddenly burst out. He wasn¡¯t touched, just, it was very very very very delicious! Wu! Wasn''t this little wicked woman a local here? How did she make the osmanthus sticky rice cakes this tasty ah?! Feng Lin ate with tears in his eyes. At first, he did cry because he was moved by how delicious it was, butter it reminded him of his hometown. He began to think about his sisters and his elderly parents at home. He had no idea how they were doing this year while he was away from home. Seeing him cry so miserably, Gu Xiaoshun decided not to speak out against him for the first time, and even gave him his share of sticky rice cakes. This was undoubtedly a lively New Year''s Eve, not only for Feng Lin, but also for Gu Jiao and others. Gu Jiao spent all her previous New Year''s Eve alone in the organization. When she grew up, she was no longer an experimental subject in the organization, but she just moved from theboratory to another room, in the end she was still by herself. Gu Xiaoshun used to spend New Year¡¯s Eve with the Gu Family, but there were many people in the Gu Family and no one would pay him attention. For instance, he ran away tonight, and he could swear no one would find out. The elderly woman couldn¡¯t remember how she spent her previous years. In any case, she undoubtedly had a good time this year. She posted up Spring Festival couplets in person, and taught Gu Xiaoshun to make paper-cutting decorations amusingly, and sure enough, it was worse than her own, which immediately made her heart bnced! In addition, JiaoJiao also made an exception and allowed her to eat five candied fruits this time. Normally, she was given only two. Xiao Ling was very serene. He was never a person to show emotions on his face, but Gu Jiao could still feel the faint sense of sadnessing out of him. And it was more than usual. Several people stayed up till midnight. There were only three rooms at home. It was not convenient for the elderly woman to squeeze with others, hence, Gu Jiao tidied up Xiao Ling''s room and asked Feng Lin to stay there temporarily. Feng Lin and Xiao Ling had a good rtionship, but he didn¡¯t know that Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling hadn¡¯t shared a room at home so far, so he stayed very readily. Counting the night in the inn, this was the second time that the two were sleeping together. Gu Jiao''s bed was much wider than the one in the inn, and the quilt was also thick enough. Light must be left on during New Year¡¯s Eve. Thus, the oilmp on the table was left emitting a faint glow. The two peopley down in their respective positions. Xiao Ling had his eyes closed, but Gu Jiao knew he wasn¡¯t asleep. "Did you have a good year?" Gu Jiao asked softly. Before Xiao Ling could answer, a slender little hand reached into his quilt and grabbed his cold and stiff hand. Gu Jiao: "Next year will be even better." 1. ¡ü ¡ªe back home after achieving wealth and official distinction. To read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 20 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ No patreon but want to support us? Then, OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 1Chapter 43 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] In truth, Xiao Ling disliked New Year''s Eve, because every New Year''s Eve, he would always dream of boundless fire. He tried not to fall asleep. However, as soon as he closed his eyes, he could strongly feel the despair within the sea of mes. "Xiao Ling, first of all, we are just a nominal married couple! Don¡¯t try to do anything to me!" Gu Jiao said solemnly. "Who''s going to do anything to you?" Xiao Ling turned his head away fretfully. Gu Jiao brought a bowl of water and said, "Who can guarantee that? You men say one thing with your mouths, but do another thing behind people¡¯s backs! In order to prevent you from doing bad things, I''ll put a bowl of water here. If you dare to crawl over this bowl of water in the middle of the night, knocking it over, you are a beast!" "Fine, if Ie over there, I''m a beast!" How could he possibly go there? He never had the slightest idea about this woman! When he woke up the next day, he lookedcently at the nked Gu Jiao, as if to say, how about it? I''m just not interested in you, am I? Who knew instead of being thankful, Gu Jiao¡¯s trembling hand wouldnd a p on his face, "You¡¯re not even as good as a beast!" Xiao Ling woke up with a start! [T/N: Lmao, his nightmare...] He sat up then found that this wasn¡¯t his own room. There were some crooked writings of blessing affixed to the walls and some paper-cutting decorations too ugly to look straight at. They were all the masterpieces of the elderly woman and Gu Xiaoshun. Xiao Ling finally remembered where this was. He shifted his gaze to his side. Gu Jiao was lying on his side and sleeping facing him. Her cheeks which now had some baby fats looked a bit chubby and her little mouth was pouting. She had been holding his hand the whole night. Xiao Ling suddenly thought of that strange beast dream. His handsome little brows frowned and he coldly brushed away Gu Jiao''s hand! Being rejected in her sleep, Gu Jiao groaned discontentedly and grabbed his hand again. Xiao Ling brushed her hand away one more time, but it was futile as she still grabbed his hand again. He didn¡¯t know just how many times he struggled like that. In the end, he felt exhausted and fell asleep. From the beginning till dawn, that nightmare about boundless fire didn''t appear. ¡­... Feng Lin stayed in Qingquan vige for three days, thus Xiao Ling also crashed into Gu Jiao¡¯s room and slept together with her for three nights. Except for the first night Gu Jiao just held his hand, the following nights, she utilized both her hands and feet. Xiao Ling would always wake up finding both of them wrapped together in the same quilt. Xiao Ling, short of breath, would ask her, "You... Are you doing it on purpose?" "Hm?" But Gu Jiao would only look at him nkly. For a moment, Xiao Ling wasn¡¯t sure who was sleeping dishonestly in the end. Perhaps it was actually him who abducted people into his quilt¡­ ¡­... Today, the stitches on Xiao Ling had to be removed. In fact, Gu Jiao could also do it at home, but then she would be exposed. Moreover, they already ran out of medicinal ingredients for the elderly woman¡¯s traditional medicine. It was time to buy new ones. Don¡¯t look at the fact that that prescription was only a supplementary treatment. With it, the curative effect became much better. After breakfast, Gu Jiao, Xiao Ling and Feng Lin took Second Uncle Luo''s oxcart to the Rejuvenation Hall in town. The staff had all returned home for the New Year, and there were only Second Owner, Shopkeeper Wang and the old physician, who had been pretending to be a famous physician for Xiao Ling, in the Rejuvenation Hall at present. The three people specially left their homes and came here in order to see what the effect would be after the stitches were removed. Forget about them, even Gu Jiao herself was looking forward to it. She made sure there were not a single mistake in the surgery, but how well he would recover depended on the final result. The sutures were removed by the old physician. This bit of skill, he still had. After it was removed, everyone''s eyes tacitly fell on Xiao Ling. There were many things involved in this surgery. For instance, Second Owner still hadn¡¯t given up the idea of treating the little marquis, even though he was scolded by his father when he returned to the capital for the New Year. Shopkeeper Wang, as a man of conscience, was also looking forward to the sess of this surgery. However, at the same time, he also hoped that the surgery would fail. After all, the prerequisite of being a man of conscience was that he must be a person first. When he died, he was just a ghost then. And if they were to treat the little marquis, he would certainly die! Xiao Ling, sitting on the chair, slowly moved his foot, which had been freed from the stitches, to the ground. His crutch was just by his side, but he didn''t reach for it. He stood up holding the chair, first using his uninjured left foot. When he took the first step with his right foot, he felt that his foot was limp, and his whole person fell forward! Gu Jiao swiftly went to support him, hugging him in her arms. They were a young married couple, so others didn''t say anything, but Xiao Ling''s ears were burning. Gu Jiao didn''t notice his abnormality. All her attention was on his ankle. "Are you all right?" She asked, staring at his ankle. Xiao Ling shook his head and said, "I¡¯m fine." He had been injured for half a year now. For that long, he was just walking on a crutch, putting as little force as possible on his right foot. After all, every time he put strength to it, he would feel a heart-wrenching pain. Just now, even though he was still unable to stand, it didn''t seem to hurt anymore. Xiao Ling took the crutch and tried to take another step to make sure it really didn''t hurt anymore. He had always been expressionless all the time, but this time he had a little stupefied look on his face, as if he didn''t expect that he could really be healed to this extent. He thought he would be ame for the rest of his life, always apanied by that pain. "Brother Xiao, in the end, are you healed or not ah!?" Feng Lin asked anxiously. "I don¡¯t feel the pain any more, I just don¡¯t have the strength." Xiao Ling said. Feng Lin couldn''t help asking, "That... Is that really good? Why don¡¯t you have strength?" The old physician exined slowly, "Young Gentleman Feng, do not worry. For Young Gentleman Xiao to not feel the pain anymore, it means that the surgery is very sessful. But after all, he has been injured for a long time. Qi and blood stasis, muscle and bone weakness, ankle stiffness, all these still need careful recuperation and hard training." "Can he still be the same as before?" Feng Lin asked worriedly. The old physician looked at Gu Jiao unobtrusively and said with a smile, "So long as Young Gentleman Xiao is not afraid of hard work." **** JiaoJiao: I¡¯m sure you can do it! Ling: Sure, if you learn to write, I will learn to walk again. JiaoJiao who didn¡¯t want to learn to write: ¡­... To read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 20 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ No patreon but want to support us? Then, OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 44 Chapter 44 3Chapter 44 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] The sess of the surgery gave Second Owner so much encouragement that he decided to talk with Gu Jiao about her next treatment job. Of course, because it was of great importance, some details that had nothing to do with the patient''s condition had been left untold for the time being, for example, if they couldn¡¯t cure the patient, they might be beheaded and so on... Who knew before he could say the identity of the other party, Gu Jiao would reject him first. "Why?" Second Owner had a shocked expression on his face. Gu Jiao replied without taking time to think, "It''s too far. I don''t do house visits. Tell him toe to the Rejuvenation Hall himself if he wants me to cure his illness." "I..." Second Owner was dumbfounded. Even the Imperial Physicians woulde if invited to their mansion. How could the other party deign toe to a medical hall in a small town? Second Ownerughed awkwardly, "Not far, not far. It¡¯s in the Hot Spring Vi near Qingquan Town. Gu Jiao raised an eyebrow, "Still have to go out of town. Isn¡¯t that what you call far?" "..." Second Owner was speechless. Second Owner often thought that Gu Jiao was so capable that she didn¡¯t look like a mere vige woman. However, at this moment, her disliking to go to the Hot Spring Vi, which was twenty li away, seemingly showed that her strength was indeed that of a vige woman who had never been far away. Second Owner looked at Gu Jiao, somewhat aggrieved, and then said, "We agreed that you will treat a patient once a month." Gu Jiao replied, "That¡¯s true, but it¡¯s not treating patients at home." Second Owner: ¡°...¡± ¡­... "If Gu girl doesn¡¯t agree, then so be it. At least she saved several lives in our Rejuvenation Hall." Shopkeeper Wang breathed a sigh of relief when he learned that Gu Jiao refused. Second Owner said helplessly, "What do you know? I already sent them my post..." Shopkeeper Wang was so surprised that he jumped up in ce, "Owner! What are you talking about?" Second Owner coughed and said, "Isn''t it because I believe she can cure Young Gentleman Xiao? So I... I sent a post with my name in advance." The whole State of Zhao knew about the illness of the Marquis Ding¡¯an Estate¡¯s young master. Even if treating him could lead to grave consequences, arge sum of money attracted no less brave men. There were still many physicians queuing up to check the young master¡¯s condition. If he just sent the post now, by the time they were waiting in line, the young master might be dead already. Shopkeeper Wang simply didn¡¯t know what to say about Second Owner! Gu Jiao knew nothing about the conversation between Second Owner and Shopkeeper Wang. She went to the lobby to buy medicinal herbs. In order not to let people see that the herbs she was buying were for treating leprosy, she added several other kinds of herbs, which coincidentally appeared to be the usual Jinchuang medicine powder[1] at home. Feng Lin returned to the academy, while Gu Jiao and Xiao Ling returned to the vige in Second Uncle Luo''s oxcart. Although the pain was already gone, Xiao Ling¡¯s right leg had yet to regain its strength, so he couldn''t get rid of his crutch for the time being. He walked back with Gu Jiao on his crutch and saw a carriage parked in front of their house from a distance. The emblem on the carriage was a bit familiar. The carriage seemed to have also just arrived. The coachman lifted the curtain of the carriage and helped a middle-aged man of an impressive bearing alight. "May I ask if this is Xiao Ling''s home?" The middle-aged man asked politely from outside the door. "That¡¯s me." Xiao Ling said indifferently. The middle-aged man turned around and saw Xiao Ling and Gu Jiao. He then said with a gentle smile, "I''m the steward of Tianxiang Academy. My surname is Liu. The Dean and my Lord asked me to deliver some things." If the Gu Family was here, they would recognize him as the man who sent Gu Xiaoshun the admission documents. He took out a letter from his bundle and handed it to Xiao Ling, "This is from the Dean." Then he presented a brocade box to Gu Jiao, saying, "This is something my Lord wants to give to Young Gentleman Gu." As soon as they heard that Gu Xiaoshun was also involved, they immediately guessed who the Lord in his mouth was. Xiao Ling took the letter and Gu Jiao took the brocade box. Gu Jiao said, "Steward Liu, why don¡¯t youe in and have a seat." Steward Liu smilingly said, "No need to bother you, I still have something else to do. Well then, I''ll take my leave first." At this moment, grandaunt, who was inside, called Xiao Ling over. Xiao Ling walked into the house on his crutch. Steward Liu took out a silk bag from his bosom and handed it to Gu Jiao, "This is a gift from my Lord." "Why give it to me?" Gu Jiao asked. Steward Liu only smiled without saying anything. He then turned around and got into the carriage. Gu Jiao went to her room to check what that old man had sent. What he gave Gu Xiaoshun was a very exquisite-looking weasel hair writing brush, while she gave her a piece of suet warm jade which was fine and smooth to the touch. With her cold constitution, wearing a warm jade on her body was practically like wearing a mini version of a hot pack. Even if Gu Jiao wasn¡¯t very knowledgeable about these things, she could nevertheless tell that it was a piece of precious jade, and its value was by no means below that of Gu Xiaoshun''s writing brush. Gu Jiao stroked her chin and murmured, "Well, I thought I had concealed it..." As it turned out, that old grandpa knew it was her. Gu Jiao was very satisfied with her New Year''s gift. After that, she rushed to see what the Dean had sent to Xiao Ling, only to see Xiao Ling sitting in a chair with a dark face, eager to tear something to pieces. "What''s the matter?" Gu Jiao poked out her small head and asked. Xiao Ling wanted to destroy the evidence that shouldn''t exist, but Gu Jiao came over and sessfully snatched the document from his hand. "What is this? It seems to have the official seal of the yamen." Gu Jiao pointed to a word on the document she had just learned and said, "Examination. Is there an exam?" "... En, county exam." That hateful Dean actually signed his name up for the county exam behind his back! He never nned to take the county exam at all!!! "You signed up for it?" Gu Jiao asked. "The Dean did it." Xiao Ling said through gritted teeth. This made Gu Jiao surprised, "Did he sign up the whole ss?" "I don''t think so." Xiao Ling replied. That¡¯s right, Gu Xiaoshun didn''t have it. Xiao Ling was a well-known bottom ranker of the ss. From entering the academy up to the New Year holidays, there wasn¡¯t a single exam where he had ever jumped out of the bottom three. With this kind of hopeless performance record, the Dean did not give up on him, and even personally signed up his name for the county exam. Such a teacher worthy of great admiration ah! The image of the Dean in Gu Jiao''s mind instantly became lofty! "Husband, I think we should pay the Dean a visit and bring him some gifts!" Gu Jiao''s eyes were sparkling. In her previous life, there was one time she thought of bribing her teacher, but first, no one would do the bribing for her, and second, her grades were so good that there was really no need to bribe anyone at all. With her husband¡¯s poor grades, shouldn¡¯t she hasten to establish a good rtionship with the Dean? "No." Xiao Ling refused. When he saw Gu Jiao looking at him in astonishment, he turned his head ufortably and said, "It''s too far away." "Where is it?" Gu Jiao asked. Xiao Ling pressed down his conscience that wanted to rebel and said honestly, "Near the Hot Spring Vi. It¡¯s out of town." For a second, Gu Jiao lost her memory about the matter back in the medical hall. She said, "Not far, not far! It''s not far at all! You can just stay at home. Xiaoshun and I will go tomorrow!" 1. ¡ü ¡ª Jinchuang medicine powder is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine for external incised wounds. To read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 20 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ No patreon but want to support us? Then, OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 45 Chapter 45 1Chapter 45 Special Thanks to these patrons for their support! S T E L L A R C L O U D [Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.] O R A N G E S T A R [K.Rom] Y E L L O W S T A R [Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.] Xiao Ling absolutely didn''t want Gu Jiao to visit that old fox of a Dean, but this proposal had unanimously been approved by his family, namely his ¡®grandaunt¡¯. Elderly woman: "En, one indeed ought to pay a visit." Depressed, Xiao Ling could only go back to the room with his nket in hands. Gu Jiao was rather surprised as she looked at him, saying, "Tonight, you¡­ still want to sleep with me?" Xiao Ling felt a sudden burst of embarrassment, "...Wrong way." Gu Jiao raised an eyebrow and crossed her hands over her chest wantonly, "In your six months living in the west room, not once you¡¯ve gone the wrong way, but after sharing a room with me for three days, you suddenly don¡¯t know the right way?" Xiao Ling choked up and his ears turned red. He said in a huff, "I really just took the wrong way!" Gu Jiao calmly said, "Oh." Xiao Ling: "..." Gu Jiao was true to her words. On that same night, she sorted and counted the New Year gifts she could use for bribing teachers. Gu Xiaoshun came over for breakfast the next day. When he heard that his sister was going to take him to visit the Dean near the Hot Spring Vi, he cried out with excitement. I¡¯ve grown up! I¡¯ve never been out this far! I¡¯ve grown up! My big sis has never taken me out before! The truth was... If Gu Jiao didn¡¯t take him with her, Xiao Ling wouldn¡¯t allow her, a young woman, to go out that far by herself. Travelling there by oxcart was not possible. The oxcart was simply too slow that they would still be wandering on the way by the evening. Just, all the carriage rental shops in the town were currently closed, so they couldn¡¯t hire a carriage either. After much deliberation, Gu Jiao appeared in the Rejuvenation Hall with her younger brother. In the face of Gu Jiao¡¯s sudden arrival, Second Owner¡¯s expression was somewhat indescribable, "Gu girl, do you have anything to instruct?" Gu Jiao said, "I''ve thought about it. The Hot Spring Vi is indeed not far away. It takes only an hour at most to get there by carriage. Let''s quickly set out. You have a carriage, don¡¯t you?" It was just yesterday when she was so determined to not do any house visits, howe she suddenly changed her mind in one night? Second Owner looked at the bundle in her hands with suspicion, then he shifted his gaze towards Gu Xiaoshun, who was also holding a big bundle outside the door. He said, "Why did you bring an extra person, and these many things too? Are they all for medical treatment?" Gu Jiao shook her head with a smile and replied, "These are New Year gifts for the Dean. I forgot to mention that my husband''s Dean lives near the Hot Spring Vi. After seeing the patient, I can pay him a visit on the way!" Second Owner nearly spurted out a mouthful of tea. I think your real goal here is to pay people a visit and seeing the patient is precisely the thing done on the way, right? Would it hurt your conscience to speak openly about wanting to freeload in my carriage?!! Second Owner ultimately gave in. Second Owner, Gu Jiao, Gu Xiaoshun and the old physician all got into the carriage. The carriage travelled very fast, and in less than an hour they arrived at a residence near the Hot Spring Vi. In the horizontal inscribed board hanging high written the words ¡°Li Residence.¡± This should be the Dean''s second residence. It was said that the Dean was originally an official in the capital, but due to his mother¡¯s serious illness, he resigned from his position, left the capital, and bought a second residence here where his mother could live out the rest of her life. Gu Jiao took Gu Xiaoshun out of the carriage and knocked at the tightly closed courtyard gate. A little whileter, a household servant opened the gate for them. Seeing that they were two country folks in shabby clothes, the servant didn¡¯t show any disdain and instead politely asked, "Who might you two be..." Gu Jiao answered, "My husband and my younger brother are students of Tianxiang Academy. We havee to pay the Dean a visit." "Ah." The servant was astonished. "What¡¯s the matter?" An old voice sounded from the house. The servant hurriedly turned around and said, "Answering the Old Madame, it''s the Master''s students!" The Old Madame said in a somewhat dazed voice, "Why don''t you invite people in? It''s bitterly cold outside. Let peoplee inside and have a cup of hot tea." Although Gu Jiao had never met the Dean, the attitude of his family and servant made people feel veryfortable. The servant fully opened the courtyard gate and said, "Two guests, pleasee in. My Master has gone out fishing. If fast, he may return soon, if slow, he may not return until dark. Just now, that was my Old Madame, Master''s mother." The servant took the two of them to see Old Madame Li, but when they reached Old Madame Li''s bed, the other person was already fast asleep. Old Madame Li was already quite advanced in age. Just like a baby, the time she would wake up and sleep everyday was unfixed. "Both pleasee and 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, served them some tea and also burned some charcoal. She served them very thoughtfully, without any contempt for their humble status. Gu Jiao sat for a while and guessed that the Dean would not be back in a short time. It also seemed that Old Madame Li wouldn¡¯t wake up very soon, so she told the servant that she would go find the Dean herself. The fishing area where he went wasn¡¯t too far away, so the servant told her the way. "I''m going too." Gu Xiaoshun said. Gu Jiao coaxed, "If the Old Madame wakes up and finds that neither of us is here, she will worry that we have been neglected." "Oh." With that, Gu Xiaoshun stayed obediently. Gu Jiao went out of the residence and walked over to Second Owner''s carriage. "I thought it would take a long time." Second Owner said. "The Dean is not here." Gu Jiao asked, "Where does the patient you mentioned live?" "Of course, that ce." Second Owner lifted his hand and pointed his finger to a direction where you could only see the end of the path. From there, you could have a direct view of the lush mountain, and the scenery at the foot of the mountain was a gracefulndscape, courtyard houses arranged at random yet brought about a picturesque effect. It was the famous Hot Spring Vi of the Marquis Ding''an Estate. Second Owner didn''t introduce much about the identity of the other party, only saying that he was the youngest son of a Marquis in the capital, he was born prematurely and had suffered from Asthenia since he was born. After searching for renown physicians for so many years, his condition had never improved from beginning till now. "That young master is about your age, and it is rumored that he won¡¯t live till fifteen years old." Second Owner said regretfully. "Then, he has only one year left at most?" Gu Jiao was already fourteen this year. "Isn¡¯t it? However, he may not evenst half a year." "Is his illness really that grave?" Second Owner let out a sigh and nodded his head, "That¡¯s right. Poor Marchioness, she has only this one biological son." Although there was a twin sister before the young master, it couldn¡¯t make up for the pain of losing the only son. Second Owner didn¡¯t exin to Gu Jiao the information unrted to the patient¡¯s illness. While conversing, the carriage arrived at the entrance of the Hot Spring Vi. Before them stood a huge archway with flying eaves. The words ¡®Hot Spring Vi¡¯ could be seen written in gilded characters, and on the far right side of it was a small line of cursive writing¡ª¡ª Marquis Ding''an Estate. Several people got out of the carriage. Gu Jiao stood under the magnificent archway, as small as a rabbit. The grandeur belonging to a Marquis Estate was vividly and thoroughly disyed, and this was also just a vi under their name. Second Owner had passed by this Hot Spring Vi many times, but this was the first time he really came here. To be honest, he was also shocked by the huge archway in front of him. What he didn''t know, however, was that Gu Jiao was staring at the archway in a daze not because she was shocked, but rather, she was wondering if the gold on this archway was real. To read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 20 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ No patreon but want to support us? Then, OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 46 Chapter 46 1Chapter 46 Two guards were stationed under the archway and one could easily tell that they were not like those guards of the big families in town. They were brawny with sharp gazes, and with pikes in hand, their heroic figures stood tall and straight. Obviously, they were well-trained and well-regted. Because the post was delivered many days in advance, Second Owner¡¯s name was impressively recorded in the guest book, so the guards let them in. He pointed to the old physician and Gu Jiao, saying, "This is the physician of our Rejuvenation Hall and his medicine girl." Although it wasn¡¯tmon for girls to be medicine children, there were still some cases of it. The guards didn''t say anything about their identities, but they were rather suspicious of Gu Jiao''s back basket. "What''s in there?" One guard asked. Gu Jiao showed him the back basket directly. The guard checked its contents and found that there were only some wild mountain goods and a small tattered box inside. He then returned the back basket to Gu Jiao. "Go straight along this road and pass through the first pavilion, someone will then receive you." The guard pointed the way to the three of them. Second Owner thanked him and then walked towards the pavilion with Gu Jiao and the old physician. They had just walked a few steps when another carriage arrived outside of the archway. Second Owner only thought that it was people from the vi, so he didn¡¯t pay it any mind. However, before he could go far, who knew he would be stopped by a rather energetic voice, "Is that you eldest master?" Second Owner halted his footstep and turned around in surprise, only to see a fat man about the age of Shopkeeper Wang striding towards him. Behind the man were a physician in his fifties and a medicine boy carrying a medicine box on his back. Second Owner¡¯s face sank at once. The man didn''t seem to see the disgusted look on his face as he continued to walk forward with a smile and cupped his hands in greetings, "Eldest master, what a coincidence. Does the eldest master know that I would bring someone to treat the young master, so you specially waited for me here? But who are these two?" "Physician of Rejuvenation Hall." Second Owner said dully. Both of them. However, Second Owner didn''t borate, and the man naturally thought he was only talking about the old physician, and that the ugly girl with the birthmark on her face was just a little medicine girl. "Who is he?" Gu Jiao asked Second Owner. Second Owner nced at the man coldly and said, "Hu Family¡¯s steward, as well as the shopkeeper of the capital¡¯s Rejuvenation Hall." "My surname is He." Steward He smilingly said to Gu Jiao. Gu Jiao nced at him sideways, ¡°The same He in hehua(lotus)? The white type?¡± [T/N: For those who still don''t know, white lotus is used to describe people, especially women, who are pure in appearance but malicious inside.] Steward He: "..." I somehow feel she¡¯s speaking ill of me. "Let''s go." Second Owner was toozy to continue talking with him. However, Steward He stopped him again, and this time, his tone carried a trace of ridicule, "It turns out that eldest master came to treat the young master too. I just wonder if His Lordship and Chief Owner know about this?" Naturally¡­ They didn¡¯t know. If he had told the family about this, that old father of his would have been the first to disagree. Second Owner clenched his fists and the expression on his face turned very unsightly. At this moment, Gu Jiao said, "His Lordship? Chief Owner? Who are they?" Second Owner took a deep breath and replied, "His Lordship is my father, and the Chief Owner... is my younger brother." Gu Jiao was puzzled, "Howe your younger brother is the Chief Owner? And you¡¯re only the Second Owner? Are you a concubine born?" No. He was the son of the first wife. He was the real Di eldest son of the Hu Family. However, his own mother passed away early, and shortly afterwards, his father married a second wife. It didn¡¯t take long before his stepmother gave birth to a younger brother who was smarter than him. And because of that, his younger brother was more pleasing to his father¡¯s eye. His old man gradually forgot that he still had such an eldest son. He threw him to the Rejuvenation Hall in a remote town on the grounds of his mediocrity and ipetence. All of the Hu Family''s inheritance was almost handed over to his younger brother. His status as the Second Owner, in fact, was just good in name. Shopkeeper He was just a shopkeeper, but because he was the Chief Owner¡¯s subordinate, even a person like him didn¡¯t put Second Owner, the same master from the Hu Family, in his eyes. He said, "The young master of the Marquis Ding¡¯an Estate isn¡¯t just somemoner in town. If you¡¯re put to death, then so be it, but don''t get ahead of yourself and implicate the entire Hu Family!" Gu Jiao looked at him and said impatiently, "Crowing so much like this, are you a rooster?" Steward He choked up. Immediately after that, Gu Jiao¡¯s group of three left. When they walked through the pavilion, they did meet a few servants of the vi. These servant¡¯s clothes were actually more nice-looking than those of the masters of the big families in town. They looked good both in appearance and demeanor. Although the way they treat people wasn¡¯t as simple as that of the Dean''s servant, they all strictly followed the rules, so that people could not nitpick any mistakes. Just as Gu Jiao¡¯s group of three were led away by a young servant boy, Shopkeeper He¡¯s group arrived. "It''s Rejuvenation Hall again? How many people from Rejuvenation Hall havee?¡± Shopkeeper He was received by a rather sharp-tongued servant girl. Don''t look at the fact that Shopkeeper He had the Hu Family and Rejuvenation Hall behind him. In fact, he didn''t dare to be pretentious with any of the little servant girls in the Marquis Estate. Shopkeeper He smiled politely and said, "Girl, please take a closer look at this token. I am the one from the Rejuvenation Hall in the capital. Those people are from the Rejuvenation Hall in Qingquan Town. They have nothing to do with the Rejuvenation Hall in the capital and the Hu Family! If something bad happenster, I hope the girl will not me our Rejuvenation Hall together with them." "Both are Rejuvenation Halls, isn¡¯t it all the same?" The servant girl asked. "It¡¯s different, different." Shopkeeper He smilingly replied. The servant girl thought for a while and said, "Then, your medical halls just happen to have the same name?" "Uh¡­ You can say that¡¯s the case." Shopkeeper He couldn''t find a more appropriate exnation for a moment. The servant girl nodded, "I see, our Marquis Estate will not incriminate innocent people." Shopkeeper He breathed a sigh of relief. That mediocre master of his couldn¡¯t possibly hire a formidable physician at all, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have borrowed Physician Zhang from the capital¡¯s Rejuvenation Hall for treating patients. This time, he would probably get into big trouble. Fortunately, he was clever enough to get rid of the rtionship between him and that master in time. Steward He¡¯s group walked so fast that they actually arrived at the same time as Gu Jiao¡¯s group of three. [T/N: It¡¯s the author that keeps altering between Shopkeeper and Steward, not me. XD] The servant girl who was leading Shopkeeper He and his group opened the curtain and entered the main hall. She whispered to the Head Nursemaid inside, ¡°Those three belong to the capital¡¯s Rejuvenation Hall, and these three are from the town.¡± Her meaning, it seemed that Gu Jiao¡¯s group wanted to mooch off of the other group¡¯s reputation. The Head Nursemaid had seen a lot of this kind of situation, but since people were already here, there was no reason to kick people out without letting their physician have a look. She said, "Let those threee first." "Understood." The servant girl responded. The servant girl invited Shopkeeper He¡¯s group in. The young master had been ill for so many years, during which they had invited numerous physicians, but every physician was given a gag order after they conducted their examination. Therefore, it wasn¡¯t known what illness the young master had and how sick he was in the end. This time, Shopkeeper He brought a godly physician who was known as Hua Tuo¡¯s reincarnation of Jiangnan. He especially excelled at difficult andplicated diseases and illnesses. Beforeing, both of them were full of confidence. However, after only one nce, the so-called godly physician went stupid. "What''s wrong, Physician Liao?" Shopkeeper He asked. Godly Physician Liao didn¡¯t respond to Shopkeeper He, but instead turned to ask the servant girl in the room, "How long has the young master been in aa?" "It has been ten days." The servant girl answered. Godly Physician Liao¡¯s face turned white. He braced himself to take the young master¡¯s pulse, and as a result, he staggered to his feet. "Forgive this surnamed Liao for hiscking medical skills, simply unable to treat the young master. Your estate... may better find someone more qualified!" What he really wanted to say was that your young master was suffering from a heart disease, and this kind of disease didn¡¯t have any cure. He had already been in aa for ten days, even the Daoist immortal of Da Luo wouldn¡¯t be able to save him, so just hurry up and prepare for the funeral! To read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 20 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ No patreon but want to support us? Then, OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 1Chapter 47 After speaking, Godly Physician Liao fled outside without dy, fearing that if he didn''t leave now, he wouldn¡¯t be able to have a chance to. After all, once the young master died, he would be put to death immediately! "Ah! Godly Physician Liao, Godly Physician Liao!¡± Steward He never anticipated that the godly physician their Chief Owner spent arge sum of money to hire would fail to live up to expectations like this. He actually ran away without even trying to treat the patient! However, he also understood why Godly Physician Liao would flee like that. The young master¡¯s condition was so grave that even he, who wasn¡¯t a physician, could tell that the young master was already dying. It was no wonder he heard that the Marchioness, without missing a year, would climb up the mountain on her knees and kowtow step by step everyday, praying for the Bodhisattva to bless his youngest son. His situation was indeed already beyond human ability... Steward He also went out and chased the godly physician. The little medicine boy was also quick to slip away with his master that Steward He did not even manage to catch a corner of his clothes. When Second Owner saw the three people rushing out in haste, he had a vague guess in his heart. Seeing Gu Jiao get up and about to go in, he suddenly spoke to stop her, "I suddenly remember, there¡¯s still something that needs to be done in the Rejuvenation Hall." Gu Jiao: "Oh, then you should return and deal with it first." Second Owner: "You will go back with me." Second Owner wanted Gu Jiao to treat the young master¡¯s illness, but it was on the premise that Gu Jiao could cure the other party. However, that rmed appearance of Steward He¡¯s group had made him waver. Behind Steward He was none other than his younger brother, whose capability was known to him clearly. Someone hired by him must certainly be a godly physician, but this godly physician actually left as soon as he entered, which only showed that the young master really had no hope of being cured. There might be tens of thousands of medical treatments, but only one kind was enough to judge death. He couldn¡¯t screw Gu Jiao over. If Gu Jiao entered now, the young master might directly die in front of her. At that time, she would no longer be able to escape unscathed. Of course, Gu Jiao wouldn¡¯t fail toprehend his meaning. She might have worked as a doctor in her previous life, but that was only to cover up her real identity. She wasn¡¯t a good person in essence, and she would never gamble with her life. "All right, let''s go then." Gu Jiao nodded her head. However, as soon as Gu Jiao turned around, her heart suddenly jolted. "Young master¡ª¡ª" An rmed scream of the servant girl sounded from the room. The young master began to twitch on the bed. Gu Jiao suddenly felt ufortable. She was absolutely certain she wasn''t ill somewhere, so this unsettling feeling was simply inexplicable. "When did I have this much medical ethics? Leaving a patient untreated actually disturbed my conscience so much it reached the point of heartache?" He was hurting, so did she. This was really weird. Gu Jiao, in the end, went inside. There was an imperial physician at the estate, who was currently dispensing a prescription for the young master in the medicine room, so he wasn¡¯t in the young master¡¯s room at the moment. People hurriedly went to get him. In the midst of this chaos, no one could be bothered about Gu Jiao entering the room. When Gu Jiao reached the bedside, the young master no longer had a heartbeat. Gu Jiao looked serious. Without saying anything, she got onto the bed, knelt beside the young master, pressed his chest with both hands, and began giving him an emergency cardiopulmonary resuscitation. "Gu girl..." Second Owner was directly stunned by the present scene as soon as he entered the room. What was this girl doing to the young master? At this moment, Gu Jiao couldn¡¯t bother about the exposure of her medicine chest as she said sternly, "Keep the door shut! Don''t let people in!" "... Alright!" Second Owner''s brain was still numb, but he managed to close the door with the fastest speed. The old physician stayed in the room to see what he could do to help. After pressing his chest for a while, the other party still didn''t show any reaction. Gu Jiao said, "Take out my medicine chest! Light up the oilmp and candles! Use everything!" The old physician quickly took out the small shabby box in the basket, but found that he couldn''t open it. Gu Jiao had no choice but to open the medicine chest herself, and then the old physician went to light the oilmp and candles ordingly. Gu Jiao gave the young master an intravenous injection[1] of adrenaline. The old physician was dumbfounded. This girl... What strange things did she use to pierce the young master''s veins? After the first adrenaline injection, the effect wasn¡¯t ideal. At this time, the Marquis Estate¡¯s Head Nursemaid and the servant girl arrived with the imperial physician. Second Owner, remembering Gu Jiao''s words, took arge stride and blocked their way. "Who are you?" The Head Nursemaid asked grumpily. The one who brought Gu Jiao¡¯s group here was a young servant boy and he had long gone out. At present, only the servant girl named Yu Ya''er recognized him. Yu Ya''er was the servant girl who guided Shopkeeper He¡¯s group. Yu Ya¡¯er pointed at him and said, "I know him! He is the one pretending to be from the Rejuvenation Hall of the capital!" Second Owner firmly said, "What do you mean pretending? We are from the Rejuvenation Hall! It''s not just the one in the capital!" Yu Ya¡¯erined, "Look, nursemaid! He admitted it!" Second Owner waspletely fogged. No, girl, did what I said really sound like that? The Head Nursemaid didn''t misinterpret the meaning of Second Owner, but she also didn''t think highly of the medical halls outside the capital. She only let them in because the Marchioness was desperate. It was nothing more than giving medicine to a dead horse. "What do you mean by blocking our way?" She asked in a cold voice. Second Owner emboldened himself, saying, "Our Rejuvenation Hall¡¯s physician is currently rescuing your young master inside. If you don''t want something to happen to your young master, you''d better not go in and disturb our physician!" "Nursemaid, they¡¯re lying!" The servant girl said. She was in the room earlier and saw for herself that the young master already stopped breathing! "Are you sure you can save the young master?" The Head Nursemaid''s stern voice hung like a de over Second Owner''s head. Second Owner''s back broke into a cold sweat. What a good cunning nursemaid! This was to put the responsibility on them. If something really happened to the young master, it wasn¡¯t their poor care of the young master, but rather their Rejuvenation Hall''s poor treatment of the patient. In fact, they, the servants, had already looked after the young master with their utmost, but if the young master died, someone had to bear the anger of the Marquis and the Marchioness nheless. Who would want to take up that role? Second Owner''s legs started to tremble. Gu girl, could you do it or not? ¡­¡­ Not good. Three doses of adrenaline were already used! The old physician also gradually realized that something was wrong. Even if he waspletely clueless about the origins of this strange injection, he still could tell that they must be used to prolong his life. "Gu girl... Are you giving up..." "I''ll try one more time!" Gu Jiao calcted the time and injected the fourth injection into the young master''s body. If this one still didn¡¯t work, there was nothing she could do anymore... The people outside the door couldn¡¯t wait any longer. Every minute and every second was an ordeal for everyone. Second Owner''s cold sweat dripped to the ground. The look in the Head Nursemaid¡¯s eyes sharpened as she said, "Knock open the door for me!" Two physically strong older female servants pushed Second Owner aside, but when they lifted their feet and were about to kick the door, the servant girl named Yu Ya¡¯er spoke suddenly, "Nursemaid! Listen!" The Head Nursemaid made a gesture, and everyone instantly quieted down. "... So noisy." It was the voice of the young master. It was very faint, very weak. They hadn''t heard the young master¡¯s voice for ten days. They really thought the young master was going to pass, but just now... Just now... "You, have you all heard it?" The Head Nursemaid felt so nervous for the first time. Everyone nodded in unison. It was faint, but they did hear it! To read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 20 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ No patreon but want to support us? Then, OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 48 Chapter 48 2Chapter 48 Very soon, the door opened from the inside. Silence shrouded the entire room, and the candles that had been lit up were extinguished one by one, so that the inside was only dimly illuminated once again. The old physician sat down on the ground, drained of energy. His whole person seemed to have died once during the whole process. To tell the truth, he wasn¡¯t the one who saved people. He just helped carry a box and lit an oilmp and some candles. However, he was the only one who had witnessed Gu Jiao dragging people back from the Pce of Yama. The process was simply too thrilling. He had never encountered something like it before and probably would never encounter it again in his life. The Head Nursemaid beckoned the servant girl to help the old physician up, while she herself walked over to the bed with light steps. As a result, she saw the little girl in a vige girl¡¯s clothing sitting on the edge of her young master''s bed. This was the bed of the Marquis Estate''s young master! Which wild girl dared to sully their young master¡¯s bed?! The Head Nursemaid was about to open her mouth to berate her, but she unexpectedly found that it wasn¡¯t the other party who purposefully remained on her own young master¡¯s bed, but rather, her young master... was grasping the girl''s hand. The Head Nursemaid was a dowry maid[1] of the Marchioness. She watched the young master grow up. What kind of virtue¡­ Er, wrong, what kind of character their young master had, she knew all too well. He was proud and aloof, unreasonable and didn¡¯t like getting close to others. He had never even held the hand of his own mother and sister. The Head Nursemaid suspected that she was imagining things. She stepped forward again to have a closer look, making sure it wasn''t this girl who was ying tricks. But it was really her young master who was holding on to her, moreover, he was grasping and tugging at her hand so tightly that the skin on the back of her hand was already a bit red. It was surprising that this girl didn¡¯t shake off the young master¡®s hand despite feeling such pain... The young master had fallen asleep again. But his breathing andplexion were totally different from when he was in aa. The Head Nursemaid could tell that his condition had gotten better. "Ah, howe, clearly just now..." The servant girl who came after her widened her eyes in disbelief. "Shut up!" The Head Nursemaid stopped her words. During New Year''s day, she actually dared to say that the young master had already stopped breathing, see if she didn¡¯t tear her mouth! ¡°Ahem, this is my medicine girl." The old physician exined. Turned out to be the medicine girl from Rejuvenation Hall. The Head Nursemaid looked a little more polite and asked softly, "Did my young master wake up just now?" "En." Gu Jiao nodded and turned to look at her, saying, "He woke up for a while, took some medicine and fell asleep again." This one turn of Gu Jiao¡¯s head allowed the Head Nursemaid to see her left face clearly. She actually had such a big birthmark on her face, what a pity. Looking at her side profile just now, she thought she was a little beauty... She even thought that if the young master really had taken a fancy to this girl, it wasn¡¯t impossible to keep her in the room as his own person. The young master''s eyebrows were smoothed out, it seemed that he was sleeping veryfortably. The Head Nursemaid could no longer remember how long the young master hadn''t had a good sleep. In the past, everytime he fell asleep, his breathing would be difficult. Otherwise, he would have night sweats, or extremely painful palpitations. The Head Nursemaid did not dare to make any noise and just stood silently by the side. Gu Jiao was so busy saving his life earlier that she didn''t have time to pay attention to his appearance. At this moment, after taking a careful look, she found that he was unbelievably good-looking. Was this the so-called sickly beauty ah?! Such good looks was simply breaking the rules! Fine. For the sake of your beauty, you are allowed to grasp my hand. This room had a ground heating system[2], and the heat dissipation was very even, not too hot but rather mildly warm. Gu Jiao was suddenly struck by drowsiness and her little head began to peck rice like a chicken bit by bit. Don¡¯t know how many times she was doing that, eventually, she slumped on the bed with a thump. The old physician and the Head Nursemaid were startled. Seeing Gu Jiao sleeping on the same pillow as the young master truly frightened them. The old physician on one side was even too scared to make a sound! The corners of the Head Nursemaid¡¯s mouth pulled down. Letting you be held by our young master was already giving you face, but who let you fall asleep on our young master''s pillow? Truly taking advantage of the situation! Regardless of whether the young master would be awoken or not, the Head Nursemaid took three steps forward, intending to pull Gu Jiao up impolitely, but the moment she reached out her hand, the sleeping young master seemed to sense something and woke up all of a sudden. He had a thin figure, and his skin was also thinner than that of ordinary people; one could even see the faint blue blood vessels under his skin. He nced at the Head Nursemaid with cold eyes. The Head Nursemaid shuddered under his gaze and staggered a few steps backwards! The Marquis Estate¡¯s young master was notorious for being difficult to mess with, bad-tempered and not amenable to reason. Because he was suffering from a serious illness, no one dared to do anything to him. His way of doing things was simply totally unreasonable. None of the servant girls in his room was able tost working for a month. They were either driven away or scared away by him. If the Head Nursemaid wasn¡¯t the Marchioness¡¯ dowry maid, she would have been kicked out by him many times already. The Head Nursemaid didn''t dare to get tough with him. She smiled and said softly, "Young¡­" Young master: "Get lost!" Head Nursemaid: "Yes!" The Head Nursemaid slipped out in a hurry. The old physician who was at a loss on what to do: Er... Should I get lost too? Why was no one paying any attention to him?! So pitiful oh! The young master looked at the sleeping girl with her head lying on his pillow. She was facing his direction, and the small baby fat on half of her face was pressed out. Her small mouth was pouting too, somewhat cute. Her left face with the birthmark was exposed. Young Master Gu disliked anything that was wed and also refused anyone''s approach. Only this time was an exception. He didn''t think she was ugly at all. Watching her sleeping soundly and listening to her breathing at such a close proximity like this, a feeling of wanting to be closer to her suddenly rose in his heart. The average person might have scruples, but Young Master Gu wasn¡¯t just your average person. Since he was born, he was living a life of waiting for death. How could such a person care about worldly rules? He only knew that he feltfortable near her, so he just did what he wanted. Young Master Gu moved closer to her, holding her hand without letting go. He weakly raised his other hand and evenly shared his quilt with her. Then he fell asleep next to her with great peace of mind. When Young Master Gu woke up again, Gu Jiao was already gone. This made him so angry that he tore up several antique paintings of the former dynasty that his father collected like treasures!!! After leaving the vi, Second Owner asked about the illness of the Marquis Estate''s young master. Gu Jiao didn''t answer, but instead asked, "What did the imperial physician say?" Second Owner wasn¡¯t idle outside, inquiring about some information from the imperial physician. The imperial physician was also generous and told Second Owner everything he knew. He said, "¡­He said that it¡¯s a Heart Qi Deficiency and blood stasis. It¡¯s a heart disease." "What does Physician Li think?" Gu Jiao asked the old physician. The old physician also took his pulse while the young master was asleep. He said thoughtfully, "I also think it should be a heart disease." Gu Jiao fell silent. In fact, the result of her diagnosis was simr to that of the two. Using her previous life¡¯s terms, he was suffering from a congenital heart disease. This disease was very difficult to treat in ancient times. Taking medicine alone wasn¡¯t enough, he had to undergo a surgery. This kind of surgery was much moreplicated than that of Xiao Ling, furthermore she didn¡¯t have the corresponding surgical conditions at present. "Gu girl, can you cure it?" Second Owner asked. Gu Jiao thought for a moment and said, "I left him some medicine. Let''s treat it conservatively first." Both families were surnamed Gu, which was purely coincidental and had no traceable rtionship. 1. ¡ü ¡ª Maid servant brought by the bride from her parents'' home. To read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 20 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ No patreon but want to support us? Then, OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 49 Chapter 49 2Chapter 49 Meanwhile, Shopkeeper He did not leave immediately after escaping from the Hot Spring Vi, but waited not far away for the movement in the vi. The young master was already on the point of death, don''t know if that stupid master of his would run into big trouble just like this? If the Marquis Estate¡¯s young master really died at his hands, afraid he would never have a ce in the Hu Family again! Shopkeeper He was feeling delighted inwardly when he suddenly saw Gu Jiao¡¯s grouping out of the vi unharmed. He froze. What was going on? The young master didn''t die? Or were they just like them, fleeing without treating him? But seeing how calm and at ease they were, it didn¡¯t look like that... While Shopkeeper He was nkly racking his brain, Gu Jiao and others got into the carriage and headed to Dean Li''s residence. The servant girl named Yu Ya''er chased them outside, "Aiya! Rejuvenation Hall! You people, wait!" However, the carriage had already gone far and could no longer hear her shouts. Yu Ya''er held on to the pir of the archway and panted. Shopkeeper He came out nkly from behind the big tree, came up to her and asked, "Girl, may I ask why you are looking for the three of them?" Yu Ya''er replied, "Why else would I look for them? It¡¯s about my young master... " Shopkeeper He''s eyes lit up at once! Could it be that the young master really died at their hands? Yu Ya''er took a breath and then said, "My young master has woken up and is throwing a fit of temper around!" Shopkeeper He knew every single word, but put together, he seemed to fail to understand it, "Is the young master¡¯s disease..." "Rejuvenation Hall really has a godly physician! My young master is awake now! Furthermore, he even has the strength to fly into rage!" Yu Ya''er was extremely happy. Her young master tore up four antique paintings of the Marquis in one breath. He hadn''t been this energetic in a whole year! Shopkeeper He expressed that he couldn''t keep up with the other party¡¯s words... Yu Ya''er sighed in self-me, "It''s all because we were so happy that we forgot to pay them the treatment fee!" "Wait, wait, you mean... They..." Shopkeeper He could hardly say the rest. That was totally impossible! Unexpectedly, Yu Ya''er nodded like pounding a garlic, "Yeah! It was them who woke up my young master just now!" This was simply a blind cat running into a dead mouse! Even if you beat him to death, Shopkeeper He would never believe that a physician from a small town could be so skilled. However, it didn¡¯t prevent him from taking credit for himself! "Yes, our Rejuvenation Hall indeed has a godly physician that can bring the dying back to life!" "What are you talking about?" Yu Ya''er rolled her eyes. "I..." Shopkeeper He smiled wryly and said, "That man is the Second Owner of our Rejuvenation Hall, the Hu Family''s eldest master!" Yu Ya''er said mockingly, "Didn¡¯t you just happen to have the same name? They are the Rejuvenation Hall in town, and you are the Rejuvenation Hall in the capital! You have nothing to do with them! They have nothing to do with the Hu Family! Did you forget what you said so quickly? Hehe!" ¡­... Second Owner could be said to have narrowly escaped death this time, how could he still have the mind to remember about the payment? But Gu Jiao did remember it, just, she thought the Second Owner already epted it. When the carriage arrived at Dean Li''s residence, Dean Li had just returned from fishing. At the moment, he shed off his Dean''s uniform, and instead wore a fisherman''s attire with a fisherman''s conical bamboo hat and woven rush raincoat. He really looked like a fisherman. Of course, if you approached him, you could still feel his extraordinary temperament and conversational manner. Gu Jiao and Second Owner alighted the carriage. "You are..." Dean Li had never seen Gu Jiao before, let alone Second Owner. Gu Jiao replied politely, "Xiao Ling is my husband. I came with my younger brother today to pay you a visit. My younger brother is already in the house." Dean Li''s attitude changed in an instant. All this time, he had always rejected students'' visits, but if the other person was rted to Xiao Ling, the family of his future beloved disciple, that was another matter. Second Owner: Why do I feel that the Dean was suddenly looking at his own daughter-inw? Dean Li said, "How should I address you?¡± Gu Jiao replied, "My surname is Gu, and the vigers call me Jiao girl." In fact, the vigers called her ¡®little fool¡¯. Gu Jiao introduced Second Owner and the old physician to the Dean, "...they also came to the neighborhood today and gave me a lift." The Dean was very polite to not inquire about the other party¡¯s business in the neighborhood. He simply expressed his sincere gratitude to Second Owner for helping his students and his family, and invited Second Owner and others toe into the house together. "Is he the Dean of Tianxiang Academy?" Entering the courtyard, Second Owner asked Gu Jiao in a low voice. "En." Her husband was a student of Tianxiang Academy, naturally, his Dean was the Dean of Tianxiang Academy. Did he just realize it now? Second Owner had been so tense about the treatment of the young master all morning that he even forgot his own surname. How could he still think about this? When he realized it, he felt that things were not simple. The Dean''s reputation in the town might not be very obvious, but in the capital, he was an existence that people would go after like a flock of ducks. He studied under the tutge of the Old Chief of the Imperial Academy and was the first amongst the four gifted schrs in the capital. Second Owner, who was a few years younger than the Dean, grew up in the Dean¡¯s shadow. Every parent wanted their son to grow up into a talented man like the Dean, but unfortunately most of them only ended up growing into a rookie-level. The Dean was simply a nightmare for their generation. Because of this one abnormal existence, how many parents felt that their son was useless? In terms of family background, the Hu Family was a hundred-year-old medical family, while the Dean only had an ordinary background. However, in terms of influence, all the children of the Hu Familybined couldn¡¯tpare to a single Dean Li. He was once a great schr-official of the cab, but he heard that he moved here to take care of his ill mother. The Dean arrived at Qingquan Town earlier than Second Owner. Second Owner initially thought about whether to visit him or not, but at the thought of that shadow from his younger days, he quickly gave up. Of course, the main reason was that he knew the Dean wouldn¡¯t meet him. "I heard that... He doesn''t ept gifts." Second Owner told Gu Jiao in a whisper. The Dean was incorruptible when he was still an official, offending quite a lot of people. After he came here and opened up an academy, he even more despised the act of giving and epting things in private. Gu Jiao took out the mountain goods from her back basket and said, "Dean, this is from Ling to show his filial respect to you!" The dean hurriedly took it, his movement so fast as if afraid that someone would go back on their word, "Ling is thoughtful." Second Owner was dumbfounded: This, aren¡¯t you even going to act a bit polite? If I don''t know any better, I would question why you, a dignified academy Dean, iscking mountain goods! Dean: His mouth refuses, but his body is very honest. See now, he even let his wife send him his discipleship gift! Gu Xiaoshun, encouraged by Gu Jiao, also presented his own New Year gift¡ª¡ª a woodcarving carved by himself. He loved carving things, otherwise he wouldn''t have engraved his name on the handle of Gu Jiao¡¯s umbre. He originally intended to give this woodcarving to Gu Jiao, but Gu Jiao said it was important to give it to the Dean first, and that he could carve another one for herter. Gu Xiaoshun felt that his sister¡¯s words were very reasonable, so he decided to give away this woodcarving! What he carved was Gu Jiao¡¯s face, which was vivid and remarkably lifelike, and without the birthmark on her face, it was as beautiful as a fairy. But... was it really okay to give your sister''s wooden sculpture to your Dean? The corner of Second Owner¡¯s mouth twitched. So did the corner of Gu Jiao''s mouth. She didn''t expect Gu Xiaoshun¡¯s woodcarving to be this. The Dean¡¯s expression was also somewhat indescribable. Wasn''t it a bit inappropriate to disy the wooden sculpture of your student''s wife in your own house? Just then, Old Madam Li woke up, and when she saw the woodcarving, her eyes brightened at once: Bodhisattva! Old Madam Li took Gu Jiao''s wooden sculpture and ced it devoutly on the table in her room. She even lit two incense sticks. Gu Jiao£º¡°¡­¡± Dean: "..." Everyone else: "..." To read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 20 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ No patreon but want to support us? Then, OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 50 Chapter 50 2Chapter 50 The group left after having their meal at the Dean''s residence. When they arrived back in town, it was gettingte, so Second Owner directly asked the coachman to send Gu Jiao and Gu Xiaoshun, this pair of brother and sister, back to the vige. Old Madame Li was very satisfied with the "Bodhisattva" given by Gu Xiaoshun. Before they left, she specially asked the Dean to give Gu Xiaoshun the Buddhist prayer beads she had treasured for many years. These prayer beads were made of jadeite, which once shone in front of the Buddha. Both in terms of value and significance, this jadeite was unparalleled. But Gu Xiaoshun wasn¡¯t fond of these things, so he just gave the prayer beads to Gu Jiao. Gu Jiao certainly wouldn¡¯t be greedy for his things, but to bring it back to the Gu Family was just letting the Gu Family people swallow it up for themselves. Thus she epted it for now and nned to return it to him when he got married and set up his own family in the future. ¡°Big sis, I''m going in." Gu Xiaoshun said. After Gu Xiaoshun entered the Gu Family''s old residence, Gu Jiao continued to walk ahead with her back basket and soon entered their house. Xiao Ling and the elderly woman were both sitting in the main room for dinner and the elderly woman was wearing a rather bad expression. As soon as Gu Jiao came in, she showed her an extremely cordial expression for the first time, "JiaoJiao is back!" Gu Jiao nodded her head and thought, you don''t have to be this enthusiastic though. Gu Jiao had long been used to the elderly woman¡¯s attitude of always snubbing her, so this sudden enthusiasm really made Gu Jiao a bit unustomed. "What''s the matter?" Gu Jiao looked at the food on the table. It was obviously getting cold, but both of them didn''t move their chopsticks much. The elderly woman ttened her mouth and said bitterly, "Ling''s cooking is terrible!" He dared to put on airs but his cooking skills were actually worse than the idiot Gu Xiaoshun!!! "Ah..." Gu Jiao didn''t know what to say for a moment. She looked at the elderly woman and then at Xiao Ling. To be honest, she had never tasted Xiao Ling''s cooking, so she didn''t know whether it was good or bad. Just, it was still reasonable for the elderly woman to dislike it, but howe he himself didn¡¯t like it either? Didn''t he always cook for himself in the past? Xiao Ling, with a deadpan face, said nothing. Gu Jiao let out a sigh, redone the dish and also made some egg pie cakes. The elderly woman''s eyes were glowing green! Xiao Ling still had a serious look, but perhaps Gu Jiao had stared at the elderly woman for too long, so when she shifted her gaze at Xiao Ling again, she seemed to see a green glow in his eyes too. During their meals, Xiao Ling preferred to stay quiet. The elderly woman, on the other hand, liked to talk, and if Xiao Ling didn¡¯t let her talk, she would scold him with a humph, saying ¡®I¡¯m your Grandaunt!¡¯ She was the Grandaunt you yourself recognized, even kneeling to show your filial respect was just right. The elderly woman asked about Gu Jiao¡¯s visit to the Dean, "Have you met the Dean?" "En, I did. There¡¯s an elderly mother and a young servant in his family. His life is simpler than I imagined." With his position as Dean of Tianxiang Academy, Gu Jiao thought that his family must be living in luxury, with lots of servants serving them, but it was actually different. Still, his residence was quite big, elegant and serene. It might look simple but it didn¡¯tck magnificence. Elderly woman: "Just two people?" Gu Jiao: "Three, there¡¯s also the servant." Gu Jiao still retained her previous life¡¯s ideology. Household servants were also human beings. "Doesn¡¯t he have a wife and children?" The elderly woman asked. "His wife has already passed away." Xiao Ling suddenly spoke. After pausing for a bit, he added, "She died when he was younger and he never married again." "Quite a pity." The elderly woman no longer talked after that. After dinner, Gu Jiao took out the gift from the Dean, arge box of osmanthus-vored puff pastries, and two fish that the Dean personally caught. The elderly woman liked the puff pastries very much, on the other hand, Xiao Ling didn¡¯t like the two fishes very much, his eyes even carrying a trace of disdain. Gu Jiao killed the fish and marinated it, then she boiled some water for washing herself. When she took off her clothes, something suddenly fell out. She picked it up and found it was a white jade thumb ring. This jade thumb ring had a rather superb quality, its texture fine and smooth, and it looked like a hardened mutton fat, which was by no means ordinary. "Strange, why do I have this thing on me?" She couldn¡¯t remember, just when did the Dean and Old Madame Li give her such a great treasure? She brought the jade thumb ring before her nose and sniffed at it. There was a faint scent of medicine. "Is it his?" ¡­¡­ Hot Spring Vi. The Marchioness returned to the vi after finishing her daily prayer for blessings in the mountain. When she heard that her son was awake, she was immediately overjoyed and asked about the specific course of events and situation. The Head Nursemaid told her everything in detail, "The young master''s condition wasn¡¯t very good at that time, fortunately, the godly physician from Rejuvenation Hall rescued the young master sessfully." She didn''t dare to say that the young master, at that time, had actually stopped breathing. After all, she didn''t see it with her own eyes. Apart from that, she also didn¡¯t mention about the little medicine girl climbing the young master¡¯s bed, and only said that the little medicine girl was very clever, serving the young master very well. During the conversation, they arrived at Gu Yan''s courtyard. Gu Yan angrily tore several antique paintings after waking up, and then copsed after tearing them. He looked like a salted fish in general, paralyzed on the bed and gasping for breath, his appearance simply a tragic sight. But just the fact that he could still wake up, the Marchioness was already very thankful. The Marchioness excitedly stepped forward, sat on the edge of the bed and held his son''s hand, "Yan¡¯er, are you awake?" Gu Yan said silently, "I''m not, I¡¯m still unconscious." The Marchioness choked up. But instead of being angry, she smiled and said, "Yan¡¯er now has the strength to talk to mother! You''ve been in aa for so long, do you know that your mother was really frightened? Fortunately, the Bodhisattva blesses... " "Just what did Bodhisattva do?" Gu Yan harrumphed. The Marchionessughed, "Yes, yes! It is Yan''er who is blessed with great fortune." Gu Yan said earnestly, "She¡¯s the one who cured me. I know it¡¯s her. She left me some medicine." [T/N: She/her (Ëý) & He/him (Ëû) have the same pronunciations, so verbally, it¡¯s not possible to distinguish the person¡¯s gender unless you already know that person.] When Gu Jiao rescued him, he wasn¡¯t awake, and when she left him the medicine, he wasn¡¯t awake either, but he just had an intuition that she was the one who did all these things. The Marchioness naturally thought that Gu Yan meant "him"¡ª¡ª the old physician of the Rejuvenation Hall. She nodded and said, "It¡¯s just like what Yan¡¯er said, it¡¯s the Rejuvenation Hall¡¯s physician who saved you. Mother will properly express my gratitude to them. Hm? Yan¡¯er, why is the jade thumb ring in your hand missing?" That jade thumb ring was Gu Yan''s personal belongings. Even though she didn¡¯t know where he got it from, he always had it on him and never let anyone touch it. Once, he hid it in the quilt and when he couldn''t find it, he lost his temper and passed out directly. "She took it." Gu Yan said very calmly. "Who?" The Marchioness didn''t think of the old physician this time. Gu Yan didn''t answer her, but said, "She took it by ident." Although he had only met her once, he seemed to know her very well. He himself could not exin what this intuition was all about, as if their hearts were linked as one. To read advance GSPW chapters! Schedule update is 5x a week (Monday to Friday). You can read up to 20 advance chapters in our patreon so you should go check it out. ^^ No patreon but want to support us? Then, OR if you can''t support us in money, you can always support us emotionally -just hope into our discord server. Hehehe~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, please also have a look at our other trantions! Everyone But Me Is Reborn Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel. When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was inbour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly. This was supposed to be Ning Nuan''s life. However this time, everyone but her is reborn. Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly be the pir of the family, her mother¡¯s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and y with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully. There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her ¡°Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan¡± with an honest face. If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.