Chapter 8: Alone

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

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

The mule cart stopped at the village entrance.

“Brother Xiao.” His classmate was the first to jump out of the carriage. He reached out and helped Xiao Liulang down, then carried Xiao Liulang’s bag down.

After Xiao Liulang got his footing, he turned around and glanced at Gu Jiao.

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

Xiao Liulang looked away and said to his classmate, “You should go back. You don’t have to send me home.”

It was indeed late, and the coachman was getting impatient.

His classmate said, “Alright, then I’m leaving. Don’t forget about the exam in three days. The academy isn’t on holiday that day, so I won’t be picking you up. Remember to go yourself.”

“Okay.” Xiao Liulang nodded mildly and took his bag.

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

His classmate glanced at her coldly and pulled Xiao Liulang further away. He whispered, “Brother Xiao, in three days if you do well and pass the exam, you’ll be able to stay at the academy! You won’t have to suffer under this evil woman anymore! Don’t worry about the treatment for your leg, I’ll continue to ask about Doctor Zhang. Oh, and eat the osmanthus cake yourself. Don’t let that evil woman take advantage of you!”

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

Xiao Liulang glanced at her from the corner of his eye. His classmate wanted to say more, but he was interrupted by Xiao Liulang. “Got it. You should go back.”

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

Gu Jiao followed behind him.

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

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

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

“Ah Xiang, why aren’t you coming in? What are you looking at?”

In the room, Xue Ningxiang’s mother-in-law was laying on the bed as she asked in a hoarse voice.

Xue Ningxiang blinked in a daze and replied, “No, it’s nothing.”

She must have been mistaken. Why would Xiao Liulang be with that fool? They might be married, but they’re worse enemies than most.

At the Gu family’s old residence.

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

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

Old Madam Wu brought her two daughters-in-law and granddaughter, Gu Yue’e, to the kitchen to eat.

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

Today was one of the days they had meat.

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

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

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

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

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

“Why can he have so many pieces?” Gu Xiaoshun muttered bitterly as he ate.

Gu Ershun said softly, “That’s because Eldest Brother is a scholar. We’re counting on Eldest Brother to stand up for us.”

When he said this, however, he could not help but glance at the meat in Gu Dashun’s bowl.

He craved it.

He really craved for it.

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

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

“Tsk.” Gu Xiaoshun rolled his eyes. “My brother-in-law is also a scholar. Why don’t I see you guys asking him to eat more meat?”

“How is that the same? Big Brother has already been admitted to the county school. He doesn’t even compare to Big Brother.”

“My brother-in-law just didn’t take the exam.”

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

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

The house was eerily silent.

“Ershun, have you read the book I gave you? I made some annotations on it. Take a look, and ask me if you don’t understand something.”

It was Gu Dashun who was speaking.

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

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

He was the treasured apple in Old Master Gu’s eye—the Old Master’s anger quickly dissipated.

Flattered, Gu Ershun smiled. “Okay. Thanks, Big Brother!”

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

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

Gu Ershun dreamed of being like Gu Dashun.

Old Master Gu said in a dignified manner, “Don’t disturb your big brother these few days. He has an exam to take.”

Gu Ershun nodded respectfully. “Got it, Grandpa.”

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

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

Gu Xiaoshun decided to climb over the wall.

However, he had only climbed halfway when Madam Liu caught him. “Gu Xiaoshun! Get down!”

Madam Liu dragged Gu Xiaoshun down.

Madam Liu slapped his head and scolded in a low voice, “Your grandparents are all here. Are you tired of living?”

“Don’t hit my head!” Gu Xiaoshun said impatiently.

“It’s already so late. Where are you going out to?”

“My sister hasn’t been here for a day. I want to see how she’s doing.”

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

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

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

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

—

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

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

It was Xiao Liulang who prepared the fire.

Gu Jiao did not argue.

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

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

“Let’s eat here. It’s warm,” Gu Jiao said. She was freezing, and she was even shivering.

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

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

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

The corners of Xiao Liulang’s beautiful lips twitched, but he did not say anything.

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

They were two completely unrelated people to begin with, so there was no need for them to have a deeper relationship.

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

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

Gu Jiao opened it.

It was osmanthus cake.