Chapter 138.1: Going to the Marquis Estate
Chapter 138.1: Going to the Marquis Estate
The young couple walked hand in hand and only let go of each other’s hold when they reached the gate of their house.
Seeing Xiao Liulang’s expression as though he still wished to continue holding hands, Gu Jiao leaned closely to him and whispered, “Let’s do it again next time if you want to.”
“That’s not it!” With a deadpan face, Xiao Liulang walked into the yard, swinging the same arm as the foot stepping forward.
Gu Jiao brought the candied hawthorns inside.
The elderly woman’s room was the warmest, so several people were sitting here.
As Xiao Liulang headed directly to the study while walking like a robot, Gu Jiao brought the candied hawthorns into the elderly woman’s room.
At the sight of her, Little Jing Kong’s eyes lit up at once. He said, “JiaoJiao, come and warm yourself!”
“En.” Gu Jiao gave him a stick of candied hawthorns with less sugar, and another stick of it to the elderly woman. Then she gave two sticks of normal candied hawthorns to Gu Yan and Gu Xiaoshun.
Gu Yan couldn’t eat much and just used it to amuse himself.
The elderly woman stared at Gu Yan’s candied hawthorns and a watery substance flowed out of her mouth uncontrollably…
“Where’s brother-in-law?” Gu Yan asked.
“Your brother-in-law went to the study.” Gu Jiao answered.
The elderly woman gave Little Jing Kong an order, “Go and get your brother-in-law to warm himself here.”
“No need.” Gu Jiao said, “He’s not cold at all. His palm is sweaty.”
The speaker had no intention, but the listener had the heart. One stone stirred up a thousand waves!
So his palm was sweaty.
How did you know that?
Did you two hold hands?!
Little Jing Kong suddenly felt that the candied hawthorns didn’t taste good!
He jumped down from the small chair and decisively took JiaoJiao’s hand!
The bad brother-in-law held hands with JiaoJiao, then he would too!
Gu Yan also took Gu Jiao’s other hand.
The little monk held JiaoJiao’s hand! Then he would too!
The dazed Gu jiao: “…”
The even more dazed Gu Xiaoshun: “…”
The elderly woman was elated. These two ignorant people were finally making progress! Her great-grandnephew was just around the corner ah!
To commemorate this important progress, the elderly woman decided to eat one less candied fruit tonight.
She enshrined the stashed candied fruit on the bedside cabinet.
So happy ah.
The moonlight was as bright as water.
It quietly flowed on to the bedside cabinet, making the candied fruit glittering and shining under the moonlight.
The elderly woman walked away.
The elderly woman came back.
She grabbed the candied fruit and stuffed it into her mouth!
To hell with commemorating! Celebrate when you’re happy! Celebrate and eat!
……
It snowed heavily all night, and it didn’t stop until dawn.
When Gu Jiao got up early, the yard was covered with thick snow.
Fortunately, the chicken coop and dog house were moved to the woodshed last night, otherwise several animals would have frozen outside for a night and might even have turned into a few popsicles.
Gu Jiao went to the backyard to wash herself with well water. The weather was so chilly, but the well water was warm.
After washing up, she went to the kitchen to start a fire and cook, only to be surprised to find that someone else had already been sitting in front of the stove, making a fire.
It was Xiao Liulang.
“You got up so early?”
Although he used to wake up early, it usually wasn’t this early.
“En.” Xiao Liulang turned around to look at her.
At the moment, the sky wasn’t bright yet; the bit of radiance was basically the snow light reflected by the field of snow.
Only a small oil lamp was lit up in the kitchen, but suddenly a fire rose from the kitchen stove, producing a brilliance which shone on his handsome jade-like face. Gu Jiao only thought that this young man’s looks were really unparalleled.
Beautiful things were beautiful no matter how many times you looked at them.
Gu Jiao curved up her lips and asked, “Did you sleep well last night?”
“Yes, how about you?” He asked back.
Gu Jiao walked over and took the firewood from his hand, saying, “Slept well. It’s fine, you just go ahead and study, I’ll do this.”
The space before the kitchen stove wasn’t big and was a little narrow for two people to huddle together. Xiao Liulang caught the fresh fragrance of honey locust from her body, along with that maiden scent that was unique to her.
He suddenly felt it was a little hot in the kitchen. Without saying anything, he stood up and walked out.
However, instead of going back to the study, he took a shovel and began to clear away the snow in the yard.
Soon, Little Jing Kong got up too.
He was always the third one to wake up in the family. When he saw the snow all over the yard, he screamed with excitement!
“Wo oh oh oh~, I’m Taishan next door~, Catch the vine of love~”
Gu Jiao’s hand shook, almost setting the whole kitchen on fire!
What do you have to sing that for?!
“Don’t shovel! Don’t shovel! Don’t shovel! I want to play in the snow!”
Saying that, he threw himself into the snow.
There was no such heavy snow in You Province so he couldn’t be blamed for being so excited.
The little guy was in good health and unlikely to catch a cold, hence Xiao Liulang left him alone and allowed him to play in the snow.
He took the shovel and shoveled away the snow on the walkway of the porch. First was the one outside the elderly woman’s room, and then Gu Yan’s room.
About two quarters of an hour later, Gu Xiaoshun also got up.
At this time, Little Jing Kong had successfully turned himself into a little snowman Jing Kong.
He had snow all over his body, and his long eyelashes were covered with snowflakes.
Little Jing Kong sat in the snowy ground and looked at Gu Xiaoshun with his eyes blinking. He asked, “Big brother Xiaoshun, do you want to play with me?”
“Oh, sure.” Gu Xiaoshun walked over and started rolling Little Jing Kong on the ground till he gradually turned into a little snowball. He kept rolling him while cheering!
Little Jing Kong, who was rolled around the snow, felt so dizzy that his tongue stuck out his mouth and his eyes rolled backwards!
Aiya! I meant to play together with me in the snow! Not use me to play in the snow by yourself!
Gu Xiaoshun: This was more fun though.
One big and one small played madly for a while until Gu Jiao came out and carried the small dumpling Little Jing Kong, who was drenched in sweat all over, back to his room to change his clothes.
Gu Xiaoshun also went to get a shovel to help Xiao Liulang clear the snow.
Breakfast was pickled bean curd soup and mutton steamed buns. In order to make up for the regret that Little Jing Kong couldn’t eat mutton, Gu Jiao specially made him a basket of bunny steamed breads, basically a bread that were shaped into snow white bunnies and could be eaten in one bite at a time. Little Jing Kong instantly felt that he was truly a fierce little tiger!
Little Jing Kong was a bit obsessed with tigers recently, and Gu Jiao sewed him a school bag with small tigers on both shoulder straps.
After having their breakfast, he quickly carried his little tiger school bag on his back and went to the Imperial Academy full of energy, accompanied by his bad brother-in-law!
Gu Yan and Gu Xiaoshun also went to Qinghe Academy.
As the family members went out one after another, the elderly woman got up lazily.
Gu Jiao served her a bowl of mutton soup and said, “Grandaunt, I will go to the medical hall later, if you get bored…”
“I won’t get bored, I won’t. You go ahead.” The elderly woman responded while waving her hand.
Gu Jiao cast a strange look at the elderly woman. According to her understanding of the elderly woman, she most likely played demon again, “You… What exactly did you do these days?”
The elderly woman took a sip of mutton soup and replied, “Nothing!”
She just called over several aunts living in the alley to play the leaf card[1] for a few days and won a lot, hoho.
1. ↑ — The leaf card (Ye zipai) appeared during the Tang and Song Dynasties. It is the origin of modern mahjong. At the same time, modern poker also has a deep relationship with Ye zipai.