Chapter 156.1: Impending Disaster
Chapter 156.1: Impending Disaster
With a cold face, Gu Changqing picked up the medicine bowl and gently fed Gu Yan the medicine.
Gu Changqing was the eldest brother and had two younger brothers under him. Although he wasn’t much older than them, their mother passed away early, his stepmother also left the estate, and his father only had eyes for his stepmother and her children.
Some things were beyond the service of a servant, so he was experienced in taking care of his two younger brothers.
Of course, Gu Yan was different from Gu Chengfeng and Gu Chenglin. He was too frail and one must be extra careful in tending to him, just like taking care of a newborn baby cat.
In a daze, Gu Yan tasted the bitter taste and pushed the spoon out with his tongue in disgust.
A few drops of medicine were spilled on the back of Gu Changqing’s hand.
Gu Changqing wasn’t annoyed. He sat down beside the bed, lifted Gu Yan’s upper half and placed a pillow behind his back.
He scooped another spoonful of medicine and fed it to Gu Yan.
Gu Yan twisted his face and turned his head sideways, refusing to drink.
Gu Changqing didn’t have to be too experienced to handle this kind of small thing. Seeing that there were candied fruits on the table, he picked up a piece and brought it to Gu Yan’s mouth.
Gu Yan licked it, it was sweet. He opened his mouth to eat it. As a result, Gu Changqing stretched out the spoon and fed him the medicine.
Gu Yan, who was caught off guard by a mouthful of medicine, opened his eyes wide and looked stupidly confused!
When Gu Chenglin was a child, Gu Changqing fed him medicine in the same way, and he had the same little expression. However, he inwardly thought that Gu Chenglin wasn’t as cute as Gu Yan.
Gu Yan had a high fever, his cheeks were red, and a short lock of hair was sticking out on top of his head.
Gu Changqing couldn’t help thinking of the silly-looking roe deer he saw when he went hunting last time.
He feared he wouldn’t be able to treat those roe deers as prey in the future.
Gu Yan was slightly muddle headed due to the fever. Seeing Gu Changqing didn’t react for a while, he thought he was dreaming, and while he was in a daze, Gu Changqing continued to feed him the medicine.
Gu Changqing rewarded him with another piece of candied fruit.
He didn’t eat it, but held it in his hand.
Gu Changqing was puzzled, “Why aren’t you eating?”
Gu Yan said with grievance, “If the candied fruit is still here once I wake up again, I will know that I was not dreaming.”
He coughed so badly that his throat was hoarse. When this sentence came out of his mouth, Gu Changqing could hear his grievance even without looking at his eyes.
Was it because he didn’t come to see him these days?
Gu Changqing remained silent for a long time.
You simply don’t know anything.
If one day you knew that I am the eldest brother who snubbed you, hated you and let you be bullied by others when you were a child, you would never say those words again.
And you won’t want to see me either.
Nor wait for me to come again.
Gu Changqing looked at Gu Yan once more. Gu Yan had already fallen asleep, his head sideways on the pillow.
He pulled over the quilt to cover him and planned to leave, but as soon as he moved, he found Gu Yan’s hand tugging at his sleeve tightly.
Gu Changqing stared at the hand for a long time, sighed helplessly, and sat back on the chair.
Gu Yan had a severe fever all night. He was suffering from heart disease and could not take medicine to reduce fever randomly.
Gu Jiao put an ice bag on his forehead and took two quilts outside to freeze. When the quilts had turned into ice blankets, she took them inside and wrapped Gu Yan in them.
Gu Yan refused to obediently wrap himself in the ice blanket, and Gu Changqing had to take both the man and the quilt into his arms.
This temperature was just right for the burning Gu Yan, but for a normal person, it was tantamount to holding a big ice block. Gu Changqing’s lips turned pale with cold.
By daybreak, Gu Yan’s fever had finally subsided without recurrence.
Gu Changqing dragged his body, which had been numb and stiff with cold, back to the estate.
Gu Yan was the most in danger among the three children. Now that he was fine, basically everyone was fine as well.
Yao shi had been here once, and when she learned about the illness of the three children, she was immediately worried, but she never had chickenpox before, so Gu Jiao didn’t allow her to enter the house.
Today, after putting everything in order, Gu Jiao decided to go to the Marquis Estate to tell Yao shi that everyone was alright now.
The weather was fine today. There was no strong wind and the sun was shining very brightly. The sunlight that fell on the body made one feel warm.
The guards and servants in the estate more or less knew her identity now and didn’t dare to block her. She walked in through the main gate openly.
Yao shi’s courtyard was really a sign of partiality against her. After entering the second gate, she had to pass through the waterside pavilion garden and travel half the estate.
When Gu Jiao reached the waterside pavilion garden, she heard a melodious guqin sound inside, which sounded the same as the song that harassed her for half an afternoon in the medical hall that day.
It was just that it sounded more fluid and the sound quality of the guqin was much better.
“Elder sister Jinyu, you play the guqin really well.”
Within the pavilion with hanging rolling screens, a girl in pink clothes looked at Gu Jinyu and praised her sincerely.
Gu Jinyu touched the strings and looked gently at the girl, saying, “Once you learn it, you will be able to play it well too.”
The girl sighed and replied, “But how can I learn it?”
Gu Jinyu smiled warmly, “Once you are admitted to the women’s academy, you will be able to learn it. The teachers of the women’s academy are the best teachers in the whole State of Zhao, much better than the teacher you hired at home.”
The girl held Gu Jinyu’s arm and said affectionately, “Would biao big sis help me?”
[T/N: Biao – basically cousins of different surnames (from mother side or children of your father’s sister)]
Just now, it was still elder sister Jinyu, now she had changed her tune.
Gu Jinyu patted her hand and said, “Don’t worry, as long as you are willing to learn, I will teach you well.”
Gu Jiao didn’t mean to eavesdrop on their conversation, it was just… it was too quiet here and they spoke without lowering their voices at all.
Gu Jiao knew that girl. Her name was Ling Shuxian. She was the grandniece of Old Madame Ling and was only one month younger than Gu Yan.
Apparently, she would be staying here for a long time. On the one hand, it was to fulfill her filial duty in front of Old Madame Gu, and on the other hand, she wanted to ask Gu Jinyu for advice, hoping that she could help her pass the entrance examination of the women’s academy in the coming years.
Old Madame Gu was so fond of this grandniece that she had the idea of setting her up with Gu Changqing and agreed for her to stay at the estate.
As for whether she could get into the women’s academy or not, it wasn’t within the scope of Old Madame Gu’s worry.
But Gu Jinyu still tutored her earnestly, which was to give Old Madame Gu face. Old Madame Gu felt pleased and loved Gu Jinyu more and more.
“Hey? Who is that?”
Gu Jiao had no intention of making friends with Ling Shuxian, but Ling Shuxian noticed Gu Jiao at a glance.
It couldn’t be helped. Even without relying on her face, the temperament Gu Jiao exuded alone was simply too eye-catching.
Gu Jinyu had the rolling screen raised, looked at Gu Jiao and answered, “That’s my elder sister.”
“Your elder sister?” Ling Shuxian frowned, “You have an elder sister? Why don’t I know?”
Gu Jinyu smiled bitterly and responded, “She’s Yan’er’s twin sister.”