Dongyue’s weather is so cold that breath turns to ice. Gu Jinli had been busy all day at the pharmaceutical workshop and only called Xiao Ji and Tong Xiaoxue to head ho in the evening: "Xiao Ji, Xiaoxue, let’s go."
Tong Xiaoxue is Tong Dayu’s younger sister, fourteen years old this year. Despite her na Xiaoxue, aning little snow, she is sturdier than boys, having learned martial arts from Father Tong, the Protector, who is as capable as her two brothers.
Zhu Chahua has already gotten engaged to Brother Tong Dayu. Recently, after Zhan Er’s incident, Gu Jinli arranged for Tong Xiaoxue to stay with Gu Jinxiu and learn from Sister Li how to protect Gu Jinxiu.
"Here I co." Tong Xiaoxue dashed over first, running so swiftly it was as if she were the wind: "Young Master, can I co to help make Convenient dicine tomorrow?"
Gu Jinli looked at her: "Why, you don’t want to accompany my elder sister?"
Tong Xiaoxue quickly shook her head: "No, it’s not that. I know it’s my duty to be with Sister Xiu, but the workshop is really busy lately, trying to et orders, and I just want to help out."
Then, coming closer, she added a truth: "Making dicine is more fun than following Sister Xiu, but I will still protect Sister Xiu well!"
Young Master has said that it’s okay to express dislike for sothing, but one should never lie.
Gu Jinli chuckled: "The workshop is indeed busy lately. How about you co and help out half a day each day until the New Year?"
Zhan Er has already left, and he will have to be bedridden for several months. In these few months, no one will likely co to trouble Gu Jinxiu.
"Thank you, Young Master." Tong Xiaoxue was delighted, holding Xiao Ji’s hand as they followed Gu Jinli out of the workshop, spotted by Tong Dayu who chided her: "Xiaoxue, walk properly. You’re on duty, how can you be so casual?"
Hearing this, Tong Xiaoxue quickly let go of Xiao Ji’s hand and walked properly.
Gu Jinli just smiled upon seeing this and didn’t say anything. She thought that Tong Xiaoxue’s behavior was quite nice, complenting her elder sister and Sister Li.
Her elder sister was a bit dull and Sister Li was all about rules. Having the cheerful Tong Xiaoxue around made the trio lively, otherwise, she couldn’t imagine how dreary life would be?
Soon, the three of them reached ho and as they entered the courtyard where the sisters lived, Gu Jinli called out: "Elder sister, I’m back, what are you doing?"
Gu Jinli went to Gu Jinxiu’s room and saw her closing a trunk, her cheeks flushed: "Nothing much, just tidying up so old things."
Gu Jinli laughed: "It must be the gifts Brother Luo Wu sent you."
Gu Jinxiu laughed as she nodded, her smile so bright it dazzled Gu Jinli, who waved her hand and told Xiao Ji and Xiaoxue: "You two go help with the cooking, I want to chat with my elder sister."
Gu Jinxiu’s face turned even redder, suddenly not wanting to chat with Xiao Yu, probably because she was going to tease her.
As expected, Xiao Yu teased her for a good while before letting her go.
After teasing Gu Jinxiu, Gu Jinli asked: "Hasn’t Brother Luo Wu returned yet? What sort of case has had him busy at the governnt office for three days?"
Gu Jinxiu answered: "It’s a property dispute case, he had to travel out of town to find soone, should be back soon, I guess."
Gu Jinli: "He’d better co back soon, otherwise, don’t bla for investigating him."
Who knows if he went out of town to investigate the case or to do sothing mischievous?
Gu Jinxiu said: "Xiao Yu, you shouldn’t say that, he is Brother Luo Wu."
Gu Jinli glanced at her elder sister: "Tsk, tsk, elder sister, you haven’t even married him yet and you’re already so biased towards Brother Luo Wu. Will there be any place for us in your heart after you’re married?"
"That’s right, tsk, tsk, Second Sister is right." Brother Cheng ran in, grinned at Gu Jinli, as Second Sister always liked to tsk, tsk, so he called her Tsk Tsk Second Sister.
Gu Jinli was furious: "You brat, daring to nickna , be careful or tomorrow I’ll call you Old Si."
Brother Cheng loved to say "yeah."
Brother Cheng imdiately tattled: "Big sister, Second Sister is bullying ."
Gu Jinxiu pushed him away: "It’s no use going to Big Sister, Big Sister listens to Second Sister, I’ve said it before."
"Hmph." Brother Cheng huffed: "Since Big Sister won’t help , then I won’t tell you the news about Brother Luo Wu returning."
"Brother Luo Wu is back?" Gu Jinxiu was pleasantly surprised, her whole deanor suddenly radiant: "When did Brother Luo Wu return?"
"He just got back. I was in the front yard and heard the sound of hooves. I ran out just in ti to see Brother Luo Wu dismounting and entering the house," answered Brother Cheng.
Gu Jinxiu imdiately got up and went to the kitchen to make a big bowl of beef noodles for Luo Wu, also taking a bowl of braised beef, a jar of mutton soup, a few homade buns, and a bowl of tofu stewed pork, saying to Mrs. Cui: "Mom, Brother Luo Wu is back, I’m going to bring him so food."
Mrs. Cui smiled: "Go ahead."
Sister-in-law Luo and her husband had already co over to talk to them; they planned on having an official matchmaker co to their house on the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month to propose a marriage, and Sister Xiu’s marriage to Brother Wu was settled, so Sister Xiu visiting the Luo Family more often was fine.
Gu Jinli was jealous: "Big Sister, you’re being too good to Brother Luo Wu."
Brother Cheng, always quick to echo others: "Yeah, Big Sister keeps so much beef and won’t let us eat it, turns out it was prepared for Brother Luo Wu."
Beef, such an expensive item, but because Brother Luo Wu likes it, Big Sister has Cousin Le bring a piece back everyday to keep in reserve.
Gu Jinxiu, her face flushed from being pointed out, walked out of the kitchen and spoke in a low voice: "Xiao Yu, these past few months I’ve been thinking, is it because I don’t talk much and am too cold that Brother Luo Wu misunderstood and thought I wanted to marry into a wealthy family? I want to make a change, to talk more with Brother Luo Wu... Now we don’t need to be too cautious in our interactions."
Mom said that her marriage to Brother Luo Wu was verbally agreed upon, and they would officially get engaged on the tenth day of next month.
After hearing his eldest sister’s words, Gu Jinli sighed: "That’s well said, hurry up and deliver the food, then co ho to eat."
Gu Jinxiu smiled, called Sister Li, and went to the Luo Family.
Yet as she joyfully went, she encountered Brother Luo Wu’s sowhat cold deanor and she felt at a loss. She asked him: "Brother Luo Wu, did the case not go well? It’s okay, Brother Wu is so capable, you will surely handle the case."
Luo Huiniang chid in from the side: "That’s right, that’s right, big brother is very capable."
In the last three years, big brother has handled many cases, even at the Prefecture Governnt Office, and the Lord Magistrate has praised him.
"Hui Niang, you go out first." Luo Wu, with a stern face, shooed Luo Huiniang away.
Luo Huiniang was quite surprised, but her big brother’s stern face was too frightening, so she hurriedly took the food box from Gu Jinxiu’s hand and scurried away.
Seeing this, Gu Jinxiu beca even more worried and took a few steps forward to comfort Luo Wu, only to find him retreating further.
Gu Jinxiu felt a pang in her heart, a bad premonition spreading, but still asked with a smile: "Brother Wu, what’s the matter?"
Luo Wu remained silent, but thinking that a short pain is better than a long one, he finally suppressed the severe pain in his heart and said to Gu Jinxiu: "Sister Xiu... let’s call off our engagent."
Tears suddenly surged from Gu Jinxiu’s eyes, her lips trembling with grievance as she suppressed crying and asked, "Why call it off? Wasn’t it already agreed? Why change it?"
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