Qi Er cried even louder, shaking his head as he sobbed.
His father had made it very clear to him today, saying that he was already grown up now and could no longer call Aunt Gu "Mother" like he did when he was little, and even more so he could no longer fling himself into Aunt Gu’s arms at every turn like when he was small.
His father had also said that the birth mother who bore him was no longer alive.
Gu Yunjiao held Qi Er in her arms, and he cried for a long ti.
At first You Er stood by, watching the heartbroken Qi Er and not knowing what to do; later he quietly walked away.
When Qi Er’s crying had died down, Gu Yunjiao took a handkerchief and wiped his tears dry.
Qi Er lowered his head, and after a long while finally said, "Aunt Gu, thank you."
Gu Yunjiao’s hand stopped in midair, and a strong sense of loss surged up in her.
She had been raising him since he was two until he was this big; hearing this distant-sounding "Aunt Gu" today, she felt an indescribable pain.
Gu Yunjiao forced herself to pull out a smile. "Go wash your face, it’ll be ti to eat soon."
Qi Er walked off with his head down. After a few steps he suddenly turned back to look at Gu Yunjiao, and Gu Yunjiao happened to be looking at him too.
Gu Yunjiao thought he would once again fling himself into her arms, but Qi Er, with tears in his eyes, gave her one look and then ran out.
Sotis, a person grows up overnight.
After washing his face clean, Qi Er sat there properly and ate his al, no longer chattering on as before about things in the army camp.
You Er also did not speak.
The family finished the al in silence. Seeing that Qi Er was about to leave with his head down, Gu Yunjiao felt a pain she could not put into words. On purpose she used a cheerful tone and said, "Qi Er, You Er, and Ruru, don’t go yet. I’ll teach you a ga."
She tugged Jiang Youzhi. "Didn’t soone give you a deck of poker cards last ti? Where did you put it?"
Jiang Youzhi told Du Ruo to go get it; these things were all kept by him.
Du Ruo quickly brought the poker cards over.
Ever since this thing beca popular in Da Jin, in just a few years rchants had quickly brought this trend to Great Chu as well.
After Jiang Youzhi discovered that there were signs of officials using poker cards to gamble, he took so asures to stop it, and at the sa ti issued an order banning gambling throughout the country.
In any era, gambling can never be entirely wiped out, but after strict crackdowns, so gambling houses had to go underground, and those who took part in gambling were heavily punished and beca much more restrained.
The general social atmosphere of Great Chu was thereby cleared up.
This deck of poker cards that soone had given to Jiang Youzhi was made with gold foil, with patterns carved out using an extrely fine engraving knife, and the designs were painted with special pignts.
When the poker cards were brought over, Gu Yunjiao first took them in her hands and turned them over and over, marveling at their exquisite craftsmanship.
Then she began teaching the children to recognize the cards.
Jiang Youzhi was standing to the side, glancing over from ti to ti.
After they had finished recognizing the cards, Gu Yunjiao taught the children to play "Fight Fourteen"; this could train the children’s ability to calculate.
The children grasped the rules in just a short while and started playing with great enthusiasm.
Gu Yunjiao only watched from the side. She noticed that You Er’s ability with numbers was very strong, his mind quick, and before long he had begun to judge what cards were in Qi Er’s and Ruru’s hands, then snatch away the cards they might want.
Gu Yunjiao had originally wanted to cheer up Qi Er, but unexpectedly You Er kept winning. After losing several rounds in a row, the corners of Qi Er’s mouth drooped lower and lower.
She nudged You Er from the side. You Er froze for a mont, then quickly understood what Gu Yunjiao ant. From then on he quietly let Qi Er win. After all, Qi Er was still a child; once he won a round, he soon brightened up.
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