Chapter 68, Chapter 68, Crane Immortal

"Flowing Gold and Adorned Jade" was the place where Gu Fang, the third master of the Duke of Jingguo's mansion, was located. Shan Lai got his paper, pen, and paints there. In earlier years, that place was called Jingzhai.

The Third Master moved to Jingzhai when he was about ten years old. At that time, Jingzhai was not yet Jingzhai, but Cuiweiting, a place dedicated to growing flowers and plants.

Cuiwei Courtyard is a place where plants and trees flourish in all four seasons, filling the air with fragrance. With gentle breezes, bright moonlight, birdsong, and insect chirps, it is an excellent spot for sightseeing.

But it's not very suitable for living.

It's too remote, far from the main house, overgrown with vegetation, damp, and full of mosquitoes.

There was no other way but to repair the land, rebuild the house, and do everything according to his wishes.

Who told him he was named Gu Fang? His two older brothers were named Xun and Zheng, but he was named Fang.

He was a tyrant from a young age. Everything belonged to him: nice clothes, favorite foods, exotic gadgets... No one could take anything from him, and if he didn't want to throw it away, no one else could pick it up.

That's just her personality.

But surprisingly, he didn't grow up to be a spoiled brat.

His father, the old Duke, disliked reading all his life and was not eager for fame or fortune. He simply lived off his ancestral property, watched plays and listened to music, tended flowers and plants, and studied poetry, calligraphy, and painting. After decades of study, he became quite famous. The name "Yun Ge Jushi" was known to all those who loved painting in the world.

With such a family background and such a father, not to mention that Master Gu himself was very talented and hardworking, it was not difficult for him to surpass his father. By the time he was sixteen or seventeen, people had already begun to call him Master Jingzhai.

At the age of nineteen, he got married, and Jingzhai was renamed Liujinzhuiyu, where a loving couple moved in.

Back then, he wasn't too keen on having idle people visit him, and after his wife passed away, he wouldn't allow anyone to come near him.

Now he is nearing forty, but his temperament has not changed. He is still a tyrant like he was when he was a child, lawless and unruly. He shows no mercy to the younger generation. If you offend him, he will immediately turn on you without showing any consideration.

However, he had been away from home for a long time, so Gu Chunling lost his vigilance.

They've really gotten carried away, actually daring to touch something belonging to the Overlord, especially something from the Gold and Jade Pavilion.

If it's done discreetly so that others don't know, that's fine. Even if others do know, they might not spread it, since it's better to avoid trouble.

But Gu Songnian found out about it.

Gu Chunling started to have a headache.

It cannot be recognized.

"Who told you that? That's not true."

Gu Songnian laughed upon hearing this: "But someone saw it with their own eyes."

Gu Chunling's face turned cold: "Who's spreading rumors?"

"I don't know. I only found out from someone else. By the time it got to her, the news had already passed through several channels. If Second Sister wants to know, she can just check at home. She'll definitely be able to find out."

What are they investigating? If they really investigate, won't it be a public spectacle that she touched the tiger's butt? Gu Chunling was so angry that she could hardly breathe. She turned her head to look elsewhere, her displeasure written all over her face.

That little bitch, she's keeping a really close eye on her.

Gu Songnian smiled, pleased with his victory. His eyes darted around, and when he saw Shan Lai standing beside him, he became interested again and asked, "Second sister won't tell me, so you tell me. What did Second Sister ask you to do at Liujin Zhuiyu? You have to explain clearly. If you explain clearly, maybe nothing will happen. But if you don't, he might cause trouble when he comes back. You don't know, in my family, when Third Uncle gets angry, no one's face matters."

Shanlai had already realized that the two sisters probably had some past disagreements. The younger sister had come to ask her older sister for help, and she was merely a facilitator, acting as a go-between. In this situation, she wasn't without resentment, but what could she do? She was just a servant.

Shan forced a smile, first bowing to Gu Songnian and saying, "This servant is a maid from the residence of Minister Liu of the Ministry of Works. I came to the residence today because the Second Miss asked me to come and draw some flower patterns."

Hearing this, Gu Songnian smiled and looked at Gu Chunling: "It's such a small matter, just give her a pen and that's it, why did you have to go there? Second sister is such a grown-up, yet you are so careless in doing things."

Gu Chunling sat up straight, his face expressionless, and said, "It's understandable that my third sister doesn't know painting because she hasn't learned from her grandfather. There are specific requirements for painting tools; it's not enough to just use any brush and a few colors."

That's a completely different matter.

In the Jingguo Duke's mansion, among Gu Chunling's generation, apart from Gu Songnian and her half-sister Gu Xuanyun, everyone else had studied painting under their grandfather, the old Duke. Gu Xuanyun was only six years old this year. When she was born, the old Duke had already passed away for many years. Although even if the old Duke were still alive, he might not have been willing to teach his second son's granddaughter, but ultimately, he was gone, so there was no way to explain it. Therefore, Gu Chunling was the only one among her siblings who had truly been disliked by their grandfather. The reason why the old Duke disliked this granddaughter was that he disliked her birth mother even more.

That's another matter altogether.

Gu Songnian was born out of wedlock. His birth mother was Luo Yiniang, a concubine in Gu's main wife's household. Luo Yiniang's mother, Madam Qian, was an old friend of the Duke's Grand Madam Rong.

Calling them friends isn't quite right, but they're perfect match. Born on the same day of the same year, and equally beautiful, when talking about one, you can't help but mention the other. The two of them competed for lanterns and titles, and later even got married on the same day.

Madam Rong obeyed her family's arrangement and married into the Duke's mansion, but only in name, since the old Duke was still young and a good-for-nothing at the time. Madam Qian, on the other hand, married the brilliant and talented new top scholar. They were a perfect match, and their love was a beautiful story of a harmonious couple.

It seems that Madam Rong has lost, but who can predict the future?

Two people who seemed to be enemies but were not friends met again after many years. One was a dignified duchess, and the other was a poor woman with graying temples.

Qian's husband was convicted of accepting bribes, sentenced to confiscation of property and exile thousands of miles away. After handling her mother-in-law's funeral, Qian took her two children and went to find her husband. The day she left the capital was a beautiful spring day, with birds singing, flowers blooming, and willows swaying. However, only her rival, Old Madam Rong, came to see her off. She did not come to admire the defeat of the victim, but to express her genuine heartache. She gave her money and luggage, and cried, saying, "I did those things because I was too jealous of you." Qian said that she was the same. She also felt that her rival was better than her, and she was unwilling to accept it, so she did those things. If she had known that things would turn out this way, she would not have bothered with such trivial matters. The two people, who had never been friends but understood each other better than anyone else, embraced and wept in the sunset.

The border town was bitterly cold. Qian's husband died before he was forty. Enduring her grief, Qian and her children escorted her husband's coffin back to their hometown, and then traveled back to the capital to seek refuge with her maternal relatives. However, times had changed, and things were no longer the same. Her maternal home was no longer a good place for her, so she was forced to wander the streets, with almost nowhere to stay.

When Madam Rong found out, she resolutely disregarded her husband's objections and took Qian into her home. She first settled the mother and daughter, and then found an academy for the son to study at, hoping that he could make something of himself and earn some dignity for his mother.

Qian's son lived up to expectations and was a promising student, studying diligently and assiduously. However, his daughter was quite disappointing.

When Luo moved to the Duke of Jingguo's mansion with her mother, Gu Zheng was already married, his eldest son was two years old, and his second son was still in his womb. The couple were very loving. However, one morning he was seen sleeping with Lin under the covers.

Moreover, Luo was already engaged at that time, and it was Old Madam Rong who arranged the match.

Upon hearing this, Qian was struck dumb. Feeling ashamed to face her sworn sisters, she couldn't think straight and left a letter. That night, when no one was around, she hanged herself with a white silk ribbon.

Madam Rong was heartbroken and cursed her son as a shameless beast. The old Duke took a stick and beat Gu Zheng half to death. If it weren't for his daughter-in-law Zhou kneeling on the ground with her pregnant belly to beg for mercy for her husband, the unfilial son might have really been beaten to death.

After such a scandal, how could Madam Luo possibly stay in the Duke of Jingguo's mansion? She didn't even dare to say goodbye and quietly packed her things to leave.

However, Gu Zheng stopped them and dragged them all the way to Madam Rong.

Gu Zheng said that everything was forced on him, and this wasn't the first time he had been discovered. He truly loved Ms. Luo, so he wanted a divorce and to marry the person he truly loved.

Hearing that he dared to say anything, Luo was so angry that she fainted at the feet of Old Madam Rong.

After the imperial physician examined her, he said she was two months pregnant.

Luo was determined to die. After waking up, she refused to eat or drink. Eventually, she became so weak that she started talking nonsense. It was clear that she was about to join her recently deceased mother in death.

Gu Zheng also refused to eat or drink, forcing his parents to agree to his divorce and remarry.

This time, Madam Rong personally beat him up.

But as long as he isn't killed, the matter isn't considered resolved.

How could you kill him? He was a piece of flesh that had fallen from his body.

Madam Rong wiped away her tears as she went to Madam Luo's bedside.

After recovering from her illness, Lady Luo left the Duke of Jingguo's mansion. After removing her mourning clothes, she was carried in a small sedan chair to the side gate of the mansion, from where she entered the Duke of Jingguo's mansion.

As for the child from three years ago, of course there was no child. Given Luo's condition at the time, she didn't even need to take any abortion medicine; the child simply disappeared without a sound.

Miss Luo became Concubine Luo, and in the second year after entering the household, she gave birth to the third young lady of the Duke's mansion. Second Master Gu loved this daughter like his own heart and soul, and treated her with utmost care and affection. In matters concerning his daughter, he gradually became like his younger brother, a complete tyrant, and would turn his back on his parents whenever he wanted.

To be honest, Miss Gu lived a very carefree and enjoyable life.

Aunt Luo, she stayed at home, hiding in her own little world, never daring to step out of line.

Even so, there are still people who are unwilling to let her go.

That is Gu Chunling.

Gu Zheng's wife was Gu Chunling's maternal aunt, not some distant cousin, but a cousin whose maternal grandmother and the maternal grandmother of his third and fourth brothers were sisters from the same mother.

Gu Chunling's mother, the Duchess, after marrying into the Jingguo Duke's family, felt that the family had a strict and upright tradition, and that her second uncle was a promising and talented woman. She wholeheartedly encouraged her cousin to marry into the family as well, as she was very close to this cousin. Unexpectedly, her wish came true, and the sisters became sisters-in-law, which seemed like the most harmonious thing ever. Who would have thought that something like that would happen later!

My cousin has gone to chant Buddhist scriptures and is locked in the Buddhist hall, not caring about worldly affairs at all. She's just one head of hair away from the other nuns outside. She doesn't dare go back to her parents' home, afraid of seeing her aunt and losing face!

I hate it! It's all that vixen's fault! Without her, none of this trouble would have happened!

But there's nothing she can do. If something really happens, it'll be her fault, and she'll be the one who suffers, since she's the matriarch.

Gu Chunling was different; she was just a child.

Her dislikes were plain to see; she disliked both Luo and Gu Songnian.

She disliked Luo because Luo alone harmed her mother and her best aunt. She disliked Gu Songnian because Gu Songnian, a lowly person, dared not behave himself.

Gu Chunling suffered a lot at the hands of Gu Songnian. Of course, it was Gu Chunling who started it all. If Gu Songnian had tolerated it, Gu Chunling might have let it go after a few times. But Gu Songnian didn't tolerate it, not even once. Later, Gu Songnian also started to provoke trouble.

The two women, who appear to be best friends—the second sister and the third sister—are actually bitter enemies, neither wanting the other to have a good time.

Only sisters know where it hurts the most when they're hit!

Gu Chunling's statement that the old Duke had never taught Gu Songnian to paint was a slap in the face to Gu Songnian.

Gu Songnian was furious and sneered: "Second sister, what you said sounds very convincing, but have you really studied painting? If you have, why don't you have any painting tools in the room? Do you have to go to Third Uncle's place to find them? I heard that Grandfather thinks Second sister is stupid and doesn't want to teach her. Well, with He Xian around, how can Grandfather have time to care about others? Of course, he can just dismiss them with a few words! Second sister, we are sisters, tell me the truth. He Xian is missing, are you very happy? So happy that you are talking nonsense. Madam was so scared that she locked you up and didn't let you leave your room for three months."

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

Gu Chunling roared until his face turned red and his nose bulged.

Gu Songnian, on the other hand, remained calm and composed.

The outcome is already clear.

"What nonsense! I'm telling the truth. You told the maid, 'I hate He Xian, I wish she were really dead out there.' The maid was so scared that she quickly covered your mouth, but people still heard it and it spread everywhere. The First Madam was very busy back then. How could she not be busy? If she wasn't busy, you might not even exist, Second Sister. Third Uncle was so crazy back then that he even dared to strangle Grandmother. If he knew that Second Sister had said those words, he would have eaten you alive!"

Is this really something I can hear? Will I even make it out of here alive?

Shanlai stood with his head down, his heart pounding like a drum.

What bad luck!

But worse was yet to come.

Having won a resounding victory, Gu Songnian was too lazy to stay any longer. He stood up triumphantly and was about to leave.

Gu Chunling hadn't reacted yet, but after Gu Songnian took two or three steps, she suddenly sprang up, rushed over, grabbed Gu Songnian's hair, and pulled hard.

"I don't know if my third uncle will eat me alive, but I'll definitely eat you alive today! You slut! You born of a whore! You bastard!"

Even when a noblewoman curses, she curses as a whore or a slut, and when she screams, it sounds like a pig being slaughtered.

"You're not only despicable, you're also stupid! You're no match for Crane Fairy! She's a cloud in the sky, and you're just mud on the ground! Bah! You're not even as good as mud on the ground! You're shit that even dogs wouldn't eat! Let go! Let go of me!"

The two started fighting, pulling and tugging at each other.

The girls nearby swarmed over to pull them apart, but they couldn't.

Shan Lai stood there stunned. Because he was in the way, someone shoved him aside, and he fell to the ground as well.

I'm afraid I won't make it to the end.

That's what she thought.

We need to leave quickly.

He got up and ran.

She ran outside, and the people outside rushed inside like madmen.

I don't know where I ran off to, but whenever I saw someone, no matter who they were, I would say, "Sister, I'm a guest invited by the Second Miss. Someone was supposed to escort me out, but I got separated from her. Please take me out, sister."

They went out, but kept running, afraid to stop, lest the Duke of Jingguo's mansion come out and arrest them.

On the way, she asked someone, "Auntie, which way to Xingsheng Street?" Before she could finish speaking, a voice beside her said, "It really is you! What are you doing here?"

The sound was strangely familiar, so I quickly looked over.

It turned out to be an acquaintance.

"Young Master Li!"

They've found their savior.

Her gaze was too intense, and Young Master Li felt a little uncomfortable. He turned his head away, his voice soft and light: "...What's wrong? I was talking to the young master over there, and I saw you..." He then remembered and pulled the arm of the person beside him, leading him towards her. "This is the young master! I'm so glad to see you!" he said with a grin. "The young master has returned after completing his studies. Feng shui and fortune-telling are beyond his skill, and even supernatural arts like Qimen Dunjia are a piece of cake for him!"

So this is the young master. Shanlai bent down to bow, "Young..."

Suddenly, I froze.

This young master looks so familiar, it's like I've seen him somewhere before...