Chapter 499 I'll Go Bring Her Back

When I returned to Taohua Village, the setting sun was dyeing the old locust tree at the entrance of the village golden red.

Smoke rose from the chimneys of each house, mixed with the aroma of dinner and spread throughout the village.

Gu Jiayue held Gu Mingyue's hand and walked into the Gu family yard. Freshly washed clothes were drying in the yard, and potatoes covered in mud were piled in a bamboo basket.

Although the Gu family had farmhands to help with the work, they couldn't sit still, especially the grandparents. Even if they didn't do anything, they would still spend a lot of time in the fields. And the eldest and second aunts also had to look after the animals they raised.

Especially the silkworms that Gu Jiayue had just assigned to them.

Before this, they really didn't know that the extremely expensive silk was actually spit out by this kind of insect.

Jiayue also said that if the silkworms were raised well, the Gu family would never lack money. So the eldest and second aunts were very concerned and waited for the farmhands to work, fearing that they would do something bad.

They had just returned and were sitting in the yard chatting, while Second Auntie was in the kitchen with her eldest daughter, Gu Xique, making dinner.

When Gu Jiayue walked in with a girl, everyone was stunned.

This girl's features were somewhat similar to Jiayue's, but her temperament was softer. She wore a beautiful moon-white skirt and stood there like a crabapple bud about to bloom.

"Grandma, auntie, second auntie, I'm back." Gu Jiayue pulled Gu Mingyue forward. "This is my good sister from Kyoto, Gu Mingyue. Her parents passed away a while ago, and she had no one to rely on at home, so she came to me for help."

Gu Jiayue recounted the story of Gu Mingyue's life that she had fabricated over the past two days.

Grandma quickly put down the sewing basket in her hand, stepped forward quickly and took Gu Mingyue's hand, "Poor child!"

She looked Gu Mingyue up and down, noticing her white and slender wrists. The pity in her eyes grew even stronger. "Come to our place and make your life comfortable. Stay here and treat this place like your own. Call me grandma, you hear? We'll treat you like our own granddaughter."

The eldest aunt came over, her eyes also red. Gu Jiayue's storytelling ability was so strong that the eldest aunt felt that she had personally experienced everything that the Gu family encountered in the story. But this did not affect her loud voice. "That's right! Our family is honest, so don't be restrained. From now on, call me eldest aunt. If anyone dares to bully you, I will pull his ears and argue with him!"

As she spoke, she patted her chest, looking as if no one else could do it better than her.

The Second Aunt was quiet and didn't say much. She just walked over to help Gu Mingyue straighten her wind-twisted hair, her eyes gentle. "Since Jiayue has accepted you as her sister, I am your Second Aunt. Tell me if you need anything. Don't be shy. My Xi Que is about the same age as you. You two sisters can spend more time together."

She looked at Gu Mingyue's thin appearance, and her heart ached inexplicably, as if she thought of how distressed she would be if her own girl had traveled thousands of miles alone to find her only friend.

Li was the same. "Yes, this will be your home from now on. You should follow Jiayue and call us dad and mom."

Although the men in the family didn't say anything, the kind smiles on their faces said it all.

Gu Mingyue stood there, her eyes widening.

She originally thought that she would have to make a lot of efforts to be accepted, or that she would have to read people's expressions to please them, but she didn't expect that after just a few words, these people would show their sincerity.

Grandma's hands were so warm, my eldest aunt's laughter made my ears buzz, and the warmth of my second aunt's fingertips gently fell on my hair...

She seemed to remember their faces and matched their names immediately.

Suddenly my nose felt sore and tears fell on the back of my hand.

"Grandma..." She sniffed, her voice choked with sobs, "Aunt, Second Aunt..."

When it was her turn to call her parents, she cried even louder.

Li thought she was thinking of her biological parents, and she quickly wiped her apron, her eyes red. "Hey, good girl." Father Gu nodded, a rare smile on his usually serious face.

She originally thought it would be difficult to say these names, but when they really came to her lips, they came out smoothly as if she had practiced them thousands of times, with an indescribable sense of closeness.

"Are you hungry?" Her aunt pulled her toward the house, her steps brisk. "I'll make you some sour fish soup! The fish in our river is really fresh. Paired with pickled vegetables, it's enough to go with five bowls of rice!"

"You silly woman!" Grandma patted her from behind, her brows furrowed but she wasn't really angry. "Mingyue is a girl from Kyoto, how could she have eaten anything like this? Li, go get the box of snacks Kangzi sent and give it to the child."

Li responded and turned to go into the room. Second aunt-in-law also hurried back to the kitchen. Soon the crisp sound of dishes colliding could be heard from the kitchen.

Seeing that her proposal was rejected, the aunt-in-law didn't get angry. She pulled Gu Mingyue to sit on the stone bench in the courtyard and asked her in a nagging manner: "What did you often play when you were a child? What high-ranking officials did your parents hold in Kyoto? Are you engaged? Do you have a young man you like?"

Gu Mingyue's cheeks turned hot from the question. She twisted her skirt with her fingers and answered haltingly, but without any impatience.

My aunt's eyes lit up when she heard this. She was amazed and clapped her thigh in laughter, just like she was listening to a lecture.

"My goodness, are people in Kyoto so particular about their lives? They need maids to stand behind them to serve them when they eat? Then do you also need help going to the toilet? Will those maids and old women stare at you while you poop?"

"This...they will stand outside the screen and wait."

My aunt smacked her lips and muttered softly, "With so many people watching, how can I poop?"

"One ounce of bird's nest costs a hundred ounces? Can drinking that stuff make you immortal?"

"Things are valuable because they are rare," Gu Mingyue explained softly, "Just like the hot and sour potato shreds from Chun Man Lou, they're worthless here, but in Kyoto they can be sold for a penny a plate."

"What?" My aunt stood up suddenly, her eyes wide open. "A plate of shredded potatoes costs one penny? Why don't they just rob them?"

Grandma also came over, holding the unfinished sole of a shoe in her hand. "Are people in Kyoto stupid and rich?"

My aunt slapped her thigh, lamenting that she was born in the wrong place. "We have plenty of potatoes here. If we could go to Kyoto and set up a stall selling wolf-tooth potatoes, mixed with watercress, and sell them for a penny a bowl, we'd definitely make a fortune!"

The others laughed out loud.

The meal was ready very quickly and the whole family sat together without being particular about anything. Grandpa and grandma took their bowls and picked up some food with their chopsticks, and then everyone started eating.

"Come, Mingyue, we don't have a maid, but we do have an auntie. She'll pick up some food for you!"

"Sister Mingyue, I'll pick some food for you too!" Gu Bailu, who was standing next to her, also picked up his favorite dish with a chopstick and put it in Gu Mingyue's bowl.

Gu Jiayue was holding the bowl, her eyes red as if she was about to cry.

Gu Jiayue quickly said, "Everyone, just eat your own food. Mingyue will feel embarrassed if you are too enthusiastic."

Being interrupted like this, Gu Mingyue's emotions instantly dissipated, and she nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, I can pick it up myself."

After dinner, my aunt was still very interested in what was happening in Kyoto. Although many things had been mentioned before when Jiayue came, she felt that two years had passed and Kyoto should have come up with something new.

However, Gu Mingyue's story was indeed more exciting than Gu Jiayue's. After all, Gu Jiayue only had memories, while Gu Mingyue had experienced it firsthand.

My aunt was stunned when she heard this.

Finally, grandma couldn't stand it anymore. "Okay, Mingyue has been exhausted from the journey. You, such a tactless fool, please shut up and let Mingyue have a good rest."

Although she wanted to listen, Mingyue's face was already showing signs of fatigue, and she felt distressed.

The aunt-in-law could only shut up, but she felt that she had not had enough fun yet.

With a roll of his eyes, he handed his eldest grandson to his daughter-in-law, patted his clothes, stood up and walked out. "I ate too much for dinner, I'm going out to digest it."

"It's getting dark now. Wouldn't it be unsafe for my aunt to go out?" Gu Mingyue was a little worried.

Grandma smiled and said, "It's okay. Everyone in our village does this. After dinner, we go out for a walk to digest the food. Sitting together and chatting is also a way to pass the time."

She stood up as she spoke, "You talk to your brothers and sisters, I'll go get her back."

The little old lady was very nimble and she chased after him in small steps. Soon she disappeared at the gate of the yard.

Gu Zhigeng and Gu Bailu came over, their eyes sparkling. "Sister, are all the people in Kyoto as pretty as you?"

Gu Mingyue couldn't help but smile and reached out to touch his head. "You are the prettiest one. You are prettier than those young ladies from the noble families in Kyoto."

This is not to coax children.

The Gu family has been living a comfortable life in the past two years. The children have enough to eat and are well-nourished. They are all plump and have healthy pink skin, which makes them look festive.

Gu Zhigeng felt even more embarrassed by the praise. He scratched his head and hid to the side, but secretly glanced at Gu Mingyue with curiosity in his eyes.

He felt that this new sister was different from his second sister.

Although the second sister is kind, she always carries an air of authority that makes people afraid to speak casually, for fear of being asked about their homework.

But this sister is like the well water in the yard, warm and gentle, making people want to get close to her.

Gu Bailu tugged on Gu Mingyue's sleeve, telling her about the latest happenings at school. Gu Zhigeng came over to listen, occasionally chiming in. Gu Xique wasn't talkative, but he'd chime in occasionally. The conversation went from hair ties to clothes to needlework patterns, the subject shifting from one to the next, laughter echoing through the courtyard.

Until Li came out. "It's late, time to rest." The few of them stopped talking reluctantly and walked towards the wing room, looking back every few steps.