Chapter 164 Father and Son (First Update)

Marquis Xuanping, clutching the fox fur hand warmer in his hands, calmly boarded the carriage.

Judging from his calm and elegant demeanor alone, it is difficult to associate him with the strategist who could strategize and win battles from afar.

"Return to the manor," he ordered.

The carriage began to move.

The horses of the Marquis of Xuanping's mansion are all Akhal-Teke horses that can travel a thousand miles a day; their mere presence is enough to scare away any horses on the roadside.

A cold wind howled, and the canopy fluttered.

Marquis Xuanping sat in the carriage with his eyes closed, seemingly resting.

However, sensing something, he frowned slightly, opened his eyes, and said, "Stop the car."

The carriage stopped.

Marquis Xuanping lifted the curtain and glanced back, but saw nothing but an inconspicuous carriage.

"My lord? What's wrong?" a guard asked.

He lowered the curtain suspiciously: "It's nothing, let's go back to the manor."

"yes!"

The carriage gradually drove away, and this time, it finally did not stop.

After an unknown amount of time, behind the carriage that Marquis Xuanping had seen, Xiao Liulang finally released his grip on Xiao Jingkong.

Xiao Jingkong immediately jumped three feet away, glaring angrily at her wicked brother-in-law: "Why are you holding me like this? Why won't you let me get on the carriage? And why are you covering my mouth? Are you trying to do something to me?"

Xiao Liulang withdrew his gaze from the distance and looked at the flustered Xiao Jingkong: "Where did you learn those words? Don't use them carelessly."

Xiao Jingkong, hands on hips and stamping her foot, said: "You were clearly in the wrong first, why are you bothering me about where I learned my words?"

snort!

I'm going back to tell Jiaojiao!

Xiao Liulang glanced one last time in the direction the other's carriage had left before taking Xiao Jingkong into the carriage they had hired from the market.

On the way back, Xiao Liulang remained silent.

Although Xiao Liulang was a man of few words, Xiao Jingkong still had a vague feeling that his bad brother-in-law was not quite right.

This is how my bad brother-in-law first met my great-uncle.

This time it seems to be more serious than the last time.

Is he hiding from some acquaintance again?

Xiao Jingkong crossed his arms and fell into deep thought!

About 15 minutes later, the carriage arrived at Bishui Hutong, and Xiao Jingkong ran down: "Jiaojiao! I'm back!"

They're just kids; they can forget what's on their minds in the blink of an eye.

Feng Lin and Lin Chengye also came today, mainly because Lin Chengye wanted to come.

"The imperial examination is coming soon. The steward told me to bribe the master's wife." Lin Chengye said slowly to Gu Jiao, carrying several large boxes of local specialties.

Xiao Liulang was his teacher, and Gu Jiao was his teacher's wife.

His junior wife was even younger than him.

To avoid sounding like he was stuttering, Lin Chengye spoke very slowly.

She was different from normal people, but Gu Jiao didn't show any surprise. She calmly accepted his things and said, "Thank you, please come in and sit down."

Lin Chengye thought his junior sister-in-law was a good person.

It's really good.

Gu Jiao brought over some pastries she had made. Lin Chengye took a bite, his eyes widening in surprise: "Good, good, good, delicious!"

I got so excited that I started to stutter.

His face flushed instantly, and he was so embarrassed that he wanted to disappear.

Gu Jiao's expression remained unchanged as she pushed the plate forward, saying, "There's still some at home. I'll pack two boxes for you to take with you later."

Lin Chengye secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Actually, the fact that he has a stutter is gradually becoming a fact that cannot be hidden. Not everyone will have ill intentions towards him; many of them will sympathize with him.

But he doesn't need sympathy.

He hopes to be treated like a normal person.

Gu Jiao's attitude made Lin Chengye feel more comfortable than ever before.

Xiao Liulang was actually the same, but Xiao Liulang's strict teacher filter was too thick, which made Lin Chengye very afraid of him, and he was not as comfortable in front of Gu Jiao.

"Aren't you going home for Chinese New Year this year?" Gu Jiao asked him.

Lin Chengye nodded: "Soon, it's going to be the spring imperial examination. My father wants me to study in the capital."

The Lin family was very generous; they bought him a house in a good school district near the Imperial College for the New Year, which wasn't too far from Bishui Hutong.

Feng Lin also stayed at the Imperial College.

The two usually shared a dormitory room. With the holiday approaching, Lin Chengye didn't want to leave Feng Lin alone in the cold and deserted Imperial Academy, so he invited Feng Lin to stay at his place.

"I'm going to... that's not a good idea... I need to tell Liu Lang." Mainly, Feng Lin felt that Xiao Liu Lang would let him stay here, so as not to bother Lin Chengye.

Of course, he himself preferred to stay here, since Jiaoniang's cooking was better!

Lin Chengye said, "I've spoken with Liu Lang, and he agrees to let you go."

Feng Lin, suddenly abandoned by his brothers: "..."

Last year's Lunar New Year's Eve was a bit rushed. Firstly, Gu Jiao had only been here a short time and was still in a daze, not fully adapted to her new identity... Well, actually, it was just because we were poor.

Secondly, they were also poor.

I'm not so poor this year.

Although opening a clinic required a considerable investment, Xiao Liulang actively pursued side businesses. Besides tutoring Lin Chengye, he occasionally wrote articles and poems for others, and surprisingly, he earned one hundred taels of silver.

He occasionally wrote articles and poems for others, and surprisingly, he earned a hundred taels of silver.

He took out thirty taels to pay Xiao Jingkong's rent for the month, and gave the remaining seventy taels to Gu Jiao for household expenses.

After receiving the rent, Xiao Jingkong stayed in the study and didn't leave.

Xiao Liulang looked at him calmly: "What's wrong? Is the amount of silver incorrect?"

The small purification space is contradictory.

On the one hand, he didn't want his bad brother-in-law to lie to him, after all, it was the first time he had sent an urgent letter, and he was quite looking forward to it.

On the other hand, he also hoped that his bad brother-in-law had lied to him, so that his bad brother-in-law could become Xiao Ba, and he could then mold his bad brother-in-law into a puppet.

Xiao Jingkong glanced at his wicked brother-in-law with a complicated expression, said nothing, and silently left.

Xiao Jingkong wasn't very clingy to Xiao Liulang. Unless absolutely necessary, such as when studying a foreign language, he generally wouldn't come to Xiao Liulang's study.

Today, Xiao Jingkong kept coming over to peek, which puzzled Xiao Liulang.

The small purification ritual was even more inexplicable.

Why hasn't my bad brother-in-law turned into Xiao Ba yet?

Xiao Jingkong's heart was tilting more and more, and for the first time he hoped that his bad brother-in-law had lied to him, because he couldn't wait to move his bad brother-in-law, who had become Xiao Ba, around and knead him!

After the last day of classes at the Imperial College, the students were dismissed for the holiday.

The next day, Xiao Liulang didn't have to go to school, so he decided to go to the market with Gu Jiao to buy some more New Year's goods.

The young couple got up earlier than usual to prepare for the New Year.

When Xiao Jingkong opened his eyes, Xiao Liulang was no longer in bed.

He first searched the study, then the front and back courtyards, then Gu Jiao's, Gu Xiaoshun's, and Gu Yan's rooms, and even the old lady's room.

The conclusion was that the bad brother-in-law really had disappeared!

Just then, Hachiko came running over, wagging its tail.

Xiao Jingkong's eyes instantly lit up!

We had already bought most of the groceries for the Lunar New Year, so this time we mainly bought some snacks and things to pass the time.

"Want to buy firecrackers?" Xiao Liulang asked.

"Do we still need to buy firecrackers?" Gu Jiao asked, puzzled. They had bamboo planted in their front yard; she could cut some down and make her own!

However, she hadn't thought about firecrackers before; she still held onto the ideas from her previous life, believing that fireworks and firecrackers were prohibited in the capital, a place considered important.

Gu Jiao said, "Buy some red paper to write couplets and cut paper-cuts for the windows."

Xiao Liulang nodded: "Okay."

The red paper from the capital was prettier than that from the county town, so Gu Jiao bought more.

Xiao Liulang reminded her, "There's no need to put up couplets for Xue Ningxiang's family this year."

Last year's red paper was a gift from Feng Lin. After Gu Jiao had Xiao Liulang write it, she sent a copy to Xue Ningxiang's family, along with some window decorations.

Gu Jiao suddenly missed Xue Ningxiang.

She paused for a moment and said, "But there's my great-uncle, and his family always puts up posters."

Xiao Liulang: Are you addicted to recognizing relatives?

After shopping, the two returned to Bishui Hutong.

As soon as he entered the backyard, Xiao Liulang saw Xiao Jingkong sitting on a small bench with Gu Yan's little dog in front of him.

Xiao Jingkong dressed Xiao Ba in his own tiger-head shoes and vest, and also took a comb and hair tie to tie Xiao Ba's hair.

Of course, he didn't do a very good job of tying it, so Xiao Ba's little bun was actually tied by his great-uncle next door.

He's only in charge of moving Xiao Ba now.

They were so proud of themselves, moving them around like that!

Xiao Jingkong never used to enjoy playing with dogs this much.

However, children have different ideas every day, so it's not too strange that they can be so imaginative.

Xiao Liulang was about to leave when he heard Xiao Jingkong call out to Xiao Ba in a pretentious tone, "Aheng~"

Xiao Liulang's body trembled!

In the end, Xiao Jingkong still saw Xiao Liulang.

But he had already decided that the little eight in his arms was the bad brother-in-law, so could the bad brother-in-law who appeared at the door be the little eight?

Xiao Jingkong hesitated for a moment, then suddenly raised his head and barked at Xiao Liulang: "Woof!"

Xiao Liulang: "..."

Xiao Liulang: "What's wrong with you so early in the morning?"

Xiao Jingkong sighed.

It doesn't know how to bark.

It's not Xiao Ba.

well.

I was quite disappointed.

Xiao Jingkong was forced to accept the fact that his bad brother-in-law was still a person for the time being.

Xiao Liulang looked bewildered.

What's going on?

Is he disappointed in me just because I didn't bark at him first thing in the morning?

He hasn't even scolded him for changing the dog's name randomly yet.

Gu Jiao went to the kitchen to make breakfast.

After the meal, Gu Jiao went to clear the dishes, but Xiao Liulang said, "I'll do it."

The old lady said arrogantly, "No need, you all go about your business, someone will take care of it."

That person was the old chief priest.

After his private savings were stolen and his house was seized, the old priest began a period of being ruthlessly exploited by the old lady.

With many things to do at home, Gu Jiao hasn't been to the clinic these past few days. However, there's a young patient on Zhuque Street who had stitches removed today.

Gu Jiao packed up her small basket and went out.

Xiao Liulang glanced at her: "Going out?"

Gu Jiao nodded and said, "Going out for a house call."

Since her medical skills could no longer be kept secret, Gu Jiao simply decided to stop hiding them.

"Is it far?" Xiao Liulang asked.

"Zhuque Street," Gu Jiao said.

"I'm going there to deliver something, let's go together."

Xiao Liulang wrote several articles for a wealthy young master of the Imperial Academy, promising to deliver them to his residence before New Year's Eve.

Gu Jiao had no objection.

Zhuque Avenue was quite far, so the two hired a horse-drawn carriage.

Xiao Liulang first took Gu Jiao to the clinic, then went to deliver some documents, and then came back to pick Gu Jiao up and take her home.

Gu Jiao's little patient is six years old this year. She is a lively and active girl. It is said that this personality is what caused her to fall down the steps and cut her legs and feet.

Her older sister was a student at a girls' school. She heard that Miaoshoutang had good medical skills, so she went to Miaoshoutang, even though it was far away.

"The wound is healing very well, don't be afraid, it doesn't hurt." Gu Jiao took scissors and removed the stitches for her.

The little girl didn't utter a sound.

The woman asked, "Does it hurt?"

The little girl shook her head, looking at Gu Jiao with admiration: "It doesn't hurt. Sister is amazing. Mom, when I grow up, I want to be a doctor too!"

The woman was taken aback.

Doctors... in the Zhao Kingdom, their status was actually very low, and female doctors were even lower, being servants.

They were not ordinary people to be able to live on Zhuque Street, so how could they bear to let their daughter become a lowly female doctor in the future?

This young girl in front of me must have come from a poor family and had no choice but to become a doctor, right?

Not every patient is like her daughter, with injuries to their legs and feet. Some lesions occur in unclean places, and people of high status cannot afford to visit those places.

Moreover, I've heard that sometimes when the clinic gets busy, the female doctors even have to treat men.

Wouldn't that ruin my innocence? How will I find a spouse in the future?

Any family with any sense of propriety would not send its daughter to become a female doctor.

Gu Jiao ignored the woman's embarrassment and instead pinched the little girl's cheek, saying softly, "Being a doctor isn't easy. You have to be literate, study, be diligent, and be willing to endure hardship. If you cook bad food, you just miss a meal, but if you treat someone wrongly, you can kill a life. The responsibility is very heavy."

The little girl seemed to understand but not quite. Then, as if remembering something, she lowered her head and asked weakly, "But they say that female doctors are lowly."

Gu Jiao said calmly, "As human beings, what is the difference between noble and lowly?"

The woman suddenly felt a little ashamed.

She looked down on female doctors.

But at this moment, she was deeply shocked.

It's hard to say whether it's the words the other person uttered or the faith reflected in their eyes.

I've been writing like crazy these past few days. I'll reply to the comments section in a few days. Goodnight.

(End of this chapter)