fortune telling
Upon arriving at the new official residence, with a monthly salary, life became much easier. The savings Jiang Yufan had accumulated were enough for household expenses. Daoyun diligently trained the soldiers every day, leaving Jiang Yufan alone in the house to do what she wanted and occasionally help the steward with tasks she couldn't handle.
Jiang Yufan really enjoys days like this.
However, even on days like these, there are some minor troubles.
Those who wanted to thank Gu Sidu, or admired him, stood at the door, refusing to leave no matter how many times the servants pleaded with them. Jiang Yufan sighed helplessly when the steward reported this.
How come Gu Sidu is so good at recruiting people?
Jiang Yufan asked the steward, "Where is Gu Sidu?"
"The head of the family originally intended to go and persuade them himself. He left this morning but only managed to persuade those who wanted to play chess with him to leave. He hasn't returned yet."
"That's fine, fewer people are fine too. So, will only those who admire Gu Sidu remain at the door?" Jiang Yufan drank her tea. She knew the butler wouldn't dare answer her question, as he would always get angry if he did.
Although the head of the family was handsome, he only had eyes for this Bodhisattva. The servants in the house also trusted Jiang Yufan and naturally didn't want anyone else to manage the household affairs. The steward remained silent, only bowing his head. Jiang Yufan understood, and she smiled and said to the steward, "I'll go out and take a look."
"That would be too much trouble for you, Madam."
Jiang Yufan stood up. She had intended to put down the prayer beads in her hand, but she had just warmed them a little. If she put them down, she would have to warm them up again with her own warmth when she returned, so she decided to keep them. Jiang Yufan reached out and wrapped the prayer beads around her wrist, then followed the butler to the door.
Jiang Yufan was stunned when she arrived at the door. The floor was covered with spoiled fruit and vegetables, and servants were cleaning up. What a waste of such good things! They should have just thrown them into the kitchen.
Before Jiang Yufan could even express her feelings, she was surrounded by people. When she looked up, she saw that they were all women from well-to-do families in Chang Le City. They shouldn't have come in person, but they were willing to overstep these rules just to see Gu Sidu. Not to mention the women from ordinary families who didn't care about these rules and could come and go freely.
It was a real headache; the overwhelming scent of various cosmetics was giving Jiang Yufan a headache. She frowned, about to speak, when someone spoke first.
"You must be Madam Gu. May I ask your honorable name?"
Jiang Yufan didn't reveal his family name, but said to the women, "Lord Gu is not at home. You won't see him here. Even I don't know when he will return. Don't waste your time here."
"Are you really his wife? If so, why aren't you wearing your hair up? Can a Bodhisattva really get married?"
"Yes, you shouldn't just be a distinguished guest of the Gu family, or a bodhisattva invited by Lord Gu."
Jiang Yufan smiled. Some of these women were intelligent enough to guess what was going on. She didn't put her hair up, nor did she think she was going out to meet people. Since the conversation had come to this point, she said, "I am not a bodhisattva. Those rumors are false. Please go back."
"But I heard that you yourself calculated the location and saved the young man from the Qin family. If you are not a bodhisattva, how did you know where he was?"
"Who told you this?" Jiang Yufan asked, curious about how such a thing had spread.
"Of course it was Lord Gu who said it," the women said proudly.
Jiang Yufan was unaware that in Chang Le City, the number of people who admired Gu Sidu had reached the point where any word Gu Sidu uttered could be regarded as gospel.
Gu Sidu is really something; he'll probably embellish the story, and in the end, Jiang Yufan will have to suffer and solve all the problems herself. But these aren't difficult things, Jiang Yufan said: "As long as you have some experience, you can achieve it without relying on the power of gods and Buddhas."
It's just that they've seen a lot and are knowledgeable.
Upon hearing this, the women fell silent, unwilling to leave but also unwilling to give up.
There was really no other way. They wouldn't leave, and Jiang Yufan wouldn't move either. The two sides were deadlocked for a long time. Finally, the women couldn't hold back and asked Jiang Yufan if she was really Lord Gu's wife.
Before the women could even voice their questions, a servant from the Gu household stepped forward to speak up for Jiang Yufan: "Miss, please watch your words. If you weren't Madam, why would you be in our residence? Master Gu just held a birthday banquet for Madam; have you all forgotten all that?"
"But even so, it doesn't stop us from admiring Lord Gu. If things hadn't been made clear, we could have found a matchmaker to arrange a marriage for us."
It's rare to see someone from the capital in Chang Le City, and even rarer to see a refined and kind-hearted gentleman. A woman's marriage is a serious matter, and when she sees a good one, she can't help but want to seize the opportunity. Jiang Yufan knew their thoughts, but Gu Sidu was also innocent, so Jiang Yufan decided to step in.
"Everyone, do you believe I am a Bodhisattva?" Jiang Yufan asked.
"Believe me, can you really help us find suitable husbands?"
It shouldn't have been possible, but at this moment Jiang Yufan said, "Yes."
A single word silenced everyone, and they all looked at Jiang Yufan, for only Jiang Yufan could do that. Jiang Yufan said to them, "Come inside, there's hot tea. I'll do my calculations for you."
Such a grand scene had never been seen before. All the women sat around Jiang Yufan, there for Gu Sidu but not for Gu Sidu. The servants in the house were stunned. Some of them, with their keen eyes, immediately went to the chess stall to find Gu Sidu and told him to hurry home.
If this continues, the Bodhisattva won't be able to bear it, and that wouldn't be good.
Gu Sidu was enjoying a fierce battle at the chess stall when he saw his servants arrive. He immediately looked up, listened to the servants explain the situation at home, and waved goodbye to them, promising to continue the battle another day.
Given the choice between playing chess and choosing the Bodhisattva, Gu Sidu would definitely choose the Bodhisattva. He also needed to go back and confess something to the Bodhisattva: the fruits and melons outside the Gu residence were only there because of him.
When he went out in the morning, the women were waiting at the door. As soon as they saw him, they threw melons and fruits at him, saying that this was imitating the previous dynasty and was not considered transgressing the rules. Gu Sidu dodged left and right, hiding behind the people who had come to arrange a chess game, and barely managed to avoid them.
He was wrong. He should have made it clear to the Bodhisattva that he had no interest in those people when they threw fruit at him. He was wrong; he shouldn't have gone out and provoked them. "Bodhisattva, I'm here! Bodhisattva, rest assured, I will definitely save you from danger."
With these thoughts in mind, Gu Sidu rushed to the Gu residence. The bloody scene he had imagined did not happen. Standing in front of Jiang Yufan, Gu Sidu, holding up his clothes, saw a group of women sitting together harmoniously, discussing what their future husbands would be like.
Gu Sidu was dumbfounded, standing there stunned.
Ah, wasn't it all for him? What's the reason for this peaceful and idyllic life?
He's here, so why are these people still not making a sound?
Gu Sidu tried to greet them. He cleared his throat and coughed a few times. Sure enough, some women turned around. Some were embarrassed when they saw him, while others responded to him openly. Their expressions were completely different from when they saw him in the morning. How could this be?
Gu Sidu was still puzzled when Jiang Yufan looked up at him and said, "You're back. Sit down and have a cup of tea. I still have a few to read."
"What are you looking at?" Gu Sidu walked up to Jiang Yufan and only then did he see the things on the table. Jiang Yufan had taken out all the fortune-telling and divination tools she had, and was calculating their marriage prospects.
Gu Sidu immediately understood. He sighed helplessly and sat obediently beside Jiang Yufan. He was about to pick up a piece of tortoise shell when Jiang Yufan slapped his hand away.
"Don't move around, it will affect the result."
Will it?
Gu Sidu pouted. Just because of this, they're ignoring him? What kind of attitude is that?
Seeing Gu Sidu's discomfiture, some of the women covered their mouths and laughed. Gu Sidu looked over and pursed his lips: "What are you laughing at? Are you so happy that Madam slapped my hand?"
"Lord Gu, being struck by the Bodhisattva doesn't hurt at all, it's nothing. But Bodhisattva, if you can truly predict the one I love, I will definitely come back to thank you." The woman sincerely clasped her hands together and bowed to Jiang Yufan.
Jiang Yufan twirled the prayer beads in her hand and returned the greeting in the same manner.
The women who had their fortunes told left satisfied. After Jiang Yufan finished looking at the last few, the room was empty, and Gu Sidu finally had a chance to speak. He tidied up the items for Jiang Yufan: "Why did the Bodhisattva show them these things? I thought the Bodhisattva needed me, so I came back. Who knew I wouldn't be able to save the beauty, but instead became an ornament next to the Bodhisattva."
"The Bodhisattva just now appeared quite adept; has he truly learned it? If it's not accurate, those people will come knocking again. Why did the Bodhisattva choose this method?"
"Isn't it all for you? Otherwise, those people would all be willing to be your concubines, and even say they want to be your principal wife," Jiang Yufan pursed her lips and looked at Gu Sidu. "Or did you originally have these thoughts, and that's why you enjoy this admiration?"
“Bodhisattva, you can’t say such things carelessly.” Gu Sidu made a shushing gesture, stopping Jiang Yufan.
"I'm telling you, Bodhisattva, how did you have the audacity to say those things just now?"
“Because,” Jiang Yufan paused, then smiled and said, “I had the housekeeper compile a list of information about those women long ago. I know their preferences, and I also know that some of them have someone they like. So I dare to say this, I’m just pointing out the feelings they dare not express.”
Some people don't have a sweetheart, so it's hard to compare them, and naturally, there's no way to verify anything. Calculating these things isn't a big deal, since Jiang Yufan has already said she's a fake bodhisattva. Besides Buddhist divination, there are also Taoist methods involved. These obvious flaws are right in front of them, yet they failed to recognize them. Or perhaps they knew these flaws but were willing to believe in their bright future—isn't that a good thing?
Whether an act is convincing or not depends on whether you truly believe it in your heart; you don't need to worry about how well you act.
Jiang Yufan fully understood that with such belief, with such unwavering faith in herself, the things she dared to dream and imagine would come true and be fulfilled.
Ultimately, it comes down to one's own ability and perseverance.
Jiang Yufan did all this for Gu Sidu so that those women would understand that there are many capable men in the world, and that only by taking a long-term view can one truly appreciate the beauty of spring.
She looked at Gu Sidu again and saw a hint of admiration and infatuation in his eyes.
She immediately lowered her head. This was her own decision, and she wondered if Gu Sidu would mind. So, mimicking the tastes of other women, she said to Gu Sidu, "I'll fend off those suitors for you. You won't be angry, will you?"
Gu Sidu had never seen a Bodhisattva like this before. He rubbed his eyes and tilted his head in confusion.
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