Chapter Three
Gu Leyao wasn't angry when Gu Ronghua glared at her; instead, she gave him a big laugh.
Gu Ronghua was even angrier; her eyes were practically spitting fire.
At this moment, the maid brought up the dishes, and one after another, the carefully prepared dishes were placed on the table.
Braised sea cucumber with scallions, braised pork belly with abalone, spicy braised mutton, stewed quail, braised duck with bamboo shoots, stir-fried shrimp with chives—a table full of dishes. I don't know how they taste, but their vibrant colors make them very appetizing.
Gu Leyao was in her teens and had just recovered from an illness, so she had a big appetite. She ate three bowls of rice and asked for more.
Gu Ronghua snorted through his nose, "Eats like a pig!"
Gu Leyao had just finished her fourth bowl of rice. She put down the bowl and took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth.
"What did the pig do to you? When you were eating braised pork with gusto, why didn't you say you didn't eat pork? The pig died for you, and you still curse it. How vicious you are!"
"You you you you you you..."
Gu Ronghua was speechless after being bombarded with Gu Leyao's rapid-fire words, stammering "you, you, you" for a long time.
Gu Baozhu pursed her lips. "Sister's mouth is so sharp, even brother is so angry he can't speak."
Gu Leyao glanced at her. "I didn't even get to scold you, so you're acting like a jerk again, aren't you?"
You caused the original owner to suffer so much; I've been disliking you for a long time!
"Stop calling me 'sister,' you were born on the same day as me, who knows if you're older or younger? You're just like your mother, saying nice things to my face but stabbing me in the back—you're more ruthless than anyone else! It was she who came up with the brilliant idea of switching children so that her own daughter could come to the Earl's mansion to enjoy a life of luxury. She's so clever! If everyone followed her example, the offspring of all the nobles in the capital would probably be replaced. Although you didn't grow up by her side, your temperament and character are exactly like hers!"
Gu Baozhu blushed and her eyes darted around, her expression shifting.
Mrs. Bo put down her rice bowl, seemingly lost in thought.
Zhongqin Bo slammed his hand on the table and said, "Alright, don't talk so much while we're eating."
Gu Leyao was already full. Perhaps because she was growing, she seemed to have two stomachs, one for meals and the other for fruits and snacks.
She took the fruit tray and ate a few more sweet apricots, smearing sweetness on her lips.
Gu Ronghua couldn't do anything about it, so he threw down his chopsticks and stopped eating.
Gu Leyao didn't care; whether he ate it or not was fine, and if he didn't eat it, it would save her the trouble.
Only Gu Leyao enjoyed the meal. After finishing, she even asked her father, the old man, for some pocket money.
The young masters and ladies of the Earl's mansion all received pocket money, except for Gu Leyao. This was probably because she was not valued, and the Earl's wife and husband subconsciously ignored her. Since the masters of the house did not care about this matter, the accountants were even less likely to care.
Gu Leyao dared to ask for it now because she realized that her uncle was a man who valued face more than family ties. He would spoil whoever gave him face. Gu Leyao left Gu Ronghua and Gu Baozhu speechless, and her uncle did not blame her.
He felt that Gu Ronghua and Gu Baozhu were incompetent.
Gu Leyao recalled the information in her mind. Within the Great Zhou Dynasty, the title of Earl could only be inherited by three generations. Her father, the Earl, was the third generation. He was determined to marry a woman from a powerful family, preferably one who could help him uphold the family's prestige.
After carefully selecting from among the women in the capital, the old man finally chose the second daughter of the Liu family, who is now the old woman.
The Liu family wielded great power at the time, with the head of the family serving as the prime minister. Unfortunately, after the death of the head of the Liu family, many of the family members proved to be incompetent, and the Liu family gradually declined.
When the head of the Liu family was alive, the Earl was devoted to Liu and spent his days with her. They were an enviable couple in the capital. But only Liu knew that after the head of the Liu family passed away, the Earl became restless.
Gu Leyao sighed in amazement. The Earl's mansion only has a few people, yet they can still create such a turbulent situation. They are truly remarkable!
*
After receiving her pocket money, Gu Leyao returned to her own courtyard, as she had another important matter to attend to.
Chun Tao appeared around this time, and she had to find a way to rescue her.
The original owner's first encounter with Chuntao was entirely accidental.
At that time, Gu Baozhu invited the original owner to attend a banquet. The original owner did not want to go, but Gu Baozhu said that Huo Pingyuan was going back and the original owner wanted to see Huo Pingyuan, so even though she knew that Gu Baozhu was not so kind, she still gritted her teeth and went to the banquet.
Sure enough, at the banquet, the original owner became Gu Baozhu's comparison point. Huo Pingyuan did appear, but the young men and women at the banquet all mocked the original owner, and the original owner was even doused with wine.
The original owner couldn't bear the humiliation, especially when a young girl was seen in such a sorry state by her beloved; anyone would have an emotional breakdown.
She made an excuse and hurriedly left the banquet.
On the way back, she saw through the sedan curtain that Chun Tao had been sold by her family and was about to be sold to a brothel.
The original owner pawned her silver hairpin to save Chuntao.
From then on, Chun Tao became the original owner's maid.
Although they were maids, the two were practically like sisters, supporting each other through many years and never betraying one another.
Gu Leyao had no intention of attending any banquets; she had no intention of offering herself up for ridicule.
She planned to buy a set of men's clothing and wander around the streets to see where Chun Tao had been sold, so she could rescue her in time.
Chun Tao's parents were not good people, and Gu Leyao was afraid that she might miss the best opportunity to save Chun Tao by mistake. In the past few days, she would sneak out of the Marquis's mansion whenever she had nothing to do, and wander around the entrances of brothels, looking at little girls who looked similar to Chun Tao.
However, Gu Leyao still couldn't find Chuntao's whereabouts.
She wondered if her arrival, with its different personality and actions compared to the original owner, would also change Chun Tao's fate.
In her past life, she had watched a science video where a very knowledgeable person said, "The flapping of a butterfly's wings in South America could potentially trigger a tornado in Texas, USA." [1]
Gu Leyao is now quite afraid that she is that butterfly, and that she might accidentally change Chun Tao's fate as well.
That won't do! The original owner entrusted her with the life she had finally obtained, and only made two requests. The first was that she save Chun Tao and ensure the little girl's well-being for the rest of her life.
Just as she was worrying, Gu Leyao heard sobbing coming from Little Sweet Water Alley.
"Father, Mother, please don't sell me to a brothel! Sell me to a broker's office instead! If I get a good place, I'll definitely send money home every month!"
A sorrowful voice came through the room, and upon closer listening, it even carried a pleading tone.
It was like... a lamb begging the butcher not to kill her.
The father, unable to break free from his daughter's grip on his ankle, said angrily, "Your younger brother still needs to go to school. Can't you be a little more sensible? Hurry up and go back with Aunt Meng. From now on, she'll be your mother!"
The little girl refused to let go. "Father, please, take me home. I'll do all the housework from now on, and I can even do embroidery to earn money. Father, please, don't send me here. Granny Sun said that a good woman's life will be ruined if she goes here!"
The father had spent his entire life in the village, idling around and doing nothing productive. Now, being stared at and gossiped about, he surprisingly lost his sense of shame and kicked his daughter in the stomach several times with his other foot. "You little brat, let go right now, or I'll beat you to death!"
The little girl was kicked until she lost all strength, and she knelt on the ground with her head facing the sky, her eyes filled with death.
Her mother, who had been too afraid to speak and had only been wiping away tears, went over to help the girl up after seeing her fall. "Chuntao, don't blame your parents. Blame your bad luck for being born into such a poor family. My dear Chuntao, get up quickly. Even prostitutes don't usually try to kill themselves. This path is difficult, but it's still a way to survive. Listen to your mother and take good care of yourself."
A glimmer of light returned to the little girl's eyes. She clung to her mother's arm, shaking her head repeatedly, tears streaming down her face like a broken string of beads.
Her mother tried to help the little girl up, saying, "You, now that you're with Madam Meng, try to squeeze more money out of your customers. Your younger brother is still small, and he'll need money for school in the future. You should take more customers; it's just about sex, it's not tiring. You need to save up for your brother's school fees. He'll need your help to get married and have children in the future!"
If her father was blatantly evil, directly stabbing Chun Tao in the back, then her mother was a wolf in sheep's clothing, with a gentle and loving exterior, always ready to use Chun Tao as firewood to light up her son's future path.
Chun Tao's heart was heavy and somber. It was springtime, a time of renewal and sunshine, yet she felt as if she had been thrown into a dilapidated ice cellar, her very bones frozen solid.
She hated being born into such a deformed family. Her father was not a father, never fulfilling his responsibilities as a father. Her mother was not a mother, not only sacrificing her own life but also dragging her daughter down, draining her of her last bit of value.
She herself was only twelve or thirteen years old, and she had done all kinds of hard and tiring work at home. Her younger brother, who was three years younger than her, did not have to do anything, but enjoyed all the love and pampering in the family!
Chun Tao thought that if she couldn't escape, she would kill herself by hitting her head against the wall and let that Meng Mama settle accounts with her parents.
She wanted to see how this family would survive without her!
Chun Tao was determined to die. She shook off her mother's hand and walked towards Mother Meng.
"My dear daughter, come to Mommy."
Mother Meng wore a perfectly measured smile, like a smiling mask stuck to her face. At first glance, she seemed very gentle, but upon closer inspection, she appeared cold and ruthless.
A fire was burning in Chun Tao's heart again. She clenched her fists, feeling the sticky sweat, glanced at the gray wall, blinked, as if she had silently made some unknown decision.
"stop!"
Just as Chun Tao was about to do something foolish, a clear and melodious voice came from the alley entrance.
Chun Tao was startled, thinking that her thoughts had been guessed. Cold sweat soaked her back, her pale face turned deathly white, her teeth chattered, and she instantly fell to the ground.
Just as she was getting nervous, the owner of the voice came from the alley entrance. His figure approached from afar and came to Chun Tao's side, bending down.
Chun Tao felt that the small patch of light in front of her eyes was blocked. She couldn't help but look up and found that the person was a very handsome young man, wearing a bamboo-green brocade robe, and he looked very refined.
She's completely different from people like her.
"Your name is Chuntao, right?"
Chun Tao bit her lip and nodded. She didn't know why, but she always felt that the person in front of her wouldn't hurt her.
Gu Leyao instantly smiled. It was worth spending several days wandering around the brothels in the vicinity; she had finally found Chuntao.
Compared to the Chun Tao I remember, the Chun Tao I see now has a much more innocent face, full of stubbornness, just like a little girl.
"Do you want to come home with me, Chuntao?"
Upon hearing this, Chun Tao looked up in surprise and saw that the young man had clear and upright eyes and handsome features. Suddenly, she felt as if she saw thousands of peach blossoms blooming before her eyes.
For the first time in her life, she realized that her spring had truly arrived.
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