Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Entering Taohua Village
No matter who tried to persuade her, Gu Jiayue firmly expressed her desire to leave the Marquis' Mansion.
In the end, everyone had no choice but to follow her wishes.
Time passed slowly, and the day when Gu Jiayue would leave the Marquis' Mansion was getting closer.
When she was about to leave, everyone in the mansion came to see her off. They even packed up all the things in the small building where she had lived for more than ten years and asked her to take them with her.
Gu Jiayue wanted to refuse, but the Marquis's wife said to keep it as a memory, and she couldn't say another word.
Never mind, the Marquis’s Mansion is rich and powerful, so they don’t lack these things.
Besides, the things in the attic were all used by the original owner, so it would not be appropriate to give them to anyone else. It would be nice to keep them with you as a keepsake.
Mrs. Hou held Gu Jiayue's hand tightly, tears welling up in her eyes, almost bursting out.
"Yue'er, you must take good care of yourself. If you encounter any difficulties, write back as soon as possible."
The Marquis's words choked with sobs, her heart filled with worry and reluctance. "If life in the countryside is too hard, come back and let your mother take care of you."
Gu Jiayue looked at the Marquis's wife, who was so sincere and couldn't help but wipe away her tears. She couldn't help but feel a trace of sadness and parting in her heart. Her nose suddenly felt sore and her eyes were slightly red. She said softly, "Don't worry. Jiayue will take good care of herself."
After a pause, she smiled playfully, "You have to take good care of yourself too, and don't sneak in some cakes! Wangshu will be watching over you."
After saying this, she looked at the Marquis again, "And you, I took away the wine you hid in the study. Don't drink it anymore. You still have to wait for me to chop wood for you!"
The Marquis and his wife blushed slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed and helpless. The sadness in their hearts was also diluted a little by this sudden ridicule. At this moment, they just hoped that she would set off as soon as possible, and not say anything that would "damage" their image.
Didn’t you see that those maids and servants were covering their mouths and laughing?
In this way, Gu Jiayue set out on the journey home with large and small bags of luggage and a group of maids and guards.
The further southwest you go, the fewer people there are along the way.
"Congratulations to the host for successfully activating the Education System (Hell Version). Now issuing the first task: Please receive three students within twenty days (Note: Age cannot exceed ten years old)."
As soon as the carriage entered the territory of Annan County, the system's voice rang out.
He is like the school bell, extremely punctual.
hehe……
Gu Jiayue was so angry that she laughed. She only had 30 days left to live, but the system gave her 20 days to complete the task.
"What if it can't be completed?" she asked unhappily.
"It's okay, host. We're already bound together, and unless you're reduced to ashes, we'll be together forever. So even if you die, the worst that can happen is we'll just teach somewhere else. Maybe teaching in the underworld will earn you more points?" The system's voice sounded particularly provocative. Gu Jiayue even heard anticipation in it.
"Haha, thank you, I didn't really want to do that." Gu Jiayue complained in her heart.
"Host, don't be sad. Our system can be upgraded. As long as you complete the task well, the system will take you to the top in no time." The system is still making every effort to "paint the cake".
Thanks again, I wasn't comforted. I don't want to reach the top, I just want to lie down.
Gu Jiayue felt helpless.
"Miss, we're here." Hua Chao's voice sounded at the right time, interrupting Gu Jiayue's thoughts.
Gu Jiayue put away the book in her hand and slightly lifted the curtain of the carriage. What came into her sight was a tall but desolate and dilapidated city wall.
Most of the people coming in and out of the city gate were wearing patched short clothes, their eyes were cloudy and lifeless, and their faces were full of the vicissitudes and numbness of life.
Under the city wall, some old women were selling things. Their eyes were full of expectation, and they looked eagerly at the passers-by, but those passers-by were in a hurry, and no one was interested in the wild vegetables they were selling.
"Madam Cai, please take some money and buy the things they have." Gu Jiayue spoke with pity.
This county town is so poor that she can't help but think of what she saw and heard when she went to remote mountainous areas to teach in her previous life.
It is also a small mountain village in the southwest. The three surrounding villages share a dilapidated primary school, but there are only a dozen students in the school.
They were almost isolated from the outside world. Before she went to teach, they didn't even know what English was, and the textbooks they used were old versions from more than ten years ago.
They don't know what a Children's Palace is or what a museum is.
Only one math problem was taught in one class, and when questions were asked before class the next day, some students could not answer it.
They are lazy and are late for school every day. Their behavior is quite rude, they often swear, and they throw garbage and spit everywhere.
They didn't study for the university entrance exam, which was too far away for them. They just wanted to learn how to write their own names and do accounting so that they could go out and work. Therefore, the dropout rate there was very high, which made Gu Jiayue feel very helpless.
But at the same time, they are also innocent and kind.
When they first arrived there, Gu Jiayue had a sore throat and couldn't speak because of the unfamiliar climate, so the naughty children went up the mountain to pick honeysuckle to make tea for her.
She always remembered a very shy girl who gave her a milk candy and said, "Teacher, if you soak it in hot water, it will have a light milky flavor and taste very good."
The packaging of the candy was a little faded, and there was some dirt on the corners. Looking at the production date on it, it had passed its expiration date.
Other classmates said that the candy was given to the girl by her father when he came back for the Chinese New Year last year, and she usually didn’t want to eat it.
After eating the candy, Gu Jiayue felt it was very sweet, and the discomfort in her throat was relieved a lot. At the same time, it also strengthened her determination to delve deeper into the education industry.
"Miss is kind-hearted. Those wild vegetables can be found everywhere and are not worth any money at all." Aunt Cai couldn't help but say.
Gu Jiayue came back to her senses from her memories and looked at the wild vegetables that Mammy Cai had brought back. They were indeed very common varieties, some of which could even be picked along the official road. "It's okay. We're a lot of people, and Mammy, you'll have to work hard tonight. Let's make some dumplings with these wild vegetables."
Seeing that the young lady had made up her mind, Madam Cai did not want to persuade her any further, so she sat outside the carriage and started folding vegetables.
There are not so many rules to follow when you go out, and everyone has gotten used to it in the past half month.
"Miss, please take a rest. We will be entering the city soon." Hua Chao took the scroll from Gu Jiayue's hand, took out a piece of dessert and placed it in her hand, and also considerately poured her a cup of warm tea.
It just so happens that the city is so noisy and bustling that it is really not suitable for reading.
Moreover, during the more than half a month on the road, Gu Jiayue has gained a deeper understanding of this dynasty.
"Madam Cai, you don't have to go to the village with me after we get to the city. You can take these things and buy a room in the city to store them. Then keep an eye out for suitable shops. When I'm free, I can go and see what kind of business is suitable. After all, we have to do some business to make money. We can't just live off our savings." Gu Jiayue arranged things in an orderly manner.
Although the Marquis' Mansion gave her a lot of things, most of them were daily necessities for girls. Although these things were valuable, they could not be exchanged for cash at will.
"Okay, I'll listen to you, young lady. Then I'll let Kangzi go ahead and explore the way by himself." Madam Cai replied.
Kangzi is Aunt Cai's son, and he also came along this time.
"Well, Madam, please make your own arrangements." Gu Jiayue nodded in agreement.
After the matter was settled, after entering the city from the north gate, Nanny Cai took most of the things and left.
Gu Jiayue took Hua Chao and two carts of belongings and went straight out of the city again from the west gate, heading towards Taohua Village.
The country roads were not as wide and smooth as the official roads. They were bumpy all the way and Gu Jiayue felt like her bones were about to fall apart. If she wasn't so fragile, she would have wanted to get out of the car and walk.
"Miss, we're here!" Finally, when she was about to give up, the coachman stopped the carriage.
It was late spring and early summer, and the fields at the entrance of the village were full of busy villagers.
The village is located in a remote area, and even ox carts are rarely seen on weekdays, let alone two exquisite horse-drawn carriages.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked towards them curiously.
Hua Chao jumped out of the car and asked a woman not far away with a smile: "Auntie, do you know where the Gu family lives?"
The old lady put down her hoe, wiped her hands on her apron, walked closer, and said, "Young lady, which Gu family are you asking about? Most people in our village have the last name Gu. Do you know his name?"
Of course she knew the full name, but that was the name of the young lady's grandfather. How could a little maid like her dare to call it directly?
Gu Jiayue also thought of this. Without hesitation, she got off the carriage and said, "Auntie, we are looking for Mr. Gu Xuanhai. Do you know where his home is?"
She will be living in the village for a long time in the future, and she can't stay in the house all day without going out.
Besides, in remote rural areas, people can barely get enough food to eat, so why are there so many rules?
In order to better integrate into the village, Gu Jiayue deliberately imitated Gu Wangshu, put away all the jewelry on her head, and braided her long black hair into a pigtail, which was both simple and generous.
However, her red lips and white teeth, and her every move and gesture reveal the elegance she has cultivated since childhood, making it obvious at a glance that she is different from ordinary people.
The old lady had never seen such a beautiful person before. For a moment, her voice unconsciously softened, and she even spoke in Mandarin, which she was not very fluent in. "You mean his house? If you walk along this road, you will see a big banyan tree. After you see the banyan tree, walk to the left and it will be the third house."
"Thank you very much, Auntie." Gu Jiayue bowed and then took out a bag of cakes from the carriage and handed it to the Auntie as a token of gratitude.
The old lady quickly waved her hand to refuse: "No, no, no, it's just a casual remark, take it back, young lady, we don't have such things in the countryside."
But Gu Jiayue still insisted on stuffing the pastry into the old lady's hands.
She knew very well that she would settle down in this village and start her own business in the village in the future, so it was crucial to establish good relationships with the villagers.
After Gu Jiayue left, the old lady opened the pastry and a sweet smell hit her face.
The others who had been watching from the sidelines also gathered around, marveling at the box of pastries. "Wow, rich people are different! Look at this pastry, it's almost as good as the premium ones from Quanfuzhai, right? I wonder how it tastes?"
"I see that girl doesn't have any jewelry on her. Even if she is rich, she should be a poor woman, right?" someone whispered.
"Don't talk nonsense. They are just being low-key. Didn't you see the horse pulling the cart? It's so strong. Most people can't afford to keep it." Someone immediately retorted.
"Hey, hey, hey, Aunt Zhang, which family did the girl just ask about?" someone asked curiously.
Aunt Zhang rewrapped the pastry, fearing their saliva would drip onto it, and said, "I'm asking about Gu Xuanhai's family. I don't know what kind of bad luck they had, but a group of people came looking for them a while ago, and now someone else is looking again."
"Hey, I heard that those people came from Kyoto last time, and when they left, they took away the girl from his third son's family. That girl has been beautiful since she was a child. Do you think his family sold the girl?" Someone started gossiping.
"Where? Let me tell you, actually..." Everyone was talking at once.
The Gu family was completely unaware of this, and they had already become the focus of heated discussion among the villagers.
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