Chapter 89 The Kind-hearted Sister-in-Law Gu
After saying that, Sister-in-law Gu rushed off to the kitchen.
“Miss, what Sister Gu said is true. Your clothes are wet, so you should change them.” Bai Yu advised softly. She had already opened the bundle, revealing neatly folded dresses of various colors inside.
Bai Yu first closed the door and carefully bolted it. Then she opened the bundle, inside which were all kinds of clothes, hairpins, and jewelry.
Rong Jiang looked up and surveyed the room's layout. The room was quite spacious, but there was nothing to block out the view. She observed for a moment and noticed a wooden rack in the corner, presumably for hanging clothes. An idea immediately came to her.
So the empty shelf came in handy. Bai Yu took out a large piece of silk from her bundle and skillfully hung it on the shelf, quickly turning it into a simple yet beautiful screen that barely created a small private space.
After several rounds of refusals, Bai Yu insisted that she could only wait until Jiu Ya and Rong Jiang had finished washing up before she could wash up herself.
Jiu Ya, however, insisted that Jiang go first. How could she let her daughter, who was so particular about her appearance, stay in wet clothes? "Ranran, go change first! I won't have to wait long, right?" Jiu Ya urged, casually touching the other's hand before exclaiming, "Ah? My daughter's hands are so cold! Go change quickly! What if she catches a cold?"
Unable to refuse, Rong Jiang went behind the simple screen. She made a hand seal, and a dry dress appeared, replacing her previous outfit. The dress with its wet hem was then magically removed and neatly stored away in her spatial storage.
When Rong Jiang emerged, Jiu Ya was utterly astonished. The radiant beauty wore a pale purple hibiscus-patterned long dress, over which she wore a cream-colored, wide-sleeved blouse embroidered with subtle hibiscus and flowing cloud patterns in gold thread, which still shimmered faintly in the dim room. This elegant attire made Rong Jiang even more dazzling.
Seeing that Jiu Ya didn't make any movement and was just staring at her with wide eyes, Rong Jiang couldn't help but look down at herself. Not finding anything unusual, she reminded her, "A-Jiu, aren't you going to change your clothes?"
"Oh—" Jiuya came to her senses, her face slightly flushed, and she hurriedly grabbed her clothes and ran towards the simple screen, almost tripping over her own skirt.
Before long, she had changed into a light blue dress, and temporarily placed her wet clothes on the rack. After changing, Jiu Ya quickly came out and told Bai Yu to go change her clothes as soon as possible. "Go quickly, don't catch a cold," she urged, while straightening her sleeves.
After the three of them had changed their clothes, the next step was to arrange their hair. Thank goodness, Ms. Bai Yu finally had her chance to shine. She first styled Jiu Ya's hair into a simple flying fairy bun, inserting a jade hairpin, which was both refreshing and elegant. Then she combed Rong Jiang's hair, her movements gentle and skillful.
Rong Jiang has much higher standards for hairstyles than Jiu Ya. Bai Yu can even discuss with Rong Jiang how to make her hair more exquisite and elaborate. "Miss Rong, how about trying the 'Morning Clouds and Fragrant Hair' hairstyle today? It would look beautiful with this gold hairpin," Bai Yu suggested, already holding a delicate gold hairpin in her hand.
Rong Jiang nodded slightly, "Alright, thank you for your trouble."
Finally, Bai Yu looked at the incredibly beautiful and intricate hairstyle she had created, and was so excited she wanted to cry. Ahhhhh, her amazing skills finally had a chance to shine! This hairstyle perfectly showcased Rong Jiang's beauty, with a few carefully placed strands of hair cascading down her forehead and cheeks, adding to her charm. The golden hairpin swayed gently with Rong Jiang's slight movements, shimmering with iridescent light.
After they finished washing up, there was a knock at the door. Aunt Gu came in carrying several bowls of ginger soup. "Miss Shang, are you ready? The ginger soup is ready for you!"
Bai Yu quickly ran over to open the door and took the wooden plate from Sister-in-law Gu's hand, saying, "Thank you, Sister-in-law Gu."
Three bowls of steaming ginger soup were placed on the plate, and the strong aroma of ginger wafted out.
"What's the big deal!" Sister-in-law Gu's smile didn't stop. Her gaze swept over the three of them, and a look of amazement flashed in her eyes. "And that young man, my husband has already sent him some ginger soup." She added, afraid that the guests would worry about their companions.
"Li Yue!" Bai Yu suddenly realized that Li Yue hadn't brought anything with him, so it wouldn't be good if he changed his clothes as soon as he came out. He might still be wearing wet clothes! Anxiety immediately appeared on her face.
Bai Yu quickly placed the ginger soup on the table and said to Jiu Ya, "Miss, I need to send some clothes to Li Yue. His things are still here!"
"Ah? Right! Go ahead!" Jiu Ya thought about how they had packed a lot of things, but all the bags were with the three of them. Although most of the things were with Li Yue, who was the laborer, to ordinary people, it looked like Li Yue hadn't brought anything. How was he going to change his clothes? This was indeed a problem that needed to be solved.
Bai Yu picked up the slightly smaller bundle and was about to leave when she suddenly stopped, her gaze fixed intently on Sister-in-law Gu. "Sister-in-law Gu, where is that young man who came with us?"
Sister-in-law Gu stood at the door and pointed, "There it is, over there." She pointed to a small house on the other side of the yard, "My husband took him to tie up the horse, and he should be resting in the side room now."
"Okay, thank you. I'll go take a look." Bai Yu picked up her bundle and stepped out of the room, then hurried into the rain, her skirt quickly getting soaked.
Inside the room, Sister-in-law Gu invited Jiu Ya and Rong Jiang to sit down and urged them to drink the ginger soup while it was still hot. Two steaming bowls of ginger soup were placed in front of them, emitting a strong ginger aroma, with wisps of white steam rising and twisting in the air.
Sister-in-law Gu's enthusiasm was exactly like when I was a child and my mother forced me to drink ginger soup after I got caught in the rain, for fear of catching a cold. Jiu Ya was too embarrassed to say that she hated ginger the most, so she held the bowl, took a deep breath, and drank it all in one gulp. The spicy liquid slid down her throat, making her shiver involuntarily.
The saying goes, "The sooner you die, the sooner you're reborn; the longer you savor it, the more tormenting it becomes." Jiu Ya stared wide-eyed, her mouth tightly shut. After a while, she still felt the ginger taste in her mouth. She forced herself to remain calm and said casually, "Sister-in-law Gu, was this ginger just cut? It tastes strangely fresh."
“Yes, freshly cut old ginger.” Sister-in-law Gu smiled, fine wrinkles appearing at the corners of her eyes. “Ginger soup made with old ginger is the most effective. After a bowl of strong ginger soup, and a good night’s sleep, you’re sure to not catch a cold the next day.”
While the two women were talking, Rong Jiang slowly finished her ginger soup, almost as quickly as she would have sipped tea. Her movements were elegant and composed, as if she were savoring some fine nectar rather than a bowl of spicy ginger soup.
Seeing this, Jiu Ya was extremely impressed. How could Rong Jiang drink such a large bowl of ginger soup without changing her expression? The key is that Rong Jiang drank it slowly!
Seeing that Rong Jiang didn't seem to mind the ginger soup, Jiu Ya tentatively asked, "Ranran, would you like to have another bowl?"
Rong Jiang's perfect smile faltered slightly, and she chuckled softly, "One bowl is enough."
Just because she looks normal doesn't mean she likes drinking this stuff! Rong Jiang thought to herself. The spiciness of this ginger soup far exceeded her expectations. It was already difficult for her to finish it without changing her expression. Another bowl would be unbearable.
Jiu Ya said worriedly, "But I felt your hands were so cold just now. Did you catch a cold from being caught in the rain?" She remembered the icy touch of Rong Jiang's hands before, and she was still a little worried.
Jiu Ya knows herself very well. Even if she gets soaked for a whole day and night, she will still be lively and energetic. But Rong Jiang is different. Rong Jiang looks quite fragile and needs to be carefully cared for.
“She didn’t catch a cold.” Rong Jiang shook her head, a sly glint in her eyes, and the corners of her lips turned up slightly. “It was just that A-Jiu’s hands were cold. Shouldn’t A-Jiu drink another bowl of ginger soup?”
"Huh? I already drank a big bowl of ginger soup, that's enough!" Jiu Ya hurriedly refused. She didn't want to drink another bowl of ginger soup; wouldn't her stomach be full of ginger soup? That was simply too terrible. Her face showed obvious resistance, which amused Rong Jiang to smile gently.
Seeing the two getting along so well, Sister-in-law Gu couldn't help but ask, "Miss Shang, are you and Miss Rong sisters?"
“We’re cousins, we’re traveling together!” Jiu Ya spoke first, referring to herself as a cousin.
"So you're cousins! You look more like real sisters!" Sister-in-law Gu exclaimed with admiration. Rong Jiang and Jiu Ya were both exceptionally beautiful; one was elegant and refined, the other bright and charming; one had lively almond eyes, the other had captivating phoenix eyes. If they were to be similar, it would only be in their beauty, but their tacit understanding and intimacy truly made them seem like real sisters.
Jiu Ya laughed loudly, "Sister-in-law Gu has a good eye. Actually, I also think I look like Rong Jiang. Rong Jiang is an unparalleled beauty. Looking like Rong Jiang means I am also a beauty, hahaha."
When Jiu Ya directly said that the two of them were cousins, Rong Jiang couldn't help but twitch her lips. What kind of talk was that? When did they become cousins? She glanced at Jiu Ya and saw that the other girl had an innocent smile on her face, as if what she had just said was perfectly natural.
Jiu Ya is a member of the Li clan in Shenyan Lane. The two of them could indeed be considered relatives, perhaps even distant cousins, though the relationship was so distant as to be almost negligible. Jiu Ya spoke so casually, seemingly unafraid of being exposed.
Rong Jiang remained silent, not exposing Jiu Ya's fabricated story. She picked up the rough porcelain teacup on the table and took a small sip. The tea was wild mountain tea, with a bittersweet taste, possessing a unique flavor.
Jiu Ya said without any hesitation, "Yes, we're very close, almost like sisters." Her eyes sparkled as she said this. She even reached out and took Rong Jiang's arm, leaning close to her affectionately.
Jiu Ya hoped these words would come true. As the boss's best friend, as close as a sister, why should she worry about her life? No! The boss would always be her strongest support. Thinking of this, Jiu Ya's smile grew even brighter, and the strength in her hands unconsciously increased.
Rong Jiang felt the pressure on her arm and frowned slightly, but she didn't push Jiu Ya away. She looked up at Sister-in-law Gu and saw that the other woman had a simple smile on her face, clearly believing Jiu Ya's words.
Sister-in-law Gu nodded in agreement. "It's obvious that the two girls have a very good relationship." She said with a smile, fine lines appearing at the corners of her eyes. "My two girls are the same. They're inseparable all the time. Sometimes they're as close as one person, and other times they argue fiercely over the smallest things."
"It's been raining for quite a while." Aunt Gu looked up and saw small puddles in the yard, rainwater constantly falling and splashing into tiny droplets. The rainwater flowed down the eaves, forming a transparent curtain of water that slightly distorted the scene in the yard. "Miss Shang, haven't you had lunch yet?"
"Sister-in-law Gu, we brought some dry rations," Jiu Ya said. She patted the package she was carrying, which indeed contained some durable biscuits and dried meat.
Sister-in-law Gu slapped her thigh and said, "We're already home, why are we still eating dry food? My cooking skills are just so-so, but they're still edible. Wait a minute, I'll go to the kitchen and cook a few dishes for you!" As she spoke, she was about to get up when Jiu Ya gently tugged at her sleeve.
Seeing that Sister-in-law Gu had already stood up and was about to go to the kitchen to start working, Jiu Ya quickly stopped her, "Sister-in-law Gu, there's no need to trouble yourself. We ate a lot this morning and aren't hungry now. We'll just have some dry food to eat, so as not to trouble you to start the fire again."
"What's the trouble? The water in the kitchen is still warm." Aunt Gu waved her hand dismissively and said, "It's just a matter of having a couple more pairs of chopsticks. You've come all this way and encountered this rain, we can't expect you to eat dry biscuits, can we?"
Just then, Bai Yu returned after delivering the things to Li Yue and heard what Sister-in-law Gu said. She stood at the door, gently shaking the water droplets off her umbrella, and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law Gu, there's no need to trouble yourself. My young ladies aren't really hungry. If it's convenient, could you please use the kitchen? I'll just make some simple food."
Unable to refuse, Gu's sister-in-law finally took Bai Yu to the kitchen, where Bai Yu prepared some simple dishes to bring back for Jiu Ya and Rong Jiang. Although the dishes were simple, they were steaming hot: a bowl of vegetable soup, a plate of stir-fried cured pork with bamboo shoots, and freshly steamed rice, all emitting an enticing aroma.
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