Chapter 17 Gui Water
"Ah—" Xue Ningxiang screamed.
Gu Jiao spun around and kicked the man away.
Xue Ningxiang was completely dumbfounded; she couldn't understand how Gu Jiao had done it!
After beating the people up, Gu Jiao left with her basket on her back, without even glancing at Xue Ningxiang, making it seem as if she had only taken action because these shameless scoundrels had blocked her way.
Xue Ningxiang snapped out of her daze and stood up shakily: "You...you wait!"
Gu Jiao continued walking forward.
Xue Ningxiang wanted to chase after her, but her clothes had been torn by those men, and if she went out like that, her body would be exposed. She was so anxious that tears streamed down her face.
Gu Jiao stopped in her tracks, irritably brushed her hair back, took her own cotton coat from the basket, and threw it at Xue Ningxiang.
Xue Ningxiang paused, looked at the cotton coat, then at Gu Jiao: "Aren't you...aren't you cold?"
"Give it to me if you're not going to wear it." Gu Jiao held out her hand.
"Put it on! I'll put it on!" Xue Ningxiang quickly put on the cotton-padded coat.
Gu Jiao's cotton-padded coat was a bit too tight, especially around the chest, which made Xue Ningxiang feel uncomfortable.
Xue Ningxiang bent down to pick up the herbs that had fallen to the ground and whispered to Gu Jiao, "Thank you for what you did just now."
She truly hadn't expected to encounter such a thing, let alone for Gu Jiao to come to her rescue. Her feelings were somewhat complicated, but no matter what, her gratitude came from the bottom of her heart.
It was at this moment that she truly realized Gu Jiao was different from before.
"You...you're not stupid anymore?" she asked cautiously.
Gu Jiao did not answer her question.
"She's still stupid..." Otherwise, why would she save him? He used to bully her so much.
Gu Jiao: "..."
Suddenly, Xue Ningxiang noticed the blood dripping from Gu Jiao's left hand: "You're injured!"
Gu Jiao said calmly, "It's not my blood."
She wasn't lying; it really wasn't hers.
However, for some reason, she wiped away the bloodstains with a handkerchief.
Xue Ningxiang turned to look at the four bastards lying on the ground, thinking to herself, "None of them bled, so where did this girl get the blood on her hands? What was she doing just now?"
The two left the alley.
Gu Jiao looked up at the sky.
Xue Ningxiang suddenly grabbed her sleeve, looking at her pitifully: "I...can I go back to the village with you?"
Gu Jiaoxiao frowned slightly.
She won't go back to the village.
Xue Ningxiang felt that it was reasonable for Gu Jiao to refuse, after all, she and Gu Jiao did not have a good relationship. Gu Jiao had already done more than enough to save her because they were from the same village, so there was no need for her to take her back to the village.
Xue Ningxiang silently withdrew her hand.
Gu Jiao said calmly, "I need to go to the academy first."
Xue Ningxiang's eyes lit up, and she looked up: "Can I come along?"
Gu Jiao didn't say anything.
He turned and headed towards the east of the town.
Xue Ningxiang tentatively followed for a couple of steps, and seeing that Gu Jiao didn't chase after her, she was overjoyed and followed.
Xue Ningxiang had bound feet, and women with bound feet walk slowly.
Gu Jiao scratched her head in frustration, but still stopped to wait for her.
When the two arrived at the academy, classes had just ended.
Xiao Liulang walked out carrying his book bag and was stunned when he saw Gu Jiao at the alley entrance across the street.
He walked over with a nonchalant expression: "Are you nearby today too?"
"Mmm," Gu Jiao mumbled in response.
Xue Ningxiang was shocked. It was at least seven or eight miles from the market to here. How could this be considered nearby?
Only then did Xiao Liulang finally notice Xue Ningxiang beside Gu Jiao.
A hint of surprise flashed across Xiao Liulang's eyes. He racked his brains but couldn't figure out how the two of them could be together, especially since Xue Ningxiang was wearing Gu Jiao's clothes.
Uncle Luo's oxcart was already waiting in the alley; we had notified him in the morning to come and pick us up at 5 PM.
The three of them boarded the oxcart, with Gu Jiao sitting between the two.
Xue Ningxiang used to have a good impression of Xiao Liulang, but after what had just happened, she was still wary of men and didn't even greet Xiao Liulang.
Xiao Liulang didn't care about Xue Ningxiang's attitude towards him; he just found it a little strange, but he didn't ask.
Gu Jiao gave her cotton-padded jacket to Xue Ningxiang, while she herself only had a thin padded jacket. She didn't feel cold while traveling, but once she sat down, she felt a bit cold.
Xiao Liulang looked down at his own court uniform, hesitating. Giving it to her seemed like their relationship wasn't that close yet; not giving it to her, however, meant she'd freeze. Just then, he saw Xue Ningxiang weakly lean against Gu Jiao, using her own body to warm her.
Xiao Liulang: "..."
After the oxcart passed through the alley, it met Gu Dashun, who was waiting there.
Gu Ershun had already been "chased" home, so only Gu Dashun was waiting for the oxcart.
Gu Dashun ignored Xue Ningxiang on the oxcart and only looked at Gu Jiao and Xiao Liulang, who had calm expressions. Thinking that they had also been calm in the morning, he suddenly felt that they had guessed this would be the outcome from the beginning.
But they said nothing and just watched as Gu Ershun was kicked out, which almost made him a suspect by the teacher.
Whose idea was it anyway? Xiao Liulang's? Or this little fool's?
A gentle breeze blew by, and Gu Jiao lightly brushed aside the strands of hair that were covering her face, not minding at all that the birthmark on her face was exposed.
This was a side of Gu Jiao that Gu Dashun had never seen before.
No, he had actually seen her before, on the morning of the exam. She had pulled him off the oxcart, and she had been just as nonchalant then. But he was too angry to notice.
What exactly happened to this silly boy? He suddenly changed his personality, suddenly stopped coming to the Gu family for meals, and suddenly got together with Xiao Liulang.
"Are you thirsty?" Xue Ningxiang took off the water pouch from her waist and handed it to Gu Jiao.
Even Widow Xue, who was always at odds with her, became her friend?
Gu Dashun frowned deeply.
When the oxcart arrived at the village, Gu Dashun jumped off.
Gu Jiao didn't try to take it from him. She just sat on the oxcart and looked at him with a faint smile: "Remember to take Xiao Shun to school tomorrow."
Gu Dashun clenched his fist.
——
After returning home, Gu Jiao felt unusually cold that day, with her hands and feet feeling icy. By nightfall, she had her period.
People from the countryside are often malnourished, so their menstrual flow is often late. This guy is already fourteen, and it's only his first time menstruating.
I don't know if it's because she fell into the water a while ago and was too cold, and then she was exposed to the wind today, but her stomach hurts terribly.
Having worked in the organization for many years, she was already used to all kinds of pain, but she was particularly intolerant of menstrual cramps.
Xue Ningxiang went to return Gu Jiao's clothes. As soon as she entered the house, she found Gu Jiao sitting in a chair with a pale face. She immediately asked, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing," Gu Jiao said calmly.
The woman who could kill four men with a single punch during the day was now so weak she couldn't even stand up. How could she be alright? Xue Ningxiang looked at her hand clutching her stomach and exclaimed, "Ah, you're on your period?"
Gu Jiao was too exhausted to pay attention to her.
Hearing the commotion from the house, Xiao Liulang came over and asked, "What happened?"
Gu Jiao didn't speak, but Xue Ningxiang said, "She's had her period and is in a lot of pain. Do you have any brown sugar at home? Make her a bowl."
Xiao Liulang was suddenly stunned.
Xue Ningxiang didn't think that much about it. She figured that the two of them had been married for half a year, so they must have consummated their marriage long ago. There was nothing wrong with talking about such a thing.
Good morning, everyone.
(End of this chapter)
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