Chapter 18 Blushing
Xiao Liulang left awkwardly.
We don't have any brown sugar at home, and the market is closed this late. If we need it, we'll have to borrow it from someone else.
Xiao Liulang never borrowed anything from anyone, let alone brown sugar that women drink when they have their period.
He stood under the eaves, his cheeks slightly flushed.
But after taking a few deep breaths, he still got up and went to the east end of the village.
"Aunt Zhang." He knocked on the Zhang family's door.
Aunt Zhang opened the door and saw him. She smiled and asked, "It's Liu Lang! What brings you here so late?"
"I...I've come to borrow some brown sugar," Xiao Liulang said, feigning composure.
In the countryside, brown sugar is a rare commodity, and most households don't have it. Aunt Zhang's daughter-in-law had just given birth and was in her postpartum period when Xiao Liulang heard that she had asked Uncle Luo to go to the market to bring her some brown sugar.
"Why do you need brown sugar? Is Gu girl pregnant?" Aunt Zhang asked.
Xiao Liulang's cheeks flushed again: "No, no!"
"Ah, so that means your period is here. What's wrong? Is this your first time?" Aunt Zhang, being an experienced woman, immediately understood what was going on when she saw his expression.
Unexpectedly, Liulang is also a caring person.
Aunt Zhang went back into the house, got a bowl, put a piece of brown sugar in it, and jokingly said to him, "A woman's period is a happy event, it means she'll be able to give birth to your baby soon!"
Xiao Liulang had no idea how he left.
He took the boiled brown sugar water to Gu Jiao's room. Xue Ningxiang had already gone back. Gu Jiao was lying on the bed, feeling a little weak.
He entered the house without looking to either side, placed the brown sugar water on the table, and said, "Drink this first, and call me if you need more."
After saying that, he turned and left.
Although he walked very fast, Gu Jiao still noticed with her sharp eyes that his ears were red.
Gu Jiao chuckled softly and drank every last drop of the brown sugar water in the bowl.
To her surprise, the brown sugar water actually worked. Her body warmed up, and she felt much more comfortable, so she quickly fell asleep.
That night, she had another dream.
She dreamed that she woke up late the next day, and Xiao Liulang went out alone and met Gu Xiaoshun at the village entrance.
The two went to the academy together and ended up in the same class.
Gu Xiaoshun was a reckless and irresponsible person. He slept through the entire first morning of classes, leaving a very bad impression. When it came time to assign dorm rooms, no one wanted to share a room with him except for Xiao Liulang.
The two were assigned to the westernmost dormitory. The room was in disrepair, and the roof collapsed as soon as they entered. Xiao Liulang was seriously injured, and Gu Xiaoshun was slightly injured.
The next day, Gu Jiao indeed overslept.
Having learned from her previous dream experience, Gu Jiao was much calmer this time.
Xiao Liulang is not here; he must have gone to school.
Uncle Luo's oxcart went to town, and she walked there, arriving at the academy at noon.
Gu Xiaoshun was fast asleep, slumped over his desk, until the student in front of him nudged him with his pen: "Hey, it's time to eat!"
Gu Xiaoshun rubbed his eyes and sat up: "Ah, is it time to eat?"
The students around him chuckled as they looked at the wrinkles on his face caused by the books.
Everyone in the class knew that Gu Xiaoshun was a privileged student who got in through connections, but no one expected that he was a complete idiot.
Even the worst class at Tianxiang Academy has never produced such lazy students.
Everyone looked at Gu Xiaoshun with a hint of disapproval.
Soon, their class's teacher, Mr. Zhang, arrived.
Master Zhang said, "We're assigning dorm rooms today. Four people to a room. Discuss it yourselves and then come back to me to get your keys."
There are a total of 26 students in Class B of the Earth zodiac, which means that only two people will live in one of the rooms.
The group was quickly divided up. Xiao Liulang's deskmate had two friends he had known since childhood, and he invited Xiao Liulang to join him.
Gu Xiaoshun's situation was much more difficult. No one wanted to share a room with him, so he ended up alone. There was also a student who had taken leave yesterday and only started school today, so he was also alone because he didn't know anyone.
Clearly, this student also disliked Gu Xiaoshun: "I...I don't want to share a room with him!"
"Hmph! Then I'll live by myself!" Gu Xiaoshun crossed his arms and looked up at the sky.
Of course he can't live alone. Is that lone student supposed to sleep on the wall?
Xiao Liulang said calmly, "I'll switch with you."
The student was so grateful he cried, thanking him repeatedly, almost calling him "father."
Gu Xiaoshun grinned and said, "Brother-in-law, you don't need to live with me! It's not that I don't want to live with you, it's just that I feel..."
Xiao Liulang took the key from Master Zhang and walked away expressionlessly.
Gu Xiaoshun smacked his lips and reluctantly followed.
All the good houses had been chosen, and the last one was the most remote. The two carried their bundles and walked forward.
They had only gone halfway when a servant came running up to them, sweating profusely: "Which of you is Xiao Liulang?"
Xiao Liulang stopped and turned around to say to him, "That's me."
The servant, panting, said, "Your family is here! They're waiting for you outside, saying it's urgent! They want you to go see them right away!"
Xiao Liulang is an orphan, and the only person who can be called family to him is her.
Xiao Liulang paused for a moment, then said to Gu Xiaoshun, "It's your sister."
"My sister's here?" Upon hearing it was Gu Jiao, Gu Xiaoshun perked up completely. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go find my sister!"
It's only a few steps away from the dormitory, so it wouldn't be a problem to put my things in there and then see her again.
But she said she had something urgent to attend to.
Xiao Liulang quickened his pace, carrying his bundle and leaning on his cane, and went with Gu Xiaoshun to the main gate of the academy.
The streets were bustling with people, and she was dressed in inconspicuous clothes, yet Xiao Liulang still recognized her at a glance.
She stood in the cold wind, her face red from the cold, and her brows furrowed slightly from time to time, perhaps because she disliked noise.
"Sister! Sister!" Gu Xiaoshun ran excitedly towards Gu Jiao.
Gu Jiao glanced at him, then quickly looked away to look at Xiao Liulang behind the crowd.
Xiao Liulang happened to be looking at her too. Their eyes met, and Xiao Liulang was stunned for a moment. Gu Jiao smiled slightly.
Xiao Liulang looked away and walked towards her.
"Sister, what brings you here?" Gu Xiaoshun asked.
"Oh, it's nothing," Gu Jiao said casually. "I just came to have a meal with you guys."
After saying that, seeing Xiao Liulang looking at her with suspicion, she straightened Gu Xiaoshun's collar and said seriously, "It's your first day of school, I'm worried about you."
The two went to a nearby noodle shop and ate three bowls of plain noodles.
It was the same restaurant that Feng Lin had taken Xiao Liulang and Gu Jiao to eat at last time.
Xiao Liulang didn't enjoy his meal very much.
Gu Jiao then said, "Isn't this noodles from your hometown? Don't you like it?"
"It's not as good as what you make." These words came out of his mouth, and Xiao Liulang was stunned after saying them.
Gu Jiao was also taken aback for a moment, then looked at him with her chin in her hand and smiled, "Okay, I'll make it for you tonight."
Gu Xiaoshun has a big appetite. He finished one bowl and originally wanted to eat another, but for some reason, he suddenly felt full.
"What did I eat that made me full?"
Dog: You ate my food, what do you say?!
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
