Chapter 193 Scamming Brother
Gu Jinyu felt increasingly uneasy when she saw that her older brother had actually sent something to Gu Jiao.
She gave her elder brother so many gifts, but all she got in return was a thank you. Don't think she didn't know that the gifts for her birthday every year were prepared by Aunt Ling. Her elder brother didn't even know what "he" had given her.
Although she couldn't see what was in the box from her angle, how could something chosen by her elder brother be anything less than perfect?
Gu Jinyu wasn't interested in the items in the box; what she valued was her brother's sentiment.
A girl raised in the countryside, with neither looks nor talent, and prone to hitting people at the drop of a hat, what exactly does the eldest brother see in her?
Gu Jinyu did not meet with Yao Shi; she returned to the Marquis's residence alone, feeling dejected.
On the other hand, the conflict between the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War finally came to an end today, with the Ministry of War emerging victorious and the Minister of Works being severely reprimanded by His Majesty.
The Minister of Works was furious. After returning to his office, he summoned Lord Gu and questioned him about how he had handled things: "The Ministry of War said they had come to see you many times, but you always brushed them off with the excuse that they didn't believe you."
Lord Gu retorted, "Not many times. At first, he didn't explain clearly, only asking me to rush to produce such a large batch of weapons within a month. It was almost the end of the year, and the Ministry of Works had a lot of work to do, so it was really impossible to rush to produce them!"
Weapon manufacturing in the previous dynasty was not under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Works. After the founding of this dynasty, the responsibilities of the six ministries were redefined, with the Ministry of Works undergoing the most significant changes.
The Ministry of Works suddenly had a lot more trivial matters to deal with, but their salaries and status did not increase, making them the most hardworking and reliable among the six ministries.
Minister Zhao certainly understood that Marquis Gu was not lying. The Ministry of Works was in charge of the entire Zhao Kingdom's land reclamation, water conservancy, civil engineering, transportation, and state-run industries, including but not limited to weapons manufacturing...
As the year draws to a close, people are so busy that they have to work like three or four people.
But what is he angry about?
Lord Gu didn't even bother to investigate, and immediately asserted that it was impossible for the common people to have a more advanced wind-blowing technology than the imperial court. But it turned out that the common people did have it, and the Ministry of War brought it back!
Now their entire Ministry of Works has to go to the Ministry of War to learn blower technology!
Is this something a human being would do?
Does he even have any face left?
On his way back from the imperial court, he was almost laughed to death by his colleagues!
"I don't know whether to call you stupid or arrogant!"
Minister Zhao was furious!
Lord Gu curled his lip and said, "If you were here, would you believe it?"
Minister Zhao choked.
Lord Gu had an expression that said, "I knew it would be like this": "See? Who would believe it?"
"I...I...Why wouldn't I believe it?" Anyone can be wise after the event, right? Minister Zhao said seriously, "You didn't tell me back then. If you had, I would have sent someone to the county town to invite them here!"
Lord Gu looked up at the sky: Keep making things up, keep making things up.
Minister Zhao: "..."
How could the old Marquis, a man of great prowess, have such a simple-minded son?
But then again, he really couldn't believe it.
When the Minister of War first mentioned the folk bellows technology to him, he scoffed. That old man, the Minister of War, was quite cunning; even though the piston bellows were already on their way, he simply wouldn't tell him.
He was misled into thinking that the Ministry of War was just boasting, and he didn't hesitate to argue back, saying a lot of harsh words. Now, every single one of those words has backfired on him.
Minister Zhao asked, "I heard it was invented by a girl who was fourteen or fifteen years old. Weren't you in the county town at that time? Did you hear of such a girl?"
There are plenty of girls in the county town, and he has one in his family! Unfortunately, she was born to bring him bad luck!
"What's wrong? Do you know him?" Minister Zhao asked, noticing the sudden seriousness in Lord Gu's expression.
Lord Gu waved his hand and said, "There are plenty of fourteen-year-old girls out there. We can't just pick any girl and call her that one."
Minister Zhao nodded: "That's true, but I heard from the blacksmith that she's a peasant girl. Our Ministry of Works has suffered a great loss this time. If we can find her, we can definitely save face in front of His Majesty."
A peasant girl from a small town?
Could it really be that girl?
Lord Gu quickly shook his head decisively.
That girl is illiterate; it's more like she knows how to feed pigs and farm. Invent a piston bellows that can crush Liang Guo's water pumps? How is that possible?
Lord Gu said, "My lord, in my opinion, that young lady must be a disciple or family member of some reclusive master who does not wish to enter the world, which is why she has not revealed her identity."
Minister Zhao thought for a moment, then said thoughtfully, "Ah, right, I heard from the blacksmith that her surname is Lu... or maybe Gu?"
As evening approached, Gu Jiao finished her day of medical consultations and went to check on Gu Chenglin's condition one last time.
Gu Chengfeng had something to ask her.
Now, whenever there is meat on the table, he thinks of Gu Chenglin's surgery, those frames of images... they are simply too shocking!
If this continues, he might have to become a monk! He wanted to know if there was a cure for this illness.
However, Gu Jiao didn't give him a chance to speak at all and turned around and left!
"Hey, you're just leaving like that?" Gu Chengfeng asked irritably.
Gu Jiao looked at him indifferently.
Gu Chengfeng straightened his expression and said, "What if my brother is in any danger?"
“There is a Doctor Song,” Gu Jiao said.
Gu Chengfeng hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
This Dr. Song is obviously a novice. He was injured when the music hall collapsed, and it was Dr. Song who stitched him up. The stitches were crooked and looked terrible! And it hurt for a long time!
"If you're not satisfied, you can go to another clinic." Gu Jiao said casually, then walked to the door to hand over the case to Doctor Song, and gave Doctor Song an encouraging look. "It's rare to see such a serious patient with an injury to the heart. You should cherish this opportunity to practice."
Full of confidence, Dr. Song declared, "I will!"
Gu Chengfeng's face darkened: "..."
Is it really okay for your clinic to rip people off like this?
"Oh, right, let's settle the bill." Gu Jiao tossed a bill into Gu Chengfeng's arms.
Gu Chengfeng took it and looked at it: "Why is it another thousand taels! Didn't you say that Third Brother's medical expenses and other fees were only a few dozen taels?"
Gu Jiao raised an eyebrow: "This isn't his, it's yours."
Gu Chengfeng's eyes widened: "What did I do now?"
Gu Jiao shrugged: "I gave you an acupuncture needle too."
Gu Chengfeng was furious: "So you want a thousand taels?! And you ambushed me, okay? You ambushed me and you're trying to extort money from me?"
Gu Jiao smiled wickedly, her gaze sweeping over Gu Chenglin: "If you don't hand it over, you'd better watch out."
Gu Chengfeng: "...!!"
Madam Yao and Gu Changqing had already left. Granny Gui, who was always wiping away tears, was also chased away by Gu Chengfeng, leaving only a taciturn servant.
At night, Gu Chengfeng and his servant took care of Gu Chenglin.
Gu Jiao carried her little basket home.
Xiao Liulang and the other three returned from the Imperial Academy and Qinghe Academy. The courtyard was bustling with activity, full of the warmth and familiarity of home.
Gu Jiao didn't sleep all night. Xiao Liulang didn't want her to come back and cook, so he went to cook dinner himself, which was met with unanimous opposition from the whole family.
One meal of torture he inflicts a day is enough; if he gives them a second one, they really won't see the sun rise tomorrow.
Fortunately, the old master was home today. The old lady picked up a kitchen knife and chased him over.
Gu Jiao first put the small basket back in the east room, and then went to the backyard.
"Jiaojiao, Jiaojiao!" Little Jingkong came running over, tilting his little head up and looking at Gu Jiao with adorable eyes. "A day apart feels like three autumns, Jiaojiao, we haven't seen each other for three years, I miss you so much!"
Gu Jiao's lips twitched. Where did she learn this cheesy pickup line?
"Jiaojiao, do you miss me?" Little Jingkong continued to be adorable.
"Yes." Gu Jiao moved his little bald head.
Hmm, the hair stubble has grown a bit more.
Xiao Jingkong tugged at Gu Jiao's hand: "Jiaojiao, did you carry me over last night? Did you miss me terribly?"
Gu Jiao glanced at Xiao Liulang chopping wood in the yard and nodded to Xiao Jingkong, "Yes, that's right."
Little Jingkong proudly raised his chin: "I knew it!" Then, as if remembering something, he pulled Gu Jiao to a small basin, pointed to the little fish in it, and said, "Jiaojiao, look, my good friend gave this to me!"
"You have good friends now?" Gu Jiao was quite surprised. Xiao Jingkong wasn't a particularly sociable child, and she had never heard of him having any friends.
“She’s from the next class, her name is Xu Zhouzhou! Zhou as in drinking porridge!” Xiao Jingkong said.
Gu Jiao was pleasantly surprised to find that she had made friends in the class next door.
She and Xiao Liulang had always worried that Xiao Jingkong was too precocious, unable to play with his peers, and had a gap in thinking with adults. Over time, he would inevitably fall into isolation.
Xiao Jingkong showed off his little fish: "Isn't it beautiful?"
Gu Jiao lied and said, "...Beautiful, very beautiful. What kind of fish is it?"
She had never seen such an ugly fish.
Xiao Jingkong said seriously, "Xiao Xu said they are piranhas."
Gu Jiaoxiao's body trembled.
What kind of kids are these? Are they really that vicious?!
I thought you could make normal friends like a normal kid, but I was so naive.
Xiao Jingkong's aesthetic sense is quite different from that of normal people. His aesthetic sense was skewed by his master, and then he skewed the aesthetic sense of several young monks in the temple as well.
For example, red birthmarks, which are generally unacceptable to most people, happen to be the object of aesthetics for Xiao Jingkong and several young monks.
These fish are the same.
Not only did they look strange, but they also had fierce eyes. However, they had a patch of golden fish scales on their heads that shimmered in the sunlight, captivating Xiao Jingkong completely.
It was for these few pretty little fish that Xiao Jingkong took the initiative to strike up a conversation with a child at the Imperial College for the first time.
They are certainly not piranhas; that's just childish talk. They are just ordinary freshwater fish, but they are not from Zhao Kingdom. They were transported from Liang Kingdom, which is very precious.
Of course, little Zhouzhou didn't mention any of this, as he wouldn't understand anyway.
"Jiaojiao, can I keep them?" Xiao Jingkong asked Gu Jiao.
He is a sensible and polite child, and he always asks Jiao Jiao's permission before getting a pet.
Gu Jiao nodded: "Okay, but you'll have to feed them and change the water yourself. Also, none of us have experience raising fish, so we can't help you with that."
"Okay!" Little Jingkong nodded obediently. "Don't worry, Jiaojiao, I'll ask Xiao Xu for advice more often! I'll definitely raise them all to be plump! That way, when I grow up, I can eat them!"
Gu Jiao: So you raise fish to eat them?
The small poultry that were running around and making a ruckus in the yard suddenly fell silent.
At night, Gu Yan, who works for Xiao Jingkong, went to the chicken coop to feed the seven chicks, only to find that they had all refused to eat!
Gu Yan: "Huh?"
Dinner consisted of six dishes and a soup. The children in the family are all at an age where they are growing, so the old master prepared a very generous portion. As usual, Xiao Jingkong was given a separate meal.
He has a big appetite, but he just doesn't grow tall.
It's also a source of worry.
The old chief priest's culinary skills successfully erased the gloom brought about by Xiao Liulang's breakfast, and the whole family ate their fill.
After the meal, the old lady asked the group about their day as usual. Gu Jiao and Xiao Liulang didn't mention that Gu Chenglin had come, as neither of them felt that Gu Chenglin was worth taking up their family discussion time at the dinner table.
Apart from Xiao Jingkong making a new friend at the Imperial College, nothing particularly noteworthy happened to the others.
It was Xiao Liulang, who was usually silent at the family gathering, who spoke up for the first time: "There is a carpenter near the Imperial College who wants to take on an apprentice. Tomorrow is the ten-day holiday for the Imperial College and Qinghe Academy. I will take Xiaoshun there."
Gu Xiaoshun is passionate about wood carving. If he could find a reliable master to learn the craft, it would be a good path for him.
"Does that mean I don't have to go to school anymore?" Gu Xiaoshun asked excitedly.
Gu Jiao and Xiao Liulang said in unison, "Don't even think about it!"
Gu Xiaoshun: "..."
In ordinary families, children do not need to go to school after they have acquired a skill. However, Xiao Liulang and Gu Jiao are people who value education highly. Their children can have after-school tutoring, but they cannot drop out of school to learn a skill.
“Gu Yan will go too,” Xiao Liulang said.
"Why do I have to go too?" Gu Yan asked, completely bewildered.
Xiao Liulang: "You're free."
Gu Yan: "..."
From now on, Gu Yan and Gu Xiaoshun will begin a difficult life of attending classes during the day and learning their skills at night.
Little Jingkong shook his head smugly: "I don't need to learn any skills, I can just play, hehehe!"
Xiao Liulang gave him a cold look: "Starting tomorrow, add one more foreign language class."
Xiao Jingkong's face darkened instantly.
(End of this chapter)
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