Chapter 290 Acting Cute (Second Update)
Gu Jiao waited for a long time at the gate of the Imperial College but Xiao Jingkong did not come out. She asked the guard and learned that school had not yet ended, so she decided to continue waiting.
But before long, Xiao Sanzi rushed over, looking flustered: "Miss Gu! There's a patient who urgently needs a house call. All the doctors at the clinic are out on house calls, except for Doctor Lu, who is also unavailable right now because there's a patient at the clinic!"
"Understood, I'll go on the house call." Gu Jiao got into Xiao Sanzi's carriage, went back to Bishui Hutong to get her medicine box, and then went to the clinic to meet the young man who had come to ask for a doctor.
The young man was dressed in plain clothes and did not look like he came from a wealthy family. He had come by on someone else's carriage and would sit on the outer seat of the carriage with Xiao Sanzi on the way back.
The weather in May is no longer cold; in fact, it can be quite hot in the afternoons.
The young man was happy to sit outside and enjoy the breeze.
From the young man, Gu Jiao learned that the place they were going to was called Ciyouzhuang, which was similar to the orphanage in Gu Jiao's previous life. Ciyouzhuang existed in various places, mostly established by government offices, and some were also established by local gentry and wealthy families to show their kindness and benevolence to the people.
Since there was an orphanage, Gu Jiao casually asked if there was a nursing home.
The young man said, "Miss, are you talking about the almshouse? There's no almshouse on our street, only on Xiliu Street. It mainly takes in the elderly, weak, disabled, and childless soldiers and craftsmen. Not many ordinary people go there."
"Why?" Gu Jiao asked.
The young man smiled bitterly: "I can't accept them all."
Gu Jiao remained silent.
Welfare institutions are the same in any time and space; you can't just go wherever you want. But the starting point is good, and they do address some of the people's needs.
Salesian Manor was located in a remote area, and it took the carriage more than half an hour to finally arrive at the gate of Salesian Manor.
The paint on the signboard had peeled off, the door was cracked, and mold and moss covered the walls.
old.
That was Gu Jiao's first impression.
Upon entering, there was a large courtyard, similar in layout to their house. To the left was a small vegetable garden, and to the right was a small fishpond. The courtyard connected to several rooms, which seemed to be for adults.
After passing through the main hall, the second courtyard is where the children live.
There were many children's clothes drying in the yard. The material was quite good, they were new and clean, and there were no patches.
It was almost dinnertime, and the children of Salesian were all sitting in the dining hall on the east side to eat.
Gu Jiao took a sniff; the aroma of vegetables and meat filled the air, indicating that the meals were quite good.
It seems that Salesian spent its money where it was needed.
"Where is the patient?" Gu Jiao asked.
The young man said, "He's at the back, please follow me."
The patient was staying in a room in the third courtyard. The room was not well-oriented, so it was cold in winter and hot in summer, and it leaked when it rained.
As soon as Gu Jiao stepped across the threshold, she felt a stuffy heat, which made it easy to imagine how uncomfortable it was to live in this room.
The young man stood at the door, scratched his head, and said, "This young man and I will not go in. We will trouble you to treat Miss Gu properly."
Xiao Sanzi suspected that the other party had reversed the order of things. Shouldn't it be "I would be grateful if Miss Gu would treat you properly"?
Once Gu Jiao entered the room, she understood why the young man had said that. The patient lying on the cold, hard bed was actually Gu Jinyu.
Gu Jiao hadn't seen Gu Jinyu for some time, and she never expected to see her here.
Gu Jinyu was dressed in the coarse linen clothes of an ordinary person, and the hairpins and jewelry on her head were gone, replaced by two simple hair ribbons.
Her cheeks were thinner, but her complexion was not as fair as when she lived a life of luxury in the Marquis's mansion; it was clear that she had been exposed to the sun quite a bit.
She seems to have grown a little taller.
A hint of surprise flashed across Gu Jinyu's eyes, clearly not expecting it to be Gu Jiao.
She looked at Gu Jiao with a complicated expression, opened her mouth, and finally whispered, "It's you."
This time, at least she didn't call me "sister" anymore.
Gu Jiao didn't come for the title of "sister." She had accepted money from the person to treat their illness, and that was all.
She walked over and sat down on the stool beside the bed: "What's wrong?"
Gu Jinyu lowered her eyes and said softly, "I had my period and had abdominal pain, so I fainted from the pain."
“Stretch out your hand,” Gu Jiao said.
Gu Jinyu slowly extended her right hand.
Gu Jiao hadn't had much contact with Gu Jinyu, but she had seen these hands before. They used to be delicate as porcelain and smooth as jade, never having done any manual labor. Now, however, they were much rougher.
Although her hands didn't have the numerous wounds of varying sizes that Gu Jiao had, they had still lost their original luster.
Hands that have been used for work.
Gu Jiao took her pulse, then withdrew her hand and said, "Your abdomen has been chilled and you have blood stasis. Just take some medicine to relax your muscles and promote blood circulation. I'll also prescribe some painkillers. If the pain becomes unbearable, just take one. You don't have to tough it out until you pass out."
After Gu Jiao finished speaking, she turned around, placed the small basket on the table, took out the medicine from the small medicine box, put it into porcelain bottles, and wrote the usage and dosage on the bottles with charcoal pencils on the cloth strips attached to them.
Gu Jiao didn't ask how she ended up at Ciyouzhuang, whether she came on her own or was kicked out of the Marquis's mansion. After giving her the medicine, Gu Jiao planned to leave.
"Sister." Gu Jinyu suddenly called out to her, her expression and tone revealing a sense of bewilderment and unease, "Are Mother and Brother alright?"
"It's alright," Gu Jiao said succinctly.
"I'm sorry," she said softly, her voice choked with emotion.
Gu Jiao said calmly, "Patients don't need to apologize to doctors."
Gu Jinyu stared intently at Gu Jiao and said, "I know you don't like hearing this, but I'm really not just putting on an act. I spent some time at the orphanage and only then did I truly understand how hard life is for the poor. Your life must have been even harder than theirs, right? I heard that family often didn't feed you, beat and scolded you, and forced you to do chores. If we hadn't been switched at birth, I would have been the one to suffer all of this."
I stole my sister's life, but in the end, I was jealous of her because I didn't receive care from my mother and brother, and I looked down on her because she was a peasant woman from the countryside...
There were several clever and bright children in Salesian, but they were abandoned in such a place that they could not study or learn anything. Such promising talents were wasted.
If I had stayed in the countryside, I probably would have ended up like them. I always looked down on my sister because of my limited learning, never considering that these opportunities were given to me by her status. If my sister had grown up in a noble family like me, how much worse off could she be than me now?
I've always been unwilling to admit that my sister is better than me; it's my vanity that's got me in the wrong place at heart. I don't ask for my sister's forgiveness; I just want to tell her that I won't do it again. Whether you think I've reformed or that I've resigned myself to my fate... I won't be staying in the Marquis's mansion for much longer anyway.
As she spoke of this, her face was full of bitterness. "I really envy my sister. She got married and her mother and brother can still stay by her side. I don't know what kind of family I will marry into. My grandmother is already choosing a marriage partner for me... But in the end, I am not as free as my sister."
"Are you done talking?" Gu Jiao asked.
Gu Jiao's coldness was within Gu Jinyu's expectations. She smiled self-deprecatingly and said, "I heard that my brother-in-law has become the top scholar in the imperial examination. I would like to congratulate my sister and brother-in-law here."
Thanks.
After saying that, Gu Jiao went out with her small basket on her back.
Gu Jiaolang, her heart as hard as iron, boarded the carriage to return home.
While Xiao Sanzi was waiting for Gu Jiao outside, he chatted with the young man and several children from the orphanage. He didn't know that the patient inside was Gu Jiao's nominal sister—the daughter who had been switched at birth with Gu Jiao.
With nothing else to do on the road, Xiao Sanzi told Gu Jiao about the news he had heard: "It's said that the young lady is the daughter of a wealthy family, who came to the orphanage under an assumed name to do good deeds. If she hadn't fainted today and been helped into the orphanage by the cook, who discovered her token, we wouldn't have known she was someone of status. But she didn't say exactly what her status was."
Gu Jiao parted the curtains and admired the scenery along the road.
Xiao Sanzi continued, "The orphanage doesn't receive much money each month, and the children don't even have enough to eat or wear. It was only after that young lady came to the orphanage that their situation improved. She bought all the children's clothes and paid for their groceries every month. In this world, there aren't many kind-hearted girls like her..."
Gu Jiao didn't hear what Xiao Sanzi said next; she had fallen asleep.
On the other side, Xiao Liulang finally finished cleaning up the mess left by the little monk and came out of the Imperial Academy looking disheveled.
He was holding Xiao Jingkong's hand.
Although Xiao Jingkong's hand was being held by him, his little head drooped, and his little body expressed endless resistance, looking like a pitiful little thing about to be dragged home by a slave trader.
Seeing the little guy's unwilling look, Xiao Liulang sneered, "Heh, this time I won't cover for you!"
He realized that since they always covered for him, he had become complacent and fearless.
Last time, he made Master Sun cry; this time, he shaved half the class's heads.
He really dares to shave!
Xiao Jingkong snorted aggrievedly, "I already said they made me shave my head. Shouldn't classmates help each other and be friendly and united? What's wrong with me helping them? Instead of praising me for being broad-minded and not caring that they became smarter and competed with me for first place, you went to tell Jiaojiao about me. You're being unreasonable!"
"You want to reason with me? Fine, I'll explain." Xiao Liulang stopped in his tracks, looking at him seriously in the quiet alley. "If they tell you to shave your head, you shave it. But if they tell you to get the lowest score in the exam, would you get the lowest score?"
Xiao Jingkong pursed her lips and stammered, "I...I would like to take the exam! But my abilities don't allow it!"
Xiao Liulang: Hehe.
Xiao Liulang continued, "Also, isn't it explicitly forbidden to bring knives into the Imperial Academy?"
Wash it again, wash it for me again.
The small purifier can't be used anymore.
They were definitely caught red-handed.
However, if hard tactics don't work, then try softer ones.
Little Jingkong looked at him adorably and wiggled her little body: "Sister~ Can we not tell Jiaojiao?"
Xiao Liulang's body trembled. No cuteness allowed!
This incident has indeed caused quite a bit of trouble. In the Zhao Kingdom, men are no longer allowed to shave their heads at will after they turn twelve. However, most people stop shaving their heads at the age of two or three, unless they are injured or ill.
Among them, the royal family's rules are the strictest, and today he shaved the prince's head first!
If Qin Chuyu hadn't cried and insisted that he had shaved his head, he probably would have been dragged into the palace and interrogated by now.
However, because he shaved the heads of all the princes, the ministers and their families dared not say anything.
What else? Even the emperor hasn't yet stood up for his son, and they're already rushing to complain about being wronged—
What? Are their children more precious than princes?
Xiao Jingkong's attempt to be cute failed.
With a sigh, she reluctantly accepted the fact that her wicked brother-in-law was going to report her.
When they got home, they found that Gu Jiao had gone out to make house calls.
Xiao Liulang pointed to the inner wall of the front yard: "You stay here and reflect on your mistakes until Jiaojiao comes back."
Little Jingkong lowered his head and obediently stood by the wall.
It is said that Marquis Xuanping went to handle a case outside the city today. On his way back to the manor, he passed by Bishui Hutong and decided to stop by for a look.
The gate to the courtyard was open.
As soon as he stepped across the threshold, he saw a pitiful little kid, his face pressed against the wall, his tiny fingers scratching at the wall with obvious distress.
Oh my, isn't this the little guy who ganged up on the young envoy from Liang Kingdom with Qin Chuyu and Xu Shangshu's youngest son in the palace last time?
Marquis Xuanping smiled and walked over, poking his little shoulder with his finger from behind.
Xiao Jingkong turned around and looked at Xuanping Hou with a resentful expression: "What?"
Both flustered and adorable, Marquis Xuanping suddenly felt an interest in teasing the little guy. He raised the corner of his right lip slightly and said with a smile, "You've gotten into trouble again? Tell me about it, and I'll give you some advice."
Xiao Jingkong is a person who cares about his reputation, and he would never admit in public that he had caused trouble and been punished: "Who are you? Are we that familiar?"
Marquis Xuanping laughed and said, "Oh dear, you cried so much last time that I was covered in snot, and you're already trying to deny it after only a few days."
When this is mentioned, Xiao Jingkong is indeed a little embarrassed.
Although he cares about his reputation, he is also reasonable.
He saved Uncle Shuai's life, and Uncle Shuai helped him; they had a very close relationship.
Xiao Jingkong's expression softened considerably, and he asked, "My name is Jingkong, what's your name?"
Marquis Xuanping found Xiao Jingkong quite interesting and, thankfully, he didn't put on airs and truthfully replied, "My name is Xiao Ji."
Xiao Jingkong's eyes widened: "Chicken? You're a chicken?"
Marquis Xuanping's smile froze. He gritted his teeth and said, "It's Xiao Ji... Fine, if you don't understand, then just call me Marquis Xiao."
He wasn't as unfamiliar as Marquis Xuanping.
To his surprise, Xiao Jingkong's eyes widened even more, and he looked at him with a complicated expression: "How come you've become a little monkey again? Are you a chicken or a monkey?"
What chicken or monkey!
Marquis Xuanping's teeth chattered: "It's Marquis Xiao! The monkey from Monkey King's name!"
grass!
I've been misled!
He clearly meant to say "Hou" as in "Lord Hou"!
Marquis Xuanping, with a toothache, said, "Forget it, let's go with Xiao Ji!"
Xiao Jingkong's expression was even more indescribable.
(End of this chapter)
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