Chapter 32 Embrace
Gu Jiao had never shared a bed with anyone in her previous life, not even her female roommate. She thought she might have trouble sleeping, but she soon fell asleep in that reassuring atmosphere.
She went to meet the Duke of Zhou (a figure in Chinese mythology associated with dreams), but Xiao Liulang did not fall asleep so quickly.
He looked at Gu Jiao lying beside him. The thin sunlight shone through the window paper onto her face. She was lying on her side, with the side of her face with the birthmark pressed down.
She must have been really afraid of the cold; her little face was flushed from the cold, her eyelashes were long, and her features were delicate. If it weren't for the birthmark, she would have been a beautiful and refined little girl.
For some reason, a pang of regret flashed through Xiao Liulang's mind.
But soon, he frowned again, erasing that feeling from his heart.
Xiao Liulang was a very good sleeper; he remained almost completely still throughout the entire night.
Gu Jiao was quite well-behaved. Apart from getting closer and closer to Xiao Liulang, hugging him with both hands and feet, and resting her little head on Xiao Liulang's shoulder, there was really nothing else.
Gu Jiao slept until dawn. When she woke up, Xiao Liulang was already up and sitting by the window reading a book.
Sunlight streamed through the window paper, illuminating his handsome, jade-like face. Gu Jiao wondered if it was just her imagination, but he seemed to be blushing slightly.
"You're awake." Xiao Liulang greeted Gu Jiao in a serious manner, but his eyes did not look at Gu Jiao on the bed.
"Hmm, I'm awake, good morning." Gu Jiao rubbed her eyes and yawned. She had just woken up and was still a little groggy, so her voice unconsciously carried a hint of lazy sweetness.
What normal man could stand this so early in the morning?
Xiao Liulang felt a surge in his chest and almost jumped to his feet: "I'll go buy breakfast!"
After saying that, he opened the door and left, leaving Gu Jiao scratching her head in confusion.
The snow stopped in the middle of the night, and the sun is shining brightly today.
Since the academy was closed today, the two hired a mule cart to return to the village after breakfast.
As I passed the village entrance, I overheard the villagers drawing water from the old well discussing: It snowed suddenly yesterday, and several people returning to the village at night fell and got injured. In the neighboring village, someone even overturned their mule cart into a ditch, and I heard that the person almost lost their life.
Xiao Liulang thought of the car he had hired to return to the village the night before. If she hadn't suggested staying at the inn for the night, they might have also encountered an accident.
Xiao Liulang was at a loss for words.
After all... this was the third time he had escaped a disaster because of her.
The two went home.
The old lady got up and was sitting in the main room, sulking.
Yesterday, Gu Jiao thought things would end soon and that she and Xiao Liulang would be able to get back before the snow started, so she only left lunch in the pot. Unexpectedly, the teachers at the academy were so good at getting things done and kept pestering Xiao Liulang about the heavy snowfall.
To avoid the misfortune in her dream, she had no choice but to stay overnight in town with Xiao Liulang.
The old lady doesn't know how to start a fire. Last night she ate cold steamed buns, and this morning she ate cold steamed buns again. Her teeth are almost falling out!
Gu Jiao was puzzled. "You're a poor old lady, how come you don't know how to start a fire? Are you the lady of a wealthy family, or the Empress Dowager?"
Gu Jiao silently took out a packet of candied fruit and a box of osmanthus cake: "You are allowed to eat two more pieces today."
The old lady exclaimed, "No! Five!"
Gu Jiao: "Three."
Old lady: "Deal!"
The old lady, holding candied fruit and osmanthus cake, turned her back and began to eat with gusto.
The news of Gu Dashun, Zhou Shi, and Liu Shi's arrest had already spread throughout the village, and even people from neighboring villages came to watch the spectacle. They were still unaware of the connection between this matter and Xiao Liulang and Gu Jiao, and they all went to the Gu family's old house to inquire about the situation.
At noon, two constables arrived at the door; they were looking for Gu Jiao.
It turned out that after Zhou and Liu were taken to the yamen, they confessed under severe interrogation where the silver came from: it fell from the person who fought with the little fool, and they were tempted by greed, so they took the silver back to the village before the little fool returned.
"Ah, I see. That explains why I couldn't find the two aunts when I went back," Gu Jiao said with a look of sudden realization.
The constable looked at him and asked, "Why are you fighting?"
Gu Jiao said coldly, "He bumped into me! He bullied me! He even cursed at me!"
She got bumped into and insulted, so she grabbed a sickle and chased after the person for several blocks. Girl, you're a hero!
If anyone else had done this, the constables would have been suspicious. However, they had already learned from Zhou and Liu that Gu Jiao was a fool, and a fool's behavior could not be judged by common sense.
Therefore, even after arriving here, no one suspected that Gu Jiao had deliberately waited there to ambush the thief, or that she had deliberately driven the thief away, leaving the silver for Zhou and her husband to covet. Even Zhou and Liu believed that it was all just an accident.
Only Xiao Liulang vaguely felt that everything was too coincidental.
"That person might be the thief. What happened to him in the end?" the constable asked.
"He ran away." Gu Jiao shrugged.
"Do you still remember what he looked like?" the constable asked again.
"He looks... um..." Gu Jiao gestured as she recalled, while another constable, who was also the yamen's painter, drew the thief's appearance. "Is that right?"
"Well..." Gu Jiao frowned.
At this moment, Xiao Liulang came out holding a portrait.
Gu Jiao's eyes lit up: "Yes! This is the one!"
The constable and the painter exchanged an awkward glance. How could a painter from a prestigious government office be outdone by a student? Did he feel like his livelihood was being threatened?
After obtaining the portrait, the yamen quickly solved the case.
However, Zhou and Liu were not released by the yamen immediately. The reason was that when the constables of the yamen came to the Gu family and asked them where the money came from, they insisted that they had earned it by selling mountain products.
The amount was enormous, and the person lied and refused to pay, which clearly constituted the crime of embezzlement. He was fined twenty taels of silver and given thirty lashes.
As for Gu Dashun, his mother and second aunt committed such a disgraceful act, which showed a corrupt family tradition, and he was also nailed to the pillar of shame.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
