Chapter 56 Apology
The stalemate lasted for quite some time, which attracted the attention of all the staff at Huichuntang.
Only three people at Huichuntang knew about Gu Jiao's medical skills: the second owner, Manager Wang, and the old doctor.
Although the others often saw Gu Jiao coming over, they only regarded her as a patient's family member.
The second boss and Manager Wang treated her very politely, and everyone assumed it was because her husband was a student at Tianxiang Academy.
Never underestimate any scholar; they may very well become local gentry, wealthy landowners, or even local officials in the future.
I just never expected her to do something like this.
"You wouldn't believe it, this usually honest person is actually a habitual thief."
"Yes, they stole someone's jade pendant and their jade thumb ring."
"I knew it! Her husband wasn't here today, and she didn't need to get medicine, so why did she go into Huichuntang? Was she eyeing that young lady? Did she follow her in to steal something?"
"She wasn't afraid of tarnishing her husband's reputation."
"Isn't that right? It's really unlucky for a scholar to have such a wicked wife!"
Of everyone present, except for the second boss, probably no one believed that Gu Jiao was innocent.
Isn't it obvious? She's so poor, how could she possibly have such a fine jade pendant?
"Miss, please keep the jade pendant safe." The maid said, bowing as she hung the jade pendant around the girl's waist.
Gu Jiao reached out to take it.
"How dare you!" The maid's eyes turned cold, and she raised her hand to slap Gu Jiao.
However, before her slap could land on Gu Jiao's face, Gu Jiao slapped her across the face and knocked her to the ground.
Everyone was completely baffled as to how Gu Jiao had made her move. By the time they realized what had happened, the little maid was already lying on the ground, her cheeks swollen.
The girl was also stunned.
Gu Jiao stretched out her small hand, scarred from years of hard work, lifted the veil of the young girl, and pulled down the jade pendant hanging from her waist.
Throughout the entire process, Gu Jiao held her breath and didn't smell the perfume on her body.
The girl stared at her with wide, almond-shaped eyes: "You...how dare you!"
A village girl from the countryside actually touched her!
After Gu Jiao retrieved the jade pendant, she didn't rush to put it into her purse. Instead, she took out a clean handkerchief from her bosom and wiped the jade pendant clean from head to toe.
The girl's breath caught in her throat.
Is this country girl... being disgusted by her dirtiness?
If Gu Jiao wants to annoy people, she has to be annoying in every way.
The girl felt a tightness in her chest, and she could hardly breathe.
The girl gritted her teeth and shouted angrily, "Report this to the authorities!"
"Who wants to report this to the authorities?"
Accompanied by a dignified yet cool male voice, the Dean walked over with a stern expression.
Another troublesome person has arrived, and the staff at Huichuntang quickly made way for him.
The dean entered the room, glanced at the girl who was so angry she was practically fuming, then at the maid who had been lying on the ground for a long time and couldn't get up, and then walked over to Gu Jiao with a calm expression.
His stance can be seen from where he stands.
He turned around and looked at the girl with neither servility nor arrogance: "Is this young lady going to report to the authorities? I wonder what has happened to make you so angry?"
His words were polite, but his tone was anything but.
The girl frowned and asked, "Who are you?"
The Dean said, "I am the Dean of Tianxiang Academy."
Girl: "Dean Li?"
Dean: "It is indeed I."
Dean Li's name is well-known in the capital, so the young girl could not possibly have not heard of him. Although Dean Li has retired to a small town to become a teacher, his influence in the capital is still there.
The girl was still polite to him. She glanced at Gu Jiao and said, "She stole our things and she's not giving them back to me."
"I didn't steal it, the jade pendant is mine." Gu Jiao may not care about the girl's opinion, but she cares about the dean's opinion. She is Xiao Liulang's wife, and she doesn't want to leave a stain on the dean's mind.
"What do you say about the jade thumb ring?" the girl asked.
"It accidentally fell into my sleeve pocket, and I only realized it when I got home," Gu Jiao said truthfully.
The maidservant said angrily, "That's not what you said just now! You admit that you stole it!"
See, that's why Gu Jiao doesn't want to explain to them, because they simply won't listen.
"Let me see the jade pendant," Dean Li said to Gu Jiao.
Gu Jiao handed the jade pendant to him.
Dean Li remembered that his teacher also had an identical jade pendant, and he also remembered that his teacher had given Gu Xiaoshun a New Year's gift. He roughly understood what was going on.
The jade pendant was given away by the teacher. Whether it was given to Gu Jiao herself or to Gu Xiaoshun, who then gave it to Gu Jiao, is not important.
The important thing is that Gu Jiao absolutely did not steal.
The teacher went into seclusion and did not want people to know where he went, so naturally he would not bring up the teacher.
He smiled faintly and said to the girl, "Miss, you've made a mistake. This jade pendant isn't yours. It was given to me by my teacher, and then I gave it to her husband."
"Her...husband?" The young woman looked Gu Jiao up and down.
"Her husband is my personal disciple." Dean Li unilaterally declared his sovereignty over his disciple.
That explains everything.
Dean Li's mentor was the former Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, who was highly regarded by His Majesty before retiring. It is not surprising that he would have items from the palace.
The girl was still incredulous. So many people in the capital wanted to become Dean Li's apprentices, but Dean Li had politely declined them all. This poor village girl must have married a poor country boy. How did she catch Dean Li's eye?
Just as the girl was beginning to have doubts, a shop assistant from Huichuntang came running up breathlessly: "Found it! Found it!"
"Achoo!" Gu Jiao smelled the fragrance of the jade pendant and couldn't help but sneeze again.
The jade pendant was found in the grass, and it had the same fragrance as the girl's. Compared to Gu Jiao's jade pendant, this one was clearly more like hers.
"Is the truth out now?" Gu Jiao asked.
"Even if you didn't steal the jade pendant, you definitely stole the jade thumb ring," the maid muttered under her breath.
"Stop talking, Yuru." The girl stopped her, glanced at Gu Jiao with a complicated expression, stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said, "I'm sorry, I misunderstood you, miss."
"Miss!" the maid exclaimed in shock!
Her young lady is the daughter of a noble family, how could she lower herself to a lowly village girl?
Even if she was wronged, so what? Just clear her name, right? Why apologize?
The girl said to the maid, "You should also apologize to this young lady quickly."
"But……"
"Apologize!"
The girl's tone instantly turned stern, and the maid dared not disobey, apologizing to Gu Jiao with a dark face.
The girl turned to the second master and said, "I hope this matter will not affect Huichuntang's treatment of my brother."
The second boss glanced at Gu Jiao without showing any emotion. Seeing that she did not object, he smiled and nodded to the girl: "Miss Gu, what are you saying? Our Huichuntang is dedicated to healing the sick and has a kind heart. We will not let personal matters delay the treatment of patients."
"Thank you." The girl nodded and left with her bruised and battered maid.
Dean Li watched her retreating figure, and said thoughtfully, "The Gu family? The Gu family from Beijing?"
The second landlord exclaimed, "Besides the Gu family in the capital, who else could raise such a talented and virtuous daughter?"
No one is perfect, but the fact that he was able to admit his mistakes and repent in time, and sincerely apologize to a humble village girl, shows that he is of noble character and has a pure heart.
What Dean Li didn't mention was that the young lady's name really was Gu Jinyu.
(End of this chapter)
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