Stumped by Sun Wanqing's question, Qiu Pingshuang bit her lower lip: "No, I was worried about him leaving every day before. Today, as soon as I heard that he went to Lingyue Tower again, I happily ran over. I haven't thought about those things you mentioned."
"Sister Wanqing, how do I talk to a man?" Qiu Pingshuang asked cautiously.
“I don’t know either. Apart from my grandfather, father, and brother, I’ve hardly ever seen any other men. Even when I was at my maternal grandparents’ house, I rarely interacted with my cousins,” Sun Wanqing said.
"What should we do..." Qiu Pingshuang's eyes reddened again. "Should we still go to Lingyue Tower?"
"If you ask me, it's better not to go. You won't know what to say when you meet him, which will only create an awkward situation. It will also make him think you are a boring person, which will backfire."
Qiu Pingshuang listened and slowly nodded, the joy in her eyes fading, replaced by a hint of melancholy: "Sister is right... right..."
Seeing her like this, Qiu Sunwanqing took her hand and comforted her, "Don't be discouraged. Now that you know his whereabouts, just have someone keep a close eye on him and find out where he lives. Then you can slowly inquire about more information than before."
"Yes, sister is right."
Sun Wanqing coaxed Qiu Pingshuang for a while before she smiled again.
***
Lingyue Tower.
Gu Jingheng sat ostentatiously in a window seat on the second floor, watching the crowds coming and going below. On the table in front of him were several snacks and a pot of tea.
"Young master, someone is watching us downstairs," Xu Meng whispered.
"Yes, I saw it too."
"As soon as we entered Lingyue Tower, someone ran away. It must have been someone from the Qiu family who went back to report. Young master, someone is looking for me. I'll take my leave now."
Gu Jingheng nodded, then smiled and said to Xu Meng, "Now that we've achieved our goal, let's go back. Oh, Xu Meng, have the kitchen steam a fish, but don't add salt or any other seasonings. Take it back for Gai Xue. Gai Xue likes their fish."
Gu Jingheng left Xu Meng at Lingyue Tower to wait for the steamed fish, and then left on his own.
Today, the weather was unusually not so hot, and he wanted to take a walk along the street.
As he walked, Gu Jingheng suddenly caught a familiar scent.
It was that faint, almost imperceptible floral fragrance.
Gu Jingheng immediately looked around and finally spotted a somewhat familiar figure from behind.
It was a woman with a woman's hairstyle, carrying a shoulder pole, walking lightly past Gu Jingheng.
Gu Jingheng felt that she was very familiar, as if he had seen her before.
As if possessed, Gu Jingheng unknowingly followed her to the city gate. Just as the city gate was in front of him, Gu Jingheng suddenly realized what was happening.
"What am I doing?!" Gu Jingheng exclaimed in surprise. "I'm actually following a woman, and a complete stranger at that. I really am..."
Gu Jingheng stopped abruptly. Although he didn't follow, he watched the figure disappear beneath the city gate before giving a self-deprecating laugh: "Gu Jingheng, Gu Jingheng, what's wrong with you?"
Then he turned around and went back to the small courtyard where he was temporarily renting a place.
Before even entering the courtyard, Gu Jingheng could hear the commotion coming from inside, and a few neighbors were curiously peeking out from the gate.
With a sudden jolt, he hurried back into the courtyard and saw plumes of black smoke billowing from the kitchen. Xu Meng, his face blackened by the smoke, was coughing while leaning over a stone table in the courtyard. Lian Yingtong, his face covered, was opening the kitchen door and several windows, letting the black smoke out.
"What's wrong?" Gu Jingheng frowned.
It's amazing how much of a commotion this has caused.
"Xu Meng wanted to boil some water, but he didn't notice that there was wet firewood in the fire. Not only could it not be lit, but it also produced so much black smoke." Lian Yingtong said, fanning himself with his hand in front of his nose, trying to dispel the pungent smoke.
"Young master..." Xu Meng said two words, then burst into a fit of coughing, "Young master, let's find a maid, or even a cook!"
Gu Jingheng shook his head helplessly: "That's all we can do. Yingtong, take Xu Meng to see a doctor, lest he get sick from the smoke and dust."
"yes!"
Lian Ying helped Xu Meng walk outside, when they heard a neighbor watching the commotion say, "This young master is really easy to talk to. He keeps such a useless servant. If it were me, I would have beaten him up and sold him off long ago."
Normally, Xu Meng would have already rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward to argue with the person, but now he was coughing so hard that his chest hurt, and he simply didn't have the strength to argue.
Having obtained Gu Jingheng's consent, Xu Meng, feeling a bit better the next day, immediately began planning to find a maid.
These three men, seasoned veterans on the battlefield, were utterly inept at the very least when it came to basic necessities like food, clothing, and shelter.
When it came to finding that person, Xu Meng immediately thought of that person.
The woman with a gentle smile in Su's Food Shop at the dock.
"Why don't we go and invite her?"
As Xu Meng was thinking, he took a step to walk out, but suddenly a small bamboo tube fell from the sky and hit him squarely on the head.
"What is that?!"
Xu Meng cursed under his breath; it turned out to be the bamboo tube he used to communicate with his brothers who were hiding in the city.
It seems there's something I need to do.
Xu Meng threw the note into the stove and burned it, then rushed into Lian Yingtong's room.
"I have to go out. Go to the dock for me and find that woman who can write down recipes quickly. Ask her to be our cook! Do you hear me? That gentle and virtuous woman!"
Despite Xu Meng's repeated instructions, Lian Yingtong nodded helplessly, "I remember, I remember! Su's Food Shop, a gentle and beautiful young lady!"
Hearing this, Xu Meng finally felt relieved and left.
After Xu Meng left, Lian Ying finished her work and, thinking of Xu Meng's anxious appearance, smiled helplessly and stepped out the door towards the dock.
***
The dock, Su Ji Restaurant.
He Liu was about to move the stool off the table when Old Mrs. Chen stopped her, saying, "I'll do it, you be careful with your stomach."
He Liu was about to prop up the window again when Su Yun'er stopped her, saying, "I'll do it, you be careful with your stomach."
He Liu couldn't help but laugh helplessly: "I'm not that delicate."
Grandma Chen set up a stool and pulled He Liu to sit down in front of the counter: "You're getting heavy now, and it's already hard for you to walk here every day. Just stay here at the counter and look at the accounts. We'll take care of the other work."
"Oh well. I wonder if Mo Niang is feeling any better today," He Liu said, wiping the counter. "She's been in so much pain this month, it's her period."
"I went to see her this morning. She was in so much pain that her face turned pale. She was already weak, and now she needs to rest even more," Su Yun'er said. "Yesterday I went into town to deliver plum juice to customers who had placed orders. I also went to the pharmacy to get some medicine for her. I asked Lan'er to brew it for her today, hoping it will help relieve her pain."
"That's good…"
Because Lin Moniang took sick leave, Su Yun'er has been filling in at the shop for the past few days.
The morning was almost over as the three of them were preparing the ingredients.
The three were busy when a young man appeared at the door.
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