Bo Qinghuan

Kapitel 16

Gu Zao hadn't expected him to say such a thing. She couldn't help but look at him closely. Seeing that his eyes were sincere and he didn't seem to be saying things he didn't mean, her expression softened slightly. She smiled at him and said, "I understand what you mean, Second Master. Since you've explained it, I won't hold any grudges. You don't need to take it to heart anymore. Just let it go like the wind, and let it all fade away cleanly." After saying that, she nodded slightly to him and turned to leave.

Yang Hao was initially pleased to see Gu Zao's expression soften, but upon hearing her words, his heart immediately felt empty and hesitant. He wanted to say something more, but didn't know how to begin. Seeing that she was about to leave, he became anxious, grabbed her sleeve, and pulled a small, exquisitely crafted red box with gold patterns from his pocket, placing it in Gu Zao's hand.

Gu Zao immediately recognized that the box was decorated in a purely Arabic style. Just as she was about to speak, Yang Hao withdrew his hand and said in a low voice, "This contains rose water that I brought back from the Arab world. The scent is not strong, but very elegant. The bottle is also a rare glass. You can take it and try it. Do you like it?"

Gu Zao was startled, her eyes still fixed on the box. Yang Hao, seemingly afraid she would refuse, had already turned and hurried away. By the time she came to her senses and wanted to return the item, only his receding figure remained, standing out conspicuously in the crowd.

The rose water he mentioned was perfume. At that time, rose water was extremely precious. It is said that only a few dozen bottles were supplied to the Song Dynasty royal family each year by the Abbasid Caliphate. Only the Empress Dowager, the favored concubines, and first-class noblewomen were fortunate enough to possess it. Even if others had money, they could not buy it. Therefore, there was a poem at that time that said, "Old favors are like rose water, dripping on silk and brocade, its fragrance lasts until death." Although the poem used rose water as a metaphor for a sad love affair, it also revealed the characteristic of its fragrance lasting.

This was something that people at the time would have been willing to pay a fortune for, yet he just handed it to her like that. Gu Zao stared in the direction he left, feeling somewhat bewildered. Suddenly, she heard Liu Hu's voice in her ear, and she hurriedly hid the box haphazardly in her sleeve. Her heart skipped a beat, and she felt like a thief afraid of being caught.

It turned out that there were many people and vehicles outside Daxiang Temple today. Liu Hu had a lot of trouble to find an open space to park the mule cart. He searched for half a day before he saw Gu Zao standing alone under the jujube tree by the wall. Only then did he struggle to push through the crowd and squeeze over.

Gu Zao smiled at him, and the two of them went to the juggling stall from before. They searched left and right but couldn't find their family members. Just as they were getting a little anxious, they saw a crowd of people in front of them and seemed to hear Fang's voice again.

Gu Zao panicked and hurriedly squeezed through the crowd, only to find her mother arguing with a vendor selling tangerines. She quickly inquired and then found herself both amused and exasperated. It turned out that Fang Shi had seen the vendor's basket of round, adorable tangerines and decided to buy a few for dinner. To her surprise, she had a winning streak, winning almost half the tangerines in the vendor's basket in just ten coins. Fang Shi, caught up in the excitement, refused to let go, while the vendor, who was hoping to make some money from the tangerines, was reluctant to let her continue. The two women argued, and her third sister, Qingwu, and the others tried to intervene, but to no avail.

Gu Zao noticed that her mother had lifted the hem of her clothes, revealing about ten tangerines inside. She quickly pulled Fang Shi away. Fang Shi was now somewhat obedient to Gu Zao, and seeing that it was her who had pulled her away, she reluctantly shut her mouth, even though she was still not satisfied.

Gu Zao noticed that the man selling tangerines was quite old, his clothes were worn out, and he looked miserable. Gu Zao felt a pang of pity. Knowing that Fang had spent a dozen or so coins to buy these tangerines, which were worth fifty or sixty coins, Gu Zao immediately asked his third sister, Qingwu, to pull Fang away. He then gave the man some money as compensation, and the man thanked him profusely.

Fang was in a good mood after getting the better deal. When she saw Gu Zao catching up, she only complained a few times and then left it at that. The group went shopping again, bought some things they liked, and when they saw that it was almost time, they went home together.

Liu Hu had been hoping to use this opportunity to get closer to Gu Zao, but all he could hear the incessant chatter of Fang Shi the whole way, so his wish was dashed. Once they returned to Ranyuan Bridge, Gu Zao took five or six tangerines from Fang Shi and stuffed them into Liu Xiaomei's clothes before thanking her and going home.

The ancestral worship was always performed at an auspicious time in the evening. Gu Zao packed several pieces of jade belt cake and lamb leg in a food box, along with a large basin of pickled radishes. Hu Shi carried over and personally escorted Qingwu to the alley to hail a car. She watched him leave before returning, and before she could even catch her breath, she and her third sister, Fang Shi, were busy preparing the winter solstice dishes for dinner. They cooked stuffed taro, shrimp balls with tofu, and braised lamb with chestnuts. They also made fried chicken rolls, which involved cutting chicken into large, thin slices, filling them with shredded ham and bamboo shoots, coating them in bean flour, and deep-frying them. The third sister peeled and ate a slice of the tangerines, but complained that they were sour. So Gu Zao peeled a few, marinated the remaining chicken, and stir-fried it with shepherd's purse to make tangerine chicken strips. Everyone said it was sweet, sour, and delicious, and it was devoured in no time. The family waited for Qingwu to return from the ancestral worship and dinner at Gu's house before washing up and going to bed. As Qingwu grew older, he was allowed to sleep alone on the plank bed that Fang Shi used to sleep on in the outer room. The remaining four people had to squeeze into the inner room. Gu Zao and the other three still slept on the plank bed, while Fang Shi insisted on sleeping on the makeshift floor mat, and soon she was snoring loudly.

Gu was already used to Fang's snoring. If it were any other day, she would have fallen asleep long ago. But now, even though it was late at night and all was quiet, she lay with her eyes closed, silently counting the highs and lows of Fang's snores, unable to fall asleep. During the day, she had hidden the bottle of rose water under her pillow, afraid that Fang's third sister would find it. Now, remembering it, she couldn't help but reach out and take it out. She gently uncorked it, took a sniff, and immediately her nose was filled with a faint fragrance, smelling like a mixture of roses and green apples.

Fang Shi rolled over on the ground, muttering something in his sleep. Gu Zao was startled and hurriedly groped to put the stopper back into the bottle, then put it back under the pillow. She sighed softly and finally drifted off to sleep.

Although the next day was still a day off, Gu Zao's family was busy as usual. These days were the busiest time at the night market, and they were unwilling to let the rest go to waste. In the evening, the whole family went to the night market and were busy as usual. Even Qingwu was running around non-stop. Gu Zao saw that although he was a bit lazy during the day, he was still the same as before and had not picked up the lazy habits of scholars. Gu Zao felt much relieved.

During the few days Qingwu had been home, he spent his free time reading and writing at a small table by the window in the inner room. An hour past noon, Gu Zao, worried he might be hungry, brought in a plate of steamed pastries. Seeing Qingwu sitting there intently writing something, she smiled and moved closer. Qingwu seemed very focused, only looking up when Gu Zao placed the plate on the table beside him. He looked somewhat startled, his hand trembling, and the black ink from his pen splattered onto the paper he was writing on.

Gu Zao glanced at it casually and saw that the writing was in neat, tiny characters, but it was extremely small, less than a quarter the size of a normal piece of writing. She found it strange and leaned closer to take a better look. Qingwu, however, hurriedly grabbed a book to cover up what he had just written, but Gu Zao quickly picked up the stack of papers. Upon closer inspection, she saw that they were all in a question-and-answer format, resembling the exam answer sheets she used to be very familiar with. Suspicion arose in her heart, and she couldn't help but look at Qingwu.

Qingwu's face was already flushed red. After being pressed by Gu Zao for a long time, he finally stammered out the reason: this was actually a collection of answers used in the imperial examinations.

It turned out that the imperial court would be holding the spring imperial examination next February, and all the successful candidates from various prefectures and provinces who had passed the autumn examinations in previous years had already arrived in the capital to await the exam. Although these people were well-read, some of them couldn't help but have crooked ideas. One method was to copy down the answers from previous years' exams in tiny characters, bind them into small notebooks, and smuggle them in. Those who were wealthy and wanted to cheat, and who frequented brothels and restaurants in the capital every day, were willing to pay someone to copy them for them. Although there were no candidates taking the exam next year in Shoudao Hall, there were still many people who associated with the candidates in the capital. After a while, someone took on this job. He couldn't copy them all himself, so because he was on good terms with Qingwu, he also assigned him a job.

“I see you and the mother and children working so hard every day, while I haven’t done a single thing. I’ve just copied this book and earned several strings of cash…”

Qingwu blushed and said in a low voice.

Gu Zao put the paper back and looked at Qingwu softly, saying, "I know you are considerate of your family's hard work, and your intentions are good, but this is something you absolutely must not touch."

Qingwu looked up and said, "Sister, I will never use it myself again."

Gu Zao sighed and said, "Of course I believe you. But think about it, what if you get caught cheating on the spot, and they find out you copied it? Wouldn't you be implicated? Once you're involved, no matter how much you study, you might not be able to pass the imperial examinations. Besides, your teacher Shi named the school Shoudao, and you understand the meaning behind that better than I do. If he finds out, what will he think of you?"

Qingwu was sweating profusely from Gu Zao's words. Gu Zao gently patted his shoulder and smiled, "You're still young. Since your family has sent you to school, we naturally hope you'll focus on your studies. When you have free time, come home and help us with chores, like you have these past few days. That will already be your contribution to the family." Remembering Qingwu's pedantic behavior at Daxiang Temple yesterday, Gu Zao continued with a smile, "Qingwu, for scholars, besides future wealth and happiness, the most important thing is to understand the principles of being a good person from books. For example..." Yesterday you said that gambling was a speculative practice and disdained it, but I think it's harmless. As long as you don't become obsessed with it and think you can get rich through it, it's just a small pleasure, and doing it occasionally is fine. Today you copied this exercise book, which seems like a small matter, but in my eyes it's very important. So in the future, you must not just stick to the rigid principles in the book, but learn to think for yourself about what is right and what is wrong. I don't want my little brother to become a bookish fool who, although well-read, only spouts Confucian sayings when he stands up.”

Qingwu blushed at Gu Zao's words and nodded repeatedly. Gu Zao smiled, patted him on the shoulder, and left.

After the three-day winter solstice holiday, Gu Zao had Qingwu take some homemade food and pastries to Shi Niangzi and send her off. Ten days had passed in a blur of activity, and there was less than a month left until the end of the year. Yang Hao never appeared again. Gu Zao had smelled the fragrance of rose water once that night, but she couldn't remember it at all. But then, that afternoon, another person from the Grand Commandant's mansion arrived at her home. It was none other than Huixin, still wearing a veil and an apricot-yellow jacket, looking very spirited.

Chapter Thirty-Six

When Gu Zao saw that it was Huixin who had come, although he was a little puzzled, he still greeted her with a smile. Huixin sat down for a short while, and when she saw that Fang Shi was not there, she lowered her voice slightly and said, "The old lady called me here, but she specifically wanted to invite you over to talk."

Gu Zao was taken aback, then smiled and asked, "Did the old lady say what she wanted to say? I'd like to be prepared."

Huixin thought about the old lady's instructions to her, and the smile on her face froze. After hesitating for a moment, she finally shook her head and said, "Second sister of the Gu family, I am really sorry. The old lady only ordered me to invite you to the mansion. As for what she wanted to say, I did not hear her mention it."

Seeing her expression, Gu Zao knew that she wasn't unaware, but simply unwilling to speak. The old lady had gone to great lengths to send her to invite her; it couldn't possibly be just to have her come over for a brief talk. She pondered for a moment. Nearly half a month had passed since the birthday celebration, and she and the Grand Commandant's mansion had become quite distant. Why would the old lady send Huixin to invite her? Suddenly, she thought of the bottle of rosewater, and a chill ran down her spine. Could it be that Second Master Yang had found out about giving her that bottle of water and was now coming to interrogate her? But then she thought it unlikely. Besides that, she couldn't think of any other connection between herself and the Grand Commandant's mansion. After a moment's thought, she smiled at Huixin and said, "Please sit for a moment. I'll change my clothes and then come with you."

Gu Zao went into the inner room, changed into clean clothes, and tidied up. After thinking for a moment, he took the box out from under his pillow, put it in his sleeve pocket, and then lifted the curtain to come out and followed Hui Xin into the Grand Commandant's carriage.

As the carriage traveled along, Gu Zao noticed that Hui Xin seemed somewhat worried as she looked at her, but she didn't take it to heart and instead smiled slightly at her. Seeing her composed smile, Hui Xin sighed inwardly, hoping that Gu Zao wouldn't lose her composure too much after hearing the old lady's words.

They arrived at the Zheng family mansion. Gu Zao followed Hui Xin along the old road and went in until they reached the north room where the old lady usually stayed during the day. They didn't encounter any familiar faces along the way, which put their minds at ease.

Huixin smiled at Gu Zao, lifted the curtain and went in first. Soon, she heard the old lady's somewhat familiar voice: "Since she has arrived, let her in."

Gu Zao remained standing there until Hui Xin lifted the curtain again, then thanked her and went inside.

A warm brazier burned in the room, but there were far fewer people inside than before; only the old lady, Madam Jiang, was present. Even Huixin had gone out earlier. Gu Zao bowed in the direction of the old lady, Madam Jiang, before stopping. At a glance, the old lady's expression was normal, except for a slightly somber look in her eyes. However, Madam Jiang beside her had a strange expression, staring intently at Gu Zao.

The old lady wore a jadeite ring and rested her hand on a sandalwood cane. Her sharp eyes scrutinized Gu Zao, but she remained silent. Gu Zao also did not speak, but simply smiled and met the old lady's gaze.

The old lady seemed to be taken aback, then shook her head, coughed, and looked at Madam Jiang. Madam Jiang then seemed to come back to her senses and smiled at Gu Zao, saying, "Second sister of the Gu family, I specially called you here today. It's not a big deal, but there is something that you need to agree to before it can be done."

Gu Zao smiled and said, "Please speak, Madam. If it is within my power, I will certainly not refuse."

Jiang glanced at the old lady before continuing, "It's all about my good-for-nothing son. He's supposed to marry the daughter of a Hanlin scholar at the end of the year, but these past few days he's suddenly started making a scene with me, and what he's doing has something to do with you."

"Little Tyrant Yang Huan?" Gu Zao was taken aback and looked at Jiang Shi with some confusion.

Seeing her like this, a hint of displeasure flashed in Madam Jiang's eyes, but she continued to smile and said, "To be honest, I never expected that even the old lady would feel the same way. Guess what my son is making a fuss about?"

Gu Zao remained silent, only looking at Jiang Shi.

Madam Jiang snorted inwardly, thinking to herself that he was still good at pretending, but on the surface she smiled and said, "My foolish son actually told me he wanted to take you as a concubine. He just agreed to marry that Hanlin scholar's daughter, and I scolded him for it. These past few days he's been even more enthusiastic, arguing with me every day. I'm really fed up, so I had no choice but to inform the old lady and call you over to ask for your opinion. If you also agree, after Huan'er gets married after the New Year, we'll bring you over as well. Although your family can't have any contact with us in the future, my household will still take care of them."

Gu Zao was terribly surprised by Jiang's first two sentences. After Jiang finished speaking, Gu Zao glanced at her expression and then at the old lady who remained silent. Gu Zao immediately understood. They both probably thought that the little tyrant had been bewitched by her and was therefore making a fuss about taking her as a concubine. Gu Zao didn't say anything more, but met Jiang's eyes and said calmly, "So that's why you summoned me. Since you want to know my opinion, I will be frank. I have absolutely no honor in being a concubine to your young master."

When Gu Zao said this, not only Madam Jiang, but also the old lady was taken aback.

Unable to contain herself, Madam Jiang snorted coldly, "Second Sister Gu, I don't understand what you mean. I asked Huan'er's servant, and he said he and you knew each other several months ago on the Bian River. You dragged him into the water so eagerly, wasn't it just to seduce Huan'er, all for today? Now, because of Huan'er, and seeing that you're quite clever, I'll grant your wish. I don't mind your status; once you're here, you'll be a good concubine, quite different from those lowly ones. Yet you keep making excuses, saying you're not fortunate enough to be a concubine. Do you actually dream of becoming the principal wife?"

Seeing her talking to herself, Gu Zao couldn't help but shake her head. She looked at the old lady and said, word by word, "Old Madam, since you specially sent someone to summon me here today, I will make things clear. The reason I took action on the Bian River that day was simply because I couldn't stand the young master's naughtiness and felt sorry for that little girl. That's why I accidentally offended the young master. I had no other intentions. If there is even half a lie, I am willing to be struck by lightning. Now, I am grateful for the young master's favor, but I know that I am far from worthy of him. Not to mention being a concubine, even the maids who are currently serving the young master are all a hundred times better than me. How could I possibly dream of becoming his principal wife? Please, Old Madam and Madam, put your minds at ease. Although my family is poor, I am content with my fate and have absolutely no desire to climb the social ladder."

Jiang was speechless at Gu Zao's words, which were both soft and firm. Before she could say anything more, the old lady glared at her, slammed her cane down, and said angrily, "It's all my fault for spoiling you all too much. You only bring shame to the Grand Commandant's mansion when you come out. Huan'er is not young anymore, and he's always causing trouble. If you, as his mother, don't discipline him properly, he'll cause a disaster sooner or later. Although I'm an old woman with failing eyesight, I haven't eaten for nothing over the decades. I still know a thing or two. Second Sister Gu is right."

Jiang was somewhat embarrassed and speechless after being treated so coldly by the old lady. She quickly glanced at Gu Zao, her lips slightly pursed, seemingly angry because of the embarrassment, but she dared not show it.

Gu Zao simply kept her eyes down, her face expressionless.

The old lady turned to Gu Zao, her tone softening slightly, and said, "Second sister of the Gu family, I underestimated you earlier. Now it seems you are self-aware and have some backbone. Let's leave this matter at that, and no one is allowed to mention it again. You can go now. As for my grandson, I will have his father take good care of him and he will not bother you again."

Gu Zao was surprised that the old lady had so casually brushed it off. However, since the old lady had already said so, she had given him face. So he took the opportunity to bow to her and Jiang Shi again before turning around, lifting the curtain and going out. After walking a few steps, he saw Hui Xin standing on the veranda about ten steps away, looking at him with some concern. He smiled slightly at her.

When Huixin saw that her expression was normal when she came out, she was a little puzzled, but she still walked over and said in a low voice, "Second Sister Gu, the old lady ordered me not to reveal anything to you, so I didn't let you know when you asked me just now. I hope you won't blame me."

Gu Zao looked at her and said in a low voice, "You always have to listen to what the old lady says, so how could I blame you? Now that everything is alright, I'll go back now."

Huixin opened her mouth wide in surprise, and stammered, "Didn't the young master want you to do..."

Gu Zao chuckled softly, "Young Master is of such high rank and noble status that I could not even be his shoe-carrying maid, let alone a concubine."

Hui Xin was taken aback, then burst out laughing, quickly covering her mouth and pointing at her shoulder, shaking uncontrollably. Gu Zao smiled, waved to her, and headed out the old path.

Now, Yang Huan, knowing that his mother would summon Gu Erjie to discuss that matter today, was happily playing with the two big-headed crickets in the jar in his courtyard. Everything looked pleasing to the eye, and he eagerly awaited his mother's reply. After waiting for half a day without receiving any news, he couldn't help but go to the east room to find his mother. Just as he excitedly stepped into the courtyard, he saw Bi'er pouting and with red eyes, coming out of his mother's room. He almost bumped into her. Normally, he would have kicked her, but today he didn't care and let her pass. He lifted the curtain and went inside, only to find that none of the maids were there, only his mother sitting alone on a chair with an embroidered stool, holding a hand warmer, lost in thought.

Yang Huan grinned and tugged at Jiang Shi's sleeve, asking, "Mother, did Second Sister Gu agree just now?"

Jiang didn't answer, but spat at him fiercely and said angrily, "You useless thing, that Second Sister Gu is just a widowed concubine. You're blinded by greed, which is why you keep nagging me to talk to her for you. Now you haven't even managed to get her to agree to the marriage, but instead you've made me look bad in front of the old lady and made me lose all face."

Yang Huan was stunned, standing there blankly with an expression of disbelief on his face. After a long while, he stopped and said, "I don't care. If Sister Gu doesn't come, I won't marry that damn Hanlin family's daughter. She wasn't even meant to be my relative, so why should I marry her?"

Jiang put down the hand warmer in her hand, poked his forehead and said angrily, "You good-for-nothing, you're already eighteen or nineteen years old, and you still won't give me a moment's peace. That Hanlin Xu has been chosen by the Emperor to be the Crown Prince's tutor because of his extensive knowledge. His daughter is someone others would kill for. Is it a disservice to you to be betrothed to him? If you were useful, I wouldn't have had to go through all that trouble. And if you keep talking nonsense, I'll break your legs with a stick myself, even before your father does."

Yang Huan shrank back, but his expression still showed some resentment. He muttered, "It was originally my second uncle's marriage, so why is he trying to put me in his place?"

Jiang gave her son a cold look and said angrily, "Say that again, do you really think I'm dead? That Hanlin family was just exchanging messages with your grandmother at first, how could there be any talk of marriage?"

Seeing that his mother was truly angry, Yang Huan, though filled with resentment, could only hang his head and leave dejectedly.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Watching her son leave, Madam Jiang picked up the hand warmer again and pressed it to her hand. Her eyes closed slightly, and she looked somewhat tired. In her heart, she kept thinking about how to make face among the wealthy families in the capital when her son held his big wedding after the New Year.

The story of this joyous occasion at the Grand Commandant's residence was actually quite serendipitous. The old lady, growing increasingly anxious that her youngest son remained unmarried, heard of a beautiful and well-mannered young woman named Jiao Nu from the Xu family. She secretly sent a trusted confidante to speak with Madam Xu, without alerting anyone else. Madam Xu, seeing that it was the Grand Commandant's family who had sent her a proposal, was somewhat inclined to agree. However, she secretly inquired and learned that the second young master of the Yang family was not only quite old and a commoner without any official rank, but also seemed to suffer from a hidden illness, which explained his delayed marriage. This left her with a lingering resentment, and she decided to secretly observe the young man's character and appearance on the old lady's birthday before making a final decision. When the day came, she secretly went to take a look and saw that the second master of the Yang family was a big bearded man who looked old enough to be the father of her daughter. She was greatly disappointed and wanted to refuse the marriage. But then she saw the young master of the Grand Commandant's mansion standing next to him. He was handsome and charming, and she thought that he would surely be granted a title by his father in the future. She also found out that he was still unmarried. So she started to have a plan.

The old lady had originally intended for her youngest son to get married, but when she summoned him to discuss the matter, Yang Hao refused without hesitation. The old lady was furious. She wanted to force the marriage, but feared that her stubborn son, who had always been somewhat headstrong, might refuse to run away, thus creating resentment instead of a marriage with the Hanlin family. She considered retracting her statement to the Hanlin family's wife, but hesitated to speak. Just then, Madam Xu came to the door, her tone subtly hinting at a marriage proposal to the young master of the Grand Commandant's mansion. Taking advantage of this, she summoned Madam Jiang. Madam Jiang saw that the Hanlin family had been a scholarly family for generations, and that Hanlin Xu had been promoted to Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, with a promising future. Furthermore, her husband was on good terms with Hanlin Xu in court, and she thought her son was also a man of importance. There was no reason for her to refuse to marry a daughter from such a family as her principal wife. She immediately nodded in agreement. We originally planned to hold the wedding before the new year, but since both families are prominent and the traditional betrothal rites are indispensable, we decided to postpone the wedding until after the new year.

Yang Huan was told in a daze that he was to marry the Xu family's daughter, but he had never even met her, so how could he have any feelings for her? Suddenly, he thought of the second sister Gu, whom he had repeatedly failed to win over, and he felt an unbearable itch in his heart. Relying on the love of his mother and grandmother, he took the opportunity to propose that he wanted to take the second sister as a concubine.

Madam Jiang had a good impression of Gu Erjie, but when she heard her son suddenly say such a thing, it took her a while to understand. She then secretly asked Yang Huan's servant to inquire and learned that the two had met on the Bian River outside the capital half a year ago. She also heard that her son had been dragged into the water by Gu Erjie and almost fainted. She was displeased, but she couldn't suppress her son's daily nagging, so she had no choice but to report to the old lady, which led to the scene just now. She thought that since Gu Erjie had been scheming, she would agree after pretending to refuse. Who knew that her words were soft but firm, making her lose face in front of the old lady.

As Gu Zao left the Grand Commandant's mansion, he looked back and gazed at the high courtyard wall where a corner of the flying eaves and heavy ridges were visible. His stiff back finally relaxed a little. When he walked to the bank of the Bian River through Zheng Gate, he suddenly remembered the rose water he still had in his sleeve. He took it out and stared at it for a moment, feeling that it was unusually heavy. He wanted to throw it into the Bian River, but even after raising his hand, he slowly put it down in the end.

She sighed softly and put the box back into her sleeve.

If it's convenient sometime, I should return it. Gu Zao looked at the rippling, clear blue water in front of her and said this to herself, feeling somewhat relieved before turning and heading home. Back home, Fang Shi had already heard from her second sister that Gu Zao had been summoned to the Grand Commandant's residence again. She was eagerly waiting for her return, but was greatly disappointed to hear that the summons was merely to ask about the recipe for a dish they had eaten last time.

As the end of the year drew nearer, the little tyrant indeed did not appear again, just as the old lady had said, nor did his second uncle. Gu Zao's slightly anxious heart finally settled down. The noodle stall, however, was busy until the 27th, and only three days left until New Year's Eve before it finally closed up shop, marking the end of this year's work.

Gu Zao did a rough calculation and realized that in the half year since he arrived in Tokyo, he had already saved several hundred taels of silver. Although this amount of money was still not enough to buy a single piece of land here, it should be enough for the initial capital of his business next year. If it really wasn't enough, he would have to ask Fang for help.

Gu Zao had made up his mind, and then smiled at Fang Shi: "Mother, this place is indeed quite far from Zhouqiao where we do business, and it is very inconvenient to come and go every day. Moreover, Qingwu is getting bigger and bigger, and the houses here are really too small. I was thinking of finding a house closer to there next year, preferably with a shop in the front and a residence in the back. Not only would it be more comfortable to live in, but it would also be easier to do business."

Over the past six months, Fang has witnessed her daughter's remarkable abilities in everything she does. She herself is not one to use her brain, and even when she does, she can't come up with any suitable solutions. Now that the family seems to have been taken care of early, she naturally wouldn't object to what Fang said. She was just worried about the high rent for the house near the city center.

Gu Zao laughed and said, "We're not renting the two gates of the Imperial Street, just something a little closer than it is now so we can do business. I'll find a reliable broker myself, you just need to eat and drink as you please." Fang Shi grinned from ear to ear as she spoke.

As the year drew to a close, Liu Zao's family remained silent, neither calling her home for the New Year. However, as was customary, since Liu Zao wasn't sold, she was still expected to return home for the holiday. Gu Zao helped her pack, including the new cotton-padded coat she had bought for the winter solstice, gave her extra wages as a year-end bonus, and packed her a bundle of food before seeing her off to the carriage bound for Shili Town. Liu Zao was reluctant to leave, her expression lacking the joy of returning home for the New Year. Gu Zao repeatedly told her to come back next year after the New Year, and seeing her nod heavily, she watched the carriage carrying the passengers depart before returning home herself.

Back home, though it was a rented old house, Fang was busy dusting and cleaning. Third Sister took out the piece of fabric that Gu Da had given her on the winter solstice and was cutting it to make clothes according to Gu Zao's measurements. Gu Zao laughed and said, "Didn't I say I'd make it for you? Why are you measuring me?"

Third Sister chuckled and said, "I've never seen you wear anything new all year round, but I've already gone to the clothing shops on the street, found the best styles in the capital right now, and made them to your satisfaction."

Seeing her third sister's gesture, Gu Zao knew it was her way of showing her affection, so she didn't refuse anymore and simply smiled and said, "Then I'll wait for your skillful hands to make the new clothes."

The third sister tilted her head and glanced at Gu Zao, then laughed and said, "Sister is a strange one. You used to be better at embroidery than me, but now you are..." She chuckled as she spoke.

Gu Zao knew she was referring to the pair of green embroidered shoes her third sister had made for her last time. She had found them amusing and tried to embroider them in the style of twin lotus blossoms, but her attempts were crooked and looked like crabs crawling. Her third sister laughed at her for a long time, and she never touched needlework again. Seeing her third sister laughing at her again, probably remembering that incident, Gu Zao didn't mind. She just smiled and patted her face before going out to help Fang Shi clean.

The next day, Gu Zao took her third sister, Qingwu, to the market. Door gods, Zhong Kui statues, peach wood tablets, peach wood charms, and celestial travel scrolls—all things Fang Shi had instructed her to buy. Gu Zao herself also bought a large amount of New Year's goods, preparing for New Year's Eve. Back home, she made several soft, fragrant cakes herself, and soaked dried mugwort leaves from the market in water to expand them. She then wrapped them into pork belly and chestnut dumplings, each one the size of a baby's fist. A string of them looked adorable. She boiled them in a pot of ashes, and even before they were out of the pot, the house was filled with their aroma. She also packed a jar of pickled olives she had recently made, and had Qingwu take it to Gu Dajia as a New Year's gift. When Qingwu returned, he also brought a return gift, but it was nothing more than a jar of pickled mustard greens and a piece of pickled pig leg, so hard that even a knife couldn't cut it. Fang Shi complained about it several times, but Gu Da secretly slipped Qingwu a small piece of silver, saying it was New Year's money, which was about two hundred coins. Only then did Fang Shi shut her mouth and stop talking.

On the last day of the old year, snow fell heavily in the capital. By evening, the ground and rooftops were covered with a thick layer of snow. Gu Zao, in a burst of childlike enthusiasm, called on Qingwu's third sister to build a snowman in the courtyard. They added two fruits for eyes and a thin radish for mouth. It looked chubby and quite cute. When Fang saw it, she shook her head and said, "When it snows heavily, other families make snow lions. But you just have to be different. What kind of human-like thing are you making?"

Gu Zao chuckled, noticing it was quite cold outside, so she pulled her inside and closed the door. The door had already been repaired and was tightly shut. Inside, a stove with a chimney made it warm and cozy. As darkness fell, the family of four gathered around the stove, enjoying a steaming hot pot of mutton, along with stewed chicken with stone ear fungus, braised duck, stuffed fish, and dumplings with various fillings. They drank fragrant rice wine, chatting and laughing happily. Even the little black dog that Third Sister had bought and named herself was running around happily, whimpering and eating scraps. Gu Zao also drank a few cups, feeling a burning sensation in her stomach and her face flush.

At this time, there was also a custom of staying up around the stove on New Year's Eve. The family listened to the faint sound of firecrackers outside and stayed up until the middle of the night. The third sister, Qingwu, and the others couldn't stay up any longer and went to sleep. Gu Zao accompanied Fang Shi and saw that she was also yawning. So he persuaded her to go to sleep as well. He remembered that the gate to the small courtyard seemed to be not locked properly. He thought about going to check it and then went to sleep.

As soon as the door opened, a gust of cold wind carrying snowflakes rushed in, and the snow began to fall even heavier. Gu Zao, using the light from the snow, reached the courtyard gate and was about to bolt it when suddenly, through a wide crack in the door, he vaguely saw a dark figure standing not far outside his door. Startled, he opened the door a little wider and peeked out, only to be stunned. It was none other than the second master of the Yang family, accompanied by a black horse with a constantly swishing tail. A thin layer of snow seemed to have accumulated on his collar; it was unclear how long he had been standing there.