Chapter 6

Gu Xinxin nodded. “That’s right, I’m just this week. If you don’t believe me, go ask a doctor in town.”

Gu Chenshi anxiously said, “Da Niu! About the eggs…”

Gu Xinxin looked at Old Mrs. Gu, who kept her eyes downcast as if deaf. Those two sets of clothes had been made for nothing. But Gu Xinxin couldn’t just let it go. She approached Old Mrs. Gu and whispered in her ear, “Grandma, didn’t you eat those eggs too? My stepmother says eggs shouldn’t be eaten for free. What do you think?”

Since everyone had eaten them, shouldn’t Old Mrs. Gu also be punished?

Old Mrs. Gu jolted, looking up at Gu Chenshi, then at Gu Daniu. “Da Niu, your mother is old now. Can’t I even eat an egg?”

Gu Daniu said impatiently, “Of course you can eat them! Didn’t I say anything about it? Enough already, I said to drop it. Don’t bring this up again. Since Xinxin’s health is weak, she’ll start learning horse stance with me tomorrow. Later when I teach Xiangrong hunting, she can learn whatever she’s capable of.”

He didn’t expect Gu Xinxin to become a hunter, nor did he know any other martial arts, so having her learn hunting was the only option.

As a hunter, he himself was quite healthy at least stronger than eighty percent of the men in the village. This proved that hunting could build physical strength.

Gu Xinxin was pleased to further improve her relationship with Gu Daniu. She quickly pushed the remaining items toward him. “These are for Father and Grandma. When I first came in, Father shouted at me and I got scared, so I forgot about them. I just remembered now.”

Before Gu Daniu could respond, Gu Wenshu scurried over. “I smelled something sweet earlier! “Is it pastries?”

Gu Qiuhe also approached, craning her neck to look at the table.

Gu Daniu opened the package, casually distributing pastries to Gu Wenshu and Gu Qiuhe before handing the pork to Gu Chenshi. “Make dumplings tomorrow with some leeks.”

Gu Chenshi’s face darkened, but since it was already dark outside, it wasn’t noticeable, and Gu Daniu didn’t pay any attention anyway.

Gu Xinxin called Gu Qiuhe, “Help me heat water for bathing, and I’ll give you a hair ribbon.”

Gu Qiuhe was overjoyed. “Really?”

Gu Xinxin nodded, pulling out a red hair ribbon and waving it before Gu Qiuhe. The shopkeeper had given her two ribbons when she bought clothes, she kept one for herself and was using the other as bait. If you want livestock to work, don’t you need to feed them some food?

Gu Chenshi was furious. Was her daughter Gu Xinxin’s servant?

Just as she was about to call Gu Qiuhe back, Gu Xinxin added, “If you help me carry water, I’ll give you a pouch.”

It was a gift from buying clothes for Gu Daniu, which she had kept for herself. There was no way she would spend money again, so she had to make the most of everything. All the accessory gifts from clothing purchases had been separated out.

Besides the hair ribbon and pouch, there were also two sachets.

Gu Wenshu hesitated slightly. He was a boy, not a girl who liked accessories.

Gu Xinxin continued, “You can use it to store pastries, copper coins, or those little stones you usually collect…”

Gu Wenshu immediately nodded. “I’ll carry water for you.”

Gu Xinxin turned to look at Gu Chenshi and raised his eyebrow slightly. Gu Chenshi clutched her chest and called to her children, “Gu Wenshu, Gu Qiuhe! Both of you come back here!”

Gu Wenshu glanced at his mother, then after a moment dashed toward the kitchen. “I’m going to fetch water!”
Gu Qiuhe quickly followed her own brother: “I’ll go boil water. Since Big Brother already has the fire going, it’ll save me from lighting another one.”

Gu Daniu glanced at Gu Xinxin, snorted, then stood up and headed into the room with his new clothes. Since the matter was settled, he wanted to try on his new outfit.

Gu Chenshi followed him inside: “Da Niu…”

“Be more careful from now on, watch your tongue. Xin Xin is reaching marriageable age. If you ruin her reputation, you’ll see how I deal with you,” Gu Daniu said while changing clothes. Gu Chenshi was furious: “Da Niu, do you actually believe what she said?”

Gu Daniu paused before responding: “Whether I believe it or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that she managed to bring these things home.”

Meaning she had ways to get money.

No matter how she obtained it, being able to get it showed her capability.

“But what if she’s done something bad that brings trouble to our family…” Gu Chenshi argued. She claimed to have saved the magistrate’s daughter, but what if she offended the magistrate instead?

Gu Daniu shook his head: “Not possible. She treasures Xiangrong deeply. As long as Xiangrong remains in this household, she’ll have to protect the Gu family.”

Gu Chenshi ran out of arguments. Gu Daniu stretched out his arms: “Come check if this feels a bit tight under my arms?”

Gu Chenshi took a look and said irritably: “No, you just didn’t adjust it properly.”

She reached out to straighten Gu Daniu’s clothes, smoothing them out before saying: “Then from now on, all the household chores will be her responsibility. Don’t say I’m making her do too much work. A young girl needs to learn household skills, otherwise she’ll be looked down upon when she marries into another family.”

Gu Daniu grunted in acknowledgment, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Gu Chenshi took it as his consent.

Gu Xinxin slept exceptionally well that night, partly because the medicinal herbs had calming effects, and partly because she felt relieved, no longer worrying about her money being stolen.

However, before dawn the next day, knocking sounds came from outside the window: “Xin Xin, Xin Xin, time to get up and make breakfast.”

Gu Xinxin pulled the quilt over her head, pretending not to hear. But the knocking continued persistently, bang bang bang. Gu Xinxin lifted her foot and kicked Gu Qiuhe.

Gu Qiuhe grumbled impatiently: “What are you doing?”

Hearing the knocking from the window again, she pushed Gu Xinxin: “Mother’s calling you. Hurry up and go out, don’t disturb my sleep.”

Gu Xinxin kicked Gu Qiuhe again. Gu Qiuhe jumped up from the bed, glaring at Gu Xinxin, who sneered: “What, want to fight?”

Before Gu Qiuhe could respond, Gu Xinxin pounced on her, pressing down her head with one hand while slapping her back twice with the other, then dragged her to the door, opened it and shoved her out Gu Qiuhe was only seven years old.

Even though Gu Xinxin usually didn’t eat enough, having eaten well yesterday, the physical difference still gave her the upper hand against Gu Qiuhe.

Pushed outside, Gu Qiuhe saw Gu Chenshi and immediately burst into tears: “Mother, she hit me!”

Gu Chenshi’s eyes reddened with anger. She turned to charge inside but bumped into the door and it didn’t open. Gu Xinxin had bolted it from inside again.

“Open the door, you little wretch! Open it for me!” Gu Chenshi raised her hand and pounded on the door bang, crash, clatter. Gu Xinxin lay in bed yawning, utterly exhausted, yet unable to sleep thanks to this dream-shattering nuisance. What a waste of a perfectly fine morning.

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