Little Black lowered its head, snatched the snake gall, and swallowed it in a single gulp without hesitation. In an instant, spiritual power surged through Little Black’s body, and its fur began to ripple as if blown by a phantom wind.
Its green eyes grew brighter, and its body seemed to expand a full size before it curled up against Gu Qingyun and fell into a deep sleep. After about half a shichen, Little Black let out a long stretch.
“Master, I feel like I can run much faster now.”
Gu Qingyun circulated her spiritual power and examined it closely. She found that its aura was several times stronger than before, and its meridians had grown noticeably sturdier.
“Then run from here to the yamen and back. Be careful not to be discovered by anyone.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Little Black gave a soft 【meow】 and bolted outside. Its speed was several times faster than before. After a dozen or so breaths, it reappeared in Gu Qingyun’s room.
“Meow.” Master, from now on, whenever you go out on missions, I want to come with you. My speed will definitely be a help, and I can even deliver letters for you.
Gu Qingyun chuckled softly and scooped the cat into her arms.
“From now on, you must cultivate as diligently as I do. Become my right hand.”
The following day, Zhang Yutang and his parents arrived at the Gu household. They left behind a large quantity of precious medicinal herbs and food ingredients, departing only after offering many heartfelt thanks.
After resting at home for two days, Gu Qingyun resumed her usual life as a Constable on night patrol. As the New Year approached, more people came to the county seat to do their shopping, and the festive atmosphere grew thicker by the day.
“Bang! Bang!”
“Dry weather and parched land, beware of fire!”
The night watchman’s raspy voice echoed through the surroundings. Gu Qingyun and Bai Fan followed slowly behind him.
“Sister Yun, when is your cousin getting married? I’ll be on holiday at home then, so if it snows, I might not be able to make it. But don’t worry, I’ll still send a gift.”
Gu Qingyun glanced at him.
“Soon, in about half a month. It shouldn't snow then. The preparations at home are almost complete; we’re just waiting for the bride to enter the door.”
“You must have saved up quite a bit of personal silver by now, haven't you? Why haven’t you thought about buying a house in the county seat?”
Bai Fan scratched his head.
“Sister Yun, my family lives just outside the city; it’s not that far. It only takes about one shichen to get here on foot.”
Gu Qingyun paused mid-step.
“You call that far? Isn't that actually quite close? If you buy a mule, you could ride it home every day to eat and sleep.”
Bai Fan’s face fell.
“Sister Yun, I don’t want a mule. I want to buy a horse. That way, I can keep up with you when we go on field missions. I’m training much harder now than I used to. Every day after my shift, I train for a full one and a half shichen.”
Gu Qingyun said expressionlessly, “Why buy one? Just rent a horse from the martial training ground when the time comes. A horse isn't something families like ours can afford to keep; they’re even more precious than people and a waste of silver.”
Once the topic was dropped, Bai Fan—who was naturally restless—stared at Little Black on Gu Qingyun’s shoulder.
“Sister Yun, did Little Black get bigger and fatter?”
A shrill cat screech was the only response as Little Black leapt directly onto his head and gave his hair a frantic scratching.
Gu Qingyun couldn’t be bothered to intervene with the pair. She simply kept walking forward.
Seeing her leaving them behind, Bai Fan and Little Black quickly followed. Bai Fan, now sporting a head of hair like a bird’s nest, grumbled, “Sister Yun, Little Black really has grown a size. What delicious things have you been feeding it?”
Gu Qingyun rubbed her chin and pondered for a moment, unsure. “Maybe it catches so many mice every day that it’s eaten itself into a larger size?”
Bai Fan was speechless.
The winter night was cold, and most people in the county seat were tucked away in their beds, lost in dreams. Gu Qingyun and Bai Fan patrolled toward Bamboo Leaf Alley.
As they passed Yun Yanxi’s home, she saw the main gate was still locked. She sighed softly, thinking she should find some time to visit the foundling home and see how the girl was doing.
...
Shiwa Village, at the home of Gu Qingyun’s paternal uncle.
At this time, every household was preparing for bed. Gu San and Gu Si, two brothers, had both recently come of age. On normal days, aside from working the fields, they occasionally did odd jobs in town. At other times, they would go to the Hei River to catch a few fish to supplement their family’s diet.
Today, the two brothers were in luck, having caught several fish in the river. Delighted, they sat by the bank to twist some grass into ropes, secured the fish, and prepared to head home.
Just then, they heard the sound of gongs and drums approaching from the distance. The pair looked puzzled. Gu Si turned to Gu San.
“Brother, it’s so late. Why is it so lively by the river today? That music sounds very festive. Is some village holding a wedding?”
Gu San’s mind was entirely on the fish. He replied dismissively, “What do you care? Let’s just get these fish back. If Grandma and the others know we caught such fat fish today, they’ll definitely be happy.”
As they walked toward Shiwa Village, the wedding music drew closer and closer. The festive notes of the suonas grew clearer, and eventually, Gu San and Gu Si saw the wedding procession ahead of them.
Leading the group was a man holding a large red banner. Behind him followed two musicians in red robes, blowing into suonas.
There were several servants carrying red lanterns. Further back was an eight-man palanquin. The porters wore black clothes topped with red vests; they looked quite strong, carrying the palanquin with perfect stability.
Walking alongside it were two maidservants and a wedding escort, with several other household servants following behind. The entire procession consisted of about thirty-four people.
The maidservants held baskets, continuously scattering red paper and joy money along the path.
Gu San and Gu Si moved off the path and waited to the side. Watching the grand wedding procession pass, their mouths hung open in surprise.
“Third Brother, which family is getting married? This is such a massive production. They’re clearly from a wealthy household.”
Gu San shook his head. “Fourth Brother, I’m not sure either. I didn’t know there were any wealthy families in this area. This is remarkably generous. Did you see? They’re scattering copper coins the whole way. Let’s pick up some joy money before we head back.”
Gu Si grinned happily, watching the procession with curiosity. “Sure! When we get home, I have to tell Grandma and Mother about this. I’ve never seen such a spectacle. I wonder if the bride is beautiful.”
As the words left his mouth, a sudden gust of wind blew from nowhere, lifting the palanquin’s curtain and the bride’s red veil.
The bride was dressed in a bright red bridal gown. Several gold hairpins adorned with gemstones were tucked into her neatly combed hair.
Her face was lightly powdered, her mouth was small as a cherry, and her eyes curved into crescents. Realizing her veil had been lifted, she let out a startled, bashful cry. She reached out with a slender hand, nails stained with balsam, and quickly pulled the veil back down.
Until the procession passed them, Gu Si remained dazed. “Brother, did you see that? Such a beautiful bride. If only my future wife could be that beautiful.” Gu Si’s face was filled with longing.
Seeing his younger brother like this, Gu San waved him off in annoyance. “Hurry up and pick up the joy money. We’re just simple farmers. You think you could marry a young lady like that? Picking up money is far more practical.”
Gu Si felt a bit dejected, knowing his brother was right. He picked up the joy money in silence.
His foot suddenly stepped on something hard. He moved his foot and leaned in to look, finding a gold hairpin. It was identical to the ones he had seen on the bride’s head.
While Gu San wasn’t looking, he excitedly picked it up and tucked it into his robes. I might not be able to marry such a bride, but it should be fine to keep this as a keepsake, right?
Rate on N.U.
