“All right, Grandmother will go buy the groceries in a bit. I’ll make sure dinner is sumptuous and properly entertain your colleague.”
“Sounds good. Just tell me what needs to be bought, Grandmother, and I’ll go buy it later. I’m quick on my feet.”
Old Lady Zhang nodded with a smile. “Fine, we’ll do as you say.”
“Qingyu, hurry up. Let’s finish making breakfast quickly; Qingyun was on night watch all night and must be hungry.”
Once Old Lady Zhang and the others went into the kitchen, Gu Qingyun greeted her mother and two aunts one by one before scooping Xiao Guai up into her arms.
“Xiao Guai, did you miss me?”
Xiao Guai leaned against Gu Qingyun’s chest. She still remembered this person—she was the one who had brought her back from her bad father. Now she had new clothes to wear, could eat her fill of meals, and sometimes even got to eat malt candy.
Plucking up her courage, she planted a kiss on Gu Qingyun’s cheek. “I remember! You’re the most amazing auntie; bad father couldn’t even beat you! Auntie, I want to be just like you when I grow up.”
Gu Qingyun laughed heartily. “Xiao Guai, practicing martial arts is very tiring.”
Xiao Guai looked resolute. “Auntie, I’m not afraid of being tired! I want to be as amazing as Auntie so that when I grow up, I can protect Mother, protect Auntie, protect Great-Grandmother, and protect my three grandmothers and all my uncles.”
Xiao Guai kept counting on her little fingers, wrinkling her small brows when she ran out of fingers.
Gu Qingyun chuckled softly. “Auntie understands. Then grow up well, and when you’re older, I’ll teach you martial arts.”
After coaxing the little girl and letting her go play on her own, Gu Qingyun walked over to her cousins and pointed at the objects on the ground. “Are you preparing to make a food stall?”
Gu Yifeng carefully polished the wood and smiled. “Of course. We’re all grown men; we can’t rely on you alone to support the family, Qingyun. The sooner we build this, the sooner we can go out and sell flatbreads and noodles.
“Grandmother’s noodles are unmatched, and our sisters have learned at least seventy percent of her skill. We’ll definitely make money.
“That way, you won’t have to work so hard, Qingyun. When we have more silver in the future, you can resign from your post as a constable, and the whole family can live in peace and comfort without constantly worrying.”
Gu Qingyun helped them steady the timber and laughed. “That won’t do. No matter what, I’m working under the county magistrate now; people have to show me a measure of respect. I can’t bear to part with this constable post.”
As they spoke, Old Lady Zhang’s voice called out from the kitchen. Gu Qingyun stood up straight and dusted off her hands. “Come on, let’s wash our hands and eat breakfast. I’m starving.”
In the front hall, Gu Qingyun’s bowl was the most eye-catching one at the table—for no other reason than its sheer size.
Her lips twitched as she stared at the mound of noodles heaped high above the rim. Just how worried was her family that she wouldn’t get enough to eat to serve her this much?
Yet she realized in despair that she truly could finish it all. Without realizing it, she was rapidly advancing down the path of becoming an absolute glutton.
Old Lady Zhang looked at Gu Qingyun with a tender gaze. “Qingyun, the rooms in our house have already been divided up. We’ll all eat together in the main courtyard hall. I’ll stay in the east main room, and you’ll take the west main room. Your mother and aunts will live in the rear courtyard, while your brothers will take the east and west wing rooms.
“The two side rooms flanking the main house will be for your sisters Qingyu and Qingling. The front courtyard will be used for receiving guests and guest rooms. That works out to one room for each person, so we won’t have to crowd together anymore.”
Gu Qingyun was somewhat surprised. “Grandmother, I’m just a junior; how could I live in the main house?”
“Why couldn’t you? If I say you can live there, you can live there! Neither your aunts nor your brothers have any objections. If not for you, how could our family live a life like this?” Old Lady Zhang declared, looking at everyone as she emphasized every word.
Lady Zhao chimed in with a smile, “Qingyun, listen to your grandmother. Staying in the rear courtyard suits us very well. In other families, the womenfolk live in the inner courtyards anyway. You’re a constable and need to go on duty every day, so living in the main courtyard is much more convenient.
“Besides, you’re the pillar of the household now. Look at you—you’ve only been on duty for a few months and have already brought home dozens of taels of silver. Otherwise, who knows when we would have been able to buy this residence?
“Just looking at this house fills my heart with joy. Once our family’s food business gets off the ground, I’ll feel even more at ease.” The smile on Lady Zhao’s face grew deeper as she spoke.
With so many eyes on her, Gu Qingyun felt slightly self-conscious. “Grandmother, Mother, Aunts, eat your noodles. Don’t just stare at me.”
Old Lady Zhang patted Gu Qingyun. “The room arrangements are settled, then. Eat your noodles. You still have to go back to the county yamen to fetch your things in a bit. Go and return quickly; after pulling an all-nighter, you need to get plenty of rest.”
“Understood,” Gu Qingyun replied. In just a few bites, she shoveled the noodles from her giant bowl into her mouth, wiped her lips, and immediately set out without pause.
...
Over the next few days, Gu Qingyun truly lived like an immortal—she barely had to lift a finger, with meals practically brought to her mouth. Whenever she passed by her house while patrolling the streets, her mother would even prepare late-night snacks for her to eat on her rounds. Life was utterly blissful.
The other constables at the county yamen, however, were an entirely different story. Over the past few days, one after another yawned incessantly and lacked any energy, earning themselves several scoldings from County Magistrate Yu.
When Gu Qingyun finished her shift, she happened to run into Wang Hu and several others walking out of the county yamen. She stopped them, frowning as she studied their faces.
“Constable Wang, have you looked in a mirror lately? Your complexion looks dreadful.”
Wang Hu and the others patted their faces, looking somewhat guilty. “What are you talking about, young Gu? We’ve just been swamped with official duties lately, so naturally our color is a bit off. Anyway, just mind your own night patrol; there’s nothing wrong with us.”
With that, they brushed past Gu Qingyun and strode off.
Watching them leave, Bai Fan came over to Gu Qingyun. “Sister Yun, don’t mind them. I’ve seen people like that before.”
Gu Qingyun kept her eyes on their departing backs and casually asked, “Where have you seen it?”
Blushing, Bai Fan leaned in closer. “At the brothels! I’ve occasionally seen them heading inside. Plenty of people coming out of there look just like that—completely drained.”
Gu Qingyun gave him a half-smile and looked him up and down. “Oh? You seem quite knowledgeable about this.”
Bai Fan waved his hands frantically. “I’m still a virgin! I just happened to run into them a few times by accident, and I kept my eyes straight ahead every single time!”
Gu Qingyun patted Bai Fan on the shoulder, her tone turning grave. “This time is different. They carry an aura that makes me uncomfortable. I have a bad feeling about this.”
Hearing that, Bai Fan clutched the talisman at his chest. “Did they run into that again? Why does this keep happening so often?”
Gu Qingyun rolled her eyes at him. “All right, cut the drama. After roll call, I have to head back and eat the breakfast my sisters made. Tonight, I’ll have Little Black take my place so the two of you can patrol together, and I’ll follow Constable Wang to see what’s going on.”
In truth, it wasn’t just Wang Hu and his companions. Had Gu Qingyun paid closer attention, she would have noticed that many men across the county seat had been listless and languid lately. For some it was obvious, while for others it was less noticeable, but all the men were buzzing about the pleasure boat that had appeared by the riverbank.
Because the men in Gu Qingyun’s family stayed home and rarely went out, and Gu Qingyun herself mostly stayed inside the residence during the day, she had not noticed what was happening down by the river.
After all, aside from night patrols, she spent all her time cultivating; she paid little attention to other matters and had never bothered to look into what Constable Wang and the others did with their nights.
Rate on N.U.
