Guo Jing watched Ke Zhen'e walk away into the distance, wiped a cold sweat from his forehead, and finally let out a sigh of relief.
He patted Yang Guo's shoulder with his large hand and said earnestly:
"Guo'er, your First Master is straightforward and quick-tempered."
"However, once you spend more time with him, you will realize he actually has a very soft heart."
"You're a clever child. In the future, when you see him, it's best to just stand quietly with your hands at your sides and keep your mouth shut."
Guo Jing paused, honestly sharing his experience:
"If he scolds you, just lower your head and listen obediently. Whatever you do, don't talk back."
"Once you endure it for a moment, his temper will cool down."
Yang Guo nodded repeatedly:
"Rest assured, Uncle Guo, I understand."
"In the future, when I'm around First Master, I will definitely try my best not to get him angry."
Guo Jing unfurled his tightly knit brows, and the corners of his lips were just beginning to curl up into a smile.
When Yang Guo suddenly added from behind:
"If First Master is being completely unreasonable... I'll try to run far enough away before I talk back."
The smile at the corners of Guo Jing's mouth froze on the spot.
Beside them, Huang Rong burst into a fit of giggles, doubling over with laughter.
Guo Jing shook his head and said:
"Guo'er! I didn't mean for you to run far away before talking back..."
Guo Jing's lips quivered a couple of times, completely rendered speechless by this slippery little brat.
How had his advice gone so off course?
He wanted to offer a few more words of guidance.
Nearby, a fiery-red figure whirled over like the wind with a cute shout.
Guo Fu grabbed Yang Guo's wrist, her two bright, lively eyes sparkling:
"Brother Yang!"
"Stop listening to my dad preach!"
"In the bamboo forest in the back garden, there's a grand general cricket! It has a black head, big wings, and its chirping is deafeningly loud!"
She yanked Yang Guo's sleeve and ran toward the bamboo forest, smiling with brilliant joy:
"Come on! Let's go catch crickets!"
"You look so handsome, your luck at catching bugs must be way better than those two big dummies!"
Huang Rong stood behind them watching, calling out in a raised voice:
"Fu'er! Guo'er is injured! Don't run so fast, be careful not to catch a cold in the sea breeze when you sweat!"
Guo Fu called back without even turning her head:
"Got it!"
She said she got it.
But her legs didn't slow down one bit.
By the beach, the sea wind howled past.
Da Wu and Xiao Wu stood rooted to the spot side by side, their faces blown dry and stiff by the wind.
The two brothers waited anxiously for Guo Fu to turn around and call out to them.
In the end, Guo Fu dragged Yang Guo along at a trot, not even casting a single backward glance in their direction.
Xiao Wu sniffled:
"Brother."
"Did Sister Fu forget about us?"
Da Wu clenched his molars, his neck stiff as a board:
"How could that be!"
Xiao Wu pointed ahead:
"Then why didn't she call us to go catch crickets in the forest?"
The corner of Da Wu's mouth twitched, and he took a stride forward:
"Cut the chatter! Let's hurry and catch up!"
The two brothers trotted one after the other, chasing after them.
Breathing heavily, Xiao Wu lowered his voice and analyzed:
"Brother, is Sister Fu clinging to that Yang kid because he's better looking than us?"
At this point, Da Wu's face was dark as the bottom of a wok, and he barked back in refutation:
"Nonsense!"
"I think I'm handsomer than him."
"I have a broad forehead and a solid jawline—I'm way more proper and rugged than that smooth-skinned, fair-faced boy!"
Xiao Wu continued to ponder:
"Is it because he's smooth-talking and knows how to coax people?"
Da Wu sneered:
"Tricks of street urchins. What good does flapping your lips do?"
Xiao Wu scratched his scalp:
"Then could it be that his martial arts are stronger than ours?"
Da Wu bristled on the spot, waving his fist:
"That's even more impossible! Looking at that fair-faced boy, I bet he couldn't even take one 'Black Tiger Steals the Heart' move from me!"
The two brothers analyzed and compared all the way, finally reaching a unanimous conclusion:
"It's definitely just because he just arrived."
"Sister Fu is just enjoying the novelty."
Xiao Wu chimed in from the side with grief and indignation:
"Brother! I heard a storyteller in a teahouse say before that this is called 'one only sees the new lover smile, never hears the old lover cry'!"
"Let's go lay an ambush outside the bamboo forest! We'll use the Iron Bridge stance and horse stance Master taught us a few days ago to show off our foundation and scare him into tears right then and there!"
Da Wu nodded in agreement.
In his heart, he was roaring frantically:
"'Since Zhou Yu was born, why create Zhuge Liang!'"
"Just two days ago, Sister Fu complimented me for catching the biggest loach, wanted to play with me, and shared fruit with me!"
"How is it that as soon as this fair-faced boy showed up, I went from 'Brother Da Wu' to 'that dummy'?"
"Besides being a bit fairer, taller, handsomer, smarter, and sharper-tongued than me, where else can that fair-faced boy Yang Guo compare to me?!"
...
Guo Jing and Huang Rong returned to their living quarters.
Inside the inner chamber.
Guo Jing looked through the open carved window frame at the two figures chasing each other by the edge of the bamboo forest, a radiant smile blooming on his face.
He rubbed his large, broad hands together, looking at Huang Rong with eyes full of anticipation:
"Rong'er, look at how well Guo'er and Fu'er get along!"
"Our Guo and Yang families have been close for generations. Back then, my father and Uncle Yang became sworn brothers."
"They even arranged a marriage agreement between the Guo and Yang families."
"It's just that later on, both Brother Kang and I were born male, so we could only become sworn brothers."
Guo Jing stepped forward, his tone filled with longing:
"Now Heaven has taken pity on us and brought Guo'er right before our eyes."
"When they are a few years older, we can betroth Fu'er to Guo'er, and the long-cherished wish of both our families will finally be fulfilled."
Guo Jing pumped his fist firmly:
"When I go down to the Nine Springs in the future, I can hold my head high when meeting Uncle Yang!"
Huang Rong was sitting in front of her dressing table, taking off her hair ornaments.
Her fingers holding the comb paused slightly, and with a soft click, she laid the comb down on the vanity.
She spoke with a calm expression:
"Let's discuss this matter later."
The joy on Guo Jing's face instantly froze:
"Rong'er, you don't agree?"
Huang Rong looked out through the window toward the distance.
Guo Fu was holding a small wooden sword.
Chasing Yang Guo into the bamboo forest.
Yang Guo was still shouting:
"Slow down!"
"Are you catching crickets or catching an escaped convict?!"
Huang Rong withdrew her gaze and said:
"One of them just turned thirteen, and the other is only nine."
"Today they can dig in mud pits and catch crickets together, but tomorrow they might start fighting over a piece of osmanthus cake."
"It's still far too early. Why bring all this up now?!"
Guo Jing scratched behind his ear, pondering carefully.
Yet he still leaned half a step forward and asked cautiously:
"I know it's still early."
"Rong'er, do you have other misgivings?"
Seeing her husband's honest and simple-minded expression, Huang Rong knew she couldn't hide it from him, so she gave a gentle nod.
Guo Jing immediately said:
"Guo'er is a fine young man. Even though wandering the streets has given him a bit of a roguish air, his heart is by no means bad. How could he not be a good match for our Fu'er?"
Huang Rong raised her eyes and said solemnly:
"Jing-ge, these past two days you've been so caught up in your joy, but have you actually observed Guo'er closely?"
"Guo'er is far too clever, overflowing with trickery and resourcefulness. His mind turns faster than the sea breeze."
Huang Rong sighed:
"Just a moment ago on the shore, even First Master's hot and stubborn temper was defused by his mere handful of words."
"If Fu'er ends up with Guo'er, my heart won't be at peace."
Guo Jing grew even more bewildered and laughed naively:
"Isn't being clever a good thing?"
"Rong'er, you yourself are an extraordinarily clever woman, matchless in this age—people in the jianghu even call you the Female Zhuge."
"On Peach Blossom Island, which major matter isn't decided by you?"
Huang Rong raised her hand and gave Guo Jing's forehead a hard poke:
"Silly brother! I'm clever, which is why I picked a simple blockhead like you!"
"It's called complementing each other! Living with you, I don't have to spend every day guarding against your schemes and calculations!"
Huang Rong pointed out the window, asking testily:
"But look at your precious daughter. Don't you know whose intellect Fu'er inherited?"
"If we really tie them together in the future, Guo'er's mind will have eighteen twists and turns while Fu'er can't even make it past one."
"When the time comes, if Guo'er were to sell her to human traffickers, she might still be happily clapping her little hands behind him, eagerly helping him count the copper coins!"
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