Chapter 318: 172 Scum Abuse (Third Update)

The news of the Suo Bridge collapse spread quickly among the people, reaching the ears of the old lady and elder wine priest.

However, as their children were unharmed, they did not delve into the matter too much.

The Imperial Exam is coming next month. Though Guozijian did not start classes, Gu Jiao urged her husband to study every day.

Xiao Liulang, who was held down in the study room… suffered in silence!

On the tenth day, Gu Jiao visited the Marquis Residence.

She did not disclose the startling events at home to Yao Family, but Madam Fang, who visited Bishui Alley every other day, knew some of them. Gu Jiao asked her not to speak of it.

Madam Fang now listened to Gu Jiao even more, truly not uttering a single word.

The condition of the Yao Family was not bad.

Gu Jiao thought that at this rate, it wouldn’t be long before the antidepressants could be stopped.

“The flowers in the Plum Garden have bloomed. Let’s take a walk in the Plum Garden,” said the Yao Family’s daughter.

Gu Jiao replied with a sound, “Okay.”

After a pause, for some unknown reason, she said to Madam Fang, “Call Gu Jinyu.”

“Huh?” Madam Fang was taken aback.

Hadn’t the eldest miss always been at odds with the second miss? Why was she suddenly calling her?

The Yao Family also looked surprisingly at her daughter, and then said to Madam Fang, “Go ahead.”

“Yes.” Madam Fang went to Gu Jinyu’s courtyard.

Upon hearing that Yao Family and Gu Jiao had invited her to stroll in the Plum Garden, she didn’t say anything and changed her clothes to go.

Recently, the incident at the bridge has caused more peace in the Imperial Harem than previous years. The Noble Consort, who usually would have her accompany her to the palace at this time of year, didn’t this year.

She arrived at the Plum Garden.

Seeing the Yao Family and Gu Jiao sitting together intimately, a feeling of bitterness rose in her heart, but she smiled and walked over, “Mother, Sister!”

Yao Family’s gaze fell on her thin coat, and she reproached, “Why did you come out wearing so little? Aren’t you afraid to freeze? How have your maids attended to you?”

Gu Jinyu laughed innocently, “I am so eager to see Mother and Sister that I forgot about it in my excitement.”

Yao Family immediately ordered a servant to fetch a cape for her.

Gu Jinyu looked at Gu Jiao and said amiably, “Does Sister like plum blossoms?”

“Hmm.” Gu Jiao responded perfunctorily.

Gu Jinyu added, “Then let me pick a few branches and put them in a vase for Sister.”

“No need.” She doesn’t truly like them.

Yao Family couldn’t walk anymore after a while.

Seeing that the sisters are having a good time, she said to them, “I’ll sit in the pavilion for a while. You two enjoy your time, don’t mind me.”

Gu Jinyu thought Gu Jiao would refuse, as Gu Jiao never liked to be with her.

But Gu Jiao didn’t.

Gu Jiao silently walked ahead.

Gu Jinyu was a bit dumbfounded.

Did her sister take the wrong medicine today?

She followed Gu Jiao doubtfully.

Gu Jiao kept walking and left the Plum Garden.

“Sister, where would you like to go?” Gu Jinyu asked with a smile.

“Just wandering around.” Gu Jiao said.

With this, a feeling of superiority welled up in Gu Jinyu, “The Marquis Residence is vast, they say it was once the residence of a prince and was later bestowed to our grandfather by the previous Emperor. Our grandfather loves the fish pond in front of us. Would Sister like to take a look?”

“Hmm.”

Gu Jiao surprisingly cooperated.

Gu Jinyu was once again surprised.

She led Gu Jiao to the pavilion by the fish pond, where fish food was kept all year round. The members of the house could feed the fish when they came to watch, but now the lake surface had frozen, so it wasn’t easy to feed them.

Gu Jinyu: “If Sister likes the Marquis Residence, considering moving back here, I can give Qingya Garden to my sister…”

“What’s there?” Gu Jiao suddenly pointed to the Back Mountain and asked.

Gu Jinyu’s speech was interrupted, she was upset, but still patiently answered, “It’s the Back Mountain. Our three brothers often go there.”

Gu Jiao: “Who went there today?” There was activity at the Back Mountain, it’s just that Gu Jinyu’s hearing was not sharp enough to hear it.

“It seemed to be second brother.” Gu Jinyu recalled seeing her second brother going in the direction of the Back Mountain on her way from her courtyard.

“The Lady is calling you.” Gu Jiao said.

“Huh?” Gu Jinyu looked back, “How come I didn’t hear?”

With an unchanged expression, Gu Jiao said, “I think I heard.”

Gu Jinyu: “Then…does Sister want to go back?”

Gu Jiao: “I don’t want to.”

Gu Jinyu: “…”

Talking to this person always infuriates her, even if the other is not contesting her.

Gu Jinyu squeezed her fingers and said, “Then, Sister wait for me here, I’ll be back soon.”

After Gu Jinyu left, Gu Jiao turned around and went to the Back Mountain.

Gu Chengfeng was picking fruits at the Back Mountain. Gu Chenglin strangely desired to eat the wild fruits from the Back Mountain.

These reddish fruits, slightly smaller than the hawthorns, still grow exuberantly even during the snowy days. The taste cannot be considered good, but Gu Chenglin, being a child, loved these novel things.

While Gu Chengfeng was picking the fruits, he suddenly felt a killing intent rushing towards him.

He dodged in the nick of time and quickly turned around.

When he saw that the person was Gu Jiao, his expression instantly froze.

Gu Jiao snapped off an icicle hanging from a tree branch, as long as her arm. She used the icicle as a blade, slashing coldly at Gu Chengfeng.

While Gu Chengfeng was guarding against her possibly leading others here, he almost didn’t manage to dodge in time.

Gu Jiao showed no mercy.

If his martial arts skills weren’t excellent, his throat would have been pierced by the icicle by now.

“What are you up to?” Gu Chengfeng gritted his teeth and asked.

Gu Jiao gauged the icicle in her hand, then abruptly swung it at him.

Finally, Gu Chengfeng resorted to using his hidden weapon.

One of his hidden weapons shattered the icicle, while the other two flew towards Gu Jiao.

Gu Jiao bent her waist backward at an incredible angle, allowing the hidden weapons to skim past her flat stomach and fall into the plane tree behind her with a thunk!

She managed to dodge that too?

Narrowing his eyes, Gu Chengfeng asked, “Did you sneak a peek under my mask that day?”

“You’re wrong,” Gu Jiao straightened up to face him, “I did not sneak. I did it openly and aboveboard.”

Gu Chengfeng: “…”

The sound of footsteps came from a distance.

Thinking of the hidden weapons left on the tree, Gu Chengfeng rushed over to retrieve them, but was kicked away by Gu Jiao!

Kneeling on one knee, Gu Chengfeng slid backward across the snow but remained uninjured.

Gu Jiao was pleased, “As expected, you can take a beating.”

Gu Chengfeng: “…!!”

The footsteps were getting closer.

Gu Chengfeng had no mood for further fighting and made to escape.

But Gu Jiao stepped forward and pulled him back down from mid-air!

With too many concerns and unable to use his martial arts skills to full effect, Gu Chengfeng was dragged into a small wooden hut by Gu Jiao.

This was the hut where Lady Yao had poisoned Lady Ling.

The person approaching was Gu Changqing.

He had come to check because he heard noises from the back mountain.

But no one was there.

However, there were footprints in the snow and evidence of a fight.

He didn’t notice the hidden weapons stuck in the plane tree for the moment.

Gu Chengfeng watched him nervously, cold sweat seeping from his forehead.

“I’ll give you a chance,” Gu Jiao folded her arms, “Answer my question. Otherwise, as easily as I saved you, I can expose you.”

Gu Chengfeng: “Ha, if you could, wouldn’t you have done it already?”

Gu Jiao: “I dare to take action. Do you?”

Gu Chengfeng choked.

He glanced at Gu Changqing, who was investigating in the snow: “What do you want to know?”

Gu Jiao asked, “There’s someone called Aheng in the Marquis of Xuanping’s Residence, who is not a servant. Who is he?”

Gu Chengfeng looked at her suspiciously: “Who exactly are you? Why are you trying to gather information on the Marquis Xuanping’s Residence?”

Gu Jiao said indifferently: “Just answer my question.”

Gu Changqing had come under the plane tree. All he needed to do was turn around and he could find the hidden weapons on the tree.

Gu Chengfeng clenched his fist and said coldly: “The only one who has ‘hen’ in his name is the deceased Xiaodu Young Marquis. His name was Xiao Hen.”

Gu Jiao: “Which ‘hen’?”

Gu Chengfeng: “Hen as in the jade pendant.”

“Um.” Gu Jiao pondered the character, seemingly satisfied.

She tilted her little head.

She looked somewhat cute.

Gu Chengfeng turned his face away. She was a killer, not cute at all!

Gu Jiao reached out to him again.

“What for?” Gu Chengfeng asked.

Glancing at Gu Changqing outside the house, Gu Jiao said: “Give me a thousand taels of silver, and I won’t expose you.”

Gu Chengfeng’s eyelids twitched: “A thousand taels! Why don’t you just rob me!”

Gu Jiao pretended to go to open the door.@@novelbin@@

Gu Chengfeng’s breath hitched: “I don’t have that much money on me!”

Gu Jiao: “Write a promissory note.”

Gu Chengfeng: “There’s no paper and pen here.”

From the tiny purse her grandmother had made for her, Gu Jiao took out a homemade charcoal pen and a petite notebook, flipped to the blank page and handed it to him: “Here.”

Gu Chengfeng: “…”

If looks could kill, Gu Chengfeng would have killed Gu Jiao a hundred times over!

Gu Chengfeng gritted his teeth and wrote the debt note: “That’s it, right?”

After reading the debt note and confirming that there were no word traps, Gu Jiao nodded in satisfaction and carefully stored the charcoal pen and notebook.

Gu Chengfeng breathed a sigh of relief and continued to watch Gu Changqing.

The next second, Gu Jiao raised her foot, aimed at his butt, and kicked him out!

I only said I wouldn’t expose you, I didn’t say I wouldn’t kick you out, right?