After faking my death, the male lead’s cousin went crazy - Chapter 17

After clearly seeing the four characters Li Family Cloth Shop, Gu Wan pulled on the reins, dismounted, and also went to the entrance. She could not hear the voices inside clearly. Just then, a woman happened to come out from within, and everyone crowded around her to ask what was happening.

“Aiya, what else could it be? While Boss Li was away purchasing goods, the boss’s wife secretly arranged Miss Li’s marriage. All the family’s silver, along with Miss Li’s betrothal gifts, was used to support the youngest son’s wedding. They still owe some silver, so the creditors came to collect the debt!”

Looking at the people inside arguing until their faces turned red, Gu Wan could not help frowning. She withdrew from the crowd.

“Young General?” Su Zhaoyun stepped forward and asked, “Miss Li’s maternal family is here. Do you want to go in and take a look?”

“Let’s go back.” Gu Wan shook her head. It was chaotic inside. That so-called Young Master Li was hiding behind the counter, yet he allowed his mother to go forward and argue with the creditors. Gu Wan felt there was no need to look at such a scene.

One could imagine what kind of life Li Yueyue had once lived in such an environment. No wonder she would rather live in a bandit den than return to this place called “home.”

Because the person who treated her well was not there, and all that awaited her was being used.

On the way back, Gu Wan kept a dark expression.

Only when they arrived at the camp did Su Zhaoyun dare step forward. “You didn’t say a word the whole way. Is it because of the Li Family Cloth Shop?”

Gu Wan did not answer. She silently led the horse into the stable and tied the reins.

Based on Su Zhaoyun’s understanding of her over the years, the more Gu Wan refused to answer, the more it proved that what she said was true. She comforted Gu Wan, “It’s very normal. You’re in the army, so you don’t understand the lives of ordinary poor people. Daughters are ultimately married out, but sons are different; they can carry on the family line. Cases like the Li family, where they use the daughter’s betrothal gifts to support the son, are common. Don’t take it too much to heart. At least Miss Li was saved by us. That can be considered a good thing.”

After silently listening to Su Zhaoyun’s words, Gu Wan suddenly remembered that after Gu Ze had barged into her study that day, Li Yueyue had asked with righteous indignation, “So what if she’s a woman? That isn’t a reason to suffer unfair treatment.”

At the time, Gu Wan had not thought much of it. She had only assumed it was a method the other party was using to curry favor with her. Now that she thought about it, perhaps that sentence had contained all the bitterness and grievances Li Yueyue had suffered over the past ten-plus years of her life.

Gu Wan had already left the stable, but then suddenly retreated back inside and instructed Su Zhaoyun without context, “When you have time, go see her more often.”

“?” See whom? Li Yueyue? Hadn’t Ziying already been assigned to follow her at every step?

Gu Wan’s voice softened a little. “If you go see her, perhaps she’ll be happier.”

A few more days passed. Gu Wan ordered Lanxi to buy a jade bracelet and send it to Shen Rong. When Lanxi returned, Shen Rong had entrusted her with a brocade box to bring back. When it was opened, inside was precisely the sachet Gu Wan had asked her to make.

Shen Rong’s embroidery skills had always been excellent among young ladies, and this begonia branch was embroidered so vividly that it seemed alive. On the pale green silk, the petals were pink-white, while the stamens carried faint specks of pink.

It was just that the fragrance inside was a little too strong. It was a fragrant pellet made by mixing several kinds of flowers together, and Gu Wan did not like that scent. So she simply put it back into the box and placed it on the very top shelf of the bookcase.

Just as she finished tidying everything away, there was a knock at the door.

After hearing the reply, Shang Rongyue pushed open the study door and poked her head in from the entrance.

It was time to practice writing again.

These past few days, Gu Wan had been busy with Shen Rong’s affairs. Ever since the last writing lesson, it had been a long time since she had seen Li Yueyue.

Seeing her enter, Gu Wan leisurely sat down and gestured for the other woman to come closer.

“How is the injury on your foot?” Gu Wan asked.

“Miss Su comes to see me every day, so naturally it’s healing very quickly,” Shang Rongyue answered honestly.

For some reason, Shen Sanniang had barely been in the camp during this period, and she had not mentioned writing lessons anymore. Instead, she had sent Su Zhaoyun to report to Shang Rongyue’s place every day.

As for Shang Rongyue, Su Zhaoyun, and Ziying, the three of them stared at one another every day, not knowing what they should do. After the previous experience, Shang Rongyue dared even less to casually make food for the others.

With nothing else to do, Su Zhaoyun could only sit to the side and read medical books, while Ziying helped her dry medicinal herbs.

As for Shang Rongyue, sometimes she would help Ziying, but most of the time, she would be refused because she was injured. More often than not, Shang Rongyue could only return to the bamboo couch beneath the grape trellis and sleep beautifully for the whole afternoon.

The weather was becoming warmer and warmer, and the sunlight was growing hotter as well. Shang Rongyue directly set up an umbrella beneath the grapevines to shield her face from the sun.

As for Su Zhaoyun, aside from developing new wound medicines, under Shang Rongyue’s “guidance,” she had begun dabbling in skincare.

The rose cream she made was even more nourishing and delicate than the one in Shang Rongyue’s dowry. The bottles and jars on the dressing table had originally been nearly empty, but now Shang Rongyue no longer had to worry.

Gu Wan looked at Shang Rongyue’s increasingly rosy complexion. How could she know that this was all thanks to the rose cream?

“Your complexion looks good. It seems these past few days with Su Zhaoyun have put you in a very good mood.”

“Miss Su is clever and skillful, so naturally I’m happy,” Shang Rongyue answered.

She did not understand why every sentence Shen Sanniang said today kept circling back to Su Zhaoyun.

Could it be because Su Zhaoyun, as her personal medical woman, had been occupied by Shang Rongyue every day, so Shen Sanniang was angry?

But she was not the one who had asked Su Zhaoyun to come!

If Lanxi had not informed her today that Shen Sanniang wanted to practice writing in the afternoon, she probably would have kept sleeping under that umbrella for a long time. Sleeping was comfortable, yes, but Shang Rongyue still felt uneasy inside.

She could not help thinking.

The first time Shen Sanniang agreed to let her stay, it was because she wanted the silver on her body.

The second time Shen Sanniang showed her mercy, it was because she had saved Su Zhaoyun and Ziying’s lives.

Now, the only thing she could probably do for Shen Sanniang was teach her to write.

If Shen Sanniang gave up on the idea of learning to write, Shang Rongyue really did not know what other skill she had that the other woman could want, something that would allow her to continue living peacefully in this bandit den.

Old General Shang would return victorious from war at the beginning of winter in the tenth month. Right now, it was only the fourth month. There was still nearly half a year left.

Half a year would not be easy to get through.

Shang Rongyue stepped forward and casually asked, “Do you still remember the few characters you learned last time, Sanniang?”

Gu Wan’s hand, which was turning over the xuan paper, paused. “What did you call me?”

Shang Rongyue thought she had said the wrong thing.

The mighty bandit leader, whose word was law, definitely would not be happy being called by name like this. So she quickly changed her words.

“Ch-chief!”

Because she was nervous, her tongue nearly twisted. Shang Rongyue secretly cursed herself. How could she be so stupid? How could she make a mistake on such a small issue? Since when did the boss of a gang want to be called by name? Weren’t they always called respectful titles like “Boss” or “Big Brother”?

Gu Wan put down the things in her hands and lifted her eyes to look at the woman beside her. A breeze brushed past, and a faint rose fragrance swept around her, like an invisible hand teasing her hair and lifting the hem of her clothes.

“Not that form of address,” Gu Wan said. “What did you call me just now?”

“Call me that again.”