Chapter 287: 287. Late-night visitor
Translator: 549690339
The stall owner who sold fried sweet chestnuts insisted on giving Su Liang a freshly cooked bag of chestnuts, which she accepted with a smile.
The news of Su Liang saving a child in the market quickly spread. Everywhere they went, they could see the kind smiles of the common people and hear their praise.
Moreover, Su Liang asked the chestnut stall owner for an empty paper bag for
Gu Ling to hold. She walked while peeling chestnuts, handing the first one to Gu Ling and eating the second one herself, throwing the shells into the paper bag Gu Ling was holding.
You take one; I take one; the sweet fragrance, everything seemed extraordinarily harmonious.
Ren Dong, who had gone to send the stones back, watched their backs and thought they were a perfect match made in heaven, hoping Lady Gu would be kind to her master.
They bought a lot of items, including New Year’s goods and unique snacks from the Liang Country market. Most of them were shared by Su Liang and Gu Ling on the spot, very down-to-earth.
It seemed as if Su Liang took the initiative to give foods to Gu Ling. There was no sign of desire for the food on his face, and he didn’t even smile after finishing it.
But Su Liang knew best that Gu Ling must have wanted to eat more than she did. It was just that his image had always been there, so it couldn’t be destroyed, and they were both still acting.
By the time they had finished walking around the market and were full, the carriage was stuffed with things Su Liang bought.
“It’s not too late yet. Shall we walk back?” Su Liang asked Gu Ling. There was no room to sit in the carriage.
Ren Dong quickly said, “This subordinate will take the stuff back first and then come to pick up Master and Marquis.”
“Alright.” Gu Ling spoke.
Ren Dong was stunned, not sure if Gu Ling was answering Su Liang’s “walk back” or her saying “come to pick up” and looked at Su Liang.
Su Liang smiled, “You can go back. No need to come again. We will stroll around a bit.”
Ren Dong didn’t hear Gu Ling say anything else, so she nodded, got on the carriage and left alone.
“Fairy sister! Fairy sister!”
A child’s voice came from behind Su Liang. She looked back to see a child in a cap running and jumping towards her.
Su Liang smiled and bent down, hugging the child who threw himself into her arms.
The child held a string of red candied hawthorn in his hand, shining with excitement, offered it to Su Liang like a treasure, “For fairy sister to eat! ”
A man with a child by his side stood nearby, his expression somewhat frightened, “Master Su, the child doesn’t know any better…”
Su Liang smiled accepting the candied hawthorn, “Thank you.”
The child, seeing Su Liang take it, clapped his hands happily and hopped back to his father.
The man heaved a great sigh of relief and thanked Su Liang again.
“Be more careful when taking your child out in the future,” Su Liang left a comment and walked away.
After turning a corner, Su Liang handed the candied hawthorn in her hand to
Gil Ling. “This should belong to you-”
Gu Ling took it but didn’t eat it, just holding it in his hand.
Everyone who saw the scene thought it was a magical picture, the aloof Lady Gu with Candied Hawthorn seemed an odd combination but didn’t affect the aesthetics…
Last time the two went out to the Mansion in the middle of the night, they went through many places, but it was pitch-black all around.
The gloomy weather had cleared up, and the two walked side by side on the streets and alleys of Yao City. Su Liang was telling Gu Ling the story she hadn’t finished before.
The cold wind brushed their faces, but walking continuously didn’t make them feel cold.
Su Liang liked the feeling of walking around in unfamiliar places.
Gu Ling also enjoyed it; being with Su Liang, he wouldn’t find it boring to walk till the end of time. The sights he’d seen before were all gray and ice cold, colorless. But now, everything around him seemed to come alive and become more colorful.
“Today’s story ends here. If I keep talking, my mouth will go dry,” Su Liang requested Gu Ling to take over midway through the walk, “Tell me about the people you’ve saved before.”
Gu Ling wasn’t used to talking that much, but after careful consideration, he began telling the story of the first time he saw someone with a dark imprint on their forehead as a child. He thought that as long as Su Liang was willing to listen, he would tell the experiences of all the people he’d saved and killed in chronological order.
However, Su Liang thought Gu Ling’s experiences would be exciting, and Gu Ling thought so too. But a life-saving event took only a few words to say…
Real-life events naturally don’t have as many coincidences and logical cause-and-effect as novels. Most of the time, Gu Ling saw “black fog,” followed by someone he targeted. In most cases, the problem was solved within no more than three days, often on the same day, and then he left. Many of those he saved didn’t even know what he’d done.
At this moment, Gu Ling also realized that he was willing to talk, but there was nothing to talk about because he didn’t even know many of the people he’d saved, just because he happened to meet them.
Just like the little child just now, if he told someone who wasn’t there, it would be a three-sentence affair. He didn’t know the father and son; he didn’t know their background.
As Gu Ling wondered if Su Liang would find him boring, she was already talking about something else and didn’t ask him to continue. “I don’t know what secrets that person who suddenly sent me a note knew about me.”
Gu Ling thought that if there were another transmigrator in this world, they might see Su Liang as an enemy.
“If it’s really one of your fellow townsmen, then deny everything when the time comes and say it was all taught by me,” Gu Ling said.
Su Liang sighed softly, “That’s a way, a roundabout way, but it would put us in a better position.”
“You need to teach me more things,” Gu Ling said.
Su Liang readily agreed, “Of course, it’s possible. Great God, are you interested in any aspect? Although I don’t know much about many things.”
Gu Ling thought, “I’ll learn to cook with you.”
Su Liang was stunned for a moment, wondering in her heart if Gu Ling planned to break up the partnership? Once he learned to cook, Su Liang felt that there was no place for her. One of the main reasons Gu Ling asked her to stay initially was that he liked the food she cooked.
However, Gu Ling thought that Su Liang was always cooking for them and that she was too tired. Also, Su Liang once said that in her past life, there was a saying, “If you want to capture a man’s heart, you must first capture his stomach.” He didn’t think there was much difference between men and women in this regard. His stomach had been firmly captured, and his heart was captured too. He wanted to “counter-capture” with a try.
“Not alloweaf ” GU Ling askea.
Su Liang immediately nodded, “How can it not be allowed? It’s very allowed! I mentioned earlier that Great God, you have the potential to become a Kitchen God.”
“Alright. Starting from today,” Gu Ling said. Now that he and Su Liang had the opportunity to be alone together, nobody was watching when they returned to Prince Mansion. Apart from expressing his love for Su Liang, Gu Ling always did what he wanted to do in any other matters.
Ren Dong drove back to Prince Mansion and delivered all the things Su Liang had bought to the main courtyard, then went to her own courtyard to attach the window flower Su Liang gave her yesterday.
Ren Dong didn’t know it was Gu Ling who cut it and thought it was Su Liang. As she put it up, she couldn’t help thinking that her master was skillful, and it looked beautiful.
Situ Xie invited Gu Ling and Su Liang to attend a family banquet at King Yue Mansion tonight. Ren Dong said they hadn’t returned yet, and she would relay the message when they did. The messenger left.
By the time Su Liang and Gu Ling walked back to Prince Mansion after crossing half of Yao City, it was evening.
“Not going.” Gu Ling said.
Su Liang “translated”, “Ren Dong, please go to King Yue’s mansion and tell him that Marquis Gu and I are tired today, and will visit King Yue another day.
Please ask for their forgiveness. Then you can go to the restaurant for dinner.”
Ren Dong accepted the assignment, rode a horse out of the mansion, and went to King Yue’s mansion.
Returning to the main courtyard, Su Liang asked Gu Ling, “Great God, what do you want to do today?”
“I don’t know.” Gu Ling said, “It’s up to you.”
“Let’s make Sweet and Sour Fish.” Su Liang replied, “We still have quite a few fish left from the day before yesterday.”
Su Liang selected a fat fish. Gu Ling scooped it out according to her instructions, stunned it with a knife, and began to scrape off the scales.
Su Liang stood by, and each time she saw her red apron tied around Gu Ling, she couldn’t help but want to laugh, “Great God, since you are interested in things you have never done before, do you want to learn some needlework?
Start by making an apron for yourself.”
Gu Ling looked down at the “Little Red Skirt” and said indifferently, “As long as it is usable.”
Su Liang nodded, “I like that you look like you are floating in the sky but you always get the job done in a practical manner.”
Gu Ling: … He just wanted to hear the first six words…
In fact, Gu Ling has been Su Liang’s assistant and firekeeper all along, knowing many steps but not being so sure about them, and he had hardly made anything by himself except for dumplings.
However, Su Liang had said early on that Gu Ling had a knack for cooking when he was making dumplings.
Indeed, this was the case.
With Su Liang’s guidance and instruction, Gu Ling made a perfect Sweet and Sour Fish in the end. The taste was almost the same as Su Liang’s, and the presentation was even better.
Su Liang gave a thumbs up, “Great God, you can graduate now.”
“I don’t know how to do anything else.” Gu Ling replied, indicating his graduation was not important. Staying in the kitchen together was the activity he enjoyed the most.
“You’ll learn soon.” Su Liang smiled softly, “With Great God’s talent, you can try to create some new dishes.”
Gu Ling had this intention.
The two shared a fish, and after dinner, Su Liang washed the dishes and boiled water. The division of labor was reversed by now. About Gu Ling learning to cook for himself and possibly breaking up the partnership, Su Liang just had a fleeting thought in his mind, and decided to let nature take its course.
King Yue’s Mansion.
Situ Xie has not been in a good mood lately.
At first, he was overjoyed when Mu Yu joined him. Unfortunately, the secret scroll on mechanisms he most wanted had only half a copy, and it was all incomplete.
He thought that with Mu Yu, it would be a matter of time before his master appeared. When the fan appeared, Situ Xie thought Mu’s old man had come, but the series of events that followed made him completely confused.
The Treasure Pavilion auction was a trap designed by Situ Xie, but unfortunately, in the end, neither Su Liang nor he got what they wanted. Half of the original secret scroll fell into Situ Han’s hands.
Situ Xie sent people to spy on Ning Wang Mansion. That night, the spy saw Su Liang and Gu Ling leave their house, but they did not enter the Imperial Palace or the Crown Prince’s Mansion. They seemed to have found the spy and deliberately led them on a wild goose chase.
Today, his invitation to Gu Ling and Su Liang to dine at his mansion was also refused.
“Grandfather, I’m afraid we’ll have to consider the secret scroll issue more carefully.” Situ Jing sighed, “As long as Mu Yu’s master knows he’s in King Yue’s Mansion, he’ll come looking.”
But Situ Xie’s face darkened, “Wrong!”
Situ Jing frowned, “Did my son say something wrong?
“Big mistake!” Situ Xie clenched his fists, “That auction shouldn’t have happened at all!”
Situ Jing was stunned for a moment, “There’s not much we can do about it now…”
Situ Xie said coldly, “Have you ever thought that if Mu Heng really comes to Yao city, instead of coming to King Yue’s Mansion to find me, he might go to the Imperial Palace?”
Situ Jing pondered for a moment, and his face changed dramatically, “Wouldn’t that let the Emperor know that Mu Family’s descendants have been loyal to grandfather for a long time, and that grandfather has been hiding it and not reporting it?”
Situ Jing didn’t know Situ Xie was Situ Han’s biological father. At that moment, all he felt was that things had gone wrong. They really should not have revealed Mu Yu’s existence, even under a pseudonym. Once Mu Yu’s master heard it, it would be obvious who he was. Besides, they shouldn’t have taken out half of the secret scroll!
“It’s all my fault. I was confused and ruined everything.” Situ Jing’s face turned ugly. At that time, he had given Situ Xie many suggestions.
However, they had originally expected that Su Liang would buy the secret scroll. In this way, they could not only bring trouble to Su Liang but also make a huge profit.
Unfortunately, their plans failed.
“Su Liang…” Situ Xie muttered the name coldly, “Did she know something all along?”
Situ Jing didn’t dare to speak casually, but he thought that Su Liang was really good at disguising herself. She seemed to be doing well on all sides but was actually focusing on irrelevant matters. She never suffered on important matters.
“Can Su Liang really marry Gu Ling in Liang Country? Will someone come to stop it?” Situ Jing asked.
Situ Xie’s eyes narrowed, “I know a big secret about them, and I’m thinking about whether to reveal it to Emperor Qian.”
That night, before going to bed, Su Liang was still thinking about what dish she would teach Gu Ling to make tomorrow.
Gu Ling heard footsteps next door, and then silence, knowing that Su Liang had gone to bed. He wasn’t sleepy yet, so he sat at the table drawing. He was drawing the scene of Su Liang flying to save the child in the bustling market that day.
He was halfway through the drawing when he suddenly heard a noise coming from the back window, as if a stone had hit it.
Gu Ling’s eyes narrowed, and he put away the painting, got up, and went out, following a dark shadow into the garden.
When he saw the dark shadow, he knew who it was. Otherwise, he wouldn’t leave Su Liang alone.
Standing on the ice lake, the two holes Su Liang had drilled for ice fishing the day before were already frozen solid again.
The visitor stopped and turned around, looked at Gu Ling, and said with a smile, “Xiaogu, I heard you’re getting married, so your sister came.”
Gu Ling’s face remained calm, ‘Ying Ying.”
Ying Ying wore a cloak, revealing only half of her golden mask, and spoke in a low tone, “Last time you asked me for medicine, was it for that Su Girl? She’s only sixteen? So you’re just neglecting me because I’m older than you? I’m only three years older.”
As for the antidote, it was actually easy to investigate. At that time, it was for Su Liang’s friend Gao Jiabao.
Gu Ling still didn’t say a word, and Ying Ying snorted lightly, “But I’m not an unreasonable person either. You agreed to the terms back then. Coincidentally, I’m in Liang Country right now, and I came as soon as I got the news.. Do you want to invite the girl out now and let me compare with her, or wait until tomorrow to introduce her to me?”