Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: Rascals

Chapter 5: Rascals

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Gu Jiao was very surprised by her dream. Not only did she dream, she actually dreamt of a man.

“Do I miss him that much?” Gu Jiao rubbed her chin curiously.

However, it was just a dream after all, and Gu Jiao did not really take it to heart.

At this moment, the sky was starting to brighten, though there were still a few stars in the sky. It looked like it would be a sunny day.

Gu Jiao could not remember how long it had been since she had woken up so early. In her previous life, although it was true that she worked at the research institute, those who were familiar with her knew that she was a night owl through and through, and most of her research and surgeries were scheduled in the afternoon. As for the missions from the organization, it was rare for her to get those which started at dawn and ended at dusk.

Gu Jiao was wearing her own clothes today.

Last night, after Gu Jiao brought the brazier into Xiao Liulang’s room, she roasted her clothes around the brazier for a while. However, her movements were very light, and she did not wake Xiao Liulang up.

Gu Jiao went to the backyard to get water and wash up.

Xiao Liulang’s door was open; he was no longer in the house.

She thought that she had woken up early, but unexpectedly, someone was earlier than her.

Gu Jiao walked around the house, but there was no sign of Xiao Liulang. She only realized that there was a bucket missing beside the water vat.

Gu Jiao looked at the remaining half of the water vat and rubbed her chin without saying anything.

The bolt on the front door was still in place. Xiao Liulang had gone out through the back door of the kitchen, and after going out he locked it from the outside. This way, outsiders could not enter as they pleased, but if Gu Jiao wanted to go out, she could still leave from the front.

After Gu Jiao washed up, she returned to her room to apply ointment and take some anti-inflammatory medicine.

At this moment, Xiao Liulang had yet to return. Gu Jiao leavened the last bit of cornmeal first. This was the last bit of food.

Gu Jiao had to think of a way to sell the pheasant she brought back and exchange it for some food for her family. However, the original owner had never left the village, so Gu Jiao did not know the way to town.

It would take some time for the flour to rise. Gu Jiao took a broom and swept the backyard, central room, and her own room. Since Xiao Liulang was not around, she did not enter his room.

She had only washed half of yesterday’s clothes, and there were still a few pieces in the wardrobe. Gu Jiao took them all out and placed them in the large wooden basin in the backyard.

There were soap pancreas in this dynasty, which the Host had seen on a peddler’s stretcher; however, the villagers were poor and could not afford them. Instead, they used soap pods plucked from trees.

Gu Jiao smashed the soap pod and smeared it evenly on her clothes. She kept hitting it with the club until a fragrant foam appeared; only then did she start to wash it repeatedly.

The decontamination ability of the soap was not as strong as she had imagined, but Gu Jiao was very determined to wash her clothes clean.

Eventually, a small hole showed through the undergarment.

Gu Jiao: “…”

When Gu Jiao finished washing her clothes, she had almost used up half a vat of water.

At this moment, the flour was also risen. Gu Jiao made cornmeal buns and steamed them in the pot.

Xiao Liulang still had not returned.

There were a total of two wells in the village. The old well was at the end of the village and was relatively close to them, but it was almost dry. Gu Jiao guessed that Xiao Liulang was fetching water and had gone to the new well at the entrance of the village.

That place was only a short distance away from the place where Gu Jiao fell into the water yesterday. A normal person would be able to make a round trip in less than fifteen minutes, but Xiao Liulang’s legs were crippled, and he had to carry a bucket of water as well. Gu Jiao estimated that he should have returned by now.

Gu Jiao stood in front of the stove and looked in the direction of the front door. Ultimately, she still opened the door and left.

Gu Jiao found Xiao Liulang behind a large pagoda tree near the old well.

Xiao Liulang was surrounded by a few fierce-looking rascals. His bucket had fallen to the ground, the water spilled all over the ground.

The rascals each had two chicken feathers sticking out of their heads.

An ancient version of punks?

Gu Jiao recognized not only the rascals from her village, there were also some from the neighboring village. They caused trouble all day long; while they did not kill or burn people, they nonetheless did harm the villagers.

Xiao Liulang’s walking stick had been snatched away by a little rascal. The little rascal was young and looked to be only thirteen or fourteen years old, but he was very arrogant.

He pushed Xiao Liulang to the ground and pointed his walking stick at Xiao Liulang’s face. “How many times have I warned you? Don’t appear in front of me again! Are you f*cking deaf? Hurry up and get out of Clearspring Village!”

The little rascal’s voice was clearly still breaking, and sounded somewhat familiar.

The little rascal waved a walking stick at Xiao Liulang. Gu Jiao did not have time to think carefully; she walked up in a few steps, raised her hand to block for Xiao Liulang, and kicked the little rascal square in the butt.

“Uwah! Who the f*ck dares to kick me—” The little rascal ate dirt after getting kicked. He turned around and was about to start cursing, but he choked.

Gu Jiao did not care if he was choking or not. She went forward, snatched the walking stick from his hand, twisted his arm behind his back and jammed the walking stick to his neck, strangling him.

The little rascal was extremely uncomfortable from being strangled and instantly cried out, “Sister! Sister! What are you doing!”

Gu Jiao was startled.

When the rascals at the side saw that their boss was being bullied, they swarmed towards Gu Jiao.

The little rascal roared angrily, “All of you, f*cking stop! She’s my sister!”

The rascals were stunned.

Gu Jiao… finally remembered who this little rascal was. He was the youngest son from the Gu family’s second branch, Gu Xiaoshun.

Gu Xiaoshun was 13 years old this year. He was the youngest of the Gu family’s grandchildren and the only one who was truly close to her Host. He did not mind that the Host was an idiot, nor that the Host was ugly.

Perhaps, it was because Gu Xiaoshun was too much of a mess himself. Refusing to study properly and fooling around all day, his brothers and sisters always chided him, and his parents always beat him up. Only the Host would foolishly hold his hand, coaxing him with sweets from her own mouth. ‘Little Shun really knows how to fight. Little Shun is really amazing.’

Gu Xiaoshun knew that Gu Jiao was like this because she was stupid, but he was not that smart himself.

He simply felt that he would be nice to whoever treated him well.

“Sister! Sister! It hurts!” Gu Xiaoshun cried out in grievance.

Gu Jiao let go of him and put her right hand behind her back. She used her left hand to pull him up and asked indifferently, “Why did you bully your brother-in-law?”

“Brother-in-law?” Gu Xiaoshun suspected that he had heard wrongly. “Didn’t you ask me to beat him up?”

“Me?” Gu Jiao was puzzled.

“That’s right!” Gu Xiaoshun glanced at Xiao Liulang and whispered, “You told me that you don’t want this cripple anymore and wanted me to chase him away, so that you can be with that Young Master Qin!”

He thought that his voice was soft, but everyone present heard him.

Xiao Liulang’s gaze went cold.

The other rascals could not bear to watch.

Gu Xiaoshun said, “Sister, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten? You told me yourself!”

Gu Xiaoshun would not lie to her, so it seemed that the Host of her body had certainly said such things. However, even the Host had forgotten—yet, this younger brother of hers did not forget a single word!

“I just… said it casually, and you took it seriously?”

Gu Jiao gritted her teeth.

“Then what should we do now?” Gu Xiaoshun realized that he seemed to have done something wrong. He stood there, his head drooping like a little quail.