NOVEL WEB Chapter 23: Husband and Wife
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S T E L L A R C L O U D
[Celeste S.] [Azurixa] [Robert K.]
O R A N G E S T A R
[Talia R.] [K.Rom]
Y E L L O W S T A R
[Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.]
G O L D S T A R
[Nem]
Both Gu Jiao and Xiao Liulang got up early.
Xiao Liulang went to the entrance of the village to fetch some water.
Meanwhile, Gu Jiao first went to the shed to see the elderly woman. The red spots on her face had faded so much it could hardly be seen, and the skin lesions on her face and the back of her hands had basically disappeared as well.
Although it was still early to say that her disease was cured completely, it was no longer contagious.
Gu Jiao stroked her chin with satisfaction and turned to the kitchen to boil medicine for her.
Looking at the bitter medicine before her, the elderly woman rolled her eyes in disgust.
In order to make her drink the medicine obediently, Gu Jiao asked Xiao Liulang to bring some candied fruit from the town. The elderly woman liked to eat candied fruit very much, but if she didn’t drink her medicine, there would be no candied fruit for her.
Gu Jiao put a bowl of medicine and a small plate of candied fruit on the table at the same time.
"So few! Only three?!" The elderly woman was seriously dissatisfied with the number of candied fruits.
"Candied fruits are very expensive. Forget it if you don't want to eat it." Gu Jiao said, reaching out to get the plate of candied fruit.
The elderly woman glared at Gu Jiao resentfully, grabbed the candied fruit into her arms, and then drank the bowl of medicine with great bitterness and deep hatred.
Because Xiao Liulang was going to the medical hall for his treatment today, Gu Jiao also had to go, but she couldn’t just leave the elderly woman alone at home.
It wasn’t that Gu Jiao hadn’t considered taking the elderly woman with them, but there were still checkpoints on the roads. In case the officers recognized the elderly woman, all their previous efforts would be wasted.
Although she wasn’t sure if the elderly woman was the leper they were searching for, caution was the parent of safety after all.
After much deliberation, Gu Jiao called Gu Xiaoshun over.
"Big sis! You finally let me in!" Gu Xiaoshun said excitedly.
Gu Jiao said, "I'm going to town with your brother-in-law today. You stay at home and look after the elderly lady for me. Her disease won’t spread to others anymore, and I have also disinfected the house."
Gu Xiaoshun didn't understand what disinfected was supposed to mean, nor did he ask his sister how she knew that the disease would no longer spread to others. Without any hesitation, he said, "All right! Big sis, don’t worry! I will look after her!"
"I heated up the lunch in the pot. Just give her a serving." Gu Jiao continued to give instructions.
Gu Xiaoshun patted his chest and said, "Big sis, you can rest assured leaving this work to me!"
Gu Jiao suddenly thought of something and said, "If someone asks, you can say that she’s your brother-in-law's relative who came to visit him."
Gu Xiaoshun said, "All right!"
Shortly after Gu Jiao and Xiao Liulang left, two of the bullies who had followed Gu Xiaoshun before came knocking at the door.
"Boss! We came to see you! I heard that you began to study. How come you’re suddenly acting like Dashun!? Let’s go ah! Let’s go for some action!"
"Get lost! Roll away! Roll away! This great one has a business to take care of!" Gu Xiaoshun kicked people away without a second thought.
Although he felt itchy after staying quiet for too long, his sister entrusted him with a job and he must do it well.
…...
By the time Gu Jiao and Xiao Liulang arrived at the Rejuvenation Hall, Feng Lin had been lingering at the door for a long time. Originally, the appointment time he made with the Rejuvenation Hall was the hour of sishi[1], but he was worried that there were too many people looking for Physician Zhang for treatment, so he came during the hour of chenshi[2].
But he didn’t know why, he had been here for more than half an hour and yet there was no sign of people queuing at all.
He was wondering about this when he saw Xiao Liulang and Gu Jiao coming.
His face sank in an instant when he saw Gu Jiao, "Why are you here?"
Gu Jiao smiled faintly, "To look around."
Feng Lin didn’t understand. Based on what he heard, wasn’t this wicked woman supposed to have taken a fancy to someone else? Why did she keep sticking to Brother Xiao recently? She even came with Brother Xiao for his treatment!
Brother Xiao, too. His treatment was such an important thing, why did he bother bringing along such a burden? What if she messed things up?
Feng Lin said coldly, "I’m warning you, once you enter the medical hall, you are not allowed to talk randomly and touch other people's things. Don't cause trouble for Brother Xiao and delay Brother Xiao's leg treatment!"
"Oh." Gu Jiao responded without displaying any impatience and temper.
Xiao Liulang frowned at Feng Lin, and then went in with his crutch.
Shopkeeper Wang received them.
Shopkeeper Wang had also been waiting for them for a long time. He greeted them with a smile, glanced at Gu Jiao unobtrusively, and smilingly said to Feng Lin, "Young Gentleman Feng is here. This must be Young Gentleman Xiao, a friend of Young Gentleman Feng? I am Shopkeeper Wang of Rejuvenation Hall."
Xiao Liulang nodded faintly.
Shopkeeper Wang secretly marveled that this Young Gentleman Xiao was too handsome. He was obviously dressed in humble clothes, but he looked more noble than any other sons of great families he had ever seen.
"This is..." Shopkeeper Wang looked at Gu Jiao, as though he really didn't know her at all.
Xiao Liulang paused briefly then said, "My wife Gu shi."
Gu Jiao: My wife Gu shi... Hm, such a pleasant form of address.
Shopkeeper Wang smiled and said, "It turned out to be Madame Xiao, excuse me for my lack of manners."
Gu Jiao: Somehow, it doesn’t sound so good when you say it.
"Shopkeeper Wang, has Physician Zhang really come? Why are there no patients waiting in line here?" Feng Lin asked.
"Alas, isn't that because Physician Zhang is still injured and can't receive in large numbers of patients? I didn't let the news out and only told a few patients who were really in urgent need. You are the only patient in the morning and the rest are in the afternoon!" Shopkeeper Wang knew Feng Lin would ask questions, so he had already written a script in advance.
"I see." Feng Lin didn’t suspect him in the slightest.
Shopkeeper Wang smiled and said, "Young Gentleman Feng, please have a rest in the lobby in the meantime. I'll take Young Gentleman Xiao inside to meet Physician Zhang for diagnosis and treatment."
"Can't I go in, too?" Feng Lin asked.
Shopkeeper Wang replied with a smile, "I'm afraid it's against the rules."
Feng Lin thought for a moment and then nodded, "All right. I'll leave Brother Xiao to you, Shopkeeper Wang. You must ask Physician Zhang to heal him!"
Shopkeeper Wang glanced at Gu Jiao and smiled, "We will try our best."
After Xiao Liulang and Shopkeeper Wang entered the back wing room, Gu Jiao also stood up.
"What are you going to do?" Feng Lin asked warily.
"Go to the latrine." Gu Jiao answered.
Feng Lin’s face went red, "Go quickly and come back early, don't run around!"
Gu Jiao went to the backyard of the medical hall with the basket on her back.
When she entered the wing room, Xiao Liulang was already asleep on the rattan chair.
Shopkeeper Wang and Second Owner were also present.
"Gu girl." Second Owner cupped his hands in salute.
Gu Jiao's eyes swept the incense burner on the table before landing on Xiao Liulang's sleeping handsome face. She asked, "Is there no problem with this incense?"
Second Owner said amicably, "It's just an incense to calm the nerves, it's made by our Rejuvenation Hall and it's not harmful to the body. Is Gu girl going to make a diagnosis and give treatment now?"
"Yes." Gu Jiao went over and put the back basket with her medicine chest in it on the table. She didn't intend to take the medicine chest out in front of them.
Second Owner actually wanted to ask Gu Jiao. Since Young Gentleman Xiao was her husband, why not tell him directly? Could it be, they were not a genuine husband and wife?
However, Second Owner was a smart person. When you open a door to do business, you must have more ears and less mouth.
Never ask what you shouldn't ask.
1. ↑ — 巳时|sìshí: 9-11 am (in the system of two-hour subdivisions used in former times) 2. ↑ — 辰时| chénshí: 7-9 am (in the system of two-hour subdivisions used in former times)
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Also, please also have a look at our other translations!
Everyone But Me Is Reborn
Her father is a coward and senselessly filial. Her mother is weak and gullible. Her elder brother is a wastrel.
When she married into the Wangfu, she suffered and was coldly treated. And by the time she was in labour, she was fated to die with the unborn child in her belly.
This was supposed to be Ning Nuan's life.
However this time, everyone but her is reborn.
Ning Nuan is at a loss. She felt that her dad has suddenly become the pillar of the family, her mother’s temper became fierce, and even her elder brother, who would only walk the dogs and play with birds all day, has begun picking up books and reading them carefully.
There is also that juvenile that shows up at the wall of her courtyard everyday, calling her “Ah Nuan, Ah Nuan” with an honest face.