But Ouyang Yu did not dare to say these words aloud, as Ouyang Ming had warned her not to show disrespect towards the late Second Uncle and Second Aunt, or she would be punished.
Ouyang Ming ignored her and walked straight towards his room.
Ouyang Yu was furious, got up, and chased after him, grabbing him and saying, "Donât think you can stick so close to those country people because Grandpa dotes on you. Let me tell you, if you let any gossip about them affect my marriage prospects, I wonât forgive you!"
Ouyang Ming was stunned. Indeed, her marriage prospects would affect the family sisters. If she, as the legitimate granddaughter of the Ouyang Family, marries too low, it would lower the marriage status of her sisters as well.
Ouyang Ming was staring at Ouyang Yu in a daze, which again made Ouyang Yu furious. She yelled, "What are you looking at? Iâm talking about serious matters, donât pretend you canât hear!"
"I heard you, Fifth Sister, donât worry, I remember the rules of the Ouyang Family, and I wonât do anything that harms you all." Ouyang Ming said, then bowed to Ouyang Yu, finally turning around and entering the room.
Ouyang Yu was stunned, pointing at Ouyang Mingâs back, it took her a while to recover, asking her chief maid, "Third Sister, is, is she okay?"
Not arguing with her is one thing, but bowing to her, is she crazy?
Then, she excitedly asked, "Did I win?"
Finally made Ouyang Ming concede?!
The chief maid nodded, "In reply to Miss Wu, you should have won indeed."
Ouyang Yu covered her mouth and giggled, looking at Ouyang Mingâs door and saying, "Hmph, since Third Sister knows whatâs good for her, I wonât say much more, lest you think Iâm deliberately targeting you, which Iâm not."
With that, she left the courtyard joyfully, happily taking the maids to pick osmanthus flowers.
Meanwhile, Ouyang Ming stayed inside writing out the family rules of the Ouyang Family, not leaving the room all day.
...
Brother Cheng woke up in the afternoon, and upon opening his eyes, he saw his big brotherâs weary yet joyful face saying, "Brother Cheng, youâre awake!"
His voice was loud, which startled Brother Cheng, causing him to shrink back.
Gu Jinâan felt a pang in his heart. Brother Cheng had been so frightened from being beaten that he was now afraid of him too.
He quickly smiled, lowered his voice saying, "You must be hungry from sleeping so long, wait, Iâll go get you some pastries to eat."
Saying this, he got up immediately, went to the stove outside the hallway, and brought two plates of pastries that had been kept warm inside, handing them to Brother Cheng: "These pastries are made by Third Miss, ones you havenât had before. The red ones are double-layered cakes made with red beans, and the golden ones are tiger head cakes, they look and taste great, try them."
Brother Cheng was taken aback, dumbly staring at the two plates of pastries before him and his big brotherâs smiling face, before asking, "Did Third Sister send them? Sheâs not angry anymore?"
His voice was hoarse, it must be due to the prolonged fever and dry throat.
"Indeed, Third Miss personally made these pastries, but it was Master who asked the servant to deliver them." Gu Jinâan said, putting down the pastries and pouring a bowl of warm water for him: "Drink some water first to moisten your throat."
Master Ouyang, upon hearing Ouyang Ming had completed making the pastries, instructed a servant to fetch them from the kitchen and have Gu Jinâan keep them warm by the stove, so Brother Cheng could eat them upon waking.
This gesture eased much of Gu Jinâanâs unease from the previous night.
"Why still dazed, quickly drink the water." Gu Jinâan, seeing Brother Cheng unmoving, decided to feed him.
Brother Cheng took a few gulps, finishing more than half a bowl of warm water before fully waking up, with reddened eyes, urgently asking: "Brother, have Third Sister and Master stopped being angry with me? And my brother and..."
"Letâs talk later, let Doctor Sheng check your pulse first, to see if thereâs any discomfort." Gu Jinâan interrupted Brother Chengâs words, raised his hand to lightly pat his head with a smile, blinked in response to his earlier question.
Brother Chengâs eyes shone with joy, yet knowing matters concerning his big brother and Third Sister shouldnât be discussed in public, immediately shut his mouth and cooperatively stretched out his hand, smiling towards Doctor Sheng, "Doctor Sheng, could you kindly check on me, I must hurry to recover for the Mid-Autumn festival, otherwise I wonât get to eat the moon cake. The ones made at my house are delicious and you canât buy them outside."
The moon cakes made by the Gu Family are ice skin moon cakes, with rice and sugar being expensive in ancient times, the costs are high. Gu Jinli does not make them in large quantities, but instead, makes some each Mid-Autumn to let a few families eat and give as gifts.
However, Mrs. Chen couldnât miss the opportunity to make money and pleaded with Gu Jinli, asking her to teach her how to make them so she could sell them to wealthy families at high prices, recovering costs of rice and sugar, and she just sits back to collect the profits.
Ice skin moon cakes arenât really a rare recipe, and Gu Jinli, troubled by Mrs. Chenâs pestering, eventually taught her the recipe. Now Mrs. Chen is busy making ice skin moon cakes to extort those wealthy families.
Doctor Sheng laughed, quickly coming to take Brother Chengâs pulse and check the injuries on his back.
Once Doctor Sheng was done, Gu Jinâan quickly asked, "Doctor Sheng, how is Brother Chengâs body? Will there be any damage?"
Doctor Sheng shook his head, "No, the young manâs physique is quite good, this wound will not affect him much. All he needs is proper recuperation."
Turning to Brother Cheng, he smiled, "It wonât delay the young man from coming home for Mid-Autumn."
Today is the thirteenth, another day of sleep, and he can return home by the fifteenth.
Upon hearing this, Brother Cheng beamed with happiness, eyes squinting, and thanked Doctor Sheng, "Thank you, Doctor Sheng."
He then turned to Gu Jinâan, "Brother, I am fine now."
Gu Jinâan smiled, you may have slept for almost a full day and night, endured high fever, convulsions, even nightmares, yet how could you be fine: "Does your throat hurt?"
Brother Cheng nodded, "A bit."
In reality, it hurt quite a bit, reminiscent of how eating chaff injured his throat when he was younger, but he did not want his brother to worry, so he downplayed it.
"Then have some rice porridge first, and eat two pieces of double-layered cake, save the tiger head cake for tonight." Gu Jinâan stepped out to bring in some rice porridge for Brother Cheng, passed it to him to drink, while he asked Doctor Sheng in detail about Brother Chengâs conditions.
Doctor Sheng had been asked incessantly by Gu Jinâan, this Gu Family Big Brother was too much, asking since last night, while he had been explaining since then, over and over, why still asking?!
Yet Doctor Sheng, being a doctor provided by the Ouyang Family, technically counts as a servant. As Gu Family Brothers are Master Ouyangâs students, he must show deference, and so explained again in detail.
Gu Jinâan felt relieved upon hearing this, knowing he had troubled Doctor Sheng with his questioning, he bowed to him, saying, "Doctor Sheng has worked hard, youâve kept vigil for a night, please go and rest first, return in the evening to check Brother Chengâs pulse, see his throat and back injuries."
Doctor Sheng swiftly evaded Gu Jinâanâs salute, yet managed to briskly run away, truly pestered by Gu Jinâan.
Ah Song had been quietly listening the entire time, and now departed the courtyard to report the situation to Master Ouyang.