Chapter 52 Away on the summer holidays
The moment concubine Yun left, the room became livelyagain. Because Shu Huan never put on the air of the mistress of a household, Ranmo and Diyan weren’t too restrictive. They laughed and talked non-stop.
After listening to the tragic fate of that fat man, although Shu Huan laughed, she still didn’t dare to believe it, “Did you fabricate it?”
“Who fabricated it? Who fabricated it?” Gu Xihe was dissatisfied. “I inquired about it.”
Ranmo quickly bootlicked, “That’s right. Fourth young master is very smart. He gave me two silver liang to go bribe that servant of the county magistrate. He told me everything.”
Truly money will make the devil turn millstones.
While talking, Meijing came in with a basket of grapes. She said smilingly, “Second young mistress, I have sent that bracelet to eldest young mistress. Eldest young mistress likes it very much and said that she’d troubled you. Just at that moment, the household management sent newly picked grapes. She let me bring some back. Eldest young mistress also said that the grapes of this year were picked early. They are very sweet. It was just that the first batch wasn’t much. She said for you to not dislike them and try some while they are fresh.”
She just finished when Gu Xihe already took the basket from her like a hungry tiger preying a sheep. He put a grape in his mouth.
Meijing was stunned, “Fourth young master, I haven’t washed them yet…”
Gu Xihe gestured with his hand and was about to say that it didn’t matter, when Shu Huan reached over and pointed at the grapes. He looked at it. there was a big and chubby worm that sucked the grape juice. He suddenly felt nausea and almost vomited.
He wasn’t afraid of worms, but this didn’t mean that he wouldn’t feel anything when he almost ate a worm.
Gu Xihe had lost appetite when he looked at the grapes. He walked out, “I will go look at old madam’s to see if there are some delicious things to eat.”
He just raised the curtain when Gu Xiran walked in and said to him, “Thank you.”
“I…,” Gu Xihe was dejected. It was obviously a coincidence. Now that he (GXR) thanked him, he (GXH) became a servant who specially raise the curtain for people. He stomped his feet, “Second big brother is truly mean.”
Gu Xiran praised, “Thank you for the compliment.”
His was too thick-skinned. Gu Xihe had no way. He turned to leave.
Gu Xiran sat down, tidied his sleeves and said, “Little fourth, wait.”
“What?”
“Go to old madam’s and inquire whether she would go to the resort to spend the summer.”
This was her usual practice. Every year, when the housekeeper of the resort come to bring things during the summer days, old madam would tell the housekeeper to clean up the resort and she would pick a good day to move to the resort for a summer break. After all, even if the residence of Gu household was very big and there were many trees and flowers, but it wasn’t as cooling as the resort outside the city that faced the mountain.
Gu Xihe scratched his head and said a bit annoyed, “Is there need to ask? A few days ago, she said that her body wasn’t feeling as well as previous years. If she goes to the resort, it would be easy for her to catch a cold. I originally wanted to go with her. Now, there is no chance anymore.”
“You want to go?”
“I want.”
Gu Xiran smiled slightly, “Then go beg old madam for you to go?”
“Begging is also useless. Eldest big brother is busy. Second big brother is ill. I hate to see that cold face of third big brother. There is no one to go with me. How could old madam be willing to let me go alone…,” Gu Xihe only talked half-way when enlightenment suddenly dawned on him. “Second big brother, you want to go. That is why you let me go beg old madam, right?”
Gu Xiran slowly nodded and said, “Clever.”
“You…I…,” Gu Xihe was very dejected that he was being calculated. “Can you not go beg yourself?”
Gu Xiran put his index finger in front of Gu Xihe and shook it. “First, I don’t beg people. Second, even if I beg old madam, she may not agree. As for you, no matter if you rolled about and make a scene or disturb her constantly, you can always pester till she agrees.”
“…”
Gu Xihe wanted to refuse, but when he remembered that he doesn’t have freedom since master was at the residence and that he could play crazily at the resort because there was no one to restrict him there, so, after he thought for a while, he couldn’t resist the temptation and still complied.
After he left, Shu Huan didn’t say anything, stood up and wanted to go back to the inner room.
Gu Xiran asked smilingly, “Why do you want to hide when you see me?”
After getting accustomed to his teasing, Shu Huan’s ability to adapt was much stronger than before. She opened her mouth and said, “How would I dare? I was going to pack the things master need to bring to the resort lest to not forget something when I wake up.”
There was no need to think about it. if Gu Xihe go beg, old madam would probably agree. To speak the truth, she was very excited. After all, she wanted to see the outside world after having suffocated for so long in Gu residence. This kind of feeling wasn’t strong at first, but ever since she came back that day after the stroll in the streets, she began to long for freedom very much. She became even more not accustomed to spend the whole days inside without going out.
Gu Xihe reply was quite fast. In the evening, he sent Ranmo over to report that old madam had agreed. She let Gu Xiran go nourish his body and also keep watch of Gu Xihe. However, she wasn’t at ease. Hence, aside from Gu Xihe’s wet nurse Xiao shi, she also ordered four old maids, four maids who know martial arts, four young married women (probably the wives of the servants) and a cook to go with them. Finally, she remembered that concubine Yun was a stable person. So, she let her follow.
The old maids were already elders of Gu family. The common saying was that servants who had served for a long time would become masters. They naturally had to bring some young maids to serve them. But those young maids only cared for them. They had to also bring a few maids for the heavy and crude chores, right? Aside form Gu Xihe’s two study companions, concubine Yun’s personal maid Xiangqian also needed to go…
In this way, it was a large group of people. Plus, the personal belongings of these people, it didn’t look like going for a summer vacation. It looked like they were moving out.
Not to mention that Shu Huan was shocked, Gu Xiran was also very surprised, “Why are there so many people?”
Ranmo said happily, “It’s only about thirty people. It’s not much. If it was old madam who went for a summer vacation, more than half of the people in the household would follow.”
“…”
She originally thought that she could get freedom at the resort. With so many people going, how could she get freedom? However, changing the environment was always better than being bored at Gu residence. Shu Huan could only comfort herself like that.
Gu Xiran was obviously not someone who liked to comfort himself. He said frowningly, “Yun Yan doesn’t have to go. Stay and keep watch at Plum Flower Pavilion.”
Concubine was stunned for a moment. She hasn’t said anything when Ranmo shook her head, “Fourth young master already said this to old madam. Old madam said…”
“Said what?”
Ranmo looked once apological at Shu Huan and said, “She said that the cook only cooks three meals. Concubine Yun is good at cooking. If two young masters get hungry at night, it would be convenient. Moreover, second young master needs people to boil medication for you. As for second young mistress…it was already not bad if she could make some salted vegetables. It was better for her to just go play.”
These words of old madam were really hurtful.
Shu Huan thought and thought. She hasn’t gone paid her respect these days. So, she felt that she didn’t offend this old madam. However, after she thought about the meaning of those words, she suddenly understood. Could it be that old madam thought that it was her idea to go to the resort?
When she thought about it, it seemed reasonable. Old madam was also someone clever. After old madam thought about it, how could she not see that someone instigated Gu Xihe to suddenly come pester her to go to the resort? And, when they were packing things, concubine Yun said that second young master had never been to the resort. She didn’t know what to bring. It could be seen that Gu Xiran was a well-behaved person who didn’t set foot outside. Then, who else could the initiator be other than her, the daughter of a poor family who used to be accustomed to showing her face in public and who couldn’t stay well-behaved?
Since it was her idea and old madam couldn’t bear to let Gu Xihe leave her side. So, she naturally put all the blame on her (SH). Only deriding her with a few words was already very generous of old madam.
While Shu Huan thought about it, she couldn’t help bit laugh bitterly. Of course, she didn’t laugh bitterly because she became the scapegoat for Gu Xiran. It was because old madam truly thought too highly of her to think that she could make some salted vegetables. In fact, she also had been spoiled since little. Aside from making instant noodles, she hasn’t even touched a spatula before.