Chapter 67
After Lin Qingyu’s remarriage, Huan Tong and Hua Lu also came to the General’s Mansion. Both of them had a very tangled feelings towards Gu Fuzhou.
Huan Tong was still fine; he was Lin Qingyu’s person after all. No matter what Lin Qingyu wanted to do, he would support it wholeheartedly. Although he too felt a little pity for Young Master Hou, the general was simply too heroic. Take for example yesterday; the general had angered the Young Master for some reason and in order to amuse the Young Master, the general went to the training grounds and put on a show for him, breaking slabs of stone on his chest. Were it Young Master Hou, would he have been able to do something like that? Forget breaking those slabs, even just having those slabs press against Young Master Hou’s stomach and within half an hour, he would have died.
Man seeks his way up just as water seeks its way down. If his family’s Young Master wanted to remarry, he had to marry someone who was more powerful. There was nothing wrong with that.
There was no need to speak of Hua Lu. She was Lu Wancheng’s closest maid. When Lu Wancheng was still alive, he treated her like a younger sister. The reason why she was willing to follow Lin Qingyu was because of her respect and love for Lin Qingyu, but even more than that, it was because of Young Master Hou. She knew that the one Young Master Huo had been most concerned about, the one he had worried about most was Lin Qingyu. And so she wanted to stand in for Young Master Hou and stay by Lin Qingyu’s side to look after him.
However, Lin Qingyu seemed to have completely forgotten about Young Master Hou. He and General Gu were newlyweds and they were stuck together all the time. They even had the bunkbed specially designed by Young Master Hou moved into the bridal chamber. If Young Master Hou, out there in the afterlife, knew of this, oh how sad he would be. While it was true that she admired the general, if she were made to choose, she would definitely stand with Young Master Hou.
Hua Lu was someone of no sophistication; her thoughts were writ all over her face. Her eyes, whenever she looked at Gu Fuzhou were always filled with a bit of resentment. Gu Fuzhou could guess what she was thinking; she was ready to make some trouble.
The end of the year was approaching, it was getting colder and colder. Although it had yet to snow, the wind was already bitingly-cold, like a knife cutting against one’s face. Who knew what had gotten into Gu Fuzhou, instead of staying in a nice warm room, he insisted on taking Lin Qingyu to the yard for dinner.
Gu Fuzhou ordered someone to bring out a stove, with charcoal burning underneath and a large washed stone covering the top. When the stone turned hot, Gu Fuzhou brushed a layer of oil on it and placed the meats finely cut by the cook on it to grill. The hot oil lowed along the grains of the meat, it made a sizzling sound, tempting people’s fingers into twitching.
Lin Qingyu saw it as a novelty, it was the first time he had seen this way of eating. Gu Fuzhou grilled a few pieces of mutton first, then put it into Lin Qingyu’s bowl. “Qingyu, try it.”
Lin Qingyu took a small bite and said reservedly, “They only thing I can say is that it’s normal. The mutton taste is very strong.”
“Don’t you eat mutton for the mutton flavor?” Gu Fuzhou picked up a piece that was lined with both lean and fat. “Try this one. Open your mouth.”
After hesitating for a while, Lin Qingyu opened his mouth and allowed Gu Fuzhou to put it into his mouth. Looking from out the corner of his eye, Gu Fuzhou saw Hua Lu, who was sitting to one side, and the aggrieved look in her eyes. He raised his voice and asked, “Qingyu, did you even have barbecue with your former husband?”
Lin Qingyu: “…” What was wrong with this person?
Gu Fuzhou rubbed his chin and said, “This general has heard that Young Master Hou was so weak that he had to use a wheelchair wherever he went and he couldn’t eat these greasy things. What kind of fun could you have had with him before?”
“What the general said is correct.” Lin Qingyu said coolly, “I can only say that it is fortunate that Young Master Hou died early.”
Hua Lu stared at Lin Qingyu in disbelief— Y-Young Master, how can you say such a thing!
Gu Fuzhou asked again, “Then who do you like more, Young Master Hou or this general?”
Lin Qingyu rolled his eyes. “Have you nothing better to talk about?”
A great beauty rolling his eyes can also be pleasing to the eyes. Gu Fuzhou said with a smile, “You can tell me the truth. This general isn’t going to drink the vinegar of a dead man.”
Seeing that Hua Lu was almost to the point of tears, Lin Qingyu said, “Then I prefer Young Master Hou.”
Hua Lu was moved. “Young Master…”
Gu Fuzhou put on an expression of surprise and disappointment; all the while not forgetting to continue feeding Lin Qingyu. “How could this be? Has this general done anything that isn’t to his wife’s liking?”
Lin Qingyu’s lips curved into a smile. “Young Master Hou is younger and more beautiful than the general. I like them young and beautiful; is there anything wrong with that?”
Gu Fuzhou: “…”
Lin Qingyu saw that the beef that Gu Fuzhou gave him was still red and said, “This is not cooked yet.”
Gu Fuzhou told him, “Beef is delicious when it’s medium rare.”
Lin Qingyu threw the “medium-rare” beef into Gu Fuzhou’s bowl with disgust. “Then why didn’t you just let it bask in the sun instead? It will taste better if it’s cooked.”
Lin Qingyu’s “I like them young and beautiful” kept Gu Fuzhou from sleeping that night. Lin Qingyu slept on the bottom bunk and from time to time he could hear him turning over, making him unable to sleep. “Aren’t you the type to fall asleep as soon as your head touches the pillow?” Lin Qingyu asked, “What’s the matter today?”
Gu Fuzhou rolled down from the bed, sat down beside Lin Qingyu and asked worriedly, “Qingyu, do you really like Lu Wancheng’s body more?”
So it was for this matter.
Both Lu Wancheng and Gu Fuzhou were first-class handsome men but they were handsome in different ways. Lu Wancheng was noble while Gu Fuzhou was heroic. Either one was very pleasing to the eyes. But if he were to choose, he still preferred Gu Fuzhou’s current body. Being healthy, free from illness and diseases, was more important than anything else.
Lin Qingyu could see that Gu Fuzhou really worried about this issue, so he stopped teasing and told him the truth, “In terms of outward appearance, Lu Wancheng and Gu Fuzhou each have their own advantages. Inwardly, they are all you. As long as it is you, it makes no difference to me.”
A smile slowly appeared on Gu Fuzhou’s face. It was windy at night, and he was only wearing pajamas, so it was inevitable that he was a little cold. Gu Fuzhou put his hand into Lin Qingyu’s quilt. Lying on the edge of the bed, he said, “You said it so nicely but if I had transferred to someone his time, you definitely wouldn’t let me put my hand into your quilt.”
Lin Qingyu couldn’t deny, “That’s true, I would have chopped them off for you.” Although he wouldn’t go so far as to solely judge someone by their appearance, a marriage would mean that husband and wife would have to look at each every day. If it were someone too ugly, it would inevitably influence his feelings.
Gu Fuzhou’s hands gradually began to misbehave but no amount of misbehaving allowed him to go past a bottom line. The farthest he went was secretly pinching Lin Qingyu’s waist. However, there was absolute no excess fat to pinch. “The author of “Huai’s Refusal of the Monarch” has certified that you to be the most beautiful in the entire book. There is no one whose appearance could ever take your breath away.
Lin Qingyu thought for a while and said, “But there is someone whose appearance has taken my breath away.”
“Really?” Gu Fuzhou was doubtful. “Whose?”
Lin Qingyu looked at him. “Really.”
Gu Fuzhou said unhappily, “What does he look like?”
“…I’ve forgotten.” As soon as he woke up from that dream, he forgot. That breathless kind of feeling was the only thing he remembered.
“Someone good-looking enough to stun even you; how could you forget? And you have such a good memory too.”
“I don’t know.” Thinking of that dream, Lin Qingyu didn’t want to give Gu Fuzhou something to brag about. The threw Gu Fuzhou’s hand from out his quilt and said, “Now, shoo and go to sleep.”
On the third day after the wedding, the two returned to the Lin Residence. The return ceremony had been prepared by Yuan Yin and having received Gu Fuzhou’s instructions, the gifts he brought back were twice as many as when he’d gone back the first time. The Lin Residence’s warehouse was so full that they had no choice but to empty out several more rooms to hold all the gifts.
Gu Fuzhou and Lin Qingyu once again served tea to his parents. Afterwards, Gu Fuzhou took out a gift for Lin Qinghe – a saber that he used when he was young. It was just right for Lin Qinghe to use at his age. Lin Qinghe accepted his gift and said in a prim and proper voice, “Thank you, General.”
Lin Qinghe had been taught very well by his parents and elder brother. In front of outsiders, he carried himself like the young son of a noble family. He only acted like a spoiled child in front of his family. When Gu Fuzhou was still Lu Wancheng, he was one of the targets of his spoiled antics. Seeing Lin Qinghe treating like such an outsider, he couldn’t help but say, “Qinghe, how did you call Young Master Hou before?”
Thinking of Lu Wancheng, Lin Qinghe pursed his lips and said sadly, “I call him ‘Wancheng Gege’.”
“Then you can call me the same way too.”
Lin Qinghe secretly glanced at his brother and seeing him nod, said, “Alright, Uncle Gu.”
Gu Fuzhou’s face cracked.
Mother Lin hurriedly said: “Qinghe, don’t call him that. You’ve messed up your seniorities.”
Lin Qingyu, taking pleasure over the other’s misfortune, said, “The general is more than 20 years older than Qinghe, asking him to call the general ‘Gege’ would be forcing him to do the impossible.”
After returning from Lin Residence, Gu Fuzhou fell into a depressed mood. He wasn’t depressed at being called ‘uncle’. Rather, it was because his three-day marriage leave was over and tomorrow he had to get up early to go to court once again.
There was one person in the General’s Mansion who was even more depressed than Gu Fuzhou and that was Yuan Yin. Yuan Yin found Lin Qingyu and said with a wry smile, “I will have to ask the madam to wake up the general tomorrow.”
Lin Qingyu said indifferently, “Alright, do not worry.”
Yuan Yin could not not worry and he said a few more words, “Having just been married, I’m afraid the madam might not know. Since the general returned from Yongliang, he seems to be suffering from hypersomnia. No matter how much I call to him, he will not wake up. I humbly request the madam to start waking the general half an hour in advance to give the general some extra time.”
Lin Qingyu gave him a meaning-laden smile, “It may be that I have more experience than you in getting him up.”
Yuan Yin was greatly shocked. He also didn’t dare to ask any more questions. He said with an appeasing smile, “Then I will have to trouble the madam.”
Morning court at the Dayu’s was set at Mao Shi and officials would usually get up at the fifth watch. When the time came, Lin Qingyu finished washing and dressing then went to wake Gu Fuzhou by one again pinching his nose shut. “General, it’s time to go to court.”
Gu Fuzhou held painfully onto the quilt. “I don’t want to go to court. Qingyu, I don’t want to go to court.””What’s the use of telling me?”
Gu Fuzhou closed his eyes. “I’ve decided, I’m going to take a leave of absence — or, better yet, I’ll just simply go back to being a civilian.”
Lin Qingyu ignored him, quickly and ruthlessly pulling off his quilt. He then summoned the servants to wait upon Gu Fuzhou to wash up.
Gu Fuzhou’s was irritable in the mornings and his face was frighteningly gloomy. The sternness of his expression had great terrorizing power and it dettered people from approaching. Lin Qingyu asked the maid serving him to dress to withdraw; taking her place to personally help Gu Fuzhou into his official uniform.
Gu Fuzhou looked down at Lin Qingyu who was earnestly fastening his belt. The greater part of his irritability vanished. He asked, “Qingyu, will you see me off to court?”
Lin Qingyu raised his eyes and glanced at him. “How old are you that you still need someone to send you to court?”
Gu Fuzhou didn’t feel the least bit of shame. “I heard from Wu Zhan that every time he leaves his house, his wife send him off and every time he comes back, he can even enjoy her home cooked soup — I’m really envious. Of course, I can’t bear thinking of you making soup. After all, Doctor Lin’s hands are made for handling greater things.”
Gu Fuzhou babbled on and on. Lin Qingyu picked up his official’s cap. When he tried to put it on him, he found that he couldn’t reach Gu Fuzhou’s head. He said, “Bow your head.”
Gu Fuzhou bent down so that Lin Qingyu could help him put it on.
Lin Qingyu looked at Gu Fuzhou and said, “I’ll send the general to court.”
Gu Fuzhou was momentarily stunned. He then smiled and said, “I was joking. It’s cold outside. Just stay at home and wait for me to come back.”
“Don’t talk nonsense.” Lin Qingyu put on a snow-white fox fur robe. “Let’s go.”
Gu Fuzhou chuckled to himself and followed after Lin Qingyu. He said, “Qingyu, do you know how we say ‘don’t talk nonsense’ in my hometown?”
“How?”
“Stop it with your BB.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Lin Qingyu said, “But, don’t you hate it when I speak in your hometown dialect?”
Gu Fuzhou heaved a sighed. “Sigh, you’ve already learned it so you might as well learn more. If you maange to go to my hometown someday, you’ll be able to freely communicate with my fellow townsmen.”
Lin Qingyu only saw him off at the gate of the General’s Mansion. He watched Gu Fuzhou leave in the carriage, then said to Hua Lu behind him, “Hua Lu, do you now understand?”
Hua Lu didn’t understand at all. She shook her head blankly, “Young Master, what is it that I’m supposed to understand?”
Lin Qingyu sneered, “In the future, never marry a younger bag of lazybones. Otherwise, you may have to send him off to court in the cold of early morning.”
Hua Lu understood but also didn’t. – Just where was this bag of lazybones who was younger than the Young Master?
The author has something to say: I’m ready to go to the plot, do you like this kind of daily life~ Can the extras be all such daily life~
