The Grand Secretary's Pampered Wife

Chapter 40

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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

[K.Rom]

Y E L L O W S T A R

[Camille] [Linds] [Esther D.]

It wasn’t that Xiao Liulang reminded him because he had a good relationship with him. Since he didn't believe him, then nevermind.

Gu Jiao originally appreciated the painting very much, but when she heard that it was a fake, she suddenly lost all interest and returned it to Young Gentleman Qin.

Young Gentleman Qin looked at her face with disgust and suddenly explained, "Don't listen to him! This painting is original!"

Gu Jiao said firmly, "My husband said it was a fake, then it’s a fake!"

"You..."

Young Gentleman Qin was really angered.

If it was in the past, he wouldn’t care how some little ugly girl thought of his paintings, but somehow, he didn’t want to lose face in front of her today.

Young Gentleman Qin straightened up and said, "This is real! He just hasn’t seen the world and doesn't know a thing about painting!"

"It’s you who have never seen the world!" Gu Jiao would never allow anyone to belittle her family’s cub like this!

If Xiao Liulang only heard it afterwards when Young Gentleman Qin came to look for Gu Jiao to get the letter last time, then at present, he was really experiencing Gu Jiao's indifference to Young Gentleman Qin.

She even quarrelled with him for his sake.

Xiao Liulang took a deep look at Gu Jiao, and then suddenly told Young Gentleman Qin generously, "If this painting is to be given away, then I advise you not to make a fool of yourself."

After that, Xiao Liulang said to Second Uncle Luo, "Let’s return to the village, Second Uncle Luo."

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"Alright!" Second Uncle Luo did not interfere with the young ones’ affairs. He drove the oxcart away with a smile.

Young Gentleman Qin watched the back of the two people as they ate scallion pancakes in the cold wind. He was so furious that he simply wanted to curse that unscrupulous couple!

In the end, this matter left a thorn in his heart. When he took the painting back to the Qin residence, his father couldn't wait to meet him. He asked, "How did it go? Did you get the painting back?"

"I got it back..." Young Gentleman Qin wanted to say something but felt hesitant.

His father panicked and said, "What happened? It’s not destroyed, is it?"

"Not destroyed... Alas." Young Gentleman Qin finally told Xiao Liulang's words to his father.

His father's attitude was even tougher than his, "Are you going to believe the words of a cripple?”

"He is a student of Tianxiang Academy." Young Gentleman Qin met Xiao Liulang when he looked for Gu Jiao to get the letter last time. At that time, Xiao Liulang was wearing the uniform of Tianxiang Academy.

"What about the students of Tianxiang Academy?" His father said disdainfully.

"They’re all very outstanding." Young Gentleman Qin replied.

His father’s attitude was dismissive as he said, "Aren't you very outstanding too? I spent so much money to invite a private teacher from the capital for you, which part did you lose to them? Besides, those students only know to study to death. How could they have seen the world?"

Young Gentleman Qin grumbled inwardly: that's what I said at that time!

Young Gentleman Qin was actually a very proud person. If others reminded him like that, he wouldn’t listen to even half a word of it, but Xiao Liulang's eyes and aura at that time were inexplicably convincing.

In the end, Young Gentleman Qin failed to convince his father, and could only watch his father wrap up the painting and let people send it to the dignitaries in the capital.

…...

It snowed heavily for three days in a row, the roads in the village were blocked by the thick snow and the oxcart could simply not travel through. Many people in the village originally wanted to do some business in the market before the New Year, but they had no choice but to just shelve their goods because of the heavy snow.

These days, everyone was stuck in their own home, and no one came to find the elderly woman to listen to plays. Seeing the elderly woman bored to death, Gu Jiao called Xue Ningxiang over.

The elderly woman didn't know that Xue Ningxiang and Gu Jiao had been at odds before. When she arrived here, the relationship between the two people had already improved. Furthermore, after going through the incident with those lechers last time, Xue Ningxiang somewhat began to keep a distance from any men.

From her, one could no longer see any affection for Xiao Liulang at all.

On the contrary, she would always cling to Gu Jiao from time to time, making the elderly woman wonder if this little widow had taken a fancy to her grandnephew's wife!

However, Xue Ningxiang was good at needlework as well as arranging her hair, so she was still very favoured by the elderly woman.

Before the end of the year, her brother-in-law sent a letter to their family from the border.

Xue Ningxiang couldn’t read, so she took it to Gu Jiao.

Er... Gu Jiao couldn’t read either. What gives you the illusion that I would suddenly be able to read this time? You actually want me to read a letter to you?

Gu Jiao was simply at a loss!

"I... I..." Xue Ningxiang saw Gu Jiao frowning and said in a panic, "You... since you’re not a fool, I thought you can read too."

Gu Jiao: Since when could you draw an equal sign between not a fool and literate?

However, Xue Ningxiang didn’t want to bother Xiao Liulang. First, the shadow in her heart hadn't been completely extinguished. Second, she already realized that her actions in the past were all inappropriate, so now she had to avoid suspicion with Xiao Liulang.

Xue Ningxiang lowered her head and didn't know what to do.

Gu Jiao scratched her little head gloomily. She was also someone to yield to the weak at times. If Xue Ningxiang were to cross her, she could certainly be harsh and unreasonable towards her, but suddenly seeing Xue Ningxiang show weakness like this, she just couldn’t do that.

Gu Jiao thought she was actually not this soft-hearted. This time, it was mainly because Xue Ningxiang helped her share a lot of needlework. She was a very useful neighbor.

She decided to be a useful neighbor too, and in exchange was Xue Ningxiang’s continuous help with all the needlework at home!

Gu Jiao then took the letter to Xiao Liulang's room. Now she didn’t need to knock whenever she entered his room.

Xiao Liulang spent the last few days in bed meditating and recuperating. Knowing that he still had to study, Gu Jiao personally made a small table that could be put on the bed, and currently he was practicing calligraphy on that table.

He was a seventeen-year-old young man with a lean figure and a pure yet cold countenance. His wrist was like a jade bone, and he possessed an elegant and noble temperament.

How could there be such a good-looking person in the world?

Gu Jiao stroked her chin.

"What’s the matter?" Xiao Liulang noticed her arrival and turned to look at her.

He had caught Gu Jiao staring at him several times already, but Gu Jiao was never embarrassed once. She walked over, natural and poised, sat down on the other side of the small table, and handed him the letter, saying, "I have a letter for you to read."

As she spoke, Gu Jiao caught sight of the red paper on the small table, "Hm? What is this?"

"Red paper, from Feng Lin." Xiao Liulang answered, as if explaining that he didn't buy it himself.

Gu Jiao didn't care where it came from. She asked curiously, "What is it for?"

Xiao Liulang thought for a moment and said, "Paper-cutting decorations and Spring Festival couplets."

Gu Jiao's eyes suddenly sparkled. She had never made any paper cutting nor posted up couplets before.

In her previous life, she would always watch other people hanging these things, which also made her envious. However, in her understanding, those things were only done when the family got together for the New Year.

She had no family to reunite with, so she had never done such a thing.

"Want to write it?" Xiao Liulang asked.

"I can't." Gu Jiao bowed her head and pointed her two index fingers at each other.

Xiao Liulang remembered the way she pointed to the words on the prescription and asked him how to pronounce them one by one. He also recalled the way she immediately grabbed the brush to sign her name before the surgery.

She obviously wanted to learn to write.

Gu Jiao: No! I don't!

Xiao Liulang picked up the books from the small table and put them on the bed together with the letter. Then, he spread out a piece of red paper on the small table. He said, "I will teach you."

Gu Jiao: “…”

*****

Xue Ningxiang: Hey, are you forgetting something ← _ ←?

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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.