Putting on his clothes nervously, Tao Mo stood outside, watching Gu Xiaojia come in and out with a basin to wait for Gu She to wash, hesitating how to go in and bid farewell to Gu She, when he heard a servant calling for Gu Xiaojia softly outside.
Gu Xiaojia takes care of almost all affairs of the Gu family, and Gu She only does what he wants to do. Therefore, both Gu She and Gu Xiaojia felt it was normal for this kind of behavior that outsiders regarded as transgression.
Gu Xiaojia brought out the basin and said, "What are you doing?"
The servant said: "Someone is asking to see you outside."
"Early in the morning?" Gu Xiaojia frowned. Most of the people who come to the door at this time are urgent, and he has never had a good impression of urgent matters. "Who?"
"People from the county government."
"... I see." Gu Xiaojia waved back the servant, turned around and ran inward. At this moment, there is only one thought in his mind, who said that two men can't dance like a fairy? Isn't this coming later? No wonder he felt something was wrong when he saw Tao Mo last night, he was really planning to dig a trap for the young master to jump into!
Gu She didn't make any fuss after listening, and said calmly, "Please come in."
Gu Xiaojia said anxiously: "I'm afraid that they will come here with bad intentions!"
Gu She raised her eyes, "Afraid?"
Gu Xiaojia was stunned for a moment, and said angrily, "That's right, there's nothing to be afraid of. I'll go and ask them to come in!"
"Wait a minute." Tao Mo could hear clearly from the outside, and finally couldn't help but stand up and said, "They probably came looking for me, it's better for me to explain this in person."
Gu Xiaojia said: "Explain in person? How are you going to explain why you came to Gu's residence?"
Tao Mo was suffocated by the question.
Gu Xiaojia refused to relax, "How do you explain why you stayed overnight in Gu's mansion?"
Tao Mo said: "This is the hospitality of the Gu family, so..."
"Our young master never stays with guests. When you say it like this, it seems that we deliberately curry favor with the county magistrate." Gu Xiaojia's mouth was merciless, and Tao Mo was completely silenced with a few words.
Gu Xiaojia felt out of breath, and walked towards the door with slightly brisk steps. He wanted to see what that Mu Chun wanted to do.
Tao Mo stayed where he was in embarrassment, looking at Gu She who was sitting by the bed tidying up his sleeves from time to time.
If it was possible, he would be willing to look at him like this every day, even if he just straightened his sleeves or did nothing. But when Gu She looked over with cold eyes, he knew it was just his wishful thinking.
"Thank you for taking in overnight, and the clothes." Tao Mo moved his eyes from side to side, fearing that once he met him, he would never be able to look away.
"Why didn't you refute him?" Gu She asked.
Tao Mo was taken aback, "Refutation? Who?"
Gu She didn't answer.
Tao Mo thought for a while, then tentatively asked, "You mean Gu Xiaojia?"
Gu She said: "Aren't you eloquent in court?"
Tao Mo didn't know whether his words were praise or derogation, or if he was still brooding over the loss of the Qiu family's lawsuit, so he continued on the matter: "What he said is also reasonable. Come in, and inexplicably cause trouble for you."
Gu She stood up, "Since this is the case, let's take a look at what trouble it is."
Tao Mo was somewhat puzzled by the two King Kongs. Didn't he cause trouble by entering Gu's residence for a night without permission, and wearing Gu She's clothes again? Why does it sound like he has more to say
But doubts are doubts, he obediently followed Gu She two steps.
Gu She stopped suddenly and turned around.
Tao Mo raised his head and saw his face close at hand, he lost the instinct to speak for a moment, he could only stare at him with wide eyes without blinking, his heart pounding.
"There is yesterday's overnight tea on the tea table, go and rinse your mouth." After Gu She finished speaking, he left on his own.
Tao Mo stood there for a while before he came back to his senses, his face flushed with shame, he rushed into the inner room, drank two large cups of cold tea, and then took two breaths with the palm of his hand, and found that there was no taste in his mouth Then he let out a sigh of relief.
After such a short delay, Gu She had already disappeared without a trace.
Tao Mo had no choice but to grope his way forward in the mansion. He originally wanted to ask someone for directions, but Gu Shexijing didn't invite too many servants in the mansion. It took him about a stick of incense before he saw anyone.
After finally rushing to the main hall, there was silence inside.
Mu Chun and Gu She sat on one side, warm and cold, but equally outstanding.
Hao Guozi and Gu Xiaojia stood behind them, but they also glared at each other, evenly matched.
Tao Mo stepped into the threshold, and the moment they looked over, he suddenly had a strange feeling, as if he was a superfluous person who shouldn't appear here and disturb them. But this idea quickly disappeared in Mu Chun's spring-like smile.
Mu Chun smiled and said: "Where did the master go last night, it made it easy for us to find it all night."
Tao Mo said: "I came to the Gu residence for some reason, and I am so tired that you are worried."
Before Mu Chun could speak, Hao Guozi came over with a depressed face, and complained in a very soft voice: "Master, the neighbor county is tens of miles away from Tanyang County, how could you come back from the neighbor county unknowingly?" ?” He meant that he didn’t believe Tao Mo’s words.
Tao Mo smiled wryly. He didn't know how to explain it, but he really couldn't remember how he came to the Gu residence. Hao Guozi didn't think that he didn't say anything, but now that he thinks about it, this matter is indeed extremely strange. Based on the distance between Tanyang County and neighboring counties, not to mention that he was drunk and unconscious, even if he was sober as he is now, he would not be able to walk back and forth on his feet.
"I really don't know how I got here." He explained helplessly.
Before he came, Hao Guozi had already decided that Tao Mo was pretending to be crazy by drinking, and deliberately came to the Gu mansion to get close to Gu She, so he thought everything he said was an excuse, not to mention that his words were really suspicious. May I ask, who in the world would send a man thousands of miles to another man's home even though he was full
A certain person who was well fed and supported smiled and said, "The clothes on my master don't seem to be the ones I wore yesterday."
Hao Guozi took a closer look, and it was indeed different. Various guesses popped up in his mind, and the way he looked at Gu She was also very different.
The more Gu Xiaojia heard it, the more he felt that the momentum of development was not right, and hurriedly said: "His clothes smelled terrible yesterday, I took them to wash."
Mu Chun looked at Gu She and smiled meaningfully, "It stinks."
Gu She said lightly: "It does have a smell, I think maybe the smell on the eaves hasn't dissipated yet."
Mu Chun pretended not to know, and said, "Oh? The smell has spread to the roof, it's really a big smell."
Tao Mo was ashamed by their stinky mouthfuls and tasteful mouthfuls, and said dully: "I won't drink again next time."
Mu Chun laughed and said: "Why do you have to be a cocoon? Drinking wine is one of the great pleasures in life. Don't you hear that there is fine nectar and jade liquid in Tiangong, so it can be seen that even if you become a god and give up your emotions and desires, you still can't give up what's in this cup."
Tao Mo said: "But drinking alcohol also has many disadvantages. For example, alcohol can mess... mess, mess sex?" Since he was not sure whether he was right, he said the last word very lightly. But it's a different feeling when such a tone falls into the ears of others.
Mu Chun said: "Why did the boss say that? Could it be that you did something... last night?" He was speaking to Tao Mo, but his eyes were on Gu She.
Gu Xiaojia's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself: Come on, come on, it really is a fairy dance!
Gu She said frankly: "From Brother Mu's point of view, what can he do?"
Mu Chun accepts when he sees something good, "It's best to have nothing to do."
Listening to the two of them chatting and laughing freely, Tao Mo always felt that there was something in the words, but he just couldn't understand the mystery. Seeing that Gu She and Mu Chun were both smiling without saying a word, he took the initiative to intervene, "How do you know I'm in the Gu residence?"
Mu Chun didn't change his face and said: "We searched for the master all night, and almost turned over the land in the two counties. In the end, it was Hao Guozi who remembered that the master had some friendship with Mr. Gu, so he found Gu's residence."
Tao Mo said with great guilt: "It's all my fault, and it caused you to run around all night."
Even Gu Xiaojia, who usually disliked him, felt a little sympathetic to him now. He was probably the one who was sold and paid for.
Mu Chun coughed dryly and said, "Actually, I have something to ask Mr. Gu when I come here today."
Gu She said: "Say."
"The county government is preparing to repair..."
Mu Chun only spoke halfway, but was interrupted by Tao Mo: "It's fine, why repair it?"
Speaking of this, Hao Guozi felt bitter, "Master, your room collapsed for no reason today."
"Huh?" Tao Mo's eyes widened.
Gu Xiaojia stared at Mu Chun. Although there is no basis for thinking this way, he just feels that this matter has something to do with Mu Chun.
Hao Guozi said: "Not only your room collapsed, but also the roof of Lao Tao and several guest rooms leaked."
Tao Mo was dumbfounded: "How could this be?"
"Here," Hao Guozi looked at Mu Chun, "Master Mu said that maybe someone came to the county government office in the middle of the night to step on the dishes, and unfortunately stepped on the roof."
Gu Xiaojia burst out laughing.
Hao Guozi glared. He even took pleasure in this kind of thing.
Gu Xiaojia knew that he had lost his composure, and hurriedly corrected it: "I was thinking, that thief must be as fat as a pig, otherwise how could he step on the roof and damage it." As he said, he glanced at Mu Chun.
Mu Chun is calm and relaxed. Why does he need to do such trivial things as stepping on the plate? As for whether other people are as fat as pigs, what does it matter to him? He just needs to make sure that person obeys orders.
Tao Mo said: "Is it a big loss? How long will it take to repair?"
Mu Chun said: "You have to ask the craftsman about this."
Tao Mo's face was full of sadness. The county government office is not his private residence, and now if something happens in his hands, it doesn't matter whether it is a natural disaster or a man-made disaster, it cannot escape his involvement.
After Mu Chun explained, he turned to Gu She and said: "The county government has encountered misfortune, and I want to ask Mr. Gu to help."
Gu Xiaojia was surprised: "Could it be that you are here to solicit donations?" This kind of thing is common in other places, and local officials can always come up with various names to find local rich and wealthy to solicit money and enrich their own pockets. But this is Tanyang County, a place where a litigator can drown a magistrate and bury him at sea with just one mouthful of spit. As long as the head is not blocked by copper coins, no one dares to do so. You must know that those litigants have no other skills, but they almost always sue the officials!
Mu Chun smiled and said: "Of course not. It is also the master's business to repair the county government and retreat ten thousand steps. What does it have to do with Mr. Gu?"
Gu Xiaojia said: "Then what do you want Young Master to do for you?"
"I want to ask Mr. Gu to take in my master." Mu Chun said slowly.
"What?" Gu Xiaojia was the first to jump up.
"No!" Hao Guozi was second.
On the contrary, Gu She and Tao Mo were extremely calm.
Gu She was contemplating, while Tao Mo... pretended to be calm, but his heart was already overwhelmed with excitement, anticipation, shyness, worry... all kinds of contradictory emotions collided with each other, making him unable to show any expression on his face.
Boss Hao Guozi looked at Mu Chun reluctantly, and said, "Why don't we rent a room for now, or go to the inn to squeeze together? It's not good to bother Mr. Gu."
It was rare for Gu Xiaojia to agree with him, and immediately echoed: "Not bad, not bad. There are the most inns in Tanyang County, so I'll help you find one."
Mu Chun looked at Gu She, and said with a smile: "Young Master Gu should know what I think."
Gu She said: "I don't know what's on your mind."
Mu Chun was slightly surprised.
"But I know your excuse." Gu She continued slowly.
Mu Chun said: "Oh?"
Gu Shedao: "I don't want to publicize the destruction of the county government."
Mu Chun said: "The boss has not been in office for a long time, if this matter gets out, it will definitely damage the reputation."
Gu She said: "But I can't think of a reason to accept it."
Mu Chun suddenly lowered his voice and said: "Mr. Gu, did you ever think about why he took in his master last night?" If Gu She hadn't taken him in unexpectedly last night, he would not have come up with such a way to throw out the hot taro.
Gu She squinted, his eyes condensed.
"I think Gu Xianzhi should be a person who seeks knowledge when he encounters doubts." He almost said these words in his mouth.
As the two spoke softer and softer, Tao Mo and the others had to stretch their necks longer and longer.
Gu She said: "This reason is not enough."
Mu Chun said: "Then how will Mr. Gu feel enough?"
"Who are you?" Gu She asked directly.
Mu Chun thought for a while, then dipped his fingers into the teacup lightly, and then wrote the word Duanmu on the table.
Gu She said: "Purpose?"
"Visiting friends." Mu Chun didn't wait for him to ask, and continued, "Old Tao."
Gu She nodded, stood up and said to Gu Xiaojia, "See off the guests."
"..."
The talk broke down
Both Gu Xiaojia and Hao Guozi looked happy.
Tao Mo couldn't hide his disappointment.
Gu She walked towards the door, passed by Tao Mo without stopping.
Tao Mo couldn't help turning around, and chased after his back a few steps: "Thank you for taking me in last night."
Gu She kept walking, and the alienated voice slowly came back, "Just last night?"
"..."
Tao Mo looked back at Hao Guozi and the others blankly, and asked, "What does this mean?"
Gu Xiaojia looked battered and murmured: "Impossible, absolutely impossible."
Hao Guozi also looked at him in disbelief and said, "Your son... what's wrong?"
The only old god in the hall is Mu Chun. He stood up leisurely, and said to Tao Mo, "Master, go home and pack your luggage."
On the way back to the county office, Hao Guozi kept talking about Tao Mo's disappearance in a neighboring county. After listening to his report, Tao Mo realized how big the situation was. Since the magistrate of the neighboring county was also present at the meeting, the magistrate sent all the yamen servants to turn the neighboring county upside down the night he was found missing.
Tao Mo felt guilty when he heard that.
At the end of the sentence, Hao Guozi said with half resentment and half unwillingness: "Master, if you really want to see Gu She, just tell us, why bother to sneak around and make such a fuss."
Tao Mo couldn't argue with his words.
Mu Chun, the only insider in the car, finally couldn't see it, and said: "Since the boss has come back, let's let this matter go."
It was fine if he didn't speak, but when he did, Hao Guozi immediately remembered that Tao Mo was about to move to Gu's residence, and his heart was filled with anger, and he said, "Master Mu! Why did you let the young master borrow Gu's residence?"
Mu Chun said: "The county government is repairing, and the master has no house to live in."
Hao Guozi said: "How can there be no house, I just squeeze with him."
Mu Chun said: "The host is the county magistrate, living in the same room with a servant will cause people to gossip."
Hao Guozi widened his eyes and said, "What kind of gossip can you cause?"
Mu Chun smiled and said nothing.
Tao Mo remembered his habit of cutting off sleeves, and quietly tugged on Hao Guozi's sleeves.
Hao Guozi said unwillingly, "Could it be that you live with me and gossip, but live with Gu She and you don't gossip?"
Mu Chun said: "Gu She is Mr. Yichui's high-achieving apprentice, if we get in touch with him, we will have the benefit of our employer in the future."
Hao Guozi said, "But, but I don't think that Gu She is a good person."
Mu Chun winked at Tao Mo.
Tao Mo said to Hao Guozi: "Don't slander casually, if Gu She is not a good person, why would he agree to take me in?"
"Who knows what kind of medicine he sells in the gourd!" Hao Guozi was so angry that he couldn't choose what to say, "He is a man of few words and keeps everything in his heart. He will definitely live like a gourd in the future! Such a person How can you be a young lady?!"
…
Mu Chun looked at him in surprise.
Tao Mo almost wanted to bury his head in his sleeve.
After finally getting to the county government office, he jumped off the carriage as if fleeing for his life, and rushed into the county government office without looking back.
Hao Guozi hesitated for a while, before saying to Mu Chun: "Although my young master is good at sharing love, he is definitely not a person who is abusive. You, don't think too much about it."
Mu Chundao: "Whether it's a man's love for a woman or a man's love for a man, it's all human nature." In this regard, he can be said to be well-informed.
Seeing that there was no look of disdain on his face, Hao Guozi breathed a sigh of relief and said, "My young master is a good man."
"I know." If he wasn't a good person, how could Elder Lu be so devoted to him.
Hao Guozi suddenly sighed and said, "Sometimes I really hope that the person the young master likes is you."
Mu Chun's body was slightly stiff, and it took him a long time to calmly smile and say: "Yes. What a pity." He really had the foresight, and it seemed that throwing Tao Mo to Gu She was the solution once and for all.