"Jin Yun, I didn't expect your family to move to the capital. If you need help, just ask." He Zhe looked at his friend with a smile.
"No, thank you." Gu Jinyun took a sip of tea and looked at the bustling street outside the window.
He Zhe followed his gaze and said with a smile: "It's not easy to gain a foothold in the capital. Although your Gu family is rich in Jiangnan, everything has to start over in the capital."
Gu Jinyun said "hmm" in a low voice.
He Zhe gently knocked on the table with his fan and said helplessly: "Brother Gu, how did you make your business so big? Is it because of your coffin face?"
Gu Jinyun looked back at him and continued drinking tea in silence.
He Zhe was shocked by what he saw and said: "If I didn't understand your temperament, most people would really not be able to get along with you. Even if you have facial paralysis, your eyes are so scary."
"Sorry." Gu Jinyun apologized sincerely, but the words made people feel threatened.
He Zhe covered his forehead and retreated in defeat.
Then, he introduced the customs and customs of the capital to Gu Jinyun, specifically mentioning the recent situation. The emperor vigorously cracked down on corruption, and many ministers in the court were severely punished, including the powerful Wang family and Qi family.
Hearing him mention the Qi family, Gu Jinyun's eyes flickered a few times and he asked, "How is the Qi family doing now?"
"I don't know. It is said that the Qi family went into hiding after they were driven out of the house by the officers and soldiers that day. I heard that they moved to the East Street area and lived in seclusion and seldom appeared again." He Zhe paused and asked strangely, "Why do you treat Qi Are you so interested in the family? Are you old to them?"
"It's okay." Gu Jinyun put down the tea cup, stood up and said, "It's getting late, I'll leave first."
"Oh, okay, I'll meet you another day."
Gu Jinyun nodded, turned and left.
"Miss, what's wrong with you?"
While passing through an alleyway, Gu Jinyun suddenly heard a woman's scream.
He hesitated for a moment and followed the sound.
Turning the corner, he saw a noble woman and a group of people bullying two other women.
"Humph, I really can't help but hit you. Let me see if the injury is serious?" The noble woman was quite arrogant.
This looked like a dispute between nobles. Gu Jinyun didn't want to meddle in other people's business. Just when he was about to turn around and leave, he stopped because of the noble woman's next words: "Qi Surong, I'll give you two choices. , first, kneel down and kowtow ten times to me; second, let me leave something on your face."
Qi Surong
Gu Jinyun looked straight at the woman on the ground. She was shaking all over and seemed to be frightened. But the next moment, he denied this guess.
The woman slowly raised her head. Although her face was a little pale, her eyes were firm.
Gu Jinyun listened to her say word by word: "I will not kowtow to you."
The noble woman refused to give up and actually took out the hairpin and prepared to ruin her appearance.
Gu Jinyun moved slightly and was about to stop him when he saw Qi Surong holding the other party's wrist and moving the hairpin to his throat.
Then, he saw her using her own life as a bargaining chip to turn the situation around little by little, and successfully scared the noble woman away.
When I first saw it, I thought it was an elegant orchid in the empty valley, but it turned out that she was a coquettish manzhushahua.
"...Pick up that hairpin and sell it later. It should be worth a few taels of silver." This last sentence instantly transformed her from Manzhu Shahua to Peacock Grass. A smile flashed in Gu Jinyun's eyes.
He quietly followed the two of them, intending to escort them home and take a look at the Qi family's current residence.
Qi Surong did not go home directly, but found a quite quiet corner, took out a comb, and said to Ping'er: "Ping'er, comb my hair, I can't be seen by my family like this. "
"Yes, miss."
Qi Surong sat casually on a stone pier, untied her bun, and her black hair fell down to her lower back.
Ping'er took the comb and began to gently comb her long hair.
Gu Jinyun hid in the dark and watched her silently.
She sat upright on the stone pier, her back straight, her eyes looking straight ahead, her expression soft, revealing a kind of independent elegance and uncontested indifference.
In a short period of time, Gu Jinyun discovered several different aspects of her body. Which one is the real her
Qi Surong wiped her lips with a handkerchief and asked, "Ping'er, are there any blood stains on my lips?"
Ping'er looked at it carefully, shook his head and said, "No more."
"That's good, remember later, don't tell my parents what happened today, so as not to worry them."
Ping'er hesitated and said: "But the young lady's face is not very good. Should we go see the doctor first?"
"It's just some bruises, it's nothing serious."
Ping'er's persuasion was fruitless, so he had no choice but to give up.
When the two returned home, Qi's mother saw that Qi Surong and Heping'er's clothes were a little dirty, and she couldn't help but asked worriedly: "What's wrong with you?"
"It's okay, Mom, the cloth just fell to the ground and got dirty, and there was just some dust on us."
Mother Qi nodded reassuringly, took the cloth, looked at it, and said, "It's okay, just cut off the dirty parts."
After leaving Qi's mother, Qi Surong returned to her room. Ping'er immediately brought a basin of hot water to help her apply the wound.
Qi Surong took off her clothes and stood naked behind the screen.
Gu Jinyun, who was hiding outside the house, saw the looming figure behind the screen through the window and couldn't help but look away.
There were bruises on Qi Surong's abdomen, right elbow, and back. Ping'er's nose felt sore and tears fell uncontrollably.
"Why are you crying?" Qi Surong asked.
"Miss has been pampered since she was a child. How has she ever been wronged like this?" Ping'er choked up, "It's all my fault that Ping'er didn't protect the young lady well."
"How can I blame you?" Qi Surong said with a smile, "There are so many of them, how many can your small body handle?"
"But… "
"Silly girl, stop thinking about it and apply it to me quickly."
"Yes." Ping'er responded dully.
Qi Surong looked at her and thought of many things in her mind. She owed too many people in her previous life, and this girl in front of her was one of them. She was sold to the Qi family since she was a child. She has a simple personality, works hard and does not complain. She is not smart, but very loyal. Once she has found a master, she will not complain no matter how much hardship she endures, like a fool. But I'm afraid she will only encounter such a fool in her two lifetimes. She didn't know how to cherish him before, and this time she must not let her end up with her body exposed in the wilderness.
"Miss, why are you crying? Does it hurt?"
"No, it doesn't hurt."
"It must be very painful, otherwise the lady would never cry." Ping'er said, tears that had stopped falling again.
"It really doesn't hurt, don't cry."
"Uh, I'm sorry, uh..."
"Fool… "
Gu Jinyun left the Qi family quietly and returned directly to his mansion.
"Jinyun, come here quickly, how about taking a look at this plaque?" Father Gu greeted Gu Jinyun with a high-spirited look.
Gu Jinyun looked up and saw four golden characters hanging in the middle of the lobby: Loyalty, Justice, Renyong.
"Brother, hurry up and persuade dad, these four words are really tacky!" Gu Yufeng said with an expression that he couldn't bear to look at.
"What do you guys know?" Father Gu puffed his beard and glared, "This is how you look impressive!"
Gu Yufeng rolled his eyes.
"By the way, Jinyun, have you heard about the Qi family?" Gu's father asked.
Gu Jinyun said "hmm" in a gentle and not serious tone.
"Is there any news?" Father Gu's eyes lit up, "Great, let's choose a day to visit?"
"Dad, do you really want to marry the Qi family?" Gu Yufeng disagreed, "His family has been sealed off now and he has no time to take care of himself. Why should we get involved?"
"What are you talking about? Qi Shuo and I have a life-long friendship. Back then, he didn't mind our low family status and was willing to marry his daughter to Jinyun. Now that his family is in trouble, we're going to turn against each other and deny each other? Tell this matter to everyone. , how can I, Gu Chang, hold my head high and be a human being?"
"Isn't it just a verbal joke?" Gu Yufeng muttered, "Why are you being so serious?"
"Shit! I've always kept my word, but unlike you, I've never heard you say a few human words."
Gu Yufeng asked the sky silently. When his father got angry, he spoke eloquently, even "I" came out.
He turned to look at Gu Jinyun: "Brother, what do you mean? Regardless of the current situation of the Qi family, I heard that the reputation of the eldest daughter of the Qi family does not seem to be very good."
"Not very good?" Father Gu thought, "Miss Qi is a famous and talented girl in the capital. Does this mean her reputation is not very good?"
Gu Yufeng said helplessly: "Dad, although Miss Qi is a talented woman, she has a cold and arrogant personality and thinks very highly of herself. Are you sure you can serve such a daughter-in-law?"
Father Gu was silent for a while and asked Gu Jinyun: "What do you think?"
"The situation is unstable recently. Dad, please don't visit the Qi family for the time being." Gu Jinyun said.
"Brother is indeed wise." Gu Yufeng praised.
Father Gu was about to refute, but he heard Gu Jinyun say again: "But, I want to marry her."
Gu Yufeng was stunned: "Brother, what did you say?"
"I want to marry Qi Surong." He repeated it again.
Gu's father was overjoyed and praised his son for being affectionate, righteous and responsible.
Gu Yufeng said doubtfully: "Brother, you never decide something so hastily. You have never even seen Qi Surong's face."
A pale and coquettish face appeared in Gu Jinyun's mind, and then he remembered her sitting on the stone pier combing her hair as quietly as a virgin.
Tenacious and unyielding, unafraid in the face of danger, calm in dealing with things, and honest in treating others, this was his evaluation of her.
He never believes in gossip from the outside world, only trusts his own eyes and feelings.
"Liuzi, go to the pharmacy and get two bottles of blood congestion ointment." Gu Jinyun ordered the boy beside him.
"yes."
Father Gu asked: "What? You are injured."
"No, it's a gift."
"Who?" Gu Yufeng asked curiously.
Gu Jinyun sat silently, showing no intention of answering.
Gu Yufeng shrugged: "Forget it, I'll go find my Shuangshuang to play."
"You kid, don't lead your sister astray." Father Gu glared at him.
"How dare I kid? Father, let me resign." Gu Yufeng gave a big salute and then dodged out like the wind.
The next day, Qi Surong woke up early and found two bottles of ointment on the table. She thought Ping'er went to the drugstore to buy it, so she didn't ask any more questions.