Rebirth of the Excellent Daughter of the Marquis Household (REDMH) - Chapter 73

Du Xia always woke up early in the morning. He was used to practising martial arts after waking up and had already rinsed off with water from the well. He originally wanted to drink some water but the man who maintained the well told him that if he wanted to drink water, he had to go to the kitchen to drink boiled water. That was the rule of this house and if anyone broke this rule, then they would be asked to leave the house. So, he could only go and find it in the direction indicated by the man.

He saw there was a light in the kitchen so he just walked in. However, he had not expected that the person sitting behind the stove was actually Gu Yu Qi who he had been thinking about for the past four years.

Seeing a face as bright as the dawn suddenly appear in front of him, Du Xia was completely at a loss and he stopped dumbly. In a trance, he watched the beautiful young girl step over the pot and walk towards him step by step.

Just like in the beginning in the slave market, it was the same as when Du Xia saw her for the first time. At that time, she was like a pink cloud, floating towards him with seven-coloured light, but now Gu Yu Qi was more like a fairy who had fallen into the mortal world. So beautiful, but also very kind.

“Are you thirsty?” Gu Yu Qi walked up to Du Xia. She smiled and tugged his sleeves, “Can you light a fire?”

Her movements were so familiar and her demeanour was so relaxed. They were like a pair of friends who have known each other for many years instead of being separated for four years without seeing each other.

Du Xia really wanted to hold onto Gu Yu Qi and tell her that in the last four years, he had been thinking of her all the time. He had done as she said to and survived well. The thing she gave him has been hanging on his chest on a string like treasure. The little rabbit has always been placed at his heart and carefully kept by him and he hardly ever took it off.

Yet these words became less important in the face of Gu Yu Qi’s brilliant smile. All that mattered was that she remembered him.

Looking at her seemingly unconstrained smile in her eyes, a faint smile appeared on the corner of Du Xia’s lips. After four years of training, he hardly remembered how to smile, but now she made him remember again.

He also did not want to ask her how she had been all these years, if she had thought of him, why she was expelled from the Marquis’ residence, why she was staying here and so on. It had all become meaningless at this moment.

She was here and she remembered. That was enough.

“I can.” Du Xia nodded. He still vaguely remembered the steps to light a fire from when he was a child, but it was just that he had not used the pot for many years. He was afraid he could not do it well.

“That’s great!” Gu Yu Qi breathed a sigh of relief, “My god, I’m losing my temper because of this pot. Come and deal with it. I’ll boil water and cook something delicious for you.” Gu Yu Qi smiled and pulled Du Xia behind the stove, then raised her hand to press his shoulder, making him sit down.

Woah, having not seen him for a few years, he had grown to be more than a head taller than herself. Gu Yu Qi knew clearly that she was not considered short, but in front of Du Xia, she was still quite overwhelmed. What did boys eat? Why did they grow so fast?

Du Xia should be 15 this year, right? Gu Yu Qi remembered that he was one year older than her in the previous life. At 15 years, the strength of his character had just begun to develop. Apart from his face that was still naive, his stature had grown dramatically. The bones in his shoulders had opened up and after practising martial arts all year round, his shoulders were wider than that of ordinary teenagers. The dark blue guard uniform looked very heroic on him. The guard uniform had a high collar. The buttons were fastened meticulously and it gave a sense of aesthetic austerity.

Sure enough, he was worthy of being the most handsome marquis in the Qi dynasty in the future. He was the first candidate for the best husband in the eyes of most women in the Qi dynasty.

Gu Yu Qi watched Du Xia who did not speak much and started to busy himself. Suddenly, she felt her own developments in life. Terrified, she touched her cheek, was she old?

Sure enough, Du Xia knew how to light a fire. Although he was relatively unfamiliar, he had a fire going quite soon. Looking at the bright fire burning in the stove, Du Xia breathed a sigh of relief. He raised his bright eyes to look at Gu Yu Qi and seemed to be waiting for her next instructions.

“The fire is really burning.” Only then did Gu Yu Qi return to her senses and look at Du Xia in surprise and joy.

The firelight in the stove made his cheeks slightly red. It made the appearance of the boy in front of her more charming, rippling with a warm sensation.

“Wait, I’ll boil water.” Gu Yu Qi proudly picked up a huge iron pot and plonked it over the stove hole with a bang. Then she grabbed the water ladle and poured water from the jar into the pot. She did this all in one go and Du Xia was dumbfounded when seeing it.

This… Was she not born in a marquis’ family? Why did she seem more agile at these things than the maids of the palace?

Gu Yu Qi did not feel that her actions as a girl had frightened Du Xia. After the water was all in the pot, she jumped to Du Xia’s side and sat down next to him.

“Where is the rabbit I gave you?” She sat beside Du Xia, putting her hands on her knees and tilting her head to look at Du Xia. The brilliance in her eyes was as dazzling as a galaxy.

Du Xia did not say anything and simply looked away awkwardly.

She was so close. Du Xia felt his heart suddenly beat faster several times and his face also instantly became hot.

“You didn’t lose it, did you?” Gu Yu Qi saw that Du Xia was silent and smiled faintly. Then she said, “It’s alright, it’s alright, it’s just a little rabbit. If it’s lost, then it’s lost.” She reassured him.

Du Xia raised his neck silently, his slender fingers touching his collar. He unbuttoned the top button then reached in to pull out the rabbit. Then he silently took off the little rabbit and passed it to Gu Yu Qi.

“You didn’t lose it.” Gu Yu Qi took the little rabbit and felt a silly happiness. Du Xia’s silence and Yun Ke’s silence were completely different. His silence made people feel like he was very shy and cute, but Yun Ke’s… Forget it, why was she thinking about Yun Ke at this time?

The thoughts that had been buried in Gu Yu Qi’s heart many years ago began to stir again.

She held the little rabbit jade pendant in one hand and rubbed her chin with one hand. Should she train this person in front of her to be her future husband?

Du Xia did not dare to look at Gu Yu Qi at all. The faint fragrance of her body seemed to surround him. It was like a spring breeze passing through his heart, blowing ripples in waves. He was afraid that if he turned his head, he would fall into her beautiful eyes and would not be able to extricate himself. Yet, he really wanted to sneak a few more glances at her. This tangled state of mind made him involuntarily bite his lip slightly.

One part of a secret guard’s training was to resist the temptation of beauty.

Du Xia had always completed this training very well, but now he felt like he was on pins and needles. Obviously the girl beside him was not doing anything to him, just looking at him and smiling, but he felt his hair standing on end. Every muscle in his body clamoured to get closer to her…

“Oh right, this little rabbit was originally part of a pair.” Gu Yu Qi saw that he never looked at her so she deliberately spoke to provoke him, “It’s a pity, I forgot to bring mine when I left the Marquis’ residence.”

She looked at him when she finished speaking. Sure enough, Du Xia’s complexion turned slightly pale and his back also stiffened a bit.

“Are you disappointed?” Gu Yu Qi nudged him with her elbow then laughed, “I lied.” She untied the purse hanging from her waist. She found the little jade rabbit inside that was exactly the same as his and took it out, then put them together. “Look.”

Du Xia looked at Gu Yu Qi’s palm. In the centre of her long and delicate hand, there were two identical jade rabbits side by side. The jade colour was rich and warm, but it was not even a tenth of the beauty of her skin.

Du Xia only glanced at it. Gu Yu Qi’s existence was a really big challenge to him. However, in his heart, he was very happy, happier than ever.

He was not angry that she lied to him. He only thought that as long as she was happy, then it would be better than anything. Of course, if the little rabbit was really lost, he would also be very disappointed.

“Alright. Put away yours.” Gu Yu Qi returned the little rabbit to Du Xia. Du Xia hurriedly put the little rabbit back on and then fastened up his button.

“I’m going to take a look at the water.” Gu Yu Qi stood up. The water was already bubbling with white steam.

The girl’s face appeared more hazy and elegant in the white steam. Du Xia waited for Gu Yu Qi to leave before he dared to look at her more.

“I’ll fill the water for you first, let it cool a bit.” Gu Yu Qi said to Du Xia. “I’ll crack in a few eggs, I’m starving.” With the remaining hot water, Gu Yu Qi brought out a few eggs as if by magic, then cracked the shells, breaking the eggs into the water. She then took some white sugar and sprinkled it in.

“Oh no, do you like eating sweets?” She forgot to ask Du Xia until she had done it.

“Mhmm.” Du Xia nodded. He had not expected to be able to eat something made by Gu Yu Qi. As long as she made it, even if it was spicy, he would eat it all. He added a handful of firewood to the stove which made the fire burn hotter. He could not contain the joy in his heart and it felt like his heart was about to fly.

“That’s good. I thought men didn’t like sweets.” Yun Ke did not like eating sweets. Gu Yu Qi continued talking, completely ignoring Du Xia’s reaction, “By the way, it’s good that you like sweets. In a while when Dai Mei gets up, I’ll find her to light the fire and make a cake for you to eat. You don’t know, but the cakes I make are delicious. I guarantee you’ll like it.” Gu Yu Qi had time travelled and been reborn, and it was rare that she felt there was no need to wear a mask around Du Xia so naturally she spoke more.

Previously in the Marquis’ residence, she needed to put on a ladylike appearance firstly to comfort her mother and secondly to show Gu Huai Zhong and Liu Yue. Having left, she had to always pay attention to her words and actions, not to mention she had to be careful of her words in front of Yun Ke. It was only in front of Du Xia that she felt like she did not need to worry about anything.

***

Gu Yu Qi’s busy figure and constant talking were all carefully absorbed through Du Xia’s eyes and stowed in his heart.He felt very calm at this moment. They really felt like companions who have known each other for many years. This familiar feeling moved Du Xia so much that he wanted to cry even though it had been a long time since he felt moved to tears.

Not long after, Gu Yu Qi made steaming poached eggs and she served them in two bowls.

“Come,” Gu Yu Qi held the bowls and served Du Xia.

When Du Xia took the bowl, the tip of his nose ached.

Ever since he could remember, no one had been so kind to him. It was not that he had not eaten or seen good things, but nothing could beat this steaming bowl of poached eggs. Two snow-white eggs half-floating in the translucent water exuded a strong egg aroma.

He took a gentle bite. The eggs were cooked just right, neither overdone or underdone. The slippery egg whites, the orange yolk, and the touch of sweetness were all caught in the bottom of Du Xia’s heart and he could not bear to finish this bowl of eggs so quickly.

He ate carefully and gently, but Gu Yu Qi was starving to death and very quickly, she gobbled up the whole bowl into her stomach.

“Right, I need to go back and sleep for a while.” Gu Yu Qi stood up after eating and said to Du Xia, “Otherwise, your snakey jerk of a prince will call for me and I won’t have the energy to deal with him.”

Du Xia’s heart sank slightly, did she have to leave like this? However, he still looked up and nodded obediently. Although he did not understand what a snakey jerk was, he intuitively knew they were words criticising his master.

“Don’t worry, I’ll remember to make a cake for you.” Gu Yu Qi walked to the door and looked back at Du Xia with a smile, then left quickly.

It was almost dawn. It would be bad if others saw her and Du Xia alone in the kitchen. She was mostly afraid someone would spread it around and Yun Ke would hear about it, so Gu Yu Qi chose to leave as soon as possible.

Du Xia opened his mouth but his words of farewell were not yet said when Gu Yu Qi had already disappeared without a trace. He froze for a while, looking at the empty bowl on the table with a sense of loss. He let out a long sigh.

He got up and put away all the dishes. Then he put out the fire in the stove and blew out the oil lamp on the table. Giving one last look at the kitchen, he could not see anything amiss so he just turned and walked away.

The sky had turned a light grey and compared to the thick blackness of the night, there was a glimmer of light. The rain seemed to be lighter than the previous few days but it still continued. Du Xia had no mind to practise martial arts, so he went straight back to his resting place and lay down on the bed. The other guards were still soundly asleep, the snoring rising and falling. Du Xia seemed to turn a deaf ear to it, but his heart could no longer calm down.

Gu Yu Qi fell into a deep sleep and slept until the evening before getting up in a daze. Rubbing her eyes, she asked Yan Zhi who was doing needlework, “What time is it?”

“Young Miss.” Seeing Gu Yu Qi wake up, Yan Zhi came over happily and lifted the bed curtains for her, then brought clean clothes and water for washing, “It’s already evening.”

She had slept all day? Gu Yu Qi was also startled and hurriedly got out of bed, “That Prince An didn’t call for me?” She asked Yan Zhi while getting dressed.

“He did, but Madam pleaded for you saying that Young Miss was too tired and needed to have a rest. His Highness Prince An ordered that when Young Miss wakes up, Young Miss should hurry over and wait on him,” Yan Zhi said as she helped Gu Yu Qi change.

“Oh, then don’t worry.” Gu Yu Qi nodded, “Where’s Run Ying? Call her in.”

“Yes.” Yan Zhi turned and went out. After a while, she walked in with Run Ying.

“I’ll keep watch at the door.” Yan Zhi knew that Gu Yu Qi wanted to talk to Run Ying and tactfully withdrew. Recently, Gu Yu Qi and Run Ying spoke mysteriously. Yan Zhi with her open mind naturally did not ask them what they were talking about. In her heart, as long as Gu Yu Qi was alright then it was fine.

Run Ying knew why Gu Yu Qi was looking for her. It just happened that she had received a letter by carrier pigeon from the capital. It was raining heavily and the pigeon could hardly find its way so it took a day longer than expected. It was so bad that Run Ying thought their pigeon had been shot down, roasted, and eaten.

“Food prices in the capital have already started to skyrocket.” Run Ying waited on Gu Yu Qi to wash and dress. She said, “Our shop followed Young Miss’ orders and no food has been put on the shelves for the time being. A few days ago, our shop also collected a lot of food from other shops. It’s likely that those shops who sold us grain a few days ago are regretting it greatly.”

“Hm. Tell them to be careful.” Gu Yu Qi nodded, “After four more days, let’s start selling food. No need to sell them at the highest price. Remember to follow my words, just sell them at four times the current price.” In a few days, when the plague began, the gates would be closed and food will rise to ten times the current price.

“Yes.” Run Ying’s eyes brightened, “Then, Young Miss, if we just sell food, we’ll be rich!”

“Yes.” Gu Yu Qi looked at herself in the mirror. Run Ying’s hands were skillful and the braids fit snugly in her hands. “But we need to build a good reputation now so there is no need to sell it as expensively as the others. However, in order not to cause unnecessary jealousy among other shopkeepers, the refined rice in our shop will be sold according to a certain limit. Other grains such as cornmeal and sorghum will be unlimited.”

Refined rice was only eaten by the wealthy. Either way, nobles did not care about the price difference so they would also buy them at other stores. Gu Yu Qi did not have much refined rice. In this way, with a limited quota on sales, it could be pretty much sold out before the end of the plague. What she bought in large quantities were cheap grains such as cornmeal and sorghum. With the price of grain soaring, the average person naturally ate this kind of thing and even aristocrats in the capital would buy a lot of these for their servants.

“Mhmm, everything will be as Young Miss says.” Run Ying had long thrown herself down in admiration to Gu Yu Qi. In her eyes, Gu Yu Qi was a walking cash cow. “Remember that after the prescription for curing the plague is spread, do as I say and boil the herbs into a concoction, then pack it in a bamboo tube and sell it.”

“Yes.” Run Ying nodded.

The price of herbal medicine would be ridiculously high. Gu Yu Qi could effectively reduce costs by boiling the herbs and dividing it into bamboo tubes. Besides, she had already invited two pharmacists to the store and had told them to ensure the efficacy of this medicine. A concoction made from herbs can be divided for several people. Spreading it out evenly could reduce costs and gain more profit. Besides, her concoction would be relatively cheaper than herbal medicine in other stores so only fools would not buy Gu Yu Qi’s medicine.

Gu Yu Qi’s medicinal shop was likely to become a hit and business would be unstoppable in the future.

Let alone Gu Yu Qi, even Run Ying felt that the cute silver ingots had grown small wings and were flying towards her.

Gu Yu Qi’s money was useful. She had big plans in mind and money was needed for everything. With this first pot of gold, she would dig a second and third barrel. She had already boasted in front of Yun Ke that in the future, he would not need to worry about money.

Talking about it was easy, just have your upper and lower lips touch. However, when the time came, real money would be spent.

Gu Yu Qi saw in her last life how much of a headache Yun Ke had for money and food. Knowing that there would be a huge insufficiency, she had to gather an astonishing amount of wealth within this period of time to meet Yun Ke’s standards.

With an ambitious goal and a torturous road, Gu Yu Qi had it very difficult!

Yet, when she thought of her own freedom and her mother’s title as Madam Protector, Gu Yu Qi felt that she was resurrected with full hp and buffs.

She had sworn in front of Gu Huai Zhong that she would make her mother return to the capital with a life a hundred times more beautiful than before, slapping his old face every minute. She had not said this for nothing! No matter what, she needed to accomplish it all.

And that Liu Yue, she thought that with her gone, she could be the Ding Yuan Marquis’ Madam with peace of mind? She sure thought beautifully. She killed her mother in the previous life and if she had not been so protective in this life, Liu Yue would have acted. In two lives combined, she still never changed. How could Gu Yu Qi let her sit safely on the throne of the Ding Yuan Marquis’ Madam?

Not torturing her now did not mean she would let Liu Yue go. She was only letting Liu Yue get it first, then she would take the glory away from her to make her feel pain all the way to her bones.

It was just that by doing this, she would inevitably hurt Gu Si Yang and Gu Si Yu. Gu Yu Qi sighed slightly.

“Right, that cousin of Liu Yue’s, have you guys investigated yet?” Thinking of Liu Yue, Gu Yu Qi thought of that mysterious cousin and could not help asking more.

“No.” Run Ying shook her head upon hearing this, “According to Young Miss’ orders, someone was sent to the border to ask, but the answer has never been found.”

It had been four years. Unexpectedly, they could not even find out his identity and background. It seemed that this person was not that simple. The more it was like this, the more Gu Yu Qi felt that this cousin named Sun Peng was suspicious. It was impossible for a person to appear from nothing and have no history at all.

“Is he really Liu Yue’s cousin?” Gu Yu Qi frowned and asked.

“The person we sent found out that he met Aunt Liu at the border.” Run Ying said, “But Aunt Liu’s background is also very strange.”

“Oh.” Gu Yu Qi nodded. It’s good that she came strangely. She was afraid her appearance was not strange. “Right. Let the person at the border continue to check. No matter how much time it takes, be sure to find out.”

“Yes, Young Miss,” Run Ying nodded.

The medicine that Sun Peng secretly gave to Aunt Liu was intercepted by Gu Yu Qi once. She asked someone to look at it. It was a medicine used to soothe the nerves and help sleep. There was nothing special to be found but Gu Yu Qi still found it strange.

Liu Yue had never suffered from insomnia, so why was she using sedatives to help sleep? On the contrary, it was her own mother who had trouble sleeping because of her heavy thoughts about the Marquis’ residence.

Liu Yue had sent over two decoctions which Gu Yu Qi also checked. They were medicine sent by Sun Peng, but Gu Yu Qi could not find any special issues. For safety’s sake, Gu Yu Qi still asked Chun Xing to feed all the medicine to the dog. Gu Yu Qi observed the dog and it did nothing but sleep. However, a dog could not talk and if something was wrong, it could not communicate. So Gu Yu Qi still sent some things to Liu Yue in return for the medicine. At the same time, she also made veiled insinuations. Sure enough, Liu Yue had not dared to bring medicine over again. If she was being fishy, then according to her temper, she would already have gone to Gu Huai Zhong’s side. Instead, she had ceased all actions which made Gu Yu Qi more and more suspicious that there was something tricky about it.

Gu Yu Qi left a copy of the herbs for Chun Xing to take with her. Maybe she would find out later.