Chapter 110: Feeling Deep Sympathy for Shao Yuan

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Jiaoyan was annoyed with Shaoyuan; she glared fiercely at him before grabbing him firmly and leading him into the eastern room. If it weren’t for the wounds on Shaoyuan’s body, Jiaoyan would have been tempted to give him a good slap.

“Sit down, let me take a look at your injuries,” she said gruffly.

“It’s nothing. There’s no serious injury; you don’t need to check,” Shaoyuan said with a smile.

“Yan’er, are you upset?” Shaoyuan tilted his head, carefully observing the expression on Jiaoyan’s face and asked softly.

Jiaoyan sighed, “I’m not angry, just a little sad after hearing what you said earlier. Brother Shaoyuan, you’ve suffered too much.”

She could vividly imagine the scene: a group of children surrounding the small, vulnerable Shaoyuan, constantly insulting him as a bastard, fatherless child. And little Shaoyuan struggling to defend himself, insisting he wasn’t a bastard, that his father was gone but he still had his mother.

That image lingered in her mind, and suddenly tears welled up in her eyes. “Brother Shaoyuan, if anyone dares to say that again, just tell me. I’ll have my father teach them a lesson.”

Jiaoyan’s tears unsettled Shaoyuan. “Yan’er, don’t cry. I’m really fine. That’s all in the past. Those who bullied me back then ended up getting beaten by me. When I grew older, hardly anyone dared say such things anymore.”

Shaoyuan reached out and wiped the tears from Jiaoyan’s cheeks. “Don’t cry, Yan’er. Now I have my mother’s love, my master’s guidance, and your care. I’m content. When I learn more skills and gain strength, no one will dare bully me again.” He smiled at her. “Come on, smile for me. You look beautiful when you smile, but you look ugly when you cry.”

“You little pest, did you just call me ugly?” Jiaoyan knew he was teasing her, so she glared and clenched her fists as if to hit him.

“I won’t say it anymore, okay?” Shaoyuan laughed and grabbed her hand.

Their voices woke something furry in the corner of the room. It got up and, upon seeing Jiaoyan, excitedly ran over.

“Ah, this is the bear our master brought back earlier. Didn’t you say you were going to sell it? Why hasn’t it been sold, and you’re raising it instead?” Shaoyuan bent down to pick up the clumsy little creature. “Wow, it’s much heavier than when we encountered it in the mountains. Looks like it’s doing well in your care.”

“This little guy is so playful. I felt a bit reluctant to sell it, so I begged my father to let me keep it for a while,” Jiaoyan said. She really liked the little bear who could roll around and act cute, so she pleaded with Gu Chengyong until he agreed to keep it for the time being.

“Yan’er, it’s still young, so it’s okay to keep it for a while, but it’s best to send it back. This is a wild animal; its wild nature won’t change. It can’t stay at home too long,” Shaoyuan advised.

Jiaoyan nodded, understanding but still a little reluctant. “Yes, after some time, I’ll have my father send it back to the mountains.”

“All right, there’s nothing more here, so I’ll head home. I’ve been out half the day. If I don’t go back soon, my mother will surely think something’s wrong. Don’t forget to come eat at my house tonight, okay?” Shaoyuan glanced at the sky, which was already growing late, and took his leave.

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Stepping out of the eastern room, they saw Madam Feng had already laid out the meal in the outer room. The weather was getting warmer, so eating in the inner room felt stuffy; usually, they dined in the outer room where it was breezier.

“Shaoyuan, are you leaving? Why not just eat here?” Madam Feng called out, seeing him about to leave.

“Madam, I won’t stay. My mother’s waiting for me at home. I also brought back a half-grown wild boar today, so I need to hurry and prepare it. Come to my house for dinner tonight; my mother said she’ll make meatball soup,” Shaoyuan waved goodbye to Madam Feng and left the Gu household.

Madam Feng gazed at Shaoyuan’s retreating figure, sighing. “This boy has a hard fate.”

“He’s got a good nature and a strong-willed spirit. He’s bound to succeed someday,” Gu Chengyong said, stepping out of the west room and overhearing Madam Feng’s words.

“Is Taor better?” Madam Feng had been busy cooking and hadn’t checked on Wen Tao, still somewhat worried.

Gu Chengyong nodded, “He’s fine, the same as usual. This child is stubborn and hard to persuade. Today we owe Shaoyuan a lot; otherwise, who knows what might have happened.” He sighed; Wen Tao’s temper was truly a headache.

“That old woman too—why does she care who we want to educate? She doesn’t pay for it, yet nearly drove Tao mad. If Tao really goes off the rails, how will we explain to Lord Lin and his wife?” Madam Feng couldn’t help but complain.

“She? She’s never satisfied, probably hoping to keep all our money in her hands and have us all serve the few children she bore as slaves. Hmph, she’s despicable,” Gu Chengyong was also angry, snorting coldly. “If it weren’t for my eldest brother and the third brother persuading me, I’d be tempted to split the family today. Who wants to deal with her ugly face?”

“Enough, bear with it for now. Soon Xiuli will marry, and if a fuss breaks out now, it won’t just embarrass them but the entire Gu family. Alright, call the children out for dinner. After eating, everyone can get on with their business,” Madam Feng soothed gently.

Though there was a quarrel, Wen Tao’s schooling was unaffected. Early the next morning, Wen Tao, Wen Ping, and Wen Zhi set off for town to study, escorted by Gu Chengyong. The three were diligent students, well-liked by their teacher, especially Master Zhou, who took special care of Wen Tao and often taught him personally.

Life at the Gu household returned to calm. Although Madam Li still harbored resentment, with Gu Xiuli’s wedding approaching and many tasks to handle, she no longer caused trouble.

Jiaoyan’s days remained largely unchanged. Besides visiting the Miao family, she often went to the Sun household to change the daughter-in-law’s dressings. She also discussed with Miao Suwen about the materials needed for surgical suturing.

Miao Suwen thought Jiaoyan’s ideas were excellent but was unsure what the tools should look like. Jiaoyan, of course, knew, so she casually sketched the shapes of the required instruments.

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Seeing the drawings, Miao Suwen was delighted. After some modifications, she eagerly went to the town’s blacksmith shop to find the most skilled craftsman to make two sets of the instruments.

Regarding suturing needles and thread, Jiaoyan also made some suggestions. Surgical sutures generally use animal intestines or silk threads. Given their current conditions, producing absorbable sutures was impossible; they could only make those requiring removal after surgery.

This meant the technical demands were lower. As long as sterilization was strictly observed, it wouldn’t cause severe wound complications. This was their first step. As for whether they could develop absorbable sutures in the future, Jiaoyan dared not make any definitive claims.

The two of them spent each day treating patients and experimenting with materials. Time flew by; May passed, and June arrived.

With Gu Xiuli’s wedding day drawing near, the Gu household grew busier, with many visitors coming and going. As an old family in the village, the Gu family had numerous relatives who came to help with Xiuli’s dowry. The neighbors also stopped by.

Madam Li was stingy and unpleasant, with few friends, but the Gu patriarch and Gu Chengzhong and Gu Chengyi were kindhearted. They helped others with their troubles, earning respect. In turn, visitors brought gifts, supporting the Gu family and adding to Xiuli’s honor.

In Qingshan Village, the custom was that relatives and friends who contributed to the dowry did not need to be hosted with a banquet by the bride’s family. On the wedding day, all who contributed would attend the groom’s family banquet.

The Gu family had already informed the Jiang family of these arrangements. The Jiang family was unconcerned, just asking the Gu family to count the guests so they could reserve enough tables.

Typically, each family sent one representative to the banquet with a gift. Sometimes, they could bring a child under ten; children did not count as guests, so they could fit in easily. The Gu family estimated the numbers and told the Jiang family to prepare four extra tables. The Gu relatives were not included in these four tables.

At this time, dowry gifts rarely included money. Instead, they consisted mainly of sewing and handicraft items: handkerchiefs, sweat towels, pillowcases, curtains, tablecloths, door curtains, and luggage covers. Usually paired in twos, fours, or eights, the quantity depended on the closeness of relationships and past gift exchanges. The closer or more generous the relationship, the more items they would bring.

Gu Xiuli sat on the kang dressed in her new clothes, accompanied by Madam Wu and other daughters-in-law, all neatly prepared, chatting with the guests who came to contribute to the dowry. The table was set with fresh melons, sunflower seeds, tea, and other refreshments for the visitors.

Wen Fang and Wen Fei were busy in the kitchen boiling water, ready to refill teapots at any moment. Failing to provide tea when hosting guests was considered extremely rude.

Madam Li was in high spirits, boasting to everyone about the Jiang family’s virtues and how fortunate her daughter was, predicting even greater luck in the future. The guests eagerly agreed, creating a joyful and festive atmosphere in the Gu household.