Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: Husband

As a connoisseur of finer things, Gu Jiao had collected many handsome men in her previous life, but none of them… To be precise, all the handsome men combined could not compare to the one before her right now. This person had a very clean face, and the corners of his eyes were as exquisite as jade. His eyes were very cold, as bottomless as a lake in winter. His face was sickly pale, but it was flushed red from embarrassment, making him look a little alluring. Moreover, with his age, rather than calling him a man, it seemed more suitable to call him a young man. “Looked enough yet?” Xiao Liulang gritted his teeth and asked. “Not quite enough, but…” Gu Jiao glanced at his body and narrowed her eyes. “I wouldn’t want to crush that body of yours. ” With that, Gu Jiao got up. However, although she had gotten up, her eyes were still glued to him. “Gu Jiao, you…” Xiao Liulang was infuriated by her gaze. “Need any help?” Gu Jiao reached out with a grin. “No need!” Xiao Liulang turned around coldly and stood himself up with a nearby chair. It was obvious that he had trouble moving, but he still rejected Gu Jiao’s good intentions. Afterwards, he ignored Gu Jiao and limped out of the house. Gu Jiao finally remembered who he was. It was her Host’s husband, Xiao Liulang. Xiao Liulang was picked up by Gu Jiao. After he woke up, the Gu family asked him about his situation. When they realized that he was an orphan and had nowhere to go, they made a decision on the spot. “It’s improper for men and women to touch each other, and besides, our daughter saved your life. So why don’t the two of you get married?” Thereafter, they used their standing to force Xiao Liulang to marry Gu Jiao. And, rather than Gu Jiao marrying into his family, it was more like he was married into the Gu family. The dilapidated house they were currently living in was given to them by the Gu family, and their farmland was also distributed by the Gu family. They were all of the worst kind. When they got married, Gu Jiao did not know that Xiao Liulang was a cripple; when she found out, she gradually started to despise him. Turning her back on him, she would go and look for Young Master Qin in town. Everyone in the village felt indignant for Xiao Liulang. They would say that it was like a fresh flower had been planted in cow dung; Xiao Liulang was that flower, and the cow dung was her. Gu Jiao did not know how Xiao Liulang thought about all these, but to ignore her while she was in such a sorry state, it was obvious how much he hated the original Host of her body. Gu Jiao opened the cabinet door and planned to change out of her wet clothes; sadly, she realized that there was not a single clean garment in the cabinet. “Brother Xiao, are you there?” A sweet voice suddenly came from outside the door. The person who came was a young woman wearing a flowery purple coat. She had her hair in a glossy bun, with makeup on her face. A basket covered with a flowery cloth hung from the crook of her arm, making it impossible to see what it was carrying. Gu Jiao quickly found this person in her Host’s memories—the young widow of Clearspring Village, Xue Ningxiang. Xue Ningxiang was their neighbor, and she loved to visit their house, preferable when the original Host was not around, though they would occasionally bump into each other. As the Host was rather dumb, she suffered a lot at Xue Ningxiang’s hands. It was also Xue Ningxiang who divulged the news of Young Master Qin arriving in the village to her Host. “Oh, isn’t this Sister Ningxiang? It’s still so bright out, what brings you to my house?” Xue Ningxiang was shocked by Gu Jiao’s sudden appearance. Then, she said in disappointment, “Why is it you?” Gu Jiao smiled and rapped on the door. “This is my house. Is it so strange to see me? Why are you disappointed?” Xue Ningxiang coughed. Obviously, she was disappointed not to see Xiao Liulang. Xue Ningxiang looked at Gu Jiao again. She was still the same person, but she had become a little unfamiliar. She no longer seemed as dull as before, and her eyes were spirited. Even though she was slopping wet, she did not make people feel that she was in a sorry state. Instead, she emanated an intimidating aura. I must be seeing things. How would a fool ever change? Xue Ningxiang raised her chin and said, “I’m here to look for Brother Xiao!” Gu Jiao smiled faintly. “Brother Xiao? Calling him so intimately… Are you that close with my husband?” “Get lost!” Xue Ningxiang could not be bothered with her. “What if I don’t?” Gu Jiao stood in her way. Xue Ningxiang did not take Gu Jiao seriously at all. She raised her hand and pushed Gu Jiao. Gu Jiao gently gave way and tripped her feet. “Uwah—” Xue Ningxiang fell flat on her face with her basket. “You idiot! You tripped me!” This tripping scene had happened many times in the past, but this time, the person who tripped was Xue Ningxiang. Gu Jiao crossed her arms and leaned against the door, looking at her as if she was saying, So what if I did? Trip me back if you can~ Xue Ningxiang seriously suspected that she was seeing things. In fact, Xue Ningxiang and the original owner of the body had been at odds for a long time. Of the two women in the village who attracted the most gossip, one was the village fool, Gu Jiao, and the other was the widow, Xue Ningxiang. However, Xue Ningxiang was good-looking and diligent, and carried herself with more dignity than Gu Jiao. When Xiao Liulang fainted at the village entrance, it was Xue Ningxiang and the Host who found him. The difference was, Xue Ningxiang was afraid of getting herself into trouble and went to the village to call for help, while the Host directly picked him up and brought him home. After it was confirmed that Xiao Liulang was a guiltless scholar, Xue Ningxiang immediately regretted it. Xue Ningxiang was about to start cursing when Xiao Liulang walked out with a cold expression. When Xue Ningxiang saw him, her expression immediately changed. She cried meekly, “Brother Xiao, she bullied me! She tripped me with her foot!” Gu Jiao looked at Xiao Liulang and spread her hands in innocence. “She pushed me first.” Xue Ningxiang said excitedly, “Brother Xiao, listen, she admitted it…” “Does Sister Ningxiang have any business here?” Xiao Liulang interrupted her. Xue Ningxiang was taken aback. She looked at Xiao Liulang, then at Gu Jiao. She picked the basket from the ground and said, “I… That… You helped me read the letter last time, but I haven’t been able to thank you properly. Didn’t you run out of food at home? I went to the fields to dig up a few sweet potatoes to give you…” Xiao Liulang said, “There’s no need, Sister Ningxiang. We still have cornmeal at home. You should bring these back and have them yourself.” Xue Ningxiang bit her lip. “But…” Gu Jiao raised her eyebrows and said, “He already told you to take it back. Didn’t you hear him?” Her voice was not loud, but there was a terrifying chill hidden in her half-smile. Xue Ningxiang’s scalp went numb. She did not dare to stay any longer and left dejectedly with her basket. Gu Jiao smiled at her husband. “I didn’t expect a cripple like you to attract women.” Xiao Liulang glanced at Gu Jiao indifferently and returned to the house on his walking stick. “Ouch—” The wound hurt again. Gu Jiao held her scalp and returned to her room. She sat on the stool and touched the wound. It was a huge gash. Although it was not too deep, if not cleaned in time, it would most likely become infected. However, these were ancient times; where would she even find disinfectant? “If only my medicine box was here.” As soon as this thought flashed through her mind, Gu Jiao felt a sharp pain in her head again, causing her to faint. However, when she woke up, she realized that another box had appeared on the table in front of her.