The Prime Minister's Darling

Chapter 27: Search

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Gu Jiao closed the door. “Tell me everything that happened today.”

Gu Xiaoshun honestly explained what happened in his caregiving experience.

It turned out that the old lady really did not remember anything. When she woke up at Gu Jiao and Xiao Liulang’s house, she thought she was part of the household. She grabbed a handful of melon seeds and asked Gu Xiaoshun, “Which of those two unfilial kids is my grandchild?”

Gu Xiaoshun remembered his sister’s advice and did not dare tell the old lady that she actually had leprosy.

However, he could not actually say that his sister and brother-in-law were her real grandchildren. In a moment of desperation he said, ‘You’re my brother-in-law’s great-aunt, and you came all the way to seek refuge with him’.

Gu Jiao had not expected that the old lady did not actually suffer from dementia, so she did not prepare an excuse for Gu Xiaoshun to deal with her.

“Then she said, ‘Why does it seem like your sister is the head of this household?’ I said, ‘What’s wrong with that? Brother-in-law married into the family!’ Then she asked again, ‘If he married into her house, then where’s the rest of the family?’ So I said that you two have been living separately from the main household.”

Hearing this, Gu Jiao held her forehead. How was she the head of this family? Both Xiao Liulang and her had always been busy with their own things, and would only occasionally have a meal together.

Xiaoshun, you dummy. You’ve been tricked by the old lady.

No wonder the old lady was able to pinpoint the Gu family’s sore spots so accurately; she had completely understood their situation after hearing from Gu Xiaoshun.

“Then why did she always ignore me when I asked her questions?” It made her think that she was slow to react.

Gu Xiaoshun said, “She said you’re unfilial, and she doesn’t want to talk to you!”

Gu Jiao:”…”

All I did was just give her a few candied fruits fewer!

Gu Jiao came to the central room. Clearly, Xiao Liulang had already spoken to the old lady. She did not know what Xiao Liulang had said, but the old lady no longer had that high and mighty presence from before, and was a little listless.

“I’m so tired from that spat. I’m going to sleep for a bit. Call me when dinner is ready!” The old lady snorted and swung her big butt towards them before returning to her room.

Gu Jiao looked at Xiao Liulang.

Xiao Liulang paused for a moment and said, “Back then, that barefoot doctor told us that the medicine has to be taken for a year according to the prescription; however, if the infected person recovered quickly, then they will cease to be contagious in a month.”

He did not forcefully persuade Gu Jiao to keep her, but only told her that she would not be contagious soon, hoping that Gu Jiao would agree to taking her in.

Gu Jiao did not know that this little dolt was able to show compassion to strangers.

Maybe the old lady reminded him of his elder brother, who passed away early.

“Alright, then Great-aunt can stay,” Gu Jiao said with a sigh.

She did not intend to chase her away in the first place.

However, it would be good if she could have him owe her a favor.

The two of them temporarily acknowledged her as their great-aunt. This was the safest method now.

It turned out that their decision was correct, because that very night, a group of soldiers barged into Clearspring Village, searching every house for the patient who had escaped from Leper Mountain.

The only outsider in the village was the old lady; when they found out that she had arrived in the village only recently, the soldiers rushed into Gu Jiao and Xiao Liulang’s house promptly.

When they arrived, the old lady had just finished eating and went into the house to warm herself up; both husband and wife were still eating at the table.

Dinner was quite sumptuous—stir-fried cured meat with cabbage, scallion egg pancakes, wild mushroom stew, cold-cut wood ear fungus salad, and spiced peanuts.

Of course, no one was drinking.

The fragrance of cured meat and scallions assaulted their nostrils, making the soldiers hungry in an instant.

“Constables, is anything the matter?” Xiao Liulang asked.

The soldiers came back to their senses and said, “I heard that an old lady came to your house. Where is she?”

Xiao Liulang brought her to the old lady’s house. “She’s my great-aunt, she had just arrived from Su County a few days ago.”

As he spoke, he went forward and took a plate which the old lady had not hidden in time. “You’re secretly eating those candied fruits again. Didn’t I tell you that you can’t have too much sweet food because of your age?”

“Hmph.” Caught red-handed, the old lady turned away resentfully.

The soldiers did not have an illustration of the leper, but the higher-ups had described her characteristics to them—her face and the back of her hand were blotched red, while her face was sallow and she was in low spirits.

Aside from her age, the old lady in front of them was dissimilar in every other way.

Not only did she not have leprosy spots, but her complexion was rosy and she was in unbelievably good spirits.

Leprosy could not be cured. While some prescriptions could delay the onset of the disease, it was absolutely impossible for a patient to recover so well in just ten days.

Most of the soldiers’ suspicions were dispelled, and seeing that Xiao Liulang did not avoid or despise the old lady at all, they felt that it was even more unlikely.

However, the leader did not dare to let his guard down. He returned to the kitchen and pointed at the medicine jar on the stove. “Whose medicine is this?”

Xiao Liulang said, “It’s mine. I have a leg injury, I went to the medical hall in town to get this medicine.”

“Let me take a look at the medicine,” he said.

Gu Jiao went to get the medicine packet.

That person opened a packet and found some ginseng.

This ginseng was very common for improving blood circulation, and martial arts practitioners were not unfamiliar with it. There was also safflower, which was also common for treating injuries.

With these two herbs present, he could basically tell that the medicine was not for leprosy.

“What’s your name?” the man asked.

“Xiao Liulang,” Xiao Liulang said seriously. “If you have any doubts about my identity, you can go to the Divine Academy to find the dean and check my household register.”

That person knit his brows. “The dean of the Divine Academy? Is his surname Li?”

“That’s right,” Xiao Liulang said.

The soldiers exchanged glances and became more polite to Xiao Liulang.

Generally speaking, there was no need to go to the dean to check a household’s registry. Xiao Liulang had gone out of his way to tell them, to insinuate that he was someone important to Master Li.

Although Xiao Liulang was unwilling to be the dean’s disciple, it did not stop him from using his authority to intimidate others.

When the need arose, there was no need to hesitate.

Master Li’s name was certainly very useful. After asking as few more routine questions, the soldiers left.

However, the soldiers did not go far; instead, they dispatched someone to discreetly go to Xue Ningxiang’s house next door.

“Is the old lady next door really that person’s great-aunt?”

“Yes.”

“When did she get here?”

“Just a few days ago,” Xue Ningxiang said.

“But I heard that she came ten days ago?” The soldier stared into Xue Ningxiang’s eyes and asked.

Xue Ningxiang said seriously, “Who told you that? How would I not know when I live next door?”

The soldier looked at the infant in Xue Ningxiang’s arms. A cold glint passed his eyes, but he still left in the end.

Xue Ningxiang’s back was drenched in cold sweat..