Fifty-Nine Bones and Flesh

  Gu Man gave a signal with her eyes, and Pei Yin continued to chat with her as usual. However, Pei Qin quietly walked towards the window and suddenly pushed it open.

  "Eh yo!" A woman's cry came from outside the window.

  "Hey! What's going on? Why are you, Mom, here at the wall corner blowing cold air in the middle of the night?"

  Gu Man immediately guessed it was Liu Pozi with a mole on her face.

  She's really devoted to helping Gu Yan do things. She asked Pei Qin without looking up, "What's all the commotion about?"

  "Miss doesn't know, I think this room is too stuffy, I wanted to open the window for some fresh air, but Liu's wife was outside and accidentally got her head pinched."

  Gu Manzhu looked out the window and saw Liu Pozi standing outside, still with a wooden face. Seeing her look, she muttered: "The slave has come to invite Qi Niangniang"

  。”

  Gu Man nodded and said, "Since you're looking for someone, be careful."

  Her face was calm, her voice was extremely gentle, but for some reason, Liu Pozi felt a chill in his heart when he looked at her deep eyes, and couldn't help but get goosebumps all over his body.

  Gu Man ignored her and let Pei Yin attend to him as he slept.

  On the second day, Gu Man went to pay his respects to Wang Shi. Just then, he heard Gu Bo Qi discussing with Wang Shi: "Lao Wu is not young anymore, it's time for him to attend school. As a mother, you should also be concerned. Another day, mention it to your brother and find a way to introduce him to the Imperial Academy..."

  Gu Man went to see Wang Shi, seeing that although her face didn't show much expression, her eyes revealed a hint of impatience, and she slightly curled up the corners of her mouth.

  Gu Boqi, keep going like this, the more you mess around, the sooner Wang will give up on you.

  Wang was indeed resentful in her heart. She quietly placed her hand on her belly, imagining her own son.

  After listening for a while, she beckoned Gu Man over and hugged her, asking: "Did you sleep well yesterday? Did you have a fever?"

  Gu Man shook her head and smiled as she asked, "Mother, are all the things for the banquet ready? I want to eat lotus leaf thick soup."

  "Got it." Wang said to Qingyin, "Did you hear what the young lady said? Tell the kitchen to add another dish of lotus leaf soup that day."

  "Shut up! Adults are talking, what business does a little kid like you have interrupting? No manners!"

  The smile on Wang's face faded. He said faintly, "Alright, I will pass on your words to my brother, Second Master. Is there anything else?"

  Gu Boqi felt embarrassed. Looking at Wang's eyes, he became even more displeased and snorted: "What a ridiculous thing! Even if it were a big deal, I wouldn't be able to say it out loud with you around!"

  He finished speaking and turned away with a flick of his sleeve.

  Wang didn't expect him to say such harsh words and was suddenly choked with emotion, unable to utter a word for half a day.

  Gu Man bit her lip and glanced in the direction of Gu Boqi, standing on tiptoes to wipe away Wang Shi's tears. She comforted her: "Mother, don't cry, we're still here! Father is no good, let's abandon him!"

  Wang's heart felt like it had a stone weighing it down, making her breathless. Hearing Gu Man say this, she forced a smile and patted her head, saying: "Ah Man is right, Mother knows."

  Just then, Gu Chengyu and Gu Yan came over together to pay their respects.

  Wang saw them and didn't have a good expression, and said in a low voice: "Get up."

  She observed the smoke and watched the words. She knew that she would not be received today, so she did not give herself trouble, and calmly asked for peace, saying: "Mother, I embroidered a handkerchief for you."

  Wang called Yue Tong to come over. Then, looking at Gu Chengyu, he said: "This time you've returned from outside, just honestly stay at home. Your schoolwork also needs attention. Be careful or your father will scold you."

  Gu Chengyu nodded his head carelessly and smiled, saying: "I know, kiddo."

  Gu Man saw Wang's tired face and took the initiative to stand up and bid farewell, then said to Gu Yan: "Mother is busy, let's go somewhere else"

  。”

  Then several people also bid farewell and left together.

  Just then, Gu Chengdong came over, swaying back and forth, to ask Gu Boqi for a bamboo cricket cage. When he saw them, he stopped in his tracks, spat at Gu Man, and scolded her: "Bad girl!"

  Gu Manquan pretended not to see him and dodged nimbly, continuing to walk forward with his eyes fixed straight ahead.

  Gu Chengyu grabbed Gu Chenggang's arm and said, "Xiao Ba is really too reckless, have you forgotten the lesson from last time? Ninth sister is not to be trifled with, how dare you provoke her?"

  Pei Qin and Zhi Hua both knew the young master's temper, so they hastily stood in front of Gu Man, fearing he would suddenly pounce over again.

  Gu Chengdong was indeed furious, he stomped his feet in anger and pointed at Gu Man, cursing: "You little brat, come here and let's see who fixes who!"

  Gu Man's heart was annoyed, and he coldly stared at Gu Chengyu, sneering: "It seems that Fifth Brother hasn't made much progress outside either. After all this time has passed, how can you still use the same old tricks? Are you trying to borrow a knife to kill someone again?"

  His thoughts were seen through, but Gu Chengyu didn't show any signs of embarrassment. He raised an eyebrow and made a weird smile at Gu Chengdong: "Haha, look, Ninth Sister doesn't even put me in her eyes. You'd better be careful."

  As he spoke, he deliberately pushed Gu Chengdong with one hand.

  Gu Chengdong took advantage of the situation and bumped into Zhi Hua's body, pushing her away with one hand, and then reached out to scratch Gu Man.

  Gu Man rushed to the side and dodged, coldly saying to Gu Chengdong: "If you make another move, be careful I won't be polite!"

  "Did you hear that? Ninth sister said she's going to be rude to you!" Gu Chengyu continued to fan the flames with a smile all over his face, and at the same time, he winked at Gu Yan.

  "Halt!" But this time things didn't go as they had before. Gu Zhao brought a few people over from afar, and upon seeing the situation, he angrily asked: "What's going on here?"

  Gu Chengdong was pulled away by Gu Zhao's wife and shouted: "Ninth sister wants to bully me!"

  "Are you bullying her?" Gu Zhao sneered and said: "I only saw you constantly chasing after your Ninth Sister!"

  She gave Gu Chengzhuang a cold glance and suddenly turned around and slapped Gu Chengyu in the face.

  Everyone was stunned by her sudden slap, and it wasn't until half a day later that Gu Chengyu covered his face and indignantly said: "Third sister! What are you doing hitting me? It wasn't me who hit Ninth Sister!"

  "It's not you who hit him, of course!" Gu Zhao cut off his words without hesitation and sneered: "You're just hiding behind and stirring up trouble! A man, how can you be as gossipy as a woman in the backyard? Do you think I didn't hear those provocative words you said just now?"

  Gu Yan gave Gu Man a cold glance and hurried over to pull Gu Zhao's sleeve, pleading: "Third sister, fifth brother didn't mean it..."

  Gu Zhao had always been good to Gu Yan, and now that she came to plead for mercy, he glared at Gu Cheng Yu and scolded: "You're not young anymore, yet you still can't get along with a child! Would you even dare to say this out loud?"

  Gu Chengyu's tongue was almost bitten off, and he still stared at Gu Zhao with a gloomy face, covering his left cheek. In his heart, he had already scolded them thousands of times, but on the surface, he lowered his head first and admitted his mistake: "Third sister, I'm wrong, I shouldn't have been greedy to watch the show."

  Seeing him lower his head, Gu Zhao said: "You know that's good, after all, we are one family."

  Flesh and blood?

  Everyone in their hearts couldn't help but sneer coldly

  。

  Who in this family actually regards whom as their own flesh and blood?

  Gu Chengdong suddenly came back to his senses and saw Gu Zhao hitting someone. He quickly broke free from the woman's grasp and scolded her: "Third sister is also bad! Third sister hit fifth brother, I'm going to tell grandmother!"

  He ran away with a patter, and Gu Zhao beckoned to Gu Man to come over and tidy up her hair, instructing her: "Be good and stay in your room, have lunch with me at noon."

  Gu Yan and Gu Chengyu stood still on the spot, coldly watching as the sisters drew closer, exchanging a glance with each other, silently understanding.

  After walking in silence for a while, Gu Yan asked softly, "Fifth Brother, does it hurt?"

  Gu Chengyu's eyes shone with tears, and he lowered his head to stroke Gu Yan's hair, saying in a low voice, "Who made us not born from the same womb? Does it hurt or not, what can we do?"

  Gu Chengyu had always been very good to Gu Yan since childhood, because they were siblings born of the same mother. Gu Yan also had some genuine feelings for Gu Chengyu, and seeing him humiliated, she said: "Brother..."

  "Flesh and blood? That's ridiculous!" Gu Chengyu interrupted Gu Yan's comfort, sneering: "Who are they to us?" He finished this sentence, looked at Gu Yan again, and said word by word: "Sister, rest assured, I will one day return everything we've suffered to them! Let them all kneel on the ground and beg for mercy from us!"

  Gu Yan watched him walk away, then resentfully wiped her eyes.

  Be careful!

  Great, it's you again, and so-called proper etiquette has given us a slap in the face!

  I have crossed over into Guta, not to suffer, nor to be your cautious slave.

  Since you can't wait, I'll have to use some tricks to send you to heaven quickly.

  She recalled Wang's cautious and gentle touch on her lower abdomen, and the expectant look on his face.

  Fine, I will soon let you know what it means to be overjoyed and then suffer a great sorrow!

  She didn't show any expression on her face, and hastily returned to the house. She instructed Chuqin: "Go to Xiumen Pavilion and find the bell in her room. Tell her that Ninth Miss has already become suspicious, and ask her to tell Liu Niangniang that she has already asked Wang Shilang to investigate their old home."

  Chu Qin saw her complexion was extremely poor and hastily agreed to go.

  Zhūn zhōng le yī huì jiào le tā, jiù zài dīng zhǔ shuō: "kě jī líng diǎnr, bié bǎ wǒmen gū niáng gěi dòu chū le."

  The bell naturally responded, and after thinking about the wording, she found an opportunity to go forward and tell Liu's mother: "Mother, just now I went to deliver flower samples to San Niang's courtyard, and happened to hear Pei Yin next to Jiu Niang whispering to Zhi Hua that someone was sent to ask Wang Shilang to investigate our daughter's background!"

  Liu's mother took a glance at her and hastily asked: "Did you understand? What did they say?"

  It's said that the 9th young lady thought it over and over, and the 4th young lady wouldn't frame you, a lowly servant, for no reason. And your return to the countryside was also quite coincidental... It's said that Wang Shilang sent someone to the South Manor!

  Liu's mother narrowed her eyes and, although flustered, forced herself to calm down as she went inside to tell Liu's wife.

  ps：