"Ah...?" Qin Changlin was greatly startled, "I didn’t mean that at all!"
Gu Youyou chuckled, "All right, all right, I know what you mean; I was just joking. So now? Has Yuancheng come to his senses?"
Qin Changlin broke out in a cold sweat and said, "He has come to his senses, of course, but he still seems a bit odd."
"Hmm? What kind of odd?"
Qin Changlin shook his head, "I can’t quite put my finger on it; he’s just not quite the same as before."
Since she couldn’t get a clear answer out of him, Gu Youyou decided to check on the situation herself, "Where is he now?"
"He went to the private school early this morning; he’s very diligent with his studies now."
Gu Youyou nodded, her face revealing a look of relief.
The people at Jisheng Hall had all been thoroughly investigated by Yue Rujing, and they were indeed just ordinary folk. In this world full of danger and schemes, there was finally a place where she could fully relax and let down her guard.
During her free time, after chatting with Qin Changlin for a bit, Gu Youyou subtly and timely steered the conversation towards the topic of Zhuzhao Country’s esteem for the Dao over Buddhism.
"Do you know anything about our Zhuzhao Country’s Dao Family?"
Qin Changlin was surprised and said, "Sister Youyou, why are you suddenly asking about this?"
Gu Youyou said, "Just making casual conversation. I heard being a Taoist has better prospects than being a doctor. I wonder if they accept female Taoists."
Qin Changlin was so shocked that his heart skipped a beat. With Sister Youyou’s abilities, why would she consider becoming a Taoist? And a female one at that. Since when was being a doctor less promising than being a Taoist?
He could only offer a weak response, "In every trade, a master emerges. There’s no such thing as one having more prospects than another. If you are a good doctor, you can leave a legacy for ages. And if you can pass down your medical books, that’s a truly great merit! Of course, if a Taoist excels, they can be just as remarkable. Our Zhuzhao Country’s State Preceptor, who stands above ten thousand and second only to the Emperor, is a Taoist."
The State Preceptor, Gu Youyou sneered inwardly but showed nothing on her face before asking, "What kind of person is the State Preceptor?"
Beijing lay far to the north, and Qin Changlin didn’t have a clear picture. He said, "Rumor has it that the State Preceptor is a person with great magical powers, his edicts resonating with the heavens. The Emperor trusts him deeply."
Gu Youyou scoffed internally. Could he have become the State Preceptor without fooling the old Emperor?
It seemed she wouldn’t get the information she wanted from Qin Changlin.
These past few days, the Gu Family had been engulfed in joy as their newly-wed daughter-in-law appeared to be pregnant.
Huang Xiangwen couldn’t stop smiling; she was about to become a grandmother.
"Qianqian, it’s getting cold, and the water from the river is chilly too. Don’t bother with these clothes; let Erya wash them later. It’s inconvenient for you with your condition; you should head back to your room and rest."
Qianqian was Gu Dabao’s previously married daughter-in-law, Lei Qianqian.
"Okay!" Lei Qianqian put down the clothes and responded, then she turned to Gu Xiaoqing, who was coming out of the house across the way, "Younger sister Xiaoqing, I’ll have to trouble you then."
Gu Xiaoqing inwardly cursed her luck; she should have made herself scarce a tad sooner.
This daughter-in-law of the second uncle’s was just like her—always bossing people around while lazy herself.
She said irritably, "Second aunt, if sister-in-law is pregnant and it’s inconvenient for her, that’s one thing, but you’re not; why don’t you do the washing?"
"Hey!" retorted her witty niece, who had become almost as much of a handful as that mischievous girl, "I’ve only heard of elders bossing around their juniors; I’ve never heard of juniors commanding their elders. You’re told to wash a few clothes, and you want to send me to do it instead? Is this how your mother raised you?"