But his apologetic gaze was indeed very sincere and he did not seem unwilling at all.
Alright, she decided to stay, as she wanted to see what these weird characters were up to.
"Second Uncle is joking, Youyou has never taken it to heart."
Playing the part? Could anyone be better at it than Jin Zijin? Gu Youyou could do it too.
Gu Lao’er laughed and said, "Alright, you take a rest for a while, I’ll call you when it’s ready."
"Okay, thank you, Second Uncle!" Gu Youyou replied with a light smile, very politely.
Gu Lao’er seemed very happy as he hummed a tuneless melody and went back into the house.
Gu Youyou stood in the courtyard for a while, called out to Abao, and together they left the Gu Family’s yard.
She took Abao to the thatched cottage she shared with Jin Zijin. Because no one had been living there, many weeds had grown in the yard and the cottage was somewhat dilapidated.
The last time she was there had been at night, and she had left before it was light, so she hadn’t gotten a clear look at the yard.
There were quite a few weeds in the courtyard, but curiously, the vegetable and herb patches were well-tended, clearly showing someone had been looking after them.
She heard footsteps approaching, turned her head, and saw Wang Shun, carrying a hoe, coming her way.
Shunzi? It seems it was he who had been tending the vegetable and herb garden.
She wondered whether he had done it on his own initiative or if Jin Zijin had asked him to.
She guessed it must have been his own decision. Jin Zijin was not in real need of these things and with Jin Ziyuan no longer at the back hill, he probably did not plan to return to the thatched cottage. So why would he have Shunzi do these things?
"Eh, Sister Youyou, you’re back?"
Shunzi, still carrying his hoe, obviously paused in surprise upon seeing Gu Youyou.
Gu Youyou responded with a smile, "Yes, I came back today to see Grandfather and thought I’d stop by home to check on things."
Shunzi knew that Gu Youyou was now one of the owners of Jisheng Hall. The news had spread throughout the village even before the Huang Family’s elder had passed away.
He had thought that since Gu Youyou had gained favor with Doctor Zhou and moved up in the world, she would spend her life working as a doctor in Jisheng Hall in town and would never return to the thatched cottage. Yet, here she was back again.
What about Jin Big Brother, then? Would he ever come back to hunt?
With this thought in mind, Shunzi asked with a smile, "I thought you two wouldn’t come back. What about Jin Big Brother? Will he come back for hunting?"
Gu Youyou replied with a smile, "I’m not sure about that. He’s doing some craftwork now, but he might still go hunting from time to time."
"Oh!" Shunzi nodded with an understanding grin, "I knew you would come back, so I kept the garden tidy for you, so you’d have vegetables when you return."
This truly honest child. Gu Youyou shook her head with a smile and said, "Come with me."
She walked ahead with Abao following behind her.
Abao had grown so big and looked like a wolf, which made Shunzi a bit uneasy, but he still followed along.
Gu Youyou led him to the vegetable plot and said, "When these vegetables are ready, you take them home and eat them. We don’t know when we’ll be able to come back again, and it’s a waste if no one eats them. If too many grow, they won’t grow well."
It seemed that was just the nature of vegetables. Shunzi grinned and nodded his head.
Gu Youyou continued, "There are also medicinal herbs here. Once they’ve matured, you take them to Jisheng Hall. Doctor Qin, who handles the medicines, will pay you for your labor."
Shunzi’s face changed and he hastily shook his head, "No, no, how could I take payment for my labor? These herbs are originally Sister Youyou’s. Once they are ready, I’ll just harvest and deliver them to Jisheng Hall."
This sincere honesty. Gu Youyou said helplessly, "I heard you’re going to marry our Erya?"