The Prime Minister’s Darling

Chapter 91: 86 Walking the Chicken (First update)_2

Afterwards, Xiao Liulang handed her a copper token, engraved with Zhouji Bank.

“I have deposited our household money in the bank. If you need it, just go get it.”

Xiao Liulang didn’t mention a specific amount and Gu Jiao didn’t ask. She was still immersed in her sudden excitement over the gift of a brush pen.

What Gu Jiao didn’t know was that this wolf hair brush was more expensive than the combined gifts of the others, and couldn’t be bought with mere silver.

However, Gu Jiao’s excitement didn’t last for long as she remembered her main task.

Before leaving, Gu Jiao instructed Fen Lin to make sure Xiao Liulang practiced walking every day, now she wanted to examine the result!

Gu Jiao and Xiao Liulang went to the west room to check his ankle.

The scars from the surgery had faded to the point they were almost invisible. Gu Jiao reached out and squeezed it, “Does it still hurt?”

Xiao Liulang shook his head, “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“Not at all?” Gu Jiao looked up at him.

He nodded, “Yes.”

Gu Jiao squeezed his calf again, it felt good to the touch. It seemed Fen Lin hadn’t been slacking off.

The weakened muscles had largely recovered after nearly four months of rehabilitation. This meant Xiao Liulang technically did not have a weakness in his legs anymore.

His reluctance to let go of his crutch was likely more psychological.

In her previous life, Gu Jiao had seen many such cases, some of them due to the fear of being injured again, they overly protected themselves. Yet cases like these would usually gradually fade and improve with time.

Other cases tended to be much more complex.

The patient had psychological barriers.

If they couldn’t break through these barriers, they would live with their physical trauma, punishing themselves or using it as an excuse to avoid certain responsibilities.

During Gu Jiao’s ponderings, Xiao Liulang had already pulled down his trouser leg and walked out with his crutches.

Gu Jiao gazed at his cold, lonely figure, and couldn’t help but wonder what he had been through?

—

News of Xiao Liulang’s successful scholar examination had quickly spread throughout the surrounding villages, and, as the village’s most influential family, the Gu Family had naturally heard about it.

They could hardly believe Xiao Liulang, who had topped two exams, had finally become an official student.

How did the same scholarly failure who barely made it into Tianxiang Academy end up becoming an official student like Dashun?

Moreover, among official students, Xiao Liulang’s status was obviously more prestigious; otherwise, why did he receive better quality rice than Gu Dashun?

“He was the best in two cases, just one away from being Little Sanyuan,” Gu Changlu remarked enviously at the dinner table.

Was he born not to study?

No.

He just wasn’t able to concentrate on his studies. He had two sons whom he hoped would do better, but the one who wanted to go to school they couldn’t afford, and the one who got free admission, Gu Xiaoshun, was a disappointment.

The Gu Family didn’t know that it was not Xiao Liulang who couldn’t get into Little Sanyuan, but that he had willingly given up the opportunity.

Everyone at the table had a somber look on their face.

The grimmest among them was Gu Dashun.

The thought of Xiao Liulang, whom he had always looked down upon, unexpectedly surpassing him made Gu Dashun feel like he was choking. “With Principal Li tutoring him personally, his improvement is naturally great. For a month before the county exam, I saw Principal Li calling him over to Zhongzheng Hall every day.”

He didn’t believe that Xiao Liulang could rise so much suddenly all by himself. Clearly, Xiao Liulang wasn’t as talented as he was. If Principal Li had tutored him personally, he would have definitely put up a better performance than Xiao Liulang.

Put plainly, he had lost due to lack of resources.

Normally, the Gu Family would have followed up by sourly criticizing Xiao Liulang. But that evening, nobody said a word, which puzzled Gu Dashun.

Lately, he had been sensing that the family’s atmosphere was different from before. Everyone seemed weighed down with worries, except for Gu Xiaoshun.

The Gu Family’s scheme to marry off a daughter to the Marquis Residence had failed, and Gu Jiao’s affairs had been completely exposed.

They didn’t have to put Gu Jiao through any kind of interrogation, just letting Huang Zhong walk around the village was enough to make Gu Jiao’s entire history crystal clear.

This designer lineage from the Marquis Residence couldn’t possibly be treated this way. Wouldn’t this be equivalent to grinding Marquis Gu’s face in the dust?

Marquis Gu’s fury could be imagined.

If it hadn’t been for Gu Jinyu’s relations with the Gu Family’s third branch, Marquis Gu would have long since punished them to death!

But while they escaped the death penalty, other punishments were inescapable.

The old Master Gu’s role as village chief was coming to an end.

This was the most unjust event in old Master Gu’s life. He went to the clan to have a drink, and the village chief’s job was lost when he came back, all thanks to the schemes of his wife and sons.