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Old Lady: “Hmm, a visit is indeed due.”

Xiao Liulang went back to his room, brooding and bundling himself in his quilt.

Gu Jiao was surprised, looking at him: “You are…still sleeping with me tonight?”

Xiao Liulang felt a surge of embarrassment: “… I went to the wrong room.”

Gu Jiao quirked an eyebrow, her hands nonchalantly crossed over her chest: “You’ve never gone into the wrong room in half a year of living in the west chamber, but three days in my room and you’re lost.”

Xiao Liulang’s earlobes turned red, he muttered defiantly: “I already said, I went to the wrong room!”

Gu Jiao casually: “Uh-huh.”

Xiao Liulang: “…”

—

Gu Jiao was a woman of actions, she prepared the New Year’s gifts for bribing the teacher that very night.

The next day, when Gu Xiaoshun came over for breakfast and heard that his sister was going to take him to visit the dean near the hot spring villa, he was beyond excited.

I’ve lived this long and have never been that far from home!

I’ve lived this long but never have my sister taken me out!

The truth was…if Gu Jiao didn’t bring him, Xiao Liulang would never have allowed a single young woman to travel that far alone.

Taking an ox cart just wouldn’t work. It’s too slow. Who knows if they’ll still be on the road when darkness falls. Unfortunately, all the cart shops in town were closed, renting a horse-drawn carriage was impossible.

After much consideration, Gu Jiao, with her brother, showed up at Huichun Hall.

Facing the sudden appearance of Gu Jiao, the shop owner was somewhat bewildered: “What can I do for Miss Gu?”

Gu Jiao unflinchingly said: “I’ve thought it through. The hot spring villa isn’t far, we’ll reach there in one hour by carriage. Let’s set out promptly! You have a carriage, don’t you!”

Just yesterday, she was self-assured in not making house calls. Why did she change her mind overnight?

The shop owner stared incredulously at the bundle in her hands, and at Gu Xiaoshun standing at the door with a large bundle: “You brought another person and so much stuff with you? Is it all for treating the illness?”

Gu Jiao shook her head with a smile: “These are New Year gifts for the dean. I forgot to mention, the dean of my husband’s academy lives near the hot spring villa. After we examine the patient, I can pay him a visit!”

The shop owner nearly spurted out his tea. I think your main intention is to visit the dean and treating the patient is an afterthought. Spinning a free carriage ride as such a noble cause, aren’t you ashamed?

Ultimately, the shop owner gave in.

The shop owner, Gu Jiao, Gu Xiaoshun, along with the old doctor all got on the carriage.

The ride was quite fast, in less than an hour they reached the mansion near the hot springs villa. A tall plaque at the entrance read ‘Leng Residence’.

This should be the dean’s alternate residence.

As the story goes, the dean used to hold an official post in the Capital City. It was only after his mother fell seriously ill, that he resigned and left the city, purchasing a property here for his mother to spend the rest of her years.

Gu Jiao brought Gu Xiaoshun off the carriage and knocked on the sealed gate of the courtyard.

Shortly, a servant opened the door for them. Upon seeing these two shabbily dressed country folks, he didn’t show any disdain but politely asked: “May I ask who you are…”

Gu Jiao responded: “My husband and my brother are students at Tianxiang Academy. We’ve come especially to visit the dean.”

“Oh.” The servant appeared shocked.

“What’s happening?” An elderly voice came from within the mansion.

The servant quickly responded: “It’s the master’s students, madam!”

The old woman spoke in a bit of a dazed voice: “Well then, invite them in quickly. It’s freezing outside, let them come in and have some hot tea.”

Gu Jiao didn’t know the dean personally, but the attitudes of his family and the servants were quite comforting.

The servant opened the gate and said: “Please come in with me. The master has gone out fishing and might be back soon, or he could be out until nightfall. The lady who was talking just now is my master’s mother.”

The servant led them to meet the old Madame Leng but when they arrived at her bedside, she was already sleeping soundly.

Madame Leng was already in her twilight years, much like a baby, waking and sleeping unpredictably throughout the day.

“You two can sit in the tea room for a while, I’ll bring you some tea.” The servant took Gu Jiao and Gu Xiaoshun to the tea room. With attentive hospitality, he served tea and lit the brazier, treating them with utmost respect regardless of their humble status.

After sitting for a while, Gu Jiao estimated that the dean wouldn’t be back so soon and Madame Leng wouldn’t wake up that quickly, so she told the servant that she would go find the dean herself.

The fishing spot wasn’t too far, the servant gave her directions.

“I want to go too.” Gu Xiaoshun said.

Gu Jiao coaxed him: “If Madame Leng wakes up and finds that both of us are not here, she might think we were disrespectful.”

“Oh.” Gu Xiaoshun obediently stayed back.

Once outside the mansion, Gu Jiao got back into the shop owner’s carriage.

“I thought you would be a while.” The shop owner said.

“The dean isn’t in.” Gu Jiao asked, “Where is the patient you told me about?”

“Ah, over there.” The shop owner gestured towards a small path leading straight to the Green Mountain. At the foot of the mountain was a beautifully landscaped mansion amidst various other dwellings. It was the famous Marquis Residence’s hot spring villa.

The shop owner didn’t introduce much about the patient, only mentioned he was the young son of a certain marquis from the Capital City. He had been born prematurely and had been feeble since birth. They searched for renowned doctors for years, but his condition didn’t improve.

“That young lord is about your age. Rumors say he won’t live to see fifteen,” the shop owner said regretfully.

“Does that mean he only has a year left?” Gu Jiao was fourteen this year.

“Yes, but he might not even make it to June.”

“Is his condition really that serious?”

The shop owner sighed and nodded: “Yes, poor marchioness, she only has this one son.”

Although the young master had an elder twin sister, it didn’t compensate for the pain of losing a son.

The shop owner didn’t tell Gu Jiao much more that was unrelated to the condition.

As they talked, the carriage arrived at the entrance to the Hot Springs Villa.

A huge archway stood with the words ‘Hot Springs Villa’ written in golden letters, and a smaller column of cursive script on the right read ‘Marquis Residence’.

Everyone alighted from the carriage.

Gu Jiao stood under the grand archway, feeling as insignificant as a rabbit.

Even this, just a villa of the marquis, was grandly magnificent. The shop owner had passed by the villa many times, but this was his first time actually coming in. Honestly, the sheer grandiosity of the entrance stunned him. Of course, he didn’t know that Gu Jiao was blankly staring at the arch not because she was awestruck, but was simply wondering if the gold on it was real.