novelraw Chapter 258 How about becoming sworn brothers?
Chapter 258 How about becoming sworn brothers?
Chapter 258 How about becoming sworn brothers?
Because she was thinking about Ah Gou, Gu Tang, unusually, didn't stay in bed the next day. Around 3:45 AM, she gritted her teeth and got up.
This time is indeed early for Gu Tang, but for the rest of the Gu family, they would have been up long ago.
Gu Ping'an, in particular, who was learning to read from his third uncle, had to get up before 7 a.m. every day, wash up, review the words he had learned the day before, and then he could cook breakfast.
After Gu Tang finished getting ready, she opened the door.
It was still snowing outside, but the snowfall wasn't heavy, with only a few snowflakes drifting down. The wind, however, was blowing fiercely, howling like some kind of wild beast.
To prevent the door from being blown open by the wind, she took a small lock and locked the door, then carefully made her way to the front yard along the veranda.
The outer section of the covered walkway was covered with a lot of snow, all blown in by the wind. Gu Ping'an had swept it up yesterday, but overnight, a lot more had accumulated.
Upon arriving at the front yard, Gu Ping'an was seen sweeping the snow under the veranda with a broom. Gu Tang watched for a while, but seeing that he didn't look up in her direction, she remained silent and walked towards the main hall along the now-cleaned veranda.
As Gu Tang lifted the curtain at the door, a rich aroma of meat broth wafted towards her. She took a sniff, and her stomach rumbled.
She didn't bother to look closely at who was inside, but happily walked in, saying, "What did you have for breakfast? It smells so good..."
Before he could finish speaking, looking at the people sitting at the table, the rest of his words got stuck in his throat.
At the round dining table inside the house, only Ah Gou was sitting. He was holding a rice bowl in both hands, which contained the leftover mutton soup from yesterday. The bowl was half full, with both soup and meat.
As Gu Tang was speaking, he was holding a rice bowl and drinking soup. Upon hearing Gu Tang's words, he quickly put down the rice bowl and asked her happily if she wanted to drink soup and eat meat.
"The mutton soup from yesterday has been simmered for a while longer today, and the flavor is even richer and more fragrant. Would you like a bowl?"
Gu Tang looked disgusted: "Why don't you use a bowl? If you're eating while holding the rice bowl, how are other people supposed to eat?"
Before Ah Gou could reply, the curtain behind her was lifted, and a strong gust of cold wind blew in. Gu Tang shivered and immediately turned around to see that it was her father.
"Oh! My daughter's up?" Gu Lianshan looked surprised, holding a large bowl of sesame oil egg custard in his hand, the aroma of which was very enticing.
"Why are you eating breakfast so early today?" Gu Tang looked at the bowl in her father's hand and thought it was time to eat.
This large bowl of steamed egg custard was enough for their whole family to share.
But why are you using such a big bowl today when you usually steam them in a small bowl?
"Our breakfast isn't ready yet, this is for Young Master Gu first." As he spoke, Gu Lianshan walked past Gu Tang and placed the large bowl in front of Ah Gou.
"Eat it while it's hot! It's just steamed, and I've drizzled it with lots of sesame oil. Smell it, it smells amazing!"
Ah Gou actually took a few sniffs and exclaimed, "Hmm, it really smells amazing!"
Gu Lianshan laughed and urged him to eat quickly.
Ah Gou didn't move, but looked at Gu Tang and said, "I haven't touched this steamed egg custard yet, you eat it first."
Gu Tang glared at him. What? Was he trying to sow discord between her and her father?
Sure enough, Gu Lianshan immediately misunderstood after hearing this.
He said, "The kitchen has saved some for her, you just eat yours."
After saying this, he gave Gu Tang a light glare: "This child, why are you arguing with the guests? Your grandpa is in the kitchen. If you want to eat something, ask your grandpa to cook it for you."
Gu Tang: ...So annoying! That's not what she meant at all!
Ah Gou: ...Oh no! He seems to have said the wrong thing again!
Gu Tang stopped looking at him, lest her father think she was eyeing someone else's food!
He turned around, lifted the curtain, and left with heavy footsteps.
Hearing the heavy footsteps, Ah Gou subconsciously swallowed, his heart pounding with anxiety.
If I hadn't remembered that I couldn't let things slip, I probably would have chased after them and tried to appease them long ago.
After leaving the main room, Gu Tang did not go to the kitchen, but instead found Gu Ping'an sweeping snow under the east wing corridor and asked him what was going on in the main room.
Gu Ping'an actually knew about this. "That young master Gu was drunk and slept for a whole day and night yesterday. When Father was about to get up this morning, he woke up too, saying he was hungry and asked Father for food."
Dad gave him all five packets of pastries from my room, but after he finished eating them, he said he wasn't full! So Dad and Grandpa had to go to the kitchen to cook for him.
I went to check on him earlier, and Grandpa had reheated the leftover mutton soup from yesterday and steamed a huge bowl of egg custard! I watched him crack ten eggs into that huge bowl! He can eat so much!
Gu Tang: ...Five packets of pastries, a pot of mutton soup, and a huge bowl of steamed eggs, good heavens! Is this guy a glutton?
The pastries in Gu Ping'an's house were bought by her own hands, one pound per bag. They were all high in oil and sugar, which she didn't like, but Gu Ping'an and her father did. She bought a lot and kept them at home.
Firstly, it's to give Gu Ping'an, who is still growing, an extra meal at noon. Secondly, it's to keep it to give as a gift when visiting relatives during the Spring Festival, or to serve guests when they come to the house.
These five packs of pastries weigh five jin (2.5 kg)!
Is this person's stomach a bottomless pit?
Gu Pingan added, "I wonder if this mutton soup and steamed egg custard will fill his stomach."
“It will definitely fill us up!” Gu Tang said without thinking.
How much food did they eat? If they're still not full, how can that be right?!
"What are you two doing standing outside? Aren't you cold?"
Gu Lianshan's voice came from the main room. The siblings turned around and saw their father standing under the eaves of the main room, his hands tucked into his sleeves, looking in their direction.
"I haven't finished shoveling the snow yet!" Gu Ping'an replied, holding up his broom, wanting to continue shoveling.
Gu Lianshan waved to him, "Don't sweep yet, go to the kitchen to get your food. Your grandpa has cooked the meal, eat first, then you can sweep."
"Sigh!" Gu Ping'an responded, put the broom in the corner, tugged at Gu Tang's sleeve, and told her to go to the main room to wait while he went to get the food.
Upon arriving at the corridor, Gu Lianshan let her go inside first. "I heard from your grandfather that the fried fish you had yesterday was quite to your liking. I asked Young Master Gu how he made it, and I made some fried fish for you and it's sitting in the kitchen."
"Then I must try it properly." Gu Tang finally gave a smile, then lifted the curtain and went into the room.
Inside the house, Ah Gou was gnawing on meat, and the steamed egg custard that had been brought in earlier had already been eaten clean!
Gu Tang was speechless.
She glanced at the empty large bowl, then at the few pieces of mutton left with no broth, and asked him in a slightly trembling voice, "Are you full?"
Ah Gou shook his head: "Almost there." He then held up his finger to indicate, "Just a tiny bit short!"
Gu Tang felt like she was choking on her own blood. "I heard from Ping An that you ate five bags of pastries earlier! Brother! Those five bags of pastries weigh five pounds! And you're still not full?!"
"I have a big appetite..." Ah Gou smiled ingratiatingly at her, without stopping his munching on meat.
Having a large appetite is not a fault; it's human nature. Everyone's appetite is different, and there's nothing that can be done about it. "I'm not blaming you, it's just... it's just that your appetite is a bit alarming."
She had never eaten with Ah Gou before, and was truly shocked to find out how much he could eat.
"I'll be full soon!" Ah Gou said confidently.
Gu Tang believed this and thought that he should be full after finishing the rest of the mutton.
Unfortunately, they were immediately proven wrong.
Before long, Third Uncle led Gu Lianshan and his son Gu Ping'an into the house with food, placed the food on the table, and warmly greeted Agou.
"Young Master Gu, please don't be shy. If you're still hungry, just keep eating. I made extra!"
This breakfast was indeed much larger than usual.
The rice bowl for serving porridge was replaced with a larger one, the number of fried egg pancakes doubled, there were three fried fish, and two plates of stir-fried pickled vegetables and meat, to be eaten with the pancakes and porridge.
Ah Gou's eyes were fixed on the food. When he heard his third uncle tell him not to be polite and to just start eating, he subconsciously glanced at Gu Tang.
This glance made Gu Tang instantly realize that what he said earlier was just to fool her; the person really hadn't eaten enough!
"Eat up, there's definitely more food than we can finish."
She pushed the egg pancake and stir-fried pork with pickled vegetables that were closest to Ah Gou toward him, indicating that he should just take them.
Having received Gu Tang's permission, Ah Gou was overjoyed and unceremoniously picked up the pancake and stuffed it into his mouth.
This was the first time the Gu family had ever seen someone who could eat so much, and everyone's face was filled with amazement.
Gu Lianshan's imagination ran wild: "Young Master Gu has a good appetite! If I were like you, I could definitely get my money's worth when I go out to eat at banquets!"
Ah Gou knew what a banquet was, and he also knew that he had to give money to the host before the banquet.
Furthermore, the amount of the gift money will vary depending on factors such as family background and social status.
Farmers don't usually give much in gifts, but wealthy families give a lot! It's like you're losing money every time you go!
But he's different; if he goes, he'll definitely make his money back!
"That's what I think too! If there's an opportunity to attend a banquet, I'll definitely go in person!"
“That’s right! You must go in person!” Gu Lianshan agreed wholeheartedly and told Agou about his family’s past banquets, sharing some of his limited experience.
Upon hearing this, Gu Tang and his third uncle immediately turned their faces dark and turned their heads away, not wanting to look at the two of them.
Gu Ping'an didn't understand any of this. He listened to his father and Ah Gou's conversation and found it very strange. He stared wide-eyed and listened to every word.
Gu Lianshan and Agou got along better and better as they chatted. One of them was a tough nut to crack and had no sense of propriety, while the other retained the habits of a ghost god from the underworld and had no moral bottom line when it came to people and things in the world.
On some points of view, the two are surprisingly in sync.
After eating ten pancakes, a bowl of plain porridge, and half a bowl of stir-fried pickled vegetables with meat, Ah Gou finally said he was full.
Gu Lianshan gave him a thumbs up, praising his good appetite!
Ah Gou smiled innocently and, taking advantage of Gu Lianshan's good mood, brought up a matter: "I am all alone here now, and none of my relatives and friends know that I have settled in Bei'an City."
I thought I would have to live alone from now on, but I never expected to meet your family, Mr. Gu. Miss Gu even saved my life. I will remember this for the rest of my life!
I thought, since we're so destined to meet, why don't we treat each other like relatives from now on? That way, I, a stranger from out of town, will have someone to rely on.
Gu Lianshan was so engrossed in his work that he didn't even ask his third uncle or Gu Tang before agreeing to the matter.
"You are a young master from a wealthy family! I am honored that you think so highly of me. If you don't mind, please feel free to come and talk to me in the future!"
Upon hearing this, Third Uncle's eyes widened immediately. No, this was different from what they had discussed earlier!
Didn't we agree that this would only be a one-time visit? How come everything has changed after just a few words?
Third Uncle wanted to stop it, but before he knew it, Ah Gou immediately seized the opportunity, stood up and bowed to him and Gu Lianshan with a junior's salute.
"From now on, Mr. Gu, you are my uncle! Grandpa, you are my grandfather!"
what?
Third Uncle was stunned on the spot.
No, they've only said a few words?
He suddenly gained a "grandson" for no reason?
Gu Lianshan had no objection to recognizing relatives, but why was he called "uncle"?
"We're not that far apart in age. You call me 'brother,' and we'll become sworn brothers, how about it?"
"puff--"
Gu Tang immediately spat out the mouthful of porridge in her mouth, which landed right on Gu Ping'an's face opposite her!
Gu Pingan:……!!!
"Cough cough cough! No, I'm sorry!" Gu Tang coughed a few times and hurriedly took out a handkerchief from her sleeve to wipe Gu Ping'an's face.
Gu Tang's sudden action drew everyone's attention.
"What's wrong? Why did you throw up?" Gu Lianshan asked, puzzled.
Ah Gou, who was standing next to him, also looked worried and hurriedly asked, "Is the porridge cold? Does it make your stomach uncomfortable?"
Gu Tang handed the handkerchief to Gu Ping'an, telling him to wipe himself, then took a deep breath and looked at her father with extreme seriousness.
"You two can acknowledge your kinship, but you can't give me an extra uncle!"
Before she had even finished her meal, she suddenly had an uncle!
Is this even possible?!
Before Gu Lianshan could speak, Agou immediately leaned towards Gu Tang, looking at Gu Lianshan with the same serious expression.
He said, “I used to have an uncle who was very good to me, but unfortunately he was murdered. You don’t know, but when I see you, it’s like seeing my uncle. Your temperament is just like my uncle’s!”
So, Uncle Gu, please, for the sake of my deceased uncle, recognize me as your nephew! From now on, I will treat you with the same filial piety as my own father!
Gu Tang: ...
Third Uncle: ...
Gu Pingan: ...
The three generations of the family got goosebumps!
Gu Lianshan was touched: "Do I have a temperament like your uncle's?"
“That’s right! My uncle studied the Four Books and Five Classics diligently from a young age and passed the imperial examination at a young age! He has the same temperament as you and treats me very well! I feel like I’m seeing him whenever I see you.”
To be able to be compared to a scholar who passed the imperial examination and became a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the lowest level of the imperial examinations), even if that person is dead, is still an overwhelming honor for Gu Lianshan!
"Alright! Then I'll shamelessly accept you as my nephew!" Gu Lianshan waved his hand and agreed.
Ah Gou promptly knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Uncle, please accept my bow!"
"Good nephew! Get up quickly!" Gu Lianshan laughed and pulled him up, then turned to ask Gu Tang for wine: "Now that I have a nephew and you have a cousin, this is a great thing! Bring the wine! Let your cousin and I have a good drink!"