Wang Lihua's attitude today was completely different from yesterday, and the reason was naturally the spotless courtyard—even she couldn't have cleaned it as thoroughly as it had been cleaned.
"Alright, thank you, sister-in-law. I'll go wash up first." She could only do a quick rinse, since she didn't even have a change of clothes to her name.
Gu Nuan walked to the well in the faint morning light, drew some water, and washed her face. Only then did she let out a sigh of relief. She'd actually managed to fall asleep last night with a face full of mud!
No sooner had she exhaled than she turned around and was startled by Langtou standing right behind her. "Oh! Langtou, you scared me. Did you need something from me?"
"You look different from yesterday?" Langtou stared intently at her face.
Gu Nuan coughed awkwardly and said, "Well, the world out there is dangerous, so I had no choice but to disguise myself a little."
Langtou tilted his head and asked, "What is 'the world'?"
"The world is…" Gu Nuan was just about to explain it properly to Langtou when Wang Lihua interrupted her.
"Nuan Nuan, come quick, the baby's done his business."
Oh! He'd finally gone!
Gu Nuan hurried over and took the child. "Ah, he really did go! It stinks!"
Wang Lihua gave her a light pat and laughed. "What stinks? You wipe the child first, and I'll go find the cloth diapers Langtou used when he was little."
"Alright, thank you, Sister Lihua." After expressing her thanks, Gu Nuan took out the only handkerchief she had and wiped Gu Yao's bottom.
Just as she finished wrapping the baby in his swaddling cloth, Langtou walked in. "You still haven't told me what 'the world' is."
"Langtou, that's rude. You should call her auntie." Wang Lihua walked in holding the diapers.
Gu Nuan shook her head with a smile. "It's fine. I just got here, so he's not familiar with me yet. Once we get to know each other, he'll naturally start calling me that. Right, Langtou?"
Langtou only glanced at her without saying a word.
Gu Nuan took the diaper from Wang Lihua's hands and asked, "Sister Lihua, is Langtou's name really just Langtou?"
Wang Lihua shook her head and smiled. "No, that's just his nickname. He hasn't been given a formal name yet."
Gu Nuan reopened the baby's swaddling and was surprised by this. "Langtou looks like he's already ten or so. Why hasn't he been given a formal name yet?"
She knew that children in the countryside were usually given plain names—either Dazhuang or Daniu—and she'd assumed Langtou was his formal name. She never expected that he simply hadn't been given one yet.
"Langtou is nine and a half now. He should have gotten his name at six, but unfortunately, the Old Ancestor from the mountain came down three years ago and hasn't returned, so it got delayed."
"Quite a few children in the village don't have formal names yet. They're all waiting for the Old Ancestor to come back before naming them." Wang Lihua didn't seem bothered at all, and there was even anticipation in her eyes.
"Then the children haven't started school?" Weren't children in ancient times supposed to begin their education at five or six?
"The village children have always been taught by the Old Ancestor's Apostles. When the Old Ancestor came down from the mountain, the Apostles naturally went along too."
Old Ancestor? And Apostles? What kind of Apostles? Servants or disciples?
Gu Nuan felt like her head was full of question marks.
"Sister Lihua, you call him Old Ancestor—does that mean he's very old?"
Seeing that Gu Nuan was fumbling with the diaper change, Wang Lihua took over. "It's not just me who calls him Old Ancestor—everyone in our Peach Blossom Village calls him Old Ancestor!"
"What! Even your clan elders call him Old Ancestor?"
"That's right." Wang Lihua finished wrapping the diaper around Gu Yao and held him up, looking at him more and more fondly.
"This child is truly exquisite!"
"Of course! Your younger sister is already so beautiful—how could her child be anything but lovely?" Gu Nuan raised an eyebrow and laughed without the slightest modesty.
Wang Lihua smiled and tapped her on the head with a finger. "You really have no shame."
The two were chatting and laughing when they saw Chen Xiaoya walk in. They quickly rose to their feet.
"Nuan Nuan, this is my mother-in-law. Just call her Auntie."
Gu Nuan hurriedly bowed. "Greetings, Auntie. I'm sorry to disturb you. I arrived late yesterday and failed to pay my respects—it was truly rude of me. I hope you won't take offense."
Chen Xiaoya waved her hand. "It's nothing. The children's father has gone to the clan. He sent word back just now, saying he wants you to come over. Let Langtou take you there."
"Alright, thank you. I'll head over right away." Gu Nuan took the child from Wang Lihua's arms and looked at Langtou with a smile. "Then I'll have to trouble Langtou to escort Auntie Nuan there."
Langtou nodded and walked toward the door.
Gu Nuan bowed to Chen Xiaoya once more, then hurried after him.
Chen Xiaoya watched Gu Nuan's figure disappear around the corner and murmured to herself, "She's quite polite. I hope she's a good one."
Langtou didn't look big, but he walked remarkably fast.
Along the way, they encountered several people heading out to the fields early in the morning and drew quite a few curious looks.
"Langtou, slow down—Auntie Nuan can hardly keep up."
Langtou stopped and pointed to a blue-tiled house ahead. "We're almost there."
With that, he ran over and knocked on the door.
Seeing this, Gu Nuan had no choice but to run after him.
Just as she reached the doorway, the door opened from the inside, and a woman of about forty emerged.
"Langtou, you're here. Are you looking for Grandfather?"
Langtou shook his head. "Good morning, Auntie. I'm here to bring her over."
The woman looked up at Gu Nuan and smiled. "You must be Gu Nuan. Come in quickly—they're waiting for you."
Gu Nuan bowed and followed her inside.
The woman led her to the entrance of the main hall and said, "You go in. I'll go prepare breakfast for the old master."
"Thank you for your trouble, Auntie." After the woman left, Gu Nuan stepped into the main hall.
She saw the village chief sitting at the lowest seat on the left, a white-haired old man seated at the highest position on the left, and an elder slightly older than the village chief seated at the lowest position on the right.
In total, five elders sat in the main hall—a testament to how long-lived and prosperous the Tao clan of Peach Blossom Village was.
Gu Nuan held the child and bowed. "Gu Nuan pays her respects to the clan elders. I am deeply sorry for disturbing you all."
The elder seated at the highest position on the left spoke. "Gu Nuan, are you truly determined to settle down in Peach Blossom Village?"
"If possible, I would certainly be willing. That is why I've come to ask the elders for their consideration." Gu Nuan lowered her head.
The clan elder stroked his white beard and thought for a moment. "You must already know that our Peach Blossom Village has an Ancestor. The Ancestor has not yet returned, so we cannot make the decision on our own."
"If you have decided to settle in Peach Blossom Village, then for now, stay in the thatched hut at the foot of the eastern mountain. Once the Ancestor returns, we will decide whether you may officially settle in the village."
"Gu Nuan is most grateful for the elders' help." Gu Nuan certainly had no objections—having a place to stay was better than anything.
The clan elder waved his hand. "Then go back and settle in for now. We still have matters to discuss."
"Gu Nuan takes her leave." She bowed and withdrew.
Watching the sun slowly rise between the mountain crevices, a faint glimmer of tears appeared at the corners of Gu Nuan's eyes.
When Gu Nuan returned to the village chief's house, Wang Lihua and Langtou had already gone to the fields, leaving only Chen Xiaoya at home.
Gu Nuan stepped forward, bowed, and said with a smile, "Auntie, the clan elder has agreed to let me stay temporarily in Taohua Village and told me to lodge first in the thatched hut at the foot of East Mountain."
"That hut? It's quite nice, but it's been abandoned for a long time and needs some repairs."
Gu Nuan shook her head with a smile and said, "It's fine. Having a place to stay is already a blessing. Auntie, could I ask you to help watch the child while I go over and tidy up first?"
Chen Xiaoya glanced at the child and naturally had no reason to refuse. "Of course. I'll watch the child—you go ahead and tidy up."