20 – You’re troublesome, he likes you a lot
Gu Pingting woke up in the mid-afternoon. With nothing to do, she took out the storybook she had bought the day before yesterday. The book was about immortal tales, and she lay on the bed, reading with great interest.
Suddenly, a childish voice called from outside the courtyard, “Eldest grandson’s wife, are you home?”
Gu Pingting: “…”
Gu Pingting put on her shoes and went out. As soon as she opened the courtyard gate, she saw Li Mao, that little brat, standing at the entrance holding a large bouquet of flowers. He said seriously, “Here, these flowers are for you.”
Gu Pingting was a bit surprised. She crouched down and asked him, “Why are you giving me flowers for no reason?”
“Feng Shan made me a slingshot. In return, he asked me to bring you flowers these few days. He said you need petals in the water for washing your face and bathing.” Li Mao looked at Gu Pingting, sniffled, and added, “You’re so troublesome!”
Gu Pingting happily accepted the flowers. The flowers picked by children were all nameless wildflowers—big ones, small ones, pink, purple—not particularly beautiful, but very fragrant.
After handing over the flowers, Li Mao ran off to play. Gu Pingting turned around, latched the courtyard gate, went back inside, and placed the flowers in water to keep them fresh.
Gu Pingting lay on the bed again to read her storybook, the faint fragrance of flowers lingering in the room.
She propped her chin with her hands, her little feet raised and gently swaying.
That fool Feng Shan, though he had been rough and hurt her in the morning. But since he remembered to send flowers, she would forgive him for what happened earlier.
Gu Pingting was in a good mood. Before it got dark, the little girl Zhang Rou came to keep her company.
Zhang Rou brought her dinner, and Gu Pingting learned that Zhang Rou was the third daughter of Aunt Zhang’s family—they were all one family.
The little girl lay on the bed and laughed, “My mother told me your bedding must be comfortable to sleep on. I didn’t believe it, but it really is so cozy.”
As it grew dark, Gu Pingting saw she had settled in and said, “Get up and light the lamp. It’s too early to sleep; I can’t fall asleep.”
The little girl got up to light the lamp, and Gu Pingting instructed further, “Light the incense too. There are mosquitoes at night.”
The little girl lit it as well and sniffed the incense. “It smells so nice, no wonder you always smell so fragrant.”
After taking care of everything, the little girl lay back down on the bed. She tried to chat with Gu Pingting, but seeing that Gu Pingting was absorbed in her book and barely responding, she found it boring and turned over to sleep.
Zhang Rou was drifting off to sleep when she heard Gu Pingting call her to pour tea.
Zhang Rou mumbled, “The water is on the table. Pour it yourself. I’m going to sleep.”
Gu Pingting frowned at her. This little girl was so lazy, even refusing to pour tea. Well, no point getting angry with her.
So Gu Pingting got out of bed herself, poured the tea, drank it, and returned to bed to continue reading her storybook.
The storybook was captivating. Gu Pingting read it in one go, and by the time she finished, it was already late at night. She prepared to wash up and sleep, so she nudged the little girl and said, “Get up and fetch water for me to wash.”
Zhang Rou refused, but Gu Pingting kept pushing her. Reluctantly, Zhang Rou got out of bed and said, “Can’t you fetch the water yourself? I was sleeping so soundly.”
Gu Pingting pursed her lips. She wouldn’t go—it was too dark outside, and she was scared.
Besides, she was a princess. When had she ever fetched water herself?
Gu Pingting urged her again, and Zhang Rou, drowsy and half-asleep, went out to fetch the water.
As soon as Gu Pingting touched it, she found the water was cold and immediately frowned. “Go boil some hot water. How can I wash with cold water?”
Zhang Rou, still heavy with sleep, grumbled unhappily, “Sister, just make do. It’s hot outside; the water temperature doesn’t matter.”
Zhang Rou said this and climbed onto the bed to sleep. The bedding was soft and comfortable, and she fell asleep as soon as she lay down.
Gu Pingting was inwardly annoyed. This cute little girl was nowhere near as considerate and attentive in her service as that rough man Feng Shan!
Cold water had been sprinkled with flower petals. Gu Pingting reluctantly wiped her body before extinguishing the lamp and going to bed.
Gu Pingting had slept late into the night, so she woke up late the next day. When she woke up to wash and groom herself, she discovered there was no water in the washbasin.
Gu Pingting was quite displeased. Feng Shan always fetched water for her in advance. What was wrong with this Zhang Rou? How could she be so careless?
If this were in the palace, she would have been caned long ago.
Gu Pingting had no choice but to fetch water from the water jar herself to wash her face.
That night, Zhang Rou was sleeping soundly when Gu Pingting woke her up again to fetch water for washing. Zhang Rou sat up and complained, “You really know how to order people around, always wanting someone to fetch water in the middle of the night. I’m not your maid! Can’t you fetch water yourself?”
Gu Pingting felt displeased and snapped sharply, “How dare you! Who allowed you to speak to this princess like that?”
Zhang Rou had only been complaining, but upon hearing Gu Pingting’s words, she immediately grew somewhat angry. Rubbing her eyes, she said, “Do you really think you’re a princess? You have to have people serve you? Why should I? I’m not your maid!”
Gu Pingting’s expression turned cold and stern. After a long silence, she said, “Feng Shan serves me like this. Why are you the only one making excuses?”
“Feng Shan is your man, of course he dotes on you! Why should I serve you?” Zhang Rou grew angrier as she spoke. Over the past two days, while she had been keeping watch for Gu Pingting at night, Gu Pingting had treated her like a maid, acting high and mighty without even a word of thanks.
“If I hadn’t already promised Brother Feng Shan to stay with you at night, I wouldn’t be serving you! You’re so precious and picky! Let me tell you, you have no right to order me around.” Zhang Rou grew angrier as she spoke and simply turned her back to lie down, saying, “Fetch water yourself. I’m going to sleep.”
No one had ever defied Gu Pingting like this before. In the past, everyone in the palace treated her with utmost respect. Even after falling into these circumstances, Feng Shan had always been obedient to her.
Gu Pingting felt angry inside and wanted to call Zhang Rou to get up again, but she swallowed the words before they left her mouth.
Yes, she had no right to order Zhang Rou around.
Here, no one considered her a princess.
So, here, she was not a princess…
Gu Pingting suddenly realized, as if waking from a dream, that when she left her Royal Father, left her Royal Mother, left her Crown Prince brother, and shed the halo of a noble princess, she was just Gu Pingting.
Just an ordinary and insignificant person.
She had no more privileges than anyone else, nor was she any more precious than anyone.
No one should indulge her, dote on her, or serve her unconditionally.
Gu Pingting sat there thinking for a long, long time, feeling lost and sad, her eyes moist. Her thoughts wandered until the sky turned pale with dawn, and she unknowingly fell asleep…
Gu Pingting didn’t know how long she had slept when she vaguely heard someone calling her. It seemed to be a man’s voice, and Gu Pingting woke up.
Outside, the sun was almost overhead—it was already late morning.
“Is Sister-in-law Feng at home? Open the door for me. I’ve come to bring you water.”
Gu Pingting responded from inside the room, “Alright, wait a moment.”
Gu Pingting got out of bed, tidied her hair and dress slightly, and then went to open the small courtyard gate. She saw a young man standing smiling at the gate, with two buckets of water placed at his feet, sweating profusely from the heat.
Gu Pingting didn’t recognize him and simply stared at him with wide eyes.
The young man had been fanning himself with the hem of his jacket, but when Gu Pingting emerged, he froze in place. Good heavens! This woman was absolutely stunning!
Seeing him remain silent, Gu Pingting asked, “Who are you?”
Only then did the young man snap back to reality, smiling as he replied, “Oh, I’m Li Wen. Brother Feng Shan asked me to bring you mountain spring water. He said you don’t drink well water, and if he hadn’t returned in three days, I was to bring you water.”
Gu Pingting twisted her handkerchief in her hands and nodded. “Come in.”
Li Wen carried the bucket into the kitchen. When he reached the well, he drew a bucket of water to wash his face, rinsing away the sweat. As he did so, he asked, “Sister-in-law, did something happen last night? Why did the light in your room stay on all night?”
Gu Pingting stood in the cool shade of the corridor, studying Li Wen carefully. “How did you know my light was on all night?”
Li Wen hurriedly explained, “Don’t misunderstand, sister-in-law. Brother Feng Shan asked me to check outside the courtyard every night. He said he wasn’t at ease leaving a woman alone at home, so he told me to come by several times each evening.”
Gu Pingting bit her lip. Feng Shan had thought of everything…
“It’s nothing. I just forgot to turn off the light last night.”
Li Wen nodded, and after washing his face, he glanced at Gu Pingting again.
Ah, she really was beautiful! No wonder she had a man like Brother Feng Shan utterly captivated! Even when going on a long trip, he couldn’t rest easy, treating her like a treasure and having someone watch over her.
But… she was also too delicate. She only drank mountain spring water—fetching it from deep in the mountains was enough to exhaust a person to death.
After washing his face, Li Wen left, and Gu Pingting latched the small courtyard gate again.
As she washed up, Gu Pingting thought to herself, today was the fourth day. Feng Shan had said it would be short as three days, long as five.
Then he should be back tomorrow.
By the afternoon of the fifth day, Feng Shan still hadn’t returned, and the child Li Mao grew impatient. He handed a large bouquet of flowers to Gu Pingting, pouting as he said, “Why isn’t Feng Shan back yet? I’ve been bringing flowers for five days now. If he doesn’t come back soon, I won’t bring any more.”
Gu Pingting gave Li Mao some sweet cakes to eat, and he entered the small courtyard, sitting in the corridor to enjoy them.
Gu Pingting placed the flowers in water to keep them fresh. “He should be back today. You won’t need to bring any more tomorrow.”
Li Mao’s mouth was stuffed full of sweet cakes, his cheeks bulging as he mumbled, “That’s good. Feng Shan said the flowers he picks for you have to be pretty and fragrant. Gathering flowers for you these past few days has worn me out.”
Gu Pingting nodded. She did like flowers that were fragrant and beautiful.
Li Mao sniffled. “When Feng Shan found me, I didn’t want to agree at first. I said you were too much trouble, and I didn’t want to come and coax you. Guess what he said?”
Gu Pingting thought for a moment before asking, “What did he say?”
Li Mao took a big bite of his sweet cake. “He said you are a lot of trouble, but he likes you so much.”
Gu Pingting was taken aback, her heart fluttering with an indescribable feeling.
After finishing his sweet cake, Li Mao stood up and said to Gu Pingting, “When I grow up, I won’t marry a troublesome woman like you.”
With that, Li Mao ran off. Gu Pingting couldn’t help but smile. What did a little snot-nosed kid like him know?
With her beauty, by the time he grew up, he wouldn’t even be able to beg for someone like her!