northernbook Chapter 349 Buying New Clothes for Gu Minghuai
Chapter 349 Buying New Clothes for Gu Minghuai
He said happily, "This crescent-white silver dress with subtle patterns is quite nice, I'll go change into it."
After saying that, Gu Minghuai followed the waiter into the inner room.
After he changed his clothes and came out, he stood in front of Lin Xiaotang and even turned around in front of her so that she could see him clearly.
"How do I look in it? Does it look good on me?"
The young man stood tall and straight, dressed in a crescent-white robe with subtle silver patterns. He seemed to radiate light, captivating all who looked at him. He wore a silver crown, his face was as white as jade, and his bright eyes and brows added to his handsome and noble appearance.
Lin Xiaotang clicked her tongue and said, "I never thought that clothes make the man, and this outfit makes you look so good."
Gu Minghuai immediately objected, shouting, "Xiaotang, you're wrong about that. How can it be that clothes make the man look good? It's obvious that I'm handsome, and any clothes look good on me. I think you're just being stubborn and refusing to admit it, but deep down you think I'm handsome, right?"
He suddenly realized that if Xiaotang genuinely thought he was good-looking, did that mean she had feelings for him? And then, could he…
So he convinced himself that Lin Xiaotang must like him.
He was secretly pleased and immediately straightened his back a little more, then coughed lightly.
Seeing that Lin Xiaotang was very satisfied with the clothes, and even the young master in front of her was happy, the shopkeeper immediately understood.
"Miss Xiaotang, this outfit looks very good on this young master. Would you like this one, or would you like to choose a couple more?"
I was only going to compensate him for his clothes; one piece is enough. If I pick out two more, my wallet will be bleeding out.
Besides, the clothes she chose for him were made of the best fabric and in the best style. This outfit was very expensive; none of her family members had ever worn such expensive clothes before. How could she possibly buy him a whole set at once?
So she immediately smiled and said, "Young man, we'll take this set for now. We have things to do later, and carrying too many things will only cause us trouble. We'll come back another day to buy more."
Worried that pushing too much would annoy customers, the shop assistant stopped talking.
"Alright, please wait a moment while I wrap it up for you."
"No need, he'll be fine in it."
I bought these clothes for him to wear, but if he's wrapped up and goes out wearing only his undergarments, it will attract gossip and ridicule from passersby. It's not worth it.
Gu Minghuai really liked the clothes he was wearing. Firstly, the clothes were really beautiful and suited his taste. Secondly, they were a gift from Lin Xiaotang, so if you cut off the beginning and end, you could say it was a present from her.
Lin Xiaotang reluctantly paid six taels of silver and walked out of the clothing shop with Gu Minghuai.
"Xiao Tang, where are we going next?"
Lin Xiaotang was heartbroken to have spent six taels of silver. After all, she herself had never been willing to wear a piece of clothing that cost six taels of silver. The money had just gone down the drain, and she was very upset.
So she said, "Dushui County is so small, what's there to see? Let's go back to the restaurant. Everyone's so busy they barely have time to breathe. I need to go back and check the accounts too."
Gu Minghuai felt a pang of disappointment that he had finally managed to spend some time alone with Lin Xiaotang, only to have her leave so soon.
He pouted, clearly displeased, and said, "Xiao Tang, are you going to abandon me so soon?"
Lin Xiaotang looked at Gu Minghuai with an expression that said, "Are you crazy?" She exclaimed, "Isn't your uncle in Dushui County? Didn't you come here to seek refuge with your uncle? Hurry up and go! How did it become that I abandoned you? I can't bear that accusation!"
Gu Minghuai feigned grievance and said, "It is true that I came to seek refuge with my uncle, but when I arrived I found that my uncle had gone out on business and was not at home. Now I can't enter the house, I have nowhere to go, and I have to sleep on the streets."
Lin Xiaotang looked at Gu Minghuai with suspicion, wondering if she had guessed wrong. Could he not be Lord Yang's nephew?
However, there are several wealthy families surnamed Yang in Dushui County. Gu Minghuai seems to come from an extraordinary background, and his uncle is no ordinary person either.
Sigh, forget it, if I can't figure it out, I won't guess!
She thought for a moment and said, "Come back to the restaurant with me first. I'll treat you to some of our food. You can stay at the inn in the evening. Anyway, you don't seem like someone who's short of money."
Gu Minghuai immediately took the purse off his waist and stuffed it into the front of his clothes.
He said without batting an eye, "How could I not be short of money? If my uncle doesn't come back soon, I need to save money to go back to the capital. The journey back to the capital is long, and if I run out of money, I'll have to beg along the way to get home."
Lin Xiaotang said speechlessly, "Alright, stop being so cheeky. Come back with me now. We can talk about accommodation later."
So, Gu Minghuai, as if he had found silver, followed Lin Xiaotang back to the restaurant with a big smile on his face.
When Liu Cai'er saw that her niece had returned, she immediately poured two cups of milk tea and brought them over.
"Xiao Tang, where did you guys go? Why are you back so soon?"
After saying that, she noticed that Gu Minghuai had changed his clothes and was wearing new clothes, while the ones he was wearing before were draped over his arm.
Liu Cai'er asked in confusion, "Xiao Tang, what happened? He... this..."
She realized with a start that she had been careless. Although Gu Minghuai was a minor, he was tall and seemed to know a lot. What if he had ill intentions towards Xiaotang?
It's all her fault. She was too careless. She thought that since the two of them knew each other and were both children, they would definitely get along well. So she wanted him to take Xiaotang out to play more often, so that Xiaotang could play like a child and do things that children her age should do, instead of always staying at home like an adult doing accounts.
did not expect……
She immediately became angry and slapped Gu Minghuai across the face. The crisp sound of the slap stunned both Lin Xiaotang and Gu Minghuai.
Lin Xiaotang asked in confusion, "Auntie, why did you hit him?"
Gu Minghuai was even more wronged than Dou E. He stammered and asked, "Auntie, what did I do wrong to upset you? Why did you hit me without explaining why?"
Liu Cai'er glanced at the surrounding guests and immediately pulled the two of them to the backyard. She lowered her voice and gritted her teeth as she scolded, "You bastard! I thought you and Xiao Tang were old acquaintances, and I asked you to take her sightseeing and have some fun, like a happy child. I never expected you, you beast, to treat her like this..."
"Oh, it's all my fault, it's all my aunt's fault. My aunt has grown old but not wise, always trusting men so easily. My aunt didn't watch you well, letting you be violated by this beast. My aunt is entirely to blame."
Lin Xiaotang then realized that her aunt must have misunderstood because she saw Gu Minghuai had changed his clothes, and thought that Gu Minghuai had bullied her.
She quickly explained, "Auntie, you've misunderstood. He didn't bully me. We went boating on the lake together. It was my first time on a boat, and I got terribly seasick, so I threw up all over him. I had to go to a clothing store to buy a new one to change into. Look at me, I'm perfectly fine."
She immediately walked around in front of her aunt so that she could see her clearly.
"Look, I'm perfectly fine. You know me. If he really dared to have any dirty thoughts about me, I would fight to the death to get rid of him."
Gu Minghuai covered his aching cheek, and after hearing Lin Xiaotang's words, he vaguely felt that his other cheek was also in pain.
He hadn't expected the little girl to be so prickly and not someone to be trifled with, but that's exactly what he liked about her.
Seeing that her niece's clothes were neat and her hair was perfectly styled, Liu Cai'er realized that she had misunderstood Gu Minghuai and thought the worst of him.
She felt a wave of shame, her face flushed bright red, and she quickly apologized.
"Young master, I'm so sorry. I was just too worried about Xiaotang's safety. The reason I persuaded Xiaotang to go out with you at the market was because I thought you were both still young and just children, and I didn't think too much about it. But when I saw that you had changed your clothes, I... Anyway, I was wrong to hit you. I'll go and get you some ice to put on your face to reduce the swelling."
Gu Minghuai quickly reassured her, "Auntie, it's only natural that you're worried about Xiaotang. I won't take it to heart. You go ahead and do your work. Don't worry about me. I'm a man, I'm tough and resilient, it'll be fine."
Liu Cai'er burst out laughing.
"How old are you? You're still a child, yet you insist on acting tough and claiming to be a man. Just you wait. Our restaurant has ice; it won't be a problem for me to go and get some."
A short while later, Liu Cai'er returned with a fist-sized piece of ice, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and handed it to Gu Minghuai.
"Quickly put it on your cheeks and apply it to relieve some of the pain."
When Gu Minghuai's burning, painful side of his face touched the ice, he immediately felt a cool sensation, and the burning pain on his face lessened considerably.
He smiled and said, "It really works, thank you, Auntie."
Liu Cai'er quickly waved her hand and said, "This is all my fault. It's only right that I try to help you reduce the swelling. You're too kind, child."
He is sensible and polite. I don't know whose son he is. He is handsome, has an outstanding temperament, and speaks and acts with elegance. If his family is well-off, he would be a good match for Xiaotang.
She couldn't help but ask, "Young master, where do you live, and who lives in your family?"
Gu Minghuai paused for a moment and said, "Auntie, I am from the capital. My family consists of my grandparents, parents, and some uncles and aunts. There are quite a few people in my family."
There were dozens of servants in the house, but he simply ignored them.
Liu Cai'er was immediately delighted, thinking to herself that people from the capital were good people. The capital was prosperous, and this young master's family was quite large, which meant that his family was well-off.
Looking at Gu Minghuai now, Liu Cai'er was more and more satisfied, much like a mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law.
The more I look at it, the more satisfied I become!
Gu Minghuai felt a little embarrassed by Liu Cai'er's intense gaze. He coughed lightly to ease the awkwardness, but then suddenly remembered the important matter and immediately bowed to Liu Cai'er.
“Aunt, I came to Dushui County to visit my uncle, but unfortunately, he is away and will not be back for three to five days. I haven’t found a place to stay yet. Could you stay at our Qianzhen Tower for now? I will pay for it.”
Liu Cai'er immediately agreed, "You can stay here. There's no need to pay. You know Xiao Tang, and your aunt accidentally hit you. If you pay, we'll feel bad."
Lin Xiaotang tugged at Gu Minghuai's sleeve and squeezed out through gritted teeth, "You're clearly just trying to fool your aunt. Your uncle isn't home, but your aunt is, isn't she?"
"My aunt has also gone out."
"Doesn't your uncle's family have any children or servants?" Just by looking at his clothes, it's hard to believe that his uncle's family is an ordinary family without servants.
Gu Minghuai lied through his teeth, saying, "My cousin went to study at the academy, my cousin got married, there are no servants at home, and I have nowhere to go. Can you bear to watch me wander the streets?"
Lin Xiaotang glanced at him, not believing him at all.
"With your skills, scaling walls and entering courtyards wouldn't be difficult for you, so why are you homeless? Besides, you just said you'd pay us, so why don't you have money to stay at an inn?"
Fortunately, he was still a minor; otherwise, if he had stayed at Qianzhenlou without permission, it would have inevitably caused gossip if word got out.
Seeing that Lin Xiaotang was unmoved, Gu Minghuai immediately turned to Liu Cai'er for help, pretending to be pitiful.
“Aunt, I want to stay at Qianzhenlou so that it will be convenient to eat at our restaurant. We have our own food, why go to the trouble of eating at other places? Don’t you think so?”
Upon hearing this, Liu Cai'er immediately agreed.
"Yes, we have our own restaurant, why go to eat at other places? Other places' food is not as good as our Qianzhen Restaurant. Don't listen to Xiaotang, just listen to your aunt. Stay here and wait for your uncle and aunt to come back. Our restaurant has guest rooms, your aunt will arrange them for you."
After saying that, Liu Cai'er went to prepare a guest room for Gu Minghuai.
Lin Xiaotang said, "It's true that your aunt let you stay, but it's not for free. Since you're staying here for three to five days, you can stay and work to pay for your lodging."
what?
Lin Xiaotang asked him to work as a waiter at the restaurant?
He's never done anything like this before.
The smug smile on Gu Minghuai's face vanished instantly, replaced by a bitter expression.
"Xiao Tang, I have money. I'll pay for my own lodging, okay? Can I not work as a waiter?"
"No, our restaurant has plenty of money, but we lack manpower. Since you're staying with us in the backyard, you're one of us. When the restaurant gets too busy, you have to help out. Otherwise, go out and turn right to stay at an inn."
"Alright... then." In order to have more opportunities to spend time with her, Gu Minghuai had no choice but to agree.
Well, I've found myself something else to do. This little girl is really... there's just no way to deal with her.
Gu Minghuai's hand trembled, and the ice pack he was using to apply to his face caused a sudden, sharp pain. He hissed and said, "Xiao Tang, my face is still swollen. How about we call it a day and I'll get up early tomorrow to go help out?"
Lin Xiaotang glanced at his face, which was swollen and had five red finger marks. It was clear that his aunt had hit him hard. It was indeed his aunt who had misunderstood Gu Minghuai and caused him to be slapped.
With her face so swollen, she really isn't suited to appear in public.
She relented and said, "Okay, you can take good care of your face today, and then help out with chores and running errands tomorrow."
Gu Minghuai thought to himself, he was the eldest son of the Gu family. From a young age, his food, clothing, housing and transportation were all taken care of by servants. He had never done any work for others. Even in the past two years, when he followed his master to practice martial arts on the mountain, his master also had servants. Apart from strictly requiring him to practice martial arts, his master never made him do any trivial things.
This little girl really knows how to order people around.