The Prime Minister's Darling novel Chapter 187

Chapter 187: 121 Zhaodu Young Master (Second Watch)

Gu Jiao got up before dawn, washed up, and, as her first order of business, went to feed the chicks belonging to little monk Jingkong.

The chicks had grown significantly and would occasionally crow. If no one got up, they would eventually stop.

There was a small marketplace nearby, in a different direction than the Guozijian college, and it didn’t take long to get there on foot.

Gu Jiao put a basket on her back and headed to the marketplace.

“Steamed buns! Fresh, delicious buns!” a vendor shouted.

Gu Jiao went over and asked him, “How much is one bun?”

The vendor noticed the birthmark on her face, but he didn’t react strangely at all. As expected of people from the Capital City, they were not easily shocked.

The vendor smiled and said, “The large meat buns are three wen each, and the brown sugar buns are two for three wen! Miss, how many would you like?”

The buns were big, and just one could satisfy hunger. Gu Jiao took out a food box from her small basket. “Eight meat buns, four sugar buns.”

They would eat the meat buns, and little monk Jingkong would have the sugar buns.

She wondered whether four would be enough for him, his appetite was quite remarkable.

“Alright! That’s a total of 30 wen! Here’s a steamed bun for you!” The vendor packed the buns and a steamed bun for Gu Jiao.

“Thank you.” Gu Jiao paid, then went on to buy kitchen utensils like pots and pans, followed by firewood.

The firewood in the Capital City was not cheap. A bundle of firewood cost 10 copper plates and could last about two to three days, considering their rate of usage at home.

Gu Jiao bought two bundles of firewood and then asked about the price of charcoal.

The vendor said, “Miss, are you looking for black charcoal or silver charcoal? Black charcoal is five wen per jin, and silver charcoal is twenty wen per jin.”

“Why is silver charcoal so expensive?”

The vendor smiled and said, “Silver charcoal is really handy!”

It was true. Black charcoal was not only less durable, but it also produced a lot of smoke. In contrast, silver charcoal lasted longer and didn’t produce any smoke.

In the end, Gu Jiao bought a hundred jin of silver charcoal for seventeen wen per jin.

The vendor, with his mule cart, personally delivered the firewood and silver charcoal to their door.

Xiao Liulang had already risen and had cleaned up the kitchen. Now, he was silently cleaning the backyard, careful not to wake anyone.

“Good morning,” Gu Jiao greeted.

“Morning,” Xiao Liulang nodded.

Gu Jiao directly asked the vendor to carry the firewood and silver charcoal to the kitchen.

After the vendor left, Gu Jiao went over, took the broom from Xiao Liulang’s hands, and said, “Let me do this. You go sort out the belongings.”

In this journey to the Capital City, the luggage of Gu Jiao, the old lady, Gu Yan and Gu Xiaoshun was not much. Conversely, Xiao Liulang and the little monk Jingkong had several large boxes. Xiao Liulang mainly had books, Jingkong had items he brought back from the temple, of course, including his seven chicks.

“Alright.” Xiao Liulang turned and entered the study room. _{fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com}

In a short while, Gu Jiao brought him two piping hot meat buns. “You eat these first, I’ll go make some millet porridge.”

“Have you eaten yet?” Xiao Liulang stopped her.

“Not yet.” Gu Jiao shook her head.

She was about to say that she could eat while cooking the porridge, but Xiao Liulang pushed the plate towards her, “Let’s eat together.”

Gu Jiao thought for a moment, “Alright.”

Since they had more people at home, it had been a while since they had eaten alone. The last time was at the inn in the town, which was more than half a year ago.

The two sat facing each other, as if it was just like old times.

Gu Jiao chuckled.

“Why are you laughing?” Xiao Liulang asked.

Gu Jiao held the big meat bun in her hand, “I’m laughing about the first time I fed you. Did you not dare to eat because you thought I had poisoned the food?”

“I definitely didn’t,” Xiao Liulang strenuously denied.

Suddenly, Gu Jiao leaned in, examining his handsome face from close up. “Aren’t you scared that I’ll poison you now?”

Are you so trusting of me that you just can’t help it?

Just as Gu Jiao was basking in her glee, she saw Xiao Liulang look at the bun in his hand with a complicated expression. Then, he took Gu Jiao’s bun and switched it with his own.

Gu Jiao: “…”

After the two had breakfast, and everyone else was still asleep, Xiao Liulang had to report to the Guozijian. Gu Jiao guessed that the others would probably sleep until noon, so she went with Xiao Liulang to the Guozijian.

The Guozijian officially starts classes in late October. Now, more and more jingsheng (students) have been reporting one after another, both local students from the Capital City and those who came from other places like Xiao Liulang.

Regular jingsheng students at the Guozijian do not need to pay tuition, as all expenses were covered by the court, including their dormitory and meals, all grant from the court’s finances.

Today, Xiao Liulang just needed to check-in at the Academic Affairs Office and then he could go back. Of course, if he wanted to, he could also stay in the Guozijian to study.

The Guozijian held the largest Book Pavilion in all of Zhan Country, hence it became the holy land that all scholars dreamed of studying in.

Gu Jiao waited for him outside the Guozijian.