“Mommy, I'm hungry.” Xiao Guai woke up from hunger. Finding herself in a stranger's arms the moment she opened her eyes, she suddenly began to struggle, reaching out to Gu Qingyu for a hug.
Gu Qingyun handed the little girl back to Gu Qingyu, pulled a meat bun out from an oilpaper wrapper, and held it out to her.
“Xiao Guai, I'm your aunt. Do you want a meat bun?”
Back in her mother's arms, Xiao Guai poked her head out from Gu Qingyu's embrace and swallowed her saliva as she stared at the bun. Both of their stomachs rumbled loudly at that moment. Watching them, Gu Qingyun felt a pang of heartache, and she stuffed the bun into the girl's hands.
“Go ahead and eat. There are more when you finish. Your aunt bought plenty.” With that, she handed another bun to Gu Qingyu.
“Thank you, Auntie,” Xiao Guai said.
Gu Qingyu took small bites of the bun, her eyes growing red again. She blinked back tears and, seeing that Gu Qingyun wasn't eating, urged, “Little Sister, why aren't you eating?”
“I bought these specifically for you two. I've already eaten,” Gu Qingyun replied.
Gu Qingyu nodded, and she and Xiao Guai ate the meat buns. Soon, the carriage was filled with only the sound of them chewing and Gu Qingyun talking about family matters.
...
By the time Gu Qingyun brought Gu Qingyu back to Shiwa Village, it was already the Shen hour, and the carriage pulled up right in front of their house.
She briefly explained the situation to her elders, handed the meat she had brought from town to her grandmother, said goodbye to her family, and then climbed back into the carriage to rush back to the county seat.
“Boss, we're here.” The carriage came to a steady stop at the carriage lot. Gu Qingyun climbed down and handed Old Ma fifty copper coins.
“Uncle Ma, thank you for your hard work. Take this money and buy yourself some wine.”
“No, no, that's unnecessary! It's only my job, and I've already been paid.”
“Please take it, Uncle Ma. It's a tiring round trip, and while I can't afford much extra, please accept this.”
Gu Qingyun pressed the coins into Old Ma's hand. Hidden among the coins was the very first talisman she had drawn while practicing her brushwork. Her tone was warm and friendly.
“Alright then, thank you, Boss! Next time you need to go somewhere, just come find Old Ma. No matter how far, I'll happily drive you.”
Old Ma carefully put the coins into his pocket and tucked them inside his robe, beaming with happiness. Seeing the talisman, he didn't say anything and simply tucked it away as well.
Gu Qingyun's lips curved slightly. “Next time I take my family to the prefectural city to broaden their horizons, I'll definitely look for you.” After a few pleasantries, she settled the remaining balance and hurried back to the county yamen to wash up before starting her shift.
...
The moment Gu Qingyun stepped into the dormitory courtyard, Bai Fan ran over to her side.
“Sister Yun, you're back!”
“Yeah. Let me wash up first, then we'll talk.” Gu Qingyun strode inside, tossed her bundle onto the bed, and went straight to the well to draw some water. After freshening up, she came back out and found Bai Fan.
“How was night patrol on your own yesterday?”
“Ah, it was fine. Last night went pretty smoothly, though it always feels more reassuring with you around, Sister Yun.”
“Oh, right, something huge happened yesterday! The County Magistrate's eldest daughter raised a massive scene, insisting on marrying a night-soil collector. The magistrate's wife locked her up at home, and I heard they even bound her with ropes to keep her from running away!” Bai Fan wore an expression of pure delight in the gossip.
Gu Qingyun opened her eyes wide, digesting the news. After a pause, she asked, “Is... is that night-soil collector very handsome?”
“Not at all! I've never seen anyone so ugly. He has a mouth full of buck teeth—super yellow, too—he isn't even six feet tall, and he reeks from head to toe.”
“Not only is he dirt poor, but he's also crude, vulgar, and sticky-fingered. He's over thirty now and still hasn't been able to land a wife.”
Gu Qingyun was thoroughly stunned. She murmured vaguely, “That shouldn't be... The eldest lady mentioned before that she was engaged.”
Bai Fan didn't catch what she said and rubbed his ear. “Sister Yun, what did you say? I didn't hear you clearly. Could you say that again?”
“It's nothing.” Gu Qingyun sighed, turning her gaze toward the inner courtyard.
She had met the magistrate's eldest daughter. Although the young lady wore modest clothing that didn't reveal a hint of skin, one could still tell she had a slender, delicate waist and supple, porcelain skin. Whenever she saw Gu Qingyun, she was always smiling and gentle, with pretty features and an unmistakable air of elegance.
Most laudable was that despite being a young lady of noble standing, she was never arrogant or looked down on others. Whenever Gu Qingyun occasionally wandered near the back courtyard, the lady would even send her maid to bring her some refreshments.
Knowing Gu Qingyun was a female constable living here alone, she would also send her maid with various necessities for women. Gu Qingyun had a very good impression of her.
While Gu Qingyun was lost in thought, Bai Fan interrupted her train of thought. “Sister Yun, it's time for dinner. After eating, let's snatch half an hour of rest. You couldn't have gotten much rest on that round trip.”
Gu Qingyun shook her head. “No need to rest. Once Little Black comes back and we're ready, we'll start our night patrol.”
After eating dinner and leaving the clerks' kitchen, Gu Qingyun and Bai Fan rested for a bit, then walked toward the martial practice field.
On the way, they bumped into the magistrate's eldest daughter's personal maid, a girl named Bishui. Her eyes were red and swollen, clearly having just had a good cry.
“Bishui, how is your young lady?” Gu Qingyun gestured for Bai Fan to walk ahead while she called out to the maid, who was about to return to the inner courtyard.
“My young lady is fine. She's just been feeling a bit under the weather these past few days. She'll be better in a couple of days,” Bishui forced a smile and said insincerely.
Gu Qingyun sighed, took a talisman out of her pocket, and handed it to her. “This is a protective talisman I went through a lot of trouble to get. Take it and place it on your young lady's person. Make sure she carries it with her at all times and doesn't lose it. It's very hard to come by.”
Bishui looked at Gu Qingyun with a complicated expression, but seeing her solemn look, which didn't seem like a joke, she accepted it, folded it up, and tucked it into her pocket. “I'll put it in Miss's sachet so it won't drop out. But... what kind of talisman is this?”
“It's mainly an Evil-Warding Talisman to keep her safe,” Gu Qingyun said.
“Alright. I'll thank you again properly once Miss recovers. I can't leave Miss alone for too long, so I'll be taking my leave now.”
Gu Qingyun watched her walk away, then turned back toward her room to prepare her night patrol gear. As for the magistrate's eldest daughter, she could only wait a few days and find an excuse to check on her.
During the Hai hour, the two of them along with the cat were patrolling Apricot Blossom Street. Hearing the night watchman's gong in the distance, they followed unhurriedly with their lanterns. Bai Fan looked at Gu Qingyun and whispered, “Sister Yun, have you heard? The prefectural city is organizing a grand tournament. It will feature horsemanship, unarmed combat, sabers, staves, archery, and the like. Anyone who earns an outstanding grade gets a cash prize.”
“I heard first place gets thirty taels! Each county can send five constables. And if someone wins and returns to the county seat, the County Magistrate will give them a reward too.”
“Sister Yun, I think one of those five spots definitely belongs to you.”
Gu Qingyun waved her hand dismissively. “You're overthinking it. I don't know horsemanship, nor do I know archery. Going there wouldn't accomplish anything. It's better to let the veteran constables go.”
If they won a prize, that would be great; but if their county placed dead last, forget about prize money—they'd probably be chewed out by the magistrate so hard they couldn't lift their heads, and the whole squad room from top to bottom would suffer the backlash. She had no desire to join in on that trouble.
She drew her monthly wage, and occasionally helped people resolve tricky issues that others couldn't handle to earn a tidy fee. The savings she had accumulated by now were quite substantial. While it couldn't compare to rich households, it was still a considerable fortune.
Rate on N.U.
