Chapter 43 | Days of Being a Constable in Ancient Times

The three daughters-in-law exchanged smiles and nodded repeatedly.

“We'll listen to Mother.”

“Also, Yiyun and Yifeng are about the same age. Once we move into the new house next year, let's hold both their weddings together. You're both very fond of these future daughters-in-law, so don't go making fusses when the time comes and disturbing the peace of the household.”

At these words, Lady Zhao and Lady Wu smiled even more broadly. Touching the silver hairpins in their hair, they laughed heartily.

“That would be wonderful! It's about time our family had a joyous occasion. Mother, don't worry, we'll follow your example. You're such an open-minded mother-in-law, and we want to be good mothers-in-law, too. In the future, we won't meddle in their married lives.”

Gu Qingyun made a playful face from the side.

“Then in a couple of years, I'll have little nephews and nieces!”

Seeing her silly antics, Lady Su couldn't help giving her a few affectionate swats.

“You, always so mischievous.”

Gu Qingyun looked at Old Lady Zhang and tested the waters: “Grandmother, after my elder sisters get married in the future, let's keep a room for them in the house, so they'll have a place to stay when they visit home.”

“What kind of talk is that? You're still too young to understand. Once a woman marries, how could she keep running back to her maiden home? People would gossip and say she doesn't know the rules or proper wifely conduct. A woman belongs to her husband's family after marriage. She has to serve her parents-in-law and husband, and manage the household. Aside from major holidays, New Year, or the birthdays of elders in her maiden family, when would she ever have time to come back?

“Just look at your two aunts and your mother—don't they rarely visit their maiden homes?” Old Lady Zhang said.

Gu Qingyun felt a wave of gloom. Clearly, women in this era could engage in business, take up official duties, and work outside to help support their families, yet once married, they still couldn't visit their maiden homes whenever they wished.

Did girls truly lose their home the moment they got married? But her grandmother and mother had lived through it all the same and considered it only natural. It was only her own mindset that occasionally felt out of place here.

Old Lady Zhang sighed and gently stroked Gu Qingyun's head.

“If the house we buy next year has enough rooms, Grandmother will listen to our Qingyun and set aside two spare rooms for them to stay in whenever they return home.”

Gu Qingyun's eyes lit up, and she threw her arms around Old Lady Zhang.

“Grandmother, you're the best!”

“You, you just care too deeply about family. You want to think of everything and give the best to everyone, yet you never care for yourself.”

Gu Qingyun was taken aback for a moment. Looking up into Old Lady Zhang's affectionate gaze, she hurried to say, “Grandmother, don't worry. I'll take good care of myself at the county yamen.”

She realized she had been obsessing over things too much. While there were certainly parents and grandparents in this world who treated sons like treasures and daughters like weeds, there were also grandmothers like hers—impoverished, yet never exploiting her granddaughters or selling them off for money.

Though her grandmother valued the family's male heirs more, she still showed plenty of love to the daughters. She never mistreated them or dumped every household burden onto their backs. In this era, that was already exceptionally rare; she shouldn't measure this life against the standards of her previous world.

As long as she had strength, could her future brothers-in-law ever dare cause trouble? She would be her sisters' greatest backing.

...

In addition to lunch, dinner was exceptionally sumptuous. Knowing she had a huge appetite, they made steamed rice specially for her, cooked the other fish, and prepared a large bowl of fresh greens alongside a big bowl of egg drop soup. The whole family sat gathered together, enjoying the meal.

Wearing the earrings Gu Qingyun had bought them, her elder sisters beamed with smiles. They kept moving their portions of meat into her bowl, claiming they preferred vegetables, leaving her touched and helpless.

After dinner, Gu Qingyun had no intention of staying the night. She planned to reach the county seat early so she wouldn't have to rush on the road tomorrow.

Learning she wasn't spending the night and was about to head back immediately, Old Lady Zhang and the others looked reluctant to let her go.

“Why not go back to the county seat tomorrow morning? It's getting dark, and it's not safe.”

Gu Qingyun smiled warmly, her brow relaxed.

“Grandmother, it's fine. This isn't my first time walking at night; I'm already used to it. Take good care of your health at home, and I'll come visit you again on my next rest day.”

Old Lady Zhang patted her hand.

“On your next rest day, just rest properly at the county yamen. Rushing all the way back in the morning only to hurry back in the evening—how exhausting that must be. Listen to your grandmother.”

“Grandmother, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. While there's still some light, I'll head out first.” Gu Qingyun didn't make any promises; this short journey wasn't tiring for her in the slightest.

“Mother, Qingyun is the pillar of our family now, and she knows what she's doing. Just let her do as she pleases,” Lady Su said proudly.

Her daughter was truly capable now, worth more than several sons from other families.

Gu Qingyun took the food box her mother handed over. It was filled with homemade side dishes—sour and spicy, wonderfully appetizing, and Gu Qingyun's absolute favorite.

“Thank you, Mother.”

Just as she was about to leave, her eldest female cousin, Gu Qingyu, brought out a pair of shoes.

“Qingyun, thank you for bringing me back. I don't have anything decent to give, but I made these shoes to your size.”

Gu Qingyun took the shoes with a smile.

“Sister Qingyu, thank you, I love them. They feel so comfortable, and they're even lined with rabbit fur. It's already late autumn; once it gets colder in a little while, these will be perfect for night watch.”

After bidding a fond farewell to her family, Gu Qingyun hurried toward the town. Thinking back to the story the storyteller had told yesterday, she found herself walking toward the riverbank as if guided by ghosts and spirits, standing there for a long while.

She sighed, shook her head, and laughed at herself. She truly had let her imagination run wild; the riverbank in the story didn't necessarily mean the river here in Jiangyin County. Forget it, she should just return to the county seat.

Yet she had barely turned around and walked a few meters when a ghostly wailing of 【woo-woo】 drifted from the riverbank. Gu Qingyun's lips twitched. Did it really have to be this timely?

Thinking about it, the image that came to mind was a disheveled female ghost dripping with water from head to toe.

Even though her formidable skill gave her courage, running into these things so often made her feel that her heart wouldn't be able to take it sooner or later. What was more, only she could see them; ordinary people would merely feel a sudden, eerie chill.

Gu Qingyun looked back. Sure enough, it was roughly as she had imagined, though this female ghost had quite a delicate and pleasant face.

Dressed in an emerald-green ruqun with her hair tied into twin loops by a ribbon, she wore pearl earrings and had a pale complexion. This was how she had looked in life, not her ghastly phantom form.

Seeing someone, the female ghost ceased her crying and floated above the water, staring straight at her. Unfazed, Gu Qingyun met her gaze before nonchalantly lowering her eyes.