Chapter 209 Out of Line
209 Out of Line
“Ring, ring, ring…”
The bell ball rolled around and around as the cat slapped it. The bell rose and fell with increasing urgency.
The commotion inside was heard by the old woman guarding the door.
The old woman opened the door, crossed the front hall, and jogged over in a hurry. However, not only were the sisters not kneeling, but Gu Yanfei was also burning things in the cornucopia. It was unknown if she was burning paper money or keeping warm.
The old woman was shocked and raised her voice to reprimand, “Eldest Lady, Second Lady, I asked you to kneel as punishment, not to play in the ancestral hall!”
“If you don’t kneel well, I’ll tell Madam.”
The old woman took a few more steps toward the two of them and puffed out her chest.
The talisman paper in the treasure basin had been completely burned to ashes by the flames, leaving only some sparks.
It was much darker around them again. The candle, which had burned down to an inch, was still burning.
Gu Yanfei yawned lazily and could not be bothered to argue with the old woman. She called out again, “Qing Guang.”
Qing Guang, who was playing ball, immediately heard the commotion and meowed softly.
It was having the time of its life. Its green cat eyes shone brightly in the candlelight, shining charmingly. In an instant, it had stolen the old woman’s heart.
“Kitty.” The old woman bowed and looked at the calico cat obsequiously. She rubbed her hands and asked ingratiatingly, “Do you want to warm yourself by the fire? I’ll get you a charcoal fire.”
Gu Yanfei threw a pouch at the cat, so the cat brought it to the old woman and wagged its tail in the direction of the candle.
The old woman poured out a dried fish from her pouch and immediately understood. She said self-consciously, “I’ll help you roast the dried fish.”
“Roasting dried fish one by one with candlelight tastes the best.”
Taking advantage of this moment, Gu Yanfei directly held Gu Yunzhen’s hand and swaggered towards the front hall of the ancestral hall.
Gu Yunzhen was still a little reluctant. As she walked, she turned around and sighed enviously. “I want to help Qing Guang roast dried fish too!”
“There will be a chance,” Gu Yanfei said perfunctorily. Then, she changed the topic. “Big Sister, follow me to Yuheng Garden to rest tonight.”
Gu Yunzhen: “…”
Gu Yunzhen had been taught to be gentle, dignified, and obedient since she was young. She was already not used to being punished for kneeling today, but she did not. Now that she still had to sneak away, she felt even more uncomfortable.
Seeing through Gu Yunzhen’s thoughts, Gu Yanfei smiled and held her hand as they walked forward. “It’s fine. We’ll come early tomorrow and rush over before everyone does.”
“That’s not good,” Gu Yunzhen said, but her body honestly followed Gu Yanfei away.
When she stepped out of the ancestral hall and stood under the eaves, Gu Yunzhen still felt like she was in a dream.
She really came out?!
This was the first time in Gu Yunzhen’s life that she had done such an outrageous thing.
Gu Yunzhen shivered in the face of the night wind, but she smiled. Instead, she felt very comfortable and carefree.
It was as if the breath that had been held in her chest for a long time had suddenly been released. Her vision cleared and she felt refreshed.
The sisters held hands as they walked east. Gu Yunzhen looked at the stars and moon in the night sky and said, “Yanfei, when I told Madam that I wouldn’t marry, I was actually a little afraid.”
But she knew she wasn’t alone.
She knew that even if her mother didn’t stand by her, her second sister would.
The silver moonlight poured gently down from the night sky, giving them a faint glow and casting two long shadows on the ground.
The two slim figures snuggled against each other.
It felt so good to know that someone would stand on her side!
“I like my second sister the most.”
Gu Yunzhen leaned her face affectionately on Gu Yanfei’s shoulder, her smile like stars rippling in her eyes.
The girl under the moonlight had a pair of soft, watery eyebrows that cut through the blue water like a wave. When she smiled, her eyes were gentle and beautiful.
Gu Yanfei also smiled, and her eyes bloomed with the same dazzling light. In an instant, they were overflowing with light, and an indescribable joy surged into her heart.
Her big sister should have been like this, beautiful and elegant, blooming against the cold wind like the bright camellia, not withering early like in her previous life.
Gu Yanfei’s heart rippled. She held Gu Yunzhen’s arm and said in high spirits, “Big Sister, I’m not sleeping anymore. Let’s go drink!”
Ah?! Gu Yunzhen was still in a daze as she looked at Gu Yanfei in confusion.
When did they talk about drinking?
“I obtained a jar of good plum blossom wine a few days ago. It’s from Qiongfang Shop.” Gu Yanfei had a hint of playfulness, smugness, and bragging. “It’s also a limited edition wine. There are only 20 jars in total.”
“…” Gu Yunzhen really did not like wine, but she was actually moved by Gu Yanfei’s unrestrained appearance, which made her look like a little fox.
Since she had already gone overboard today, she might as well go out of line.
“Alright!” Gu Yunzhen smiled and nodded. “Let’s go drink!”
The sisters chatted happily all the way back to Yuheng Garden.
When the maidservants saw Gu Yanfei return, they hurriedly went to inform Juan Bi. After a while, Juan Bi ran over to welcome her with a smile.
There was a warm pavilion in the backyard of Yuheng Garden. According to Gu Yuan, it was built by his father for his mother when she was still alive.
With Gu Yanfei’s instructions, Juan Bi and the other maidservants moved. They started the heater in the heater pavilion and brought over a screen to block the wind and two high-backed chairs. They also brought over a small red clay stove and a basket of charcoal fire to heat the wine.
The plum blossom wine was not a strong wine, and the taste of the wine was very faint. Gu Yanfei would not be drunk even if she drank a jar of such wine, but Gu Yunzhen’s alcohol tolerance was clearly a little poor.
After three glasses of wine, Gu Yunzhen’s fair cheeks were stained with a peach blossom-like blush, as if she had applied rouge. Her eyes rippled and were still filled with water, making her look charming.
As soon as she was drunk, she began to recite poems related to wine, from “a pot of wine in the flower room” to “drinking in high spirits”… to “asking the sky for wine” by Emperor Taizu.
She read until Juan Bi was sleepy, but the last person to fall asleep was the drunk Gu Yunzhen. Gu Yunzhen collapsed and fell asleep on the table in a daze.
...
Gu Yanfei was not asleep. Her clear eyes seemed to be sparkling after drinking.
She smiled at Gu Yunzhen for a moment and said softly, “Don’t worry, the marriage tomorrow won’t happen.”