Chapter 45

Chapter 45: How Good Does It Taste?

Chun Zhi glanced at him and said in a soft voice: “I will make you something delicious tonight,” [to shut your mouth.]

Huo Zheng’s thin lips curved as he asked: “How good does it taste?”

The words clearly had another meaning.

These days, they shared the same bed and moved together like fish in water when they did that.

Chun Zhi understood. The tips of her ears warmed. She turned away and ignored him.

Huo Zheng laughed and did not push her too hard.

Chun Zhi wrapped the medicine dregs in cloth. Afraid that someone like Huo Zheng would recognize it as an aborting brew, she planned to throw it far away.

Before going out, she thought of the small chest on the Eight Immortals Table. It held one hundred taels of gold.

If it sat out so casually and a thief took it, what then?

She asked Huo Zheng: “Young Master Gu has left. What should we do with this gold?”

Huo Zheng said without much care: “Since he gave it to you, keep it.”

Chun Zhi said: “But I cannot take this money.”

If she took the money, it would feel like she sold Yu Zhu.

Back then Yu Zhu sold herself for only a few silver taels. This gold could buy one hundred Yu Zhus.

But Chun Zhi would never sell Yu Zhu.

Knowing what she would refuse, Huo Zheng told her: “Then give it to Yu Zhu.”

“All right,” said Chun Zhi. She set the dregs in a corner, lifted the chest, and went to find Yu Zhu.

Gu Yuan Jia had been gone for a long time, but Yu Zhu still had not calmed down.

“Yu Zhu,” Chun Zhi called to her softly. “This chest was left by Young Master Gu. There are one hundred taels of gold inside. I cannot take it. You should keep it.”

Yu Zhu sprang up, uneasy as she said: “I must not take it even more.”

Seeing her strange look, Chun Zhi asked: “What is wrong?”

Yu Zhu said in a low voice: “The eldest young master told me to return to the Gu Manor in seven days. I…”

At that, Chun Zhi felt angry and said: “You already redeemed yourself. You are no longer a maid of the Gu Manor. What right does he have to order you back in seven days?”

No wonder Gu Yuan Jia could leave so easily. He had set his mind on Yu Zhu and forced her to promise to return in seven days, so he did not take her by force today.

Almost to herself, Yu Zhu said: “No one dares ignore what the eldest young master says. If he could find me here, it means that no matter where I go, he can find me.”

“Do not be afraid,” Chun Zhi said, speaking gently to calm her. “You have me. I will not let the Gu Family take you away.”

She did not know what Huo Zheng had told Gu Yuan Jia.

But if he could persuade him once, he could surely do it a second time.

Thinking that, Chun Zhi turned to leave.

“Chun Zhi sister,” Yu Zhu called, then asked softly: “Was the aborting brew finished?”

Chun Zhi said with some shame: “I was talking and burned it. I will go to the clinic and get another dose right now.”

“No need,” said Yu Zhu. “The eldest young master already knows I am here. It is not safe to stay. I must leave at once.”

After an abortion, walking is hard. She did not have time to end it here. It was better to leave first.

Chun Zhi grew anxious for her and asked: “Leave? If you leave here, where can you go?”

Yu Zhu’s parents had passed away. She had only one brother studying at an academy. She could not trouble him.

Other than here, Yu Zhu had nowhere to go.

If not, she would not have come to Chun Zhi after leaving the Gu Manor.

“I do not know where I can go either. I only know I cannot stay here. Chun Zhi sister, thank you for caring for me these days. I will go now,” said Yu Zhu as she started packing.

She had brought almost nothing when she came, only two sets of clothes and a small pouch of broken silver, so she was done soon.

Chun Zhi helped her and said: “Take this gold with you.”

Yu Zhu shook her head and said: “I do not dare take what belongs to the eldest young master.”

“Then wait,” said Chun Zhi. She took out the three hundred taels in silver notes she had hidden, split them in half, and handed Yu Zhu one hundred and fifty taels, saying: “Take these. You will spend a lot when you are alone out there. Hide the money well. Do not show your wealth. Understand?”

Seeing Chun Zhi pull out silver notes hidden so deep, Yu Zhu knew this was her bottom-of-the-chest savings.

A person who sold tofu and did small business had to work for many years to save this much. Now Chun Zhi gave her half without a second word.

“Chun Zhi sister…” Yu Zhu was so moved she could not speak. Her eyes turned red and tears fell one by one.

Chun Zhi lifted her sleeve to wipe Yu Zhu’s cheeks and said: “Why are you crying? All this money came from Lu Jing Yun. He owed me, so I asked him for it. If it can help you now, that is a good thing.”

Now when she spoke of Lu Jing Yun, her voice was light as clouds. It was nothing like the time she left the Lu Clan and cried all the way.

Chun Zhi said softly: “I must keep some for emergencies, so I cannot give you all of it.”

Yu Zhu held her hand and said: “This is already a lot. But if you are giving me so much, should you ask your brother-in-law first?”

Chun Zhi whispered: “He does not know I hid this much money.”

“Ah?” Yu Zhu had not expected that Chun Zhi had hidden so much from Huo Zheng. Then she thought about it again. They had not been married long. It was normal to keep a few things private.

Besides, Huo Zheng did not look like a common man. Someone who could speak with the eldest young master was either rich or noble, not ordinary.

In these days living here, she had seen Chun Zhi and Huo Zheng get along naturally. At night, they were together every night without rest.

As an outsider, she should not make Chun Zhi guard against her own husband.

Yu Zhu wiped her tears and said in a small voice: “After marriage, saving some private money is right. As for the gold, did brother-in-law say how to handle it?”

“He said that since Young Master Gu gave it to me, I should keep it. He said nothing else,” said Chun Zhi.

“Then brother-in-law is not a greedy man,” Yu Zhu said. “Since he told you to keep it, you should keep it. The eldest young master does not lack money. He never takes back what he gives.”

Hearing that, Chun Zhi nodded and said: “All right. I will keep it then.”

It was like gold falling from the sky. It would be silly not to take it.

Yu Zhu put away the silver notes Chun Zhi gave her, then stood and bowed, saying: “Thank you for taking me in these days. I will take my leave now.”

“Yu Zhu, what are you doing?” Chun Zhi rushed to lift her up.

Full of sorrow, Yu Zhu said: “I do not know when we will meet again. I only wish you and brother-in-law peace and all good things. Even far away, I will burn incense and pray for you both every day.”

“There is no need for this between us,” said Chun Zhi. “Do not hurry to leave yet. I will ask Huo Zheng to look outside first, to see if the Gu Family left anyone to watch the door.”

Yu Zhu nodded and said: “Thank you, sister.”

Chun Zhi stepped out of the room and called: “Huo Zheng.”

Huo Zheng was inside, writing with a brush. He looked up at her and asked: “What is it?”