Chapter 23: The Prodigal Lady

On the streets of early summer, the sunlight was warm and gentle. A branch of begonia flowers peeked out from a low wall, their colors vibrant and petals tender and charming.

Su Wan stood under the begonia branch, her hair not done up in the style of a married woman, but instead, her black hair was casually draped over her shoulders. Under the soft and lush branches, she looked radiant and captivating.

She tilted her head slightly, smiling with curved lips, and her eyes were clear and pure: “Is everything settled?”

Gu Huaizhi’s expression was light, and he responded with a low “Hmm.”

“Let’s go, I need to buy some grain and vegetables.” Su Wan, not one to pry into Gu Huai Zhi’s privacy, picked up the basket at her feet. To her surprise, a hand reached over and took it away, and she looked up to see the man carrying the small basket on his back.

She pursed her lips slightly, somewhat taken aback.

Gu Huaizhi saw no issue with it and turned around, heading towards the market.

Hearing no movement behind him, Gu Huaizhi stopped and looked back.

He raised his eyebrows slightly: “Aren’t you coming?”

Su Wan lifted the corners of her mouth, revealing a bright and radiant smile: “I didn’t see it before, but you’re actually quite nice.”

She made him a dish of stir-fried chicken mushrooms, and he handed over his private savings.

She sought justice for his family from the Song family, and now he’s willingly carrying her bamboo basket.

Gu Huaizhi glanced at her with a deep and mysterious gaze, then he walked forward in silence without saying a word.

Today, Su Wan had earned some money and bought cornmeal, fine flour, polished rice, twenty eggs, a fish, two pounds of pork, and more, filling the basket to the brim.

Gu Huaizhi carried large and small packages, watching as Su Wan happily ran towards the vendor selling red bayberries, buying all the remaining berries, and came back excitedly: “When we get home, I’ll make sour plum drink for Baozhu and Jingyun.”

Gu Huaizhi’s eyes flickered slightly, but he said nothing in the end.

“Wow, did I buy too much?” Su Wan, who had a string of zeros in her bank account in her previous life and felt nothing, suddenly felt a thrilling sense of wealth after earning a dozen or so silver taels. Her heart couldn’t be happier. She smiled with arched eyebrows: “Shall we take a carriage home?”

“Alright.”

“Wait for me.” Su Wan placed the items at Gu Huaizhi’s feet and went to hire a carriage.

Gu Huaizhi watched Su Wan’s retreating figure thoughtfully. Ever since she broke his medicine bowl, he had sensed a change in Su Wan. Although she tried hard to hide it, her eyes couldn’t lie.

Although he didn’t know Su Wan’s motives, Gu Huaizhi was a patient hunter, waiting for her to slip up.

——

The carriage stopped at the Gu family’s doorstep, and the neighbors looked on with various expressions as Su Wan and Gu Huaizhi alighted from the carriage.

“Sister-in-law! Eldest brother! You’re back!”

Gu Baozhu and Gu Jingyun’s little faces were dirty, their clothes filthy, but their eyes were round and bright, filled with surprise.

Gu Jingyun held a wild chicken in his hands, and its wings flapping as it struggled to escape.

“Did you come from the mountains?” Su Wan looked at the plump chicken in Gu Jingyun’s hands and praised: “You’re amazing, you actually caught a wild mountain chicken!”

Gu Jingyun’s eyebrows shot up, beaming with pride.

“Yes! Second brother caught it!” Gu Baozhu clung to Su Wan’s arm, smiling sweetly, with her cheeks revealing two dimples: “We’ll stew it tonight, and the two big chicken legs are for you!”

“I don’t like chicken legs, you two eat them.” Su Wan’s gaze was tender as she patted Gu Baozhu’s head, “I’ll make you braised chicken.”

“Really?” Gu Baozhu’s eyes sparkled, and just thinking about it made her mouth water: “I’ll help you kill the chicken!”

“Okay!” Su Wan saw Gu Huaizhi moving things from the carriage and directed: “Now, you two help move the things into the house.”

The two little ones stare at the piles of packages on the ground, and their mouths opened wide enough to fit an egg.

They were done for, all the household’s money had been spent by her!