Seeking Happiness

TLNote: Bonus chapter for no apparent reason.

Chapter 14 Unexpected Pleading

Looking at the sudden change in old madam’s expression, Shu Huan sighed. She felt a bit unfair for Gu Xiran. They were both her grandsons, but the attitude she treated them with was very different. Towards Gu Xiran, she was more stern than loving. Towards the little brat in front of her (SH), she doted and loved him very much. It seemed that being biased was something that had existed since ancient times.

Gu Xihe, this guy was also very quick-witted. He didn’t reveal any bad behavior in front of old madam. He looked like an ordinary child who would make someone love him. At the right time, he was like a sparrow, talking non-stop and making old madam laugh very much. She hugged him and kept saying that he was her treasured baby.

He said attentively, “Old madam, outside here is very hot. This grandson will escort you to inside, good?”

“Alright, alright, alright!” Old madam was so moved by his filial piety. She only knew to repeat the word ‘alright’.

Fang shi and the concubines watched at a side. They kept saying that it was worth it that old madam doted on him so much and that fourth young master was filial. Even Lin shi’s face was brimming with smiles. The way she looked at Gu Xihe was also full of love.

• • Shi: clan

Shu Huan understood now that this fourth young master was presumably Lin shi’s child from the legitimate line.

A group of people surrounded old madam and escorted her inside the room. However, old madam didn’t take two steps, when she felt that something was wrong and turned back.

Is she going to punish her (SH)?

Shu Huan quickly lowered her head.

Who would’ve known that old madam hadn’t spoken yet, when Gu Xihe rushed to say, “Old madam, this grandson wants to ask a favor from old madam. Don’t punish second sister-in-law anymore. Can you let her play with me?”

When this sentence was said, half of the people present were shocked.

They all knew the temper of this master. If he saw someone being punished, it would already be alright if he didn’t play tricks and mess things up. Pleading was something that had never happened before!

Shu Huan was also shocked. She hadn’t thought that the situation could have such a strange turn of events.

The smile on old madam’s face vanished a bit. She looked at him and said, “How come you suddenly think about playing with her?”

Gu Xihe smiled innocently and pointed at the broken porcelain. “Second sister-in-law dares to play with the worms with me!”

As long as one was a woman, presumably, she wouldn’t have any good feeling for worms. Old madam frowned disgustingly and looked weirdly at Shu Huan.

“Alright? Alright, please?!” Gu Xihe saw that it wasn’t going that well, he began to act cute.

Seeing how he was acting cute, twisting old madam’s arm which was very different from his playful image from earlier, Shu Huan’s mouth couldn’t help but twitch involuntarily.

Fang shi kindly smiled at a side and said, “That’s right. Little sister and fourth young master are close in age. Presumably, the two could play together. Besides, she already knelt for little than a half day. Old madam, please do him the favor.”

Old madam couldn’t stand Gu Xihe grabbing her arm and shaking it so much, she slapped his hands away annoyingly. “Alright, alright. Don’t shake anymore. My old bones are almost scattered by your continuous shake!”

“Old madam agreed?”

Old madam nodded helplessly.

Gu Xihe cheered, ran to Shu Huan and pulled her from the ground. He dragged her to outside of the yard.

Lin shi quickly shouted, “Where are you going?”

“Take a walk in the residence.”

Old madam tapped the crutch heavily on the ground. “Slow down, slow down! Don’t rush and fall. Otherwise, you can lose your teeth!”

“I got it!”

After that promise, Shu Huan was already dragged outside of Pine Crane Hall by him. Her mind was a mess now. She didn’t understand why the little brat who played tricks on her would plead for her in the next moment. She didn’t believe the explanation he gave old madam at all.

Liangchen and Meijing also chased after them. They shouted, “Second young mistress, wait for us.”

Shu Huan stopped in her tracks.

“So troublesome!” Gu Xihe was a bit impatient and revealed twenty percent of his impatient nature.

Shu Huan gave him a glance. “Why did you suddenly plead for me?”

After she asked this, Gu Xihe was a bit unhappy. “I wouldn’t be happy to plead for you. If it wasn’t because second big brother said…”

He hasn’t finished speaking yet, when the maids caught up with them.

Still gasping for breath, Liangchen said, “Old madam said…to let second young mistress take meticulous care of fourth young master. Don’t take him to play with worms…Also, she already let the kitchen prepare food that fourth young master likes. And to let fourth master go have lunch at noon!”

“I got it. So annoying.” After Gu Xihe heard it, he turned and ran.

Shu Huan was stunned for a moment. Fearing that if she didn’t keep up with this little brat and lost him, she would be unlucky again. So, she ran after him.

All the way, she met a lot of servants.

When they saw this impetuous fourth young master, they quickly made way. If someone reacted a bit slower, they would’ve been kicked by him. This made Shu Huan frown. She thought that if this was her little brother, he would’ve long been taught a lesson by her.

She didn’t know the way. Until, after she ran for a while, the scenery became familiar. She discovered that the place Gu Xihe wanted to go to was Plum Flower Pavilion. His study companion Ranmo was already waiting at the entrance. When he (R) saw him, he happily beckoned, “Fourth young master! Fourth young master!”

Gu Xihe had long forgotten about the people that followed behind him. He ran into the yard at lightning speed.

Shu Huan turned and saw that Liangchen and Meijing was running while stumbling. They were about to be planted on the ground. It seemed that the quality of this body was not too bad.

She held the frame of the door to recover for a while before she lifted her foot to cross the threshold. She didn’t expect that she just entered when something slid past her red satin shoes. It scared her so much that she jumped. When she looked at it again, it was a small hedgehog. It bumped into the threshold, shrank into a ball and turned on the ground.

It turned out that Gu Xiran took these small pets to tempt that little brat!

Shu Huan’s heart was full of gratitude. When she looked at Gu Xihe, he became very obedient when seeing Gu Xiran. He obediently and respectfully put his hand together and said, “Second big brother.”

Gu Xiran acknowledged him and said, “Put the hedgehog back in the cage. You can find something to feed it.”

The little brat’s face revealed a bit of unwillingness. “Second big brother, didn’t you say that if I save second sister-in-law from old madam, these pets would be mine? Then, I will bring them to my place to play?”

“Bring them to your place? Gu Xiran smiled slightly, “Would madam let you keep them?”

Gu Xihe’s face stiffened.

Ranmo also desperately pulled his sleeve. “Fourth young master, don’t. Did you forget the bat of last time? It went into madam’s room and scared her so much that she was sick for a few days.”

“So be it,” Gu Xiran said faintly. “The pets would be raised here. When you want to play with them, you can come here. If you got tired of them, I will let people release them back to nature.”

After these sentences, the little brat hasn’t expressed his view yet, when concubine Yun’s face paled. She grabbed Gu Xiran’s arm and said timidly, “Raise…raise them here…?”

Gu Xiran raised an eyebrow. He glanced at Shu Huan first and suddenly laughed. “Mhmm. If they are raised inside the yard, it would be inconvenient when the weather is windy or rainy. Then, let’s raise them in the East Chamber.”

“That is my chamber!” Shu Huan almost jumped. The gratitude in her heart disappeared completely.

“You live in my chamber.”

After Gu Xiran said that, he called people to move these cages made from iron wire.