Resplendent – Chapter 382

Chapter 382: The Willing Are Hooked

In the early morning, the Liao River was shrouded in a light mist, like a veil. Through the faint fog, one could see the water flowing slowly. 

As the sun rose, the mist over the river gradually dissipated. The river water seemed to awaken from sleep; the current began to quicken, and whirlpools appeared one after another, churning up small waves that splashed against the shore, as if racing each other forward.

Taking advantage of the early morning before the sun fully emerged, Gu Ye woke up early to stroll along the riverbank. 

The morning wind, mixed with mist, carried a refreshing coolness and dampness, invigorating the spirit. 

The boat had been sailing on the Liao River for three days, and Gu Ye was immensely grateful that she did not get seasick, unlike the unfortunate Hua Hao, who suffered from dizziness, nausea, and general discomfort, unable to rise from her cabin bed. It had been three days, and her symptoms showed no signs of improvement.

Tang Xiaoxiao, on the other hand, adapted well. Noticing her mistress’s heatstroke symptoms gradually lessening, the kind-hearted young maid turned her attention to worrying about Sister Hua Hao’s condition. She busily prepared medicine, served tea, and took meticulous care of her daily.

Hua Hao felt embarrassed about being such a burden, but the seasickness was too severe, leaving her as weak as someone recovering from a serious illness. She could not even care for herself, let alone attend to her mistress. In just three days, she had visibly lost weight.

Gu Ye was quite concerned; if things continued like this, Hua Hao would genuinely become ill! 

She decided that at the next resupply dock, she would have Hua Hao disembark and travel by land, escorted by Yin Hong. After all, Hua Hao did not need to participate in the apothecary examination, so whether she arrived early or late made no difference.

“Miss, Aunt Yan asked me to find out what you would like for breakfast,” Yue Yuan walked up to the bow and found her mistress enjoying the river breeze. Seeing Gu Ye’s normal complexion and good spirits, her round face broke into a smile.

Perhaps the cool morning river breeze had swept away her physical discomfort, and Gu Ye actually had an appetite. After some thought, she said, “I’d like red bean pumpkin cakes and sweet tofu pudding…”

Yue Yuan showed a disapproving expression. “Miss, your digestive system is delicate, so try to eat less sweet food. Besides, red bean pumpkin cakes aren’t really a proper meal. At best, they’re considered a dessert! I checked the kitchen and saw some freshly caught river shrimp. How about Aunt Yan makes crystal shrimp dumplings, and you can have the tofu pudding with chicken broth?”

Sigh! Even my meals had to be restricted, Gu Ye sighed deeply and waved her hand. “Fine, let Aunt Yan decide,” she said.

Jun Qicheng walked over, holding a book. Seeing that his Sister Ye was a bit down, he suggested, “I heard you can catch big white breams weighing over ten pounds in the Liao River. Why don’t I accompany you to try fishing?”

Gu Ye wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about fishing, but it was better than doing nothing. When Yin Mei heard that Miss Gu planned to fish, he quickly fetched the best fishing rod, prepared high-quality bait, and even scouted out the best fishing spot on the boat for her.

In reality, Gu Ye was more daydreaming while seated on a small stool than actually fishing. Meanwhile, Jun Qicheng and Gu Ming, who later joined in, were fully engaged. They even made bets on who would catch a fish first, who would catch the most, and who would catch the largest fish…

Resting her cheek in her hand, Gu Ye gazed off into the distance where the water met the sky. Today, clouds hung low, obscuring the sunrise. The gloomy sky and a few dark clouds reflected in the river, resembling a traditional Chinese ink painting. Ripples gently swayed across the river’s surface, adding a touch of dynamic beauty to the scene. 

She looked toward the shore and saw a picturesque village in the distance, smoke curling from chimneys, while the crops in the fields showed signs of an abundant harvest.

“Miss, your fishing line is moving!” Yue Yuan noticed that her mistress was distracted and hadn’t even realized a fish had taken the bait, so she quickly reminded her.Gu Ye scrambled to lift the fishing rod, and a white bream over a foot long dangled from the hook, desperately thrashing its tail in resistance. 

Yue Yuan, delighted, rushed over to help the slightly flustered Gu Ye reel in the rod and unhook the lively fish.

Feeling a bit proud, Yue Yuan held up the fish and showed it off to the two young men watching. With a beaming smile, she exclaimed, “Well?  Isn’t our Miss impressive?  The first fish was caught by her, so you two owe her the prize!”

Gu Ye felt a bit embarrassed. She had simply been daydreaming when the fish took the bait on its own, living up to the saying, ‘fishing with no bait and the hook above the water’. 

She wanted to tell the still-gloating child: Yue Yuan, keep it low-key, please!

After that, Gu Ye seemed to be on a roll; before long, she had caught fish after fish, and soon there were over a dozen of various sizes in the bucket. Meanwhile, the pair of unlucky brothers hadn’t caught a single fish.

Unwilling to admit defeat, Jun Qicheng moved to a different spot but still had no bites. He walked over to Gu Ye with a pleading expression. “Sister Ye, how about swapping spots with me?”

Gu Ming immediately leapt off his stool and shouted, “Shameless!  How can you even ask? Sister, don’t give in. We have a bet going, and I’m your real brother. If you’re giving anyone a chance, it should be me!”

Jun Qicheng shot him a disdainful look. “Real brother, godbrother, we’re all brothers!  Xiao Ye, I asked first, so don’t play favorites!”

The two young men kept arguing endlessly, neither willing to give in. 

Gu Ye was getting a headache from their childish bickering. She looked up at the sun peeking through the clouds and felt the wind becoming warmer. She put away her fishing rod and said to the two still-bickering boys, “I’m off to have breakfast. You two can keep arguing!”

Yue Yuan carried the bucket for her mistress and, passing the two young masters, raised her eyebrows smugly at them—her expression was as infuriating as it could be. Jun Qicheng ground his teeth in frustration!

Gu Ye headed to her grandfather’s cabin, peeking inside and finding it pleasantly cool. She quickly darted in. “Grandpa, I’m here to join you for breakfast. Am I welcome?”

“Of course, you are! Why wouldn’t you be?  Qing Feng, take away two of the ice basins in the room, and move the other two further away!” Gu Xiao also disliked the heat; his room was surrounded by four basins of ice, explaining why it was so cool inside.

Gu Ye pouted. “Grandpa, let’s wait until after breakfast to move them!  Breakfast is hot, the weather is hot—if the room is hot too, eating will just make us sweat. It’d be miserable!”

“No problem, Grandpa doesn’t mind the heat.  If you get hot, there’s a fan; you can fan yourself.  Young lady, you shouldn’t overindulge in the cool air—be careful not to catch a cold,” her grandfather said earnestly.

Since the morning was overcast, the temperature wasn’t too high. Feeling cheerful after her successful fishing, Gu Ye didn’t dwell on it further and happily joined her grandfather for breakfast.

The soup-filled shrimp dumplings had thin skin and a rich broth, their flavor deliciously enticing, making it impossible to stop at just one bite. The tofu pudding in chicken broth had a rich and savory flavor, with the tofu soft and silky in texture. Even Gu Ye ate an entire bowl!

Seeing his granddaughter’s sharp little chin, Gu Xiao couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache. How did she get so thin in just a few days? 

Silently, he prayed that the weather would cool down soon, so her appetite could improve and she could regain the lost weight. This child had a body that lost weight easily but struggled to gain it back, and she was incredibly picky with food, which made it all the more worrisome!