After seeing Gordan nod firmly, Sasha felt like the sky was collapsing. She rushed out in a single stride.
"Gordan, you misunderstood!" Yuno grabbed his sleeve, heart pounding.
"Explain clearly!" Gordan rarely lost his temper.
"Miss Sasha said she's not married, she has no husband, no male companions! Her family met with misfortune, and she escaped here to survive. She's alone, with no one to rely on. This is exactly when she needs warmth. Gordan, this is a golden opportunity. You really should take it!" Yuno blurted everything out in one breath.
What? Sasha has no husband, no male companions? How's that possible?
"Yuno, don't talk nonsense!" Gordan forced down the hope in his heart and kept his expression stern.
"It's true! Think about it, if Sasha had a husband and male companions, why would she be wandering alone in the bamboo forest? Besides, she has no reason to lie to us. We don't even look like we're worth deceiving." Yuno's last words were practically whispered.
Silence settled thick in the air. After a long pause, Gordan turned and looked down, saying, "Yuno, don't bring up what you just said again. If Sasha hears it, she might think I'm plotting something. By the way, where are the eggs and vegetables?"
"I'll go get them now." Seeing Gordan's serious face, Yuno quickly ran to the kitchen, grabbed a ribbon fish, and dashed out the door.
Along the way, he tried to figure out which sentence he wasn't supposed to repeat. He couldn't work it out. Scholars are always reserved. Gordan had bought more things for a woman than he'd ever bought for himself. His intentions couldn't be more obvious. If he liked her, he should pursue her. That's how the stories go. Tomorrow, he'd definitely go into town and find some "remedies" to help Gordan see things clearly.
Inside the room, Sasha sat for a while. She felt it wasn't right to just eat their food for free. Her eyes drifted toward the bookshelf. After hesitating, she got up, pulled out two blank sheets of paper, and slipped them into her shoes for padding.
Once she had money, she would repay her benefactor with double.
The countryside house wasn't very large. After passing through two small gates, she reached the front yard.
In her sight was a silhouette in deep blue, like a tall bamboo bathed in orange candlelight. Shadows danced across his figure. He gave off an almost celestial aura. Sasha couldn't help but wonder what his face looked like.
"Gordan, let me help you." Sasha stepped forward, reaching to take the bowls from his hands.
A sharp sound rang out, breaking the quiet air.
Sasha froze, her eyes falling to the shattered porcelain at her feet. Embarrassed, she bent down.
"Miss Sasha, don't move, I'll handle it." Gordan squatted down before she could and carefully picked up each shard.
"Did I startle you? I'm sorry."
She meant well but messed up. Their first proper interaction, and she'd left a bad impression. Sasha grew anxious, hoping Gordan would be kind enough not to blame her.
Her gaze drifted to his hair, a few strands falling naturally over his chest, catching the candlelight with a soft gleam.
Gordan looked up and met her eyes — eyes like stars and oceans, clear and full of mystery and charm.
"Are you alright, Gordan?" Sasha noticed him frozen, staring at her. Her eyes flickered, and her cheeks turned red.
Gordan looked even better than she imagined.
His features were sharp. His brows stretched like distant mountains, his face carved like a statue. His calm eyes seemed to read one's heart, giving off a warm, comforting feeling. It was hard to describe. Maybe what the poem meant by "a gentleman as warm as jade" was exactly someone like him.
"Gordan, the eggs and cabbage are here. Aunt Xu also gave us a rooster, a basket of green onions, and wild ginger."
The sudden voice shattered the awkward silence.
Yuno saw the shards in Gordan's hands, quickly took them, and tossed them away. Then he rushed to cook scrambled eggs with cabbage.
At the dinner table, the three of them didn't speak.
Sasha knew ancient people followed the rule "no talking while eating or sleeping," so she held back her questions.
Seeing she hadn't eaten much, Gordan pushed the red-braised pork and scrambled eggs toward her.
Yuno, noticing Gordan's hesitation, directly picked up several large pieces of meat and eggs and placed them in Sasha's bowl. It nearly tipped from the weight.
She was indeed very hungry, but... the taste made it hard to eat.
Yuno had given her so much, how could she refuse?
Take the red-braised pork, for example. The strong smell alone made her queasy. Yet they were eating it with delight. She started to doubt her own taste buds.
And the scrambled eggs with cabbage — it was the first time she'd tasted sweet scrambled eggs.
Why? Why were scrambled eggs sweet? Was it a mistake? But judging by how fast they were eating, probably not. Was it normal in this world to cook scrambled eggs with sugar?
"Sasha, don't hold back, eat more," Yuno said with a warm smile.
Gordan meant the same, but he couldn't say it so naturally like Yuno. A faint blush colored the corners of his eyes. His mind was full of the same thought — Sasha wasn't married, had no husband, no male companions. He couldn't help himself from asking what he really wanted to know.
Both Sasha and Yuno froze.
The sudden question made things awkward.
"Yes," she replied firmly.
But why were her benefactor and Yuno so determined to confirm she wasn't married? Could it be that Gordan wanted her to repay his kindness by giving herself to him?
Her face turned pale by three shades.
Even though Gordan had saved her and paid for a doctor, Sasha still had to return home. She couldn't stay here forever.
But right now, her foot was injured and she didn't have a single coin. She would likely have to rely on them again later, and the thought made her anxious.
Silence is a kind of wisdom. Playing dumb is a kind of skill. From now on, those two phrases were going to be her life mottos.
Two days later, Sasha's foot had completely healed.
During that time, Gordan seemed really busy. He didn't even come home for dinner.
Sasha was never the type to pry, but she worried whether her benefactor might be in trouble, so she asked anyway.
"Yuno, why hasn't Mr. Gordan been home these past two days?"
Yuno put down the work in his hands and replied with a smile, "Sasha, he went to town to look for a shop."
"He wants to start a business?" Sasha was surprised. She had heard from Yuno that Gordan was a student at Songshan Academy. Was he planning to give up his studies and go into business?
Seeing her shocked expression, Yuno explained further.
He didn't go into great detail, but she could still understand the situation.
It turned out Gordan had been kicked out of his family home because he refused an arranged marriage. He came to this small village with just 300 taels in his pocket, bringing Yuno along by carriage.
The small courtyard they were renting cost only 200 wen a month, so they had signed a one-year lease immediately because it was cheap.
Living requires money at every turn — firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea.
They sold Gordan's fancy sandalwood carriage for 3,000 taels. That money should've been enough to last them quite a while, but Sasha could tell from Yuno's hesitant expression that the money was already running low. That's probably why Gordan decided to start a business.
"Yuno, what kind of shop is he looking for?"
"A restaurant, maybe. He's a great cook, and I can make a few dishes too. Running a small restaurant should be enough to get by," Yuno said proudly. "You've tasted his cooking these past couple of days. Pretty tempting, right?"
Sasha stayed silent, lowering her head slightly to hide the surprise in her eyes.
Gordan's cooking could support a restaurant? If she hadn't experienced it herself, she never would've believed it.
"Is Mr. Gordan home?"
Suddenly, a sweet and delicate female voice came from outside the gate.
"Sasha, quick, go back to your room. Don't let anyone see you," Yuno said nervously.
Why?
Before Sasha could ask, Yuno had already run off. She had no choice but to retreat into her room and quietly peek out through a small crack in the window.
Creak — the door opened, and a figure in pale yellow stepped into the courtyard, holding a basket of eggs.
"Yuno, is Mr. Gordan home?" Wanda peeked around, glancing at both side rooms. The white powder on her face had already cracked.
Yuno resisted the urge to laugh and said, "Miss Wanda, he's not home. Did your mother send you to deliver eggs?" He pulled out ten copper coins and handed them to her. Last time, Aunt Xu had traded them a lot of food, and he still felt a bit guilty about it.
"Ah, it's just a few eggs. No need to be so formal, we're neighbors. Take them!" Wanda shoved the basket into his arms and asked again, "When will Mr. Gordan be back?"
Two days ago, a chance encounter had stirred her feelings.
Gordan's looks were not just impressive for Lin Village — even in the whole of Mistywater Town, he was one of the most attractive men around.
She was twenty-one this year and unmarried. Her mother said Gordan was a year older. Their ages were a perfect match.
This little courtyard might be small, old, and even rented, but she didn't mind that he was poor. At worst, she could marry more husbands later.
(In Dayong, when a woman marries, the groom's family must offer a generous dowry. If the woman is especially fond of someone, she may even waive the dowry.)
"I'm not really sure," Yuno replied. "Are you looking for him for something important? I can pass along a message."
Sincerity is the ultimate weapon. Wanda felt flustered under Yuno's clear, honest gaze and gave an awkward little laugh.
As she turned to leave, her eyes landed on a vintage long-sleeved dress drying in the courtyard, and she couldn't take her eyes off it.
"So beautiful," she whispered to herself.
She scanned the side rooms again, and noticed that the window of the west room was slightly ajar.
"That's Mr. Gordan's new robe," Yuno said, stepping sideways to block her view.
What? That belonged to Gordan?
That caught Wanda off guard. She slowly looked away, gave Yuno a quick glance, then left.