Master Ouyang, after listening, felt quite intrigued and said, "I have never tasted a farmer’s flowing feast. Tomorrow, I must go and enjoy a meal."

"Master Ouyang wants to go? That’s wonderful. I’ll make proper arrangements when I return, ensuring the Master enjoys himself." Gu Jin’an was delighted; he wanted to interact more with Master Ouyang now. After all, unless he received Master Ouyang’s approval, he could only hope—otherwise, everything was just wishful thinking.

Master Ouyang waved his hand with a smile, saying, "I’m just going to eat a flowing feast. No need to make it overly grand—just treat me like an ordinary farmer."

Gu Dexing laughed, thinking if Brother Wang were present, he would surely mock Master Ouyang, saying how he left behind a life of wealth to become a farmer, truly acting out of leisure, seeking trouble for himself.

Master Ouyang, seeing Gu Dexing laugh, snorted and took out paper and pen, writing two words down. He handed it to Gu Dexing and said, "Take this back. Tomorrow morning, give it to Brother Wang and tell him this is his homework for tomorrow."

Startled, Gu Dexing took the paper, opened it, and was bewildered: "Master, such essays are difficult even for me to start—isn’t it too challenging for Brother Wang?"

Master Ouyang said, "That’s precisely the intention—to challenge him. Who told that kid to always agitate the old me?"

Gu Dexing: "..."

He felt it was his laugh that brought misfortune to Brother Wang. Brother Wang, sorry—tomorrow, while everyone is joyfully eating, you will have to write essays.

Gu Jin’an laughed aloud, "Seeing the Master so joyous, I am relieved."

As long as Master Ouyang liked Brother Wang, he would be willing to stay and continue teaching them. This way, he could see Miss Ouyang.

Speaking of Miss Ouyang, Gu Jin’an turned his head toward the courtyard gate, looking in the direction of the back house... Behind the tightly locked second gate of the back house, there stood a tall cotton tree. At this moment, the towering tree had only a few sporadic cotton flowers left, yet their colors remained strikingly vibrant.

Like her... Originally a flower inside high walls, yet able to stand tall like a mountain, and when danger approached, she could ride swiftly and shoot arrows to save him.

Gu Jin’an looked at that cotton tree and slowly smiled, eyes aglow... Though strong, in his eyes, she was still a vibrant little flower.

He aspired to grow into a banyan tree taller than the cotton flowers, to shield her from the wind and rain and protect her all her life.

"Good Brother An, what are you looking at?" Master Ouyang approached, seeing Gu Jin’an gazing at the cotton flowers inside the second gate, saying, "Though it’s late spring cotton, the blooming season has passed—there’s nothing much to see."

Gu Jin’an shook his head, "No, it’s just right now."

Just right?

Master Ouyang gave him a look suggesting he was being foolish.

Gu Jin’an and the others stayed at the Ouyang family until late afternoon, near sunset, before picking up Brother Cheng and the Gu Dewang siblings and heading home.

Though he didn’t see Miss Ouyang today, Gu Jin’an wasn’t discouraged. As he said, it’s just right now, and there is a long time ahead. He can wait.

...

Gu Jinli was curious and had been waiting at home for Gu Jin’an. Seeing her elder brother return, she approached and asked, "How was it? Was there any progress?"

Gu Jin’an glanced at her, grabbed the stone-breaking bow, and handed it to her: "This is a return gift from Third Miss for you. Hold it well; it’s quite heavy."

The stone-breaking bow was a bow and arrow used in battles, a strong bow made to military weapon standards; hence it was very heavy.

However, Gu Jinli was quite strong; she received it with one hand, pulled the bowstring, released it with a bang, and immediately heard the string hum. She smiled, "Good bow!"

Praising it, she looked at Gu Jin’an and said, "Big brother, next time you go to the Ouyang family, thank Third Sister for me."

Gu Jin’an’s face became slightly warm, "Third Miss is a lady from the inner chambers. How could I possibly meet her? You should thank her yourself."

Gu Jinli raised her eyebrows—didn’t see Miss Ouyang?

Indeed, noble families have many rules. Visiting Master Ouyang wouldn’t allow seeing Miss Ouyang.

She sighed, "What a pity."

Her "what a pity" nearly annoyed Gu Jin’an. Xiao Yu, this girl, loves teasing him knowing his thoughts.

"Here’s the return gift from Third Miss for Elder Sister, you take it all back to give to Elder Sister." Gu Jin’an threw the Jingyun Silk at Gu Jinli and stopped paying her attention, heading to his room to change clothes.

Gu Jinli stopped Brother Cheng and asked, "Will anyone from the Ouyang family attend our flowing feast tomorrow?"

Her invitation had long been sent to the Ouyang family, also inviting the two Miss Ouyangs, but ladies from noble families might not easily come.

Brother Cheng replied, "Master Ouyang will come."

That means the two ladies won’t come.

Sigh, trouble. It seems Big Brother’s path to winning his wife is still long and arduous.

But Gu Jinli could do nothing—she couldn’t rush to the Ouyang family’s back house and take Ouyang Ming’s hand, saying, "Sister-in-law, my brother fancies you, please marry him!"

"Woof woof woof!" Da Gou rushed in, dropped a dead rabbit at Gu Jinli’s feet with a thud, holding its wolf head high, and barked arrogantly at her.

Gu Jinli looked at its "I’m the boss" stance, scoffed dismissively, "Just one rabbit? You’re too useless."

"Woof woof woof!" Da Gou was very angry; though it couldn’t understand what this human woman was saying, her disdainful expression was surely belittling it.

"Don’t eat here—avoid staining the floor with rabbit blood." Gu Jinli no longer paid attention to Da Gou and carried the stone-breaking bow and Jingyun Silk back to the courtyard. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Da Gou was infuriated, howling several times.

Third Grandma heard, and came out wielding a broom, scolding, "Da Gouzi, why are you howling again? Stop it, Gui Niu is here, don’t scare her into crying again."

She looked around and asked, "Where’s Er Gouzi? Why isn’t it back with you? Brother Cheng, you go find it. Make sure it hasn’t trampled the Mingya Grass again—if it does, Second Sister will chop them up."

"Don’t worry, Third Grandma. Second Sister has already disciplined them last time; Da Gou and Er Gou are clever—they won’t fight in the Mingya Grass anymore." Brother Cheng said, but still got up to take Da Gou to find Er Gou.

Near dusk, Da Feng Village was bustling as everyone prepared for tomorrow’s flowing feast. The feast was to be held on the open grounds outside the workshop house.

The news of Gu Jin’an and the others passing the scholar exams had caused a stir throughout He’an Prefecture, and folks from ten miles and eight villages had long wished to attend the feast. But with too many people, and some households at the village’s end having unmarried girls, several families decided to set the feast in the workshop yard, thus avoiding the risk of their daughters being jostled.

In addition to the workshop yard, Gu Jinli’s house would also set several tables exclusively for hosting the lady guests from Scholar Shang’s family, the Jiang Family, the Xu Family, and the Yuan Family.