Gu Shiliu exited through the side door, and after a few steps, he arrived at the entrance of Gu Jingcheng’s house.
The door plaque was quite new, with the two big characters for Gu Mansion engraved on it.
The Dingbei Marquis Mansion was constructed by royal decree, with the scale and size determined by official records. It could not be sold or sublet. As long as there was someone from the Dingbei Marquis Mansion family, the plaque must remain.
Sectioning off the street-facing courtyard of the Dingbei Marquis Mansion to create a separate household was technically a violation, but no one was going to trouble themselves to enforce it.
"Is anyone there?"
Gu Shiliu knocked on the door knocker.
Someone inside responded and came to open the door.
Gu Jingcheng’s household was not as strict as the Marquis Mansion; the gatekeeper and the one who cleaned the courtyard were just old servants.
"Who is it?"
The old servant leaned out halfway to look and immediately smiled, saying, "So it’s Master Sixteen, please come in. Are you here to see our master?"
The door was then fully opened.
In the courtyard, a group of household servants and nannies turned to look over.
Gu Shiliu quickly scanned the area and smiled, "Is Mr. Cheng home? Is Madam Cheng home? I’m just here to see if Young Master Pang and the young lady are comfortable with their living arrangements. There’s no need to disturb too many people."
This was a two-entry courtyard, with a line of servant rooms, a stable, and a dog kennel along the outer wall.
Though small, it had all necessary amenities.
Qin Yuan had it arranged very comfortably, with the experienced Mrs. Cai and Housekeeper Cao in charge.
"Mr. Cheng has gone to the Military Department for duty, but Madam is home," the old servant whispered, "Madam is seeing the doctor, who was recommended by the Marquis Mansion, and is said to have excellent medical skills."
"Oh?" Gu Shiliu couldn’t help raising an eyebrow, smiling, "Is it Doctor Li?"
The old servant nodded, "He just took one look at the injury on my foot and knew what to do. He gave me some ointment, saying if it’s applied now, it won’t hurt as much by winter. He said this old ailment is best treated in summer; it’s too late now, but he recommended treating it next summer during the hottest days."
Gu Shiliu knew Doctor Li’s medical skills were high, but he didn’t expect them to be this high.
"Then my old mother can also have a look. In the past, whenever the Marquis Mansion called for an Imperial Physician, my old mother benefitted from it too, but it never healed her. In winter, she could only get by with hot salt bags for heat therapy. I hadn’t expected it could be cured."
The old servant laughed, "Doctor Li is not as difficult to consult as an Imperial Physician. Even if the master of the house doesn’t send an invitation, I can just go to their medical clinic. And Doctor Li’s young apprentice, Xiao Dong, is extremely clever, and said he wanted to draw my foot so that others could learn how to treat this condition. They say teaching an apprentice starves the master, but he’s not secretive at all—truly generous."
Gu Shiliu just smiled.
As they talked, someone came to lead Gu Shiliu into the front hall.
The Qi Family’s old lady was sitting there waiting for her consultation. Hearing footsteps, she smiled and said, "Master Sixteen, is there something you need?"
"How did you know it was me? Can you see now?"
Gu Shiliu was astonished.
The Qi Family’s old lady had been blind for quite some time. Although she had improved enough to undergo acupuncture, it had only been a few days—could she already recognize people?
Old Lady Qi had unfocused eyes and shook her head blankly, "I still can’t see. Didn’t you hear your footsteps and recognize them?"
Gu Shiliu: "..."
He was someone who practiced martial arts, and usually walked very quietly. Moreover, there were many people in the mansion, many of whom also practiced martial arts. How did Old Lady Qi discern his footsteps from all the rest?
Truly remarkable.
Gu Shiliu was deeply impressed.
After some conversation, Pang Cheng and Pang Yu came out to greet Gu Shiliu.
Because Gu Shiliu had been sent by their elders, the two children stood up to listen to him, only sitting down after he had delivered his message.
Gu Shiliu asked if they were accustomed to their new living arrangements and advised them to be filial to their adoptive parents, be obedient and not mischievous. He also asked if they had any messages they wanted him to pass on.
Pang Cheng said, "Thank you for your concern, adoptive father and mother. My sister and I have just settled in and will visit the Marquis Mansion to pay our respects once we have time. Our parents treat us very well; those who serve us are old servants from the Marquis Mansion, so there’s nothing we’re lacking. However, both my sister and I need to study, and we don’t know how that will be arranged?"
Pang Yu looked at Gu Shiliu pitifully.
Gu Shiliu laughed, "Oh, is that all it is? When you were at the Marquis Mansion, the Marquis had agreed to hire a tutor for the young master. However, this matter ... now can’t bypass your parents. You’ve only just moved here; you need to get accustomed first. I heard Sister-in-law Cheng plans to hold a housewarming banquet, so she’ll likely be busy in the coming days. It’s probably best for the young master to wait a few days before bringing it up, don’t you think?"
Pang Cheng could only nod.
Seeing there wasn’t much use in speaking to Gu Shiliu, and unable to obtain any news from the Marquis Mansion, Pang Cheng and Pang Yu lost interest in engaging with him, and soon began clamoring to leave.