Fuguo’er slowly shook his head beside him, lamenting, "Those who recognize the times are wise. Brother Heng still doesn’t know how strong she is. Although my little aunt’s skills aren’t among the top three in our residence, they’re more than enough to deal with a weak scholar like you."
Qin Heng was unmoved and tilted his head, saying, "One must know that wealth and power cannot corrupt, and force cannot... ouch, ouch... please, please, Auntie, dear sister, can’t I just speak up?"
Gu Baoshu snorted in satisfaction, withdrew her two fingers, and said nonchalantly, "Look at you, wouldn’t it have been better to speak earlier and save yourself some pain?"
Qin Heng grinned, his smile more pained than joyous, and said, "Auntie, Sister Baozhu, I really yield to you, your polo skills are formidable enough, but how are your hand skills so impressive too."
Gu Baoshu winked and asked with a smile, "Force cannot bend?"
Qin Siyuan couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
Qin Heng remained stubborn, "Don’t think I’m afraid of you. I just thought, if I can have your skills to help me, this matter will surely succeed."
Qin Yuan couldn’t help but laugh too.
In this lifetime, Qin Heng had early on shown a talent for stubborn resistance.
Gu Baoshu said, "You say that, but I’m quite busy, you know, and may not help you."
Qin Heng softened his voice to plead, "A good person goes all the way, delivering a Buddha to the west. You’ve already saved my elder cousin once, so it wouldn’t hurt to do it again."
Upon hearing it was related to Qin Siyuan, Gu Baoshu’s eyes rolled, and she said, "Then you speak first, let me hear."
Being involved, Qin Siyuan questioned curiously, "How does this matter involve me?"
Qin Heng rubbed his own wrist, lamenting, "Could it be, elder brother, that you think those people just happened to pass by today and suddenly wanted to trouble you?"
Qin Siyuan was taken aback by the words.
Qin Yuan immediately said, "Alright, why don’t we all sit in the hall and discuss it slowly."
Gu Baoshu became interested and took Sister Lan’s small hand, saying, "Third sister-in-law is right, let’s sit down and deliberate. Rest assured, if anyone deliberately opposes Brother Siyuan, I, who always likes to act chivalrously, will not stand by idly."
Sister Lan swayed her little pigtail, and said crisply, "My little aunt is the heroine whom all the noble ladies of the Capital City admire. She loves to act chivalrously and scolds injustice wherever she sees it. With my little aunt stepping in, bad people will surely know her wrath."
Qin Yuan amusedly glanced at Gu Baoshu.
Qin Heng immediately raised his thumb, complimenting, "I knew you’re warmhearted. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have helped out for my elder cousin Siyuan so many times."
Gu Baoshu blushed but was clearly pleased, immediately saying, "Oh! It’s just that I can’t watch my kin suffer since third sister-in-law is here."
"That’s right," Qin Heng said earnestly, "Then I can’t watch my cousin Siyuan get harmed by the Xu family."
Qin Siyuan said, "...I, I’ve barely spoken a few words to the Xu family, they... they... where does this rumor come from?"
Gu Baoshu puffed her cheeks, stood her striking brows, and sighed, "Brother Qin may have read many books, but he doesn’t understand the ways of ruffians in the market. The Gu Family and the Xu Family went to court over my sixth sister-in-law’s dowry silver and there were muddled incidents like the disappearance of my sixth sister-in-law’s niece... It’s a long story; let’s slowly unravel it."
Fuguo’er, witty beyond his years, made an embarrassed face, shaking his head, "Such misfortune in the family, letting the brothers of the Qin Family laugh at us."
Everyone called out each other’s names, the relationships had already gotten impossibly confusing.
The group entered the hall, Mo Zhu quickly instructed someone to bring tea, everyone sat down, and Xiao Dong frowned and asked, "Isn’t Xu Tang the one who plays ball in the palace so well that he won the Emperor’s favor and was allowed to stay and live in the palace?"
Qin Heng said curiously, "How does Xiao Dong know? Has he really become so famous?"
Xiao Dong said, "He plays ball in the palace, to amuse the Emperor, he injured his opponent’s ankle, and no one could heal it for a long time. Somehow he sought out Renhe Hall, where my master saw that he had iron shards hidden in his shoes, causing such severe injuries, his behavior was too sinister."
Qin Heng clenched his hands tightly, saying, "He acts dominantly in the ball club, but hasn’t been this vicious."
Xiao Dong said, "Of course, that’s because the ball club members aren’t as good as him, he seeks to gather people’s loyalty, there’s no need to be so vile."
Having followed Doctor Li in and out of residences, Xiao Dong understood people’s ways better than Qin Heng.
Gu Baoshu said, "I heard many young men in the Xu family are involved in market dealings, inevitably picking up some bad habits. It’s difficult to guard against Brother Qin being targeted by such people."
Qin Yuan frowned.
Marquis Gu once said he would send some people to protect the Qin family to prevent them from getting involved. She had also sent word to the Qin family to keep their distance from the Xu family, yet she didn’t know how Qin Siyuan got entangled with the Xu family and coincidentally encountered Gu Baoshu.