The Whole Family is Reborn, But I Transmigrated into a Book - Chapter 28

Li Qingge was pulled along by her friend, weaving through the market stall by stall, before she was finally granted a moment of peace.

“Chunhua, I’m truly fine. That lady just wasn’t looking where she was going,” Li Qingge said helplessly. She felt her friend was being far too overprotective.

“Who can say for sure?” Li Chunhua curled her lip. “She just walked away after hitting you. If something really were wrong, we’d never find her again. This road is wide enough for a carriage; of all people, she just happened to collide with you? If you tell me she didn’t do it on purpose, I don’t believe it.”

Li Qingge offered a resigned smile. “Why would she target me? We are total strangers. Chunhua, you’re overthinking it.”

Li Qingge wasn’t blind. She could see that the lady was no ordinary person. Any single piece of jewelry on that woman’s person, if sold at a shop, would likely cover her own family’s expenses for an entire year. Why would someone so wealthy go out of their way to provoke her?

Thinking of this, her mind drifted to Jian Fan back at home. She marveled at her own luck—that she was able to encounter such people.

Pushing her thoughts aside, she comforted her friend. “Alright, Chunhua, I know she didn’t mean it. She likely just didn’t see me. Besides, I told her I was fine before she left.”

Li Qingge still had errands to run and didn’t want to waste time on such a trifle. “Let’s hurry and finish our shopping. We can’t be late, or we’ll miss the ox cart back to the village.”

Though their village wasn’t far from the prefectural city, walking the distance on foot was still a grueling task. Li Chunhua remained disgruntled, but since Li Qingge had spoken, she let the matter drop.

Liu Qingyue, of course, hadn’t collided with Li Qingge on purpose. She was simply stunned by how easily she had stumbled upon the story’s heroine.

In the original novel, Li Qingge was kind and generous. Though her education was limited, she was instrumental in helping Gu Qing湛 win the hearts of the people. Unlike the high-and-mighty princes, Li Qingge understood the hardships of the common folk.

“Shuanghua, let’s head back and find your master.”

A plan was forming in Liu Qingyue’s mind. Though she wasn’t entirely sure how the current plot was unfolding, she knew that as the eldest prince’s relatives, they couldn’t miss his wedding—especially since they were already in the area. As for the child prodigy Jiang Shaocong she was looking for, he would surely appear when the time was right.

Shuanghua didn’t fully understand Liu Qingyue, but she followed orders. The Madam was unlike anyone she had ever met—vibrant, passionate, and utterly unpredictable. She didn’t follow the “rules” and, unlike typical noble daughters, was constantly brimming with eccentric ideas.

What was even more surprising was that Gu Qingjia seemed to accept every single one of those eccentricities.

“Husband,” Liu Qingyue said, her eyes sparkling when she found him. “I feel like we’ve seen enough of the city. One city street looks much like another. We haven’t visited the countryside yet; why don’t we go have a look?”

It was impossible to refuse her when she looked at him like that. Gu Qingjia nodded and agreed immediately.

“If that is what my Lady wishes, then we shall go. If it pleases you, we can even stay in a countryside courtyard for a few days.”

Though Gu Qingjia was fastidious about his lifestyle, he was more than capable of compromising for her.

“Really? You’re willing to stay in the countryside with me for a few days?”

Liu Qingyue looked at him in pleasant surprise. Had they not been in the middle of a public street, she likely would have grabbed his hand to express her joy. Gu Qingjia confirmed his answer again, leaving her elated.

“In that case, there’s no time like the present! Let’s prepare to set out.”

Liu Qingyue was a whirlwind of a woman, especially since Gu Qingjia indulged her every whim.

“My Lady is a bit too impatient,” he chuckled. “We at least need to return home and pack. Besides, if we are to live in the countryside, we have no house and no land there. We must let the servants arrange everything beforehand.”

His point was valid, though such preparations suggested they would be staying for more than just a day or two.

“Then let Yue Qing go,” Liu Qingyue said, moving to direct Gu Qingjia’s man. “Have him rent a courtyard in Li Family Village. We’ll stay there for ten days or so.”

Yue Qing instinctively looked at Gu Qingjia. After all, Gu Qingjia was his true master.

“Go on then,” Gu Qingjia said. “Do as the Madam says.”

If Yue Qing couldn’t even handle a simple task like renting a house, there was no reason for him to remain in his service. Despite his internal reluctance, Yue Qing accepted the task.

Liu Qingyue had lost all interest in window shopping. While they couldn’t become Gu Qingzhan’s neighbors immediately, she knew that once Yue Qing arrived in Li Family Village, he would undoubtedly recognize the Eldest Prince. As Gu Qingjia’s loyal servant, once Yue Qing found him, Gu Qingjia would follow.

She curled her lips into a hidden smile. She was quite looking forward to the meeting between the two brothers. Although they had never been on good terms, they were currently far from the imperial court, and Gu Qingzhan was desperate to keep his identity hidden. For now, they would have to interact simply as brothers.

As a fan of “Imperial Palace” web novels, Liu Qingyue had read the stories of every prince. She knew Gu Qingjia was a perennial background character, but she often wondered: if he had been born into a normal family, would he have been happier? Would he have been just as capable as his brothers? Now that they were stripped of their royal titles and status, she was curious to see how they would fare together, even if it was just a performance of hollow politeness.

Gu Qingjia had no idea what she was plotting. Seeing that she was done for the day, he escorted her back to their rented residence.

Just as they entered the courtyard, they were met by Jiang Fu.

Jiang Fu was undeniably a man sent by Prince Jiang. Gu Qingjia didn’t want him around, fearing he was a lingering threat. Seeing him now, Gu Qingjia couldn’t help but frown.

“Jiang Fu, what is it?” Gu Qingjia asked, his tone laced with impatience.

Jiang Fu acted as though he hadn’t heard the annoyance. “Master,” he said with a smile, “we have been in Jiangzhou for two days now. It doesn’t feel right for a servant like me to be idle every day. Is there anything you need me to do?”

Prince Jiang’s mission for Jiang Fu was to protect Gu Qingjia, but the Prince never took him along when he went out. Without the chance to follow, there was no chance to “protect”—or spy. Jiang Fu knew he had to create his own opportunities, so he had waited specifically for their return.

Gu Qingjia’s displeasure deepened, though he kept his face neutral.

“You’ve worked hard traveling with us. Just focus on resting for these two days. I will arrange work for you in due time.”

It was a blatant brush-off. Jiang Fu was not satisfied.

“I thank the Master for his consideration, but I am a thick-skinned man; I don’t feel the fatigue. Please feel free to command me if there is work to be done.”

Knowing he couldn’t easily shake the man off with mere words, Gu Qingjia was forced to come up with a random task to keep him occupied.