Chapter 190: Misheard or Intentional?

The full moon hung in the sky like a bright silver disk, casting layers of soft white light over Lexiang County, as if draping it in a translucent, shimmering veil.

In front of the Hu family’s courtyard, Gu Ning’an carried two bamboo baskets filled with fresh vegetables. Across from him, Old Master Hu, eyes hazy with intoxication, insisted on escorting him home. Gu Ning’an repeatedly declined, persuading the old man to go back instead.

It took quite some time before Old Master Hu finally relented.

Before leaving, Gu Ning’an reminded Hu Shi to make sure his grandfather drank plenty of hot tea. Then, stepping onto the moonlit ginkgo-lined path, he made his way back to his small courtyard.

The night was deep, yet the streets were not entirely empty. As Gu Ning’an walked along the road, he suddenly encountered a group of more than ten people—neighbors from Lexiang County—calling out the name “Little Niu” while fanning out in different directions, searching through the shadows of the alleys and street corners.

Noticing Gu Ning’an, an anxious-looking woman hurried over and asked, “Mr. Gu, have you seen my child? A boy, about this tall.”

“He was playing hide-and-seek with others and must have hidden somewhere—I just can’t find him!”

Gu Ning’an paused, thought for a moment, and then replied with a smile, “Don’t worry. He should be hiding inside the wooden cabinet at home.”

“Huh?”

“The cabinet? At home?”

The woman looked skeptical, but given Gu Ning’an’s reputation, she quickly thanked him and ran off, calling for her friends to follow her home.

“Hey! It’s the New Year—if you find him, don’t be too harsh! A light punishment will do!”

“Got it!”

Watching the woman clench her fists as she ran, Gu Ning’an chuckled. “Little Niu, I put in a good word for you. Let’s hope you get a few fewer smacks…”

Upon returning to his courtyard, Gu Ning’an stepped into his room, kicked off his shoes, and lay down on the bed. He made up his mind—tomorrow, he would sleep in until the sun was high in the sky.

When the sun was indeed high, Gu Ning’an, now well-rested, stretched lazily and sat up. Just as he was about to get up and make himself some food, a knocking sound came from the door.

Thud, thud, thud!

“Mr. Gu! Mr. Gu!”

“Are you home?”

“It’s me, Zheng De!”

Slipping on his shoes and opening the door, Gu Ning’an was met with a pair of dark, sleep-deprived eyes staring at him.

“Mr. Gu, you’re finally back!”

“Why didn’t you let me know? You almost missed a great occasion!”

Hearing the words “great occasion,” Gu Ning’an immediately realized that Zheng De’s child must have been born. Otherwise, he wouldn’t look both utterly exhausted and oddly energetic at the same time.

Whoosh!

A bright red invitation was pulled from Zheng De’s sleeve and handed over with both hands.

Gu Ning’an accepted it and flipped it open for a look.

“The Zheng family joyfully welcomes a daughter into the world. Mr. Gu is sincerely invited to attend the full-month banquet!”

“The banquet will be held on the fourth day of the first lunar month!”

The invitation was handwritten, and the ink had yet to fully dry—clearly, it had been prepared just moments ago.

Moreover, the handwriting, an odd mix of cursive and regular script reminiscent of modern-day styles, was unmistakably Zheng De’s.

The fourth day of the first lunar month… that’s tomorrow.

Gu Ning’an cupped his hands and said, “Congratulations, Brother Zheng, on your precious daughter!”

“Ah, you’re too kind, Mr. Gu…” Zheng De chuckled. “Mr. Gu, are you free today?”

Gu Ning’an nodded. “I have no plans.”

“That’s great!” Zheng De bowed. “Mr. Gu, could you help me collect the gift money?”

“Hmm?”

“Many thanks, Mr. Gu!”

Without bothering to decipher the tone of Gu Ning’an’s “hmm,” Zheng De swiftly closed the courtyard gate behind them and pulled him along toward his home.

On the way, Zheng De shared details about his life after the birth of his child.

His daughter had been named Zheng Hanrui¹—since she was born in the first lunar month, a time brimming with auspicious energy, they chose “Hanrui” as her name.

As for her nickname, they called her “Little Grape” because her eyes were so big and round, resembling a pair of plump purple grapes. The name came naturally.

After the baby was born, Zheng De’s mother-in-law came over to help take care of Tan Bing during her postpartum recovery. Meanwhile, he himself had been running back and forth, tending to his daughter—feeding her, changing diapers, and handling all the mess.

Newborns were the hardest to take care of. They woke up almost every hour—either hungry, needing a diaper change, or simply uncomfortable and wanting to adjust their sleeping position.

As a result, Zheng De hadn’t gotten a single full night’s sleep since the birth, and the dark circles under his eyes had only grown heavier by the day.

Now, with Little Grape’s full-month banquet coinciding with the New Year, he was so busy that his feet barely touched the ground.

If the baby hadn’t just fallen asleep and was now in her mother’s care, he wouldn’t have had the time to come find Gu Ning’an at all.

On top of that, Tan Bing’s extended family—her many aunts and distant relatives—had all arrived for the celebration, making his home a chaotic mess. He had to take care of both the young and the old, leaving him utterly overwhelmed.

And now, with the banquet happening tomorrow, Zheng De knew he would have no time to collect the gift money. But skipping that would be a massive loss—after all, he had married and had a child late, meaning he had already given out red envelopes at countless weddings and baby celebrations over the years.

Now that it was finally his turn, he couldn’t afford to miss this chance to recover some of that money, especially since he was in desperate need of funds after the birth.

Unfortunately, none of his relatives could help with this task. Some were simply unwilling, others feared being blamed if any money went missing, and some might even try to pocket a little for themselves if left in charge.

Thus, Zheng De thought of Gu Ning’an—if he was free, he might be able to lend a hand.

“Oh, right, Mr. Gu.”

“Has that kid Little Niu ever caused trouble for you?”

As they walked, Zheng De suddenly asked the question out of nowhere.

“Little Niu?” Gu Ning’an furrowed his brows. “You mean the one who hid while playing hide-and-seek last night? I’ve never even met him.”

“Huh? Now that’s odd…”

Zheng De chuckled. “That kid got the beating of his life from his mother last night—I could hear it loud and clear even from three houses away.”

“She was scolding him as she hit him, saying—”

“So you don’t listen, huh? Hiding in the cabinet on New Year’s Eve, trying to scare everyone to death?! Do you know how long I spent looking for you?! I didn’t even get to eat dinner!”

“Mr. Gu himself said so— that you need a good beating, a real punishment to teach you a lesson!”

Hearing Zheng De’s vivid reenactment, Gu Ning’an smiled helplessly. “She must have misheard. What I actually said after finding him was—It’s New Year’s, don’t be too harsh. Just a light punishment will do.”

“Ohhh, so that’s what happened…”

Zheng De thought for a moment, then burst into laughter. “Ah well, whatever. She probably did mishear you… or maybe she just used you as an excuse to give the kid a proper thrashing.”

“You know what… that actually sounds like her. Back when she was younger, she once beat up her own husband just because she missed a meal. I was just a kid back then, and seeing her was enough to make me shake in fear…”