Chapter 337: 337. Your grandfather’s deterrence

Translator: 549690339

On the third day after Gu Ling arrived on the island, the lakeside cottage was built.

Qiao Cong worked day and night, coming over to help whenever he had time. At first, he thought Gu Liang didn’t understand, but later found that Gu Ling was even more skilled and efficient than him.

Cen Man also helped as much as she could within her abilities.

As for Su Liang, she only went there when it wasn’t too hot during the day, and they wouldn’t even let her lift a finger.

The lakeside cottage was surrounded by a waist-high bamboo fence, and Gu Ling personally made the fence himself, with a unique pattern designed by him, which looked much more beautiful than the one at Qiao Cong’s courtyard.

The cottage only had one room to live in. In addition, there was a kitchen, toilet, and a firewood shed, fully equipped.

Qiao Cong originally said that they shouldn’t build a kitchen on this side, and to let Qiuyue cook and send them the prepared food directly.

Gu Ling insisted.

At this moment, Su Liang was being held by Gu Ling while looking at the new house when Qiao Cong couldn’t help but say, “Su Liang is pregnant; she can’t cook or do heavy work, as it will tire her.”

Su Liang smiled, “Master, don’t worry, I won’t do it; I’ll let him do it.”

Qiao Cong was stunned, and Cen Man was also a little puzzled, “You want Gu Ling to cook? Can he cook?”

It was rare for men to know how to cook in this world, especially for men from distinguished noble families.

Su Liang casually said, “My husband, he can do everything!”

Qiao Cong and Cen Man shook their heads and sighed, feeling that their disciple had lost her senses because of Gu Liang…

Qiuyue was asked to bring one portion of each ingredient to the lakeside cottage, and she was immediately puzzled, “Will Miss Su cook by herself?”

Qiao Cong snorted, “She said Gu Ling will do it. I will keep an eye on them.”

If Su Liang secretly cooked for Gu Ling behind their backs, Qiao Cong would have a “chat” with Gu Ling.

Not far away, Nangong Qian, who was sunbathing, was surprised, “Grandfather, can my uncle’s husband cook?”

Qiao Cong walked over, picked up Nangong Qian, and sent her back to her room, “It doesn’t concern us, they’ve separated!”

However, the “separated” Qiao Cong secretly left the small courtyard and headed towards the lake, intending to see for himself who exactly was cooking.

As soon as Su Liang sat down on the small stool to add a piece of firewood, Gu Ling pulled her up, “This is uncomfortable to sit on.” He wanted to send her back to the room.

Su Liang refused, “No, I want to be here. We haven’t cooked together in a long time.”

Gu Ling looked around and asked Su Liang to wait for a moment. He returned to the room and moved the bamboo chair that Qiao Cong had made for Su Liang, with a soft cotton cushion on it, and placed it by the open kitchen window.

Su Liang sat in the spot Gu Ling arranged for her, a distance away from the stove, so she wouldn’t be smoked by the cooking fumes. Looking out the window, she saw the lush green bamboo forest.

Su Liang thought she saw a shadow flickering in the bamboo forest, but when she looked again, it was gone. She thought she must have been seeing things and assumed that if someone came, Gu Ling would definitely notice.

It was Qiao Cong.

He hid in the bamboo forest and saw Su Liang sitting by the kitchen window, but he couldn’t see Gu Ling.

After a while, smoke came out of the kitchen, and Su Liang had a teacup in her hand, drinking water.

A little later, Qiao Cong smelled a faint fragrance, but Su Liang remained seated all the time.

Qiao Cong waited patiently until Su Liang finally stood up, and soon saw her walking out of the kitchen with Gu Ling following and holding two plates.

The table in the courtyard was made of a large stone slab that Gu Ling had carried back from the beach, polished smooth and flat, and the stools were made of bamboo.

When Su Liang and Gu Ling were about to eat, Qiao Cong squinted his eyes to make sure the food wasn’t cooked by Su Liang.

Su Liang had just tried a piece of spare rib and was about to praise Gu Ling’s improved skills when she saw Qiao Cong walking in with a big bamboo shoot in his hand and his gaze fell on the food.

The courtyard was filled with the enticing aroma of food, and Qiao Cong was already a little surprised by the appearance and color of the food. It looked just like what Su Liang would make, even more delicate.

“I don’t know if it’s safe to eat, but I brought this for you anyway.” Qiao Cong put the bamboo shoot on the table.

“Master, would you like to try Gu Ling’s cooking?” Su Liang asked with a smile.

Qiao Cong was about to sit down when he heard Gu Ling say, “Not enough to eat.”

The atmosphere suddenly became subtle, and Qiao Cong left with a dark face.

Su Liang coughed lightly, “Great God, I originally planned to let him teach you the ultimate technique of Luoying Swordsmanship after he tasted your cooking.”

Gu Ling’s face was calm, “It’s fine if you teach me.”

“My swordsmanship isn’t up to par,” said Su Liang. “It would be better if he taught you.”

But Gu Ling didn’t give Qiao Cong any face, which made Su Liang’s plan difficult to carry out.

“Let’s talk about it later.” Gu Ling put another piece of ribs on Su Liang’s plate.

Cen Man heard footsteps, then Qiuyue said that the Master had returned, and it was time for dinner.

After Su Liang moved out, Cen Man moved into her old room.

“I thought you were going to stay there for dinner.” Cen Man started the conversation.

Qiao Cong snorted lightly, looking at the dishes prepared by Qiuyue, he felt that they were far inferior to those at Su Liang’s table.

Cen Man asked again, “Was it cooked by Su Liang, or is Gu Ling really good at cooking?”

“That kid can cook.” Qiao Cong told the truth.

Cen Man was quite surprised, “He really can do everything. He looks so good, no wonder Xiaoliang likes him.”

“You can’t even see him.” Qiao Cong snorted lightly.

Cen Man smiled, “He is indeed recognized as a beauty by everyone. Old Qiao, you were wrong about what happened before, it’s normal for Gu Ling to be unhappy with you. In both sentiment and reason, I think you should apologize to him first.”

Qiao Cong’s face turned dark, “Su Liang didn’t say anything!”

Cen Man shook her head, “Xiaoliang took you as his Master only because she had no other choice. You forced them to separate twice, if Gu Ling doesn’t hold a grudge and acts as if nothing happened, do you think that’s right? Why did Xiaoliang agree to not be your apprentice anymore after leaving the island? You were wrong, but you didn’t apologize and you can’t guarantee that you won’t make the same mistakes for your grandson and granddaughter in the future. On what grounds can you demand their sincere treatment of you?”

Qiao Cong slammed his chopsticks on the table, not eating anything, and got up and left.

Cen Man sighed, “Why all the fuss?”

…

Su Liang and Gu Ling finally returned to their peaceful and quiet lives. Although both knew they wouldn’t stay here for long, living in the present still brought them full happiness.

Gu Ling would go with Su Liang to fetch water from the courtyard when Su Liang went to give Nangong Qian acupuncture, as there was no well at the lakeside house.

At other times, Cen Man would occasionally come to talk to Su Liang, stay for a while, and leave without staying for a meal.

Su Liang was curious about Cen Man’s past. She must be a person with a story, she asked about Su Liang’s affairs, and always mentioned Qiao Cong, but she wouldn’t talk about her own affairs.

However, Su Liang never inquired further. She could feel Cen Man’s sincerity and kindness, and other things were not important.

After not seeing Qiao Cong for two days, Su Liang learned that he went shopping again and hadn’t returned.

Another day passed, and Qiao Cong came back, letting Qiuyue send things over to Su Liang and Gu Ling, and specifically found Cen Man to tell her about the current situation outside and asked her to inform Su Liang.

“Did you go to Jiaye City?” Cen Man was surprised. There was no need to go to Jiaye City just to buy things.

Qiao Cong nodded, “They have the desserts that Qianqian likes.”

Cen Man knew he was lying and didn’t admit that he went there for Su Liang, “I don’t know anything about the outside world and people. I’m afraid I can’t explain it clearly, you should tell Xiaoliang.”

Qiao Cong wanted to say something more, but Cen Man entered the room and closed the door.

Qiao Cong frowned and stood for a while. Turning back, he saw Qiuyue returning after sending the items.

“Master, I have sent the items to Miss Su. Mr. Gu made a little rabbit out of bamboo, and it looks really nice!” Qiuyue said with a smile.

Qiao Cong didn’t say anything and went back to his room.

Qiuyue was puzzled, feeling that Qiao Cong seemed angry, but who was he angry at? No one offended him!

Qiuyue felt that Gu Ling was a magical person. Even though he was a nobleman from a prestigious family, he could cook delicious dishes, do laundry, and was skillful in all kinds of chores. Moreover, his martial arts skills were amazing, making him incredibly perfect.

Qiuyue thought no wonder her lady had been captivated by him.

However, to Qiuyue, Gu Ling was like the moon in the sky, untouchable. She knew her status was low and never dared to have improper thoughts.

But she believed that Gu Ling and Su Liang were a match made in heaven, the so-called “fairy couple.”

Qiuyue dared not mention this to Nangong Qian, but couldn’t help confiding in the gentle Cen Man, using all the beautiful words she knew.

Finally, Qiuyue mentioned Qiao Cong, “It seems that Master is in a bad mood lately, and I don’t know why.”

Cen Man shook her head, “Nobody annoyed him.” He was just angry at himself.

At dusk, Su Liang and Gu Ling were having dinner when a figure appeared outside the fence, silently watching them.

As Su Liang was imagining her future life with children, she suddenly saw Qiao Cong and hesitated, “Master, is something wrong?”

Qiao Cong didn’t intend to come in, but spoke to Su Liang across the fence, “Is Qian’s health still dependent on you?”

Su Liang stood up and walked over, “It’s stable for now. The interval between acupuncture treatments has increased, and after this month, it won’t be needed anymore. She can rely on medicine.”

Qiao Cong nodded, “Alright. After this month, if you want to leave, you can.”

Su Liang hadn’t expected Qiao Cong to come especially for this, but was still thrilled, “We’ll discuss whether to leave or not.”

“I’m sorry for everything before.” Qiao Cong looked at Su Liang and said.

“I know it wasn’t Master’s intention.” Su Liang replied.

“If he wants to learn Luoying Swordsmanship, I can teach him.” Qiao Cong glanced at Gu Ling, who was eating.

Su Liang’s eyes brightened, “That’s great! I’ve been thinking about this, but I couldn’t find Master these past few days.”

Saying this, Su Liang waved for Gu Ling to come over.

Gu Ling put down his chopsticks and walked over, his arm naturally wrapping around Su Liang’s waist. He liked this position, being able to embrace her with a hook of his arm.

“Master just said he can teach you the ultimate techniques of Luoying Swordsmanship. You should learn from him tonight.” Su Liang thought this was very important. It was rare for Qiao Cong to apologize and show goodwill, and they couldn’t miss this opportunity.

As the sky darkened, Qiao Cong squinted at Gu Ling, and Gu Ling looked back at him.

Qiao Cong thought that if Gu Ling refused, it would be fine. He had never tried to please anyone so much in his life, not even Nangong Lin, who always wanted to learn from him.

“Alright.” Gu Ling nodded indifferently.

Qiao Cong snorted lightly, “I’m doing this for the sake of my grand-disciple in Su Liang’s womb so that you can protect mother and child.”

Truth be told.

But Gu Ling said, “So am I.”

Qiao Cong was left speechless and hummed coldly before turning to leave, but Su Liang called out, “Wait, Master!”

Qiao Cong turned around to see Su Liang returning to the table and back quickly, handing him a plump white steamed bun with a smile, “This is a meat bun made by Gu Ling. Taste it, Master. It’s a thank you gift for teaching him swordsmanship.”

Qiao Cong glared at Su Liang, “Is one bun really enough for my ultimate sword techniques?”

Su Liang’s smile deepened, “This is a meat bun made by my beautiful and talented husband. Not everyone can have one. If Master doesn’t want it, that’s fine.”

Qiao Cong snatched it quickly, “Why wouldn’t I want it?” Then he stormed off with the bun in hand.

As he entered the bamboo forest, Qiao Cong took a bite and squinted his eyes, finishing the bun in just a few bites before cursing, “She only gave me one, so stingy!”

That night, Gu Ling planned to visit Qiao Cong after Su Liang fell asleep.

Qiao Cong waited for a while but saw no one, so he took the initiative to visit the lakeside courtyard.

After sitting in the courtyard for a while, he finally saw Gu Ling come out.

“If you don’t want to learn, just say so!” Qiao Cong was really annoyed.

Gu Ling shook his head, “Speak quietly, don’t wake her up.”

Qiao Cong: …

Su Liang’s Luoying Swordsmanship, which was taught by Gu Ling, has limited foundation and can no longer improve.

However, Gu Ling’s swordsmanship, learned from Nangong Lin, is now not inferior to his own.

After exchanging moves with Gu Ling, Qiao Cong had to admit, “You have a high level of comprehension.” Gu Ling had integrated his original swordsmanship and created new sword techniques that were close to being true ultimate moves, but they still needed some polishing.

Without wasting any words, Qiao Cong simply demonstrated an ultimate move and asked, “Did you remember?”

As soon as the words fell, Gu Ling reproduced the move without any error and at a not slow pace.

Qiao Cong felt that this was supposed to be his real disciple… However, he knew that Gu Ling did not care for him, he couldn’t say this out loud.

“I’ll come back tomorrow at this time to exchange moves with you.” Qiao Cong left after saying the words.

He stopped at the edge of the bamboo forest, and saw an elegant figure on the lakeside, practicing with the sword flashing.

Qiao Cong muttered, “What a monster.”

When Gu Ling finished practicing the sword and returned to his room, Su Liang woke up.

“How was it?” Su Liang asked.

Gu Ling gently touched Su Liang’s hair, “Not bad.”

“Would Nangong Lin be angry to death if he knew that his father-in-law taught you the ultimate technique of the Luoying Swordsmanship for a meat bun?” Su Liang laughed softly.

Gu Ling shook his head, “It’s not just for the meat bun.”

Su Liang rubbed her belly, “Our baby is just a little meat bun. We still don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl.”

“Either is good, I will love both.” Gu Ling gently patted Su Liang, “Go to sleep.”

The next day, Cen Man learned that Qiao Cong had apologized to Su Liang and Gu Ling and had taught Gu Ling the ultimate sword technique. She breathed a sigh of relief. She really didn’t want to break the harmony that is happening now, and luckily Qiao Cong wasn’t so confused.

As for the news Qiao Cong investigated in Jiaye City earlier, there was nothing special. There were no conflicts on the surface between the three countries, nor any signs of war.

In the following days, Qiao Cong would exchange sword moves with Gu Ling by the lake every night. Although Qiao Cong was stronger, under his suppression, Gu Ling’s swordsmanship became more advanced and improved rapidly.

This was also a very fulfilling thing for Qiao Cong.

On the other hand, because Situ Jing, who was almost blind due to poison, has rushed to Liuxian River with Nangong Lin’s company, day and night. Not far away was Jiaye City, where a major turning point in his life took place.

He already knew that Che Yun and Che Xiao had been sent back to the capital of Qian Country, but he decided to let go of the non-existent relationship that he had been longing for unilaterally. The real Che Yun and Che Xiao were dead, and some relationships no longer had any room for reconciliation or recovery.

The two could directly leave Liuxian River and go to sea without going to Jiaye City. But Nangong Lin insisted on going to check the situation.

Coincidentally, as they sneaked into the city and approached Lin’s Family, they met Lian Shun, who was about to return home.

“What are you going to do?” Situ Jing’s eyes were wrapped in a black cloth to avoid further injury.

Nangong Lin sneered, “I am going to invite your best friend to accompany you on a trip. So that Su Liang’s girl doesn’t play tricks!”

Situ Jing subconsciously grabbed Nangong Lin’s arm.

Nangong Lin snorted softly, “Jingjing, at this point, you can’t think that Lian Shun will still treat you as a friend, right? Wake up! Healing your eyes is the most important thing, otherwise, everything is in vain!”

Situ Jing’s expression froze, and he let go of his hand.

It was not difficult for Nangong Lin, with his strength, to capture Lian Shun.

Situ Jing waited for about a quarter of an hour, and Nangong Lin returned.

“How is it?” Situ Jing frowned and asked.

Nangong Lin snorted, “Easy. Your friend’s martial arts skills are far behind those of you and Gu Ling.”

“Is he… alright?” Situ Jing didn’t hear Lian Shun’s voice.

“He was knocked out, otherwise, he would have screamed.” Nangong Lin said, “Let’s take him with us, as a gift for Su Liang. With your grandfather’s deterrence, wouldn’t she obediently heal you? Let’s go!”