Chapter 211: Taking Advantage of the Occasion
Qin Yuan also looked over.
Just saw Sixth Master Gu wearing a straw hat and a coarse short shirt, squatting in the shade of the trees.
When Marquis Gu asked him, he slowly got up, walked into the training ground, and said: "Third Brother, Third Sister-in-law, I heard from Sixteen that you plan to ride horses here, so I came to take a look."
His clothes were stained with mottled paint, giving him a somewhat unrestrained and casual appearance.
It had been a few days since Marquis Gu returned to Wutong Garden for a meal, and Qin Yuan hadn’t seen him since. She didn’t expect him to be dressed like this.
Was this still the impeccably dressed Sixth Master Gu?
Qin Yuan looked at him, puzzled.
Gu Jinghui asked, "You, why are you dressed like this today? Haven’t you run out of clothes to change into?"
Marquis Gu felt deeply shocked.
Sixth Brother had always been particular. Was it because Sixth Sister-in-law was busy taking care of the child and forgot to prepare fresh clothes for Sixth Elder?
Gu Jingjun gave a shallow smile, looking even more gentle and obedient.
"Third Brother, I’m painting, so it’s most suitable to dress like this. No point in wasting good clothes."
Marquis Gu turned his head to glance at Qin Yuan sitting on the horse, as if asking if this was indeed the case.
Qin Yuan smiled and asked, "Is Sixth Brother mixing his own paints?"
Sixth Master Gu immediately replied, "Exactly, hearing what Third Sister-in-law said the other day, I thought of adding a few paintings of flowers I care for daily at the end of collection of poems. I can’t manage larger artworks right now, but I can still paint some flowers. The mansion is sealed now, and those paints are hard to come by. There were a lot of raw materials at home, so I made some myself. Afraid of ruining good clothes, I switched to coarse clothing instead."
Marquis Gu then relaxed and asked, "Why haven’t you come riding horses, but sit under the trees instead?"
Sixth Master Gu said, "Watching you ride will do."
Marquis Gu: "?"
What’s going on now?
Qin Yuan said, "Is Sixth Brother going to paint?"
Sixth Master Gu said, "What Third Sister-in-law said precisely, I need to watch you ride horses for a long time to be able to paint accurately."
Qin Yuan said, "Looks like Sixth Brother wants to paint a picture of fine horses. If you could achieve excellence in even one of the subjects like flowers and birds, people, fine horses, or landscapes, you could connect with others through art. If Sixth Brother wants to both paint people and horses, it might be harder than just mastering one subject."
Sixth Master Gu was taken aback and said, "What you say is indeed true, Third Sister-in-law."
Seeing his expression, Qin Yuan knew Sixth Master Gu was undecided about which path to take, so she said, "Why doesn’t Sixth Brother try each subject first, and eventually choose the one he is most skilled at? This isn’t something that can be accomplished in a day."
Hearing this, Sixth Master Gu nodded and said, "What you say is very true, Third Sister-in-law. I’m unsure of what to choose as well. May I ask what you are skilled in painting, Third Sister-in-law?"
Qin Yuan smiled and said, "I just entertain myself in my spare time. Usually, I practice calligraphy and paint occasionally. I mainly paint orchids and lotuses, and sometimes do meticulous drawings of flowers, birds, and people. I haven’t done others. If Sixth Master wants to paint horses, you should try to replicate various pictures of fine horses first."
Sixth Master Gu felt like he’d found a kindred spirit and said, "Good horse illustrations aren’t easy to come by, so I thought since we have horses at home, I could observe them often, capturing their habits and spirit. Perhaps that will work. Third Sister-in-law, could you let me see your paintings too?"
Gu Jinghui stood to the side, unable to join the conversation. The inferiority he’d previously suppressed resurfaced.
He wasn’t successful in any of the fields mastered by scholars, so he stood aside, despondently playing with the reins in his hands.
Until Li Nu impatiently snorted, Sixth Master Gu finished his chat with Qin Yuan and said, "Why don’t you and Third Brother start riding? I’ll watch on the side."
Qin Yuan smiled and said, "Your Third Brother understands the temperament of horses. If he were to paint horses, he might paint them very well too."
Sixth Master Gu also laughed and said, "Third Brother has never liked these things. He enjoys wielding weapons and strategizing in battles. When he was a young master at home, he would often go riding and hunting with other young masters of generals and colonels and sons from aristocratic families."
Gu Jinghui said sullenly, "What Third Sister-in-law said, I’ll try."
Sixth Master Gu: "..."
It seemed like something was off about Third Brother.
Qin Yuan glanced at Gu Jinghui but said nothing.
Marquis Gu continued, "I don’t even need to look for a teacher. Why not let Third Sister-in-law be my guide?"
Sixth Master Gu: "..."
There it is again, there it is again.
Third Brother has Third Sister-in-law, that’s something.
Sixth Master Gu said, "Hmm, then I’ll go sit under the trees again."
After Sixth Master Gu left, Gu Jinghui wasn’t too happy. He led Li Nu around in a circle and happened to run into Gu Shiliu leading Ta Xue over.
Xiao Dong waved at Qin Yuan from a distance, his face full of pride, "Marquis, Madam, I rode Ta Xue today, shared it with the Marquis. Now I know what it’s like to be truly fortunate, unforgettable for life."
He had learned medicine from Doctor Li since he was young and had no companions, so he couldn’t brag that he’d ridden the Marquis’s horse, and he was even riding it with the Marquis.
Otherwise, he would indeed brag so everyone knew that he, Nie Dong, had ridden Dingbei Marquis’s Snow-stepping Traceless Thousand-mile Horse, still held by Dingbei Marquis as he rode it.
Qin Yuan smiled and said, "Do you want the Marquis to take you for another ride?"
Xiao Dong timidly looked at Gu Jinghui.
Qin Yuan softly said, "Marquis, why don’t you take Xiao Dong for another ride; they’ll be leaving in a few days."
Gu Jinghui turned back and asked her gloomily, "And you?"
Qin Yuan said, "I can already get on and off a horse now, and Li Nu is gentle. I think I’ll ride it slowly."
After she finished, Qin Yuan looked at Marquis Gu pleadingly.
Even though Gu Jinghui was reluctant, he still said, "Then let Sixteen follow."
Gu Shiliu was called over, closely following alongside, ready to protect at once if anything went wrong with Li Nu.
After ensuring everything was arranged, Gu Jinghui mounted Ta Xue, gave a squeeze with his legs, and Ta Xue galloped off, with its tail and mane flying.
Xiao Dong couldn’t help but laugh and shout in happiness.
Qin Yuan sat on Li Nu’s back, shook the reins, and let it trot.
Gu Shiliu followed closely, and Qin Yuan didn’t want to impress too much, so she ran a slow circle around the edge. When she returned, Xiao Dong was already down from Ta Xue, joyfully waiting for her.
Gu Jinghui came up to her and praised, "Yuan’er, you truly are clever. Sixth Brother took so many days to learn, and you’ve learned so quickly."
Xiao Dong couldn’t help but proudly say, "Naturally, my senior sister... Madam is extraordinary, she learned most of the family acupuncture methods just by watching Master do it. Master said if Senior Sister studied medicine, she would be a reincarnated Hua Tuo."
Gu Jinghui was taken aback, took a few steps forward, reached out to lift Qin Yuan off the horse, and asked, "Is what Xiao Dong said true?"
Qin Yuan nestled in Marquis Gu’s arms, lightly fixing his tousled hair beside his ear, softly saying, "It was just by chance. My maternal family is originally a renowned medical family, and my mother married into the Qin Family due to hardship. I’ve read some medical books since I was young, even my dowry includes many medical books left by my maternal family. Otherwise, how could I make those incenses?"
She had intended to find a chance to reveal her background, and Xiao Dong’s slip was an opportunity.