Chapter 7 Bet

Hey, this is the long-awaited chapter. I apologize for late update, really, I believe I'm suffering for phone addiction (I cant help but binge-reading novel or comics online ). I'll try to get better, promise !

Full disclaimer this work is not mine. And should the author ask me to take it down, please contact me and I will take it down.

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Gu Yun glanced at him and said, "Who agreed to bet with you?"

After a few days of rest, the gambling addiction relapsed and he refused to go to the gambling house but thought about making a bet with her.

Pei Shu said, "You don't dare."

Gu Yun refused to lose, "Husband, who thinks I don't dare."

She had many things to do, and she didn't have time to play with Pei Shu. What did he understand? On a whim, he had nothing to do, so he looked at the account books of her clothes shop and decided to join in the fun.

The beauty under the lamp lowered her head slightly, all she could see was the account book, and she didn't even notice that a few strands of hair had fallen out.

Pei Shu shook his head, "Just pretend, you don't dare. You are a coward. If I lose, I will never go to a gambling house in my life."

After saying that, Pei Shu looked at Gu Yun's expression from the corner of his eye. Sure enough, Gu Yun paused.

Don't go to gambling houses.

Gu Yun didn't know how much she could trust Pei Shu's words. If he kept his word, it would be okay to make this bet with him and never go to the gambling shop again. That would be great.

Gu Yun didn't like Pei Shu going to the gambling house. Gambling was something he shouldn't get involved in. The Duke's mansion had a big foundation, it could withstand a few gambles. But, if he got involved in gambling, he would be ruined. As long as Pei Shu stops going to the gambling house, she can do anything.

If Pei Shu wins, then she can dye lotus-colored fabrics. No matter whether she wins or loses, it will not hurt her. Gu Yun put down the ledger, "What if you win?"

Pei Shu still doesn't believe that he can't beat a sixteen-year-old girl, he said: "Well, let me think about it..."

Gu Yun was a little nervous, afraid that Pei Shu would say something impossible. She looked into Pei Shu's eyes and her heart ached.

Pei Shu gave up and said, "If I win, you can sew a sachet for me."

"Just a sachet? Husband, even if you don't make a bet, I can still make a sachet for you." Gu Yun wanted to say Pei Shu replaced him.

Pei Shu didn't want to bully Gu Yun. It was just a matter of making sachets. Don't you need to bother with needlework? 

Nothings difficult. It was Gu Yun's serious look that made him want to tease her.

"It's not an ordinary sachet. I don't like plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums. Embroider a tiger for me." Pei Shu clapped his hands, "Embroider it earlier. I'm worried the fabric is all dyed but the sachet is not there yet."

Gu Yun whispered, "If the sachet is embroidered but the fabric is not dyed, wouldn't it mean that the embroidery was in vain?" 

Pei Shu grinds his teeth, "Didn't you just say that you can make the sachet for me even if you don't make a bet?"

"Don't you say it's not just an ordinary sachet?" After Gu Yun finished speaking, she lowered her head. She shouldn't have talked to Pei Shu like this. Pei Shu was her husband and she should be careful when speaking.

However, Pei Shu didn't seem to hear anything. He was very talkative, "Then wait until the fabric is dyed. Don't talk without words and deny it when the time comes."

Gu Yun said, "I don't know about about you, husband, Once a promise is made, I'll do it."

"Don't worry, I will definitely do what I promised you." Pei Shu smiled at Gu Yun, "It's too late, don't keep working."

Gu Yun said, "Just a little bit more, soon it's over. In addition to the cloth shop, there are also porcelain shops and wine shops... I can't delay. If the husband is sleepy, go back to sleep first."

Pei Shu brought the snacks over and said, "I'll accompany you."

The snacks at Wuxiangju are delicious. , Gu Yun couldn't hold back and ate four pieces, and the remaining two pieces went into Pei Shu's stomach. This was the first time she had eaten so much at night.

She has always been restrained and does not attach too much importance to her appetite, but since she came here, she has eaten a lot with Pei Shu, and she can't do this again.

Gu Yun was too tired during the day and fell asleep quickly. Pei Shu was thinking about dyeing cloth in his mind. He first went to the cloth workshop to look at the dyes and then thought about the ratio.

He also needs an herb, litmus.

Gu Yun didn't take this bet too seriously, and she didn't dare to leave it to Pei Shu. Instead, she followed the dyeing master and learned the traditional dyeing method.

It's just that these things cannot be accomplished in a day, but the patterns Gu Yun painted did help the dyer a lot.

In the blink of an eye, it was mid-April, and it had been more than ten days since Gu Yun came in.

Gu Jun asked Qingyun to deliver a post to the Hou Mansion and ask Gu Jin and Gu Ning if they wanted to donate alms.

In the past, in the middle of every month, she would go to the temple on the outskirts of the city to give alms. There was not much she could do. She could only order her servants to cook a few buckets of porridge and steam a few drawers of steamed buns, and then take them to the outskirts of the city by horse-drawn carriage.

Then I went to Renhe Hall to ask Dr. Zhao's young apprentice to sit for a consultation. It only took half a day to treat those who were sick but had no money to seek medical treatment.

Ordinary licorice and honeysuckle can be given away, but Gu Yun can't help with the expensive medicine.

The Hou's Mansion quickly sent a reply, and both sisters went, but they said that the fourth sister was already married, and represented the Duke's Mansion in every word and deed. It was not good for the girls in the Hou's Mansion to mix with each other, so it was better to separate the donations. Anyway, there were many poor families. It doesn’t hurt to cook more porridge.

Gu Yun put the post away, "Qingyun, you watch the small kitchen and cook the porridge. Put in more rice and remember to make it thicker. The steamed buns should be steamed to a uniform size. I will pay for the rice and noodles. Liu Mei and the others will make it, and you don't need to stay. If something happens, you can help if you can."

The kitchen in Chengxinyuan is from the Guogong Mansion. I guess I have never cooked in a big pot. I am also particular about giving. Each person has a bowl of porridge and a steamed bun. No one can have more. No one can be left behind, and some people are not worried about scarcity but inequality.

In the beginning, someone took the food once, took it a second time, and then took it from others after finishing it. After that, Gu Yun set a rule. If they dared to make trouble again, she would never come again. If they lined up properly, then next time I will bring a doctor to diagnose their illness.

No one dared to make trouble now. They were starving without food, but if they couldn't afford to see a doctor, they would be hurt to death. Even if Dr. Zhao from Renhetang wasn't the doctor, his little apprentice would be fine.

Outsiders say that Bodhisattva Gu Yun is kind-hearted, and Gu Yun thinks they are too pitiful. However, she has indeed gained a lot, and she must have done it intentionally. She is not a kind-hearted person in the first place, and she does not give alms without any intention of doing anything.

Even in her marriage to Pei Shu, she had a motive.

Qingyun arranged things one by one, "The carriage has been arranged, and Aunt Chunyu will follow tomorrow, as well as a few maids. I asked the boy at the door, and Guard Zhang will go with him."

Gu Yun has done these things many times. There was nothing to worry about, "Well, come with me to Renhetang later."

Gu Yun had something to do with Dr. Zhao. She was busy these days, and the cloth shop finally got better. She could finally spare some time to talk about Pei Shu's affairs. It has always been a worry for her. He is a man and has a good reputation. Gu Yun can't tell Dr. Zhao directly that he has a hidden illness, so he wants to borrow some medical books to read.

She put the account book away, "Where is Shizi?"

Qingyun didn't dare to look into Gu Yun's eyes, "Shizi always gets up early and goes out...he only comes back in the evening. Only Hu Zi follows him, and I don't know where Shizi has gone."

Gu Yun's heart sank slightly. It had only been a few days, but he had returned to his original self.

She sat for a while and rubbed her sore wrist. She felt a little cold in her heart and felt a little unspeakable. Pei Shu had been coming back late these days, so the couple had dinner together and didn't talk much.

She still remembered the taste of the snack that night.

Most of the couples in the world are like this. They eat together in the morning and evening, advising for more clothes when the weather is cold. They can't say anything else. The taste of the snacks that day can be regarded as a dream.

Gu Yun quickly figured it out. She went to Renhe Hall in the afternoon and borrowed two medical books. She studied medicine for the sake of her younger brother. Gu Chenglin was young and frail, so she could make medicinal meals to supplement his younger brother's health.

Later, I pressed my grandmother's legs and saved many people. No matter what I do, it is only true if it is returned to me. Nothing else can be relied on.

After borrowing the medical books, Gu Yun took the maids back. After about two-quarters of an hour's drive, the carriage slowly stopped at the gate of the Duke's Mansion. When Gu Yun got out of the car, she saw Pei Shu's personal servant, Hu Zi.

Huzi bowed slightly and smiled flatteringly at Gu Yun.

Gu Yun had a cold look on her face. This was the person next to Pei Shu. She couldn't say much. However, Pei Shu took Hu Zi to wander around and went to the gambling house. Although she shouldn't express her anger, she can't have a good impression with Hu Zi. 

Huzi had a smile on his face, "Madam, you are back!"

Gu Yun held up the hem of her skirt and walked up the steps, "Yes."

Huzi followed closely, "Shizi came back early, and he is in the study at the moment. He said he wanted to give Madam a surprise. Hey, Madam, can you go over and take a look?"

He was used to watching people's words and expressions, and he could see Gu Yun's cold face, so his tone was extremely flattering.

Gu Yun's steps were slightly stagnant, but she quickly returned to normal. She said, "I still have something to do, so I don't need him to prepare any surprises."

Surprise, maybe he won the bet, so he thought it was a surprise.

Huzi said: "Shizi has been working very hard these days. He can't eat well outside. He has to bump on the road for an hour or two every day. He lost a lot of weight to dye the color that Madam wanted. Madam, please take a look."

Gu Yun stopped and asked, "You...said he went to dye cloth?" He didn't go to the pub or gamble but to the cloth workshop.

Huzi nodded. He was a little fat, with big eyes and a happy face. "Hey, Shizi goes every day and doesn't dare to slack off. He just wants to win the bet  and doesn't let me tell the lady."

Every day talking about the sachet, I don’t know what a rare treasure I thought it was.

Gu Yun's hands were shaking a little, and she pursed her lower lip, almost forgetting the demeanor of the mistress of the house, "I'm going to take a look."

On April 14th, Pei Shu spent seven days full of calculations. These days, he soaked in the small dyeing shop and smelled of dye. The smell of dye is hard, but not unbearable. After all, there have been times when it was more difficult than this.

Just come into contact with a new thing and always move forward through exploration.

Old masters mix dyes by feeling and testing, but Pei Shu is different. He tries to figure out the principles and why there is such a color, so there are traces to follow for what to add and subtract later, and not to do it randomly.

Acidic dyes turn red when exposed to litmus solution, and alkaline dyes turn blue. With these, it is easy to make dyes of different colors.

But after solving one problem, there is a second one. The color of the dye is different from the color of the cloth. Even if the color of the cloth is correct, the color will change after several rinses.

Even if it is done after drying and washing, it will still fade and change color. In short, it takes nine hundred and eighty-one difficulties to make a piece of cloth with good color.

Pei Shu had spent the past few days honing his knowledge of dyeing cloth, and his head was getting confused. No wonder Gu Yun asked him that day if he knew the steps involved in dyeing cloth.

He dyed it in three colors, litmus red, and light green, which was similar to the snow-green color in the paint. The last one was the lotus color that Gu Yun had promised.

The color of the dyed cloth is very bright, does not fade after rinsing, does not have any odor, and does not cause red spots or rashes when applied to the body, nor does it cause itch.

As long as he could think of it, Pei Shu tried his best to consider it thoroughly.

After tie-dyeing and gray materialization, the cloth can be dyed with different patterns. However, the most important thing is the color. Pei Shu has never seen anyone wearing litmus red and azure blue on the street these days.

Gu Yun should be the first to wear it.

She is so good-looking, she will definitely look better in it.

Pei Shu sat on the chair where Gu Yun usually sat. He flipped through his account book, and then took out a book and flipped through two pages. He probably recognized the words on it, but it still looked difficult.

Fortunately, the original person doesn't study, so he won't reveal the truth.

Pei Shu looked out frequently. Thinking about Gu Yun's surprised and happy look when he saw the cloth, he felt it was worth the tiring days.

Pei Shu waited for about an hour. Green Shao said that Gu Yun had gone to the medical clinic to borrow books and would not be back for a while, so he just waited.

Finally, there was movement outside. Hearing the little maids shouting "Madam" outside, Pei Shu straightened his clothes.

As soon as Gu Yun entered the study, she saw Pei Shu looking at her with a smile on his face. He had a good appearance. If he hadn't behaved badly, there would probably be many girls willing to marry him.

Probably because Gu Yun stared for too long, Pei Shu also lowered his head and looked at himself, oh, he was sitting and Gu Yun was standing, how could this work, so Pei Shu stood up.

"You're back. I've been waiting for more than an hour." Pei Shu waved the maids down and closed the door. "A gentleman's words must be fulfilled. Have you decided what color sachet to embroider for me?"

Gu Yun His face was a little hot, so he just kept talking. Why did he come over and get so close? "I haven't seen the cloth yet, how do you know you won?"

Peishu said, "I dyed it myself. Of course, I know."

He walked around Gu Yun twice and said, "Let's take a look."

The cloth was put in the box. Huzi originally wanted to take it back directly, but Pei Shu felt it was inappropriate. What else could he do if he took it back directly? No surprises at all.

He opened the box and took one foot of cloth of three colors, enough to make three clothes for Gu Yun.

The first thing Gu Yun saw was the delicate lotus color, which was the same as the color of her skirt that day. Like the lotus in summer, it was the most tender red.

This was really dyed by Pei Shu.

Gu Yun was not afraid that Pei Shu would use other people's fabrics to deceive her. If she asked around, she would know how he did it.

Such a beautiful color.

Slender fingers stroked the delicate cotton cloth, which made the fingers whiter than lotus seeds. Gu Yun said: "Husband, these days you go out early and come back late, and you are busy with this..."

Pei Shu nodded, "Yes, once I made a bet with you, I have to show something, otherwise what will happen if you don't bet with me again."

So, she thought Pei Shu went to the gambling house again.

Pei Shu raised his head towards Gu Yun, "There are more below."

Litmus red is more pink than lotus root, and snow green is lighter in color, bringing with it a sense of immortality. Gu Yun was so shocked that he was speechless. These are also the colors of Pei Shu. The dyed color.

He won.

Gu Yun said: "I'm willing to admit defeat."

Pei Shu flicked Gu Yun's forehead, "Keep your word then."

Gu Yun couldn't bear such an intimate gesture, she said: "But husband, those old masters can’t dye such a beautiful color, how could you do it?”

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TLnote: I'll try to update weekly, and as this was a MTL translation, I apologize in advance if there was a mistake. Oh, and consider buying me a Ko-fi so I'll be more motivated *winkwink