Time for Reunion

The day after Gu Ling returned home, Su Liang got up the latest.

She opened her eyes, stood up and lifted the bed curtain, and saw the warm sunlight shining through the window lattice and casting bright spots on the floor.

The room was very quiet. Gu Ling was not there, and Gu Xiaonuan's small bed was empty.

It had been a long time since she had slept so deeply and peacefully. A kind of relaxation from the inside out made Su Liang feel comfortable physically and mentally.

She was rarely lazy, and she got up and dressed much slower than usual. After she got ready, she walked to the window and opened it. The winter scenery by the lake was in sight. She always felt lonely and depressed when she looked at it every day before, but now she felt that it had a different simple and elegant meaning, like an ink painting.

And Gu Ling and the children were the most lively existence in the painting.

Gu Ling held Gu Xiaonuan in one hand and held a wooden sword in the other, and was testing Zheng'er and Ji Xiaoshu's swordsmanship. The two children were very serious and cooperated tacitly. They were quite stylish in their dodging and maneuvering.

Gu Ling used only one hand, showing his carefree and relaxed manner, while Gu Xiaonuan was very excited and kept cheering for her brothers. Su Liang heard her clear voice and happy laughter.

Not surprisingly, when Gu Xiaonuan is a little older, she will definitely like to wield swords and guns. Now several of Su Liang's masters have asserted that Gu Xiaonuan is amazing and a martial arts genius. Su Liang feels that this statement is entirely based on their deep "baby disciple" filter for Gu Xiaonuan.

Gu Ling saw Su Liang, and while dealing with the attacks of the two children, he also lifted Gu Xiaonuan up and greeted Su Liang.

Su Liang's eyes were full of smiles, and he leaned against the window and waved at Gu Ling, and blew a kiss.

Then, Zheng'er's small wooden sword stabbed Gu Ling's leg.

Of course, it was impossible to get hurt, but the two children were so shocked that they stopped.

Zheng'er looked at his wooden sword in disbelief, and then looked at Gu Ling, "I actually stabbed the master!" His tone was very excited.

Ji Xiaoshu cheered, "Big Brother is awesome! We won today! Master, you can't say we're slacking off in martial arts training anymore, haha!"

With Gu Xiaonuan's loud "Mom", the two children who were originally focused on the sword fight turned their heads to see Su Liang and waved at her.

"I know, Master was distracted just now." Zheng'er said.

Ji Xiaoshu smiled, "This is Master's wife using the beauty trap to help us! No matter what, we won anyway! Master can't beat me!"

After saying that, Ji Xiaoshu was picked up by Gu Ling and thrown out... When Ji Xiaoshu landed skillfully, he complained to Gu Ling's back, "Master, why did you throw me again? Give me a reason!"

"You blocked my way." Gu Ling said, flew up and rushed towards Su Liang, leaving the children with a cold back.

Ji Xiaoshu looked at the flat open space around him and looked up at the sky in silence.

Zhenger held Gu Xiaonuan in his arms and called Ji Xiaoshu over, "Xiaoshu, come quickly, let's teach our sister how to walk!"

Ji Xiaoshu came over, put down the wooden sword, and hugged Gu Xiaonuan, "Sister, only you and Master's wife can beat Master, but Master's wife was deceived by Master's beauty plan. You grow up quickly and help us defeat Master together!"

Zhenger laughed non-stop, "Xiaoshu, Master likes you very much, that's why he plays with you."

Ji Xiaoshu raised his chin slightly and smiled, "Of course I know that!"

...

Gu Ling closed the window as soon as he returned to the room, and quietly hugged Su Liang for a while, then let her go, "You wash up first, I'll go get breakfast."

"The weather is good, put it in the pavilion outside." Su Liang said.

Gu Ling nodded and went downstairs.

When Su Liang washed up, changed her clothes and went out, Gu Ling had already put breakfast in the pavilion.

Seeing two sets of bowls and chopsticks, Su Liang thought Gu Ling was waiting for her and hadn't eaten yet. Finally, Gu Ling said that he had eaten with everyone, and he would have another meal with Su Liang, "My stomach was abused outside before, and I need to make up for it."

Su Liang couldn't help laughing, "I need to make up for it."

The two sat opposite each other to eat breakfast. The porridge, vegetables and pies were all made by Gu Ling himself. Su Liang tasted it and sighed, "You are still the best."

"What do you want to eat at noon?" Gu Ling asked.

"I'll make you dried bean meat buns." Su Liang suggested, "It's the dried beans that Aunt Bai gave you when you brought the fake Yan Shiba back. There is half left. I made meat buns once in the middle, and everyone liked it very much."

After asking about the method, Gu Ling said that he should do it. Although he was the one who went out, he knew that Su Liang was also very tired.

Just after breakfast, Su Liang heard Zheng'er cheering, "Sister can walk!"

Zheng'er and Ji Xiaoshu made a sedan chair with their hands and carried Gu Xiaonuan over, then put her on the ground. The two held hands and circled Gu Xiaonuan in the middle to prevent her from falling, and then coaxed her to walk a few steps.

"She is wearing so much, it's okay if she falls." Su Liang said with a smile.

"No!" Gu Ling, Zheng'er and Ji Xiaoshu all objected in unison.

Su Liang:...Okay, just pretend she didn't say anything.

Gu Ling smiled gently, stretched out his hand to his daughter, and asked her to come over.

"Dad~" Gu Xiaonuan stood steadily, stretched out her little hand, and asked Gu Ling to come over and hug her.

"Nuannuan, come here." Gu Ling said softly.

"Daddy~" Gu Xiaonuan called again.

"Master, don't come over. I can walk!" Zheng'er felt that Gu Ling was about to waver, so he quickly stopped him and coaxed Gu Xiaonuan, "If you want Master to hold you, just walk over! It's just two steps! Didn't you know how to walk just now?"

Gu Xiaonuan lifted her foot and took a step.

"Wow! You are so amazing!" Zheng'er praised immediately.

Ji Xiaoshu also praised, "Come again, sister! Keep walking!"

Gu Ling looked like "my daughter is so cute and amazing" and was looking forward to Gu Xiaonuan coming to his side.

Su Liang felt that Gu Xiaonuan would have left long ago, but she was just lazy because there were too many people who liked to hug her.

Under the close protection of her two brothers, Gu Xiaonuan successfully walked to Gu Ling's side and was picked up by him and placed on his lap.

Qiu Cong's surprised voice sounded not far away, "Nuannuan will leave?"

...

Near noon, Duanmu Chen brought Chang'an to the Su Mansion incognito.

It was Duanmu Chen who came to find him after learning that Gu Ling had returned, but he didn't see anyone when he entered Yuanming Pavilion.

Ji Xiaoshu, who was reading the book of medicinal materials, raised his head, "Is the emperor looking for my master? He and his master's wife are steaming buns in the kitchen!"

Chang'an heard this and saw Duanmu Chen's eyes brightened. He chose to come here at this time because he was determined to eat for free. He wanted to bring the two children with him, but it was cold outside and Queen Mother Xiao was afraid that the children would be cold and didn't let him bring them.

When Duanmu Chen walked to the kitchen door, he saw Su Liang sitting on a small stool and making a fire, while Gu Ling was kneading dough. The filling for the buns was ready.

"Ahem!" Duanmu Chen made a sound to indicate that he was here.

"The emperor is here." Su Liang greeted casually without getting up.

Duanmu Chen smiled, "What about steamed buns? Then let's talk about business after you finish the meal."

"The emperor can just say it directly, and then go back to the palace to handle government affairs early." Gu Ling's expression was indifferent.

Duanmu Chen shook his head, "No hurry." He turned around and left. Just kidding, since you are here, wouldn't it be a loss to go back without a meal? Recently, I feel that the palace is very deserted, and the Su Mansion is still lively.

So Duanmu Chen returned to Yuanming Pavilion and sat next to Ji Xiaoshu. He was surprised to find him reading a book on medicinal materials. "Xiaoshu, are you going to learn medicine?"

Ji Xiaoshu didn't look up. "I am the apprentice of my master's wife, so of course I have to learn medicine."

Duanmu Chen praised, "Very good. I hope you can become a world-famous doctor like your master's wife one day."

"Of course!" Ji Xiaoshu is very smart, but he is not particularly interested in reading and practicing martial arts. Although he has learned them very well, what he really likes is the medical skills taught by Su Liang. It is his interest and he is particularly serious about it.

Duanmu Chen looked at Ji Xiaoshu and wished that his children would grow up to this age immediately so that they could start to go to school with Su Liang and Gu Ling as soon as possible, so that they would not run away after solving the trouble of Gu Ling and Su Liang one day.

Gu Ling brought the steamed buns to Yuanming Pavilion. Duanmu Chen washed his hands and ate them with the children. He couldn't help but sigh, "Your master's skill in making buns is really unique." He has been thinking about this from Sujia Village to now. Su Liang made it at first, but now Gu Ling makes it better. Duanmu Chen also asked Su Liang for the recipe of buns and the recipes of various home-cooked dishes in the Su Mansion. The imperial chefs in the palace made it more exquisite, but it always felt a little bit worse.

"Uncle Emperor, is there any news about my father?" Ji Xiaoshu suddenly thought of Ji Yuebai after eating a bun.

Duanmu Chen shook his head, "I told you the last time I heard about him, and there is no new news for the time being. Don't worry, your father said last time that he would be back before the New Year, so he should be back soon."

"I hope so." Ji Xiaoshu nodded, "Aunt Yue and Uncle Baiyang are waiting to get married, and my father is the only one missing."

Duanmu Chen's mouth twitched slightly, "Xiaoshu is such a good child."

After lunch, Gu Ling coaxed Gu Xiaonuan to sleep first, and then went to the pavilion by the lake to talk to Duanmu Chen.

Omitting the point about crossing, Gu Ling roughly told Duanmu Chen about his previous experience of going out. Duanmu Chen frowned when he heard the thrilling experience.

"What exactly do they want to do? Since they know that the island has been exposed, why don't they leave and hide somewhere else?" Duanmu Chen is a smart person and quickly discovered the key to the matter.

Gu Ling's face was calm, "There is a forbidden area on the island. We don't know what's inside, but there must be a mystery." This is completely true.

"And I've always wanted to ask you, how did the people of Xingluo Island avoid us and send the grain and grass of Yan Country to Liang Country in such a short time?" Duanmu Chen asked.

"Su Liang and I suspect that they have some magic weapon." Gu Ling said.

Duanmu Chen was stunned for a moment, "What did you say?"

"Magic weapon." Gu Ling repeated the last two words.

Duanmu Chen's eyes widened, "You mean, the kind of treasure that only the gods in the sky have?"

Gu Ling nodded, "Guess."

Duanmu Chen was silent for a long time, and then spoke again, lowering his voice, "Are you really able to predict the future? Are you a god who has descended to the earth? Su Liang is also? Or do you know some way of cultivating immortals?"

Gu Ling shook his head, "I'm not. It's just that the matter of grain and grass cannot be explained by common sense, and there are some mysteries on Xingluo Island, so I guessed it this way."

But Duanmu Chen raised his hand and patted Gu Ling's shoulder, giving him a look-I understand, I can't say it clearly, I understand.

At this point, Gu Ling and Su Liang have already had a high level of trust in Duanmu Chen. Duanmu Chen can guess some things even if Gu Ling doesn't say them. But with his imagination, he is still far from guessing the complete truth.

The matter of food and grass can only be explained in that way, and it is not a lie. Gu Ling and Su Liang still don't know what Mo Yan's "portable space" is. Is it in his mind, or is there an object? It is very appropriate to say "magic weapon".

But after saying this, Duanmu Chen didn't ask any further. He felt that Gu Ling and Su Liang were not ordinary people. In view of their long-standing relationship and the help Gu Ling and Su Liang had given him, Duanmu Chen absolutely trusted them and felt more at ease knowing that they might be "higher" than him.

In the end, Duanmu Chen took two steamed buns with him when he left, saying that he was filial to the Queen Mother Xiao. But on the way back to the palace, he ate one.

In the afternoon, Gu Ling and the children caught three fat fish, two of which he made into fried fish pieces, and the remaining one was braised for dinner.

Gu Ling picks fish bones for Gu Xiaonuan and feeds her fish. The scene is very warm.

Ji Xiaoshu asked Gu Ling if he could help him pick out fish bones. Gu Ling shook his head, "You have hands, you can use them."

Ji Xiaoshu nodded obediently, "I can still help my wife pick out fish bones, but my wife won't let me. Master, shall we go hiking tomorrow?"

Zheng'er also looked forward to it. Gu Ling took them to climb a mountain once. They had a lot of fun that time and have always missed it.

Gu Ling looked at Su Liang and nodded, "Let's go then. Chengyun will go too." What she and Gu Ling need to do for the time being is to think about how to deal with Xingluo Island next, and they don't have to sit at home and think about it. Maybe if you go out for a walk, you will find something unexpected.

The children cheered and said they were going to find the tadpoles they had known before.

Chengyun said to Su Liang seriously, "You should call me brother."

Su Liang raised his eyebrows, "When Gu Ling screams, I will scream."

Chengyun looked at Gu Ling, "Little brother-in-law."

Gu Ling looked calm and said, "You have a beautiful idea."

Chengyun: ...The children all call him uncle anyway, regardless of this couple who always likes to tease him.

…

It was night, Gu Xiaonuan had already gone to bed, Gu Ling and Su Liang sat on the bed and mentioned Yan Shiba.

"This season, Wolong Mountain is covered with heavy snow. The thought of finding Yan Shiba inside is not only slim but also very dangerous." Su Liang sighed, "Are you going to find her? Let's wait until Sheng Yue brings her to us. ?”

"We won't look for her for now." Gu Ling said, "If she is alive now, Sheng Yue will not kill her in the future."

"I was thinking, since there is a treasure land guarded by Mo Yan on Xingluo Island, why not just blow it up?" Su Liang suggested, "Now that Mo Yan has no other hostages in his hands, as long as he destroys the island, he has his own whims. His purpose is no longer possible. Originally, it has nothing to do with us whether he wants to leave or stay, but he will do whatever it takes to achieve his goal, so it is best to send him to the West as soon as possible. "

"It's feasible." Gu Ling said thoughtfully, "I'm thinking of letting Pucheng go and let him find Sheng Yue and bring him a letter."

Su Liang's expression changed, "Master, do you want to cooperate with Sheng Yue?"

Gu Ling nodded, "As Pucheng said, Sheng Yue's purpose is to travel through time to see the world where her mother came from. The test subject needed can be me or Mo Yan, and Mo Yan is better."

"I thought so, but I have some doubts that Pucheng may just think that Sheng Yue's purpose is what he thinks." Su Liang said, "What if Sheng Yue has other motives? Of course, as long as he is willing to show up, he will It's a good thing for us. I just think it might be useless, but it's worth a try. Anyway, Pucheng is dead and won't cause any trouble. It's impossible for anyone else to find Sheng Yue. "

Although you can arrange for someone to follow Pucheng, it is difficult to avoid Sheng Yue even if Pucheng is not noticed, which is very dangerous.

So, after Su Liang and Gu Ling discussed it, they released Pucheng before dawn and asked him to bring a letter to Sheng Yue. The letter was sealed in an iron box by Gu Ling and tied to Pucheng in a complicated way that he could not open. Of course, he might not go to Sheng Yue, but considering Pucheng's current situation, even if Sheng Yue gives up on him, he will still go to the capable son instead of continuing to be a monk in the temple. Being a monk was not what he wanted in the first place.