The Grand Secretary's Pampered wife

Chapter 163.2: Marquis Xuanping

In this ancient era, people didn't celebrate their birthdays every year, but only during the more important occasions, such as the baby’s first birthday, during one’s zodiac year, women's coming-of-age in their fifteenth birthday, men's coming-of-age in their twentieth birthday, and so on.

Men would officially become an adult on their twentieth birthday, which meant that they could already tie their hair into a topknot and put on a headcrown, which was a sign of being a true adult.

However, in Gu Jiao's previous life, eighteen was also a very important birthday.

So she still wanted to celebrate it with him.

"Little Jing Kong, when is your birthday?" She called Little Jing Kong who was frolicking on the snow ahead.

Little Jing Kong crouched down, grabbed a handful of snow and shaped them into a snowball, saying, "New Year's Eve!"

Gu Jiao ‘oh’ed and said, "What a coincidence."

Little Jing Kong's eyes lit up, "Is JiaoJiao's birthday also on New Year's Eve?"

Gu Jiao smiled, "Not my birthday, it’s your brother-in-law’s."

Little Jing Kong's smile froze, and he suddenly found the snowball in his hand no longer fun.

Ah! Why did he have to share the same birthday with his bad brother-in-law? He didn’t want this birthday anymore!

Actually, Little Jing Kong's birthday wasn’t necessarily on New Year's Eve. When he was abandoned at the temple, he was only a few months old and there was no embroidered character of his birthdate on his swaddling clothes.

However, the abbot estimated that he was born around New Year's Eve according to his size, so he simply set his birthday on New Year's Eve.

Little Jing Kong asked Xiao Liulang with a dark expression, "Why do you copy even my birthday?"

The corner of Xiao Liulang’s mouth couldn’t help twitching: I’m clearly older than you, who copied who?

"Alas." Little Jing Kong sighed gloomily.

"What's wrong?" Gu Jiao asked as she patted his little head. He wouldn’t be so depressed just because he had the same birthday as Xiao Liulang, right?

Little Jing Kong spread out his hands and let out another sigh, saying, "In previous years, I spent all my birthdays with that old man, my master. No matter where he was, he would rush back to the temple in time to attend my birthday banquet."

Xiao Liulang had a dumbfounded look on his face. You, a little monk, also had a birthday banquet? What was up exactly with your temple?

Little Jing Kong sighed for the third time, "The capital is too far away. I'm afraid I won't see my master this year."

Gu Jiao's head was filled with the image of an old, white-bearded Buddhist monk traveling to the capital with unstable steps holding a walking stick..

Um, that would really be cruel.

He might not make it here.

Gu Jiao crouched down and looked at him gently, saying, "You can spend your birthday with your brother-in-law."

The two people were amazingly in sync in showing a disgusted look: they don't want to.

Gu Jiao added, "Although you can't see your master, you can write to him."

Little Jing Kong slapped his forehead, "Yeah! Why didn't I think of that?"

Quickly taking action, Little Jing Kong wrote a long letter to his master that night. The first sentence expressed his deep yearning for his master, and the following ninety-nine sentences were all about showing off and boasting about himself.

This was how a carefully-written letter from home containing his sincere feelings was completed.

Xiao Liulang offered to mail it for him.

But Little Jing Kong wasn’t at ease and insisted on mailing it himself.

The next day, Xiao Liulang had to skip the Imperial Academy's self-study class just to take him to a very distant posthouse and mail his letter.

The posthouse official received the letter and was about to put it in the mailbox.

Just then, Little Jing Kong asked, "Will it really be sent to You Province?"

The posthouse official answered, "Yes."

Little Jing Kong added, "Could you tell me the address again?"

The posthouse official: "..."

The posthouse official read the address accordingly.

White Cloud Temple of Great Mang Mountain, Qinguan Town, City of Ping.

"En, that's correct." Little Jing Kong nodded hard and then asked again, "Is it 800 li urgent?" [T/N: Basically like an express delivery. XD]

The posthouse official replied, "800 li urgent can’t be used in ordinary letters."

Little Jing Kong opened his eyes wide and said, "But my letter isn’t an ordinary one."

It was a letter to his master which was full of yearning(only one sentence), life discussion (boasting about how tall he had become) and academic exchanges (showing off the fact that he had ranked first in many exams).

It was already the end of the year, and the posthouse was particularly busy.

Bought by Little Jing Kong’s cuteness, the posthouse official sat through the entire conversation with him.

But now the posthouse official's patience had been exhausted.

"Do you want to send it or not?" He asked.

"If you’re not going to count it as an 800 li urgent letter, then I won't send it." Little Jing Kong took the letter decisively.

The posthouse official: "..."

Xiao Liulang covered his forehead with his hand.

Right, didn’t he tell this little guy a story about an 800 li urgent report not long ago? A victory was won because the information was delivered in time.

Little Jing Kong had no idea about the specific speed and process of the 800 li urgent method of sending letters. He simply thought that it sounded very formidable, so he wanted to send his letter using it!

Xiao Liulang held out his hand and said, "Give me the letter, I'll use the 800 li urgent to send it."

“Really?" Little Jing Kong looked at him suspiciously.

Xiao Liulang nodded, "Really. I’ll make sure that your letter is an 800 li urgent letter!"

Little Jing Kong had a serious look on his face as he said, "Don't lie to me!"

Xiao Liulang said firmly, "I’ll become your dog if I lie to you."

Little Jing Kong actually didn’t quite understand the logic behind this remark. If his bad brother-in-law lied to him, he would become Little Eight? But Little Eight was such a good dog...

Ultimately, he still gave the letter to his bad brother-in-law.

Xiao Liulang went back to the posthouse official, asked for a writing brush, and wrote the words ‘800 li urgent’ on the envelope.

Then he asked for another big envelope and put Little Jing Kong's letter in it.

The posthouse official silently gave him a thumbs-up.

Nice one.

After mailing the letter, Xiao Liulang took Little Jing Kong to go home.

But after only his second step, Little Jing Kong bent forward a bit, held the back of his knees, and jumped about. He said, "I have to pee!"

Xiao Liulang led Little Jing Kong to the latrine of the posthouse.

After peeing, Little Jing Kong went out to look for his bad brother-in-law. As a result, he went in the wrong direction and suddenly bumped into someone’s leg.

Back in the day, this was also how Gu Jiao first encountered a certain little monk.

Little Jing Kong fell to the ground.

The man stretched out his hands slowly and lifted him up.

A simple action, but full of elegance and nobility.

Little Jing Kong looked up at the other party.

The man was of tall stature, his body clad in a thick purple fox fur coat. He had a stern facial features and his countenance was like an ice jade.

Time didn't leave many marks on his face.

He was handsome and imposing, his every gesture was full of grandeur, and his aura was like that of a sturdy mountain.

Little Jing Kong was stunned, and it took him a long time to remember that he had bumped into someone else. He earnestly apologized, "I'm sorry!"

"It's fine." The man replied lightly.

"Well... I'll be going then!" Little Jing Kong ran away!

The man turned and walked to the carriage nearby.