Love is More than a Word, Chapter 87: The First Comes First (6)...

Love is More than a Word《识汝不识丁》Shi Nu Bu Shi Ding
Love is More than a Word, Chapter 87: The First Comes First (6)...
Tao Mo shakes his thigh, Lao Tao slips his hand and misses.

“Sorry.” Tao Mo whispered.

Lao Tao continued to massage as if nothing had happened, “Young Master, just treat everything as normal, no need to belittle yourself.”

Tao Mo braced his hands on either side of his body, cautiously saying, “Lao Tao, you don't blame me?”

Lao Tao said, “If I blame you, can Young Master change?”

Tao Mo opened his mouth, bowed his head and said, “I'll try to be patient.” After his father died, he treated Lao Tao and Hao Guozi like family.

Lao Tao's lips turned up, “How can a man be patient with everything?”

Tao Mo was stumped.

Lao Tao let go of his hand, patted his reddened knee, helped him lower his trouser leg, gathered the medicine, stood up and said, “It's nothing. In this life, it's hard to be sober but it's also hard to be confused.”

Tao Mo was bewildered, “Hard to be sober, hard to be confused?”

Lao Tao said, “It is not a bad thing to understand your emotions and confused about the world.”

Tao Mo scrutinized the words three times before it dawned on him, “You, you're not objecting anymore?”

“Gu-She, Gu Xianzhi, “laughed Lao Tao with a soft sigh, “Such a man, should have had all men and women in the world flocking to him, I suppose.”

Tao Mo smirked, then grimly said, “Yes. He should have been the world.”

Lao Tao said, “No one in the world today belongs to the world except the emperor, who is supposed to be dedicated and live for the world.”

Tao Mo was shocked. It was the first time he'd ever heard Lao Tao say such an outrageous thing.

Lao Tao said, “Isn't that right? If the emperor sat on the world, how can he not carry it?”

Tao Mo shook his head: “I don't understand.”

“If you don't understand, you don't understand.” Lao Tao, “just remember that many of the impossible things in this world are not so much impossible as they are denied before they can be achieved.”

Tao Mo blinked. Although he didn't understand the meaning of his words for a moment, he remembered them by heart.

Lao Tao heard footsteps, patted his belly, and said, “Saying that, I'm hungry.”

Hao Guozi smiles as he walks in with a tray, “Today we have sweet and sour... Ah!”

Lao Tao looked at the smashed food on the floor and the five-legged Hao Guozi and slowly pulled out the wounded medicine from his arms, reassuring him: “It's okay, it's not finished yet.”

On his first day back in Tangyang County, Tao Mo was very busy with government business, so he never left the house.

The next day, Tao Mo was busy as usual, without leaving the house.

On the third day, stay indoors.

Day four, staying indoors.

Day five, staying indoors.

...

On the eighth day, Master Jin took some of the paperwork out into the yard to dry.

Tao Mo sat on a stone bench, staring at the sky.

“His excellency doesn't go out?” he asked casually.

Tao Mo answered subconsciously, “I'm busy.”

“Busy with what?” Master Jin is very guilty. When the boss is busy, he's so busy that he wants to doze off.

“Busy with court business.”

Master Jin asked gently, “What business?” He's dying to know what business it is Tao Mo's turn to handle, besides the ones he handles!

“Hoarding...” Tao Mo snapped back, it was Master Jin, his face flushed red, “No, it's no business.”

Master Jin sat down across from him, “Something on his excellency's mind?”

Tao Mo smiled dryly and shook his head.

“If you want to go see Young Master Gu, just go.” Master Jin, “There's no need to look ahead and back.” He's the one who told me about Gu-She's background and he feels a little guilty about seeing Tao Mo in such distress.

“How did you know...” Tao Mo blushed and looked at him. Is it possible that the whole court knows what's on his mind?

Master Jin said, “Although Young Master Gu is the son of Prime Minister Xiang but he is not famous, he is just a shadow of his father. Moreover, Prime Minister Xiang is in a high position of power and is ten thousand miles away from Tangyang County, so you don't need to worry about any rumors.”

Tao Mo then realized he was mistaken and hung his head, “I wasn't worried about that.”

Master Jin raised his eyebrows and said, “So you're worried about getting Young Master Gu involved? The Prefectural Magistrate's caning is a one-time event and the Prefectural Magistrate will never touch Young Master Gu again. Not only that, if someone else wanted to touch Young Master Gu, he wouldn't do it either.” If anything happens to Prime Minister Xiang's son on his turf, he'll be in trouble too.

Tao Mo said: “Neither is this.”

Even Master Jin, who considered himself a wise man, couldn't guess his thoughts.” So what's your concern, Master Jin?” If a normal person had such an opportunity to befriend Gu Xianzhi in front of him, he would have jumped at it with a smile on his face, so why would he be embarrassed and hold back?

Tao Mo sighed, “I just can't get past my own.”

The closer he gets to Gu-She, the more he's attracted to him. As Lao Tao said, men and women all over the world will flock to him and he's just a drop in the ocean. No talent, no looks and a man. Just thinking about it, makes me feel dizzy and hopeless.

Before, not knowing that Gu-She is Gu Xianzhi, he was able to deceive himself and others, to muddle through. Now that he knows, the barrier between them is a real one. Even though Lao Tao says that there is no lack of hope and that there is no need to belittle himself, in his opinion, this hope is no different from finding a drop in the ocean.

...

If that's the case, it's better for him to give up on this fantasy than to give up on his heart later.

“His excellency?!” Master Jin watched in shock as two tears fell from Tao Mo's eyes.

“What are you doing?” Hao Guozi jumped out of nowhere, staring at Master Jin with a wary face.

Master Jin spread his hands innocently, “I didn't do anything.”

Tao Mo wiped his tears, “Not doing Master Advisor business.”

Hao Guozi said, “Then why is the Young Master crying?”

Tao Mo covered his face for a while before mournfully saying, “I just figured something out.” He thought it was just a delusion but after trying it, he realized it was already an unattainable dream.

He said Tao Mo was too busy with his official duties to pay attention to him and Gu Xiaojia laughed and laughed. When he saw Tao Mo coming to the door with his things, he wanted to say something sarcastic but he was shocked to see that both of his eyes were swollen and red.”

Tao Mo was startled and faltered, “No.” In the end, he couldn't resist his desire and couldn't help but watch himself sink, knowing that he was sinking deeper and deeper.

The way he looked, he blocked out Gu Xiaojia's grievances. Gu Xiaojia reached out and took the gift, handed it over to the doorman without looking at it, turned around and walked inside, saying, “How much can you earn at the county court? Why do you need to buy useless things? We have everything in our house anyway.”

Tao Mo knew that he was soft-spoken, so he followed him without saying anything and didn't say anything back.

When he saw Gu-She's door, Gu Xiaojia slowed down, knocked twice and when nothing happened, he crept in and waved to Tao Mo.

Tao Mo slowed down his pace a bit.

Gu Xiaojia lowered his voice: “Young Master is taking a nap, you wait outside. I'll go make medicine for the Young Master.” He's always taken care of Gu-She himself.

Tao Mo nodded.

Gu Xiaojia gently goes out and closes the door.

Tao Mo stood outside for a while but he couldn't help but quietly walk into the inner room.

The curtain fell down and only the outline could be seen inside.

Tao Mo took a seat on the opposite side of the bed, leaned over the table, smelled the faint scent of orchids and curved his lips in a satisfied curve.

If he and Gu-She were in the same room under the same roof, smelling the same fragrance, he would be infinitely happier, even if he could not see each other through the veil.

“Water.”

With a single word, his mind was roused from the distant future.

Tao Mo stood up in a panic, panicked, poured the water, went to the bed and lifted the curtain.

Gu-She was still sleeping on his stomach. Around the room was hot and stuffy, his forehead and face were sweating, his hair was on his face, he was lazy in a different way.

“Careful.” Tao Mo lowered the cup.

At the sound of his voice, Gu-She opened his eyes.

“Drink water.” Tao Mo leaned a little closer to the glass.

Gu-She sat up slowly on his knees with his hands on the bed, took the cup of tea from his hands, sipped it twice before saying, “Thank you.”

Tao Mo froze, took the cup and nodded, “You're welcome.”

Gu-She laid down on his side.

Tao Mo offered to tuck him in.

Gu-She kept him busy.” A difficult case at the court?”

“No.” Tao Mo said softly, “You rest easy.”

Gu-She smiled and said, “I am not a member of the county court, so what does it matter if the county court has a difficult case or not if I am resting in peace?”

Tao Mo was stifled by the question and was silent for a long while before he whispered, “I've been puzzled by something these past few days.”

“Tell me about it.” Gu-She has a different kind of passion for confusion.

Tao Mo stammered: “They are the matters of the heart.”

Gu-She raised his eyebrows.

Tao Mo didn't dare look at him, for fear that the secret would leak out of his face.

Gu-She said, “Have you practiced writing?”

Tao Mo's head drops even lower and for a moment, shaking gently.

“Go to the study and bring your pen, ink, paper and ink stone and practice here.” Gu-She said.

“Okay.” Tao Mo flew out the door, standing in the hallway and breathing a huge sigh of relief. Ever since he'd confronted the shame in his own heart, he'd felt more and more ashamed of himself in front of Gu-She.

Gu-She's doing him a favor and he's thinking about him. If Gu-She finds out, she'll be furious, right? After all, not every man can accept another man. He thinks of Yiyu, even though he has been listed in the Qunxiang House for many years, there is still a corner in his heart where he has a wish to get married and have children.

He dragged his heavy feet to the study, carrying his pen, ink, paper and inkstone and then slowly scuttled back to Gu-She's room.

The sweat on Gu-She's face had dried and she was leaning against a cushion reading a book, when she saw him come in, she said, “Do you remember the words you were taught that day?”

“I remember.” Tao Mo put down the paper, sharpened the ink and put down the pen.

The table is higher than the bed. Gu-She can only look askance.

Tao Mo writes very slowly, his hands shaking slightly and it took him a long time to stop.

“Go on.” Gu-She looked at the book, without raising his head.

“Yes.” Tao Mo looked at the wiggling words and found them horrible, so he added some ink and continued.

Gu-She looked up at him, saw that he was attentive, no longer confused and then returned his attention to the book in his hands.

About an incense stick(1 hr).

Gu Xiaojia came in with a medicine bowl, seeing that Gu-She was awake, she put the bowl down and said, “Young Master, I'll serve you and wash up.”

Tao Mo then woke up to the fact that he was so engrossed in practicing writing that he forgot about Gu-She on the other side and hurriedly said, “Let me.”

Gu Xiaojia stared at him wryly, “This is my family Young Master, Master Tao what are you troubling yourself for?”

Tao Mo was speechless.

Gu Xiaojia waited for Gu-She to finish washing up, handing over the medicine bowl, “Young Master please drink it.”

Gu-She frowned.

Tao Mo said: “There are preserves in what I brought today.”

Gu Xiaojia replied: “Young Master doesn't like candied fruit.”

Unexpectedly Gu-She said, “Go get it.”

“Huh? Oh.” Gu Xiaojia ran out to get it.” Gu Xiaojia ran out to get it.

Tao Mo didn't want Gu-She to work too hard with the bowl, so she took the initiative to bring it over.

“There's no harm in not drinking it.” Gu-She said.

Tao Mo said, “My father used to say, “Good medicine is bitter to the taste, drink it and you'll get better.”

Gu-She said: “There are three kinds of medicine and not all bitter medicine is good medicine.”

Tao Mo said: “It's never wrong what the doctor prescribes.”

“If the doctors were right, there'd be no quacks in the world.”

Tao Mo sensed Gu-She's displeasure and whispered, “You don't like the medicine, do you?”

“Is there anyone in the world who likes to drink medicine?” Gu-She asked rhetorically.

Tao Mo said, “I just think that if it's good for your health, you should drink it.”

Gu-She said, “Why don't you drink for me?”

Tao Mo sighs quietly, “If I had to drink for you if I had to drink ten bowls instead of one, I'd do it.” He'd love to get hit for him. Even if it took ten strokes to replace one.

When he heard that Gu-She had not spoken for a long time, he looked up and found the other man staring at him silently.

“What, what's wrong?” asked Tao Mo with a guilty conscience.

Gu-She dropped his eyes and said quietly, “Nothing.”

Gu Xiaojia came back with the candied fruit and the medicine is still cold.

Gu-She drank it all in one gulp, put a candied fruit in his mouth and continued reading.

Gu Xiaojia looked back at Tao Mo, who was intently practicing his calligraphy and suddenly felt that he was the only extra person in the room.

Since then, Tao Mo has set aside two hours a day to go to the Gu family residence. Sometimes to practice Chinese characters, sometimes to play chess.

Gu-She's wounds got better every day and by then, he was able to sit.

But life isn't always easy.

For Tao Mo, at least, there's one thing that's bothering him right now.

It's the second time in three days that a matchmaker has come to Tao Mo's door, gushing over the benefits of Miss Xu. Tao Mo thinks that he's not worthy of the Prefectural Magistrate's Court, as he's a talentless and unattractive man who donated money to it, so why does Miss Xu choose him?

Tao Mo looked at Lao Tao for help.

Lao Tao said meaningfully, “This is a matter of life and death and it is better to let the Young Master decide for himself.”

Tao Mo sighed and said to the matchmaker, “Thank you, Miss Xu. It's just that I don't have any plans to start a family yet, so...”

The matchmaker smiled and said, “Not for now but for the future. You can make a marriage contract with Miss Xu first and then later decide when you want to get married.”

“Huh?” Tao Mo looked at Lao Tao again.

Lao Tao looked up at the roof.

Tao Mo was embarrassed: “This, this, how dare I delay Miss Xu by keeping her hoping?”

The matchmaker said, “Ever since she heard of your lord's deeds, Miss Xu has been smitten and has told Master Xu that she will not marry him.”

Tao Mo's forehead felt cold and sweaty.


~ Love is More than A Word ~
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