Little Pink Starfish

The World Is Complicated in Big Brother Gu’s Eyes

In the side hall, Gu Xingnuo and Gu Xinglang spoke quietly while Xiao Wei and Xiao Zhuang stood guard outside. Xiao Feng and Xiao Shao kept watch with Granny Wang at the corridor’s corner. The four ten-thousand tael silver notes weighed heavily on everyone’s minds. The two young palace servants couldn’t help but look around nervously, as if a monster might leap out and snatch the fortune away.

Granny Wang looked down on their nervousness and scolded, “It’s only forty thousand taels. You were raised in the palace—what riches haven’t you seen? Stand up straight!”

Sure, we’ve seen riches, Xiao Feng and Xiao Shao thought bitterly, but what does that have to do with us?

Still, they straightened up and kept their eyes forward.

Granny Wang muttered again, “Not like we’re going to use it anyway. What are you two so nervous about?”

…

So you’re actually upset we can’t spend it, huh?

—

Inside the side hall, Yu Xiaoxiao was cracking sunflower seeds when she suddenly asked Gu Xingnuo, “Big Brother, do you like peanuts?”

Gu Xingnuo was deep in thought, calculating how best to use the money. Her sudden question made him pause. “What?”

“Princess likes peanuts,” Gu Xinglang explained with a smile.

“Especially fried ones,” Yu Xiaoxiao added seriously.

Fried peanuts? Gu Xingnuo couldn’t figure out how that had anything to do with forty thousand taels.

“I promised Princess she can have them whenever she wants,” Gu Xinglang said.

“I heard Big Brother manages the household,” Yu Xiaoxiao said, looking at him earnestly. “So… can I have fried peanuts every day?”

Gu Xingnuo: “…”

Gu Xinglang patted her hand. “You don’t need to ask Big Brother. I can decide.”

“You manage the household now?” Yu Xiaoxiao blinked. “When did that happen? How come I didn’t know?”

Gu Xinglang’s expression turned awkward. They didn’t dine with the main family, so their meals were managed by Granny Wang. Clearly, Princess Linglong had no idea.

“Ahem,” Gu Xingnuo coughed and said, “You’d better ask Granny Wang.”

Instant rage.

Yu Xiaoxiao scowled. Granny Wang again? These people didn’t know the dangers of provoking a menopausal woman, did they? The woman wouldn’t even let her have a bowl of noodles. And now she’d have to fight for fried peanuts every day? Life was too hard.

“Peanuts aren’t expensive,” Gu Xingnuo offered. “If you like them, just ask the servants to buy more.”

“Not expensive?” Yu Xiaoxiao slammed the table. “Back in my world, me and that damn dog man worked half a month just to afford a couple of taels worth!”

(Girl, wake up. This ain’t the apocalypse anymore.)

Gu Xinglang flinched. Wait, peanuts are that expensive in the palace? Are there grades of peanuts now?

Gu Xingnuo smiled patiently. “Really, it’s not expensive. I’ll take Princess to the market tomorrow. We can buy plenty and keep them in your room.”

Yu Xiaoxiao looked at him in disbelief but didn’t think Gu Xingnuo was lying. She suddenly felt a pang of grief for her past life. Being poor in the apocalypse really sucked.

Gu Xinglang quickly said, “I’ll take you.” Why does my big brother need to escort my wife around?!

Gu Xingnuo shook his head at his little brother. Even over peanuts, you’re jealous?

“You’re the best, Big Brother!” Yu Xiaoxiao gave him a sincere thumbs-up.

“Big Brother, take the silver notes with you,” Gu Xinglang said.

“There’s still an issue with the notes,” Gu Xingnuo said, tapping the table.

Yu Xiaoxiao and Gu Xinglang both tensed. “They’re fake?” Yu Xiaoxiao shouted. What? General Hua gave fake money to his daughter?! So much for fatherly love!

Seeing the princess about to lose it, Gu Xingnuo quickly clarified, “No, the notes are real.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Gu Xinglang asked.

“If the notes go missing, don’t you think Consort Hua will come looking?” Gu Xingnuo asked.

Yu Xiaoxiao froze. Right. One missing bag of seeds, fine. But four freaking ten-thousand-tael notes? Of course she’d look.

“She can’t leave the palace to look for them, can she?” Gu Xinglang asked.

“She can’t, no,” Gu Xingnuo replied, “but the notes have the Hua family’s seal. If she sends someone to the bank to void them, we won’t get a single coin.”

“Then what do we do?” Gu Xinglang finally started to panic.

“The emperor just took her phoenix seal,” Gu Xingnuo said, lowering his voice. “She won’t dare make a move immediately.”

“But Princess already took the money in the morning,” Gu Xinglang said.

Gu Xingnuo sighed. These siblings… “When someone loses money, what’s the first thing they do? They search for it. There are hundreds of servants in her palace. Think how long it would take to search everyone. And she can’t search openly—she has to be discreet. I’m guessing she’s still secretly looking for her missing funds right now.”

Yu Xiaoxiao asked, “Why does she have to sneak around?”

Gu Xingnuo looked at her and decided to hold back. Thank goodness for Granny Wang. Without her, how would these two survive? “It’s a capital offense for an official to send money into the palace,” he said. “She can’t admit it’s hers.”

“Ohhh,” Yu Xiaoxiao nodded. “My dad’s really something, huh? Everything related to him is a capital crime.”

Gu Xingnuo almost choked. That’s imperial power, not a joke.

“So should we go to the bank right now?” Gu Xinglang asked.

Yu Xiaoxiao jumped up. “Let’s go now! I was just thinking of having a midnight snack. Let’s go to Dashiqiao!”

Gu Xinglang glanced at her belly. You’ve still got room?

Yu Xiaoxiao looked down at her stomach. This little food isn’t nearly enough energy replenishment.

“We can’t go ourselves,” Gu Xingnuo interrupted.

“Why not?” the couple asked in unison.

“If Consort Hua dares not speak of her loss, and we show up cashing those notes, we’ll still get caught in her trap,” Gu Xingnuo said.

Yu Xiaoxiao sucked in a breath. Damn, Big Brother Gu really sees the world as one complex mess.