The old woman saw the carriage enter the gate and came over to pay her respects,
"Miss Gu is invited to alight from the carriage!"
After speaking, she went to let down the mounting block and reached out to lift the curtain, but just as her hand was about to touch the curtain, it whooshed open, and a figure leapt out from inside the carriage. The old woman was taken aback, suddenly finding someone standing in front of her, and she stammered,
"Is… Is that Miss Gu?"
"Indeed it is!"
Gu Shi Yi bared her teeth in a grin at the old woman and bowed,
"Many thanks to this mama for showing the way, please lead Shiyi to pay respects to the Old Madam and the lady!"
Seeing her Itinerant World demeanor, the old woman took a closer look at Gu Shi Yi's appearance and breathed a sigh of relief,
"Sixth Master's people reported to the lady that Sixth Master had invited a young woman to stay at home. The lady thought Sixth Master had brought another woman into the residence and hid in her room weeping again. Afterwards, she specially sent me to spy things out. I didn't expect to encounter such a character; it seems she's not a new concubine taken by Sixth Master!"
Our Sixth Master has such high standards. How could he fancy someone so ambiguous, neither fully man nor woman!
Gu Shi Yi was a crafty one; seeing the expression of the old woman, she guessed what was going on and chuckled to herself,
"I heard Sixth Master Huang is quite the character, but I never expected his domestic affairs to be so unsettled as well!"
For someone like Sixth Master Huang from the Itinerant World, having three wives and four concubines was quite normal, and jealous quarrels among the women in the inner residence were common occurrences, which Gu Shi Yi had long grown accustomed to!
And so, the old woman led Gu Shi Yi into the inner courtyard to meet the Old Madam and the lady. Entering the inner hall, Gu Shi Yi saw an elderly woman with kind and gentle features seated in the place of honor. Although she was advanced in years, her features and bearing were very much like Sixth Master Huang's—one could tell at a glance that they were an undisguised mother and son. Gu Shi Yi greeted her with martial manners, clasping her fists and bending forward while calling her Old Madam,
"Wishing you peace and health, Old Madam, Shiyi greets you!"
The Old Madam, upon seeing Gu Shi Yi's behavior, was utterly disappointed and thought to herself,
"I had thought my son had taken another woman into the house, but it turns out to be a friend from the Itinerant World!"
To the side, a middle-aged woman with delicate and elegant features, though slightly marred by worry, relaxed a little upon seeing Gu Shi Yi,
"With Sixth Master's discerning eye, he surely wouldn't fancy such a woman!"
Older in age and with rather crude manners!
Who was Gu Shi Yi to miss such details? With a laugh concealed in her heart at the instability of Sixth Master Huang's residence, her face brimming with smiles, she exchanged a few courteous words with the two ladies before being sent off by the deeply dismayed Old Madam to the courtyard. She didn't mind, for what mattered most to her now was to quickly dispose of that hot potato, and she felt no need to care about anything else!
Following the leading old woman, she arrived at the most remote courtyard of the Huang Residence. Clearly, it had few inhabitants, and although it had been tidied up in advance with doors and windows opened to air it out, a faint musty odor still lingered. The leading old woman, detecting it, apologetically said,
"My apologies for the discomfort, miss. I'll have someone bring some incense to freshen up the place!"
Gu Shi Yi looked around with a smile,
"No need, this place is quite fine. A bit of smell, just air it out more!"
The old woman, seeing her easygoing nature, was naturally happy to have less trouble, and smilingly brought in a fourteen or fifteen-year-old maid,
"This is the maid who serves in the courtyard…"
"Gui Xi… don't you hurry to pay your respects to Miss Gu!"
The young maid, looking simple and honest, approached and paid her respects in earnest,
"Greetings, miss!"
Gu Shi Yi nodded, and after the old woman made polite conversation for a bit, she bade Gu Shi Yi rest and left.
Once the old woman had gone, the young maid timidly approached and asked,
"Would the miss like to bathe or freshen up, or perhaps have something to eat?"
Gu Shi Yi glanced at the sky outside and said,
"It's still early; go see what there is to eat..."
Gui Xi ran off obediently, and Gu Shi Yi released Li Yaner to stretch and get some air. The two friends examined the nearby area of the courtyard and realized that Sixth Master Huang had indeed complied with Gu Shi Yi's request by arranging the most secluded courtyard, with no one else walking about except the old gardener who tended the gardens.
Gu Shi Yi nodded in satisfaction,
"Very well, we shall stay here for one more night, and head to the market early tomorrow!"
Li Yaner nodded but then expressed some concern,
"I'm just afraid we won't be able to sleep peacefully tonight."
Gu Shi Yi replied,
"It's a troublesome affair indeed, but when push comes to shove, we'll just have to face it head-on!"
And so, that very night, trouble indeed found its way to them.