The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 820 - 820 Warmth (2nd Update)

Chapter 820: Warmth (2nd Update) Chapter 820: Warmth (2nd Update) The Zhuang family is so wealthy, as the grandson of the Zhuang’s Grand Preceptor, Ning Wang ought not to lack silver.

This is a pot of golden chives; they must be harvested properly.

“Jiaojiao!”

Little Jingkong hurled himself at Gu Jiao, clinging to her legs.

Gu Jiao collected her thoughts in a second, looked at the little dumpling who had turned into an attachment on her leg, lifted him up, and seeing his sweat-drenched appearance, she asked, “Did you race again today? You’re sweating so much.”

“We learned football today!” Little Jingkong said adorably.

Gu Jiao once saw the football of Zhan Country at the grassland of Qinghe Academy; it was similar to the football of her previous life, where both games involve kicking a ball into a goal. However, a football’s goal is known as a “goal” and is quite large, with two on the ground; football in Zhan Country has a goal called “Geng Liuyan,” rather small, with only one in the sky, and Geng Liuyan has no net.

In brief, football is a sport highly revered in the six nations as of now.

Gu Jiao took out a handkerchief.

Little Jingkong obediently stretched out his little head.

“How’s your learning going? Can you kick it?” Gu Jiao asked while wiping his sweat.

Little Jingkong nodded like pounding garlic: “I can! I’m really good at it! I was just so close to kicking it into Geng Liuyan!”

…Little Jingkong’s “so close” was half a football field.

It wasn’t really Little Jingkong’s fault; he was just too small with short arms and legs. When he tried to kick out, he hadn’t even reached the ball before tumbling down himself.

Moreover, the Geng Liuyan at the beginner’s school was designed according to the height of most children. They ranged from six to eight years old, but Little Jingkong, who appeared to be only three and a half years old even though he was four, was at a disadvantage.

He had hardly touched the ball afterward because no one would pass it to him!

The little guy was pretty frustrated!

Gu Jiao curled her lips into a smile: “You really kicked it very well?”

Little Jingkong’s eyes widened like cow’s eyes: “Truly, truly! I’ve been kicking it all along!”

“Jingkong! Do you want to come to my house to play football?”

From the carriage by the roadside, Xu Zhuzhu waved at Jingkong.

Little Jingkong’s eyes flickered, and he put his hands behind his back: “No, I won’t go! It’s not that fun, actually!”

He adamantly wouldn’t admit that he wasn’t good at playing, barely even touching the ball.

Xu Zhuzhu and he were not in the same class, unaware that today he had barely touched the ball. With his little confidence a bit shaken, Xu Zhuzhu waved, “Okay then, I’ll go first! Next time, tell me what you like to play, and I’ll join you!”

“Mm.” Little Jingkong mumbled a vague acknowledgment.

After wiping the sweat off Little Jingkong, Gu Jiao took his hand and returned to Bishui Alley.

Back home, Gu Jiao personally made a football for Little Jingkong and dismantled her medicine-drying rack to make a Geng Liuyan near the backyard’s Begonia tree, slightly larger than the Academy’s and adjusted to Little Jingkong’s height.

After finishing his homework, Little Jingkong came out and immediately saw the football on the threshold.

“Wow!”

His big eyes lit up, fluttering his eyelashes, he couldn’t be more excited than a bright little button.

He bent down, scooped up the football with his little hands, and darted toward the backyard. There, he saw the Geng Liuyan that was slightly shorter than the one at the Imperial College, and he threw himself at it excitedly.

He set down the football, stood on tiptoe, and embraced the large Geng Liuyan.

…

Xiao Liulang was out on official business again, this time in the Capital City. The Imperial College was conducting a spot examination of officials from the six ministries over three days, and Xiao Liulang, as one of the proctors, would enter the Imperial College with the officials.

This was not Xiao Liulang’s first time at the Imperial College. However, he used to sit in the examination room, but this time he was seated in the proctor’s seat.

He didn’t need to grade papers; after three days, when the examination was over, he could leave with the officials.

With Xiao Liulang away from home, Gu Jiao went to the underground martial arts arena the next day.

Old He took the silver from Ning Wang’s guard, but he didn’t immediately go to send a message to Ning Wang’s side. Instead, he went to Gu Jiao first to talk to her about it.

Such matters were not uncommon in the martial arts arena; many big figures would buy high-level fighters in private. Yet, these big figures had status in the Capital City and generally would not let the people from the arena know their true identities.

“If you want to see him, I’ll send the message now. If you don’t want to, I’ll just take my time on the way,” so by the time the message was delivered, Gu Jiao would have already left.

This wouldn’t be a dereliction of duty for him. He was only responsible for delivering the message, not for keeping Gu Jiao here.

Gu Jiao acknowledged with an “oh”: “It’s fine, send the message. The sooner, the better.”

In the afternoon, Gu Jiao fought two rounds. She didn’t schedule a third because there was no suitable opponent left; the underground martial arts arena had a rule against fighting across more than three levels, meaning Gu Jiao, with no ranking, could only fight up to a Second-level Expert.