Chapter 279: Chapter 279: Mother, Mother

“What did you say?”

“What are you thinking?!”

Wang’s mother and Gu Qinghuan shouted in disbelief at the same time.

Wang Qingchuan turned his eyes away, not daring to meet their gaze. He stiffened his neck and said, “I’ve studied enough. I might as well come home early to help support the family.”

“Are you out of your mind?!” Wang’s mother, furious, grabbed a bamboo board nearby and started hitting Wang Qingchuan with it. She didn’t care that the teacher was still there—her son’s words felt like a branding iron on her heart.

As she hit him, she cried out, her voice choked with sobs: “Do you know how hard it’s been for me to put you through school all these years? It wasn’t easy for you to make it to junior high. Just two more years and you’d be set, and now you say you want to quit? Why don’t you just fly to the sky!”

Wang Qingchuan didn’t dodge. He just stood there, letting his mother’s bamboo board land heavily on him.

Gu Qinghuan quickly stepped in to mediate. “Big sister, let’s talk this through. Don’t hurt the child. Let’s hear what he has to say first.”

Wang’s mother’s heart ached for her son. She had just been overwhelmed with anger and hit him hard a few times, not knowing if she’d hurt him.

“You brat, after all these years of me getting up before dawn and working late, is this how you repay me?”

“Wang Qingchuan, why don’t you want to go to school?” Gu Qinghuan asked, a little disappointed.

This child clearly had talent, but he was unwilling to continue his studies. What a waste.

Hearing his mother’s complaints, Wang Qingchuan’s eyes turned red.

“Mom! Going to high school costs way more than before. I’ll be gone for a month at a time, and there’ll be no one to help you at home. The little money you make weaving bamboo just isn’t enough to support me. If I stop studying, at least I can help keep our family afloat.” Wang Qingchuan finally spoke the truth.

It wasn’t that he really didn’t want to study anymore. He just couldn’t bear to see his mother struggling so hard for his education.

Her hair had turned white, her back was hunched, her eyes were failing, and she was constantly worried sick.

Her hands were covered in deep cracks and calluses—nothing like a woman’s hands should be.

He didn’t want his mother to keep working herself to the bone for him. Now it was his turn to repay her.

Wang’s mother stood there in a daze, the bamboo board slipping from her hand to the floor without her noticing.

She had thought that as long as she worked hard enough, day and night, she could afford to send her son to school. Turns out, it was just wishful thinking.

A deep sense of powerlessness and helplessness nearly crushed this mother.

Why, after working so hard, was she still hungry, her family still dirt poor, and her child still unable to go to school?

This life was too miserable. In the next one, she’d rather be a pig or a dog than a human.

Only now did Gu Qinghuan realize that Wang Qingchuan didn’t really want to quit school—he just couldn’t bear to see his mother suffer, so he pretended he wanted to stop studying.

She felt both relieved and moved. This is what a real man should be—responsible and considerate.

He was willing to give up his education rather than drag his mother down. What a sensible, good child.

If it was just a matter of money, then it wasn’t a problem at all.

“Big sister, don’t worry. I came here today to solve this problem. Wang Qingchuan, don’t worry, your teacher will make sure you can keep studying,” Gu Qinghuan promised quickly.

A spark of hope lit up in both their eyes as they turned to look at Gu Qinghuan.

Gu Qinghuan explained in detail how she planned to support them, and even took out the agreement she had just signed with the Wang family.

Only then did Wang Qingchuan believe that Gu Qinghuan was serious about helping him continue his studies.

Wang’s mother went from deep sorrow to overwhelming joy, her emotions swinging like a roller coaster.

She dropped to her knees on the ground, pulling her son down with her.

“Teacher, this is all we have. There’s nothing we can do to thank you. Xiaochuan and I will kowtow to you right here, to thank you for your great kindness.”

Gu Qinghuan had never seen anything like this and was so startled she fell right onto her bottom. “No, no, please don’t!”

In the end, she managed to pull the mother and son up from the ground.

For Wang Qingchuan, Gu Qinghuan decided to provide the same support as she did for Wang Ruolan: sixty yuan per semester.

It wouldn’t let him live in luxury, but it would be enough to finish his studies and ensure he had basic nutrition.

She was deliberately strict with the amount—not too much, but not too little.

If she gave too much, the kids might lose their motivation and get lost in comfort, which would do them more harm than good.

With the agreement signed and sixty yuan in hand, mother and son still felt as if it was all a dream.

Was such a huge problem really solved just like that?

Having money is wonderful!

Gu Qinghuan reminded them again and again: “Big sister, you must spend this money on Wang Qingchuan’s schooling, especially his nutrition. He needs to keep up, or he won’t be able to handle the intensity of high school.”

Wang Qingchuan was on the short side—already a teenager, but only about 1.5 meters tall, which was quite short.

But boys can keep growing until they’re twenty. With enough nutrition, he still had a chance to grow taller. A boy should be at least 1.7 meters, right?

Wang’s mother promised repeatedly.

“Don’t worry, I won’t waste a single cent. It’ll all be for Xiaochuan.”

With such a loving mother, Gu Qinghuan wasn’t worried. She was only afraid that Wang Qingchuan himself would be too frugal.

“Wang Qingchuan, out of this sixty yuan, ten is for tuition, thirty for living expenses, ten for miscellaneous fees, and the last ten is a gift from me.

You’re about to start high school. Ask your mom to make you a couple of new outfits that fit. Clothes make the man, just like a saddle makes the horse. When you get to your new school, study hard, and make sure you eat well every day.

By the end of the semester, I want to see you taller and stronger.”

Wang Qingchuan nodded hard, tears in his eyes. How lucky he was to have met such a good teacher as Gu Qinghuan.

Since the two of them still had work to do, Gu Qinghuan didn’t stay long. After giving her instructions, she rode off on her bicycle.

Wang Qingchuan wanted to see her off, but she refused.

Since she was already here, and had learned about Wang Xiaowei’s situation, she decided to visit Wang Xiaowei’s parents to do what she could for that poor girl.

Wang Xiaowei’s father was the village chief, and her mother was a typical rural woman.

Gu Qinghuan asked her way to Wang Xiaowei’s house. Only Wang Xiaowei’s mother was at home, doing chores, with two children playing in the mud nearby.

Gu Qinghuan politely introduced herself: “Auntie, hello. My name is Gu Qinghuan, I’m a friend of Xiaowei’s. We met in Beijing. She asked me to come visit you.”

Wang Xiaowei’s mother immediately grabbed her hand warmly. “Girl, I know you! Xiaowei mentioned you in her letters, said you helped her so many times. Thank you so much.

How is our Xiaowei doing in Beijing? Is that rascal treating her well? And the baby? She was only three months old when she left—she should be walking by now, right?”

Every word was filled with a mother’s worry.

Gu Qinghuan’s eyes stung with emotion.

She knew Wang Xiaowei had been hiding the truth from her family, so she could only help keep the secret to the end."

"Chapter 280: Disaster Out of Nowhere, Ma Suping Comes Knocking

“Auntie, she and the child are both doing well.” Gu Qinghuan didn’t dare say much, so she just replied dryly.

“That’s good to hear! I just worry about her being all alone in the capital, not knowing anyone, afraid she might be bullied.” A mother’s heart is always the same.

They hope their children can soar high, yet fear they’ll get hurt.

Wang’s mother invited her inside to sit, while the two children eyed her curiously.

She quickly pulled a handful of fruit candies from her pocket and handed them over. The kids glanced at their grandmother, then happily accepted the treats.

When Gu Qinghuan came, she didn’t know this was Wang Xiaowei’s hometown too, so she hadn’t brought anything and didn’t dare conjure up gifts out of thin air.

She could only wait until Wang Xiaowei’s mother went to pour water, then quietly slipped three ten-yuan bills from her pocket into the basket on the table where the knitting was kept.

After some small talk, Gu Qinghuan excused herself, saying she had something to do.

It wasn’t until that evening, when Wang’s mother was knitting, that she discovered the thirty yuan in the basket.

She counted her own private savings over and over, making sure nothing was missing.

Who could have left the thirty yuan?

At that moment, she didn’t think it was from Gu Qinghuan—after all, they weren’t relatives, so why would she give so much money?

It was a rare thing—thirty yuan appeared out of nowhere at home.

Finally, her little grandson, licking his candy wrapper, said, “I saw it! That auntie put the money in your knitting basket when you went outside.”

Wang’s mother slapped her thigh—of course! Only one guest had been here today.

What a thoughtful girl, giving such a generous gift. She’d even forgotten to ask where the girl lived—now she owed a big favor.

By the time Gu Qinghuan rode her bike back to school, the sun was already setting.

After pedaling up mountain roads for so long, her legs were trembling and she felt completely drained.

But just as she parked her bike, she was suddenly slapped hard across the face, leaving her stunned and her cheek burning.

She froze for only a few seconds before retaliating with an even harder slap.

No matter what was going on, if someone dared to hit her for no reason, they deserved to be punished.

Already angry, Gu Qinghuan’s slap was so forceful it nearly knocked the woman over.

The woman’s face swelled up visibly on one side.

“You bitch! I’ll kill you!” The woman lunged at her again, shrieking like a shrew.

Her voice was so loud that people from the entire residential compound came out to watch.

Gu Qinghuan grabbed her arm in a vice-like grip.

“Does anyone know who this crazy woman is? Someone go call her family to come get her. If she keeps this up, don’t blame me for slapping her again.”

Normally a heavy sleeper, Gu Qinghuan hadn’t slept well last night and had been running around all day. Her patience was at its limit.

But everyone just looked at each other, no one knowing who the woman was.

Some even wondered if Gu Qinghuan had gotten involved with someone’s husband and the wife had come to confront her.

So, no one knows her?

“Who are you calling crazy? You’re Gu Qinghuan, right? I’m Lin Muyang’s wife! I heard you’ve been flirting with my husband at school, even egging him on to apply to the Workers’ and Peasants’ University!

You pair of shameless adulterers! I’m going to report you both and have the discipline committee drag you out for public criticism.

Lin Muyang wants to divorce me to make room for you? No way!”

The woman’s name was Ma Suping, Lin Muyang’s wife.

A few days ago, she suddenly received a letter saying her husband was about to enroll in the Workers’ and Peasants’ University and warning her to be vigilant.

The letter also said there was a woman at school named Gu Qinghuan who was seducing her husband and had encouraged him to go to university.

Ma Suping immediately sent a telegram to Lin Muyang, telling him to come home because their son was sick.

When Lin Muyang rushed home, he found out Ma Suping had lied.

The couple had the fiercest argument in years, smashing everything breakable in the house.

Ma Suping was furious that her husband, at his age, still wanted to study, ignoring his family, her, and their child.

Lin Muyang was fed up with this oppressive life and finally asked Ma Suping for a divorce, telling her to think it over.

In truth, he had nothing left to keep him there—only a sense of duty and responsibility had kept him going.

His parents were gone, his wife and child were like this—he didn’t want to spend his life as a pile of mud.

With the opportunity to go to university, he felt it was time to reshuffle his life.

Ma Suping didn’t think she was at fault—she just believed Lin Muyang was being unfaithful.

So she grew to hate the shameless hussy from the letter who was seducing her husband.

She came storming over, determined to cause trouble for Gu Qinghuan.

The moment she saw Gu Qinghuan, jealousy overwhelmed her. She was sure the letter was right—this woman was a vixen.

So she slapped her, as if that could make her feel better.

Only now did Gu Qinghuan realize this was Lin Muyang’s wife.

She did recall Lin Muyang mentioning this “virtuous wife” before.

At this moment, Gu Qinghuan was speechless.

Was this woman crazy? Her own husband wanted to study and get a divorce—what did that have to do with her? She was a married woman herself!

“Listen, I’ll say this once: Lin Muyang and I are just colleagues. There’s nothing improper between us.

My own husband is handsome and outstanding, and I’m not bad myself—I can handle the house and the workplace, and I earn money. Why would I ever stray?

What do I want with your husband? His family? His son? Please get your facts straight before you speak. Watch your mouth, or you’ll regret it.

If you say one more word, don’t blame me for teaching you a lesson!” Gu Qinghuan said sternly, enunciating each word.

The woman looked uncertain, and just then, someone called Lin Muyang over.

As soon as Lin Muyang arrived, he quickly apologized to Teacher Gu.

“Teacher Gu, I’m so sorry for dragging you into this. Don’t worry, I’ll handle it and give you an explanation.” Lin Muyang was full of guilt.

But in Ma Suping’s ears, his words sounded very different.

“Lin Muyang, you heartless man! When your family was dirt poor and your mother was bedridden with no money for treatment, it was my family who paid for her care.

Now you’re infatuated with this little vixen and despise me, is that it?

I’m telling you, I’ll never agree to a divorce. Don’t even think about shaking me off and living the good life on your own!”

Ma Suping couldn’t stand seeing her husband being gentle with another woman, so she started shouting hysterically.

How long had it been since Lin Muyang had spoken kindly to her? She couldn’t even remember.

The onlookers were enjoying the drama.

So Teacher Lin Muyang had such a hidden side to him?

Lin Muyang’s face was ashen, his fists clenched tightly, jaw set.

“Ma Suping, all these years, I’ve never wronged you.

Yes, your family paid for my mother’s treatment, I admit it.

But I repaid it with my marriage and my life’s happiness—I owe your family nothing.

You know full well what kind of life I’ve had in your family all these years.

Besides, every penny I’ve earned has gone to you. I’ve long since paid back the money for my mother’s treatment.

Now, I have no more weaknesses. I must go to university, and I will get this divorce!”

His voice was full of burning anger and resolve—Ma Suping’s actions had pushed him past his limit. This marriage had to end!

He only regretted not coming to his senses sooner.

“What about your son? Are you going to abandon him too?” Ma Suping grabbed his arm, trying to use their son to sway him.

Lin Muyang’s hand tightened, then he slowly pushed Ma Suping away.

“He’s a Ma, not a Lin!”

So, he was giving up his son.

Saying those words hurt Lin Muyang deeply.

If not for his son, he might have divorced long ago.

But reality had slapped him in the face—the son he’d tried so hard to protect and raise had turned into a thoroughly rotten kid, nothing like him, but just like the Ma family.

Greedy, snobbish, petty!

He often beat and cursed his own father, spouting foul language.

Such a son—he didn’t want him, nor could he afford to.

Ma Suping was thunderstruck.

“Lin Muyang, how heartless you are! For this woman, you’d even abandon your own flesh and blood!”

She was convinced Lin Muyang was just being unfaithful, as if that could ease her pain.

Gu Qinghuan couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation.

What kind of person was this?

Lin Muyang gave Gu Qinghuan an apologetic look, then pulled Ma Suping, ready to leave.

“Come with me. Our issues shouldn’t affect others.” The students would be out of class soon, and it wouldn’t be good for them to witness this.

“I’m not going! You two adulterers want to ditch me and run off together? No way!” Ma Suping plopped down on the ground.

“Someone go get the principal! If not, I’ll turn this school upside down today!” she wailed, making a scene.

Lin Muyang was shaking with anger.

Chen Fang had to step in.

“Comrade, making a scene at school like this isn’t appropriate, is it?”

“And who are you? Where’s the principal?”

“I represent the staff here to clarify: there’s nothing between Teacher Lin and Teacher Gu. It’s all in your imagination.

People strive to improve themselves—Lin Muyang got into university through his own efforts. As his wife, you should support him, not smear his name.

Marriage is about mutual support. Speaking as someone who’s been there, it takes two to make a marriage work—both sides have their faults.

No matter who was wrong at first, you have to work together to make a life.

If you keep suspecting him, holding him back, and ruining his reputation, no wonder he doesn’t want to come home.” He Fang’s words were actually quite fair.

But Ma Suping couldn’t accept it. Crying, she said, “What do you know? Lin Muyang just wants to go to university to get rid of me and our family!

I work so hard every day, taking care of the child and the house—what has he ever done for us? Just hands over some wages each month.

When he needs me, I’m great, but when he doesn’t, he tosses me aside. How is that fair?”

Her tearful, snotty display made her look pitiful, and many people couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.

But those who are pitiful often have their own faults.

Gu Qinghuan knew this woman was far from as simple as she appeared.

She was doing all this just to keep Lin Muyang.

Lin Muyang wasn’t the type to air his pain in public—he could only grit his teeth and endure.

“Comrade, if you keep this up, I’ll have to call someone to drag you out. The students will be out soon, and you’re setting a terrible example!” Chen Fang said bluntly.

Ma Suping wanted to keep making a scene.

“What’s going on?” Principal Chen had finally been called over.

He promptly sent everyone away, leaving only Lin Muyang behind to deal with Ma Suping privately."

"Chapter 281: Forcing with Death