Chapter 319: Chapter 319: The House Is Back

Niu Zhuang went home, thought it over, and felt something was off, so he went to ask his boss, Cheng Fusheng.

After hearing what happened, Cheng Fusheng cursed, “Pig brain!”

“Boss, you mean she’s got a pig brain?”

“I’m talking about you! All brawn and no brains.” Cheng Fusheng shot him an annoyed glare.

Niu Zhuang scratched his nose and gave an embarrassed laugh.

“This woman isn’t simple—she’s interesting. She’s brave, clever, and not stingy. She gets things done with little money, works from the inside out, takes people down one by one, and with a few tricks, she’s got everyone figured out.

Just watch, someone will definitely come looking for you for their stuff tomorrow,” Cheng Fusheng said confidently.

Sure enough, before dawn the next day, someone was knocking on Niu Zhuang’s door.

He got up, still half asleep, and opened the door. It was the man who’d negotiated with them yesterday, looking all shifty.

“Is that flour you mentioned yesterday still available? I moved out overnight. If you don’t believe me, you can check,” the man said, glancing around nervously as he spoke.

Niu Zhuang hadn’t expected that Gu Qinghuan and his boss would be spot on. It had only been one night, and someone was already here for the flour.

“Weren’t you acting all heroic yesterday, swearing you’d never move?” Niu Zhuang said grumpily.

The man gave an awkward smile and rubbed his hands.

“I just thought it through! Either way, I have to move, so I might as well get an extra ten jin of flour.”

Niu Zhuang thought for a moment, then handed him a bag of flour.

After the man left, Niu Zhuang was about to go back to sleep when someone knocked again.

Another person had come for flour.

After that, his door kept getting knocked on. He gave up on sleep and just waited by the door.

There were only two bags of flour left: one thirty jin, one twenty jin.

A woman came running, panting, “I… I’m here for the flour.”

Right behind her, an old lady with tiny feet came rushing over, “Mine, it’s mine!”

The two of them arrived at Niu Zhuang’s door, one after the other. Their families were the last two to move out.

Actually, they’d packed up the night before, planning to move first thing in the morning. Who knew they’d still be a step too slow? When they got up at seven and opened the door, the whole courtyard was empty—only their two families were left.

When real benefits are at stake, nothing else matters. Everyone was playing their own game.

They didn’t even have time to move their things; they rushed over to claim the flour.

The younger woman was faster and managed to grab the thirty jin bag.

The old lady was so angry she pounded her chest and stomped her feet.

“Can’t you let an old woman like me have it?”

The woman, sweating and clutching the flour tightly, said, “Sorry, my family’s not well-off either. See you, ma’am.”

Niu Zhuang gave the remaining twenty jin bag to the old lady.

She hobbled away with the flour, looking so frail that it seemed her earlier sprint was just an illusion.

Niu Zhuang was truly impressed. No wonder the boss always told him to use his brain—being smart really did make a difference.

Wait a minute—he suddenly remembered that someone had asked him before to help reclaim a house, but he’d thought it was hopeless and turned them down.

After all, even the government wouldn’t get involved.

Gu Qinghuan’s approach had given him a great idea: he could totally start a business reclaiming houses and collecting debts, using Gu Qinghuan’s method. It was bound to work.

Niu Zhuang gave up on sleep and hurried to find Cheng Fusheng.

Cheng Fusheng was brushing his teeth under the corridor. After hearing about the morning’s events, he nodded.

He hadn’t expected it to happen so fast.

Sure enough, the scariest thing in the world is human nature.

When interests align, people can unite against a common enemy.

But when their own interests are at stake, everything falls apart.

Niu Zhuang cautiously brought up his idea of starting a business like this.

To his surprise, Cheng Fusheng actually praised him for once: “As the old saying goes, ‘He who stays near vermilion gets stained red, he who stays near ink gets stained black.’ Looks like you’ve soaked up a bit of wisdom and finally have some ideas.

I have no objections to what you’re proposing, and I won’t get involved. You can treat it as your own business. Any money you make, you keep—you decide.”

And so, Niu Zhuang started his debt collection business, taking on anything—houses, money, you name it. Unexpectedly, it grew bigger and bigger, and he even started his own debt collection company. But that’s a story for another time.

That same day, Gu Qinghuan got word that the house was vacated and immediately took Zhong Weiqian and the others to see it.

They couldn’t move in just yet—the place was a mess after all those years of tenants, so they’d need to hire someone to clean it up.

Zhong Zijun asked curiously, “How did you do it? We tried so many times before and got nowhere.”

Gu Qinghuan didn’t want to scare them, so she just said, “I have my ways. Special situations call for special solutions. Anyway, I didn’t do anything illegal.”

Zhong Zijun and the others didn’t press further—they trusted Gu Qinghuan to handle things properly.

If they knew Gu Qinghuan had simply rounded up some people and sorted out the tenants, Zhong Zijun might start questioning reality.

With the house issue settled, Zhong Weiqian and Cheng Shuying found their purpose—fixing up the house, which would be their home for the rest of their lives. Of course, they wanted to do it right.

Zhong Zijun went to classes and dated, living a pretty comfortable life.

The three kids were looked after by Bai Jie. Gu Qinghuan focused on her studies, while Gu Lanting juggled work and studying for exams.

Everything was gradually getting back on track."

"Chapter 320: Betrothal Gifts and the Wedding

After Zhong Ziyan returned from the Northwest, everyone had been busy and hadn’t had a chance to get together.

Today, it was rare for the whole family to gather, so Yun Runtong and his wife invited everyone out for a meal. It was a belated meeting of the in-laws, and Grandma Yun came along as well.

Grandma Yun had wanted to invite Yun Nianzhou and his wife too, but Yun Runtong remembered how things had ended badly last time, so he didn’t agree.

Gu Qinghuan and Yun Jiuzhou, the main characters of the day, were uncharacteristically shy.

Although the two of them had been properly married for almost two years, this was actually the first time both sets of parents were formally meeting.

The meal was warm and pleasant. Everyone was already old friends, familiar with each other, and all came from highly educated families, well-matched in social status, so there was no awkwardness at all.

After dinner, as everyone sipped tea and chatted, Liang Zhiqiu brought out two boxes.

“Huanhuan has been a blessing to our Xiao Jiu. They met when they both had nothing, and now their relationship has finally borne fruit.

As parents, of course we’re happy for them. Here is a little betrothal gift from the two of us for Huanhuan. We hope you won’t mind.” Liang Zhiqiu opened the boxes and handed them to Zhong Zijun.

“Xiao Jiu” was Yun Jiuzhou’s nickname. Since there was already a “Zhouzhou” in the family, Liang Zhiqiu didn’t want to confuse the two children.

According to traditional Chinese values, marriage is mainly arranged by the parents, and girls are expected to be reserved and modest, so she naturally offered the betrothal gifts to Zhong Zijun first.

Zhong Zijun didn’t refuse. After all, it was only proper for the groom’s family to give betrothal gifts, and she had also prepared a dowry for her daughter.

She bent over to check the contents: two properties—one was a traditional courtyard house in the old city, and the other was a Western-style house in their own neighborhood. If they lived there, it would be close to her family home. Clearly, Liang Zhiqiu had put a lot of thought into this.

When she saw the deed for an entire building, her expression froze for a moment—this was truly generous.

It was the largest department store in Beijing, and she hadn’t expected the property rights to belong to Yun’s family. What a show of wealth!

With that building as a safety net, the two kids could live comfortably for life without lifting a finger—the annual rent alone would be more than enough.

Besides the houses and the building, there was also a bankbook with a full ten thousand yuan.

In a small box was a collection of jewelry, all carefully chosen by Liang Zhiqiu—jade, gemstones, gold—everything a young woman might like, with plenty of options.

Just from this box, you could see how much thought had gone into it. Since they didn’t know Gu Qinghuan’s preferences, they prepared a bit of everything, very considerate.

Even Zhong Zijun, who had seen her share of the world, was stunned by the lavishness of the betrothal gifts.

And this was just the betrothal gift.

The Yun family would surely prepare more for the young couple’s daily life.

In this era, the betrothal gift was given to the bride’s family. The parents could choose to let their daughter take it with her, or keep it themselves—no one would say anything.

No matter what, the Yun family’s attitude was impeccable, and Zhong Zijun was very satisfied.

There was just one thing—she wondered if the dowry she’d prepared for her daughter was enough, considering how much the other side had given.

No, she’d have to add more.

Liang Zhiqiu noticed Zhong Zijun’s thoughtful look and, thinking she was dissatisfied, quickly added, “Zijun, if you have any requests, just say the word. As long as it’s within our means, we’ll give it. Being able to have Huanhuan as our daughter-in-law, no matter what we give, it’s worth it.”

Her future mother-in-law’s words warmed Gu Qinghuan’s heart—not because of the gifts, but because of the attitude.

Honestly, even if they hadn’t given any betrothal gifts, she and Yun Jiuzhou were already married—what’s done is done.

But the fact that they were willing to make up for the missed formality, and to do it in front of both families, made Gu Qinghuan feel truly touched.

“That’s more than enough! I just feel you’ve given too much. The dowry I prepared as her mother pales in comparison,” Zhong Zijun replied quickly.

Sincerity for sincerity—no evasion, no scheming. Both families just wanted the best for their children.

Liang Zhiqiu laughed at that.

“You don’t need to worry about a thing. Just trust Xiao Jiu to take care of your daughter. Once Huanhuan joins our family, Runtong and I will treat her as our own daughter and never let her suffer.”

Gu Qinghuan couldn’t help but laugh at that, remembering how, in the future, people online would joke that every mother-in-law says this before the wedding, but changes their tune afterward.

Luckily, there was no internet in this era, or Liang Zhiqiu might have been roasted online.

She took the words with a grain of salt. While there was some sincerity, Gu Qinghuan had never planned to rely on anyone—not even her husband, Yun Jiuzhou.

In the end, people are alone in this world. As you go through life, you realize the only person you can truly trust and rely on is yourself.

A lover is just the icing on the cake.

Having been hurt by marriage herself, Zhong Zijun didn’t really believe it either, but the attitude was still comforting.

But then, Liang Zhiqiu’s next words left Gu Qinghuan and the others stunned.

“In addition to the betrothal gifts, we wanted to discuss making up for the missed wedding ceremony.

The two kids love each other, but they became a family without any real ceremony. Looking back, it feels like something’s missing, so we’d like to give them the wedding they deserve.”

Gu Qinghuan instinctively looked at Yun Jiuzhou, who gave her a knowing smile.

Yun Runtong and his wife had already asked for his opinion, and of course he agreed.

He’d been to so many weddings with Gu Qinghuan, and every time he saw the envy in her eyes, it pained him. Yun Jiuzhou had always wanted to give her the best wedding, and now the chance had finally come.

Gu Qinghuan never expected that, after two years of marriage, she’d still get to have that ceremony. There was no need to worry about seeming pretentious, no need to hint—when someone loves you, they just know what to do.

In that moment, the love from Yun Jiuzhou and the Yun family overwhelmed her. She was smiling, but tears shimmered in her eyes.

Zhong Zijun burst into tears.

She was grateful that, even though she herself had been a poor example as a mother—her own marriage failed and unhappy—her daughter hadn’t followed in her footsteps.

The rest of the Zhong family looked on with relief and joy.

Gu Qinghuan felt that everything she’d gone through had been worth it.

Yun Jiuzhou quietly took her hand.

He felt the same way. Gu Qinghuan was like a beam of light that suddenly entered his life, illuminating everything. Because of her, all the hardships of his past seemed worthwhile.

They were each other’s salvation, destined to spend a lifetime together."

"Chapter 321: Betrothal Gifts and Dowry

Next came the discussion between both families about the wedding arrangements.

Liang Zhiqiu, as a mother-in-law, was remarkably open-minded. She fully respected the young couple’s wishes, set the general direction, and then worked out the details together with them—she was truly attentive.

She also said, “I originally wanted to prepare a wedding house for you, but considering your current situation, I think you should decide for yourselves where you want to live. There’s no need to be bound by tradition. Our home will always have a room for you both, and you’re welcome to come back and stay anytime.”

Now that the children were grown and had their own lives, they wouldn’t tie them down, nor would they interfere in their affairs—they didn’t have the right to do so.

They already owed Yun Jiuzhou so much, and all they wanted now was to treat them as well as possible and make up for the years of absence.

Gu Qinghuan quietly breathed a sigh of relief. She had worried that Yun Jiuzhou’s new identity would bring a whole set of restrictions.

Take the issue of housing, for example. Yun Jiuzhou was still in school and rarely home, so she continued living in the small villa with the children, along with Gu Lanting, Zhong Zijun, and Ming Ruxue.

It was rare for the whole family to be together, and they’d grown used to it.

Sometimes Yun Jiuzhou would come over at night, and when he was busy, he’d just stay in the school dormitory.

Liang Zhiqiu’s arrangements made Gu Qinghuan feel truly cared for.

After the Yun family left, Zhong Zijun solemnly handed over the betrothal gifts they’d brought to Gu Qinghuan.

“Here, take a look!”

When Gu Qinghuan opened it, she finally understood why Zhong Zijun had been so shocked earlier.

This mother-in-law was really generous—a whole department store’s property rights, already transferred to her name.

She hadn’t even managed to achieve her dream of “lying flat” (living comfortably without working) on her own, but thanks to her husband’s family, she could now—more precisely, thanks to her man.

And although Liang Zhiqiu hadn’t prepared a wedding house, the two properties she gave them were clearly chosen with care.

One was a small villa, just a ten-minute walk from where they currently lived.

The other was a three-section courtyard house right next to Huaqing. Yun Jiuzhou was currently staying in the school dorm, which could be inconvenient at times.

They could easily fix up this house and move in.

“Huanhuan, you really lucked out and married the right person.

The Yun family is truly wealthy and generous! You’re all focused on the value of the houses, but honestly, this box of trinkets is no less valuable than those deeds.

Take this little bracelet, for example—it’s made from rare imperial jade, and the design is youthful and lively, not at all old-fashioned. It’s clear a lot of thought went into it.

And this pair of bangles—these are treasures you won’t find on the market. If you sold them, in a good market, they’d be worth several courtyard houses.”

Bai Jie’s family had been in the antiques business, so she had a sharp eye and knew her stuff.

Gu Qinghuan didn’t really understand, only that these were good things, but she hadn’t expected them to be so valuable. Suddenly, she felt like she was holding a hot potato—she didn’t know whether to accept or refuse.

It just felt wrong to accept such expensive gifts for nothing.

Cheng Shuying patted her hand, offering reassurance.

“Huanhuan, don’t sell yourself short. The Yun family may be wealthy, but you’re no less than them.

You saved Jiuzhou’s life. For the Yun family to give you these things is nothing—you should just accept them.”

In the old lady’s eyes, her granddaughter was the best—who could possibly be out of her league? Marrying into the Yun family was their good fortune.

Zhong Ziyan had also learned about what happened between Gu Qinghuan and Yun Jiuzhou back in the countryside.

“Huanhuan, relationships are built on mutual support. Everything you’re receiving now is what you earned through your own efforts—you deserve it!”

Seeing Gu Qinghuan’s expression, Bai Jie instantly regretted saying anything, realizing she’d made the girl anxious.

Zhong Weiqian, having spent the past few years with Gu Qinghuan, understood her personality and her concerns.

Gu Qinghuan was proud, independent, resilient, and hardworking.

She liked to be on equal footing—if you’re good, I’m not bad either. She didn’t want to be dependent on anyone.

She was gentle on the outside, but strong on the inside—a truly good child.

Perhaps because of her mother’s absence growing up, she’d been hurt a lot, so she lacked a sense of security, always afraid of being at a disadvantage, of losing control over her own life.

Even in this situation, where most people would just be happy, she felt more anxious and uneasy, afraid that accepting these gifts would put her in a passive position and at others’ mercy.

After thinking it over, he made up his mind.

“Don’t worry, child. Grandpa has also prepared a dowry for you—worth ten, a hundred times more than these things. We’re not losing out to the Yun family,” Zhong Weiqian said gently, patting his granddaughter’s shoulder.

For a moment, everyone turned to look at Zhong Weiqian in confusion.

Wasn’t everything of value in their family already looted and destroyed? What could possibly be left?

Even Cheng Shuying was baffled.

Had the old man been hiding something from her? What could be so valuable—surely he wasn’t just bragging?

Zhong Weiqian cleared his throat and announced, “I didn’t say anything before because I was afraid it would be found and taken away, leaving us with nothing but false hope.

Let me make it clear now—I’ve decided that this item will be Huanhuan’s dowry, and no one is to object. If you do, keep it to yourself.

These past years in Xujiatun, Zijun and Qinghuan have been our pillars. Without them, we wouldn’t have survived.

Especially Huanhuan—her resilience and strength have amazed me.

I’ve taught countless students in my life, produced many geniuses, but in the end, it wasn’t those geniuses who shouldered my burdens—it was this child’s young shoulders.

I’m proud to have her as my granddaughter.

Maybe you don’t know, but when Zijun injured her arm and was nearly crippled, Huanhuan was the only able-bodied one among us three. If she had been incapacitated, we all would have been finished. You can imagine what would have happened.

The three of us couldn’t even scrape together ten yuan.

To save Zijun, this child exchanged her own marriage for a hundred yuan, gambling her entire future to marry Yun Jiuzhou, who at the time was bedridden and considered a madman by everyone.

I still remember that day—she came back from the hospital and even brought me chicken soup. The two of us worked half an acre of land together.

Back then, I had no idea where that money came from. I even scolded her for being wasteful. How much pain must she have been in at that moment?

If I’d known earlier… but even if I had, there was nothing I could have done.

I really had no way out. I’d lived a carefree life, but only in old age did I realize how desperate and suffocating poverty can be.

If not for the heavens’ mercy, if Yun Jiuzhou hadn’t turned out to be a good man, her whole life would have been ruined.

Even the heavens feel sorry for her, and so do I.

That’s why I want to give her the only thing our family has left. Does anyone have any objections?”

As the old man spoke, his eyes filled with tears. The memories of those difficult times were still vivid.

Fortunately, the worst was over, and they had come through it all."

"Chapter 322: Wang Xizhi’s “Ping’an Tie” (Letter of Peace)

All the family members present were moved to tears after hearing the old man’s words. Especially Zhong Zijun, who threw herself into Cheng Shuying’s arms, sobbing so hard she couldn’t even make a sound.

Her daughter—her most beloved little one. This painful, misguided marriage had been a tragedy, but she didn’t regret it, because it had given her these two wonderful children.

The old man’s words were also meant to let everyone know that everything he gave her was what she deserved.

Gu Qinghuan hadn’t expected that the lie she’d told them back then—her attempt to deceive them—hadn’t worked at all. It turned out they’d known the truth all along.

The old man’s love and understanding moved her to tears. All the silent sacrifices she’d made—someone understood, someone cared. That made everything worth it.

Although she wasn’t the original owner of this body, she’d barely gotten used to it before being thrown into a hellish situation. She’d been utterly bewildered.

But in the end, all her perseverance had not been in vain.

Zhong Luoning walked up and gently hugged Gu Qinghuan.

“Huanhuan, do you know how amazing you are? You’re like a little sun, warming all of us. Now it’s our turn to warm you.”

“Grandpa, we support your decision. When I got married, you gave me a generous dowry. This time, when Qinghuan gets married, we should all contribute to her dowry and make sure she marries in style,” Zhong Luoning said firmly.

Zhong Ziyan, as the father, quickly added, “Luoning is right. We should all contribute to her dowry. A daughter of the Zhong family is second to none.”

Zhong Weiqian couldn’t help but nod. Honestly, he’d said all this for their sake—after all, Zhong Luoning was the only legitimate granddaughter of the Zhong family.

Gu Lanting and Gu Qinghuan were both grandchildren through his daughter.

If he gave a family heirloom to a granddaughter from another branch and not to his own, he worried that Zhong Luoning might feel upset.

Seeing her nod, he finally felt relieved.

Gu Lanting had no objections at all—he was his sister’s number one fan.

Knowing how much his sister had suffered, he felt terrible for her. Now he was just grateful that she was marrying Yun Jiuzhou.

His sister always said that heaven favored the simple-minded, and she herself was the most naïve and honest of all.

Fortunately, heaven really did look after her.

There were only three grandchildren in the Zhong family now, and faced with such a great temptation, everyone was still united and had no objections.

Seeing everyone so united, Zhong Weiqian felt deeply gratified.

Adversity had not broken the Zhong family’s spirit.

“Actually, this item has something to do with our old house,” Zhong Weiqian continued. “The reason I insisted on getting our old house back was because of this. It was hidden in the main beam of our house, and we’ve already retrieved it.” He deliberately kept them in suspense.

“Grandpa, what is it?” Gu Lanting asked curiously.

“Have you heard of Wang Xizhi’s ‘Ping’an Tie’?”

“No way, an original Wang Xizhi? Impossible! As far as I know, none of Wang Xizhi’s original works survive. Everything we have now is a copy. Unless… it’s a Tang dynasty copy, that would be something.” Bai Jie, with her background in antiques, immediately caught on.

“Haha, that’s right! What I have is a Tang dynasty copy. Legend has it that Emperor Taizong of Tang loved Wang Xizhi’s calligraphy so much that he collected all the originals and had them buried with him. The surviving copies were meticulously traced by master artists. Since the Yuan and Ming dynasties, Tang dynasty copies have been regarded as treasures. Sixteen hundred years later, even Tang copies are extremely rare and valuable—testament to the genius of the Sage of Calligraphy,” Zhong Weiqian said, his words full of affection for the piece.

Bai Jie’s eyes lit up. “Wow, Dad, you really managed to keep such a treasure! This is worthy of being a family heirloom. Huanhuan, aren’t you going to thank your grandpa?”

With this, Bai Jie was also letting everyone know that she had no qualms about her father-in-law giving such a treasure to Gu Qinghuan.

Zhong Zijun quietly breathed a sigh of relief—she’d been worried this would cause discord in the family.

Gu Qinghuan was completely stunned. She knew Wang Xizhi was famous, but she hadn’t realized just how legendary he was. If even a copy was so valuable, how priceless would an original be?

Unfortunately, she’d never see one in her lifetime. After all, the man had been dead for over a thousand years—no matter how great the ink, it couldn’t last that long.

But no matter how precious it was, she couldn’t accept it.

She didn’t want to take something so beloved by the old man.

“Grandpa, I can’t accept this. A gentleman loves wealth, but acquires it honorably. I can’t let you pay for my cowardice. I’ve thought it through—no matter how powerful the Yun family is, I’m not afraid, because I’m not alone. I have all of you.

“They won’t change their attitude toward me just because of a painting. If they like me, they like me; if they don’t, they don’t. That won’t change because of outside factors.

“Accepting their gifts doesn’t mean I’ve sold myself to their family. I’m still me.

“I’ve never been anyone’s appendage. I am myself—past, present, and future.” Gu Qinghuan understood the old man’s intention—he was worried she’d lack confidence, so he wanted to back her up.

To be honest, she felt deeply touched.

The old man laughed heartily. “Child, you’ve finally figured it out! Don’t be fixated on others’ opinions or external validation. The world belongs to you, and has nothing to do with others. The most beautiful scenery in life is a calm and composed heart.”

Suddenly, Gu Qinghuan felt as if the shackles binding her soul had been unlocked.

It might have seemed like she’d saved them, but in reality, it was a mutual salvation.

They had also saved her, freeing her from the chains of her original family.

Gu Qinghuan’s childhood experiences had left her with a deep sense of unworthiness, making it hard for her to form close relationships, always fearing rejection and hurt.

She even felt she didn’t deserve such good treatment, always giving but never expecting anything in return—or perhaps feeling she didn’t deserve it.

But in these past two years, the Zhong family’s love and acceptance had taught her to love herself.

“Grandpa rarely says something twice. If he says it’s for you, then it’s for you. Don’t make things difficult for him.”

“This is what you deserve, child.”

Gu Qinghuan felt incredibly happy today.

The little gestures of care from her in-laws, the acceptance and encouragement from her family, their unconditional support.

It was enough. More than enough.

In the end, Gu Qinghuan didn’t actually take the old man’s treasure.

Well, she accepted it in name, but in reality, she let the old man keep it. After all, she was an amateur and wouldn’t know how to care for such a fragile piece of calligraphy."

"Chapter 323: Turbulent Undercurrents

The Gu family was immersed in joy and celebration.

But beneath the surface, the Yun family was roiled by turbulent undercurrents.

At the banquet, Old Madam Yun held her tongue, suppressing her anger again and again.

But on the way home, she could no longer contain herself.

“Runtong, you and your wife are being far too biased!

When Nianzhou got married, you only gave him one apartment and a few hundred yuan as a bride price.

But now, for Jiuzhou, you’ve given two apartments—both in better locations and worth more.

And I just noticed, you even gave away the department store property as part of the dowry.

Not to mention all those jewels and accessories.

Jiuzhou and Qinghuan are already married. The rice is cooked, the deed is done. If you want to make up for the bride price, there’s no need to go so overboard. Even if you didn’t make it up, no one would say anything.

Weren’t you always telling me not to let the children grow up spoiled and extravagant? How come your rules don’t apply when it comes to Jiuzhou?”

Liang Zhiqiu was so amused by her mother-in-law’s self-righteous words that she laughed out loud.

“Mom, do you even know who your real grandson is? Who’s the one being biased here?

Yun Nianzhou is just some stray you picked up off the street. Jiuzhou is the flesh and blood of Runtong and me. How can you compare the two?

If you hadn’t been so careless back then, my Jiuzhou wouldn’t have gone missing in the first place. And now you’re lecturing me about favoritism?

Yes, I am biased! So what?

I’m biased toward my own child—what’s wrong with that?”

Liang Zhiqiu finally exploded. Normally, she didn’t want to argue with this muddle-headed old lady, but today she just couldn’t hold it in.

Old Madam Yun was also infuriated by her daughter-in-law and immediately complained, “Runtong, look at how your wife talks to your mother!

Was it my fault what happened back then? Did I want the child to go missing?

Nianzhou isn’t some stray. He’s the child I raised—he’s part of our Yun family.

I don’t expect you to treat him exceptionally well, but at the very least, don’t shortchange him.”

Yun Runtong was caught in the middle, feeling completely overwhelmed.

“We shortchanged him? Over the years, have we ever let him go hungry or cold? Haven’t we given him the best education, the best teachers, the best environment, chauffeured him everywhere? And look at him now—mediocre, aimless, a complete failure!

He’s not worthy of being my son. I have a real son! My son is a hundred times, a thousand times better than him!” Liang Zhiqiu shot back fiercely.

She had long had enough of this old woman—treating an outsider like a treasure for so many years, and now that her own grandson was back, she still sided with the outsider. She really couldn’t see straight.

“Both of you, enough!” Yun Runtong pressed down on their restless hands.

“Mom, Zhiqiu is right. Jiuzhou is our only child, and he’s suffered so much. No matter how we try to make it up to him, it’s not too much.

Besides, he’s far more resilient than you think. Hardship didn’t break him, and money won’t corrupt him either.

Nianzhou was spoiled by you since he was little. His foundation is weak, and a little indulgence can easily lead him astray. That’s why I never let you give him too much money.

Both children were raised by us, and we love them both. But Jiuzhou is different—we owe him too much. No matter how we try to make it up to him, it never feels enough. If these things can make him happy, it’s worth it.”

Old Madam Yun pursed her lips in displeasure.

“No matter what you say, you’re always right. I don’t care, but from now on, you can’t be so biased. Whatever you give Jiuzhou, you have to give Nianzhou too. He’s part of this family as well.”

Liang Zhiqiu, who usually had a good temper, was about to explode. The older this old woman got, the more muddle-headed she became—she’d give the whole family away to outsiders if she could.

She called out to the driver, “Xiao Zhang, stop the car! I’m getting out. There’s no reasoning with some people. If I keep talking, I’m afraid I won’t be able to control myself.”

“Liang Zhiqiu, what do you mean by that? Don’t think you have a backer just because your son has been found!”

Liang Zhiqiu got out of the car and slammed the door, leaving mother and son inside. Yun Runtong could only rub his forehead helplessly. Even though he’d risen to the rank of general, even the most upright official can’t resolve family disputes.

He became even more convinced that he couldn’t let his mother know the truth about the family’s situation, or the whole household would be thrown into chaos.

After returning home, Old Madam Yun grew angrier the more she thought about it. With no one to confide in, she went straight to Yun Nianzhou’s house and told him and his wife everything that had happened.

Yun Nianzhou and Gu Qingyue were so furious they nearly ground their teeth to dust. They could only swallow their bitterness, but from that moment on, they completely hated Yun Jiuzhou and Gu Qinghuan.

They were destined to be lifelong enemies.

Since that was the case, let the battle begin!

—

After getting out of the car, Liang Zhiqiu didn’t waste time on negative emotions. She immediately hired a rickshaw and started visiting hotels one by one.

The next day, she brought Gu Qinghuan information on several hotels and their menus, letting her choose whichever she liked.

She also found a trusted tailor to take Gu Qinghuan’s measurements, saying she wanted to have a wedding dress custom-made for her.

Seeing how happy her mother-in-law was—happier than she herself was about getting married—Gu Qinghuan couldn’t refuse and cooperated fully.

Liang Zhiqiu had only this one son in her life and no daughter. When she was younger, she’d envied those with daughters they could dress up beautifully. Now that she had a daughter-in-law, her little dreams were coming to life.

So, after the dowry, Liang Zhiqiu sent over all sorts of fashionable clothes, complete with matching accessories and shoes—all in Gu Qinghuan’s size, showing how much thought she’d put in.

And her mother-in-law had excellent taste. When Gu Qinghuan put on those outfits, she looked like a beauty who’d stepped out of a painting—sometimes elegant and refined, sometimes radiant and charming, always graceful.

Yun Jiuzhou muttered to himself that he’d barely managed to keep his wife to himself, and now his mother seemed determined to let the whole world know how beautiful she was.

Gu Qinghuan was genuinely touched by Liang Zhiqiu’s gifts. She understood that this was her mother-in-law’s way of loving her by extension.

This “bargain” mother-in-law truly cared for her. It was just that, now that her son was grown, she didn’t know how to show affection, so she poured all her efforts into her daughter-in-law.

You had to admit, she was smart—winning over Gu Qinghuan’s heart was as good as winning her son’s. It was a win-win for everyone.

Because Yun Jiuzhou was busy with his studies, most of the wedding preparations—including invitations—were handled jointly by Liang Zhiqiu and Gu Qinghuan.

Everything was done according to Gu Qinghuan’s wishes.

Seeing how supportive Liang Zhiqiu was as a mother-in-law, Zhong Zijun, as the bride’s mother, didn’t want to seem stingy. So, gritting her teeth, she gave Gu Qinghuan a dowry of ten thousand yuan.

This included all she’d saved over the years, plus compensation from the state—almost everything she had.

Gu Qinghuan was stunned. Was her mother really leaving nothing for Lanting or herself?

Zhong Zijun said that Lanting was a boy—one apartment was enough for him. The rest he could earn himself in the future.

She felt she owed her eldest daughter too much, so she had to give her everything she could.

In the end, Gu Qinghuan could only accept it with tears in her eyes.

While preparing for exams and helping her mother-in-law with wedding arrangements, time flew by, and soon it was the end of August.

Everything was ready. Tomorrow would be the wedding day.

Even though she and Yun Jiuzhou were already an old married couple, Gu Qinghuan still felt a little nervous.

Looking at herself in the full-length mirror, dressed in a red wedding gown, she smiled shyly.

In both her lives, this was the first time she’d ever worn a wedding dress. She really did look beautiful.

She’d once thought she’d never step into the “besieged city” of marriage, but now she found herself quietly looking forward to it.

It turned out she did long for this sense of ceremony after all.

“My daughter is so beautiful!” Zhong Zijun exclaimed sincerely.

She never thought she’d live to see her daughter’s wedding.

At that moment, she was overwhelmed with happiness.

“Mom, we’ve made it through. From now on, it’s all good days ahead.”

“Yes, all good days from now on.”

The two of them smiled at each other, tears glistening in their eyes."

"Chapter 333: The Beautiful Bride