Chapter 323: Chapter 323: Turbulent Undercurrents

The Gu family was immersed in joy and celebration.

But beneath the surface, the Yun family was roiling with undercurrents.

At the banquet, Old Madam Yun held her tongue again and again, saying nothing.

But on the way home, she could no longer hold back.

“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.

Now with Jiuzhou, just the apartments alone are two, and both are in better locations and worth far more.

And I just noticed—you even gave away the apartment in the department store as part of the dowry!

Not to mention all those jewels and accessories.

Jiuzhou and Qinghuan are already married, the rice is cooked, if you want to make up for the bride price, there’s no need to be so extravagant. 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? So why do your rules suddenly not apply when it comes to Jiuzhou?”

Liang Zhiqiu couldn’t help but laugh at her mother-in-law’s righteous indignation.

“Mom, do you even remember 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 my and Runtong’s own flesh and blood—how can you compare the two?

If it hadn’t been for your negligence back then, my Jiuzhou wouldn’t have gone missing in the first place, and now you want to talk to me about favoritism?

Yes, I am biased! So what?

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

Liang Zhiqiu was completely fed up. Normally, she wouldn’t bother arguing with this muddle-headed old lady, but today she just couldn’t hold it in.

Old Madam Yun was also furious at her daughter-in-law and immediately complained, “Runtong, look at your wife! Is this how she talks to your mother?

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

Nianzhou is not some stray, he’s the child I raised, he’s part of the Yun family.

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

Yun Runtong was caught in the middle, feeling a splitting headache.

“We shortchanged him? Over the years, did we ever let him go hungry or cold? Didn’t we raise him well?

He always got the best—the best schools, the best teachers, the best environment, chauffeured everywhere. And look at him now: mediocre, aimless, a complete disappointment!

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

She’d had enough of this old woman treating an outsider like treasure for so many years. Now that her real grandson was back, the old lady was still siding with the outsider—completely clueless.

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

“Mom, Zhiqiu is right. Jiuzhou is our only child. He’s suffered so much already—no amount of compensation is too much.

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

Nianzhou was spoiled by you from a young age, his foundation is weak, and a little indulgence leads to problems. That’s why I don’t let you give him too much money.

We watched Nianzhou grow up and we love him too, but Jiuzhou is different—we owe him too much, and nothing we do can ever make up for it. If a bit of wealth can make him happy, it’s worth it.”

Old Madam Yun pouted unhappily.

“Whatever 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 a part of this family as well.”

Liang Zhiqiu, usually even-tempered, was about to explode. The older the old lady got, the more muddle-headed she became—she’d probably give the whole family away to outsiders if she could.

She called to the driver, “Xiao Zhang, stop the car! I’m getting out. There’s no point talking to some people—if I keep going, I might lose control.”

“Liang Zhiqiu, what do you mean by that? Don’t think just because your son is back you have someone to rely on!”

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 as a general, he couldn’t resolve family disputes.

He became even more certain: he mustn’t let his mother know the real situation at home, or the whole family would fall apart.

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

Yun Nianzhou and Gu Qingyue were so angry they were practically grinding their teeth to dust. They could only swallow their bitterness, but in their hearts, their hatred for Yun Jiuzhou and Gu Qinghuan was sealed.

They were destined to be enemies.

Since that’s the case, let the battle begin!

—

After getting out of the car, Liang Zhiqiu didn’t dwell on it. She simply hired a rickshaw and started visiting hotels one by one.

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

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

Seeing her mother-in-law so happy—happier than she herself was—Gu Qinghuan didn’t refuse and cooperated fully.

Liang Zhiqiu only had one son and no daughter. When she was younger, she’d always envied those who could dress up their daughters beautifully. Now, with a daughter-in-law, her little dreams were coming alive.

So after the dowry, Liang Zhiqiu sent over all kinds of fashionable clothes, complete with matching accessories and shoes—all in Gu Qinghuan’s size, showing her thoughtfulness.

And her taste was impeccable. When Gu Qinghuan put on those outfits, she looked like a beauty who’d just stepped out of a classic novel—sometimes elegant and refined, sometimes radiant and charming, always graceful.

Yun Jiuzhou muttered to himself, “I’m trying to keep her hidden, but my mom seems determined to let the whole world know how beautiful my wife is.”

Gu Qinghuan was genuinely touched by Liang Zhiqiu’s gifts. She understood—this was Liang Zhiqiu loving her by extension.

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

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

Because Yun Jiuzhou was busy with school, most of the wedding preparations—including invitations—were decided by Liang Zhiqiu and Gu Qinghuan together.

Everything was done according to Gu Qinghuan’s wishes.

Seeing how supportive Liang Zhiqiu was as a mother-in-law, Zhong Zijun, as Gu Qinghuan’s own mother, didn’t want to seem stingy. So she gritted her teeth and gave Gu Qinghuan ten thousand yuan as a wedding gift.

It was everything she’d saved over the years, including compensation from the state—almost all she had.

Gu Qinghuan was stunned. Was her mother really not saving anything for Lanting or herself?

Zhong Zijun said, “Lanting is a boy—one apartment is enough. The rest he can earn himself later.

I’ve always felt I owed you, my eldest daughter, too much, so no matter what, I have to give you this.”

Gu Qinghuan could only accept it with tears in her eyes.

She studied for her exams while helping her mother-in-law with wedding preparations, and in the blink of an eye, it was the end of August.

Everything was ready. Tomorrow was the wedding day.

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

She looked at herself in the full-length mirror, dressed in a red wedding gown, and smiled shyly.

Across two lifetimes, this was her first time wearing a wedding dress. She really did look beautiful.

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

So she realized—she too had been longing for this sense of ceremony.

“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 looked at each other and smiled, tears glistening in their eyes."