Chapter 97: Chapter 97: Quarreling, Chen Zhaodi

When his son was mentioned, a flicker of emotion crossed Chen Fulai’s face. He couldn’t help but glance at the baby in Wang Xiaowei’s arms—the little one was sleeping soundly.

He had once looked forward to this child’s birth, especially since it was the son he’d always wanted.

No, he couldn’t keep them, not even if it was a son.

The life he had now was what he truly wanted. If he chose Wang Xiaowei and her child, his whole life would be ruined.

So he steeled himself, turned away, and quietly pulled Wang Xiaowei into a corner. “Wang Xiaowei, just leave. I can give you some money, but don’t ever come looking for me again.

Look at yourself—we’re not from the same world. Forcing ourselves together will never bring happiness.

Anyway, we never got a marriage certificate. Even if you make a scene, it won’t do you any good.

Why don’t I give you some money? Take it, go back to your hometown, and raise the child well.”

Wang Xiaowei hadn’t expected that after waiting so long, this was all she’d get. Her heart shattered into pieces; she was left utterly humiliated.

She’d thought about everything last night, even prepared for the worst, but when the moment really came, the pain was suffocating.

Just as the villagers had said, Chen Fulai was nothing but a heartless scoundrel.

But Wang Xiaowei wasn’t someone to be bullied. If he wanted to protect his reputation and move on, she wasn’t going to make it easy for him.

Imitating the village shrews, Wang Xiaowei sat down in the courtyard with her baby in her arms and began to wail and curse.

But her grief was genuine—she was only twenty-eight, already abandoned, with a newborn to feed. This was the worst day of her life.

Her cries and curses quickly drew a crowd, including Xu Huaian’s grandmother.

Soon, the two families were causing a scene, just like a street performance.

This was exactly the scene Gu Qinghuan had just witnessed.

Chen Fulai’s mother was a force to be reckoned with. She pointed at Wang Xiaowei and cursed, “You little slut, say one more word and I’ll tear your mouth off! When did our Fulai ever have a child with you? I’m his mother—I’d know!

You’re making up lies. I’ll report you to the police!”

Chen Fulai hid behind his mother, silent.

Wang Xiaowei was utterly disappointed in him.

“Chen Fulai, are you even a man? You do things but don’t dare admit them? I really misjudged you.”

Chen Fulai knew he absolutely couldn’t admit anything now, or his life would be over.

People in this communal building loved to gossip. If they found out the child was his, he could forget about ever finding a good match.

“I... I don’t know what you’re talking about. Don’t try to pin your bastard on me,” he said, lacking conviction.

“Bastard?” Wang Xiaowei broke down at that word.

She’d gone through so much to give birth, struggled alone for three months to raise the child, only to have the father call his own son a bastard.

No woman could stand such an insult.

She snapped, screaming hysterically, “Chen Fulai, you coward! There’s nothing about you I don’t know—who are you pretending for?

Not your child, is it? Fine! He’s my son alone, and from now on, he has no father. I can raise him by myself.

I curse you—may you never have a son for the rest of your life!”

The onlookers could all see that Chen Fulai was no good.

Chen Fulai’s mother was furious and rushed at Wang Xiaowei to hit her.

People nearby hurried to break them up and took the baby away.

Wang Xiaowei, not caring about her child, started fighting with the old woman.

Gu Qinghuan hadn’t expected to run into Wang Xiaowei again in this vast world, and that she and her brother would both end up saving the same person.

Was it fate, or just bad luck?

Gu Lanting, who hated injustice, saw Chen Fulai’s mother treating Wang Xiaowei like dirt and immediately wanted to rush over to help. Gu Qinghuan quickly grabbed him.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“I want to help! That old woman’s being vicious.”

“Take it easy. If you get involved, you’ll just make things worse. People might even think you’re having an affair with her. Let’s just watch for now,” Gu Qinghuan said calmly.

With so many people around, Wang Xiaowei wouldn’t suffer too much.

The real issue was how to handle this situation. The Chen family clearly wanted nothing to do with Wang Xiaowei and her child. The most important thing was for her to fight for the best outcome for herself and her baby.

Gu Qinghuan didn’t want to step in for Wang Xiaowei, thinking that her future would be tough, and only by facing and solving her own problems would she learn to cope with life.

It was best to let them handle this themselves.

She was just an outsider—why meddle in someone else’s business?

But she did feel sorry for the child, who would grow up fatherless.

As the two watched from the corner, suddenly, both Gu Qinghuan and Gu Lanting saw a familiar figure enter through the door.

It was Chen Zhaodi!

Why was she here?

Could it be...?

Chen Zhaodi entered, shocked by the commotion. Her brother had gotten married in the countryside? And already had a child?

The old woman might fool others, but not her. She knew exactly what kind of person her brother was.

Lazy, spoiled, always looking for the easy way out—he’d been coddled by their grandmother since childhood and couldn’t handle any hardship. Most likely, when he couldn’t stand life in the countryside, he just found some woman to take care of him.

This poor girl really was pitiful.

Chen Fulai relaxed visibly when he saw his sister arrive.

His sister was smarter and wealthier than the rest. With her here, Wang Xiaowei wouldn’t be able to stir up any more trouble.

Gu Qinghuan and Gu Lanting were surprised to realize they knew each other. Then they remembered—they were both surnamed Chen. So Chen Fulai was Chen Zhaodi’s younger brother. What a mess.

The two tried to blend into the crowd, minimizing their presence, afraid Chen Zhaodi would spot them.

“Hey, do you think Chen Zhaodi still keeps in touch with her family?” Gu Lanting whispered.

“I’m not sure. Let’s just watch for now.” Maybe they could use this to strike at Gu Yunchuan and that mother-daughter pair.

Although Chen Zhaodi didn’t like her family, Chen Fulai was still her brother—she had to step in.

She wasted no time, immediately taking Wang Xiaowei inside for a private talk."

"Chapter 98: Gu Yunchuan and Xia Shuhua

Wang Xiaowei was meeting this legendary eldest sister-in-law for the first time. She’d heard about her from Chen Fu, who said she’d followed her mother after her remarriage into a good family, and was now living a very comfortable life.

She hadn’t expected her to be willing to step in and handle this matter, but that was all the better.

Wang Xiaowei had already achieved her goal of making a scene; now it was time to see what benefits she could get for herself.

Honestly, she only acted this way because she was truly angry, but she was also influenced by Gu Qinghuan. She remembered her older sister saying that if you run into a problem you can’t solve, just blow it up and throw it back at the other side.

Sure enough, now Chen Zhaodi had stepped forward to resolve the issue.

With the main character of the drama gone, the crowd dispersed. Those who had to work went to work, those who had things to do went about their business. Still, the building now had plenty of new gossip to chew on.

Gu Lanting took Gu Qinghuan and the two children back to their small room while things were quiet.

The room was just as tidy as when they’d left.

Neither of them was in the mood to think about anything else; their attention was all on Chen Zhaodi.

It turned out she was connected to their original family—something that woman Xia Shuhua surely knew as well.

If Gu Yunchuan found out that his wife and stepdaughter were still in close contact with their old family, even giving them money, who knows what he’d think.

Speaking of Xia Shuhua, the two of them had really underestimated her.

Gu Yunchuan and Xia Shuhua had grown up together as childhood sweethearts in the same courtyard, and it seemed only natural that they would eventually marry and start a family.

But fate intervened. Gu Yunchuan happened to meet the ethereal, otherworldly Miss Zhong Zijun, and in an instant, he felt that was the life he truly wanted.

So he began to sweet-talk and relentlessly pursue Zhong Zijun, eventually winning her over and abandoning his childhood sweetheart, Xia Shuhua.

Familiarity breeds contempt. After years together, Zhong Zijun was like a flower on a high peak—always needing to be cherished, respected, coaxed. Gu Yunchuan soon grew tired of constantly having to please someone else; he wanted to be the one doted on for a change.

He didn’t like his father- and mother-in-law either. They spoke in a scholarly way, always stuck to their principles, and constantly limited him. Despite their influence, they wouldn’t even help him pull strings to get a better job.

Then, during a time of upheaval, he didn’t hesitate to betray his wife’s family, providing plenty of “reactionary” material and sending them off for re-education.

He never stopped to think that when he’d arrived, he’d had nothing—everything he had was thanks to his in-laws.

You should only take on as much as you’re capable of.

Human greed really is endless: once you have a little, you want more.

Later, Xia Shuhua married Chen Zhaodi’s father. Apart from his fondness for drinking, he was actually a good man and treated her well. They had a son and a daughter and lived a simple, honest life.

But he never amounted to much, and the whole family spent half their lives cramped in a tiny company apartment, feeling stifled.

It was under these circumstances that Gu Yunchuan and Xia Shuhua met again. By then, Gu Yunchuan had money and power and could offer Xia Shuhua a better life. Xia Shuhua was gentle and attentive, happy to take care of others. To her, even Gu Yunchuan’s smelly feet were fragrant.

One was willing to give, the other willing to take—it was as simple as that.

His wife went out every day all dolled up, and of course, Chen Zhaodi’s father eventually caught on. He wasn’t one to be trifled with: if you want to have an affair, fine, but you’ll have to pay the price.

He struck a deal with Xia Shuhua: if she wanted to be a rich man’s wife and live the good life, that was fine—whoever pays is the boss.

Xia Shuhua agreed to give the Chen family twenty yuan a month as living expenses, and then she quickly married Gu Yunchuan, taking Chen Zhaodi with her.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to take her son, but Chen Fu was the family’s precious only boy—they’d never let her take him away.

Besides, Gu Yunchuan wasn’t about to raise another man’s son; he wanted his own.

That’s why, even at her age, Xia Shuhua insisted on having a son with Gu Yunchuan—a double insurance policy, and a way to secure her own position.

The siblings were lost in thought in their room when suddenly there was a knock at the door.

Gu Lanting opened it a crack and saw it was Wang Xiaowei.

“Sorry to bother you last night. Here’s the money for the room,” Wang Xiaowei said, handing over fifty cents. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and she looked utterly shattered but was trying to hold herself together.

“Why don’t you come in and freshen up a bit first?”

Wang Xiaowei was about to refuse, but then saw who was standing behind Gu Lanting.

She’d meant to say no, but changed her mind. “Then I’ll trouble you.”

She came in carrying her child, and Gu Lanting closed the door.

“Gu-jie, it’s you?” Wang Xiaowei asked in surprise.

“It’s a coincidence. My brother and I both have a knack for meddling,” Gu Qinghuan said with a smile.

Only then did Wang Xiaowei realize they were siblings, and felt a bit embarrassed. She forced herself to say, “Thank you both so much.”

“Did you come to an agreement? What are you planning to do next?” Gu Qinghuan asked curiously.

Wang Xiaowei pulled out a wad of cash from her pocket.

“Chen Fu’s sister gave me two hundred yuan and told me not to bother her brother again. She even wrote a letter cutting all ties, saying this child has nothing to do with their family anymore.”

Her voice was tinged with bitterness and sarcasm, and tears streamed down her face.

She’d come all this way to find a man, only to be rejected so thoroughly that even her child was unwanted.

Gu Qinghuan didn’t know how to comfort her. If it had happened to her, she’d be celebrating—getting rid of a scumbag was something to be happy about, wasn’t it?

And she’d have a child all to herself—what a great thing.

In the future, plenty of women would deliberately have children without a father, even going abroad for artificial insemination just to have a child of their own.

One man’s poison is another’s honey—it all depends on your perspective.

Clearly, Wang Xiaowei was a traditional rural woman. For her, being abandoned by a man and left to raise a child alone was a source of shame and pain.

Gu Lanting was a bit blunt and always spoke her mind.

“Why are you crying? Isn’t this a good thing? That Chen Fu is spineless, hiding behind women and acting all high and mighty. Even if you’d married into his family, you wouldn’t have had a good life.

Getting rid of a loser like that—you should be setting off firecrackers in celebration.”

Wang Xiaowei was stunned for a second, then burst into even harder sobs.

Gu Qinghuan shook her head. “If you can’t say anything nice, just don’t say anything at all. Let her vent—anyone would be devastated after something like this.”

She took the baby from Wang Xiaowei and began to soothe him.

The child had suffered a lot these past few days, following his mother from place to place, sometimes hungry, sometimes fed.

Dabao and Beibei gathered around, curious.

“Mama, he’s so tiny—his hand is only this big,” Dabao said, holding out his own hand for comparison.

“Mama, he grabbed my hand!” Beibei reached out to play with him, and when the baby grabbed her finger, she looked at Gu Qinghuan in alarm."

"Chapter 99: Wang Yanqing, the Top Student Little Brother

“Don’t be afraid, the baby likes you. Just talk to him, and he’ll warm up to you,” Gu Qinghuan comforted.

Sure enough, Beibei started chatting with him.

“Baby, what’s your name? How old are you? I’m your big sister Beibei…”

Dabao sneaked a glance in Wang Xiaowei’s direction, then asked Gu Qinghuan, “Mom, why is that auntie so sad? Didn’t she get the money? And she has such a cute baby.”

Gu Qinghuan didn’t quite know how to explain.

After thinking for a moment, she said, “When a man is infatuated, it can be explained; when a woman is infatuated, it can’t be explained.

In traditional marriages, women are always at a disadvantage. If a man makes a mistake, he still has a way back, but for a woman, once she makes a choice, it affects her whole life.”

What she didn’t say out loud was that, in the eyes of society, Wang Xiaowei was already seen as an abandoned woman, dragging a child along with her. If she didn’t stand on her own two feet, her future would be very hard.

Dabao seemed to ponder this, then said seriously, “Mom, I’ll definitely be a good man when I grow up. I won’t make anyone cry.”

Gu Qinghuan couldn’t help but laugh and cry—he was still so young, who could say what the future would bring?

Still, education starts from a young age.

“All right, Dabao, you have to grow up to be a man who stands tall and proud.”

Dabao nodded as if it was only natural.

He wanted to be like his dad—responsible and dependable.

Wang Xiaowei finally stopped crying because the baby was hungry.

That’s how it is for women—once they become mothers, they become strong. No matter how much pain they’re in, for their children, they have to keep going.

“So, what are you planning to do next?” Gu Qinghuan handed the baby back to her.

Wang Xiaowei turned away, lifted her shirt to feed the baby, and sobbed, “Sis, I don’t dare go home. Before I left, I promised my parents I’d find the baby’s father. Now things are like this—how can I face anyone if I go back? My whole family would lose face because of me.”

Gu Qinghuan sighed.

This girl was already suffering so much, yet she was still worried about bringing shame to her family. How tragic.

Gu Lanting had already turned his back while she was breastfeeding, awkwardly facing the wall.

He felt sorry for Wang Xiaowei. Kids in the city were still in school at sixteen or seventeen, but she was already a mother at such a young age.

“Sis, why don’t I stay at your place for now and let her have this place for a few days?” he suggested. “It’s not easy for a young girl to be out there with a baby.”

Gu Qinghuan thought it over and nodded. “That works. Xiaowei, my brother’s rental has half a month left on the lease. You can stay here for now.

When you’ve figured out what you want to do, or if you want to go home, just bring us back the key.

But I really think you should go home as soon as possible. No matter how nice another place is, it’s not like your own home. Your family won’t abandon you. If something happens to you out here, how could your parents ever be at peace?”

Anyway, Lanting wouldn’t be staying here much longer. As for the family’s little villa, Gu Qinghuan was determined to get it back—then they’d have a place to stay.

Wang Xiaowei hadn’t expected the siblings to give her their place to live.

She burst into tears again, sobbing uncontrollably.

What was wrong with the world? Strangers kept reaching out to help her again and again, while the man who was supposed to care for her was so heartless.

She hated herself for being blind, for falling for a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

After feeding the baby and laying him on the bed, she got up and tidied her clothes.

Suddenly, she knelt straight down in front of Gu Qinghuan, startling her.

“What are you doing? Get up, quick!”

“Big sister Gu, brother Gu, you two are my greatest benefactors. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know what would have happened to me along the way.

I can’t repay your kindness right now, so all I can do is give you a bow.

From now on, you’re my family. I’ll never forget this favor as long as I live,” Wang Xiaowei said earnestly.

“No need for that, really. We’re just helping each other out,” Gu Qinghuan quickly helped her up.

“Yeah, if it wasn’t us, someone else would have helped you,” Gu Lanting added.

Suddenly, Wang Xiaowei remembered something. She picked up the baby from the bed and handed him to Gu Qinghuan. “Sis, could you help me name him? From now on, he’ll take my surname—he’s my son alone.”

It was the first time Gu Qinghuan had ever named anyone, and she racked her brains for a long time.

“How about ‘Yanqing’? ‘When the rivers run clear and the seas are calm, the years are bountiful, the land is at peace, and life is ordinary.’”

“What a great name, sis! It means spirited, pure-hearted, elegant, and clean,” Gu Lanting clapped in approval.

“Yanqing? Big sister Gu, which characters are those? Look at me, I haven’t had much schooling, I don’t even know which characters you mean,” Wang Xiaowei scratched her head, embarrassed.

“‘Yan’ as in Yan Zi, and ‘Qing’ as in clear,” Gu Lanting explained.

“Yanqing, Wang Yanqing. Baby, you finally have a name, and it’s such a nice one. From now on, you’ll be Wang Yanqing, Qingqing.”

“Thank you, big sister Gu.”

“You’re welcome. We have things to do, so we’ll be off.”

From the upstairs window, Gu Qinghuan saw that Chen Zhaodi had already left a while ago, so they didn’t have to worry about running into her.

Sometimes, it’s better to stay in the shadows while the enemy is in the open—it makes it easier to act.

The siblings still had to go to school, so they didn’t linger. They took Gu Lanting’s basic belongings and left.

This time, Chen Zhaodi had come partly to deliver the Chen family’s living expenses for the month, and partly to announce that she was about to marry into a wealthy family.

There was no way she’d invite them to the wedding—only people of status would be there. What would people like them be doing there?

She was now called Gu Qingyue, not Chen Zhaodi, so she couldn’t be publicly associated with the Chen family anymore.

The reason she told them all this wasn’t out of affection—on the contrary, her resentment toward the Chen family ran deep.

She wanted them to see that the girl they once looked down on, Chen Zhaodi, was now far more successful than Chen Fulai, the family’s precious son.

Just like today with Wang Xiaowei—she could easily solve her problems, while Chen Fulai could only hide behind his grandmother when he got into trouble.

As for the 200 yuan, she wasn’t going to pay it—the Chen family would have to. They’d just received compensation, and her mother still gave them living expenses every month.

For the sake of her eldest grandson, Old Lady Chen reluctantly forked over 200 yuan to settle the matter.

Because of the delay with Wang Xiaowei, Gu Qinghuan and Gu Lanting hurried and finally made it to school by eleven.

This middle school was the best in Beijing, and Gu Lanting had studied here before.

The siblings found Gu Lanting’s former homeroom teacher.

Gu Qinghuan stepped forward, scolded Gu Lanting a bit, and then pleaded with the teacher to take him back.

To her surprise, the teacher didn’t hesitate at all and readily agreed.

It turned out that Gu Lanting had always been a top student, the kind teachers favored. When a top student made a mistake, teachers tended to turn a blind eye.

Not only did the teacher not scold him, but he also lent Gu Lanting his own notes and textbooks, and even helped him gather lesson plans from other teachers to help him catch up.

Gu Qinghuan was stunned—this was not what she’d expected.

If a student skipped class for two months without notice, shouldn’t the teacher be angry?

Gu Lanting was deeply moved by the teacher’s concern and promised to work even harder from now on.

Everything was settled in just half an hour.

Gu Qinghuan hadn’t realized her “bargain” little brother was such a good student. It was definitely worth the trip.

“Lanting, study hard—your good days are still ahead.”

Next year, the news about the resumption of the college entrance exam would start to come out. With his grades, he could get into any top university in the country.

Thinking about having a top-student little brother, Gu Qinghuan felt incredibly happy.

“I know, sis,” Gu Lanting nodded obediently.

Dabao and Beibei had followed them the whole time, so awestruck they barely dared to breathe. They hadn’t expected their uncle to be so amazing.

The teacher kept praising him, too.

In their minds, teachers were scary—kids in the village said teachers would hit you and were very fierce.

But this fierce teacher was so impressed with their uncle’s studies, praising him to their mom over and over.

They decided that from now on, the person they admired most wasn’t their dad, but their uncle.

Xu Huai’an had no idea that just from a trip to the school, his number one spot in their hearts was at risk.

He had just left the hospital and was heading home.

Gu Qinghuan took the two kids home, with Lanting in tow—he would officially return to school tomorrow.

Xu Huai’an had already made lunch—tomato and egg noodles, one of his few specialties.

Everyone praised him: “Dad, it’s delicious.”

“I think so too, Dad’s cooking is great.”

Xu Huai’an looked at Gu Qinghuan with shining eyes.

Gu Qinghuan had no choice but to praise him too: “It’s good, but there’s still room for improvement. Keep it up.”

Gu Lanting responded with loud slurping, eating the most and enjoying it the most out of everyone.

No wonder they say teenage boys can eat you out of house and home.

Big boys really can eat—everything tastes good to them.

Gu Lanting was skinny as a stick, but now that his sister was here, he could finally eat his fill every meal and didn’t have to go hungry. Of course he ate several bowls—taste wasn’t even a consideration for him.

After lunch, the two kids took a nap, with Xu Huai’an watching over them at home. The siblings went out.

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you’ll never lose a battle. They were headed to the little villa to check things out."

"Chapter 100: Rickshaw Puller He Qiang, The Plan to Destroy