Chapter 519 | Chapter 520 | Chapter 521
Chapter 519: Difficulties at Home
Especially since the neighbors all knew Sheng Wanyan had opened two shops, the reality of them being “wealthy” would inevitably give rise to ill intentions in certain people.
With only the mother and daughter left at home now, it was undeniably a little dangerous.
“Wanyan, you have to be careful.”
Sheng Wanyan knew what he meant. She was well aware in her heart that with Gu Tingxiao away from home, she and her daughter would look like prime targets to some.
“We have Maodou at home.”
“Woof~”
The moment the words left Sheng Wanyan’s mouth, Maodou’s bark rang out right on cue. Looking at the massive hound, Gu Tingxiao felt a significant weight lift from his chest.
He had personally sent Maodou to the military region for training. Although the dog usually loved eating and sleeping, his intimidation factor was no joke.
He had grown tall and fierce, looking exactly like a wolf. If he truly wanted to bite someone, an ordinary adult man wouldn’t even be his match.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of myself and Yi Yi.”
“You need to watch out for your safety when you’re out on missions. The child and I will be waiting for you at home.”
Gu Tingxiao wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on the crown of her head. In his embrace, Sheng Wanyan looked exceptionally petite and delicate.
“Alright.”
Carrying the loving food his wife had prepared for the journey, Gu Tingxiao departed…
Every time this man left home, he never turned back. He was exceptionally resolute.
Sheng Wanyan watched the car grow further and further away, then reached up to wipe her forehead, which was covered in the old man’s saliva.
She let out a soft chuckle. The man I chose myself, I’ll just have to deal with him.
Following Gu Tingxiao’s departure, Sheng Wanyan and Yi Yi officially entered their world of two.
Yi Yi truly hadn’t cried when she first learned that Gu Tingxiao had left. It was only when Sheng Wanyan went to pick her up to take her home that the little girl finally grasped the concept of separation.
“Waaahhh… Mama~”
“Daddy… flew away.”
Yi Yi covered her little face, squatting on the ground as she wailed, her round little bottom stuck up in the air.
Amused, Sheng Wanyan crouched down to comfort her. How did this look so much like she was mourning a tragedy?
“Daddy will be back in just a few months.”
“Didn’t we agree on this before, Yi Yi? Do you not remember?”
“Yi Yi don’t remeber.”
Yi Yi sobbed while shaking her head, looking utterly pitiful. Sheng Wanyan was truly at her wit’s end.
This wretched brat was just throwing a tantrum right here; she was sharper than a ghost.
“Hmm… How about Mama takes Yi Yi to the general store? To eat candy?”
“Okay!”
Yi Yi instantly wiped away her tears and stood up, looking at her with absolute docility.
Sheng Wanyan: “……”
The mother and daughter rode the bicycle over to the general store. The moment Mother Sheng saw them arrive, she knew the little girl was going to get an extra treat today.
“Grandma~”
“My darling, come over and choose which candy you want to eat.”
Mother Sheng held Yi Yi up to look. Yi Yi selected a White Rabbit creamy candy, her target perfectly clear.
Once she got her hands on the candy, she pattered over to Sheng Wanyan, raising her hand to offer it to her.
“Mama eat candy, don’t be sad~”
“Yi Yi keep you compny~”
Hearing her words, Sheng Wanyan’s body went rigid. She stared at the little girl who barely reached her thigh, her rims turning red.
“Thank you, Yi Yi.”
Sheng Wanyan crouched down and pulled her into a tight hug, her heart swelling with profound comfort. At this very moment, she felt her daughter was the most considerate, thoughtful child in the world.
“Our Yi Yi has grown up.”
Yi Yi gave her little head a firm nod. Daddy had told her that she was the little adult of the house.
With Daddy away, she, the little adult, had to take good care of Mama and keep her happy; she remembered it all.
Mama was clearly very sad today and lacked energy, yet Mama still smiled at her when she saw her.
She couldn’t understand why adults were so strange, but she knew that eating candy was when she felt the happiest.
If Mama ate candy, she would definitely be happy too.
Sheng Wanyan kissed her little cheek. Looking at her incredibly obedient demeanor, a surge of motivation instantly filled her heart.
The mother and daughter were exceptionally affectionate, so much so that Mother Sheng rubbed her own arms at the sight of them.
Sheng Wanyan brought Yi Yi back home, and after having dinner, the little girl took Maodou into the courtyard to play.
Sheng Wanyan sat on a stool watching the child and the dog run wildly around. After a short while, she let out a yawn and began to feel drowsy.
Sheng Wanyan walked over to take Yi Yi’s hand, leading her back to the bedroom to rest.
“Yi Yi, let’s go take a bath and sleep.”
“Okay~”
Yi Yi was very good, not being even a fraction as rambunctious as she was when Gu Tingxiao was around—looking like a little boy with endless energy to burn.
With Gu Tingxiao away, Yi Yi successfully scrambled onto the brick bed and slept nestled securely in Sheng Wanyan’s embrace.
A week later, Gu Tingxiao arrived back in Bingcheng, returning to their home there.
Looking at the completely empty house, where all the belongings of his wife and daughter had been cleared out, leaving only a few sets of his own clothes and a single quilt, Gu Tingxiao put his things down. His mind was entirely consumed by the thought that he needed to get back to the Capital as soon as possible.
This kind of life where his wife and child weren’t by his side was something he absolutely couldn’t endure.
The next day, Gu Tingxiao went to report for duty. Seeing him return to the military unit and report immediately, Political Commissar Xie understood everything perfectly in his heart.
With his wife and daughter away, this man had thrown his entire being into his work, appearing even more intensely focused than he had been during his bachelor days.
Following Gu Tingxiao’s departure, time quickly marched into early June.
Over the weekend, Sheng Wanyan brought Yi Yi back to the military compound. Seeing the mother and daughter return, Mother Gu hurriedly set about preparing food.
“With Old Third away, Wanyan must have such a hard time looking after Yi Yi all by herself.”
Mother Gu nagged to Eldest Sister-in-law Gu as she cooked. Hearing this, Eldest Sister-in-law Gu nodded in agreement; that was certainly true.
Eldest Sister-in-law Gu was now six months pregnant, her belly visibly round. She had already taken a leave of absence to avoid any mishaps while commuting to work.
Being bored at home every day, she helped out with the cooking or tutored Gu Jinfang with his homework.
“Mom, Third Sister-in-law is a sensible person who knows what she’s doing, so don’t worry too much,” Eldest Sister-in-law Gu comforted Mother Gu.
Hearing this, Mother Gu figured it was true, yet she couldn’t help but harbor a lingering worry in her heart.
“Children are nothing but lifelong debts!”
“Look at your sister-in-law Gu Tong; the moment she fell ill, her very first thought was what would happen to her children.”
“She didn’t give a single thought to herself.”
Mother Gu sighed deeply. Children truly were a lifelong debt; a parent could never completely let them go, no matter what.
“How is Aunt doing now?”
Gu Tong had been hospitalized for over three months now, and it was still unclear when she would be cured and discharged.
“Everything is fine. The surgery was just completed and went very smoothly.”
“But she still needs to stay for another two months to recuperate. Your uncle-in-law also suffered a major illness a few years back, which drained a lot of their savings.”
“Your aunt’s expenses here are massive, and I don’t know if your uncle-in-law has enough money on his end.”
Mother Gu was worried sick. If a sister-in-law didn’t get along with you, you might not feel so bad.
But Gu Tong shared an exceptionally close relationship with her. Every single time she went to the hospital and saw her sister-in-law looking so haggard, she felt deeply unsettled inside.
“Mom, we still have a bit of money left at home…”
“Don’t you dare. You’ve only got four months left before you give birth, and Jinfang is growing fast at his age, so his expenses are heavy.”
“The two of you face a lot of pressure as a couple. Who knows? In another few years, Jinfang will need to marry a wife.”
“There are endless places where you’ll need money, so don’t you worry about this.”
Chapter 520: Gu Jinfang Stole Something?
“Your dad and I have our wages, and there are so many elders at home, so why on earth would we need to use the money of you younger generation?”
“Besides, your aunt has two sons, both of whom have jobs.”
“When your uncle-in-law’s family truly cannot bring out any more money, your dad and I won’t just stand by and do nothing either.”
As Mother Gu spoke, she looked at Eldest Sister-in-law Gu’s belly, wondering if it was a grandson or a granddaughter. When the time came, buying things for the baby would be another significant expense.
“Just focus on taking good care of your body and don’t worry about this.”
Eldest Sister-in-law Gu nodded, gently stroking her belly, a wave of emotion washing over her heart.
Once someone in a family fell seriously ill, the entire household would suffer along with them. She didn’t even dare think about what might happen in the future…
It seemed she still needed to save more money, lest she become a burden to her children down the line.
Sheng Wanyan brought Yi Yi inside the house. Yi Yi headed straight for Grandfather Gu, grabbing his white beard to play with it.
“Ouch, ouch, ouch! Gentler, gentler.”
Grandfather Gu quickly protected his beard. This little great-granddaughter truly treated his beard like a toy, playing with it every single time she came back.
“Great-grandpa~ Let Yi Yi braid your hair~”
“No, no, no, go braid your own.”
“Just a braid~”
“No.”
“Great-grandpa~”
Yi Yi wrapped herself around Grandfather Gu’s arm, acting spoiled as her bright, watery eyes looked at him full of anticipation.
“Just this once.”
“Yay!”
Yi Yi scrambled onto his lap, sat down properly, and began braiding his beard, even clipping her own little star-shaped hairpins onto it.
“Alright, alright, that’s enough~”
“Any more and my beard will be entirely gone.”
The great-grandfather and great-granddaughter bantered back and forth, appearing incredibly close.
Watching her daughter’s spoiled, coaxing manner, Sheng Wanyan shook her head helplessly.
She also knew Grandfather Gu’s inner thoughts; at his advanced age, he just wanted to enjoy family happiness.
However, the older children of the family had always been terrified of him in the past, not daring to act with any familiarity or impudence in front of him.
But he was an old man! He wanted to be just like the elders in other families, being close to the younger generation and playing along with them.
Times were progressing. If the younger generation wasn’t willing to include the elderly in their lives, they would be left behind by the era at any moment.
Gu Tinghao returned with Gu Jingjing, and it was obvious that Gu Jingjing looked like a completely different person now.
Staying by her biological father’s side had made her noticeably more confident, her eyes filled with happiness, completely unlike her previous cautious, tentative state.
Even though she had been raised by Mother Gu’s side, she had never dared to throw tantrums or make demands.
Although she had been happy living in the military compound, she was, after all, lodging under someone else’s roof, and she would worry that Eldest Brother and Sister-in-law Gu wouldn’t like her.
She had been terrified of making a mistake anywhere that would put her grandparents in a difficult position.
But now, she had gained a lot of confidence, appearing vibrant and full of spirit, and she was even wearing new clothes.
“Jingjing is here.”
“Great-grandpa, Great-grandma.”
“Third Aunt.”
Gu Jingjing greeted the elders and then looked at Yi Yi. Understanding immediately, Yi Yi scrambled down from Grandfather Gu’s lap, ran over to take her hand, and pulled her toward the backyard.
“Let’s go, let’s go.”
The two little girls looked highly secretive, though the adults of the house didn’t meddle in the affairs between the children either.
“Third Sister-in-law,” Gu Tinghao greeted her, a trace of guilt coloring his gaze.
Every single time he saw Sheng Wanyan, he would think of how Wang Chunmei used to target her at every turn in the past, which left him feeling somewhat awkward inside.
“Fourth Brother.”
Sheng Wanyan responded with a nod. No matter what, as the sister-in-law, she still had to maintain proper courtesy.
Gu Tinghao sat down. Grandfather Gu wasn’t as furious with him as he had been initially; thinking about it now, he only felt this youngest grandson of his was truly pathetic.
His older brothers and sister were all doing perfectly well, yet he was the only one whose family was broken and divided, with his wife not being his wife and his child not being his child.
How could he not be pathetic?
Sheng Wanyan went to the kitchen to help with dinner, but Mother Gu and the nanny had already finished cooking, so there was no need for her at all.
“No need, no need for you. Go sit down and rest.”
Seeing her trying to help, Mother Gu quickly stopped her. Hadn’t she done more than enough work normally?
“You brought Yi Yi all this way on the bus, go rest up quickly.”
Taking the bus from Peking University back to the city took over three hours. Mother Gu wasn’t malicious enough to make a filial daughter-in-law do chores the very moment she stepped through the door.
“Third Sister-in-law, let’s go out and chat.”
Eldest Sister-in-law Gu took her hand and led her out of the kitchen, and Mother Gu threw an appreciative look toward her eldest daughter-in-law.
Eldest Sister-in-law Gu smiled and shook her head. Ever since Fourth Sister-in-law… Wang Chunmei had left the Gu family, the atmosphere of the entire household had completely transformed.
Although it was just as noisy every day, it was a joyful kind of noise.
Gu Jinfang rushed back right at dinner time, gulped down a massive cup of water, and finally caught his breath.
“Did you go off to be a thief?”
Grandfather Gu snapped testily at the sight of him. The moment school let out for the holidays, the boy turned into a monkey roaming the mountains, with not a trace of him to be seen.
“No.”
Gu Jinfang didn’t dare look Grandfather Gu in the eye. Grandfather Gu let out a cold snort, knowing this brat’s temperament perfectly well.
To say he hadn’t gone out to cause trouble—he absolutely didn’t believe it.
Father Gu and Eldest Brother Gu returned home. Eldest Brother Gu threw a glance at his son, sizing him up from head to toe.
Gu Jinfang didn’t dare meet his gaze, quickly averting his eyes to avoid the scrutiny. Eldest Brother Gu’s gaze turned highly analytical.
“What did you do today?”
No one knew a son better than his father. Eldest Brother Gu could tell with a single glance that Gu Jinfang definitely hadn’t done anything good today.
“I went…”
“Hmm?”
“I took my buddies to raid the Wang family grandson’s bird nest…”
Wang Chunmei’s maternal family…?!
“You went to the Wang family?”
“No, no, no. That bird nest was on the big tree outside the Wang family’s entrance. I brought the bird nest back.”
“Why did you bring a bird nest back out of nowhere?”
Hearing that it was just typical boyhood mischief, Eldest Brother Gu didn’t meddle further. The boy was already quite old and knew the boundaries of his actions.
The future heir of the Gu family wasn’t foolish enough to let others catch him in a blunder.
“That youngest grandson of the Wang family is way too much! He was abusing the birds, plucking out all their feathers.”
“He even broke the mother bird’s leg, so she couldn’t fly out to forage for food, and the little chicks were nearly starving to death.”
Hearing about the Wang family grandson’s animal abuse, Father Gu knitted his brows. To be this selfish and cruel at such a young age.
“My buddies and I went to feed them for a few days.”
“In the end, our hands just got itchy, so we stole them back.”
Gu Jinfang rubbed the back of his head. This was the first time Sheng Wanyan had ever heard someone describe an itchy hand so righteously.
No wonder he had been so tense when Grandfather Gu asked if he had gone to be a thief.
This truly wasn’t much different from being a thief—knowing exactly who the owner was, yet still going to take it.
“Bringing it back like this, aren’t you afraid of drawing hostility?”
“Afraid of what? All those Wang family boys combined can’t even beat me.”
Gu Jinfang flexed his muscles to show his family. Although he was only 11 years old…
…because he exercised every single day and spent his holidays training in the military region, he looked much taller and broader than his peers, appearing like a 15-year-old youth.
“Besides, does he think he’s the only one with brothers? I’ve got plenty of buddies out there too!”
Chapter 521: Pregnant!?
“His brothers are named Wang, but my brothers come from a hundred different families!”
The elders in the family couldn’t help but laugh upon hearing his words. His logic didn’t seem entirely flawed.
Except… you seem rather proud of it???
After the family finished eating, Gu Jinfang still couldn’t escape Eldest Brother Gu’s punishment. After all, taking something home while knowing full well it belonged to someone else was still a mistake.
In the backyard, Yi Yi tried to mimic Gu Jinfang’s stance. The moment she widened her stride and squatted, her bottom hit the ground.
Gu Jinfang let out a sigh. His little sister had so much baby fat on her; how could those two short little legs possibly support her weight?
Gu Jingjing pulled her up and led her over to the stone table in the backyard to sit properly. Both girls rested their chins on their hands, watching Gu Jinfang take his punishment.
“You two eat some fruit.”
Sheng Wanyan brought out two apples for them to hold and munch on. Children shouldn’t eat food that was prepared too finely; it wasn’t good for their teeth. Especially when it came to their bite development, they had to pay close attention.
She didn’t leave out Gu Jinfang’s portion either, placing it on the table so he could eat it later.
“Jinfang, I’ve left your portion right here.”
Gu Jinfang couldn’t speak while Eldest Brother Gu was watching him from the side, so he could only nod in response.
Sheng Wanyan shook her head with a smile. The battle of wits and courage between a father and son was truly different from that between a father and daughter.
Just look at how Gu Tingxiao and Yi Yi engaged in their battles—he always had to beat around the bush and find excuses to coax his daughter. But with a boy, it was entirely different; a single phrase like “Are you a man or not?” was more than enough.
After holding his horse stance for half an hour, Gu Jinfang went over to grab his apple and munched away. Yi Yi was full after finishing only half of hers, so she took it inside to Sheng Wanyan.
“Can’t finish it?”
“Mm~ Full full.”
Sheng Wanyan didn’t force her and simply finished the remaining half herself.
“Wanyan, this smoked fish was sent by one of your dad’s subordinates. Take two back with you to eat.”
Mother Gu brought out two pieces of smoked fish. Truth be told, they were quite large and looked very well-smoked.
Sheng Wanyan walked over, but the moment she caught the scent of the smoked fish, her stomach turned and she couldn’t help but knit her brows.
“It smells a bit fishy.”
“Does it? It’s not fishy at all.”
Mother Gu gave it a sniff. She didn’t smell any fishiness; on the contrary, it smelled rather fragrant.
Hearing Mother Gu’s words, Sheng Wanyan thought something was wrong with her own sense of taste, so she leaned closer to sniff it again.
With this sniff, she couldn’t take it anymore. A wave of nausea hit her, and she hurriedly ran to the kitchen to throw up.
“Ugh~”
Seeing her vomit, Mother Gu was completely stunned. Then, realizing something, her eyes instantly lit up.
She hurriedly shoved the smoked fish into Father Gu’s hands and rushed over to check on her.
Sheng Wanyan threw up for quite a while. Seeing that her mother was unwell, Yi Yi flew over and wrapped her arms around her leg, her little face tense and filled with a trace of fear.
“How are you? Still feeling sick?”
Mother Gu asked while patting her back. Eldest Brother Gu walked in with some tissues. Sheng Wanyan took them, wiped her mouth clean, and shook her head.
“I’m fine.”
Sheng Wanyan caught her breath, and the moment she lowered her head, she met Yi Yi’s frightened eyes.
“Mama…”
Yi Yi clung tightly to her leg, her eyes red and filled with deep fear.
“Yi Yi, Mama is fine, don’t worry.”
“Really?”
“Really, Yi Yi don’t worry.”
Sheng Wanyan picked her up to comfort her. Seeing that her mother was truly alright, Yi Yi finally felt a bit more at ease and blinked back her tears, though her hands remained tightly wrapped around her mother’s neck.
Seeing her holding Yi Yi, Mother Gu swallowed the words she wanted to say, but she still looked at her with concern—particularly at her belly.
“Yi Yi, let Grandma hold you.”
Yi Yi shook her head in refusal, tightly hugging Sheng Wanyan’s neck and refusing to let go.
“Mama hold, Yi Yi not scared.”
Sheng Wanyan gently patted Yi Yi’s back. Since Yi Yi was unwilling to let go, Mother Gu couldn’t do anything about it either.
Eldest Brother Gu walked out; it wasn’t suitable for a man to be present for certain matters.
“Wanyan… how long has it been since your period last came?”
Mother Gu asked in a low voice. Hearing Mother Gu’s question, Sheng Wanyan’s body stiffened slightly as she recalled the time of her last menstruation.
It seemed she hadn’t had her period for nearly two months. She had been so incredibly busy that she had completely forgotten about it.
“Mom… are you saying I’m…”
Pregnant? This was a major event for Sheng Wanyan, especially given the current timing. If she was pregnant, wouldn’t she have to attend classes while carrying a child???
“Wanyan, let’s go to the hospital for an examination tomorrow.”
“You and Yi Yi stay over tonight.”
Mother Gu made the decision right then and there. Sheng Wanyan nodded and placed her right hand over her left wrist to check her own pulse.
A smooth, rolling pulse… she really was pregnant, and it had been over two months already.
It wasn’t that Sheng Wanyan didn’t want another child, it was just that the timing of this baby’s arrival was too tight. Furthermore, only the mother and daughter were currently living at home.
However, since the baby was here, she was definitely overjoyed. After all, family planning policies would be strictly implemented in a few years. If she didn’t have another child now, it would be highly problematic if she wanted one later on.
Being pregnant now meant that by the time she graduated, the child would already be three years old, which would make things much easier down the line.
Grandfather Gu and Grandma Gu both kept their eyes on the kitchen, harboring their own thoughts but not daring to ask out loud. As people who had been through this before, they could more or less guess what was happening.
“Take all the smoked fish in the house and put it in the backyard.”
Grandfather Gu looked at Father Gu. Father Gu nodded, took all the smoked fish in the house, and hung it up in the backyard.
The next day, Yi Yi was left at home while Mother Gu took Sheng Wanyan to the hospital, heading straight for the obstetrics and gynecology department.
After undergoing a series of examinations, the result confirmed that she was indeed pregnant.
She was already two and a half months along. Sheng Wanyan calculated the days; it must have been that time in the living room…
She had been careless!
Upon learning that she was truly pregnant, Mother Gu was overjoyed beyond words. Another child was being added to the family; how could she not be ecstatic?
There were only three children in the entire household, and Gu Jinfang was the only boy. It was impossible for Mother Gu not to feel anxious in her heart.
“The expectant mother is a bit fatigued and exhausted, so she must take proper care of herself.”
Sheng Wanyan had been incredibly busy lately, running between school and home every day, as well as shuttling back and forth between the general store and the clothing store. The child in her belly was truly resilient to have stayed perfectly safe despite all the rushing around.
Sheng Wanyan felt a lingering fear as she stroked her stomach. Mother Gu was startled by the doctor’s words and hurriedly asked quite a few questions.
“Doctor, could this lead to a miscarriage?”
“She needs to take extra care during the first three months. As long as she rests well and nurtures herself, everything will be fine.”
“The expectant mother isn’t getting enough rest, so you all must keep a close eye on her.”
“Yes, yes, yes. Thank you, doctor.”
Mother Gu was scared to death. Fortunately, it wasn’t a major issue, otherwise she wouldn’t know how to account for it to Old Third.
Mother Gu brought Sheng Wanyan back home. It was rare for Grandfather Gu not to go out for a stroll today; he had stayed back at home.
“How is it? Is her body alright?”
Grandma Gu quickly stepped forward to ask. Yi Yi ran over to hug Sheng Wanyan’s leg, but Mother Gu immediately stepped in to stop her upon seeing this.
“Yi Yi, Mama is feeling a bit unwell, so you can’t bump into her, okay?”
Mother Gu didn’t know how to explain to Yi Yi that she was going to have a little brother or sister, fearing the child might think the family wouldn’t love her as much once a new sibling arrived.
“Mama… not well?”
“Yes, Mama is a bit unwell, so you must be very gentle.”
