Chapter 540 | Chapter 541 | Chapter 542
Chapter 540: Gu Tingxiao’s Childhood Sweetheart?
Originally, the state only wanted to give 50,000 yuan. After all, the country had so many mountains full of natural resources; it only needed the formula provided by Sheng Wanyan, and the state wasn’t stupid.
But Grandfather Gu’s mind worked brilliantly! Since they didn’t want to give shares, it was either pay up or figure it out themselves.
The others couldn’t out-argue Grandfather Gu. In the end, Grandfather Gu straight up finalized the amount at 200,000 yuan! No one dared to say another word.
If we give your Gu family shares on top of this, wouldn’t your Gu family ascend straight to heaven!
How are the rest of our families supposed to survive then? Won’t we have to look up to your Gu family just to live?
Everyone unanimously opposed the idea of shares, so all the old gentlemen agreed on this 200,000 yuan and gave it to Sheng Wanyan.
Sheng Wanyan wasn’t interested in how the process went. She hadn’t expected much money to begin with. She knew in her heart that even if she didn’t provide the formula, once those higher-ups found out which plants were used, those experts would figure it out very quickly anyway.
Grandfather Gu naturally knew this point too, which was why he moved quickly to secure the benefits before everyone else could react. By the time those old gentlemen snapped out of it, the matter was settled and could no longer be undone.
Grandfather Gu hummed a little tune as he went out. Whenever he saw one of the old gentlemen returning on the road, he would show off a bit.
Some of the old gentlemen who had already gotten vexed during the meeting were now even more furious…
“Oh my~ My third grandson’s wife is truly capable.”
“Not only is she talented, but now she’s also pregnant with twins.”
“In this whole military compound, I’ve never seen any family’s daughter-in-law possess this kind of capability.”
Grandfather Gu let out a sigh after speaking. The fact that the family would soon have two identical great-grandsons was truly a sweet burden that worried him to death.
The even more furious old gentlemen: “…”
Grandfather Gu hummed a little tune all the way, muttering non-stop as he turned his steps toward the shade of the trees.
Those old gentlemen who were driven half-mad with rage carried dark faces as they strode back to their homes. Meanwhile, Grandfather Gu went under the trees to continue boasting about how he was about to have twin great-grandsons.
The crowd felt incredibly envious upon hearing this. Sheng Wanyan rarely went out, so not many people knew her, and those who had just found out felt a bit sour inside.
Why didn’t their own families have such a fertile grandson’s wife? They didn’t even ask for twins; just having a few more kids would be fine.
When Grandfather Gu went under the trees the next day, he found not a single soul there. It seemed everyone had stopped playing with him.
Grandfather Gu thumped his cane and let out a cold snort. A bunch of petty, smelly old men.
You can hide today, but you can’t hide forever. Grandfather Gu simply thumped his cane and marched straight into their homes.
Sheng Wanyan rarely went out. Since she sat at home every day, Grandma Gu was afraid she might lack stamina and have no strength left when it came time to deliver the babies. Thus, she began taking her out every day for a stroll around the compound. The passing old ladies and married women in the compound looked on with eyes full of envy.
“Hello, Grandma Gu.”
The young people in the compound all greeted Grandma Gu when they saw her, and Grandma Gu nodded in response with a beaming smile.
“Good, good, good.”
尊 Grandma Gu supported Sheng Wanyan as they walked slowly. It just so happened that she could also use the post-meal walk to get some exercise herself.
“Grandma Gu, who is this?”
Some of the young people didn’t recognize Sheng Wanyan. When Sheng Wanyan came back to the compound, she either stayed at home or went shopping with the family elders. She had never mingled or made friends with anyone of her own age group in the compound, so many women around her age were exceptionally curious about her.
“This is my third grandson’s wife,” Grandma Gu introduced, allowing everyone to finally become familiar with her face.
“Grandma Gu, you are truly blessed.”
“Exactly, Grandma Gu will have twin great-grandsons soon.”
The young people in the compound all spoke pleasant words to make Grandma Gu happy. The youth here understood the social dynamics perfectly well; the old grandpas and grandmas here were absolutely not to be offended. If you, as a junior, accidentally clashed with one, your family elders would likely give you a sound thrashing.
Grandma Gu smiled so wide her mouth couldn’t close. She herself felt she was the most blessed old lady in the compound. It was just that she felt too embarrassed to say it out loud, fearing the other old ladies in the compound would get upset and come argue with her.
“You’re the grandson’s wife from the Xu family, right?”
“Yes, Grandma Gu, you have an excellent memory.”
This was Grandfather Xu’s grandson’s wife, who had returned over the weekend to visit the two elders.
“And you’re the granddaughter of the Huang family?”
A woman wearing a Bragi dress nodded, followed by a woman who looked a few years younger than her.
“Is this your biological younger sister, the youngest granddaughter of the Huang family?”
“Yes, Grandma Gu.”
The youngest granddaughter of the Huang family wore a yellow dress. Her skin was dark and somewhat rough. She looked perfectly obedient when facing Grandma Gu. Both sisters were already married and had children, and they had arranged to come back to visit their relatives over the weekend.
The Huang family and the Gu family were bitter rivals from different factions, but a superficial harmony still needed to be maintained well.
“Grandma Gu… has Third Brother Gu not returned?” the youngest Huang granddaughter asked probing fire. She stole a glance at Sheng Wanyan. Hearing how she addressed him, Sheng Wanyan knew in her heart that nothing good would come of this.
Grandma Gu knit her brows slightly upon hearing her form of address for Gu Tingxiao. She patted Sheng Wanyan’s hand, giving her a reassuring look.
“You’ll have to ask Old Third’s wife about that~”
“The two of them exchange letters, so she knows whether he’s back or not far better than an old lady like me.”
The smile on the youngest Huang granddaughter’s face stiffened at Grandma Gu’s words. She let out an awkward laugh and looked at Sheng Wanyan.
“Grandma Gu is right. For a moment, it slipped my mind that Third Brother Gu has already settled down and started a family.”
Grandma Gu nodded with a smile. She had always looked down on the Huang family, and she understood perfectly well what design this youngest Huang granddaughter was harboring.
Back then, the youngest Huang granddaughter had been forced to marry a man who was ten years older than her. Unwilling to comply, her heart had been filled with adoration for Gu Tingxiao. She had begged her family to approach the Gu family for a marriage alliance. Upon hearing that she wanted to marry into the Gu family, the Huang family was naturally more than willing.
Although the two families were bitter rivals, the Gu family’s power was alluring enough; an alliance through marriage would benefit both sides, so the Huang family came to propose the match.
But Grandfather Gu had flatly refused. He would have to be insane to let a rival’s granddaughter marry into the Gu family. Furthermore, back then, let alone getting married, Gu Tingxiao wasn’t even willing to go on blind dates, refusing to return from the military unit. Grandfather Gu would never arrange an arranged marriage; the Gu family’s status didn’t need to be consolidated through the marriages of the younger generation.
If this granddaughter of the Huang family had truly married in, it might have been even more terrifying than Wang Chunmei marrying in.
True to form, after Grandfather Gu refused, the youngest Huang granddaughter washed her face with tears at home every day. In the end, the Huang family pressured her into marrying that man who was ten years older, for no other reason than the power the man held in his hands.
No matter how the youngest Huang granddaughter refused, being born into a family of power meant you didn’t possess the right to refuse—unless you no longer wanted to live the wealthy and luxurious life you currently enjoyed.
The youngest Huang granddaughter naturally couldn’t bear to part with her current wealthy life, so she had no choice but to listen to her family and marry.
Chapter 541: Wang Chunmei Remarries!
But she couldn’t let go of Gu Tingxiao in her heart. When she was a child and was bullied by a few boys in the compound, it was Gu Tingxiao who helped her. From then on, she wished to marry Gu Tingxiao and become his wife.
Yet forced by helplessness, she married someone else, and she only felt she had let Gu Tingxiao down in her heart. She hadn’t stayed true to her heart and felt sorry to Gu Tingxiao, knowing there was no possibility between them.
But when she learned Gu Tingxiao had taken a wife, she felt off no matter what, always feeling as if her man had been snatched away. If she hadn’t married someone else back then, would he not have been forced by helplessness to marry someone else as his wife?
Sheng Wanyan lowered her head to stroke her belly. Seeing her belly, the youngest Huang granddaughter was filled with nothing but bitterness.
“This belly must be eight months along, right?” The youngest Huang granddaughter asked, suppressing the bitterness in her heart. This was already the second pregnancy…
“Five months.”
Grandma Gu’s eyes were full of joy. She wanted to show this off to everyone she met, so without Sheng Wanyan needing to say a word, Grandma Gu started boasting.
“Five months? Why is the belly so big?”
“You just came back so you don’t know yet, our Wanyan is carrying twins.”
“When the time comes, Old Third will have three children.”
The happier Grandma Gu was, the more she shared, and the worse the youngest Huang granddaughter felt in her heart.
“Is that so… twins…” The youngest Huang granddaughter stared at Sheng Wanyan’s belly with reddened eyes. He was already going to have three children…
“To think that back then, Third Brother Gu often took me out to play and protected me. I didn’t expect him to be a father of three now.”
“Back then, Third Brother Gu even helped me teach those boys who bullied me a lesson. Thinking about it now, time really flies.” The youngest Huang granddaughter looked at Sheng Wanyan’s expression after speaking, but Sheng Wanyan showed no reaction whatsoever.
She couldn’t help but envy Sheng Wanyan herself. Even though she had chosen to marry someone else back then, she just couldn’t help it.
Grandma Gu knit her brows upon hearing her words. What absolute nonsense! Wasn’t this trying to upset her third grandson’s wife? What if she upset her and harmed her health?
Grandma Gu let out a cold snort in her heart. Playing petty tricks in front of her—she was truly being spoiled.
“Old Third took you out to play? Wasn’t it you who insisted on tailing behind Old Third’s back?” After Grandma Gu spoke, she took Sheng Wanyan’s hand, looking as if she were sharing an amusing childhood story about Gu Tingxiao with her.
“One day after school, Old Third came home and told me that a seven or eight-year-old girl was being bullied by several ten-year-old boys. Once I inquired, it turned out that the bullied girl was the youngest granddaughter of the Huang family. Several big boys bullying a little girl—anyone who saw it wouldn’t be able to bear it. So Old Third stepped in righteously to help.”
“That was all well and good, but when Old Third asked the boys why they were bullying her…”
“Goodness! It turned out you had stolen another boy’s money.” Grandma Gu looked at the youngest Huang granddaughter. Hearing Grandma Gu’s words, the youngest Huang granddaughter quickly lowered her head.
“When Old Third came back, he told me he regretted it so much! He had helped a thief and felt too ashamed to face anyone. He refused to step out of the house for a good while, and it was only after your Grandfather Gu and I used kind words to persuade him that the little grievance in Old Third’s heart was finally cleared.”
With every sentence Grandma Gu spoke, the youngest Huang granddaughter’s face stiffened a fraction more, and everyone looked at her with immense gossip-loving interest.
When she was a child, she had actually stolen someone else’s money???
Sheng Wanyan covered her mouth and smiled, quickly pulling Grandma Gu’s hand to ask about Gu Tingxiao’s childhood.
“Was Tingxiao this concerned with saving face when he was a child?”
“Of course, he loved saving face at a young age.”
“Back then, Old Third threw quite a tantrum at home, saying every day that he had rescued the wrong person, and he didn’t dare step forward righteously out of nowhere after that. He kept nagging in my ear about his regret, regretting that he had helped someone who did wrong.”
Hearing Grandma Gu’s words, the youngest Huang granddaughter’s face turned deathly pale in an instant. He… actually regretted saving her! Then wasn’t her youthful adoration and shyness a complete joke!
Everyone looked at the youngest Huang granddaughter one after another. To think this youngest Huang granddaughter was actually so untoward when she was a child…???
The youngest Huang granddaughter’s scalp went numb from the stares, and in the end, she could only make an excuse and quickly flee the scene.
Sheng Wanyan covered her mouth and laughed, the corners of her mouth curving slightly upward as she watched her fleeing figure. Just this…?
With Sheng Wanyan’s crinkling eyes and smiling face, everyone felt she was easy to get along with, not even getting angry at this, so they could interact more in the future.
Sheng Wanyan made friends with some peers she could talk to, and thanks to the youngest Huang granddaughter’s assist, her image in the eyes of others was exceptionally good.
Grandma Gu brought her out with the exact hope that she would make more friends. Having more friends would make things easier down the line.
Time marched steadily forward, and soon it was August 20th. In eight more days, it would be Yi Yi’s birthday.
The summer vacation was slowly coming to an end, and Yi Yi was about to welcome her third birthday, with school starting ten days later.
Everyone in the house knew Yi Yi’s birthday was coming, and the elders clearly doted on Yi Yi excessively over the past few days. Whatever Yi Yi wanted, the elders would buy it for her once they knew, fulfilling her wishes.
Yi Yi didn’t feel anything too out of the ordinary. After all, the elders usually treated her well anyway; she simply felt the adults were in an exceptionally grand mood during this period.
Sheng Wanyan hadn’t expected that in just a few months’ time, Wang Chunmei had actually remarried!!!
This news was brought back by Mother Gu. Wang Chunmei had taken the child back to the Wang family, but the Wang family naturally didn’t want a bastard child, so they gave him to his biological father’s side.
Seeing it was a son, that side naturally couldn’t refuse, but they only wanted the child and didn’t want Wang Chunmei.
That man’s household had also thrown quite a fuss, but since the children at home were already grown, they naturally didn’t divorce. After Zhang Jinmin went back, he was subjected to no small amount of abuse; every time the legal wife thought about these things, she would take her anger out on Zhang Jinmin.
Wang Chunmei’s job was gone, and after returning to the Wang family, she was locked inside the house every day. She wanted to come to the Gu family, but she couldn’t even step out the front door. After Grandfather Gu’s past words, the Wang family didn’t dare let Wang Chunmei go to the Gu family to cause trouble either; they could only lock her in the household woodshed and hurry to marry her off.
After these few months, someone was finally willing to marry Wang Chunmei. The man actually turned out to be the illegitimate son of Grandfather Wang’s subordinate’s family.
And that side was only willing to marry Wang Chunmei on one condition, which was that Zhang Jinmin must also become his stepson.
The man belonged to the same generation as Father Gu and was already nearly fifty years old! His wife had passed away when giving birth back then, and the man only had daughters, who had already married out. Now that he was getting older, he wanted a son to take care of him in his old age, but since he couldn’t father one, he could only adopt.
Father Wang was his father’s superior, so there was naturally an intersection of interests, and it just so happened that Zhang Jinmin was young and was also the grandson of the Wang family. This perfectly satisfied the needs of both sides, and what’s more, Wang Chunmei was young, so a fifty-year-old man naturally had no objections.
The man naturally knew about Wang Chunmei’s affairs, after all, the fuss had been so severe back then, but what they wanted was merely a Zhang Jinmin.
Chapter 542: Third Birthday
As for Wang Chunmei, they had plenty of ways to teach her how to be a proper daughter-in-law!
With the passage of a few months, the trace of reluctance Mother Gu had felt toward Zhang Jinmin had completely vanished. Hearing all this now, her heart was only filled with a sigh at the fickleness of fate. She had no choice but to accept reality.
When Wang Chunmei remarried, the Wang family directly delivered her to the man, then demanded Zhang Jinmin back and sent him over as well. It was all done so quietly that practically no one noticed. It wasn’t until news leaked from the groom’s side that anyone found out she had remarried and taken the child with her.
Gu Tinghao didn’t say a word upon hearing the news, though his expression was rather unsightly. Whenever he heard the name Wang Chunmei, the green hat on his head seemed to glow a little brighter.
Mother Gu looked at Gu Tinghao. Her youngest son was still young; it was impossible for him to spend the rest of his life raising his daughter completely alone. She wondered if there were any like-minded female classmates at his university with whom he could hold hands and walk through the rest of his life.
“Old Fourth, are you still harboring thoughts about Wang Chunmei?”
Mother Gu looked at him. Gu Tinghao shook his head. It wasn’t that he was longing for Wang Chunmei; it was just that he couldn’t forget the humiliation of being cuckolded.
Seeing that he truly no longer harbored lingering feelings, Mother Gu felt relieved. Weighing her words carefully, she began to advise him, “Old Fourth, you’re still young. You can’t live alone forever. It’s not convenient for a grown man like you to raise Jingjing by yourself. A household ultimately still needs a woman.”
Mother Gu doted on her granddaughter, but she also ached for her son. Gu Tinghao was only twenty-nine years old; was he really going to spend the entire second half of his life completely alone?
“Mom…”
“Don’t try to change the subject. Are you really planning to live by yourself for the rest of your days?” Mother Gu directly cut him off. Gu Tinghao hung his head and remained silent. One look and Mother Gu knew exactly what he was brooding over.
“Are you afraid a new wife won’t treat Jingjing well? Or are you afraid Jingjing won’t be able to accept a stepmother?”
Mother Gu directly voiced the anxieties hidden in Gu Tinghao’s heart. It was a bit of both. He didn’t want anyone abusing Gu Jingjing again, nor did he want a new wife who would make Gu Jingjing feel resentful and resistant. If that were to happen, how would it be any different from when Wang Chunmei was still here?
“Mom, let’s not talk about this anymore. I’m not considering marriage for the time being.”
Seeing his stubborn stance, Mother Gu didn’t want to force him, but she couldn’t bear to watch her son spend the rest of his life alone either!
“Make sure to communicate properly with Jingjing on regular days. If you do meet a like-minded female comrade, explain our family’s situation to her clearly from the start. If she can accept it, that’s for the best. If she can’t…”
Mother Gu couldn’t bring herself to a definitive conclusion. She couldn’t choose between her granddaughter’s well-being and her son’s lifelong happiness.
Mother Gu let out a deep, heavy sigh. Ultimately, it was because Old Fourth had chosen the wrong person in the past…
Ah well, children and grandchildren have their own destinies. How things turned out in the future would depend entirely on his own luck.
Mother Gu said nothing more. With another sigh, she headed into the kitchen to busy herself.
Gu Tinghao stared at Mother Gu’s slightly aging back without a word, but his heart felt exceptionally bitter. He was unfilial… making his parents, who were already past fifty, worry about him at every turn. From childhood to adulthood, he had never given his parents a moment of peace. From minor things like his studies to major milestones like his marriage and career…
The days flashed past, and soon it was Yi Yi’s birthday. Sheng Wanyan woke up early in the morning to make her a cake.
Grandfather Sheng, Grandma Sheng, as well as Father and Mother Sheng all arrived at the Gu residence, with each elder bringing a gift. Pan Yue took the opportunity to bring her child back to her maternal home for a visit, dropping by to join them in blowing out the candles at mealtime.
Yi Yi was the little star of the household today. Everyone in the family smiled warmly the moment they saw her, reaching out to give her little cheek a playful pinch.
“Grandma~ Grandma~”
“My darling!” Grandma Sheng opened her arms, and Yi Yi charged straight into her embrace like a little cannonball.
Seeing Grandfather Sheng and the others arrive, Yi Yi was incredibly joyful. A burst of hearty laughter rippled through the house and drifted into the kitchen.
Mother Gu was helping Sheng Wanyan with the cake, while the household nanny cooked the evening meals. Since there were many guests today, they had to prepare early.
“Yi Yi is thrilled out of her mind.” Mother Gu shook her head with a smile. It was rare for the little girl to celebrate a birthday, so they had to make it a grand, lively affair.
“If only Old Third were here.” Mother Gu couldn’t help but think of Gu Tingxiao. On a rare day when the family gathered together, it was a pity that Old Third, the father, was absent.
“Tingxiao mailed a birthday gift for Yi Yi before he left for his mission.”
Hearing Sheng Wanyan’s words, Mother Gu smiled so wide her mouth couldn’t close. Old Third looked ice-cold on the surface, but he was exceptionally meticulous at heart. Especially when it came to his wife and Yi Yi, he always made arrangements far in advance for everything.
“At least he has a conscience as a father, planning ahead like this.” Mother Gu felt comforted in her heart, though she still had to maintain her standard as an elder in front of her daughter-in-law.
One by one, the family members returned, and the most anticipated cake was finally completed. Several children gathered around the cake, unable to stop their mouths from watering.
The last time they had cake at home was a month ago, when Sheng Wanyan had made one purely out of leisure. But ever since Sheng Wanyan’s belly grew larger, she rarely cooked anymore. The children in the house all knew she could make endless delicious treats, and they had been craving them for a long time. Not to mention the children, even the adults missed her cooking.
“Third Aunt, when can we eat it?” Gu Jingjing looked at the cake and couldn’t help but swallow hard. It was only thanks to her usual proper upbringing that she didn’t actually drool.
“After we finish dinner and Yi Yi blows out the candles, we can eat. Go wash your hands for dinner first.”
Hearing this, the children hurriedly went to line up to wash their hands. Throughout dinner, they kept craning their necks to peek toward the kitchen.
After Pan Yue finished eating with Huzi at her maternal home, she made her way over to the Gu residence. The moment Yi Yi saw Huzi arrive, she took his hand and introduced him to her older brother and sister. Huzi possessed a bright, cheerful personality, and the children quickly mingled and played together.
“Come, come, come, everyone is here. Let’s blow out the candles and cut the cake.”
As Mother Gu spoke, she carried the cake out. The children instantly swarmed around the table. Father Gu lifted Yi Yi onto a stool.
“Our Yi Yi is another year older. We wish our Yi Yi good health and a happy childhood!”
The family members took turns offering their blessings, and Yi Yi nodded along with an exceptionally solemn expression. Whether she fully understood them or not, her attitude was entirely sincere.
“Come, make a wish and blow out the candles.”
Yi Yi closed her eyes, balling her two little hands into fists to make a wish.
But in the blink of an eye, she snapped them open and blew out the candles in one quick breath. The whole process didn’t even take three seconds.
Sheng Wanyan: “……” Did she actually make a wish?
Regardless, the children were the happiest, finally getting to eat the cake they had been yearning for.
Yi Yi received a whole pile of gifts, and Sheng Wanyan brought out the presents she and Gu Tingxiao had prepared. Before Gu Tingxiao returned to Bingcheng, he had been terrified of missing his daughter’s third birthday, so he left his gift in Sheng Wanyan’s safekeeping before departing.
He knew Yi Yi’s preferences all too well, having prepared a beautiful dance outfit that couldn’t even be bought at the Friendship Store. One look and it was obvious Gu Tingxiao had contacted Blackie to track it down, using an unknown amount of connections and time.
