Chapter 501 | Chapter 502 | Chapter 503
Chapter 501: Sheng Wanyan Wields a Knife
Mother Gu cried as she beat her. Why did Wang Chunmei have to treat their Gu family like this?!
How had the Gu family ever wronged her? It was bad enough that she had a wild man on the outside, but to think that even Gu Jinmin wasn’t a member of the Gu family!
“You! You actually brought a child you had with another man on the outside… into the Gu family!”
“Have you no shame!!!”
“What do you take our Gu family for?!”
“Old Fourth! This is the wife you insisted on marrying even if it killed you!”
Mother Gu pointed right at Gu Tinghao’s nose and scolded him. Although Gu Tinghao knew in his heart that he would divorce Wang Chunmei sooner or later…
That didn’t mean he could accept her having an affair while they were married. And most importantly, the son he had doted on for three years wasn’t his own flesh and blood.
The veins on Gu Tinghao’s forehead bulged, his fists tightly clenched as he stared at Wang Chunmei with bloodshot eyes.
“You cheated on me? Xiaomin isn’t my son?”
Gu Tinghao seemed to deflate entirely, his gaze filled with irony as he looked at Gu Jinmin. Although Gu Jinmin was only three years old, he was beginning to understand things.
He could understand his father’s words. He wasn’t Daddy’s son?
How was that possible! How could that be!
Gu Jinmin burst into loud tears, bawling at the top of his lungs. He wanted Mother Gu to coax him, but Mother Gu, who used to comfort him the moment he cried…
…didn’t want to look at him at all right now. She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to resist strangling the child.
She had doted on him for three years, giving him whatever he wanted, never bearing to scold or hit him even once. But in the end, he wasn’t her grandson.
Wang Chunmei scrambled over to Gu Tinghao’s side. Her clothes and hair were a complete mess.
But she couldn’t care less about that right now. She couldn’t leave the Gu family. If she left the Gu family, she would have nothing.
The flattery from others, the leniency from her maiden family, the politeness of everyone in the government family compound, the benefits the Gu family brought her…
Wang Chunmei desperately shook her head, grabbing Gu Tinghao’s arm to deny it.
“I didn’t! I didn’t!”
“Xiaomin is a child of the Gu family! Tinghao, listen to me!”
“Tinghao, you have to believe me, I was framed!”
Wang Chunmei pleaded with Gu Tinghao. As long as he believed her, she wouldn’t be kicked out of the Gu family.
Usually, whenever she begged Gu Tinghao, he would soften his heart. Even though later on… later on, Gu Tinghao had lost his patience with her.
But he would still do his best to satisfy her requests for the sake of their two children.
Gu Tinghao tightly squeezed his eyes shut and forcefully threw her hands off him.
“Are you saying my Gu family is framing you?”
“Do you want me to bring that adulterer over here?”
“Then Xiaomin can finally meet his real father!”
Father Gu stood up with a cold expression. He had already had that man locked up. A married woman and a married man—what a spectacular show they had put on!
“No, no…”
Hearing Father Gu’s words, Wang Chunmei knew the Gu family already knew everything. She was finished!
“It’s not like that… I, I…”
Wang Chunmei couldn’t find an excuse. She only hoped that someone would speak up for her.
“Tomorrow, we are getting a divorce.”
“Take this… this bastard, and get out of here right now!”
As Gu Tinghao said this, he looked at Gu Jinmin. At the thought that this was an adulterer’s spawn, he wished he could strangle him to death.
But after all, it had been three years of emotional attachment; he couldn’t truly bear to do it.
No matter how much of a scoundrel Gu Tinghao could be, he was still responsible when it came to his own children.
Wang Chunmei completely broke down upon hearing these words. She didn’t want a divorce!
“Daddy!! Waaahhh~”
Hearing that his father didn’t want him anymore, Gu Jinmin instantly ran over, hugged Gu Tinghao, and cried loudly.
“Daddy!!! Don’t throw Xiaomin away.”
“Xiaomin will be good. Xiaomin will be good.”
Gu Jinmin desperately hugged Gu Tinghao’s neck. Hearing his words, Gu Tinghao’s heart filled with bitterness.
If only he wasn’t the adulterer’s son, he might still be able to…
But he was the adulterer’s son! His biological parents had schemed against him, scheming to make the Gu family help raise their child!
With red eyes, Gu Tinghao peeled the boy off of him and turned his head away so he wouldn’t have to look at him.
“You are not my son. Don’t call me Dad.”
“You shouldn’t bear the surname Gu!”
Gu Tinghao’s voice trembled. They all knew the child was innocent, but his very existence was a sickening insult to the Gu family.
Wang Chunmei slumped to the ground. Why had things turned out like this? Why?
What was she going to do? What should she do?!
Who could help her? Who could help her?!
Wang Chunmei looked left and right. When she saw Eldest Sister-in-law Gu and Sheng Wanyan, she hurriedly crawled over and began kowtowing.
“Eldest Sister-in-law, I beg you.”
“Please put in a good word for me, I’ve truly been wronged!”
“We are sisters-in-law after all, I’m begging you.”
Eldest Sister-in-law Gu was pregnant and was terribly frightened by her actions. Eldest Brother Gu quickly led his wife far away, lest Wang Chunmei’s madness endanger the baby.
“Xiaofang, take your mother further away.”
Hearing his father’s words, Gu Jinfang hurried over and helped Eldest Sister-in-law Gu sit down in the dining room, keeping her far away from the living room.
Seeing that Eldest Sister-in-law Gu wouldn’t help her, a flash of hatred crossed Wang Chunmei’s eyes.
Left with no other options, she could only crawl on her knees to Sheng Wanyan, asking her to plead on her behalf.
“Third Sister-in-law… help me, please help me.”
“It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have gone against you before, it was my mistake.”
“I’m begging you, please speak up for me. I really am being framed.”
Wang Chunmei acted as if she were possessed, her entire demeanor terribly unhinged. Coupled with her disheveled hair, she looked exactly like a madwoman.
“I can’t help you.”
Sheng Wanyan explicitly refused. There was no way she would help with this kind of matter, not to mention she and Wang Chunmei had never gotten along in the first place.
Even if they did get along, she still wouldn’t be able to help. This was a matter of moral corruption.
“Sheng Wanyan! You bitch!”
“You unpresentable woman! Ever since you married in, the Gu family has looked down on me at every turn!”
“You only gave birth to a worthless, money-losing girl, what right do you have to act so high and mighty here!”
“You won’t help me because you’re afraid my son will compete with that wretched brat you gave birth to for the Gu family’s property!”
“You black-hearted wench!!! What are you acting so noble for!”
Hearing that Sheng Wanyan was unwilling to help her, all of Wang Chunmei’s pent-up resentment instantly exploded.
Hearing her words, Sheng Wanyan directly slapped her across the face.
Smack!
“What the hell are you? What gives you the right to demand my help?”
“A woman with no morals. What makes you think you have any right to judge my daughter?”
Sheng Wanyan flew into a rage. She picked up a fruit knife from the table and viciously plunged it right into the palm of Wang Chunmei’s hand.
“Ahhhhhhhh!!!”
Wang Chunmei’s palm instantly gushed with blood, and she stared at Sheng Wanyan with eyes full of absolute terror.
The Gu family members were also badly frightened by this action. This was resorting to a knife; how could she…
…do it so smoothly and casually?
“Even if my child is a daughter, she is still a member of the Gu family!”
“Unlike your son… who is a bastard and an illegitimate child.”
Chapter 502: Mother Gu Develops a Fever
Sheng Wanyan, exuding a chilling aura, pulled the fruit knife out of Wang Chunmei’s palm and tossed it onto the ground.
“Let me tell you something.”
“If anything ever happens to my daughter in the future, I will hold it against you.”
“And your son won’t be living a peaceful life either.”
As soon as Sheng Wanyan finished speaking, she extended her foot and stepped firmly on Wang Chunmei’s injured hand. The agonizing pain nearly caused Wang Chunmei to black out.
“Ahhhhhhhh!!! It hurts!!!”
“Help!!!”
The entire Gu residence fell dead silent. Everyone stared at her with faces full of terror, none of them daring to utter a single word.
Although the men of the Gu family were all soldiers, and Grandma Gu was someone who had braved war-torn areas in her youth, none of them had expected her to take such an action.
Mother Gu and Eldest Sister-in-law Gu had never witnessed such a bloody scene before. Gu Tinghao was also someone who had never seen blood, and his legs turned so weak from fright that they nearly gave out beneath him.
She… she was a woman, so how could she be this ruthless?
“Even if anyone from the Wang family touches a single hair on my daughter’s head, I won’t let it slide!”
So what if it was the Wang family? She had plenty of ways to ensure the state would choose her over them!
Wang Chunmei didn’t dare say another word. She could only nod in sheer panic, completely stripped of the courage to provoke her again.
This woman was a lunatic! For the sake of a worthless, money-losing girl, she was capable of absolutely anything.
In the end, Wang Chunmei was rushed to the hospital by Gu Tinghao to prevent her hand from being permanently ruined. No matter what, a person couldn’t be allowed to become a cripple right inside the Gu residence.
Wang Chunmei couldn’t escape the divorce. At this point, it was impossible for her not to comply. Divorcing now at least meant Gu Tinghao would still grant her a share of their marital assets.
Once the chaotic crowd departed, Father Gu immediately ordered someone to clean up the bloodstains in the house. The family sat together in the living room, completely enveloped in silence.
“Ahem…”
Mother Gu gave Father Gu a nudge with her foot, but Father Gu had no idea what to say either, so he could only play deaf.
Eldest Brother Gu and Eldest Sister-in-law Gu were also thoroughly shocked by Sheng Wanyan’s behavior. They truly had never expected their younger sister-in-law to be so fierce and formidable.
Sheng Wanyan cradled Yi Yi in her arms. Yi Yi blinked her large eyes and hugged Sheng Wanyan’s neck tightly, her behavior full of absolute reliance.
Her mother was ten thousand percent good—the best mother in the whole wide world.
“Have you found out the background of that wild man?”
Ultimately, it was Grandfather Gu, a man who had weathered great storms, who broke the silence. In his eyes, this incident was nothing to lose sleep over.
In fact, the more capable the women of the family were at handling a crisis, the greater a blessing it was for the Gu family!
His eldest grandson’s wife was dignified and elegant, highly tolerant of most matters, and exceptionally skilled at navigating social relations and etiquette. She was a fine woman cut out to manage a household.
However, she lacked a bit of grit and ruthlessness. If the Gu family ever faced a true catastrophe that required her to step up and anchor them, she probably wouldn’t be able to hold the fort for long.
But things were different now that the Gu family had Sheng Wanyan. She possessed grit, capability, and ambition, and her heart was ruthless enough when the situation demanded it.
Furthermore, she disliked meddling in affairs and hated dealing with unnecessary trouble. A person like this was the most suitable candidate to act as a powerful right hand.
If a major crisis ever befell the Gu family, the two granddaughters-in-law working together would easily be able to keep the family afloat.
“We found it out. He is the director of the factory where Wang Chunmei works. They hooked up four years ago.”
“Four years ago, Wang Chunmei was terrified of losing her job, so she seduced the factory director.”
“The other party is a married man with a family.”
Eldest Brother Gu laid out all the facts. The moment the timeline of their affair was investigated, Gu Jinmin’s lineage naturally fell under deep suspicion by the Gu family.
The Gu family had plenty of ways to verify whether Gu Jinmin belonged to their bloodline or not; Grandfather Gu’s network of connections wasn’t just for show.
Gu Jinmin didn’t look like Gu Tinghao at all, though he did bear a fifty percent resemblance to Wang Chunmei.
In the past, they simply hadn’t cared to scrutinize it, assuming that any child born to her was of Gu blood. Now, they could only blame themselves for not being more vigilant.
Wang Chunmei had always flaunted her job everywhere she went, using it as a reason to look down on Sheng Wanyan.
When she realized her job was in jeopardy, her thoughts had easily taken a radical, desperate turn.
“Tomorrow, after Old Fourth finalizes the divorce, spread this news far and wide.”
“Make sure it reaches the factory’s residential compound.”
Grandfather Gu took a sip of his tea. Eldest Brother Gu nodded, fully understanding Grandfather Gu’s intentions.
With this, the drama of a legal wife thrashing a mistress would soon unfold tomorrow. By then, the spectacle would extend far beyond just making their own military compound lively.
Sheng Wanyan listened to Grandfather Gu’s arrangements, sitting quietly to the side without chiming in.
Seeing that it was getting late, Sheng Wanyan and Gu Tingxiao took Yi Yi back to their own courtyard.
“Why aren’t you staying the night?”
Seeing them prepare to leave, Mother Gu quickly spoke up to ask.
“No, we’ll just stay here on weekends from now on. Yi Yi can’t grow up not knowing where her own home is.”
As Sheng Wanyan spoke, she playfully pinched Yi Yi’s little nose, and Yi Yi nodded along in agreement.
“That’s right~ Yi Yi will come to see Grandma tomorrow.”
“Good, good, good.”
Mother Gu didn’t have the mental energy to press further. Moreover, she felt a bit intimidated by Sheng Wanyan right now, so she chose not to put on the airs of a mother-in-law to make demands.
The couple brought Yi Yi back to their own home. After having her body wiped down, Yi Yi was already fast asleep, snoring like a little piglet.
Gu Tingxiao massaged Sheng Wanyan’s waist. Recalling his wife’s actions today, he couldn’t help but gently advise her.
“Wife, when I’m not around in the future, don’t take risks.”
Gu Tingxiao was worried that once he returned to Bingcheng, Sheng Wanyan might get into a conflict with someone and resort to violence just like today.
It wasn’t that he found the violence itself terrifying; he was simply terrified of his wife getting hurt. Even though his wife was an ethereal fairy who could handle herself, he still harbored a deep dread of anything happening to her.
Sheng Wanyan had thought he was going to scold her, but to her surprise, he only offered these brief words of concern.
“I know.”
“You and Yi Yi cannot come to any harm.”
Gu Tingxiao pulled her into his arms, his voice sounding a little muffled. Sheng Wanyan knew that she and Yi Yi were his entire life.
“I know, I promise you.”
Sheng Wanyan stroked his head, soothing the man’s roiling emotions.
The next afternoon, Gu Tinghao returned home and announced that he and Wang Chunmei were officially divorced. The mother and son had already been driven out.
Very quickly, the news of Wang Chunmei being expelled from the Gu family, her divorce from Gu Tinghao, and her infidelity with another man spread through the entire military compound like wildfire.
When the Wang family learned of these events, Father Gu was so consumed by rage that he fainted on the spot.
That was the Gu family!!! Such an excellent set of in-laws! Was their daughter completely insane?
The Wang family was instantly plunged into a turbulent storm. However, Gu Tinghao hadn’t driven her completely to the brink; he still left Wang Chunmei with 200 yuan.
He left this 200 yuan partly out of sentiment for their years together and for Gu Jinmin.
Secondly, it was to prevent outsiders from perceiving the Gu family as ruthless and unfeeling by driving a vulnerable mother and child down a dead-end path without a penny to their name.
If they had done that, it would inevitably be used by political adversaries down the line to suppress the Gu family.
By providing this 200 yuan, even if others wanted to find fault with their actions, they wouldn’t be able to. Instead, the Gu family remained firmly positioned as the victim who had still chosen to act with outstanding generosity.
As for how Wang Chunmei would fare in the future, or whether Gu Jinmin would return to the Wang family or go to his biological father’s side, none of it was the Gu family’s concern anymore.
Nevertheless, Mother Gu was visibly in low spirits, and by the next day, she had come down with a fever.
Upon finding out, Sheng Wanyan and Gu Tingxiao immediately rushed to take her to the hospital. Eldest Sister-in-law Gu wanted to go along despite her pregnancy, but Sheng Wanyan quickly stopped her.
“Eldest Sister-in-law, you’re pregnant, so don’t go.”
Chapter 503: Mother Gu Develops a Fever — Part 2
“Tingxiao and I will take Mom.”
“Alright. Call home if anything happens.”
Eldest Sister-in-law Gu watched them get into the car and drive away with concern. Gathering her wits, she hurried inside to call Father Gu and the others.
Sheng Wanyan and Gu Tingxiao drove Mother Gu to the hospital. Still worried, Sheng Wanyan reached over to check Mother Gu’s pulse.
As she felt the thrum under her fingertips, her hand paused, and her brows knitted closely together.
The household was truly thrown into utter chaos now. Because of the sheer rage brought on by Wang Chunmei’s actions, Mother Gu’s internal fire had flared up, leading to severe stagnation of liver qi.
Fortunately, they had caught Mother Gu’s condition in time. If this had gone unnoticed for a while longer, it could easily have triggered cardiovascular or cerebrovascular complications.
The moment Sheng Wanyan and Gu Tingxiao drove out of the military compound gates, they spotted Wang Chunmei and Gu Jinmin.
With nowhere else to go, Wang Chunmei could only try to take Gu Jinmin back to her maternal home. However, the moment she arrived, she was driven out by the Wang family.
Father Wang had been hospitalized from sheer anger over her scandal, and the Gu family had completely severed all benefits to the Wang family.
As a result, the entire Wang family harbored nothing but deep resentment toward Wang Chunmei. Seeing her return with a bastard child, they had physically beaten her out of the house.
Wang Chunmei had no shelter left. As for that wild man, the moment he found out their affair had been exposed, his own household erupted into a chaotic war, leaving him with absolutely no time to care about her.
Helpless, Wang Chunmei could only wait with Gu Jinmin outside the gates of the military compound, hoping the Wang family would eventually let her return.
She had tried to beg Gu Tinghao, but Gu Tinghao had spread the news of her infidelity so thoroughly that the entire government residential compound was abuzz with it.
The moment she showed her face, she was nearly drowned in the spit of the other military wives she had previously offended.
Gu Jinmin hadn’t eaten a single thing all day. The once arrogant and overbearing child had been instantly broken by harsh reality, his former stubbornness completely ground away.
Wang Chunmei had been waiting the whole time. Seeing the Gu family’s car drive out, she scrambled forward to block it.
Seeing it was her, Gu Tingxiao’s face turned icy cold. He directly stepped on the gas and charged forward. Half-dead with fright, Wang Chunmei scrambled out of the way just in time.
“I was wrong! I was wrong, Mother-in-law!”
“I beg you all! No matter what, Xiaomin has been close to you for several years!”
“Are you really going to just watch Xiaomin rot on the streets, Mother-in-law?!”
Wang Chunmei chased after the car, incessantly pounding on the windows. Gu Jinmin followed behind, sobbing loudly.
“Grandma!”
“Grandma! Xiaomin is so scared.”
Mother Gu was entirely dazed and feverish, yet she could still hear Gu Jinmin’s crying from inside the car. She forced her eyes open.
Seeing Gu Jinmin outside crying so hard he could barely catch his breath, her heart wrenched so violently she could scarcely breathe.
Why! Why did Wang Chunmei have to play with the Gu family like this? Why wasn’t her youngest grandson of their own blood?
She had doted on him for so many years; how could she bear to just cut him off like this?!
She knew that Old Fourth’s branch of the family placed a heavy emphasis on having a son. Feeling sorry that Old Fourth had ended up with such a wife, she had paid more attention to and doted on Gu Jinmin than any of her other grandsons or granddaughters.
But the result… the result was that all her years of devotion had been thrown to the dogs.
Fed to someone who shared absolutely no blood relation with her son or the Gu family.
Mother Gu’s eyes grew bloodshot. She bit her lip forcefully and shut her eyes, refusing to look at the people outside any longer.
Sheng Wanyan also knew that Mother Gu was suffering terribly. After all, after doting on a grandson for so many years, discovering he was a bastard used by Wang Chunmei as a bargaining chip against the Gu family was a devastating blow.
How could Mother Gu possibly withstand such a shock? Forget Mother Gu—even if one raised a dog for three years, there would be deep affection.
Let alone the fact that they had lived together for three years, and she had invested her genuine, heartfelt emotions into him.
Gu Jinmin was indeed innocent, but the blood flowing through his veins was a mark of shame to the Gu family.
If anyone was to blame, he could only blame his luck for being reincarnated from the womb of a mother like Wang Chunmei.
Mother Gu clenched her fists tightly, blocking out the crying outside. All the vitality seemed to drain from her, making her look a dozen years older in an instant.
Sheng Wanyan and Gu Tingxiao brought her to the hospital. The examination revealed that her liver fire had flared up severely, and she had to be hospitalized.
While Gu Tingxiao went to handle the admission paperwork, Father Gu, Eldest Brother Gu, and Gu Tinghao arrived shortly after.
“How is she?”
Despite the deep winter cold, Father Gu was drenched in sweat. To him, Mother Gu was far more important than any of his sons.
“The doctor said the rage attacked her heart, causing a severe stagnation of liver qi,” Sheng Wanyan explained thoroughly. “She has already taken fever reducers and received an injection. She needs quiet rest and absolutely cannot be provoked or angered again.”
Hearing the diagnosis, the veins on Father Gu’s forehead bulged. Letting out a sharp breath of relief, he turned around and slapped Gu Tinghao squarely across the face.
“Look at the wonderful wife you insisted on marrying!”
Father Gu put a full hundred percent of his strength into that slap. One of Gu Tinghao’s teeth was knocked loose, and his mouth instantly filled with blood.
Gu Tinghao felt miserable as well. Because of him, Mother Gu had been forced to worry time and time again, and now she was even hospitalized.
“I’m sorry, Dad.”
Gu Tinghao knelt on the ground, his eyes completely bloodshot. He hung his head low, not daring to make a sound.
“Gu Tinghao! If anything happens to my wife…”
“…I will chop you up and feed you to the dogs!”
Father Gu had always possessed an unyielding, explosive temper. To him, Mother Gu was his lifeblood and his absolute bottom line.
Mother Gu had stayed by his side for so many years, building everything up from nothing, bearing him four children, and managing their home flawlessly so that he could serve the country without any burdens.
Father Gu felt not only deep love for Mother Gu, but also profound gratitude and years of lingering guilt.
Now that he had reached this high position, his only wish was for his wife to live a comfortable and carefree life.
Yet in the end, everything was ruined by the wife Gu Tinghao had stubbornly insisted on marrying. It was bad enough that she caused constant worry normally, but now she had sent Mother Gu straight to the hospital.
Gu Tinghao didn’t dare to speak, and naturally, neither Eldest Brother Gu nor Gu Tingxiao would step in to help him.
Gu Tinghao truly needed to be taught a lesson. Previously, he had been so spoiled by the family that he only cared about himself, doing whatever he pleased.
With Mother Gu hospitalized this time, they could only hope he would finally learn his lesson and keep his eyes open when judging people in the future.
Mother Gu’s face was deathly pale. Father Gu and Eldest Brother Gu stayed behind to take care of her for the night, while Gu Tinghao remained kneeling on the floor, refusing to get up.
“Third Daughter-in-law, you guys head back first and let the elders at home know the situation.”
“Alright, Dad.”
Sheng Wanyan had classes the next day, and the two elders at home were also waiting for news, so she had to head back first.
Upon returning home, Grandfather Gu and Grandma Gu hurriedly asked about the situation. Learning that Mother Gu’s condition was entirely caused by Wang Chunmei’s actions, they gnashed their teeth in hatred.
“Old Fourth used to be completely muddled.”
“He indulged her, indulged her until today, ending up with his family broken and divided.”
“I only hope he learns his lesson from now on.”
Grandma Gu let out a heavy sigh. She only hoped that after this failed marriage, Gu Tinghao would stop acting entirely on his own whims.
Listening more to the advice of his elders would never steer him wrong.
He had refused to listen to his family’s warnings back then and stubbornly insisted on marrying Wang Chunmei. Bringing about such a miserable end today was entirely his own doing.
“It’s just a pity for Jingjing, poor child.”
Gu Jingjing already knew what had happened at home, and she knew her grandmother had fallen ill because of her parents’ actions.
She had now locked herself in her room, refusing to come out.
Sheng Wanyan sighed softly. The most innocent ones in all of this were undoubtedly the two children. She only hoped that Gu Jingjing wouldn’t be relentlessly harassed by Wang Chunmei in the future.
