Chapter 531 | Chapter 532 | Chapter 533
Chapter 531: Gu Jingjing Apprentices to a Master
When the time came, this third brother of his would have to raise three children. If the two in Third Sister-in-law’s belly both turned out to be stinky boys, one could only imagine the outcome.
He was afraid that they wouldn’t even leave his third brother a single pair of underpants.
The more Eldest Brother Gu thought about it, the more amusing it seemed. When that day came, neither of them would be more noble than the other.
Yi Yi was chewing on a pork rib when a large piece of fat meat suddenly dropped into her bowl. She looked up, only to see her eldest uncle staring down at her with an exceptionally affectionate gaze.
“Yi Yi, eat more.”
Eldest Brother Gu’s usually stern face softened with a rare gentleness, his eyes filled with a deeply protective aura as he looked at her.
Yi Yi chewed on her rib and stared back at him, her little mind unable to quite process the situation.
What is wrong with Eldest Uncle today? This affectionate look is terrifying.
“Thank you, Eldest Uncle~”
Yi Yi stared at the big chunk of fat in her bowl and swallowed hard. This love was truly a bit too heavy…
In the end, Gu Jinfang reached over with his chopsticks, picked up the meat, and ate it. Yi Yi threw a glance of profound gratitude toward her big brother.
Eldest Brother Gu immediately shot a sharp glare over. Was this wretched son of his the reincarnation of a starved ghost?
“Look at how old you are, yet you’re still snatching meat from your little sister’s bowl.”
“And look at how old you are, yet you still don’t know that my little sister hates fat meat.”
Gu Jinfang popped the fat meat into his mouth and directly fired back, leaving Eldest Brother Gu’s teeth itching with pure frustration.
Very good. The boy was growing up and his skin was getting itchy for a beating.
Everyone was long used to the daily battles of wits and courage between this father and son; at any rate, the ending was always the same.
True to form, after dinner, Gu Jinfang was sent to the backyard to hold his horse stance.
Yi Yi munched on a large apple while squatting right in front of him, staring up at him with her bright, watery eyes. Her little bottom was perfectly round, making her look exactly like a little kitten.
Gu Jinfang glanced at his biological father standing nearby and could only desperately suppress his laughter, tightly pursing his lips to keep himself from breaking character.
Yi Yi took a huge bite of the apple, then stood up and raised it right to his lips.
“Brother, eat~”
Gu Jinfang shook his head. One couldn’t eat while training, otherwise the exercise would go to waste.
Seeing that he refused to eat, Yi Yi let out a deep, heavy sigh. She couldn’t understand why her brother wouldn’t eat fruit.
Gu Jinfang: “……” I want to eat it too.
Finding it boring, Yi Yi could only head inside to find Sheng Wanyan. When she passed by her eldest uncle, she ran exceptionally fast.
“Don’t trip.”
Seeing how wobbly and unstable her little body looked as she darted past, Eldest Brother Gu offered a reminder.
Yi Yi only ran faster. She didn’t want to eat fat meat…
“Woof~”
Maodou followed closely behind her. The toddler and the dog scurried all over the place, harboring only a single objective: to get away from Eldest Uncle as quickly as possible.
The mother and daughter settled into their routine at the military compound. Once Mother Gu’s leave concluded, she also returned to her job in the government department.
Since it was a rare summer vacation, Gu Tinghao brought Gu Jingjing over to stay at the compound as well. Without Wang Chunmei around, the fourth branch faced no more restrictions.
However, since Gu Jingjing was already a growing girl, she certainly couldn’t share a bed with her father anymore, so they set up a small cot for her right next to his.
Logically speaking, it would have been most suitable for Gu Jingjing to share a room with Sheng Wanyan since they were both female, but Gu Tinghao was terrified of disturbing Sheng Wanyan’s rest, so he ultimately didn’t suggest it.
With all the children of the family back at the house, Yi Yi instantly felt as though she had been completely liberated, with not a trace of her figure to be seen all day long.
She followed Gu Jinfang out every single day, and she had even recruited several little sisters to her side…
“Jingjing loves drawing, so I’m going to take her to see an old friend.”
Grandma Gu had long harbored this plan, and now that the summer holidays were here, they could properly utilize the time to learn a thing or two.
Hearing that she was going to have a professional teacher guide her in drawing, Gu Jingjing hurriedly ran upstairs to bring down all the artwork she had previously created.
“We won’t be back for lunch at noon,” Grandma Gu instructed briefly before taking Gu Jingjing’s hand to leave.
“Let’s go.”
As the grandmother and granddaughter stepped out, Grandfather Gu saw that the old lady wasn’t at home, so finding it boring, he also headed out to look for his old buddies.
Halfway down the road, he caught sight of Yi Yi, who was currently in the middle of a formal alliance ceremony with a few of her little sisters. He marched right up and scooped her away.
“Wait for me to come back!”
Swung through the air in Grandfather Gu’s firm grip, Yi Yi swung her little legs while calling out instructions to her little crew.
“Understood! Big Boss!”
Several little girls around three years old let out a collective, full-throated roar.
Grandfather Gu’s footsteps visibly faltered. This squishy little great-granddaughter of his had only been back for a few days… yet she had already been completely led astray by the children in the compound.
Every single one of them refused to admit defeat, forming alliances every day to go out and accomplish some grand exploit.
With the child running outside every single day, Sheng Wanyan discovered that this little girl Yi Yi actually hadn’t tanned a single bit. That cool, milky-white skin tone of hers was truly enviable.
She had originally thought that if Yi Yi got tanned, she could seize the opportunity to give her an educational lecture, but the reality left her with absolutely no room to start.
Grandma Gu brought Gu Jingjing back around dinner time. Grandma Gu had taken her to visit an old friend who specialized in traditional Chinese painting.
The conclusion reached was that Gu Jingjing possessed immense talent and her basic skills weren’t bad, but because she had never received formal training, she still needed to solidify her foundations properly.
Initially, Grandma Gu had thought Gu Jingjing could pursue traditional Chinese painting, but to her surprise, the old friend stated plainly that she wasn’t suited for traditional painting and was far better matched for oil painting.
“Your great-granddaughter’s linework isn’t entirely solid yet, but she is exceptionally gifted when it comes to color composition.”
“Traditional Chinese painting requires immense patience and an incredibly rigorous baseline.”
“Oil painting suits her far better. She has a natural eye for color; if she studies oil painting, she will find it much more intuitive and rewarding.”
Hearing her old friend’s words, Grandma Gu gained a solid idea of what to do. She was definitely going to listen to a professional’s advice!
Grandma Gu’s old friend recommended one of her own peers in the art community who was also her colleague—an oil painting professor at the Capital Academy of Fine Arts.
Grandma Gu requested her old friend to provide an introduction, and then she brought Gu Jingjing to pay a visit. After putting Gu Jingjing through a rigorous assessment, the professor actually accepted her as a close-door disciple on the spot.
By the time Grandma Gu returned home, she couldn’t hide the smile on her face, and Gu Jingjing was also visibly radiant with joy.
“Third Aunt.”
Seeing her sitting in the living room, Gu Jingjing ran over to share her happiness with her. Sheng Wanyan smoothly pulled the girl into her embrace.
“How did it go? Hurry and tell Third Aunt.”
“It went very well, very well. Jingjing is going to study oil painting under a professor from the fine arts academy.”
“The professor was incredibly satisfied with Jingjing and accepted her as a close-door disciple right then and there.”
“Oh right, I still need to prepare the formal apprenticeship gifts. We’re going to pay a formal visit to acknowledge the master the day after tomorrow.”
Before Gu Jingjing could even speak, Grandma Gu had already poured out all the results from today. Hearing this, Sheng Wanyan felt deeply happy for Gu Jingjing.
This child was highly talented. Now that she could study under a professional teacher, she would definitely excel in this field down the line.
“That’s wonderful news. Jingjing must study hard from now on.”
“If you ever need anything for your studies, make sure to speak up to the family.”
“You absolutely cannot skimp when it comes to learning.”
Gu Jingjing blushed and gave a firm nod. Seeing her like this, Sheng Wanyan couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache for her.
This child was simply too sensible. Every single time she ran into an issue, she didn’t dare trouble the elders, and most of the time, it was Gu Jinfang who noticed.
Whenever she ran out of the notebooks or pens she needed for school, she didn’t dare ask the family for replacements, terrified of causing any inconvenience to her elders.
Chapter 532: The Ning Family’s Eldest Daughter-in-law Pays a Visit
If Gu Jinfang hadn’t mentioned it to Mother Gu every time he noticed, even Mother Gu wouldn’t have caught on.
After that first time, Mother Gu made sure to stock a two-month supply of school supplies for the children each time, ensuring they wouldn’t be neglected again.
Now that she had returned to stay at the house, there were many things she felt too embarrassed to discuss with her father, Gu Tinghao. After all, certain matters were still somewhat awkward between a father and daughter.
On top of her natural temperament, she had become exceptionally sensible after returning home, never wanting to cause trouble for Gu Tinghao.
Fortunately, Gu Tinghao gave her money every day. After all, to Gu Tinghao now, Gu Jingjing was his absolute lifeline.
He had lost everything else and only had this one daughter left, so he was terrified of shortchanging her in any way. Thus, he was incredibly generous when it came to her food, drinks, and daily necessities, always fearing that what he gave wasn’t enough and would wrong Gu Jingjing.
Whatever Gu Jingjing needed for school, she could simply go out and buy it herself, so she didn’t lack for anything.
“Your Third Aunt is right, you absolutely cannot skimp when it comes to learning,” Grandma Gu chimed in with a few words.
Gu Jingjing’s heart felt thoroughly warm, and the gaze she directed toward Sheng Wanyan was filled with reverence and affection. “Third Aunt, I understand.”
Amused, Sheng Wanyan gently ruffled her hair and neatly tied up her messy locks once more.
Feeling the hand on her head, which was incredibly gentle, Gu Jingjing thought, So this is what a mother feels like…
It wasn’t like the violence and scolding of her biological mother, Wang Chunmei, but rather gentle treatment and careful nurturing.
Once Sheng Wanyan finished styling her hair, Gu Jingjing offered a shy thank-you and headed out to look for Yi Yi.
Yi Yi was holding Grandfather Gu’s hand as they walked home. Seeing her older sister, she quickly ran over. Without even needing to think, she knew her sister must be looking for her.
“Sister~”
Gu Jingjing took her hand, walked over to Grandfather Gu, and repeated Grandma Gu’s instructions word for word. “Great-grandfather, Great-grandma says you and Little Sister need to come home for dinner. Great-grandma also said that if you don’t go back, you don’t ever have to come back.”
Gu Jingjing kept an eye on Grandfather Gu’s expression as she spoke. This was what Great-grandma had said, after all, not her…
“Hmph! Your Great-grandma just has a huge temper.”
Grandfather Gu let out a cold snort, holding one great-granddaughter in each hand as they walked toward the house. The old lady really didn’t know how to save him some face in front of the children.
The weather was sweltering to begin with, and after being treated “gently” by Grandfather Gu, Gu Jingjing broke into even more of a sweat.
A gentle Great-grandfather was terrifying; usually, he was a ferocious tiger that devoured people, but his gentle look made him resemble an old man kidnapping children. It’s better to leave this blessing to my little sister…
Yi Yi: “……” You truly are my good sister.
When the grandparent and grandchildren stepped into the house, Grandma Gu was already waiting at the entrance holding a thick wooden club.
Seeing this, Gu Jingjing quickly led Yi Yi inside the house. Grandma Gu looked at them lovingly, her tone perfectly gentle. “You’re back. Hurry and take your sister to wash your hands for dinner.”
Gu Jingjing nodded, while Yi Yi was led away before she could even figure out what was happening.
The moment the two children left, the smile completely vanished from Grandma Gu’s face, and she marched straight forward with the club to strike.
“Ouch, ouch, ouch!”
“Old lady, what are you doing!”
“What do you think! Where is that bottle of wine I hid?”
Grandfather Gu was deeply guilty; the wine was already sitting in his stomach. How did this old lady have nothing better to do than check if the wine was still there?
“I took it to give to Old Xu!”
“Bullcrap! Is that the smell of feces in your mouth?”
“Look at how you’re speaking… it’s not good if the children hear it.”
Grandma Gu grew even angrier, chasing him with the club to beat him. Although Grandfather Gu was advanced in years, he practiced Tai Chi every single morning, so his constitution was exceptionally robust.
“Slow down! Don’t trip!” Grandfather Gu didn’t forget to instruct her.
Grandma Gu’s heart softened slightly, and she was just considering letting the old man off the hook.
“Then you stand still!”
“Hey! I’m not stupid.”
Stand still my foot!!!
Watching the elderly couple’s antics, Sheng Wanyan couldn’t close her mouth from laughing. This was actually quite affectionate in its own way.
“Don’t listen, don’t listen.”
“Don’t listen to Great-grandma chanting scriptures.”
Gu Jinfang and Gu Jingjing each covered one of Yi Yi’s ears, preventing her from listening to Grandma Gu’s continuous stream of colorful language.
Yi Yi’s little face was squeezed right between her brother and sister, her round eyes staring wide, looking at everyone with complete bewilderment.
Sheng Wanyan and Eldest Sister-in-law Gu caught her puzzled gaze and offered exceptionally gentle smiles.
“It’s nothing.”
Eldest Sister-in-law Gu popped a piece of meat into her mouth. With her mouth and ears both blocked, she wouldn’t be able to pick up any of those crude words.
The day for Gu Jingjing to formally acknowledge her master arrived quickly. Mother Gu and Gu Tinghao went to prepare the apprenticeship gifts.
Gu Jingjing got up early in the morning dressed like a perfect little lady, setting out with Gu Tinghao and Grandma Gu.
Seeing her older sister heading out again, Yi Yi watched with a lingering, reluctant gaze. Gu Jingjing’s heart softened and she wanted to bring her along.
“Yi Yi not going, I have a meeting with my little sisters to form an alliance!”
Yi Yi actually had plans today. She hadn’t managed to successfully finalize her alliance over the past few days—either this little sister was called back home, or that grandpa came to disrupt them. She was simply reluctant to part with her sister; they hadn’t even had a satisfying play session before her sister ran off again.
“Then wait for me to come back at home.”
As Gu Jingjing instructed, she seized the chance to pinch her chubby cheek, feeling thoroughly satisfied.
“Okay!” Only after the sisters reached an agreement did Yi Yi reluctantly let Gu Jingjing depart.
Once the older children finished their meals and went out to play, the house instantly fell quiet, leaving only the two elders and the two pregnant women.
After a short while, the guard at the gate came to notify them that someone was looking for them—it was Gu Tong’s eldest daughter-in-law, Chen Fangqing, paying a visit.
Hearing this, Grandfather Gu quickly had her brought inside, terrified that something had gone wrong with Gu Tong over at the hospital.
“Grandfather.”
Chen Fangqing, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Ning family, looked rather tense, but she had no choice; she absolutely had to come look for Grandfather Gu and Grandma Gu.
“Hurry and sit, hurry and sit. Is something the matter?”
Grandma Gu quickly stepped forward to pull her down onto a seat. Gu Tong had been in the Capital for treatment for so long, yet this was the very first time someone from her marital family had come to the door.
Chen Fangqing’s rims were quite red, and just as she was about to explain the situation, someone delivered a letter to Grandfather Gu.
Grandfather Gu saw that it was mailed from Rongcheng, written by his son-in-law, Ning Weiguo. He hurriedly opened it, and upon reading the contents, he instantly understood the reason behind his grandson’s wife’s visit today.
Grandfather Gu handed the letter to Grandma Gu. Once Grandma Gu read it, she also understood the situation.
Gu Tong’s illness had completely drained the family’s savings, and Father Ning and his son’s monthly wages were entirely poured into her care.
The family originally had no money left; the wages of the three men could barely sustain Gu Tong’s medical expenses, while the household’s daily overhead was being held up by the daughter-in-law’s wages.
Gu Tong was originally only a month away from being discharged, which would have allowed the family to catch its breath, but as fate would have it, Gu Tong’s father-in-law ran into trouble.
The patriarch of the Ning family was the same age as Grandfather Gu and lived with the eldest Ning brother, but he had recently slipped and fallen while going out, which turned into a massive disaster.
Chapter 533: Borrowing Money???
The eldest Ning brother immediately had him rushed to the hospital. He knew all about Gu Tong’s illness, so he hadn’t asked his younger brother for money to treat the old master.
However, the consequences of a fall at such an advanced age were incredibly severe, and the old man was sent straight into the ICU. The eldest Ning brother’s financial situation wasn’t as comfortable as Father Ning’s. While he was also in the military and held a decent officer rank, he had a very large family—five sons, to be exact. His savings had already been largely depleted from getting his sons married, and whatever was left didn’t amount to much.
Old Master Ning’s stay in the ICU for the past half month completely emptied their remaining savings. Left with absolutely no other choice, the eldest brother finally approached Father Ning to explain the situation.
Because of Gu Tong’s ongoing illness, Father Ning hadn’t been able to fulfill his duties as a son, and his heart was already burdened with immense guilt. The eldest brother hadn’t blamed him at all, instead telling him to just focus on handling his own family matters with peace of mind. If it weren’t a matter of absolute desperation, the eldest brother would never have approached him to add to his worries. Now, Father Ning had no choice but to try and borrow money.
Father Ning explained everything clearly in his letter, and Grandfather Gu and Grandma Gu’s brows knitted tightly together as they read it.
The Ning family was considered a prestigious household back in Rongcheng. Old Master Ning used to be in the military but had retired early due to health reasons. He was a righteous and honorable man, but the wife he had married was rather snobbish and heavily favored sons. When Gu Tong first married into the family, the old lady openly disdained her for only giving birth to two sons, grumbling that she hadn’t given her enough grandchildren.
However, given Gu Tong’s prominent family background, the old lady could only drop passive-aggressive hints occasionally and never dared to truly offend her. Gu Tong hadn’t paid it much mind anyway. With her family’s powerful backing, her mother-in-law wouldn’t dare do anything real to her. Besides, she was still her mother-in-law; she just had a loose tongue but had never actually done anything to harm her, so Gu Tong naturally showed her proper respect.
Later, the old lady passed away, leaving Old Master Ning alone, and he naturally lived with his eldest son. The old man had simply wanted to go out for a stroll, but he misstepped and took a nasty fall. Fortunately, a passerby noticed him and rushed him to the hospital. If there had been even a slight delay, they might not have been able to save his life.
“Child, you’ve had a hard time.”
Grandma Gu stepped forward and gently took the hand of her eldest grandson’s wife, Chen Fangqing. Chen Fangqing shook her head. Thank goodness her father-in-law’s letter had arrived just in time; otherwise, she truly wouldn’t have known how to open her mouth.
“How is your husband’s father doing now?”
“Grandpa has regained consciousness, but he still needs to remain under close observation in the ICU…” Chen Fangqing explained the situation at home in meticulous detail, terrified that the Gu family might think the Ning family was trying to take advantage of them.
“That’s good. It’s good that he’s awake.” Grandfather Gu felt a wave of relief. He went back into his room and brought out his savings passbook.
However, the elderly couple hadn’t saved a massive sum. Their monthly retirement pensions were usually spent generously on the children and grandchildren of the family. At their age, they didn’t need to worry about saving up to buy houses or secure marriages for their sons; they could spend their pension exactly as they pleased. Given their high social status and ranks, any medical treatments they required were fully covered by the state, so they didn’t need to save up for their own retirement either.
Every time they received their money, they would buy things they liked, or purchase new clothes and toys for the younger generation. Even so, they had managed to accumulate five thousand yuan in savings, which was enough to cover Father Ning’s immediate emergency.
But Grandfather Gu knew that when an elderly person was admitted to the ICU, the medical bills were like a bottomless pit; five thousand yuan might not even be enough. Not to mention, his own daughter was still hospitalized over here, and even after she was discharged, she would need to be meticulously nurtured and cared for.
Grandfather Gu handed the passbook to Chen Fangqing, but the amount was still a far cry from what Father Ning actually needed. Old Master Ning’s condition was rather grim. Although he had woken up, his body was completely paralyzed and lacked sensation, making him no different from a wooden block. If they truly pushed through with full treatment, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they would have to bankrupt the family.
“There is five thousand yuan in this passbook. Tell your father to take it for immediate use first.”
Chen Fangqing let out a sigh of relief upon hearing this. With this money, the family could finally breathe a little easier. Things had been going terribly wrong at home recently.
“Tell your father not to worry about your mother’s remaining hospitalization expenses over here; our Gu family will handle it.”
“You’ve all worked so hard. Tell your father not to panic either; whatever happens, we will face and resolve it together.” Grandfather Gu knew that if Father Ning had any other options, he would never have approached his parents-in-law for help. He must have truly reached the end of his rope.
“I will mail the remaining amount to your father later. For now, just focus on taking care of yourself and your mother.” Grandma Gu patted Chen Fangqing’s hand, offering her comfort. Chen Fangqing nodded with reddened eyes.
As the eldest daughter-in-law, she had been incredibly anxious facing this crisis. Thank goodness her husband’s maternal grandparents were willing to help; otherwise, she really wouldn’t have known what to do.
Grandma Gu went to fetch several pieces of cured meat, insisting that she take them back to eat. She warned her not to skimp on food just to save money, otherwise she would fall ill from exhaustion.
“Aunt, I can’t accept this. I didn’t even bring anything with me when I came over.” Chen Fangqing blushed. Given the family’s current financial strain, it was already a miracle that they could sustain their basic daily expenses; there was absolutely no spare cash for social gifts.
“What nonsense are you talking? Your aunt is giving it to you, so just take it!” Grandma Gu chided gently. “You’re looking after Xiaotong. If your own body collapses, what are we going to do?”
“Taking care of Mother-in-law is my duty. She has always treated me wonderfully.” Gu Tong had always treated her daughters-in-law with genuine care and never mistreated them, so neither of the two daughters-in-law minded enduring hardships with the family.
Chen Fangqing tried to refuse, but in the end, Grandfather Gu firmly spoke up, and only then did she tremblingly accept the meat.
She felt incredibly embarrassed in her heart. While staying in the Capital to care for her mother-in-law, she was already living in Grandma Gu’s courtyard, and now they had to rely on the Gu family to borrow money for help. On top of that, the Gu family was still worrying that she wasn’t eating well—as a member of the younger generation…
Once she left, Grandma Gu immediately called Father Gu as well as her second son over in Haishi, laying out the Ning family’s predicament. Since Father Ning was still short on money and she didn’t have any left in her hands, she could only turn to her two brothers.
Upon hearing the news, Father Gu called the Haishi Military Region to discuss the matter with Second Uncle Gu. Second Uncle Gu was able to put together 2,000 yuan. Knowing this, Father Gu did the math, but looking at his own savings passbook, they were still a bit short.
Father Ning needed a total of 10,000 yuan. Grandfather Gu had provided 5,000 yuan, and adding Second Uncle Gu’s 2,000 yuan meant they were still short by 3,000 yuan.
Father Gu and Mother Gu didn’t have much savings left either. When the family assets had been divided previously, their pockets had been completely emptied, so their current funds consisted solely of their wages from the past few years. Normally, Mother Gu bought things for the grandchildren, supplemented the household’s daily overhead, and purchased monthly nutritional supplements for the two elders, which cost a significant amount.
Furthermore, with two pregnant women now in the house, they had to keep a portion of emergency funds on hand just in case anything happened and they needed to step in.
When Father Gu returned home from work, he sought out Mother Gu to make the final decision. The Ning family was Gu Tong’s marital household and the Gu family’s in-laws; the Gu family naturally wouldn’t sit by and watch them suffer.
