Chapter 198: “place An Ad In The Paper”
The yard in the city was different from the countryside, square-shaped, with three rooms, and a semi-open kitchen.
To the left of the entrance were clusters of red and yellow ornamental chrysanthemums, each one elegant and eye-catching.
On the other side was a small well, covered with bluestone slabs, with a large water vat placed on top, and next to it was a washbasin with a faucet.
From the main gate to the house, there was a path paved with broken tiles, not very regular, and pleasing to the eye.
Under the eaves hung a bamboo wind chime, which tinkled when the wind blew. Directly below was a lounge chair, on which was a cushion embroidered with a small dog, and to its side was a small square table.
As the Shi Tou brothers entered the yard, their eyes didn’t know where to look.
At this moment, Yu Bao and Heng Bao ran out of the room, slid over, and pulled the two Shi Tou’s hands into the house.
“Brother Shi Tou, Brother Shi Tou, you’re finally here, come in quickly and see our rooms, they’re very similar to the ones in the village, our Great Uncle decorated them for us.” The chatterbox Heng Bao’s mouth didn’t stop.
“My Great Uncle is my mother’s Uncle, my Great Uncle is so good, he even brought us roast chicken, the roast chicken was delicious, it was different from the chicken we usually eat…”
He hadn’t eaten enough.
Knock, knock, knock.
There were a few knocks on the door.
Lin Zhao interrupted Heng Bao’s little rambling, “You guys stay here, I’m going to buy some food, don’t go out and run around.”
“Okay,” Yu Bao replied obediently, interjecting to cut off his brother’s nagging, and asked the Shi Tou brothers about their Uncle.
Lin Zhao knew the twins were sensible and, after reminding them, left home.
She didn’t return until half an hour later.
When she returned, she brought a roast chicken and two meat dishes, bought from a “small restaurant.” The small restaurant was opened by an old acquaintance of Uncle Song, and it was said that the man’s ancestors used to cook for the emperor. He opened it discreetly at home, only occasionally entertaining acquaintances. Lin Zhao, with the face of her biological uncle, had the good fortune to taste many classic dishes.
She had just begged the uncle to make a roast chicken because the twins were craving it.
Upon seeing the roast chicken, Heng Bao’s eyes widened, he pinched the flesh of his cheeks, and exclaimed, “Roast chicken! It’s roast chicken!!!”
Yu Bao swallowed the saliva constantly overflowing from his mouth and also smiled, his eyes bursting with an extremely bright light, his whole face flushed with excitement.
He shook Xiao Shitou’s hand, “Brother Shi Tou, roast chicken is delicious, I’ll give you my chicken leg later, I’ll eat the chicken wings.”
Hearing this, Heng Bao grunted a few times and said to Da Shitou, “Brother Shi Tou, I’ll give you my chicken leg.”
His words conveyed as much reluctance as possible.
Wuwuwuwu, he really loved chicken legs.
Thinking that Brother and Brother Shi Tou’s father was injured and still in the hospital, that reluctance lessened a bit.
“…I’ll eat chicken wings too.”
Lin Zhao: “?”
If these two kids ate chicken wings, what would she eat? She loved this so much, made by descendants of imperial chefs, the taste was superb, and she couldn’t eat it often…
She patted Heng Bao’s head, pressing down his soft and fine hair.
“What about me?”
The twins’ identical little faces showed guilt, oh, they had forgotten their mother.
Yu Bao’s eyes flickered a few times, and he put on a very obedient smile, “Mom, you have the chicken wings, I’ll eat the chicken buttocks.”
“I’ll eat chicken buttocks too,” Heng Bao said loudly, “I can eat anything, I can even eat chicken heads, I’m not picky.”
“Then eat all the radishes in the dishes?” Lin Zhao teased him.
Instantly, Heng Bao’s face fell.
“Mom～～”
The little friend who couldn’t argue could only drag out the call to her mother.
Hmph, acting cute again.
Lin Zhao couldn’t help but laugh, put down the food she bought, and invited the Shi Tou brothers to sit down, “You must be hungry, let’s eat first.”
Da Shitou smiled at her, but the heaviness in his eyes didn’t dissipate.
Seeing that the youth was still worried about his biological father, Lin Zhao gently comforted him, “Don’t worry, have some confidence in the doctors, they said your father is out of danger, so there’s basically nothing wrong, he just needs to rest well, and he’ll be fine, don’t be so tense.”
She patted Da Shitou’s shoulder, the boy was tense all over, every nerve highly strung.
Sensible children carried heavy burdens in their hearts.
Da Shitou was very similar to Yu Bao. The difference was that Yu Bao was slowly shedding responsibilities that didn’t belong to him and regaining his childlike innocence.
Da Shitou pursed his lips slightly, “Thank you, Auntie Lin Zhao.”
All his uncles and aunts had borrowed money from home, he knew all of it, and he knew it wasn’t a small amount. He was very grateful and would repay his uncles and aunts for their help to his family when he grew up.
“You’re welcome~” Lin Zhao said indifferently.
The twins called the Shi Tou brothers to wash their hands, and after washing their hands, they all started to eat.
Yu Bao and Heng Bao tasted the food and still ate with their legs shaking. The Shi Tou brothers didn’t eat much meat usually, but upon tasting the meat made by the descendants of imperial chefs, their eyes lit up like lamps. What injured biological father, what family debts… sorry, they couldn’t think of anything else.
They just stuffed meat into their mouths.
Da Shitou insisted on not taking the chicken leg, and Yu Bao and Heng Bao shared it. The other was for Xiao Shitou, the dark-skinned little boy with a shy and bright smile.
“Is it delicious?” Heng Bao’s mouth was greasy, and he took the opportunity to turn his head to Xiao Shitou.
Xiao Shitou nodded like he was pounding garlic, and repeatedly said, “Mhm, mhm, mhm.”
“It’s delicious,” he swallowed the meat in his mouth, his mouth spread wide, “In all my life, this is the first time I’ve eaten such delicious meat. I will never forget the meat I ate today.”
Lin Zhao: “Pfft—”
Her eyes were full of laughter, and her voice was soft and smiling, “How old are you to say ‘in all my life’?”
The way the little friend spoke was so funny, it made her stomach hurt from laughing. She rubbed her cheeks and continued, “You’ll eat many more delicious things in the future. This is just the beginning. When you grow up, our Xiao Shitou will become a professional table tennis player and bring glory to the country, and you’ll be able to eat delicacies from all over.”
It was said that Xiao Shitou had great perseverance. He trained according to the method sent by Yun Jian, persisting every day, rain or shine. He didn’t need any urging from adults and could endure hardship more than older children. He was steady and diligent.
Lin Zhao felt that as long as Xiao Shitou persisted, he would eventually have a place in the national table tennis team.
Children with talent and hard work are never let down by fate.
Xiao Shitou tightened his grip on his chopsticks, his face flushed, and his tone slightly excited, “Can I?”
“You can.” Lin Zhao’s eyes were encouraging. “You have talent and you’re hardworking. As long as you persist, you’ll be able to get out sooner or later.”
“Mhm!” Xiao Shitou’s eyes brightened even more.
He persisted with that liking, practicing every day. His small head would occasionally feel lost, pondering the meaning of his practice, and the more he thought, the more bewildered he became…
Lin Zhao’s words made the young Xiao Shitou even more determined.
In the next two years, when he was teased by the villagers, the child just shed sweat and ignored the malicious words.
Persist, persist a bit longer, he can do it!
At this moment, Lin Zhao looked at Xiao Shitou’s bright face and smiled, “So cute.”
…
Gu Mu returned home and drank a few sips of water to quench her thirst. Gu Fu walked over and kept looking at her.
The husband and wife of several decades knew the son-in-law’s situation just by looking at his expression.
This old woman’s expression is relaxed, it seems she is fine.
The old man relaxed his brows, his heart returning to its place.
73 “Why don’t you ask how the son-in-law is?” Gu Mu stared at the old man.
Gu Fu let out a hum, his old face revealing a trace of pride. “Why even ask! If you have to ask, then our decades of marriage were for nothing. I can tell from your expression that my son-in-law is fine.”
“For you, if you can.” Mother Gu was displeased and retorted unceremoniously.
The old man who was retorted to wasn’t angry; on the contrary, he became even more smug.
The old woman was enraged.
Gu Mu ignored the old man’s petty thoughts and sat on the edge of the kang, rubbing her waist. She then brought up the matter of the third branch having property in the city.
“……The Lin family’s assets are truly substantial; they’re even willing to give their daughter a house in the city.”
To be fair, if the house were hers, she would be reluctant to give it to her daughter. Old ideas still lingered; she still felt… property should go to her son.
Because of this, Gu Mu felt that the Lin family was truly different.
“?”
Gu Fu’s head was full of question marks. “What city property?”
“The third branch has a house in the city. The third son’s wife said it was a courtyard, and her father gave it to her,” Gu Mu sighed. The Lin family couple truly doted on their daughter; Gu Mu suspected even some people in the city couldn’t compare.
Gu Fu’s face was filled with astonishment, and it took him a while to find his voice, “You’ve seen it?”
“No, I was in a hurry to get home. The Two Stones went, and I heard Yu Baoheng Bao were also there,” Gu Mu replied.
“The Lin family husband and wife are both capable people. The third son’s wife’s father has an extraordinary family background. Back then…” Gu Fu’s words trailed off, and he changed the subject, saying again, “Her mother is also formidable. Her reputation back then was so prominent, it’s not strange they have deep pockets.”
“Don’t mention this to anyone outside, not even to the eldest son and second son and their wives, it’s too conspicuous.”
“Just say they are living at the third son’s wife’s maternal uncle’s house.”
Gu Mu scolded him, “Do I need you to remind me? I already know!”
“The third branch is already conspicuous enough. If people find out they have property in the city, who knows if someone will harbor malicious intentions? Wealth should not be flaunted. What the ancestors left us always makes sense.”
She hadn’t intended to say it in the first place.
Just wanted to tell the old man, so he would know.
The old man looked down on her!
Gu Fu felt so wronged.
He just said that.
Felt that the old woman was like she had eaten a dynamite pack, and didn’t dare to provoke her. He went to the yard to weave bamboo curtains.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
Early morning.
Brigade Headquarters.
The Brigade Leader, as usual, looked at the newspaper he had retrieved from the Commune and saw a statement severing relations in the corner.
Shake your head first.
The world is truly chaotic.
Father and son, mother and daughter, brothers and sisters, teacher and student, master and apprentice… Any close relationship can be severed.
I hadn’t intended to look much, but my gaze fell upon a familiar name—Gu Feng.
Huh?
Isn’t that Old Man Gu?
Looking at another name, it was astonishingly Cheng Huai’s mother’s name.
What’s going on?
Within a few breaths, the brigade leader looked at the protagonist of the newspaper report…
Gu Xing’er.
(⊙⊙；) ???
Absurd, yet not entirely unexpected.
“Sigh.”
The Brigade Leader suddenly sighed. The Brigade Accountant looked over, “What’s wrong?”
He didn’t answer, handed over the newspaper, and gestured for the old fellow to look down.
The accountant finished reading: (⊙﹏⊙#丿
After several seconds of silence, he exclaimed in surprise: “Gu Xing’er declared in the newspaper that she’s severing ties with the Gu Family?!”
The Brigade Leader wanted to light a cigarette, “It seems I was not mistaken.”
It really is…
“This is insane,” he complained. “What is Xing’er thinking? She’s so young, not even an adult yet, and not married, how could she cut ties with her family!”
The accountant shook his head. “Who knows.”
He looked over. ” Do you think Old Gu knows about this?”
The Brigade Leader felt a pang of sympathy for Old Gu for a second, then thought of his useless third son, his filial other sons, and his considerate eldest daughter, and withdrew his extraneous emotions.
“Probably not.”
He felt this matter needed to be told to the Gu family members, to avoid them being caught off guard.
He picked up the newspaper and left the Brigade Headquarters.
Without pausing, he arrived at the Gu family’s home.
“Old Gu? Are you home?” The Brigade Leader called out twice, then peeked into the Gu Family Courtyard.
Gu Fu emerged from a corner. “Just come in, why are you peeking around.”
Brigade Leader: “…”
Gu Fu, busy with something in his hands, looked at him when he had a moment. “What’s up?”
“It’s about your family,” the Brigade Leader said without beating around the bush.
Sensing something off in his tone, Gu Fu stopped what he was doing and looked up.
He asked again: “What’s up?”
The Brigade Leader didn’t know how to say it. He put down the newspaper. “You can see for yourself.”
He dropped that sentence and quickly left.
Gu Fu had a bewildered look on his face.
“What’s his problem…” he muttered, retrieving the newspaper to read. He looked at the headline first; it had nothing to do with his family. He moved down, still no connection… After a few tries, he couldn’t help but mentally curse the Brigade Leader for being so mysterious, until…
He saw the small statement, so inconspicuous that it could be easily missed.
# Statement on Resolutely Severing Ties with a Son-Preferring Family #
「 I am the daughter of Gu Feng and Xun Chun. After personal ideological struggle, I have deeply realized:
My parents’ words and actions, which favor sons over daughters, seriously disrupt the organizational requirements and are in opposition to XX document.
To thoroughly reform my personal ideology, I solemnly declare:
From this day forward, I will completely sever ties and all relationships with Gu Feng （ Father ） and Xun Chun （ Mother ）!
From now on, I will be guided by correct ideology, hold myself to high standards, and strive to be a brick in the construction of our nation, living up to my youth and the teachings of my school.
Declarant: Gu Xing’er （ Signature/Handprint ）
Date: XXXX Year XX Month XX Day 」
He read it word by word.
Gu Fu’s hands trembled uncontrollably, his teeth chattering with a clattering sound.
“Good! Good, good, good…” He suddenly laughed in anger, his face more somber than ever, as if it could drip ink.
Gu Mu came out of the kitchen, having just dumped a basin of dirty water. She saw her old man radiating an oppressive aura and froze on the spot.
“What’s wrong? Why does your face look so terrible?” she asked.
“Old woman, where is our Household Registration Certificate?” Gu Fu asked, coming to his senses.
Gu Mu was bewildered. “What do you need the Household Registration Certificate for?”
“To have Gu Xing’er’s name moved out!”
Gu Mu thought to herself, has this old man gone crazy? Xing’er isn’t married yet; if her household registration is moved out, what will happen to her?
Knowing that her old man wasn’t heartless, she didn’t impulsively scold him but instead asked, “Why?”
Gu Fu told her about Gu Xing’er publishing the statement in the newspaper, severing ties with them.
Gu Mu found it utterly unbelievable, her voice hoarse, “… Are you serious?”
She had been deeply disappointed in Gu Xing’er, often wishing she didn’t have such a daughter. But in her heart, she comforted herself… the child was still young, perhaps things would be better after she got married. She never expected… she never expected her to sever ties with them.
Does she hate them that much?
Gu Mu’s heart felt like it was being struck by a hammer, raw and bleeding.
“It’s true, black and white, it’s written clearly!” Gu Fu said with a dark expression. “Everyone who sees this newspaper knows that Gu Xing’er has unilaterally severed ties with us.”
He closed his eyes, hiding the disappointment within. “Don’t bother with her anymore. She won’t change, and she can’t change. We have so many children, we don’t lack her. Don’t make the other children disheartened.”
After speaking, Gu Fu called out towards Gu Qingzhou’s room, “Qingzhou.”
Gu Qingzhou came out of his room. “Dad.”
“You come with me to the county to take care of something,” Gu Fu said.
“What is it?”
Gu Fu didn’t answer, waved his hand, and went back into the house for the Household Registration Certificate.
“Mom?” Gu Qingzhou called out, seeing his mother’s expression was not good, his voice filled with worry.
Gu Mu’s eyes felt very dry. She pulled at the corner of her mouth. “It’s nothing, nothing…”
As she finished speaking, she hurried into the kitchen.
In the kitchen, tears streamed down her face, etched with the passage of time.
Hearing the commotion outside, her hands gripped the newspaper, and she held back from going out to stop them.
Let it be this way.
Let it be this way…
