Chapter 602: Gu Family
Bai Suihe watched Liu Yun flee in panic and said mockingly, “It seems the Gu family is having a hard time. What kind of rotten cabbage leaves is she buying?”
Since she was buying groceries at this hour, she wouldn’t be able to get anything fresh. She was probably just here to pick up some cheap leftovers.
Seeing how miserable the Gu family had become, the pent-up frustration in Bai Suihe’s chest dissipated a little more.
“Suihe, you really suffered back then,” Bai Jianbei said, his heart aching for her. “If our father hadn’t been so stubborn, you wouldn’t have married into the Gu family.”
“Gu Kai is actually a good person,” Bai Suihe said fairly, refusing to condemn the entire family based on the actions of a few.
“So what? He still couldn’t protect you in the past. No matter how well he treats you now, it’s what he ought to do. If it weren’t for you…”
“Stop talking nonsense,” Bai Suihe interrupted. “It’s time you grew up. I’m living a good life now, and Gu Kai is very hardworking and ambitious. The future will only get better for Xingyang and me.”
Even though they were surrounded by their own people, some things were still hurtful when said out loud.
“I’m just saying this in private,” Bai Jianbei muttered. “Gu Kai is indeed quite good, but if you ever suffer any grievances again, my brother and I can protect you now.”
In the past, there was nothing they could do since that old man was in charge of the Bai family. But things were different now. Even though Bai Jianbei had split from the main household, he still had his own assets and would absolutely never allow his sister to be bullied.
Gu Xingyang leaned against his chest and babbled, “Uncle Jianbei, you still have me! My mother is protected by my father, so you can protect me.”
Unfortunately, her uncle couldn’t understand her adorable babbling.
Bai Suihe unhesitatingly sold her daughter out. “You should just focus on protecting her from now on. I can tell she really likes you.”
Bai Jianbei smugly lifted Gu Xingyang high into the air and smiled. “Of course she does! I’m her biological uncle.
“Why don’t we hold off on going back? I see a jewelry store ahead. Let’s go see if they have anything suitable for our Little Xing.”
“Are you sure you still want to keep shopping?” Bai Suihe asked, speechless.
“…Never mind, let’s just head back,” Bai Jianbei replied. “I’ll have someone deliver some fine jewelry to you later.”
Meanwhile, Liu Yun sprinted all the way back to the Gu family’s home. When she pushed the door open and saw the entire family sitting neatly in the courtyard, her fury flared. All these people were just waiting around for her to serve them. Her face instantly darkened.
“Who are you pulling a long face for every day?” Xu Shuanghong scolded, putting on the airs of a mother-in-law. “You were the one who insisted on managing the household finances, terrified that the rest of us would steal a single copper coin from you.
“Since you’ve bought the groceries, hurry up and cook them in the kitchen. As long as no one starves, it’ll do.”
Xu Shuanghong’s tone was dripping with sarcasm. Their days were becoming increasingly miserable. When had she ever lived such a wretched life? Since she was suffering, she was determined to make sure no one else had it easy either. Because of this, she had been throwing quite a few tantrums lately, determined to see who could hold out the longest.
“Who do you think I’m doing all this for?” Liu Yun felt a wave of grievance. Unfortunately, Gu Kaiping was currently working over in Shao County. His wages were crucial to the family right now and could at least plug some of their financial holes, but his absence meant there was no one here to back her up. “You’d all rather just sit here than help. Well, I’m not cooking today! I’m not the only one who needs to eat anyway.”
Gu Baijiang stepped out of the study at that moment. “Liu Yun is right. From now on, the rest of you will share these chores.”
In this entire household, the eldest daughter-in-law was the only one who seemed somewhat reliable. If she really stopped managing the daily chores, it would be another massive headache for him. Seeing the several women still sitting there like statues, he added coldly, “This family does not raise freeloaders. If you don’t work, you starve.”
“Give me a divorce paper,” Xu Shuanghong shot back, bringing up the old argument yet again. “My two daughters and I certainly won’t eat another bite of the Gu family’s food.”
The Gu family no longer had any value to exploit, which meant she and her daughters were caught in a dead end. Why should they continue struggling in this mud pit?
“Father, just let them go,” Liu Yun urged. She was more than eager for these three to leave. Not only did they refuse to lift a finger, but they also constantly caused trouble. She had no idea why the old man insisted on keeping them around.
“Do you think the Gu family’s home is a place you can just come and go as you please?” Gu Baijiang sneered. “Your motives for coming here were impure from the start. You want to leave? Fine. Leave behind a thousand taels of silver, and you can all pack your bags.”
There was not a shred of warmth in Gu Baijiang’s eyes as he looked at Xu Shuanghong. His cold calculation was laid bare for all to see.
Xu Shuanghong was so angry she nearly coughed up blood. So she had just been played for a fool all this time?
“We are the ones who suffered a loss!” she shrieked. It wouldn’t matter so much if it were just her, but she had dragged one of her daughters into this mess as well. It was already generous of her not to demand compensation from the Gu family, yet he had the audacity to demand silver from her!
“Then you can continue staying in this house. Don’t worry, there will be food for you to eat.” Gu Baijiang was patient. He believed that, eventually, Xu Shuanghong would willingly fork over the silver. Even if she didn’t, he wouldn’t lose out—he still needed people around to serve him anyway.
Liu Yun watched this scene in astonishment. It turned out she had completely misunderstood her father-in-law! These three weren’t freeloaders; they were practically three lumps of gold—no, silver!
Gu Baijiang then turned his gaze toward his second son and daughter-in-law. Startled, Xu Yulan hastily defended herself. “Father, we aren’t freeloading either! We’ve already cleared all the land in the back garden. We can plant the seeds tomorrow.”
Gu Kaichen nodded in agreement and held up his hands. “Yu Lan is right. Look, my hands are covered in calluses and blisters from all the hard work. We had only just sat down to rest when Liu Yun saw us.”
Liu Yun was speechless.
“Besides, Liu Yun doesn’t have that much to do all day anyway. She just buys groceries and cooks. If she wants, we could always swap chores,” Xu Yulan suggested. She had long since grown sick of clearing land for farming. Heaven knew the back garden was originally meant for flowers and shrubs; the soil there was incredibly hard and compacted. Not to mention, the dirt was filled with small rocks. Just picking them out had left her back aching so badly she could barely stand straight.
“Forget it. I know I can’t count on any of you anyway,” Liu Yun quickly refused. Swapping chores would mean she’d have to hand over the limited household funds currently in her possession. She quickly changed the subject. “By the way, guess who I ran into on my way back?”
“Liu Yun, you actually have acquaintances around here?” Gu Kaichen asked before anyone else could speak.
If Liu Yun had a wealthy acquaintance, wouldn’t they be able to go over and sponge off them? Their father was becoming increasingly stingy, feeding them nothing but boiled vegetables every day. Gu Kaichen hadn’t tasted meat in days. Anyone Liu Yun knew was bound to be either rich or noble. Perhaps they could extract some benefits from this connection.
“I ran into Bai Suihe. She was strolling down the street with her younger brother, surrounded by a massive entourage of maids, older women servants, and a whole group of guards. With that kind of grand display, anyone who didn’t know better would think she was the pampered eldest daughter of some prestigious family.”
“She *is* the legitimate daughter of the Bai family,” Xu Yulan muttered, her eyes already red with sheer jealousy. She barely realized what she was saying.
“Aren’t they in Zhang County?” Gu Kaichen asked doubtfully. Could it be that they couldn’t survive in Zhang County either? But that didn’t make sense. “Did you see Gu Kai?”
“No,” Liu Yun replied. “I actually misunderstood at first and thought Ms. Bai was being unfaithful.”
If that man hadn’t turned out to be her biological brother, Liu Yun would have made absolutely sure to skin Bai Suihe alive today.