Chapter 891: An Accident
Jin Qianqian walked back and forth along the riverbank twice every day. Surprisingly, she was only halfway through her usual route today when Liu Liu chased after her.
“Is it an emergency?” If it wasn’t important, Liu Liu would never have appeared here.
“I initially wanted to send an older servant to tell you, but I was afraid they wouldn’t explain it clearly, so I had to come myself.” Waiting until her breathing steadied a little, Liu Liu grabbed Jin Qianqian’s hand and pulled her back the way she came.
“Don’t rush. Just let go and I’ll walk on my own.” Jin Qianqian really wasn’t used to such physical contact, and she pulled her wrist free from Liu Liu’s grasp.
“Look at me, I’m just in a hurry,” Liu Liu apologized hastily. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
Jin Qianqian shook her head and matched her pace. “What happened to make you panic like this?” When she came out earlier, absolutely nothing was wrong. This was strange.
“Something happened at the Shi family,” Liu Liu said.
Jin Qianqian didn’t react immediately. “The Shi family?”
“Gu Yuanfeng’s in-laws,” Liu Liu reminded her.
Jin Qianqian was somewhat surprised. “Haven’t we cut off contact with them?”
“We said we cut ties, but news from their side still trickles in,” Liu Liu said. “It’s just that no one wants to talk about it.”
“So what is it this time? What’s making you so anxious?” Hearing it was the Shi family, Jin Qianqian slowed her steps. By all rights, the two families had no relationship whatsoever anymore. What kind of drama was Liu Liu bringing up now?
“It’s not that I’m anxious, but I’m afraid the old lady won’t be able to handle it,” Liu Liu said. “Gu Yuanfeng has passed away.”
Jin Qianqian stopped in her tracks. “How did it happen so suddenly? Wasn’t there any warning?”
Liu Liu also stopped, sighing deeply. “After she was caned at the ancestral hall last time and taken back by the Shi Family, she had been bedridden the whole time.
“In between, they also sent people to ask for help, but they were all sent packing at the village entrance. We’ve heard rumors off and on that the Shi family has been making a fuss.
“We didn’t pay it any mind. After all, that family is always making a racket.
“Besides, we had already cut ties. We thought she was just trying to mend the relationship, but what she did before made everyone resentful, so they were all turned away.
“This news came very suddenly today. Someone from the neighboring village happened to mention it while passing by; otherwise, we still wouldn’t know.”
Jin Qianqian asked in a muffled voice, “Is the news confirmed? Could it be a false rumor?”
“We don’t know yet,” Liu Liu said. “Gu Yuanmu has already sent someone out to inquire. His wife wanted us to discuss how to handle this first. The old lady doesn’t know yet, and we aren’t sure if we should keep hiding it from her.”
This was what the women were most worried about. The old man had just passed away. If Gu Yuanfeng was also gone, the blow to the old lady would be tremendous. If the old lady couldn’t handle it and collapsed, this family would truly fall apart. It wasn’t that Liu Liu was exceptionally filial; it was just that if the old lady was gone, the relationship between their households and Old Seventh would grow even more distant.
Jin Qianqian continued walking back. “What kind of mess is this? I remember Gu Yuanfeng being in decent health. There’s no way a few strikes of the cane could cost her her life.
“What about Chuncao and the others? It’s not like she was alone in the Shi family. Are none of her three children reliable?”
Despite her words, Jin Qianqian felt a chill in her heart. Gu Yuanfeng was indeed biased towards him, but as her only son, what was Shi Laiyun doing?
“She and Shi Laiyun were caned together back then. How is Shi Laiyun doing now? Is he still bedridden?” Having doubts in her heart, Jin Qianqian naturally voiced them.
“Now that you mention it, I remember,” Liu Liu said. “Shi Laiyun appeared at our village entrance earlier, saying he came to see the old lady, but he was blocked. Looking at him when he left, he seemed to have recovered very well. Thinking about it, this doesn’t make any sense.”
If the beating had been too heavy and crippled them, Shi Laiyun wouldn’t be in a much better state either.
As the two spoke, they arrived at Gu Yuanjin’s home.
“Gu Yuanmu’s house is too close to the old lady’s,” Liu Liu explained. “We were afraid she might get suspicious, so we came here to Gu Yuanjin’s place to discuss it first.”
Upon entering, they found that all the brothers and their wives were present. Everyone sat together in silence. The Gu Family Brothers, in particular, couldn’t sit still at all, pacing back and forth in the living room.
“Blood is thicker than water. Even though he hates her to death, my husband’s face immediately paled the moment he heard something happened.” Liu Liu whispered into Jin Qianqian’s ear, “Let’s not say much later. Let the brothers handle this themselves.”
Jin Qianqian nodded slightly. She thought the same way. Besides, death wiped all slates clean. If the Gu Family Brothers wanted to fulfill their final sibling duties, she naturally wouldn’t stop them.
Those from the Shi Family were truly despicable. For so many years, they had relied on Gu Yuanfeng to extract benefits from her maiden family. Yet, at the first sign of trouble, they actually let her lose her life so quickly.
No matter how much dissatisfaction the Gu family’s daughters-in-law previously had towards Gu Yuanfeng, they all remained silent at this moment.
Everyone had their own speculations. The last time Gu Yuanfeng returned injured, she definitely hadn’t received proper care. They just didn’t know what excuse the Shi family would give.
The person sent out to gather information returned quickly. After all, the two villages weren’t far apart, and Gu Yuanfeng was a daughter of the Gu family. They didn’t even have to ask around intentionally; some people took the initiative to chat and informed them of the entire course of events.
“So after they returned injured last time, the Shi Family only bought one portion of medicine?” Gu Yuanjin gritted his teeth.
The servant who came to report took half a step back before nodding. “The elderly woman who spoke to me lives next door to them. She often heard Gu Yuanfeng’s screams.
“She said it sounded like roars from unbearable pain.
“The villagers also went to check on her, but they were all blocked at the door by the Shi Family.
“They claimed that Gu Yuanfeng was wailing because she couldn’t endure the physical pain, and they didn’t let anyone in, saying they were afraid it would disturb the visitors.”
“I specifically went to the medical clinic in town to ask,” Gu Yuanjin’s long-term follower added. “The Shi family only asked for one portion of medicine during this period, but it’s unknown whether it was used for Gu Yuanfeng or Shi Laiyun.”
Did they even need to guess? Shi Laiyun was already running around full of life, while Gu Yuanfeng had paid with her life. The Shi Family was truly audacious.
Jin Qianqian, however, had already guessed it. This was likely the Shi Family’s way of testing the waters. They claimed ties were cut, but they were also betting—betting that the Gu Family wouldn’t actually turn a blind eye. As long as Gu Yuanfeng’s health was failing, the news would inevitably reach the Gu Family’s ears. The moment the Gu Family intervened, this marital tie could never be severed.
Yet, they hadn’t expected the Gu family to be so utterly disappointed in Gu Yuanfeng that they heartlessly refused to listen to any news about her.
In the beginning, some people would mention it around here, but it was just assumed they were intentionally playing the victim to attract the Gu Family Brothers’ attention. For this reason, whenever anyone brought up this topic, the Gu Family would steer the conversation away. After bringing it up a few times, those people also found it pointless and gradually stopped talking about it.
The Gu Family’s continued failure to show up made the Shi family increasingly anxious, leading them to escalate their actions. However, they didn’t anticipate that Gu Yuanfeng’s body would give out, failing to last until she caught the Gu Family Brothers’ attention.
Jin Qianqian had no idea that her speculations were already not far from the truth.