Chapter 76: This is the Moment of Happiness!
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
She was not wearing the set of clothes that she wore in the morning. She could not explain the reason if Grandma or Gu Ruoqing saw her.
Mo Beihan stared at her all the time and noticed all her little actions. He suddenly remembered the things that happened in the previous life.
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“Are you cold? Your clothes are too thin. Did you bring extra clothes? Do you want to change?” he suddenly said.
Gu Qingyao stunned and then nodded, “Yes… I… I’m a bit cold.”
Mo Beihan stopped the bicycle and allowed her to come down.
“There are not a lot of people here. I’ll watch out for you. Change over there. Don’t catch the flu.”
Mo Beihan took the small path as well on the way back. They were surrounded by mountains and there was no one around.
Gu Qingyao glanced at her and changed her clothes on the other side. She changed back to the original set.
Mo Beihan turned over as she walked back. Indeed, she was wearing the set that he saw in the morning.
Mo Beihan did not say anything and asked her to get onto the bicycle, “Let’s go. I’ll send you back home.”
Gu Qingyao sat on the bicycle obediently. It seemed like Mo Beihan was hugging her in his arms. He stared at the little girl from the back and contemplated the events that had happened recently. She seemed different from the girl in the previous life.
Did the interspace… appear earlier in this life?
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“Brother Beihan…”
“Hmm?”
“Do you think… that I’m acting in a strange way?”
Mo Beihan twitched his lips slightly and said, “No matter what happened, you’re still my Yao Yao. What’s there to feel strange about?”
Gu Qingyao was taken aback.
Mo Beihan tilted his head and looked at the little girl in his arms, “You can do whatever you want. There’s nothing weird about that. I will give you a better life and will not interfere with your life. You can tell me anytime if you want to tell me.”
Gu Qingyao immediately turned her head and looked at him.
The man was very close to her. She was so familiar with his handsome face. He accompanied her all the way in her previous life and agreed to everything she wanted to do.
She did not purposely hide the interspace from him in the previous life. He noticed something wrong as they spent a lot of time together. But he did not ask since she did not intend to say.
In the end, she could clearly feel that he already knew about the interspace. He acknowledged when she asked him.
Mo Beihan stared at the little girl. She was still so innocent. He liked how happy she looked and he wanted to keep her happy for her entire life.
“You don’t need to tell me if you want to do anything. Remember, you can totally trust me with everything. Just look for me if you need help.”
Gu Qingyao’s mouth curled into a smile. She turned back and lowered her head. But Mo Beihan could still see her smiling from his angel.
Gu Qingyao felt sweet from his words. Though she suffered in her previous life, she had never regretted meeting Mo Beihan.
She moved her body and shifted backwards slowly.
The girl in front suddenly shifted towards him and laid in his arms.
Mo Beihan was excited and straightened his arms. He held the handlebar and Gu Qingyao placed her head on his arms. Both of them could feel the sweetness.
Mo Beihan slowed down and cycled through the small path in the mountains with her. He drove so many luxurious cars in the previous life but this was the exact moment of happiness!
When she reached home, Zhang Xiaohui and Gu Ruoqing were still not home yet.
Chapter 77: Third Elder Brother’s Letter Arrives
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Gu Qingyao’s lips twitched. Just as well that they were not back yet. She would make dinner for her grandparents.
Then she realized that there was no need to cook dinner, or the two of them might arrive while she was cooking. So she just took food from her interspace.
Her grandparents returned at that moment. Gu Qingyao shouted, “Grandfather, Grandma, hurry and wash your hands. It’s time to eat!”
The two of them were taken aback. Time to eat?
They did not know that Gu Qingyao had good food at hand. Right now, this girl decided what the family ate. The two of them did not ask any questions. If Gu Qingyao said it was time to eat, they would eat.
Gu Qingyao brought the rice and dishes straight to the old folks’ room. It was colder on the northern side so the two old folks slept on a heated brick bed. There was a small table on the bed, just right for having a meal.
On the tray was a dish of pork stir-fried with garlic, a dish of braised eggplants, and a bowl of chicken soup.
She had boiled the chicken soup earlier. For the sake of convenience, some of the chicken had been minced before boiling. Now she took out a portion. There were only three of them and they could not possibly finish it all.
The Old Master looked emotional when he saw the food.
Wen Ruyu smiled. “Hurry up and eat, then Yao Yao can clear up after we’ve eaten.”
“Yes, yes!” The Old Master responded and hurried to eat.
The two old folks were tense and afraid of being discovered. They ate as if they were fighting a war.
Gu Qingyao laughed. “Grandfather, Grandma, don’t worry. I’ve closed the main door. We will have advanced warning if someone comes.”
“But we still have to be careful!”
Older people were always cautious.
After they had eaten, Gu Qingyao cleared up. It was almost dark. In order to save kerosene, most farmers went to bed early.
The Gu family was no exception.
Gu Qingyao washed herself in her room. When it was dark, she entered her interspace to knit a sweater for Mo Beihan.
Zhang Xiaohui and Gu Ruoqing only hurried home when the sky was fully dark. When she saw that the Gu house was pitch dark and silent, she knew that no one had left her any dinner.
She did not care, but just grunted coldly and went to her room to sleep.
Wang Guozhu had brought them to eat while they were in town. Why would they mind missing out on the coarse countryside food?
Her father, Gu Yunshen, only returned in the evening of the second day. After another three days, she finally received a letter from Gu Qingyao’s third elder brother, who lived in the provincial capital.
Gu Jinlin said that his father had suffered a relapse and his mother was in poor health. A few of his friends had also fallen ill and were unable to recover despite seeing many doctors. He asked if Gu Yunshen would make a trip to see them.
He even described the condition of some of the patients.
Gu Yunshen read the letter, and indeed, their conditions could be more effectively treated with traditional Chinese medicine.
Things must be really serious for Third Uncle’s family to send a letter. As the two older folks lived with them, the family would not lightly request Gu Yunshen to leave the home. Instead, they came to visit the older folks or sent things to their house.
If they were asking Gu Yunshen to go, it must be critical.
So both Gu Yunshen and the two older folks decided that he should make a trip there.
“Just go! The autumn harvest is long over, and there is nothing important to do now,” Gu Chonghua said.
Gu Qingyao added, “Don’t worry, Father. I will take good care of Grandfather and Grandma. Anyway, Elder Brother Beihan is still home! Nothing will go wrong.”
Gu Yunshen nodded. He packed his doctor’s tools and made his preparations.
Gu Qingyao busied herself preparing food and luggage.
Gu Yunshen cooked the last meal they had before he left. Although he made a simple meal, he managed to get hold of some pork ribs to make pork rib soup. He divided it into two portions. He gave half to Gu Ruoqing and the other half to Zhang Xiaohui. There was none for Gu Qingyao and the two older folks.
Zhang Xiaohui was rather surprised.
Gu Yunshen said, “I’m about to leave, and it will be some time before I return. Stay at home and take care of the older folks. And you, Qingqing, behave yourself.”
Zhang Xiaohui laughed. So he was trying to soften her up.
But Gu Qingyao was staring at the bowl of soup. There was something in there!
Chapter 78: Gu Yunshen Leaves
She had a keen sense of smell. After all, she was nourished by the spring water in her interspace, and had experience in studying medicine in her previous life. She was sure that her father had added something to Zhang Xiaohui’s bowl of soup.
And that medicine had almost the same effect as what she had given to Zhang Xiaohui.
It was not a strong drug. If a woman who had even some sense of propriety and virtue ate it, nothing would happen. But for Zhang Xiaohui, who longed with all of her heart to be together with Wang Guozhu, it would definitely have an effect.
It looked as if her father was aware of what was going on.
Zhang Xiaohui was contemptuous. She had always despised Gu Yunshen.
She had liked Wang Guozhu in the past. He was a university student, with a bright future.
Unfortunately, Wang Guozhu had later married Zhou Hong. Then she saw that the older brothers of the Gu family had grown capable and often sent good things back home, so she temporarily married Gu Yunshen.
But she continued to stay in contact with Wang Guozhu. She had been together with Wang Guozhu before she married Gu Yunshen.
Now, Wang Guozhu was finally thinking of divorcing Zhou Hong. How could she possibly have any regard for Gu Yunshen left?
It was just pork rib soup!
In these times, these items were rare. She would be a fool not to eat such good food. So Zhang Xiaohui gladly ate it, as did Gu Ruoqing.
But Gu Qingyao knew that Gu Ruoqing’s bowl contained normal pork rib soup, with nothing added to it.
After she drugged Gu Ruoqing, she neutralized the drug the day after Gu Ruoqing returned, and the latter had sensed nothing.
Gu Qingyao packed his luggage. Gu Yunshen only needed two changes of clothes. It was more important to bring food. Once the weather got colder, Gu Qingyao could just send his clothes over, but it was inconvenient to send too much food, in case it attracted unwanted attention.
He would be bringing two pieces of bacon, two dried rabbits, two dried fish, a dozen sausage links, a bag of peanuts, two bottles of Maotai, and three packets of Chienmen cigarettes.
Gu Yunshen was shocked when he saw all these!
“Where did you get these?”
Gu Qingyao shrugged. “I bought them at the cooperative.”
Gu Yunshen shot her a look, but did not say anything. He knew she had money.
Her older cousins all doted on her and sent her pocket money every few months. Mo Beihan always gave her pocket money as well. This girl was truly rich.
She was even wealthier than him!
There were also five kilograms of rice, five kilograms of flour, three kilograms of vermicelli, ten kilograms of cornflour, five kilograms of sorghum noodles, five kilograms of rye flour and ten kilograms of brown rice.
Lastly, she had packed some cloth – three kilograms of cotton.
Gu Qingyao looked at it and thought there was still not enough. So she found a small box and lined it with plenty of straw before packing thirty eggs into it. Only then was she satisfied.
“Father, be careful! I have no way to send these eggs, so you have to bring them yourself. It’s not too far from the provincial capital, so they probably won’t spoil. Oh, that’s right, I better add some oil.”
As she spoke, she packed five kilograms of soybean oil, two tins of malted milk and some sweets.
Gu Yunshen: “…”
She was truly extravagant!
“When your Third Uncle and Aunt see this, they will probably faint from shock!”
“Hehehe!” Gu Qingyao chuckled. Then she took out a small cloth bag, which contained a small box. She handed it to Gu Yunshen. “Father, this is a present from me to Third Elder Brother. Help me give it to him. Keep it on your person! It’s very valuable.”
Gu Yunshen’s eyebrows rose. “What is it?”
Gu Qingyao laughed. “You’ll find out when you get to Third Uncle’s house!”
Gu Yunshen rapped her little head, then took it with a smile.
Last was the food that Gu Qingyao had prepared for Gu Yunshen. The train to the provincial capital took more than a day; in fact, almost two days. He would need to eat during that interval.
When everything was packed, it formed a big bundle that Gu Yunshen carried on his back to the train station.
Chapter 79: Who Is Her Mother?
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The moment Gu Yunshen left, the house felt much emptier.
But it made things a lot easier for Zhang Xiaohui.
She was at the height of her affair with Wang Guozhu. She felt uneasy if she did not see him every day.
After Gu Yunshen left, she began going to town once every three to four days. Then she went once every two days. Later on, she went every day. Each time, she left early in the morning and did not come back until it was completely dark.
She was always glowing when she returned, looking replete. Even the way she walked was different.
Gu Qingyao was disgusted when she saw this.
She knew what drugs she had used. She also knew the effects of the drug her father had used. They definitely were not strong drugs.
Any woman who had some sense of shame would definitely not leave so eagerly. It was as if…
When she thought of that, she could not help but feel sorry for her father. How had he become entangled with a woman like Zhang Xiaohui?
Gu Qingyao sat at the kitchen door, sunning herself. She rested her chin in her hands as she thought about the events of her past life.
In her previous life, Zhang Xiaohui had betrayed Father. She not only had a daughter with Wang Guozhu, she brought the child home, claiming that Gu Yunshen was the father. At that time, Zhang Xiaohui was already married to her father, but was still together with Wang Guozhu and had even given birth to a child.
Later on, Zhang Xiaohui despised the Gu family for being poor and wanted to live with Wang Guozhu in the city. So she divorced Father and brought Gu Ruoqing with her.
Father told her that Gu Ruoqing was not his daughter, but Zhang Xiaohui and Wang Guozhu’s daughter. Also, she was not Zhang Xiaohui’s daughter.
But she was her father’s own daughter.
Zhang Xiaohui was not her birth mother, so she must not take it to heart.
How peculiar!
Then who was her birth mother?
Her father had never mentioned it in her previous life.
On the surface, she and Gu Ruoqing were twins. Gu Ruoqing was the older sister and she was the younger sister. It would not make sense to say that Zhang Xiaohui had only one child, because Zhang Xiaohui had given birth in a hospital. It would be inexplicable if there was only one child, but two children appeared later on.
It only proved that Zhang Xiaohui had indeed given birth to two girls, but she had taken the place of one of them.
Father said that Zhang Xiaohui had given away one of the children, so he seized the opportunity to legitimately bring her into the Gu family.
Zhang Xiaohui did not seem aware of this. She had no choice but to go along and recognize Gu Qingyao as her child.
That was to say, Zhang Xiaohui had given birth to a pair of twins, then secretly taken one away. However, Zhang Xiaohui did not realize that her father had found out.
Father had secretly brought her back and passed her off as one of the twins. When Zhang Xiaohui returned and saw her, and also saw that Father’s family were all on the children’s side, she had no choice but to recognize Gu Qingyao.
Because the news from the hospital was that she had twins. She had no way of explaining it otherwise.
Gu Qingyao rested her head on her hands. Who was her mother?
Where had Zhang Xiaohui brought her daughter?
As she mulled over it, the door to the courtyard opened. Mo Beihan’s tall figure entered. “Yao Yao!”
Gu Qingyao was startled, but immediately smiled. “Elder Brother Beihan!”
When he saw the girl’s sweet smile, Mo Beihan could not help but smile too. “Bring your fishing creel. I’m bringing you fishing. There was a heavy downpour two days ago and the reservoir is overflowing. Lots of fish and prawns have been washed over. Both brigades say that everyone is free to catch them. They’ll belong to whoever can catch them. The children of both brigades are all having fun over there!”
Gu Qingyao’s eyes lit up. “Really? I want to go too!”
She hurriedly grabbed her fishing creel and some tools, then ran out with Mo Beihan.
Chapter 80: Why Are You Smiling Foolishly?
The Qing River Brigade and the South Lake Brigade were neighbors. There was a depression at the foot of the mountains occupied by the two brigades, and this was shared between them. There were no agricultural fields there, just wasteland.
Every year, when water was released from the reservoir, some fish and prawns would be washed down. They were scrawny things and it was mostly a play area for the children.
Of course in these years when food was so scarce, many adults brought their children here to fish. To the people, as long as it was edible, it was good food.
Not to mention that it was meat.
Gu Qingyao was over the moon!
She had played here before too, but at this point in her past life, she had not done so. That was because, at that time, everyone had insulted and despised her when she went out, so she did not dare to leave the house.
Starting from the time she was fifteen, she had spent her entire girlhood hidden at home, in a state of depression.
There were too many people here. But the area was big, so after Mo Beihan arrived, he left Gu Qingyao waiting by the bank while he himself entered. At that moment, Mo Chengrui and Mo Chengxu were also there, fishing.
Mo Beihan walked over and transferred the catch in Mo Chengrui and Mo Chengxu’s baskets into Gu Qingyao’s fishing creel so that she could wash them in deeper water.
These things were all dug from the mud. There were so many people there that the water had turned into muck and it was filthy.
Gu Qingyao saw that most of the fish and prawns were small. She went upstream where the water was cleaner to wash them. At that moment, the Chen family also arrived. Chen Goudan had brought his little sister, and his eldest uncle’s daughter, Chen Honghua, had brought her two younger brothers.
Chen Honghua immediately grasped the situation when she saw Gu Qingyao had fish in her creel, but her clothes were clean and Mo Beihan and the others were nearby.
She tilted her nose and snorted before leaving.
Gu Qingyao: “…”
She looked at Mo Beihan, who was nearby. He was tall and of average build. His skin had not been darkened by the sun like the other farmers around him. His skin was bronze-colored, but healthy.
His handsome features were especially conspicuous in the crowd.
Many of the young girls in both brigades fancied Mo Beihan. Although his family responsibilities were heavy, in these times, nobody’s family was in especially good condition. But tall, handsome men who could earn money were all liked by the young girls.
And Mo Beihan was one of the most popular ones. Chen Honghua… hahahaha!
With her personality, if she dared to provoke Mo Beihan, she would probably be viciously snubbed!
Mo Beihan raised his head and looked at the young girl, smiling sweetly at him from her vantage point. He immediately beamed at her.
Gu Qingyao: “…”
Hehe…
She hurriedly turned away and lowered her head to wash the fish and prawns.
Mo Chengrui, who was standing nearby, looked at Mo Beihan and asked, “Uncle, why are you smiling foolishly?”
Mo Beihan: “…”
“Idiot, when have I ever smiled foolishly?”
“Hahahaha…” Mo Chengxu, who was next to them, burst out laughing.
“Don’t laugh. Hurry up and work. If you don’t catch enough fish and prawns, there will be no dinner for you tonight.”
The two young boys mumbled, “Anyway, they don’t taste good when you cook them.”
Mo Beihan: “…”
This… was not his fault!
He seldom had to cook for himself in his previous life. When he brought Gu Qingyao out to have fun, they used the food in her interspace. Gu Qingyao especially liked to drink soup, so he mostly boiled soups.
But with Gu Qingyao’s interspace, she could use the vegetables she grew herself. She added some water from her interspace and with some simple cooking, the soup was delicious.
But things were different now!
In these times, there were few condiments. He could not adjust to this.
How could anything he cooked taste good.