Chapter 186: Younger Aunt Is Getting A Divorce (5)
Gu Qingyao could not accept what she was seeing.
She had lived in the doting embrace of her family since she was young.
Be it her father, her grandparents, or even her aunts, uncles and numerous older cousins, they had all doted on her. Although she had been through so much, and others had despised her, they were all outsiders.
For a moment, she could not understand why the Li family was treating her younger aunt like that.
When she saw the bone-deep contempt in Old Madam Li’s eyes, she suddenly understood.
Landlord!
Bad element!
Old Madam Li had a bone-deep contempt of people from their background. She felt that anyone from a landlord family was just a slave and a bad element. They should be bullied in order to re-educate them.
Now that she had encountered this situation, Gu Qingyao’s mind grew clearer. Even though her younger aunt, Gu Yunshuang, was in such agony she could not speak, she still clutched tightly to Gu Qingyao, to prevent her from losing her temper.
Now Gu Qingyao remembered what her family had said about her younger aunt in her previous life. They said that the Poplar Brigade really despised landlords and bad elements. They absolutely hated them.
Old Madam Li was related to the brigade leader of the Poplar Brigade, so she had no fear.
Also, in these times, no one dared to say anything when people acted viciously towards landlords and bad elements.
During the years that her younger aunt had lived with the Li family, she had led the life of a slave.
She wanted to resist, but did not know how to do so, and also could not do so.
She clutched Gu Qingyao’s hand even more tightly.
As she looked at Gu Qingyao’s furious glare, Old Madam Li propped her hands on her hips and bellowed, “What’s the matter? How dare a little bitch like you glare at me! Look, everyone! Come and look! This girl from a landlord family is so great! She dares to throw her weight around here. Landlords like them are all terrible people, they specialize in bullying ordinary people like us. Look, everyone! Come and drag her away…”
Gu Yunshuang was ashen with fear. “Mother… we didn’t… didn’t…”
Only then did Gu Qingyao understand that this was not the Qing River Brigade. The Qing River Brigade leader, Wang Mingtao, had gone to school with the youths from the Gu family, and the Gu family had been kind to him. He had always remembered the Gu family’s kindness. Although he did not appear to be close to the Gu family at all, he had secretly protected them for many years.
But things were different here.
The people in the Poplar Brigade were very poor, and the brigade leader had been a vagrant and an extremely poor peasant. He had gotten to his position by suing and reporting others.
The previous brigade leader had been brought down by these methods.
As she was shouting, a man’s voice could be heard, yelling from nearby. “What’s all this noise? Why are all of you here instead of celebrating the new year at home? Don’t you have anything better to do? Don’t you know that in this new era, work is glorious? Look at all of you, as leisurely as capitalists. Be careful, or I’ll report you. Then we’ll see if you behave yourselves!”
When they heard that, everyone’s expression changed. The more timid left, running for home.
Those who remained backed away, looking frightened.
The newcomer was called Li Aiguo, and he was the brigade leader of the Poplar Brigade.
He used to be a vagrant and spent his days loafing around the brigade. He was still unmarried at the age of forty, and later on, a group of people had arrived to look for landlords.
There were no landlords in the Poplar Brigade, so the brigade leader at that time had been put forward. Their previous brigade leader had been a rich farmer, and was doing better than the others.
At that time, it was Li Aiguo who had been the most vigorous in clamoring for blood.
Chapter 187: Younger Aunt Is Getting A Divorce (6)
In the end, the brigade leader had lost his position and Li Aiguo successfully took his place. At that point, the people who had pushed him into the position of brigade leader had also praised him for being a good peasant of this new era. For someone from a peasant background, to work was glorious!
That was how this ruffian had become the leader of the Poplar Brigade. He had immediately seized an eighteen- or nineteen-year-old girl for a wife, and he even had a son now.
He was an extremely dangerous man. At least, he was very dangerous to someone like Gu Qingyao, who was from a landlord family.
These were illogical times. One’s background determined everything.
Li Aiguo had been a vagrant and had no name. The students had given him the name of “Li Aiguo” after he became the brigade leader.
He approached and immediately looked contemptuous when he saw Gu Yunshuang. “Why are you making a fuss? Why aren’t you at home, taking care of your children and showing filial piety to your mother-in-law? Why are you making a commotion for nothing during the new year? A girl from a landlord family cannot change her habit of being a pampered young lady, is that it?”
“If you carry on making a fuss, I’ll teach you a sharp lesson outside the brigade office. Ungrateful wretch.”
Gu Qingyao’s heart sank. This was the first time since her rebirth that she was experiencing the importance of background.
After many years of living in the age of liberty in her previous life, she could not get used to many things after her rebirth. But this incident had completely cleared her mind.
Gu Yunshuang was terrified. “I didn’t… Brigade leader… I didn’t…”
“Didn’t what?” Old Madam Li grew bolder when she saw that Li Aiguo was here. Her mean old eyes glared at them as she said, “You stole food from the house. How dare you deny it? Young ladies from landlord families are all finicky and always kick up a fuss. You’ve been with our family for so many years, but have only given birth to another worthless mouth. You’ve been a freeloader in our family for so many years. Is that fair to our Dahai?”
“Hurry up and get a divorce. Dahai, get rid of her.”
Gu Qingyao saw that things were not going right, and Li Aiguo, in particular, was targeting them. They could not resist overtly. She must bring her younger aunt away today, and in such a way that Li Aiguo could not find fault with them.
In these times, if someone made a slip of the tongue in public, his words might be reported at some point in the future.
Gu Qingyao was filled with resentment when she thought of that. But outwardly, her tears began to fall.
Her previous fierce look had vanished, and was replaced with terror and helplessness.
Only now did she look like a young, teenage girl.
Gu Qingyao’s tears fell thick and fast and she sobbed furiously. “Wu wu wu, Younger Aunt, are you alright? Brigade leader, we didn’t, we really didn’t. My younger aunt only took some food from the kitchen for my younger cousin. She could not bear her child to be hungry. My Younger Aunt respects her elders and takes care of the children at home. She always takes care of her mother-in-law and her child. When she was misunderstood and beaten, she did not retaliate.
“Help! My aunt is bleeding! Wu wu wu! Now males and females are equal and women hold up half the sky! Madam, you cannot be prejudiced against girls! You can’t force a divorce on my younger aunt just because she hasn’t given the Li Family a son!
“Please, allow my younger aunt to go home! She’s had a miscarriage! Otherwise, she might die. There’s so much blood. She’s not going to make it. Help!”
Gu Qingyao wailed piteously, looking helpless and terrified. Meanwhile, Gu Yunshuang was still bleeding and the child, Li Fangting was so frightened that all she could do was weep.
Chapter 188: Younger Aunt Is Getting A Divorce (7)
Gu Qingyao was also a young girl. In this situation, it did not make sense to say that they were bullying others as young ladies of a landlord family.
Gu Qingyao pinched Gu Yunshuang’s arm. Gu Yunshuang immediately responded by weakly closing her eyes. Her knees buckled and she collapsed!
Gu Qingyao let out a frightened shriek. “Ah ah ah, Auntie, are you alright? Help! Murder! Madam, I beg you, don’t beat my younger aunt. My younger aunt will have a son. Please, let her go home!”
“She’s had a miscarriage and needs to recuperate at home. She cannot work for a while and needs to have some better food to build up her strength. She will recover quickly and immediately give you a son. Please, please, don’t beat my younger aunt. Wu wu wu Help Ah Ah!”
The more Gu Qingyao wept and wailed, the more frightened Li Fangting grew, until she simply held Gu Yunshuang’s hand and howled.
Gu Yunshuang grew paler and paler. She leaned against Gu Qingyao, and seemed so weak that she was about to die.
In this situation, who could say that they were bullying others? Or that they were throwing tantrums like the young ladies of a landlord family?
But when Gu Qingyao said that, Old Madam Li was even more adamant that Gu Yunshuang must not cross the threshold.
“What? She can’t even work? And needs to build up her strength? You…”
“That’s right, that’s right!” Gu Qingyao hurriedly interrupted. “Madam, it’s now the middle of winter and there’s nothing much to do. Why don’t you let my aunt return and rest for a few months? She’ll regain her health after she’s eaten a few of the older hens. She will certainly give your family a grandson next year. My aunt is still so young. Even though she has lost this child, she will be fine once she recovers her health. She will certainly be able to have another one, right?
“Please, I’m begging you, bring my aunt home! She’s bleeding. If she carries on like that, she will die. Save my aunt! Or send her to a doctor! Save her! Don’t beat her anymore! Madam, you cannot beat my aunt when she’s pregnant! That’s murder!”
“Shut up!” Old Madam Li was hopping mad. “Get lost. Is it any of my business if she can’t keep her pregnancy? Hurry up and go. Don’t die on my doorstep and bring us bad luck! Go, go, go!”
She saw that Gu Yunshuang was bleeding nonstop, and the snowy ground beneath her was stained red.
She was completely white and looked as if she had stopped breathing. Old Madam Li was terrified!
Actually, she had long wanted to get rid of Gu Yunshuang. Now that it was the new year and the grain was distributed, Gu Yunshuang’s share had already been given to the Li family. Now was the best time to get rid of these two useless mouths.
Now she had miscarried and couldn’t work?
And still needed to eat an old hen?
Dream on!
Gu Qingyao looked at Li Dahai and wailed, “Younger Uncle, you cannot abandon my younger aunt! You were the one who beat her until she miscarried. You have to bring her home! She will die if this carries on.
“Bring her home and take good care of her for a few months. Get her some meat so she can regain her strength. She will recover soon. Once Younger Aunt is better, she can immediately give you a son, right? Please, don’t delay any longer. If you delay further, she will die. Wu wu wu, Younger Aunt, nothing must happen to you…”
Gu Qingyao was crying hard, repeatedly emphasizing that they must bring her home, take care of her, and give her some meat to regain her strength.
There was no way they could say she was pampered and wanted to eat meat.
Li Dahai stared dumbly at Gu Yunshuang, who was lying in the snow. He did not say anything. Old Madam Li shouted, “Dahai, why are you still standing there? Get rid of them. I’ll find a young girl for you to marry and give you a son. This woman hasn’t given you a son after so many years. Look at your three older brothers, they all have sons. Do you want your family line to die?”
Chapter 189: Younger Aunt Is Getting A Divorce (8)
“This woman can’t even keep a pregnancy but needs an old woman like me to serve her? Useless thing. Isn’t it just a miscarriage? What’s the big deal? Other people give birth in the fields and immediately go back to work. Look at her, how pampered could she get?”
“Hurry up and go!”
Li Dahai recalled the women who gave birth while working in the fields, and thought that his mother had a point. Most importantly, his mother was furious right now. He could not possibly disobey his mother.
“Yunshuang, hurry and get up. Mother is old and cannot wait on you… Get up and come home!”
“No, she’s not allowed to come back. Li Dahai, I said that you must immediately get rid of that woman. It’s very bad luck to bleed during the new year. If you dare to let her cross the threshold, I will never forgive you. Hurry up and divorce her.”
When Li Aiguo saw Old Madam Li’s attitude, he said bluntly, “Since Dahai has already divorced you, you had better hurry up and go home. Don’t die on someone’s doorstep during the new year. Now people are free to marry as they please, do you understand? Are you going to refuse to leave the Li Family?”
Gu Qingyao was extremely despondent. This was the result that she was hoping for. She had hoped to get her Younger Aunt to leave the Li Family as soon as possible, but the way they treated her…
Gu Qingyao cried and wailed, “Younger Uncle, you mustn’t do this! My Younger Aunt only needs to recuperate for a while before she can have a son. Now men and women are equals. You cannot abandon her just because she hasn’t had a son wu wu wu!”
“Hurry up and divorce. Dahai, say something!” Old Madam Li bellowed.
Li Aiguo said, “Dahai, just get a divorce! Girls from landlord families are no good. She can’t even have a son. What do you want her for?”
Li Dahai could not stand up against the combined pressure of Old Madam Li and Li Aiguo. He shrank back and said, “Then… then we’ll get a divorce! Divorce! Divorce…”
The moment Li Dahai said these words, Old Madam Li dragged him into the yard and shut the door with a clang.
Gu Qingyao immediately shouted, “Younger Uncle, Li Fangting is your daughter. Hurry up and bring her home. She’s so small, she won’t do much except eat. Bring her home and raise her. My younger aunt can’t afford to raise her anymore. Give us my younger aunt’s share of grain.”
Old Madam Li poked her head out. “We don’t want a useless object like that. Get lost!”
“Younger Uncle… Younger Uncle… Tingting is your daughter…”
Old Madam roared, “Li Dahai, quickly break off your relationship with that useless object. If you dare to take her, I’ll kill myself right now.”
Then they heard Li Dahai’s frightened voice. “Mother, Mother, be careful, don’t hurt yourself. I don’t want her, I don’t want Tingting. Don’t kill yourself! Mother…”
Li Dahai opened the door and poked his head out. “I don’t want her. I have nothing to do with the two of them. You had better leave!”
Li Aiguo said, “Did you hear that? Get lost!”
When Li Dahai shouted those words, Gu Qingyao knew that they would never have any more entanglements with this family.
In these times, severing relationships were very effective.
For the sake of their future, many descendants of capitalist families announced that they were severing their relationship with their parents. This was acknowledged by the society.
Now Li Dahai had done the same.
As long as he said it in front of many witnesses, the words were effective.
Gu Qingyao cried piteously for a while more before she carried Gu Yunshuang and left.
Gu Yunshuang was still conscious, but Gu Qingyao had secretly given her a pill just now. Although she was still in agony, she still had some strength left and could remain conscious.
Divorced!
She had managed to get a divorce without any trouble from Li Aiguo!
Her daughter would follow her and have a clean break from the Li family.
That was pretty good!
Li Aiguo told the Poplar Brigade that they were not to take Gu Yunshuang in. No one dared to take them in, so Gu Qingyao had no choice but to carry her younger aunt and leave.
They left the area where most of the people from the Poplar Brigade lived. As they turned the corner, a child who was behind some shrubs approached them.
Chapter 190: The Youngster, Jiang Xun (1)
This child was not very young. He looked about thirteen or fourteen years old, and was actually a youth.
He was shabbily dressed. He was wrapped in a thicker garment, which looked like an old shirt from an adult, and he wore a straw garment outside it.
It was made of straw, and looked somewhat like a raincoat. He wore it over himself to help keep out the cold.
The youngster looked at them with cold suspicion, his expression frosty. But when he saw Gu Qingyao and the others, his expression softened.
Li Fangting called out to him when she saw him. “Elder Brother Jiang Xun!”
Jiang Xun nodded with a grunt. Then he looked at Gu Qingyao and said, “The entire Poplar Brigade lives in terror of Li Aiguo. They won’t dare to take you in. But there’s an abandoned house at the foot of the hill. Why don’t you hide there for a while? There’s no one there.”
Gu Qingyao turned to look at her younger aunt on her back. She knew that she urgently needed to get her younger aunt home to attend to her. There was no point lingering here.
Gu Qingyao said to Jiang Xun, “My younger aunt has had a miscarriage and is still bleeding. It’s no use hiding here. I have to bring her home to treat her. Can you go and get my father and elder brother? I live in the Qing River Brigade. Just follow this road. The brigade at the foot of the mountain is the Qing River Brigade. My family lives halfway up the mountain.”
Jiang Xun looked at the pallid Gu Yunshuang and nodded. “Alright, I’ll run over and get them.”
Gu Qingyao hurriedly thanked him. “Thank you. My father’s name is Gu Yunshen. He’s the doctor there. If you ask for Doctor Gu’s family, everyone there will know where he is. Ask them to bring a small cart. My younger aunt needs to lie down. And bring some blankets too!”
Jiang Xun nodded to show that he understood, then he ran down the road.
Gu Qingyao could not move quickly while carrying someone. It was much faster for Jiang Xun to go alone.
Gu Qingyao carried Gu Yunshuang and moved on. As she walked, she comforted Gu Yunshuang. “Younger Aunt, don’t be sad. I’ll bring you home. When we get home, no one will bully you. In the future, you and Tingting can lead a good life. Considering what the Li family is like, it’s best that you leave them.”
Gu Yunshuang smiled mockingly. “Don’t worry, I won’t be sad. I’ve wanted to get a divorce for a long time, but that Li Aiguo is a very difficult man. And Old Madam Li is absolutely unreasonable. She always brings up the fact that I’m a girl from a landlord family. But she and Li Aiguo are relatives, so I had no choice but to bear with it all these years.
“I’m not sad at all to have finally escaped.”
Although she said that she was not sad, her tears continued to flow.
She thought of the years she had spent trying to accommodate them in order to get by, how she had lived like a slave in the Li family, waiting on the whole family like a maidservant, and how she had miscarried twice from exhaustion. She had not managed to keep this one either.
As Gu Yunshuang thought about it, her tears flowed and she leaned on Gu Qingyao’s shoulder and sobbed hard.
Gu Qingyao’s heart ached to hear it. “Younger Aunt…”
“Mother…”
When she saw Gu Yunshuang crying so hard, Li Fangting also started to cry. She clutched Gu Qingyao and they kept going but with difficulty.
Gu Qingyao looked at Li Fangting and thought of what she had said just now to the Li family. She hurriedly explained, “Tingting, just now I told the Li family that you didn’t know how to do anything, and asked them to take you back. Please don’t misunderstand me. I purposely said that so that you could be with your mother. Do you understand?”