Chapter 416: Gossips
"Jiang Yiru?" Gu Chonghua felt more surprised and Wen Ruyu was shocked as well.
Everyone in the medical industry had heard of the name of Jiang Yiru. Gu Chonghua also learned medicine. Though he was not a doctor in the past, he knew who Jiang Yiru was as he was in a landlord family.
Wen Ruyu was also from a wealthy family and married to Gu Chonghua. She also knew that.
The two of them looked at each other and did not expect that their granddaughter would have such progress now.
Gu Qingyao nodded, "Yes, it's her. I was lucky to be able to meet her. She recognised my ability in medicine and decided to take me as her disciple. It was a rare opportunity, and certainly, I agreed."
Gu Chonghua smiled and said, "This is a good thing! Doctor Jiang is really the elite in the medical industry. So is her husband. It's really an honor for you to be able to have her as your teacher."
Gu Qingyao smiled, "Brother Beihan and third uncle helped them when they got in trouble. It was my idea to let them come to the Qing River Brigade. It will be easier to take care of them here and there will be no more trouble."
Gu Chonghua nodded, "Yes, it's safer to be here. You just put in all your effort and learn from her. She's much more skilled than me. Since you're talented in medicine, you should be guided by her."
Ads by Revcontent
Gu Qingyao nodded, "Rest assured, Grandpa. I will learn diligently."
Gu Chonghua nodded again in relief. His granddaughter was always very obedient and smart.
She was a little shy in the past but she was getting more mature as she grew up.
Gu Qingyao brought the porridge to Jiang Yiru and Old Master Qin. She took an old blanket over at night and purposely made it look old on the outside.
The next morning, Gu Qingyao brought cooked drug and breakfast for Jiang Yiru. After she returned home, she prepared some stuff and headed towards the Mo family.
Jiang Yingqiu and the two children were at home. The harvest season had passed, but Jiang Yingqiu's health was still not fully restored. After more than half a year of recuperation, she was slowly recovering.
She was much better than before.
The two children were very obedient. They stayed at home to read and do their homework.
Ads by Revcontent
The weather was good today. At the area in front of the Mo family, there was a group of ladies sitting there doing needlework and gossiping about others. When Gu Qingyao arrived, she heard Miao Cuilan slandering the Gu family.
"Look at the family, the brother divorced and so did the sister. She stays in the family with her child. What kind of image is that? They don't even try to keep a low profile when the brother and sister stay together. It feels like..."
"Stop! Aren't you too mean here? What's wrong with staying at home after getting divorced? Why can't the brother and sister stay together? You're too much."
Miao Cuilan stared at the person who stopped her and argued back, "What did I say? Now everyone is living a hard life. Their family now has two people divorced. How is it a proper family anymore?"
"I don't know what's wrong with them. Why they insisted on getting divorced when they could just live a normal life. It's a bad influence on the rest. Gu Yunshuang was not willing to do some chores. Which daughter-in-law does not work in the family? Are they all getting divorced?"
Chapter 417: Arguments
Miao Cuilan liked to gossip about others. Many people in the brigade knew what kind of person she was.
Some ladies in the group were bored and wanted to argue back after hearing what she said.
"There are different types of chores. Gu Yunshuang went through a few abortions from their beating. She had to work for the whole family by herself. Furthermore, Gu Yunshuang did not get divorced, she was chased out by the Li family. What else can she do? Who's willing to let their own daughter work for another family?"
Another person carried on, "Exactly. Based on what you said, I think you're willing to let your daughter work for another family even under their curses and beatings. And she should tolerate all those without considering a divorce? Your daughter is not young anymore. I think it's easy for her to get married, with how you educate her."
"Haiz... I'm not sure how much your daughter takes care of you. If she gets married in the future, she will have to take care of her mother-in-law. What if she took care of her more than you? Your years of effort in raising her will be wasted. Hahaha!"
"You... Shut up!" Miao Cuilan stood up in rage. Her daughter was her everything, and she would get married to a man in the city. How could she work for the mother-in-law, just like Gu Yunshuang?
"Don't compare my daughter to Gu Yunshuang. She's not even comparable to my daughter. My daughter is so pretty; she will definitely get married to a man in the city. What is Gu Yunshuang anyway? She's just miserable."
Miao Cuilan's life hadn't been good recently. Her daughter would be one year older after the Chinese New Year, but her marriage was not settled yet.
Ads by Revcontent
Previously, she was close to Gu Ruoqing and thought that she could work in her father's textile factory in the city. They used so many good ingredients to cook for Gu Ruoqing and gave her other food. But in the end, they did not get anything in return.
Gu Ruoqing ran away, and she really regretted all the food lost.
They gave out so much food and the family had to live on a tight budget for a long period of time. She was still angry about that.
Thus, she was in a bad mood. She could not get relieved when her daughter's marriage was not settled.
"Gu Yunshuang is just a middle-aged woman. She deserves everything that she went through because she's just a bitch. She is supposed to work for the family since she married to a family in the countryside. The Li family was kind enough to allow her to be there when she could not give birth to a son."
Some ladies frowned as they heard that. She was very mean towards Gu Yunshuang, though she did not even know her personally.
There were others who joined the gossip.
"Yes, you're right. Getting divorced is never a good thing. Why can't she just tolerate it and live a normal life? There's definitely something wrong with her; she insisted on getting divorced."
Ads by Revcontent
Miao Cuilan was more arrogant when someone supported her.
"Yes. Do you know why she wanted to get divorced? There's nothing she wouldn't do since she's just a bitch. Why did the Li family chase her out? No one is sure if she did something outside the family and betrayed them."
Everyone around her opened their eyes wide and said, "Is that true?"
Miao Cuilan smiled, "Li Dahai beat Gu Yunshuang till she got the abortion, right? Why would he kill his own child no matter how much the Li family detested her? I think that the child was not even his and that's why they beat her hard to abort the child."
Chapter 418: Don't Think That Others Don't Have Mouths
"Oh my god, is that true..."
"Auntie Miao, I heard that your daughter wants to marry someone in the city! How is it? Has she found a target?"
Just as those people were talking enthusiastically, Gu Qingyao's voice suddenly could be heard.
Everyone was fazed and a little awkward to see that Gu Qingyao was actually nearby. Could she have heard whatever they said about the Gu family just now?
Gu Qingyao looked at Miao Cuilan with an icy smile.
"Sister Liu Zao is not young anymore, and it's time to discuss her marriage already. You always talk about letting Sister Liu Zao marry into the city, but I wonder if you've found a specific target?
"Oh, right! Sister Liu Zao was on such good terms with Gu Ruoqing previously. How is it? Did Gu Ruoqing's father help Sister Liu Zao to get a job at the textile factory in the city? If she is working in the factory, she can interact with the city people and still has hope of marrying into the city. If she stays in the countryside the whole time and cannot meet a single person from the city, how can she marry a city man? Don't you think so?"
"You..." Miao Cuilan's complexion instantly turned ashen from anger.
Ads by Revcontent
Her heart still ached at the mention of Gu Ruoqing.
There was still a smile on Gu Qingyao's face. "Auntie Miao, I know you want your daughter to marry a man in the city to live comfortably but don't make it so obvious and say it everywhere! Did the countryside people offend you? If you say it everywhere and affect the thinking of other ladies to not want to stay in the countryside anymore, where will all the countryside lads find their wives!
"Moreover! You talked about the city so positively and seemed to be persistent about not staying in the countryside. How do you think those young ladies who just got married would feel? People have always felt that labor was the most honorable and there was nothing bad in marrying a countryside man. But if what you said influenced them and they feel that they married the wrong man, what are you going to do?
"This will affect the couple's relationship. What if they get in a dispute and end up divorcing?"
Everyone's expression changed!
Many of them had sons – some were just married and the others were matchmaking. If Miao Cuilan kept talking about marrying into the city and caused the other ladies to have the same thought as well, what were they going to do?
Seeing the changed expression of those people around her, Miao Cuilan was infuriated. "Gu Qingyao, don't spout nonsense. I..."
"I didn't spout nonsense! I'm making a guess only! You look down on the countryside lads and want to marry your daughter into the city, but there's no need to publicize it everywhere like this! Look, your family doesn't know anyone from the city at all. How are you going to marry your daughter in the city?
Ads by Revcontent
"I know that as a mother, you wish the best for your daughter, but you need to think for Sister Liu Zao as well! She is not young anymore and she will be one year older in the coming new year. What are you going to do if she can't find someone from the city and wishes to marry a countryside man, but no one dares to marry her?"
"You..." Miao Cuilan hollered at once, "Shut up! Gu Qingyao, stop spouting nonsense here. If you continue to say such things about others, be careful as I'll sue you."
A cold smirk formed on Gu Qingyao's lips. "Auntie Miao, you need evidence to sue me. If you sue me with fabricated lies, you can be sued back too. I did not say anything illegal just now. I'm persuading you to think about your own family first before your mouth runs off about others!
"What I said just now was to remind you! Else you'd think that others don't have mouths."
"You..."
"Where did Gu Ruoqing go to? Sister Liu Zao was on such good terms with her. Didn't she follow Gu Ruoqing around the whole day during that period?"
Chapter 419: Chapter 418:Aunt, I Will Cook For You Too. Like Me Instead!
Before Miao Cuilan could speak, Gu Qingyao immediately said, "Oh my. I heard that Gu Ruoqing disappeared. They're both women and don't have accounts, food nor recommendation. How did they disappear? Are they taken in by a good friend?
"I heard that they stole other people's things and fled. Auntie Miao, your daughter is so close to her, so when she sees Gu Ruoqing, she should persuade her to return and turn herself in."
"Shut up..." Miao Cuilan was ultimately a countryside woman with not much knowledge. After the scare by Gu Qingyao, her mind blanked out and she could not say anything.
When Gu Ruoqing disappeared then, there were indeed people who said that she fled after stealing the belongings of other people and even beat people up!
If this was related to Gu Ruoqing, what good could there be?
Snickering, Gu Qingyao ignored Miao Cuilan's shouts and turned around to head toward the Mo family's house.
Jiang Yingqiu rarely interacted with those people from the brigade as her husband abandoned them when she was young and she was no different from a widow. This was because there would definitely be more remarks about her if she had more interactions with them.
At present, she was sewing in the comfort of the blankets at home. She ripped many clothes during the autumn harvest and the two kids in the house frequently ripped their clothes as they were at the age where kids were the most mischievous and their playful nature could not be changed even if they were obedient.
Ads by Revcontent
During this era, clothes were re-worn all the time. Clothes that were worn a lot of times easily frayed and ripped, thus she would fix these clothes for the kids when she had the time.
The two kids were doing their homework when Gu Qingyao came and Mo Chengrui's eyes lit up instantly at the sight of Gu Qingyao. "Young Aunt! You're back!"
Mo Chengxu heard his brother and turned around. The moment he saw his young aunt standing at the door, he sprinted to her.
"Young Aunt!"
Gu Qingyao was delighted and she hugged the little fellow who rushed into her embrace. "Not bad, not bad. You grew taller! Xiao Xu, we did not meet for months. Did you miss me?"
Mo Chengxu nodded repeatedly like a little chick that was pecking at rice grains. "Yes, yes, yes! I missed you every day! Aunt, you did not come for so long, and I miss your food so much! Grandma's food is not as delicious as yours. Did you go to look for Young Uncle? Did you cook for Young Uncle?"
The last few questions had a hint of jealousy.
Gu Qingyao was ecstatic. This kid was truly too adorable.
Ads by Revcontent
"I did not cook for your young uncle to eat. It's always your young uncle who cooked for me."
Mo Chengxu did not believe her words. "Really? Would Young Uncle not make you cook for him when you cook such delicious food?"
"Really! It's all your young uncle who cooked for me!"
"Do you like my Young Uncle a lot then?"
Gu Qingyao: "..."
How was she going to reply to this?
"Tell me quickly! Aunt, do you like my young uncle a lot? He cooks for you every day!"
Gu Qingyao looked at the kid whose bright, clear eyes were so innocent. What the kid meant when he said "like" was actually the very simple kind of "like", right?
It was definitely not what she was thinking about.
Ads by Revcontent
Thus she smiled in reply, "Yes! Your young uncle is very nice to me. Of course I like him!"
Mo Chengxu's eyes brightened and he tugged Gu Qingyao's hands. "Then... Xiao Xu will cook for you, all right? I'll cook for you when I grow up. Aunt, don't like Young Uncle anymore and like me instead! I will treat you well too."
Gu Qingyao: "..."
"Pfft..." Mo Chengrui erupted in laughter.
Chapter 420: Unable To Explain To The Kids
The little fellow still did not know what wrong thing he said and could not understand why his brother laughed.
"Brother, what are you laughing at? Did I say anything wrong?"
Mo Chengrui scratched his nose. "Nope. There's nothing wrong in what you said, but... don't let Young Uncle know. Otherwise, he will definitely spank your butt."
Mo Chengxu frowned. "Why would Young Uncle spank my butt for nothing? It's him who wanted me to treat Young Aunt well and listen to her!"
Mo Chengrui: "..."
This could not be explained to a kid.
"Yao Yao!"
Jiang Yingqiu heard the commotion and came to the two kids' room. She smiled at the sight of Gu Qingyao.
Ads by Revcontent
"Auntie Jiang!"
"Mhm! You're back. You stayed there for a few months. Are you still used to it?"
Gu Qingyao smiled. "Still all right. Brother Beihan is in the provincial capital now too and it'll be more convenient for him to come home in the future. It's the new year holiday soon and he should be back soon."
Jiang Yingqiu smiled at that.
She was used to so many years of independence and had been supporting the family by herself all this while, but as she aged, her son was her rock.
Knowing that her son was working somewhere closer to her, she was delighted too.
"The provincial capital is good. It is closer to home. When he marries you in the future, he can come back frequently. If you wish to go with him, it's also convenient for you to go and live with him. Moreover, your third uncle lives there too, and it's convenient for you all to look after each other."
Gu Qingyao flushed. Marriage!
Ads by Revcontent
The new year was coming soon and she would be seventeen then.
Given Brother Beihan's anxious personality, he would want to marry her once she is of age, right?
In the previous lifetime, she almost waited until she became an old granny but was still unable to marry him. In this lifetime, they were finally going to get married.
Bliss filled Gu Qingyao's heart and the smile on her face never faded.
"Uh... Auntie Jiang, Brother Beihan wanted me to bring some things for you all. Look, they're all here!"
Gu Qingyao was slightly shy and hurriedly changed the topic. She opened the package which was filled with the items she brought back from the provincial capital for the Mo Family.
"Auntie, there's a quilted jacket for you and the two kids and a pair of shoes for each one of you. Other than that, there's also food. I know that the ration for the autumn harvest is already distributed so I brought some flour, rice and meat back."
Apart from three sets of clothes and shoes, there were five catties of white rice, flour and vermicelli each, twenty eggs and a chicken.
Gu Qingyao emphasized, "Auntie Jiang, we specially prepared this old hen. It's fresh and is used to boil chicken soup for you all to nourish your body. It's best to boil it tonight, so it can be enjoyed tomorrow."
Ads by Revcontent
To store goods more conveniently during the winter, many foods were marinated. Dried chickens, dried rabbits and whatnot were obviously inferior to a freshly killed chicken.
Jiang Yingqiu had poor health and was much better after six months of careful care. But there were still two kids in the house and it was better to eat nutritious food.
Jiang Yingqiu looked at the items and smiled. "These are good. I'll go make the preparations and boil it tonight."
"No, no. It's all right. Auntie Jiang, you should rest! I'll cook lunch. I've already cleaned this and we can just boil it in the afternoon. Chengrui can just help me start the fire."
Mo Chengrui beamed. "That's right. Grandma, go take a rest! Your legs always ache during the winter. Go cover yourself with a blanket. Young Aunt and I can manage."
Without Jiang Yingqiu lifting a finger, lunch was prepared by Gu Qingyao and Mo Chengrui, whereby the latter was responsible for starting the fire.