Chapter 496: Really Determined
Gu Jinlin smiled. “Grandfather, don’t worry about them. They’re on very good terms!
“It’s just that it’s the new year, and Yao Yao is a year older. Judging from Beihan’s appearance, he will certainly want to marry Yao Yao next year when she turns eighteen. That’s why Fourth Brother can’t stand him!”
Gu Chonghua and the others immediately burst out laughing.
But when he thought of his granddaughter getting married the following year, he could not bear to let her go.
Lunch was ready and everyone waited awhile for Gu Jinfeng and Mo Beihan to return. They changed their dirty clothes and washed up before everyone ate together.
Of course, Mo Beihan ate with the Gu family.
After lunch, everyone gathered together to rest. There was nothing much to do that afternoon and the brazier in the house was lit. Besides the two younger ones who had gone to listen to Gu Chonghua tell stories, the rest of the younger folks were all there.
Including Gu Fangting.
Mo Beihan thought of Sun Mei and said to Gu Qingyao, “Has that Sun Mei been visiting you frequently?”
Gu Qingyao paused. “That’s right! Why?”
Mo Beihan recounted the incident he had encountered on the way to her house. Gu Jinfeng, Gu Jinhang, Gu Jinlin and Gu Fangting were all stunned.
Gu Fangting said in surprise, “She wanted to visit my older cousin? As if… they were on very good terms?”
Mo Beihan nodded. “That’s right, as if she’s good friends with Yao Yao. She said she hasn’t seen you for a long time and missed you, so she wanted to come here for a chat.”
Gu Fangting: “…”
Gu Qingyao frowned and said, “This is not the first time. Before that, I just ignored her. She was already behaving like that when Mu Mu and the others were at my house, or to be precise, when I first came back from the city.
“It’s not just her. Her lackey, Wang Li, did the same and sought me out many times. It was almost as if they wanted to win my approval. I thought it was very strange and avoided them many times.
“Later on… after what happened to her family, she probably did not have time to visit me, so she did not come for many days. Is she coming again today?”
Mo Beihan nodded.
Gu Jinlin rubbed his chin. “She really was here. I happened to see her outside the courtyard. She was looking for you, so I just said that you weren’t home. She wanted to come in! But I didn’t permit her to do so.
“But I find that girl rather strange. When I saw her, it was as if… she was carefully trying to please someone. She gave me goosebumps, so I quickly shooed her away.”
Mo Beihan laughed. “I didn’t expect her to come after I told her off!”
She was really determined.
But the more determined she was, the more apparent there was something fishy going on.
“Oh, that’s right!” Gu Jinlin continued. “Besides looking for Yao Yao and Ting Ting, she ended up asking me about Second Brother and Fourth Brother. She also asked me about myself. I found it very strange. But she is surely up to no good, so I chased her away.”
Gu Qingyao immediately narrowed her eyes. As a girl, she was the one who best understood what the other girls were up to. But she was puzzled. After all the recent events, she had no energy to bother with Sun Mei.
Now that Gu Jinlin mentioned it, her mind suddenly cleared.
“I think I know why she’s acting like that.”
Everyone immediately turned to look at Gu Qingyao.
Gu Qingyao looked at Mo Beihan and her older cousins. She laughed. “Brother Beihan, I remember that the girl seemed interested in you in the past? The main reason why she was so hostile towards me was because of you.”
Gu Qingyao was clear about that.
Chapter 497: How Unjust, Why Does It Have To Be Us!
Mo Beihan was rather embarrassed, especially when Gu Jinhang and Gu Jinfeng shot him sharp looks. He said, “Perhaps that was true in the past, but it’s definitely not the case now. You know that all the girls in the brigade are avoiding me.”
“Pfft…” Gu Qingyao giggled. Of course she knew why. It was because so many children had suddenly turned up in Mo Beihan’s family.
Gu Qingyao said, “Sun Mei has always wanted to marry and move to the city. In the past, I could tell that she was trying to curry Gu Ruoqing’s favor, but she failed. But I have been to the city and the contrast between us is very stark.
“Now Brother Beihan’s family burdens are too heavy, so she is no longer considering him. In the entire Qing River and Southern Lake Brigades, only the Gu family has members who have managed to move to the city.
“Sun Mei’s family has experienced an upheaval. If she can marry you boys, she can live in the city!”
Gu Jinlin: “…”
Gu Jinhang: “…”
Gu Jinfeng: “…”
Mo Beihan paused. He immediately grasped the crux of the matter. He burst out laughing when he looked at Gu Jinfeng. “I think that Second and Fourth Brother had better be more careful. Both of you are definitely her main targets.”
Gu Jinfeng and Gu Jinhang immediately jumped. “Why does it have to be us?”
Their tone was aggrieved.
Gu Qingyao almost died of laughter.
Mo Beihan said, “Because the two of you are comparatively richer, and your family has no burdens! Only the five of you are adults. Eldest Brother has gone north and is unavailable. Third Brother’s family has to support younger children and has burdens. Only the two of you have good jobs and no burdens.”
Gu Jinhang: “…”
Gu Jinfeng: “…”
Gu Jinhang was still smiling. But when he spoke, his words were vicious.
“In these times, it is not easy for a village girl to marry and move to the city. But why is she so confident that we will like her?”
“That’s right! Why?” Gu Jinfeng was also enraged.
Mo Beihan said, “Because both of you are outstanding! But at the same time, the Gu family’s status is low. Sun Mei has a low opinion of the Gu family. In her heart, she believes she will certainly succeed.”
Gu Jinhang: “…”
Gu Jinfeng: “…”
Wow!
She despised them. They must certainly avenge themselves.
Gu Qingyao said, “No matter what, her thinking is her business. The Sun family has been very unlucky lately. The Sun family has doted on Sun Mei since she was young, and she has not suffered much, so she is selfish and arrogant. Now that her family fortunes have suddenly changed, and with her four greedy and lazy older brothers, she must be afraid that her family will marry her off to just anyone in exchange for food. So she’s urgently looking for a way out for herself.
“Brothers, comparatively speaking, both of you are the best targets. So you had better be careful over the next few days. Remember not to go out alone, and don’t give her a chance to get close to either of you. The new year holiday is almost over and both of you will be returning to the city shortly, then you’ll be safe.”
Gu Jinhang and Gu Jinfeng looked as if they had swallowed a fly! Their expressions were ugly!
Gu Jinlin rubbed his nose. So there were advantages in being poor!
Hahaha!
The next day was the second day of the new year. Gu Qingyao went to pay a new year visit to the Mo family, and Mo Beihan came to pick her up.
They were engaged and she must make a gesture during the new year and on festive occasions. Coincidentally, she had not visited for many days, so she went over to play with the children.
The moment she reached the door, she ran into Sun Mei.
When she saw Gu Qingyao, Sun Mei immediately advanced, her expression warm and friendly. “Yao Yao, you’ve come!”
Gu Qingyao’s lips twitched. She had clearly been waiting here for her!
Sigh…
It looked as if she wouldn’t be able to have a nice time playing today!
Chapter 498: Specially Waiting For Her
Mo Beihan smiled and shook his head at Gu Qingyao, meaning that she should not be bothered by such inconsequential people.
As long as the Gu cousins were not alone with Sun Mei, no matter how she plotted, she would only make a fool of herself.
The new year holiday would soon be over, and Sun Mei could not achieve anything.
Gu Qingyao’s expression was frosty. “It’s the second day of the new year, so I’m here to visit the Mo Family.”
With that, she turned and headed for the Mo house.
The Mo children had already rushed out, with Mu Mu and Little Xu at the forefront.
“Young Aunt! Young Aunt…”
Gu Qingyao’s mood immediately lifted when she saw these adorable children. She smiled and held their hands and followed them into the house.
“Yao Yao… Yao Yao…”
Sun Mei panicked when she saw that Gu Qingyao was ignoring her, so she tried to follow.
Mo Beihan blocked her. “Aunt Qin was injured yesterday. You should go back and look after her! My family is busy and cannot entertain you.”
There was a place in front of the Mo house courtyard that was out of the wind. Usually, many people gathered there to chat. It was not snowing today, and the weather was sunny, so there were many people there as usual.
When they saw Sun Mei’s actions, they were puzzled.
But recently, there was a rumor going around the brigade that many girls were seeking Gu Qingyao’s favor. When they thought about it, they understood.
The Gu children all had jobs outside the village and they were said to be doing fairly well. Since they couldn’t marry a city dweller, the Gu family was the only choice for these girls.
That way, they could move to the city.
If the Gu family’s background hadn’t been so poor, their threshold would have already been trampled to bits by these people.
They thought of how Sun Mei had used to oppose Gu Qingyao and how unlucky the Sun family had been recently. Mocking smiles flashed across their eyes.
Sun Mei blushed at these smiles. But she had no choice. She had to fight for herself.
She brazened it out and entered the Mo house.
In the house, Gu Qingyao was holding Mu Mu in her arms and talking to the children.
She could clearly sense how excited Mu Mu had been recently.
His excitement made him appear more childish, and he did not seem as sensitive as before.
He even seemed rather foolish.
Gu Qingyao could understand that. This child’s living circumstance had been dire. Now that he had found his relatives and had a home and a future Young Aunt whom he adored, he was like someone who had suffered terribly suddenly descending into bliss. He was overwhelmed with excitement.
This child!
His joy increasingly showed on his face. The ability to maintain one’s composure was an adult trait, and even then, not every typical adult could achieve it.
“Mu Mu! Have you missed me?”
Mu Mu hurriedly nodded and said very sincerely, “Yes. I’m very good every day. I study every day and I now understand all the things you taught me. I also understand all the things that Young Uncle taught me. Young Aunt, can you continue teaching me? I’m sure I will learn very quickly.”
He tried his very best to show off, in hopes of pleasing Gu Qingyao.
Gu Qingyao smiled and patted his head. This child had been a little overstimulated as of late. When he had adjusted a little, he would calm down.
Sigh…
It was because he had suffered too much in the past!
“Mu Mu is so clever. In the future, I will certainly teach you many things. You’re so clever, you will certainly master them quickly.”
Little Mu Mu immediately blushed and shyly hid in Gu Qingyao’s embrace.
The moment Sun Mei entered, she saw a houseful of children. She immediately rejoiced that she had not married Mo Beihan. Or how would she survive?
When she looked at Gu Qingyao, she was delighted at Gu Qingyao’s misfortune. Suddenly, she was not so upset over the recent upheavals in her own family.
Chapter 499: Eyes Filled With Longing
Gu Qingyao could see that Sun Mei was rejoicing in her misfortune, but she looked away and didn’t take it to heart.
Sun Mei put on a smile and said to Gu Qingyao, “Yao Yao, you’ve been gone for so long, have you adjusted to being back? I suppose life in the city is much easier than in the countryside? In the few months that you’ve been gone, you’ve become much fairer.”
Mo Beihan turned to look at Gu Qingyao. Had his Yao Yao become fairer after living in the city?
Nonsense!
His Yao Yao had always had fair and delicate skin. But… she really did seem fairer now. Her complexion was excellent and was soft to the touch. He had just kissed it yesterday…
Pity that he was only allowed to kiss her a few times. Yao Yao had not allowed him to kiss her any more than that!
She had glared at him with her large, clear and shiny eyes, and he could not bear to carry on!
But they had been a couple for decades!
Sigh…
Gu Qingyao raised her head to look at Sun Mei. She clearly remembered how much Sun Mei had despised her. At that time, Sun Mei had been inordinately arrogant.
Now that the Sun family’s fortunes had changed, her attitude had immediately changed too.
Before the Sun family’s incident, although Sun Mei had tried to please her, she was purposely trying to get close to her. This plan had probably been hatched by the adults in the Sun family. But it was different now.
She wasn’t only purposely trying to gain her friendship, the arrogance in her eyes had also disappeared and was replaced by caution and a desire to please!
To the point of shamelessly and brazenly trying to curry her favor!
This kind of persistence could be terrifying at times.
Sun Mei’s family had doted on her since she was young. Her family had only recently suffered from a misfortune. Usually, a person who had grown up under her circumstances wouldn’t be so quick to sense the danger she was in. She was more likely to continue being arrogant and retain her family’s sense of superiority.
But she had not.
The girl was terrifyingly sharp and selfish. She had easily discerned that her family who had doted on her would abandon her. A girl like that…
Amusement shone from Gu Qingyao’s eyes. In her previous life, this woman had caused her untold damage. She had not forgotten!
Now that this had happened, it would be going overboard to simply kill her.
After she and Mo Beihan had been reborn, their life had been smooth because of their grasp of the world’s future developments over the next decades and their advanced knowledge of many things.
She must not be arrogant and complacent and casually kill someone. After some time, it would become a habit, and she would be killing people like flies!
That would be bad. She must not allow herself to become like that.
She just wanted to live this life peacefully. She was not afraid of trouble, but she must not go about making trouble either.
Now that Sun Mei was bothering her, she would just think of some way to solve the problem.
The amusement in Gu Qingyao’s eyes deepened. “Life in the city is naturally much easier than life in the countryside. In the city, you don’t need to work in the fields and food can be bought directly from the stores. Jobs will provide food and cloth coupons, and all kinds of coupons are available. You will receive a salary every month. Life in the countryside simply cannot compare to it.
“When I’m in the countryside, I have to dig for wild herbs whenever I have the time! But I don’t have to do that in the city. There are many children in the city, and they all go to the city square to play during the evening. When it’s hot in summer, the houses have electric fans. And they have electric lights at night. It’s not like the countryside where everything is pitch dark!”
Sun Mei had always longed to live in the city, but she was not sure what life in the city was like.
She had only heard that city dwellers did not need to work for labor points, and many of them had jobs. Every month, they were given a salary and various coupons, so they could buy whatever they wanted.
Now that she heard Gu Qingyao’s words, she became incredibly excited. Her eyes filled with longing.
Chapter 500: Bait
“Really? Really? Is life in the city really that great? Did you live like that when you were in the city?”
Sun Mei was flushed with agitation. She looked at Gu Qingyao hungrily, longing for her to continue.
Gu Qingyao smiled. “Most people probably led that kind of life! I’m not sure about other families, but in the time I was at the provincial capital, everyone around me lived like that.
“Our neighbors all lived in apartments, and the kitchen was in the house. It was very clean because they didn’t burn firewood. There’s an open square at the foot of the apartment. During the mornings and evenings, people would gather there to play, and many of them brought their children.
“As for me, I went to take care of my Third Aunt and two younger cousins. Every day… I cooked and brought the children out to play or chatted with the neighbors. Sometimes, when I had nothing to do, I would shop in the department stores. Besides that… there wasn’t much to do!”
Bring children out to play, chat with neighbors and shop at the department store?
Want an idyllic life!
Sun Mei could not contain her excitement. She couldn’t wait to have that kind of life too.
“Really? Yao Yao, you are just too lucky. A life like that must be heavenly. If I could have that kind of life, I would die of bliss.”
Gu Qingyao’s mouth curled in a discreet smirk. “Really? There’s nothing special about it. Many people in the city live like that!”
When Sun Mei heard that, she was so excited she did not know what to say. From Gu Qingyao’s tone, it was nothing special.
Heavens!
Was city life so delightful?
No wonder so many girls wanted to marry and move to the city. Everyone dreamt of a life like that!
She could not wait any longer. She must lead such a life as soon as possible.
Sun Mei drew closer and sat next to Gu Qingyao. Mo Beihan frowned, and Jiang Xun and the other children looked displeased.
Gu Qingyao continued to hold Mu Mu and did not move away.
Mo Beihan was puzzled at the drastic change in Gu Qingyao’s attitude. But he did not say anything. Gu Qingyao could do as she pleased; he would not interrupt her.
He sat there, quietly watching.
Sun Mei leaned over to Gu Qingyao and said with a smile, “Yao Yao, will you be staying at home in the future? We haven’t met for so long, we should get together and have a good chat. I…”
“I probably won’t be at home all the time!”
“Oh?” Sun Mei was shocked. She asked excitedly, “Why? Where are you going?”
Gu Qingyao said, “To the provincial capital of course! Third Uncle’s family lives there, and he has two young children who need someone to take care of them. Third Uncle’s family has heavy burdens. There are two older brothers who need to marry and two younger ones who depend on the adults for support.
“I remember hearing Third Uncle say he would ask Third Aunt to go to work to earn money. But then there will be no one to take care of the two little ones at home. If that really happens, I might have to go and help. The two children are not that young, so it’s easy to care for them. Then Third Aunt can go to work.”
Sun Mei was envious but also inwardly grateful. Sure enough, the Gu family’s Third Brother had heavy family burdens. His family was not that rich.
Sun Mei meant to find out about the Gu family’s circumstances, so she carried on with Gu Qingyao’s line of conversation, “It’s difficult for them. If you help take care of the children, that will relieve your third uncle’s family of some of its burdens.
“Oh, how about your eldest and second uncle’s families? How are they doing now? I seldom hear you mention them.”