He Ting straightforwardly said, "Gu Zi can call us that way, but we're not familiar with you. It's better to address me as Mrs. He."
Lin Miao's face immediately turned red, but restrained by the presence of these important figures, she couldn't afford to be confrontational. She could only navigate through the situation like an unignited incendiary bomb—how to move forward and how to retreat.
Gu Shan and his wife, sensing that the He family wasn't giving face, felt displeased inside. However, they maintained smiling faces and said, "It's just a form of address, no harm done. Why did the two of you come here today?"
Last time, when Gu Zi went to the Public Security Bureau to transfer her household registration, Aunt Wang in the compound was demoted to the cleaning department by Deputy Chief He. Aunt Wang hadn't been reinstated to her original position yet.
So, Deputy Chief He had helped in that matter. Su Shen and Deputy Chief He must have a personal relationship!
Su Shen was in the pig slaughtering business. He was vain and probably didn't follow a legitimate path.
Deputy Chief He held power, one in officialdom and the other in business. Could there be some kind of collusion between them?
If Gu Shan could gather evidence, wouldn't a promotion be in sight?
Deputy Chief He said, "We're here to attend the wedding. Isn't that obvious? Or does Captain Gu think one should come to a wedding empty-handed?"
The He couple had already noticed that the Gu family arrived with empty hands. Considering the situation just now, it seemed like they were here to watch a joke.
They probably thought that people from the countryside couldn't organize a decent wedding. Besides, they were probably not be aware of Su Shen's past glory and assumed he was just an ordinary butcher.
If the He couple remembered correctly, there was a marriage contract between the Gu family and the Gong family. The Gu family had come to flaunt.
The Gu family even claimed that the gold Gu Zi wore was all gold-plated, which was downright laughable!
He Ting said, "I'm almost certain that Captain Gu's perspectives seem to differ from the norm. They claim we gave fake gold, but it seems Captain Gu didn't even give the newlyweds anything, not even fake gold."
After saying that, she even searched in front of Gu Zi, making the Gu family feel like they were standing on pins and needles.
Gu Zi felt quite comfortable looking at the Gu family's deflated appearance. It was supposed to be a happy day for her, but they had to come and cause trouble.
The ones claiming to disassociate themselves were the Gu family, yet the ones who came knocking were also the Gu family. Gu Zi realized that it was impossible for her to cut ties with people like the Gu family.
She could only seize the opportunity to let them bleed. Only when it hurt would there be a chance to cut ties cleanly. The next time they came to cause trouble, they would have to think twice.
She explained for the Gu family, "Uncle He, Aunt He, it's not as you said. Uncle Gu and Aunt Zhang did raise me for over ten years. Just like Lin Miao said, they can't bear to part with me."
The Gu family didn't expect Gu Zi to help explain, and quickly said with a smile, "Exactly, after all, we are Gu Zi's foster parents. Deputy Chief He and Mrs. He certainly wouldn't give fake gold. It was just a joke Lin Miao made to her sister."
Watching Gu Zi's wedding being so grand and the bride herself adorned with gold, Lin Miao was already jealous to the point of madness.
She didn't expect to become a scapegoat now. With a stifling feeling in her chest, she was about to suffocate.
Zhang Mei saw that Lin Miao was about to lose control of her expression. She quickly pulled Lin Miao aside and whispered, "Family reputation matters a lot. Just endure it for now." Lin Miao had to suppress her emotions, her heart throbbing with pain.
Gu Zi continued, "Just now, Lin Miao said it. Uncle Gu and Aunt Zhang didn't know what style of gold necklace I liked, They said they would give me money to buy it myself. Isn't that right, Uncle Gu?"
Gu Shan didn't expect Gu Zi to use this tactic. His mouth twitched, and he wanted to get angry. How did Gu Zi learn the tricks of the village people, sucking blood like this?
But watching Deputy Bureau Chief He and his wife present, he ultimately didn't lose his temper and gritted his teeth, saying, "Yes."
He immediately took out three hundred yuan from his wallet. However, three hundred wasn't enough to buy a gold necklace. He then asked Lin Miao to bring the two hundred yuan he gave her this morning. Lin Miao reluctantly took it out.
That money was intended for her by her dad to buy new clothes. Now, it unexpectedly had to be used to buy a gold necklace for Gu Zi! She regretted this trip. Not only didn't she see the joke, but she also ended up paying five hundred yuan! Lin Miao felt that their family now resembled a joke.
Gu Zi accepted the five hundred yuan. For the Gu family, this was not a small amount.
She smiled brightly and said, "Thank you, Uncle Gu, thank you, Aunt Zhang. You've been so good to me. Please come and visit me more in the future! Initially, when you asked me to help Lin Miao marry into the countryside, I thought you no longer wanted me as your foster daughter."
Gu Zi's tone was filled with gratitude, but the words she spoke revealed the harsh reality that made the Gu family face disdainful looks.
...