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“Mm.” Gu Zhendong responded.
Before his leg became useless, he had really loved his wife.
He still remembered the first time they met—his wife had looked so shy and adorable, like a little woman.
When it came to working, she was also very quick and efficient.
And, she had even given him a cute son.
If his leg hadn’t been injured, Gu Zhendong believed they would have had a very happy future together.
Now, with him rendered useless, and his wife having left home for over a year, Gu Zhendong didn’t actually blame her.
He had become a useless man, unable to provide his wife with a future. If she could find someone better, that would actually be a good thing.
It was still better than being a burden on her for the rest of her life.
Gu Zhendong had always been an extremely kind person. Even though he felt reluctant, he was still willing to let go.
“Fengxia also said… she wants Yangyang,” Gu Zhi said, though he didn’t want to hurt his eldest son. Still, the truth needed to be made clear.
“Yangyang…” Hearing his son’s name, Gu Zhendong’s mind instantly recalled his mischievous figure.
The son who used to shout about catching fish in the river and hunting wild rabbits up the mountain.
Good people never get their just rewards.
Thinking this, Gu Zhi’s tears welled up, and he seemed on the verge of crying.
But with his eldest son still in front of him, if he cried, he was afraid it would make his son feel even worse.
“Wait, I’ll go talk to her.” Gu Zhi turned around in a flash, and a tear slipped down his cheek.
In a hurry, he wiped it away and quickly headed for the courtyard.
“Zhendong agrees to the divorce, and he agrees to let you have Yangyang.” Gu Zhi said to his soon-to-be ex-daughter-in-law.
“Good, he knows what’s best. Let’s go get the divorce certificate tomorrow.” Fengxia seemed somewhat happy.
Things were going more smoothly than she had imagined.
Because the women in the Gu family handled the finances, Fengxia still had a bit of Gu Zhendong’s money in her hands.
This was also the reason why Gu Zhi didn’t have much money left.
On one hand, some money had been spent on Gu Zhendong’s treatment, and on the other, most of it had been taken by Zhao Fengxia ever since she arrived.
Now, Zhao Fengxia still had at least a few hundred yuan of Gu Zhendong’s money in her hands.
Don’t underestimate those few hundred yuan—it was enough for a farmer to save up for several years.
“Well then, I’ll leave first. We’ll meet at the marriage office in the county town tomorrow morning.”
After they made the agreement, Zhao Fengxia, afraid that the Gu family might realize she still had money and might ask for a share, hurriedly left.
Gu Zhi watched her departing figure, then slapped his hands on his legs in frustration.
“Sigh.”
He wanted to say something, but it felt like there was nothing left to say.
The atmosphere, for a moment, became somewhat bleak.
“I’ll go in and stay with Big Brother,” Gu Ningning thought to herself. She knew her big brother must be feeling down right now. If he couldn’t get over it, she’d worry something might happen.
First, Gu Ningning returned to the room she shared with her mother and took out some of her cherished candies. Then, she went to her big brother’s room with the candies.
Gu Zhendong heard someone enter, but he still sat there, dazed, staring out the window.
He didn’t turn around.
Gu Ningning held the candies in her hand, quietly sitting on the edge of the kang (bed platform), not saying a word. She just silently watched her big brother. If she spoke too much now, she was afraid it would make him feel worse.
At a young age, Gu Ningning already had a mature aura.
And so, she stayed in the room, quietly accompanying Gu Zhendong.
“I’m sorry for making you laugh,” Gu Zhi said somewhat apologetically to Su Niannian.
Su Niannian walked over to Gu Zhi and gently patted her on the back.
“Auntie, there’s no need to say that. I’m not an outsider.”
“If there’s anything you need help with, don’t hesitate to ask,” Su Niannian’s voice was gentle.
Gu Zhi turned to look at Su Niannian, her expression sincere. She thought to herself that although her eldest daughter-in-law was no longer in the picture, Gu Nan’s choice of wife seemed much better. However, with her eldest son’s leg in such a condition, she feared it would be difficult for him to find another wife in the future.
As she pondered, Gu Zhi couldn’t help but sigh deeply.
Su Niannian, having lived through a second life, was sharp as a tack, so how could she not understand what Gu Zhi was worried about?
“Big Brother’s leg… there is hope for treatment,” Su Niannian said.
The moment those words left her lips, Gu Zhi looked at her in astonishment.
“Is that true?” she asked, unable to believe it. For so long, her eldest son’s leg had been declared hopeless.
It was the kind of situation where it was believed his leg was hopeless for life.
Many doctors, whether traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, hospital specialists, or even barefoot doctors, had all said the same thing: it couldn’t be treated. They had all advised against wasting any more money, insisting that it was a lost cause. His leg was broken, and that was that.
Since then, all hope had been extinguished. But now, Su Niannian, without even having seen Gu Zhendong’s condition, was saying that it could be treated.
It was simply… hard for Gu Zhi to believe.
When someone tells you that there is hope after you’ve been told something is hopeless for so long, it’s a bit like a sudden burst of light in the dark. It feels too good to be true.
“Well, if it works out and the treatment succeeds, that would be great. But if it doesn’t, this renewed hope would be worse than no hope at all,” Gu Zhi understood this principle.
“I am confident in my medical skills,” Su Niannian smiled and added.
Gu Zhi knew very well that Su Niannian’s medical skills were indeed impressive. However, she couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Su Niannian, but her eldest son’s leg had been declared hopeless so many times before.
“Niannian, just having you here… it’s really comforting,” Gu Zhi said sincerely, holding Su Niannian’s hands with both of hers. “But, if the treatment doesn’t succeed, it’s okay. After all, it’s been so long. Please don’t feel burdened by it.”
Su Niannian only smiled in response.
“Originally, I planned to wait until you were feeling a bit better before having a look at Big Brother, but why not go see him now?” Su Niannian said with a smile.
Gu Zhi nodded repeatedly, then took Su Niannian’s hand and headed toward Gu Zhendong’s room.
When they reached the door, Gu’s mother paused for a moment.
“Since Zhendong’s leg was injured, his temperament has changed. He’s become a bit sensitive. I’ll go in first and greet him,” Gu Zhi said, worried that if she brought Su Niannian in without warning, Gu Zhendong might react too strongly. It was better to inform him in advance.
Su Niannian nodded, showing her understanding.
“I’ll wait here,” Su Niannian said, offering a reassuring smile.
Gu Zhi nodded and then went into Gu Zhendong’s room.
She explained to him about Su Niannian’s intention to treat his leg, and mentioned that Su Niannian had great medical skills, having already saved many people in the village. She hoped that Gu Zhendong would agree to let Su Niannian treat his leg.
Su Niannian was very confident that she could help Gu Zhendong recover, but as Gu Zhi continued speaking, Gu Zhendong’s face grew increasingly darker.