Chapter 13: Bloodline Suppression

Yun’er took the corn, her face full of worry. She knew that Wu was trying to torment her. Wu had done many such sneaky things to torment her over the years.

But she also knew that this was Wu Huanmei’s special kindness. If she didn’t accept it, Gu Ziming would really have to starve.

She could only kowtow and thank her, then go grind the corn.

Her body was already weak, and doing such rough work almost took half her life. She had only ground about half of it when Gu Yunlan arrived.

“Mother, what are you doing?” Gu Yunlan quickly pulled Yun’er.

She had just finished feeding Mu Chenye his medicine and came to find Yun’er. She was worried about Yun’er’s frail body and had specially packed a few dishes from the small kitchen, thinking of giving Yun’er some nourishment.

Yun’er wiped the sweat from her forehead and smiled kindly: “Madam was kind enough to let me send some porridge to Ziming.”

Gu Yunlan touched the corn grits on the stone mill: “Did you grind this yourself?”

“Yes.” Yun’er didn’t say much. She was used to swallowing her hardships.

“Is that ingrate worth this?” Gu Yunlan didn’t understand.

“Even if he’s useless, he’s still my child, born from my womb for ten months. He’s your brother, born from the same mother as you.” Yun’er said earnestly: “Mother is useless, and you were forced to become an illegitimate daughter. If you don’t have a brother, Mother is afraid that you won’t have anyone to support you in your husband’s house, and you’ll be bullied.”

Gu Yunlan pouted: “But this brother is a traitor, how could he support me?”

“He’s still young, there’s still a chance to teach him.” Yun’er sighed.

They were all her children, she couldn’t let go of any of them.

“Then I’ll make it for you. You eat this first. Look how thin you are. This big Gu residence, is it short of food for one aunt?” Gu Yunlan put down the food box and took the bowl from Yun’er’s hand.

“Alright, good.” Yun’er smiled slightly.

She opened the food box and was overwhelmed by the aroma: “This, where did this come from?”

There was chicken, duck, fish, and meat, everything! Even during the New Year, she hadn’t eaten so well!

“I got it from the small kitchen. My husband is still lying down, the Gu residence wouldn’t dare not give us anything.” Gu Yunlan quickly made the porridge.

Yun’er wanted to take some to Gu Ziming, but remembering that Wu had said not to let Gu Ziming eat anything else, she could only sigh and eat her meal without much appetite.

…

Bang, bang, bang!

“Is anyone there? I’m hungry!”

Gu Ziming’s voice was hoarse.

He hadn’t eaten or drunk anything since he was tied up yesterday.

Mu Chenye was still in a critical condition at the time, so Mu Kangsheng didn’t have the time to deal with him, and Gu Xiude threw him into the firewood shed.

He was now hungry and thirsty, and his broken ribs were still hurting badly. Last night, he thought his mother would secretly send someone to save him, but until now, a day and a night had passed, and no one had come to see him.

He was still a little angry with his mother, thinking that he wouldn’t forgive her when he got out. But as he watched another day turn into night, and still no one paid any attention to him, he was so hungry that he started knocking on the door.

“Ziming, Ziming, are you there?” A cautious voice came from outside.

“Mother, is that you?” Gu Ziming, enduring the pain in his ribs, crawled to the door and looked out through the crack.

The door opened, but the person who came in wasn’t Wu Huanmei, as Gu Ziming had thought, but Yun’er, with a worried expression, and Gu Yunlan, with an impatient look.

“What are you doing here? Where’s my mother?” Gu Ziming was dissatisfied.

Gu Yunlan snorted: “She wouldn’t care about you. She’s a hypocrite with a Buddha’s mouth and a snake’s heart! Only Mother cares about you.”

Yun’er took a bowl from the food box: “Hungry? Mother just made some corn porridge. Eat it while it’s hot.”

She handed the hot porridge to Gu Ziming, but he knocked it over with a punch.

Gu Ziming looked sinister: “Don’t you dare slander my mother! And what is this garbage? How dare you give it to me? I want seafood porridge! I want cloud silk ham rolls!”

Yun’er quickly reached for the bowl.

This was the only thing Gu Ziming was allowed to eat. If it spilled, he would have to starve again!

Half of the bowl was knocked over, but Yun’er managed to catch it, but her hand was scalded red.

Yun’er was very relieved, but Gu Yunlan was furious. She stepped forward, grabbed Gu Ziming’s collar, and slapped him twice!

“You little brat, I haven’t settled the score with you yet, and you’re throwing a tantrum again? This is the corn Mother knelt for three hours to beg for, and Wu, that b*tch, ordered her to grind it herself. You spilled half of it with one wave of your hand, and you even scalded Mother’s hand. How dare you?”

Gu Ziming had been beaten by his sister, who had changed drastically in just a few days. He had also been kicked in the ribs. Now he was hungry, thirsty, and in pain, and he was being beaten. He was furious: “You b*tch…”

Slap!

“Damn it…”

Slap, slap!

“I’ll kill you…”

Slap, slap, slap!

Gu Yunlan hit hard. In just a few sentences, Gu Ziming’s face was swollen. Yun’er wanted to step forward to stop her, but she couldn’t get close and could only pace around anxiously.

“Gu Ziming, what do you think you are? An illegitimate son who is favored? You’re a complete fool! I told you that day that Wu raised you just to make you a useless person and get a good reputation. You didn’t listen at all!”

“Now your scumbag father considers you a lost cause. With her power and status, if she wanted to see you, she could have come, couldn’t she? She’s just using this to get rid of you! You’re in this situation now, and only Mother has come to deliver food to you with a sincere heart. You, a white-eyed wolf, don’t even appreciate it. If you’re still stupid enough to not see through these demons, I’ll beat you to death, as a way of repaying Mother for giving birth to you!”

Gu Yunlan slapped and cursed. Gu Ziming resisted at first, but later he couldn’t even muster the strength to resist.

This day and night were enough for him to see the coldness of the Gu residence.

He didn’t like studying, but he wasn’t really stupid. Gu Yunlan was right about everything, he just didn’t want to admit it.

He felt a pang of sadness and started to sob.

“I’m the daughter-in-law of the Mu family now, and I’m living a good life! If it weren’t for Mother, do you think I would care about you, a white-eyed wolf?” Gu Yunlan was tired of hitting him and let go, scolding him angrily: “You idiot, are you going to change? If you don’t, I’ll beat you again!”

A sister beating her brother, bloodline suppression, it’s the same in any dynasty.

“I’ve changed, I’ve changed!” Gu Ziming cried and shouted: “Sister, I was wrong! I’m stupid, I’m clumsy, I’m bad!”

He knelt on the ground, hugging Yun’er and crying: “Mother, Mother, I was wrong, Mother…”

Yun’er was heartbroken by his crying and hugged him, tears streaming down her face: “Good boy, don’t cry, don’t cry, Mother is here.”

“He’s not completely stupid after all.” Gu Yunlan snorted: “Hurry up and eat! Mother ground corn grits for you for hours! That damn Wu wouldn’t even let Mother use the animal mill. She clearly treated Mother like an animal. One day, I’ll make her pay!”

Gu Ziming, sobbing, took the corn grits porridge from Yun’er’s hand and sipped it.

Seeing that Gu Ziming was sensible, Gu Yunlan didn’t hit him anymore. After he finished drinking, Gu Yunlan said impatiently: “Come here.”

“Yes, Sister.” Gu Ziming approached Gu Yunlan timidly. Gu Yunlan raised her hand, and he thought she was going to hit him again. He was so scared that he quickly closed his eyes.

Gu Yunlan chuckled: “Alright, I’m going to check your ribs. I’m not going to hit you.”

“Oh, okay.” Gu Ziming replied softly.

Gu Yunlan treated his wound: “Alright, stay put. I’ll come back to change your dressing. We need to give the Mu residence an explanation. Father and Wu won’t care about you. Since you’re clear-headed now, I, your sister, will protect your life. If I find out you’re being stupid again…”

She raised her hand, and Gu Ziming shivered, shrinking his neck: “I won’t, I won’t, Sister.”

Gu Yunlan finally nodded in satisfaction and left with Yun’er.

Not far away, under the wall, a sneaky figure slipped back to the main courtyard.

“Madam, just now, Gu Yunlan…” Zhao, the old nanny, whispered to Wu Huanmei about what had just happened.

Wu Huanmei smiled cunningly: “It seems that blood is thicker than water. With her mediating, even if Master wanted to maintain his relationship with the Mu family, he wouldn’t consider Gu Ziming, that idiot, a lost cause.”

“Why don’t we secretly show some concern for Gu Ziming now? We can use him to deal with Lady Yun and Gu Yunlan…” Zhao smiled wickedly.