Chapter 28

Gu Qinghuan sent her mother back to the Cattle Shed and immediately went to pick up Grandma.

When she picked up Grandma, she had already walked a third of the way back. These past few days, she had eaten well, rested well, and her spirits were surprisingly good.

The meals made with spring water had played a big part in this.

Along the way, as she thought about the three meetings that awaited her once she returned to the Cattle Shed, Gu Qinghuan wished the journey could be a little longer, just a bit longer.

Unfortunately, the road eventually came to an end.

As soon as she got out of the car, Gu Qinghuan was called over by Zhong Zijun.

She had already seen the large and small bundles of supplies that Gu Qinghuan had prepared for them.

“Huan Huan, tell me honestly, where did you get all that money?” Zhong Zijun felt a wave of unease. Thinking about the changes in her child over the past few days, she had a very bad premonition. This answer might be something she couldn’t accept.

Gu Qinghuan lowered her head and walked into the Cattle Shed.

“Mom, Grandpa, Grandma, I have something I need to tell you.”

The three of them looked at her nervously.

Gu Qinghuan suddenly wondered if she should prepare a bottle of heart-saving medicine.

With a deep breath, she closed her eyes.

“I got married!”

The three of them felt as if their hearts had fallen to the bottom of the valley, and the worst thing they feared had come true.

Zhong Zijun immediately thought that her daughter had been forced to marry hastily to raise money for her treatment, and her heart ached unbearably. She wished she could go back to before the treatment and would rather die than use her daughter’s marriage to trade for her health.

“Don’t look at me like that, don’t jump to conclusions, just listen to what I have to say.

He is a retired soldier, and before retiring, he was a deputy battalion commander. He has an outstanding military record and even earned a first-class merit medal.”

When the three of them heard that he was a soldier, and a very distinguished one at that, the tension in their hearts loosened a little.

Thank goodness, he wasn’t some illiterate farmer.

A marriage without a common language would not last long, let alone bring happiness.

But how clever was Zhong Weiqian? How could he be misled by Gu Qinghuan’s few words?

“Then why did he retire? Does he know about your situation? If it was a normal marriage, why didn’t you tell us? Did he not come to propose?”

Gu Qinghuan was being pressed harder and harder, so she could only try her best to explain in the best possible light.

“Two years ago, after a battle, he suddenly developed a severe psychological disorder and was forced to retire.

After retiring, his psychological trauma worsened to the point that he would lash out violently at the slightest provocation.

He used to be like a king of soldiers, so his destructive power was immense. To avoid harming his family and neighbors, he voluntarily had himself tied up, and it lasted for more than a year.

Not long ago, his parents wanted to find someone to take care of him, and I wanted to help him, so I agreed.”

Gu Qinghuan had tried her best to paint Xu Huai’an’s image in a better light, but she still couldn’t change the fact that he needed someone to care for him and was mentally unstable.

The three of them could clearly hear it. No matter how well it was said, he was still a person with mental issues.

Zhong Weiqian and Chen Shuying’s hearts sank to the bottom of the valley. They felt sorry for their granddaughter, who should have had a peaceful life, but now everything was ruined.

They were also afraid that their daughter would not be able to accept the reality and might do something foolish.

Zhong Zijun was completely beside herself. She couldn’t accept that her precious daughter was marrying a mentally ill man, spending her life trapped in the mire.

She was only twenty years old, in the prime of her life, with so much youth ahead of her. How could she become a caretaker for a mental patient?

“How much money did you take from his family? I’ll go find them!” Her voice was not loud, but it carried the force of an impending storm.

She would find a way to pay back the money, even if it meant throwing herself to her death at their doorstep. She was determined to get her daughter back.

Zhong Zijun had never felt so bitter about her helplessness.

Why hadn’t she died cleanly when she fell down the slope? Why was she left with half a life, and now, her daughter’s future was tied to it?

At that moment, she was like a drowning person, with the courage to gamble everything, determined to fight with all she had.

Gu Qinghuan was afraid that her mother might do something rash, so she quickly explained: “Mom, I really volunteered for this. Even if it wasn’t for you, I would still marry him.

He is a good person, and he’s a hero. I admire him a lot, and I really like him.

Besides, his condition is treatable. I understand his illness to some extent, and I’ve already started helping him with treatment. I also plan to take him to Beijing to see a psychologist for systematic treatment. I believe he will get better.

Yesterday, he regained consciousness, and we’ve already discussed the follow-up treatment. He’s willing to cooperate.

Rather than marrying those idealistic young people who are all talk, or illiterate mountain villagers, this is already the best outcome. I’m very content.

In the future, I can use his military background to become independent, avoiding a lot of trouble, and I’ll also be able to take care of you.

If anyone is gaining an advantage here, it’s me. You don’t need to feel sorry for me.”

Gu Qinghuan deliberately made it sound easy, hoping they would think that she married Xu Huai’an out of love, and that she didn’t feel bitter about it. This way, they could feel less guilty and slowly accept the reality.

This was indeed the best result for now. She didn’t want to complicate things further.

With Zhong Zijun’s temper, she absolutely couldn’t bear the thought of her daughter ruining her life for her sake. Zhong Zijun would definitely go to find Xu Huai’an’s parents, and at that point, the situation would be difficult to control.

She was still ill. What if she got discouraged and something happened? All of her previous efforts would have been in vain. She was sure that if her mother saw how sad her family would be, she wouldn’t want that.

So, it was best to leave it like this.

Zhong Zijun looked at her daughter’s serious face, stunned.

She never imagined that her daughter would be so infatuated with the idea of “heroism” that she would choose a path with no return.

In a daze, she recalled her own youthful ignorance, which was exactly the same.

When she saw Gu Yunchuan helping an elderly widow on the street, she thought he was kind and sincere. She fell in love with him without hesitation, disregarding her parents’ objections, and insisted on being with him. In the end, she had misjudged him, and it led to her family falling apart.

Could it be that her daughter would follow the same path and end up with a lifetime of pain?

Zhong Zijun had no grounds to teach her daughter. She herself had once been filled with passion, throwing herself into a hopeless situation.

It might have been because Zhong Zijun had experienced a deeply painful marriage breakdown herself, which made her instinctively believe Gu Qinghuan’s words. She thought her daughter had simply acted impulsively and made a wrong choice because of her youth and enthusiasm.

She forced herself to calm down, fell silent for a while, then spoke again.

“Do you really like him?”

“Yes, with him around, even a mouse wouldn’t dare come into the house. I feel so safe. And taking care of him is simple, just feed him, and that’s enough.” Gu Qinghuan, seeing that her mother had believed her explanation, finally felt at ease.

Zhong Zijun was left speechless, seriously doubting her daughter’s views on marriage. What kind of good man was this? He seemed more like a dog.

Was this really a marriage? It felt more like she was supporting a dog.

“Huan Huan, one mistake leads to another. A moment of admiration can’t support a whole life. If he doesn’t get better, have you thought about what your life will be like?

You can’t carry anything, you can’t shoulder anything, and you still have to take care of him. How will you survive?

If it’s for the money, there’s no need to do this. Our family can work hard, and we will eventually pay off the debts.

If necessary, I’ll swallow my pride, beg your dad or old friends for help. There’s always a way.” Zhong Zijun tried to persuade her daughter to give up.

“Mom, I really didn’t act on a whim. Xu Huai’an gave me his pension money, so I could be in charge. I went to collect the pension this morning; it’s four hundred yuan, and there will be fifteen yuan every month. Although he’s temporarily unable to support the family, we won’t be left with nothing. Everything will get better.

I may not be good at farming, but I finished high school and have some education. I’ll be able to support myself. Don’t worry.”

To make her words more convincing, Gu Qinghuan even took out the money she had received that morning to show them.

The three of them had seen their fair share of the world. Although they didn’t exactly treat money as trash in the past, they had some pride. After going through the disaster, they finally understood how difficult life could be without money.

Seeing the money with their own eyes, their hearts felt a little more at ease. At least they knew that Gu Qinghuan wouldn’t have to worry about food and clothing in the future.

These days, many families didn’t have rice to cook, and life in the Cattle Shed was tough. Even with careful budgeting, they still couldn’t get enough to eat.

So the three of them felt somewhat relieved.

However, they still advised Gu Qinghuan to take the opportunity to get out now while she still had a chance. If she delayed any longer, there would really be no turning back.

Good words couldn’t persuade a stubborn person.

Gu Qinghuan wasn’t listening to a word they said. She was determined to go down that path, no matter how wrong it seemed.

Zhong Zijun didn’t expect her daughter to be so stubborn, and she felt utterly exhausted.

Gu Qinghuan kept trying to convince her mother with more persuasive arguments.

Finally, Zhong Zijun relented, saying she would observe her new son-in-law for a while before making a decision.