Chapter 29

Gu Qinghuan’s acting skills were outstanding. With his own effort, he turned what was originally a heart-wrenching scene into a persuasion meeting.

Zhong Zijun’s attention was diverted to her daughter’s marriage, and she no longer dwelled on the matter of money.

Gu Qinghuan finally let out a sigh of relief.

However, Zhong Zijun had reluctantly been deceived. The two elders were not fools; they saw things clearly. They understood that the child was doing this to appease her mother’s heart.

Her heart was torn apart, broken into pieces.

But they still forced themselves to endure and did not expose Gu Qinghuan’s lie, because it was inherently a dilemma. No matter how they chose, someone would have to sacrifice. Just as Gu Qinghuan had said, this was already the best result.

Next, Zhong Zijun and Chen Shuying continued to ask her many questions about Xu Huai’an’s family situation.

Gu Qinghuan certainly would not make excuses for Xu Mingshan and Liu Guifang, so she could only tell them the truth about the specifics.

When they learned that the new son-in-law had such cold-hearted and eccentric parents, they were stunned.

Fortunately, that person still knew how to leave a way out, or they would have truly been without a path to follow.

When Zhong Zijun learned that her daughter had received a hundred yuan as a betrothal gift from that family, she immediately understood where the money for her treatment had come from.

She had once wondered, in such a remote and impoverished place, who could be so generous as to lend them a hundred yuan? She never imagined it would be…

Zhong Zijun was suddenly overwhelmed with heartache, unable to breathe. She bit her lip tightly, allowing tears to fall, large and uncontrollable.

Recalling what her daughter had just said, all the clues were now clear—there was no longer any confusion.

This girl was doing all of this to put her mind at ease!

What she had said about admiration and about finding a good man—it was all to help her accept the treatment money, which her Huan Huan had exchanged her entire life for.

What a heavy hundred yuan. It crushed the spines of all of them, yet her daughter had supported it with her fragile shoulders.

She had even worried that her daughter might go astray and fail to recognize people for who they were. In fact, Huan Huan was clearer than anyone. She had only done this because it was necessary for herself.

She knew she could no longer selfishly refuse her daughter’s arrangement. She couldn’t let down everything her daughter had done for her.

Zhong Zijun suddenly hugged her daughter tightly, pulling her into her arms, just like when she was a child. She gently stroked her back.

“Huan Huan, my child, you… have worked hard.” There were a thousand words, but only this one.

Tears, like pearls from a broken string, fell one by one onto Gu Qinghuan’s shoulder, also sinking deep into her heart.

Gu Qinghuan, tears streaming down her face, hugged her mother tightly.

The mother and daughter seemed to be reuniting after experiencing countless hardships, crying out loud, their heads buried in each other’s arms.

She could feel it. In that fleeting moment, the original self’s consciousness was controlling her, as though in this final embrace, saying goodbye to her mother.

You should be satisfied with the result now, right? Don’t worry, I will take care of your family.

I hope you will be happy in your next life.

In the end, Zhong Zijun did not expose Gu Qinghuan’s lie but chose to painfully accept it. This was the pure love from her daughter.

However, the matter of the hundred yuan ultimately took root deep in her heart, becoming a haunting thought. It led her to eventually fall in love with making money.

Many years later, she became a well-known entrepreneur. When someone interviewed her, asking why she worked like a woman possessed, why her employees called her a “female demon.” she replied: “There’s no other reason. It’s just so that when money is needed, I can have it.”

—

The love between mother and daughter was truly magical. It could give a person endless strength.

Gu Qinghuan composed herself, wiped away her tears, and looked outside the cattle shed. The sky was darkening.

Thinking about the two little ones at home, anxiously waiting, she knew she had to leave.

“Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, it’s getting late. I need to hurry back. There are three people at home waiting for dinner!”

“Three people?” Grandma asked in surprise.

Gu Qinghuan awkwardly scratched her head, suddenly remembering that she had just forgotten to mention the two children.

There was already one person who couldn’t take care of themselves, and if two more burdens were added, she worried they wouldn’t be able to accept it. That’s why she had subconsciously left it out before.

“Uh, didn’t I mention it just now? Haha, well, he has two children at home, a boy and a girl, one is six years old, and the other is four.”

She continued: “I heard from the villagers that they were brought back from outside, probably children they adopted in the past.”

Gu Qinghuan had carefully observed the two children, and not a single part of them resembled Xu Huai’an. Liu Guifang often called them “wild children.” so it seemed likely that these children were not his biological ones.

Considering Xu Huai’an’s background, it was highly probable they were adopted from outside or were the orphaned children of a comrade.

The peaceful mood of the three was stirred again. How could there be two more children?

It wasn’t that they disliked it, but with this, Gu Qinghuan’s life would become even more difficult. She would have to take care of three people alone.

Mothers naturally feel sympathy for their children, and upon hearing this, Zhong Zijun immediately became restless.

“You always report the good news, never the bad. What else are you hiding from us? I’m not at ease! Today, I must go back with you and see for myself.” She needed to see it with her own eyes to feel reassured.

Zhong Weiqian and Chen Shuying also agreed. If it wasn’t for the concern that bringing a whole family might be too obvious and draw attention, they too would have liked to go and see.

The granddaughter’s plans were too bold, and their hearts had already been on a roller coaster ride multiple times today.

Gu Qinghuan thought about the chaotic situation at home, with Xu Huai’an being in the condition he was in, and it wasn’t convenient at all. She wanted to refuse.

But Zhong Zijun insisted on going, so Gu Qinghuan had no choice but to compromise and agree to take her along to take a look.

However, since it was still early, and there was a risk of being noticed, Gu Qinghuan decided to go back and tidy up first. She would wait until it was completely dark and then secretly come to pick up Zhong Zijun.

Since she was going all the way, she might as well be bold about it and stay there for a while. She needed to properly care for her arm injury.

The conditions at the Cattle Shed were obviously not suitable for that. Zhong Zijun would certainly end up helping with the chores, and nutrition was a major issue. She knew her mother wouldn’t want to eat well, either.

After discussing it with the family, everyone except Zhong Zijun agreed that she should go to Gu Qinghuan’s house to secretly rest for a while.

Zhong Zijun’s opinion was overruled.

This matter needed to be handled by Duan Shengfa.

Gu Qinghuan told Zhong Zijun to pack her things and wait until the evening when she would come to pick her up.

She then sneaked off again to Captain Duan’s house.

It was always a bit unfamiliar at first, but soon became easier.

When Duan Shengfa saw the “God of Wealth” coming again, he instinctively felt something good was about to happen. He quickly invited her in and had his wife prepare a cup of sweet water for her.

Gu Qinghuan took a big Zhonghua cigarette from her bag and placed it on the table, then took out a five-kilo bag of Fuchang flour.

“小 Gu, what’s all this?” Duan Shengfa asked as he glanced over the items on the table, his eyes greedily scanning the Zhonghua cigarettes. He muttered to himself: “I haven’t heard anything back about the matter you mentioned last time.”

This was a big Zhonghua cigarette, the kind that the leaders smoked. Each pack cost 80 cents, and she had brought a whole bundle. This girl was being extremely generous.

“It’s not about the last thing, Captain Duan. I’m here for something else today.”

Gu Qinghuan continued: “My mother just got out of the hospital, but she still can’t move her arm. I want her to stay at my house for a while to rest. We’ll tell others that her injury was too severe, and she’s staying at the Cattle Shed to recover. Do you think that would be alright?”

Duan Shengfa hadn’t expected it to be about this matter.

For a moment, he wasn’t sure what to decide.