Chapter 5: Turning a Blind Eye

Unexpectedly, Qin Gang returned at this time. Qin’s mother felt a little guilty. Bending her leg, she pretended to have fallen and sprained it, intending to rush forward and accuse first. Hearing Qin Gang’s words, she instantly straightened up.

“You wrongly accused my elder sister without investigating the facts, and I don’t know how you bullied her on a daily basis! Qin Gang, do you really think our Qin family has no one?”

Qin Gang looked over. He had seen Jiang Yiyi before, on the day she married Gu Yunze. Back then, Jiang Yiyi was rustic and unattractive. But the woman before him, although sickly, couldn’t hide her cool and elegant temperament, especially her bright, clear eyes, which seemed to draw people in, making one unconsciously want to approach her.

His eyes flickered.

“It’s only right to repay debts. I merely mentioned it casually, and your family became enraged, taking advantage of my elder sister’s absence to throw the two children out, leaving them to cry in the mud.”

Qin Gang actually owed his father-in-law money!

The onlookers’ ears perked up. Since the Qin family became wealthy, they looked down on the villagers. They only thought the Qin family was rich, but it turned out they also owed money.

Qin Gang had gone to do business that morning and didn’t know what had happened at home. After hearing Jiang Yiyi’s words, his first reaction wasn’t to feel sorry for his two daughters, but rather to feel annoyed. He had indeed borrowed money, but his father-in-law was dead, so the money didn’t need to be repaid. No, the money was borrowed when his father-in-law was still alive, before Jiang Yiyi had married him. How would she know? His mother-in-law would want him to treat Gu Yunchi well and wouldn’t tell Jiang Yiyi, so it must have been Gu Yunchi who told her.

Thinking of this, Qin Gang became even angrier. He had provided Gu Yunchi with good food and lodging, yet she was betraying him!

“Since you treat my elder sister and the two children so badly, I won’t show you any mercy. Two thousand yuan, even with bank interest over these years, would amount to several hundred. For the sake of my elder sister and the two children, I won’t ask for the interest. Subtracting the fifty yuan from this morning, you still owe one thousand nine hundred and fifty.”

Qin Gang’s face changed. He had just finalized a business deal and needed to pay a significant amount upfront. He had come back to get the money. If he repaid the debt, he wouldn’t have enough for the down payment. But if he didn’t, the villagers would gossip, and he couldn’t afford to lose face. Gritting his teeth, he said, “I’ll pay two hundred first, and the rest after I finish my current work.”

But in his heart, he was furious. He would make Jiang Yiyi return the money somehow.

“Not a penny less!”

“Sister-in-law Gu, we are family after all. You can’t be so aggressive!”

Qin Lan added fuel to the fire, and feeling it wasn’t enough, deliberately walked to Gu Yunchi, “Sister-in-law, say something.”

Gu Yunchi looked at Qin Gang. Recently, he had been distant and hostile towards her. She knew he probably had someone else, but she endured it for her two daughters. With Qin Gang around, her daughters wouldn’t be bullied or gossiped about. But now, it was the Qin family who were bullying her daughters, and Qin Gang chose to turn a blind eye. At this moment, her heart grew completely cold.

Seeing her silence, Qin Lan “anxiously” pushed her. Gu Yunchi lost her balance and stumbled towards Qin Gang.

Qin Gang didn’t even reach out, just watching her fall to the ground with her two children in her arms.

As she fell, Gu Yunchi twisted her body to protect her children, but she fell heavily into the mud, splattering herself with dirt.

The two children were frightened again and cried loudly.

Jiang Yiyi ran over, picked up the children, and Gu Yunyang helped Gu Yunchi sit up, glaring fiercely at Qin Lan.

“I-I didn’t mean to.”

Qin Lan “frantically” explained, but her eyes held a triumphant smile. Her brother watched Gu Yunchi and the two children fall without doing anything. Gu Yunchi would definitely not tolerate this anymore.

Sure enough, Gu Yunchi wiped the mud from her mouth, her voice calm, “Qin Gang, let’s divorce.”

“You said it yourself!”

Qin’s mother was overjoyed. She had long wanted her son to divorce this woman who only produced money-losing burdens. Now, it was settled; the Qin family wouldn’t be childless.

“These two money-losing burdens are yours. Everything else is what our Qin family bought; you can’t take it away!”

“You’re lying, the furniture is ours.”

Gu Yunyang said angrily. When his elder sister got married, their father was still alive and had hired someone to make the best furniture as her dowry.

“Once it’s in our house, it’s ours.”

“And you can’t take the two thousand yuan either. You ate and drank from our Qin family for these years; that money is for your food and drink.”

Gu Yunchi got up, walked into the courtyard under everyone’s gaze, picked up the axe by the door. Qin’s mother was startled and wanted to stop her, but after taking only two steps, Gu Yunchi turned around, and Qin’s mother immediately dared not move.

Gu Yunchi went inside, and soon the sound of smashing things could be heard.

After a while, Gu Yunchi came out, still holding the axe, looking at the Qin family, “Pay back the money! Two thousand, not a penny less.”

Qin’s mother was so scared her soul almost flew away. She pushed Qin Gang, “Give, give, give her!”

Qin Gang went inside and gave the money to Gu Yunchi. Gu Yunchi counted it, threw the axe, left the yard, gave the money to Jiang Yiyi, took her children, and walked out of the village without looking back.

“Go get the divorce this afternoon. We don’t want a penny of child support. The two children and your Qin family will have nothing more to do with each other!”

After saying this, Jiang Yiyi caught up, and she and Gu Yunyang flanked Gu Yunchi.

Gu’s mother and Gu Yuncan were waiting at the gate. Seeing Gu Yunchi and her two granddaughters covered in mud from afar, she quickly asked Gu Yuncan to boil water and went to meet them, wanting to take the children. The two little girls, having been frightened repeatedly, clung tightly to Gu Yunchi.

Gu’s mother could only let Gu Yunchi carry the children to the bathroom. She went back to get her and Gu Yuncan’s clothes. Jiang Yiyi followed, telling Gu’s mother about Gu Yunchi’s divorce from Qin Gang and giving her the two thousand yuan.

Gu’s mother silently accepted it. She had to plan for her daughter and two granddaughters. If Jiang Yiyi couldn’t accommodate them, this money would be enough for the three of them to live on.

“I’ll cook. Mother, go help my elder sister.”

Jiang Yiyi went to the kitchen. Gu’s mother took the clothes to the bathroom, didn’t ask anything, and first helped Gu Yunchi wash the two children clean, put Gu Yuncan’s clothes on them, and coaxed them back to her room.

The clothes were large, so Gu’s mother tied the hems for them. Seeing the two granddaughters constantly looking towards the bathroom, she secretly wiped away a few tears.

When Gu Yunchi came out after washing, Gu’s mother showed no sign of anything. “It’s good you divorced. You don’t have to be bullied by that family anymore, and I don’t have to worry about you every day.”

Gu Yunchi hadn’t shown any emotion when Qin Lan pushed her down, nor when Qin Gang ignored her. But now, she suddenly covered her face, and large tears flowed from between her fingers.