Chapter 13 How Can You Enter My Gu Family?

“Don’t just talk about me—what about you?” Song Youyou asked.

“About me?” Wen Xiaorou lit the stove to start cooking rice, then deftly began washing vegetables.

Watching her cheerful and capable friend, Song Youyou couldn’t understand how someone like her would end up taking her own life just a few years later. The people around her back then had all kept tight-lipped—no one even knew the reason.

“Xiaorou, are you doing okay these days?”

“Of course I am~” Wen Xiaorou looked puzzled. “Why would you ask that?”

Song Youyou paused her work and carefully chose her words. “I had a very vivid dream… in it, you committed suicide a few years from now.”

“Suicide? That’s impossible! Me going after someone with a knife, now that’s more likely.” Wen Xiaorou laughed when she saw the concern on her friend’s face. “Come on, they say dreams are the opposite of reality—you better not take it seriously.”

Wen Xiaorou didn’t take it to heart at all. And although Song Youyou agreed with her logic, she still grabbed her hand, her expression serious. “Then promise me—if anything ever happens, you come to me. Don’t let your thoughts spiral, okay?”

Wen Xiaorou was a little confused but nodded indulgently. “Alright, alright. I won’t lose hope. And if something does happen, I’ll just make the other guy lose hope first, haha~”

Seeing her carefree smile, the weight in Song Youyou’s heart eased a little. She still didn’t know what had led to it, but she’d take things one step at a time. Thankfully, she didn’t have to go to the countryside in this life, so she could stay here and keep an eye on her. If anything happened again, at least she would be there.

With that figured out, her mood lifted. The two girls busied themselves in the kitchen and cooked four dishes—but they were full after eating just half. That worked out fine, though. Song Youyou had been busy lately, so they could save the rest for dinner and skip cooking later.

After the meal, Wen Xiaorou went back to work at the bookstore. Meanwhile, Song Youyou took time to visit the police bureau to officially sever ties with the Song family and transfer her household registration. Many people who were sent down to the countryside had done the same to avoid dragging their children down, so the staff there were quite familiar with the process—it didn’t take long.

Song’s father had complicated feelings, but Song Youyou left decisively. What she owed them had already been paid in full with her life in her past life. Now they owed each other nothing, so there was no need to waste words.

She had a whole new life ahead, with many important things to do.

Back at home, she stored away the household registration documents, then dressed up a bit—wrapping her face partially with a scarf. Then, based on her memory, she found a hidden alley.

This was the black market.

She now had translation work, so as long as she was willing to put in the hours, money wouldn’t be a big issue. But money without ration coupons still couldn’t buy much, which was why she’d come here.

Prices on the black market were a little higher than the supply and marketing cooperatives, but the benefit was: no ration tickets needed. It was perfect for someone in her situation—cash but no coupons or materials.

At the alley entrance, it was quiet at first. But as she walked in deeper, more people started appearing. Some were buyers like her, while others had set up stalls or hawked goods more discreetly—carrying items on their backs, picking targets, and quietly asking if they wanted to buy.

Within a short time, she was approached twice—both times by people selling cigarettes, alcohol, or tea. But she wasn’t looking for those, so she passed.

This time, she was mainly here to buy meat she could preserve—like cured or jarred pork—and some fast-growing vegetable seeds to plant on the balcony. With those, even if she couldn’t buy meat or fresh produce for a while, she’d still be able to eat at home.

While Song Youyou was shopping in the black market, Gu Xiao was being interrogated by the family “tribunal.”

“I’m your father! And I had to hear from someone else that you applied for marriage? Do I mean nothing to you?!” Gu Wanqing was so angry that his mouth had developed sores.

He had been completely floored when he learned last night that Gu Xiao had applied to get married.

“Well? Why didn’t you tell your own father first?!”

“It’s me getting married, not my father. Why would I have to tell you?” Gu Xiao remained calm and composed, in stark contrast to his father’s raging temper.

That only made Gu Wanqing angrier. “You little punk!”

“Gu Wanqing! What the hell are you yelling about so early in the morning?!” A powerful voice suddenly drowned out Gu Wanqing’s shouting.

An energetic old man walked in, pushing a wheelchair with an elderly woman sitting in it.

“Grandpa, Grandma.”
“Father, Mother.”

Under the pressure of the family elders, Gu Wanqing immediately switched to his “good son” mode. He took the wheelchair and pushed it inside.

“Father, didn’t you take Mom out for a stroll? Why’re you back so soon?”

“Hmph! If your father and I didn’t come back, were you planning on yelling at my precious grandson until he left?” the old woman in the wheelchair huffed.

Gu Wanqing pushed the chair into the living room and immediately crouched down with a smile. “Mom, I wasn’t scolding him…”

“Hmph! Every time my precious grandson comes back, you start yelling. Is that mouth of yours only good for upsetting him?”

Gu Wanqing: “…”

Scolded by his own mother, and knowing full well his place in the family hierarchy, Gu Wanqing quickly switched tactics and started complaining instead. “Mom, you don’t know what this brat has done—”

“Then tell me, what exactly did my precious grandson do?”
Gu Xiao carefully moved Old Madam Gu from her wheelchair to the living room sofa. Her eyes were practically overflowing with affection. In contrast, she had no such expression for Gu Wanqing, her son.

Old Commander Gu was on the same page—he shot Gu Wanqing a look full of disdain and then sat beside his wife.

Gu Wanqing often felt like the odd one out, always lacking the affection the other three shared. Gu Xiao had never really listened to him before, and now with the two elders clearly taking his side, convincing him was going to be even harder.

Feeling aggrieved, Gu Wanqing complained, “That little punk got married and didn’t even tell me. I only found out after he submitted the marriage report and it was already approved. Hmph.”

The two elders were momentarily stunned.
Seeing their surprised expressions, Gu Wanqing thought they were finally upset too, and immediately gained confidence.

“Father, Mother, you agree he’s gone too far, right? That brat has always been wild, but to be so reckless about something as important as marriage is outrageous!”
As he spoke, he even shot a smug glance at Gu Xiao, as if saying, You’re really going to get it today.

But to his surprise, once Old Madam Gu snapped out of it, she broke into sheer delight.
“My precious grandson found himself a wife?? Oh heavens, how wonderful! What a good boy! Hahahaha!”

Old Madam Gu had once served in the women’s army. Even now, with her limited mobility, she could still let out a laugh full of vigor.

Old Commander Gu, the textbook henpecked husband, quickly echoed his wife’s sentiments:
“Yes, not bad at all. To bring home a wife on his own—very impressive! Just yesterday your grandma was saying you’re already 21 and still hadn’t found a wife. She was worried you’d end up useless like your dad.”

Gu Wanqing’s face turned into a deadpan poker face: “…”
He had still been too naive.

Grinning from ear to ear, Old Madam Gu continued,
“Ah, Xiao’er, but you were wrong not to tell Grandma. I should’ve prepared the bride price for the girl!”

“That was my fault, Grandma. I was too focused on submitting the marriage report yesterday.”

“That’s right, that’s the proper mindset! Not being eager to get married—that would’ve been the real problem. Focusing on the marriage report first was the right call! You’ve clearly inherited my good instincts, knowing how to seize the moment! What if the girl had second thoughts and ran off? You’d have no one to cry to!”

“Exactly, Grandma. I was thinking the same thing.”

“Of course you were! I’m your grandma and you’re my eldest grandson—you take after me, and that’s the best you could do!”

Watching the lively exchange between them, Gu Wanqing rubbed his temples with a headache.
“…Mother, you still don’t even know what kind of girl that rascal married. If she turns out to be some improper woman, how could she ever be allowed into the Gu family?”