Chapter 31: Thank you, Gu Chengfeng

The thought of Shen Sisi cooking for others made Gu Chengfeng feel a knot in his stomach.

She used to be a young lady who never touched a drop of water in the kitchen.

Her father was a principal, and her mother a unit employee; they were a scholarly family.

Her hands were meant for holding pens and playing the qin, not for doing such rough work.

Especially… for these outsiders.

Gu Chengfeng snorted coldly and started to heat the oil.

Looking at the prepared ingredients, he put them into the pan one by one.

His cooking wasn’t skillful, but his movements were confident and he looked the part.

After all, even if you haven’t eaten pork, you’ve seen pigs run, right?

Soon, a table of dishes was ready.

Spicy Mapo Tofu, stir-fried green peppers with pork, tomato and egg stir-fry, dried tofu with pork, and stir-fried yardlong beans with minced pork all essential dishes for a hearty meal.

Shen Sisi didn’t expect Gu Chengfeng to have this skill; it was no worse than a state-run restaurant…

Even Heizi blinked his eyes several times.

Had he not been mistaken? His Brother Feng could actually cook?!

Was it edible?

Would they be poisoned…?

When Gu Chengfeng served the last dish, garlic stir-fried cabbage, his expression cold and handsome, he gestured for everyone to eat.

“Today… thank you all for your hard work!” Gu Chengfeng raised his glass and drank it down in one gulp.

Heizi and his few younger brothers did the same.

Seeing that Gu Chengfeng finally had a home, a bright house and a gentle, beautiful wife, Heizi’s eyes suddenly felt watery.

Gu Chengfeng didn’t notice Heizi at all, only diligently serving Shen Sisi and Niu Niu.

Seeing Shen Sisi only taking care of Niu Niu and not eating herself, Gu Chengfeng forcefully took her bowl.

“I’ll feed the child, you eat while it’s hot.”

“No, I’ll do it…” Shen Sisi asked him to chat with the guests; she was used to eating like this.

Hearing the word “used to,” Gu Chengfeng’s eyes darkened.

Was that scoundrel treating Shen Sisi like this all these years?

How much suffering had she endured…

His fingers holding the spoon trembled, but his face remained calm: “Aren’t you wondering how Heizi got these things back?”

Heizi immediately chimed in: “Yeah, sister-in-law, you wouldn’t believe how exciting this story is…”

Shen Sisi was instantly interested, no longer arguing with Gu Chengfeng, but curiously asking: “Tell me quickly, what happened?”

From her understanding of her uncle, something put in his mouth would never come out again? No way!

But this time was an exception!

Heizi wiped the oil from his mouth, picking his teeth with a sharp chicken bone.

“This matter, it’s not easy, nor is it simple,” Heizi smiled slyly: “Doesn’t your uncle often play cards with me?”

“Your dowry gifts, he lost them all to me at the card table.”

“What?” Shen Sisi was so surprised she couldn’t close her mouth.

She knew her uncle loved gambling and had lost a lot of money, but… to lose all the dowry gifts in just a few days was too exaggerated.

“You guys didn’t… cheat, did you!” Shen Sisi asked tentatively.

“Cheat” was a euphemism; she suspected Heizi and the others had cheated.

Heizi could hear the implication.

Misunderstood by Shen Sisi, he didn’t get angry, but explained with a smile: “How could we? Although Heizi has the face of a villain, I have my limits. The biggest taboo in gambling is cheating; I know the rules.”

“Then…” Shen Sisi was even more curious, what exactly happened.

Mentioning this, Heizi got angry: “The one who cheated wasn’t me, but your uncle!”

Heizi told her that Chen Jianguo was unskilled, poor, and loved gambling.

That day, for Shen Sisi’s dowry money, he had asked Heizi to borrow two hundred yuan.

After receiving Gu Chengfeng’s betrothal gifts, he first repaid his factory colleagues, only returning fifty to Heizi, using many things to offset the debt.

“Then, I got someone to persuade him to play mahjong with me, to win back those good things. That old man really fell for it, not going home after work, only coming to play cards with me.”

The result was naturally… he lost everything.

“When I saw he’d lost enough, I made an excuse that I was busy those two days and didn’t want to deal with him. Then he somehow got more things, saying… they were his daughter’s dowry, and wanted to gamble with me, so I agreed.”

“Who knew, to win, he cheated right under my nose, switching cards!”

Heizi angrily slapped the table, immediately subduing Chen Jianguo, threatening to cut off one of his fingers.

Chen Jianguo was so scared he wet his pants, compensating Heizi with some of his daughter Chen Ting’s dowry to settle the matter.

Hearing this, Shen Sisi could only say, “Serves him right!”

Chen Jianguo had lost everything.

Not only did he lose her dowry, but also Chen Ting’s dowry.

Whose fault was it?

His own fault for gambling, his greed, and his unscrupulous methods.

Shen Sisi felt very relieved, but soon couldn’t smile anymore.

He lost so badly, he would definitely take his anger out on his wife.

Realizing this, Shen Sisi’s heart felt like it was being squeezed by a hand, tight and painful…

Although her uncle was hateful, her aunt was genuinely kind to her, and she didn’t want to harm her aunt.

Gu Chengfeng saw her red eyes, his body stiffening: “Don’t worry, your aunt is fine.”

“How do you know?” Shen Sisi asked absentmindedly.

Before he could speak, Heizi said with a smile: “Don’t worry, sister-in-law, Brother Feng has already considered this. Chen Jianguo, let alone hitting your aunt, even if he raises his voice to her, he’ll have to think twice.”

Shen Sisi’s clear eyes stared at them.

Whose heart could withstand such a gaze?

Heizi didn’t dare to stall any longer, quickly saying: “I’ve adopted your aunt as my godmother!”

Shen Sisi was stunned, thinking she had misheard.

Heizi actually adopted her aunt as his godmother!!!

This trick could only have been thought up by Gu Chengfeng…

Shen Sisi was both amused and angry, and as soon as she looked up, she met Gu Chengfeng’s gaze.

“Gu Chengfeng, you’re amazing…”

With Heizi adopting her aunt as his godmother, Chen Jianguo would have to think twice before raising a hand.

After all, Heizi’s reputation in Lin County was no less than Gu Chengfeng’s back then.

Gu Chengfeng raised his glass, toasting Heizi alone: “Thank you, brother.”

Heizi clinked glasses with him. Perhaps because he had been drinking, he spoke more: “I should thank you… I, Heizi, had no parents since I was young, fighting with stray dogs for food, being bullied every day, fighting everywhere. You didn’t dislike me, you were willing to be friends with me, and led me back to the right path.”

“I can’t thank you enough…”

His eyes were filled with tears, every word sincere.

“A thousand words, all in this cup, let’s have one, brothers!”

Shen Sisi looked at Heizi from across the table, unexpectedly his life had been so pitiful.

But thankfully, he met Gu Chengfeng.

Shen Sisi stared at the tall, broad shoulders beside her, her lips curving upwards.

She picked up her chopsticks and took a piece of Mapo Tofu that Gu Chengfeng had made.

As soon as she put it in her mouth, she couldn’t help but spit it out.