Chapter 3: Divide the Family? No, Sever Ties Completely.

Second brother turned his head away.

The little sister, still sleepy, rubbed her eyes and said, “Mother, big brother, I’m hungry—please, food…”

“Mother and brother went to the old lady’s house to ask for money and food, but… if they can get anything from those people, it’s an accomplishment,” Second brother explained sarcastically.

If not for great misfortune, one would never know the treacherous nature of the Gu family—two-faced, selfish, and heartless.

Gu Yi quickly understood that it was unlikely they’d get any money or food. She hastily ran toward the old Gu family’s house.

She didn’t want Wang Yulan to face any more humiliation.

“What are you doing?”

“Looking for Mother,” Gu Yi replied.

Second brother glared at her in frustration and reluctantly followed, dragging his noisy little sister along.

“Second sister-in-law, please let me in to see Mother,” Lin Shi blocked the door, her expression a mix of pride and disdain.

This time, she truly believed that Wang Yulan was foolish enough to have no money left—not even enough to buy food—and had fallen to begging for alms.

However, she wasn’t the kind to part with money so easily.

“You’ve already split up, and now you still expect Mother to give you food?” Lin Shi sneered.

“I’m borrowing food, I’ll repay it. The children are still hungry. Will Mother just watch them starve to death? They are her flesh and blood grandchildren,” Wang Yulan said, gripping Dalang tightly, trying to draw warmth from her son.

“You make it sound like your family is the only one with flesh-and-blood grandchildren. Mother has other grandchildren too. If it weren’t for your useless husband losing the battle, we wouldn’t have ended up in this desolate place fishing for food. And now you have the audacity to ask for money and food,” Lin Shi spat out, her words harsh.

Wang Yulan’s face turned pale.

Dalang clenched his fists, wanting to rush forward, but Wang Yulan held him back.

“Is this really what Mother wants? Is she blaming me, and her own son?” Wang Yulan asked, voice trembling.

“Wake up, Wang Yulan! Can’t you see that Mother doesn’t want to see you? You’re just a widow, barely getting by, exiled to this wasteland. You’re lower than even the lowliest criminals! And now you want to pass your bad luck onto us?” Lin Shi continued, her voice dripping with venom.

Wang Yulan’s breath quickened as she stood frozen, unable to utter a word.

Dalang, furious, tried to push past his mother, but his strength failed him.

What had this hateful woman done? He would teach her a lesson once and for all!

Suddenly, a sharp retort broke the tension.

“For years, you enjoyed wealth and praise under my father’s name, parading around as if you were a queen, but I never heard you criticize yourself for being a parasite, living off others!”

The curse was like a clap of thunder.

Gu Yi walked slowly over to Wang Yulan’s side, giving Lin Shi a cold smirk.

This second aunt of hers had always been shameless, using her mother’s modesty to belittle them, but Gu Yi wasn’t one to take it lying down.

No one would bully her family.

She sneered, “When we were flourishing, if my parents hadn’t stopped him, Uncle would have abandoned you for your vanity. You’ve completely forgotten the kindness my parents showed you. What a heartless wretch!”

“Criticizing my mother? Did you forget that, besides being useless as a wife, your also tried to seduce my father? You wanted to become my stepmother, didn’t you? You think I would forget that?”

Lin Shi’s eyes widened in disbelief, glaring at Gu Yi.

“Gu Jiayi, you little bitch, what nonsense are you spouting?”

This brat had always been a clever one, but now she was speaking so crudely, like a wild dog. She was abandoning all semblance of decency.

Had she forgotten how she had seduced her father-in-law? Was it not humiliating for her family to be associated with such a scandal? Was she the only one who could be disgusted?

“Do you think that after my father died, all the shameful things you did would just vanish into the dust? I saw you seducing my father with my own eyes! Just looking at you makes me sick!”

“Gu Jiayi! Shut your mouth!” Lin Shi screamed in fury.

Wang Yulan, also shocked, looked at her once-friendly sister-in-law, disgust filling her heart. This woman was so two-faced. Her stomach churned.

“Ugh!”

She couldn’t help but vomit some bile.

Lin Shi’s face darkened further, and she shot them both a venomous glare.

“Get out! Don’t even think about stepping inside this house!”

She still stood firmly in the doorway.

Just then, a hoarse yet forceful voice came from inside.

“Enough! What’s all this noise outside? Get in here! Have you no shame?”

It was Old Madam Gu.

Gu Yi looked at Lin Shi’s grim expression, narrowing her eyes in satisfaction.

Sure enough, Old Madam Gu still cared about her reputation.

Gu Yi pushed Lin Shi aside and pulled her family into the house.

This house, compared to their little stone house, could be considered luxurious. It was much bigger, and the furniture and decorations were well-appointed.

She let out a cold laugh.

Back when they were exiled, they hadn’t yet divided the family. It was her mother who had given all the money for the officials’ bribes, without protecting herself from these people.

And yet, they kept their own savings, eating well, drinking well, and living in large houses, leaving her mother to fend for herself.

Lin Shi scrambled up, heading back to the house.

“Mother! Gu Jiayi insulted me so!”

“Lin Shi, shut up!” Old Madam Gu’s voice came sternly from inside.

Seeing her mother-in-law, Lin Shi shrank back like a mouse meeting a cat.

Old Madam Gu looked at Gu Yi with eyes filled with an unknown emotion.

Gu Yi remained silent, her face betraying nothing.

Eventually, Old Madam Gu spoke coldly, “Jiayi, your branch of the family is separated. You shouldn’t have returned.”

Her words were harsh, dismissing them immediately.

Wang Yulan looked at Gu Yi with concern.

The one who felt most deeply connected to Old Madam Gu was undoubtedly the eldest daughter.

The tension between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was always fierce, but in the past, Old Madam Gu had taken her daughter away, creating distance between them.

Now, with nowhere to go, Wang Yulan had no choice but to first feed her children before worrying about anything else.

Gu Yi, still calm, replied, “Perhaps you’ve misunderstood, Mother. From now on, we shall sever ties. This isn’t a separation of the family; it’s severing ties completely.”

Old Madam Gu fell silent, her eyes flickering slightly.

Severing ties.

Yes, cutting ties with these people meant they would no longer have any reason to cling to them.

“Is that how you want to cast us aside? Use us until we’re no longer useful and then throw us away? Isn’t that a little too cruel?” Gu Yi spoke calmly, her voice firm.

“At least you should pay the debt you owe us. When we were in the Marquis’ household, we lived off my father’s hard-earned money. I won’t press that, but on the journey, how much money did my mother pay for you? And you plan to just ignore that?”

Old Madam Gu remained unmoved. “It’s the duty of a daughter-in-law to honor her mother-in-law.”

Even though Wang Yulan had never planned to demand repayment, hearing this, she couldn’t help but turn pale with rage.

She had never known that Old Madam Gu could be so shameless.

“It is the duty of a grandmother to raise her grandchildren as well,” Gu Yi said with a mocking smile. “From today on, my siblings and I will live with the Old Gu family. Whatever you eat, we will eat. Wherever you sleep, we will sleep.”

Second brother, still stunned by Gu Yi’s words, finally regained his senses and added, “Grandmother, you have to take care of me. My stomach hurts, can you get a physician for me?”

Old Madam Gu’s face finally shifted, her anger flaring up.

She didn’t care about him!

Her most promising grandson, her only grandson, was from the second branch—Gu Jiaxin! He was studying for the imperial examinations!

“You think you can stay here and eat for free? No way!”

A furious man appeared in the doorway, holding a stick.

It was her third uncle.

He glared at Gu Yi and her family. “Get out! The eldest branch’s family, leave now!”

Gu Yi looked at him with an emotionless expression.

“It is our right to be supported. If you don’t, I’ll report it to the authorities!”

The little sister, terrified, started crying louder.

Wang Yulan hurriedly embraced her to calm her down.

“Gu Jiayi, do you really think I won’t hit you?” her third uncle snarled.

He had to save his money to support his son’s education. He had no time to take care of these useless people. They had to go.

Gu Yushun, in a fit of anger, swung his stick at her.

“Yi’er!”

Wang Yulan and her siblings rushed towards Gu Yi in panic.

If the strike landed, it could seriously injure her.

Gu Yi swiftly dodged the blow and, with one kick, knocked Gu Yushun to the ground.

Dalang, relieved to see his sister unharmed, felt a rush of adrenaline, his exhaustion forgotten. He climbed on top of Gu Yushun and began pounding his fists into his face.

He had practiced martial arts from a young age and was stronger than most adults.

“Ahhh! Help me!” Gu Yushun screamed.

Xu Shi, who had been watching from the side, rushed over to claw at Dalang.

Seeing her son attacked, Wang Yulan’s anger exploded. She grabbed Xu Shi and retaliated with force.

The little sister cried louder.

“Stop!” Old Madam Gu shouted in fury.

Dalang and Wang Yulan refused to stop, determined to beat them into submission.

Old Madam Gu’s face turned pale, her anxiety mounting. “Go fetch the village chief! My third son is going to be killed!”

The village chief arrived soon after.

Wang Yulan and Dalang, both exhausted and out of energy, were gasping for breath as they stopped their attack.

“Village chief, please help us! They’re not only trying to rob us but now they’re beating my son!” Wang Yulan cried out.

The village chief frowned, confused. “You’re family, aren’t you?”

“Village chief, I can’t take this anymore. I want to sever ties with them. Enough is enough!” Wang Yulan sobbed.

Gu Yi sneered. “I won’t agree! If we sign the severing agreement, we’ll starve to death! What kind of grandmother throws her family away after using them? On the way here, my mother used all her money to help you, and you don’t even plan to repay her?”

The village chief looked at the children, their skinny bodies and pale faces, and then turned his attention to the well-fed Gu family, calculating in his mind.

“Old Madam Gu, if you’re this ruthless, I can’t testify to the severing of ties. Also, if your family has any stain on its reputation, your grandson’s future might be at risk.”

Old Madam Gu’s face turned a shade darker.