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“Your child is in this state, and yet you’re here causing trouble? If you keep creating chaos, the child won’t have the energy to conduct business. Do you want to go hungry?” Hong Gang scolded.
“The shop is right there, money will come,” Hong Shi boasted shamelessly.
Gu Xiruo was infuriated by her casual remark. If it were that simple, why would she be tirelessly working around?
“Shut up. Do you think running a business is as easy as you make it sound? One wrong move could lead to bankruptcy. Xiruo is already managing this family business with difficulty. If you dare to cause trouble for her, then get out,” Hong Gang warned.
“Xiruo provides us with good clothes, a place to stay, and food to eat. You should be content,” Hong Gang emphasized.
Gu Xiruo felt a bit relieved knowing at least one person could understand. If both were like Hong Shi, she might have given up entirely.
“If you have things to attend to, go ahead. I’ll take care of things here,” Hong Gang reassured Gu Xiruo, seeing her distress.
Gu Xiruo hesitated as she looked at Hong Shi, a sight that left Hong Gang feeling somewhat helpless. “Alright, don’t worry about this. You go attend to your tasks first; I’ll handle things here,” he said.
“I’ll take my leave then.”
“Fine.”
Once Gu Xiruo had left, the smile on Hong Gang’s face turned dark and menacing, startling Hong Shi. She had never seen this terrifying side of Hong Gang before.
Staring coldly at Hong Shi, Hong Gang warned, “Hong Shi, this is my final warning. If you dare to cause trouble for our daughter, don’t blame me for not being kind to you.”
However, Hong Shi still felt indignant and retorted, “I don’t see anything wrong with what I’m doing. After all the hard work we’ve put in over the years, why shouldn’t we enjoy some comforts? It’s not like it costs much.”
She simply couldn’t believe Gu Xiruo’s claim about there being no bird’s nest at home.
Don’t think she doesn’t know that young ladies from affluent families consume bird’s nest for beauty and health benefits.
Hong Gang’s temple pulsed with rage. Did she dare to dismiss his words as nonsense?
Struggling to contain his anger, Hong Gang couldn’t hold back and delivered a slap, followed by a beating to Hong Shi.
Seeing Hong Shi on the ground with blood at the corner of her mouth, Hong Gang warned, “If you want to live well with our daughter, behave yourself. You have food, shelter, and clothing, but if you dare cause any trouble, don’t blame me for being ruthless. You know the kind of person I am, so don’t give me a reason to act against you.”
After his stern words, Hong Gang left to interact more with the household servants, aiming to adapt quickly to everything at home. He didn’t want to cause trouble for Gu Xiruo by allowing Hong Shi to disrupt the harmony.
Gu Xiruo, upon hearing about Hong Shi being beaten, felt no sympathy. Instead, she believed it was well-deserved.
“Miss, these two individuals…”
“Qingqing, you should know that I am not the biological daughter of the Gu family.” Gu Xiruo disclosed this fact to her trusted maid, whom she still believed in.
“They are my biological parents seeking refuge with me, but I won’t disclose their identities. Be respectful to my father, but there’s no need to bother with that woman,” Gu Xiruo instructed, emphasizing her intentions.
Qingqing nodded quickly, delighted by Gu Xiruo’s trust in her.
“I actually find the master quite kind, always considering your well-being. It’s just that Hong Shi is too full of herself,” Qingqing remarked.
Gu Xiruo nodded in agreement. “Perhaps exposure to the outside world has made her believe she can act recklessly once inside the household.”
If Hong Shi pushed her to the edge later on, Gu Xiruo wouldn’t mind getting her hands dirty.
“Miss, are you going out today?”
“Yes, let’s go. I’ll buy some things to appease Hong Shi. Also, inform the household seamstress to make some good clothes for my father,” Gu Xiruo instructed before heading out.
From the way Gu Xiruo addressed her and her demeanor, Gu Xiruo’s singular focus on Hong Gang as her father was evident. As for Hong Shi, she was merely regarded as an intruder.
“Don’t worry, Miss. I will ensure everything is taken care of,” Qingqing assured.
“I trust your abilities. Let’s go,” Gu Xiruo replied.
After arriving in the capital city, Hong Gang spent each day familiarizing himself with the household affairs, gradually becoming adept at managing them. On the other hand, Hong Shi did nothing all day, behaving as if she were the lady of the house.
Constantly scolding the maids, she had already put them off, but only that woman seemed oblivious to the situation.
While Hong Shi hadn’t committed any major offenses in recent days, small problems persisted. The most serious incident occurred when she took one of Gu Xiruo’s hairpins from her room.
When Gu Xiruo saw her hairpin on Hong Shi’s head, she trembled with anger.
“Why did you take my belongings?” Gu Xiruo angrily questioned when alone with Hong Gang and his wife.
Hong Shi responded with dissatisfaction, “How can you say that? What do you mean by ‘take’? Is it considered stealing when a mother takes her daughter’s things?”
“Did you inform Xiruo when you took her hairpin?” Hong Gang interjected.
“No, we are mother and daughter…” Before she could finish, Hong Shi met Hong Gang’s intense gaze, sending a shiver down her spine.
“Isn’t it just a hairpin?” Hong Shi attempted to downplay the situation.
“It’s not just any hairpin. It was a gift I received at my coming-of-age ceremony. Do you know how important it is to me?” Hairpins from coming-of-age ceremonies hold great significance for women.
Hong Shi took the hairpin without asking, disregarding its sentimental value to Gu Xiruo.
“If you had told me you wanted hairpins, I could have given you something else or bought them for you. When I bought clothes and fabrics for you before, I even got two sets of hair accessories. Why did you do this?” Gu Xiruo was truly furious this time.
Hong Gang was surprised to learn that the hairpin was a gift for Gu Xiruo’s coming-of-age ceremony.
Despite knowing she was in the wrong, Hong Shi didn’t apologize. Instead, she stiffly retorted, “If I didn’t know, I could just return it to you now, right?”
With that, she tossed the hairpin onto the table, but the force caused it to fall to the ground, breaking the intricate design into two pieces.
Gu Xiruo trembled as she pointed at the unrepentant Hong Shi and looked at the broken hairpin on the floor.
Seeing Hong Shi provoke her daughter to this point, not only failing to show remorse for her actions but also breaking the child’s possession, Hong Gang’s disdain for Hong Shi deepened.
“Qingqing, please take our young lady back to rest,” Hong Gang instructed.
Qingqing entered and, seeing the broken hairpin, trembled with anger. “Sir, this was a precious gift given to our young lady at her coming-of-age ceremony by a kind sister who, unfortunately, passed away due to illness a few years ago. This hairpin was her sole keepsake for our young lady, and now it’s been broken like this.”
Our young lady only wore this hairpin on special occasions; otherwise, she kept it carefully stored. Seeing it shattered now, it’s no wonder she’s trembling with anger.
Amidst the criticism from everyone, Hong Shi grew irritated and retorted, “Who could have known it was so significant?”