Chapter 20 Borrow money and marry yourself

Gu Chuxue shook her head frantically in denial.

“I didn’t, Brother, I’ve never spoken badly about Gu Jinshu in front of Mom and Dad. If you don’t believe me, you can ask them. Even if I’m not your biological sister, I grew up with you—don’t you know what kind of person I am?”

The more she spoke, the more wronged she seemed, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“These past weeks, you haven’t been coming home for dinner. Mom and Dad and I have been thinking about you all the time. And now, after you finally come back, before you’ve even had a bite to eat, you start accusing Mom, Dad, and me. Did Gu Jinshu say something to you?”

With just a few sentences, she shifted the blame back onto Gu Jinshu.

Gu Moyu didn’t catch the hidden meaning in her words. Seeing his sister cry, he immediately softened. Chuxue was right—they had grown up together, and he had always doted on her. How could she possibly be the kind of scheming person he had just accused her of being?

Today, he had really let himself get riled up because of Gu Jinshu.

Taking a deep breath, Gu Moyu’s tone calmed.
“Dad, Mom, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that just now. But I hope you’ll seriously consider what I said—acknowledge Jinshu back into the family. She has always been part of the Gu family. We shouldn’t let outsiders gossip and damage our family’s reputation.”

Just hearing Gu Jinshu’s name made Niu Chunli unhappy.
“You think I didn’t go and call her back? Hmph! She’s found herself a backer now—why would she come back? Ignore her. Before long, Professor Zhang will get sick of her clumsy ways and kick her out. Then she’ll have no choice but to come crawling back.”

Gu Moyu knew it—his parents had no idea what Gu Jinshu was truly capable of. So he told them everything that had happened today in one go, then added:

“Professor Zhang treasures her like a precious gem. She never told us she knew traditional Chinese medicine. Acupuncture isn’t something you can master overnight—neither is pulse diagnosis. These take years of learning, plus natural talent. These days, more and more people study Western medicine, fewer and fewer study TCM, but when it comes to real skill, TCM stands out.”

Western medicine has the help of machines to see exactly where a problem lies. TCM relies entirely on the practitioner’s skill. There are plenty of good Western doctors, but truly outstanding TCM doctors are rare.

Gu Moyu was certain—Gu Jinshu’s future achievements in TCM would be no less than Zhang Pingtian’s.

“Maybe it’s just blind luck,” Niu Chunli muttered in disbelief.

“One case cured could be luck. But two? Three?” Gu Moyu said seriously. “Mom, right now it’s still not too late to mend our relationship with her. Soon, it really will be too late.”

On the side, Gu Chuxue bit her lip hard enough to taste blood, without even noticing it—how could Gu Jinshu, who had spent all these years in a mountain village without proper education, possibly know TCM?!

If Gu Jinshu’s abilities really surpassed hers in the future, then Gu Chuxue’s place in the Gu family would be gone.

She had thought that kicking Gu Jinshu out would solve everything, but clearly, she was far from done. No wonder the ancients said to “cut the weeds and pull out the roots, to eliminate trouble forever.” A flicker of murderous intent passed through her eyes.

“Maybe,” Gu Zehua said, his tone lightening a bit, “both our children inherited their grandmother’s medical genes.”

A son who was an orthopedic chief surgeon, and a daughter who was a genius in TCM—just thinking about it made him straighten his back with pride.

“Chunli, go find the girl later and have a proper talk. If she doesn’t want to come back, fine—but slowly mend the relationship. We can’t keep fighting like this.”

Niu Chunli understood her husband’s meaning and nodded. “Alright, I know.”

“Alright then, let’s eat.”

Gu Zehua’s mood had clearly improved.

Of the four people, the least happy was Gu Chuxue. She had to move quickly on her marriage to Qinghai, to avoid any unforeseen complications.

…

Lin Qinghai was seeing Gu Chuxue less and less often; it was usually her seeking him out. Even when they met, they barely exchanged a few words before he sent her home.

“Qinghai-ge, we haven’t seen each other in so long—don’t you miss me?” Gu Chuxue looked at him with pitiful eyes. “But I miss you~”

“Xiaoxue, even if you miss me, we can’t see each other every day. I’m busy.” Lin Qinghai spoke with a helpless tone. “To marry you, I need a bride price. According to your parents, we have to hold a big wedding. Just the banquet at the state-run restaurant will cost me all my savings from the past few years, not to mention wedding photos. I just got approval from the military district for a family housing unit, but we still have to furnish it—exactly to your standards. All of this costs money. You know my family’s financial situation—it’s not as good as the Gu family’s. I don’t want you to suffer, so I have to grit my teeth and earn the money.”

“I understand, I understand everything you just said…” Gu Chuxue nodded repeatedly. “The bride price—my parents have already agreed to add it to my dowry, not a cent less. They’ll also prepare my wedding bedding and daily necessities. The bride price is just a formality. We can take cheaper wedding photos.”

Lin Qinghai took her arm in a firm grip, his voice heavy.
“I said I won’t let you suffer. Recently, I’ve just applied for a task from my superior. Once it’s completed, my bonus this month will be higher. Don’t come looking for me—when I have time, I’ll come to you, alright?”

Gu Chuxue didn’t know what to say. Lin Qinghai was working himself to the bone to marry her—on paper, something to be happy about. But for some reason, she couldn’t feel happy.

Was there resentment in his tone? Was he blaming her in his heart?

After much thought, she decided she had to find a way to help him—by borrowing money.

This was already the absolute minimum amount they could spend—any less was impossible.

She went to Lin Jinxiu, her only friend who was generous and wealthy.

“Chuxue, do you really like Lin Qinghai that much? You’re borrowing money from me for him—basically marrying yourself?” Lin Jinxiu couldn’t understand.

“Of course I can lend you the money, but I hope you’ll think carefully before doing this. If Qinghai can’t even afford to marry a wife right now, you shouldn’t marry him—wait until he can afford it.”

“No,” Gu Chuxue shook her head. “We can’t delay our marriage. Jinxiu, you don’t understand my situation. Just lend me the money first—after the wedding, I’ll pay you back right away, with interest.”

“No need to be so formal—I wouldn’t take interest from you.” Lin Jinxiu still thought it was absurd. “What exactly do you see in Lin Qinghai?”