Chapter 63: Gu Yunzhou

After the incident, Qiao Youfu and Qiao Youcai moved to the new foundation to sleep.

Qiao Jiangxin frequently ran between the house and the foundation.

They had planned to hire two master builders after finishing the foundation, with Qiao Youfu and Qiao Youcai helping.

But now, Qiao Jiangxin and her mother felt sorry for Qiao Youfu and Qiao Youcai, who were exposed to the elements at the foundation.

They wanted to finish the house quickly, so besides the two masters, they hired some strong villagers who had helped dig the foundation.

With Qiao Youfu and Qiao Youcai, there were thirteen strong laborers, and the house grew visibly taller each day.

Qiao Jiangxin helped Liu Afang cook and ran back and forth between the house and the construction site.

She became acquainted with Liu Xinyan, the girl who had spoken up for her.

Liu Xinyan was two years older than Qiao Jiangxin and a very optimistic woman. After becoming friends with Qiao Jiangxin, she often followed her.

She was curious about everything in the countryside, following Qiao Jiangxin to pick vegetables, wash clothes by the river, and go to market.

“What’s your relationship with Old Man Cheng?” Qiao Jiangxin asked curiously.

“I don’t have a relationship with Old Man Cheng. Gu Yunzhou does. Old Man Cheng is Gu Yunzhou’s maternal uncle.”

Qiao Jiangxin asked, “Who is Gu Yunzhou?”

“He… sigh, he’s unlucky, just like me,” Liu Xinyan’s tone suddenly became low when she mentioned Gu Yunzhou.

“He’s from our compound, grew up with us, and was the most outstanding person among us, the ‘other people’s child’ in the eyes of the adults in our compound.

He was a captain at 21. If it weren’t for that incident, he might be a regimental deputy commander now.”

Liu Xinyan seemed to have found someone to confide in and told Qiao Jiangxin everything.

“He’s 23 this year. He got engaged to my cousin three years ago, but last year, during a border mission, he was shot.”

Liu Xinyan pointed to her chest, “Here, less than a centimeter from his heart. The bullet is still there, and the best doctors at the military hospital dare not remove it, fearing it might kill him.”

Liu Xinyan sighed dejectedly.

“Not only that, he can’t continue combat training and has various sequelae.  A time bomb next to his heart; no one knows when he might die.”

Qiao Jiangxin didn’t understand, “Then why did you come to the countryside? Don’t you have good doctors in the city? Surely there’s a way.”

Liu Xinyan’s face darkened, “His family hopes he can leave for a while, and my family hopes I can follow him.

Jiangxin, the more noble and capable a person seems, the more shameless things they can do and the better they can cover it up.”

Through Liu Xinyan’s confession, Qiao Jiangxin understood.

The older generation who fought in the wars had retired, and the second generation of the Gu family didn’t have outstanding children, gradually losing influence in the military. But because of Gu Yunzhou, the third generation, the whole family benefited and regained power.

Some shrewd old men had their eyes on Gu Yunzhou, and the Liu family took the lead, arranging a marriage between their eldest daughter, Liu Xinyue, and Gu Yunzhou.

Liu Xinyue was beautiful and outstanding, already successful in the art troupe at a young age.

She and Gu Yunzhou were a perfect match.

Everything was going well, but then Gu Yunzhou had an accident last year.

The whole Gu family was in turmoil. Their power in the military was threatened.

If Gu Yunhai, Gu Yunzhou’s older brother, hadn’t also been on that mission and been promoted from platoon leader to company commander, the Gu family might have lost their power…

Qiao Jiangxin blinked, “So Gu Yunzhou is your cousin’s husband?”

Liu Xinyan’s face was wooden, her tone sarcastic, “My cousin is so excellent, how could she marry a dying man?

She doesn’t do anything; she just needs to frown, and my uncle and aunt will fight for her.”

Liu Xinyan turned to Qiao Jiangxin, “Didn’t you ask why we came to the countryside? Because my cousin, Gu Yunzhou’s fiancée, is marrying his older brother. He, the one involved, has to avoid them; otherwise, it would be awkward.”

Qiao Jiangxin’s eyes widened, “What? My cousin is shameless!

She broke off the engagement and became his brother’s wife?

Do Gu Yunzhou’s elders agree?

His fiancée became his brother’s wife.  Wouldn’t that kill their excellent son?”

Liu Xinyan sneered, “It’s not my cousin who’s shameless. Everyone knows that Gu Yunhai, knowing he wouldn’t live long, broke off the engagement to avoid delaying my cousin. My cousin, with high morals, didn’t agree. 

The Gu family elders, fearing my cousin would be wronged, proposed that the eldest son, Gu Yunhai, fulfill the engagement. My cousin, after much persuasion from my uncle and aunt, reluctantly agreed.”

Qiao Jiangxin sighed, “That poor guy. When he was healthy, he was the pride of the family, the best of the next generation. Now that he’s injured, he’s abandoned by his family and his lover.”

Qiao Jiangxin turned to Liu Xinyan, “What about you? What does this have to do with you?”

Liu Xinyan twitched her lips, “My uncle and aunt were afraid that Gu Yunzhou wouldn’t die immediately and would be awkward living under the same roof with my cousin.

Or maybe they were afraid Gu Yunzhou might recover, so they pushed me, an easy target, forward.

I’m a medical worker at the military hospital. They gave me a transfer order, ostensibly to let me take care of him, hoping we’ll fall in love.”

Qiao Jiangxin’s mouth dropped open, “So you became your former cousin-in-law’s fiancée?

My goodness, this world is crazy!”

Liu Xinyan quickly retorted, “No, I have someone I like. He’s a surgeon at the military hospital. He’s gentle and refined, much more handsome than Gu Yunzhou.

My uncle and aunt know about this, and Gu Yunzhou knows too. He treats me like a neighbor’s younger sister.”

Liu Xinyan sat beside Qiao Jiangxin, propping her chin on her hands, “Jiangxin, you think Gu Yunzhou is pitiful, right?

There’s something even more terrifying.

I overheard someone say that Gu Yunhai’s promotion might have been at Gu Yunzhou’s expense, and the Gu family tacitly approved it.

They sucked his blood, climbed on his body, took everything from him, and forced him to the countryside.

Jiangxin, is family honor really that important?

Even their own family members are scheming against each other?”

Qiao Jiangxin twitched her lips, “What about him? Did he just give up?  If he hadn’t agreed, it would have been difficult to manipulate things, right?”

Liu Xinyan shook her head, “I don’t know. I just see him becoming more and more silent.  Even if he wanted to resist, what could he do?

The bullet in his body is a time bomb.  No one knows how long he can live before a solution is found.

He needs to be alive to resist.”