Chapter 4: Two Children Were Thrown Out

“Let’s have shredded pork noodles for lunch.”

Jiang Yiyi’s voice came from inside the house.

The Gu family hadn’t eaten meat in a long time. Gu Yunyang and Gu Yuncan were fine, but Gu’s mother had a weak stomach. Stewed meat would upset her, but shredded pork noodles were perfect—they had both meat and noodles, making them suitable for her.

Gu Yunchi had bought five kilograms of pork intending to stew it, but upon hearing Jiang Yiyi’s suggestion, she didn’t dare speak up. However, she knew how to roll noodles and make shredded pork. She’d never heard of shredded pork noodles before, so she asked, “Do you put the shredded pork in the noodles?”

Hearing her question, Jiang Yiyi knew she couldn’t cook them. She came out of the house, took a small stool, and sat in the shade by the kitchen door.

Actually, she preferred to cook herself. She loved food and enjoyed cooking, but her body was so sore and weak that she couldn’t muster the energy.

Seeing her come out, Gu Yunyang deeply regretted not hiding some of the meat and noodles earlier. He straightened his small body. If this woman dared to give these things away, he would fight her!

Jiang Yiyi pretended not to see his actions. After Gu Yunchi and the others unloaded the things from the cart and put them away, she was asked to clean the meat, slice it into pieces, and then shred it into thin strips for later use.

Then, after Gu Yunchi mixed and rolled the noodles, Jiang Yiyi was told to start the pot, heat the oil, stir-fry the shredded pork until it changed color, add seasoning, and then add an appropriate amount of water, simmering for three minutes.

The aroma of the meat wafted out.

Gu Yunyang, who had been standing nearby, constantly watching Jiang Yiyi’s every move, couldn’t help but swallow his saliva. He unconsciously took a few steps towards the kitchen door, but when he caught Jiang Yiyi’s eye, he quickly retreated back to his original spot, not wanting her to see him.

“Yunchi, hurry home and take a look! Your two children have been thrown out!”

A woman ran in from outside. She was also from Gujia Village and, like Gu Yunchi, had married into Qinjia Village. She heard crying outside at noon and, upon discovering it was Gu Yunchi’s two daughters, quickly came to tell her.

Gu Yunchi ran out, Gu Yunyang followed, and Jiang Yiyi also got up, running out while telling Gu Yuncan, “Stay home and take care of Mother.”

Qinjia Village was three li away from Gujia Village. It had rained recently, and the road was muddy. Gu Yunchi fell several times, getting up again and again, running frantically towards home.

Gu Yunyang followed closely behind, his little face tight. Jiang Yiyi was last, almost falling several times, but she gritted her teeth and kept up.

As soon as they entered the village, they heard the children’s heart-wrenching cries. Getting closer, they saw the two children sitting in the mud, their lower bodies soaked, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers gossiping but not helping.

The Qin family’s gate was tightly closed, as if the two children had nothing to do with them.

Gu Yunchi ran over, hugging her two daughters tightly. The two little girls were terrified, crying uncontrollably in their familiar embrace.

Jiang Yiyi, supporting her knees, gasped for breath. “Yunyang, go kick the door open!”

Gu Yunyang rushed over and kicked the Qin family’s gate hard. The gate flew open, hitting the wall and bouncing back with a loud bang, startling the Qin family inside.

Screams came from the courtyard, followed by curses, “Who dares to do this? I’ll break your legs!”

Jiang Yiyi straightened up and stepped forward, shielding Gu Yunyang behind her.

Qin’s mother came out of the courtyard. Seeing it was Jiang Yiyi, she paused unconsciously. Qin’s father came out behind her, his face dark. Seeing Jiang Yiyi, his face darkened even further. She had the nerve to come to their door to demand money! He spat, “Debts die with the person; I won’t pay a cent!”

“My gate cost fifty yuan! Pay for it!”

Without a word, Jiang Yiyi raised her foot and kicked another gate hard. The gate hit the wall and bounced back again.

Qin’s mother was heartbroken; while the two gates weren’t worth fifty yuan, they had cost thirty.

Qin’s father was so angry that his temples throbbed. If he hadn’t wanted to maintain a good image in front of the villagers, he would have slapped Jiang Yiyi. Since their family became wealthy, this was the first time someone dared to defy them.

“Make Qin Gang come out!”

Qin Gang wasn’t home. If he were, Qin’s mother wouldn’t have thrown the two children out. As long as her son didn’t see it, even if Gu Yunchi reported it later, her son wouldn’t side with her.

“Jiang Yiyi, don’t push your luck. Since our families are related, we’ve tolerated you…”

Jiang Yiyi kicked the gate again, the gate narrowly missing Qin’s mother, hitting the wall and bouncing back once more.

Qin’s mother screamed and stumbled backward, stepping into a small mud puddle. She reached out and grabbed Qin’s father, and they both fell to the ground.

The onlookers burst into laughter.

Qin Lan, who had been eavesdropping inside the courtyard, ran out and helped Qin’s father and mother up, a triumphant smile on her lips. Let them fight, the bigger the fight, the better. Hopefully, Gu Yunchi and her brother would divorce today.

A few days ago, she woke up to find herself reborn. Remembering how in her previous life, Gu Yunchi controlled the Qin family’s company and didn’t give her a cent, leading to her impoverished life, being bullied by her in-laws, and finally dying miserably, she had been urging Qin’s mother to pick a fight with Gu Yunchi. Today, she had Qin’s mother go to Gu’s house to cause trouble and throw the two children out. She knew Gu Yunchi valued her children more than her life and would surely cause a big scene. Her brother already disliked Gu Yunchi, and maybe he would divorce her after this.

Without Gu Yunchi, once her brother expanded the company, she would be a proper rich young lady with endless money, able to do whatever she wanted without having to look at anyone’s face.

“Gu’s sister-in-law, you’re too much! My parents are elders, how can you treat them like this?”

“A person without humanity doesn’t deserve to be an elder!”

Qin Lan was speechless. She remembered that in her previous life, Jiang Yiyi wasn’t so sharp-tongued. She wouldn’t retort even when scolded. Why had she suddenly changed so much? Had she also been reborn?

Then she dismissed the idea. If Jiang Yiyi had been reborn, she would have clung to Bai Jun, knowing he would go to university in Beijing and stay there, becoming an enviable Beijinger.

The sound of a motorcycle approached. Only Qin Gang in Qinjia Village had a motorcycle. The onlookers became even more excited.

The motorcycle wobbled to a stop nearby. Qin Gang saw Gu Yunchi holding her two mud-covered daughters and frowned.

He had genuinely liked Gu Yunchi in the past. She was like a flower, delicate, beautiful, and generous. But after Gu’s father died, she quickly withered, losing her spirit and becoming like countless other rural women. He gradually grew tired of her, especially after she had two daughters, cutting off the Qin family’s lineage. He didn’t even want to look at her.

“Gu Yunchi, is this how you take care of your children?”