Chapter 41 – Double Standards

Gu Qingshan wasn’t at all surprised that Madam Yuan would say something like that. After all, he carried the Yuan family’s blood in his veins, and he had inherited quite a bit of the Jiang family’s selfishness. Having lost his mother at a young age, Gu Qingshan had developed an especially stubborn nature.

This manifested in his obsession with money and his strict protectiveness toward his younger sister, Gu Caihe.

Gu Caihe was foolish—Gu Qingshan was likely aware of this—but she was his only sister, born of the same mother.

Their birth mother had passed away, and the two of them were pitiful, motherless children.

And he was the elder brother. It was only natural for an older brother to take care of his younger sister.

So even if his sister was foolish, as long as it was within his tolerance, Gu Qingshan would lend a helping hand.

But that did not apply to the Jiang family.

Gu Qingshan was no fool. Ever since his mother Jiang passed away, their interactions with the Jiang family had lessened considerably. Even when their maternal grandmother Madam Yuan occasionally remembered them, it was just to bring them over to the Jiang household for a day or half a day. Even then, the aunts would still resent the siblings for eating for free.

Of course, they wouldn’t dare say such things in front of the old couple.

To those aunts, he and his sister were just there to mooch. They naturally assumed that he and his sister had a hard time under their stepmother’s care, and so came running back to their maternal family for support.

But they had no idea—his stepmother Yan Fengru, though stern-faced, was actually quite capable. She could cook, and she wasn’t stingy with meat. He and his sister ate far better at home than they ever did at the Jiang family.

Only his foolish sister still truly believed they were being kind to them and that their stepmother Yan Fengru was some kind of wicked woman.

Indeed, Yan Fengru had children of her own, and Gu Qingshan didn’t particularly like her either—but he disliked the Jiang family even more.

Although Madam Yuan, as their maternal grandmother, wasn’t entirely bad to the siblings, deep down, they still couldn’t compare to the Jiang family’s cousins in her heart.

Moreover, Gu Qingshan had no interest in being a gullible fool.

Still, Madam Yuan was his maternal grandmother. As her grandson, there were things he couldn’t say too harshly.

So, he pushed the matter toward Li-shi. Madam Yuan’s expression darkened at once. “You little brat, a grown man being held back by a woman? How useless! I’m your blood grandmother. Get Li-shi out here—I’ll speak to her myself!”

Gu Qingshan put on a troubled expression. “Grandmother, Li-shi is pregnant and rather sensitive. You’re an elder—please don’t stoop to her level.”

“But it’s true we’re not financially well-off right now. Changwen is a smart and obedient child—we can’t let that go to waste. To be honest, we’re planning to nurture him properly.”

In other words, it wasn’t just about teaching the child a few characters. They had ambitions to have him pursue formal education long-term.

How much money does it take to cultivate a scholar? Madam Yuan knew full well. If it didn’t cost money, who wouldn’t want their child to become a gentleman and elevate the family?

“In a little while, once Li-shi gives birth… You already know, when we split the household, I only got this big courtyard. All the silver went to my younger brother. So where do I have money to lend your sons?”

Gu Qingshan said plainly. He knew exactly what the old lady meant when she said she wanted to borrow money.

After a pause, he added with a troubled look, “If you and Grandpa truly have no means to get by, then as your grandson, I will certainly do what I can.”

And only what he could.

Gu Qingshan was very slick. His meaning was clear: If you, Madam Yuan, and Grandpa are starving to death, then of course I, as your grandson, won’t sit by and watch.

But don’t expect anything else. I’ve got pressure. I want to invest in my child’s education. My wife’s pregnant. I didn’t get any silver when the household was divided.

Sure, I got a house—but what use is a house? I can’t sell it. If I sell it, where would we live?

It had to be said, even though Madam Yuan had already mentally prepared herself for her grandson’s possible refusal, she was still deeply stung.

“Well then, how very kind of you!”

“You’re not even worried Li-shi might take your silver and hand it all over to her nephews from her mother’s side? Playing this act with me—have you no conscience? Your mother died young. All these years, if I hadn’t protected you two siblings, that wicked stepmother would’ve tormented you to death!”

“You think that vixen Yan is really a good person? If it weren’t for me and your uncles having your back, she would’ve destroyed you two long ago! Now you turn your back on us and don’t even care whether your uncles live or die? You ungrateful little bastard!”

Madam Yuan’s words were vicious, and her emotions ran high. She unconsciously raised her voice as she cursed, drawing the attention of the nearby villagers.

Hearing the commotion, they called out, “Oh wow, another drama at the Gu household!”

Gu Qingshan was absolutely enraged by Madam Yuan’s distortions and slander. But there was nothing he could do—she was his grandmother. He could argue that he didn’t have money, but he couldn’t strike her or speak harshly.

His son was going to be a scholar, and a scholar had to care about appearances.

And really, this old woman was a master of double standards. Back when Jiang-shi was still alive, she insisted her daughter control her husband Gu Dapeng’s finances, and that everything—whether necessary or not—should benefit the maternal family. Your mother’s family is your root!

But now she was implying that Li-shi might siphon off money for her own family. Twisting the facts and playing double standards—she was a true expert.

Once she noticed a crowd had gathered outside the Gu courtyard, she became even more agitated and began digging up old grievances.

As a result, some bystanders really did start thinking Gu Qingshan was ungrateful for not helping his saintly grandmother.

Gu Qingshan should help his struggling uncles. As far as the nosy crowd was concerned, they didn’t care whether Gu Qingshan actually had the money—sympathy always went to the weak.

After all, Gu Qingshan was a big, strapping man, and Madam Yuan was old and skinny. Watching her sit on the ground crying that her grandson was unfilial and wouldn’t lend her money—it was both ridiculous and pitiful.

…

When Gu Yuzhu and her mother and brother returned from town, they were force-fed this melodramatic tale of touching “grandparent-grandchild affection.” Gu Yuzhu was so excited she ate several sticky rice cakes in a row.

The severe consequence: that night, Gu Yuzhu was bloated and overstuffed. Her stomach wouldn’t digest, and she lay in bed like a little piglet, forcing her mother Yan Fengru to rub her belly…

Emmm… It was very embarrassing.

“Mom, so what happened after that? Did Madam Yuan actually manage to borrow money from Gu Qingshan?”

Seeing her little daughter care so much about this gossip, Yan Fengru couldn’t help but laugh.

“You really are a clever little imp. But why don’t you guess?”

Now, whenever Yan Fengru thought of that pair of adopted children, her heart didn’t stir a bit. In the past, she used to indulge Gu Dapeng in having their kids show some respect toward their elder siblings.

After all, by blood, those two technically were.

But ever since the big falling-out and the household division, Yan Fengru had stopped pretending to like that sibling pair altogether.

Gu Yuzhu and Gu Qingbai were both sharp kids. Once they realized their mother didn’t like that side of the family, they didn’t even bother with polite titles anymore. At least when it was just the three of them, they referred to them by name.

Calling them brother and sister? Not a chance.

“I don’t think he did. He cares too much about money—how would he let the Jiang family benefit for free? The Jiang family never treated them that well anyway.”

Yan Fengru looked at her daughter with approval. No doubt she was her daughter—so sharp at such a young age.

She nodded. When Gu Qingshan got married and Gu Caihe was married off, the Jiang family, as the maternal side, should have given something.

But they didn’t.

So Gu Qingshan knew very well what was going on.