Chapter 008

008

Back then, Old Mr. Qing had arranged a Childhood Sweetheart Marriage for her early on to pave her way. The other family were urban poor for generations, only becoming workers by the fourth generation—their roots were pure red. Considering his and the old lady’s backgrounds, this would provide an extra layer of protection for his daughter if anything happened in the future.

Moreover, he had done the Gu family a favor, and they lived in the same Apricot Blossom Alley, so he knew them well. At that time, it was the best choice. But what he didn’t know was that as they grew up, Gu An and Qingyin were like two melons that simply couldn’t be twisted together. Auntie Gu, overly enthusiastic, only made things worse between them with her meddling, and the two young people gradually drifted apart.

Later, Qingyin went to the countryside, and Gu An visited her once but left due to unforeseen circumstances. That departure turned into years without seeing each other. By the time they met again, both were well past marriageable age, yet neither wanted to settle for the other. He sent her living expenses every month, and they addressed each other only as siblings—until Qingyin’s death.

After Qingyin died, Gu An was the only one who went to claim her body.

Readers often lament how love-struck foolishness ruins lives—not only did it destroy Qingyin’s life but also dragged down the Gu mother and son.

Thinking of all this, Qingyin looked at Auntie Gu with deep remorse. “I’m sorry, Auntie Gu.”

“Sorry for what? I’m happy no matter what you call me. Anyway, we don’t need her pig slop. Auntie Gu will take you home for a proper meal. Let’s go.”

Qingyin sniffled and followed her out of the No. 16 compound.

The Gu residence was close, just a three-minute walk away. The layout was similar, but the Gu family was poor and had always lived in the rear wing room—dimly lit and cramped. A ten-square-meter space was divided into two by a newspaper partition, with mother and son each sleeping in one half.

“Brother Anzi is at work. Auntie Gu will make you something delicious, and we won’t let him know.” Auntie Gu coaxed her like a child, holding Qingyin’s hand and rubbing it gently, unable to tear her eyes away from her face for even a second.

“So good. How many years has it been since you last came here? Do you still remember this stool?”

“Your Uncle Gu made it for you, but he passed away before finishing it. Later, Brother Anzi completed it—though the legs ended up uneven.”

As a child, Qingyin loved following Gu An around. But being six years younger and tiny as a potato, she couldn’t see anything in crowds. So Uncle Gu made her a small stool so she could stand on it and watch the excitement.

Qingyin caressed the little stool fondly, picturing a simple, kind-hearted old man in her mind.

The elderly Gu couple originally had two sons. The eldest, Gu Quan, was a soldier who had repeatedly distinguished himself in battle, his future bright. The younger, Gu An, had been a beautiful child—fair-skinned, clever, and top of his class. Old Mr. Qing had his reasons for favoring Gu An back then.

But tragedy struck when Gu Quan sacrificed his life on a mission a few years later. The elderly couple, drowning in grief over losing their son, neglected the usually dependable Gu An. By the time they noticed something was wrong, he had transformed from a bright, exemplary student into a street hooligan everyone shook their heads at—either he was fighting others or others were fighting him, sometimes several times a day. He stopped studying properly and ran with the wrong crowd… Auntie Gu had suffered endless headaches over the years.

Auntie Gu rambled on with her complaints, but her hands never stopped moving. Soon, she had kneaded a smooth dough and set it aside to rise.

She went next door to borrow a handful of peanuts, roasted them until charred, rubbed off the red skins, and with a blow, was left with a palmful of golden peanut kernels.

“You always loved the pastries Aunt Gu made when you were little, especially the ones with sweet peanut filling. Try one today and see if her skills have slipped.”

Qingyin recalled that the Gu family had always struggled financially. Though Gu’s Father worked at the steel mill, he was frail and often ill. Aunt Gu had married into the family from a nearby village and still held rural residency status without formal employment. The entire household survived on Gu’s Father’s meager wages, yet they carried themselves with remarkable dignity. Old Mr. Qing had often wanted to help but was always refused. Their constant refrain was that poverty had its own way of living—they even frequently skimped on their own meals to make sweet peanut pastries for little Yinyin.

Aunt Gu might not excel at other dishes, but these pastries were her specialty. Fresh from the pan, she speared one with chopsticks and offered it. “Try it while it’s hot, Yinyin, careful now.”

From where the chopsticks pierced, melted sugar syrup and vegetable oil dripped tantalizingly. Qingyin’s heart ached at the sight. She took a bite—ouch! Burning hot!

But the sweetness was real, sweeter than any candy from her past life. The fragrance was genuine too—the peanuts fried to a crisp, their aroma filling her mouth, throat, even her ears. “Ma, what’s cooking? I smell peanuts…” A rakish young man appeared at the doorway, spotting the fair maiden seated on mismatched stools.

Her skin was snow-white, hair jet-black, eyes crinkled into crescent moons from smiling.

“Finally decided to come home, finally remembered you have a mother,” Aunt Gu snorted.

“Aw, Ma, you know I’ve been busy lately—new job, gotta make a good impression, can’t embarrass Dad, right?”

This “spirited youth” surprisingly had peach-blossom eyes that should have looked roguish, but his eyebrows were strikingly bold and well-shaped. Combined with his straight nose and perfectly proportioned lips, he exuded an intriguing mix of charm and mischief.

At over 185cm tall with broad shoulders, narrow waist, and—judging by his carelessly worn trousers—exceptionally well-proportioned long legs, he cut an impressive figure. Qingyin had dated several decent men in her past life, but none matched his striking looks.

“What, don’t recognize your Brother Anzi? Little brat, finally visiting us—thought you’d cut ties completely.” Gu An flicked her forehead playfully, then grabbed a pastry and took a bite, huffing at the heat.

So this was the “fiancé.”

“Don’t touch Yinyin with your dirty hands. She’s had a terrible day today…” And off Aunt Gu went, recounting the day’s events.

Gu An maintained his careless demeanor throughout his mother’s scolding, but Qingyin noticed something odd in his occasional glances—like he was subtly assessing something. Yet everyone knew him as the neighborhood’s notorious street hooligan!

Others might miss it, but Qingyin, having dealt with countless patients, suppliers, subordinates, and competitors in her past life, caught this subtle incongruity.

Still, she didn’t dwell on what felt off. Something more pressing suddenly occurred to her—the dowry.

Here’s how it happened. Back when the elderly Qing couple unexpectedly found themselves expecting a child in their later years, they had considered not going through with the pregnancy due to concerns about their energy levels and the feelings of their eldest son’s family. They even thought about terminating it. But Old Mrs. Qing’s health was frail, and the old man feared she might not survive the procedure, so in the end, they couldn’t bring themselves to take that step.

However, the elderly couple made things clear with their eldest son’s family: the wages of the eldest son and his wife were theirs to spend as they pleased, with no need to contribute to household expenses. The grandparents would cover all living costs for the entire family as compensation. Additionally, the couple’s assets would be divided equally between the two siblings, especially the four remaining properties Old Mrs. Qing had brought from her maiden family. If these could be recovered in the future, each child would get two; if not, then so be it.

At the time, the eldest son’s family chose the two largest properties, while Xiao Qingyin accepted the two smallest ones.

Worried that after their passing, the eldest son and his wife might renege on their promises and Xiao Qingyin’s dowry might not be secure, the old man entrusted Qingyin’s half of the dowry to someone reputedly very reliable. The arrangement was that Qingyin would only reclaim her inheritance after marriage, when she was mature enough to manage her finances wisely.

The person he entrusted was Qingyin’s Seventh Maternal Great Uncle.

Don’t let the lofty title fool you—this man wasn’t actually that old, just in his forties. He was a non-blood-related relative from Qingyin’s maternal family. Years ago, when his hometown in Hebei Province suffered a disaster, his entire family starved to death. Only he survived, thanks to the aid and support of Qingyin’s maternal grandmother. Later, he was even sent to a modern school, where he learned enough to make a living. From then on, he regarded Qingyin’s grandmother as his adoptive mother and maintained close ties with the Qing family, treating them as genuine relatives during holidays and family gatherings.

The old couple trusted his character, believing he wouldn’t embezzle the money. But Qingyin, having navigated the rough waters of business for years, knew that no relationship was truly reliable when faced with substantial interests. Money was safest only when held in one’s own hands.

Now, Qingyin was troubled by how to reclaim this money.

Times change, and people drift apart. In the original story, Qing Huihui forged Qingyin’s handwriting and wrote to the Seventh Maternal Great Uncle in her name, requesting the dowry. Astonishingly, he returned it without much verification. The money never even passed through Qingyin’s hands—it went straight to the lovestruck fool and eventually became the initial capital for the male lead’s business ventures.

To Qingyin, this Seventh Maternal Great Uncle was utterly unreliable.

To avoid further complications, she decided to secure her dowry as soon as possible. Her gaze fell on Gu An.

“What?” Gu An slurped noisily at his sugary drink, making a ridiculous face.

Qingyin shook her head inwardly. This unreliable young man? Better to forget it. Though she wasn’t particularly interested in marriage—divorcing afterward wouldn’t be an issue—marrying him? She’d rather think of another way.

Noticing her silence, Gu An didn’t press further. Finishing his sweet pancake, he called out, “Mom, don’t wait for me for dinner. I’m eating out.”

“Always eating out, eating out! How much money do you even have to burn like this?”

“Your Brother Anzi is just like that—not one for spending time with girls. But don’t worry, as long as I’m around, I’ll make sure you’re never wronged.”

“He’s currently working in your factory’s security department. Though it’s just a temporary position, the wages aren’t low, and there’s potential for raises in the future. Supporting you won’t be a problem.” Gu’s Mother, afraid Qingyin might look down on her son, even patted her chest in assurance. “Even if his salary were low, I still have some savings. Life won’t be hard for you here.”

This was the truth. Though Auntie Gu didn’t have a formal job, she enjoyed returning to the countryside to hunt—wild boars, pheasants, rabbits—she always managed to bring back something to supplement the household income. While others dared not easily dabble in the black market, she had her own reliable channels. Several of her father’s former apprentices now worked in major meatpacking plants and state-run restaurants, making it much easier and safer for her to sell goods.

Moreover, her true expertise wasn’t in hunting these animals but in catching snakes.

The Gu family had not only been village hunters but also renowned snake catchers in the surrounding areas. Their hometown was rich in dense vegetation and high forest coverage, abundant with various snake species—especially the black-striped snake and white-patterned snake, commonly used in traditional medicine, which were plentiful in the mountains.

Though resources were abundant, few could actually catch snakes. Auntie Gu was one of those rare few.

It was said that at eight years old, she could drag a massive python home with it coiled around her neck.

It was said she could catch two highly venomous black-striped snakes simultaneously with one hand.

It was said she could catch, kill, skin, and extract the gallbladder of a snake in under ten seconds without pause.

It was said that in all her years of snake catching, she had never failed, and the vengeful descendants of those snakes couldn’t even touch a single hair on her legs.

This was also why Lin Suifen and the neighbors were so terrified of her—in the face of absolute skill, empty boasts meant nothing.