It wasn’t just Luo Dajiang and the others—even Gu Zhengnan was stunned.
After the car accident back then, he had lost a portion of his memory and remembered nothing at all about the guesthouse.
But He Jingting had been fully conscious. As his close buddy, he wouldn’t joke about something like this.
Luo Dajiang looked at Gu Zhengnan, then at He Jingting, and after a long moment, ventured cautiously, “So that means the girl wasn’t lying—the kid really is Zhengnan’s? Huh, now that I think about it, those three little ones do look a bit like Zhengnan.”
Yang Long thought back carefully. Say what you will, there was indeed some resemblance.
He Jingting sighed. “But that’s just my guess. Whether anything actually happened, nobody knows. Still, I don’t believe there are that many coincidences in this world. Let’s go investigate later—see if that female comrade was staying at the guesthouse that day. If she was there too, then what she said is most likely true.”
Luo Dajiang slapped his thigh. “If that’s really the case, then we were complete bastards just now. A young girl, unmarried and pregnant, raising three kids on her own—think how much hardship she’s been through all these years. Not only did we not help her, we mocked and sneered at her.”
Luo Dajiang wasn’t a bad person at heart. Now that he thought about it, a grown man like him bullying a young girl—that was just inhuman.
Gu Zhengnan’s feelings were equally complicated. If this was really true, then Jiang Shutang’s behavior made perfect sense.
No wonder she had taken one look at him and decided he was a heartless man.
If everything was true, then wasn’t he exactly like Chen Shimei—the infamous betrayer?
For a moment, everyone fell into silence.
Gu Zhengnan grew restless. He was an upright man by nature; he could never do something so unconscionable.
“Let’s eat first. After the meal, we’ll go to the guesthouse in Chengnan to investigate.”
Since Gu Zhengnan had said so, they dropped the topic and moved on to other things.
After finishing their meal, they sent someone to investigate.
By the time Gu Zhengnan got home, it was already very late, but the living room light was still on.
Seeing her son return, Mother Gu stood up with a warm smile.
“Zhengnan, you went drinking with Jingting and the others, didn’t you? I made you some hangover soup. Would you like some?”
Gu Zhengnan couldn’t very well refuse. “Sure, Mom. Next time, you two go to bed early—no need to wait up for me. I know my limits when I drink.”
As he drank the soup, Father Gu couldn’t help but speak up from the side.
“Zhengnan, your father wants to talk to you about marriage. I told you before to find someone, and you said you were too young. But you’ve spent six years abroad, and now you’re twenty-six. You can’t keep putting it off. There’s a nice young woman who also works at the research institute. See if you can find some time to meet her.”
Gu Zhengnan knew there was no good reason they’d waited up so late for him.
His mind was preoccupied with Jiang Shutang’s matter—how could he possibly go on a blind date with some other woman?
Just as he was about to refuse, Mother Gu chimed in as well.
“Your father has a point. Your grandparents aren’t getting any younger, and they’ve been hoping to hold great-grandchildren all these years. But look at your generation—either you don’t marry, or those who do don’t have children. The two who did have kids only had girls. The Gu family line can’t just end with your generation. You need to hurry up and have a child soon. Your father and I are still young—we’ll help you raise it.”
Hearing this, Gu Zhengnan couldn’t help but think of Jiang Shutang.
If what that woman said was true, wouldn’t the Gu family have gained three boys just like that?
Years ago, a fortune teller had said that the Gu family’s blessings ran deep but would be exhausted by the grandchildren’s generation. By the great-grandchildren’s generation, the family might decline significantly, or even face extinction.
The old man had been furious when he heard that, but it had been over a decade now, and indeed, no boy had been born.
“There’s no rush on this. Let’s put it off for a few days. I’ve only just returned to the country, and there’s still a lot to handle at the research institute. Let’s talk about it once things settle down. Work comes first, after all—marriage can wait.”
Hearing this, Father Gu and Mother Gu couldn’t push further.
After finishing the hangover soup, Gu Zhengnan went upstairs.
As for Jiang Shutang, she couldn’t sleep all night.
The next day at work, several female workers were whispering among themselves, saying Jiang Shutang had no shame—someone had seen her bringing her children to the research institute yesterday, and she was clearly setting her sights on Comrade Gu.
Everyone sighed at the news and looked at Jiang Shutang with even more hostility.
Jiang Shutang’s head was spinning. She hadn’t expected the rumor to spread so fast. Before, they only called her indecent; now she’d been upgraded to a shameless cling-on.
If this matter wasn’t resolved quickly, would she even be able to stay at the machinery factory?
Just as Jiang Shutang was focusing on her work, Zhou Fuquan came in and said the leadership wanted to see her, calling her out.
When she arrived at the leadership’s office, Jiang Shutang learned that the fight in the cafeteria yesterday had been reported. Someone had filed a complaint against her, saying she was corrupting the factory’s morale and demanding that the leadership fire her.
“Xiao Jiang, if this continues, I won’t be able to protect you either. I know it’s not easy for you to raise three children on your own, but you can’t keep acting like this. What will people say if word gets out? I’m giving you one more chance—from now on, you must behave yourself and do things right.”
Jiang Shutang was numb to it all. She knew no amount of explaining would do any good, so she could only nod in agreement.
“Thank you, Director. I’ll work hard from now on and won’t get into conflicts with anyone.”
Jiang Shutang walked out of the office, her mind in a daze. If things kept going like this, she was afraid she wouldn’t even be able to keep this job.
How far were these people going to push her with their rumors and hearsay?
Just as she was about to head back to the workshop, a sharp female voice rang out, “You’re Jiang Shutang, aren’t you?”
Jiang Shutang looked up and saw a slender young woman standing across from her, wearing leather sandals and a pink Bulaji dress, glaring at her with fury in her eyes.
Jiang Shutang didn’t recognize this person and couldn’t help but furrow her brows.
“Yes, I am. Who are you?”
The girl stomped forward a few steps and suddenly shoved Jiang Shutang.
“Who am I? Let me tell you right now—I’m Zhengnan’s fiancée. His parents have already acknowledged me, and we’re getting married soon. You’re nothing but a discarded shoe no one wants—what right do you have to pester Zhengnan?”
So this girl was the young woman the Gu family had planned to introduce to their son. Ye Yiyi had long harbored feelings for Gu Zhengnan, and upon learning she’d have the chance to meet him, she’d been basking in self-satisfaction these past few days.
But unexpectedly, today her relative had sent word that the meeting wouldn’t be arranged for another couple of days.
Ye Yiyi happened to work at the research institute. When she learned that a woman had come to pester Gu Zhengnan yesterday, she did some digging and came straight over.
Jiang Shutang had been beaten yesterday, scolded by her supervisor today, and now some so-called fiancée had come to bully her—it seemed there was truly no room left for her to survive.
At that moment, people from the factory heard the commotion and came out to watch the spectacle.