Mother Gu was completely startled. “You… are you a thief?”
Ma Sufen looked at them calmly. “Is this the home of Gu Shizhu?”
Wang Lihua’s heart suddenly began pounding violently upon hearing this.
Mother Gu also stared at her warily. “What are you here for, looking for our Shizhu?”
Ma Sufen smiled faintly and touched her belly. “I’m not a thief. The real criminal is your eldest son, Gu Shizhu. There’s already a child in my belly, and he put it there. Since you are his family, you should take responsibility for him.”
Wang Lihua felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. “W…, what did you say?!”
Some neighbors who had happened to witness the scene immediately sent their children running to call more people to come watch the commotion.
Ma Sufen continued, “I’m pregnant. The child is Gu Shizhu’s. But I won’t report him for misconduct. Just give me money and help me raise this child.”
“I’ll f*ck your ancestors!” Wang Lihua grabbed a hoe and tried to rush forward and beat her to death.
Ruan Hongmei quickly grabbed her. “Sister-in-law, don’t be impulsive!”
Gu Shinian also stepped in and snatched the hoe from Wang Lihua’s hands.
But Wang Lihua still lunged forward barehanded, screaming, “You shameless woman, you prostitute! I am Gu Shizhu’s wife! How could he possibly be involved with you?!”
Ma Sufen was taller and stronger. She quickly restrained Wang Lihua in a few moves.
Ruan Hongmei tried to rush in to help again.
Ma Sufen lifted her head and looked at the Gu family crowd. “I never intended to harm your family. I only came for money. I also never planned to destroy Gu Shizhu’s marriage.”
If that beautiful but vicious woman hadn’t threatened her, she would not have come here at all. Gu Shizhu’s monthly payments had been enough for her to live on for now.
Wang Lihua shoved her away angrily. “We don’t have money to raise your child! I’m his wife! We barely have money for ourselves! My two children are still living at my parents’ home!”
She had once foolishly believed the elders favored the younger branches, so she had sent her two children to her parents to be raised.
Now it turned out Gu Shizhu had completely forgotten he even had children, while casually supporting someone else’s child instead.
She was so angry she nearly fainted.
“Father, Mother, look at what that eldest son has done! I don’t want to live anymore!”
Ma Sufen, seeing that she did not want to escalate things either, quickly said, “Auntie, I truly didn’t want to make a scene. I just need some money.”
“Money?!” Wang Lihua glared at her viciously. “I don’t even have money! If you want money, there’s none. If you want my life, take it! Go ahead and report him to the Public Security Bureau!”
Old Gu, after watching the chaos for a while, finally spoke up. “Second Brother, go to the commune and call your eldest brother back.”
Wang Lihua said bitterly, “I’m reporting this to the police!”
Mother Gu quickly stopped her. “Eldest daughter-in-law, don’t be reckless! You still have two children with him. You are a legitimate husband and wife!”
Ruan Hongmei also advised, “Sister-in-law, don’t act rashly. Let’s wait until Eldest Brother comes back and see what he says. After all, his job was helped by money from your family.”
At that moment, Gu Shinian walked out of the crowd and met Gu Shiye and his wife.
Gu Shiye spoke first. “I already spoke with the Team Leader. I’ll drive the tractor to the city with you to bring Eldest Brother back.”
This matter was definitely being manipulated behind the scenes by someone with bad intentions. The incident had happened too early compared to the original timeline. The change was most likely related to Lin Baozhu.
Old Gu looked at him and moved. “Third Brother, at a critical moment, our brothers still need to stand together.”
Gu Shiye ignored him completely.
He knew very well that Gu Shizhu had been involved in this mess for months already. This old man who controlled the family assets had turned a blind eye the entire time. If he had intervened earlier, things would not have escalated to this point.
Li Wenxiu stepped forward and looked at Ma Sufen. She asked a crucial question.
“You are already pregnant, which means you and Eldest Brother have been involved for some time. But since the pregnancy is still early, it shows your relationship is still in its passionate stage. So why did you suddenly come here demanding money and expose yourself? Why are you doing this?”
Ma Sufen met her sharp, probing gaze and shuddered slightly.
Someone in the crowd who disliked the Gu family sneered, “What else could it be? She wants to make things official. Tsk, Li Zhaodi, your family really doesn’t lack daughters-in-law.”
Mother Gu shot them a sharp glare. “Shut your filthy mouth!”
Then she waved her family back inside. “Enough, this is not something honorable. Everyone go inside and wait.”
The crowd followed them into the courtyard. Mother Gu closed the gate behind them, cursing the onlookers who stretched their necks to watch the drama.
Wang Lihua glared at Ma Sufen again and repeated Li Wenxiu’s question. “You shameless woman, explain yourself clearly! Why did you suddenly come here to humiliate our entire family? Is the money Gu Shizhu gave you not enough?”
Ma Sufen sighed softly. “Sister-in-law, don’t be like this. I am also a pitiful woman. My husband was once a temporary worker at the mechanical factory. A few months ago, he was sent out and had an accident. His life or death is still unknown. My in-laws have no shortage of grandchildren, and they wanted to throw me and my child out. I had to desperately fight to take over my husband’s job position, and that caused a complete break with my in-laws.”
Wang Lihua snapped, “Your bad luck with men has nothing to do with me!”
Ma Sufen continued, “Before I became pregnant, I truly did not know Gu Brother had a wife or family. If someone hadn’t come to find me and threaten me today, I would never have come here.”
In truth, she had only ever been involved with men for money, and whether they had wives or children was not her concern. But she could not admit that.
She only said this to shift the pressure away from herself, since she was alone in enemy territory.