The Gu family members instantly showed fear, subconsciously stepping back.
After steadying himself, Gu Weiguo let out a long sigh. “Your mother… Dahu’s grandmother, she was only trying to scare you just now. She didn’t really intend to act. We’re not here to cause trouble. After you remarry, the three children can’t possibly stay with you. We’re here to take them back to the Gu family. If you report this to the police, who will take care of the children in the future?”
Xu Huaying hadn’t expected Gu Weiguo to say something so shameless.
She closed her eyes briefly, then looked at Gu Dahu and his siblings. “You invited them here… are you planning to abandon me as your mother and go back to the Gu family?”
Gu Dahu lowered his head and said nothing.
Gu Erhu made a miserable face. “Mom, we can give you one more chance to choose. Will you choose us, or him?”
Gu Qingling pursed her lips, on the verge of tears. “Mom, I don’t want to leave you. But I don’t want a stepfather.”
Gu Dahu suddenly lifted his head, as if he had made a major decision. “Mom, make your choice now! Do you want us, or do you want him and that burden?”
Xiao Nanchu silently shook her head.
The four members of the Gu family clearly weren’t good people. Even if the three siblings went back with them, they wouldn’t be treated well.
In the end, they would be the ones to suffer.
“Well now, what are you doing?”
Liu Fanghua, hearing the commotion outside, couldn’t help but come out. She happened to catch Gu Dahu’s words.
She teased, “On such an important day, you siblings are forcing your mother like this—have you considered her feelings?”
Liu Fanghua was Xu Huaying’s close friend, as well as the daughter of the steel factory director and an accountant at the same factory.
The two were very close in private, and their children attended the same school.
Today, she had brought her son and daughter to attend the wedding banquet.
Gu Dahu pressed his lips tightly and said nothing, ignoring Liu Fanghua, his eyes full of expectation as he waited for Xu Huaying to choose.
Gu Erhu and Gu Qingling were so nervous that their palms were sweating.
“I already gave you a chance. If you insist on leaving, then I won’t force you.”
Xu Huaying was deeply disappointed in her three children and shook her head at Liu Fanghua.
She knew they had been influenced by the Gu family, which made them unable to distinguish right from wrong. But this time, she would not indulge them.
She held Xiao Huaidong’s hand, took Xiao Nanchu’s with the other, and turned her back, no longer looking at the three children.
Gu Dahu seemed to have anticipated this outcome, but he still felt a sense of loss at his mother’s choice.
“Erhu, Lingling, Mom chose someone else and doesn’t want us anymore. Let’s go.”
He took their hands and walked toward the Gu family.
As Gu Qingling walked, she kept turning back, hoping Xu Huaying would call them back.
But Xu Huaying didn’t. She didn’t even spare them an extra glance.
Gu Qingling’s nose tingled, and tears streamed down her face.
“Grandma, Mom doesn’t want us anymore. We can only go back with you.”
Gu Erhu couldn’t help wiping away his tears.
Niu Erya frowned in disgust and raised her voice deliberately, speaking sarcastically. “Children, don’t worry. You belong to the Gu family. We’re not like some heartless woman who, for a pretty boy and a burden, would even abandon her own flesh and blood.”
Liu Hongmei loudly echoed, “That’s right! Some people abandon their own children to raise others’ children. When all their money gets swindled away, they’d better not regret it and come crawling back to their kids!”
At that moment, a loud voice rang out.
“Comrade Xiao, we heard you’re holding a wedding today. We came to have a drink in celebration.”
Director Zhou from the Xiguan Police Station, along with more than a dozen officers who had once worked with Xiao Huaidong to capture traffickers, appeared at the gate.
“Brother Xiao, congratulations!”
Xiao Huaidong’s face lit up with joy as he quickly stepped forward to greet them.
Officer Liu patted Xiao Huaidong on the shoulder and stuffed a red envelope into his hand.
The other officers followed suit, each stepping forward to give him a red envelope.
Finally, Director Zhou handed him one as well, then took out a letter and 200 yuan.
“Comrade Xiao, this is a letter of commendation stamped with the official seal, thanking you for assisting the police in dismantling a human trafficking ring and rescuing dozens of abducted children. This money is your reward from above—please accept it.”
Xiao Huaidong accepted it with both hands, smiling. “Thank you to the leadership and the organization for your trust, and thank you, Director, for bringing everyone to attend my wedding with Huaying. Come, please take your seats inside.”
Ignoring the Gu family, he and Xu Huaying led the group of officers into the living room.
The cook quickly set up an extra table of dishes.
Gu Dahu and his siblings were stunned by what they saw.
They could choose not to believe that Xiao Huaidong had rescued them from traffickers.
They could suspect their mother had lied for his sake.
But now, the police had personally come and said it. They even brought a commendation letter and reward money—how could it be fake?
The three siblings couldn’t help but waver.
“Dahu, what’s going on with that pretty boy? How is he connected to the police?”
Taking advantage of Xu Huaying and Xiao Huaidong attending to Director Zhou and the others, Niu Erya pulled Gu Dahu aside.
“Grandma, he helped the police catch several traffickers.”
Niu Erya frowned deeply, exchanged a glance with Gu Weiguo, and said in a deliberately alarming tone, “Dahu, you mustn’t soften your heart. That pretty boy was very fierce just now when he hit your uncle and me! If you live with him, who knows—one day you might be beaten to death.”
Gu Dahu’s expression changed. He grabbed Niu Erya’s arm, his heart growing uneasy. “Grandma, don’t worry. We’ll go with you. As long as Mom is with that gigolo, we’ll never come back.”
“Good child, you’re the most sensible.”
Niu Erya looked at Gu Weiguo, a hint of triumph in her eyes. “With the police here, we can settle this matter in front of them.”
Gu Weiguo nodded.
Xiao Nanchu followed them into the living room.
Seeing the uniformed police, the Gu family felt uneasy deep down.
But in order to get money from Xu Huaying, Gu Weiguo forced himself to speak the words he had prepared.
“Xu Huaying, since you’ve decided not to keep the three children, then they will belong to our Gu family from now on. However, you are still their mother. You know how much they cost to raise—you must give us 200 yuan in child support every month.”
Xu Huaying was so angry she laughed and even started clapping, not caring about losing face in front of everyone. “So you’ve finally shown your true colors! All this fuss was just to ask me for money. You should’ve said so earlier! But if I say I won’t give it, will you refuse to take them?”
Niu Erya, not daring to act too wildly in front of the police, could only pat her chest and wail loudly. “If it weren’t for my son back then, you would’ve worked yourself to death in the countryside! We’re only asking you to pay some child support. You have so much money—why can’t you give it?”