“Borrow it!”
Gu Qingqing answered without hesitation.
Not only did she intend to borrow money, she planned to borrow as much as she possibly could.
Even the cleverest housewife couldn’t cook without rice. Given the state of their family right now, she needed startup capital first. Once she had enough to keep the family fed, she could use that money to make more money and eventually lead the whole family toward a better life.
Gu Changxing assumed that separating from the family was one thing, but that they would still follow Old Madam Gu’s wishes and borrow the silver to take back home.
His expression immediately relaxed.
“Good, good, good. Then let’s hurry.”
Gu Qingqing gave him a deep look but said nothing.
By the time she stepped out of the moneylender, she had gained a whole new appreciation for how extravagant ancient people could be with their wealth.
Good heavens!
Of course she’d be gasping for breath after carrying that much silver!
Fortunately, she was wearing one of Liu’s old dresses. It was loose enough that no one could tell there was a considerable amount of silver hidden underneath.
Gu Changxing had been waiting outside.
The moment he saw her, he hurried over.
“Did everything go smoothly?”
Gu Qingqing didn’t answer. She walked straight to a nearby food stall, bought two mixed-grain steamed buns, and handed one to her cheap father.
Gu Changxing stared at the steaming bun and swallowed hard. He waved his hand.
“Your father isn’t hungry. You eat it.”
In truth, he wanted to ask why she had wasted money on food. They could simply wait until they got home.
But for some reason, he had become a little afraid of this daughter of his. Then he remembered what she had suffered inside that coffin the day before, and guilt immediately flooded his heart.
He didn’t dare say it.
“If you don’t eat it, I’ll take it home. Once Grandma sees it, neither of us will have a good time. She might even take it out on Mother and the others.”
They had left the house at around five in the morning without even eating breakfast. If they walked all the way home on empty stomachs, they wouldn’t get back until late afternoon.
They might not starve to death, but they would probably collapse from exhaustion first.
A single cheap mixed-grain bun was already the most Gu Qingqing was willing to spend on food.
It wasn’t that she was afraid of spending money or worried that Old Madam Gu would find out.
She simply couldn’t bring herself to eat alone while her mother and younger siblings were still suffering at home.
Gu Changxing awkwardly accepted the bun and took a bite.
Oh…
It was delicious!
By the time father and daughter entered the village, it was already late afternoon.
Along the road, they encountered quite a few villagers returning from the fields with hoes slung over their shoulders.
One of the village women smiled and called out to them.
“Oh, Changxing, where are you taking Qingqing?”
“Auntie, we’ve separated from Grandpa and Grandma. Father took me to the county office to register the separation and get the new land documents.”
Gu Qingqing smiled as she answered, her clear voice carrying across the road.
Everyone nearby immediately turned to look.
“Qingqing, you really separated from your grandparents?”
Everyone knew exactly what Old Madam Gu was like.
Unless she’d already squeezed her eldest son’s family dry, down to the very last drop of oil, why would she ever willingly agree to let them leave?
“Yes! The village head wrote up the separation agreement himself last night, and we’ve already finished the household registration process at the county office.”
Gu Qingqing pointed toward the barren little hill in the distance.
“We’re moving into the thatched cottage over there tonight. Uncle, Auntie, come visit us when you have time!”
“Of course! We have time right now!”
One nosy auntie had barely finished speaking before several others chimed in.
“That’s right! There must be a lot to move. And you’ll have to clean and organize the place too. How long will it take if your whole family handles everything alone? Come on, we’ll give you a hand.”
Who wouldn’t want to watch such an unusual spectacle?
The sun had practically risen in the west.
Gu Qingqing welcomed everyone without hesitation, smiling sweetly as she thanked them.
By the time the father and daughter stepped into the Gu family’s courtyard, a large crowd had gathered behind them.
Old Madam Gu was sitting on a wooden stool beside the gate, and she’d been waiting impatiently for their return.
The moment she saw Gu Changxing, she sprang to her feet and stretched out her bony hand.
“Are you trying to kill me? Why did you take so long to come back? Where’s the stuff? Hurry up and hand it over!”
Gu Changxing awkwardly glanced behind him and lowered his voice.
“Mother, let’s talk about it later.”
“Later? You unfilial son! Are you planning to keep it all for yourself…”
Old Madam Gu launched straight into a tirade.
But when she noticed the crowd squeezing into the courtyard behind them, her voice abruptly died.
She remained frozen with her chin raised, her neck stretched forward like a chicken that had suddenly been grabbed by the throat.
Gu Qingqing fought back a smile and deliberately put on an innocent, timid expression.
“Grandma, they heard that we’re separating from the family, so all these uncles and aunties came to help us.”
Before Old Madam Gu could say anything, Gu Qingqing pulled out the copy of the separation agreement she’d kept for herself.
“Uncles, Aunties, these are all the things Grandpa and Grandma agreed to give us. I’ll read each item aloud, and please help me check that everything is accounted for.”
Old Madam Gu felt as though a surge of blood had shot straight from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.
“You little wretch! I’ll beat you to death, you family-wrecking troublemaker!”
She grabbed the firewood stick beside her and swung it toward Gu Qingqing.
Gu Changxing immediately caught her wrist and pulled her aside.
“Mother, Mother, have you forgotten why we’re separating?”
He lowered his voice and deliberately glanced toward the crowd.
“Whatever you want to say, wait until everyone leaves. We can close the door and talk about it privately.”
There were plenty of villagers in the crowd who had come purely because they loved watching other people’s troubles.
When Old Madam Gu caught sight of their gleefully entertained expressions, she finally managed to rein herself in.
She shot Gu Changxing a vicious glare and hissed under her breath.
“If you dare play any tricks, don’t blame your mother for being ruthless!”
Gu Changxing said nothing.
He lowered his head, hiding the complicated emotions in his eyes.
Why had they returned so late?
Because he’d spent ages praising his parents and trying to convince his daughter that separating from the family wasn’t necessary.
Gu Qingqing had simply looked at him with pity and proposed a bet.
If he won, they wouldn’t separate.
If he lost, he would have to cooperate with her and complete the separation.
The bet itself was simple.
When they returned home, would Old Madam Gu first ask whether they had run into any difficulties, whether they were hungry, or whether they were tired?
Or would she immediately demand the things they had gone to the county to get?
A mother who genuinely loved and trusted her child would naturally choose the former.
The latter could only mean the opposite.
And Old Madam Gu’s attitude had gone far beyond simply demanding something.
She had immediately launched into vicious abuse without even bothering to find out what had happened.
Gu Changxing had been cursed and berated by her for decades, so he had long since grown accustomed to it.
But that moment was different.
There were so many villagers watching.
More importantly, his daughter was there.
He had been so confident when he’d made the bet with her.
What he’d lost wasn’t merely the wager.
He had also lost his dignity and pride as a father.
With nearly half the village standing there and a separation agreement personally written by the village head, the Gu family would have to care about their reputation if they wanted to stop them.
They didn’t dare interfere openly.
Before long, with Gu Qingqing directing everyone and the villagers lending a hand, everything they were taking to the thatched cottage had been gathered.
Pots, bowls, utensils, bedding, quilts…
Everything was old and worn, yet once it had all been piled together in the courtyard, it still amounted to quite a mountain.
Gu Changfang’s heart was bleeding.
She secretly tugged at Old Madam Gu’s sleeve.
Old Madam Gu was clutching the kitchen knife she’d managed to snatch back. Her narrow, upturned eyes were filled with venom.
If so many people hadn’t been watching, the knife in her hand might already have been flying toward Gu Qingqing’s family.
Just then, Gu Changfang came over.
Old Madam Gu suppressed her fury and hissed at her daughter.
“What’s there to panic about? Once it’s dark, I’ll have the eldest bring everything back.”
“But what if he doesn’t…”
“There is no ‘what if’!”
Old Madam Gu cut her off.
Her gloomy gaze settled on Gu Changxing, who was busily moving everything onto the handcart Zhao Shuisheng had brought over.
He looked so serious and eager, as if he truly intended to leave this place and never come back.
An unpleasant feeling rose in Old Madam Gu’s chest.
She lowered her voice and called out.
“Eldest, it’s almost dark. Everyone has to go home and cook dinner! Put the things down for now. You can come back tomorrow, or the day after, and take your time moving everything. What’s the rush?”