Gu Yao looked up at the figure walking into the sunset, her eyes filled with reluctance.
She felt that having an older sister at home was actually quite nice.
This sister worked quickly, protected her and Gu Kai, and most importantly—she could cook noodles, and they were delicious.
Gu Kai had eaten a full, heaping bowl.
But Gu Kai didn’t seem to like her very much.
Her brother didn’t ask her to stay either.
She actually really wanted her to stay and cook for them again—she felt that whatever she made would definitely taste good.
“Hungry already? You just ate such a big bowl of noodles at noon, and now your stomach’s growling again?”
Hearing the rumbling sound coming from Gu Yao’s stomach as she squatted nearby playing, Gu Zhao stood up and walked into the kitchen.
The kitchen, where Shu Ning had just been, was neat and orderly. All the ingredients were arranged properly, and even the dishes for dinner had already been prepared—he only needed to cook them.
Looking at the sliced red chili and shredded meat she had prepared…
Gu Zhao suddenly felt a bit slow.
He should have asked Shu Ning to stay for dinner.
No wonder she hadn’t looked happy earlier.
Stir-fried pork with green peppers and blanched wild vegetables were quickly prepared.
As soon as Gu Kai and Gu Yao sat at the table and saw the dark-looking dish, their little faces fell.
After eating Shu Ning’s beautifully cooked, flavorful noodles, this dish looked completely unappealing.
“Doesn’t taste good.” Gu Kai slid off the stool and squatted in a corner.
Gu Zhao’s narrow eyes darkened as he suppressed his temper. “Then starve!”
He had never seen such picky children.
The Chen family’s chubby kid across the way was the same age as Gu Kai, but a whole head taller.
Their family mostly ate wild vegetables; tofu was considered a treat. Sometimes they didn’t even have rice, only sweet potatoes—yet that kid could eat two big bowls in one sitting.
And here?
Meat, tofu, or eggs from the black market almost every day.
Yet one was outrageously picky, and the other obediently ate but never seemed to gain weight.
Everyone thought he was too poor to raise them well.
But who knew these two were like this?
Seeing Gu Zhao upset, Gu Yao forced herself to eat, looking like she might vomit any second.
Gu Zhao felt a headache coming on. He tossed half a bowl of shredded meat onto the ground.
Xiao Huang immediately ran over, wagging its chubby body, and started gobbling it up.
Gu Zhao’s mood improved a little.
At least there was one in the house who wasn’t picky.
Looking at the scarf wrapped around Xiao Huang—now black as coal after being fussed over by Shu Ning—Gu Zhao said with disdain, “You dumb dog, you’re really lucky. You’re practically on the same level as Bai Zhiping now.”
Xiao Huang wagged its tail happily as it ate, clearly delighted, as if it had reached the peak of its dog life.
“Since you’ve eaten my meat, take care of that ungrateful little brat for me.” Gu Zhao glared at Gu Kai.
Gu Kai still refused to eat.
Fine—let him starve.
After a few missed meals, he wouldn’t dare refuse again.
After dinner, to avoid another incident like this morning when Grandma Gu came causing trouble while he was away, Gu Zhao took Xiao Huang and brought Gu Kai and Gu Yao to Granny Zhao’s house, asking her to watch over them.
If anyone came looking for trouble, she could call Granny Chen or Granny Li next door.
“You child… leaving Gu Kai and Gu Yao here is fine, but why did you bring meat and loaches?”
“All these years, thanks to you, we’ve had vegetables and meat to eat. Last time you gave us pork intestines, we haven’t even finished them yet.”
These elderly women—one with a limp, one with back pain—couldn’t earn many work points.
Yet their lives weren’t bad.
They had what others had.
Even meat, which others rarely got to eat, they enjoyed often.
All thanks to Gu Zhao.
Gu Zhao frowned slightly, a hint of irritation on his face. “That brat is picky again. Give him another bowl later. If he still won’t eat, let him starve.”
Granny Zhao laughed. “You brat, could you really bear that? Those two were brought back by you with your life on the line. If you’re busy tonight, go ahead. Leave the children to me—I’ll take good care of them.”
Only then did Gu Zhao smile.
At Chu Dongmei’s family home—
“Mother, Brother, what kind of situation is this? Gu Qiang and Gu Fu are still bedridden after being beaten like that, yet no one is standing up for us!”
“My father-in-law, who has been bedridden for years, finally spoke—and the first thing he said wasn’t to thank us, but to curse us for being heartless, saying we bullied Gu Zhao again!”
“Even Zhu Qiaoqin is bullying us. She took care of him all these years, but now that he can talk again, she wants to dump him on us!”
Chu Dongmei cried bitterly in front of her mother and her elder brother, Chu Youliang.
Chu Youliang puffed on the tobacco pipe Gu Dajiang had given him, his brows tightly furrowed, his eyes dark.
“Youliang, Gu Zhao’s younger siblings are about to go to school, right? With his lawless attitude, what school should they attend? Once the school is repaired, we simply won’t accept them!”
Chu Youliang was the director of academic affairs at Hongqi Commune Primary School and had the authority to admit or reject students.
Hearing this, Chu Dongmei felt as if she had been handed a weapon. “Brother, let’s do that! Don’t let them go to school—let them remain illiterate!”
Chu Youliang nodded coldly. “That is indeed a good idea.”
His approval made Chu Dongmei feel valued. Her eyes lit up. “And that Shu Ning—she’s been very close to Gu Zhao these days. They’re practically inseparable. Doesn’t she work at the school too? Brother, just fire her!”
At the mention of Shu Ning, a flicker of light passed through Chu Youliang’s eyes.
She was wealthy and the most beautiful among the educated youths.
Last year, when she wanted to work at the school, she had given him fine cigarettes, good liquor, and plenty of grain and meat coupons.
Yet she wasn’t perceptive—her eyes were only on Bai Zhiping.
He had hinted at his interest many times, but she showed no response.
Fire her?
He didn’t want to—at least not yet.
But perhaps he could use this to gain some benefits.
“Dismissing a teacher is a major matter. I can’t decide that alone for now,” Chu Youliang said thoughtfully. “I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”
“At least teach her a lesson,” Chu Dongmei said harshly.
“I have my considerations,” Chu Youliang replied cautiously.
“Dongmei, your brother has always taken your matters seriously. Don’t rush. Staying here isn’t a long-term solution. Have a meal and go home early. As for your father-in-law, no matter how you treat him, he’ll always favor Gu Zhao.”
“Luckily he’s paralyzed. Otherwise, with his temper, your lives would be even harder. But if you ask me—since he likes Gu Zhao so much, why not send him to Gu Zhao’s house?”
Chu Dongmei’s mother said calculatingly.
Chu Dongmei’s eyes lit up in realization. She slapped Gu Dajiang excitedly. “That’s right! We’ll send him to Gu Zhao! Doesn’t the old man love him most? Let him stay there and see Gu Zhao every day—then he’ll be happy!”
“That’s what we’ll do!”
At this moment, Gu Zhao, who was catching loaches in the fields, had no idea that Gu Dajiang and Chu Dongmei were planning to send his grandfather, Gu Yunfeng, back to his home.
With a kerosene lamp lit, he dug into the mud and quickly pulled out another loach.
“Brother Zhao, haven’t you already stored quite a few loaches at home? There’s already half a bucket here—how many more are you planning to catch?” Ergouzi asked, looking up at the sky.
“As many as I can.”
“Didn’t you say before that selling loaches would be too conspicuous, so you wouldn’t do it?”
“Why do you care so much? Can’t I just enjoy myself?” Gu Zhao snapped.
“Alright, alright—you’re the cultured one, you’ve got your hobbies.”
“Oh right, I’ve got something else to do tomorrow morning, so I won’t be going to sell tofu with you. Be careful—if you’re discovered, drop everything and run.”
Ergouzi’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. “Catching loaches, skipping the morning… Brother Zhao, something’s going on with you…”
“Shut up! If you don’t want to hold the lamp for me, then go back and help your parents make tofu,” Gu Zhao shot him a cold glance.
“Then I’ll go back.”
His mother wasn’t in good health and couldn’t overwork.
“Go on.”
After Ergouzi left, Gu Zhao caught quite a few more loaches. Looking at the half-full bucket wriggling with them, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
This should be enough for Shu Ning’s aunt.
Thinking about walking to town with Shu Ning tomorrow morning, an inexplicable sense of anticipation rose in his heart.
Even his steps on the way home felt lighter.