After Gu Aidang got home, the whole family was sitting at the table waiting for him. After he sat down, Grandma Gu sighed and began to speak. “Second Son, these are famine years. If you don’t divorce after something like this, it’s the same as letting that Zhang family suck our whole family dry.”
After speaking, Grandma Gu looked up and glanced at her eldest daughter-in-law.
Gu Dasao jumped in fright and said to her mother-in-law with a smile, “Mother, don’t worry. How could I bear to give my son’s rations to someone else?”
Gu Aidang looked at his mother and said with a chuckle, “Mother, I listened to you and divorced the children’s mother. Don’t forget to find another wife for your son, or I’ll be the end of the family line.”
Grandma Gu, with other things on her mind, replied perfunctorily, “I know.”
Hearing this cheap father of hers talk about remarrying, Gu Yihan thought how cold-hearted this man truly was.
People always said that in this era, love was slow, letters traveled far, carriages were distant, and one loved only one person for a lifetime.
That was only when there was no other choice. If there were choices, how could anyone possibly choose just one person?
Gu Meng and Gu Daya sat at the table like they were invisible, not saying a word. They had no right to speak.
Every day, Gu Daya had to do the chores that were supposed to be Gu Dasao’s. She washed the whole family’s clothes, so busy she was never off her feet. She was only seen at mealtimes.
Gu Meng had now let go of her jealousy toward Gu Yihan. Every day, she thought about how to learn a few more characters so she could grow up quickly and leave this home.
“From now on, anyone who’s idle will go up the mountain to look for food.”
After Grandma Gu finished speaking, she thought to herself that it was a good thing the family still had some grain stored away. Otherwise, this whole family, young and old, would starve to death.
Grandma Gu led her granddaughters to the foot of the great mountain, where they successively ran into quite a few people from the village.
“Auntie Gu, heading up the mountain?” Even from the back of the group, Gu Yihan heard the familiar, sharp voice of Jiawang’s Wife.
She didn’t even need to look up to know it was that middle-aged woman who hadn’t gotten her way during the grain distribution at the production brigade.
The eyes of Jiawang’s Wife darted around and landed on Gu Yihan at the back, whose skin was delicate and snow-white.
With a sneer on her sour, harsh face, she launched into a tirade at Grandma Gu. It was so unpleasant that Gu Yihan could barely watch.
“Auntie Gu, look at how you’ve spoiled your Yihan. She’s grown so big and has probably never worked in the fields. This is the first time I’ve ever seen her outside.”
“With girls, they’re a losing investment. The more you put in, the more you lose. You have to make them work more so they don’t eat and live for free. And you even let her study. When she gets married, won’t that just benefit her husband’s family?”
“The way I see it, she has the body of a lady but the fate of a maid. You should put her to work now, and in the future, you can still get a few dozen yuan in betrothal gifts for her.”
Before Jiawang’s Wife could open her mouth again, Grandma Gu slapped her hard across the face several times. Before the woman could react, Grandma Gu kicked her to the ground.
She sat on top of her, hitting and cursing, “You black-hearted thing! You sold your own daughter and still couldn’t get a wife for that son of yours, yet you dare to have ideas about my granddaughter. You must be tired of living, like the God of Longevity hanging himself.”
“Even if you sold yourself, no one would marry that hooligan son of yours, yet you still dare to covet my granddaughter.”
“I’m going to beat you to death today, you foul-mouthed creature.”
Jiawang’s Wife tried to dodge while saying, “I’m doing this for your own good! Don’t mistake a kind heart for ill intentions.”
Seeing the villagers watching, Jiawang’s Wife shouted, “Are you all dead? Don’t you know how to break up a fight? You damned old hag!”
The villagers detested Jiawang’s Wife and had no intention of meddling in her business.
Gu Yihan waited until her grandmother had had enough of a beating and vented the anger she had been holding in all day before walking over to her side.
“Grandma, calm down. You mustn’t hurt yourself.”
Gu Yihan carefully helped Grandma Gu up and looked at her hands, which seemed unchanged.
She blew on them with concern. “Be careful not to hurt your hands. Your granddaughter would feel heartbroken.”
The surrounding people burst into laughter.
Jiawang’s Wife, her face swollen like a pig’s head from Grandma Gu’s slaps, was about to curse again when one of the aunties interrupted her. “If you want another beating, just say the word.”
Jiawang’s Wife choked on her words and fell silent. She could only mutter curses as she headed back to the village.
Gu Meng and Gu Daya, seeing this side of Grandma Gu for the first time, were so scared they kept their distance.
Gu Yihan looked at her grandmother with a worshipful expression and flattered her, “Grandma, you’re amazing! How are you so amazing?”
“Usually, when I see you argue with my mother, you argue so elegantly. I never knew your fighting skills were this incredible too.”
Grandma Gu straightened her back and said, “I was going easy on your mother. No matter what, she gave our Gu family two children, so I certainly couldn’t get physical.”
Gu Yihan gave her a thumbs-up.
Grandma Gu asked, puzzled, “What does that mean?”
Gu Yihan whispered to her, “It means, ‘Grandma, you’re awesome.'”
Grandma Gu laughed out loud.
She glanced at Gu Meng and Gu Daya, who were standing far away from her. Everyone said she was biased, but who knew that only this granddaughter cheered her up every day?
Seeing how loudly Grandma Gu and Gu Yihan were laughing, Gu Daya felt truly wronged.
She said to Gu Meng, “Grandma is so biased. She only has eyes for Eldest Brother and Gu Yihan.”
Gu Meng glanced at her and said, “If you have the ability, you should make Grandma happy every day too.”
Gu Meng’s current wish was to have a home of her own, to escape from this family. She didn’t care about anything else.