Originally, Gu Yihan had no intention of paying her any mind. But the girl kept blabbering on. Did she think Gu Yihan was afraid of her?
Gu Yihan looked at her coolly. “Did you eat shit this morning and leave the house without rinsing your mouth?”
Laidi, realizing what was said, retorted excitedly, “You’re the one who ate shit! Hah, it was useless for a money-losing good-for-nothing like you to go to school. See? You got expelled…”
Before she could finish, Gu Yihan kicked her right in the butt from behind. Laidi’s body pitched forward, and she got a mouthful of yellow dirt.
“Driver, I’ll give you her fare in a moment.”
The ox-cart driver kept the cart moving without stopping and said with a chuckle, “No need, Yihan girl.”
After scrambling to her feet, Laidi saw the ox cart hadn’t waited for her and started screaming curses, “You little slut, you wretched whore! You must have done something shameful at school…”
Gu Yihan pretended not to hear. Without speaking to anyone else on the cart, she simply closed her eyes and feigned sleep.
The women on the ox cart all exchanged glances, their eyes sparkling. They clearly believed Laidi’s malicious gossip.
Gu Yihan didn’t bother to explain. As long as she hadn’t reported to the Zhongzhuan, it would be useless even if she talked herself hoarse.
They soon arrived at Gu Jia Village. The others got off, and Gu Yihan prepared to disembark as well.
The ox-cart driver said, “Don’t get off yet, Yihan girl. I’ll take your luggage to your doorstep.”
Gu Yihan stayed on the cart and said happily, “Thank you so much, Driver.”
Before she even reached home, those women, true to their reputations as village loudmouths, had already spread the news throughout Gu Jia Village that Gu Yihan had been expelled from school.
“Aiguo’s wife, you’d better hurry home! Your stepdaughter did something bad at school and got expelled. Don’t let her ruin your son’s reputation,” Jiawang’s Wife said, trying to stir up trouble.
“Sigh, I don’t know what your mother-in-law is thinking, letting a girl go to school. Once all the money is spent, your Gu Bao won’t have any left for his education.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Xiu asked, “Who did you hear that from?” Gu Bao was the son she had given birth to, the apple of her eye. She couldn’t let anyone drag him down.
Jiawang’s Wife pursed her lips, a flash of triumph in her eyes.
“The whole village knows. Someone came back with that cheap stepdaughter of yours. Isn’t she carrying all her luggage? She was kicked out of school.” After speaking, she walked away, humming a tuneless little song.
Chen Xiu hurried home. Just as she reached the gate, she saw Grandma Gu happily helping Gu Yihan with her luggage.
Chen Xiu frowned, a trace of displeasure flashing in her eyes as she said, “Ma, I told you before, when a girl gets too much education, her ambitions grow. Look, who knows what kind of seductive things this girl did at school to get herself expelled.”
Grandma Gu flew into a rage. She had seen her granddaughter’s acceptance letter.
“That’s a load of horseshit! You heartless creature, opening your mouth just to slander my granddaughter’s reputation. Our family must have had eight lifetimes of bad luck to marry a thing like you,” Grandma Gu said furiously.
Chen Xiu felt wronged, too. She wasn’t the same person she was when she had just married into the family; she had given Gu Aidang a precious son.
Hearing the commotion, Gu Aidang came out. “Ma, what are you two arguing about now?”
Chen Xiu immediately put on a wronged expression and said, “Aiguo, you be the judge. For a girl, a few years of schooling to learn how to read is enough.”
“But Ma insisted on letting her study so much. And now, who knows what bad things she did at school. Summer break hasn’t even started, and here she is, back with all her things.”
Wiping away non-existent tears with her hand, Chen Xiu said, “Aren’t I just saying this for her own good?”
Gu Aidang fell for Chen Xiu’s act. He patted her hand, his heart aching for her, and looked at Grandma Gu with righteous indignation.
“Ma, I’ve told you many times not to let her go to school, but you just wouldn’t listen.”
“Gu Meng is also at the age to get married. It’s good that she’s not in school anymore. She can help her mother with chores at home and look after her little brother.”
Gu Yihan held onto Grandma Gu tightly. She was genuinely afraid that if she let go, her grandmother would start a fight with her cheap father and stepmother and blurt out the news about her getting into the Zhongzhuan.
Seeing that Grandma Gu and Gu Yihan didn’t argue back, Gu Aidang assumed they agreed with him. He nodded in satisfaction and led Chen Xiu back into their room.
Gu Yihan quickly pulled Grandma Gu into her room and had her sit down.
She took out two pairs of Jiefang shoes from her bag and placed them in Grandma Gu’s hands. Grandma Gu’s attention was immediately diverted by the shoes.
“Grandma, one pair of these shoes is for you, and one is for Grandpa. Next time I get shoe ration coupons, I’ll buy you and Grandpa two more pairs each to rotate.”
Grandma Gu’s wrinkled face was full of smiles, but she said, “They’re too expensive. Don’t spend your money recklessly. Save it to buy things for yourself.”
At that moment, tears streamed down Gu Yihan’s face uncontrollably. She threw her arms around Grandma Gu and said with a sob, “Grandma, you saved me, did you know that? Your granddaughter doesn’t feel the slightest bit of pain spending any amount of money on you.”
She knew that without Grandma Gu, the person she was today would not exist.
If Liu Zhaodi hadn’t switched her at birth, she couldn’t imagine what her fate would have been. If she didn’t have her memories from her past life, she might have muddled through this one, but she did have those memories!
Grandma Gu patted her young granddaughter’s back comfortingly and said, “Don’t you worry. Grandma will absolutely make sure you go to school.”
Gu Yihan let go of her grandmother and took her hand, squeezing it tightly. “Grandma, don’t tell anyone about me getting into the Zhongzhuan just yet.”
Grandma Gu looked at her granddaughter, puzzled. “But this is great news! Even though it’s not a university, graduating from a Zhongzhuan means a Tiefanwan. You’ll be the first in our village.”
Gu Yihan explained patiently, “Grandma, think about it. Right now, everyone in the village is saying I was expelled. When I go off to the Zhongzhuan in the fall, won’t they all be slapping their own faces?”
“In the meantime, Grandma, you can just watch the show without having to pay. You’ll be the only one in the whole village who’s in on the secret. Won’t that give you a lot of face?”
Grandma Gu thought for a moment and said, “You’re right.”
She would be the only one in the entire village who knew the truth. She knew all too well what those gossipy women in the village were like. When the time came, she could just look at them like they were fools.
Thinking of this, Grandma Gu let out a chuckle. “You really are a clever little imp. Grandma will listen to you. I won’t tell a soul.”
Gu Yihan let out a soft sigh of relief. Only when the Zhongzhuan term started and she had transferred her household registration to the school could she truly relax.
She didn’t dare let her cheap father and stepmother know, fearing they would try to sabotage her.
She didn’t want to think the worst of them, but she couldn’t risk betting on what Liu Zhaodi might do once she realized her value.
Grandma Gu held the shoes, unable to put them down. “You get some rest. I’ll take these shoes to your grandpa and have him try them on.”
“Old man, hurry and see what this is!”
Hearing Grandma Gu’s cheerful voice, Grandpa Gu thought she sounded years younger.
Grandma Gu handed the larger pair of Jiefang shoes to Grandpa Gu.
Grandpa Gu’s eyes lit up. “Are these Jiefang shoes?”
Grandma Gu was busy trying on her own shoes, walking around in them. They were a perfect fit.
Only then did she find a chance to answer him. “Yihan bought them for us. Try them on and see if they fit.”
Grandpa Gu put them on as well and walked around the room. After taking them off, he reluctantly placed them in the cabinet.
Grandma Gu said with a smile, “Look at you, so pathetic. Yihan said she’ll buy us more in the future. Don’t be reluctant to wear them. You should wear them out and let everyone see what my granddaughter bought for me.”
With that, she wore them right out the door.