The onlookers watched Gu Li and Gu Yaozu, one person chiming in after another, and their impression of Gu Li’s family plummeted straight down. These were real relatives—people who had grown up together since childhood—yet they could do something like this. Gu Li and her family were truly rotten to the core. When Gu Rou was attacked, they didn’t try to save her; instead, they opened their mouths to destroy her reputation. In these times, if a woman lost her good name, living became unbearably hard. This family was truly despicable.
At first, everyone had thought Gu Rou went too far—attacking Gu Li and the others the moment she arrived, beating them so viciously. But after hearing the truth, no one felt it was excessive anymore. If your family can harm others, then why can’t Gu Rou’s family fight back to resolve it?
After brutally beating Gu Li and Gu Yaozu, Gu Rou had worked up quite a sweat. Her body, which had felt uncomfortable before, now felt much better.
Zhang Cuihua had just managed to wipe the pig dung off her face when she heard her two children wailing in pain. The whole family was either bruised black and blue or smeared with filth—there was no describing how miserable they looked. But compared to that, their hearts hurt even more.
Before today, everything had been perfectly arranged. As long as Gu Rou’s reputation was ruined, Gu Li, as the older sister, would have a chance to get close to Pei Jing from the city. Pei Jing was handsome and came from a good family. As long as Gu Li married him successfully, they would become city people. In Xiangyang Village, their family would finally be able to hold their heads high, no longer the same as those mud-legged villagers.
But now, Gu Rou’s reputation hadn’t suffered at all. Instead, Gu Li’s reputation was ruined, their plot against Gu Rou had been exposed, and there would be no chance to get close to Pei Jing again—let alone marry into the city. In the end, they had gambled away their own family’s reputation.
“Xiao Rou, there must be some misunderstanding here. We’re all family—there’s no way we’d do something so heartless. You were angry and hit them; that’s fine, it’s not a big deal. As long as you’re safe, that’s what matters. Today’s matter—since we’re all one family, let’s not draw lines between households.”
“What can’t be talked out calmly while sitting down, right?”
Gu Rou’s second uncle, Gu Jiandang, stepped forward at this moment and spoke gently to her.
Fortunately, he had been working in the fields earlier and hadn’t stayed with them. That at least left a way out for the family. As long as they could steady Gu Rou, there was still room to maneuver.
Seeing Gu Jiandang come out to coax the child, Li Xiufang was about to step forward to refute him.
“Who’s family with you? I don’t have relatives this vicious, worse than beasts. I was a perfectly innocent person, falsely accused by you for no reason. If I hadn’t been quick-witted, what would’ve awaited me would’ve been jumping into a river or hanging myself. Beating you is already going easy on you.”
When Li Xiufang heard Gu Rou say this, the tension in her heart instantly eased. She shouted loudly, “That’s right! Beating you is letting you off cheap. Xiao Rou, you should tear that slut Gu Li’s mouth apart!”
“Yes, I really was too kind. But it’s not too late to make up for it now.”
Hearing Li Xiufang’s words, Gu Rou nodded in agreement and slowly walked toward Gu Li.
When Li Xiufang saw Gu Rou actually walking over, her eyes widened. Her daughter had truly suffered and been driven too hard. She used to be such a gentle, kind child—yet she’d been forced into this state by her own relatives.
“Don’t come over… we didn’t mean it… this was all a misunderstanding… I didn’t want to harm you… ah…”
“That mouth deserves to be torn! And everything your family took from ours before—you all have to pay it back!”
“Last year, Second Uncle, you were injured and borrowed dozens of yuan from my family. Your body’s healed, but you still haven’t paid us back. Also last year, you said Yaozu was going to be an apprentice and didn’t have enough tuition, so you took another fifty from my family. The apprenticeship went through smoothly, but you still haven’t paid us back.”
Gu Rou had received all of the original owner’s memories. Gu Jiandang’s family was completely shameless—not only vicious, but thick-skinned. In the novel, Li Xiufang never managed to recover the money.
And there was more…
“Gu Li, the Liberation shoes you’re wearing are mine too!”
As soon as she finished speaking, Gu Rou kicked Gu Li, then grabbed her ankle and forcibly yanked the shoe off.
“And your family took a thermos, a pair of Liberation shoes, a washbasin, two tea mugs, and three bowls. You’ve been using them for so long—the items are all old now. Convert everything into cash. Mom, calculate how much they owe.”
Li Xiufang had studied for a few years before and could do some basic arithmetic.
“Oh right, Gu Li tried to kill me. All my injuries—not only medical expenses, but also emotional distress compensation, lost wages, and nutrition for recovery. No need for much—just give me 100 in total.”
“Mom, you can start calculating now.”
Gu Rou said to Li Xiufang.
“The thermos is three yuan fifty cents, the Liberation shoes are four yuan fifty a pair, the three bowls are two yuan sixty cents, the washbasin is two yuan seventy cents… and the coupons haven’t even been counted yet.”
“Then we’ll count fifteen yuan. Add the hundred they owe, plus another hundred for Xiao Rou—that’s two hundred and fifteen yuan in total.”
When that number was calculated, Li Xiufang’s heart ached. The villagers all gasped in shock. This Gu Jiandang family was truly shameless beasts!
“These things were never borrowed by my family—you gave them to us willingly! I never said the word ‘borrow,’ so we don’t acknowledge this debt. I think you’re just using today’s incident to extort money!”
Zhang Cuihua immediately yelled at the top of her lungs. They’d been using those items for so long that she already considered them her own. Why should she return her own things?
“You’re sure you won’t pay, right?” Gu Rou asked coldly.
In the original owner’s memories, Zhang Cuihua had seemed quite shrewd. Who knew she was actually this stupid? They never said “borrow,” but they would nag you every day, year after year, until you agreed to say it was borrowed. And now she was trying to play deadbeat.
They won’t pay fifteen yuan? Fine. Then she’d be sick for a few more days—medical fees and nutrition costs doubled. Let’s see who loses more.
“Ah…”
“Mom, Dad, my head feels dizzy. Hurry and take me to the hospital. It hurts so much—my whole body hurts. Hurry, take me to the hospital. I need a full checkup.”
“I’ll need surgery too. Mom, I’m not going to make it. If I die, it’ll all be because of them.”
After saying this, Gu Rou pretended to be very weak, leaning into Li Xiufang’s arms, and continued, “Gu Li has already broken the law. What happened today counts as attempted murder, maliciously spreading rumors, defrauding the masses—each of these charges is serious…”
“Sister-in-law, this matter must be a misunderstanding. How could our family possibly do something like this…”
Seeing Gu Rou rattle off so many things, Gu Jiandang hurried forward to placate her.
While Gu Jiandang was talking, Gu Rou suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
“Ah… Xiao Rou, what’s wrong with you? My Xiao Rou!!”