“Hey now, in-law, you can’t say things like that so casually,” Gu’s mother, Zhang Manfang, said quickly. “Qinghe is the daughter-in-law I’ve already set my heart on. How could something like this be joked about?”
As soon as she saw Shen Qinghe, Zhang Manfang hurried over and grabbed her hand, her face full of concern. “Oh my, look how pale your face is—how heartbreaking! Are you feeling any better now?”
Gu Linchuan’s younger sister, Gu Yuhua, also squeezed over. “Sister Qinghe, are you okay?” Her eyes flicked toward the half-finished bowl of rice on the table, and she couldn’t help swallowing.
Looking at these familiar faces, hatred surged in Shen Qinghe’s heart.
Gu Yuan being the child of Gu Linchuan and Lin Yingxue—maybe the Gu family didn’t know at first. But only a few years later, their attitude toward Gu Yuan changed drastically. That clearly meant they had learned the truth.
And after Gu Linchuan rose rapidly in status, they completely changed their faces. The once kind mother-in-law became extremely picky, and Gu Yuhua—who had once been as close to her as a sister—revealed her true colors. In her previous life, Shen Qinghe had truly seen the coldness of human relationships.
Shen Qinghe calmly withdrew her hand from Zhang Manfang’s grasp. “I’m fine.”
Zhang Manfang’s smile stiffened. She said awkwardly, “That’s good… that’s good.”
“You bullied my aunt! You’re a bad person!”
Wu Bao suddenly jumped off the stool and ran over to Gu Linchuan, pounding his leg with his tiny fists.
“Wu Bao, what are you doing? Come back here!” Zhou Chunfeng said, though inside she was secretly delighted. Good hit, good hit! Look at how awkward the Gu family’s expressions are now. Good boy, Wu Bao—later Grandma will steam you eggs. Two of them!
“You little brat, why aren’t you apologizing to Qinghe?” Old Master Gu slapped Gu Linchuan hard on the back.
Gu Linchuan pressed his lips together and walked straight up to Shen Qinghe. “I’m sorry, Qinghe. I already explained what happened that day. I thought you could swim…”
Hearing this nonsense made Zhou Chunfeng boil with rage. She snapped back immediately, “People who can swim drown too—haven’t you heard that saying? And weren’t there two soldiers right next to you? The two of them couldn’t save Comrade Lin? How desperate were you for her? My daughter is in the middle of discussing marriage with you, and you could forget her life, let someone else pull Qinghe out of the water—what kind of person does that?”
A young woman’s reputation was everything in these days! She was certain the story had already spread through the village several times. In the future, her daughter would probably be mocked whenever she went out—mocked for being engaged to a man who didn’t save her but ran off to save someone else, and for having her body touched by a strange man. Where was she supposed to put her face?
Gu Linchuan’s gaze turned cold as he stared at Zhou Chunfeng. “Aunt Zhou, some things can’t be said carelessly! If you talk like this, how is Comrade Lin supposed to live in Shenjia Bay in the future?”
Gu Linchuan had trained in the army for several years and even been to the battlefield. His icy stare made Zhou Chunfeng subconsciously step back. A chill rose in her heart, mixed with bitterness. This was a child she had watched grow up—yet he was looking at her like this for Lin Yingxue!
Shen Qinghe stepped in front of Zhou Chunfeng and looked straight at Gu Linchuan, sneering. “Since you dared to do it, why are you afraid of people talking? Do you even know what the consequences are of saving her but not me? It’s not just my mother who thinks this way—probably everyone in Shenjia Bay does. Can you shut everyone’s mouths?”
Gu Linchuan frowned, irritation surging inside him. “I already said I didn’t think that much at the time.”
“Watch how you speak!” Old Master Gu slapped Gu Linchuan hard again. “Qinghe, don’t argue with him. That’s just his temper.”
In her previous life, Old Master Gu died in the second year after she and Gu Linchuan married. Shen Qinghe hadn’t known whether he was aware of Gu Linchuan’s relationship with Lin Yingxue, but now it seemed he probably knew at least a little.
Zhang Manfang also smacked Gu Linchuan’s arm several times. “Xiao He, Linchuan is straightforward—he doesn’t have those twists and turns in his heart. This time he was in the wrong. Auntie’s making him apologize to you, and his grandpa already scolded him. Please forgive him. You two are already at the stage of talking marriage—don’t call it off over something like this, alright?”
“That’s right, Sister Qinghe, forgive my brother!” Gu Yuhua said as she hooked her arm around Shen Qinghe’s. Lowering her voice, she added, “You’re going to be my sister-in-law in the future anyway. What does that Lin Yingxue even matter…”
Shen Qinghe pulled her arm free, ignoring the shock on Gu Yuhua’s face, and spoke calmly, “I don’t blame Gu Linchuan for not saving me, because I don’t have any real relationship with him to begin with. He had no obligation to save me. Likewise, there’s no way I’ll continue discussing marriage with him. I’ve made myself clear—if you still don’t understand, there’s nothing more I can do.”
The entire room fell silent.
“Shen Qinghe!” Gu Linchuan hadn’t expected that after his whole family came over to give her a way out, she would still act like this. How long was she planning to keep putting on airs?
Just as Shen Qinghe was about to curse him out, Shen Qingsong—his face dark—suddenly threw a punch at the completely unprepared Gu Linchuan. “Who are you yelling at? Is my sister someone you can shout at? The marriage hasn’t even been settled yet and you’re already like this—if my sister really married you, would you start hitting her?”
“Ah!” Gu Yuhua happened to be nearby. She stumbled back several steps in fright and screamed.
No one expected Shen Qingsong to attack so suddenly. The punch landed solidly on Gu Linchuan’s nose. Shen Qingsong was a farmer and a carpenter—his hands were incredibly strong—and in his anger over his sister, he used all his strength.
Gu Linchuan let out a muffled groan, clutching his nose as blood poured down.
“Linchuan!” Zhang Manfang screamed. Supporting her son with one hand, she glared furiously at Shen Qingsong. “Second Shen, what right do you have to hit someone?”
“Zhou Chunfeng, your second son is completely out of control! Our Linchuan is a soldier!”
In these days, assaulting a soldier was indeed a crime.
Shen Qingshan stepped forward. “Auntie, my second brother acted out of concern for our little sister—he was just too anxious. You know he’s closest to her. Honestly, even we were furious when we heard that Linchuan didn’t save her but went to save Comrade Lin instead. Please don’t hold it against him.”
Hearing this, Zhang Manfang’s face turned alternately pale and flushed. She was about to speak again when Old Master Gu said, “Enough. Hurry and stop the bleeding!”
“Yes, yes, stop the bleeding…” Zhang Manfang was so flustered she’d lost her head. In the end, it was Shen’s eldest sister-in-law who fetched some water and brought over a towel to help.