Gu Jiu was holding Gu Changle. Years of carrying out missions had sharpened her senses, and she seemed to hear the “creak” of the main gate—someone had come in from outside.
She immediately handed her younger brother to Gu Rong and lowered her voice to warn her two younger sisters.
“Someone’s in the house. Stay inside and look after our brother. Don’t come out!”
Gu Rong and Gu Xiaoman turned pale with fear.
Gu Jiu became alert. Moving quietly, she entered the main room and picked up an axe from the wall.
The door was slightly ajar. She stood by the crack and observed the courtyard.
Liu Guihua from the village was looking around in the yard. She carried a bamboo basket, and her clothes were clean and neat—not like someone who had been foraging wild vegetables in the mountains, but more like someone who had just returned from buying things in town.
The Gu family old house was remote and usually uninhabited, with almost no neighbors nearby. When Liu Guihua entered from the village entrance, she immediately smelled a strong aroma of meat.
Curious, she followed the scent and found it coming from the Gu old house. Thinking that if no one was around, she might be able to take something for herself.
Not hearing any movement in the yard, she was about to step inside when Gu Jiu suddenly pushed the door open with a “bang” and shut it again, questioning her coldly:
“Aunt Liu, why did you enter my house without knocking?”
“Ah! You scared me to death!” Liu Guihua clutched her chest and quickly stepped back. She twisted her foot and fell to the ground.
Seeing it was Gu Jiu, she immediately cursed:
“You little brat! Why didn’t you make a sound inside? You came out like a mouse just to scare people, huh?”
Gu Jiu sneered.
“What a joke, Aunt Liu. The one sneaking into someone else’s house without permission is you, isn’t it?”
Liu Guihua felt guilty and her tone weakened. She forced a smile.
“I just saw your old house suddenly open and thought maybe thieves had gotten in, so I came to check for you. Who knew I’d run into you little ghost girl? You don’t live in your new house but come back here to cook something good—let Auntie take a look.”
As she spoke, she tried to squeeze through the door and stretch her neck to peek inside.
But Gu Jiu, though less than 1.5 meters tall, stood in front of her like an iron wall. She shoved the woman hard with her thin arm, not letting her get anywhere near the house.
“Aunt Liu, my siblings and I have already split from the Gu family. From now on, this is our branch’s home. Without my permission, don’t just barge into my house!”
Gu Jiu even raised her axe and swung it a few times, frightening Liu Guihua into backing away in panic, afraid she might get her head chopped.
“If there’s a next time, I’ll treat anyone who comes in as a thief!” Gu Jiu’s dark, sharp eyes carried killing intent as she glared at the greedy woman.
Liu Guihua swallowed hard at the smell of meat, but the fierceness in Gu Jiu’s eyes stopped her from taking another step.
Still unwilling, she said, “Nine girl, you really don’t know good intentions! Auntie was worried about your house. You kids are living here alone without adults, I just wanted to help clean up for you.”
“Not needed! Please go home, Aunt Liu. We’re about to eat. I won’t keep you.”
Gu Jiu decisively refused and shoved her out of the yard, then slammed the gate shut.
Liu Guihua fell outside, her basket spilling everywhere, dirt sticking to her clothes, looking extremely disheveled.
“You damn girl! How dare you treat me like this? I am your elder!”
She had never realized Gu Jiu had such a temper.
After splitting the family, those kids actually had meat to eat. That girl really had some skills.
What a pity she didn’t get a glimpse of what meat they had.
On the way back, Liu Guihua kept thinking. That girl dared to threaten her with an axe—she needed to teach her a lesson.
Suddenly she had an idea and turned toward the main Gu household.
At that time, the Gu family was also having dinner. Normally, it was the second branch’s wife who cooked, but today the second daughter-in-law made a big pot of sweet potato porridge.
“You wasteful woman! You pour rice like it costs nothing! How big is your fortune to waste like this? You can’t earn a single coin, you just eat like a pig all day! Food goes in and nothing comes out—you can’t even fart properly!”
Old Madam Gu Zhao was furious. The daughters-in-law of the first and second branches kept their heads down and didn’t dare speak.
Ever since Gu Jiu and her siblings left, the Gu family had lost their scapegoats. With nowhere to vent her anger, Madam Gu Zhao took it out on her daughters-in-law.
“Aunt Gu, are you also eating? I just came back from the county and stopped by to greet you.” Liu Guihua walked in casually with a fake smile.
Old Madam Gu Zhao stood up warily.
“What are you doing here at this hour? Don’t tell me you came to eat at my house?”
Many parts of the Sheng Kingdom had suffered three years of famine. Crops barely grew, vegetables dried up, and life was hard for everyone.
Despite that, taxes were still collected, and grain had to be handed over regularly. With frequent border wars, the court needed massive supplies, but farmers had nothing left.
So anyone who came at mealtime was usually seen as trying to mooch food.
Liu Guihua felt a bit nervous under their stares, but when she saw they weren’t eating meat, she regained confidence.
“I’m not here for food. I just came back from the county. I heard your third branch’s children split off and are living in the old house.”
The Gu family’s hostility lessened slightly.
“I must say, your Nine girl is really capable! She must have inherited her father’s hunting skills. Tonight they’re already eating meat. I passed by and smelled it—it was so fragrant!”
Then she deliberately asked:
“Aunt Gu, why didn’t your Nine girl bring you some meat to honor you? Even if they split, you’re still family. Why is she eating alone and not respecting her grandmother?”
Her words successfully stirred resentment in the Gu family.
“That little wretch dares to eat meat behind my back? I’ll skin her alive!” Madam Gu Zhao’s face twisted in anger.
Gu Youfu threw down his pipe. “Unfilial bastards! They should’ve been sold off!”
Gu Laoda grabbed a stick. “Mother, I’ll go with you and teach those unfilial wretches a lesson!”
His words sounded like filial devotion, but greed was written all over his eyes.
In a famine year, they hadn’t eaten meat for half a year. They must take it back.
The first daughter-in-law also grabbed a sack and followed.
But the second son sneered inwardly. He thought the others were just reckless fools.
“Mother, don’t act rashly. Don’t forget that Gu Jiu injured you this morning. We should plan carefully, or we’ll suffer again.”
Old Madam Gu Zhao paused, her anger cooling slightly.
Seeing that they weren’t going immediately, Liu Guihua felt disappointed.
“Aunt Gu, this is your family matter. I’ll head home first.”
And she quickly slipped away.
Though she left, she was still curious about how the Gu family would deal with Gu Jiu—she just waited to watch the show.