For the rest of the day, no matter how Old Lady Gu and the rest of the Gu family carried on and made a fuss—as long as they didn’t come bothering her directly—Xia Yuge couldn’t have cared less.
Arguing and squabbling took energy, and right now, energy was the one thing she had the least of.
Gu Nianchen didn’t come knocking at her door again, either. No one had any idea what she was doing inside that room.
And so she stayed there, resting the whole afternoon away.
That evening, the Gu family’s meals were far better than usual—prepared to celebrate Gu Nianchen’s promotion. Dinner was unusually lavish: wild vegetable porridge, mixed-grain steamed buns, and even a mouth-watering bowl of braised pork alongside a large basin of boiled cabbage.
Back in the world she’d come from, this would have been nothing special—barely even basic fare. But in this era of scarcity, this feast was finer than a holiday banquet.
“Grandma! When’s Second Uncle coming back? My stomach’s practically caving in!” Little Shou, seven years old, drooled and stared fixedly at the braised pork on the table.
“Soon, my precious dear. Just a little longer, and we’ll eat. I promise—Grandma will give you the biggest, juiciest slice of pork, the kind that melts and runs with oil in your mouth. Won’t that be lovely?”
Old Lady Gu might have been cruel to everyone else, but she truly doted on this grandson. She soothed him while craning her neck to peer toward the courtyard.
She still couldn’t understand why her second son had agreed to take that wretched girl Xia Yuge with him to the army—or why he’d insisted on going into town alone, forbidding anyone to tag along.
Alas.
As the saying goes: a grown son makes his own choices. And how true that rang.
Old Lady Gu shot a venomous glare at the closed door. If her son hadn’t strictly ordered everyone to stop their bickering, she’d have stormed over and ripped that door off its hinges.
Hmph.
Giving herself airs, indeed. Who did she think she was? Daring to talk back, daring to threaten her son.
Going to the army to hunt for a husband? That was nothing but a toad dreaming of eating swan meat. Pure fantasy.
She’d have to get past her first. Old Lady Gu’s eyes swiveled craftily.
“Mother… are you really letting that lowly woman Xia Yuge go to the army with Second Brother?” Gu Xiaohua pressed. She cupped her still-swollen, aching cheek, glared at the closed door, and spoke with bitter resentment.
She’d hoped to go with her brother to the base herself. Now, it was clear—she stood no chance. He was only a lowly platoon leader; he couldn’t possibly bring a whole entourage along.
The mere thought made her grind her teeth in fury. She wanted nothing more than to tear Xia Yuge limb from limb.
“Exactly! If she leaves, who’s going to do all the work? Feed the chickens, the ducks, the pigs? Do the laundry, cook, gather firewood? We can’t possibly keep up with all of it!”
The eldest daughter-in-law chimed in.
“What sort of talk is that?” Old Lady Gu snapped, glaring with fishy, bulging eyes. “You mean to tell me the work can’t get done without her? Eldest Daughter-in-Law, don’t think I don’t see what you’re up to. You’ve been lazy long enough. From now on, you take over every single chore she used to do. If Xia Yuge could manage it, so can you, Li Cuihua!”
“Precisely, Sister-in-Law!” Gu Xiaohua quickly added, terrified that the chores would fall to her. “You’re a woman of this household too. If you won’t do your share, do you expect Mother to do it all? Aren’t you ashamed? The whole village would whisper behind your back!”
“Mother… Little Sister… how can you say such things?” Li Cuihua smoothed her flat stomach with a deliberate, helpless gesture. “Of course I’d never burden Mother with my work. It’s just… Little Shou is still so small, and I’ve been feeling rather unwell lately…”
“What do you mean ‘unwell’?” Gu Xiaohua’s eyes went wide. “You wouldn’t be implying… are you pregnant again?”
“What? Eldest Daughter-in-Law—are you carrying another child?” Old Lady Gu’s eyes lit up instantly. All her displeasure melted away in an instant.
“Why didn’t you say so sooner? This is wonderful news! If it’s true, you must rest and take good care of yourself. Don’t worry—from now on, let Xiaohua take over your chores.”
“What?!” Gu Xiaohua nearly exploded. “Mother! How can you be so unfair? I’m your own daughter! Blood of your blood! Why should I do all the work? If someone wants chores done so badly, let them do it themselves! I refuse!”
Hmph. As if she’d believe that timing. Xia Yuge announces she’s leaving for the base—and suddenly the eldest daughter-in-law is “pregnant”? How very convenient.
Gu Xiaohua shot Li Cuihua a sharp, suspicious look, then tugged at Old Lady Gu’s sleeve.
“Mother—don’t let her fool you! Little Shou is already seven years old. All this time, nothing. And the moment work needs doing—suddenly she’s expecting? Isn’t that a little too perfect a coincidence?”
“Hmm… Xiaohua has a point.” Old Lady Gu’s gaze turned doubtful as she studied her eldest daughter-in-law. “Eldest Daughter-in-Law… are you quite certain you’re pregnant?”
“Mother… I can’t be entirely sure myself,” Li Cuihua replied smoothly. “But I’ve felt nauseous lately, and I’ve had no appetite. And… my monthly courses are several days late. If you don’t believe me, give me a little money tomorrow, and let Eldest Brother take me to the health clinic for a checkup. Then we’ll know for certain.”
She was betting Old Lady Gu would never part with that money. If she couldn’t get tested, she could keep stringing them along. Even if she couldn’t avoid all the work, she’d at least escape half of it—maybe more.
And was she actually pregnant? Heaven only knew.
If not… well, she and her husband could always try again these coming nights. Perhaps by then she really would be. And if that failed, she could always find another excuse to visit her parents’ home for a few days. One way or another—she would get pregnant. Deception like this was nothing new to her.
Sure enough, the moment Old Lady Gu heard the cost involved, she hesitated.
Gu Xiaohua knew her mother well—and saw the hesitation. Panic flared, but she quickly rallied.
“Sister-in-Law—don’t go jumping to conclusions! Feeling sick to your stomach hardly means you’re pregnant! You might simply have eaten something that disagreed with you!”
“I know my own body well enough,” Li Cuihua countered calmly. “If it were merely bad food, I’d have diarrhea. Besides—we all eat the exact same meals. Why would I be the only one taken ill?”
“That…” Gu Xiaohua was left with no retort.
“Very well! Fine!” Old Lady Gu declared. “No need to waste money on a clinic visit. To be safe… Eldest Daughter-in-Law, you shall do less work around the house from now on. But—since Xia Yuge will soon be gone—someone must tend to everything. Xiaohua, you will help your sister-in-law. The two of you shall divide the chores between you.”
Gu Xiaohua nearly stamped her foot in dismay.
“Mother! Why must I do it? I’m your own daughter! I won’t drudge around the house! I’m going to the army with Second Brother too! I’ll marry an officer—just like him! Then you and Father can retire in comfort and ease!”
At those words, a faint, mocking smirk touched Li Cuihua’s face—though she hid it well before anyone noticed.
She didn’t believe a word of it. Gu Xiaohua was lazy, greedy, and plain-looking. Marrying an officer? Please. As the saying goes: trust in ghosts before you trust a word from this family’s mouths.
Inside the room, Xia Yuge had heard every single word spoken outside.
Hmph. A whole household of lazy good-for-nothings.
Clearly, this evening would bring more squabbling over her departure. But she didn’t care—not in the slightest. Because none of it was her problem anymore.