This was no mere complaint about them not telling her that Gu Bai’s leg injury had flared up again.
She had clearly come specifically to demand an explanation for Gu Bai’s marriage!
Gu Wenlin picked up a cigarette from the table, lowered his head to roll the tobacco, and didn’t respond. Instead, Wu Minzhen smiled and said, “Our Fourth Brother is already married. With his wife taking care of him, naturally, we old folks don’t need to worry. We just need to look after the two little ones!”
“That’s right. I’m Gu Bai’s wife, so of course I’ll do my best to take care of him. Comrade Qiuhong, you can rest assured!” Ruan Tong chimed in with a smile.
She was the wife Gu Bai’s parents had chosen for him, so naturally, they would side with her at a time like this.
As for Gu Bai…
A faint sense of anticipation rose in her heart. She wanted to see if this man was an ungrateful wretch who couldn’t be won over!
These words of defense made Qiuhong’s eyes instantly redden. She bit her lip and looked at Gu Bai with grievance. “Gu Bai, don’t you think you owe me an explanation? Why did you marry another woman without a word?”
Before Gu Bai could speak, Wu Minzhen, sitting on the kang, grew displeased and immediately cut in, “Qiuhong, what you’re saying isn’t right. Our family’s wedding was a lively affair—everyone in the village knew about it. It certainly wasn’t done quietly.”
These words inadvertently ignited the anger Qiuhong had been holding back for hours. Tears streamed down her face, and her tone noticeably shifted. “Auntie, I want to hear him explain it to me himself!”
Her resentful tone made Wu Minzhen’s expression darken completely.
Standing to the side, Ruan Tong looked meaningfully at Gu Bai. The latter, however, remained calm and composed, his handsome brows not even furrowing. He seemed like a mere bystander to Qiuhong’s tearful accusations.
“Fourth Brother, say something! Sister Qiuhong has come all this way—you two should be together!” Gu Qin stomped her feet anxiously.
“Gu Qin!” Gu Wenlin slammed the table and scolded sharply, “What business does a child like you have meddling in this? You have no say here!”
“But…” Gu Qin refused to give up.
“Shut up! If you say another word, get back to your room!” Gu Wenlin glared at her in warning.
Finally, the unflappable man rose from his chair and looked at Qiuhong. “Let’s talk outside.”
Overjoyed, Qiuhong quickly wiped the tears from her face. “Alright!”
She stood up happily and, before leaving, couldn’t resist glancing at Ruan Tong—a look filled with hidden meaning.
Ruan Tong didn’t even spare her half a glance, keeping her head down as she played with Erbao in her arms.
Just then, Gu Qin walked over to Ruan Tong and whispered in her ear, “See? My Fourth Brother has Sister Qiuhong in his heart. Don’t you dare harbor any foolish hopes!”
“Little Qin’s studies have been improving lately—she even knows the idiom ‘harbor foolish hopes’!” Ruan Tong looked up at her, not bothering to lower her voice.
“Gu Qin, what nonsense are you spouting again? Go back to your room and study!” Wu Minzhen raised her hand as if to hit her.
Gu Qin immediately shrank back, scared, and took off running. At the doorway, she turned around and flashed Ruan Tong a big, triumphant smile.
“Tongtong, don’t listen to Little Qin’s nonsense! Fourth Brother is my son, and I know what’s in his heart. He’s just saving face for that Qiuhong girl, not wanting to embarrass her in front of everyone.” Wu Minzhen quickly explained, afraid Ruan Tong would misunderstand.
Ruan Tong smiled faintly. “Mom, I understand.”
Though she said that, Wu Minzhen was still worried in her heart.
She worried that Ruan Tong might hold a grudge against her son, and the young couple might have another argument.
Just then, Dabao ran in from outside. Seeing Ruan Tong holding Erbao, he immediately came over: “Stepmother, come here, I have something to tell you.”
“You little rascal, what did you just call her?!” Wu Minzhen gently tapped his head, not using much force.
Dabao grinned, “Mom, let’s go outside, I have something to say to you.”
Ruan Tong knew this mischievous little guy was deliberately calling her ‘stepmother’ and naturally didn’t take it to heart.
Meanwhile, Wu Minzhen shook her head worriedly: “Old man, when do you think Dabao will finally accept Tongtong?”
After handing Erbao over to her mother-in-law, Ruan Tong followed Dabao outside, unaware that her mother-in-law was so concerned about her relationship with Dabao.
In truth, in Ruan Tong’s heart, Dabao had already accepted her long ago.
Children can sense who is genuinely good to them, so she had never worried about it.
When they reached the courtyard, there was no one in sight—Gu Bai had taken Qiu Hong somewhere.
Dabao pulled her back to their room, then mysteriously took two marbles from his pocket and handed them to Ruan Tong.
Ruan Tong could tell at first glance that these marbles weren’t the ones she had given Dabao, so she asked curiously, “Dabao, these two marbles are new. Where did you get them?”
The little guy proudly lifted his small head: “I won them! Now I’m giving them to you!”
Hearing this, the slight frown on Ruan Tong’s brow immediately smoothed out, and her eyes curved into a smile.
Compared to that annoying man, children’s hearts were much simpler and easier to please.
Ruan Tong cupped Dabao’s little face and kissed his tender cheek: “Thank you, Dabao. I really like them.”
Dabao deliberately wiped his face with his sleeve, pretending to be disgusted, though inwardly he was overjoyed.
He thought to himself: Who says stepmothers are all mean and hit people? My stepmother not only doesn’t hit me, but she’s also really good to me.
Ruan Tong took out a palm-sized wooden box from a drawer and, in front of Dabao, carefully placed the two marbles inside, saying earnestly, “Look, I’m going to keep them safe.”
At that moment, Dabao was so excited he wasn’t paying attention to what Ruan Tong was saying. His big eyes were fixed curiously on the little wooden box.
Noticing his gaze lingering on the box, Ruan Tong thoughtfully asked, “Dabao, do you like this little wooden box?”
Dabao nodded: “I want to keep my marbles in it too.”
Ruan Tong thought for a moment and explained to him, “This little box isn’t suitable for carrying around; it can only be kept at home. A small cloth bag is better for playing outside.”
Rejected, the light in Dabao’s bright eyes instantly dimmed.
But the next moment, Dabao saw Ruan Tong produce a new small cloth bag from somewhere, embroidered with a cartoon rabbit wearing blue clothes—it looked absolutely adorable.
“Wow, so cute!” The light immediately returned to Dabao’s eyes. He reached out with both hands to take the cloth bag, as happy as if he had found a treasure.
“Do you like it?” Ruan Tong ruffled Dabao’s little head.
“I like it, I really like it!” Dabao nodded like a chick pecking at rice.
“Alright, go out and play now!”
“Okay.” Dabao happily ran out the door, eager to show off his adorable little cloth bag to his friends.
After Dabao left, the room suddenly fell quiet.
After resting for a while, Ruan Tong began to take her own pulse.
A moment later, she sighed softly and murmured to herself, “Should I keep it?”
Whether it was her health or this crumbling marriage, giving birth now would only make things worse.