Ruan Tong blinked. It was the first time she had seen Dabao cry so heartbrokenly.
She hadn’t realized it in daily life, but after experiencing this incident, Ruan Tong came to understand that over the past month of living together, she had developed feelings for both children.
Even though these feelings were still shallow, compared to outsiders, they were a family!
“There, there, Dabao, don’t cry. If your father dares to do that, Grandma will have Grandpa break his leg!” Wu Minzhen said with utmost seriousness.
Gu Wenlin sighed beside her. “That won’t do. If we break another leg, he’ll really become disabled!”
Ruan Tong’s expression also turned grave.
Yes, that leg was Gu Bai’s heartache.
Perhaps it was because of this leg that Gu Bai had followed his parents’ arrangement and married the original host. Unwilling to hold Qiu Hong back or give her happiness, he had settled for marrying the original host.
Ruan Tong suddenly felt that the customs of this old society were truly beyond words!
“Tongtong, don’t worry. Fourth Brother is my son, and I know his temperament. Since he agreed to marry you, he won’t abandon you.” While comforting Dabao, Wu Minzhen didn’t forget to reassure Ruan Tong.
Ruan Tong smiled faintly. “Mom, no matter where Gu Bai and I end up, I will always care for the two children. They call me ‘Mother,’ and I will be their mom for life.”
Wu Minzhen’s expression stiffened, and she pursed her lips without saying another word.
After Ruan Tong took Dabao out of the room, Wu Minzhen couldn’t sit still any longer. She leaned toward Gu Wenlin. “Old man, Fourth Brother wouldn’t really go back on his word, would he!?”
Gu Wenlin snorted. “Go back on his word? How dare he! Does he think marriage is child’s play? Marry when you want, divorce when you want?”
“To be honest, I never really liked that girl Qiu Hong. The look of disdain she had when she first came to our house—I still remember it vividly! We’re not the same kind of people; we wouldn’t get along.” Wu Minzhen sighed.
“Alright, let’s not speculate blindly. Dabao is just a child; don’t panic over a single sentence from him.” Gu Wenlin comforted Wu Minzhen.
Wu Minzhen nodded. “Right, right. I was just a bit anxious earlier.”
By the time Gu Bai returned, the sky had already darkened.
As soon as he entered the courtyard, Gu Qin hurried out of her room, peering behind Gu Bai. After looking for a while and not seeing Qiu Hong, she anxiously asked, “Fourth Brother, where’s Sister Qiuhong?”
“She went back.” With that, Gu Bai strode toward his own room.
Hearing this, Gu Qin grew frantic. “How is that possible? Sister Qiuhong said she’d stay with me tonight. Did you make her leave? You…”
“Get lost!” Gu Bai’s face was icy as he spoke coldly.
The low roar completely startled Gu Qin, leaving her frozen in place for a long time, unable to react.
Hearing the commotion, Wu Minzhen also came out of her room. Seeing that Gu Bai had returned, she quickly called out to him, “Fourth Brother is back? Have you eaten? Your father has something to say to you.”
Gu Bai cast a cold glance at Gu Qin, who was still standing there dumbfounded, then turned and entered his parents’ room.
Inside, Gu Wenlin sat cross-legged on the kang, smoking a cigarette. He looked up at Gu Bai. “Where is she?”
“Sent away.” Gu Bai sat on a chair, picked up the mug on the table, and took a big gulp of water.
“Did you make it clear to that girl? Don’t let her come back in a few days. Today Dabao cried so sadly, and when Erbao saw his brother crying, he started crying too. Just what kind of thing have you done?”
Gu Wenlin scolded sternly.
“Yes, Fourth Brother, even if you don’t care about others, you should think about the two children. They’ve just accepted Tongtong—don’t create problems for us.”
Wu Minzhen, after all, felt sorry for her own children and didn’t say anything too harsh.