Ruan Tong nodded and continued, “However, this requires a long period of treatment and cannot be rushed. Fourth Brother has already started trying. If you have any doubts, you can ask him.”
The elderly couple immediately turned their gazes toward Gu Bai.
Gu Bai nodded.
Although the effects of acupuncture had not been as noticeable recently, there had indeed been some improvement.
Upon seeing their son’s affirmation, Gu Wenlin and Wu Minzhen’s expressions visibly brightened with joy.
Especially Wu Minzhen, whose eyes reddened. “Tongtong, our Fourth Brother marrying you is truly the greatest fortune he could have earned in eight lifetimes.”
Ruan Tong smiled gently. “It’s just a small effort. Please don’t take it to heart, Mom.”
At that moment, Gu Wenlin spoke up. “Alright, I’ve made a decision. Let Second Brother and his family move out. We’ll give them land and money, and see what else they have to say.”
Hearing the old man say this, Wu Minzhen hesitated slightly.
After all, it was Xu Yan who had done this, and Gu Rong was merely implicated. As a mother, she couldn’t help but feel reluctant.
“I’ll go talk to Second Brother now,” Gu Wenlin said. As the head of the Gu family, he was decisive and never minced his words.
While walking out, he reassured Wu Minzhen, “Second Brother isn’t a child anymore. He won’t starve to death once he moves out. Don’t worry about it.”
After the elderly couple had gone, the room fell into a brief silence.
The small flame of hope that had just ignited in Ruan Tong’s heart was completely extinguished.
Just moments ago, she had already begun planning what small business she could start in town.
Unfortunately, it had all been in vain.
Upon further reflection, she realized that the elderly couple had their best interests at heart.
After all, it was Xu Yan who had done wrong, so it should be them who moved out.
“Fourth Brother…”
For some reason, Ruan Tong preferred to call Gu Bai by this affectionate nickname.
Gu Bai gently patted her head and said softly, “I’m sorry you had to go through this.”
Warmth spread from his palm, seeping into her bit by bit, mingling with his words and reaching her heart.
The fact that Gu Bai cared for her so deeply and protected her was more valuable than anything else.
Moreover, the elderly couple truly had their best interests at heart.
Both sides were their flesh and blood, and forcing the second branch to leave would undoubtedly cause them pain and sorrow.
At noon, chaos erupted in the courtyard with a commotion that sounded like chickens flying and dogs jumping!
Upon hearing that Gu Wenlin intended to kick them out, Xu Yan immediately began making a scene.
“You Gu family are just bullying us! Bullying my Gu Rong for being useless, bullying me for not being as cunning as that vixen Ruan Tong! Why is my life so miserable…”
Gu Qin had just returned from school and entered the courtyard when she saw Xu Yan sitting on the ground, wailing and cursing, her words too vile to bear.
She recalled the earnest teachings her parents had given her.
At that moment, Gu Qin deeply realized how many mistakes she had made in the past. She should never have associated with someone like Xu Yan!
She should never have been so easily swayed by Xu Yan and constantly opposed Ruan Tong.
From beginning to end, Ruan Tong had never done anything to wrong them. It had always been them causing trouble for her!
When she learned about the scheme Xu Yan had plotted with her own brother, she was shocked!
She never imagined that Xu Yan would use such malicious means to ruin Ruan Tong!
Gu Qin slowly stepped forward, bent down, and whispered into Xu Yan’s ear, “Xu Yan, you are simply not human!”
Xu Yan, who was still wailing, froze for a moment before glaring at her viciously. “You useless thing, how dare you curse at me? I’ll tear your mouth apart!”
She hadn’t expected Xu Yan to lunge at her. Caught off guard, she stumbled backward, hitting the back of her head on the ground, leaving her dazed and disoriented.
Fists rained down like a dense storm, yet Gu Qin didn’t fight back at all.
It wasn’t until Ruan Tong heard the commotion outside change that she rushed out, only to witness this shocking scene.
Ruan Tong quickly stepped forward, grabbed the hefty Xu Yan by the collar, and tossed her aside like garbage.
“Mom, come out quickly! Xu Yan has gone mad—she’s beaten Xiao Qin’er!”
Upon hearing her daughter had been beaten, Wu Minzhen hurried out of the house. Seeing Gu Qin’s bruised and swollen face in Ruan Tong’s arms, tears began to fall, drop by drop.
“Xiao Qin’er, what happened to you? Don’t scare your mother like this!”
Meanwhile, Xu Yan’s mind raced. Wasn’t this the perfect opportunity to make sure Ruan Tong lost her child?
She strode forward, intending to grab Ruan Tong by the collar, but Ruan Tong reacted swiftly, dodging her grasp.
“You wretched woman, mind your own business!” With that, Xu Yan’s massive body charged toward Ruan Tong.
Seeing this, Wu Minzhen was terrified out of her wits.
But at that moment, aside from her and the unconscious Gu Qin, only two children remained hiding inside the house. No one could help Ruan Tong.
Just then, the petite Ruan Tong nimbly sidestepped, causing Xu Yan to lunge into empty air.
“You? Trying to ambush me?” Ruan Tong sneered disdainfully at her.
If her opponent had been a man, Ruan Tong might have been somewhat wary. But Xu Yan was just an ordinary woman—even if she was on the heavier side, Ruan Tong didn’t take her seriously.
Ruan Tong rolled up her sleeves and aimed a kick straight at Xu Yan’s face.
Xu Yan let out a howl, clutching her face in agony.
Who would have thought that rolling up her sleeves wasn’t for throwing punches but for kicking? How could anyone have anticipated that?
And how did she manage to lift her leg so high?
Before Xu Yan could recover from the pain, Ruan Tong’s kicks came one after another…
Xu Yan howled in agony with each blow.
But Ruan Tong sighed inwardly. This body was too weak—she couldn’t even muster a tenth of the strength from her previous life.
Only when Xu Yan’s clumsy, bulky body collapsed to the ground, rolling around and unable to get up, did Ruan Tong finally stop. She stepped on one of Xu Yan’s hands and said, “You bully the weak but fear the strong, Xu Yan. Let me tell you—if anything happens to Xiao Qin’er, you can look forward to joining your brother in jail!”
“No!” Xu Yan cried out, shaking her head frantically.
“Oh, wait. That’s not right. Your older brother is just detained, but you—you’ll be going to prison!” Ruan Tong shot her a fierce glare before turning to check on Gu Qin.
“Mom, Xiao Qin’er hit her head pretty hard. She needs to be examined right away. Please help me carry her inside.” With that, Ruan Tong already had one of Gu Qin’s arms over her shoulder, lifting her up.
At that moment, Wu Minzhen’s entire focus was on her daughter. For now, she couldn’t worry about anything else and hurried over to help. Together, they carried Gu Qin back to her room.
Meanwhile, Xu Yan seized the opportunity to flee back to her parents’ home.
On the bed, Gu Qin’s small face was swollen like a steamed bun.
“Mom, please prepare a basin of warm water and a towel for me. I need to tend to Xiao Qin’er’s wounds.”
Using this as an excuse to send Wu Minzhen away, Ruan Tong immediately began rummaging through her Space.
The imaging equipment in the Space is quite large, making it impractical to bring out.
However, Ruan Tong discovered that as long as she took out the probe and aimed it at the patient’s injured area, the instruments in the Space could provide precise data feedback.
In a swift motion, she proceeded to scan Gu Qin’s head.