Ruan Tong had always been exceptionally skilled at infuriating people without consequence.
Gu Qin forcefully swallowed the bitter resentment rising in her throat and sneered, “You won’t be smug for long. Sister Qiuhong will come looking for Fourth Brother soon. They’ll go live in the city together, and she’ll even take me along to experience life in the big city!”
“Oh?” Ruan Tong looked at her mockingly. “Did that Qiu Hong tell you that?”
Who would have thought Qiu Hong was so good at painting grand illusions, completely fooling this little girl and making her loyally fawn over her.
“Of course! She lives in the big city, after all!” Gu Qin proudly lifted her chin.
Ruan Tong scoffed coldly. Dreaming would be faster.
Just then, Gu Bai pushed the door open and entered, casting a cold glance that made Gu Qin’s heart tremble violently. All the words she had been about to say were instantly choked back in her throat, and she dared not utter a sound.
“Get out!” Gu Bai took two steps forward and spoke coldly.
Gu Qin scrambled to her feet. Reaching the doorway, she couldn’t resist turning back to ask, “Fourth Brother, when will Sister Qiuhong come to our house?”
“Get out, close the door properly, and don’t make me say it a third time!”
Gu Bai’s voice wasn’t loud, but it struck Gu Qin’s heart, sending it into a frantic flutter. She immediately turned and fled.
Ruan Tong continued sewing the clothes in her hands without even looking up.
Gu Bai remained silent for a few moments before speaking. “Gu Qin is still young. You can’t take her words seriously.”
“Mhm, mhm…” Ruan Tong nodded perfunctorily, her mind clearly elsewhere.
Seeing her so dismissive, Gu Bai couldn’t help but frown. Remembering the earlier incident, he added, “That phone call was from my comrade.”
“Alright, finished,” Ruan Tong said with satisfaction, putting down her needle and thread. She stretched and stood up directly. “I’m going to help Mom with dinner.”
The sense of distance in her demeanor finally caused a noticeable shift in the man’s expression.
“Ruan Tong!” He abruptly grabbed her arm as she walked away.
Ruan Tong halted, smiled, and pulled her arm free. “Fourth Brother, I also don’t like others touching me.”
With that, Ruan Tong gave a haughty eye-roll and left.
When it came to infuriating people, she had never lost.
In her previous life, she had treated so many patients. She refused to believe she couldn’t cure this man colder than ice!
…
After dinner, Ruan Tong was in her room preparing medicinal herbs. This body was too weak; she didn’t want to cross over only to meet an untimely demise.
Based on the original owner’s physical condition, she probably wouldn’t live past thirty.
Fortunately, she knew medicine and was determined to properly recuperate.
The herbs she was preparing were all taken from her Space and were the most common varieties.
If the Gu family saw them and asked, she could say she brought them along with her dowry.
But one thing troubled her greatly.
The items in the Space were inexhaustible, but what she brought out would eventually run out, making it hard to explain later.
She needed to come up with a reasonable justification for the appearance of these medicines.
Moreover, she had to think carefully about what she could do to make a living, earn some money, and avoid living so frugally.
Just as Ruan Tong was lost in thought, Gu Bai entered the room.
She thought the man would go arrange his bedding on the floor, but instead, he sat directly on the edge of the kang, picked up a cup, and took a large gulp of water.
“Are you feeling unwell again?” After drinking, Gu Bai noticed the medicinal herbs on the table, his frown deepening.
“No, I just want to regulate my health, but I’m still missing a few medicinal herbs. I plan to go to town tomorrow to buy some.” Ruan Tong fiddled with the medicine in her hand, thinking she could buy some cheap herbs and then swap them with the ones from her Space.
Tsk, she was too clever.
“Alright, I’ll take you tomorrow,” the man sitting by the kang replied readily.
Ruan Tong finally looked up, slightly raising her eyelids to glance at him. “Aren’t you going to work in the fields tomorrow?”
“I’ll talk to Dad and go help in the fields later when I get back.”
Ruan Tong raised an eyebrow slightly. Having someone accompany her was naturally a happy thing.
A delicate little fairy like her probably couldn’t handle that 28-inch bicycle.
After that, the room fell quiet, and Gu Bai also picked up a book to read.
Not long after, the sound of light footsteps came from outside, followed by a gentle knock on the door.
Gu Bai put down his book and limped over to open the door, finding Dabao standing at the entrance.
“What is it?” He pulled Dabao directly into the room.
Dabao was stubborn; sweet talk was useless. Gu Bai had always dealt with him through actions rather than words.
Ruan Tong propped her chin on one hand and glanced at Dabao, noticing him occasionally peeking in her direction. The corners of her lips curled up slightly.
She guessed the purpose of Dabao’s visit.
“Speak,” Gu Bai said coldly.
“I… I’m looking for Stepmother,” Dabao whispered, keeping his head down out of fear of Gu Bai.
“I can’t hear you. Speak louder,” Gu Bai raised an eyebrow.
Dabao closed his eyes and shouted at the top of his lungs, “I’m looking for Stepmother!”
Ruan Tong put down what she was holding, pulled over a small stool, and sat in front of Dabao, meeting the child at eye level. With a smile, she said, “Go ahead, what do you need from me?”
Dabao lowered his gaze and mumbled softly, “I want a cartoon bunny too.”
Upon hearing this, Gu Bai remembered the clothes Ruan Tong had sewn for Erbao in Wu Minzhen’s room earlier.
Those clothes had cartoon bunnies sewn on them.
Ruan Tong rested her cheeks in her hands, her jade-like face unable to hide her seriousness:
“Erbao calls me Mom, and I’m very happy about that. I gave him the cartoon bunny as a gift. Dabao, do you want a gift too?”
Upon hearing this, Dabao puffed up his little face angrily and said, “You’re just a stepmother, not my mom.”
“Dabao!” Gu Bai said sternly.
Ruan Tong looked up at him, signaling him to stay calm. She patiently reassured the trembling Dabao:
“I think you’re right. I’m indeed not your birth mother. But I will treat you and Erbao as my own children and raise you both. I won’t force you to call me Mom if you don’t want to, but I hope you can call me Aunt Ruan, just like your brother, and be a polite and sensible child.”
Dabao stared at her blankly for a moment. Just as he was about to turn and run away, Gu Bai grabbed him by the collar. “Dabao, if you want a cartoon bunny, call her Mom. Come back when you’ve thought it through.”
After Dabao left, she looked up at the serious Gu Bai, her eyes curving into a smile. The corners of her eyes drooped slightly before lifting again, as if dotted with starlight.
This man usually seemed cold and stern, giving off an aloof and indifferent impression.
But it had to be said, he truly had a handsome appearance, looking charming even when angry.
Handsome as he was, Ruan Tong was not someone to be swayed by a man’s looks.
Their current relationship wasn’t even one of mutual respect.
That marriage certificate was nothing more than a worthless piece of paper, easily torn apart in a moment’s thought.
Thinking of this, Ruan Tong stood up and walked over to Gu Bai, asking softly, “Fourth Brother, when are you going to tell me about the children’s origins?”
Gu Bai trembled slightly, took a deep breath, and a flicker of pain flashed in his eyes.
Even though he hid it well, Ruan Tong still caught it.
She immediately understood that the children’s origins were likely far from simple.