Chapter 98: Chapter 98: Gu Yunchuan and Xia Shuhua

This was also the first time Wang Xiaowei had met this legendary eldest sister-in-law. She’d heard about her from Chen Fu, who said she’d followed her mother in a remarriage to a good family and was now living a comfortable life.

She hadn’t expected this woman to be willing to step in, but that was all the better.

Wang Xiaowei had already achieved her goal of making a scene; now it was time to see what benefits she could get for herself.

Honestly, aside from being genuinely furious, she’d also been influenced by Gu Qinghuan. She remembered that sister once said, “If you can’t solve a problem, make it big and throw it back at the other party.”

And sure enough, now Chen Zhaodi had stepped up to handle things.

With the main actors gone, the crowd dispersed—those who needed to work went to work, those with chores got back to them. But the building was left with plenty of new gossip and jokes.

Gu Lanting took Gu Qinghuan and the two children back to their small room while things were quiet.

The room was just as tidy as when they’d left.

Neither of them was in the mood to think about anything else; their attention was all on Chen Zhaodi.

She was actually connected to their original family—Xia Shuhua must have known about this too.

If Gu Yunchuan found out that his wife and stepdaughter were still in close contact with their old family, even giving them money, who knew what he’d think?

Speaking of Xia Shuhua, the two of them had really underestimated her.

Gu Yunchuan and Xia Shuhua were childhood sweethearts, growing up together in the same courtyard. By rights, they should have married and had children.

But fate intervened, and Gu Yunchuan happened to meet the aloof, otherworldly Miss Zhong Zijun. He instantly felt that was the life he wanted.

So he began to woo her with sweet words, pursued her relentlessly, won her over, and abandoned his childhood sweetheart, Xia Shuhua.

The grass is always greener on the other side. After years together, Zhong Zijun was like a flower on a high mountain—always needing to be cherished, respected, coaxed. Gu Yunchuan grew tired of always having to please someone else; he wanted to be the one doted on for a change.

He didn’t like his in-laws either. They were cultured, principled, and always limited him. The whole family was so capable, but they wouldn’t even pull strings to get him a better job.

Then, during a time of upheaval, he didn’t hesitate to betray his wife’s family, providing plenty of “reactionary” material and sending them off for re-education.

He never stopped to think that he’d arrived with nothing, all alone, and everything he had came from his in-laws.

You should only do what you’re capable of.

Human greed really is endless—once you have a little, you always want more.

Xia Shuhua later married Chen Zhaodi’s father. Aside from his fondness for drinking, he was actually a good man and treated her well. They had a son and a daughter and lived a simple, honest life.

But he never amounted to much; the family spent half their lives squeezed into a tiny work unit apartment, always feeling stifled.

It was under these circumstances that Gu Yunchuan and Xia Shuhua met again. By then, Gu Yunchuan was wealthy and influential, able to offer Xia Shuhua a better life. Xia Shuhua was gentle and attentive, happy to take care of him. In her eyes, even Gu Yunchuan’s stinky feet were fragrant.

One was willing to hit, the other willing to take the blow, and so they got together.

His wife dressed up and went out every day, and of course, Chen Zhaodi’s father eventually found out. He was no pushover—if they wanted to fool around, there would be a price to pay.

He made a deal with Xia Shuhua: if she wanted to be a rich man’s wife and live well, fine, but whoever pays is the boss.

Xia Shuhua agreed to give the Chen family twenty yuan a month as living expenses, and then she quickly married Gu Yunchuan, taking Chen Zhaodi with her.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to take her son, but Chen Fu was the Chen family’s precious only son—they’d never let her take him away.

Besides, Gu Yunchuan wasn’t about to raise someone else’s child; the only son he wanted was his own.

That’s why Xia Shuhua insisted on having a child with Gu Yunchuan, even at her age—it was double insurance, and it secured her position.

The siblings were lost in thought in their room when there was a knock at the door.

Gu Lanting opened it a crack and saw Wang Xiaowei.

“Thank you for your help last night. Here’s the money for the room,” Wang Xiaowei said, handing over fifty cents. Her eyes were red and swollen—she’d clearly been crying. She looked broken, barely holding herself together.

“Why don’t you come in and wash up a bit first?”

Wang Xiaowei was about to refuse, but then she saw who was standing behind Gu Lanting.

She’d meant to say no, but changed her mind: “Then sorry to trouble you.”

She came in holding her child, and Gu Lanting closed the door.

“Gu-jie, is that you?” Wang Xiaowei asked in surprise.

“It’s a coincidence. My brother and I both have a tendency to meddle,” Gu Qinghuan said with a smile.

Only then did Wang Xiaowei realize they were siblings. Embarrassed, she forced herself to say, “Thank you both so much.”

“So, did you come to an agreement? What are you planning to do next?” Gu Qinghuan asked curiously.

Wang Xiaowei pulled out a wad of cash from her pocket.

“Chen Fulai’s sister gave me two hundred yuan and told me never to bother her brother again. She even wrote a letter cutting off all ties, saying that from now on, this child has nothing to do with their family.”

Her voice was tinged with bitterness and sarcasm, and tears streamed down her face.

She’d come all this way to find the man, only for it to end like this—completely rejected, even her child unwanted.

Gu Qinghuan didn’t know how to comfort her. If it had been her, she’d be clapping her hands in delight—getting rid of a scumbag was something to celebrate, wasn’t it?

And now she had a child all her own—what a good thing!

In the future, plenty of women would choose to have children without a father, some even flying abroad for artificial insemination just to have a child of their own.

One man’s meat is another man’s poison—it all depends on how you look at it.

But clearly, Wang Xiaowei was a traditional rural woman. For her, being abandoned by a man and left with a child was a shameful and painful thing.

Gu Lanting was a bit of a blunt one and spoke her mind.

“What are you crying for? Isn’t this a great thing? That Chen Fulai is spineless, hiding behind women and acting tough. Even if you’d married into his family, you wouldn’t have had a good life. Now you’re rid of him, you should be setting off firecrackers in celebration!”

Wang Xiaowei froze for a second, then burst into even harder sobs.

Gu Qinghuan shook her head. “If you can’t say anything comforting, just don’t say anything. Let her vent—anyone would be devastated after something like this.”

As she spoke, she took the child from Wang Xiaowei’s arms to comfort him.

The child had suffered a lot these past few days, following his mother around, sometimes hungry, sometimes full.

Dabao and Beibei circled around, curious about the baby.

“Mama, he’s so small! His hand is only this big,” Dabao said, holding out his own hand for comparison.

“Mama, he grabbed my finger!” Beibei said, reaching out to tease him, only to have her finger seized. She looked at Gu Qinghuan in alarm."