Free Web NovelChapter 55: Chapter 55: A Moving Promise
"Bitch." Gu Wu’s eyes were bloodshot as he grabbed Chen Suxiang by the hair and yanked her up from the stool.
"I never said it! I never said it... She’s lying... Sob... I didn’t say it! Please, spare me! I’ll never do it again..."
Chen Suxiang was scared out of her wits, begging for mercy with complete abandon. Gu Wu’s gaze was terrifying, as if he were looking at a dead person. Even at his most furious, she had never seen him look so frightening. This version of Gu Wu made her whole body tremble with fear; she felt that in the next moment, he would truly kill her without a shred of mercy. She had resolved to defend her family’s money, even if it meant taking a beating, but when forced to face Gu Wu’s explosive rage directly, no amount of mental preparation was enough. All her courage had been scared right out of her.
"Get out. I’ll deal with you later." Gu Wu took a deep breath and viciously threw her away from the long bench. He gave her a look of restrained fury, then turned his gaze to Gu Jinhua. "You too. Take your mother and get the hell away from me. Neither of you are to come over here without my permission. Come back again, and I’ll break your legs."
How could Gu Jinhua dare to object? She nodded quickly, not daring to utter a word in response as she scrambled over to Chen Suxiang, who had collapsed on the ground, trembling. Gu Jinhua pulled and dragged her mother to her feet, then hauled her away as if they were fleeing for their lives. ’Dad told us to get lost, but he didn’t say to get out of the house,’ she thought. ’The farthest place from here is the kitchen. Looks like we’ll have to wait there.’
Once in the kitchen, Gu Jinhua helped her mother sit down and ladled her a bowl of water. Chen Suxiang’s nerves finally settled a bit as she clutched the bowl. After finishing the water, she set the bowl down and burst into a loud wail before her daughter. "Your father... he truly despised me just now. He wanted to kill me."
"Mom, you’re overthinking it. Dad was just trying to save face, wasn’t he?" Gu Jinhua said, forcing a smile to comfort Chen Suxiang. "We’re his real family. If Dad doesn’t side with us, would he really side with outsiders? It’s just that bitch’s mother is as vicious as she is. She said those things in front of Dad with ulterior motives, and he couldn’t back down on the spot without losing face..."
"Really? Is that what it was? Your father was just trying to save face?"
Chen Suxiang was doubtful, but as she recalled what had just happened, she suddenly realized her daughter was right. ’Wen Xiu really put on a great performance,’ she thought. ’She started with fake tears to gain sympathy, then led me into a trap step-by-step...’ She grew indignant. ’If that wasn’t having ulterior motives, what was? Since when did my daughter-in-law’s mother become so cunning?’
"No, we have to go back. That Wen Xiu is too manipulative. If I’m not there to keep an eye on things, what if your father agrees to everything the Zhang family asks for..." Chen Suxiang grew anxious. Her daughter’s placating words made her think she’d misjudged the situation. ’Isn’t that damned old man just obsessed with saving face?’
"Mom, Dad already told us not to go back over there. If you go now, won’t you just be embarrassing him again and making him even angrier?"
Gu Jinhua shuddered and grabbed her mother, refusing to let go. ’The look in Dad’s eyes nearly scared me to death, and I was just on the sidelines! How can you not have learned your lesson?’
"Anyway, you’re the one who holds the family’s money. No matter what Dad promises them, all you have to do is drag your feet and not hand over the money, right?"
’But...’ ’The real family fortune is all in that damned old man’s hands.’
Chen Suxiang glanced at Gu Jinhua and swallowed her words. This was something she had never told her daughter, or even her son. ’If that damned old man didn’t have a hidden fortune of gold and silver,’ she thought, ’would I really have latched onto him for dear life back then? Would I have borne him children and endured a lifetime of his beatings and curses?’
’If he didn’t have money, I would’ve run off with another man long ago. In my opinion, a man like Gu Wu—clueless, boring, and with an absolutely foul temper—deserves to be a bachelor for life. Unfortunately, after all these years of racking my brain, I still haven’t found where he’s hidden that fortune. As long as I can’t find it, I can’t get rid of this damned old man and live a decent life.’
’But the damned old man would occasionally produce something valuable to cover the family’s major expenses. She wasn’t willing to just run off and let some other woman get her hands on that wealth for free. Why else would she have stayed?’
’That hateful old man! Don’t be fooled by his usual act of not caring about anything, as if he’s completely hands-off. In reality, he’s as shrewd as they come...’
"I apologize for the spectacle."
Back in the main hall, Gu Wu watched Chen Suxiang and her daughter disappear. His face twitched a few times before settling into a more normal expression. He looked at Zhang Dazhuang and Wen Xiu, so ashamed he could barely meet their eyes. "It was my negligence. I never imagined my wife could be so outrageous... But there’s no use saying any of that now..."
He pondered for a moment before turning to Zhang Minzhen. "Minzhen, I know you’ve always been a good person. If my eldest son loses you, it will be his loss, and a loss for our Gu Family as well. He has done you a great wrong, and it’s only natural that you want to end things. But a woman’s path is difficult, especially with the stigma of a divorce, even without a child to raise.
"Consider this: if you can find it in your heart to forgive my son and are willing to continue on with him, then I can guarantee he will end his messy affairs. The Gu Family will not acknowledge those other two children. Furthermore, your status in this household will no longer be the same. If you wish to stay here, I will put you in charge of this family. If the three of you want to live elsewhere, I can buy you a small courtyard house in your name. I promise that in the future, your mother-in-law and sister-in-law will never trouble you again..."
Gu Wu’s words moved Zhang Dazhuang, Wen Xiu, Zhang Wei Qiang, and Lin Qin. They knew his guarantee was likely reliable, so all four of them turned to look at Zhang Minzhen, waiting for her decision.
A conflicted expression flashed across Zhang Minzhen’s face. Her father-in-law’s words had caused her to waver for a moment. She knew he was right. ’If...’
She hesitated for a moment, but finally shook her head. "Father, this will be the last time I call you that. I know you are doing this for my own good, but my mind is made up. It’s not that I’m ungrateful, but Li Hui’s heart hasn’t been with me for a long time. You can control him for a while, but can you control him for a lifetime? What good can come from forcing this marriage to continue? It’s better to make a clean break now; it would be a relief for both of us. I just want to take Nuannuan with me and raise her well. I beg you to grant my wish."
Gu Wu looked at her. Seeing her exceptionally firm expression, he knew her decision was irreversible. Still, he couldn’t help but sigh, holding on to a sliver of hope. "Why don’t you go home and think it over for a few days?"
