Free Web NovelChapter 81: Chapter 81: Staying with the Sun Family
"Thank you, uncles and aunties. Thank you to all the big brothers, sisters-in-law, and younger sisters."
Gu’er thanked the crowd. Whatever their reasons for not speaking up earlier, they were showing goodwill now, and she accepted it. ’I still have to live in this village,’ she thought. ’I can’t just give everyone the cold shoulder forever.’ Now that they were approaching her of their own accord, she would accept their kindness and simply treat them as neighbors.
The crowd chatted for a bit longer before many of them began to disperse, with some heading home to get things for Gu’er.
"Hmph. What are you standing around for? Waiting for your old man to carry you home?"
Zhou Mazi’s angry bellow rang out. Gu’er instinctively flinched, ready to respond, but when she looked over, she realized he wasn’t yelling at her. He was yelling at Zhou Feng’er.
’That’s right. I’ve already cut ties with Zhou Mazi. I don’t have to go back to the Zhou family home anymore. How could I have forgotten?’
’It’s just... my adoptive mother probably doesn’t know yet. She’s not going to take this well when she finds out.’
At this point, Zhou Duo’er had already gone to help Zhou Feng’er up.
"Dad, is she really not my big sister anymore? Is she really not going to live with us from now on?"
Zhou Cai asked Zhou Mazi, his face alight with curiosity.
Zhou Duo’er and Zhou Cai had been watching the commotion from within the crowd the whole time. Zhou Duo’er had wanted to step forward, but when she saw her father beating her second sister, and then her eldest sister actually slashing someone, she was so scared she just cowered in the crowd and watched.
While Zhou Cai wasn’t afraid of his father, he was still young and wasn’t needed, so he just watched the spectacle with a group of other boys. He only came out now that the crowd had dispersed.
Zhou Mazi nodded grimly. While he was happy about getting the fifty dollars today, the thought that he had offended the main Zhou clan and that Gu’er had cut ties with him left a sour taste in his mouth.
"That’s great! One less mouth to feed from now on. I was sick of looking at her anyway. Dad, since we have money now, can you buy some meat for us to eat? And, uh, Tie Dan’s dad in the village bought him new clothes. You should buy me a set, too."
Zhou Cai was ecstatic. He thought that with the detestable Zhou Gu’er gone and his father now having money, his own good days were about to begin.
"Let’s go home first."
Zhou Mazi was reluctant to scold his son, so he just said that and glanced over in the other direction. A smile bloomed on his face as he walked over.
"Jia Ming, my boy, this old uncle..."
Before he could finish, Sun Jiaming cut him off. "Sir, weren’t you all heading home? You should get going. I’m busy, so we’ll be on our way. Gu’er, come on, I’ll take you there. From now on, you can live there without worry. Rest assured, if anyone dares to come knocking and cause trouble again, I absolutely will not let them off easy."
Sun Jiaming didn’t even spare Zhou Mazi a glance as he called out to Gu’er, his last words clearly a warning meant for the other man.
Zhou Mazi gritted his teeth in anger, but from now on, he would be the one needing favors from Sun Jiaming, not the other way around. He couldn’t afford to act tough in front of him.
"What are you standing there dead for? Get your asses back home for me, now! You all think you can walk all over me? Maybe a good thrashing is what it’ll take to make you behave!"
Zhou Mazi could only take his anger out on Zhou Feng’er.
Gu’er followed Sun Jiaming to his family’s old homestead.
Gu’er had also thought about where she would live. She had originally planned to save up enough money to build a house in the village. It wouldn’t have to be big, just a place for her to live. But that wasn’t an option at the moment. Right now, aside from the Sun family’s old house, she truly had nowhere else to go.
The Sun family’s old house was right next to their current one, but it was quite old and had been uninhabited for several years.
As they reached the door of the old house, Sun Jiaming hesitated.
"Sister Gu’er, this house hasn’t been lived in for years. The kang-bed hasn’t been fired up, and the inside is covered in dust. Why don’t you just stay at my place for the night? We have two kang-beds, though I’m afraid you’d have to share one with my grandma. I’ll clean up the old house tomorrow, and you can move in then. How does that sound?"
Sun Jiaming asked Gu’er.
Gu’er wanted to refuse. ’If I stay at the Sun family’s house, even with two kang-beds, people who don’t know the situation will assume the worst,’ she thought. She was afraid of the nasty rumors it would start.
’It’s just a little dirty from not being cleaned,’ she reasoned. ’And the kang-bed isn’t lit, but it’s warm out now. I’ll be fine for one night.’
"Gu’er, Jia Ming is right. You should stay with the old madam for one night. You can’t sleep on a cold kang-bed; you’ll get sick when you’re older. I’ll come over tomorrow and help clean up. Come on, let’s get you inside. I’ll just bring this bedding over."
The auntie who had earlier offered to get bedding for Gu’er had just returned, and she answered on Gu’er’s behalf.
"That’s right. It’s pitch black out, and that place hasn’t been lived in for years. You can’t stay there tonight. Gu’er, hurry and go inside."
Others who had brought supplies over also chimed in, urging her to go in.
Seeing that people had already carried the items into the Sun family’s house and that Sun Jiaming was waiting for her, Gu’er had no choice but to follow him inside.
"Thank you."
Gu’er thanked Sun Jiaming in a low voice, which held the faint trace of a sob.
"There’s no need to be so formal. Oh, right, my grandma is a light sleeper. If she needs anything in the middle of the night, just give me a call."
Sun Jiaming told Gu’er. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
"Okay." freeweɓnovel.cøm
Gu’er nodded slightly.
Once inside, Gu’er didn’t immediately go into the inner room. She was a little afraid of meeting Grandma Sun, worried the old woman might dislike her.
Many people came by, some dropping off supplies, others asking if she needed help. Only after they had all left did Gu’er finally let out a sigh of relief.
Sun Jiaming’s gaze flickered as he looked at the items filling the room. It wasn’t that his family didn’t have these things; he could have easily provided extra bedding, blankets, cups, and bowls. But he hadn’t refused the villagers’ offers. ’Gu’er has to live in this village in the future,’ he thought. ’She can’t be isolated. People are willing to show her goodwill now, and she has accepted it. This way, there’s a basis for a relationship with them down the line. Even if they don’t become close, it’s good for them to at least be on friendly terms.’
’Besides, these folks aren’t bad people; they’re all quite friendly. They’re just unwilling to stick their necks out for business that isn’t their own. He couldn’t let Gu’er offend the entire village. That would do her no good.’
"You must have been terrified today, huh? This is my fault, too. I wish I’d been paying more attention. There’s water over there. Go wash your face, then get some rest."
Sun Jiaming said gently. Gu’er no longer had the confrontational air she’d worn when facing the villagers earlier. Instead, she looked somewhat disheveled, her hair a mess and the red mark of a slap still visible on her cheek.
Gu’er nodded. As she walked to the water basin, she glanced down at her hand.
"I forgot about your hand! Is it still bleeding? Uncle Zhang is probably still awake. Should I take you to him to get some ointment for it?"
Sun Jiaming said gently.
"It’s nothing, it’s not bleeding anymore. It’s just a small cut; it doesn’t need any medicine."
Gu’er shook her head. The small cut was really nothing to worry about. But Sun Jiaming, on the other hand...
Gu’er looked at Sun Jiaming’s arm. There was a gash there that had already scabbed over. Since it hadn’t been cleaned, the dark red color looked rather alarming.
"I’m fine. It’ll be healed by tomorrow."
Sun Jiaming gave Gu’er a smile.
"You should still clean it. I’ll get the water."
Gu’er was worried; she was afraid it would get infected in the heat.
"I’ll go," Sun Jiaming said. "You should wash up, too."
With that, Sun Jiaming went to get the water.
Gu’er told him to add some salt to it, since salt water could serve as a disinfectant.
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