Chapter 232 Choice

The internal grievances of the Tang family had nothing to do with the Gu family. Guo Rou originally disagreed and even thought about canceling the engagement, but her daughter just liked Tang Xingzhou and insisted on being with him, so she couldn't do anything about it.

Knowing that Tang Xingzhou was about to go abroad, and that this delay might last for years, given the Tang family's situation, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree.

Gu Jinhong frowned. "Too fast."

Guo Rou looked at her daughter and let her speak for herself.

Gu Weiwei said, "Grandpa, there's nothing we can do about it. Xingzhou is about to go abroad."

Gu Jinhong indeed didn't say anything more.

It was as if those few words were just casually mentioned.

Gu Weiwei smiled sarcastically to herself, but didn't say anything more.

If her grandfather had agreed to her marriage during the mourning period, it would have been her fourth or eldest brother. But what could she do? Her father was an illegitimate child, and she was still a girl.

It's already quite remarkable that her grandfather remembered to ask her those two questions.

Gu Weiwei suddenly remembered something, and her heart stirred. She looked at Gu Suixing and asked, "Fourth Brother, will you come to my engagement banquet with Xingzhou?"

Guo Rou couldn't help but frown.

Everyone knows that Tang Xingzhou and Lu Fengqing were once engaged, and Lu Fengqing is now Gu Suixing's woman. If their daughter suddenly brings this up, won't it just upset Gu Suixing?

She shouldn't have been so soft-hearted as to agree to the marriage. Although Tang Xingzhou had a good family background and good looks, he was also a womanizer. His previous marriage fell through because he cheated on his fiancée with her sister and was caught in the act in public. This was talked about and laughed about in their circle for a while.

She was very worried that her daughter would not be happy after marrying such a philandering man.

Gu Suixing glanced at Gu Weiwei and said, "Let's see."

Gu Weiwei's eyes lit up when she saw that Gu Suixing did not immediately refuse.

During the meal, apart from Tang Xiang who was absent-minded and Gu Jingdong who had a sullen face, everyone else was quite at ease.

Tang Xiang felt guilty and afraid because of the dirty things she had done.

Gu Jingdong was told by Gu Jinhong about the foolish things his mother had done.

Gu Jingdong never expected his mother to be so bold as to bribe the sanatorium's bodyguards to set the sanatorium on fire.

Grandpa made it clear that even if he were willing to let his mother go for his sake, Gu Suixing, the Huo family, and even Gu Zhenying, who married into the Xie family, would never let her go.

As the saying goes, one wrong step leads to another.

After the meal, Gu Jinhong said, "Everyone, gather in the study in an hour," and then went for a walk to digest his food. Apart from Butler Fang, he didn't let anyone else accompany him.

With Gu Jinhong absent, the others would definitely not gather together to watch TV and chat. They immediately went upstairs and each returned to their own room.

Huo Yao asked her son, "What exactly does your grandfather want to do?"

Gu Suixing replied with an indifferent expression, "Who knows?"

He doesn't care what the old man wants to do; if he does something that displeases the old man, he doesn't mind lending a hand.

On the other side, Gu Jingdong and Gu Jingqiu followed their parents into their room.

The atmosphere in the room was heavy; for a moment, it was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Tang Xiang felt uneasy and couldn't sit still any longer. "Jingdong, why did the old man call you back early?"

Gu Jingdong looked calmly at his mother and said in a low voice, "I thought you knew."

Tang Xiang froze, her face instantly draining of color.

She stumbled and fell onto the bed.

After realizing the meaning behind his eldest son's words, Gu Zhenhao stood up abruptly, pointed at Tang Xiang, and cursed, "This is all your doing!"

Gu Jingqiu looked at her elder brother, then at her mother, and asked, "What happened?"

"She," Gu Zhenhao laughed angrily, "had the audacity to have someone set fire to the sanatorium, thinking she had done it flawlessly, she was utterly stupid!"

Gu Jingqiu looked at Tang Xiang in surprise, "Mom, how dare you?"

Grandpa was biased, but he didn't mistreat them. The eldest uncle's family had never done anything to wrong them. Yet, for the sake of that family fortune, she dared to commit illegal acts like murder and arson.

She knew perfectly well how much her grandfather doted on her uncle's family; wasn't she just courting disaster by doing this?

Stared at like that by her husband and sons, a surge of anger rose in Tang Xiang's heart. She stood up abruptly and said loudly, "What, now that something's happened, you only know to blame me? What was I doing all this for? It was all for you! As long as they're alive, the Gu family will never be Jingdong's turn."

Gu Zhenhao: "You!"

Gu Jingdong closed his eyes and didn't say anything.

Gu Jingqiu couldn't help but say, "Mom, my older brother is already working at the company and in a high position. Isn't that great?"

"What's so good about it!" Tang Xiang roared back. "What's the use of a high position? In the end, we're still being suppressed by others. They're all Gu Jinhong's sons and grandsons. Why should all the good things be left to their family, while we can only humiliatingly remain subordinate to them? Jingdong is clearly capable, and he's so obedient. Why don't we have to rely on that brat Gu Suixing?"

Gu Jingqiu felt that his mother was simply being unreasonable. "The Gu family business belongs to Grandpa. He can give it to whomever he wants. If he gives it to us, we will accept it. If he doesn't, there's nothing we can do. You can fight for it, but you can't do that kind of thing."

“If I had any other way, do you think I would be willing to do this?” Tang Xiang said. “The Gu family belongs to Gu Jinhong, but Gu Jinhong is dead. These things will eventually belong to his son and grandson. Since it can be given to Gu Suixing, why can’t it be given to Jingdong?”

Gu Jingqiu: "If my father has an illegitimate child, would you be willing for him to give his family property to that child?"

Tang Xiang only heard the last sentence, and glared angrily at Gu Zhenhao, "He dares!"

Gu Jingqiu felt that his mother was beyond help, so he simply stopped talking.

The room fell silent again.

Tang Xiang grabbed her eldest son's arm as if it were the last piece of driftwood. "Jingdong, it's all my fault. I was too impulsive and didn't plan more discreetly, which gave them leverage. But I did it all for you. Did your grandfather tell you what he planned to do? Don't be like your heartless father and abandon your mother."

Gu Zhenhao scoffed, "You want to burn the old man's own son and grandson to death. How do you expect Jingdong to help you?"

Gu Jingdong remained expressionless and calmly said, "Grandpa gave me two choices."

The three of them looked at Gu Jingdong.

Gu Jingdong: "First, you should turn yourself in."

Tang Xiang didn't even hesitate: "Impossible!"

She has no family to rely on. If she goes in, let alone Gu Jinhong, Gu Suixing alone will kill her inside.

She can't die; she hasn't seen her two sons get married and have children, and hasn't even started to enjoy life.

Tang Xiang immediately asked, "And the second one?"

Gu Jingdong: "I'll go in your place."

"..."

Tang Xiang unconsciously released her eldest son's arm, her eyes widening in disbelief.

How could this happen? Her Jingdong is also Gu Jinhong's own grandson! How could Gu Jinhong bear to part with him...?

Gu Jingdong saw through her thoughts and said calmly, "Everything you've done is for me, so if something happens, shouldn't I go in your place?"

Gu Jingqiu: "Brother!"

Tang Xiang opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything for a long time.

Gu Zhenhao looked at Tang Xiang with disgust, "You are the one who should be punished by law for your actions."

Tang Xiang asked in a hoarse voice, "Really, is there... no other way?"

“There’s another option,” Gu Jingdong said. “Grandpa can submit the evidence to the police station and wait for them to come and pick you up.”

-

At eight o'clock sharp, everyone in the Gu family gathered in Gu Jinhong's study.