Chapter 202 This is something she only understood after coming to the Fu family…

Yang's mother suddenly let out a disdainful sneer, as if she had heard some huge joke.

"A bad person? A bad family? Our Yang family has impeccable lineage, Yang Tao is handsome, smart and capable, and has a good job that everyone envies. What kind of good family can't we find?"

At this point, Yang's mother was so angry that she almost ground her teeth to powder.

Her son's workplace—she and her husband pulled so many strings to get their son a job there. Everything was ruined by that woman, Gu Lin.

What a misfortune for our family! What a misfortune for our family!

The more she thought about it, the angrier Yang's mother became, regretting her actions. "Our Yang Tao has such good qualities, how could he have been so unlucky to meet someone like Gu Lin? She's sickly and has a hard time even getting pregnant. That's not all, she doesn't bring him any good fortune. If she had helped my son even a little, he would definitely be a deputy director by now."

Madam Fu chuckled. "If your son were truly capable, would he need a woman's help? And don't make it sound like our Gu Lin is clinging to you. To be honest, we didn't even like Yang Tao back then, but Gu Lin insisted, so we had no choice."

These words struck like a thunderbolt from the blue.

Yang Tao looked incredulous. After a long while, he pointed at Gu Lin and gritted his teeth, saying, "So you looked down on me from the very beginning. No wonder your Fu family hasn't been willing to help me even after so many years of marriage with Gu Lin."

It turns out that she never liked him from the very beginning, but he still insisted on marrying her.

His face contorted with rage, he demanded of Gu Lin, "Did you know all along?"

Gu Lin wasn't afraid to speak the truth: "Yes, that's right."

Her great-uncle and great-aunt had advised her against it, saying that running away was a bit wicked. But she was too impulsive at the time, and she was also worried that it would be difficult to find a good partner at her age. In addition, her parents and grandmother were satisfied with Yang Tao, and the two were engaged, so she didn't really take their advice to heart.

However, not long after she married into the family, she became disheartened.

"You bitch."

Yang Tao lost his temper and grabbed Gu Lin by the neck.

Tang Mingli's expression changed drastically. Yang Tao's strength was so great that it didn't seem like he was just trying to scare people; he seemed to be furious.

Almost instinctively, Tang Mingli slapped Yang Tao with all her might, yelling at him to let go.

Although Mrs. Fu and her mother were a beat slow to react, they quickly stepped forward to pull Yang Tao away.

"Let go! Do you want to kill me?"

"Murderers will be executed by firing squad."

The phrase "murderers should be executed" also startled Yang's mother awake.

Perhaps fearing that her son might actually cause a death and be executed, even though she hated Gu Lin so much that she wished her dead, she hurriedly tried to calm her son down.

"Son, don't be impulsive. It would be too much of a loss to risk your life for this bitch."

“That bitch is old and in poor health; that’s all she’ll ever be. But you’re different; you have three children.”

However, Yang Tao wouldn't listen to any of this.

He felt that he had been played by others from the very beginning, and had been played for ten years, only to end up with nothing.

Back then, he had so many potential partners, yet he chose Gu Lin, an old maid who had returned to the city from the countryside, all for the sake of the Fu family behind her.

She realized that the Fu family had looked down on him from the very beginning, and she knew this but deliberately kept quiet.

That's true. She's an old maid, and to find someone with such good qualities, she has no choice but to seize the opportunity by any means necessary.

Yang Tao completely lost his mind, and none of the four women could pull him away.

In the end, it was Yang's mother who yelled at her husband, and with the help of Yang's father, they were able to successfully pull Yang Tao away.

Gu Lin's face had turned a liverish color from suffocating for too long, and she lay stiffly in Tang Mingli's arms.

Old Madam Fu felt heartbroken watching this, and she really wished she could strangle Yang Tao herself.

Tang Mingli sensed that Gu Lin's condition was not good, and quickly said to her mother-in-law and grandmother, "No, we have to take her to the hospital right away."

Even brief suffocation can cause harm, and she was also worried that Gu Lin would exhaust herself after finding out about her husband's infidelity.

Upon hearing that she was to be taken to the hospital, Yang's mother became frightened and reached out to feel under Gu Lin's nose.

He detected breathing and breathed a sigh of relief, then immediately began to mock.

"Isn't it still breathing?"

Although the breath was very faint, the fact that they were breathing meant they were still alive, and they were convinced that the Fu family was trying to frame them.

She didn't care where the Fu family sent the person; as long as they left the Yang family alive, they couldn't blame them if anything happened to them later.

Hearing such heartless words, Fu's mother, who hadn't had a chance to speak since entering the room, angrily retorted, "Pah! Your Yang Tao is dead, but our Gu Lin is perfectly fine."

"How dare you curse my son?"

Yang's mother stood angrily with her hands on her hips, but then she became timid when she thought of the other party's status and position.

-

The three of them worked together to take Gu Lin to the hospital.

When the doctor saw the frightening bruises on Gu Lin's neck, he initially thought she had attempted suicide by hanging. After a thorough examination, he determined that the marks were from strangulation and assumed she had suffered domestic violence. He felt sympathetic but helpless.

A detailed examination was conducted the next day.

You won't believe it until you look it up, and what you find will shock you.

Gu Lin's health was worse than that of a person in their sixties or seventies, and even the doctor couldn't help but advise her not to think too much.

However, she probably wouldn't listen and remained half-dead in her hospital bed.

Madam Fu was disappointed in him.

"You silly child, are you foolish to have gotten yourself into this state for a man like Yang Tao? Is it worth it?"

With tears welling in her eyes, Gu Lin defended herself, saying, "I'm just unwilling to accept it."

She sacrificed ten years, living such a humble life, only to end up like this. How could she possibly accept it?

"I'm not reconciled, I'm not reconciled, do you really want to risk my life? Who would do something like you... who doesn't cherish themselves?"

The word "cheap" almost slipped out, but seeing her lying pitifully in the hospital bed, Old Madam Fu couldn't bring herself to say anything too harsh.

"You're just like your grandmother, burdened by your pride your whole life. Can pride feed you?"

Mentioning her grandmother, Gu Lin couldn't hold back her emotions again.

Grandma, the grandma who loved her most in the world, must be sad and heartbroken to see her living like this from heaven.

Gu Lin cried her heart out, and even if Old Madam Fu wanted to lecture her, she couldn't bear to.

After she had finished crying and calmed down a bit, he gently asked her, "You keep telling your aunt that you really want Yang Tao to continue living with you?"

Gu Lin couldn't lie to herself, and shook her head with tears in her eyes.

They couldn't go on living like this; in fact, they'd been unable to go on for a long time.

But what can you do if you can't make it work?

Divorce would make her family lose face in front of outsiders, so she chose to destroy herself with Yang Tao.

"Yang Tao has had two children outside of marriage. Do you think the Yang family will still treat your son as well as before?"

When her son was mentioned, Gu Lin's numb face finally showed a hint of hesitation.

Madam Fu sighed inwardly, thinking to herself that Mingli was right; perhaps the only option was to gamble on Mingli's maternal instincts.

"You're a mother. Even if you don't think about yourself, you should think about your child. Have you considered the impact on your child if a mother lives without dignity?"

"Breaking the pot and washing it might vent your anger for a moment, but what about the future? Are you going to let your child grow up in this kind of environment?"

The thought of her son's timid and submissive nature caused Gu Lin's heart to clench with pain.

One reason why the reaction was so intense after learning that Yang Tao had another woman and two children was that she witnessed firsthand how lively, healthy, and cheerful Yang Tao's two children were.

Looking at the ages of the two children, she instantly understood why Yang Tao and her parents' attitudes toward her children had changed drastically.

Her son, living in such a family atmosphere for many years, became increasingly timid and insecure, and even dared not raise his head when talking to people.

She can bear to suffer injustice, but how can her son suffer injustice as well?

...

That day, Madam Fu talked to Gu Lin at length, which helped Gu Lin, who had been stuck in a rut, to some extent.

Even after leaving the hospital, Madam Fu was still worried and hurriedly asked Tang Mingli, "You saw everything just now?"

Tang Mingli nodded: "I was watching when you were comforting my cousin."

Do you think she listened to what she said?

"He definitely listened to it."

As a daughter, or even as a woman, she may be timid. But as a mother, she can certainly be brave.

Only after receiving an affirmative reply from her granddaughter-in-law did Old Madam Fu breathe a sigh of relief.

"I haven't dared to tell the Gu family that Gu Lin is in the hospital."

Tang Mingli knew why her grandmother wouldn't tell the devil; if they knew Gu Lin was hospitalized, they would definitely come to visit.

Undeniably, they had feelings for this daughter. But those feelings weren't enough to overcome societal norms.

They would rush to visit their daughter, then advise her to think more positively, and even tell her many examples of men having affairs outside the marriage, asking her to endure it.

It's not just Gu Lin's parents who are like this; most parents have been like this since ancient times.

It's rare to find a prodigal son who returns home and is given a second chance; it's more precious to have one than to have a woman return home.

"Let's wait until she's fully recovered before discussing this further. This will also give Gu Lin some time to think things through."

Tang Mingli thought so too.

When the two returned home, Fu Yu excitedly told her mother, "Mom, Dad called and asked what time you're leaving tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Tang Mingli realized that she hadn't told her husband about Gu Lin yet.

Given the current situation, it's definitely impossible to go to Shenzhen as originally planned.

Before telling her husband, she had to explain it to her daughter first.

"Honey, Aunt Gu Lin is in the hospital, so we can't go to Shenzhen tomorrow."

Hearing this, Fu Yu was clearly disappointed. But being sensible, she understood that being hospitalized meant being sick, and one shouldn't abandon a sick person.

Suppressing her disappointment, she asked pitifully, "Do we have to wait until Aunt Gu Lin recovers before we can go to Shenzhen?"

Tang Mingli nodded.

But when will Gu Lin's 'illness' be cured?

She didn't know.

She knew that if she insisted on going to Shenzhen, her grandparents would not object, but they would not go with her.

What's the point of all this? Just as her grandparents are worried about Gu Lin, she can't possibly be worried about them either.

What is family? Isn't it about being able to rely on each other when things go wrong?

She only understood this after coming to the Fu family, and she is learning to do it.

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Author's Note: I'll catch the bugs when I wake up.