Chapter 216 Perhaps she shouldn't have held onto any illusions...
This was the first time Tang Mingli had ever seen her grandfather speak to his family with such a cold expression in all the years she had been married into the Fu family.
Well, of course there have been times when I've given you the cold shoulder, but I've never done anything like this before.
Could it be that retiring from the army at the age of fifty is a pain that Grandpa cannot bear to touch?
Tang Mingli looked at Fu Ci, pondering how to resolve the stalemate, when Old Master Fu suddenly burst out laughing.
It turned out that Old Madam Fu couldn't stand watching Old Master Fu anymore and decided to take matters into her own hands, pinching his waist hard. Old Master Fu couldn't resist the tickle and burst out laughing.
Seeing that his wife was about to do something, Mr. Fu quickly said, "Alright, alright, I won't pretend anymore."
After saying that, he looked at his daughter-in-law and sincerely apologized: "Yujuan, I was just joking with you."
Fu's mother's lips twitched, and after a while she managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Dad, your joke is so realistic."
Tang Mingli was initially speechless, but her mother-in-law's comment about how "realistic" made her burst out laughing.
Madam Fu scolded, "I don't know what happened. He used to be a very proper person, but now he's become an old lewd old man."
Grandpa Fu felt truly wronged and defended himself: "You always say I'm too serious. I'm not listening to your advice, so I'm trying to relax and joke around with everyone."
"Come on, you should stay serious. This joke is too scary."
Fu's mother nodded subconsciously.
"We've been serious our whole lives, so what's a few more decades?"
Finally, after Madam Fu's stern criticism, Mr. Fu abandoned his budding sense of humor.
However, Tang Mingli could still clearly sense that her grandfather had changed.
Perhaps because of Fu Yu, she has become much kinder and gentler than before.
Before we knew it, the end of the year had arrived again.
This was Gu Lin's first Spring Festival away from the Yang family after getting married. Considering that Gu Dazhi and his wife did not understand their daughter, the Fu family originally wanted her to come to their home for the New Year, but Gu Lin refused and resolutely returned to her biological parents' home.
She said that since it was something she had to face sooner or later, she might as well face it sooner.
Based on just this one sentence, Tang Mingli believed that she had really changed a lot.
Gu Lin is no longer the Gu Lin who used to avoid things, procrastinate, and deceive herself.
Therefore, the Fu family respected her choice and allowed her to return to the Gu family.
Gu Lin works in Shenzhen, and her monthly salary is more than her previous three months combined. By the time she returns home at the end of the year, she has saved a considerable amount of money.
Like many other migrant workers who went south, she bought a lot of things for her family. However, her parents still looked stern when they saw her return.
For Gu Dazhi and his wife, it was a very shameful thing for their married daughter to return to her parents' home for the Spring Festival.
Gu Lin had anticipated all of this and was mentally prepared.
She chose to ignore her parents' displeasure and happily distributed the gifts she had bought from Shenzhen to her family.
Her older brother, sister-in-law, nephews, and nieces treated her much better than her parents did. In particular, her nephews and nieces received gifts they had never seen before and were extremely affectionate towards her.
Gu Lin felt quite comforted.
Although it was because of the gifts, among the children, the aunt was indeed family.
That evening, the family had a less-than-pleasant reunion dinner together.
After dinner, Gu's mother went into her room and soon came out carrying a cotton quilt.
As I passed through the living room, I called out to Gu Lin, who was chatting with her family.
“The room you used to sleep in is usually empty. I’ve put away all the bedding. Come over and help me make it up.”
Hearing this, Gu Lin was so moved that tears almost fell. Thinking that her mother was just being stubborn but soft-hearted, she happily followed her mother back to her room.
As soon as she entered the room, Gu Lin took the initiative to make the bed.
"Mom, you leave it, I'll do it."
Mother Gu did not insist. She put the bedding on the bed and went to sit down next to the character for "clothing".
Gu Lin deftly began making the bed.
This scene left Gu's mother somewhat dazed.
For so many years, I haven't seen my daughter make my bed like this.
Since marrying Yang Tao, although she said she would come back for holidays, the Yang family never allowed her to stay overnight at her parents' home.
But at this moment, watching her daughter happily making her bed, she seemed to see her daughter before she got married, back when she was still a young woman.
Gu's mother felt a lump in her throat, but quickly regained her composure.
Although she felt sorry for her daughter, she also knew that this was the fate of a daughter.
Taking a deep breath, Gu's mother said to her daughter, "Your father and I don't object to you coming back to stay for a few days, but just a few days is fine. Don't make things difficult for your father, your brother, and me."
Gu Lin froze as she shook the blanket, and her vision blurred instantly.
After a long pause, she asked her mother, "Mom, is this family really no longer willing to accept me?"
“This will always be your home, but you’re married now. How are we supposed to explain it if people see you spending the Lunar New Year at your parents’ home?”
They say it will always be her home, yet they can't even accommodate her spending a single Spring Festival here.
Gu Lin wanted to ask her mother if she didn't think it was contradictory to say that.
But in the end, she said nothing.
Squeezing back the tears welling up in her eyes, Gu Lin said, "I understand."
Actually, this situation was expected, wasn't it?
I'm not sad.
Don't be sad.
Even that simple "I understand" sounded painful to Gu's mother.
Unable to shake off her distress, she finally took it out on her daughter, angrily saying, "Why can't we just live a normal life?"
Gu Lin retorted to her mother, "Haven't I been living my life well?"
She felt that she had, and after going to Shenzhen, she lived each day to the fullest.
But this wasn't what my mother meant by living a good life.
Gu Lin made up her mind and said to her mother, "Mom, don't worry, I'll leave tomorrow."
Hearing that her daughter was leaving, Gu's mother became worried again.
"Leave? Where to? Can you even go back to the Yang family?"
It turned out that her mother also knew that she could no longer return to the Yang family.
Gu Lin felt so heartbroken.
She told her mother, "I have somewhere to go anyway."
At this moment, she was incredibly grateful that she had saved up some money.
With money, you can survive.
She could find a hotel to stay in Guangcheng, or she could go to the bus station and take a bus to another city to spend the Spring Festival.
But she wouldn't tell her mother any of this; telling her would only bring more blame.
But Gu's mother insisted on a clear answer, pressing, "Where are you going?"
Gu Lin was unwilling to answer, and with a hint of self-deception, she guessed, "Are you willing to beg Yang Tao for forgiveness?"
These last words infuriated Gu Lin.
"Ask him for forgiveness? Does he even deserve it?"
"It's not a matter of being a good match or not, it's just that you two are already married..."
"But he betrayed his marriage."
Mrs. Gu was stunned by the rebuke, and after a long while she murmured, "As the saying goes, a prodigal son who returns is more precious than gold."
"Has he come back?" Gu Lin stared at her mother, wanting to see how her mother could still whitewash that scumbag Yang Tao.
"He..." Gu's mother indeed couldn't say it.
Gu Lin continued, "Not only did he not turn back, but he also openly lived with that woman. Do you want your daughter to be like those old-fashioned wives who accepted their husbands having multiple wives and concubines, as long as they could remain the legal wife?"
"I didn't mean that." Gu's mother, feeling embarrassed and angry, stood up and said, "Fine, I can't control you. Do whatever you want."
After saying that, he stormed out of the room.
As soon as her mother left, Gu Lin deflated like a punctured balloon, collapsing weakly onto the bed.
Perhaps she shouldn't have taken any chances and gone back to this house for the New Year.
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Author's Note: My allergy symptoms have improved a lot since I woke up, but I still plan to see a doctor. [Let me see...]
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