Chapter 65 Men are all fickle.
Contrary to popular belief, the old lady of the Gu family and the second uncle of the Gu family were both very easy to get along with. They were not at all pretentious and were kind and gentle to everyone they met. Even though Gu Heng did not seem to acknowledge the old lady as his grandmother, she still treated Chu Xiang with great hospitality without any reservations.
During the meal, the old lady asked her son with concern, "Why don't you stay a little longer this time before you leave?"
Gu Muxi smiled and said, "I can stay at home for more than a month this time. After that, I will go to another province to handle the art exhibition."
The old lady said helplessly, "You really can't settle down. You're just like your father when it comes to art. Both of you love painting, and we can't stop you."
Gu Muxi glanced at her father and replied humorously, "I'm my dad's son. If I'm not like my dad, then there'll be a problem, right?"
The old lady pretended to be angry, "What are you saying, child!"
Gu Muxi quickly laughed a few times, trying to appease him and beg for forgiveness.
When he was around, the atmosphere in the Gu family was always much better. Objectively speaking, the old lady really benefited from having this son. After all, because of this son, her status as Mr. Gu's wife has never wavered over the decades.
Sure enough, Old Master Gu took the initiative to ask, "When will you hold an art exhibition?"
Gu Muxi replied, "Dad, the fifteenth of next month. I also brought back a few paintings this time. Do you have time to take a look and see if there are any areas for improvement?"
Grandpa Gu nodded. "Let's talk about it after dinner."
After all, they are father and son by blood. Even though Grandpa Gu is a cold and indifferent person, he still has a fatherly affection for his son.
The old lady glanced at Gu Heng sitting opposite her, who was pouring water for Chu Xiang. She asked Gu Muxi, "I know you travel all over the country every year for your painting career. You're getting old, so I don't expect you to settle down and start a family right away. Fortunately, you're a child who still cares about home and knows to make time to come back and see your father and me. By the way, what has your older brother been busy with lately?"
Gu Muxi replied, "My elder brother has made a new group of Buddhist friends and has gone hiking to find ancient temples."
The old lady smiled and said, "I see. He came back last time and only stayed for a short while before leaving. We haven't seen each other for so long, and I thought he had something urgent to attend to... Of course, believing in Buddhism is a good thing."
Grandpa Gu did not speak.
Chu Xiang glanced at the old woman and gave Gu Heng a meaningful look. The old man's wife was quite a character.
She first said, half complaining and half relieved, that her son was very busy but missed home. Then she mentioned Gu Chaoyang, as if asking casually, but the implication was quite intriguing. It was simply that Gu Chaoyang didn't miss home.
Gu Heng smiled gently at Chu Xiang, indicating that she didn't need to care. He didn't care about such things, and his father cared even less.
Gu Chaoyang was not close to the old man and never paid any attention to the old lady. However, over the years, no matter how much the old lady whispered in his ear, Gu Chaoyang continued to live a good life.
The fact that the old man took Gu Heng under his wing and taught him speaks volumes.
Seeing that Chu Xiang had almost finished eating, Gu Heng put down his chopsticks and looked at the old man. "Grandpa, I have another request to make this time."
Grandpa Gu asked, "What is it?"
Gu Heng said, "I would like to invite you to my engagement ceremony with Xiangxiang."
Without hesitation, Grandpa Gu replied, "Yes, I will attend."
The old lady paused, and even Gu Muxi looked a little surprised. Over the years, no matter what relatives were doing or what event they were having, the old man would never show up. In the past, whenever the old lady's family had a happy occasion and wanted to invite the old man to attend, without exception, the old man refused.
He really showed no restraint when it came to favoritism.
The old man ignored the stares of others and asked, "Has the date been set?"
A smile appeared in Gu Heng's eyes. "It's settled. Father has chosen the nearest auspicious day for me, the 27th of this month."
That means we only have ten days left.
The old man nodded, indicating that he understood.
The meal was a pleasant affair for both host and guests, though this was only on the surface.
When Gu Heng left with Chu Xiang, the old lady enthusiastically offered to give Chu Xiang some of her jewelry from her youth. Before Chu Xiang could think of a dignified way to refuse, Gu Heng replied directly, "You're too kind. I'll buy the jewelry that Xiang Xiang needs, so you don't need to trouble yourself."
The old lady smiled and did not insist any further.
Sitting in the departing car, Chu Xiang skillfully found the yogurt that Gu Heng had prepared for her. While biting into the straw, she said indignantly, "That old lady is no good person at all."
As she spoke, she looked longingly at Gu Heng's profile, her eyes filled with sympathy and heartache.
Gu Heng glanced at her briefly, and when he met her gaze, he found it amusing. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
“You lived with them when you were little. That old lady did a lot of bad things to you, and she and her son bullied you, didn’t they?”
Chu Xiang had already imagined many things, such as how the scheming old lady acted virtuous and generous in front of others, but how she tormented a child behind his back. Even if the young child told others that he had been bullied, no one would believe him. Instead, people would think that he was being unreasonable.
Gu Heng chuckled softly, "Xiangxiang, do you really think I'm someone who's so easy to bully?"
Chu Xiang asked anxiously, "Did she bully you?"
Gu Heng shook his head. "My grandfather takes care of everything for me, from food and clothing to housing and transportation. Even if they want to give me a birthday present, my grandfather has to inspect it himself. He has no chance to do anything to me."
Gu Chaoyang probably knew long ago that the old lady couldn't cause any trouble, which is why he dared to entrust Gu Heng to the old man's care. And that's exactly what happened. Gu Heng lived a smooth life and never encountered any unpleasant things in the Gu family's old house.
Chu Xiang thought to herself that the old man wasn't completely senile. She leaned back in her chair, her expression shifting frequently, her face filled with complex and conflicted emotions.
Gu Heng guessed that she was probably obsessing over something again, so he asked, "What are you thinking about?"
"If I were gone one day, would you quickly marry a new wife?"
Gu Heng: "No."
Chu Xiang looked at him and said, "You answered so quickly without even thinking it through. You're just giving me a perfunctory answer!"
Gu Heng: "...Then let me think about it for a while?"
Chu Xiang: "How long are you planning to think about it before you come up with a plausible explanation to fool me?"
Gu Heng: "..."
Chu Xiang was heartbroken. "Men are all like this. They are fickle and easily bored. If a wife is gone, she is gone. At most, they will be sad for a while, but soon they can marry a new wife and live a good life. After a few years, they will forget what the person who lived with them before looked like."
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