Chapter 24 Who's sleeping here? Do we all have to share a room tonight...?
The woman's enthusiasm made Ji Wei instinctively take a step back. It was at that moment that she noticed the resistance on Chen An's face. She quickly came to a conclusion: it seemed these people weren't here because of Gu Zhiyuan's injuries. Without showing any emotion, she released the hand holding her arm and nodded to the woman, "Sister-in-law." Then she gave Gu Zhiyuan a reproachful look, "Why didn't you tell me beforehand that we had guests? I could have prepared accordingly."
"I only found out when they arrived." Gu Zhiyuan's tone was somewhat helpless. He only found out two hours earlier than them. At noon, she had just taken the child to school when Yang Lin brought them to her home.
"What, are you not welcoming us?" At this moment, Chen Cuie came out of the main room. Although she was speaking to Gu Zhiyuan, her gaze swept over Ji Wei. When her gaze fell on Lulu beside her, the disdain in her eyes was even more undisguised. Ji Wei quickly guessed her identity.
"I just think it's basic courtesy to let me know before you come." Gu Zhiyuan's tone also turned cold.
"This is the first time I've ever heard of someone needing advance notice to come to their own son's house," Chen Cuie scoffed, clearly dissatisfied with his choice. This woman was obviously not someone to be trifled with. Knowing he had divorced Fang Qing, she had found him a new partner, but he only told them after getting married. Chen Cuie knew he was being wary of them.
Gu Zhiyuan stopped arguing with Chen Cuie and walked up to Ji Wei to introduce her: "Ji Wei, this is my mother, and that is my older brother."
"Mom, Big Brother, Sister-in-law," Ji Wei greeted them with a smile. The Gu couple nodded in response, while Chen Cuie sized her up before replying, a sound Ji Wei could detect as reluctant. She couldn't help but chuckle. It seemed Gu Zhiyuan's earlier comment about his strained relationship with his family wasn't just a comforting remark; it genuinely was. Ignoring the Gu family's criticism, she said to Gu Chen'an and Lulu, "Chen'an, Lulu, go do your homework."
"Oh." No need to stay here, Gu Chen'an relaxed. He quickly pulled Lulu towards the main room. Of course, before entering the room, he didn't forget to call out to everyone with Lulu.
"Chen'an seems to be getting more and more sensible." Li Yanmei had just noticed that Chen'an had not only grown taller than last year, but had also gained weight. It seemed that his stepmother treated him even better than his biological mother.
“Chen An has always been very sensible,” Ji Wei added.
"Sister-in-law is indeed protecting Chen'an." Li Yanmei felt that no one would genuinely like their stepson, and that she was just putting on an act.
"Isn't this the proper thing to do? Or does my sister-in-law think I'm doing something wrong?" Ji Wei's tone was full of questions.
"Of course not. Seeing how considerate you are to Chen'an, we feel relieved," Li Yanmei said with a smile.
"Oh, so you came here today because you were worried about me. I thought you came because of Zhiyuan's injury." Ji Wei said with a look of sudden realization.
"She's certainly quick-witted," Chen Cuie sneered.
“Mom, you also think I’m eloquent, right? Everyone around us says so. Zhiyuan, you chat with Mom and the others while I go to the restaurant to buy a couple of dishes.” Ji Wei said, looking at Gu Zhiyuan.
"Okay, we're all family, just buy whatever you want," Gu Zhiyuan reminded them.
"I understand." Ji Wei nodded.
After Ji Wei left, Chen Cuie no longer concealed her expression: "Second son, this is the wife you chose yourself. How is she better than Zhou Yang?"
“It’s me and her who will live our lives together. I think she’s good, and that’s enough. As you can see, I have a broken leg, and she has to go to work. She doesn’t have time to entertain you. You should go back tomorrow.” He was going to take Chen’an to the city to see a psychologist tomorrow, so he directly told them to leave.
"Are you trying to get rid of us?" Chen Cuie asked incredulously.
"Didn't you say you came here just to make some acquaintances? Don't you already know where my workplace is and where I live?" Gu Zhilian naturally didn't believe that they came for that reason.
"There's no need to rush us away like this," Gu Zhilian said, then quickly gave Chen Cuie a meaningful look.
“Your older brother is right. We’ve come all this way, so we’ll definitely stay a couple more days. It’s good that your wife is at work, so we can take care of you.” After saying that, Chen Cuie’s gaze fell on his leg, which was in a cast. Only then did she remember to ask him, “How did you break it all of a sudden? How did this happen?”
"I did this while I was at work. Can Dad manage alone at home if you guys don't go back?" Gu Zhiyuan said, glancing at them. There were Gu Zhilian's two children at home, and the third son was unlikely to lend a hand.
“Da Niu is twelve years old now. She can take care of Da Bao, so your dad doesn’t need to worry about it.” Chen Cuie said, waving her hand to indicate that he didn’t need to worry.
Even at this point, none of them were willing to explain their purpose, so Gu Zhiyuan was too lazy to press them any further. He simply nodded calmly, and for a moment, the only sound coming from the neighboring courtyard was from the large courtyard.
When Ji Wei went out, she took two large basins with her. She ordered a boiled fish and a braised pork. Since she couldn't carry them herself, the restaurant owner brought them back to her. She planned to add all the vegetables she had at home to the fish and cook them together. As she returned, the yard was filled with a delicious aroma. Li Yanmei thought enviously, "It's definitely good to have a job; you can eat and drink well every day."
"You spendthrift woman!" Chen Cuie couldn't help but curse.
"Mom, if you don't want to eat, I'll have Ji Wei take the food next door. At least they'll say thank you," Gu Zhiyuan said coldly.
"Second son, how dare you talk to your mother like that? I'm only doing this for your own good. We should always be frugal with our money." Gu Zhilian scolded.
“If you hadn’t come today, she wouldn’t have bought these. How about this, you just give us the money later, and we’ll save some money?” Gu Zhiyuan kindly offered his suggestion.
"You're really protecting her. Alright, I understand. Now that you've got your marriage certificate, I won't deliberately make things difficult for her." Chen Cuie gave herself a way out.
"Aren't you just trying to make things difficult for her?" Gu Zhiyuan looked up at her.
"Mom was just saying that, Ji Wei hasn't even complained yet, so don't worry about it. I'll go help in the kitchen." Li Yanmei went to the kitchen to try and build a good relationship with Ji Wei.
Ji Wei was completely unaware of what was happening in the courtyard. Just as the meal was ready, she heard footsteps and Li Yanmei's voice behind her: "Sister-in-law, let me help."
"Sister-in-law, you've come just in time. Please pick these vegetables and wash them at the well in the yard." Ji Wei said, handing the vegetables and washing basin to her.
Li Yanmei glanced at what she was holding, her eyes darkening. This person was really impolite. However, considering that they needed his help, she suppressed her displeasure and accepted it.
＊
The two little ones doing their homework in the main room were no longer as focused as usual. Lulu peeked out and asked him, "Brother, who are they?"
"Grandma, Uncle and Aunt," Gu Chen'an said listlessly. Although he didn't go back to Yun County often, he didn't like them at all.
"Oh," Lulu said, taking a red watercolor pen and drawing a sun.
Gu Chen'an gripped the pen in his hand tightly, but hesitated to write. He didn't know why they had come, but he knew that their arrival now was definitely not for anything good.
He only put down his pencil when he heard Ji Wei calling them to eat. Lulu, on the other hand, looked anxious and tugged at his clothes, saying, "Brother, it's time to eat."
"Okay, let's go, it's time to eat," Gu Chen'an clenched his fists, telling himself that his parents were here now and he didn't need to be afraid of them.
With Gu Zhiyuan's warning, the meal was relatively quiet. After the meal, Li Yanmei took the initiative to wash the dishes, and Ji Wei didn't stand on ceremony with her. She made an excuse to go upstairs to tidy up the room and took Lulu with her to the second floor.
How to sleep tonight was indeed a problem for Ji Wei. She didn't want to give the Gu family a chance to cause trouble, so she couldn't make arrangements like before. Just when she was in a dilemma, Gu Zhiyuan had Chen An bring her a solution.
"Mom, Dad said his leg makes it difficult for him to go upstairs, so he sleeps on the first floor and wants me to sleep in the same room with you tonight." Gu Chen'an said, looking at Ji Wei somewhat embarrassed.
"What about your grandma and the others?" Ji Wei asked.
"Grandma sleeps in my dad's room, and my uncle and his family sleep in the room I used to live in. Dad said you don't need to clean it, it's all clean, you can just wash it after they leave," Gu Chen'an relayed Gu Zhiyuan's words.
"Okay, I understand." Ji Wei's gaze fell on the wire bed next to her. Since Gu Zhiyuan had already given her a solution, she wouldn't bother with it anymore. She would just take the wire bed down and let him sleep on it.
With the matter resolved, Ji Wei felt relieved and urged the two children not to forget to practice military boxing. As soon as she came downstairs, she saw Li Yanmei waving at her: "Sister-in-law, we need to trouble you and the second son with something here."
After Ji Wei sat down next to Gu Zhiyuan, she slowly spoke: "Sister-in-law, you can just discuss anything with Zhiyuan."
"Don't you think you've already registered your marriage? I had to let you know." Li Yanmei smiled gently.
"Sister-in-law, just say what's on your mind." Gu Zhilian disliked her taking matters into her own hands.
“Here’s the thing, your older brother and I are planning to go to work. As you know, you can’t earn much money in the countryside, and the teaching quality is generally poor. We thought you were a teacher, so we thought we’d leave Da Bao with you so he can keep Chen An company.” After Li Yanmei finished speaking, seeing that the two of them didn’t react, she added, “Of course, we can’t let you help us for nothing. We’ll give you living expenses every month.”
“We’re all family. Da Bao is his nephew. Why would he need living expenses? It’s just another mouth to feed.” Chen Cuie made the decision for Gu Zhiyuan directly.
“No way. Even brothers should keep clear accounts. We can’t let the second son and his wife suffer a loss. Ji Wei, you don’t object to this, do you?” Li Yanmei knew that Gu Zhiyuan was not easy to talk to, so she asked Ji Wei directly, thinking that she was a new bride who was easily embarrassed and would not be able to refuse.
"Sister-in-law, I'm afraid that won't work." Gu Zhiyuan refused directly without giving Ji Wei a chance to speak.
Li Yanmei's smile froze: "Second brother, why can't this be done? You two have to take care of Chen'an anyway, Da Bao is just something that happens on the side."
“As you all know, we’re currently renting, but we’re not planning to renew the lease. Ji Wei’s workplace only has one dormitory room, which is perfect for her to stay in with the child when I’m in the countryside. Besides, she’s already very busy with work and doesn’t have the energy to take care of another child. If you really want Da Bao to come and attend school here, you can rent a place and bring Da Bao with you.” Gu Zhiyuan thoughtfully offered a solution.
"You mean you want to give up this courtyard?" Li Yanmei asked with suspicion.
"Yes, if it weren't for my broken leg causing delays, I should have already retired by now." Gu Zhiyuan nodded.
For a moment, Chen Cuie's face turned very ugly. According to their plan, they would first persuade them to accept Da Bao's arrival, and then she would come over after Da Bao moved in. Of course, she would have a legitimate reason to come and stay, as she was there to take care of their family and encourage them to have another child. Now, Gu Zhiyuan's decision to terminate the lease had completely disrupted all their plans.
"We're living here just fine, why give up the lease? Why not just keep renting it? Second brother, you're not just making up an excuse to keep Da Bao away, are you?" Gu Zhilian's tone was displeased as he finished speaking.
“Brother, I also want to renew the lease, but it costs six or seven hundred yuan a year. Why don’t you rent this place yourself?” Gu Zhiyuan said with a smile to Gu Zhilian.
"Six or seven hundred?" Gu Zhilian's eyes widened upon hearing this.
“Yes, it was just a transition before. Now that Ji Wei and I are married, we need to save money to buy a house. Otherwise, waiting for the company to allocate housing will take forever.” Gu Zhiyuan said, shaking his head.
"Didn't you save any money while you were in the army?" Gu Zhilian pressed on relentlessly.
“Every month, besides the living expenses I give to my parents, I give all the rest to Fang Qing. I thought she was saving it for Chen An, but who knew she spent it all.” Gu Zhiyuan sighed after saying this. Gu Zhilian was speechless. They had been the ones who strongly encouraged him and Fang Qing to get married.
Although Fang Qing was beautiful, her affair with her classmate caused quite a stir. The groom's family couldn't afford the bride price, so the marriage fell through. In this small town, reputation was important, and no one wanted to marry into the Fang family. They initially thought that with this scandal, they could use it to control the couple after Fang Qing married their second son. So they went to the Fang family to propose marriage, figuring their second son wouldn't know about the affair since he was rarely home, and the Fang family wouldn't dare ask for too much in return. But they didn't expect Fang Qing to turn on them after giving birth to Chen An. They didn't know how to persuade their second son to let her bring Chen An to their home, so the money he sent back each month was now split in two. Chen Cuie did complain, but they had no idea where Fang Qing and Chen An had moved to. Going to the military base to find Gu Zhiyuan was out of the question, so they had to swallow their anger.
“Now that you both have jobs, your combined income must be quite good, and we also give money to the baby every month since he's moved in. Why don't you reconsider?” Li Yanmei still didn't want to give up on having Ji Wei help take care of the child. After all, Ji Wei was a teacher and would definitely be better at it than her mother-in-law.
Ji Wei held down Gu Zhiyuan's arm and said with a smile, "That sounds quite tempting, sister-in-law. How much money are you planning to give us each month? My colleagues tutor the children on weekends and during winter and summer vacations, and they get 100 yuan a week. How about this, since we're relatives, I don't need 100 yuan a week from you. You can give me 200 yuan a month. Then you and my brother can pay the rent for this yard every year, and you can send Dabao over here."
"Ji Wei, why don't you just rob me?" Li Yanmei's face immediately turned cold. She couldn't earn this much money even if she worked outside for a year. She was asking for an exorbitant amount.
"It seems that my sister-in-law is unwilling. Then there's nothing I can do. It's your own choice." Ji Wei spread her hands at them with a helpless expression.
"If we could come up with that much money, would we need to work outside? Ji Wei, I thought you were a good person, but I think you're just doing this on purpose." Li Yanmei sneered. She was just pretending to love Gu Chen'an so much, but now she can't keep up the act anymore?
“Sister-in-law, you’re wrong to say that. We’ve offered a solution, but you’re not happy about it. It’s getting late, so get some rest. Chen’an has to go to the city hospital tomorrow.” Gu Zhiyuan didn’t want to continue the topic.
“Isn’t he perfectly fine? He can eat and jump around, why would he go to the hospital?” Chen Cuie frowned, feeling that going to the city hospital was a complete waste of money.
Gu Zhiyuan glanced at Chen An, who was practicing military boxing with Lulu in the courtyard, and only spoke after making sure he couldn't hear him: "This is what I owe him. If I hadn't married Fang Qing, he wouldn't have suffered all this these past few years." Gu Zhiyuan sighed after saying that; he truly regretted it.
Upon hearing him mention Fang Qing again, the three of them immediately fell silent, fearing that he would blame them for the incident later. Finally, Chen Cuie spoke first: "Let's go to sleep first. We'll talk about Da Bao's matter later."
Li Yanmei nodded somewhat reluctantly: "Alright then."
It was at this moment that Chen Cuie spotted the wire bed on the first floor. She looked at Gu Zhiyuan with a cold face and asked, "Who are you planning to let sleep here?"
"I'll sleep here for now. My leg is in a cast and it's inconvenient for me to go upstairs. I'll sleep here for the time being. Your rooms upstairs have been arranged." Gu Zhiyuan said, showing them his leg in a cast.
“Your legs are inconvenient, how can you manage at night without someone by your side? Besides, wouldn’t people laugh at you if you and your husband didn’t sleep together? I’ll have your brother carry you upstairs later.” Chen Cuie did this not because she cared much about her son, but because she felt that once a wife is married, she should serve her son. Which wife hasn’t gone through that?
"Okay, as long as you don't mind tiring your older brother out." Gu Zhiyuan knew that once he started arguing with her, it would never end, so he agreed immediately.
The two little ones, who had been playing with their fingers with their heads down, looked up when they heard this. Did people laugh at the couple for not sleeping together? Then why didn't Mom and Dad sleep together? Their faces were full of questions.
Compared to their confusion, Ji Wei was even more troubled, so they had no choice but to sleep in the same room tonight?
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Author's Note: [Upright-eared rabbit head][Red heart]
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