Chapter 113
Dinner time was fast approaching.
Gu Xi had come out of the study, changed into clean clothes, washed off the paint from her face, and tied her long, black hair into a bun with a ribbon, letting it fall in front of her chest.
Gu Yuanxiang, who had been sitting in the main room, was somewhat taken aback when she saw her like this.
Previously, when Gu Xi was wearing old clothes and covered in dye, she looked very disheveled, and you couldn't tell anything about her.
Now, she has simply changed into clean clothes, dressed simply, without even much makeup, yet her natural advantages are naturally highlighted. Just standing there, she is so beautiful that it is impossible to look away.
Looking at myself, I was travel-worn and exhausted, having not eaten or slept well along the way, and looked utterly disheveled.
Gu Yuanxiang couldn't help but feel inferior, and she no longer had the sense of superiority she once had in front of Gu Xi.
With nowhere to go and Gu Xi and the others clearly not wanting to talk to her, she could only sit there in a daze, observing the house at the same time.
Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that although the house was a single-story dwelling and looked quite dilapidated from the outside, the inside was very clean, with things arranged in an orderly manner, and a landscape painting hanging on the wall, which had a great artistic feel.
Thinking about how Gu Xi was covered in paint just now, she couldn't help but wonder, could it have been Gu Xi who painted it?
As for the yard, apart from the two pomegranate trees against the wall that had a somewhat rustic feel, she had absolutely no interest in the vegetable garden on the other side, thinking that growing vegetables was something only country folk would do. However, considering that Gu Xi and Xu Yuansheng had grown up in the countryside, she could understand.
This kind of place...
Gu Yuanxiang really didn't like it; she preferred the city and the two-story houses in the cadre family compound.
Seeing that they were about to eat, Gu Yuanxiang couldn't help but bite her lip.
She was actually starving, but remembering their previous attitude, she couldn't bring herself to do it, so she could only sit there idly.
Xu Yuansheng carried the stir-fried dishes to the table in the main room, saw Gu Xi, and invited her to come and eat.
As for Gu Yuanxiang, who was sitting there, she looked like a wooden statue, as if someone had wronged her so badly that she couldn't help but feel a toothache and wanted to curse.
I don't know how the Gu family raises children, or if she was just born this way.
This disgusting behavior... she could imagine how much grievance this guy would have caused her when her older sister returned to the Gu family.
Xu Huaisheng lowered his head, ignoring Gu Yuanxiang, and silently took out three sets of bowls and chopsticks and set them out.
Gu Xi walked over again, saw the bowls and chopsticks set on the table, and found it somewhat amusing. She said, "Huaisheng, go and get another set."
Xu Huaisheng pursed his lips, said nothing, and turned around to fetch another set of bowls and chopsticks.
Gu Xi turned to Gu Yuanxiang and said, "Come and eat. After you finish eating, I'll take you to your sister-in-law's place."
Although I don't like this person, I'm not so stingy as to not even give her a meal. After finishing the meal, I quickly sent her away to avoid seeing her looking so aggrieved, which would be bad luck.
When Gu Yuanxiang heard her call her name, she finally got up and came over to look at the food on the table.
There were three dishes: stewed vegetables, potatoes, and tofu; stir-fried shredded potatoes with chili peppers; and a bowl of pickled vegetables, all of which were vegetarian. The staple food was mixed grain rice.
Although it was a vegetarian dish, it tasted pretty good because Xu Yuansheng was willing to use oil. However, in Gu Yuanxiang's opinion, it was too vegetarian. There was no meat at all, and they didn't even boil an egg. Did they usually eat like this?
When Gu Xi saw the dishes on the table, she couldn't help but glance at Xu Yuansheng, knowing that she was doing it on purpose.
Since Xu Yuansheng took on the job with the performing arts troupe, she has earned a lot of money and has become more generous when it comes to buying groceries. Almost every meal includes some meat. If she can buy fresh meat, she will eat it fresh. If she can't buy fresh meat, she will eat fish, braised pork, or cut some leftover cured meat from the New Year and stir-fry it with vegetables. Even if the amount is small, it is still meat.
It's quite rare to see something like today that's completely vegetarian.
However, Gu Xi didn't say anything and ate her meal in silence.
Xu Huaisheng wouldn't say anything. Anyway, she's a potato-headed person. She's happy as long as there are potatoes. It doesn't matter if she doesn't eat meat for a few days. That's how she's always lived. She might not even eat meat twice a year.
The meal was eaten quietly.
After dinner, Xu Yuansheng and Xu Huaisheng cleared the table. Gu Xi said to Gu Yuanxiang, "Your sister-in-law should be back by now. I'll take you there to see her."
Gu Yuanxiang responded and silently picked up the luggage beside her.
The two went out one after the other.
It was still early, with only the horizon tinged with twilight, and I encountered many people on the road.
When they saw Gu Xi, they all greeted her warmly, and then casually asked if the young woman next to her was a relative of hers, noting that she looked quite like the Xu Yuansheng sisters.
Gu Xi introduced her, saying, "Her name is Gu Yuanxiang." She didn't say anything more, too lazy to explain.
Fortunately, everyone was busy going home for dinner and didn't ask any further questions.
Once they were all alone, Gu Yuanxiang suddenly asked, "Xixi, do you not want anyone to know about our relationship?"
Seeing these people greeting Gu Xi warmly, you can tell she's very popular in the family compound.
Completely different from when she was in Beijing, Gu Xi returned to the Gu family and became quite unpopular due to her quiet and reserved nature and her clumsy speech.
"Our relationship?" Gu Xi asked curiously, "What kind of relationship do we have?"
Gu Yuanxiang was somewhat hurt by her indifferent attitude. "When I came here earlier, I met a lot of people. They asked me if Yuansheng and I were sisters because we look alike, but Yuansheng only said that we are related by blood..."
She realized that no one in the family compound knew about the fact that she and Gu Xi had been switched at birth.
Perhaps all these people thought Gu Xi was from Beijing, that she grew up in Beijing, and that she was a typical city girl.
Gu Xi gave an "oh" and said calmly, "If you want to talk about how we switched babies, then go ahead and say it. I don't care."
"Really? Aren't you worried?" Gu Yuanxiang said softly, "If people find out you grew up in the countryside, their attitude towards you might change?"
Perhaps they won't be that enthusiastic.
Gu Xi's expression turned cold. "So what? Is it shameful to grow up in the countryside? Or do you think that country people are inferior to city people?" She turned to look at Gu Yuanxiang, her face showing impatience. "Gu Yuanxiang, you are really annoying, you know that?"
Gu Yuanxiang's expression turned somewhat unpleasant after being so bluntly rebuked.
She quickly said, "I... I didn't think that way. It's just that most people think the city is better than the countryside..."
Isn't this what many people think? These days, being able to eat government-subsidized grain in the city makes you superior. So many people want to move to the city and get an urban household registration. People from the countryside just can't compare to city dwellers.
Gu Xi ignored her, realizing that this person was beyond saving.
No, I guess she might be able to be saved after she's been sent to the countryside and experienced the life of those so-called rural people. I just don't know if she can handle it.
-
When Gu Xi arrived at Gu Yuanyang's house, she went over and knocked on the door.
Gu Tuantuan opened the door. Seeing Gu Xi, she happily rushed over and hugged her waist, "Auntie, what brings you here? Have you eaten? Mom and I are just about to eat!"
Gu Xi picked her up and bounced her around a bit. "You've already eaten."
Gu Tuantuan hugged her neck and giggled. When she looked up, she saw Gu Yuanxiang standing behind her aunt, looking at her curiously.
Gu Xi carried her inside, while Gu Yuanxiang, carrying her luggage, entered the room with a nervous expression.
Seeing the little girl looking at her curiously, she smiled and said, "This must be your eldest brother's daughter, right? Hello, I'm your aunt."
Gu Tuantuan hugged Gu Xi, stared at Gu Yuanxiang, and said in a clear voice, "Liar, my aunt is here!"
As she spoke, she hugged Gu Xi tightly with her small hands; this was her best, best aunt.
Gu Yuanxiang's expression became somewhat strained.
In the kitchen, Ji Ya brought out the cooked noodles and was surprised to see Gu Xi bringing a young woman over.
"Sister-in-law," Gu Xi greeted her, putting Gu Tuantuan down. "This is Gu Yuanxiang. She's here to see my brother."
Gu Yuanxiang?
Ji Ya quickly realized that this was the fake heiress who had been switched at birth with Gu Xi all those years ago.
She took a closer look and noticed that Gu Yuanxiang and Xu Yuansheng looked very alike; they were indeed sisters by blood. However, Gu Yuanxiang clearly came from a well-off family, unlike the Xu Yuansheng sisters, who had endured hardship in the countryside and gave off a more resilient and upward-striving vibe.
Ji Ya was surprised. She wondered why Gu Yuanhui had come to the military base. Could it be because of Gu Yuanhui? She had heard that Gu Yuanhui had been sent to the farm a long time ago. Was she too late to come now?
Like Xu Yuansheng, she also misunderstood Gu Yuanxiang's purpose in coming.
Ji Ya is a very organized person. She put two bowls of noodles on the table, called her daughter over to eat, and asked, "Have you eaten? Would you like some too? I'll cook you another bowl."
"No need, we've already eaten," Gu Xi said, looking at the noodles she had cooked with no appetite.
Like Commander Shen, my sister-in-law doesn't have much of a cooking skill. She just wants to cook food until it's edible. If Gu Yuanyang isn't home, she usually eats at the canteen with her daughter or just cooks some noodles for herself.
Fortunately, Gu Tuantuan is a good child who is not picky about food, so she has been raised well.
When Ji Ya learned that they had already eaten, she didn't cook any more noodles. Instead, she asked them to sit down and poured them some water.
"Sister-in-law, you should eat your noodles first," Gu Xi said. "The noodles won't taste good if they get soggy." Even the most important things can wait until after you've finished eating.
Moreover, Gu Yuanyang isn't here, so there's no use in being anxious.
Ji Ya smiled at Gu Yuanxiang, picked up her chopsticks, and asked while eating her noodles, "Why are you here? What do you need your brother for?"
When Gu Yuanxiang heard her question, she couldn't stop her tears.
She cried as she told her what had happened to the Gu family.
Ji Ya was completely stunned and forgot to eat her noodles for a moment.
This is indeed a serious matter. I never expected that my father-in-law would be arrested for embezzlement. He might even be in serious trouble.
“Dad didn’t embezzle, he wouldn’t do such a thing!” Gu Yuanxiang said excitedly. “He was framed, he was implicated by someone…” She cried as she continued, “These past few days, Mom and my second brother have been trying to find a way to save Dad. I’ve come to find my eldest brother and ask him to go and save Dad…”
Ji Ya frowned. Even if he was wronged, it was unlikely that he could get away unscathed from this mess.
For a moment, Dr. Ji was unusually troubled by a headache.
Even if Lao Gu were here, he probably couldn't do anything, right? Once he got involved, it would definitely have a big impact on him. She even hoped that Lao Gu wouldn't get involved in this matter, so as not to be implicated.
Humans are selfish.
Compared to her in-laws whom she had never met, she naturally wanted her husband to be well. But they were her husband's biological parents, and Gu Yuanyang couldn't just ignore them.
Ji Ya couldn't help but feel relieved that Gu Yuanyang wasn't in the army and hoped he would come back later.
"Sister-in-law, when will my brother be back?" Gu Yuanxiang asked anxiously, her eyes red.
This matter cannot be delayed any longer. The longer it is delayed, the more dangerous it will be for the Gu family. I'm afraid they might even be implicated in the end.
She came to the military base because after the Gu family's incident, Jiang Huijun and Gu Yuanzheng's work was also suspended, and she was unable to go to school. They called the military base to look for Gu Yuanyang, but once again they couldn't find him.
So she had no choice but to buy a train ticket and come directly over.
Ji Ya said, "I don't know about this either."
Although the military briefly mentioned the cross-country reconnaissance competition, the family members, as long as they understood the situation, didn't bother to inquire further.
As a military dependent, Ji Ya knew her place and never asked too many questions about military matters.
Gu Yuanxiang cried again upon hearing this.
Ji Ya's head ached from her crying, and she tried to comfort her in vain, saying, "Don't cry either. Maybe Dad will be alright."
Gu Yuanxiang didn't listen and continued to cry silently.
Gu Xi couldn't bear to see her crying like that either, and said to Ji Ya, "Sister-in-law, she said she wants to wait for her brother to come back. In the meantime, let her stay here with you."
She would never let Gu Yuanxiang stay at her house, not even if there was a bed in the study.
Inviting her to have a meal was already a rare act of kindness.
Ji Ya sighed inwardly, knowing that Gu Xi and Gu Yuanxiang didn't get along, so she didn't force them and said, "Okay, let her stay."
After dropping the person off, Gu Xi quickly left.
When Gu Tuantuan saw that her aunt had left, but another unfamiliar "aunt" remained, she couldn't help but pout.
Ji Ya turned her head and patted her daughter's head: "What are you doing? Hurry up and eat your noodles, they're getting cold."
The little girl obediently continued eating her noodles, her face scrunched up as she looked at Gu Yuanxiang, who was still crying, and asked softly, "Mommy, why is this auntie crying?"
Ji Ya paused for a moment, then said, "Kid, don't talk too much. Eat your noodles."
“But she kept crying,” Gu Tuantuan said. “It’s like when I fall down and scrape my skin, I don’t cry. It’s really shameful for an adult to keep crying.”
Gu Yuanxiang: "..."
Upon hearing this, Gu Yuanxiang found herself unable to continue crying.
She sniffed, looked at Ji Ya, and said pitifully, "Sister-in-law, then I'll have to leave for now."
Ji Ya breathed a sigh of relief, relieved that she had stopped crying. She said, "Just stay here for now, your brother should be back soon."
Gu Yuanxiang was filled with worry and anxiety, but there was nothing she could do but wait.
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