Chapter 2
The incident happened so suddenly that Gu Yuanzheng and Gu Yuanxiang were caught off guard.
How dare Gu Xi? She actually hit someone?!
In the past, Gu Yuanhui would play pranks on her, such as splashing water on her from the rooftop, putting bugs in her bed, deliberately taking her to unfamiliar places and abandoning her to watch her panic, and taking all the money from her schoolbag, forcing her to walk home from school. She never seemed to get angry, acting like a doormat or a silent brooder, which made them used to her submissive nature.
Gu Yuanhui was in so much pain that tears streamed down his face. Only those who had experienced it firsthand knew the force of that punch. It felt like half of his face was numb, and the pain made his mind go blank for a moment.
He lay on the ground, howling, which finally brought Gu Yuanzheng and the other man back to their senses.
"Gu Xi, what are you doing?!" Gu Yuanzheng shouted angrily, his face extremely ugly, and reached out to pull her.
As he approached, Gu Xi did the same thing, punching him in the stomach.
Gu Yuanzheng was caught off guard by her attack and bent over in pain, unable to speak for a moment.
Her strength was so great that he had the illusion that his internal organs were being twisted together.
Seeing the two brothers being beaten, Gu Yuanxiang hurriedly shouted, "Xixi, how could you hit people? You, you've gone too far! Apologize to your second brother and Yuanhui right now!"
She angrily stepped forward and grabbed the person, her face full of dissatisfaction.
Out of habit, even seeing Gu Xi suddenly hit someone didn't frighten her; she just felt that Gu Xi had gone crazy today.
Gu Xi's arm was grabbed, and she turned to look at her.
Gu Yuanxiang looked very angry, glaring at her.
For some reason, a strange sense of hostility suddenly rose from the bottom of her heart. Gu Xi forcefully pulled her hand back, pushed Gu Yuanxiang away who was leaning in, and shoved her down onto the sofa.
Gu Yuanxiang didn't expect her to push her. The hard wooden sofa hit her elbow and other parts of her body, causing her to cry out in pain.
At this moment, the three siblings were in a sorry state: one was lying on the ground howling, another was clutching her stomach and bent over, covered in cold sweat, and the third was sprawled on the sofa.
Gu Xi ignored them and walked straight out the door.
When the three siblings inside the house recovered and chased after them, they could no longer see them, and could only roar in anger.
**
After stepping out the door, Gu Xi left the family compound without hesitation.
The Gu family were a cadre family, living in a compound for their families. When Gu Xi was brought back, she became a well-known country bumpkin in the compound and was often ridiculed.
Perhaps because they felt she was embarrassing, the Gu family didn't like her much either, thinking she was just causing them trouble.
After leaving the family compound, Gu Xi went to the nearby bus stop and boarded a bus.
The July sun was scorching, baking the earth. Around three or four in the afternoon, when the ground temperature was at its highest, the carriage was crowded, hot, and stuffy, with a mixed smell. The train swayed and rocked all the way, making people dizzy.
Gu Xi stood in the corner, breathing in the smell of the bus, her head throbbing and her heart pounding with nausea.
A kind woman nearby noticed that she wasn't feeling well and asked with concern, "Are you alright, sir?"
Gu Xi was a beat slow to react and whispered that it was nothing.
When the bus arrived at the station, she followed the crowd and swayed as she got off. Following her memory, she walked forward, feeling dizzy and lightheaded, as if she were a wandering soul.
Upon arriving at the military compound, Gu Xi registered and then went inside.
Arriving at the house from her memory, she stood in front of the door, looking at the two-story building before her, her thoughts drifting.
So much time has passed that many things seem to have become distant, and few things can touch her heartstrings anymore.
Like Gu Yuanzheng and the others, she could remain calm and even resorted to violence when she found them too annoying, showing no mercy and feeling no remorse for hitting them.
But this place is different. It is the softest spot in her endless, lonely memories, and even after decades, she still keeps it in the deepest part of her heart.
"Xixi?"
A voice with a local accent rang out. Gu Xi was a beat slow to react. She turned her head in the direction of the voice and saw a middle-aged woman carrying a cloth basket not far away.
When Aunt Wang returned from outside, she saw a girl standing at the Shen family's door. She went over to take a look and found that it was Gu Xi.
She first called out happily, but when she got closer, she noticed that the woman's complexion was off, and was immediately alarmed. She quickly went over and grabbed the woman, asking, "What's wrong? Are you sick?"
He reached out and touched her forehead, finding it alarmingly hot, and quickly led her inside.
Gu Xi was placed on the sofa like a puppet, sitting there blankly.
Aunt Wang found some fever reducers, poured a glass of warm water, watched as the person took the medicine, and then told her to go to her room and take a nap.
She was really worried, so she watched the person lie down until she was sure they were asleep before leaving with a heavy heart.
-
Later that evening, when Feng Min returned home from get off work, she smelled the aroma of Chinese medicine wafting through the house and couldn't help but wonder, "Why are they brewing medicine again? Is Xixi here?"
Aunt Wang came out of the kitchen and hurriedly said, "Yes, Xixi is sick, I'm going to make her some medicine."
This was a traditional Chinese medicine prescription specially written for Gu Xi by an old doctor at the military hospital. It had been kept on hand, and when she came, the doctor brewed a dose for her first.
Upon hearing this, Feng Min couldn't sit still and rushed upstairs to see the person.
The door was not closed. Feng Min pushed the door open and went in. She saw the girl sleeping soundly on the bed, curled up, her small and pretty face flushed with an abnormal redness, her lips dry, and she looked small, thin and pitiful.
Feng Min reached out and touched her forehead, finding that the fever had not subsided, and a look of worry appeared on her face.
As darkness fell, Zhong Chenshan, dressed in military uniform, returned.
Upon learning that Gu Xi was coming today and was sick, a worried look appeared on his face.
"Why did this child suddenly fall ill?" Shen Chenshan asked in confusion.
Feng Min sighed, "Xixi didn't have a good life in the countryside before. She was often hungry. Her adoptive parents favored boys over girls and didn't treat girls like human beings. As the eldest daughter in the family, she was made to do all the heavy and tiring work. She suffered from long-term malnutrition and didn't get proper rest. The doctor said that her health was severely damaged and she needed to take good care of herself... Although she has gained some weight in the past few years and looks much better, her body is still weaker than that of an ordinary person. She can easily get sick if she's not careful."
Thinking of Gu Xi's plight, Shen Chenshan couldn't help but sigh.
This child is pitiful. He was a perfectly healthy child, but because he was switched at birth, he suffered terribly in the countryside. He was finally recognized, but the attitude of the Gu family...
It's tough on this child.
**
Gu Xi slept until nine o'clock in the evening before waking up.
When she woke up, she found the lights on in the room and Aunt Wang was by her bedside, wiping her sweat.
The fever had subsided, and she had sweated profusely, soaking her clothes. Aunt Wang was about to change her clothes when she saw her wake up and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Xixi is awake. Are you hungry? I cooked you some congee. Get up and have some to fill your stomach, and take your medicine while you're at it."
As Aunt Wang spoke, she first poured her a glass of warm water and helped her sit up to give her water.
Gu Xi drank most of a glass of water to relieve the dryness in her throat. When she saw her sister bringing over the clothes, she reached out and took them, saying, "Auntie, I can change myself."
Aunt Wang handed her the clothes and said, "Okay, I'll go get you some porridge."
Gu Xi watched her leave silently, change out of her sweaty clothes, and put on clean pajamas.
She has her own room at the Shen family's house, as well as some clothes and other personal belongings. She occasionally stays there overnight; it's like her home.
A little while later, Aunt Wang returned.
Feng Min also came over.
Feng Min was wearing pajamas, her hair was tied up, and she looked very simple and clean. Under the light, her features were bright and beautiful, and she had a tall and slender figure. She was very pretty.
Upon seeing Feng Min, Gu Xi felt a lump in her throat and tears welled up in her eyes.
Feng Min was startled, thinking she was unwell, and put her arm around her to comfort her, "Oh dear, why is our Xixi crying? Did someone bully you? Tell Auntie, and Auntie will get revenge for you!"
Gu Xi rested her face against her chest without saying a word, only crying.
She cried silently, tears streaming down her face, making soft sobs, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Feng Min held the thin, frail body of the girl in her arms, feeling distressed by her crying. She was flustered and didn't know what to do.
Her daughter, Xixi, has always been a strong person and rarely cries. She never cried even when things were so difficult in the countryside. How much must she have suffered to suddenly be crying like this?
Feng Min became increasingly angry, convinced that it was the Gu family who had wronged Gu Xi.
Apart from the Gu family, she didn't think anyone could bully Gu Xi.
Aunt Wang was also very anxious and tried to comfort her, saying, "Oh dear, oh dear, good child, don't cry. You're still sick, this is not good."
He was so angry that he came over after hearing the noise, and he was also a little anxious when he saw this scene.
However, as the head of the family, and given the difference between men and women, he couldn't do anything and could only watch helplessly from the doorway.
For a usually strong and well-behaved girl to suddenly cry like this, something must have happened, and she must be feeling uneasy.
In the end, Gu Xi stopped crying on her own, but her eyes were swollen from crying, which made Feng Min feel very sorry for her.
Aunt Wang quickly brought over the porridge, saying, "Come and eat something. You can't go hungry, or your stomach will hurt again."
I probably developed a stomach ache from being hungry a lot when I was a child. If I don't eat on time, my stomach will hurt badly.
Gu Xi quietly drank her porridge with the two of them by her side.
After she finished eating the porridge and taking her medicine, Aunt Wang wrung out a towel and came over to wipe her face, speaking softly and gently like she was coaxing a child. Feng Min sat beside her, patting her back to comfort her.
Seeing that nothing was wrong, Shen Chenshan went back to his room.
After Aunt Wang packed her things and left, Feng Min looked at Gu Xi's pale face, took her hand and said, "Xi Xi, tell Auntie, who bullied you?"
Seeing her concerned expression, Gu Xi felt a subtle pain welling up in her heart again.
Perhaps the connections between people are just that wonderful. She is related to the Gu family by blood, but she does not receive their love and recognition; she has no relation to the Shen family, but she receives their genuine affection, and the Shen couple treat her like a daughter.
"Aunt Feng," Gu Xi said hoarsely, "I hit someone."
Feng Min was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously asked, "Who did you hit?"
Gu Xi obediently replied, "Gu Yuanzheng, Gu Yuanhui."
Feng Min said without hesitation, "They must have done something wrong for you to hit them."
Xixi is such a well-behaved child. For her to get so angry that she hit someone, it must be because Gu Yuanzheng and the others went too far.
Feng Min didn't think she had done anything wrong. In her mind, Gu Xi was a good child. In addition, she had seen what the Gu family had done over the years and felt that it was right for the Gu family to be beaten.
So what if someone hits someone? Gu Xi is just a young girl. She hit her own brother. That's a family matter. So what if she hit him? Are you going to go to the police?
Can the Gu family afford to lose face like this?
Hearing her blatant favoritism, Gu Xi felt even more heartbroken.
How heartbroken Aunt Feng and the others must have been after she died in her past life?
Her life was only twenty years long. Her relatives were not like relatives. On the contrary, the Shen family, who were not related by blood, gave her all the favor and affection.
Feng Min didn't ask Gu Xi why she hit someone, and said, "You stay at home for now, don't think about anything else, we'll talk about it after you get better."
She didn't take Gu Xi's hitting incident seriously, thinking it wasn't a big deal and that Gu Xi's health was more important.
After Gu Xi fell asleep in bed again, Feng Min returned to her room.
Heavy Mountain was still awake, sitting on the edge of the bed reading the newspaper.
Seeing him return, he put down his newspaper and asked, "What's wrong with Gu Xi?"
Feng Min poured herself a glass of water, sat down on the edge of the bed, and said, "I didn't ask, but I guess the Gu family did something again." She complained, "Those Gu family members are really clueless. Even if they haven't seen each other for fifteen years, she's still their own child. She suffered so much in the countryside, how could they bear to despise her and instead favor those who are living a good life in the city?"
If her child had been switched at birth and suffered injustice upon returning home, she would want to love and cherish him with all her heart and soul, and she would never bear to let him suffer any injustice.
Although both sides are equally dear to us, we must be fair when it's appropriate and not be too biased.
It's understandable to be reluctant to part with an adopted daughter you've raised for fifteen years, but you can't let your biological daughter suffer because of your adopted daughter.
It's hard to say anything about Shen Chongshan. Every family has its own problems. The Gu family clearly favors the child who was switched at birth and looks down on their own daughter for being raised in the countryside. This kind of mindset is hard to change.
Feng Min suddenly laughed again as she spoke, "But Xixi came over today and said she hit Gu Yuanzheng and his brother. I don't know if it's true."
Shen Zhongshan exclaimed in surprise, "Gu Xi hit someone? Could it be Gu Yuanzheng and the others who hit her?"
He couldn't believe that such a well-behaved and quiet child as Gu Xi would hit someone. This child was too well-behaved; she was always the one being bullied, and he had never seen her bully anyone on her own initiative.
"That's what Xixi said, so it should be true." Feng Min wasn't sure either. She had just checked and didn't see any injuries on Gu Xi's body, so she shouldn't have been beaten.
If Gu Yuanzheng and his brother really dare to hit her, she'll take it to the Women's Federation and make the Gu family lose face.
Having already lain down, Feng Min sat up again, thinking of something, and said, "No, I have to go to the Gu family's place tomorrow."
She was still worried and had to go to the Gu family's house.
If Gu Xi really hit someone, one can imagine the reaction of Gu Maowen and his wife; Gu Xi would suffer another injustice.
Seeing her acting so impulsively, Shen Chenshan shook his head and said, "You woman, you always do whatever comes to mind. Don't always go to the Gu family; it's not good for Gu Xi."
Regardless, the Gu family are Gu Xi's relatives. Gu Xi hasn't even married into the family yet, so it's not right for her mother-in-law to interfere in her family's affairs.
Even if you want to protect your daughter-in-law, you can't do it this way.
"Nonsense, how could I treat her badly?" Feng Min glared at him angrily. "Comrade Shen, your thinking is unacceptable! What's wrong with me going to the Gu family? If they hadn't treated Gu Xi badly, would I have gone?"
Shen Chenshan didn't say anything more. He knew his wife had a cheerful and straightforward personality, which was one of her strengths.
However, she did lack consideration in matters concerning Gu Xi, but she truly loved Gu Xi.
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