Chapter 6
After breakfast, Gu Xi prepared to go out.
Shen Mingrong followed behind her like a little shadow, asking, "Sister Xi, Sister Xi, do you want me to go back with you?"
Gu Xi turned to look at the boy behind her, fully aware of his concern, and deliberately said, "I have something to do back home, I'll be staying for a few days, do you want to come with me?"
"Sure!" Shen Mingrong said energetically, clenching her little fist. "I can help you beat up the bad guys."
Gu Xi paused for a moment, then said, "No need, you're still young, and there are no bad people in the Gu family."
They were just some annoying strangers. Since they were annoying strangers, I didn't feel guilty about hitting them.
Shen Mingrong had a "don't lie to me" look on his face. Although he was young, he wasn't stupid. He could tell how the Gu family treated her. They didn't treat her like a daughter or sister at all, and they even looked down on her for having lived in the countryside before, which made them lose face.
Once, he overheard his mother and father complaining that the Gu family was dishonest and treated her badly. He even considered keeping Sister Xi at his own home to prevent her from being bullied by the Gu family.
In his heart, Sister Xi was in poor health, thin and weak, and those members of the Gu family might take advantage of her good temper and bully her in some way. She needed his protection.
He had no idea what Gu Xi had come here for, and that she wasn't the bullied little dumpling he had imagined.
Seeing the boy's protective instincts flaring up, Gu Xi felt a little amused and touched.
Knowing that the Shen family genuinely loved and cared for her, she didn't mind the Gu family's favoritism and coldness. They didn't like her, but the Shen family did, and that was enough.
Nothing in this world is perfect, and we shouldn't demand too much. This is the lesson she learned after her death.
Gu Xi patted Shen Mingrong's head and told him to stay home and not fight with the other kids in the compound. She said she would come over in a few days.
"I'm not going to fight," Shen Mingrong muttered, then asked doubtfully, "Are you really coming?"
She always came only once in a long while, staying just one night before leaving, never daring to stay longer, which greatly disappointed him. This time, Gu Xi stayed at his house for several days because she was sick; now that she's recovered, she'll probably be leaving again.
They clearly didn't care how long she stayed and even hoped she could stay longer, but she seemed very worried that people would gossip about her, which would be bad for everyone.
Let him say it: she just overthinks things.
Gu Xi assured her, "I will come. I still need to tutor you."
In fact, Shen Mingrong's studies were very good and she didn't need tutoring. Feng Min said this just to relieve her of the burden and to stop Shen Mingrong from running around outside all the time and getting into fights with the kids in the compound.
Despite Shen Mingrong's constant smile, sweet talk, and love of laughter, like a little sweet bean, he still has the spirit of the Shen family deep down. Being a boy, he is somewhat combative.
The children in the compound often came from similar backgrounds and rarely respected each other. Sometimes, when conflicts arose, they would settle them with a fight; fighting was the norm.
Shen Mingrong frowned, but thinking that Gu Xi could come and stay, he had no choice but to say, "That's fine too. You can teach me math then."
He felt he had sacrificed too much, and when his parents came back, he wanted them to give him more pocket money.
**
As soon as I stepped out of the military compound, I saw a group of young people riding old-fashioned bicycles whizzing by.
Gu Xi moved aside.
Unexpectedly, the young man in the lead suddenly stopped, touched the ground with one long leg, and looked at her brazenly, his gaze sweeping over her face.
When the others saw him stop, they also stopped, looking on with expressions of amusement.
When they saw Gu Xi's appearance clearly, they all exclaimed in surprise.
Although there is no shortage of young and beautiful women in the compound, it is extremely rare to find one who is as beautiful and attractive as her. She is wearing a simple white shirt and black pants, but she manages to make them look different. Standing there, she is quiet and serene, making it impossible not to notice her.
Young people are easily swayed by emotions and rarely resist attractive members of the opposite sex.
Not to mention the girl in front of them looked very well-behaved; that innocent and pure feeling could strike a chord with young men, and several of them blushed.
"Oh, you are... Shen Mingrong's sister?"
As soon as the young man in the lead finished speaking, those around him laughed knowingly.
Brother Huai actually knows whose family they belong to. Could it be that he's taken a liking to them?
Someone said, "Brother Huai, are you stupid? Shen Mingrong doesn't have a sister. This is Shen Mingrong's sister-in-law, and she's engaged to that Shen Mingzheng."
Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts skipped a beat, and they subconsciously took a step back, feeling fear.
Although they were all children of high-ranking officials, there were differences. Putting aside their parents' status, Shen Mingzheng, who came from the high-ranking official compound, was definitely an outstanding person among his peers and the "other people's child." Even though he went to the army when he was young and rarely came back, there were still many legends about him in the compound.
In the hearts of these young people, Shen Mingzheng is like an insurmountable mountain, someone they can only look up to.
Although they weren't the same age as Shen Mingzheng, every family has several older brothers and sisters. They had all grown up being overshadowed by Shen Mingzheng, who was the same age as them, and they often complained about him to their younger siblings, which the younger siblings remembered.
Knowing that this was Shen Mingzheng's fiancée, they dared not act rashly.
The group of people chuckled awkwardly and hurriedly said, "Brother Huai, we have something to do, let's go quickly."
Fearing that Zhou Huaimin might do something to the woman, everyone chimed in. After all, Zhou Huaimin's grandfather was also an old revolutionary and a comrade-in-arms of Old Master Shen. The Zhou family was no less powerful than the Shen family.
Others dared not provoke Shen Mingzheng, but Zhou Huaimin had no such concerns.
Seeing the group's timid appearance, Zhou Huaimin clicked his tongue. His gaze lingered on Gu Xi's face for a moment before he lazily asked, "Where are you going? Do you want me to give you a ride?"
His words sounded quite understanding; walking outside in this sweltering heat, one wonders how tanned one must be.
Looking at how thin she was, and how her porcelain-white and beautiful face looked, one couldn't help but worry that she might faint from the sun.
Gu Xi glanced at him calmly, "Thank you, but no need."
As she spoke, she turned and left without glancing back. Her demeanor was natural, her back straight, showing none of the shyness or awkwardness a young woman might have when facing a group of men her own age.
Seeing her decisive refusal, everyone inwardly exclaimed in admiration, thinking that this girl was not only beautiful but also had a strong temper. Unlike other young girls who would shy away in front of so many people, she remained calm.
It feels... quite unique, with a rather stark contrast.
They then looked at Zhou Huaimin, thinking that the little tyrant of the Zhou family would be angry, but to their surprise, he looked completely indifferent.
What's going on here?
Zhou Huaimin ignored the group of people. After they left, he looked dejected and rode away on his bicycle.
-
The bus was crowded in the morning, so Gu Xi chose a corner to stand in.
After resting at the Shen family's house for a few days, she felt better. Although she still felt a little weak and tired, it did not affect her normal activities. Moreover, she had gotten used to enduring it, so this discomfort was nothing.
When the bus arrived at the station, Gu Xi got off with the flow of people and headed towards the family compound.
As soon as she entered the residential compound, she encountered several middle-aged women returning from grocery shopping, who greeted her warmly.
An older woman asked, "Is that Xixi? We haven't seen you lately. Your parents said you went to your uncle's house, is that right?"
These middle-aged women were very friendly to Gu Xi, though there was a hint of schadenfreude in their attitude.
When the family learned that the Gu family's children had been switched at birth, the entire compound was in an uproar. People also felt quite sorry for Gu Xi, who had been mistreated in the countryside for fifteen years.
While they sympathized with the child, it didn't stop them from watching the show. These days, entertainment is scarce, and even the smallest things can attract widespread attention, let alone something as unusual as babies being switched at birth.
After Gu Xi returned to the Gu family, everyone had a heated discussion about it, commenting on the fact that the Gu family had switched babies. Comparing the two babies who were switched, and watching the chaos in the Gu family, they even found their meals more enjoyable than usual.
Back then, Gu Xi was dark-skinned, thin, and short, with a rustic appearance. The contrast with Gu Yuanxiang, who was pampered and raised, was stark. It made people feel sorry for her, but also felt that she was indeed inferior to Gu Yuanxiang. Her timid and cowardly appearance was so unpresentable that she wouldn't even look presentable in a dress.
Who knew that girls can change so much as they grow up? In just a few years, she transformed from a country bumpkin into a stunning beauty. She even went to school and attended high school, which was quite remarkable.
The fact that the Gu family took back their biological daughter but kept their adopted daughter has been a topic of much discussion.
They could understand that the Gu family was reluctant to part with the child they had raised for fifteen years and wanted to keep her by their side. However, some people felt that the Gu family should not keep Gu Yuanxiang and should let her return to her biological parents.
Some people think the Gu family is foolish for keeping Gu Yuanxiang in the family. They think that since they see each other all the time, isn't that constantly reminding Gu Xi that she suffered in the past on behalf of Gu Yuanxiang? They don't know how much pain she is in.
We all live in the same residential compound, and we know each other very well.
Even though the Gu family outwardly treats the two switched children equally, some differences are still noticeable. The Gu family favors their adopted daughter, Gu Yuanxiang, while their biological daughter, Gu Xi, is often neglected after returning to the Gu family.
These past few days, no one had seen Gu Xi. After discovering that Jiang Huijun and Gu Yuanxiang were now the ones buying groceries and cooking, they realized that Gu Xi was probably not home.
When someone asked Gu Xi where she was going, her family said she was going to her uncle's house.
Some people believe this, but many more don't.
Gu Xi returned halfway through her journey and doesn't have much contact with her uncle's family. Why would she go to her uncle's house for no reason? Something must have happened again.
Upon seeing Gu Xi, some busybodies immediately inquired about her.
Gu Xi knew that the Gu family disliked her going to the Shen family, so she directly said that she was going to her uncle's house.
She didn't argue, obediently greeted everyone, and then went home.
As soon as I entered the house, I saw Gu Yuanxiang sitting in the living room listening to the radio, and Chen Yunsheng, a close friend of Gu Yuanxiang, who also lived in the family compound.
Upon seeing Gu Xi return, Gu Yuanxiang paused for a moment, then said with a displeased expression, "Xi Xi, why are you only coming back now?"
That day, Gu Xi hit someone and ran away. Everyone was very angry and waited for her to come back so they could teach her a lesson.
Little did they know that she would be gone for several days, unlike before when she would only stay one night at the Shen family's house, making them very impatient.
Some anger needs to be released on the spot. If you can't release it on the spot, it will be bottled up inside, and you'll feel uncomfortable as a result.
Having held her anger in for days, Gu Yuanxiang felt increasingly frustrated, as if her good temper was about to be worn away. But when she saw Gu Xi return, this anger suddenly burst forth.
Gu Xi didn't say a word, didn't even glance at her, and turned to leave.
She went straight upstairs to her room, opened the door, and found it in complete disarray. Clothes, blankets, and other belongings were scattered haphazardly on the floor, with footprints visible in the debris. Books from her desk were strewn everywhere, several torn to shreds, and scraps of paper were strewn about. The bookshelves were overturned...
It's clear that someone was taking their anger out on her while she was away.
Gu Xi bent down and picked up the scattered books one by one, even carefully collecting the scraps of paper.
As she was packing, footsteps sounded, accompanied by Gu Yuanhui's arrogant voice: "Gu Xi, you come out here right now, I'll beat you to death, how dare you hit me..."
Gu Yuanhui had just returned home when he learned that Gu Xi had finally come home. He stormed into Gu Xi's room in a rage, only to be met with something thrown at him, hitting him directly in the face.
He screamed and crouched on the ground, clutching his face in pain.
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