Gu Hanting took a deep look at his granddaughter, and couldn't help but sigh with pride and joy once again. She was truly a child of the Gu family; even he, as an adult, admired her for her maturity.
"That's a good question. Today I'll tell you about your great-aunt—"
The old man wasn't in a hurry to speak until he had finished reading the letter. Jiang Qiao was the last to receive the letter, and after reading the contents, her face immediately darkened.
Her great-aunt was quite a character. Throughout the entire conversation, she didn't ask about the Gu family's situation at all, but instead kept complaining about how bad things were on her side. In the end, she informed Gu Hanting that she was coming over, and as for what she would do there, she said she would discuss it when they met.
"What does she mean by this? Coming over? How will she come over? Where will she stay? Is she going to stay in the cowshed? Grandpa, I have a feeling that your sister seems to know something about the situation here."
It's no wonder Jiang Qiao is suspicious. Being a landlord means you'll never have a good life, no matter where you go. She just doesn't believe that this former aunt of the Gu family wouldn't understand this, or be unaware of Gu Hanting's current situation.
What's this person here for? To catch up with old friends? To seek out former family ties? Or is he struggling financially and wants to come here for financial assistance? Or does he have some other purpose?
Thinking of this, Jiang Qiao immediately felt unhappy. This wasn't just Jiang Qiao's thought; everyone present felt the same way.
Gu Hanting sighed, "Now that you've finished reading, let me tell you about my sister. This is a bit of a long story. Your great-aunt's original name was Dong Chunxiao, and she was the child of my father's friend."
That year, the two brothers led a group to do business, but they encountered bandits on the way. Dong Chunxiao's father was unlucky and was shot. Before he died, he asked your great-grandfather to take care of his only daughter.
I remember when Dong Chunxiao came, she was already eight years old, a sensible age. Our family treated her very well. To be honest, I'm our only child. Having another little girl was a rare treat, not to mention my parents, even I found it unusual, since she was much younger than me.
However, I always feel that this child is not close to our family, as if there is a distance between us.
Later, when Dong Chunxiao grew up, my father supported her to attend a teachers' college. However, while she was studying, this girl met a man and insisted on marrying him. My father couldn't do anything about it; she made such a big fuss and wouldn't listen to anything he said.
I had no other choice but to ask around. No matter what, since this child grew up in our family, even if she's not our biological child, we still have to take responsibility. We can't just feed and care for her. Besides, marriage is a lifelong decision. If you choose the wrong person, you can forget about having a good life from now on.
I asked around about the man. He is rich, but his character is questionable. To put it simply, he indulges in all sorts of vices, including eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring. Fortunately, his family has money to support his extravagance. In most families, he would have gone bankrupt long ago.
However, none of this could make Dong Chunxiao turn back. She wouldn't listen to advice, and before she even finished her studies, she secretly got married.
When my father heard the news, he was so angry that he fell ill. Later, the old man asked me to give her a lot more dowry, after all, she was the orphan of an old friend, and doing this was to fulfill my friend's request.
I thought everything would be fine once she got married, but who knew that later she would write a letter questioning my father, asking if he was responsible for her father's death.
Tell me, what is this thing? It has no human touch at all. My father broke off relations with the other party in a fit of anger. Our family has raised an enemy. My father was very depressed about this and passed away a few years later.
Later, I found out that Dong Chunxiao's mother was still alive, and that she had run away with another man. Her mother found her, and for some reason, she lied through her teeth.
I reckon this woman is probably trying to win over Dong Chunxiao so she can take care of her in her old age.
However, the matter is over, and I didn't hold it against her too much. I just gave her a good scolding in front of her and her daughter, and the two families are now completely estranged.
I never expected that after all these years, Dong Chunxiao would still remember me, her older brother.
Jiang Qiao and the others fell silent, each pondering what had just been said. After thinking it over, Jiang Qiao looked up at Gu Hanting.
Gu Zhixuan spoke first, "Grandpa, this woman is not only brainless, but also ungrateful. There's no need to have any close contact with her. If you don't mind, let her stay in the cowshed and eat there when she comes. It's better not to let her come here."
My grandfather Qiao and grandfather Liu Zi aren't familiar with her. Besides, this isn't our home right now, so it's inconvenient for her to stay. And the purpose of her visit is still unclear; what if she has ulterior motives?
Qiao Jie nodded in agreement, "I think so too. How could you have wronged someone like that? You raised her, taught her to read and write, and she doesn't even understand the basic principles of being a decent human being."
Needless to say, her unfortunate mother was even worse. Everyone says the kindness of raising someone is greater than the kindness of giving birth. Where was she when her daughter needed her? Now that her daughter is doing well, she runs to her daughter and badmouths her. With a mother like that, the daughter won't be any better.
Jiang Qiao sighed, "Grandpa, may I ask what family Dong Chunxiao married into? What's her surname? What kind of business does she do? Why does this letter look so dejected?"
Logically speaking, the other family is very well-off, and your side has given such a large dowry. Anyone who knows how to manage money would have more than enough to eat.
Gu Hanting sighed, "That gambler and womanizer, can he support the family business? He's just an illegitimate son, he won't get the lion's share. But I heard that the family did give him some things, not great, but according to my calculations, it's enough for him to make a living."
The concern is that the other party will continue to indulge in drinking, gambling, and prostitution. But we've been liberated for so many years, there's nowhere for them to gamble and prostitute themselves anymore.
I now suspect that they haven't reached that point yet; they're just feigning poverty, and perhaps they have other motives as well.
After all, your uncle and father are doing quite well now, and they might be plotting something to get in touch with us.
The family Dong Chunxiao married was surnamed Xu—
Upon hearing this word, Jiang Qiao's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason. "Which Xu? Yan Wuxu or Zwilling Xu?"
"Yan Wuxu, what's wrong? Do you know this person?"
Jiang Qiao shook her head. In front of her family, she had nothing to hide. "Grandpa, there are some things you don't understand. Since everyone is here, I'll say it again."
According to the enemy agent, their leader disappeared back then. I now suspect that this person is hiding. His name is Xu Shaoqing, but I guess he has changed his name by now. Be careful. I estimate he is around fifty years old.
Jiang Qiao genuinely didn't know his exact age, nor had she seen his file. They only had professional contact. Who would have thought that even so, she couldn't escape his clutches?
So now she's reminding her family to be extra careful, to be vigilant when they see people of that age, because not all elderly people are kind.
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