Chapter 366 Adoption
The aunt's words were like a small stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples in Li's heart.
Her heart suddenly skipped a beat, and her fingers gripping the hem of her clothes tightened instantly, her knuckles turning white.
I remember what I said to my second sister-in-law outside the delivery room ten years ago when she was bleeding heavily: "If it's really difficult, I'll give you one of my children in the future."
Fine beads of cold sweat oozed from the back of Li's neck.
She secretly raised her eyes and glanced at Sun who was sitting opposite her.
Seeing that the other person had his eyes downcast but his lips were pressed into a stubborn line, the tension in my heart increased a bit.
It's all my fault for being so mean. If I hadn't been soft-hearted and said things I shouldn't have said, how could I be suffering like this today?
What should she do if her second sister-in-law really asks to adopt Gu Yuhe?
Li's fingertips unconsciously picked at the patch on his cuff.
Reject? But he was the one who made the promise back then. If he didn't admit it, wouldn't his spine be broken?
Don’t refuse?
She looked down at her slightly trembling hands, those hands that had held Gu Yuhe's hands countless times as he took his first steps and wiped the rice paste from the corners of his mouth.
Although the child was not as smart as other children and spent all day climbing trees and robbing bird nests, the way she timidly called out "Mom" every time she got into trouble was engraved in her bones.
To give away one's own flesh and blood is like having a piece of my heart cut out.
"Don't panic." Gu Huangtai's rough palm rested on the back of Li's cold hand, his fingertips, calloused with years of gripping farm tools, gently patting it. "Let's hear what my second brother and the others have to say first."
His voice was not loud, but it was like a magic needle that stabilized Li's trembling heart.
The grandparents at the top glanced at each other secretly.
The wrinkles at the corners of grandma's eyes moved, and grandpa's fingers, which were twirling his beard, paused.
It seemed that the second brother was the one who initiated this matter, but in fact it was Sun's idea.
Grandma cleared her throat, her voice icy as she spoke. "Sun, I honestly believe that in all the years since you've been married to the Gu family, I've never once bullied you! You're aloof and don't enjoy socializing, so I've let your eldest sister-in-law and your third sister-in-law handle all the interactions, both internal and external. You've only given birth to two daughters in the ten years since you've been married, and your father and I have never once spoken a harsh word to you!"
She paused, her eyes piercing Sun's like a knife. "We all know that not having a son is a concern for you. Now that you've mentioned it, just say it out loud. If you want to adopt a son, you must have someone in mind. Who do you like?"
As soon as grandma said this, the air in the main room seemed to freeze.
She usually always had a smile on her face, with kind wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, but at this moment her brows were furrowed, her mouth was pressed into a straight line, and even her gray temples seemed to stand up.
Everyone could see that the old lady was really angry.
Everyone in the room suddenly fell silent.
The aunt-in-law wanted to persuade her but didn't dare to. She rubbed her hands on the hem of her clothes, then pushed the aunt-in-law's back, signaling her to speak and persuade her.
The aunt-in-law turned around and gave him a cold look, then shook her body to shake off the tactless hand.
Stupid! Didn't you see the old lady was furious? If you still speak now, aren't you just walking into trouble?
Su Mei is just a bitch with her mouth, but she is not a fool, so why would she ask for trouble?
The younger generation either stared at the tips of their shoes or pretended to look at the clay pot on the windowsill, looking completely unwilling to listen. But out of the corner of their eyes, they all secretly glanced in Sun's direction.
When the two daughters brought by Sun saw their parents kneeling on the ground, they quickly knelt down with a "dong". The younger daughter was so scared that her shoulders were shaking. She clutched the corner of her sister's clothes and dared not make a sound.
"Mother!" Sun suddenly raised her head, her eyes red as a rabbit's. "You have three sons yourself, how can you understand the pain of not having one? Every time I step out of this courtyard, I feel like everyone in the village is stabbing me in the back, calling me a hen that can't lay eggs!"
"Who dares!" Grandma slammed the table and stood up with a gruff voice. "Who in this Taohua Village dares to gossip like this? You name it, and I'll tear her mouth apart right now!"
Sun opened her mouth, but swallowed the words back.
What could she say? She had heard all that gossip from the old women sitting under the old locust tree at the village entrance. If she really wanted to get to the bottom of it, her "I didn't say that" made her look like a shrew making wild guesses.
"Hmph, I think you have something to hide!" Grandma snorted coldly.
Sun was about to argue, but her grandmother raised her hand to interrupt. "Stop talking nonsense. Just tell me, who are you going to adopt?" She paused, her gaze slowing as she glanced at Li, but then she immediately turned away. "Let me be frank. Yuhe cannot be adopted by you."
This was like lighting a powder keg.
Sun suddenly looked up, her eyes bloodshot. "Why not? My third sister-in-law said she was willing to give me a child!"
Originally, Sun had no intention of adopting Gu Yuhe. After all, she now had a better candidate.
But it is one thing for her to not want to be adopted, and it is another thing for others to say no.
This old woman keeps saying that she is not biased. If this isn't biased, what is?
Isn't it just because you see that the third child has the ability to make money, so you rush over to him?
Humph, just wait, when his son passes the imperial examination and becomes the top scorer, it will be her turn to laugh!
"If I say no, then no!" Grandma slammed the table. "I have the final say on this matter!"
"Why?" Sun's voice suddenly rose, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Just because Third Brother's family has a promising son, you're biased towards them?"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the room gasped.
No one expected that Sun, who usually kept silent, would now dare to question the head of the family in public?
Second uncle Gu Huangtian quickly pulled her arm and said, "Cao sister! Stop talking!"
But Sun shook off his hand and stared at everyone with her neck stiffened.
Second Uncle was so anxious that sweat broke out on his forehead. He turned around and bowed to Grandma: "Mother, Cao Mei is so anxious that she is confused. Please don't bother with her."
As he spoke, he stole a glance at his mother's face. Seeing that the old lady's cheeks were puffed up and she was obviously still angry, he became even more panicked.
On one side is the mother who gave birth to and raised him, and on the other side is the daughter-in-law who shares the same bed with him. He is really caught in a dilemma.
"Let's divide it!" Sun suddenly stood up from the ground, not caring about the dust on her skirt. She glanced at everyone with red eyes, "I've known for a long time that you all look down on me and can't wait to kick me out of the Gu family! If the family is divided, I'll have peace and quiet!"
"What are you talking about?" Li couldn't help but speak, but was stopped by Gu Huangtai's eyes.
"Second aunt, if you don't want to adopt Yuhe, who did you originally want to adopt?" Gu Jiayue, who was sitting in the corner, spoke softly.
Her voice was clear when she spoke, which eased the tense atmosphere a little.
It's not that she wants to get involved in this mess, but she really can't bear to see the whole family split up.
Second uncle Gu Huangtian finally breathed a sigh of relief, rubbing his hands together and chuckling twice, his cheeks flushed: "It's...it's Zhang Yangzai, the one who lost his parents in Chunli."
"Zhang Yangzai?" Everyone looked confused.
"He's the grandson of Zhang Laoshuan, who lives in the west end of the village." Second Uncle quickly explained, "Last time it rained, your second aunt went out and saw this child. She felt sorry for him and gave him some clothes. The child is also very grateful. Whenever he has time, he helps your second aunt feed the ducks and pick up eggs. After spending some time with him, your second aunt took a liking to this child. Having lost both his father and mother, she felt sorry for him and wanted to adopt him."
He added, "We didn't intend to adopt Yuhe in the first place. He's old enough to remember things, and we wouldn't feel comfortable adopting him. It would only damage the relationship between the brothers."
As soon as these words were spoken, Li's heart, which had been hanging in the air for a long time, fell back into her stomach with a thud. Cold sweat ran down her back, but she felt her whole body relaxed.
Grandma's expression softened a bit, and the wrinkles around her eyes smoothed out. "What does the kid mean? Have you asked him?"
Sun's voice softened. "I haven't asked yet, but I think he likes me very much. The child has no relatives, so if someone is willing to love him, he will probably be willing."
Grandma nodded and turned to look at Gu Jiayue. "Is that kid studying in your school? Go call him over and ask him."
The second son has always been worried about not having a son. It would be a bad feeling if there was no one to hold the spirit tablet a hundred years later.
She had never mentioned it before because she was afraid that Sun would adopt Yuhe and hurt the third brother's family; now that she has fallen in love with another family's child, it has saved her a lot of trouble.
Gu Jiayue thought about it. Zhang Yangzai now lived in the school dormitory and ate three meals a day at school. The school also gave him some subsidies. But when she thought about it carefully, she was indeed not as happy as when his mother was still alive.
And the last time I saw him, his clothes were all torn and no one was mending them. Later, he asked Madam Cai to sew them for him.
But during this period, he seemed to find that the child had changed a lot. Not only was he happier, his complexion was rosier, his clothes were cleaner, and he even wore a new set of clothes.
Gu Jiayue thought that it might be Aunt Cai who was taking care of him, but it turned out that it was not the case. It was Second Aunt who was secretly helping him.
Gu Jiayue thought about it again and again, and as for her second aunt's wish to adopt Zhang Yangzai, there seemed to be no harm in it as long as Zhang Yangzai agreed.
Although Second Auntie was a bit sensitive and narrow-minded, she was quite good to both of her daughters. At least she didn't exploit their value, and they still had some physical strength. He would also try his best to give it to his daughters.
The original intention of wanting a son was not only to provide for my old age, but also to find someone to rely on for my two daughters.
Thinking about it this way, it seems like it would be a good thing if Zhang Yangzi could be adopted by my second aunt!
After figuring it out, Gu Jiayue stood up. "Okay, then you guys wait a moment. I'll go to the academy and bring Zhang Yangzai over to ask for his opinion!"
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