They immediately went to the old man.
The old man looked at the children standing in front of him and sighed softly.
"What happened back then can't be entirely blamed on her; she had her own... difficulties."
"Grandpa, why are you still speaking up for her?"
My father's body was barely cold when she turned around and remarried in town.
Yanliu was not even a year old at the time and was still breastfeeding when she was abandoned.
She's so heartless, why are you still speaking up for her?
"Have you forgotten how we got through those years?" Gu Yanbai's expression was very complicated, showing dissatisfaction, resentment, and confusion.
Over the years, he has become much more peaceful and rarely shows his emotions like this.
But Wang Peilan is an exception; she is a knot in his heart!
A knot that can never be untied!
He could never forget the resolute figure of her leaving them.
Not only him, but everyone in the room also looked disapproving.
As the old man gets older, his heart becomes increasingly soft.
“Yes, Grandpa, why?” Gu Yanliu asked as well.
“I’m not speaking up for her, I just…” the old man sighed softly, “Do you know how your father died?”
“Yes, I know. Didn’t he accidentally fall off a cliff and die in the dark?” Gu Yansong was older and knew more about these things than his younger siblings.
"He did fall to his death, that's for sure. But do you know why he went up the mountain after dark?" The old man seemed to age a lot in an instant as he recalled those past events.
"Why?" they asked instinctively.
This matter has always been a taboo subject in their family.
All they knew was that he fell off the mountain in the dark and then died.
But no one knew why he was going up the mountain after dark.
The old man has always kept quiet about this matter and has never told them the reason.
Later, they gradually stopped asking about it.
Unexpectedly, he brought up the matter himself today.
The old man silently took a puff of his pipe. "It's all my fault, really."
Your grandmother passed away a long time ago, and I, a grown man, have been raising your father and your aunt's two children alone.
Those years were truly tough. To support my family, I worked day and night.
Naturally, he didn't pay much attention to the two of them. Your aunt was practically raised by your father, just like you and your brother.
Therefore, they have a very good relationship, and your dad dotes on this girl the most.
Later, your aunt got married and moved to a town. Her family was quite well-off.
Unexpectedly, one day, she came back to borrow money from your father.
They said their family urgently needed a sum of money, it was a matter of life and death.
Your mother was immediately displeased and said she had no money and told you to find a way elsewhere.
But your aunt begged and pleaded, even kneeling down to beg your father.
She said it was a rare opportunity and that her father should definitely help her come up with a solution.
She didn't want to be looked down upon by her in-laws for the rest of her life. If she succeeded in this matter, her in-laws would definitely think more highly of her.
But in our village, families have members to support, so where would we find extra money to lend out?
I did the same as your mother; I refused outright.
The people inside understood that this was the trigger for their father's death. "And then what happened?"
"Later, your dad couldn't bear to see your aunt's life so difficult."
He secretly borrowed some money from a few of his friends and gave it to your aunt for emergency use.
Then your mother found out about it, and the two of them had a big fight about it.
To pay off this debt, your father would take advantage of his breaks from work to go up the mountain to dig traps, catch rabbits, and sell them for money.
Unexpectedly, he lost his footing and fell off a cliff. By the time they found him, he was already dead.
Even though so many years have passed, he still feels heartbroken when he talks about it.
The pain of a parent outliving their child is a lifelong sorrow for him; he even wished he could go with his child at that moment.
This incident created a rift between the father and daughter, making it impossible for them to face each other anymore, and they have completely lost contact over the years.
He regretted it more than once, saying that if he had known about this earlier, he would have stopped it no matter what.
He was a good kid who valued relationships, but it was precisely those relationships that cost him his life.
Later, the son died, and the wife remarried, and the family was completely broken.
But his grandchildren were still alive, so he gritted his teeth and took on the responsibility of supporting the family.
Over the years, he has learned his lesson.
Therefore, he always taught his grandchildren that even brothers should keep clear accounts.
Each person should just take care of their own affairs.
Among siblings, those who are capable should lend a helping hand.
But we must act within our means and not sacrifice our own lives for the sake of others.
The room fell silent for a moment, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The three siblings of the Gu family all wore complicated expressions, never expecting that there were these things hidden behind their father's death.
Seeing that things had come to this point, the master simply poured out his heart, which was quite satisfying.
"Actually, she is a very kind person, and she had a good relationship with your father before."
Despite the family's hard life, she never complained.
I think she was scared at the time.
Your father, the breadwinner, is gone, and the family is burdened with so much debt. She's afraid she won't be able to pay it back, so...
Well, so many years have passed since then.
Even if she made mistakes, she still gave birth to you all.
Forgive others when you can.
You siblings are both capable now, so why not help her out? It would be a way of repaying her for raising you!
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