Chapter 468 The Gu Family
The dinner table was steaming hot, and laughter filled the air.
Gu Weiguo and Gu Weimin were both talkative, and they chatted back and forth, talking about interesting things that happened at their respective work, which made the atmosphere at the table quite lively.
Zhao Zhigang was the most active, with a loud voice. Sometimes he would reminisce about Commander Gu's old days leading troops, which would make the old man laugh heartily. At other times, he would steer the conversation toward Gu Xiao, asking about the recent situation in the capital with a solicitous tone.
Commander Gu was in a great mood, his face beaming. Looking at his children and grandchildren, especially Gu Xiao beside him, he felt extremely proud.
Gu Xiao, however, focused on eating, occasionally serving his father food, but mostly taking care of his wife beside him. His responses to Zhao Zhigang's attempts to engage him in conversation were brief and indifferent, neither awkward nor overly enthusiastic.
Gu Yan ate very quickly, but absentmindedly. After finishing most of the rice in his bowl, he put down his chopsticks.
He walked to the small table and said to Gu Zhao, "Xiaoman, have you finished eating? I'll take you to set off fireworks."
Gu Zhao hurriedly shoveled the last few bites of rice into her mouth, saying, "Almost done! Uncle, wait for me!"
Gu Yan wasn't in a hurry. He lazily strolled to the sofa in the living room, casually leaning against the armrest and waiting for Gu Zhao.
After Gu Zhao finished eating, Gu Yan wrapped him up like a cotton ball.
The other children also clamored to go. Soon, a group of children of all ages surrounded Gu Yanyong as they left the house.
Before long, the courtyard was filled with the sounds of fireworks and firecrackers, as well as the joyful screams and laughter of children.
Nan Zhiyi turned her head and whispered to Gu Xiao, "Shall we go out and take a look together later?"
Gu Xiao ladled half a bowl of soup for her and nodded, "Put on your coat before you go out, it's cold outside. I'll talk to Dad for a bit, then I'll look for you."
Nan Zhiyi agreed, ate a few more bites, got up and left the table to go outside the courtyard to find her son.
In the restaurant, the meal was gradually coming to an end.
Gu Xiao supported Commander Gu's arm. The weight on his arm was light; his father had truly aged.
He looked down and saw his father's sparse, graying hair, the loose, wrinkled skin on the back of his neck, and his slightly hunched back.
The father I remember, as imposing as a mountain and absolute in his word, has been weathered by time, revealing his gaunt frame.
Gu Xiao felt a pang of sorrow and helplessness. Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the ironclad laws of nature.
Soon, Gu Weiguo also stood up and supported his father on the other side.
The two men, one on each side, helped Commander Gu up from his chair.
Seeing this, Gu Weimin hurriedly went to brew some fresh tea. Zhao Zhigang also stepped forward, saying, "Dad, take your time," and reached out to protect him from behind.
Gu Jianjun hesitated for a moment while standing on the chair, then silently followed behind him into the living room.
Gu Xiao helped his father sit down on the sofa in the living room, and Gu Weimin brought over a tea tray and poured hot tea for the men.
After Commander Gu took a sip of tea, Gu Xiao brought up the old topic again, "Dad, when spring comes and the weather gets warmer, would you like to..."
Before he could finish speaking, Commander Gu interrupted him, "Alright, let's not talk about that." He put his teacup on the small table next to him, "Jian'an is fine, I'm not going anywhere."
Gu Xiao swallowed the rest of his words.
A father's stubbornness is hard to shake.
He sighed inwardly and decided not to force the issue.
Commander Gu's gaze swept over his son and son-in-law surrounding him, finally landing on Gu Xiao: "Tomorrow we'll visit Old Li and Deputy Political Commissar Chen. I'll go with you."
These words caused a slight shift in the expressions of the people sitting or standing nearby, each with their own thoughts.
Gu Weiguo brought the teacup to his lips, using the act of drinking tea to conceal the complex emotions in his eyes.
He was the eldest son, and over the years, he had inherited his father's influence and established a foothold in the Northwest, but compared to his fifth brother's momentum in the capital, he was still far behind. His father personally paved the way for his fifth brother, and as the eldest brother, he was gratified that the Gu family had a successor.
A bitter taste rose in Gu Weimin's mouth. What man doesn't want to advance further in his career? But his father valued his fifth son the most, and even after retiring, he still had to worry about him. Even if he wanted to compete, he couldn't... Sigh.
Zhao Zhigang's reaction was the most obvious; his smile widened, and he nodded repeatedly, "Of course, of course! Dad, those old leaders will definitely be happy that you went in person!"
He, however, had a different plan in mind: Gu Xiao, that kid, is really lucky! He himself struggles to even establish a connection, while Gu Xiao gets personally escorted by his ailing father-in-law to pay his respects. There's no comparison between people. He absolutely must make sure Gu Xiao is on his side! Should he be more proactive tomorrow, perhaps he can ride on his father-in-law's coattails and become a familiar face to those old leaders?
Gu Jianjun sat on a single sofa with his head down and his back slumped.
They were both sons, but when had his father ever planned for his future like this? No, perhaps he had once… Now he didn't even have the confidence to speak loudly in front of his father, let alone anything else. His father had transferred him back from the Northwest and given him a sinecure, which was already considered a fulfillment of their father-son relationship.
However, the stark difference in their circumstances...how could he not be in pain?
He picked up his teacup, swallowed the bitterness with the tea, and lowered his head even further.
Gu Xiao took in the expressions of his brothers, his face remaining calm.
He couldn't refuse his father's decision, and he knew it would affect some people.
He could only compromise: "Okay. I'll go with you tomorrow."
Commander Gu nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze to the window, where fireworks were exploding intermittently, illuminating the night sky for a moment before quickly fading back into darkness.
The old man's gaze was somewhat distant, as if he were recalling some glorious period of the past, or simply enjoying the lively scene with his grandchildren.
After a long while, Commander Gu slowly withdrew his gaze and cleared his throat:
"Today, there are some things I, an old man, have to say. I can't write two words without mentioning them. You are brothers, blood is thicker than water, so you should help and support each other."
His gaze fell on Gu Xiao, lingered for a moment, then shifted to the others.
"From now on, the Gu family's reputation will mostly depend on the fifth son. There's no need to hide it; it's his responsibility."
"But! Listen to me clearly, Gu Xiao has his own path to walk and his own principles to uphold. His future is earned with his life and the trust of the organization, not a tool for you to pave the way for your own personal gain!"
His gaze was like lightning, sweeping over Gu Weiguo and Gu Weimin in turn, lingering for a moment longer on Zhao Zhigang's face, and finally sweeping over Gu Jianjun in the corner.
"Don't think that just because your brother is in a position, you can expect him to promote you and make you rich! That's a pipe dream! I'll be the first to object! You have to earn your own careers and futures through your own abilities! Only take on jobs that match your capabilities. Thinking of relying on your brother is just pathetic!"
Commander Gu's voice deepened again, each word landing heavily on the ground: "Regardless of whether Gu Xiao agrees or not, I, Gu Shouxian, am not dead yet! As long as I have a breath left, I will never allow anyone to hold him back, tarnish his reputation, or ruin his future! The Gu family's honor cannot be tarnished! Do you understand?"
The last sentence was delivered with a sharp and stern tone.
The living room was completely silent.
The explosions of fireworks outside the window only served to accentuate the oppressive silence inside.
Gu Xiao's knuckles tightened slightly.
The father's words were less an admonition to his elder brother and more an attempt to clear away any potential trouble for himself.
This profound protectiveness made his throat tighten. "Dad, I understand what you mean."
Gu Weiguo said softly, "Dad, don't worry, we won't cause any trouble for Fifth Brother."
Gu Weimin also said in a low voice, "Yes, Dad, we know what we're doing."
Zhao Zhigang's smile was a little dry as he nodded repeatedly: "Dad is right, he is right! We are all family, so we must be considerate of each other and not hold our fifth brother back."
Gu Jianjun's lips moved, but in the end he only uttered a very soft "hmm".
Commander Gu seemed to have a heavy burden lifted off his shoulders, and his back became even more hunched.
He stopped looking at his sons and turned his gaze back to the flickering fireworks outside the window. "The Gu family...it hasn't been easy. From now on, I must be even more careful and not make any mistakes..."
These words seemed to be spoken to everyone, yet also seemed to be spoken only to himself and Gu Xiao beside him.
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