They took more than two hours to deal with Gu Yunshuang. Then she drank her medicine and slept.
Gu Conghua’s medical skills were fairly good. When he took her pulse, he discovered that she had suffered more than one miscarriage.
The Gu family was feeling down and it was awkward for Mo Beihan to linger. Gu Qingyao was not in the mood, so he did the cooking. He consoled Gu Qingyao before he left. “Be good and take care of your younger aunt first. That’s the most crucial. If you want revenge, Elder Brother Beihan will find an opportunity for you. Do you understand?”
Gu Qingyao pursed her lips angrily but still nodded.
When she saw that he was about to leave, Gu Qingyao caught hold of his sleeve. “Have lunch with us before you leave! You cooked this meal anyway…”
Mo Beihan laughed and patted her head. “Why stand on ceremony with me?”
Mo Beihan did not stay for lunch. It was past noon when Gu Qingyao called her grandparents over to eat. Only then did Wen Ruyu wipe her tears and enter the kitchen.
Lunch was maize porridge and the sorghum bread that Gu Qingyao had made earlier. Mo Beihan had heated them up, and Gu Qingyao added a dish of preserved vegetables and a portion of cabbage.
Gu Conghua and Wen Ruyu sat at the table but were unable to eat.
After a long time, Gu Conghua sighed. “It’s all my fault! I misjudged him.”
Gu Yunshen gave a piece of sorghum bread to each of the old people. The chicken soup on the stove was ready, so he poured them each a bowl.
“That year, Younger Sister had a fall while on the mountain and Li Dahai carried her down. At that time, it was already dark. We had searched for a long time before we saw Li Dahai carrying her down the mountain. Many people in the brigade saw it too.
“Many people also saw Li Dahai propose marriage later on. This had a negative effect on Younger Sister. Considering our family circumstances at that time, the safest solution was to marry her off.
“We wanted to delay for a while to get to know them better, but others said that Younger Sister was a young lady from a landlord family, and was so proud she despised Li Dahai. Younger Sister might have been in danger if she refused to marry him.
“It’s not your fault. If you have to assign blame, blame it on the fact that a ruffian became the leader of the Poplar Brigade. Now that Younger Sister and Ting Ting are back, they can lead a better life. These times will pass eventually!”
Ultimately, it was their status as landlords that restricted their every move, and they were forced to endure everything without protest.
Gu Yunshuang was not a weak and useless woman. She had been the only girl in the Gu family and was well brought up.
But she had spent many years in the Poplar Brigade. During the first few years, she was still in contact with her family. But after Li Aiguo became the brigade leader, her interactions with her family became increasingly infrequent.
They knew that Gu Yunshuang was not doing well, but had not realized what desperate straits she was in.
Gu Yunshuang had always hidden the truth from her family, telling them only the good news and not her worries. She knew that if her elder brothers knew what kind of life she was living, they would certainly come knocking.
But Old Madam Li was a shrew and Li Aiguo was completely unreasonable. For years, the members of the Poplar Brigade had been utterly oppressed. The family of the former brigade leader had been persecuted until they dared not raise their heads.
Gu Qingyao poured a bowl of chicken soup for Li Fangting. “Yes, Father is right. Don’t worry, Grandfather. These times will pass in another five to six years.”