C16 Refuse the Marriage

Gu Yingchu knew nothing good was likely to happen to her. Looking out at the endlessly rainy sky, she said, "Mom, what others say is their business. We live our own lives, and as long as we understand that, it's enough." She had no desire to explain herself to those who didn't matter.

"Yeah," Dung Qiu replied, feeling a bit more at ease after hearing her daughter's words. She wondered if she'd been stronger over the years, would she have endured so much hardship with Gu Chengwang?

On the third day, it rained for half the day, leaving water everywhere outside. You didn't even need to go to the creek to catch fish. Gu Yingchu swung her legs off the bed, and her feet were instantly chilled. The water had reached the edge of the bed. Realizing the old house was flooded, she saw that Dung Qiu had piled all the food at the head of the bed. The small clay stove used for cooking was now placed on a stone, or even drinking water would have been a luxury.

"Dear Ying, are you still going out to catch fish?"

"Yeah, the rain's stopped. I'll go take a look," Gu Yingchu replied, rolling up her pant legs several times.

"Right here," came the voice of Lin Manru. Gu Yingchu's eyes instantly turned cold.

"Right here," Lin Manru repeated. Gu Yingchu looked up. Behind Lin Manru was a group of people, with two men walking closest.

As soon as Dung Qiu saw him, she immediately called out, "Xuemao!"

She hadn't expected it; just yesterday, she had asked someone to visit the Ho family, and today, Ho Xuemao showed up. This was good. As long as she could take her daughter away, she wouldn't have to suffer here with her.

Following behind was Second Uncle Ho, Ho Li. It seemed her hopes were coming to fruition. Even if her daughter quietly married and had a place to call home, she would be satisfied.

Ho Li nodded to Dung Qiu and said, "Sister, we're here."

"Second Uncle Ho, come in and have a seat," Dung Qiu replied.

Ho Li glanced at Ho Xuemao, who then said to Dung Qiu, "Aunt Dung, maybe we should talk here."

Dung Qiu sensed something odd in their tone. She glanced outside as raindrops began to fall again and said, "It's raining outside, let's talk inside."

She stepped aside to let them in. The small, worn-out house felt even more cramped with so many people inside.

Gu Yingchu was crouched in a corner, sorting through her little earthworms, not looking up at the newcomers.

Lin Manru followed them in, her sharp eyes spotting several fish in a bucket. Her eyes widened in disbelief. These two women seemed to be living quite comfortably, eating so much fish without worrying about getting a fishbone stuck.

Gu Yingchu had no idea what Lin Manru was thinking; otherwise, she would have surely shown her the door.

As she was about to stand up after washing her hands, Ho Xuemao spoke up, "Hey there, years ago, what my sister-in-law said was just a joke. We're here mainly to clear things up, so there are no misunderstandings that might trouble the kids."

Gu Yingchu, who was about to rise, decided to stay put.

Dung Qiu furrowed her brow. For the sake of her daughter's future, she hoped the Ho family would take her daughter in, but...

She hadn't expected that his words were meant to call off the engagement.

"Uncle Ho, what do you mean by this..." Dung Qiu's face showed her discomfort, her heart pounding.

Ho Xuemao replied, "Aunt Dung had someone send a message before, and I think there was a misunderstanding. So, I came over specifically to clear things up."

Dung Qiu's face was marked by an awkward smile. "Did I misunderstand this? Your mom, she..."

"My mom passed away two months ago."