Chapter 17: The Old Lady Playing the Victim?

With the help of her family, Warm Gu delivered the whitening cream to Aunt Qin’s house within a week. Holding all the money in her hand, she prepared to head home.

An elderly woman suddenly fell to the ground. Warm Gu froze momentarily—could this be a staged accident? Should she help or not?

“Ouch, my old arms and legs,” the old lady groaned as she lay there. Passersby cautiously kept their distance, afraid of being extorted.

After some hesitation, Warm Gu decided to help her up—not out of kindness, but because the woman had cold sweat on her forehead and looked pale. If she was genuinely ill and something happened, Warm Gu would feel guilty.

“Auntie, are you alright? Here, drink some water to ease yourself,” Warm Gu said, gently dropping some spring water into the woman’s mouth.

Madam Qian, seeing the young woman offering help, used her strength to stand, feeling somewhat better.

“Miss, I forgot my medicine. Could you please take me home?” the old lady asked.

Warm Gu’s eyes widened. Isn’t this a classic line used by kidnappers in the future? She was curious to see what kind of trick the old woman was playing.

“Sure, where do you live? I’ll take you home.”

Madam Qian, feeling she had met a kind soul, firmly held Warm Gu’s hand.

“My home is in the machinery factory compound, not far from here.”

The machinery factory was the largest in town. Being a worker there was a source of pride, and housing was allocated accordingly. This meant the old lady was related to a worker at the factory.

Warm Gu accompanied her to the factory, where the guard confirmed that the woman was the mother of the factory director.

“Auntie, what’s wrong? You look pale; are you feeling unwell?”

Warm Gu wanted to build a good relationship and expand her network to make her work easier.

“It’s an old problem, my heart isn’t good. I’ll get some fruit for you,” the woman replied.

Warm Gu grabbed her hand. “Auntie, I’ve studied traditional Chinese medicine. Let me take a look.”

The old lady, looking at the young woman, hesitated but extended her hand.

After feeling her pulse for a while, Warm Gu confirmed it was indeed heart disease, which current medical treatments might not cure.

“Auntie, trust me. I’ll prescribe some medicine for you. Take it for half a month and see how you feel.”

“You’re trustworthy, a kind-hearted girl. Where do you live? I’ll ask my son to pick it up after work.”

Warm Gu gave her the address and prepared to leave.

“Good girl, if only you were my daughter-in-law,” the old lady sighed. Her son was a good man but refused to settle down. At her age, she still had no grandchildren.

***

Qian Jiandong, sitting in his office at the machinery factory reading, sneezed and glanced outside at the bright sun. The temperature wasn’t one to catch a cold, so he put on another layer.

Warm Gu went to the grocery store again to buy some meat. The sky looked gloomy, as if it might rain, so she didn’t linger and hurried home. Near the village entrance, she took out grain and meat from her storage. In recent days, Zhou Qing had been too afraid to add rice to meals, leaving everyone hungry.

As she entered the village, she met villagers returning from work.

“Look, Si Nian’s daughter-in-law has gone to town again. What good things did she buy?” Aunt Wu said with a hint of envy, seeing Hu Ailian looking radiant.

“Nothing much, just some grain. Aunt Wu, I have to go now,” Warm Gu replied.

“Pah, she must have brought back plenty of goodies. You can smell the meat from her house every day.”

“That’s none of your business if she eats meat. Besides, Gu Wenran looks thinner and paler, like a peeled egg,” another woman retorted sharply.

The aunt from the Zhou family couldn’t stand it and fired back.

Warm Gu didn’t know that after she left, the two women started arguing about her.

“I’m home,” Warm Gu called out.

Zhou Jiayu heard his mother’s voice and ran out eagerly.

“Mom, why are you just back? I missed you,” he said, hugging her legs and looking up with a coquettish smile.

“Looks like you want the treats I brought back. Here, give these to Sister Ya Ya,” Warm Gu said, handing him some candy and two biscuits.

“Ya Ya gets to eat the good stuff,” he said happily.

When Hu Ailian entered the courtyard, she heard the laughter of two children and smiled.

Warm Gu poured the grain into the rice jar and began washing rice to cook.

Zhou Qing returned from picking vegetables and saw Warm Gu cooking. She felt sorry for the rice.

“Sis, cook more today. Mom and the others work in the fields and won’t have enough strength if they don’t eat well. Don’t worry about the grain.”

Zhou Qing knew her natal family was better off but hadn’t yet shaken off her frugal habits.

“I’ll change that, Sis. We’ve been through hard times.”

After dinner, Warm Gu took out the money she had earned—ninety bills of “Great Reunion” notes—laid them on the table, causing Hu Ailian and the others to gasp.

“This is the first time I’ve seen so much money in my life. When your father married me, we barely scraped together fifty yuan. You’re really capable, Wenran.”

Looking outside at the beginning rain, Warm Gu thought their house needed renovation. She suggested using the money to build a large new house. When Si Yue got married, if they didn’t live separately, everyone could stay together.

***

Hu Ailian didn’t want to use Warm Gu’s money, fearing that when her youngest son got married, disputes over the house money would arise, ruining the peaceful life they had just begun.

Warm Gu guessed her mother’s thoughts—she feared grudges would be held against her later.

“Mom, while we have the money, let’s build the house. Look, it’s raining again. If it pours hard later and the house collapses, causing injury, it won’t be worth it.”

Hu Ailian saw the house’s beams were already crooked, the door leaked cold air in winter, and even the potatoes on the kang bed could freeze. It was time to consider rebuilding.

“Alright, tomorrow I’ll talk to your uncle to see if anyone is building a house. We’ll build a big one.”

“Building a new house!” Zhou Si Yue was the happiest. He finally wouldn’t have to live in the cold, damp little house.

Zhou Qing felt relieved seeing Warm Gu making their home better. She knew she couldn’t stay at her mother’s house forever, living off their food without contributing. That would cause resentment.

“Mom, I’ll take Ya Ya back tomorrow. After all, Ya Ya is from the Lao Zhao family; they can’t just ignore her.”

Hu Ailian knew her daughter felt embarrassed to keep staying. No matter how good Warm Gu was, sooner or later she would resent living with her eldest sister-in-law.

“Go back. Take some grain with you tomorrow. If Zhao Jiaming hits you again, come back. Mom will back you up.”

Warm Gu looked at Zhou Qing with frustration, wishing she would see reason.

“Sis, domestic violence is either zero times or countless times. He’s been hitting you for years and you’re still enduring it? Aren’t you afraid he’ll kill you tomorrow? Then you’d be at peace, but what about Ya Ya? They could turn her around and sell her to old men for money. Do you really want to go back to that family?”

Thinking of Ya Ya being bullied, Zhou Qing couldn’t hold back her tears.

“But I can’t keep troubling you all. No matter what, Zhao Jiaming is still Ya Ya’s father.”

“Pah! He’s a beast. If he didn’t kill you last time, he’s lucky. Stay here. Find a time to get a divorce. This will always be your home.”

Warm Gu’s stern words woke Zhou Qing up, making her realize that women today hold half the sky and must never submit to domestic violence.

“Qing’er, listen to your sister-in-law. We won’t go back.”

“All right, we won’t.”

Hearing they wouldn’t return, Ya Ya happily jumped on the kang bed, finally far away from that family.