Chapter 302: Chapter 303: Causing Trouble

If this weren’t his own father, Gu Yuanshui felt he wouldn’t be wasting his time making small talk with him.

Thankfully, the man finally listened to reason. Clasping his hands behind his back, he started walking home. "Then I’d better go back and keep an eye on things, lest your mother, being a woman, fail to properly entertain our guests."

Gu Yuanshui had made the suggestion because he wasn’t afraid of his father causing trouble. These past few days, he and his brothers had been taking turns greeting guests in Ancient Wen Heng’s courtyard. The clan elders were also there keeping watch. Even if his father wanted to cause a scene, he’d have to think twice.

"Mother, this feels like a dream. Is Seventh really that capable?" Gu Yuanfeng said, leaning against Li Cuicui while still holding her precious son.

Li Cuicui couldn’t be bothered to answer her question. Capable or not, Seventh was already the top scholar.

She glanced at the child in Gu Yuanfeng’s arms. "Lai Cai is so big now. Don’t carry him all day; let him down to walk around."

Gu Yuanfeng replied, "But I’m afraid he’ll get bumped or bruised. Besides, I don’t have anything else to do right now, so I’ll just hold him a bit more."

For the child’s sake, Liu Liu couldn’t help but chime in, "What child doesn’t get a few bumps and bruises? He’ll cry a bit, and then he’ll be fine.

I remember your child is over a year old now, isn’t he? He should be running all over the place. You can’t keep spoiling him like this."

"Fourth Sister-in-law, our Lai Cai is a bit frail. I’ll let him down to play when he’s a little older." Gu Yuanfeng no longer dared to raise an eyebrow or glare at her sisters-in-law as she had in the past. Her smile even held a hint of gratitude.

Seeing her improved attitude, Liu Liu couldn’t resist offering another reminder. "All the boys in our family grew up with their share of bumps and scrapes. Now look at them—every single one is tall and sturdy."

Li Cuicui agreed with her daughter-in-law. "Have the nanny take the child to the backyard to play. Stop carrying him around all day."

Gu Yuanfeng hesitated for a moment before handing the child to Granny Song.

But the moment the child was in Granny Song’s arms, he started to wail.

Gu Yuanfeng quickly took the boy back, holding him close and patting his back to soothe him. Only then did the child quiet down. "He’s too clingy. It’s better if I hold him myself."

Just as Li Cuicui was about to lecture her further, a commotion erupted at the gate. The moment she heard the voices, all the color drained from Gu Yuanfeng’s face.

By the time they all went outside, a crowd had gathered in front of the house. The family’s servants were blocking the entire He Family.

When He Tiping saw Gu Yuanfeng appear, he could only stare blankly. After several years of a comfortable life, Gu Yuanfeng was no longer the scrawny, weather-beaten village woman of the past.

Now, Gu Yuanfeng was well-fed and radiant. Since she no longer toiled in the fields, her skin was exceptionally fair, giving her a prosperous air. She looked even more alluring than when she had first married into the He Family.

He Tiping’s heart was already flooded with remorse. ’This should have been my wife, the mother of my children,’ he thought. ’I never imagined it would become this difficult just to see her.’

"Chuncao, didn’t you and your sister want to see your mother?" As the women of the Gu family emerged, Mrs. He Zhou felt they radiated wealth from head to toe. If not for their familiar faces, she would never have believed these were her former in-laws.

She pushed the two children forward. "Hurry and go over there! What are you standing here for? That’s your birth mother and your maternal grandmother. Do you think they’ll refuse to recognize you?"

He Chuncao looked timidly at the somewhat familiar, yet somewhat strange, Gu Yuanfeng. She nervously wrung her little hands but didn’t dare take a single step forward.

The little girl next to her, Ni Ni, however, was staring curiously at Li Cuicui and the others, thinking their clothes were beautiful.

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Looking at the two little girls, Li Cuicui’s heart softened. She walked over and patted He Chuncao’s head. "How has this child not grown at all? Can your He Family not even properly raise a child?"

Mrs. He Zhou replied, "In-law, our family is so poor we can barely keep the pot boiling. We’re lucky to be alive. Where would we find extra grain to fatten up the children?"

The He Family’s circumstances were indeed far worse than before. While fleeing the famine, their ox had died of thirst.

Then the eldest son was beaten with a heavy plank by Prefect Xiao, leaving him injured and completely unable to work as a peddler like he used to.

Now, the entire household depended on Tuping as its sole laborer. Combined with what little savings they had left, they could barely scrape by.

"Don’t you go around calling me that. We are not in-laws anymore," Li Cuicui said coldly.

"What do you think you’re doing, coming to my home to cause a scene? Don’t you know our family is in the middle of a celebration?"

"We brought the children to offer our congratulations. After all, the Top Scholar is these two girls’ biological maternal uncle.

We never thought these people would try to run us out of the village on sight. That’s not right. No matter how you look at it, these two children still have the blood of your Gu family in their veins, don’t they?" Mrs. He Zhou pointed at the two girls and argued self-righteously.

Li Cuicui shot a glare back at Gu Yuanfeng, who was so frightened she immediately shrank away.

As for He Tiping’s burning gaze, Gu Yuanfeng curled her lip in disdain. ’Why didn’t I escape that pit sooner?’ she thought with a pang of regret.

’Even though I remarried, I have no in-laws to serve, my husband is considerate and protective, and I finally have the son I always longed for. I’d have to be an idiot to still want anything to do with He Tiping.’

"Mother..." He Chuncao couldn’t hold back a timid cry, only to see Gu Yuanfeng quietly shrink back, offering no response at all.

The courage she had so painstakingly mustered instantly collapsed.

She grabbed her sister’s hand, stubbornly lowered her head, and refused to look at the crowd any longer.

Seeing this, Li Cuicui sighed to herself. ’Old Six is as selfish as ever. No matter what, these two girls are her own flesh and blood, yet their mother shows no concern at all, not even sparing them a single glance.’

"It was agreed at the time that your He Family would take these two children," Li Cuicui said, wanting nothing to do with them. "The divorce agreement stated it clearly—our families would have no further relations. Take the children and go home!"

"You can’t see it that way," He Tuliang said, limping forward a few steps. "Even with a divorce, it was never said she couldn’t see her own mother.

Now that our former sister-in-law is well-off, can’t she help her own two children a little?"

Gu Yuanfeng retorted, "The two children’s surname is He, not Gu. Besides, you were the ones who insisted on taking them back then. You can’t come looking for me now."

"Just as I thought! You truly are a cruel-hearted woman!" Mrs. He Zhou promptly sat on the ground and began to howl. "So you’ve struck it rich and now you despise us for being poor!

You won’t even care for your own flesh-and-blood daughters! Is this how the family of a Top Scholar behaves?"

Li Cuicui’s expression darkened. "If you continue this ruckus, I’ll hand you over to the government.

It was written in black and white: the He Family insisted on taking the children. If you regret it now, we can go to the government office and draw up a new contract. The two children will belong to my family, and we’ll change their surnames. That way, you won’t have to worry about raising them for nothing.

And rest assured, we certainly won’t come knocking on your door like you have on ours."

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