Chapter 519: Chapter 519: It Takes Two to Tango

"What are we going to do?"

Old Mrs. Gu panicked; she couldn’t accept that her golden grandson wouldn’t be able to take the imperial examination and become an official in the future.

Rui Nian can’t shoulder heavy burdens or carry things with his hands. Besides holding a pen, he can’t do anything else. What future does he have returning to Qinghe Bay to farm?

Most importantly, this golden grandson is the hope for the old house and second branch to rise.

If Gu Ruinian can’t take the exam, the eldest daughter-in-law will become even more arrogant and won’t pay any attention to her mother-in-law.

Having no solution to be free from the eldest daughter-in-law’s control, she might as well be dead.

Mr. Gu remained silent.

Gu Youtian, who had been silent, stared coldly at Gu Ruinian, completely giving up on this worthless son.

Since he’s useless, they shouldn’t have even bothered calling a doctor earlier.

"Mother, I’m not like Gu Daqiao."

Finally, Gu Ruinian spoke up.

The whole family looked at him like they would at a worthless person, a gaze even more painful than having the tendons in his leg severed.

Mrs. Jia collapsed in tears. Her Ruinian, the son she pinned her hopes on, the son she hoped would make a name for himself and bring her honor, the son who promised to earn her a noble title, was ruined just like that.

Her son’s leg was crippled, yet he endured the excruciating pain to comfort her. How could she be willing to see such a filial son ruined?

It’s all Xu Zaohua’s fault, it’s Xu Zaohua’s fault, that shameless woman.

She defied the virtues of a wife, she became wanton, she ruined Rui Nian.

That’s right.

It was Xu Zaohua who ruined Rui Nian.

Suddenly, Mrs. Jia stood up and rushed outside barefooted.

Gu Youtian angrily shouted, "Where are you going? Haven’t you caused enough chaos?"

Mrs. Jia cried out, "I want to kill that promiscuous woman. I want to kill Xu Zaohua. It’s all that bitch who ruined my son."

Mrs. Wei and Xiao Xue hurried over, grabbing Mrs. Jia from both sides, and Gu Honglian tugged on Mrs. Jia’s clothes, persuading, "Second sister-in-law, what’s the use of killing Xu Zaohua? Killing her won’t bring Rui Nian’s leg back."

Mrs. Jia’s body trembled, and she collapsed weakly.

Mrs. Wei and Xiao Xue took the opportunity to help Mrs. Jia back into the house.

The petty Gu Honglian was still preoccupied with the bolt of satin Lu Zhaozhao had given her. She saw Liu Yueer wearing an identical one, which accentuated Liu Yueer’s fair skin and beauty. Compared to Liu Yueer, who had already had children, wouldn’t it look even better on her, an unmarried young lady in the prime of her life?

She resented her second sister-in-law and nephew’s selfishness.

"Second sister-in-law just loudly cursed Xu Zao Hua, but, if you ask me, it takes two to tango. Even if Xu Zao Hua intentionally seduced him, Rui Nian had to bite the hook as well. He did it faster than a fish in water. Rui Nian can’t see through people with that brain, and second sister-in-law still hopes he can study and earn you a noble title. I think second sister-in-law has pinned her hopes on the wrong person." Gu Honglian glanced at Gu Ruinian on the bed, who was in so much pain his forehead was sweating, with a face full of schadenfreude.

"Jingzhe is smarter than Rui Nian. When I was chatting with Pandie at the pig farm managed by the eldest sister-in-law, Chun Ni said Xu Zaohua had blocked Rui Nian several times in the village without hooking him. What happened to Rui Nian? How come he got hooked so easily?"

Gu Honglian continued to sting.

"Enough, Honglian, say no more," Mr. Gu angrily shouted.

Gu Honglian was not satisfied and pouted, "Why shouldn’t I say anything? Rui Nian’s been giving bad advice to my second brother down south, causing the family business to go bankrupt. I used my last bit of dowry silver to send him to take the exam in the city, and he failed at everything. He sold my satin to study but got entangled with Xu Zaohua. Each thing was of his own making, yet you all treat him like a treasure. Rui Nian, you should wake up. You’re not cut out for studying and doing great things; you’re just a rural farmer from Qinghe Bay."

"Second sister-in-law, you should put your hopes on someone else. You have a grandson. I heard Man Er say Mr. Su praised Yao Family as the third smartest child in the village, after Man Er and Xiao Long."

These words cut Gu Ruinian’s heart to pieces like a knife. Mrs. Jia glared at Gu Honglian with eyes filled with fire.

Originally, Gu Honglian had even harsher words waiting, but seeing Mr. Gu’s face darken, she huffed and fell silent.

Mrs. Wei looked at Gu Honglian with admiration. Although this little aunt was lazy and greedy, often causing trouble, today, her words resonated deeply with her.

Only the little aunt dared to speak so freely, making Gu Ruinian face reality.

These words were what she had long wanted to say.

If it weren’t inappropriate, she would have liked to ask Gu Honglian when Man Er said that her Yao Family received Mr. Su’s praise; Yao Family never mentioned it to her.

Mentioning Yao Family made Mrs. Wei think of returning to Qinghe Bay.

Yao Family was currently being looked after by the second grandmother in the village. She wondered if he missed his mother.

"Yao Family’s success has nothing to do with you. Rui Nian’s success could help you find a good husband. When Yao Family succeeds enough to support you, how old will you be by then?" Mrs. Jia retorted to Gu Honglian.

Old Mrs. Gu ached for both her grandson and daughter, as both were treasured. Unable to harshly blame either, she turned her reprimand towards her daughter-in-law, scolding Mrs. Jia: "Honglian’s marriage is none of your concern."

Then she turned to Gu Honglian and said, "As an aunt, don’t throw tantrums. Rui Nian indeed got trapped by Xu Zaohua this time."

If it weren’t for the inability to enter the Zheng Family estate, Old Mrs. Gu would want to tie Xu Zaohua up and throw her into a pond.

Mr. Gu had come to terms with the fact that his golden grandson couldn’t study or hold office, though it suddenly aged him ten years.

Mr. Gu, always a person who saw things more clearly than others, asked Gu Ruinian, "Rui Nian, why did the Zheng Family let you out so quickly?"

This had been the question on his mind since Rui Nian was thrown back.

Even thinking with a toe, it was clear; the Zheng Family wouldn’t easily swallow the humiliation Gu Ruinian caused. Even beating him to death might not suffice. So why did they release him? Mr. Gu worried there might be more trouble to come, and thus he needed to understand.

Mrs. Wei looked at Mr. Gu with suspicion; she too had doubts, but couldn’t ask.

"This isn’t Rui Nian’s fault; it’s their daughter-in-law’s. They are guilty," said Mrs. Jia stubbornly, speaking up for her son.

Mr. Gu gave Mrs. Jia a hard glare.

Gu Ruinian, enduring the pain in his right leg, opened his eyes to meet Mr. Gu’s gaze, and then quickly closed them again. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Zheng Family..." Gu Ruinian slowly opened his eyes and looked straight at Mr. Gu, "The Zheng Family needs my help."

He originally wanted to say he was useful to the Zheng Family, but the humiliation he suffered there left him speechless.

Gu Youtian stared wide-eyed, then angrily said, "The Zheng Family needs your help? What help can you possibly offer? You little brat, you’re still not telling the truth, are you? I’ll beat you to death for being an unfilial son."

Gu Youtian couldn’t stand it any longer. His worthless son still had a disdainful attitude towards the Gu family.

Spending all the family’s money and repeatedly bringing disasters to the family, what right does he have to look down on the family members?

"Dad, don’t be impulsive," Gu Fengnian held back Gu Youtian.

There was no choice. If Rui Nian were injured, they’d have to call a doctor. Earlier they had summoned a doctor, using silver that Mrs. Wei got by pawning off a bracelet. He didn’t want to fill any more of Rui Nian’s holes.

Gu Ruinian, icy cold, looked at Gu Youtian and said, "Dad, think about it. If the Zheng Family didn’t need my help, if I didn’t have something they desired, how could they possibly release me? Even though Xu Zaohua is the mother of their eldest grandson, she was sent to the family temple."