Chapter 385: You Are Mom's Pride

The Gu family was not small, and the matter of Jiang Lai had been hidden for many years, but it was not large either; the two sentences Gu Jiashu had said to Jiang Lai had long since spread everywhere.

At that time Gu Yinxue had not yet arrived, and everyone only thought the child had grown fond of his aunt Gu Yinxue, children's words carrying no malice.

Gu Jiashu's remark, "Yesterday Auntie bought me candy," made the surrounding atmosphere turn strange.

Which of the people who could continue staying here was not a shrewd one? Gu Jiashu's mother truly wished she could sew her son's mouth shut.

This time she covered his mouth longer than she had that morning.

Gu Jiashu did not understand why his mother kept covering his mouth ever since the new auntie came back; in this household, who did not dote on him? What Auntie said was indeed right—after the new auntie returned, he was no longer allowed to speak freely; the mouth was on his face, so why couldn't he talk?

He hated the new auntie!

Gu Jiashu's father's expression darkened further and further, and he shot a cold glance at his wife; his wife showed an apologetic look and temporarily took the son away.

Even with his mouth covered, Gu Jiashu still wanted to speak: "Go ask Uncle Ke for candy! He said if I told Auntie about this, he'd buy me candy too."

"Eat, eat, eat, all you think about is eating candy—why haven't the bugs rotted your teeth yet!" Gu Jiashu's mother was already getting angry, and her grip on her son's hand grew even tighter.

Gu Jiashu's father nodded toward Song Shiwei and Gu Zhiyan, then went elsewhere.

Only three people remained in the room.

Gu Yinxue sighed as if nothing had happened: "If I'd known, I wouldn't have given Jiashu candy to eat. I didn't expect even this to be misunderstood."

Gu Zhiyan chimed in: "Ke Zhongyu constantly feels that everyone is going to make Jiang Lai suffer grievances; how many in the Gu family have had the kind of reception Jiang Lai got when she returned? Not a single one—only she has set this precedent."

Gu Yinxue: "That is Jiang Lai's own ability. Alright, Brother, let's not talk about it anymore. Saying more will hurt the harmony."

This time Song Shiwei did not speak, and Gu Yinxue only then noticed that her mother was lost in thought; she looked down and asked, "Mom, what's wrong with you?"

Song Shiwei came back to her senses and shook her head: "Nothing, just a little tired."

She thought about how she had been sitting at the fourth table, gazing from afar at the main table where, amid an otherwise uniform group of men, a woman had suddenly been seated.

In the more than thirty years Song Shiwei had been married into the Gu family, across many grand occasions and family banquets, she had only seen such a scene at wedding banquets—the groom and bride seated together at the main table.

Returning to their respective small families being the exception.

But today someone had actually done it, and this person was unexpectedly her own biological daughter.

If she wanted to see her husband, she only needed to raise her head; if she wanted to see her son, not only did she need to raise her head, her gaze also had to pass over many people's shoulders; but if she wanted to see Jiang Lai, even raising her head and stretching her neck, she could only catch a glimpse of the edge of a garment—everything else was blocked.

Song Shiwei had once fantasized that if her husband became the family's decision-maker, and she herself cultivated an heir and an outstanding child, would she one day sit together with Gu Sen in that position?

But everything was ruined.

Her husband had not become the family's decision-maker, her son at thirty still had not entered the system, and her daughter, her daughter...

Song Shiwei felt her head aching again; she raised a hand to rub her temples and said, "I want to go back. You stay here."

Gu Zhiyan nodded and said, "I'll have the driver take you back to rest."

Gu Yinxue, however, frowned: "Mom, quite a few guests will arrive this afternoon. You are Jiang Lai's biological mother. If you're not here, I'm afraid Second Grandfather and Dad and the others will be angry, and the guests will also have quite a few things to say about you."

Song Shiwei had not wanted to come in the first place; hearing Gu Yinxue say this made her want to leave even more. She had no desire whatsoever to stay in such an oppressive environment—when someone later asked her about the two children, what would she say?

She had no idea what to say.

Song Shiwei took out her medicine bottle and was about to take her medicine again, but Gu Zhiyan reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Mom, medicine can't be eaten as food! Since you're not feeling well, just go back and rest. If there are any problems, come find me."

Song Shiwei looked at her son, her eyes suddenly reddening; both hands instinctively gripped his arm as she said nervously, "Zhi Yan, you absolutely must not be willful anymore, do you understand? You must listen to your parents, follow the Gu family's arrangements, be with Qu Mei properly, and participate in the selection early—do you understand? You are Mom's pride!"

Gu Zhiyan's ears were nearly calloused from hearing these words.

Song Shiwei gripped her son's hand tightly: "Promise Mom! If you promise, next time I'll convince your dad to let you go to B City to visit the prison!"

Gu Zhiyan sighed heavily, lowered his eyes, and said, "Understood."

Song Shiwei only then released her hand; after standing up, she glanced at Gu Yinxue and continued instructing her son: "Take good care of Yin Xue. Her health is poor—don't let her get upset. Protect her well, protect her well... never mind, Yin Xue, come back with me."

"Mom, it's fine, don't worry about me," Gu Yinxue said to her mother with a smile. "If I'm not here, people really will gossip. Mom, you go back."

The brother and sister were just supporting Song Shiwei to leave when Gu Sen and the couple Gu Hai were coming in after seeing off guests, with Jiang Lai and Ke Zhongyu following behind them.

Gu Sen noticed that his wife did not look well and asked with concern, "Are you not feeling well?"

Song Shiwei nodded, her eyes fixed only on her husband before her, but she felt a burning gaze land on her, staring so intensely it made her entire body uncomfortable.

Gu Yinxue called out to them from the side: "Dad, Second Uncle, Second Aunt."

Song Shiwei opened her mouth to say she was going back to rest, her gaze somewhat unfocused; Gu Sen's heart ached for his wife, so he relented and had someone escort her back.

As she passed by Jiang Lai, Song Shiwei's footsteps paused briefly, but Ke Zhongyu gently pulled her aside and switched positions.

Between Jiang Lai and Song Shiwei now stood the tall figure of Ke Zhongyu.

As Song Shiwei left, Gu Hai's wife said to Jiang Lai, "Jiang Lai, we've been busy all morning and haven't properly looked around the old residence, have we? Let me show you around."

This should have been done by Song Shiwei as the biological mother, but since she was unwell again, it fell to her as the second aunt.

After Jiang Lai and Ke Zhongyu exchanged a glance, they followed the second aunt out.

The second aunt was a gentle and dignified woman.

In truth, the Gu family daughters-in-law all gave the impression at first glance of being either gentle and dignified or of a modest, refined household—the kind of appearance that elders especially liked.

Walking through the old residence, the second aunt said, "My name is Tang Yun. You should call me Second Aunt. About what Jiashu said today—I'm sorry. I apologize to you on the child's behalf."

Jiang Lai did not say much and instead asked, "Second Aunt's surname is Tang?"

Tang Yun nodded.

Jiang Lai: "Dean Mom's surname is also Tang."

Tang Yun was surprised but did not ask further, only smiling and saying, "No wonder you relaxed a little after hearing my surname was Tang. This Dean Tang who raised you must be a very good person."

Jiang Lai: "She took in many abandoned children and worked hard alongside everyone to raise us."

Tang Yun looked at Jiang Lai, a trace of heartache showing in her eyes: "These twenty-eight years have been hard on you. It's just that no one wanted something like a switched-at-birth mix-up to happen. Your father and mother must be more upset than anyone."

"Is that so?" Jiang Lai suddenly realized that Tang Yun knew nothing at all; if she had truly been abandoned, this matter should have involved Gu Hai as well.

She shifted the topic: "Second Aunt, when I was born, you were already in the Gu family, right?"

Tang Yun: "I only came into the family one year later than your mother, but I had my children early. My son married and had a child before he was twenty-six, so I became a grandmother this quickly. Speaking of which, your matter with Ke Zhongyu should be soon too, right?"

The Gu family would surely press for it; they're just afraid something might come up.

Better to marry early.

Jiang Lai didn't give a direct answer; she wanted to keep pumping her second aunt for information about what happened back then.