Chapter 930: Old and New Affairs of the Gu Family

"You really look like your mother when she was young." Gu Xiao Yu walked over, and when she took off her mask and looked at Gu Bo Yuan, Gu Bo Yuan was stunned for a while, but the opening sentence was something that surprised Gu Xiao Yu very much.

She guessed that her father might say she looked like her sister Gu Xiaoxia, but she didn't expect Gu Bo Yuan to say she looked like her mother.

Some of the resentment originally in her heart unknowingly digested a bit.

So he hadn't forgotten her mother, hadn't forgotten her.

Seeing Gu Xiao Yu's expression, Gu Bo Yuan knew his judgment was right. He sighed and said, "Let's go, it's cold outside, let's go in and talk."

From waiting for her father to appear until now, although not a word was said, Gu Bo Yuan's few sentences made Gu Xiao Yu feel closer to her father. Some of the bad things she had guessed, including some strangeness, were all diluted in these two sentences.

The smell in the acquisition station's room wasn't very good. When Gu Bo Yuan opened the door, he reminded her: "This is separated from the warehouse. Quite a few skins have been acquired these days, and those skins have a strong smell. If you find it unpleasant, you'd better keep your mask on."

Gu Xiao Yu didn't wear a mask, followed Gu Bo Yuan into the dormitory, and then looked around the room with some curiosity.

"I originally lived in the courtyard, but it wouldn't do if there was no one here, so I moved over. It's a bit simple, but living here, whatever is convenient is fine." Gu Bo Yuan took a cup from the table, rinsed it with cold boiled water from the teapot, then poured hot water, mixed it with cold boiled water to make warm water, and handed it to Gu Xiao Yu.

"Sit down." Gu Bo Yuan signaled, "Have you eaten dinner?"

"I've eaten." Gu Xiao Yu finally opened her mouth. She held the cup and sat on the stool, the contents about her father relayed by her mother turning in her mind, and then compared with the middle-aged man in front of her who looked obviously older than his actual age but younger than many farmers of this era, feeling that what her mother said seemed relatively subjective.

"Um, did you arrive today?" Gu Bo Yuan continued to ask.

"Arrived last night, went to the small courtyard to look this morning, and then knew you were here..."

The conversation between the two didn't have the surprise and accident of relatives reuniting; the dialogue was very plain. In fact, both knew that the accidents, surprises, and even some hesitation in their hearts were all suppressed.

This plainness was like a volcano about to erupt being pressed by mountain rocks, with surging magma underneath, but a thick stone shell on top.

"I originally farmed in the team. Xiaoxia... your sister married this Li Long, the young man is quite capable, setting up such an acquisition station. Actually, I was originally selling agricultural materials, and that agricultural materials store was also opened with his help. Now it's just me and him in a partnership at the acquisition station.

Although a bit busy, it's still quite profitable." Gu Bo Yuan smiled when he said this, "Your sister works at the Education Bureau, and it was also your brother-in-law, this Li Long, who reminded her to review early, first took the teacher exam and then went to her current place. We are all doing quite well..."

Speaking of this, he looked at Gu Xiao Yu and asked tentatively:

"Your mother... you... have you all been doing well these years?"

This sentence had been on his mind since he saw Gu Xiao Yu. He had already thought that when Xiaoxia gave birth to a child two years ago, someone said they saw a girl who looked very much like Xiaoxia, which should be Gu Xiao Yu.

However, Gu Bo Yuan didn't ask about those things; he just wanted to know, have his wife and daughter been doing well these years?

Naturally, they were not doing well. They must have suffered a lot because of him. Although it looked quite good now, it didn't mean the past didn't exist.

So when this question came out, pain flashed in Gu Bo Yuan's eyes, which Gu Xiao Yu saw reflected in his expression.

She thought for a while and said very seriously:

"From the time I could remember, mother told me that my father was living in another place with my sister. I asked where, but mother wouldn't say. Later... I went to school, and there were people in school who said I was a wild child without a father. Mother knew, went to the school specially, reasoned with the teacher, and criticized that classmate... but this couldn't change my situation..."

When Gu Bo Yuan heard these words, his fists were already clenched—when Xiaoxia was young, she would also be called a "motherless child" by the naughty children in the village. At that time, he couldn't go and beat the children, so when Xiaoxia came to him crying, he went to find the children's parents.

Fortunately, Gu Bo Yuan still had prestige in the village, plus people like Li Jianguo all doted on Gu Xiaoxia, so after teaching a few wild boys a lesson, this matter was over.

He could feel the mood of Gu Xiao Yu's mother, Fan Wenli, at that time.

"Later—mother remarried." This sentence of Gu Xiao Yu exploded in Gu Bo Yuan's ears like a morning bell. He wanted to ask why, but when he looked up and saw Gu Xiao Yu's face, he lowered his head again:

"It's me who let you two down..."

He truly thought so. If it weren't for his own frivolous ignorance at the time, how could he have committed such a big mistake, and how could he have run to the Western Regions to avoid disaster? Without so many things, even if those ten years were fierce, at least there wouldn't be such big turmoil in his family, and nothing would happen.

And there wouldn't be the tragedy of a broken family.

All the reasons were attributed to himself.

Regarding her father's reaction, Gu Xiao Yu was a bit surprised. According to her mother, if she told her biological father that her mother had remarried, her biological father might be furious and might ask why. But in this real scene, her father said it was his own problem.

Although Gu Xiao Yu was a bit surprised, she continued:

"No one called me a wild child anymore, but I wasn't very happy. New father... stepfather wasn't particularly good to me. He also had a child of his own, a boy, and mother doted on him quite a bit... By the way, we were in Yanjing, and then went to school there. Because of special reasons, I didn't go to the countryside, and later after the college entrance examination was restored, I was admitted to university..."

"You are truly amazing!" Gu Bo Yuan said sincerely.

Being able to be admitted to university immediately after the reform and opening up was truly amazing.

"I came here the year before last. Because I graduated from university, mother said I had the right to look for the truth I wanted to find. However, she told me quite a lot of things, about you, about sister, and about the original family... When I came, I also talked to her on the phone, and it felt not quite the same. Mother works in a library in Yanjing, and I stayed at the school after graduating from university. Now I am a teaching assistant, and we are all doing quite well.

... Dad... father, how have you all been doing these years?"

Gu Bo Yuan could see that his daughter Gu Xiao Yu's clothing and temperament were much better than ordinary people's. Obviously, at least her current standard of living was better than ordinary people's, so he was relieved in this regard.

"We... actually are doing quite well." After Gu Bo Yuan was relieved, his tone relaxed a bit, and he let out a long breath, "Entered the production team here, and your sister also went to school, even up to high school... Of course, she would also encounter similar troubles, but as a veteran who built the village, it was easy to solve.

Now, your sister is married, and I have moved to the county town. Your brother-in-law is a good person... he used to be a mixed-up kid, but he turned over a new leaf a few years ago, and then had some small achievements, not bad, life is much better than ordinary people..."

When he said this, Gu Xiao Yu looked at this house that was almost bare, but didn't feel at all that life was better than ordinary people's.

There wasn't even an electrical appliance!

Gu Bo Yuan smiled.

He said to Gu Xiao Yu:

"You sit first, I'll go out and come back soon."

Gu Xiao Yu held the teacup, watching her father go out, feeling a bit sour. Life with her mother in Yanjing was not to say rich, but at least she had no worries about food and clothing, and there were all kinds of household appliances.

Although her stepfather wasn't good to her, he was quite good to her mother, and her mother also had her own salary, so the standard of living was naturally not low.

Watching Gu Bo Yuan go out, she unzipped her down jacket and opened the small bag she carried with her.

There was a small wallet in the small bag, and Gu Xiao Yu took out a stack of large denominations from it.

This was the money she had saved from working for more than a year. Her father was not as her mother said, having no resentment towards her mother and her, but was full of guilt.

According to her father, her brother-in-law was doing business and her sister was in the Education Bureau, so life should be good. But looking at her father's current living conditions, this "good" was really not very good.

She took out all the money she had saved, and then looked around, looking for a place where it could be put.

Four hundred yuan, she had counted it many times. This was the money saved since she started working, and it had nothing to do with that stepfather.

In the future, she would continue to save money and repay her stepfather, but it would be the same as before, unable to be close.

After all, since she was young, she knew her stepfather didn't like her much.

She could also understand, after all, she wasn't his biological child, and he had biological children, so how could they be close? Just like she only met her biological father once, but could be as familiar as family who had always lived together. The connection of blood was truly magical.

She was thinking about how to hide the money when Gu Bo Yuan came in, holding a bag of things in his hand.

Is it a local specialty of this place? Gu Xiao Yu thought.

Sitting opposite his daughter, Gu Bo Yuan opened the cloth bag.

The thick stack of money made Gu Xiao Yu blink her eyes. For a moment, she didn't feel it was real.

"This is ten thousand yuan, you take it back, half for your mother, half for yourself." Gu Bo Yuan was slightly proud, and with guilt, said, "I didn't know where you were, I earned some money from last year to this year, and I didn't know how to compensate you.

Life in Yanjing must be inconvenient, and there must be many places where money is needed, so you take it and spend it... If you have difficulties in the future, come to me again. It's easy for me to make money here following your brother-in-law. He can make more money than me, so he doesn't lack it. I can't go there from here, and if you have any difficulties, I can't help..."

Gu Bo Yuan was already speaking incoherently, but Gu Xiao Yu understood her father's meaning.

He wanted to use money to make up for his debt to his wife and daughter, and didn't want Gu Xiao Yu to misunderstand that he only knew how to use money to dismiss people. She and her mother lived in Yanjing, so her father thought "it's not easy to live in the capital" and gave money, just hoping her mother and she would live better.

Her mother had no choice and remarried. Her father didn't remarry and didn't blame her mother, just blamed himself for bringing misfortune to his wife and daughter.

Of course, Gu Xiao Yu was shocked by her father's wealth, ten thousand yuan! Her salary for more than a hundred months!

Gu Bo Yuan also saw the stack of money Gu Xiao Yu was holding at this time, and instantly understood his daughter's thoughts, and he smiled.

It was quite a feeling of old heart being comforted.

Putting the money on the coffee table, Gu Bo Yuan began to ask about some details of his daughter's past life.

For example, what university did she attend, what major, how is it now as a teaching assistant, does she have her own dormitory or house? Does she have a partner?

And Gu Xiao Yu also occasionally asked her father, how is life in the production team, can farming make money? Is it hard? How is her sister living, how did she meet her brother-in-law and get married? How are the children now...

Actually, it was quite magical to say. Old Gu and Little Gu hadn't seen each other for nearly twenty years. Although Gu Xiao Yu and Gu Xiaoxia were twins, because their growth environments were different, they naturally couldn't look exactly the same, just relatively similar.

But the strangeness between the father and daughter was only at the moment they first met and hadn't recognized each other. After recognizing each other, all the strangeness was gone.

Chatting until past one o'clock, Gu Bo Yuan saw it was getting late, so he sent Gu Xiao Yu back to the guesthouse.

"Do you want to go see your sister and brother-in-law tomorrow? The two children are also very cute, you can meet them." Gu Bo Yuan said, "Your sister and brother-in-law don't know much about you and your mother, just know a rough idea. If you go tomorrow, I'll tell them in advance."

Gu Xiao Yu's original plan was to come and see her father, see her sister, and the possibility of coming later was extremely small.

Only after meeting her father just now did Gu Xiao Yu understand that her father had also had a hard time before, but he truly regretted it and was also very guilty. Compared to her mother and herself whose life became better because of her mother's remarriage, her father and sister's life also only became better in these few years.

So she changed her mind. Her mother and stepfather had their own lives, and she still wanted to be able to keep in touch with her father and sister. After all, they were her true blood relatives.

"Take this money. If your mother doesn't want it, you just buy a house there. You've already started working, so you should have your own space." Gu Bo Yuan still hoped Gu Xiao Yu would take this ten thousand yuan, "You just said, that home... after all, it's not very convenient. You are grown up, and that... brother hasn't married yet, such an environment is not good for you."

Gu Bo Yuan's words hit Gu Xiao Yu's thoughts. She had also been applying for a dormitory during this time, but after all, she was young and had little seniority, so it would take some time.

"If the money is not enough, you can call or send a telegram, and I will send it to you again."

"No, no need, it's not easy for you to make money..." Although shocked by Gu Bo Yuan's ten thousand yuan, Gu Xiao Yu really felt it wasn't easy for her father to make money, and couldn't let him give it to her again.

After all, this money was earned following her brother-in-law. If it was all given to her, would her sister and brother-in-law be willing?

"It's very easy... sigh, your brother-in-law is also a capable person. I find it hard to believe how much money he makes." Gu Bo Yuan guessed Gu Xiao Yu's thoughts, smiled and said:

"Don't worry, your sister and brother-in-law are not that kind of people. We lack nothing here, and every once in a while, they give me dividends. I feel hot holding this money. If you need it, it's just right."

Gu Xiao Yu didn't expect that in this remote Northwest region, in the bitter cold place generally considered by Yanjing people, how did her brother-in-law become a capable person to get rich from a mixed-up kid in just a few years?

It's just that the speed of making money was a bit too fast. According to her father, the acquisition station had been established for less than a year, and now her father could take out ten thousand yuan, which was still a dividend with a relatively small share. Then how much did her brother-in-law, who held the big share, make?

Gu Xiao Yu asked with some worry:

"Dad, brother-in-law wouldn't do anything illegal, would he?"

Besides this, what could be acquired that was so profitable?

"What are you thinking?" Gu Bo Yuan smiled and said: "It's all legitimate acquisition. Your brother-in-law is also an employee of the county supply and marketing cooperative and the state supply and marketing cooperative, an advanced individual commended by the autonomous region. How could he do those illegal things?

Let's put it this way, what your brother-in-law did at the beginning was indeed a bit related to speculation, but later it was gone. The country allowed private buying and selling of small commodities, so this matter became legal.

At that time, your brother-in-law earned small money, just to make life better, to be able to eat meat from time to time..."

Previously, Gu Bo Yuan and Gu Xiao Yu talked mostly about himself and Xiaoxia. Now that Gu Xiao Yu was suspicious, Gu Bo Yuan began to talk about Li Long.

Although it was just a rough idea, for Gu Xiao Yu who had lived in the city for a long time, this process was like listening to a legendary story.

Arriving at the guesthouse, Gu Xiao Yu hadn't heard enough, but Gu Bo Yuan said it was very late, so she should rest early.

The guesthouse attendant heard the movement and came to open the door. Hearing Gu Xiao Yu call "Dad" and say goodbye to Gu Bo Yuan, she looked at Gu Bo Yuan with some curiosity.

Gu Xiao Yu's procedure for staying at the guesthouse was from the university in Yanjing. For people in a small county, she was considered a powerful person from afar. Now seeing the girl's father in the county, could it be that she was admitted to a university outside? She hadn't heard of anyone being admitted to Yanjing in these few years?

Gu Bo Yuan returned to the acquisition station and didn't sleep all night.

Gu Xiao Yu finally accepted the money and also didn't sleep all night.

Originally, she wanted to give the four hundred yuan she had saved to her father, and she wouldn't come here again.

Now the four hundred yuan wasn't given out, but instead, she received ten thousand yuan from her father. What was this?

It was obvious that her father was quite satisfied with his current life. Although in Gu Xiao Yu's view, her father, a university student, had such high gold content, if he changed places, he would definitely be able to do something great after the reform and opening up.

Staying in such a small county was definitely a waste of talent.

But from the perspective of making money, even if he changed places, became an official or a professor, could he make so much money in such a short time?

At this time, the trend of "those who make missiles are not as good as those who sell tea eggs" had already emerged in society. Although this sentence hadn't been released yet, this kind of thinking already existed.

When Gu Xiao Yu came, she brought some sense of superiority and wanted to see how her father faced the daughter he had "abandoned" for twenty years.

After all, in her mother's description, it was all her father's fault.

But when Gu Bo Yuan truly took all the roots of the problem upon himself, she felt a bit sympathetic to her father instead.

Just a victim of the great era. Was her mother necessarily on the moral high ground for doing that?

Not necessarily. (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 931 =====