Watching Gu Xinmin and Grandma enthusiastically discuss the wedding—especially the question of where Shen Jiao should be sent off from—the Grandma and granddaughter proposed countless possibilities.
In the end, they made a firm decision: Shen Jiao would recognise Gu Xinmin’s husband’s family as her god family, and when the wedding day arrived, she could be sent off from their home.
Shen Jiao hurriedly stopped them.
She did not even want to search for her biological parents, much less add an entire god family to her life. Becoming sworn relatives in this era was nothing like the casual arrangements of later generations. Such a relationship was practically no different from being part of a biological family.
She had no desire to invite more trouble upon herself.
“Grandma, Sister, we can simply hold a proper wedding banquet. There’s no need to go through every single ceremony.”
“How could we do that? You would be terribly wronged.”
Grandma rejected the suggestion without a second thought.
Her perfectly good grandson had been schemed against by An Qing and ended up becoming a divorced man. She could already imagine all the gossip in the village.
This was no longer merely about holding a wedding—it was about preserving their pride.
This time, she wanted everyone who could not bear to see others living well to understand that even though her grandson had been married before, he would never lack a woman willing to become his wife.
“I won’t feel wronged. We live our lives for ourselves. As long as we don’t believe we’ve been wronged, no one can force us to feel that way.”
Although Shen Jiao said this, Grandma still refused to agree.
She looked towards Gu Xinguo, hoping he would persuade Shen Jiao. The Gu family was not too poor to afford a proper wedding, so there was no need to give outsiders anything to criticise.
“Grandma, let’s listen to Jiaojiao. Just as she said, we live our lives for ourselves. As long as we live happily and prosperously, that matters more than anything else.”
Gu Xinguo also sided with Shen Jiao.
Grandma’s expression immediately turned unhappy.
She had originally been delighted that her grandson had finally found someone, but now that he was genuinely taking his new wife’s side, she suddenly became displeased again.
He had found a wife and forgotten the woman who raised him.
Although she was not his biological mother, that did not stop her from feeling that way.
The moment Grandma became unhappy, the atmosphere in the hospital ward turned oppressive.
In the end, Gu Xinmin pulled Shen Jiao away and took her outside.
She was somewhat annoyed that Shen Jiao seemed unable to appreciate their kindness. She and Grandma wanted to arrange the wedding properly for Shen Jiao’s sake, yet Shen Jiao appeared unwilling to accept their good intentions.
However, Shen Jiao and Gu Xinguo had already collected their marriage certificate. She was now unquestionably a daughter-in-law of the Gu family.
Gu Xinmin did not want her and Grandma to develop any resentment towards each other.
She therefore decided to ask Shen Jiao exactly what she was thinking. At the same time, she could leave the ward free so Gu Xinguo could properly persuade Grandma.
“Sister, I’m not someone who can’t recognise kindness. Nor do I have any objections towards my husband’s family.”
Shen Jiao lowered her voice.
“It’s just that only a few days ago, I discovered that the people I had always believed were my biological parents weren’t related to me by blood. Then my brother and sister-in-law drove me out of the family.”
“I—I still can’t quite believe that any of it is real. That’s why I truly don’t want to recognise anyone else as my parents.”
Gu Xinmin had not expected this to be the reason.
Feeling sorry for her, she gently patted Shen Jiao’s hand.
When all was said and done, this new sister-in-law of hers had also lived a bitter life.
If Shen Jiao did not want to recognise a god family, then they would forget about it.
However, none of the proper wedding customs—such as fetching the bride and sending her off—could be omitted.
Her perfectly good younger brother had been tormented by An Qing until he became a divorced man. Gu Xinmin also wanted to hold a grand and lively wedding to silence the gossiping villagers.
When they returned to the ward, Grandma continued insisting on a bustling wedding.
They could forget about the god family, but none of the proper wedding procedures could be missing.
After further discussion, they finally decided that Gu Xinguo would borrow the home of a colleague with whom he had a good relationship.
On the wedding day, Gu Xinguo could come into town to fetch his bride. That would also appear more respectable.
Since matters had reached this point, and Grandma was already in poor health, Shen Jiao did not want to upset her. She could only agree.
Over the following hours, Grandma seemed to have been injected with new vitality.
She no longer appeared weak and listless as she had when Shen Jiao first met her. Even her eyes had regained their brightness.
It truly proved the saying that joyous occasions lifted the spirit.
How could Gu Xinguo fail to notice the change in his Grandma?
He looked at Shen Jiao gratefully.
This was all thanks to her.
Had she not appeared, he did not even need to guess how things would have ended for Grandma. She would have died still worrying endlessly about him, unable to close her eyes in peace.
From this perspective, whatever lingering affection he might once have retained for An Qing had now completely disappeared.
“Grandma, Xinguo, it’s getting late,” Gu Xinmin said. “Why don’t I take Jiaojiao home with me tonight? We have plenty of rooms. No matter what, staying with us will be more comfortable than making do in the hospital or sleeping at a guesthouse.”
“I’ll bring her back tomorrow. Then Xinguo can accompany her to buy everything they need for the wedding. If they can’t find it in the county, they can go into the city. In any case, this wedding must be held properly and respectably.”
Gu Xinguo raised his wrist and looked at his watch.
It was already six o’clock.
Night fell early at this time of year, and even if they left now, it would be dark before Gu Xinmin reached home on her bicycle.
Naturally, Gu Xinguo had no objections to his sister taking Shen Jiao home.
Whether Shen Jiao stayed uncomfortably in the hospital ward or went to a guesthouse, neither option would be as relaxed and comfortable as staying with family.
“All right, I’ll go home with Sister,” Shen Jiao said. “We can have a private chat along the way. I’ve been wanting to hear about what Brother Gu was like as a child.”
“Oh, you’ve definitely asked the right person!”
Gu Xinmin immediately became excited.
“Let me tell you, I practically raised Xinguo. No one knows more about his childhood than I do.”
Listening to the two women, Gu Xinguo suddenly felt an ominous premonition.
He instinctively knew that none of the embarrassing stories from his childhood would remain secret.
But what could he do?
One was his biological sister, and the other was his wife.
Even if they learned everything, it was not as though he could silence them permanently.
Sure enough, as Gu Xinmin pedalled her bicycle, she spent the entire journey telling Shen Jiao embarrassing stories from Gu Xinguo’s childhood.
When they were young, there had been a wild jujube tree in their courtyard.
Its fruit had thick flesh, small stones, and a sweet flavour. It was practically Gu Xinguo’s greatest treasure.
Every year between late summer and early autumn, Gu Xinguo nearly lived in the tree, eating wild jujubes.
One year, no one knew what had happened, but a hornet’s nest suddenly appeared in the tree.
Hornets buzzed around the entire tree. Once the jujubes ripened and turned red, no one could get near them because of the hornets.
Fortunately, the nest did not interfere with the family’s daily life.
There were no strong adult labourers in the household, only Grandma, so they had no way to remove the hornet’s nest. They simply ignored it.
Little Gu Xinguo stared longingly at the bright red jujubes every day.
When Grandma saw how pitiful he looked, she took a small bowl of cornmeal and went to ask someone to remove the nest.
However, before she could return with help, Gu Xinguo took matters into his own hands.
He had apparently heard from someone that hornets were afraid of fire, so he gathered straw and firewood, planning to smoke them out.
Unfortunately, something went wrong.
Not only did he set the family’s woodpile on fire, but the flames spread to a wooden shed beside the jujube tree.
The entire courtyard was suddenly filled with towering flames.
Had someone not happened to pass by, their whole home might have burned down.
In the end, the shed could not be saved and burned to the ground.
Even the beloved jujube tree was killed by the heat and smoke.
Although the hornets were successfully driven away, Gu Xinguo himself was stung several times—all on his face.
His entire face remained red and swollen for a very long time before finally returning to normal.
Naturally, no matter how pitiful he looked, he still could not escape a severe beating from Grandma.
However, the jujube tree that had carried so many of the family’s happy memories was gone forever.
The whole family grieved over it for a long time.
Gu Xinguo, especially, would get red-rimmed eyes whenever anyone mentioned the tree during the following few years.
Even after the family planted another wild jujube tree, they always felt that its fruit was not as sweet as that of the original.
Shen Jiao had never imagined that Gu Xinguo possessed such an amusing side.
Could this be considered a tragedy caused by gluttony?
Gu Xinmin then told her several more entertaining stories about Gu Xinguo.
Shen Jiao listened with great interest, and naturally, she came to understand him a little better.
Gu Xinguo’s hometown was called Shuanma Village Brigade.
Apparently, some famous historical figure had once tethered his horse there, which was how the place had received its name.
Because it was close to the county town, the village appeared considerably wealthier than Shenjia Village. That much could be seen simply by looking at the houses.
Most homes in Shenjia Village were built from a mixture of brick, stone, and packed earth.
In Shuanma Village, however, the majority were constructed from grey bricks. Occasionally, one could even spot a newly built red-brick house.
The village itself was twice the size of Shenjia Village.
Moreover, the terrain was flat, the soil fertile, and the railway ran nearby. Its natural conditions were far superior to those of Shenjia Village.
Most importantly, Shuanma Village had electricity.
That was the detail that pleased Shen Jiao the most.
Gu Xinmin’s husband’s family lived on the eastern side of Shuanma Village.
Their home was a private courtyard with a main house and eastern and western side rooms. Nearly all the buildings were constructed from grey brick.
It was obvious that Gu Xinmin’s family was financially comfortable.
Moreover, only Gu Xinmin’s immediate family lived in the courtyard.
Her husband’s parents had two sons and one daughter.
Both sons were already married, and the parents had presided over the division of the household.
The elderly couple could still move around and support themselves, so they did not demand that either son provide for them. Instead, they remained in the old family home with their youngest daughter.
They had agreed that once they became unable to care for themselves, they would alternate living with their two sons.
In this era, parents-in-law who were so reasonable were extremely rare.
“Chengjun! Xiaodong! Xiaobei! Hurry outside and look who I brought home!”
The moment Gu Xinmin arrived, she raised her voice and called for her family.
Soon, two adults and two children came running out of the house.
Even in the faint evening light, Shen Jiao could make out their appearances.
Gu Xinmin’s husband had refined, delicate features. Her son had inherited her thick eyebrows and large eyes, giving him an energetic appearance.
As for the other older man, Shen Jiao could not guess who he was.
“Oh, Xinmin, you’re back. How is your Grandma doing?”
The older man looked towards Shen Jiao.
“Who is this young woman beside you? I don’t recognise her.”
“Uncle Ming, you’re at my house too? Grandma is doing quite well. This is my sister-in-law—Xinguo’s wife.”
“Don’t try to fool me. Xinguo’s wife didn’t look like this.”
“Oh, why would I lie to you? He divorced the previous one. This is the new wife he found.”
“She came to visit Grandma today, but it got late and her home is far away, so I brought her here to stay the night.”
“I see. So she’s the new one.”
Uncle Ming carefully looked Shen Jiao over.
“This one is even prettier than the last. Your Xinguo is certainly fortunate.”
“Hehe. Uncle Ming, since you don’t have anything else to do, I won’t keep you.”
Gu Xinmin pretended not to hear the sourness in his voice.
“This is my sister-in-law’s first visit, so I still need to prepare a room for her. When Xinguo holds his wedding banquet, I’ll invite you over for the celebratory meal.”
Uncle Ming had three sons.
Two were older than Gu Xinguo, while the youngest was around the same age. Yet not a single one of them had managed to find a wife.
There was nothing they could do about it. Their family was simply too poor.
Since Gu Xinmin had spoken so plainly, Uncle Ming waved goodbye and left.
Before the night was even over, news that Gu Xinguo had married another wife from outside the area had spread through almost the entire village.
Some people merely smiled when they heard it. After all, the matter had nothing to do with them.
Others, however, reacted very differently.
Alongside their disbelief, they were utterly heartbroken.
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