The Shen Family
Everything had happened so suddenly that Gu Yuanzheng and Gu Yuanxiang were unable to react for a moment.
How dare Gu Xi?
She had actually hit someone?!
In the past, Gu Yuanhui had played all kinds of cruel pranks on her. He had poured an entire bucket of water over her from the rooftop, put insects in her bed, deliberately taken her somewhere unfamiliar before abandoning her and running away just to watch her panic, and stolen all the money from her schoolbag, forcing her to walk home from school.
Yet she had never once lost her temper.
She had been like a punching bag and a silent gourd, enduring everything without complaint. They had long since grown accustomed to her meek submission.
Tears shot from Gu Yuanhui’s eyes from the pain. Only someone who had personally taken that punch could understand its force. Half his face seemed to have gone numb, and the pain left his mind blank for several seconds.
He lay on the floor, howling in agony. His cries finally snapped Gu Yuanzheng and Gu Yuanxiang back to their senses.
“Gu Xi, what are you doing?!” Gu Yuanzheng shouted angrily.
His expression was extremely ugly as he reached out to grab her.
The moment he approached, Gu Xi did the same thing again and drove her fist into his stomach.
Gu Yuanzheng had not expected her to attack him as well and was caught completely off guard. He doubled over in pain, unable to speak for a while.
She was far too strong. It gave him the illusion that all his internal organs had been twisted together.
Seeing both of her brothers being beaten, Gu Yuanxiang hurriedly shouted, “Xixi, how could you hit people? You—you’ve gone too far! Hurry up and apologise to Second Brother and Yuanhui!”
She angrily stepped forward and grabbed Gu Xi, her face filled with displeasure.
Force of habit meant that even after seeing Gu Xi suddenly attack someone, Gu Yuanxiang was not afraid. She merely thought Gu Xi had inexplicably gone mad today.
Gu Xi’s arm was seized, and she turned to look at her.
Gu Yuanxiang looked furious as she glared at her.
For some inexplicable reason, a surge of hostility suddenly rose from the depths of Gu Xi’s heart. She forcefully pulled her arm free and shoved away Gu Yuanxiang, who had moved closer.
Gu Yuanxiang fell onto the sofa.
She had not expected Gu Xi to push her. Her elbows and several other places struck the hard wooden sofa, bringing tears to her eyes as she cried out in pain.
At that moment, one of the three siblings was lying on the floor howling, another was bent over while clutching his stomach and dripping with cold sweat, and the last had fallen onto the sofa.
They all looked utterly miserable.
Gu Xi ignored them and walked straight out of the house.
By the time the three siblings recovered enough to chase after her, she had already disappeared from sight. All they could do was roar furiously after her.
….
After leaving the house, Gu Xi did not hesitate. She walked straight out of the residential compound.
The Gu family was a family of government cadres and lived in a residential compound allocated to officials and their families. When Gu Xi had first been brought back, she had become infamous throughout the compound as a rustic country bumpkin and had been ridiculed countless times.
Perhaps they thought she embarrassed them. Even the Gu family did not like her very much, believing that she had only brought them trouble.
After leaving the compound, Gu Xi went to the nearby bus stop and boarded a bus.
The July sun was scorching as it baked the earth. Three or four in the afternoon was precisely when the ground temperature was at its highest. The bus was crowded, hot, and stuffy, filled with a mixture of unpleasant smells.
It swayed and jolted throughout the journey, making its passengers dizzy.
Gu Xi stood in a corner, breathing in the stale air inside the bus. Her head felt as though it were splitting apart, and nausea churned in her stomach.
A kind-hearted older woman beside her noticed that something was wrong and asked with concern, “Comrade, are you all right?”
Gu Xi reacted half a beat too slowly before quietly saying that she was fine.
When the bus arrived at her stop, she followed the crowd and staggered off. Relying on her memories, she continued walking forward.
Her head felt heavy while her feet felt light. Every step seemed unsteady, and she moved like a wandering ghost.
After arriving at the military compound, Gu Xi registered at the entrance before going inside.
She eventually reached the house from her memories.
Standing before the two-storey house, her thoughts began to drift.
Too much time had passed. Most things now seemed separated from her by an invisible barrier, and very little could stir her emotions anymore.
It had been the same with Gu Yuanzheng and the others. She had been able to face them calmly and had even attacked them simply because she found them too annoying. She had not softened in the slightest, nor had she felt guilty after hitting them.
But this place was different.
Within those endless and desolate memories, this was the softest place of all.
Even after several decades, she had still kept it safely tucked away in the deepest part of her heart.
“Xixi?”
A voice carrying a rural accent sounded behind her.
Gu Xi reacted half a beat too slowly. She turned towards the voice and saw a middle-aged woman carrying a cloth basket not far away.
Auntie Wang had just returned from outside when she noticed a young woman standing in front of the Shen family’s house. After walking closer, she realised it was Gu Xi.
She initially called out happily, but when she drew nearer and saw Gu Xi’s complexion, she was immediately alarmed. She hurried over and grabbed her.
“What happened to you? Are you sick?”
As she spoke, she reached out and touched Gu Xi’s forehead.
The temperature was frighteningly high.
Auntie Wang quickly brought her into the house.
Like a puppet on strings, Gu Xi allowed herself to be placed on the sofa and sat there blankly.
Auntie Wang found some fever medicine and poured her a glass of warm water. After watching her swallow the medicine, she told her to go to her room and sleep.
She was truly worried and personally watched Gu Xi lie down. Only after confirming that she had fallen asleep did she leave with a troubled expression.
…
Somewhat later, Feng Min returned from work.
When she smelled the scent of traditional Chinese medicine drifting through the house, something stirred in her heart.
“Why are you brewing medicine again? Is Xixi here?”
Auntie Wang hurried out of the kitchen.
“Yes. Xixi is sick, so I’m preparing some medicine for her.”
The medicine had been specially prescribed for Gu Xi by an elderly doctor at the military hospital. They had always kept some in the house, so when Gu Xi arrived, Auntie Wang immediately prepared a dose for her.
As soon as Feng Min heard this, she could no longer sit still and hurried upstairs to see her.
The bedroom door had not been closed.
Feng Min pushed it open and saw the young woman sleeping soundly on the bed, her body curled into itself. An unnatural flush covered her small, beautiful face, and her lips were dry and cracked.
She looked so small, thin, and pitiful.
Feng Min reached out and touched her forehead. When she realised that the fever had not yet subsided, concern appeared on her face.
As the sky darkened, Shen Chongshan also returned home dressed in his military uniform.
When he learned that Gu Xi had come over that day and was currently ill, concern appeared on his face as well.
“Why did the child suddenly fall sick?” Shen Chongshan asked in confusion.
Feng Min sighed.
“Xixi didn’t live well in the countryside. Sometimes she was fed, and sometimes she went hungry. Her adoptive parents valued sons over daughters and didn’t treat girls like human beings. She was the eldest daughter in the family, so they made her do all the heaviest and most exhausting work.
“She suffered from malnutrition for years and never had proper rest. The doctor said the damage had already weakened her constitution at its very foundation, so she needs to recuperate properly. Although she’s gained some weight over the past few years and looks much better, her body is still weaker than an ordinary person’s. The slightest carelessness will make her ill.”
Remembering what Gu Xi had endured, Shen Chongshan could not help sighing inwardly.
The child truly had a pitiful life.
She had originally been a perfectly fine child, yet because she had been switched at birth, she had suffered endlessly in the countryside. She had finally been acknowledged and brought home, but the attitude of the Gu family…
The child had certainly suffered.
…
Gu Xi slept until nine o’clock that night.
When she woke, she discovered that the light in the room was on. Auntie Wang was sitting beside the bed, wiping the sweat from her body.
Her fever had already broken. She had sweated heavily as it subsided, soaking her clothes.
Auntie Wang was about to change them for her when she noticed that Gu Xi was awake and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
“Xixi, you’re awake. Are you hungry? I cooked some plain congee for you. Get up and eat a little to fill your stomach, then you can take your medicine.”
As Auntie Wang spoke, she poured Gu Xi a glass of warm water and helped her sit up to drink it.
Gu Xi drank more than half the glass, relieving the dryness in her throat. When she saw Auntie Wang bringing over some clothes, she reached out to take them.
“Auntie, I can change by myself.”
Auntie Wang handed her the clothes.
“All right. I’ll go and bring you the congee.”
Gu Xi silently watched her leave. She removed her sweat-soaked clothes and changed into clean pyjamas.
She had her own room in the Shen family’s home, along with clothing and other daily necessities. She occasionally stayed overnight here.
This place was just like her home.
A short while later, Auntie Wang returned.
Feng Min came with her.
Feng Min was dressed in pyjamas, and her hair had been pinned up. She looked simple and unadorned. Beneath the light, her facial features were bright and striking. She was tall, slender, and extremely beautiful.
The moment Gu Xi saw Feng Min, her nose stung and tears began to fall.
Feng Min was startled. Thinking that she was feeling unwell, she wrapped an arm around her and coaxed her gently.
“Oh, dear. Why is our Xixi crying? Did someone bully you? Tell Aunt Feng, and I’ll teach them a lesson for you!”
Gu Xi buried her face against Feng Min’s chest without speaking.
She merely cried.
She made no sound as she cried, silently shedding tears while broken sobs escaped her throat. Her shoulders trembled faintly.
Feng Min held the slender, frail young woman in her arms. Gu Xi’s crying made her heart ache, and she became completely flustered, not knowing what to do.
Her Xixi had always been strong and rarely cried. She had not shed a single tear even when her life in the countryside had been so difficult.
For her to suddenly cry like this, how badly must she have been wronged?
The more Feng Min thought about it, the angrier she became. She decided that the Gu family must have mistreated Gu Xi again.
Apart from the Gu family, she could not imagine anyone else capable of bullying her.
Auntie Wang was equally anxious and joined in trying to comfort her.
“Oh, my. Good child, don’t cry. You’re still sick. Crying like this isn’t good for you.”
Shen Chongshan had specifically come over after hearing the commotion. When he saw the scene, he also became somewhat anxious.
However, as the male head of the household, there was a distinction between men and women, and there was little he could do. He could only stand helplessly at the bedroom door and watch.
Something serious must have happened to make such an obedient and strong young woman suddenly cry like this.
The sight left a bitter feeling in his heart.
In the end, Gu Xi stopped crying on her own. Her eyes had become swollen from crying, making Feng Min’s heart ache terribly.
Auntie Wang hurriedly brought over the congee.
“Come and eat something. You mustn’t let yourself go hungry, or your stomach will start hurting again.”
Perhaps because she had frequently gone hungry as a child, Gu Xi had developed chronic stomach pain. Whenever she failed to eat on time, her stomach would begin hurting severely.
With the two women keeping her company, Gu Xi silently ate the congee.
After she finished eating and took her medicine, Auntie Wang brought over a wrung-out towel and wiped her face. She spoke gently and coaxed her as though she were a child, while Feng Min sat beside her and softly stroked her back to comfort her.
Seeing that nothing else required his attention, Shen Chongshan returned to his bedroom.
After Auntie Wang finished tidying everything and left, Feng Min examined Gu Xi’s pale face. She took her hand and asked, “Xixi, tell Aunt Feng. Who bullied you?”
Looking at the concern on her face, Gu Xi felt another fine, piercing ache spread through her heart.
Perhaps the bonds between people truly were this strange.
She and the Gu family were related by blood, yet she could not obtain their love or acknowledgement. She had no blood relationship with the Shen family, yet they genuinely loved her.
Shen Chongshan and his wife, in particular, protected and cherished her as though she were their own daughter.
“Aunt Feng,” Gu Xi began hoarsely, “I hit someone.”
Feng Min froze for a moment before instinctively asking, “Who did you hit?”
Gu Xi answered obediently, “Gu Yuanzheng and Gu Yuanhui.”
Feng Min replied without hesitation, “They must have done something wrong for you to hit them.”
Xixi was such a well-behaved child. If they had made her angry enough to hit them, Gu Yuanzheng and the others must have gone too far.
Feng Min did not think Gu Xi had done anything wrong at all.
In her heart, Gu Xi was a good child. Furthermore, after witnessing the Gu family’s actions over the past few years, she believed they deserved to be beaten.
So what if Gu Xi had hit someone?
She was only a young woman, and the people she had hit were her own brothers. It was a family matter. She had hit them, and that was that.
Could they possibly report her to the police?
Could the Gu family afford to embarrass themselves like that?
Hearing Feng Min’s blatant favouritism made Gu Xi feel even more heartbroken.
After she died in her previous life, how devastated must Aunt Feng and the others have been?
Her life had lasted only twenty short years. Her blood relatives had never behaved like family. Instead, it had been the unrelated Shen family who had given her all the love, affection, and familial warmth she had ever known.
Feng Min did not continue asking why Gu Xi had hit them.
“You should stay here for now. Don’t think about anything else. We’ll deal with it after you recover.”
She did not take the matter of Gu Xi hitting someone seriously. She did not believe it was a significant issue, certainly not compared to Gu Xi’s health.
Only after Gu Xi lay down and fell asleep again did Feng Min return to her room.
Shen Chongshan had not yet gone to sleep. He was sitting beside the bed reading the newspaper.
When Feng Min returned, he put down the newspaper and asked, “What happened to the child?”
Feng Min poured herself a glass of water and sat beside the bed.
“I didn’t ask. I suppose the Gu family did something again.” She complained, “The people in that family truly can’t distinguish right from wrong. Even though they didn’t live with her for fifteen years, she’s still their own child. She suffered so much in the countryside, so how could they bear to despise her while favouring the one who enjoyed a comfortable life in the city?”
Had her own child been switched at birth and returned after suffering so much, Feng Min would have wanted to tear out her own heart and give it to her.
How could she possibly bear to let the child suffer further grievances?
It was true that every child was precious, but when fairness was required, parents had to be fair. They could not be excessively biased.
It was understandable that they could not bear to part with the adopted daughter they had raised for fifteen years, but they could not mistreat their biological daughter, who had suffered so much, because of her.
Shen Chongshan could not say much.
Every family had its own difficulties. The Gu family was clearly more partial to the child who had been switched at birth. They despised their biological daughter because she had been raised in the countryside and considered her embarrassing.
Such beliefs were difficult to correct.
As Feng Min spoke, she suddenly began to laugh.
“However, when Xixi came over today, she said she had beaten up Gu Yuanzheng and his brother. I don’t know whether it’s true.”
Shen Chongshan was surprised.
“Gu Xi hit someone? Are you sure Gu Yuanzheng and the others didn’t hit her?”
He could not believe that such a quiet and obedient child would attack anyone. She was far too well-behaved. He had only ever seen other people bully her and had never seen her take the initiative to bully anyone else.
“That’s what Xixi said, so I suppose it’s true.” Feng Min was not entirely certain.
She had deliberately checked Gu Xi earlier and had not seen any injuries on her body, so she probably had not been beaten.
If the Gu brothers had truly dared to hit her, Feng Min would report them to the Women’s Federation and humiliate the entire Gu family.
Feng Min had originally lain down, but a thought suddenly occurred to her, and she sat up again.
“No. I have to go over to the Gu family tomorrow and take a look.”
She was still worried and needed to make a trip to the Gu residence.
If Gu Xi had truly hit someone, Feng Min could already imagine how Gu Maowen and his wife would react.
Gu Xi would inevitably be mistreated again.
Seeing how impulsive she was, Shen Chongshan shook his head.
“You really do act on every thought that enters your head. Don’t keep going to the Gu family. It won’t be good for Gu Xi.”
No matter what had happened, the Gu family were still Gu Xi’s relatives. Gu Xi had not even married into their family yet, but her future mother-in-law was already interfering in her maternal family’s affairs.
It was inappropriate.
Even if she wanted to protect her future daughter-in-law, she could not protect her in this manner.
“Nonsense! How could it be bad for her?” Feng Min glared at him angrily. “Comrade Shen, that way of thinking is unacceptable! So what if I go to the Gu family? Would I need to go there if they treated Gu Xi properly?”
Shen Chongshan did not say anything further.
He knew that his wife was open-hearted, frank, and straightforward. Those were her strengths.
However, when it came to matters involving Gu Xi, she sometimes failed to consider everything carefully.
Nevertheless, she truly loved and cared for Gu Xi.
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