CHAPTER 43: CHAPTER 43: FORCE OF HABIT

Mr. Gu looked around, the courtyard was still the same, but something seemed different.

He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, or if it was because Li Weimin and Gu Ruhai had just tidied up, but in any case, Mr. Gu felt that the place seemed different, just like Gu Ruhai, who always appeared lifeless in his eyes.

Full of vitality!

Yes, that was the feeling, it wasn’t that something was added, nor that anything changed, it just felt more vibrant than before.

Even Gu Ruhai’s face and demeanor had changed.

In the past, this eldest son wasn’t worth looking at, lacking ability and intelligence, he had no traits other than his clumsy loyalty and filial piety.

Perhaps it was this genuine honesty that resolved many of his worries over the years.

But just a few days ago, this simple-minded, straightforward farmer son in his heart suddenly turned the world upside down.

To be honest, he was uncomfortable with it; the words he said that day were just out of anger, and he thought that by saying those things, this son would be trembling with fear, thinking of ways to make amends.

Yet, days had passed, and he didn’t see him; instead, it was the second son who came to visit on the third day, accusing Gu Ruhai of atrocious things.

That’s when he realized that this eldest had somehow mustered up the courage to actually go to his younger brother to ask for money, and when refused, even used the team leader to pressure him and managed to get money from his frugal brother.

Wasn’t this surprising?

Who was the second descendant after all?

Being forced by the eldest into such a situation was simply impossible; if it weren’t for the strong bond between him and the second child, considering the second one was his and his wife’s most beloved, the second child might have rebelled long ago.

Seeing the eldest being able to stop him, how could Mr. Gu not be curious?

If the eldest had a bit of the second’s cleverness, or the third’s talent, perhaps he wouldn’t have treated the eldest like this. After all, it’s all for the sake of the entire Gu family.

The eldest couldn’t hope for much success, but there were many descendants to follow.

For the Gu family to see a turning point, it depended on the second and third sons.

Gu Xiaocheng, from the second family, was a college student.

That was all their hope; a college student, in this era, what does that represent but the notion of an exam champion of the past?

A grandson that would bring glory to the ancestors; even the second child, who was narrow-minded and seen as stingy, could be overlooked because of this.

The third son was also admitted to university back then, and Mr. Gu thought he would bring a different prospect to the family, as he had seen many county heads and the like rise up step by step after graduating from university.

But the third one disappointed them, unwilling to pursue an official career and married a dominant wife.

He was powerless, but he couldn’t let this grandson fail, especially when Gu Xiaocheng expressed a desire to become an official from a young age, his control over children in the same village was strong, always hoping others would listen to him.

Moreover, Mr. Gu had talked with Gu Xiaocheng many times, and he was indeed ambitious, wanting to follow the path of an official.

Mr. Gu had a talent at home, how could he not help the second son?

Asking the eldest for money was because his children weren’t particularly talented, unable to accomplish anything. Those kids seemed hopeless.

Thus, the eldest had to be sacrificed to support the second and third sons.

When Gu Xiaocheng achieved success, wouldn’t the eldest’s family benefit too? They would still rely on him in the future, he wasn’t mistaken at all.

Everything was developing as he envisioned, but suddenly everything changed.

It was as if, overnight, everything went entirely wrong.

The eldest seemed to have straightened his back.

His always hunched back appeared to have completely transformed in a matter of days.

His spirited look, was it still the same old, obedient Gu Ruhai?

How did it change?

Even the eldest’s children seemed different.

Gu Xiaoqing, who talked back, although she didn’t verbalize it, her eyes and expression clearly showed she had no good impression of him. And the little grandson Gu Xiaojie avoided him as much as possible, lacking Gu Xiaofeng’s cleverness.

And the eldest’s wife, Li Xuemei, that day, her tenacity was something Mr. Gu absolutely disliked, the idea of a woman wanting to influence the household authority.

But the son seemed to have compromised that day.

It seems the things that happened over those few days had her involvement.

Looking at Li Weimin washing his face, he couldn’t help but feel displeased, undoubtedly, he was the foe, and his shadow must not be absent from this plot.

Otherwise, for so many years, Li Xuemei and Gu Ruhai dared not say anything, but these few days it seemed as if they were possessed by Sun Wukong and causing havoc.

Who would believe it?

Seeing Gu Ruhai washing his face beside, Mr. Gu spoke, "Eldest, how can you ask your brother for money? Don’t you know Gu Xiaocheng still needs to study? As the older brother, you should take care of your siblings. Asking for money in front of the villagers, aren’t you afraid of being accused of being focused on money and disregarding your own brothers? Hand the money to me, I’ll take it back to the second one."

As soon as he said this, the atmosphere in the courtyard cooled immediately.

Gu Ruhai was washing his face, cold water splashed on his face, only to feel Mr. Gu’s words chilling him to the bone.

This was his father.

Was he really his biological son?

Li Weimin had already dried his face, hung the towel on the line in the courtyard, and hearing this, his face darkened, but knowing that Mr. Gu was Gu Ruhai’s father, he couldn’t be too disrespectful to him.

Turning away, he walked up to Mr. Gu with a smile, handed him a cigarette, and said: "Old man, I didn’t quite catch what you’re saying, did my brother-in-law really borrow money from his brother?"

This was a way out; if Mr. Gu really understood the situation, he would’ve known it wasn’t the time to say such things, saying this in front of the eldest brother-in-law was asking for trouble.

But Mr. Gu was used to having his say everything in the household, and even when seeing Li Weimin’s question, he hadn’t become aware, thinking this was a family matter he could dictate.