Chapter 319: Chapter 319: A Leaky Sieve
Su Shuochi had long since stopped caring about people calling him a cripple. To be precise, he hadn’t cared since he learned that Gu Jiaojiao could heal his legs.
Besides, he was now fully recovered and could run and jump, so there was even less for him to be bothered about. But just because he didn’t mind, didn’t mean others felt the same.
Take Second Brother Gu, for instance. He was so angry he was practically hopping mad, but he didn’t know how to retaliate. "Auntie Gu, is it really okay for you to be shouting like this?"
"Oh, so I’m not allowed to speak the truth now? It’s not like you don’t know, my voice has always been this loud."
As she spoke, Auntie Gu had already walked up to Su Shuochi’s wheelchair. Her face filled with disdain, she swept her gaze over the man in the chair.
Her eyes were full of contempt and ridicule. "TSK TSK TSK... Everyone, come and look! What a pity, such a handsome young man, and he’s actually a cripple."
"You! You’re a complete lunatic." Second Brother Gu was so angry he was on the verge of tears.
"Jingtai, your Auntie Gu didn’t say anything wrong. Isn’t our son-in-law a cripple?" Second Uncle Gu said disdainfully.
He could have been living in the Gu Family Mansion, but his older brother took out a large sum of money and bought out his half!
His father and older brother had always been men of noble character, not fond of pleasure or material possessions. They had a casual attitude toward money, which was why they didn’t have a single cent to their names.
He, however, was the opposite. He had been materialistic since he was a child, which was why he had savings.
He originally had more than enough money to buy the entire Gu Family Mansion, but his older brother had a good son-in-law.
Not only did the son-in-law provide the money for his older brother to buy his half, but he also paid to have the entire mansion renovated for them.
Second Uncle Gu and his wife had no choice but to take the money and buy the house next to the Gu Family’s.
Thus, they were both curious about and resentful of this nephew-in-law they had yet to meet.
All sorts of scenarios played out in their minds. Sometimes they imagined their nephew-in-law as a talented young man from a powerful family; other times, they pictured him as a country bumpkin.
But never had Second Uncle Gu and his wife imagined that their unseen nephew-in-law would be a disabled cripple.
"Cousin Jingtai, my parents are just telling it like it is. You’re always bragging about how amazing your sister and brother-in-law are. We thought he had three heads and six arms! Who knew he can’t even stand on his own two feet!"
The speaker was a girl of seventeen or eighteen, her fair skin accentuating her pale, rose-pink lips.
The dazzlingly bright silver studs in her ears especially made her look like some nouveau riche, flashy and arrogant.
She was Second Uncle Gu’s daughter, Gu Hehua. Previously, she had never paid much mind to her first uncle’s daughter and son-in-law.
But the moment she saw her cousin, she began to hate her—because this cousin was even more beautiful than she was.
Gu Jiaojiao had been soaking in the spiritual spring water for the past two days, and after opening up her meridians, her cultivation had also seen some minor success.
At the same time, it was helping her body detoxify. Her overall condition was unbelievably good, and her face was as smooth and delicate as a peeled egg.
You couldn’t even see a single pore. Combined with her already outstanding features, she was breathtakingly beautiful.
"So what if he can’t stand? It’s not like he’s living off you, so what are you all shouting about in front of our house?"
Second Brother Gu felt terribly sorry toward his sister and brother-in-law, so angry he wished he could go up and slap his cousin across the face.
"So we’re not even allowed to call him a cripple? Cousin Jingtai, aren’t you being a little too tyrannical!"
Gu Hehua’s tone was sharp and harsh. She had always looked down on her two cousins from her first uncle’s family. The elder one was sickly and frail.
The second was a street vendor who sold snacks. Because of this, she rarely associated with her first uncle’s family.
For an extreme egoist like Gu Hehua, all that mattered was using any means necessary to benefit herself and secure her own interests.
Anyone worse off than her wasn’t worthy of her attention, and anyone more beautiful than her was an enemy.
And because this cousin was more beautiful than her, she was now making snide, sarcastic remarks about her cousin’s husband.
Gu Hehua felt that by calling him a cripple a few times, she had finally gained the upper hand. She lifted her chin high, looking for all the world like she had already won.
Mr. Gu had been in a good mood after greeting his daughter and son-in-law at the gate, but who would have thought his younger brother’s family would show up to stir up trouble?
He couldn’t be bothered to deal with his brother’s family. He simply walked forward and took the wheelchair from Gu Jiaojiao’s hands.
"Jiaojiao, Shuo Ci, let’s not stoop to the level of lunatics. Come on, let’s go inside and eat. Your mother has already prepared dinner."
Gu Jiaojiao’s thin lips pressed into a straight line, but her eyes sparkled like stars, her dark pupils filled with endless joy and delight.
’I never thought Dad, who’s usually so refined, had such a sharp-tongued side.’ "Dad, you’re right, we don’t need to stoop to the level of lunatics. HAHA..."
Mr. Gu’s single word, "lunatics," made Second Uncle Gu’s entire family flush red, their faces twisting as if about to explode.
Auntie Gu was a little afraid of this refined brother-in-law, but she wasn’t afraid of his ridiculously beautiful niece.
She raised her hand as if to slap her face. "We’re your Second Uncle and Auntie, and you don’t even greet us! See if I don’t beat you to death, you uncultured country bumpkin!"
"You dare touch her and see what happens." Su Shuochi lifted his gaze, and his icy stare instantly froze Auntie Gu in place.
’I never expected my wife, who’s usually so aloof, to have such a childish side.’
’But as long as she’s happy, that’s all that matters. What do other people have to do with me?’
’I just want to pamper her and protect her from being bullied.’
Seeing Auntie Gu back down in fear, Gu Jiaojiao, who was standing to the side, felt a little disappointed.
’If Auntie Gu had actually dared to lay a hand on me, I would have definitely shown her why flowers are so red.’
’Too bad this aunt of mine is such a coward. One look from Su Shuochi was enough to scare her off. What a shame...’
Gu Jiaojiao couldn’t help but shoot Su Shuochi a reproachful glance.
’Honestly, this man. He’s so overbearing that he scared the shrew off from even touching me.’
’If he scares everyone off from picking a fight with me, how boring would my life be?’
Su Shuochi was a bit baffled by her look, but at the same time, he sensed a hint of playful pouting in her reproachful gaze.
For a moment, he felt his heart melt under her gaze.
"Oh-ho, the cripple wants to hit someone now, does he!" Second Uncle Gu finally cursed, openly and brazenly.
The way Second Uncle Gu looked at Su Shuochi and Gu Jiaojiao was full of a disgust you’d reserve for a nasty pile of dog crap on the ground.
Gu Jiaojiao didn’t want to compare herself to dog crap on the ground, but she could truly see that meaning in Second Uncle Gu’s eyes.
And Second Uncle Gu’s provocative and disgusted gaze successfully provoked Gu Jiaojiao.
In an instant, a flame ignited in her heart. WHOOSH—it flared up, sizzling furiously within her.
In the past, according to her mother, Second Uncle Gu was a heartless, ungrateful wretch, a villain who deserved to be cut into a thousand pieces.
During those dozen or so years, in order for his own family to live a little better, Second Uncle Gu had reported his own father, Old Sir Gu, by name.
This caused Old Sir Gu and his eldest son’s family to suffer greatly over the years.
"My husband never hits people. The only things he hits are animals."
Gu Jiaojiao delivered the heart-piercing words with a perfectly straight face, successfully riddling Second Uncle Gu’s heart with holes like a sieve.
