Chapter 322: Chapter 322: Coveting What Isn’t Yours
Second Brother Gu rubbed his chin. He’d been wanting to try the roast duck for a long time but could never bring himself to spend the money.
Seeing his sister wanted some too, he didn’t hesitate. "If Jiaojiao wants some, I’ll go get in line and buy it right now."
"Okay, Second Brother, you go line up for the roast duck. We’ll keep looking around," Gu Jiaojiao said, her voice crisp and a smile playing on her lips.
"Jiaojiao, Eldest Brother, you guys wait for me at the jianbing stand up ahead. I’ll be back soon."
Before leaving, Second Brother Gu gave them another round of instructions, only then leaving with his mind at ease.
Gu Jiaojiao watched his retreating back and couldn’t help but laugh. "Su Shuochi, don’t you think my second brother has been dying to try that roast duck for a while now?"
"Yeah, I’ve been wanting to try it for ages, too," Eldest Brother Gu chimed in before Su Shuochi could speak, swallowing hard. "Roast duck isn’t something just anyone can afford. A single duck costs about a quarter of an average person’s monthly salary."
Su Shuochi hadn’t said a word, but Eldest Brother Gu was already swallowing hard. He was just that desperate for money.
"Yes. You try it first, Jiaojiao. If you like it, I’ll learn how to make roast duck and cook it for you every day."
A rare, faint smile appeared on Su Shuochi’s lips, even in public. It was like melting ice and snow giving way to the bloom of spring—breathtakingly handsome.
He had the air of a foolish ancient king who would squander his entire kingdom just to win a smile from his favorite bewitching concubine.
Even someone as composed as Gu Jiaojiao blushed crimson at his gesture.
"Su Shuochi, the way you say that... it’s as if you’d grant my every wish."
"Of course. As long as my wife likes it, I’ll definitely satisfy you." Su Shuochi’s voice was very soft when he said this.
The boys from the Han and Xiao families said nothing, but they both instinctively turned their gazes toward the roast duck stall nearby.
Neither of them noticed the tender affection between their Young Mistress and her husband.
They had eaten delicious roast duck before. But even with their families’ resources, they could only afford it once a month. It was so good that once you had it, you always wanted more.
Xia Qiuming had been called back to the hospital right after eating at the Gu Family’s home. He was told there was an emergency surgery to perform.
There were several teenagers in line ahead of Second Brother Gu. The stout uncle selling the roast duck spotted someone and quickly called out a greeting.
"Young man, you want a whole duck or a half? Or a quarter? Half a duck is five yuan, a quarter is two-fifty."
Most people bought either a half or a quarter duck.
When it was Second Brother Gu’s turn, he declared loudly without hesitation, "Uncle, I’ll take a whole one. Could you please cut it into six pieces for me?"
"Well, hello there!" The vendor grinned from ear to ear when he heard that. "You’ve got good taste, young man. My roast duck is the real deal, very authentic."
Second Brother Gu deftly pulled a ten-yuan bill from his pocket and handed it over. "Thanks, Uncle. Is this enough?"
The vendor took the money and said with a beaming smile, "More than enough, more than enough! I owe you fifty cents back. If you like it, young man, come back again!"
Holding the roast duck, now divided into six portions, Second Brother Gu walked toward Gu Jiaojiao and the others. As soon as he got close, he took the two portions containing the drumsticks.
He handed one to Su Shuochi and the other to Gu Jiaojiao. "Jiaojiao, you two, try it while it’s hot."
After passing them out, he eagerly grabbed a piece of duck and stuffed it into his mouth. "Mmm... so good, and so hot!"
Gu Jiaojiao couldn’t help but chuckle. "Second Brother, if it’s so hot, why don’t you eat it a little slower?"
"I can’t! I’ve been craving this for so long," Second Brother Gu said, still chewing on the duck meat.
"Second Brother, you sell jianbing, so you shouldn’t be short on money. You must have had roast duck before. You don’t have to be so dramatic just to make me happy, right?"
Seeing Second Brother Gu being so frugal with himself, yet so generous when it came to renovating her room, Gu Jiaojiao was actually deeply moved.
The boys from the Han and Xiao families exchanged a look, then spoke in unison.
"Young Mistress, you may not know this, but this roast duck is so delicious, everyone who tries it wants more."
"Hehe, yeah, that’s right! Jiaojiao, I eat this all the time," Second Brother Gu said, trying to save face.
Eldest Brother Gu didn’t say much, but you could tell from the smile on his face that he was in a great mood.
After they finished the delicious roast duck, Gu Jiaojiao didn’t eat anything else, but the two boys and Eldest Brother Gu each had a jianbing.
The two boys no longer complained about the mission their grandfathers had sent them on. In fact, they wished they could follow their Young Mistress around every day.
Second Brother Gu had a good head for business. He’d train an apprentice, who would then team up with a helper to run their own small stall.
From the daily earnings of each stall, after covering costs, he took a fifty percent cut, his apprentice took thirty percent, and the helper received twenty percent.
This way, everyone was happy and no one slacked off. Second Brother Gu’s daily routine was to procure the raw ingredients and distribute them to each stall.
Then, he would just collect and count the money. Second Brother Gu worked from dawn till dusk, enjoying every moment of it, and he could even find some time to read.
Compared to Eldest Brother Gu, who was obsessed with fantasies of money and trapped in a cycle of self-pity and frustration, Second Brother Gu’s life was much more fulfilling.
While Gu Jiaojiao and the others were out shopping, Mr. and Mrs. Gu weren’t idle either. They went next door to Second Uncle Gu’s house.
Mr. Gu made a rare, harsh threat: "Second Brother, I know you’ve been scheming for a promotion. If you cause any more trouble for my daughter and son-in-law, forget about a promotion—they could have you thrown out of the job you have now."
Second Uncle Gu was speechless. ’...Isn’t your son-in-law a cripple?’
But he could see from his elder brother’s eyes that the so-called cripple was probably capable of it!
He started to regret his sharp tongue, but he couldn’t possibly be the one at fault. So, he shot a fierce glare at his wife.
For the first time, Mrs. Gu also unleashed her fury at Second Uncle Gu’s house. As she was leaving, she turned back to issue a warning.
"If you don’t believe it, just wait and see. As long as you and your wife, Gu Chengguo, don’t cause trouble for our son-in-law, I couldn’t be bothered with you.
But if you dare do anything to harm Shuo Ci, and especially if you harm Jiaojiao, I will make you pay."
Mrs. Gu spoke with a vicious edge to her voice.
On the way home, Mr. Gu said gently to his wife, "That’s what I meant, too. Don’t worry, Yue Hua.
We’ve already warned him not to get any ideas about Shuo Ci and Jiaojiao. He can’t be so brainless as to defy that, can he?"
He said that, but deep down, Mr. Gu wasn’t so sure.
His younger brother hadn’t inherited an ounce of their father’s intelligence. Being not-so-bright was one thing.
But he was also unreliable. Despite his mediocre abilities, he insisted on thinking he was brilliant, his ambition far outstripping his talent as he coveted things that weren’t his.
Take this recent promotion, for example. On the surface, it was a competition between Gu Chengguo and one other person.
But that other person was superior to Gu Chengguo in both ability and experience, with a much higher chance of winning. Yet his second brother insisted on fighting for it.
’He’s truly overestimating himself. If only he had treated our Jiaojiao well today, I might have pulled some strings to help him.’
Besides worrying about his second brother, Mr. Gu also had an eldest son at home who gave him headaches.
Gu Jiaojiao, however, had no idea her parents had gone to confront Second Uncle Gu for her sake.
They continued to wander around until ten at night before returning to the Gu Family home. The two boys accompanied them back and stayed in the Gu Family’s guest room.
