Chapter 333: Chapter 333: Speaking Freely
Gu Jiaojiao looked up at the sound of the voice, her eyes falling upon Mrs. Gu, whose face was wreathed in smiles.
Her beautiful, almond-shaped eyes crinkled into crescents, making the crow’s feet at their corners more pronounced. It was clear she was in high spirits.
Gu Jiaojiao’s gaze then shifted to the feast on the table. "Mom, you cooked so much today! You must be exhausted."
Mrs. Gu looked at her daughter’s radiant smile and noticed how her son-in-law’s dark eyes were glued to her. She smiled gently and said,
"Shuo Ci, Jiaojiao, why didn’t you two come back for lunch? I’m not tired at all. In fact, I’d be even happier if you two came home for dinner every day."
Gu Jiaojiao stepped forward, linking arms with Mrs. Gu. "In that case," she said with a smile, "Shu Ci and I will come home for dinner every Sunday. You have to promise to make us something delicious, okay?"
Hearing his sister say they would come home to eat more often, Second Brother Gu happily chimed in.
"Jiaojiao, I was just worried you two wouldn’t have time to come home. I’ve been learning to cook! I’ll show you what I’ve got tomorrow and let you have a taste."
A warm smile spread across Mrs. Gu’s face. "Oho, so that’s why! I was wondering why your second brother was so interested in cooking. Turns out he was learning just for our Jiaojiao."
She turned to Second Brother Gu, who was standing nearby. "Isn’t that right, Jingtai?"
"Yeah, hehe. Well, not entirely. I’ll cook for Grandpa, Mom, and Dad, too," Second Brother Gu said, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish grin.
Gu Jiaojiao was deeply touched, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled. "I knew it! Second Brother is obviously trying to score points with Grandpa, Mom, and Dad."
"That’s right, that’s right... I was wondering why the boy was spending so much time in the kitchen. So he was learning to cook to please our Jiaojiao!" Mr. Gu chimed in eagerly.
Old Sir Gu laughed as well. "I agree. Jingtai is only learning to cook so diligently to make Jiaojiao happy. The rest of us are just an afterthought."
"You don’t say? Well, in that case, I can hardly refuse such a kind offer. On behalf of Shu Ci and myself, thank you in advance, Second Brother," Gu Jiaojiao said, breaking into a wide, toothy grin.
"Haha... Well, I thank our second boy as well! I can’t wait for tomorrow’s dinner," Grandpa Gu said with a hearty laugh.
"Jingtai may be the least educated one in our family, but he’s also the most thoughtful child. I’m very proud of him," said Mr. Gu.
Listening to the family’s cheerful laughter, Eldest Brother Gu lowered his head in shame.
’I’m not like my sister,’ he thought. ’She’s lively and cheerful, kind and adorable, and very capable. The whole family dotes on her.’
’My second brother has always been talkative, mischievous, and great at winning over our parents.’
’And me? I’m shy and have always just listened to their boisterous chatter in silence.’
’I don’t even know when it started, but I’ve always been the one everyone intentionally or unintentionally forgets at home.’
The more Eldest Brother Gu thought about it, the more awkward he felt. Not wanting his sister to forget him too, he swallowed his pride and spoke up.
"Grandpa, all of you are praising Second Brother so much... It makes me feel like an unfilial son."
After hearing his eldest grandson speak, Old Sir Gu exchanged a look with Mr. Gu. Their eyes conveyed the same message: ’How on earth is this guy part of the Gu family bloodline?’
Old Sir Gu gave his eldest grandson a serious look and said in a grave tone,
"Jinghua, you can’t say that. You’ve always been much more sensible than your second brother, so much so that it pained us."
’If only you’d stop pining for that ungrateful wretch, Sheng Yueyue, would we have any reason to ignore you?!’
Mr. Gu also chimed in, his brow furrowed in frustration. "Jinghua, your grandpa is right. You’re the most filial child in our family. You’ve never given us any trouble since you were little."
’But why can’t you just listen to us? If you were just a bit smarter and gave up on that ungrateful wretch, we wouldn’t have to be this way with you!’
Eldest Brother Gu’s face flushed red at the praise from his grandfather and father. ’So they haven’t forgotten about me after all.’
Seeing his eldest grandson’s flushed face, Grandpa Gu couldn’t resist teasing him. "Getting shy now, are we, Jinghua?"
The tips of Eldest Brother Gu’s ears burned from his grandfather’s teasing. "Grandpa..." he mumbled, feeling awkward.
"Haha... All right, all right, let’s eat before our Jiaojiao starves," Mr. Gu said, letting out a rare, hearty laugh.
"Yes, come on, everyone. Let’s eat," Mrs. Gu said, pulling Gu Jiaojiao to the seat on her right.
Once everyone was seated, Mrs. Gu picked up the serving chopsticks and placed a few spare ribs into the bowls of her four children.
Eldest Brother Gu was in a particularly good mood today, so he also picked up the serving chopsticks to add food to Gu Jiaojiao’s bowl. Not to be outdone, Second Brother Gu did the same.
Gu Jiaojiao watched as her bowl was instantly piled high like a small mountain. "Whoa, Mom, you two, my brothers..." she said, exasperated. "How am I supposed to eat all this?"
Second Brother Gu replied calmly, "No problem. Just take your time. If you really can’t finish, you can give it to me."
’He’d been wanting to say that for a long time, but he was afraid his brother-in-law would skin him alive, so he’d never dared.’
Sure enough, the moment the words left his mouth, a chill ran down his spine. He knew his brother-in-law was glaring at him.
He quickly picked up a piece of meat and placed it in Mrs. Gu’s bowl. "Mom, don’t just worry about serving us. You should eat more, too."
Eldest Brother Gu immediately chimed in, "Mom, you’ve worked hard. Don’t spoil us. We can get our own food."
Mrs. Gu looked at her eldest son. "Jinghua, you eat more. How come you never seem to put on any weight? Are you still not fully recovered?"
"Mom, there’s nothing wrong with Eldest Brother’s health anymore," Gu Jiaojiao explained. "He’s just weighed down by melancholy. Once he resolves his inner turmoil, he’ll fully recover.
"The reason Shuo Ci and I are in a hurry to move is that the new house has a lab. I need to find some time to make some medicine pills to help all of you improve your health."
Gu Jiaojiao knew Su Shuochi was eager to move, but she didn’t want to upset Grandpa Gu or her parents.
That’s why she came up with the idea of using the spiritual spring water from her space to make medicine pills as a way to make it up to them.
She had always been a direct and decisive person, believing that family members should be open and honest with one another.
’Familial love, just like romantic love, suffers most from secrets and things left unsaid.’
’If you make things clear and the other person still refuses to change, they’re just playing dumb—just like Eldest Brother Gu.’
"Jiaojiao, Shuo Ci, you’re going to all this trouble for our sake... I really thought you two just didn’t want to live with us anymore!" said Mr. Gu.
"Of course not!" Gu Jiaojiao said with an awkward laugh. ’In truth, I just don’t want to live with Eldest Brother Gu.’
’Just looking at his gloomy expression is infuriating. As for Su Shuochi, he probably feels the same way!’
"Haha... Good! Then I, your grandpa, thank you, Jiaojiao and Shuo Ci," Old Sir Gu said with a delighted laugh.
The Gu Family’s dinner was a very happy one. Everyone spoke their minds, and any lingering resentment about Gu Jiaojiao and her husband moving out was cleared up.
After dinner, Grandpa Gu had Gu Jiaojiao and the others take a walk with him in the courtyard to help digest the meal.
The younger members of the Han family and the Xiao Family who had dropped Gu Jiaojiao at the Gu Family’s gate had already left, after arranging to pick her up at nine the next morning.
It wasn’t until ten at night that everyone finally retired to their rooms. As soon as Su Shuochi finished washing up, he pulled Gu Jiaojiao aside to talk.
The words he’d been holding back all evening came tumbling out of him in a rush. He even shared his earlier suspicion that the woman from Second Uncle Gu’s side of the family had been behind it.
Finally, he added, though with less certainty, "Geng Haoyi said he also saw Jiang Ruyan at the restaurant."
