Chapter 252: Chapter 253: Beaten
Liu Liu grew tired of chasing him and stood by the road, hands on her hips. "There’s no justifying this, no matter how you look at it. Back then, you chose to marry into another family and were so unfilial to your own parents. You cut all ties with the Gu family. And now that you see our lives have improved, you think you can come back, say a few nice words, and we’re supposed to welcome you back with open arms?"
Their good days had only just begun, and someone already popped up wanting a piece of the pie. Where in the world could you find a deal that good?
Xie Ruyi’s good mood from the early morning was also ruined. She had arranged for a matchmaker to introduce a potential wife to the second brother, but now, because of this *thing*, she had to send the matchmaker away before even getting to hear about the girl.
At this thought, Xie Ruyi ran forward a few steps and laid into Gu Yuanlei with a barrage of blows. "You’re always full of wishful thinking! You used to sweet-talk Dad into favoring you, and now you see that your brothers are easygoing, so you think you can come back and stir up trouble?
Didn’t you go off to the city to climb the social ladder? Did you fail to make it, so now you want to come crawling back?"
"Pah!" Li Xiaohua took the opportunity to land a few hits of her own. "Eldest Sister-in-law, they say a leopard can’t change its spots. He’s just trying to come back and screw us over. If he really wanted to be a filial son, with the Lan Family’s wealth, would they let him come back empty-handed?
And he still has the gall to claim he’s back to be a filial son? Where was he all this time?
During all those past festivals, did anyone ever see him bring so much as a single piece of candy?"
Gu Yuanlei covered his head and scrambled to escape. Surrounded by his four sisters-in-law, it wasn’t that he didn’t think of fighting back, but when he saw his four brothers watching menacingly from the side, he could only run and beg for mercy.
"Eldest Brother, I’m not a live-in son-in-law anymore! I have the revised marriage certificate from the government office right here. I just want to see Dad. Can you please tell my sisters-in-law to back off?"
"In your dreams!" Even the usually quiet Hong Daya wouldn’t stand for it. "Haven’t you made Dad suffer enough? Haven’t you made your brothers suffer enough?
Dad was bedridden for so long because of you! Your brothers had to take care of his every need, cleaning up his filth. And now you think you can just waltz back in with a casual ’I was wrong’ and erase all of that?"
"Exactly!" Having recovered her energy, Liu Liu rejoined the fray, brandishing her broom with menacing vigor. She was on the verge of forcing Gu Yuanlei out of the village entrance. "Get lost, and don’t you ever come back!"
"Eldest Brother, are you just going to stand there and watch them bully me? Say something!" Gu Yuanlei grew desperate and blurted out his true thoughts. "Are you all afraid I’ve come back to fight you for the inheritance?"
"See? We were right! He’s definitely up to no good." Liu Liu pushed back a stray lock of hair and put more force into her swings. "What does any of that have to do with you? Even we, the daughters-in-law, don’t get a say in it. Yet a brat who was cast out of the family actually dares to have such ideas.
If I don’t let out this frustration today, it’ll be an insult to all the days we’ve been watched like thieves!"
The Gu brothers: "..." ’She’s getting off-topic!’
Who would have thought her words would strike a chord? Xie Ruyi and the others, as if they had found an outlet, unleashed all their recent frustrations on Gu Yuanlei.
By the time they came to their senses, Gu Yuanlei had not only been driven out of the village, but his entire body was covered in red welts from the beating.
"That’s enough," Li Cuicui said, appearing at the village entrance. "You should go. Don’t come back.
It doesn’t matter if your father acknowledges you or not. You won’t get past me."
"Mother, I’m your son! We’re all your sons. Why can’t you accept me?" Gu Yuanlei panted, propping himself up.
"You can think that if you want," Li Cuicui said, turning away and closing her eyes. She then called out to her other sons, "All of you, take your wives and listen. I promise you right here and now: I will never let him back into this family.
Gu Yuanlei, for the sake of the bond we once shared as mother and son, I’ll give you one last piece of advice: don’t covet what isn’t yours.
It’s better to have something of your own than to rely on what others have. You’re able-bodied. As long as you’re willing to work, you can always make a life for yourself."
Watching them walk away, Gu Yuanlei’s eyes grew red. "You could have just helped me. Why are you treating me like this?"
"..."
&
"I just want to see that stinking brat! How was I ever bad to him? For him to be so unfilial!" Gu Dashishi was locked inside by Li Cuicui. He pounded on the door, muttering relentlessly.
"And what good would seeing him do?" Li Cuicui heard him going on and on the moment she walked in, so she simply took out the key and unlocked the door for him.
The moment the door opened, Gu Dashishi tried to charge outside, but Li Cuicui stopped him. "Don’t bother. His sisters-in-law gave him a beating and ran him out of the village."
"..."
Seeing Gu Dashishi standing there in a daze, Li Cuicui stared straight at him. "From now on, we’ll act as if we never had this son. Otherwise, we might lose our other children."
"I wasn’t planning on taking him back," Gu Dashishi said, pursing his lips. "I just wanted to understand. Haven’t I been good enough to him all these years? Why would he treat me like that in return?"
"And I’d like to ask you on behalf of our other children: they’re all your sons, so why did you treat them so differently?"
Gu Dashishi looked at his wife’s serious gaze and stammered, "I didn’t mistreat the other children. I made sure they all got married."
Li Cuicui sneered. "Go on, tell me how else you were good to them."
Gu Dashishi said, "...At least I didn’t sell them off like some other families do..."
Li Cuicui immediately started scratching his face. "So you *did* think about it! No wonder the boys were never close to you when they were growing up. Did you let it slip?
I worked my fingers to the bone to keep this family together, and you were thinking of selling my sons? Who gave you the nerve?"
"You woman, can’t you listen properly? Did I say I was going to sell them? What I meant was..."
But Li Cuicui wasn’t listening to explanations. Using her advantage in strength and height, she pinned Gu Dashishi down and gave him a sound thrashing. Only when he was repeatedly begging for mercy did she finally stand up, shaking out her hand.
"If I had beaten you like this a few times years ago, maybe you wouldn’t have caused so much trouble."
"You shrew! I’m going to divorce you!" The moment he was free, Gu Dashishi scrambled into a room and shut the door, not forgetting to shout empty threats.
Li Cuicui put her hands on her hips. "Fine. But if there’s any divorcing to be done, it’ll be me divorcing you.
For all these years, you’ve done nothing but slack off and shirk your duties. I’m the one who’s been busy with everything, both inside and outside this house. I’d love to ask the Gu family elders what right a good-for-nothing like you has to say something like that."
"Mrs. Li, are you really going to defy me?
Let me tell you, with the injuries you’ve given me, if I divorce you, everyone will say I did the right thing!"
But Li Cuicui just laughed. "Then hurry up and do it. Do you really think I can’t live without you?
But I’m worried about *you*. After all these years of your favoritism and all the trouble you’ve caused, do you really think your other sons have any affection left for you?
A lazy bum like you... go ask your sons which one of them would be willing to take you in. A person has to have some self-awareness."
