It was already past three o’clock in the afternoon, but Gu Ruoqing, who was at the Qing River Brigade, had not heard the news!
Gu Qingyao considered the situation and was prepared to play it by ear. She went home.
When she arrived at the Qing River Brigade, she ran into Gu Ruoqing, who had just had dinner with the Sun family. She had many things in her basket and Sun Mei, Chen Honghua, Liu Zao, Wang Li and some other youths all surrounded her admiringly.
A few of them came forward to block Gu Qingyao’s way. Their expressions were malicious.
Sun Mei laughed meanly. “Gu Qingyao, you’ve been going to town very often lately! What’s the matter? Are you dissatisfied with your engagement to Mo Beihan, and you’re now looking for someone in the city too?”
Chen Honghua immediately laughed. “That’s not nice! If Mo Beihan finds out, won’t he destroy the Gu family?”
The girls all burst out laughing. Some boys who were following behind also smiled maliciously as they looked at Gu Qingyao’s pretty face.
Gu Qingyao’s expression turned chilly. Sure enough, once these people gained power, they would certainly make trouble for the Gu family.
Gu Qingyao’s lips twisted. “All of you are working so hard to toady up to a child from a failed marriage. All of you used to be so arrogant, but now you’re like lackeys waiting on her. You’re nothing!”
“You…”
Gu Qingyao smiled and ignored their rage. She said bluntly, “But I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. Gu Ruoqing probably can’t help you get a job in the city factory!”
Sun Mei immediately frowned. “What do you mean?”
Gu Qingyao glanced at Gu Ruoqing and said with a laugh, “I heard your father is about to be promoted and transferred to the city. Is that right?”
Gu Ruoqing raised her chin. “Of course!”
Gu Qingyao laughed. “Hurry home and take a look. Misfortune has befallen the Wang family. Other people are saying that your father made a serious mistake and has been fired from the factory. Even that little house of yours, with an area of only forty square meters, has been taken away.
“Right now your paternal grandparents are crying and wailing at the doorstep and beating your mother, saying that she’s a jinx! They… seem to be moving house.”
After Gu Qingyao finished speaking, she bypassed the rest and went straight home.
Gu Ruoqing was bewildered. She suddenly turned and said, “Nonsense, my father…”
“Why don’t you go home and see. Then you’ll know.”
Gu Qingyao replied without turning her head.
Gu Ruoqing was terrified, and she panicked. That family was her only hope. She was still waiting for the factory to release its recruitment quota so that her father could get her a job in the factory!
Fired?
Impossible!
Impossible!
Gu Ruoqing was too terrified to care about anything else. She turned and ran towards the town.
All the bystanders were puzzled. They exchanged looks and ran along with Gu Ruoqing to see for themselves.
Gu Ruoqing ran straight back to her home. At the main entrance downstairs, her paternal grandparents were wildly beating her mother. Zhang Xiaohui was wearing a thick, oversized quilted jacket. She was curled up on the ground and could not even straighten up. Old Madam Wang, Liang Zhaodi, was pulling her hair and beating and scolding her at the same time!
“It’s all your fault. You’re a jinx, a jinx. After my son married you, everything has gone wrong. It’s all your fault. I’ll beat you to death, I’ll beat you to death. Ah ah ah!”
Wang Guozhu was the pride of her life. He had a house and a job in a city and this allowed her to enjoy life in the city. But it had not lasted for long.
They had suddenly lost everything. Liang Zhaodi herself was bewildered and she vented all her rage on Zhang Xiaohui.
Zhang Xiaohui was pregnant, but was afraid that someone else would notice. So although it was May, she was still wearing an oversized quilted jacket. She huddled in it, trying her best to disguise her pregnant belly.
Gu Ruoqing ran over and was stunned by this sight!