Chapter 814 - 817: Venting

Chapter 814: Chapter 817: Venting

Over the next two days, Gu Wenheng stopped taking visitors. He simply closed his doors to guests and spent his time nestled by the river with Jin Qianqian, fishing.

Just as they had expected, the moment the two of them sat down by the river, the children who had been playing in the water quietly left. Even if villagers passed by, not a single one came forward to disturb them.

"I told you, don’t walk around outside all day with such a gloomy face. Look, you’ve scared everyone away," Jin Qianqian said. She cast her fishing line and sat to the side. A table next to her was laden with a colorful assortment of fruits. What a decadent life this was.

"You really can’t blame me for this," Gu Wenheng said. "I clearly smiled at them when we came over. Who knew it would make them run away even faster?

"Other than having a bit more meat on my bones, I shouldn’t be that terrifying.

"Sigh, besides you, I barely have anyone left to talk to these days."

Returning this time, he felt a distance not only from the villagers but also from the Gu Family Brothers. They could never go back to the casual dynamic they once shared.

Jin Qianqian patted his hand comfortingly, grabbed a piece of sliced apple from the table, and fed it to him.

Gu Wenheng chewed a few times before staring intently at her hands. "Did you... just bait your hook?"

Jin Qianqian looked down at her hands. "I... did..."

Unable to hold it in, Gu Wenheng spat out a mouthful of apple crumbs. "Wife, you can’t just set me up like that..."

"If I said it wasn’t on purpose, would you believe me?" Jin Qianqian asked.

Gu Wenheng shot her a look. "What do you think?"

His wife was definitely taking revenge on him for the sake of that brat at home. He knew it in his heart, but he couldn’t say it out loud.

Jin Qianqian took a handkerchief from Housekeeper Xu and wiped her hands. "Good thing we didn’t use earthworms for bait today..."

Gu Wenheng clutched his stomach, his insides churning. He thought, "Could you please stop talking?"

Jin Qianqian suddenly pointed at his fishing rod and shouted, "Look, you’ve got a bite!"

Gu Wenheng instantly forgot everything else, his eyes fixed on the rod. "None of you help me this time. Step back, everyone."

Earlier, the moment a fish had taken the bait, the guards behind him had immediately intervened. Even though he had snatched the rod back halfway through, they still lent a hand from time to time, completely robbing him of any sense of accomplishment.

Jin Qianqian also waved the men away and stood by his side. "Judging by the movement, the fish shouldn’t be very big—" Before she could finish her sentence, a massive fish head breached the surface of the water. She quickly shut her mouth.

It seemed that even after all these years, their luck was as good as ever.

Xu Dawang and the others also looked on high alert. A few guards had already begun to slowly close in around Gu Wenheng.

Gu Wenheng, however, was thrilled. This was likely the king of the catch today, and he was determined to reel it in himself.

"Step back a bit, all of you. Today, I’ll show you a thing or two," Gu Wenheng said, his eyes glued to the river. At least his subordinates had some tact and hadn’t blocked his view.

Xu Dawang stood to the side and said anxiously, "Mr. Gu, this fish is quite large. Why don’t you let them handle it?"

"Don’t distract me," Gu Wenheng said. "Hurry up and find a large basin to hold this big fish! Our dinner is settled for today.

"Wife, how do you think we should cook it?"

In his excitement, Gu Wenheng completely disregarded his image and even called out to his wife affectionately.

Seeing him so uncharacteristically childish, Jin Qianqian let him be, merely instructing the nearby guards to watch carefully. "Take it easy. Don’t let the fish get away, or our whole family will be dining on nothing but fresh air."

"Don’t worry!" Gu Wenheng said. "This fish is destined to be our meal."

After a Herculean effort—and ultimately with the help of the guards—a massive fish weighing over ten catties was finally hauled ashore.

"That was exhilarating." Gu Wenheng, drenched in sweat after the intense battle, looked at his prize with sheer joy. "See? I kept my word, didn’t I? Our main dish is sorted for today."

Jin Qianqian, who was now holding her own fishing rod, asked, "Do you still have the energy for another round?"

Gu Wenheng held up his trembling hands and said through gritted teeth, "Absolutely."

Jin Qianqian immediately placed her rod into his hands. "Then it’s up to you. Maybe we’ll even catch enough to invite Dashi and the others over for dinner."

Gu Wenheng thought, "Would it be too embarrassing to admit defeat now?"

Xu Dawang looked concerned. "Madam, Mr. Gu..."

Jin Qianqian gazed at the river surface and said softly, "He’s only human. He needs to let off some steam. Being wound too tight all the time isn’t a good thing."

Xu Dawang fell silent.

That night, thanks to the day’s catch, the Gu Family gathered once more for dinner. Even Gu Dashi, who had been hiding away in his room, was carried out to the main hall.

After they had eaten their fill, Liu Liu pulled Jin Qianqian aside to whisper.

"Gu Yuanfeng came back again today," Liu Liu said. "But this time, Mother didn’t even give her a chance to speak. She kicked her right back out in a few short words."

"Didn’t the Gu Family Brothers go and warn her husband last time?" Jin Qianqian asked. "They only behaved for a few days. What was she here for this time?"

"Let me tell you, if you ask anyone else, they definitely wouldn’t know. But since the two villages are so close, I specifically sent someone to ask around," Liu Liu said with a mysterious expression.

"Besides wanting to ask you for a share of Chun Ya’s dowry, she also wanted you to arrange a marriage for her son.

"She’s been jealous ever since you found such good matches and great Yue Families for the other boys. She’s said a lot of sour things to our faces on several occasions. She even claimed that you two couldn’t tell the difference between insiders and outsiders—saying it was one thing to help your own nephews, but questioning why you were taking on everything for the extended clan members too."

"That’s because those children are worth helping..." Jin Qianqian said.

"We all know that. We naturally understand the children who grew up right under our noses better," Liu Liu said, patting Jin Qianqian’s hand as she continued to gossip. "Besides, everyone knows the score. If you really want to get technical, that boy from the Shi family is the actual outsider.

"Whenever anyone hears these rumors, neither the villagers nor the clan members need us to speak up—they tear the gossipers down themselves.

"I really don’t know what goes on in her head. Wouldn’t raising her own child properly be better than anything else? Look at how she spoils him. He never misses a chance to brag outside that he’s Old Seventh’s biological nephew.

"Later, when the Gu Family Brothers heard about this, they simply sent someone to tail the boy. As long as he leaves the village, they keep a close eye on him. That’s the only reason he hasn’t caused a disaster all these years."

Taking the matter seriously, Jin Qianqian asked, "Do Mother and the others know?"

"My husband mentioned it to her," Liu Liu said. "Mother immediately called her over and gave her a severe scolding. But Gu Yuanfeng had a ton of excuses. She fired back, asking if her son had said anything wrong.

"She argued that simply telling people Old Seventh was his biological uncle was a matter of fact, wasn’t it?

"She even accused our family of not treating her son like a real nephew, saying that not only were you unwilling to support him, but his other uncles were actively suppressing him as well.

"Sigh, everyone was so angry they almost chased her out with brooms. In the end, Father had to step in as the peacemaker."