Chapter 29 - 11: Backing

Chapter 29: Chapter 11: Backing

Second Brother Lin shot her a cold glance, his sharp eyes scanning his two nephews. "Da Zai, Er Zai, are you two okay?"

When Er Zai saw his second uncle, his face lit up. "Second Uncle, what are you doing here?"

Lin Shisheng ruffled Er Zai’s hair, his hand coming away slick with sweat. "I heard your mom hit her head, so your grandma and I came to check on her."

"My grandma’s here?" Er Zai said happily. "Second Uncle, I’m going to go see her."

With that, he grabbed his older brother’s wrist and bolted for home.

The Lin Family was always very good to the Gu children, and the little ones were very fond of their maternal relatives.

Lin Shisheng, however, wasn’t in a hurry to leave.

He looked over at Gu Xing’er, who was being helped up by Sister-in-law Gu and Second Sister-in-law Gu, and issued a cold warning. "The Lin Family has people to stand up for our own. The next time you think about messing with my sister, you’d better consider whether you can handle the consequences."

"This is the first time, and I hope it’s the last. If there’s a next time, my brothers and I won’t be nearly as civil as we are now."

Her body aching where the firewood had hit her, and now faced with a threat, Gu Xing’er felt both wronged and afraid. She just sat there and wailed.

Lin Shisheng felt no sympathy for her whatsoever and left with a stony expression.

Not long after he left, Father Gu, Mother Gu, Brother Gu, Second Brother Gu, and the others returned.

Seeing Gu Xing’er wiping away tears and crying incessantly, they were bewildered.

"What happened?" Mother Gu asked.

Gu Xing’er hiked up her pant leg to reveal the marks on her skin and shrieked, "What else could it be? It’s all your fault! What kind of wife did you find for Third Brother? She bullies her own sister-in-law day in and day out! She bullies me... Making me bring her firewood was bad enough, but then she called her brother over to bully me! There’s no end to it! WAHHHH..."

"Dad, Mom, Brother Gu, Second Brother Gu, look at my leg! Lin Zhao’s brother did this! I don’t even know if it’s going to scar! What am I going to do if it does? The entire Lin Family is a bunch of savages..."

Huang Xiulan and Zhao Liuniang were left speechless. They lowered their heads to hide the scornful looks in their eyes.

’This sister-in-law of ours sure knows how to spin a story. She conveniently left out the part where she tried to hit Da Zai and Er Zai with the firewood.’

The Gu sisters-in-law couldn’t speak up for various reasons, but the children of the family had no such qualms.

"Bad auntie," Tie Chui said, exposing Gu Xing’er’s act. He tattled to his grandparents, "Grandpa, Grandma, Auntie tried to hit Da Zai and Er Zai with that bundle of firewood!"

The expressions on Father Gu and Mother Gu’s faces changed drastically.

They looked at Gu Xing’er as if they didn’t know her.

"Is that true?" Mother Gu’s gaze swept over the other family members before finally landing on her eldest grandson, Bangbang.

"Bangbang, you tell me."

Bangbang, being older, was more articulate. He recounted the incident clearly. "Tie Chui isn’t wrong. Auntie tried to hit Da Zai and Er Zai with the firewood. Da Zai and Er Zai’s second uncle showed up just in time and kicked the bundle away. That’s how it ended up hitting Auntie."

Gu Xing’er’s eyes darted around evasively. She covered her face with her arm, secretly peeking at Mother Gu’s expression.

Mother Gu said nothing, but a flash of disappointment crossed her eyes. Suppressing her anger, she said to the rest of the family, "Don’t just stand here gawking. Everyone, go on about your business."

Then she and Father Gu went back to their room.

Gu Xing’er froze, then called out, "Mom, what about me? I’m hurt!"

No one answered her.

Brother Gu and Second Brother Gu didn’t dare defy their mother. With helpless looks in their eyes, they let their respective wives pull them back to their rooms.

「In the eldest son’s quarters.」

Brother Gu couldn’t let it go. Peeking outside through a crack in the window, he whispered to his wife, "What was that all about? Why would Xing’er try to hit Da Zai and Er Zai?"

"Hmph." Huang Xiulan snorted, pulling out some torn clothes to mend. "What else? She’s bitter because the third brother’s stipend wasn’t spent on her."

"That sister of yours... I’m speechless. She’s nothing like the rest of your family."

Brother Gu pretended not to hear that last jab and asked, "What does this have to do with the third brother’s stipend?"

Huang Xiulan threaded her needle and said unhurriedly, "Third Brother’s wife bought Da Zai and Er Zai some Warrior shoes. When your sister saw them, she started mocking the boys."

"And you know Er Zai, he never takes anything lying down. He’s got a quick mouth on him. He just said, ’Auntie, you’re not just jealous my mom has money to spend, are you?’ That made your sister fly off the handle and get physical. If Third Brother’s wife’s second brother hadn’t arrived when he did..."

She trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air.

Brother Gu’s brow furrowed. "Xing’er is getting more and more unreasonable."

"Well, your family spoiled her rotten," Huang Xiulan retorted. She was deeply unhappy with her lazy-as-a-pig sister-in-law, her heart filled with resentment.

When Lin Zhao’s household was separated, however lazy she was became the third branch’s problem. But Gu Xing’er was different. Her laziness came at the expense of Huang Xiulan and Sixth Sister. As the wife of the eldest son, it was impossible for her not to feel resentful.

"You can’t say that. Xing’er is still young..." Brother Gu started, but he was cut off by the sarcastic, humorless smile that spread across his wife’s face.