Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Repeating Old Tricks
You still can’t figure out your own parents after all these years.
Miserable.
Truly miserable.
Gu Ruhai couldn’t help but feel a bitter ache in his heart.
He hung his head low, saying nothing, what was there to say.
Mr. Gu scolded, "Is it ever enough? The kids come to visit, and that’s their intention, five bucks for pension isn’t a small amount, don’t be ungrateful."
Mrs. Gu glared angrily at Mr. Gu.
She turned away, ignoring him.
Mr. Gu turned his face towards Gu Ruhai and said, "Eldest, don’t listen to your mother’s ranting, we understand your intentions, business must be hard, you shouldn’t waste money, and from now on don’t bother with clothes and such, your mother and I have enough."
Such words were usually said to Gu Rushan and Gu Ruhe.
To Gu Ruhai, this was a first.
Gu Ruhai hesitated for a moment before responding, "Dad, it’s okay, business must continue, and showing filial piety is a must; if there’s nothing else, I’ll head back."
The main reason was that there was nothing more to say, especially with Mrs. Gu glaring at him so fiercely, the pressure on Gu Ruhai was overwhelming.
Though now he wasn’t as frightened of his mother as before, but being glared at with such a piercing look as if wanting to flay and extract bones, was unbearable for anyone.
Only a fool wouldn’t consider running away.
Besides, Gu Ruhai’s stomach was still empty.
The whole family couldn’t possibly eat without waiting for him. If they waited, the children would also starve.
"Wait, eldest, don’t leave."
Mrs. Gu instantly yelled out.
Gu Ruhai was startled; was there more?
But he was used to Mrs. Gu’s domineering ways, so he obediently listened.
Mr. Gu frowned. Wasn’t this wife of his still obsessed with what was just talked about?
He had put in so much effort hoping to win over the eldest, but she just didn’t understand his intentions.
The saying ’a doting mother raises a spoiled child’ isn’t wrong.
"Mom, what else do you have to say?"
Gu Ruhai could only ask.
Mrs. Gu pursed her lips and asked, "Did you grind the flour for the third son this year? It’s not easy for him to come back. You should have it ready for him tomorrow so he can take it to the town; aren’t you heading there for business? Just take it for him and deliver it to the house, saving him the trouble."
It was an order; if Gu Ruhai couldn’t recognize the tone, then he’d truly be a fool.
But why did his heart hurt so much?
This was something done habitually every year, and he never uttered a word against it, but it seemed like this year he had become stingy, starting to haggle over such a matter.
Avoiding Mrs. Gu’s face, which certainly wouldn’t be a good one, Gu Ruhai decided to speak in a muffled voice, "Third, this year we need flour for our business, if I give it to you, I’ll have to buy more from the village, it’s not worth it, perhaps you should ask second brother."
Which meant, I don’t have any here.
This response almost choked Gu Ruhe.
Was this the usually speechless Gu Ruhai?
Gu Ruhe was so astonished, his eyes widened behind the thick, spiral-patterned glasses.
Stammering, he said, "Brother, what you said, wasn’t it always you who took care of it every year? Suddenly changing plans, it’s hard to ask the second brother. Besides, didn’t mom and dad agree on this with you?"
This was pushing Gu Ruhai to comply.
Mrs. Gu also widened her eyes, slammed the table, making the wrinkled flesh on her face jiggle, "Oh, you, Gu Ruhai, you have no regard for family ties, do you want your brother’s family to starve? Every year you promise the white flour from your fields to the third son, now you want to deny it."
Raising her voice, the prelude to scolding.
This was usually an effective weapon against Gu Ruhai.
Mr. Gu glanced at the dark night outside, displeased with his wife’s loud voice. Didn’t she realize they were inviting outsiders to laugh at them?
Gu Ruhai felt a pang from the scolding, see, this was his own mother.
Starve his brother’s family.
Yes, as if this could starve his brother’s family, then what about his own family all those years?
Would someone earning seventy-eight yuan a month really starve, while he who made thirty a year did not?
Anger swelled in Gu Ruhai’s heart, he raised his head, looking at Gu Ruhe, a trace of sharpness in his eyes learned from Gu Xiaoqing arose unconsciously, adopting the imposing manner his daughter used when being intimidating.
"Third, it’s interesting what you say, you and Xiao Xue combined earn seventy-eight per month, you only have two kids, Xiaofeng and Xiao Min, even if the ration is not enough, it won’t make you starve.
My wife and I make just thirty a year, we haven’t had white flour to eat in the past but I haven’t seen anyone starve. So don’t talk about what’s agreed upon.
You’re no younger now, with children over ten years old, do you still expect me as your elder brother to support you?"
This really carried the elder brother’s authority.
It quite literally stunned Gu Ruhe.
How had this reticent Gu Ruhai become so articulate and discerning, was he possessed by something?
Gu Ruhe was flustered.
Everything that seemed fine had changed, as he only managed to visit the Gu Family Village once or twice a year, he wasn’t very knowledgeable about the gossip there, as usually, he only came back when he needed something from the Gu Family Village.
Each visit never prolonged.
Gu Ruhe hadn’t heard about the recent changes in Gu Ruhai in past months, including his confrontations with Gu Rushan, Gu Rushan wouldn’t mention such matters to his younger brother, leaving Gu Ruhe in the dark.
This time, he had just walked into a trap.
Stunned by Gu Ruhai’s rebuke, he was rendered speechless and felt out of sorts.
Looking at Gu Ruhai in front of him, the figure still familiar yet strangely different. Previously, Gu Ruhai was dark, thin, haggard-looking, aged, and humpbacked, always appearing subdued and bullied.
Now, however, Gu Ruhai was at least muscular, physically sturdy, his face still weathered yet replaced with an indefinable energy, and those eyes contained hope and assertiveness, his back was straight, and his words sharp; even his usual submissive demeanor towards Mrs. Gu was gone.
Gu Ruhe truly underestimated Gu Ruhai.
Mrs. Gu, bursting with anger, immediately jumped off the kang edge, standing barefoot in the center of the room without wearing her shoes, and began pointing at Gu Ruhai, spewing saliva as she cursed, "You ungrateful beast, your brother only asked for some white flour from you, don’t you have it yourself? Isn’t there a lot from your fields, making the third son go buy high-priced grain, your heart is really black. This is pushing the third son’s family towards ruin.
If your father and I had known you’d be so heartless, we should have drowned you in your swaddling clothes, saving us from being angered every day like this."