Chapter 268: Chapter 265: [Family Affairs]
Chapter Two Hundred and Sixty-Five: Family Affairs
As Chen Nuo’s mother, Ou Xiuhua was naturally no stranger to this residence.
The house had been passed down from the old lady. In her younger years, Ou Xiuhua had frequently visited.
Her last visit to this house was a few years ago. By then, Ou Xiuhua had remarried. She would occasionally come to see the still very young Chen Nuo, secretly slip some money to the old lady, and then leave in tears.
Speaking of Ou Xiuhua’s failed marriage to Gu Kang, it was indeed a regrettable matter.
After her divorce from Chen Jianshe, Ou Xiuhua lived alone with her young son, Chen Nuo.
Then, she met Gu Kang.
Ou Xiuhua had been strikingly beautiful in her youth—otherwise, Chen Jianshe, with his wayward nature, would not have ultimately married her.
At that time, Gu Kang had not yet developed a gambling addiction and held a steady job. Although somewhat glib, he was generally considered a decent prospect.
Upon setting his eyes on Ou Xiuhua, he pursued her relentlessly.
As a woman raising a child on her own, Ou Xiuhua naturally had a hard life. Chen Jianshe had abandoned his family for many years, caring nothing for them, and Ou Xiuhua had exhausted her strength trying to maintain their small household alone.
Then, a man suddenly appeared by her side, offering warmth and attentive care, and Ou Xiuhua was finally moved.
But the biggest obstacle to their marriage came from Gu Kang’s mother.
The Gu family’s matriarch was extremely traditional and conservative. She looked down on Ou Xiuhua, a divorced woman whom she saw as having an encumbrance.
No matter how pretty Ou Xiuhua was, in the matriarch’s eyes, she was just a vixen using her looks to seduce her precious son.
Gu Kang’s mother adamantly refused to allow Ou Xiuhua into the family, even threatening to kill herself.
At the time, Gu Kang showed remarkable determination. This might not have stemmed from true love for Ou Xiuhua; more likely, he was simply blinded by lust for her beauty.
Seeing she couldn’t sway her son, Gu Kang’s mother relented with a lesser demand.
"The adult can join the family, but that young burden absolutely cannot!"
What if Gu Kang and Ou Xiuhua don’t have a son later? If that boy, Chen Nuo, joins the family, he’d legally be the couple’s only child. Wouldn’t the Gu family’s inheritance then fall into the hands of the Chen family?
At this point, Ou Xiuhua herself was ready to give up. Remarrying was, of course, a good thing, and having a man to take care of her was naturally appealing.
But Ou Xiuhua couldn’t bring herself to abandon her only son.
Just as the situation reached a stalemate, Chen Nuo’s grandmother stepped forward.
"Let our Chen family raise our own Chen family child," she said.
Chen Nuo’s grandmother had a talk with Ou Xiuhua. The old lady was clear-sighted; she knew her own son, Chen Jianshe, had been too reckless and irresponsible, thereby holding back his former daughter-in-law.
Since they were divorced, she couldn’t let her son’s past continue to hinder Ou Xiuhua’s entire life. Ou Xiuhua was only in her thirties at the time; she couldn’t be expected to remain single forever.
Since the Gu family looked down on Chen Nuo as a burden, Chen Nuo’s grandmother proactively offered to take her grandson in and raise him herself.
Thus, Chen Nuo went to live with his grandmother. After Ou Xiuhua remarried, it was agreed that she would provide monthly child support.
Besides, Chen Jianshe was, after all, still alive, even if he had vanished without a trace. The responsibility of raising the child shouldn’t fall solely on Ou Xiuhua.
Chen Nuo’s grandmother’s profound understanding and generosity finally allowed Ou Xiuhua’s second marriage to proceed.
Although, judging by the outcome, this marriage also ended in tragedy.
But Ou Xiuhua would always be indebted for the kindness shown by Chen Nuo’s grandmother.
Furthermore, after Ou Xiuhua remarried, she gave birth to a daughter, Xiao Yezi.
This birth immediately caused Gu Kang’s mother great dissatisfaction. Influenced by her preference for boys over girls, Ou Xiuhua’s life in the Gu family became even more difficult.
By then, after they had been married for some time, Gu Kang’s affection for Ou Xiuhua had gradually cooled, and he was no longer as ardent. Ou Xiuhua’s only support in the Gu family was her husband; his waning affection left her in an even more awkward position.
She even found it difficult to get money from her new household to pay Chen Nuo’s child support.
Chen Nuo’s grandmother simply brushed these matters aside with a smile.
The old lady’s thinking was straightforward: Our Chen family’s child will be raised by our Chen family. As his mother, if you face difficulties after remarrying, help if you can. If you truly can’t, then I, this old woman, can raise the child myself.
This detail alone spoke volumes about the old lady’s character.
During all the years she raised Chen Nuo, living together with him, the old lady never once spoke ill of Ou Xiuhua in his presence!
She always said, "Your mother has her difficulties and can’t be with you, but she truly misses you very much..."
Therefore, Ou Xiuhua deeply cherished the memory of Chen Nuo’s grandmother’s kindness.
Now, entering this house once more and standing in the living room, Ou Xiuhua felt as if she had stepped into another world, gazing at this "Chen family" that was both familiar and yet strange.
The decor, furniture, and appliances in the home had all been replaced.
Perhaps the only familiar sight was the portrait of the old lady hanging on the wall.
Ou Xiuhua first walked to the portrait. After a moment’s hesitation, she whispered, "Is there any incense at home? I’d like to offer some to the old lady."
Chen Nuo squinted at this "birth mother," who felt like a stranger, and said slowly, "We don’t keep such things here. Just bow to the old lady to show your respects."
Ou Xiuhua listened and then bowed three times to the old lady’s portrait with great sincerity.
Brother Lei positioned the wheelchair in the living room and helped Chen Nuo into it.
Ou Xiuhua turned to look at Chen Nuo, her brow furrowed, appearing hesitant to speak.
She had wanted to ask about the wheelchair when she saw it downstairs.
But, for one thing, Chen Nuo had said they would talk once they got home.
For another, it had been many years since she and her son, Chen Nuo, had been separated.
Chen Nuo was less than ten years old when he was separated from his mother. By now, many of his memories had likely faded.
All those years were enough to create a thick wall of unfamiliarity between them.
Although she desperately wanted to ask, she couldn’t bring herself to do it—fearing that it might seem like she was putting on an act, pretending to care.
One look at Ou Xiuhua’s expression told Chen Nuo what she was thinking. He paused for a moment, then gave Brother Lei a few instructions and had him leave first.
Ou Xiuhua personally saw him to the door, thanking Brother Lei profusely.
Brother Lei, however, looked both awkward and flustered. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he left as if fleeing.
Man... facing Chen Nuo’s actual mother is definitely awkward. You know, Sister Ou, you probably wouldn’t believe it if I told you... Just a few days ago, I was standing right in front of your son, pretending to be his dad... How outrageous is that!
Chen Nuo sat in the wheelchair, watching Ou Xiuhua close the front door and walk back. He smiled and pointed towards the sofa. "Sit down. The outsider has left. Now, let’s discuss family matters."
This time, without waiting for Ou Xiuhua to ask, Chen Nuo took the initiative. "First, let’s talk about why I’m in a wheelchair."
Ou Xiuhua immediately looked anxious and concerned. "Right! What happened to you..."
"I’m fine," Chen Nuo said, repeating the story he had concocted for Old Jiang. "I had a nasty fall a while ago. It was quite serious and I injured my leg.
The doctor said this leg needs to heal slowly, and I should avoid using it as much as possible. That’s why I’m temporarily using this wheelchair.
It’s not a major problem, I just need to rest my leg."
This explanation certainly wouldn’t have fooled Old Jiang. As a martial arts expert, he could tell the severity of such injuries with a single glance, likely getting it almost perfectly right.
But it was probably good enough to fool Ou Xiuhua.
Ou Xiuhua did look somewhat relieved, as expected. "So, how long will your leg need to heal?"
"It will take some time, regardless. But I’m really not badly hurt. You saw earlier, I can actually walk if I have to."
"No, no, no! You should definitely stay off it for now and let it heal. Only walk again when it’s completely better."
"Alright. The second thing is about all this stuff in the house," Chen Nuo said, gesturing towards the brand-new looking furniture in the living room, as well as the modern television and air conditioner.
"Oh, Chen Nuo, these things... they must have cost a lot, right?" Ou Xiuhua asked instinctively. Then, as if afraid Chen Nuo might misunderstand, she quickly added, "I don’t mean anything else by it. I’m just worried because you’re still a student and don’t have an income.
Spending money like this... you’re probably using the savings the old lady left, aren’t you?
The old lady’s lifelong savings shouldn’t be spent so carelessly.
We can get by even if things are tough. We should save money; it can be crucial in an emergency..."
"Yes, I bought everything in the house over the last six months or so. When I was living alone, it didn’t matter how frugally I lived.
But now that Xiao Yezi is living with me, I can’t let my sister be uncomfortable.
Take this air conditioner, for instance. The walls of our old house are thin. It doesn’t keep the heat out in summer or the warmth in during winter. Without an air conditioner, it’s really too much for a child to bear."
Noticing the renewed worry in Ou Xiuhua’s expression, Chen Nuo smiled. "Are you worried about the money? That happens to be the third thing I wanted to talk about. You see... our family is actually quite rich."
As he spoke, Chen Nuo retrieved a large kraft paper envelope from the drawer under the coffee table and placed it on top.
Inside were some documents and receipts, the ones left over from when he claimed his prize money.
He had used these just a few days ago at the Sun family’s home to fool Old Sun and Yang Xiaoyi.
Ou Xiuhua, looking somewhat puzzled, opened the envelope and took out a stack of papers...
After only a few seconds, she suddenly looked up, staring at Chen Nuo, her eyes wide with disbelief and shock!
"Chen Nuo... you... you..."
"Mm, yes."
"You... you..."
"Mm, five million."
"Then, you, this..."
"With that money, I bought a commercial property and went into business with Brother Lei, the man you just met.
I put the rest in savings. The passbook is at the bottom of that stack of papers in your hand."
Chen Nuo’s calm and unhurried demeanor, however, made Ou Xiuhua feel even more disquieted.
Inside, however, she was still reeling from the enormous shock. She was surprised, certainly, but also happy for her son. Such a sizable fortune certainly added a tremendous safety net to her son’s life.
Chen Nuo pointed to the item at the very bottom of the stack of papers in Ou Xiuhua’s hand.
"This is what’s left after I invested in the business with my partner and covered some other expenses. It’s all in this passbook.
A total of eight hundred sixty-seven thousand."
By the time Chen Nuo finished speaking, Ou Xiuhua was completely dumbfounded, frozen in place and unable to utter a single word for a long, long time!