Chapter 465 - 455: Shocking News

Gu’er had planned to wait until after the New Year to address Li Hua’s situation, but the very next day, Lin Shuying brought her some news that left her utterly shocked.

"What? That’s impossible! How could Zhou Feng’er be marrying Zhang Da!"

Gu’er’s mind reeled at the news. Zhou Feng’er and Zhang Da... there was absolutely no connection between them. ’In my last life, I was the one who married Zhang Da, while Zhou Feng’er married into another village. That family was well-off, and her life was much smoother than mine. So how did she get tangled up with Zhang Da now? How could she not know what kind of man he is? Isn’t she supposed to be ruthless and calculating? Why would she make a choice like this?’

"Tell me about it. Your mother is against it too. Not only is Zhang Da old, but your mom says he’s a drunk and a gambler. What kind of good life can you have with a man like that? But for some reason, that Feng’er is dead set on it. She’s stubbornly insisting on marrying him, telling your mother to stay out of it. She said she’ll accept whatever life she has with Zhang Da, whether she lives or dies. It made your mother sick with anger."

Lin Shuying sighed. Although her own husband was no good, at least her children were sensible. Li Hua, on the other hand, had nothing but trouble.

Gu’er frowned and sat down, pondering the matter.

She had rarely returned to the village since she left. These days, the Zhou family wasn’t as arrogant as they used to be. Zhou Da Kui was no longer the village chief, and the village was now closer to the Sun Family. Life was tough for people like Zhang Da.

’That’s right, how could I have forgotten? Zhang Da moved to the city. A relative of his passed away and left him a house. In my past life, Zhang Da took me and our child to the city, but in this life, he doesn’t have a wife yet.’

’But even if he moved to the city and had a house, it was a small place in a bad neighborhood. It was nothing to brag about. Zhou Feng’er clearly knows Zhang Da is a bad person, and she has such high standards. The last family that was introduced to her, she turned them down for being too honest. That man was younger than Zhang Da and in a much better situation, yet Zhou Feng’er looked down on him. So why marry Zhang Da? Is she being forced?’

Although Gu’er despised Zhou Feng’er, she still hoped she would marry an honest man. If Zhou Feng’er stayed out of trouble in the future, it would make life a little easier for Li Hua. But if she married Zhang Da, there would be endless problems.

"Did my mom say anything else?"

’There’s too little information,’ Gu’er thought.

"Hua’er works at the mall all day, so she has no idea what’s really going on with Zhou Feng’er and Zhang Da. She asked, but Zhou Feng’er wouldn’t say a word. Hua’er doesn’t know what to do and just cries in secret."

Lin Shuying was worried for Li Hua.

’So Mom really doesn’t know anything.’

"Okay, I’ll have someone look into it first. We can decide what to do after we find something out. The New Year is just over a month away. They can’t possibly rush to get married before then. I’ll have my mom stall for now."

’This needs to be handled carefully,’ Gu’er thought.

After seeing Lin Shuying off, she asked Sun Jiaming to have someone look into the matter. The investigation revealed that Zhang Da had been in the city for over half a year. He had found Zhou Feng’er just a few days after arriving. He was always taking her out, buying her meals, and spending money on her—really trying to curry favor with her.

At first, Zhou Feng’er gave Zhang Da the cold shoulder. But later, when she saw he had some money and always said what she wanted to hear, she gradually started seeing him. A few people mentioned they had seen Zhou Feng’er at Zhang Da’s place several times, sometimes for quite a while, and that they had an ambiguous relationship.

’That Zhou Feng’er has no self-respect,’ Gu’er cursed inwardly. ’But Zhang Da has money to spare? Where did he get it? In our last life, he never gave me any money after we moved to the city.’

Gu’er thought back. That was it. Zhang Da’s relative had left him money, but he never gave her any. The first year they moved to the city, he was always out drinking and would come home drunk every day. That money must have been what his relative left him; he just never told her about it.

’But even if Zhang Da has a little money, Zhou Feng’er shouldn’t be so shortsighted as to get involved with him, right?’

Gu’er really wanted to wash her hands of the whole thing. Zhou Feng’er was no saint anyway. Just let her marry Zhang Da. Let the two of them ruin each other.

But what about Li Hua? If Zhou Feng’er’s life turned sour, she would definitely make trouble for Li Hua. Even if Zhou Feng’er and Zhang Da were two peas in a pod and didn’t fight, what if they got married and started mooching off Li Hua every day for food and drink? Li Hua would never be able to turn them away. Then, instead of just Zhou Feng’er being a burden, there would be two of them. Gu’er knew they were both capable of such a thing. Li Hua was too soft-hearted; she’d never be able to ignore Zhou Feng’er. In the end, Li Hua would be the one to suffer.

So it was best to stop Zhou Feng’er from marrying Zhang Da.

"Take me over there. I want to see what’s really going on."

In the end, Gu’er decided to go.

Sun Jiaming said nothing. He understood Gu’er’s concerns and agreed that Zhou Feng’er marrying Zhang Da was a bad idea.

Sun Jiaming took Gu’er to the house Li Hua was renting.

Inside was a single room with a large, heated kang bed, where Li Hua lived with Zhou Feng’er, Zhou Duo’er, and Zhou Cai—four people in total.

There were some basic necessities, but not much else.

When she arrived, Zhou Feng’er and Zhou Duo’er were home. Zhou Cai was nowhere to be seen.

Zhou Feng’er and Zhou Duo’er were stunned to see Sun Jiaming and Gu’er.

"Big Sis! Brother-in-law! Are you here to take us back to live with you? Big Sis, I’m begging you, please let us come back. This rundown place is so cold and miserable. Just let us come back! I promise I’ll never steal from you again. I’ll listen to you and I won’t cause any more trouble."

Zhou Duo’er immediately grabbed Gu’er’s clothes, her face a mask of desperation.

Gu’er didn’t say a word.

But Zhou Feng’er shot Gu’er a dark look and said, "Stop dreaming. You know what she’s like, how cruel her heart is. She can’t wait for us to die out here. Take you back? You wish."

"Big Sis..."

Zhou Duo’er refused to believe Zhou Feng’er’s words. She tugged on Gu’er’s sleeve, looking at her with an expectant expression.

"You’re going to marry Zhang Da?"

Gu’er ignored Zhou Duo’er. She knew exactly what kind of person her cousin was—cowardly, but never content. She might be talking like this now, but if Gu’er really took her back, it wouldn’t even take three days for her to revert to her old self.

"What’s it to you? I’ll marry whoever I want. Why are you sticking your nose in other people’s business?"

Zhou Feng’er lifted her chin, but a closer look revealed the fury burning in her eyes.

"It’s true, it doesn’t concern me, and I couldn’t be bothered to care. If you want to ruin your own life, go right ahead."

Gu’er’s tone toward Zhou Feng’er was just as harsh.

"Wouldn’t you be happy if I ruined my life? Why are you here putting on an act? You think I don’t know what kind of person you are?"

Zhou Feng’er sneered.

"You’re right. I would be happy if you ruined your life. I just don’t understand. Wasn’t the proud and ambitious Zhou Feng’er determined to marry a good man? To surpass me? To put me in my place? So why would you agree to marry Zhang Da?"

After speaking, Gu’er stared at Zhou Feng’er.

——————

I’ll start releasing extra Chapters tomorrow. There are the two Chapters that were taken down, one for a He Shi Bi gift, and one for reaching thirty monthly tickets. If you add that to the two guaranteed daily Chapters, it means I have to release six Chapters tomorrow. Today and tomorrow, aside from spending time with my kid, I’ll be glued to my computer writing.