Anti-theft label

  She hobbled to the front of Gu Wanwan, although her body was not good, but compared with Gu Anan who was about to fall down while walking, she looked much better.

  Next to Gu Wei Qiang, looking at his own big girl becoming like this, he became more determined about the matter of the quota. His big girl was not eloquent but had a down-to-earth personality. In his opinion, only his big girl could get into college. The little girl had a personality that couldn't bear hardship.

  Gu An'an's pair of dark eyes stared at Gu Wanwan, making her feel limp all over. Only then did she speak up, "Wanwan, if you want this spot, you can just tell your sister directly, why bother getting mom to find me? Look, I've been kneeling outside for half a day, and dad and grandma still don't agree, what's the point of this?"

  As soon as she said this, the faces of several people around her changed. This method of retreating in order to advance was something that Gu Anan had learned from her mother when she was wronged as a child.

  Zhou Aiju's eyes were scrutinizing, after all, she had been a teacher for her whole life, with ink in her belly and more thoughts.

  Tang Lan Zhi wanted to speak up for her younger daughter, but was pulled back by her own husband. Seeing Gu Wei Qiang's unpleasant expression, she finally gave in.

  "Sister, I didn't."

  The little bean beside him rolled his eyes and said, "You're the one who's been talking to mom, trying to take big sister's spot."

  Gu Wanwan's face turned even paler, as if she was the one who had been kneeling outside for several hours, not Gu Anan.

  "Xian Xian, if you're here to ask me for this quota, I'll even kowtow to Dad and Grandma, and give it to you."

  Gu Weiqiang and Zhou Aijuan looked at Gu Anan with obvious disapproval, but the heartache in their eyes was unhidden.

  Gu Wanwan plopped down onto the wooden chair, as if all her energy had been drained away. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she forced a smile, "Sister's grades are good, it should be Sister who goes to the county town to attend high school."

  With Gu Wanwan's words, today's farce can be considered over.

  As for the quota to go to the city to attend high school, it fell on Gu An'an. She let out a light breath, and this hurdle was considered passed.

  She saw Gu Wanwan's face getting whiter and whiter, and her heart skipped a beat.

  This won't do, I'm going to pass out!

  In the second before Gu Wanwan fainted, Gu Anan instead fell to the ground. The little boy Douding next to her was too young and couldn't hold her up, so he shouted, "Dad, come quick, my sister has fainted!" Gu Dongdong and Gu Anan were quite close, usually calling each other directly without any titles, unless Gu Wanwan was around, in which case they would call her "older sister" to distinguish. In the heat of the moment, Douding naturally shouted "sister".

  Gu Wei Qiang took a step forward and carried Gu An An into the warm kang in the west room.

  On the side, Gu Wanwan, who was about to faint, looked at this scene and was so angry that a mouthful of blood was stuck in her throat, it was really unbearable.

  Dizzy, it has always been her strong point. That wooden big sister, how did she suddenly become so clever? Is it an illusion?

  Tang Lan Zhi called out several times before Gu Wan Wan snapped back to reality. She leaned against Tang Lan Zhi's shoulder and whined pitifully, "Mom, does sister not like me anymore?"

  The little girl frowned, her eyes slightly red, and Tang Lanxi's heart was about to break. She turned around and glared at the west room, "How dare she? If it weren't for Eldest Brother, your body wouldn't be so weak? This is what Eldest Brother owes you."

  Tang Lan Zhi has three children, the eldest is Gu An An, the second is Gu Wan Wan, and the third is Gu Dong Dong. In the early years, Gu An An was the first daughter of the old Gu family, and the old lady doted on her so much that she took An An to live with her. Later, when Tang Lan Zhi had the second child, because of Gu An An's reason, Gu Wan Wan became a premature baby. Tang Lan Zhi already had a thorn in her heart, and she was even more unwilling to let Gu An An come to live with her.

  As for the newly born Gu Wanwan, she personally brought her and doted on her in front of everyone. For many years, her belly had been quiet, and she was often laughed at by her sisters-in-law for not being able to give birth to a child with a good fate. Tang Lanzhi's heart was anxious, but in the year Gu Wanwan turned seven, Tang Lanzhi's belly moved again, and she gave birth to the fourth son of the house, Gu Dongdong.

  But!

  She was alone, teaching at school and taking care of a sickly child, so she didn't have time to take care of the younger one. After Gu Dongdong weaned, she handed him over to Zhou Aijuan again to take care of.

  It's said that children grow up with whoever they're close to, and Gu An'an and Gu Dongdong both grew up by Zhou Aijuan's side, so naturally they're close to the old lady.

  Gu Wanwan received a response from her mother, and she was secretly delighted, but her face remained calm. "Mom, I also want to go to the county town to study." It can be said that the entire old Gu family's heart is focused on Gu Wanwan.

  She knew from a young age that her body was not good, how to pamper herself in order to live better.

  Going to the county town to study is just the first step out of this rural area.

  Tang Lanqi furrowed her brow, "Don't worry, mom will grant your wish." She just needed to think carefully about how to do it.

  Having received a satisfactory reply, Gu Wanwan's mood suddenly cleared up.

  To say, Gu An'an was carried into the western room kang, she originally intended to pretend to be unconscious, but unexpectedly, her body swayed and she really fainted. After all, this body is weak, and being outside in the cold for several hours without getting sick would be strange.

  Gu Wei Qiang put Gu An An on the bed, and Xiao Dou Ding automatically pulled the quilt over to cover Gu An An's body.

  Accidentally bumped into Gu An'an's forehead, Xiao Dou Ting exclaimed, "Dad, sister's body is so hot!"

  In the winter, he wore thick clothes, and Gu Weiqiang was a big man, really didn't notice, after being reminded by his young son at home, he touched his eldest daughter's head, which was hot like charcoal, and his heart was burning.

  He was so anxious that he became flustered. To say, An'an was a child who could withstand hardships and rarely got sick, but this time she fell ill, which frightened Gu Weiqiang. He was worried and confused, and with one slap on the thigh, he wanted to rush to Dr. Chi's house while carrying An'an.

  Just as she was halfway through hugging, Zhou Aijuan came in and slapped her hand down, "Put it down." She still held a steaming ceramic basin in her hand, filled with hot water, apparently for Anan's use.

  "This child had caught a chill earlier, and you're taking her out to play in the snow, isn't that going to take her life?!", she said as she took off the keys from her waist and handed them to Gu Weiqiang, "Go get six eggs from the kitchen cabinet, for good luck, and have Huazai bring them over, let him come visit our home and see An'an." Gu Huazi was a barefoot doctor in Gujia Village, and he and Gu Weiqiang were considered brothers who grew up together since childhood. Gu Weiqiang was clever and hardworking, so he went to learn the skill of driving.

  Gu Huazi was locked at home by his own old man, and he picked up his old profession again, becoming a barefoot doctor in the village, which is considered a skillful job, not to starve.

  "Ah, mom, you really are my real mom." Gu Wei Qiang suddenly came back to his senses and had an idea. He immediately regained his usual arrogant attitude in front of his old mother. Although the Gu family's conditions were not bad, they couldn't afford it with so many people, adding up to over 20 mouths to feed, and without dividing the family property. These six eggs would be enough to invite Dr. Hua over as a decent consultation fee.

  It can be seen that her own mother is very fond of her eldest daughter.

  Zhou Aiju glared at her own youngest son with a bad temper, but her hands didn't slow down, undoing Anan's clothes.

  An'an was dizzy and confused, but she felt someone tugging at her clothes. As a decent girl of the 21st century, how could she let others undress her?

  She closed her eyes and grasped the collar tightly, refusing to let Zhou Aijuan undo it.

  Zhou Aiju looked at An'an who had fallen asleep, still with that stubborn temper of hers. She sighed and said, "I don't know whose personality you inherited?" Whose? It's obviously mine, Zhou Aiju. Otherwise, why would she be so heartbroken for her eldest granddaughter.

  To be honest, before Zhou Aijuan got married, her family conditions were not good either. Her father was a private school teacher in his early years, and she was the eldest child of the family. She had a stubborn personality, just like Anan, and when taking care of her younger brothers and sisters, she was also very similar to Anan.

  Thinking of this, Zhou Aijuan's movements became more gentle, she patted Anan's shoulder, "Good boy, mom will wipe your body for you, otherwise the burn will be uncomfortable."

  Perhaps it was Zhou Aijun's full concern that An'an felt in her sleep, and the action of holding onto her collar also slowly let go.

  A basin of hot water was brought in, and Xiao Ding went to the kitchen. The kang in the west room was heated up, and An'an sweated a lot under the quilt.

  When Gu Weiqiang brought Hua Zi to the Gu's house, An An was still drowsy from sleep, her small face also flushed red.

  Hua Zi and Gu Wei Qiang grew up together since they were kids, and he also watched Gu's children grow up, so their conversation was naturally without any restraint.

  He reached out and touched An's forehead, the fever had subsided a bit. This child was not only thin to the point of being gaunt, but also tanned darkly, clearly having peeled from sunburn over the summer and still hadn't recovered.

  He divided some herbs he brought from home, without raising his head, "Qiangzi, your partiality is too severe. The little girl next door is white and clean, people are happy to see her. How did she become the big girl here, black as charcoal, not to mention thin and haggard."

  Gu Wei Qiang's face turned red as he was told by his own good brother, "The eldest daughter is really capable, when there's work to be done at home, she takes the lead and lets the younger ones follow." He often ran cars outside and couldn't take care of things at home. His wife obviously favored their younger daughter, which made the elder daughter feel resentful.

  Although the old lady at home is biased towards her own daughter, after all, there are many children in the family, especially many grandsons, and she can't be too partial, otherwise several daughters-in-law and children will lose heart.

  This is not right, no one was watching, and the big girl suffered a loss, it's his fault.

  Hua Zi listened and pursed his lips, saying nothing. After all, it was someone else's family affair, and what he had said was already considered meddling in other people's business.

  Zhou Aijuan, sitting on the chair next to him, frowned and said, "Hua Zi, prescribe some good medicine, and when Wei Qiang's salary comes down, we'll settle the bill together." If he prescribed good medicine, then those few eggs would not be enough.

  Hua Zi's smiling eyes narrowed into a line, "Alright, Old Lady has spoken, I'll bring down the wild ginseng that's been hidden at the bottom of the box." Relying on the mountain to eat from the mountain, relying on water to eat from the water, in their village, if one goes deep into the mountains, they can dig up wild ginseng, but inside the big mountain there are even bigger bugs, and no one dares to go in.

  Gu An'an glanced at Wang Da-ying, slowly got up, picked up the quilt that was covering the kang, felt its warmth and put it on just right. "Second Aunt, what did you call me for?"

  Wang Da Ying's eyes almost popped out, "You good-for-nothing, it's already noon and the sun is scorching your butt, what are you yelling for? Which girl is as lazy as you? Are you waiting for your elders to cook for you?" In Gu Village, being called a "white-eater" was one of the worst insults, meaning someone who was idle and gluttonous. For a 16 or 17-year-old girl, this was a devastating blow, especially since she was almost at the age where people would start calling her an old maid. With the label of "white-eater" on her head, no family in Gu Village would want to marry such a girl.

  Gu Anan smoothed out her clothes, comforted the frightened Gu Dongdong, and then looked up, speaking slowly and deliberately, "Second Aunt, this statement is quite biased. Have you ever even touched the firewood in our family's woodshed? I was the one who went to the mountain to chop all of it by myself."

  "The sauerkraut foam stuck to the pot brush is the snow red I brought back from the mountain when I was picking frost flowers, my hands were frozen bright red. Second Aunt, have you ever helped pick a snow red?"

  "Outside the self-retained land, there are still half of the radishes and Chinese cabbages left. Second Aunt, is that land turned over by you? Are those radishes and Chinese cabbages planted by you?"

  Wang Da Ying wanted to refute, but was glared at by Gu An An with a cold eye, interrupting her, "Let's talk about home again. The meals at home have always been the responsibility of my elder sister-in-law to cook, and I'm in charge of washing dishes. As for household chores, it's also me who sweeps several rooms alone. Even on cold winter days, I would carry your second aunt's clothes to the riverbank, break the ice on the surface, wash them clean, and bring them back spotless. Second Aunt, when you said I was eating without contributing, didn't you feel a twinge of guilt?"

  "Or rather, this family, Second Aunt, what exactly have you done?"

  Wang Da Ying was speechless after being scolded by Gu An An, he threw the pot brush to the ground and sat down, wailing "I'm not living anymore, I'm not living anymore. Now even young girls are starting to look down on me, I've never seen anyone so disrespectful to their elders."

  An'an helped Dongdong, who had woken up from sleep, to get dressed. She gave a cold glance at Wang Da Ying, who was sprawled on the ground, and held Dongdong in her arms. "Since Second Aunt is displeased that Dongdong and I are eating for free at home, we'll go eat at someone else's house. We don't dare trouble Second Aunt anymore."

  After finishing, taking advantage of Wang Da Ying's daze, she put Gu Dong Dong on the ground and led him out. She lowered her head to Dong Dong's ear, "Dong Dong, when we go out later, if you see someone, cry and say that Second Aunt is biased against us for eating our fill."

  Gu Dongdong rolled his eyes, obviously still sleepy, but as for his sister's words, he took them as a sacred decree and had just left the Gu family courtyard.

  She met Zhao Guifang, who had just returned from washing clothes. Zhao Guifang and Wang Da Ying were from the same village and both married into Gu's Village, but Wang Da Ying was married to the son of the village head.

  Zhao Gui Fang however married Gu Xiang Qian, an accountant from Gu Jia Village.

  Zhao Guifang and Wang Daying, before they got married, liked to compare with each other. After getting married, Wang Daying relied on being the captain's wife and often spoke sarcastically to Zhao Guifang.

  Zhao Guifang can also endure, smiling in front of someone's face while stabbing them in the back.

  The appearance of Gu An and her brother gave Zhao Gui Fang a knife, which stabbed Wang Da Ying.

  She put down the wooden basin and wiped her hands on the apron around her waist, teasing Gū Dōngdōng who was crying, "Hey, why is Dongdong crying like this?"

  As soon as Gu An'an heard Zhao Gui Fang's question, her eyes turned red instantly, and she was a bit flustered. She hurriedly covered Dongdong's mouth, "Dongdong, don't say anything."

  Dongdong also understood his sister's meaning, he pried open his sister's hand, crying with sobs, "Second Aunt is prejudiced against us for being freeloaders, not giving us food to eat, and saying that my sister doesn't do chores."

  Zhao Guifang's heart was filled with joy, but her face showed concern, and her voice rose a few degrees, "You two are also not good things, bullying children like this."

  Winter rubbed his tear-stained eyes and asked, "Aunt Zhao, the firewood in our home was all chopped by my sister on the mountain, and the pickled vegetables at home were also picked by my sister from the snow-covered mountains. Even the self-cultivated land outside is taken care of by my sister. Just a few days ago, my sister helped Second Aunt wash clothes by the frozen river. My sister is obviously very diligent, but why did Second Aunt say that my sister is lazy and also said that she's freeloading? The words of children are always the most sincere. More and more people gathered around to watch the commotion, all eager to see a good show.

  "An'an is not lazy at all, in the whole village, An'an is a good hand at doing chores. Go ask around, which girl can be like An'an, with good grades, quick work, and filial to elders." Zhao Gui Fang heard the last sentence and couldn't help but raise her voice, "What? Wang Da Ying that woman, even her clothes are washed by An'an by the river?"

  Gu Dongdong nodded, "The ice in that river was still chiseled with the help of stones by me."

  "Wang Da Ying is really something else."

  "It's really shameless, a person in their several tens is letting their niece who lives next door help with the laundry,"

  Someone asked, "What's wrong with this? This is meal time, where are you all going?"

  An'an and Dongdong chimed in unison, "When we went to Huazi Shu's house for dinner, Er Bao Niang didn't give us anything to eat."

  After finishing, the two of them glanced at each other and looked around the nearby courtyard, An An bid farewell, "Everyone, uncles and aunts, Dong Dong didn't say anything, let's just pretend we didn't hear it, we're going to Huazi Uncle's house now."

  The onlookers felt increasingly sympathetic towards An'an and her brother, "These motherless children are easily bullied."

  "When she said this, Tang Lanxi was at home and didn't see An'an being taken care of."

  "It's not okay, An'an this child is so pitiful!"

  An An led Gu Dongdong for a long time, and the two of them looked at each other, holding their stomachs in laughter. They stood under a soapberry tree, taking a break. By then, the sun had come out, and the snow on the ground had melted, making the road difficult to walk on.

  The two of them leaned against the soap tree, and Gu Dongdong's big eyes were filled with excitement, his whole body jumping up, he cheered, "Sister... sister, how did you become so smart!"

  The two words "changed" made Anan's heart skip a beat, after all, it was her younger brother who had been with her for a long time. She remained calm and asked, "Dongdong, do you think sister has changed for the better or worse?"

  Gu Dongdong tilted his head, thought for a while, and responded with a crisp tone, "Of course it's good, sister has become smarter, and Second Aunt can't bully sister anymore."

  With a relieved smile, she said with a hint of pride, "This is called 'killing with a borrowed knife'. You see how Second Aunt always bullies us. Let's let the public's gossip kill her and see if she dares to bully us again." If Second Uncle finds out about this, he'll definitely scold Second Aunt to death, given his concern for saving face.

  Gu Dongdong seemed to understand and yet not understand, "Sister, what are the masses?"

  An An fainted, at this age, haven't the two words "masses" been popularized yet?

  "It means uncle and aunt."

  "Sister, this method is good. From now on, if anyone dares to say in front of me that I'm a child without a mother, I'll tell Uncle and Auntie, and let the adults scold him severely."

  An An didn't have any illusions about corrupting children, she nodded her head with a look of "children are teachable".

  "Winter is indeed very clever."

  This is the first thing Gu Dongdong learned in his life. When his martial arts skills were not enough, he learned to use roundabout methods to defeat his enemies.

  An didn't notice that her honest younger brother's eyes were shining with an astonishing light, obviously having learned the trick inside and eager to try it out.

  After the two of them walked far away.

  Two young men jumped down from the soapberry tree, one of whom was about twenty years old, wearing a green military uniform, with a straight figure and a handsome face with clear-cut features. At this time, he had a faint smile on his face, and his eyes were shining brightly as he muttered to himself, "What an interesting little black-haired girl."

  Next to him was a little black boy with a small flat head, who jumped down from the tree and patted his butt. "Hey, I'm also dark-skinned, why don't you praise me?" As he said this, he stroked his chin, looking in the direction where Anan and her brother had disappeared. "This sister is quite interesting, but isn't she afraid of spoiling the little kid?"

  "Intelligent and tight." The handsome young man's voice was extremely low, the black boy next to him dug his ear, curiously, "Head, what did you say?"

  "Nothing! Keep up."

  An'an didn't know that in the soapberry tree where they had just rested, two people were hiding.

  She had already arrived at the gate of Gu Hua Zi's house.

  It was already past nine in the morning, and in the countryside, every household had already eaten breakfast, but if you came to Huazi's uncle's house, there would definitely be some left.

  Because Hua Zi's uncle's family has a big lazy worm, lazier than An An, named Gu Ban Xia. This name was given when Hua Zi's aunt gave birth to the child, and Hua Zi's uncle brought back a basket of Chinese medicine Ban Xia from the mountain.

  Hua Zi's uncle slapped his thigh and said, "Alright then, my daughter will be called Ban Xia."

  Don't be fooled by Gu Banxia's nice-sounding name, she's actually a chubby girl.

  In this day and age, being able to be plump despite lacking clothes and food is truly a fortunate thing.

  Gu Banxia had a weak constitution since childhood, Gu Huazi hated to take the stars from the sky for her. She was his only daughter, and all the good things went into Gu Banxia's belly.

  When you're young, it's okay to be chubby and people will call you cute.

  But if a big girl gets fat, it's no longer cute.

  But Gu Banxia, who had become a big girl, couldn't lose weight no matter what, and for so many years, she was nicknamed Gu Sanbai.

  Fat face, fat waist, fat legs.

  "Ban Xia, I've given you all the leftover pastries!"

  Bàn Xià was eating with a hum, when she heard ān ān's words, she raised her head, "I'll leave two pieces for Dōng Dōng, you guys hurry back, remember to come over at noon to eat!", from her dad's tone, there will be delicious dishes at noon.

  Gu Anan's mind was preoccupied with something else, and she dragged her little brother home in a hurry.

  By the time she arrives, the family will have dispersed.

  Inside the main house, the first person sitting on top was the elder of the Gu family. Gu Weiqiang shouted "Uncle".

  Next were Mr. Gu and Zhou Aijuan.

  Gu's four sons sat on either side of him. Because dividing the family property was a big deal, Gu Wei-qiang specially called back his brother Gu Wei-min from the county town.

  Although Lao San became the son-in-law of Lao Li's family, he is still considered a member of the Gu family and has his share in the family property.

  This was Gu Anan's first time seeing her third uncle. Unlike her own father, who was tall and majestic, her third uncle looked somewhat bookish instead.

  She was spotless and clean, if you said she was a schoolteacher rather than a carpenter, she would also believe it. To be precise, Gu Shu's appearance was the one that made San Shu look like they were carved out of the same mold.

  Gu Anan pulled her younger brother's hand and rushed back from outside in a fluster.

  As soon as she saw Gu Weiqiang, she rushed up to him like a little swallow, softly calling out "Daddy". After calling out, tears fell down. Gu Weiqiang's fierce expression from before was completely gone, his entire demeanor suddenly becoming gentle. "You're already a big girl, why are you still crying like a child?"

  "Why didn't you have dinner at your uncle's house?"

  "Waiting for Dad, we'll have dinner together as a family."

  "Yes, Dongdong also misses Daddy."

  Gu Wei Qiang coaxed his two children, then turned around and looked at the first elder of the clan. "Seventh Uncle, let's do it as we previously discussed. This house will be divided among us four brothers, one room per person." It was only right that he should get this much, not willing to give up a single bit. He had figured it out clearly - he treated others like his own brothers, but they treated him like an outsider.

  Seventh Uncle took a puff of his dry tobacco, tapped the tobacco pouch on the table several times, nodded and said, "Gen Sheng, do you have anything to say? You two old folks are going to follow which child?"

  Gu Gen Sheng is Gu Lao Ye Zi, he's now completely out of energy, he finally understood that when children grow up, they don't listen to their parents. Among the four sons in his family, only the second son has a heart that matches his. As soon as he opened his mouth, he said, "I'll live with Er Ge."

  Gu Weifu's complexion finally looked a bit better, and the old man followed him, which meant that the things his brothers had been filial to the old man were still his. Moreover, the old man was still young now and could still work for a few more years.

  Zhou Aiju seemed to have understood that now all the children had left and were following someone, but no one was comfortable in their heart.

  "She simply waved her hand, 'When dividing the house, leave me one room, I won't follow anyone, just live alone from now on! Each child will give us five yuan a month to show their filial piety, four sons, that's twenty yuan in total. My husband and I will each take ten yuan, we'll live our own lives separately. If you want to follow the second son, then go with him, it's up to you.' Her heart had turned cold by now."

  Old Master Gu heard this and his neck stiffened. "You old wife, what nonsense are you spouting? If you don't follow the second master, what else do you want to do?"

  "Depend on Erniang? With Erniang's stinginess, she only does things that benefit herself. Do you think she'll serve you tea and water? Support you? Dream on." Zhou Aijuan thought to herself, "I can still move around now, I support myself, but if one day I'm unable to move, Si, I'll ask you, are you willing to support this useless old woman?"

  Gu Wei Qiang forced a smile, "Mom, you can follow me now, An An and Dong Dong don't have a mom, so it's up to grandma to take care of them more."

  Gu An'an and Gu Dongdong also hugged Zhou Aijuan's thigh, opening their mouths together, "Mom, we'll support you."

  "This, Zhou Aijuan heard in her heart is comfortable, but still shook her head,"If I were to follow you Lao Si, who knows if someone would think that I'm taking advantage of Lao Si's family and feel it's unfair. It's better for me to be alone, you all have time come visit me often."

  Who is this kind-hearted person referring to? It's naturally Wang Da Ying.

  Wang Da Ying stood by, also silent, letting everyone look at him.

  Gu Weimin, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up, "Since mom wants to live alone, I voluntarily give up my share of the house, let her live there." Behind him, Li Yue'e pinched his waist, Gu Weimin turned back and glared at her, after all, he was the head of the household. Li Yue'e didn't say a word, she just hugged their young son tightly.

  "Ancestor, 'no regrets'?"

  Gu Weimin shook his head, "I was already a live-in son-in-law, this is what my mother deserved."

  The old man stood up, "Alright, since everyone agrees, let's do it this way! The house will be divided into four parts. Guo Gen Sheng and his branch will give up their share automatically. Zhou Ai Ju, Guo Wei Min, Guo Wei Guo, and Guo Wei Qiang will each get one room. As for the elderly, Guo Gen Sheng will live with the second brother, while Zhou Ai Ju will live alone. From now on, Guo Wei Qiang will be responsible for taking care of Zhou Ai Ju's old age. Each child must give their parents five yuan every month."

  "After taking care of the family, the five mu of mountain land behind the house, how will you divide it?"

  Gu Weiqiang and Gu Weimin shook their heads at the same time, "We don't need it, give it to big brother." Big brother naturally referred to Gu Weiguo.

  The two younger brothers have expressed their opinions, so Gu Weifu naturally cannot compete with the eldest for this land. Even if he were to get it, considering their household, Wang Da Ying is lazy and gluttonous, and his three sons are not suitable for farming either. As for himself, why would a good team leader like him bother with farming?

  "Let it go, big brother."

  Gu Weiguo thanked his brother with gratitude, if after the division of the house, he didn't even have land, what would he use to support his wife and children? Unlike his three brothers, Gu Weiguo had been a farmer since childhood, digging for food in the ground, and had been an old peasant all his life.

  The old man nodded and continued, "How much savings are left at home? Take it all out and divide it up."

  The family savings were kept by Zhou Aiju, she hurriedly ran to the inner room, took out a cloth package, and poured out more than 200 pieces of money onto the table.

  "Old Master Gu spoke first, 'How can there be so little?'"

  Zhou Aiju sneered, pulled out a small notebook from her bundle and began to read: "Let's calculate from the past three years. The new house that was built last year cost 1,300 yuan. Gu Shu went to the city to study for three years of junior high school and took 400 yuan from me. Last year, he attended high school for a year and spent 280 yuan. He repeated a grade for half a year and spent 120 yuan on tuition fees. He also spent 100 yuan on supplementary lessons. When his brother-in-law got married, he gave 20 yuan as a gift. When his mother-in-law was ill, he spent a total of 63 yuan. He invited his superiors to dinner eight times, each time spending around 10 yuan, totaling 80 yuan. During festivals and holidays, he spent nearly 300 yuan on gifts. Gu Dan went to the county town last year to learn carpentry and spent 5 yuan per month on living expenses. This year, Gu Shuang fell ill and was hospitalized in the county town, spending a total of 130 yuan. Our family's daily expenses are around 0.5 to 1 yuan per person, which is around 20-30 yuan per month. And this doesn't even include the grain we grow ourselves."

  Zhou Aiju was also intentional, only reporting the expenses of the second house, just to make Wang Daying, the second house's owner, take responsibility. If it weren't for her stirring things up, a good family would not have fallen apart. Every time she reported an item, Gu Weifu's face turned red with shame. He didn't know how to manage the household and was ignorant of the financial situation, yet he didn't even know that just the second house alone spent so much money.

  It's just as well that everyone in this family is one of us, except for the clan elder who counts as an outsider.

  Otherwise, if outsiders hear about this, they will be scared by the expenses of the Gu family. This is just the second house, not to mention the other three houses.

  "Alright, alright, stop reporting, it's humiliating."

  To be honest, Zhou Aiju and Gu Gen Sheng have been married for decades, and they can be considered as respectful to each other. Gu Gen Sheng is the village head, and Zhou Aiju is also a cultured person, so they can still respect each other. In the past, they could still consider saving face, but now they have torn their faces apart. Zhou Aiju threw the account book at Gu Gen Sheng's face, "And you, old man, every day's cigarette money, drinking money, and money to support Lao Erjia's family, just you alone, in a year it adds up to two hundred yuan."

  She went ahead and made everything clear, with her hands on her hips, and spat out a mouthful of words. "This family, you think it's easy to support? Just the food expenses alone, our family spends at least 15 yuan every month. Not to mention social interactions, and several small ones, which one doesn't need money for school?"

  "Wang Da Ying, I'm telling you, since you've messed up this family, I'll say it here and now: from now on, anything related to the second house has nothing to do with me, Zhou Ai Ju. You're so capable, so you can take care of the living expenses for Eldest in county town, tutoring fees, as well as Second's living expenses while he's an apprentice there, plus Third's tuition fees - all these are on you now. Don't come asking me to make decisions or shift the burden onto Third and Fourth, they don't owe you anything."

  Zhou Ai Ju felt a lump in her throat, suffocating her. She had only gone out for one trip, and came back to find such a huge mess. A good family like theirs was now scattered.

  Everyone thought she loved Eldest Fourth Brother the most, but actually!

  It's her who is still here, tying up the fourth elder to the entire Gu family, letting him help with the expenses of the second elder, just thinking that the second elder has many children at home, each one needs money.

  Now she's fine, pulling forward like an old cow, but can't stand being dragged back by the hind legs!

  Wang Da Ying was scolded so badly that she lost her voice, and only then did she realize that she was finished, completely finished. Where would she get the money to raise three children?

  Gu An'an exchanged a glance with Gu Dongdong, and saw admiration in each other's eyes. Only today did they realize that their grandmother was so powerful.

  Zhou Aiju scolded.

  The whole house was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

  "Mother! I won't divide the family property anymore, I won't. I'll make it up to Fourth Brother."

  "It's late."

  All the thumbprints on the divorce papers have been signed, but no one is paying attention to Wang Da Ying's tantrums.

  However, all these years, although Gu Wanwan's body was not good, Hua Zi never mentioned giving Wanwan ginseng to supplement her.

  It can be seen that An's body has been ruined to what extent, so Hua would even give up his wife.

  Gu Wei Qiang was quite grateful, and from his pocket he fished out a pack of Great Front Gate cigarettes and tossed them to Hua Zi.

  Hua Zi's hands cupped together, his eyes shining like he had spotted his own wife. He carefully scraped the cigarette box several times, making a "tsk" sound, "Wow, this is really something, Qiang Zi, you're being very generous this time."

  Nowadays, a pack of Da Qian Men is more expensive than two catties of meat. Moreover, in this town, it's hard to find a place that sells Da Qian Men. You have to go to the county seat or even bigger cities to see such rare cigarettes.

  Gu Weiqiang ran long distances outside, so he naturally had some connections. This big front door cost a lot of money for each pack, and he himself couldn't bear to smoke it. He carried it on him just to pave the way.

  He smiled wryly and saw Huazi out.

  Zhou Aiju also went to the kitchen.

  Inside the house, only Gu Weiqiang and Gu Dongdong were left. Xiaodouding, who was eight years old this year, lay on the edge of the kang, thin and pale, with a prominent forehead, making his eyes shine brighter. His eye sockets were misty, with a hint of tears, "Dad, will sister wake up?"

  Gu Wei Qiang patted his pocket, wanting to light a cigarette, but thinking about it in front of the child, he restrained himself. He reached out and gently touched his son's forehead, firmly saying, "Hmm, An An will wake up soon, you watch over him for a bit, Dad is going out for a trip." An An had always been a pushover since childhood, this time going to the county town to attend high school, no matter what, he had to hold onto this spot for his older sister.

  As for the younger sister, being one year younger, he would run more errands to earn enough money for tuition and living expenses, so that his younger sister could also go to school in the county town next year.

  After all, it's still useless for him to be a father.

  This statement is somewhat self-deprecating on Gu Weiqiang's part. He drives long-distance trucks for a transportation team, earning a monthly salary of 37.5 yuan, 30 yuan of which he gives to Zhou Aijuan for public use, and the rest of the money he earns from other channels is also mostly used to support his family.

  After all, in the whole Gu family, he is the only one who eats supplied grain, and it's also right to help support a few more brothers.

  But thinking about it, the money he earns, let alone Anan and Wann going to high school, even Dongdong is now in high school, can also be supported...

  The family didn't split up, and the money he earned was all handed over. This time, there were two who could go to the county town to attend high school, one from the second house and one from the fourth house. You know, in these times, being able to afford for children to attend high school is really tightening their belts. And that's not all, there are still several younger ones in the Gu family attending elementary school, which is a huge expense.

  Actually, the Gu family's conditions are not bad, they are among the best in the whole Gu Village. However, it was only two years ago that the Gu family built a red-brick and tile-roofed house with glass windows, which is really luxurious. But the price of this luxury is that they spent a lot of money, and Zhou Aijuan emptied out all the savings they had accumulated over the years. This is why they are now struggling to make ends meet, and on top of that, they have to fight for a spot in school.

  An'an fell asleep, unaware that Gu Weiqiang had gone to see Tang Lanxi alone and warned her not to have any ideas about snatching the quota.

  And Wang Da Ying, the second daughter-in-law of the kitchen, held an oily pot brush and wiped it around the big pot. She stretched her neck to look outside the kitchen, saw no one, and then spoke up, "Sister-in-law, how many eggs did fourth brother take?"

  In front of the stove, Zhao Junyan didn't even lift his head, just kept stuffing wheat straw into the stove. On a cold winter day, using wheat straw to fuel the fire was quite accurate. He replied faintly, "I don't know."

  Wang Da Ying raised an eyebrow and curled his lip, "You little girl, it's just a fever, no need to call in some quack doctor, wasting several eggs."

  Zhao Junyan lowered his head and focused on the work in his hands, not responding to Wang Da Ying, as if he hadn't heard him.

  It's worth mentioning that Zhao Junyan has a good name, but her family background is not good. Her ancestors were big landlords and during the early years of criticism and struggle, she was expelled by her family and cut off from them. She escaped from Henan to Gujia Village, where she was on the verge of death due to starvation. It was Gu Jia's eldest son, Gu Weiguo, who saved Zhao Junyan by rationing his own food.

  Zhao Junyan woke up and didn't despise him. Gu Weiguo was a cripple, so she married Gu Weiguo and settled in Gu's Village.

  It turns out that Gu Weiguo, being a cripple, had no one in the village willing to marry him. On the contrary, he was the last one to get married in the old Gu family. Now his son with Zhao Junyan is only 10 years old, two years older than Gu Dongdong.

  The kitchen was bustling with activity, but Anan had no idea, she lay in bed, her mouth watering nonstop, she dreamed of the supermarket before she came here, standing in front of the braised meat counter, drooling.

  That braised chicken leg is really delicious!

  She subconsciously reached out to touch her flat belly, then touched the empty pockets, pouted, unfortunately she had no money.

  She remembered herself wearing 70s clothes, from originally being a young wealthy woman to becoming a poor and white-collar worker, Gu An An.

  The more she thought about it, the more unbearable it became. She squatted in front of the braised meat stall, smelling the familiar scent of roasted meat, and burst into tears as she hugged her head. She missed her dad and mom, she wanted to go home, she didn't want to stay here at all.

  Gu Dongdong, who had fallen asleep on the kang, did not know that his sister, who was lying in bed, had suddenly disappeared.

  At this time, Gu Anan also felt that something was wrong. This smell was too familiar. She squatted on the ground, which was also icy and had a real tactile sensation.

  Really?

  Is this supermarket real?

  Came with her to this era.

  To say, Gu Anan was also unlucky. She was just strolling through a supermarket and happened to be in the beverage section when the shelf collapsed on her. The originally pampered Gu Anan of the 21st century became a small white radish soaked in bitter water from the 1970s.

  Gu Anan suddenly stood up, perhaps the dizziness hadn't passed yet. She was in a daze and didn't care about anything else. She rushed all the way to the beverage area. As expected, where she had fallen, a pile of beverages had rolled everywhere, and her small bag was still pressed under the drinks.

  Gu Anan used all her might and finally pulled out the small package.

  She took out her phone, which still had three bars of battery. She pressed the recent call log, and her dad's number was at the top. Unconsciously, she dialed it again, but it only rang three times before automatically hanging up.

  An'an gritted her teeth and dialed the second number, which was her mother's, but the result was the same - she couldn't get through. She muttered to herself, "How is this possible?" As she scrolled through her contacts, she pressed dial again, still with no success.

  This phone can no longer dial any numbers.

  And she Gu An'an, thoroughly can't go back.

  Thinking of this, Gu An's heart was in pain, if she wasn't around anymore, what would her dad and mom do?!