B5SB -Chapter 23 Quarrel

Gu Yihan resumed her routine of attending classes during the day, writing manuscripts at night, and revising them afterward.

During the lunch break, she ran to the school gate. “Sir, is there any mail for me?”

The gatekeeper looked at Gu Yihan. “Yes, yes, you have two letters.”

Overjoyed, she immediately followed the gatekeeper inside to collect the letters.

After getting the letters, Gu Yihan took two boiled eggs from her pocket and said, “Sir, for you. I’ll be troubling you again in the future.”

The gatekeeper politely declined, “This is part of my duty. I can’t accept anything.”

She tossed the eggs onto the table and ran off, saying as she ran, “If I don’t give it to you, I’ll feel embarrassed asking you to collect my letters in the future.”

Excited, Gu Yihan looked at the two letters. One was from Youth Daily, containing a sample copy and 5 yuan; the other was from People’s Daily, also a sample copy, with 2 yuan and a grain coupon.

She had mailed five letters in total, so having two published made her very happy. She wasn’t greedy—really.

She was so thrilled that she cried—finally, she could earn her own money.

Life was hard in these times. She had space to work, but she was timid and didn’t dare go to the black market. She had to be extremely cautious because spies were rampant, and she feared being mistaken for one.

Knowing she could earn money from submissions kept her so excited that she couldn’t sleep that night.

The next morning, Gu Yihan first went to the state-run restaurant, bought five large meat buns, and packed them into her backpack, using the grain coupon given by People’s Daily.

When she boarded the ox cart, she usually kept quiet, so she didn’t notice that Liu Zhaodi’s eldest daughter, Laidi, was also on the cart.

The cart swayed along until they arrived at Gu’s village.

“Sir, what time do you leave if I want to ride your cart Monday morning?” Gu Yihan asked, handing him the fare.

The cart driver smiled and pocketed the money. “6 a.m.”

Gu Yihan nodded happily. “Thanks, sir. I’ll ride your cart that day as well.”

On the way back, thinking about sharing her joy with her grandmother, Gu Yihan was suddenly shoved hard from behind, falling unprepared.

Pain shot through her palms and legs.

She slowly turned to see who had pushed her. It was Laidi, Liu Zhaodi’s eldest daughter, her eyes full of malice.

Gu Yihan didn’t speak, just got up and walked toward her. “Did I offend you?”

Laidi’s eyes darkened as she stared at Gu Yihan. “You deserve to die! Why do you get to live so well? Why can you go to school? You should be like me!”

Then she looked at Gu Yihan and laughed loudly. “What if your family knew you weren’t really theirs? Would they still let you go to school, you worthless thing?”

Due to the difference in height, Gu Yihan quickly kicked Laidi’s knee joint. When Laidi staggered to one knee, Gu Yihan raised her hand and slapped her without hesitation. The slap landed with a sharp smack.

Laidi covered her cheek, anger in her voice. “You dare hit me!”

Gu Yihan slapped her again.

“What are you? I’ll hit you if I want,” Gu Yihan said, then smack—another slap.

Laidi was too intimidated by Gu Yihan’s momentum to speak.

Gu Yihan mockingly slapped her again. “Even if you tell the whole village I’m not my family’s biological child, who would believe you?”

From afar, Gu Yihan saw Liu Zhaodi and walked straight over.

“Is your eldest daughter sick? She actually said I’m not my family’s child.”

Gu Yihan looked meaningfully at her. “If I’m not my mother’s child, then where is my mother’s real child? If someone spread this nonsense in the village, people would think your family swapped my mother’s child, wouldn’t they?”

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhaodi, who had been flushed from hurrying, turned pale immediately.

She grabbed Laidi and beat and scolded her head-on. “You little jinx, ungrateful brat! You deserve to be married off to some old widower, you liar!”

Laidi covered her head and ran: “Mom, I clearly heard you say she’s my sister, and yet you—”

Liu Zhaodi’s face twisted as she slapped Laidi repeatedly—smack, smack, smack—making her face swell.

With such a commotion, how could the villagers not notice? People watched from a distance.

Chen, the accountant’s wife in the village, said, “They wouldn’t really swap the kids, would they?”

Jiawang’s wife scoffed, “Laidi must be jealous of Hanhan. I’ve seen her glare at her fiercely several times.”

Everyone murmured, “Hanhan is beautiful, but she doesn’t look anything like Zhou Jianguo’s family.”

Gu Yihan ignored the mother-daughter drama and went straight home.

Grandma Gu was washing vegetables. Seeing her granddaughter return, she wiped her hands and said, “Why are you a bit late today?”

Gu Yihan wasn’t affected. “Got held up on the way. Grandma, I brought something for you.”

She led her grandmother inside, took the meat buns out of her backpack, and handed them over.

“Eat quickly. I bought them at the state-run restaurant,” Gu Yihan urged.

Grandma Gu held a bun, tears shining in her eyes. “Good, I’ll eat. Thin skin, lots of meat—so delicious.”

“This is the first time Grandma has eaten meat buns from a state-run restaurant. Thanks to my little granddaughter,” she said.

“Grandma, they’re delicious. You eat more. I bought five, all for you,” Gu Yihan said, happier seeing her grandmother eat than eating herself.

After one bun, Grandma Gu hesitated. “Where did you get the money to buy these?”

Gu Yihan deliberately raised her head, looking proud. “Grandma, see this sample copy? I earned 2 yuan submitting to People’s Daily, plus a grain coupon. I’ll take care of you in the future. Whatever you want to eat, I’ll buy for you.”

She didn’t mention the 5 yuan from Youth Daily or that she would be submitting regularly for more money.

A small amount of money attracts no envy. She didn’t want to risk testing human nature and losing the last bit of family affection.

Grandma Gu held the newspaper tightly. She couldn’t read, so she asked her granddaughter where she had written it. Gu Yihan pointed it out and read it aloud with expression.

Grandma Gu held the paper, reluctant to let go. “Your name is wonderful. Truly, thanks to Granny Gu for giving you this name.”

“Don’t worry, Grandma. I’ll study hard. When I start working, I’ll earn money to buy you good food and clothes,” Gu Yihan promised seriously.

Grandma Gu didn’t think about the future—at least now, her little granddaughter’s dreams were feeding her well.