B5SB -Chapter 6 Daily Life

Time always slipped by like sand through one’s fingers. In the blink of an eye, Gu Yihan was already over a year old. She also knew that she had been born in June 1952.

She now lived in Gujia Village, where most of the villagers shared the surname Gu, with only a few outsiders. Zhou Jianguo’s family were among those who had fled here during a famine in his grandfather’s generation.

This world belonged to a parallel timeline, and its economic development was very similar to that of the modern era in her previous life.

After a year of bonding with Grandma Gu, Gu Yihan’s status in the family had risen. Among the grandchildren, she ranked second in favor—first place belonged to her eldest cousin, Gu Hao.

When Gu Yihan saw her grandmother return, she used her tiny body to drag over a small stool, toddling on her short legs as she called out,

“Grandma, come sit. You’ve worked hard.”

Grandma Gu looked at her little granddaughter carrying the stool and smiled happily.

“My good granddaughter! Be careful, don’t fall.”

In her soft, childish voice, Gu Yihan replied, “I won’t fall. Grandma’s tired.”

Ever since she learned to walk, this scene happened every day.

She firmly believed that even if Grandma preferred boys, she still had to carefully maintain her relationship with her grandparents.

Because over the past year, she had come to understand clearly that in this lifetime, she could not rely on Zhang Cuihua and Gu Aidang at all.

Grandma Gu happily took the stool and sat down. Gu Yihan immediately toddled over and began massaging her legs. Though her strength was no more than a light tickle, Gu Yihan knew that her grandmother was happy.

“Rest for a bit. Later, I’ll have your aunt steam some egg custard for you,” Grandma Gu said, looking at her small face.

Gu Yihan replied cheerfully, “Okay.”

Before long, the whole family returned home. Gu Hao studied in the village and came back every noon for lunch.

“Eldest daughter-in-law, steam two bowls of eggs for Xiao Hao and Hanhan to nourish them,” Grandma Gu said.

Wang Ni answered, “Got it, Mom.”

Zhang Cuihua said angrily, “Mom, aren’t you being too biased? Why doesn’t Mengmeng get any?”

Gu Mengmeng looked at Grandma Gu with hopeful eyes.

Grandma Gu snapped, “Yes, I’m biased. What are you going to do about it? Am I shorting you food or drink? How old is Hanhan? How old is Mengmeng?”

Gu Aidang also said, “Mom, look—Mengmeng isn’t as well raised as Hanhan. Let her have one too.”

Over the past year, Gu Mengmeng had followed her parents to work in the fields and had become dark from the sun.

“Shut up! Do you think I didn’t raise her well? It’s you two heartless parents who made such a young child work. You say your sister-in-law favors boys, but I’ve never seen her overwork Daya,” Grandma Gu scolded them.

She didn’t even like talking to the couple anymore.

Seeing Grandma leave, Gu Mengmeng’s eyes dimmed.

Gu Yihan didn’t care about any of this. She just sat there waiting for the food.

When it was time to eat, Gu Yihan scooped up some egg custard with her spoon and fed it to her grandmother.

“Good girl, Grandma won’t eat. You eat it yourself,” Grandma Gu said warmly, feeling deeply comforted.

“No. If Grandma doesn’t eat, I won’t either,” Gu Yihan insisted, holding up the spoon.

Left with no choice, Grandma Gu ate it.

“Tsk, bootlicker,” eight-year-old Gu Daya said, glaring at Gu Yihan.

Gu Yihan ignored her.

Resources in the family were limited. It was impossible to be perfectly fair. If she got more, others got less. Jealousy was normal—you couldn’t enjoy the benefits and expect others not to complain.

Gu Yihan happily ate her egg custard.

In truth, she didn’t lack food. But in this family, if she didn’t fight for herself, then in this era her fate would be to marry some farmer at eighteen—something she absolutely could not accept.

Every day now, besides emotionally supporting Grandma Gu, Gu Yihan often ran to Gu Hao to watch him study.

When he wasn’t busy, she would act cute and ask him to teach her. Gu Hao liked this little cousin very much and would read what he learned to her whenever he had time.

As a result, his grades were fairly good in the village.

Gu Yihan also realized that she was now illiterate, because they were learning traditional characters.

One day, while playing near the courtyard gate, she saw Liu Zhaodi carrying the son she had swapped and her two daughters. It was the first time Gu Yihan had seen her biological mother since birth.

The boy was chubby and well-fed, while her own daughters looked thin and sallow.

Seeing the fair and tender Gu Yihan, jealousy flashed in Liu Zhaodi’s eyes.

“Bah, a money-losing girl,” she spat.

Feeling the malice, Gu Yihan immediately ran home on her short legs. She was still too young to face any danger.

Back in the courtyard, she looked at Grandma with reddened eyes.

Seeing her grievance, Grandma Gu hurriedly asked, “What’s wrong? Who bullied Hanhan?”

Gu Yihan said coquettishly, “Grandma, I saw someone. She glared at me and called me a money-loser.”

Her speech had become more fluent now.

Grandma Gu immediately went outside and looked at Liu Zhaodi and her children not far away.

“Liu Zhaodi! If you don’t know how to speak, then shut up! If you ever talk about my granddaughter again, I’ll tear your mouth apart. Even sewer water isn’t as foul as your mouth!”

Her loud voice echoed through the area, drawing neighbors out.

Liu Zhaodi trembled with anger. “Then raise your money-loser well!”

Grandma Gu was so furious she was about to grab her hair.

Neighbor Zhou’s grandma hurried over and stopped her.

“Do you think you’re still young?”

Then she turned to Liu Zhaodi and said, “Hurry up and leave. Do you want to get beaten? The Gu family has two sons. Your family only has your husband.”

That evening at dinner, Grandma Gu complained angrily,

“Today that Liu Zhaodi woman actually called our Hanhan a money-loser.”

“Eldest and Second, go ask that Jianguo. Has my child eaten their rice? Why is she looking for trouble?”

Both sons replied, “Alright.”

Zhang Cuihua sneered. “She’s not wrong. Mom, are you raising her like a boy? No matter how well you raise her, she’ll still marry out.”

She had been home in the afternoon and heard that little brat tattling.

She increasingly felt that this little girl was born to bring her bad luck.

Grandma Gu now disliked her second daughter-in-law more and more. She couldn’t manage her child and only stirred trouble.

“If you teach Mengmeng badly, get back to your parents’ home. I’ll find Second another virgin wife,” Grandma Gu said angrily.

Zhang Cuihua’s face turned pale with rage.

Gu Aidang’s eyes flickered when he heard his mother’s words.