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Chapter 502: Chapter 502: The Death of Father Gu
Tong Yao was tired from the train ride and fell asleep while chatting with Qin Xiaoshuang at night. By the time she woke up, it was already late in the morning and the staff was all gone to work.
She washed up and headed for the milk tea shop, only to receive some bad news as soon as she arrived.
"Boss, Brother Boyi called to say that Hongwei’s father is seriously ill and can’t come to the city"
Cheng Anran knitted her brows. Given that Hongwei’s father hadn’t been rushed to the hospital despite his serious illness, she suspected the situation wasn’t as simple as it seemed. She pondered for a moment before speaking, "I’ll go to Hongwei’s house to check on him. If Boyi calls again, let him know."
Qin Xiaoshuang seemed concerned. "Boss, how about I go with you? I’m worried Xiaohui might give you a hard time if you go alone."
As Tong Yao was about to respond, the shop phone rang. Xiaoshuang thought it was Si Boyi, but instead a woman’s voice came through, "Is Tong Yao at the shop? I’m looking for Tong Yao."
Xiaoshuang hastily handed the phone to Tong Yao, "Boss, it’s for you."
Tong Yao picked up the phone, and before she could utter a greeting, Guo Jinnian’s voice came through, "Yaoyao, I’m in Li City. Where’s your milk tea shop? I’ll come find you."
Tong Yao hadn’t expected Guo Jinnian to arrive in Li City so soon. She was surprised but also pleased. There was no doubt—he had picked the right time to arrive.
"You’re here at a perfect time. Hongwei’s dad is sick, let’s go visit him. I’m at the entrance of the First Middle School."
After hanging up, Tong Yao ordered the staff to make two fruit teas. She ate some of Qin Xiaoshuang’s steamed buns and within twenty minutes, Guo Jinnian arrived by car.
Seeing the steamed buns on the counter, she didn’t hesitate in grabbing one and taking a bite. "Yaoyao, I haven’t eaten anything since last night. I’m starving."
Xiaoshuang and the staff were stunned by Jinnian. Despite her feminine voice on the phone, the person standing before them was a handsome young man. If it wasn’t for Jinnian speaking up, they would have mistaken her for a dude.
"Have some fruit tea so you don’t choke." Tong Yao pushed a cup of fruit tea towards her.
Taking a sip of the tea, Jinnian finally had the time to ask, "What’s up with Hongwei’s father? His son just got back and now he’s seriously ill, was it because of him?"
"I’m not sure." Tong Yao shook her head, and then curiously inquired, "How did you get to Li City so quickly?"
Thinking about her trip home, Jinnian grew disgruntled. She pulled up a chair and sat down with a huff, "Right after I arrived, I went straight to work on some business deals. I was actually in a good mood until my family learned I was back and confronted me for money. After arguing for more than an hour, I was so furious that I took the night train to Li City."
Just thinking about her mother sitting at the door, crying and threatening to kneel before her, filled Guo Jinnian with anger.
Despite being fully aware of her father’s love for gambling and sleazy lifestyle, Jinnian’s mother still urged her to give money to her father— a whopping thousand yuan— as if it was easy to earn.
For all these years, while she struggled alone, not a single person had shown her any sympathy. They only ever asked her for money or pushed her to get married.
Although Tong Yao wasn’t there to witness it, she could feel Jinnian’s desperation and felt grateful that her own parents were far more sensible.
"Calm down. It seems your family doesn’t care for you much, they’re like vampires. If things get worse, consider settling down in Kyoto."
"That’s a good idea." Guo Jinnian felt somewhat comforted.
Although her grandfather had passed away, she still had aunts and uncles living in Kyoto. It wouldn’t be bad at all to stay there with friends and family around, plus she wouldn’t have to deal with the same old headaches.
"You haven’t had a good rest in the past few days, maybe go rest at Xiaoshuang’s first. We’ll go see Hongwei later, " Tong Yao suggested.
Shaking her head, Guo Jinnian said, "I’m perfectly alert and rested, let’s go now! I might be able to persuade Hongwei’s father."
Seeing the pumped-up look on Guo Jinnian’s face, Tong Yao nodded in agreement, "Alright, let’s go now!"
Since it hadn’t rained in a while, the roads were quite even. Plus, they were going by ox cart with straw mattresses, so the journey didn’t feel too bumpy. They reached the village just before noon.
Hopping off the ox cart, Guo Jinnian expressed her astonishment, "Yaoyao, what on earth were your parents thinking? Letting you marry and move to such a remote village. If anyone didn’t know better, they’d think you were trafficked here. I’m suddenly curious about what your husband looks like. If he isn’t as handsome as Pan An, I won’t be able to sleep."
Having known Tong Yao for a while now, Guo Jinnian was aware of her situation, and partly because of this, she found the idea of Tong Yao getting married and moving here to be somewhat baffling.
This place was even more remote than her own home, a place even human traffickers would struggle to find.
Laughing and crying at the same time, Tong Yao replied, "The place isn’t great, that’s for sure. But the charm of Ahchen is real. Even if you don’t trust my father’s judgment, you should trust mine. I am a sucker for handsome faces, after all."
As the two of them chatted and ventured into the village, they spotted a crowd in and out of Hongwei’s house. Exchanging glances, they both felt a sense of unease.
In a countryside place like this, a sudden crowd at someone’s house might indicate one of two things: a wedding or a funeral. Since a wedding at Hongwei’s house was out of question, they thought of the latter.
Aghast at the situation, Guo Jinnian exclaimed, "No way! Did Hongwei go and get his father so worked up that he died? Not going to university doesn’t mean he won’t succeed. His father really overreacted. This is going to weigh heavily on Hongwei."
On their way, Tong Yao had briefed Guo Jinnian on Hongwei’s family situation, informing her that Hongwei only had his father for a family.
If his own rash moves had led to his father’s death, it would be unbearable for anyone.
Tong Yao pursed her lips, "His father’s health was already pretty bad to begin with."
"Didn’t we tell him to keep it quiet? He really can’t think straight." Shaking her head, Jinnian sighed in frustration.
The two of them soon reached Hongwei’s house. The villagers noticed Tong Yao and Guo Jinnian. Although they didn’t recognize Guo Jinnian, they immediately recognized Tong Yao.
All eyes were on her, which in itself was something unusual, since the city girl living in the countryside already made her notable. After Tong Yao moved to the city with Si Chen and seldom visited, the villagers started gossiping about her being too delicate for fieldwork. Hence, the news of her divorce from Si Chen didn’t come as a surprise— they thought it was a long time coming.
With all the scandals involving the Si Family surfacing over the past couple of years, many blamed Tong Yao for bringing bad luck. People rarely had anything good to say about her. Most figured she would never return to the village after the divorce, and yet here she was...
All eyes were on Tong Yao, and murmurs filled the air. A particularly nosy villager even came up directly to inquire.
"Didn’t you divorce Si Chen, Tong Yao? What brings you back?"
