Chapter 435: Phoenix Crown and Phoenix Robe
Tang Chuxia discussed this matter with Gu Beihuai that evening, and Gu Beihuai nodded.
"Gu Nanzhi wasn’t wrong!"
Tang Chuxia was dumbfounded.
What’s going on?
"Wu Family’s Aunt isn’t a very kind person? She seemed very gentle! How could she be someone who treats her daughters-in-law badly?"
Tang Chuxia’s question made Gu Beihuai laugh.
"You should know that Wu Haipeng isn’t an only child, right? He has three older brothers. Have you ever seen them?"
Gu Beihuai leaned against the head of the bed, reading one of Tang Chuxia’s books.
"They were born to Uncle Wu’s first wife, and they should still be in the countryside, right?"
Tang Chuxia’s memories of the Wu Family were scant, and she wasn’t sure of her answer.
Gu Beihuai nodded.
"Indeed, but when Uncle Wu was with Haipeng’s mother, he hadn’t divorced his first wife yet. Back then, when they were in the Northwest Military Region, Haipeng’s elder sister-in-law went searching for Uncle Wu in the Northwest with her children, and at that time, Haipeng had just been born!"
Tang Chuxia felt like she had stumbled upon an enormous piece of gossip and immediately became excited.
"Tell me more, what’s this all about? I figured out the timeline, and Wu Haipeng should have been born after the founding of the country, right? If his father hadn’t divorced his previous wife yet, wouldn’t that make Wu Haipeng’s mother a third person in the relationship?"
Back then, due to traditional thinking and the popularity of keeping concubines during the Republic of China period, many rich families would keep mistresses, but Father Wu was not the son of a wealthy family.
Gu Beihuai put down the book and held Tang Chuxia in his arms, looking into her sparkling eyes, he could only explain.
"Strictly speaking, Uncle Wu and Aunt’s love was a free choice, while the wife back home was a child bride arranged by his parents, and she was eight years older than Uncle Wu!"
Tang Chuxia was shocked.
Isn’t that age difference a bit much?
If he didn’t like her, why have children?
Tang Chuxia’s question left Gu Beihuai at a loss for words, as men and women think differently about emotions and physical needs.
"I only heard Haipeng say that when Uncle Wu wanted to join the military, his parents vehemently disagreed, but seeing he was adamant, they let him marry the child bride and insisted he leave an heir before they let him leave."
This reason was indeed irrefutable.
To go away, Father Wu slept with the child bride, and after she got pregnant, he left without looking back.
Logically, after this, they should never meet again, but when Father Wu’s father was on his deathbed, Father Wu made a trip back home. His father, with his dying words, made Father Wu sleep with the child bride once more, claiming one grandson was not enough insurance.
Pressured by his father’s last words, Father Wu slept with the child bride again.
After burying his father, Father Wu left the village immediately.
The grandmother, angry at her son’s ruthlessness and perhaps out of guilt toward the daughter-in-law, tricked him into coming back when she learned her son wanted a divorce. She forced him to live with the child bride for a few days and even drugged her son.
The grandmother believed that her son still thought of running away because he hadn’t fully understood women. If he slept with the woman a few more times, perhaps he wouldn’t bear to leave.
Once Father Wu overcame the effect of the drug, he ran away and swore never to return, nearly severing ties with his birthplace.
The child bride was of a constitution prone to easy pregnancy, sleeping with her thrice had resulted in three sons.
The old lady was overjoyed and cherished her self-raised child bride, while resenting her son for failing to recognize her virtues.
"In the early days of the founding of the country, Uncle Wu’s hometown was struck by disaster, too. When Uncle Wu received the news, he was told all his relatives there had died, including his wife, child, and mother. Uncle Wu ended up marrying his current wife in the Northwest!"
When Gu Beihuai spoke of this, Tang Chuxia felt somewhat infuriated.
What kind of bastard does that?
No matter how impressive Uncle Wu is now, he was once a truly irresponsible scoundrel.
"When Wu Haipeng was born, Uncle Wu’s child bride dragged her three sons and the old woman on a cart, begging all the way to find Uncle Wu! At that time, the old lady cursed her new daughter-in-law to extreme lengths, and it’s said that it was the old lady’s daily disturbances that finally got Uncle Wu transferred back to Quan City."
Probably couldn’t stand being continuously poked in the spine.
Mrs. Wu was ruthless too. Back then, she endured all kinds of torment from her mother-in-law and, in the end, used a child to scheme against the old lady, forcing Father Wu to sever ties with his own mother, as well as with his former wife and their three sons!
For such a ferocious person, what would she do to a daughter-in-law who may have caused her to lose face?
Who the hell knows!
After Gu Beihuai finished speaking, Tang Chuxia became somewhat worried about Dangdang’s future life.
She suspected that Dangdang’s good days might be coming to an end. If she lived with Mrs. Wu after getting married, who knew what would happen?
But this was not something she could interfere with; she could only hope they were unduly worried.
After hearing the story of Father Wu and Mrs. Wu, Tang Chuxia sympathized but didn’t take it to heart too much, considering Dangdang’s wedding was so rushed and there were many things to help prepare.
The elder sister-in-law was also planning to go back only after Dangdang’s wedding, having made a trip there and back already.
Now, Tang Chuxia spends her days with her great-nephew soaking in the sun while casually sketching designs to make some extra money.
The house has also been very lively recently, with Xue Zhanyi occasionally coming to stir Father Tang, while Madam Tang is annoyed by them but can’t just ignore everything.
That’s because Xue Zhanyi, the sly old fox, manages to infuriate Father Tang to the brink of collapse each time, yet still looks innocent claiming he really means no harm.
But since Xue Zhanyi’s words somehow comfort everyone except Father Tang, Tang Chuxia can’t be bothered and dismisses the matter with: It’s not suitable for the younger generation to meddle in the affairs of their elders.
The Tang Family’s days are bustling with joy, while the Gu Family’s home is rather quiet. Gu Nanzhi has to go to school, and Father Gu and Mrs. Gu leave early for work.
Lately, Beihuai seems to be busy with something, disappearing early in the day and not returning until night falls.
Only Tang Chuxia and her great-nephew are free, essentially just playing every day.
Since the source of the epidemic in the city was found, the spread has gradually been controlled, with the freedom to roam restored. And now with spring approaching, as the sense of the season blossoms, the winter jasmine fills the corners of the walls with its bloom.
Tang Chuxia, on a rare whim, designed several outfits for her great-nephew, which were all sewn by Ah Duo.
This sparked Tang Chuxia’s enthusiasm and she designed new clothes for the whole family, even fulfilling Zhizhi’s request to design bridesmaid dresses for Dangdang’s wedding.
So when Dangdang married Wu Haipeng, amidst the modest wedding attire of others, Dangdang’s red bridal dress, especially the phoenix crown on her head, was a revival, albeit not extravagant. It was an heirloom from her great-grandma, reconditioned by a craftsman.
The genuine phoenix crown and robe became the talk of the wedding for both the bride and bridesmaids.
Wu Haipeng was beaming with joy, so excited he could hardly contain himself.
At the moment of utmost happiness, someone kicked open the Wu Family’s front door.