Back to the 1980s: Transmigrated as the Bigshot's Pampered Wife

Gu Jiaojiao and her group were quietly bantering with each other. Since they were on the outskirts of the crowd, no one else heard what they were saying.

Everyone else was buzzing with excited chatter, their voices loud as they gathered near the entrance to the Song family’s courtyard.

"Did you hear what Aunt Song said? That Old Mrs. Wang dared to hit Xiaxia?"

"Of course I heard! I wanted to slap her dead right then and there. How dare she come to our compound and cause a scene."

"Oh, really? It’s easy to be brave after the fact. Where were you when it was all happening?"

"Sigh... Back in the day, my son was head over heels for Song Xiaxia, but she just wouldn’t have him. If she had married my son, I would have treated her like my own flesh and blood."

"Daughter, you listen to me. When you choose a husband, remember this: a marriage of equals might not always be sweet, but at least you won’t be tormented by your in-laws."

"Sigh! Such a wonderful girl, tormented until she’s nothing but skin and bones. And that old hag has the nerve to come to our compound and scream at people. I can’t even imagine how she must abuse Xiaxia at home."

"I never thought Xiaxia would have such a miserable life after getting married. What did Song the Second’s family do to deserve this? Their son is on his deathbed, and their daughter isn’t doing well either!"

"..."

The crowd chattered away, gossiping loudly as they dispersed, leaving Aunt Song seething with a rage that nearly made her keel over.

"Dear, don’t be angry. Our son is about to get well, and Xiaxia will be all right in the future. Let’s go home."

Uncle Song rubbed his wife’s back, supporting her as they walked into the courtyard.

Meanwhile, Li An was still pontificating. "Sigh, that girl from the Song family really brought this on herself, dragging her parents down to suffer with her."

"After this ordeal, she will understand what time and life have truly given her. She has paid a price for her growth..."

Gu Jiaojiao mused to herself, ’Li An is a history professor, all right. What he’s saying actually makes a lot of sense.’

She was just about to chime in with a word of agreement when she heard her grandfather speak, his eyes gazing up at the starry sky.

"If, one day, the things that once moved your heart can no longer touch you, and the things that once made you furious can no longer enrage you...

"And the things that once brought you sorrow can no longer make you cry, then you will know what time has truly given you.

"Once the heart disappears, so too does the sense of loss, the disappointment, the love that has lost its home.

"All that remains is life itself—a quiet life, calm and undisturbed by wind or waves."

Gu Jiaojiao immediately heaped praise on Grandpa Gu. "Grandpa, you truly are a literary titan! That philosophy not only flows beautifully, but it’s also absolutely spot-on."

"Perhaps one can only understand after weathering the storms of time and walking through the hardships and bumps of half a lifetime.

"The best discipline in life is to keep your lifestyle simple and your soul enriched.

"To face gains and losses with a level head, to face life with graceful indifference... If I get it, I’m lucky; if I lose it, it’s fate."

Grandpa Gu chuckled. "Jiaojiao, you have a profound understanding. A simple life and a noble soul—that is life’s highest state of being."

Cheng Tao, in a rare moment, added his thoughts. "One must learn to go with the flow and live humbly. That in itself is a form of wisdom."

"It is an elegance in living, a form of clarity—a remarkable awakening and the ultimate state of being for a person."

As they all talked, time flew by, and soon they arrived at the entrance of the guest house.

"Jiaojiao, we didn’t have time to see your operating room today, nor did we have time to test Wang Gang’s blood type."

"Professor Xia, I know you’re all very busy. I already tested him today. His liver isn’t a match."

"Then..."

"We’ll proceed with the surgery as planned the day after tomorrow, using a portion of Song Xiaxia’s liver. It won’t cause any real harm to her body."

"Besides, she doesn’t have any major physical illness. She’s just suffering from a deep-seated depression because she hasn’t been able to have children."

"This surgery might be the breakthrough she needs. Otherwise, if things continue as they are, Song Xiaxia is very likely to develop clinical depression."

The others didn’t understand what depression was, but Xia Qiuming knew. It was a psychological illness that was incredibly difficult to cure.

He was surprised that Gu Jiaojiao was familiar with such conditions, and his admiration for her rose to a new height.

At the Su family home, Geng Ruixian and his son had completely opened their hearts to one another. They talked for a long time, and the emotional barrier between them finally vanished.

After dinner, Geng Ruixian tried to help with the chores, but Geng Haoyi insisted on doing them instead, saying as he worked,

"Dad, please, let me do it. I have to leave Qing City first thing tomorrow morning. My grandpa will arrive in two days."

"It’s good that you called your grandpa, but you shouldn’t have had him rush all the way to Qing City from so far away."

"Jiaojiao is going to the Imperial City for school in two months, and most of us will be heading back there."

"Grandpa has been searching for you for the past two years. Once he found out where you are, there was no stopping him."

What Geng Haoyi didn’t say was that his grandfather actually seemed to be in much better health than his father.

After his grandfather was reinstated to his post, he had He Shen Yi and Professor Xia overseeing his treatment, so he recovered very quickly.

Geng Haoyi knew that if his father hadn’t met Su and his wife, ’his grave would be overgrown with weeds by now!’

So, he turned gratefully to Second Brother Gu and said, "Jingtai, do you want me to teach you how to drive?"

"I don’t have time right now. I’m learning how to cook from Aunt Su. I’m going to open a restaurant when I get to the Imperial City."

Geng Haoyi: ...

’How could opening a restaurant possibly make more money than being in the transportation business?’

Fortunately, he didn’t say this out loud. Many years later, the transportation company he ran with Su Shuochi would be no match for Second Brother Gu’s hotel chain.

Second Brother Gu’s five-star hotels would stand strong for decades, but that is a story for another time.

"Well, if you love cooking, Jingtai, then I won’t push you. As they say, every trade can produce a master."

"Hehe! That’s what Jiaojiao says too. I’m going to be the grand champion of the culinary world."

When Gu Jiaojiao and the others returned home, they happened to overhear her second brother’s grand declaration.

"Hahaha... Our Second Brother has real ambition! Grandpa supports you. Now, how about our grand champion makes Grandpa a cup of malted milk before bed?"

"Already made it! Here you go, Grandpa, please drink. Jiaojiao’s beloved, you have a cup too."

Second Brother Gu grinned cheekily as he handed a cup to his grandfather, then another to Su Shuochi.

This term of address, "Jiaojiao’s beloved," was the result of a long discussion between him and Sheng Shiwu.

"Why not just call him ’brother-in-law’? ’Jiaojiao’s beloved’... what a mouthful. Who taught you to say that?"

Mr. Gu was displeased, and in a rare moment of seriousness, he reprimanded his second son.

Second Brother Gu was just thinking, ’Maybe I should just throw Third Sheng under the bus,’ but before he could decide, he heard Su Shuochi’s deep, mellow voice.

"Dad, I really like being called ’Jiaojiao’s beloved.’ Thank you, Second Brother. I like it a lot. I absolutely love it."

Hearing the words "Jiaojiao’s beloved" felt like a feather brushing across Su Shuochi’s heart, sending a powerful shiver through him.

He was just a boy from the countryside, fueled by a relentless drive to make something of himself so his parents could live a good life.

He had clawed his way through blood and slaughter, only to be crippled just as he was starting to make a name for himself.

Before he and his family could even taste the joy of his success, he was instead forced to experience the full spectrum of human ugliness and sorrow.

Then, he met his wife. She dragged him out of a dark abyss and brought him back into the light of day.

"Hehe! So, Dad, from now on, you all can just call me ’Jiaojiao’s Second Brother’!"