Lin Qingping and Gu Juncheng

Chapter 541 Caring about one person...

“Chengzi, I understand now. You and Pingzi both treat Zhiyuan like your own son. Since he is your own son, why not change his surname to Gu? Then he can truly become a family. And his children will also have the surname Gu. Our Gu family line will not be broken…” Liu Fen said anxiously and incessantly.

Hearing this, Gu Juncheng held back for the sake of his mother's illness and surgery, but finally couldn't help but retort, "Old Gu family, Old Gu family, you don't even have the surname Gu?"

Liu Fen felt a lump in her throat after his retort. "I...Isn't this for your own good? Aren't you surnamed Gu?"

"So what if my surname is Gu? Is it worth tens of thousands of yuan or something? Or does the Gu family have a few dilapidated houses to inherit?" Gu Juncheng replied.

Upon hearing this, Liu Fen anxiously said, "You have so many things in the capital..."

"Don't even think about the houses and shops in the capital. Let me tell you, even if there are those houses and shops in the capital, they were all earned by Lin Qingping. All the money in our family was earned by Lin Qingping. If Zhiyuan is to change his surname, it has to be Lin. I don't have the face to let Zhiyuan take my surname. If Lin Qingping didn't disdain it, Zhangzhu would be fine with taking her surname."

Gu Juncheng spoke so bluntly that Liu Fen turned pale with anger.

“My sister is right. You should just focus on getting better and stop causing trouble. Even though we are your son and daughter, we can’t withstand your constant meddling.” Gu Juncheng finished speaking and was about to leave when he remembered something and turned back to her, “Whatever you do, don’t tell Zhiyuan what you just said!”

Gu Juncheng left after he finished speaking.

Liu Fen had another sentence stuck in her throat, feeling extremely uncomfortable. She could only look in the direction he had left and ask Gu Youlian, "Your brother... can't just abandon us, can he?"

“He can’t just abandon you. You raised him, so even if it’s just out of filial piety, he can’t abandon you,” Gu Youlian said.

Joy shone in Liu Fen's eyes.

Gu Youlian snorted, "However, there are many different ways to manage this. He takes his children and wife and leaves you thousands of miles away, only sending you money every month. He will never come back to see you again in this lifetime. He has fulfilled his obligations."

Liu Fen's face turned pale. "Then... there's no one to see you off in your final days?"

Gu Youlian glanced at her mother, "Don't worry, either he or I will come to bury you!"

Gu Youlian knew how much her words would hurt Liu Fen, especially since Liu Fen was still ill. However, given her mother's temperament, if she didn't speak bluntly, she feared Liu Fen would keep causing trouble.

After saying those harsh words, she needed to make her point even clearer to her mother: "From now on, just enjoy your life peacefully and don't worry about anything. Chengzi and I are doing well now. If you and your father feel lonely in the countryside, you can come live with me in the capital. I have two houses in the capital. You can live alone with your father or with me if you want. If you want to enjoy a peaceful life, just like the elderly folks in the capital, take walks, raise birds, and live a leisurely life. If you get bored, come cook for me. As long as you don't cause trouble, you'll have more money to spend and more happiness to enjoy in the future!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Fen pouted, tears welling up in her eyes, and said, "What do I need money for? Where would I spend so much money? I only hope that you two siblings are doing well."

Gu Youlian knew that her mother was not a greedy person. She had been frugal and simple all her life and was wholeheartedly thinking about her and her brother. However, what she was thinking about was that she had no man and her brother had no son.

These two matters were Liu Fen's top priorities; she wouldn't rest in peace until they were resolved. However, these two matters were also the very things that Gu Youlian and Gu Juncheng, the siblings, couldn't afford to touch.

Now, if anyone asks Gu Youlian to find another man, she will worry about her "huge fortune" being divided up. What's more, Liu Fen is hoping that she will get back together with Du Gen!

As for Gu Juncheng, he was content with his daughter and didn't need a son at all.

So, just as Liu Fen started to say, "You still want a man...", Gu Youlian interrupted her.

"Mother, I know what you're thinking. Let me tell you, if you ever mention finding me a man again, I'll immediately send you back to my hometown village and disown you as my mother. In your heart, I'm a married woman, an outsider. We'll never see each other again!"

Gu Youlian's words were firm and resolute, leaving Liu Fen feeling incredibly choked up. She held her breath and sighed, "Forget it, I won't say anything more. I wonder how Lanxiang is doing. I'm the one who brought her here; I'm the one who ruined her… You don't understand, Lianzi, Lanxiang's figure clearly indicates she's fertile. Besides, we're honest people in the countryside; we believe in many children, many blessings. She wouldn't be so unfaithful as to refuse to have a son. And, all the women in her family gave birth to sons as their first child! They're all destined to have sons…"

Gu Youlian looked at her mother and sneered, "What do you mean by this? Are you cursing the bottle?" Otherwise, with Lin Qingping around, what does it matter to the Gu family if Lanxiang can give birth to a son?

Liu Fen then realized what she had said and quickly explained, "No, no, I didn't mean that. I... I heard you guys say that the bottle... is hopeless, didn't I?"

As she spoke, Liu Fen burst into tears, "When did I curse her? I'm not such a bad person!"

"Then don't say anything." Gu Youlian looked at her and said coolly.

Liu Fen cried and said, "I really thought she... It's no use saying anything now, you two siblings will only hate me..."

“It will work,” Gu Youlian said. “As long as you stop meddling in our affairs, you and Father can stay with me, and we can live a good life in the capital.”

By staying away from those gossipy relatives in the village, her mother should be less easily swayed.

Liu Fen was also thinking that she was too ashamed to go back to the village, so she might as well stay with her daughter. Besides, Xiaomai practically grew up around her and was very close to her...

However, thinking of Lin Qingping and Zhangzhu, she still felt uneasy. "Then... Pingzi is still ignoring me, and I can't even see Zhangzhu when I want to..."

"You're still looking at the precious girl? Didn't you look down on her because she's a girl?" Gu Youlian couldn't help but tease her.

"I...I..." Liu Fen was so choked up that she couldn't speak. She did want a grandson, but this girl was born, and there was only one of them. Wasn't that better than having no grandson at all?

"Don't overthink it. Chengzi is rarely home anyway, and you never see the three of them. As for Pingzi ignoring you, I wouldn't either. Just let it be. At least Chengzi is still your son, and that's enough." Gu Youlian's seemingly comforting words were less comforting than no comfort at all.

Liu Fen sighed again after hearing this, "Tell me, why does Chengzi listen to Lin Qingping in everything?"

"You're asking me? Why don't you ask your son?" Gu Youlian handed the milk to Liu Fen. "It's almost ready, you can drink it now."

Gu Youlian didn't really believe he should listen to Lin Qingping in everything. Lin Qingping rarely made demands of him and never gave him orders. With Lin Qingping's abilities, he could live perfectly well without a man. What was there to listen to between husband and wife? If you care about someone, you'll naturally consider their needs without needing guidance…

Gu Juncheng had no idea that the mother and daughter had said so much behind his back. After leaving the ward and going downstairs, he saw someone walking towards him as soon as he stepped out of the inpatient department—Lanxiang.