Old Madam Zhang was infuriated when she glanced at the crowd and realized that her daughter was really absent!
“Where’s your mother? Where has that damn girl gone? Her elder brother is so badly injured, but she doesn’t even come to check on him. Where is she?”
Gu Qingyao immediately replied, “Grandmother, don’t be angry. My mother doesn’t even know that Eldest Uncle was injured! She’s so filial. If she knew, she would certainly have rushed over immediately to check on Eldest Uncle and take care of you.
“Mother and my elder sister headed for town early this morning. She doesn’t know what happened to Eldest Uncle.”
When Gu Qingyao said that, everyone present frowned and exchanged glances as they whispered among themselves.
Zhang Xiaohui had been frequenting the town recently. Every visit lasted the whole day and more recently, even two to three days without her coming back in between. Many people had observed this and were puzzling over it!
They were even more curious when they heard Gu Qingyao’s words!
Old Madam Zhang was rather brainless. She was a typical village woman who was illiterate and uneducated. She was arrogant and domineering, but not calculative.
She was even angrier when she heard Gu Qingyao’s words!
“Gone to town? What is she doing in town? Her elder brother is so badly injured, but she ran off to town instead of coming back to take care of him? Who gave her permission to go?”
Gu Qingyao looked innocent. “No… no one in the family gave her permission! But Father has been away and my grandparents need to work in the cowshed. There’s no one else at home. Perhaps Mother felt bored and went to town?
“She’s gone there frequently of late, and every trip lasts a few days. I’m used to it now. Today, she left early in the morning. We didn’t expect Eldest Uncle to be injured today. I’ll tell Mother the moment she gets back so that she can come over to take care of you. Is that alright, Grandmother?”
Gu Qingyao had spoken cleverly. Some people had noticed that Zhang Xiaohui had recently been going out quite often, but were not certain if it was so.
Now that she said this, everyone was certain that after Gu Yunshen left, she frequently went out, and each trip lasted two or three days.
Why would a woman with no relatives and friends in the town go there so frequently?
Old Madam Zhang bellowed in rage, “Wait for her to come back? Why wait? Summon her back immediately! Go!”
Old Madam Zhang was used to treating the Gu Family nastily. She had no respect for them and now she turned on Gu Qingyao fiercely.
Gu Qingyao shrank back, looking pitiful, as if Old Madam Zhang had frightened her. “I… I don’t know where Mother went…”
When Wen Ruyu saw that old woman was terrorizing her precious granddaughter, she immediately drew Gu Qingyao into her arms. Gu Qingyao hid in Wen Ruyu’s arms, her eyes glistening with tears.
Old Madam Zhang said angrily, “What do you mean you don’t know where she went? She’s your mother, how can you not know? She has no friends or relatives in town. Why would she go to town for no reason?”
Gu Qingyao was so frightened that she started to cry.
“Speak!” Old Madam Zhang bellowed.
Gu Qingyao began to quiver in fear. “I really don’t know. My mother didn’t tell me, and doesn’t allow me to ask her questions. She likes my elder sister, but not me. Yesterday, I saw my elder sister wearing new clothes and she said Mother bought them for her. I was so envious that I asked Mother to buy me new clothes too, but she gave me a terrible scolding instead. I don’t dare to look for her…”
