CHAPTER 358: CHAPTER 358: THE ELDEST AUNT’S FAMILY

In the blink of an eye, it was the thirtieth day of the lunar month. Gu Lingling had prepared all the ingredients for the New Year’s Eve dinner early in the day.

"Grandpa, these are the new clothes I made for you." After finishing lunch, Gu Lingling said with a smile, holding up the new clothes, "Try them on, and see how they fit?"

Gu Lingling used some of the family’s fabric coupons to make a tunic suit for Old Sir Gu, who hadn’t gotten any new clothes in years.

"I’m not going out, so why make new clothes for me? It’s a waste." Although the old man said this, his heart felt warm, warmer than the heated kang bed-stove.

At least he wasn’t useless, and someone still remembered him.

"Who says you’re not going out?" Gu Lingling smiled and said, "Isn’t there the traditional festival performance this year? I’ll push you out to see it."

"How have you been feeling these past few days?" Gu Chunhai helped Old Sir Gu change clothes, "I’ll rub your legs for you later."

"Okay." Old Sir Gu nodded with a smile, "It’s still the same, you don’t need to rub them."

"Didn’t you feel something the other day? I’ll rub them whenever I have time," Gu Chunhai said, "Look at our Lingling’s skill, she’s really talented."

Just like her mother.

"Next year our family will definitely be better than this year." Gu Lingling poked her head out of the kitchen and said to Old Sir Gu’s room, "Grandpa, just wait to enjoy life."

Next year this campaign will be over, and everything will get better.

"Auntie, when did you... when did you come back? Why didn’t you come inside?" Gu Lingling was carrying a basin to pour out the water when she found her aunt standing dumbfounded in the yard, carrying nothing but her two shivering children.

As soon as Zhao Jingmiao saw Gu Lingling, she started crying. Zhao Xuefei, although younger, was holding back with all his might.

"What? Who came back?" The two people in the house heard the commotion, and Gu Chunhai asked.

"My aunt is back," Gu Lingling said to those inside the house, "Auntie, hurry inside, look at how cold Little Fei is."

"Come... come inside." Gu Chunxia, her face pale and frozen, even had a bruise at the corner of her eye.

Gu Lingling didn’t ask any questions and led them inside first, "Hurry up and warm yourselves on the kang, I’ll make some sugar water for you to drink."

Gu Chunxia married far away, and at this time, she certainly hadn’t had breakfast or lunch. Seeing the two children had been frozen badly, she quickly made a large kettle of sugar water and brought it over, "Drink slowly, warm yourselves up first."

After saying that, she went on to prepare the meal.

"I... I’ll do it." Gu Chunxia said in a flustered manner.

"Sit and warm yourself, let Lingling do it," Old Sir Gu said.

The old man knew the temperament of his eldest daughter too well. Coming back like this, with a face full of injuries, definitely meant something major had happened.

Gu Lingling moved nimbly, and coupled with her familiarity with the stove, she soon brought up the hot noodle soup she had made.

Eating hot noodle soup in winter made one’s entire body feel very relaxed.

"Tell us, what happened?" After the meal, the whole family sat on Old Sir Gu’s kang.

Gu Chunxia had been holding herself together before, but when her father asked, she couldn’t help but cover her face and cry.

In Gu Lingling’s memory, this great-aunt had always been a very hardworking and enduring person, who never cried even when wronged, always silently enduring everything by herself and never leaving any work undone.

But now this silent sufferer suddenly started crying, which indeed surprised everyone in the house.

"Xiao Jing, you tell us." Seeing her crying like that, Gu Chunhai’s face was very somber as he said to Zhao Jingmiao, "Tell everything clearly, don’t be afraid. Your second uncle is here."

"They accused my mom of stealing, beat her, and didn’t give us anything to eat." Zhao Jingmiao said tearfully.