Chapter 85: Make You Call Me Brother (V)
Chen Lan was a traditional Omega who grew up in a traditional family.
Facing a reprimand from an elder, she wouldn’t swallow her anger silently, but neither would she say anything rebellious or nasty.
She squeezed Gu Yinnian’s shoulder and said indifferently, “Xiao Nian, you can’t speak to Grandma like that. Take Brother back to your bedroom first.”
Chen Lan was afraid that if Old Mrs. Gu started acting shamelessly later and spoke without thinking, she would hurt Xiao Ji.
Gu Yinnian wasn’t satisfied with Chen Lan’s arrangement, but in front of outsiders, he didn’t talk back to her. He angrily dragged Xiao Ji back to his bedroom.
Xiao Ji took off his schoolbag and looked at Gu Yinnian.
“Why are you angry?”
Gu Yinnian’s round cheeks looked longer than usual.
“My grandma loves to meddle.”
Xiao Ji was never willing to waste energy on irrelevant people.
He could ignore however Old Mrs. Gu acted up, but he couldn’t turn a blind eye to Gu Yinnian being in a bad mood.
To divert Gu Yinnian’s attention, Xiao Ji pulled a drawing book out of his schoolbag and said to Gu Yinnian:
“Brother Xiao Nian, shall I teach you how to draw a phoenix?”
Gu Yinnian knew about phoenixes; they were often mentioned in myths.
Hearing this, he gained some interest. “Alright.”
The two hit it off and sat down at Gu Yinnian’s desk to draw.
Outside the room, Chen Lan poured water for Old Mrs. Gu and Gu Chuchu again and took the initiative to say:
“The reason we didn’t tell you about adopting the child is, firstly, the adoption procedures haven’t been completed yet, and secondly, you couldn’t help with anything anyway.”
Hearing this, Gu Chuchu was unhappy.
“Sister-in-law, Mom is already old. Why does it sound like you’re blaming Mom for not helping you raise the child?”
Chen Lan spoke frankly, “I’m not blaming her; it’s a fact.”
Old Mrs. Gu slammed the table. “I’m putting my foot down today—No! I don’t agree!”
“Don’t you know your own financial conditions? Raising one grandson is already a struggle that leaves you breathless. Every time you ask my son for money, you say the child’s expenses are high.”
“How do you suddenly have the money to adopt another one now?”
Chen Lan rubbed her forehead in irritation. “Expenses are high, but we didn’t ask you to pay for it, did we? Besides, whenever you asked your son for money, did he ever shortchange you?”
“We scrimp and save for this family. We haven’t mistreated anyone, old or young.”
Old Mrs. Gu just couldn’t understand. “What kind of child is it that you absolutely have to adopt? When I asked you to have a second child the year before last, why didn’t you?”
Chen Lan sighed. “He is the orphan of my deceased friend. I can’t just ignore him.”
“A friend’s child?! Chen Lan, listen to yourself, is that reasonable? You haven’t even raised your own child properly, yet you go raising someone else’s?”
Old Mrs. Gu looked at Chen Lan in shock and said incredulously.
Chen Lan felt she simply couldn’t communicate with Old Mrs. Gu. Her tone carried a hint of firmness:
“You don’t need to worry about our family affairs. I still have to cook and watch the children do their homework. If you have nothing else, please go back early.”
But unexpectedly, these words, which were a disguised eviction order, directly infuriated Old Mrs. Gu.
She stood up and smashed another cup with a crash, startling Xiao Ji and Gu Yinnian who were drawing in the room.
The two exchanged a glance, and Gu Yinnian stood up.
“No, I have to go out and see. She’s bullying my mom again.”
Xiao Ji didn’t stop him, but he had no standing to intervene in this kind of matter, so he simply didn’t stop him.
But the moment Gu Yinnian opened the door, even uglier words from Old Mrs. Gu spilled out.
She pointed at Chen Lan. “I felt long ago that you weren’t anything good. I forbade my son from marrying you back then, but he just wouldn’t listen!”
“What friend could make you insist on adopting this child given your conditions? Chen Lan, is it your lover?”
“Speak! Where did that little mongrel come from?!”
Hearing this, Chen Lan was so angry her hands shook.
Mother Xiao’s death was already an incredibly heavy blow to her.
Now she was being slandered indiscriminately like this.
Just as she was about to pick up the phone to call Father Gu and tell him to drag his mother out of the house…
Gu Yinnian exploded directly. He ran into the kitchen, grabbed a broom, and waved it in the living room:
“Get out of my house! That is my brother! He is not a mongrel!”
The broom accidentally poked Gu Chuchu in the lower back, startling her.
“Sister-in-law, how do you educate this child?”
The anger Chen Lan had suppressed for a long time finally erupted. She snatched the broom from Gu Yinnian’s hand and whacked Gu Chuchu with it.
She couldn’t hit Old Mrs. Gu, but couldn’t she hit Gu Chuchu?
This sister-in-law of hers had always been like this. If she hadn’t been instigating behind the scenes, Old Mrs. Gu wouldn’t necessarily have come to the door and said such nasty things.
“Do I need you to lecture me? None of your damn business! You only know how to fan the flames and sow discord! Get out! Don’t let me see you again!”
But Old Mrs. Gu wouldn’t let it go. Seeing Gu Chuchu being bullied, she immediately rushed up to tear at Chen Lan’s hair.
Wait two years ago when asked to help with the child, she had all sorts of back and leg pains, but now none of them counted.
Seeing this, Gu Yinnian leaped over and headbutted Old Mrs. Gu in the side, nearly knocking her over.
Xiao Ji watched the farce in the room expressionlessly, thinking about how to deal with the old hag in front of him without leaving a trace.
The door lock clicked softly. When Father Gu came back, this was the scene he saw.
Seeing her son return, Old Mrs. Gu immediately retracted her desperate shrewishness. She knelt directly in front of Chen Lan, crying and shouting:
“I was thinking wholeheartedly for you couple. Do you need to trample an old lady like me this way? I’m kneeling to you; please have some consideration for my son!”
Gu Yinnian was so angry his teeth itched. He suddenly pushed Old Mrs. Gu to the ground, straddled her, pulled her hair hard, and shouted:
“I don’t care who you are! Get off my grandma right now! Don’t think I’m afraid of you!”
Xiao Ji: “…”
Father Gu had a splitting headache.
But due to his appearance, the farce ended quickly.
He picked up Gu Yinnian, who was riding on Old Mrs. Gu, set him aside, and reached out to help Old Mrs. Gu up from the ground.
Then he asked Chen Lan, “Are you okay?”
Chen Lan ignored Father Gu. With disheveled hair, she turned and went back to her room, slamming and locking the door with a bang.
Father Gu looked at Old Mrs. Gu, mentally and physically exhausted.
“Go back, Mom. You don’t need to worry about our family’s affairs. Chen Lan hasn’t been in a good state recently. Don’t come over if there’s nothing important. I’ll visit you when I’m free.”
Old Mrs. Gu wanted to argue a few more words with Father Gu about Xiao Ji, but Father Gu said bluntly:
“I know what you’re thinking. I wanted to adopt the child. Don’t say anything more, save everyone from losing face.”
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