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"No, I know what you mean, Grandpa Patriarch..." Gu Shiba Niang said calmly, her expression neither happy nor angry. The bright eyes that originally belonged to the cardamom girl were as deep as a dry well.
A strange emotion stretched towards Gu Changchun's thoughts like branches and vines, sad or desolate.
What he said was too heavy, even an adult could not bear it, let alone a child or a girl.
Gu Changchun's expression softened a little. A woman and a girl, how much consciousness can they expect and what good character can they develop? Women...
He opened his mouth to say something, but the little girl had already spoken.
"Dignity is earned by oneself, not by charity..." Gu Shiba Niang said lightly, as if she was talking to herself, "I understand... I just understand it today..."
"Grandpa Patriarch, speaking of what happened today, you did nothing wrong..."
"I know that you want to give that house to my eldest uncle...so I pretend to be crazy and ignorant, and you are very angry..."
Gu Changchun's expression changed. He wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't.
In fact, Gu Leshan didn't tell him about the little tricks he did down there, but he knew it and just pretended he didn't see it...
Seeing the matter being talked about like this, Gu Leshan looked a little ugly and couldn't help but scold him, but when Gu Changchun glanced at him, he swallowed his words again.
"But have you ever thought about how everyone would think of us if my mother really did what you wanted in public?"
Gu Changchun's expression changed slightly, obviously he had thought of it.
Gu Leshan just sneered, with a look of disdain.
"Yes, I know, we are nothing in everyone's eyes, we are poor, we have no ability... That's all before, we don't live here every day, out of sight, out of mind, but now? We want to If you stay here, how can my mother raise her head in front of the clan in the future..."
Mrs. Cao burst into tears when she heard this...it turned out that her daughter was doing it all for her.
"In fact, you shouldn't be blamed for this..." Gu Shiba Niang smiled bitterly, "Who said that we are just poor and incompetent? This is indeed a fact, and it is not a fact that would not exist if you didn't say that we don't want it..."
Gu Changchun couldn't help but want to say a few words of comfort, but Gu Shiba Niang changed the topic.
"However, people often say that thirty years in the east of Hedong and thirty years in Hexi... We were poor and hopeless before and now, but how can you think that we will always be like this?" Her voice became softer and clearer.
The little girl raised her head slightly and looked at Gu Changchun in front of her.
"Now that I have grown up and my brother has grown up and is well-educated, who can say with certainty that we will still be poor in the future? Will we have no future?"
Gu Changchun's originally somewhat sad mood subsided at this time, and a slight smile appeared on his face.
"You?" Gu Leshan shouted, "You have grown up, what? Can you make more clothes and more pairs of shoes?"
He had a look of mockery and disdain on his face, "Studying? Your brother, you have been busy since you came here for so long. I forgot to test your brother's homework. How many times has he skipped class in the past year? He was driven home by his husband. How many times?”
"I'm talking about Mr. Cao," he grew angrier as he spoke and glared at Ms. Cao, "How did you become a mother? What do you think of this originally good child?"
Ms. Cao looked sad, lowered her head and wanted to apologize.
"Uncle." Gu Shiba Niang took Mr. Cao's hand, looked at Gu Leshan and said calmly, "When you have time, you can test the homework of several of my cousins, and we won't worry about you."
"Look at how disrespectful you are," Gu Leshan shouted angrily.
"Okay," Gu Changchun stopped her and glanced at Gu Shibaniang, "Do you have anything else to say?"
"Yes." Gu Shiba Niang said solemnly.
"Tell me." Gu Changchun started the tea ceremony.
"Since you, the patriarch, just now said that the reason why this shop is managed by my uncle is because we are not qualified, does that mean that one day in the future, if we are qualified, I can get this shop back?" Gu Shiba Mother looked at Gu Changchun and asked.
Gu Leshan's face became more and more ugly. He wanted to speak but was worried about Gu Changchun.
Gu Changchun put down his tea cup, looked at the little girl who was full of confidence in her fair face, and finally sighed.
Forget it, even if he wanted to ease things up now, the little girl and them would no longer be able to get along with each other as peacefully as before.
The little girl took a breath, let her have her way verbally.
"Okay." Gu Changchun put down his tea cup and said calmly, "If one day you are qualified, this shop will be returned to you."
Gu Leshan frowned upon hearing this.
"Okay." Gu Shiba Niang bowed her head and saluted, then glanced at Gu Changchun and landed on Gu Leshan, "I will remember what I said today."
Gu Leshan looked ugly, this damn girl...
"I'll wait and see that day." Gu Changchun didn't care about the young man's arrogance and provocation. He picked up the tea cup again and blew it gently, and said calmly.
"This stinky girl..." Gu Leshan said angrily as he watched the mother and daughter walking out of the hall, "Second uncle... why did you follow her crazy words?"
Gu Changchun glanced at him and said casually: "Leshan, I heard that the silk shop you manage has been doing well recently. Why are you still paying the same amount of dividends?"
Gu Leshan jumped, smiled guiltily, and said hurriedly: "Second uncle, don't listen to their nonsense. It looks like it's prosperous but it's not good. Everything has gone up recently, including the transportation and horse fees. It looks like I'm making a lot more." , in fact, it is not as good as in previous years..."
"Second uncle, you've been tired for a long time. I'm going down right now. I won't disturb you. You can have a good rest..." He hurriedly said goodbye.
Gu Changchun didn't take it seriously and hummed.
"Um..." As he walked to the door, Gu Leshan remembered the key thing, and quickly turned around and asked carefully, "Second uncle...will you give them back one of the dividends?"
Gu Changchun raised his eyelids and looked at him. Gu Leshan felt a little weak and lowered his head.
After a moment, I heard Gu Changchun calmly say no, I was overjoyed and hurriedly left.
The hall returned to silence. Gu Changchun sat there without moving for a long time. The little girls served tea without daring to disturb him at all.
What happened today was really unexpected. He rubbed his wrinkled brows and thought of the girl's back under the mottled shadows of the trees just now. She looked stubborn and lonely.
Did he do something wrong today? He couldn't help but wonder.
But thinking about the daily behavior of this family, I finally shook my head. The rabbits were biting when they were anxious. Let them just let them be verbally wanton. This is probably the only time in their lives that they will be happy.