Chapter 87: 87: A Single Stone Stirs Up a Thousand Ripples.

Chapter 87: Chapter 87: A Single Stone Stirs Up a Thousand Ripples.

“Mother, what if the eldest young master is still alive with a big family?” Gu Cheng asked with some concern.

“That’s simple,” she replied. “We’ll ensure they never appear before Gu Qingfeng. Eliminating future problems, you and I will be the heirs. You have been father and son with Gu Qingfeng for fifty years; naturally, the Gu Family’s wealth should belong to us—all of it can only be ours!”

Ning Wanru’s voice grew firmer as she spoke the last sentence, her eyes gleaming with an eager, somewhat manic light.

She had been with Gu Qingfeng for over fifty years, and now she was old. Seeing Gu Qingfeng’s aged, frail figure, she had lost interest.

But the Gu Family’s wealth could only belong to her and her son.

She wouldn’t let anyone take even the tiniest bit from her hands!

...

Gu Cheng looked at Ning Wanru with a sinister expression. “Mother, if there are any descendants left, should we kill them all?”

“Idiot!” Ning Wanru scolded. “What era do you think this is, to entertain such thoughts?”

“What do you mean?”

“Ever heard of winning without a fight?” Ning Wanru said with a cold smile. “Having blood on your hands always leads to trouble. Moreover, your grandson and I will take over the Gu Family and secure a place in the political realm, so we must be even more cautious. I knew this during the Republic of China era, and you should be particularly mindful of this today.”

“Yes, Mother, I understand. That’s why I admire you the most…” Gu Cheng said sincerely.

There were many things he did not understand, but he knew that he and his mother were the ultimate victors.

Ning Wanru sighed deeply, her eyes distant. “Never underestimate the power of a small stone. Even if cast into a lake, it can stir up a thousand ripples.”

Back then, she had been just a small stone, disrupting the serene and envy-inducing happiness of Gu Qingfeng and his wife, Lady Yu, and caused a massive stir.

So much for marital bliss and a match made in heaven—it was just an illusion in the absence of outside forces.

Gu Cheng replied with a knowing smile, “Mother, I understand. If we really find the eldest young master, we don’t need a drop of blood—just a small stone can ruin everything.”

“Good, as long as you understand.” Ning Wanru seemed tired and looked at Gu Cheng. “I have already made arrangements for you. In a month, you can get another half-rank promotion. Also, how do you plan to handle Gu Jianhua?”

“I plan to have him manage a northern company as the general manager for two years before returning to the Imperial Capital.”

“Not bad, let’s do it that way,” Ning Wanru agreed, then after a moment of thought, continued, “Jiansheng has also graduated. Send him to Yubao Square; I will talk to Zhang Yi.”

“Alright, let’s do it that way. Mother, it’s late; you should rest.”

With that, Gu Cheng stood up.

Ning Wanru waved him off, “Go on, go on. I’m just going to lie here a while longer; I don’t feel like moving much anymore in my old age.”

“Mother, you’re not old. When we go out together, many people think we are siblings,” he said.

“At this age, you’ve learned to flatter, huh? Just go already,” Ning Wanru waved him away again, then as if remembering something, warned, “But you need to restrain yourself a bit. Your wife has given you three sons and two daughters, give her some face in public.”

Gu Cheng nodded nonchalantly and walked towards the door.

By this time, the moon had already reached its zenith.

The entire world seemed to have fallen into slumber.

The next day, Qin Yize got up early and went for a run with the ever-present Gu Zishu.

Gu Qiaoqiao, unable to contain her excitement, had already taken Gu Tianfeng and the cook Lian Yuhong to her grandfather’s study.

When they saw the black box, both were equally shocked. After looking it over, Lian Yuhong, who was simple-minded, lost interest and said to the father-daughter duo, “You two take it out and study it. It’s too cold in this room; don’t let Qiaoqiao catch a chill. I’ll go and cook.”

With that, she hurried off to the kitchen.

To Lian Yuhong, eating was the most important thing.

Gu Tianfeng was clueless about it as well.

However, his thoughts had gone a bit further, “Qiaoqiao, Ah Ze is trustworthy. I will remind your mom not to tell your brother and Qianqian just yet. We’ll talk about it after it’s been opened.”

Gu Qiaoqiao nodded in agreement; she felt the same way.

But after looking for a long time, Gu Tianfeng couldn’t make heads or tails of it, so he asked Gu Qiaoqiao to put everything back as it was.

After breakfast, Gu Tianfeng planned to have Gu Qiaoqiao and Qin Yize visit his mother-in-law’s family in the neighboring village.

Before they could leave the house, through the window, they saw two middle-aged men and women walking into the yard.

It was Kang Shan and his wife, Li Cuihua.

Kang Shan was not very tall, with dark skin and small eyes, appearing very honest and simple.

His wife was the same.

Watching him enter the room with a broad smile on his face, and seeing how respectfully he treated her parents, Gu Qiaoqiao contemplated.

Who would have thought they could turn on you just like that?

When Kang Shan saw Qin Yize, he was quite restrained. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Kang Shan addressed Gu Qiaoqiao affectionately, “They say a young girl changes eighteen times between childhood and womanhood. Qiaoqiao, after moving to Imperial Capital, you’ve changed. You look even more sophisticated than city folk.”

Li Cuihua nodded along, eyeing Gu Qiaoqiao with an envious look.

Gu Qiaoqiao suppressed the emotions surging within her and spoke indifferently, “Uncle Kang seems to have gotten a bit older.”

Uncle Kang?

Why did this child call him Uncle Kang?

Kang Shan felt a bit awkward, “Qiaoqiao, haven’t you always called me ‘little uncle’? Why have you started calling me ‘Uncle Kang’ now?”

“My grandfather only had my dad for a son, so where would a ‘little uncle’ come from? If outsiders heard this, who knows what they’d think.”

Gu Qiaoqiao didn’t intend to feign politeness; it was best to lay everything out in the open.

So, her words were straightforward and unapologetic.

As for this scoundrel who caused her sister’s death, took over their home, broke her uncle’s leg, and drove her out of Stone Town, she couldn’t manage to gradually scheme in silence, discreetly, step by step…

There’s a saying that fits well: blind punches may well kill the master.

Being too polite can make others think you’re easy to bully.

Like that human trafficker—captured yet still daring to threaten her—wasn’t it because he thought she was easy to push around?

But when she actually got tough, the trafficker was so scared he didn’t dare put up a fight anymore.

Fearing he might truly die at the hands of Gu Qiaoqiao.

However, aside from Qin Yize, who remained composed, everyone else seemed a bit stunned by Gu Qiaoqiao’s behavior.

Kang Shan now had a rather unpleasant look on his face.

And Li Cuihua was cursing inwardly, this slut; she had always thought she was no good, and sure enough, after becoming a city girl, she looked down on others with disdain.

Were it not for the Qin Family being in Imperial Capital, she wouldn’t have had to come to see the faces of the Members of the Gu Family.

Gu Tianfeng was the first to snap out of it, visibly angry. He had thought the child had become sensible, but here she was being unreasonably obstinate.

He found her words jarring to his own ears, let alone to Kang Shan’s.

“Gu Qiaoqiao, what kind of way is that to speak?” Gu Tianfeng said, barely containing his anger.