When Gu Lingling got home, it was already almost dark.
Gu Juan saw Gu Lingling returning and gave a cold smile, looking like she was ready to watch a show.
Gu Lingling didnât speak, and after putting her school bag back in the house, she went to the kitchen, "Why donât you just starve to death? Just started school and donât behave, bullying classmates, and playing until itâs so dark before coming back."
Old Mrs. Gu casually picked up a fire poke in the kitchen and hit Gu Lingling with it.
Gu Lingling turned to the side, the poke hit her arm, but it didnât hurt that much, "Grandma, what are you doing?"
"What am I doing? Iâm hitting you for being lazy and idle, not knowing to come back and help after school, just fooling around." Old Mrs. Gu cursed as she hit, but how could Gu Lingling just stand there and let her hit?
She rushed out of the kitchen and ran outside, bumping into the recently returned Gu Chunhai, "Dad, help!"
"Mom, whatâs going on?" Gu Chunhai said helplessly, protecting Gu Lingling behind him.
"Whatâs going on? You ask your dear daughter." Old Mrs. Gu angrily threw the fire poke on the ground, "Not coming home after school, just fooling around, she just got in, tell me if she deserves a beating or not?"
"Grandma, who said I went fooling around?" Gu Lingling said, feeling wronged.
"Isnât Liu Miao in the same class as you? She said it when she came over to play." Old Mrs. Gu snorted coldly, "Does she still need to go to school? She should just come back early."
"Liu Miao just knows how to bully me in class, she even tried to steal my lunch today, how can you believe her?" Gu Lingling felt even more wronged, "Besides, I went to the mountains to pick wild vegetables after school."
Gu Lingling said sadly, "I didnât give her my lunch, so she came back to falsely accuse me, just to make you hit me."
"Grandma, I put the wild vegetables under the eaves." Gu Lingling pointed to the cloth bag and said, "If you donât believe me, you can go and check if what Iâm saying is true?"
"Hmm, so you didnât think of sending a message back? I see youâre just wild every day." Old Mrs. Gu said awkwardly.
"Oh, Mom, Lingling just wants to eat dumplings with wild vegetables, donât scold her." Wang Meili finally came out of the room and said with a smile.
"All she thinks about is eating, how can a girl be so gluttonous." Old Mrs. Gu snorted coldly.
That little guilt in her heart disappeared with Wang Meiliâs words.
"My dad is leaving on a trip tomorrow, I want to make some dumplings for him to take along." Gu Lingling said tenderly, "Look at how thin my dad has become lately."
When it comes to playing the sympathy card, she wasnât bad at it either.
Gu Chunhai felt a warmth in his heart, yet a deep sense of guilt also grew.
This daughter whom he had never cared for was showing more concern for him than his own mother.
"Isnât that right, I was still thinking of making something for Chunhai tonight, itâs still my Lingling whoâs considerate." Wang Meili said with a smile.
But anyone could see that smile wasnât natural.
"Dad, Iâll fetch you some water to wash your face." Gu Juan said with a smile, "My mom also said she was going to make you some pancakes to take along tonight, now itâs good, we have dumplings."
"Chunhai works so hard for our family." Wang Meili said emotionally.
"Youâre also working hard, taking care of the elderly and looking after the young ones." Old Mrs. Gu waved at Wang Meili, indicating not to mind, "Arenât you going to make dumplings for your dad? Why are you still standing around?"
"Got it, Grandma." Gu Lingling didnât mind Old Mrs. Guâs attitude at all, she hooked her arm with Gu Chunhaiâs and smiled sweetly, "Dad, have you eaten? Letâs eat together."
"Dad ate a bit outside; you eat on your own." Gu Chunhai was a bit taken aback by his daughter clinging to his arm, and it wasnât until she pulled him into the kitchen that he remembered he had already eaten dinner.
"Then just keep your daughter company and have a little." Gu Lingling said with a smile, "Dad, you work hard driving long distances every day, you must take care of your health."
Gu Chunhai felt a bitter sorrow in his heart, "Lingling, itâs dadâs fault."
He had paid too little attention to her before.
"Let dad see your arm." He had seen his mother hit her with the fire poke just now.
"Dad, no need to look, Grandma didnât hit hard, it doesnât hurt." Gu Lingling said with her head down.
But she couldnât resist Gu Chunhai, and still pulled up her sleeve, revealing a bruised arm.
"It really doesnât hurt," Gu Lingling lowered her sleeve, compared to the beatings she had suffered before, it was really nothing, "Moreover, I came back late and didnât leave a message at home. Dad, how about we skip dinner, and save room for dumplings tomorrow?"
"How can that do, how can you not have dinner?" Gu Chunhai said, then glanced darkly at the kitchen.