Back To The 80s-Chapter 486 - 497: Help_1

Without waiting for Gu Xiaobei to speak, Ge Chunling continued, weeping: "My mother-in-law keeps watch over the rice pot every day, if Wu Guanghan doesn’t come home for meals, she makes just enough to get by, cooking some sweet potato porridge. Can Xiaobao and I survive on this? Eating too many sweet potatoes can cause heartburn! Even when I pointed out this issue, she responded that Xiaobao is so small, how much can he eat? Last winter, we didn’t even have enough cabbage, all she did was slice off a leaf for a soup. Is this fit for human consumption?"

Gu Xiaobei knew that the Wu family was stingy, but this was excessive. She couldn’t hold back and said, "Xiaobao can’t eat like that long term, he will suffer from malnutrition."

Ge Chunling wiped away her tears and said: "Exactly, I’ve told her this. She gives Xiaobao an egg and a few plain steamed buns every day, saying it’s enough for him. The rest of us eat coarse food. Even though times are tough, we’re not starving like in the past."

Gu Xiaobei thought for a while and suggested, "You should talk to Guanghan. He could tell his mother that it’s fine to cut back on meat, but skimping on basic necessities is not acceptable."

Ge Chunling snorted and responded, "My mother-in-law is quite the actress. She always asks Guanghan if he’s coming home for meals. If he’s unsure, she waits until seven or eight in the evening before cooking. When Guanghan arrives, there’s always a full meal awaiting him. If I complain about not eating enough, he would not believe it. He will retort by saying that there’s plenty of rice and flour; why can’t I cook it myself?"

Gu Xiaobei nodded and said: "Yes, you should cook whatever you want, whenever you want."

Ge Chunling shook her head: "She doesn’t let me into the kitchen. If I try to prepare a meal, she acts as if I’m trying to kill her, feigning illness, refusing to get out of bed, and in the end, I’m the one who is blamed."

Gu Xiaobei sighed sympathetically, "You should discuss these issues with Guanghan and see how he responds."

Ge Chunling said with teary eyes: "I don’t even know how to bring it up. It seems as if I am just being petty about food. And it gets worse. The other day, I took a piece of cloth to make a pair of pants. I haven’t bought any clothes since Xiaobao was born, I don’t even own a pair of fitting pants! My mother-in-law saw it and she disapproved. She even told Guanghan that she wants to manage the money once we get paid."

"Did Guanghan agree?" Gu Xiaobei couldn’t believe that Wu Guanghan could be so blindly devoted that he would lose all sense of right and wrong.

Wiping her tears, Ge Chunling replied: "Yes, he agreed. He said his grandmother used to manage the family’s money, and there was nothing wrong with it. Besides, he argued, if his mother saves money, it will eventually become ours; but if we handle it, we might spend it carelessly."

Gu Xiaobei was furious. What on earth is Wu Guanghan thinking? He has always been a clever man, how could he be so thoughtless? Does he not understand his mother’s character? With his two greedy sisters waiting in the wings, if he hands the money to his mother, there will be nothing left for him.

However, this was Ge Chunling’s family matter, Gu Xiaobei could not meddle directly. She could only ask: "So, what’s your plan?"

Feeling a bit awkward, Ge Chunling said, "My mother-in-law accused me of being lazy, just eating and not doing any work at home. Sister-in-law, I’ve been thinking about finding a job once the new year passes. It doesn’t matter if the pay isn’t much, as long as I can escape this stressful household."

Gu Xiaobei frowned and remained silent, but internally she was considering how she could help Ge Chunling, who had been supportive since her arrival here.

Seeing Gu Xiaobei’s silence, Ge Chunling thought she was making her feel uncomfortable and awkwardly said: "Sister-in-law, if you don’t need help, just say it. I was just speaking my mind."

Gu Xiaobei gestured with her hand and said, "No, I’m just thinking that it might be better if you started something on your own, like Fengmei, who opened her own shop. How about that?"

Ge Chunling’s eyes lit up, however, her enthusiasm soon disappeared, "All our money is with my mother-in-law, and opening a shop needs investment, I doubt she would approve."

Though Gu Xiaobei could lend Ge Chunling the money, that might make matters worse with her mother-in-law, who might even try to interfere with the shop’s business. The investment had to come from the mother-in-law herself. She thought for a moment and said: "You should mention the idea of opening a shop to Guanghan first."

Ge Chunling nodded her head. Thinking about the idea seemed to perk her up. She wiped her face and asked, "Sister-in-law, where do you think I should open the shop?"

Smiling, Gu Xiaobei said: "Don’t rush. I will keep an eye out for you. Look for a good location, possibly close to home, where you can convince Guanghan to raise the money."

After receiving advice from Gu Xiaobei, Ge Chunling felt her mood lift. She stayed a while longer before leaving with a smile on her face.

After seeing Ge Chunling off, Gu Xiaobei walked back into the room. Seeing that the children were still asleep, she decided to wash the laundry. Just as she was about to close the door, Xiaopang crawled out of bed, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, saying: "Mommy, peepee."

Hearing Xiaopang, Mo Wang also got up, rubbing his eyes in a dazed state.

Gu Xiaobei looked at them, realizing the laundry was a lost cause now.

That evening, as soon as Lu Zhanguo came home, Gu Xiaobei rushed to tell him what was going on with Ge Chunling, "Maybe you should talk to Guanghan?"

Lu Zhanguo shook his head, "How can I intervene? If I say something directly, he might blame Chunling for gossiping."

Gu Xiaobei thought about it and sighed despondently, "How can Guanghan be so naive? How can their marital relationship improve like this?" She glanced at Lu Zhanguo, who was quietly eating, "In this aspect, for now, you’re doing quite well."

Lu Zhanguo felt aggrieved. How did the topic of discussion end up being about him?

Gu Xiaobei put down her chopsticks and started arguing with Lu Zhanguo, "How about this: we invite Guanghan and Chunling over to our house and bring up the idea of Chunling opening her own store? If Guanghan agrees, wouldn’t he have to ask his mother for money?"

Lu Zhanguo nodded, "That could work. I just fear that the Wu family won’t give permission."

"That will be Wu Guanghan’s responsibility then. If he can’t raise the money, I will have nothing to do with such a clueless person. Mothers are important, and so are wives. It’s only right that a son should take care of his mother as she ages, but he mustn’t forget that his wife is the one who will support him in his old age. Right now, he may not realize it, but in a few decades, when Wu Guanghan gets sick, isn’t it his wife who will take care of him?" Gu Xiaobei grumbled indignantly.

Lu Zhanguo put down his chopsticks and patted Gu Xiaobei’s head, "You make a strong argument. I will talk to Guanghan again in the future."

Grinning, Gu Xiaobei said, "When I get old, I want to be the most beautiful elderly lady, traveling the world with my beloved. I won’t care about my son and daughter-in-law’s life."

Lu Zhanguo chuckled at Gu Xiaobei’s imaginative thoughts, teasing her, "What if you can’t resist meddling in their lives when the time comes?"