Chapter 94: Chapter 94: Drunk
Mr. Gu hurriedly called out to Gu Ruhai: "Eldest, how can you not eat this meal? This is the New Year’s Eve dinner."
The family was originally harmonious, but suddenly it turned into a crying and shouting mess.
Gu Ruhe was also upset.
Gu Ruhai didn’t turn back, "Dad, Mom, from now on we won’t come for the New Year’s Eve dinner. We’ve split the family, as long as the New Year’s gifts are delivered, no one can complain about us not coming."
Gu Ruhe immediately stopped Gu Ruhai, "Big brother, you can’t leave. Are you really taking the words of two kids seriously? If you leave, how can our parents cope? How will the village see us? It’s my fault for not teaching the kids well, but big brother, don’t act rashly. We are family after all."
He refused to let Gu Ruhai leave.
He kicked Gu Xiaofeng on the ground and sternly shouted: "Get up, it’s New Year’s Eve. Do you want a beating or what?"
Gu Xiaofeng had never been scolded by Gu Ruhe like this before and was immediately dumbfounded. He crawled into Xiao Xue’s arms, quietly whimpering.
Xiao Xue impatiently interrupted Gu Ruhe, "Why are you yelling at the child? He’s just a little kid and naturally lacks understanding. He thinks his place has been taken. So what? Can’t he speak the truth? Why are you being so harsh, acting like you’re the only capable one?"
These words implied that Gu Xiaofeng wasn’t wrong.
Gu Ruhe really wanted to vanish.
There’s always someone holding things back.
Xiao Xue is really clueless.
She doesn’t even consider that if they drive the elder brother’s family away over a meal, once the village hears about it, how good can their reputation be?
His promotion — isn’t it just waiting for someone to find a fault?
Gu Ruhai looked at Xiao Xue’s lofty and indifferent stance, sighed, and pushed Gu Ruhe aside saying: "Third brother, don’t stop us. We’re leaving."
He took Gu Xiaoqing and Gu Xiaojie and headed out, calling towards the kitchen: "Kids’ mom, take Xiaoying with you."
Li Xuemei and Gu Xiaoying had just finished cooking dumplings, but hadn’t taken them out of the pot.
Gu Ruhai’s shout brought them out.
Both of them were puzzled.
Li Xuemei still had an apron around her waist.
"Kids’ dad, what’s going on?"
Gu Ruhai didn’t reply, just said: "Take the kids and go home."
Then he left without looking back.
Li Xuemei could only take off her apron, toss it onto the stove, and follow Gu Ruhai with Gu Xiaoying behind, the five-member family trudging home through the darkness.
The village doesn’t have streetlights, so once it’s dark, it’s pitch black everywhere. Fortunately, tonight is New Year’s Eve, and every house has its lights on, so at least the road is visible.
Just like that, the family returned home in silence.
Once home, Gu Ruhai sat by the kang and didn’t speak, just kept smoking one cigarette after another.
Li Xuemei took Gu Xiaoqing and Gu Xiaoying to the stove room to make dinner and finally learned what happened.
After hearing Gu Xiaoqing’s words, Li Xuemei felt angry.
Even the kids from their third brother’s family don’t see Gu Ruhai as anything, just listen to what they said, what kind of stuff is that?
Are these words from children?
A child speaking like this to their uncle, if it was a village kid, a slap would have been delivered long ago. How could that be tolerated?
Sighing, Li Xuemei called Gu Xiaoying to light the charcoal under the hot pot in the yard because it needed to be burned for a while, so Gu Xiaoying fanned the wind under the hot pot.
Li Xuemei and Gu Xiaoqing quickly steamed a dozen or so buns in the big pot, since it’s New Year’s Eve and there are no dumplings, they had to make do with buns.
If she had known this would happen, Li Xuemei would have made the dumplings at home to avoid putting her children in a tough spot.
Li Xuemei thought about how she still had to make some dumplings later on. If she didn’t eat them on the thirtieth, she’d have to eat them on the first.
She knew that tomorrow’s meal wouldn’t be so great either, it’s better to be prepared early rather than let the whole family suffer.
The table was set inside, and the five-member family climbed onto the kang, which had been heated.
Li Xuemei asked Gu Ruhai to help bring the hot pot over. The handles on both sides were too hot, so they had to be carried with towels. Gu Xiaoying and Gu Xiaoqing couldn’t manage, fearing they’d burn the children’s hands.
A large plate of white buns, a pot of hot hotpot.
The family of five’s New Year’s Eve.
"Kids’ mom, give me a bottle of wine."
Gu Ruhai felt the need for a drink, his heart was troubled.
All year long, he couldn’t find a moment of peace. Whenever he went to the old house, there always had to be some kind of fuss.
Li Xuemei didn’t say much and took out a bottle of baijiu that she had bought especially for New Year’s while at the market.
Poured a cup for Gu Ruhai.
As the hot pot cover lifted, a fragrant aroma filled the air.
Gu Ruhai took a sip of the wine, feeling the spicy sensation spreading in his throat, his eyes slightly warm.
He invited the kids, "Start eating, everyone must be hungry, right?"
Li Xuemei placed a piece of roasted meat into Gu Ruhai’s bowl, "Eat some food, drinking on an empty stomach won’t be comfortable soon. It’s New Year’s Eve, others look for ways to trouble us, but we can’t make ourselves unhappy, right?"
Gu Xiaoying, Gu Xiaoqing, and Gu Xiaojie started to eat.
The sizzling hot roasted meats, meatballs, tofu, and cabbage noodles with white buns made the whole family sweat as they ate.
Gu Ruhai, slightly intoxicated, found his tongue loosened, speaking more: "Kids’ mom, you’ve had a miserable time following me, and the kids had a tough time too."
These words were somewhat choking.
Li Xuemei tapped Gu Ruhai’s head with her chopsticks, "You silly, what are you talking about? We’re family, we don’t dwell on past matters. Isn’t the future what we’re living for? Our good days are ahead."
These comforting words struck deeply in Gu Ruhai’s heart, and he didn’t know if it was the wine warming his heart or the warm family dinner scene. Suddenly, Gu Ruhai felt so blessed.
What is happiness?
It’s having your wife and children around a warm kang.
He used to be a fool, putting his happiness aside to pursue what obviously wasn’t meant for him. Wholeheartedly, he treated his kids and wife as tools to flatter those who didn’t belong to his happiness.
He was foolish.
Clearly his wife and kids were devoted to him, even when he did such outrageous things, in this home, his wife and kids still treated him as the head of the family.
How could he remain unsatisfied?
He already owned a big tiled house, had a wife who cared and kids who adored him, isn’t this happiness?
In the end, Gu Ruhai collapsed onto the kang in a drunken stupor.