Chapter 14 Learning from Sister-in-Law

And now, it wasn’t just Wei and Ning Gu. Even Lin Jinghua, the Gu matriarch, looked at Sisi Ji with a face full of shock. This daughter-in-law of hers was truly formidable; her strength alone could easily overpower everyone in the Gu family.

Gu Yu wore a smile, teasing his mother, “See, Mom? I didn’t marry the wrong woman, did I?”

A thousand yuan as bride price was indeed a substantial sum in these times, which was why Lin Jinghua felt such pain. That was nearly all her son had, earned through years of hard and risky work. Gu Yu’s salary was held by the old lady, but the bonus money came from other missions he undertook—money earned by risking his life. She was distressed about that, but held no personal grudge against Sisi.

The mother and son shared a satisfied smile, reaching an unspoken agreement: after the family split, this household would be managed by Sisi.

Meanwhile, Gu Mingrui, who fancied himself the head of the Gu family, had lost all face and was furious.

“Gu Yu, look at the good wife you brought home—assaulting your elders. How can such a woman be allowed into the Gu family?” he scolded.

“Oh? Is the Gu family’s lineage so noble? What makes you so special? Your mindset is outdated and needs proper education,” Sisi shot back.

Gu Mingrui was left speechless, unable to respond. Though policies had relaxed, everyone remained cautious. Many families had suffered grave consequences just from a single wrong word.

In the county, Gu Mingrui was a reputable cadre known for his steady demeanor and naturally avoided stirring trouble. Yet, his pride was wounded, and he stubbornly replied, “It’s not about lineage, but at least good character matters. Look at the trouble you caused before marriage. Does that seem like the behavior of a respectable young lady?”

“Fine, Second Uncle, then tell me what trouble I caused,” Sisi challenged.

Gu Mingrui hesitated to continue. Regardless of the truth, everyone in the neighborhood knew: the second daughter of the Ji family had done wrong by stealing her elder sister’s fiancé and insisted on switching partners. Escalating the matter would offend both the Ji and Dong families, which would not be in his interest.

Gu Yisan’s wife tugged at her husband’s sleeve, “Forget it, don’t provoke her. That girl is truly mad. I heard she beat her brother nearly to death at home.”

Goodness, she was ruthless indeed.

Still dissatisfied, Gu San’s wife spoke up, “I firmly oppose the family split.”

“Aunt San, neither you nor Uncle San have contributed a single penny, yet on what grounds do you oppose the split?” Sisi sneered.

She had no proof about the pension money, so she kept it under wraps. But at the very least, she wanted to help Gu Yu shake off these bloodsuckers in the family.

This entire clan fancied themselves respectable scions of the compound, living off Gu Yu’s salary while mistreating his mother, brothers, and sisters-in-law. That was simply intolerable.

As others continued their petty complaints, Sisi’s patience snapped. She picked up a brick from outside, and with a single punch, it shattered instantly.

“Alright, Old Madam Gu, do you agree to the family split now?”

With things laid bare like this, could the Gu family really say no? Even if they did, it would be futile.

Thus, on the second day after Gu Yu and Sisi’s wedding, the Gu family divided.

The old lady was ruthless, bluntly telling them the family had no money, so there was no property to divide. She intended to live with her second son in her old age. The eldest son’s family was stubborn in insisting on splitting, so they could no longer live in the house.

“Even if you split, you must still contribute to my pension,” the old lady made a final, desperate stand.

Forced into dividing the family by a younger generation, she felt hurt deep inside.

“Fine, pension is the duty of your three sons. We’ll pay one-third, the rest is up to your second and third brothers,” Gu Yu replied firmly.

Now, whenever the old lady saw Sisi, she felt annoyance and refused to speak to her more than necessary.

Gu San’s wife, still angry, hid behind the old lady but deliberately poked her head out to curse, “You little wretch, using tricks to marry into our family and causing such trouble right after. You shameless woman should be dunked in a pig trough.”

She was about to continue when a scream from her own husband startled her:

“Ah…”

Sisi, completely unrestrained and no longer observing respect for elders, punched Gu Mingcai on the shoulder. The big man was so overwhelmed that he fell to the ground.

Another punch was then thrown toward Gu San’s wife.

She quickly pulled the old lady in front of her. Sisi knew if she hit the old lady, it would be the end, so she changed the punch’s direction and struck Gu Mingcai again.

Previously, the second branch of the Gu family had been chased and beaten by Sisi alone; now it was the third branch, and they were dealt with just as thoroughly.

In summary, Sisi singlehandedly intimidated both the second and third branches of the Gu family.

Even Gu Yu was a little stunned.

He fully supported the family split but knew it wouldn’t be easy.

His identity and profession meant he could not openly defy or assault elders.

He had planned to covertly deal with his second uncle under the guise of helping his wife.

He never imagined his wife was so formidable that she resolved the problem all by herself.

Wei and Ning Gu whispered to each other:

“Sis-in-law is amazing.”

“If brother and sis-in-law fought, who would win?”

“Men shouldn’t hit women.”

“But does that mean women can’t hit men?”

Ning was momentarily confused, unsure how to answer.

Yet in her young heart, a seed was planted: one day she too would learn from her sister-in-law—the stronger a woman became, the more she could stand up to men!

Seizing the momentum, after Sisi scared off the shameless Gu family members, Gu Yu, with his mother, wife, brothers, and sisters, decided to immediately separate and leave.

Coincidentally, it was a day off, so Gu Yu invited County Head Chu to witness the proceedings.

Representing their branch, Gu Yu decisively stated they wanted nothing from the division, but from now on, he would keep his salary for himself.

After persuasion from the second son, the old lady grudgingly agreed, watching them closely to ensure they took only their personal clothing and daily necessities—nothing else.

Although they gained nothing materially, Gu Yu believed his skills could help his family live a good life.

This was far better than staying and continuing to suffer under those who abused their elder status.

So the family left, casually packing a few belongings—though together, they had very little.

It was only after stepping out of the Gu household that Lin Jinghua grew anxious.

“Yu, are we really leaving just like this? Where will we live afterward?”