Siheyuan: I just came across and wanted to chase me away

Chapter 1175 Persuasion

Ran Qiuye looked at the weariness that Lu Jia couldn't hide in her eyes, and a genuine concern welled up in the fine lines at the corners of her eyes. She gently instructed her, "Go back and rest well. Lie down on the kang (heated brick bed) and don't think about anything. This can't be rushed. Right now, the baby in your belly is the most important thing. Eating well and sleeping well are the most important things." She paused, patted Lu Jia's arm, and her tone became even more earnest, "If you really have any difficulties, don't bear them alone. Just tell me, and I will definitely help you if I can."

Lu Jia nodded, her hand at her side subtly clenching the hem of her clothes, suppressing the deliberately revealed grievance in her eyes, and turned to walk towards her house. The wind under the eaves lifted the hem of her clothes, stirring up a cloud of dust. The moment she pushed open the door, the weak and helpless expression on her face vanished like smoke blown away by the wind. A faint smile appeared on her lips, so quick it was almost an illusion, but two cold, star-like lights shone in her eyes, full of undisguised calculation—Ran Qiuye was now completely under her control. This woman was soft-hearted and mindful of neighborly relations; in the future, she would undoubtedly be able to use her to find out about Gu Nan's movements.

The plan was progressing more smoothly than expected. She walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and sat down, her fingertips lightly tracing the cool edge. Her mind raced like a finely calculated abacus. Next, she needed to focus her efforts on dealing with Gu Nan. That enemy who killed her brother, that executioner who seized the Lu family's assets—she had waited far too long; she couldn't wait any longer.

As for the ambiguous relationship between He Yuzhu and Qin Huairu, Lu Jia never bothered to care. He Yuzhu was merely a tool in her hand, useful only when convenient. Who he cared about or who he was close to was none of her business. Qin Huairu's petty favors and attempts to win her over were utterly insignificant in her eyes. She came to this courtyard not for trivial family matters, nor for jealousy; her sole purpose was to make Gu Nan pay the price.

Sunlight streamed in slantingly through the window, casting shadows of the windowpanes on the floor. Lu Jia gazed at the light and shadow, her eyes hardening with each passing moment. The road to revenge might be difficult, but she had plenty of patience. Like weaving a net, she would slowly tighten it, until one day, Gu Nan would have nowhere to escape.

Ran Qiuye returned home feeling somewhat annoyed, her steps heavier than usual. The wooden gate creaked softly as she pushed it open. Just inside, she saw Gu Nan sitting on a small stool under the eaves, awkwardly waving a red lacquered rattle in front of his daughter. The little one was being amused, wriggling and giggling in her swaddling clothes, clapping her hands and drooling. Gu Nan, however, was in a flustered state. The rattle's string was somehow tangled in his fingers, getting more and more tangled the more he tried to untangle it. He was sweating profusely, his usual authoritative demeanor from the factory completely gone, replaced by the helplessness of a big boy.

The sight was so comical that Ran Qiuye's anger subsided considerably, and she couldn't help but burst out laughing: "Gu Nan, how can you coax a child like that? You have to go along with her. If she leans to the left, you sway to the right. Don't just blindly exert yourself."

Gu Nan looked up and saw her, a smile spreading across his face. He shoved the tangled rattle into his daughter's hands, and the little one immediately gripped it tightly, shaking it loudly. He rubbed his aching arms, his voice filled with genuine emotion: "You're finally back. Look how happy our daughter was just now." He paused, then added, "Now I understand how hard it is for you to take care of a child. It looks simple, but you have to soothe her, feed her, and constantly watch her to make sure she doesn't bump into anything. It can be more exhausting than working a whole day on a production line—on a production line, there are rules to follow, but this little one just starts crying without any explanation."

He used to think that taking care of children was just about playing with them and feeding them, nothing difficult. But after Ran Qiuye left today, he took matters into his own hands and realized that just putting her to sleep took him an hour. As soon as his daughter closed her eyes, she would wake up again if he moved her. When she started crying, he was in a flurry of activity, having to bounce and shake her. He was so tired that he didn't even bother to raise his voice when he spoke.

Ran Qiuye sat down next to him, carefully taking her daughter into her arms. She gently stroked the little one's rosy cheek with her fingertips, and the little one immediately reached out to grab her fingers, nibbling on them with soft "mmm." "You," Ran Qiuye said reproachfully, giving Gu Nan a playful look, "everyone's hardships are different. You're at the factory dealing with those reports and handling those difficult people, using your brain; I'm taking care of the child, never free, using my physical strength. Ultimately, it's all for this family, for our child to grow up safe and sound." She looked up at Gu Nan, the setting sun casting its light on her face, her eyes filled with a warm smile. "As long as our family can always be together peacefully, that's better than anything else; no matter how tired I am, it's all worth it."

Gu Nan sensed something more in her words, something beyond a simple sigh, and his brow furrowed slightly. That morning, Heizi—his little black dog—had run back from the hospital, merely circling his legs and wagging its tail, showing no unusual behavior. Though unassuming, the little black dog was extremely alert to danger; it was the first to bark warning of a thief breaking into the yard. If anything were to happen, it would surely frantically tug at his trouser leg.

A hint of doubt arose in his heart, and he looked at Ran Qiuye: "What's wrong? Did something happen when you went out today?"

Ran Qiuye held the child, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the small button on the little one's clothes. She had sewn that button herself, the stitches fine and dense. "You have no idea, I encountered something strange today."

Gu Nan was increasingly puzzled. Ran Qiuye had only accompanied Lu Jia to the hospital for a prenatal checkup today, so what strange thing could have happened? He thought of Hei Zi's reaction and wondered if he was just being paranoid, so he patiently pressed on, "What exactly happened? Tell me, don't keep me in suspense."

"When Lu Jia and I came back from the hospital, we passed by the back door of the steel mill's canteen and saw He Yuzhu." Ran Qiuye paused, her tone somewhat incredulous. "He was carrying a lunchbox and was delivering food to Qin Huairu. The two of them were standing under that old locust tree, and He Yuzhu even reached out to brush the dirt off Qin Huairu's shoulders. Their warmth was unlike that of ordinary neighbors; it was more like..." She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Gu Nan raised an eyebrow; this wasn't surprising. Everyone in the courtyard knew that He Yuzhu had always been overly "caring" towards Qin Huairu—giving her meat one day, a bowl of vegetables the next—it was nothing new, nothing to be surprised about. He was more concerned about something else, so he pressed on, "What was Lu Jia's reaction when she saw it?"