Chapter 7 – Gu Su, you don’t deserve to say the word “like”.
In fact, from the bottom of her heart, Gu Su’s emotional scale is tilted toward the current Grandpa Zhang, rather than the old man who used to be harsh and demanding.
Zhang Chengyu’s personality is inherited from his grandfather, with two extremes: gentle and friendly when he’s happy, and harsh and humiliating when he’s angry with you with harsh words. Gu Su suffered a lot in the beginning and cried under the covers several times.
After Grandpa Zhang got sick, his grandson had to keep the company running, his son and daughter-in-law had academic research, and he was only taken care of by nannies and nurses, so even if he was more careful, he didn’t have any emotional support.
Only Gu Su felt that Grandpa Zhang, who was gradually turning into a child, was so much fun, and spent a lot of time with him. She occasionally read in the newspaper that playing piano for the elderly helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease, and Gu Su wondered if letting Grandpa Zhang learn to play the piano would be beneficial to his condition. After half a day’s effort, Grandpa Zhang learned a few children’s songs, and it was only after they moved to the villa that Gu Su gradually came less and less.
After watching TV with Grandpa Zhang for a while, the door opened and Zhang Chengyu walked in.
Grandpa Zhang was a bit flustered and swept the chestnut shells onto the floor, stamping on them with his feet in a desperate attempt to cover them up.
Zhang Cheng Yu has long smelled the chestnut odor, frowned and said, “What kind of mess did you give grandpa to eat again?”
“Just three chestnuts, it doesn’t bother him.” Gu Su picked up the chestnut shells and took out a napkin to wipe the froth from the corners of the old man’s mouth.
Grandpa Zhang looked at him angrily, “None of you give me good food, I’ll ignore you all in the future.”
Looking at the old man’s eyes, Zhang Chengyu was frustrated in his heart and walked over to the old man to help him up, “Grandpa, it’s time to eat, there’s a lot of yummy food today, all of which you like.”
Grandpa Zhang was instantly happy, muttering, “It’s Cheng Yu ah, why didn’t you say so earlier, don’t let people steal it all, Su Su let’s hurry.”
Gu Su obediently followed for a few steps, and Zhang Chengyu turned his head to look at her, lowering his voice and saying, “Don’t you focus on kissing ass, if grandpa has anything ……”
Gu Su stopped in her tracks and silently looked at his back, her heart bursting with bitterness: no matter what she did, in Zhang Chengyu’s heart, she had ulterior motives.
The living room was immediately bustling, Zhang Chengyu’s aunt and uncle were there, and several juniors, including Zhang Chengyu’s younger sister, Zhang Xianfeng, came in a flurry of respect to call out to Grandpa, who seemed to have sobered up a few points, and said nothing with a stern face.
After worshipping Zao Wang, everyone sat down at the dining table, and Grandpa Zhang pulled Gu Su to his side, disliking Zhang Jiaren and driving him to the seat next to him.
Zhang Chengyu’s two cousins are only five or six years old, they don’t have the patience to eat, and in a short while, they got off the dining table and grabbed the Zaowang fruits to eat. The elders just let them be, since it’s the New Year. Grandpa Zhang just stared at them and drooled, whispering, “Susu, I also want to eat that round fruit.”
Gu Su was a bit embarrassed, “Grandpa, you eat first, I’ll bring it to you when you’re done.”
Grandpa Zhang quickly grubbed up most of his bowl of white rice, throwing his chopsticks and announcing, “I’m done eating.”
Gu Su hesitantly looked towards Zhang Chengyu, who swept those two little cousins with a composed face, and the little kids, who were originally afraid of him, immediately threw their food away and obediently sat back in their seats.
“Grandpa, you’re not getting enough nutrition like this, eat some more.” He picked out the bones from the fish and pinched it into Grandpa Zhang’s bowl.
Grandpa Zhang blankly glanced at him and whispered, “Cheng Yu ah, you’re too fierce, look at your wife who is scared when she sees you.”
Zhang Cheng Yu couldn’t help but cry and laugh, and was about to speak, when Zhang Jia Ren spoke up, “Dad, there’s business after eating, regarding Su Su, you can’t delay.”
Gu Su was a bit puzzled, she couldn’t think of anything she had to worry about for Zhang Jiaren, but Grandpa Zhang didn’t make a fuss when he heard that, and ate two bowls full of rice with the dishes that Zhang Chengyu and Gu Su chucked for him.
After the meal everyone went to the living room together, Xu Ai went upstairs and brought down a file bag, Zhang Jiaren took out two documents from it and put them on the coffee table: “Today while everyone is here, I’m announcing something for Dad, Su Su and Chengyu have been married for two years, and this is the document that Dad signed before he got sick, five percent of the shares of the Zhang He Group, which was transferred to the Zhang family’s eldest granddaughter-in-law. ”
Everyone had different looks, some indifferent, some stunned, some envious.
Zhang Cheng Yu, however, stared expressionlessly at the two share transfer letters without moving.
“Su Su, Cheng Yu, your grandfather has always had high expectations for you, and was deeply afraid that you young people would act rashly and treat your marriage as child’s play, but it seems that we were overly concerned, now put these two documents away, and count them as a belated second wedding anniversary gift.” Xu Ai smiled lightly and patted Gu Su’s hand.
“Mom, Dad, Grandpa,” Gu Su hesitantly spoke, ”I can’t accept this ……”
Zhang Jiaren looked around majestically, “What can’t you accept? Anyone who has an opinion can raise it now, or they can apply to get a handwriting appraisal to see if it’s Dad’s handwriting.”
Grandpa Zhang quickly picked up the equity book and shoved it towards Gu Su’s hand, “Can’t this buy a lot of delicious food? Su Su, take it quickly, don’t let anyone snatch it away.”
Gu Su subconsciously looked at Zhang Chengyu, just in time to meet his sneering eyes.
“Take it,” the corners of his mouth seemed to smile, ”You’ve worked hard.”
Gu Su’s heart was sour for a while, this ulterior motive hat is considered to be formally implemented by this equity letter, you can’t take it off even if you want to.
Leaving the villa just after eight thirty, the two people were silent all the way driving out of the boulevard.
In the vehicle streamed the singer’s low hoarse voice, this is an old song, the melody lingering deep.
Do you still remember? Memories of the hot summer.
Scattered in the wind has evaporated, the clamor has been hoarse.
Fruitless flowers, unfinished attachments.
We learn many sayings to cover up the scars of not touching.
……
Gu Su closed her eyes and sang a few lines along softly, her voice was clear and humming such a low and sad tune actually had a contrasting beauty.
Zhang Cheng Yu listened quietly for a moment, and couldn’t help but take a sideways glance: Gu Su’s eyelashes fluttered lightly, casting a light shadow under her eyes, looking serene and beautiful.
He quickly tuned away, casually pressing a button to turn the CD into a radio station.
Gu Su inexplicably opened her eyes, “Why did you change it?”
“I don’t like it.” Zhang Cheng Yu replied stiffly.
Gu Su stopped talking, she knew that Zhang Cheng Yu was lying, this song “Love” was one of his favorite songs along with another tune he had been humming.
The scenery outside the window kept skimming by, soon entering the city center, but the pedestrians on the street were sparse, the originally prosperous N City seemed to be much emptier all of a sudden.
“Stop the car!” Gu Su suddenly called out in surprise.
Zhang Cheng Yu stepped on the brakes and asked with slight displeasure, “What for?”
“Half-summer, when did N City have a branch?”
In the midst of a neon flicker, a light green signboard was very plain, with only a black Chinese seal script store name in the center – Half Summer. It was a store specializing in desserts, and Gu Su and Zhang Chengyu had tasted it once in H City during their honeymoon and were deeply impressed by it.
“It’s too late, come by yourself later.”
Zhang Cheng Yu’s eyes lagged and he was about to step on the gas to leave when Gu Su looked at him with her palms clasped together in prayer, “Accompany me for a while, just a while, I’ll eat a black and white side dish and then I’ll leave.”
There are only two people in the store, already preparing to close, this is their last business before the year.
Black and white is milk and black glutinous rice, snow-white milk in two round balls of black glutinous rice, symbolizing good. The store manager specially gave two spoons and two extra cups of lemonade.
Gu Su scooped a spoonful of black glutinous rice, the sweetness of the milk with the softness of the black glutinous rice, a long lasting aftertaste. She squinted her eyes in satisfaction and licked the milk stains at the corner of her mouth at the end.
“Why don’t you eat it? The flavor is very good.”
Zhang Cheng Yu stared at the lemonade for a while, a little annoyed for no reason, he looked at his watch and urged, “Hurry up.”
Gu Su ignored him, “Do you still remember? That time we went on our honeymoon, I ordered a big bowl of mango sticky rice, and ended up with a stomachache all night that night.”
Zhang Cheng Yu was not free on his honeymoon, he just spent two days in the neighboring H city, fortunately, the scenery of H city is no less beautiful than abroad, and it became one of the few good memories for the two people.
At that time, Zhang Chengyu’s gaze towards Gu Su was complicated, but there was no contempt like now.
Zhang Cheng Yu let out a light laugh, “It’s the joy that makes you sad.”
It took Gu Su a while to realize that he was laughing at himself again, “What did I do to make you hate me so much? I would like to die with a clearer understanding.”
Zhang Cheng Yu looked at her incredulously, “Aren’t you making a fool of yourself? You’ve been operating for two years, you’ve already stabilized this position, you’ve gotten all the benefits you deserve, are you still not satisfied?”
“Yes, I’m not satisfied,” Gu Su said softly, ”I’m greedy.”
Zhang Cheng Yu’s face gradually sank, and it took a while before he spoke, “Thank you for the spiked lemonade the other night, Gu Su, your sister’s corpse isn’t even cold yet you’re scheming against her boyfriend, and in the end, you even called the elders in to force a marriage, and the whole thing was done seamlessly, it’s really admirable.”
Gu Su’s eyes widened in shock, she understood all these words, but when combined together she became more and more confused.
That day on the seventh day of the first head, Gu Changqing said that he was going to give Gu Yun one last night watch, Zhang Chengyu also came to give Gu Yun a final send off, probably because of that bout of sadness coupled with labor, Zhang Chengyu looked bad after not having a few drinks. Gu Su did pour him a glass of lemon and honey water to relieve his hangover.
“So… you thought I was setting up a trap on purpose…” She murmured, her fingers holding the spoon trembling. “In your heart, I am actually such a person…”
“Aren’t you?” Zhang Cheng Yu asked rhetorically, “Si Yu said that you were unsettled at the beginning, I was unwilling to believe it and even scolded her for her villainous intentions, but then the facts proved that it was me who misjudged you, Gu Yun’s sister was indeed not a light of oil.”
“What facts?” Gu Su looked at him blankly.
Zhang Cheng Yu raised his hand and flicked on the cup of lemonade, mockingly smiled, “You didn’t think of it, it’s the honeymoon day in half-summer, I drank this cup of lemonade, I felt that the taste was not right and got suspicious, after going back, your father happened to arrive to look for me to do some work, and I blackmailed him into saying all of it.”
“saying what?” Gu Su asked mechanically.
“Said that you’ve always liked me, said that you cried and begged several times in front of him, said that you’d let me forgive you for the wrong you’ve done for Xiao Yun’s sake,” Zhang Cheng Yu paused, his gaze sharply swept towards her, ”Gu Su, if that’s what you like, then your liking is really too cheap, you don’t deserve to say the two words like .”
T/N: My first language isn’t English, and there may be some grammatical errors. But I try not to deviate from the author’s narrative. If there are any errors or nonsensical sentences, feel free to comment.
