When Chen Lishu returned, she saw Cheng Xifen talking with Widow Liu by the courtyard wall. Her brow furrowed involuntarily. As she passed Cheng Xifen, she called out, "Cousin Aunt."
Cheng Xifen looked at her with a hint of strangeness, nodding neither warmly nor coldly. After watching Chen Lishu enter the courtyard, she turned to Widow Liu and asked, "Sister, is what you said true?"
Widow Liu shot a glance in the direction Chen Lishu had left and pouted, "How could this be false? It's naturally true."
Cheng Xifen was secretly delighted. After saying a few more words to Widow Liu, she turned and went back into the house.
The moment Chen Lishu entered the house, the pungent aroma almost made her vomit. She suppressed the nausea and held her breath all the way back to her room before finally feeling a little better.
"Who broke the hair oil bottle? The smell is too strong," Chen Lishu said casually as she took off her outer coat.
The father and son exchanged a glance, a smile in their eyes. Fortunately, they were clever enough to open the windows and let the smell dissipate.
After Cheng Xifen entered the house, she saw Li Xiulan preparing shoe soles. Her eyes darted around, and she stepped forward, taking the needle and thread box to help her split threads.
"Cousin, is the child from the third family adopted?"
Li Xiulan looked up and swept her a glance. "Who told you that?"
"I heard it just now while I was out for a walk." Cheng Xifen leaned closer to her. "Whose problem is it, theirs? Is it that the third daughter-in-law can't have children?"
Li Xiulan looked at her gossipy demeanor and felt displeased. "She just caught a chill. There's no problem."
Cheng Xifen pouted. "I'm not an outsider. What can't we two sisters talk about? They've been married for four or five years with no movement. I think it's probably hopeless."
The thread in Li Xiulan's hand made a tearing sound. She stopped talking.
In her heart, she felt even more displeased with Cheng Xifen. She was merely a distant relative, yet she spoke about her daughter-in-law in front of her. Li Xiulan wasn't foolish enough to not know who was close and who was distant.
Furthermore, Chen Lishu was Xingdong's wife. It wouldn't bring any honor to her son if she spoke ill of her. She wasn't like those muddled people who bullied their daughters-in-law and treated them as enemies.
They were all a family and should work together. That Lishu girl was good in every way. If it truly never happened, then it was just the third son's fate. She and her husband wouldn't force anything.
Seeing that Li Xiulan had stopped talking, Cheng Xifen assumed she was dissatisfied with her daughter-in-law and didn't want to talk about it anymore. Her eyes gleamed with excitement. "Cousin, haven't you thought of any other solutions?"
Li Xiulan paused in her shoe-sole making. "What solutions?"
"Since the third daughter-in-law can't have children, why not find someone who can? Your Xingdong is handsome, a military officer, and not too old. Finding a maiden for him would definitely be easy."
Li Xiulan's face darkened. "My daughter-in-law is perfectly fine. Why would I replace her? You should mind your own business in the future."
She was making inquiries everywhere, gossiping, and now she was gossiping in front of her.
Seeing that she had no intention of remarrying, Cheng Xifen knew that in terms of appearance, her daughter was not even close to Chen Lishu. Considering the Gu family's conditions, even if they remarried, they wouldn't consider their Qiao'e.
"I also think the young couple is quite well-matched. It's just a pity they can't have their own child."
Cheng Xifen continued speaking to herself, then suddenly said, "How about surrogacy? Find someone who is well-known and fertile. Your Xingdong can still have his own child, and the couple won't have to divorce. What do you think of our Qiao'e? She's a close relative, and we guarantee no one will speak of this..."
Cheng Xifen felt this was increasingly feasible. With the Gu family's conditions, they wouldn't let Wang Qiao'e suffer. By then, when the child was born, seeing that her daughter was the child's biological mother, she didn't believe Gu Xingdong wouldn't pay more attention to her. Perhaps they would develop feelings for each other along the way, and Chen Lishu would still have the nerve to occupy the position?
Cheng Xifen almost envisioned a beautiful future for herself. Just as she was getting excited, she was suddenly hit hard on the face with a shoe sole.
"Nonsense! You greedy pig! You got silver and want gold. Bah! I gave you a good face and let you stay at my home for a couple of days, and you actually dare to set your sights on my son?"
Li Xiulan was so angry. Not only was Cheng Xifen's suggestion disgusting, but her daughter also needed to look in a mirror. It was only because they were relatives that she felt too embarrassed to say anything. Her own daughter had already avoided them, yet they were still oblivious.
"Cousin, why are you so angry? I'm just thinking of you. Our Qiao'e is well-behaved and sensible. She'll definitely help you raise the child after giving birth. We're all family, and this matter definitely won't be spoken of outside."
Li Xiulan was so angry her liver hurt. "Get out! Hurry up, you two, get out of my house now. I showed you kindness because you lost your husband and needed care, but you've come to make me miserable during the New Year. I must have too much free time to endure this. Get out now."
The noisy shouting quickly alerted the other people in the house. Gu Xingguo and his wife, Chen Lishu and Gu Xingdong, and Wang Qiao'e all came out.
"Mom, what's wrong?" Gu Xingdong asked when he saw her displeased expression.
Li Xiulan looked at him, then at Chen Lishu beside him. Her expression softened considerably, and her tone was less harsh. "It's nothing. It's just that your cousin aunt's family has something to attend to, and they'll be leaving."
With good food, drink, and clothes here, how could Wang Qiao'e possibly want to leave? She quickly turned to look at her mother.
However, Cheng Xifen's gaze fell on Gu Xingdong. Li Xiulan opposed her suggestion, but Gu Xingdong might not. After all, which man wouldn't want his own child? With her own health good, could she really accompany her wife for a lifetime like this?
Therefore, Cheng Xifen ignored whether others were present and simply stated all her thoughts.
"I'm doing this for your own good. Our Qiao'e is obedient and sensible. She'll definitely help you raise the child after giving birth. We're all family, and this matter will definitely not be spoken of outside."
As Cheng Xifen spoke, her gaze fell on Chen Lishu, and she said with a hostile tone, "If you can't have children yourself, don't block your husband. You should be happy that Xingdong, who is loyal and righteous, hasn't divorced you. Don't just say that I, your cousin aunt, proposed this. You should have been sensible and offered it yourself long ago. If a man doesn't have his own child, how can he hold his head up in the future?"
Before Cheng Xifen could finish speaking, she suddenly felt her collar tighten, and then she was lifted up by a strong force.
"Xingdong, what are you doing?" Cheng Xifen's face turned red from the constriction of her collar, and she almost fainted. At the same time, she began to feel scared.
Gu Xingdong completely ignored her struggles. He carried her all the way to the doorway and then threw her out.
Cheng Xifen was thrown in a daze. After a while, she recovered and looked at Gu Xingdong, saying with an angry expression, "I am your cousin aunt, and you treat me like this?"
Gu Xingdong narrowed his eyes dangerously. "If you act like my cousin aunt, then fine. But if you dare to speak ill of my wife, throwing you out is lenient. If you dare to say another word, I'll beat you."
His voice was calm, making it impossible to discern his emotions, but it made people believe he would definitely do as he said.
Looking at his stern and cold expression, Cheng Xifen couldn't help but shiver.