Chapter 43 If It Doesn't Work, Just Leave (Second Updat

had some relief policies, and whoever had a glimmer of hope to survive wouldn't want to flee."Gu Huanxi took over the conversation, "But it seems things aren't as simple as they appear now."Xu Huaiyi...When all the guests had left, Xu Huaiyi entered the house to find his own wife holding their son in her arms, even more intimate and touching than before.

He was startled awake by the sudden drink, "What are you doing Why are you hugging and cuddling all of a sudden Gu XiaoYu, how old are you Don't you understand what it means to have boundaries between men and women"

Gu Xiaoyu lifted her face, but her body was still nestled in Gu Huanxi's arms. Her eyes were still red, her voice hoarse, but her tone was light and cheerful, "This is my mother."

Therefore, there is no need to be particular about gender distinctions.

Xu Huaiyi choked and couldn't help but step forward to pull him, but Gu Huanxi slapped his hand away and warned with cold eyes, "What kind of child are you fighting with"

Xu Huaiyi lamented, "He's five years old already."

"Didn't you just say that it's different from the seat at age seven"

"… Xu Huaiyi was helpless against his daughter-in-law, so he could only urge Gu Xiaoyu, "Boy, even if this is your mother, as a man, you can't be clingy in your mother's arms. What kind of ambition can you have There's a curse, being too skilled at housework... Don't you want to become a useless person"

Gu Xiaoyu didn't get angry either, just gave him a look that let him figure things out on his own.

Xu Huaiyi's body stiffened instantly, and then he reacted, "That, wife..."

Gu Huanxi didn't wait for him to explain, and with a sneer, she asked, "Being good at women's work means only being able to scold people Does it mean you will definitely become a useless person Then, how about I let you raise the children in the future"

Xu Huaiyi immediately shook his head like a rattle, "I was wrong, wife. I generalized too much, or rather, my thinking is outdated. Who says women are inferior to men Women are more talented than men in many ways. Take you for example, you are a hundred times stronger than me! The children you raised must all be successful, and I won't hold you back, haha..."

Gu Huanxi hummed in delight.

Xu Huaiyi hurriedly sat over and gave her a shoulder massage. That ingratiating posture made Gu Xiaoyu instantly think of certain sycophantic officials in the court, utterly lacking in integrity.

At this time, A Li woke up, humming and waving her arms.

Gu Xiaoyu naturally took her hand, and she instantly became docile. Her eyes were fixed on him, clear and bright like glass, sparkling with joy, and she was babbling happily in her mouth.

Gu Xiaoyu raised the corners of her lips, her eyes unconsciously softening.

Xu Huaiyi saw this scene and couldn't help but feel sour again.

Gu Huan couldn't stand to see her father acting so childish. She cut to the chase, "Have you guys come up with a solution"

Xu Huaiyi nodded, then shook his head. “There’s just a preliminary plan, but it hasn’t been finalized yet. There are still variables. In my opinion, they won’t give up until the very last step.”

"Sighing, Gu said with a hint of displeasure, “Waiting until that point to act would be too late. Not only would the difficulty increase, but there would also be more danger. At that time, the price we'd have to pay would be much greater.”

Xu Huaiyi sighed dejectedly, “I explained all these things to them in detail, but they…they wouldn’t listen until they hit a wall. What can I do”

Gu Huanxi said lightly, "Then let's go first."

"Huh" Xu Huaiyi was stunned. "Aren't we waiting for them to come together"

Gu Huan glanced at him calmly and said, "It's not about waiting, it's not that we can't wait, is it Do we have to wait until the last moment for them We could leave easily, but instead we choose to make things difficult. I don't have any grudge against myself, so why would I go against myself Why not enjoy the good life and go looking for trouble all the way"

"But, my dear…" Xu Huaiyi scratched his head, "Didn't you say before that it's better to travel together when there are more people Once we reach the capital, we won't be lonely and vulnerable to being bullied."

"I did say so, but now aren't they the ones refusing to leave Well, we can't worry about that too much. When two sides have equal power, we choose the lighter burden. We've done everything we could, and we don't owe them anything."

Xu Huaiyi's expression was conflicted, wanting to speak but holding back.

Pretend you haven't seen me, and start shooing people away. "Stop standing here! You reek of alcohol, it's unbearable. Go wash up quickly. Starting tomorrow, you'll have plenty to do."

When Xu Huaiyi left, he casually pulled Gu Xiaoyu along. The two of them washed in a simple shed in the backyard. Water was scarce now, they couldn't even afford to take a shower, only using wet handkerchiefs to wipe themselves clean.

Xu Huaiyi whispered, "Xiao Yu, who do you think was right, me or your mother just now"

Gu Xiaoyu readily said, "Mother is right."

Xu Huaiyi choked back his words, unconvinced. He asked, "What's wrong with going together There's strength in numbers, and on the road, we have each other's support. When we reach our destination, we also have someone to rely on. Besides, they didn't say no to leaving, just that they wanted to wait and observe for a few more days..."

Gu Xiaoyu said, "You wouldn't abandon them, would you"

Xu Huaiyi said evasively, "It's not that I don't want to help. I'm not very close to them anyway. It's just that... being from the same village, it's hard to be too heartless."

Gu Xiaoyu said calmly, "But they don't appreciate it. One can't harm oneself for the sake of others. Of course, if you were a village head, a county magistrate, or a city lord, then you would be fine doing so. That would be your responsibility. Abandoning your own people would be your dereliction of duty. But now What grounds do you have to control them"

Xu Huaiyi was speechless.

Gu Xiaoyu continued, "You're kind, that's right, but you have to distinguish between people and situations. Your mother is more clear-headed than you."

"You little punk, who are you stepping on" Xu Huaiyi feigned displeasure and tapped his forehead, "Can't a father have a sense of justice Can't he feel sympathy for the people"

“You actually have a pure heart.”

Suddenly being praised, Xu Huaiyi was stunned. After regaining his senses, he grinned, revealing a set of pearly white teeth, "You kid has good eyesight! That's right, this is my fatherly love. So, as long as there's even a sliver of a chance, I won't give up. If it really comes to the point where I have no choice, at least I can face myself without regret."

Gu Xiaoyu hummed.

Xu Huaiyi asked again, "So do you still think she is your mother"

"Of course."

"Hey, didn't you just praise me for having a pure heart"

Gu Xiaoyu said faintly, “These are two different things. You are acting on emotion, but Mother is using reason to judge. Acting on emotion may seem affectionate, but the variables are too great. Judging with reason may seem heartless, but it is accurate.”

Xu Huaiyi, “…”

To put it simply, they are still siding with the daughter-in-law.

He grumbled into his hand, “You little traitor!”

He was the one who brought him home, but now, he's completely become the daughter-in-law's son. He's turned into a stepfather.

At night, Xu Huaiyi tossed and turned, unable to sleep soundly. But when dawn broke, he acted as if nothing had happened, doing his usual chores. In the following days, he never mentioned persuading others to flee together again, focusing only on his own preparations. He ground all the purchased grain into flour, marinated and deep-fried the bought pork, storing it in jars. He dried what vegetables could be dried and salted the rest. He also made bean paste for cooking rice. From time to time, he would visit Liu Shi's house to check on the progress of the train car. In short, he was busy every day, giving the villagers the impression that he was eager to leave. Xu Chang replied with a grunt. "Her father is a scholar, he's read ten thousand volumes of books and traveled thousands of miles, he knows a lot more than we do. He didn't just teach the villagers ho...