After my luck was stolen, I led my whole family to defy fate and change our destiny.

On the way to "Fu'anju" next to the Gu residence, Su Xiuran led Gu Xinyi through several alleys.

"call"

The groom immediately tightened the reins.

"What's wrong?" Gu Yu'an asked.

"Young master, it seems like they're moving grain ahead, blocking the road. We can't get through."

Gu Yu'an lifted the curtain and looked outside. Wasn't that Lin Xiaoxiao?

Gu Yu'an lowered the curtain and said to Su Xiuran, "Mother, they are transporting grain ahead and can't go any further. How about we have a cup of tea at a nearby teahouse before we continue?"

Su Xiuran knew her eldest son well. She lifted the curtain, glanced outside, and nodded, "Okay."

The coachman stopped the carriage to the side, and the group got off and walked a few steps back into a teahouse, where they asked for a private room by the window.

The private room was positioned so that I could clearly see what Lin Xiaoxiao and the others were doing across from me.

Su Xiuran recounted their affair with the second wife, and Gu Xinyi's eyes reddened as she listened; it was all too fantastical!

"No wonder Mother...Mrs. Chen has never liked me. She was always unhappy whenever my needlework or writing was better than Gu Hanyue's. I thought it was just my imagination."

"So I wasn't her daughter at all, sister-in-law. Where is our birth mother? I want to go and pay my respects."

Su Xiuran: "I'm afraid we'll have to wait until the storm has passed."

Gu Xinyi nodded with a wry smile: "When we were little, no matter what I did, the Chen family would never praise me. When Gu Hanyue and I made mistakes together, I was always the one who got punished."

Su Xiuran held her hand and comforted her.

Gu Xinyi shook her head at her: "It's alright, it's all in the past. So there was a reason why my relationship with my second brother and the others wasn't good."

Gu Linglong was furious.

[What's past? The harm she caused you goes far beyond that. That old woman and Madam Cui were best friends. She knew all along that Cui Sheng couldn't have children, which is why she married you off to him.]

[My aunt's savior came to propose marriage, but Gu Chenshi drove him away and had Cui Sheng impersonate her savior, even marrying her off to him. How despicable...]

Gu Xinyi trembled violently, and tears welled up in her eyes. The source of all her tragedies was the mother she had called for decades.

Is Gu Chenshi the culprit behind all of this?

Gu Xinyi felt a chill run down her spine as she recalled how she had studied diligently as a child to gain Gu Chenshi's attention, learning needlework and etiquette.

She came in first in everything but failed to receive praise from Madam Gu. Instead, she was accused of stealing the limelight from Gu Hanyue and showing no humility.

When she was sick, Madam Gu didn't come to see her, so she stubbornly refused to take her medicine, which made her illness even more serious.

Gu Xinyi's fingertips were white; she really wanted to go back in time and hug her younger self.

But then Gu Xinyi suddenly felt relieved; at least she wasn't her biological mother. She wondered how her birth mother would have treated her and her brother.

Gu Xinyi snapped out of her thoughts and joined them, sipping tea and gazing at the people across from her.

……

Lin Xiaoxiao stood at the warehouse entrance, watching the workers carry bag after bag of grain inside, her lips trembling with barely suppressed excitement.

This isn't grain, it's money!

Unfortunately, grain prices are rising, and warehouse rents are also increasing. She doesn't have much money left and is worried about it when she sees a strong man carrying grain whose bag has ripped open.

The white rice grains were scattered all over the ground.

Lin Xiaoxiao rushed over to the burly man and said, "What are you doing? Do you know how much this bag costs?"

The worker blushed and kept apologizing, "I'm so sorry, miss, I'm so sorry, I'll pick it up right away, please don't deduct my wages."

"I have an 80-year-old mother to support and three children to raise," the worker pleaded.

Lin Xiaoxiao frowned and said unhappily, "Hurry up and pick it up. If it gets muddy, you can forget about getting paid today."

"Yes Yes Yes"

Frustrated, Lin Xiaoxiao kicked the rice in front of her.

"Bang—Ah—"

The rice was a bit slippery, and Lin Xiaoxiao's foot slipped forward, causing her to fall straight backward.

"girl"

The maid exclaimed.

Lin Xiaoxiao clutched her lower back, tears streaming down her face from the pain: "Quick, help me find a doctor!"

"Okay, okay."

The maidservant hurriedly helped Lin Xiaoxiao up, but Lin Xiaoxiao's full weight pressed down on her, causing the maidservant to stumble.

"hiss-"

Lin Xiaoxiao gasped in pain, "Slow...slow...slow down, my back...my back is all twisted!"

"Okay, okay."

Lin Xiaoxiao was increasingly doubting whether Qi Yue was really a god. How come absorbing his luck only made her more unlucky?

The maidservant carefully helped Lin Xiaoxiao move to the side; it seemed the only option was to return to the manor and call for a carriage.

Gu Yu'an, holding Linglong, watched this scene and couldn't help but laugh to himself. It seemed that Young Master Qi Yue's luck was indeed extraordinary.

Gu Xinyi looked away: "Karma comes so fast. She herself has suffered, and others didn't do it on purpose. Why can't they be more forgiving?"

Su Xiuran smiled and changed the subject. After chatting for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the group boarded a carriage and headed to Fu'an Residence.

"Fu'an Residence" is a house that Su Xiuran specially bought for Gu Yu'an's wedding. It is a courtyard with two entrances and two exits. It is not large, but it is decorated in a luxurious way under Su Xiuran's arrangement.

The group walked along the cobblestone path, looking around at Fu'an Residence.

The gatehouse is adorned with carved beams and painted rafters. Next to the cobblestones is a flowerbed, and the chrysanthemums in the courtyard, swaying in the wind, release a delicate fragrance that is refreshing and delightful.

Su Xiuran asked, "Xinyi, take a look around and tell me if there's anything lacking, and I'll make arrangements."

Gu Xinyi shook her head: "No need, this is already very good. It's understated yet luxurious. The pond is covered with duckweed, and the water is clear and green. Sister-in-law, you've put a lot of effort into taking care of this place."

Gu Liyao: "Yes, Aunt, this is the courtyard my mother prepared for my eldest brother's wedding."

Gu Xinyi nodded: "Yes, that girl was just unlucky."

Gu Liyao put his hands on his hips: "That's right."

After saying that, he met Su Xiuran's eyes, which were practically spitting fire, and shrank back, hiding behind her.

That second son really deserves a beating; he always brings up the most sensitive topics.

Gu Yu'an followed behind, letting out a barely perceptible sigh.

"Auntie, this is the divorce agreement. Please keep it safe."

Gu Xinyi took it and opened it gently, a look of surprise flashing in her eyes: "Cui Sheng actually praised me so highly?"

She might have believed him before, but now she has seen through his character. Yu An probably went to great lengths to get such a well-written divorce agreement.

"Yu'an, thank you so much, Auntie. It must have been difficult to get this divorce decree, right?"

Gu Yu'an shook his head slightly, chuckled softly, and said with a hint of coquetry, "If Auntie wants to thank me, then have Sister Lotus make me a plate of hibiscus cakes."

"Okay, okay, Auntie will make it for you herself."

Gu Liyao raised his hand high: "Auntie, and me too, I contributed as well."

Gu Ziming also raised her hand, pouting and acting coquettishly: "Auntie, what about me? I deserve the most credit. I was the one who used the slingshot to drive away those two gatekeepers."

As Gu Xinyi watched her nephews boasting about their achievements, she was filled with happiness, a happiness that felt somewhat unreal, a bittersweet feeling.

Seeing this, Gu Linglong also raised her chubby little hand.

[Auntie, me too, me too! I want steamed lamb, steamed bear's paw, steamed deer tail, roast duck, roast chicken, roast goose, braised pork, braised duck, soy sauce chicken, cured pork, preserved eggs, sausage, dried meat...]

Everyone: "..."