To make up for the debt owed to Lin Qingping and Gu Juncheng

The situation became awkward for a moment.

Chen Xia smiled and said, "I've already cooked the fish soup. I'll leave it here for everyone to drink together. There are so many people here today, and the bottle has returned, so I won't disturb your conversation or the patients' rest. I'll be going now."

"No need, no need, you can take it back! It's hot, we can't finish it here, it'll go bad in the afternoon and be a waste." Gu Youlian stuffed the thermos into Chen Xia's hands.

Chen Xia sighed, "Sister, you don't need to be so formal with me. In the past, Auntie treated me no differently than her own daughter. I'm just repaying her kindness. Chengzi and Pingzi aren't here, so it's nothing for me to help out and fulfill my filial duties. Besides, it was yesterday. I wanted to eat fish, so I went to the river to catch some this morning..."

Upon hearing this, Liu Fen's face showed reluctance. "Never mind, it's Xia's good intention. Let it go. I really do want to have a couple of sips of fish soup."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xia was delighted. "Then I'll head back now. Take good care of yourself. I'll come see you again tomorrow. What would you like to eat tomorrow? I'll cook it for you."

This time, Gu Youlian didn't let her mother speak, and said quickly, "No need, my brother and sister-in-law are back, and I'm here too, how could I trouble you? No need."

Chen Xia still had a smile on her face, "Okay, then I'll go back."

After Chen Xia left, Gu Youlian said, "Mother, I'm not trying to criticize you, but why did you tell Chen Xia you wanted to eat fish? Where did you put Chengzi and the bottle?"

Liu Fen looked quite aggrieved after her daughter's words, "But, aren't they both not home?"

“But I’m still here, aren’t I? What kind of business is it for you to bother an outsider?” Gu Youlian said.

"But you're married now. If you keep looking after me, what will the Du family think?" Liu Fen still looked like she was considering Gu Youlian's feelings.

“You are my mother! I am your daughter! Remarrying doesn’t make me any closer than a stranger!” Gu Youlian retorted to her mother.

Lin Qingping listened and wanted to say: Sister, you really are my mouth substitute.

She had other thoughts on her mind, so she said, "Mom, sister, I'm going out to see why Gu Juncheng hasn't come back from buying food yet."

After saying that, he slipped out.

In the ward, Gu Youlian and her mother continued talking.

"Mother, now that my sister-in-law is back, please don't call Chen Xia over again, or she'll feel uncomfortable," Gu Youlian instructed her mother.

Liu Fen sighed, "I can't bear it either. Chen Xia is right. I used to treat her like a daughter. I thought she was going to marry your brother. Who knew things would change like this? Now Chen Xia isn't doing well either. Her brother and sister-in-law look down on her. I feel sorry for her. If she had stayed with Chengzi back then, she wouldn't be in this situation."

Gu Youlian knew her mother was easily swayed by emotions, but she hadn't expected her to be this soft-hearted. She was furious. "What are you saying! It's as if our Chengzi has wronged her. It's clearly her who has wronged Chengzi! What's there to pity? She deserves it!"

“She said it herself, it wasn’t her own idea, her parents forced her to do it,” Liu Fen said.

Gu Youlian was really driven crazy by her mother. Was she so unreasonable that she couldn't be reasoned with?

"Anyway, she's not allowed to come to our house again!" Since reasoning with her won't work, we might as well just give the order! "If she comes again, I won't give her a pleasant look!"

As Lin Qingping walked out of the ward, she heard Chen Xia and Gu Juncheng talking at the top of the stairs. Just as she had predicted, Chen Xia went out and happened to catch Gu Juncheng returning from buying food.

"Brother Chengzi." Chen Xia called him sweetly, and at the end, she also called him Zhiyuan.

Gu Juncheng simply hummed in response.

Chen Xia then said, "Brother Chengzi, I just came out of the ward to visit Aunt Gu. She wanted to eat fish, so I caught two fish for her early this morning and stewed them just in time for lunch."

All that could be heard was Gu Juncheng's voice saying, "Thank you for your trouble.

"Why are you being so polite with me? We've known each other since we were toddlers, and your aunt treated me like her daughter-in-law..." Perhaps realizing that this was inappropriate, she changed her words, "I treated her like my own daughter, and I'm very grateful for her kindness to me in the past."

Gu Juncheng said "Oh," and added, "That was before. It's not good to trouble you now."

"It's alright, it's no trouble at all..."

“That’s troublesome,” Gu Juncheng interrupted her.

"what?"

“My Uncle Gu will be in a lot of trouble. Lin Qingping will probably be unhappy then,” Zhiyuan suddenly interjected.

Lin Qingping, who was secretly eavesdropping from the corner: ...

The air froze for a second.

Chen Xia stammered, "Cheng...Chengzi, is that what you mean?"

“That’s exactly what I meant,” Gu Juncheng said. “She’ll misunderstand, and that will cause me a lot of trouble.”

“They can even stand in circles!” Zhiyuan interjected again.

Lin Qingping: ...When did she ever punish Gu Juncheng by making him stand in circles?

Chen Xia was confused. "What does 'standing in circles' mean?"

"It means that if my Uncle Gu makes a mistake, he has to draw a circle on the ground and stand at attention inside the circle for an hour," Zhiyuan explained loudly to her.

"This..." Chen Xia's tone sounded like she was completely at a loss.

Zhiyuan added, "Someone like you who keeps coming to see my Uncle Gu for this kind of mistake, I reckon you won't be done for less than three hours of standing around!"

Lin Qingping found it amusing, and Gu Juncheng let the kid talk nonsense.

Chen Xia felt terrible listening to this, and forced a smile, "Brother Chengzi, I didn't expect your wedding to be so miserable at home. Lin Qingping is so rude and disrespectful! You're a soldier, how can she not respect you?"

"No." Gu Juncheng immediately denied it. "She's very nice. Whatever she does to me is my own choice. That's why I told you that to avoid unnecessary trouble, you shouldn't come again."

"But we're best friends!" Chen Xia choked up. "Are you just going to throw away all that friendship we shared just because you're getting married?"

“You said it yourself, that’s in the past,” Gu Juncheng said.

"Brother Chengzi, Lin Qingping wouldn't like it if she knew you were so heartless and ungrateful, would she?"

"No, no! Lin Qingping really likes my Uncle Gu. She's even marked him with her own mark. Only she can see it; no one else can!" Zhiyuan quickly interjected.

Lin Qingping: ...What is this kid thinking about all day long?

This time, even Gu Juncheng was speechless.

Chen Xia couldn't stand hearing any of this. "Fine, Brother Cheng, then I wish you and Lin Qingping happiness."

The sound of footsteps echoed on the stairs, indicating that Lin Qingping had left.

Then, the sound of Gu Juncheng and Zhiyuan's footsteps came from above.

"You're really something!" Gu Juncheng was saying to Zhiyuan.

Zhiyuan was quite cheeky in front of him, saying, "Thank you for the compliment, Uncle Gu."

Am I praising you?

"I'll take it as a compliment! I'm so clever, don't I deserve a compliment?"

"You're not clever, you're Lin Qingping's lackey!"

"What else can I do? If I don't side with my mother, am I supposed to side with the other woman?"

"Don't make up such outrageous stories next time? Me, standing in a circle for three hours? When have I ever stood like that?"

"Oh, you should associate with this guy surnamed Chen more often, and I think you're not far from being a member of the elite!"

"When you get back to the capital, you'll have to stand there for three hours first!"

……

Lin Qingping listened to the two bickering, smiled, and quietly disappeared, pretending she had never eavesdropped.