Chapter 236: How Generous

Chapter 236: Chapter 236: How Generous

"Ms. Nuannuan, you’re finally back! Let me park the bike. You should hurry inside. You’re late today, and it’s got our godmother worried sick." The moment Gu Nuan Nuan arrived home from school, she saw Luo Xiaohu already waiting. He eagerly came forward to fawn over her, presented her with a letter from a certain someone as usual, and then stared at her without blinking.

Tossing the bike to him, Gu Nuan Nuan took the letter. Just like always, she crumpled it without even looking and tossed it aside. Wiping her hands, she rolled her eyes and snapped at him, "Even a ghost wouldn’t believe that line. I told my mom this morning that I had something to do and would be back late, so there’s no way she was worried."

"Hehe, hehe... Even if our godmother knew beforehand, she must have still been worried. Doesn’t the old saying go, ’A mother’s heart follows her child on their journey’?" Luo Xiaohu scratched his head, not the least bit embarrassed about his lie being exposed.

"Let’s be clear, I was just at school in town. It’s not even fifty li away. How did that become a thousand li when you said it?" Gu Nuan Nuan was truly speechless. She turned and walked straight through the courtyard gate into the main hall.

The saying ’birds of a feather flock together’ was really true. Thick-skinned people always seemed to find each other. For instance, even though she was several years younger than Luo Xiaohu, he was dead set on calling her "Ms. Nuannuan." When her family asked why, he’d cite some Martial Arts rule of "the skilled take precedence," claiming that since her Kung Fu was superior, she was naturally the senior. This reason made everyone in the Zhang family roar with laughter, but what could they do when Luo Xiaohu refused to change his tune?

Gu Nuan Nuan had taught Luo Xiaohu a lesson in private more than a few times over that form of address. Unfortunately, it was useless no matter how many times she did it. He even got bold enough to threaten her back, saying that if she didn’t let him call her that, he’d switch to calling her ’Little Sister-in-Law’. As infuriated as Gu Nuan Nuan was, she was helpless against him. After all, his status in the Zhang family was no longer ordinary.

This whole affair had to be traced back to Luo Hongyi.

In this life, Gu Nuan Nuan had already practiced a Cultivation Technique and, with the help of a Top-grade Spirit Stone, had successfully reached Foundation Establishment. Therefore, she no longer needed to practice the Internal Cultivation Methods Luo Hongyi had taught her in her previous life. Originally, she had planned to give that mental method to her family to practice. However, because of what Cao Cao had said about karma, she hesitated. In this life, she really didn’t want to have any connection to Luo Hongyi, so she didn’t want to owe him any karmic debt. Thus, she focused on searching through the Jade Scrolls she had obtained, hoping to find a Cultivation Method suitable for the Mortal World. Unfortunately, there were too many Jade Scrolls. She had gone through quite a few, but before she could find a single Cultivation Method for the Mortal World, Luo Hongyi made his move.

The man was far too cunning. He knew she despised him and, by extension, disliked Luo Xiaohu as well. To ensure Luo Xiaohu wouldn’t be thrown out of the Zhang family as a result of her anger over the letter deliveries, he devised a roundabout strategy. He bribed Zhang Wei Qiang, Zhang Dazhuang, and Zhang Damei with his Internal Cultivation Methods. He specifically stipulated that not only could they practice the mental method themselves, but Zhang Su and Zhang Kai could also learn it alongside Luo Xiaohu. Of course, the women of the Zhang family could also practice it if they wished. He even said there would be no problem passing down this mental method, which was priceless in the eyes of the Zhang Family, to future generations.

’So insidious, so treacherous.’

When Gu Nuan Nuan found out, she nearly coughed up blood. ’Hindsight is golden. If only I had known... I should have just taken out the mental method myself first. Then Luo Hongyi wouldn’t have had the chance to play the hero.’

But there was no medicine for regret. Gu Nuan Nuan realized she had still underestimated the immense temptation of a superior Internal Cultivation Method.

After Zhang Wei Qiang and Zhang Damei received the Internal Cultivation Method, they first dropped everything and went into seclusion for more than twenty days, studying it without sleep or rest. When they emerged, their eyes were bloodshot with excitement. Immediately after, after consulting Luo Xiaohu, Zhang Dazhuang had Zhang Minzhen adopt him as her godson at his suggestion. It wasn’t just a casual, verbal agreement either; it was a formal affair with a banquet where friends and relatives were invited to bear witness. Luo Xiaohu’s name was even solemnly written into the Zhang family’s private family register, and at his own strange insistence, his name was placed right below Gu Nuan Nuan’s.

Being added to the family register meant that from then on, although Luo Xiaohu hadn’t changed his surname, he was a true, recognized member of the Zhang Family. He was no longer just some random nobody Gu Nuan Nuan could kick out whenever she wanted.

’So cunning, so treacherous. How could I not have seen this move coming?’

Heh. Speaking of which, Luo Hongyi was certainly willing to make a sacrifice in this life. You have to understand, in her last life, he treasured this Internal Cultivation Method so much that he kept it a secret even from his own brothers and nephews. He had told her more than once that this Internal Cultivation Method would only be passed down to their future son, that it was passed down to daughters, not sons...

Shaking her head, Gu Nuan Nuan refused to continue down that memory lane.

She took a deep breath. ’For the past two or three years, whenever Luo Hongyi has been on leave, he’s made a point of coming to my house. He knows I never even look at the letters he sends, but he still has Luo Xiaohu deliver a thick one every single time... It’s so frustrating, so incredibly frustrating! Thank goodness I don’t have to put up with Luo Xiaohu for much longer. Today is his eighteenth birthday, and Luo Hongyi is about to arrange a job for him. Once he’s gone, I won’t be forced to destroy Luo Hongyi’s letters in front of him anymore. From now on, I’ll just refuse them. Hmph, I’ll have the village mailman see them and send them right back—’

A smug look on her face, she couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Luo Hongyi sending letter after letter, only to have them all returned, leaving him hopping mad but utterly helpless.

"What happened today that’s got you so happy?" Zhang Wei Qiang, who was washing his feet by the well, asked casually when he saw the smile on Gu Nuan Nuan’s face.

"Nothing much, I just thought of something funny." Gu Nuan Nuan shook her head. To keep her uncle from asking more questions, she put on a curious expression and asked, "Uncle, are they really going to start building that hot spring sanatorium in the village?"

Just like in her last life, the hot springs in Lihua Village had finally been discovered a few months ago. At first, no one thought much of it. Only a few quick-witted and fast-acting people immediately split from their families to apply for their own housing plots. Then, after a survey team came to the village last month, rumors about a sanatorium being built spread like wildfire. Although there was no official confirmation yet, many people started to catch on and began applying for housing plots too. However, it was obvious that the village’s approval for new applications wasn’t as swift anymore, and the review process had become much stricter.

"That’s right. I hear construction will start at the end of this year."