Chapter 825: He Thinks You’re a Burden and Intentionally Got Rid of You

It’s not that Tong Huaqiong is hard-hearted towards Gu Honglian.

It’s just that, compared to Gu Honglian and Fan Tong, everyone in this room holds more importance in Tong Huaqiong’s heart than those two.

Chen Sufen said, "Da Han, listen to your mother, your aunt and uncle are blessed with good fortune and will definitely be safe and sound."

Chen Sufen was worried that Gu Dahuan might act impulsively and insist on going out.

After all, their daughter is still young, and she did not want Gu Dahuan to take risks for Gu Honglian and Fan Tong.

Upon hearing Tong Huaqiong and Chen Sufen’s words, Gu Dahuan silently sat down and dared not suggest going out to find Gu Honglian and Fan Tong anymore.

Tong Huaqiong spoke the truth; he could wield a hoe in the fields, but out there he would be an unarmed civilian facing chaotic soldiers, risking his life.

Mrs. Zhao said, "Honglian and Fan Tong are clever, they will be fine."

Though they said this, everyone remained uneasy.

Sitting idly, the atmosphere was heavy.

The maidservants brought tea, cakes, and fruits, but Liu Yueer asked if anyone wanted to play dominoes, however, nobody was in the mood.

Everyone claiming not to worry about Gu Honglian was a lie; their hearts were praying for her safety.

"Bang, bang, bang." A series of knocks sounded at the door.

"Is it Aunt?" Gu Dahuan sprang to his feet.

Gu Dahuan felt a bit guilty for not going out to find his aunt. Hearing the knocking, he fervently hoped it was Gu Honglian returning safely.

Gu Dahuan ran to the door.

Tong Huaqiong intervened: "Will you open the door just because you think it’s your aunt? Do you know if there are other people besides your aunt and uncle? How can you be sure it’s not chaotic soldiers or someone taking advantage of the chaos to rob?"

Gu Dahuan was taken aback, standing there not daring to move.

"Mother is right, we should ask who’s there before opening the door."

Gu Jingzhe instructed a servant to hold a lamp and ordered the guards to gather by the main gate.

"Open the door, it’s me, it’s me," Gu Honglian’s crying voice came through.

Gu Jingzhe asked, "Aunt, is it you and Uncle?"

Gu Honglian replied, "It’s just me, Jingzhe, open the door for me quickly."

Gu Jingzhe personally took the lamp from the servant and peered through the crack in the door to confirm that it was Gu Honglian alone, then hurriedly opened the door.

"Why did you take so long to open the door?"

"I was scared to death."

After stepping in, Gu Honglian collapsed softly to the ground, breathing heavily as if she had barely escaped with her life.

"Help Aunt into the house," Gu Jingzhe ordered the maidservants.

Two maidservants approached and lifted Gu Honglian by the arms. Her legs had turned weak, and relying on their support, she struggled into the house.

Upon entering the warm room and seeing Tong Huaqiong and others, Gu Honglian felt as if she had returned from hell to the world, and she burst into tears.

"Sister-in-law, woo, woo, woo."

Gu Honglian appeared as though she had fled a disaster.

Her hair was disheveled, clothes soiled and belt askew, one shoe missing, her face covered in dirt, and blood on her hands.

Everyone looked at Gu Honglian with eyes full of compassion, speculating about what had happened to her.

Such a sight of Gu Honglian evoked deep pity. Tong Huaqiong ordered the maidservants to take her to wash up.

Yet, Gu Honglian refused, continuing to sit on the floor crying.

"It’s chaotic outside, fighting, there are riotous soldiers, people seizing the chance to rob, some even committing murder and arson," Gu Honglian cried.

Tong Huaqiong asked Gu Honglian, "Are you injured? What’s wrong with your hand?"

Seeing her belt askew and coat missing, Tong Huaqiong feared Gu Honglian had been assaulted by villains.

Gu Honglian shook her head, "No."

Then, choking back tears, she said, "In the chaos, no one knew what was happening; I just saw someone killed. I ran back home, and while passing through the alley, a man tried to pounce on me... I pulled out my hairpin and pierced his throat, woo, woo, woo. That hairpin was a gift from Taohua when I married; Taohua saved me."

Gu Honglian was indeed a Gu Family girl, fierce in spirit.

Tong Huaqiong breathed a sigh of relief; the blood on Gu Honglian’s hands was not from her injury but from the thug’s neck.

"Sister-in-law, I’m afraid the man wasn’t dead; I turned and picked up a brick and smashed it into his head," Gu Honglian said, finally feeling panic. "He’s dead. Will they arrest me? I killed someone, woo, woo, woo."

Tong Huaqiong said, "You did well to smash him."

Gu Baishuang gritted his teeth, "Aunt, if you hadn’t, you might have been the one killed."

Mrs. Min admired the fierce spirit and said boldly, "Who dares to arrest you? If you hadn’t subdued him, such a scoundrel would ruin more girls, and those ruined girls, unable to speak out, might have committed suicide for their honor. You rid the world of evil. You did well!"

Gu Honglian swallowed hard and pulled out a blood-drenched hairpin from her chest, saying, "I took out the hairpin; I’m afraid the government will trace me through it."

Tong Huaqiong: "..."

Everyone: "..."

Under such intense fear and danger, Gu Honglian could still think to retrieve the hairpin; this proved her to be smart and courageous.

Facing such a Gu Honglian, Tong Huaqiong softened her tone, saying, "You were frightened, but once you’re home, you’ll be fine. I’ll have the maid draw you a bath, wash up, and have a good sleep."

Gu Honglian shook her head, looking around the room, asking, "Fan Tong hasn’t returned yet?"

Everyone fell silent.

Fan Tong hadn’t returned.

Liu Yueer asked, "Your uncle wasn’t with you?"

Gu Honglian said, "We went out to admire the lanterns together, but then the riotous soldiers came, and we got separated."

"Will Fan Tong be okay?"

Gu Honglian put aside her concerns about herself, standing up with a helpless expression.

Although now she no longer valued Fan Tong as she did before marriage, Fan Tong was her husband, and she didn’t wish him harm.

Gu Honglian was about to rush out.

Gu Taohua asked, "Aunt, where are you going?"

Gu Honglian replied, "I need to find Fan Tong, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo..."

Fan Tong was a scholar, unused to fighting, incapable of using a brick to defend himself if threatened or bullied. What if he lost his life?

She did not want to become a widow.

Gu Honglian rushed into the courtyard.

Her foot, already numb from the cold during her escape, was numb to the snow beneath it.

Tong Huaqiong called out sternly, "Drag her back inside."

With the snow falling heavily, Gu Honglian would risk frostbite or death if she went out.

Gu Honglian struggled, "I must find my husband, I must find my husband."

With great strength, she broke loose from the women holding her back.

Gu Taohua could no longer stand it, she stepped forward to carry Gu Honglian back inside.

"What are you searching for, husband? Why did you and Fan Tong get separated? Could he have thought you a burden and intentionally abandoned you?" Gu Taohua asked, questioning deeply from the soul.

Fan Tong in a previous life could have certainly done such a thing.

Gu Taohua’s words led everyone to look at Gu Honglian with scrutinizing eyes.

Indeed, the couple went out to see lanterns, how could they have been separated?

Their group had not separated.