Mother's Illness

Gu Wanning bit her lip and remained silent.

She was actually very determined and would not change her mind because of Wei Shi's attitude.

"I agree to the divorce, but I don't agree to you moving out on your own."

Gu Wanning was stunned.

"Listen to your mother, we won't miss your pair of chopsticks. Your sister-in-law isn't unforgiving either. With you living away from home, your mother worries about you constantly, and can't relax for a single day..."

As she spoke, Wei Shi shed tears.

"Mother knows, Mother is sorry, Mother was foolish... Mother doesn't ask for your forgiveness, Mother only hopes that my son will not have to suffer again in the future."

Hot tears streamed down her face, scalding Gu Wanning's heart.

"Mother, it's alright." Gu Wanning took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears. "From now on, even if I don't live at my parents' house, I will definitely live next to you."

This is a perfect opportunity; why not take advantage of it?

She doesn't try to be strong.

Even if a woman amasses a fortune outside the home, she cannot keep it all on her own.

That's just the damn reality; she has no choice but to accept it.

"Alright, alright, but don't stray too far from your mother. My legs aren't good; I can hardly even leave the house..."

Gu Wanning had noticed earlier that Wei Shi was having great difficulty walking and moving around.

Chapter 67 Mother's Illness

"Mother, what happened to your legs? They've never been like this before!"

The original owner harbored much resentment towards her maternal family, so she never returned after marriage, determined to sever all ties. Therefore, she was unaware of Wei Shi's current situation.

"I don't know why, but my knees hurt so much I can't walk. I've seen many doctors and taken a lot of medicine, spending over a hundred taels of silver like water, but it's not working. Oh well, I'm still far from being able to walk anyway."

It was like water flowing by, costing only a little over a hundred taels... For wealthy families, buying an alpaca could cost tens of thousands of taels of silver.

Mingming, as the Chief Grand Secretary, held the highest position among officials and should have come from one of the most prominent families in the Capital.

Gu Wanning really wanted to shout at Xu Weibei, "Show me how good you are at pretending!"

Suddenly, I felt wronged for my family.

"Mother, did you call the imperial physician to come and see him?"

"Seeing so many doctors hasn't helped, so forget it."

Gu Wanning became anxious upon hearing this, "Why not call the imperial physician? Is it because we lack money, or is my father too embarrassed to come?"

"No, it's not that. I just didn't want to watch anymore. It's okay, Mom is really fine."

Seeing her daughter's concern for her made Wei Shi happier than anything else.

"What I don't understand is," Wei Shi changed the subject, "That I heard the Marquis was keeping someone else outside, and you and your elder brother were talking about getting a divorce. I thought you two were at each other's throats and had a huge fight, and I was always worried about you... But seeing the two of you today... why does it seem like the Marquis is quite protective of you? You two are laughing and talking, it seems... that things are going quite well?"

They haven't reached the point of divorce yet.

"Your mother isn't saying this to stop you from getting a divorce, she just wants to understand the situation so you won't regret it later."

"Mother," Gu Wanning said softly, "No matter how good he is, do you know he keeps another woman and has children with her? Would you still agree to let me marry him?"

Wei Shi hurriedly said, "Of course we won't. Alright, Mother understands, Gu Wanning has been wronged. Let's get a divorce! It's better to get a divorce, so your father and brothers won't have to rack their brains to pave the way for him anymore."

Gu Wanning was confused upon hearing this.

Aren't the Gu family and Xu Weibei supposed to be irreconcilable enemies?

What kind of elaborate scheme was used to pave the way for Xu Weibei journey?

In front of your own family, you must be open to asking questions if you don't understand something.

So Gu Wanning just asked directly.

Wei Shi sighed and said, "Your father has a problem: once he makes up his mind about something, he's stubborn and doesn't bother to explain himself."

Gu Yuanshi felt that Xu Weibei's achievements were too great and threatened the emperor, so he definitely needed to be warned.

Since that's the case, why don't he play the bad guy? That way, he can control the intensity, making it neither too painful nor too mild, so that his son-in-law can get through this smoothly.

Gu Wanning: "So, my father impeached him to protect him?"

"Um."

Gu Wanning said quietly, "Mother, I'm not taking Xu Weibei, but my father's acting is just too realistic... If I were Xu Weibei, I would be angry too."

If you truly consider us family, you should have given us a heads-up beforehand!

"Your father is deep-seated and a blockhead; he can only confide in me, even in brief moments," Wei Shi sighed. "He thinks the Marquis is young and impetuous, and if he were asked to pretend, he probably wouldn't, let alone convincingly..."

That's true.

Xu Weibei is like a firecracker, easily ignited.

However, a person without courage would not lead a mere few hundred men on a long march of thousands of miles and achieve unparalleled feats.

"Mother, my father just values talent," Gu Wanning said knowingly. "Even without me, my father would probably still protect him, even if Xu Weibei criticizes him for his reform efforts every day."

"Yes," Wei Shi nodded, "But with you added to the mix, his affection for you is definitely different."

"I know."

I appreciate it, but it's hard to judge.

Well, she can't change others, so she'll just focus on being herself.

Wei Shi further instructed her to remain calm and not to confront Xu Weibei.

"Don't mistreat his child, lest you create resentment later and it's not easy to extricate yourself from the situation. Just treat him like the neighbor's child, understand?"

"Mother, I know," Gu Wanning said with a smile. "The Marquis's Residence is rich and powerful. It's not like I can't do a favor."

Xu Weibei provided the money and even a concubine; she only needed to offer her services. She gained a reputation for generosity and a sense of indebtedness to Xu Weibei —why wouldn't she do it?

"You don't need to worry about me, just take care of yourself," Gu Wanning said. "I'll have Er Ya go to the Marquis's Residence later and have Er Ya Third Concubine come and examine your leg. Although she's not a royal physician, she comes from a family of royal physicians, and she's a woman, so it won't cost her anything. Mother, you don't need to worry too much."

"How can that be? What if the Marquis gets upset? You'll owe him a favor..."