A jinx, me? But I bring good fortune to my whole family!

Gu Jianping's face turned pale and then red, and he was too embarrassed to back down.

He suppressed his temper.

If it were before, he would have yelled back at the top of his lungs.

But not today; he needs someone's help.

"Sister-in-law, what happened yesterday...it was Mother's fault, and Zhang Aidi was stupid too."

Gu Jianping adopted an extremely humble posture, even sighing and slumping his shoulders.

"Now my mother is paralyzed in bed and can't move, and Jian'an is half dead. The house is in complete chaos. I'm only here because I've run out of options."

As he spoke, he didn't forget to place the brown sugar and malted milk powder on the stone table in the yard.

This action left Gu Jianguo with mixed feelings.

Although they had separated from the family, and although Old Lady Gu was not his biological mother, the person in front of him was indeed his older brother who had grown up with him since childhood.

Gu Jianguo pulled Su Xiulan aside, signaling her not to get angry.

"Come in and sit down," he said in a low voice.

Gu Jianping was secretly delighted; there was hope!

He quickly followed him into the main room and sat down on a long bench.

A brief silence fell over the room.

Only Nuannuan was perched on the doorframe of the inner room, peeking out with half her head, her big eyes staring at Gu Jianping.

Little Black landed on the windowsill with a clatter.

"A weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken! It's up to no good! Cluck!"

Nuannuan wholeheartedly agrees.

Gu Jianping rubbed his hands together, his eyes beginning to redden.

He began to reminisce about the bitter past and appreciate the sweet present.

"Third brother, do you remember when you had a high fever when you were ten years old?"

Gu Jianguo paused slightly.

"Back then, we were so poor that we couldn't even afford a cornbread. You were delirious with fever, your body burning hot. Dad was working in the fields and couldn't come back, and Mom... Mom didn't care."

Gu Jianping's voice was choked with emotion.

"It was me. I carried you on my back in the middle of the night and walked for more than two hours through the dark, feeling my way to the town's health center."

"Your ankle is swollen so badly. The doctor said if you had come half an hour later, you would have been brain-damaged from the fever."

This is true.

Gu Jianguo's fingers tightened on his knee.

That was one of the few warm memories he had from his childhood.

In this family, because he wasn't their biological son, he did the most chores and suffered the most severe beatings from a young age.

But that time, the mountain was blocked by heavy snow, and it was indeed Gu Jianping who carried him to the town.

Although it was to save his life so he could continue working for his family, he always remembered the kindness that saved his life.

A slight soreness welled up in Gu Jianguo's eyes, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

"Brother, I've always remembered this."

"Just remember it, just remember it..."

Gu Jianping wiped his face, his sigh growing heavier.

"How close we brothers were back then? If you had something delicious, you would always secretly save half for me. When I went fishing, I would always grill the biggest fish for you first."

The two chatted casually about their childhood.

Su Xiulan listened from the side, her brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

She knew all too well the character of the people in the Gu family's old mansion.

The deeper the emotional buildup, the bigger the pit will be dug later!

as predicted.

After chatting for almost half an hour, Gu Jianping changed the subject.

He let out a long sigh, his tone becoming dejected and helpless.

"Third brother, your eldest brother is really having a tough time right now."

He began to complain.

"My mother is completely paralyzed; she eats, drinks, and relieves herself all on the kang (a heated brick bed). Jian'an still needs medication to manage his illness. I work alone in the mine, exhausting myself, and I can't even get a full night's sleep."

"Besides... I've been working in the mine for almost ten years, and I'm still just a temporary worker."

Gu Jianguo frowned upon hearing this.

Working in a coal mine is a tough job.

That's trading your life for money.

It's pitch black down in the mine; who knows when it might collapse and people won't be able to get out.

Temporary workers are treated even worse; they not only receive low wages but also lack labor protections, and if anything happens, there's nothing that can be done.

"It's not an easy job," Gu Jianguo chimed in.

Gu Jianping's eyes lit up, and he leaned forward.

"Temporary workers live hand to mouth. If the mine manager is unhappy one day, he can fire me with just a word. I wish I could become a permanent employee."

He then got down to business.

"Once I'm officially hired, I'll be a full-fledged worker! My monthly salary will increase by more than ten yuan! There will also be various ration coupons and subsidies, and I can receive a pension when I retire!"

In rural areas, these conditions are like a windfall.

Gu Jianguo remained silent.

Getting a permanent position isn't that easy. These days, every radish has its own spot, and you can't get in without some strong connections.

Sure enough, Gu Jianping stared at Gu Jianguo, his tone becoming urgent.

"Third brother, there's a vacancy for a permanent position at the mine right now!"

"I've found out everything. The mine manager's brother-in-law wants to make some money. As long as the money is right, this spot is mine!"

Gu Jianguo's heart sank.

It certainly didn't come for nothing.

He knew all too well why Gu Jianping had come today.

"How much do you want?" he asked in a calm voice.

Gu Jianping swallowed and held up one finger.

"One thousand yuan."

One thousand dollars!

These three words stunned everyone in the room.

Not to mention Gu Jianguo, even Nuannuan in the inner room was shocked and stared wide-eyed.

A thousand dollars! That's a lot of money!

In those days when a worker only earned a dozen yuan a month, a thousand yuan was a huge sum of money!

Even if Gu Jianguo made some money selling chives, he couldn't possibly come up with that much money!

Even if we could afford it, why should we give it to them?

"hehe."

Su Xiulan, who had been silent until now, suddenly let out a cold laugh.

The laughter sounded particularly jarring in the room.

She walked to the stone table, grabbed the bag of brown sugar and malted milk powder, and shoved it heavily into Gu Jianping's arms.

"Brother, you've got a really clever plan!"

Su Xiulan ruthlessly exposed his pretense.

"You come to our house with something that costs two yuan to reminisce about the past, and then you ask for a thousand yuan?!"

"You've got no chance to rob a bank, so you've come to our house to freeload?!"

Gu Jianping's face flushed red instantly. He stood up abruptly and pointed at Su Xiulan's nose, ready to curse.

"When a man is speaking, what right does a woman like you have to interrupt!"

Su Xiulan was not intimidated by him at all, and put her hands on her hips.

"Now that we've separated, I'm in charge of all the money in this household! Don't even think about taking a single cent, let alone a thousand dollars!"

Gu Jianguo stood up, shielding Su Xiulan behind him, and the warmth on his face vanished without a trace.

"Brother, I can't afford a thousand yuan."

Gu Jianping panicked, grabbed Gu Jianguo's arm, his eyes bloodshot, even showing a hint of madness.

"Third brother! You can afford it! I know you can make money growing those weird vegetables! And the jobs you and Xiao An sell, even the army sends things to your family! You definitely have money!"

He lowered his voice, his tone revealing a shameless ruthlessness.

"If you don't lend it to me, I'm sleeping here tonight! Anyway, the people in our old house are going to starve, so we might as well all die together!"

This is absolutely outrageous!

Nuannuan clenched her fists, her cheeks puffed out in anger.

My uncle is so mean!

They want to rob their family!

Just then, a series of chaotic footsteps came from outside the courtyard, accompanied by a gasp of surprise.

"Gu Jianping! Don't lend me any more money! There's been an accident at the mine! A cave-in!"

Gu Jianping's hand trembled, and his face turned ashen.