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Chapter 685: Gu Haifan Returns Home (2)
Chapter 685: Gu Haifan Returns Home (2)
Gu Haifan made his rounds to express gratitude to the twenty-three families who had helped him in the past. He had never forgotten their kindness.
While some people appreciated his gratefulness, others thought he was stingy and petty. An elderly lady from one of the families commented, "His maternal aunt is supposedly a billionaire. It's so stingy of him to show up empty-handed to express his thanks when he's so rich."
Not only was he stingy, but he also didn't know proper etiquette. It was unheard of to pay a visit without bringing a gift.
Her husband took a puff from his pipe and said, "The boy is still in school. How much money can he have? Besides, we gave him food back then because we felt sorry for him and didn't want him to starve. We didn't expect anything in return."
Seeing that her husband was getting upset, the old lady said, "Alright, it's enough that Haifan is thoughtful. Many people don't even bother to come back after making a name for themselves. At least the boy came to show his gratitude."
He also felt that the boy lacked manners. That maternal aunt of his was something else, taking the child in but not teaching him properly. While their family didn't mind, his behavior might offend others once he ventured out into society.
The old lady dropped the subject when she saw that her husband was displeased.
Gu Haifan stayed at his sixth paternal uncle's house for the night, and the next morning, he said, "Uncle, I'll be leaving soon. I'll come back when my father's tomb needs repairing."
His sixth uncle was taken aback. "Why are you heading back to Hong Kong City so soon?"
Gu Haifan explained, "I'm not going back to Hong Kong City but to Si Jiucheng. I still have some matters to attend to, and I'll come back when it's time to repair my father's tomb."
He wanted to return to accompany Gu Xiuxiu and continue his physical training and studies. Now that the college entrance examinations were over, he could focus on medical books. He had a good memory and didn't forget things easily. It usually took him only two or three readings to commit something to memory. He had a natural talent, which was why Lu Jiaxin hadn't stopped him from pursuing medicine.
There was a joke in the future that went, "Convince someone to study medicine, and may the heavens strike you down," because studying medicine was truly arduous. However, those who persevered enjoyed high social status and attractive salaries. Gu Haifan's decision to study medicine stemmed from his father's untimely death. He wanted to become a doctor to save more people like his father.
Upon hearing that Gu Haifan was returning to Si Jiucheng, his sixth uncle didn't try to keep him any longer.
Instead of leaving the county town immediately, Gu Haifan went to the mall with his two bodyguards. Two hours later, he departed with one of the bodyguards, while Zhang Kun headed back to Gu Jia Village with a tractor loaded with goods.
When his sixth uncle was called back from the fields, he was still perplexed. Seeing Zhang Kun looking around but not spotting Gu Haifan, he asked, "Comrade Zhang, where's Haifan?"
Zhang Kun answered vaguely, "The young master has returned. He wanted to express his gratitude to those who helped him in the past, so he bought some gifts for everyone."
Pointing at the presents, he added with a smile, "There are twenty-three packages in total, and each one is labeled with a name. Sixth Uncle, I can't recognize these people, so please show me the way."
"Sure."
Gu Haifan had prepared gifts for all twenty-three families who had helped him. When they arrived at the first house, there was an elderly lady and her young daughter-in-law.
After confirming the old lady's name, Zhang Kun carried the gifts inside. He then took out a red envelope from his bag and handed it to the old lady. The young daughter-in-law tried to take it, but he evaded her grasp.
"My young master specifically instructed me," Zhang Kun explained, "that this money must be placed in Aunt Chun's hands personally. If you snatch it from her, the young master will not let it go the next time he's back."
The last sentence was his addition. They would definitely bring more people when they returned to repair the tomb, and yes, they must bring female bodyguards to deal with any unruly women.
Hearing this, the young daughter-in-law felt a little embarrassed, but her eyes remained fixed on the red envelope. It looked thick, and she wondered about the denomination of the bills inside. She hoped they were all hundred-yuan notes.
After delivering the gifts and red envelopes, Zhang Kun immediately went to the second house.
As soon as the young daughter-in-law from this family saw them leave, she urged her mother-in-law to open the red envelope and see how much money was inside. But the old lady was wiser and took the money inside to hide it away.
Sixth Uncle also commented, "It's enough to send gifts. Why give money on top of that?"
Zhang Kun laughed and said, "Young Master Gu said that back then, everyone was struggling, and they still managed to squeeze out some food to help him. Now that he has a little extra, he wants to repay their kindness."
When Gu Haifan's paternal uncle and his younger uncle heard the news, they also came asking for money and gifts. However, Zhang Kun bluntly refused, "Back then, you spread rumors that Young Master Gu brought about his own father's death because you were worried the village would expect you to support him. How dare you come asking for favors now?"
Seeing their denial, Zhang Kun said, "Don't do things you wouldn't want others to know about. If you know what's good for you, scram. Don't make me lose my temper by blocking my way."
Faced with Zhang Kun's fierce demeanor, the two men stepped aside. He looked like someone not to be trifled with, and since he wasn't even their nephew, causing a rift with him would gain them nothing.
Before leaving, Zhang Kun made sure to say in front of everyone, "Our Young Master is still in school, and Old Madam only gives him a small allowance each month. Young Master Gu had a hard life before, and he couldn't bring himself to spend this allowance, so he saved it up. This time, he spent all his savings on gifts and red envelopes."
The implication was clear—Gu Haifan was now broke, so they shouldn't get their hopes up. It was also a warning since Gu Haifan would be returning soon to repair his father's tomb.
After saying this, Zhang Kun left. As soon as he was gone, the villagers started inquiring about how much money each family had received. Some kept quiet, but most couldn't help but share. Soon, everyone realized that the amounts in Gu Haifan's red envelopes varied, and those who received less started to feel aggrieved.
There were always clever people in the world, and soon, someone said, "Haifan gave the same gifts to everyone, but the red envelopes were based on how much they helped him. The more they helped, the bigger the red envelope, and those who didn't help received neither gifts nor money."
Upon hearing this, everyone realized it made sense. A curious person asked Sixth Uncle, "You helped Haifan a lot back then. He must have given you a big red envelope, right?"
Sixth Uncle was tight-lipped, indicating that it was about the same as what others received. However, not only outsiders wanted to know, but his own family was also curious about the amount in the red envelope.
The envelope was thick, and without even opening it, Sixth Uncle knew there were several thousand yuan inside. Pestered by his wife and son, he finally gave in and opened it. To his surprise, he found a hundred crisp hundred-yuan notes inside!
News of Gu Haifan's gifts and money soon reached Lu Jiaxin. She called him and said, "What you did was not very appropriate."
Gu Haifan explained that he just wanted to repay their kindness.
Lu Jiaxin said, "It's good that you want to repay their kindness, but you should have waited until after your father's tomb was repaired. You'll be coming back to the village next month for that, and you won't have any peace then."
Gu Haifan fell silent for a moment before replying, "Big Sister, I want them to come and make a scene. Even if they do, they won't get a single cent, and they'll live with regret from that day forward."
It seemed that the past had left deep scars on the young man, and now he wanted revenge. Lu Jiaxin didn't stand in his way but felt it was necessary to give him a reminder to avoid any losses.
"Next time you go back, bring more bodyguards, and make sure they stay by your side at all times. Be careful and pay attention to your safety," Lu Jiaxin advised.
"Okay, thank you, Big Sister," Gu Haifan replied.
(End of Chapter)
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