The Eldest Sister Has Space Chapter 2: silver

Gu Yundong harbored no warmth for this second uncle of hers. Initially, he and Gu Dajiang had ventured off together to repel a group of rogues, yet he was the sole person to return. This discrepancy forced her to speculate, inevitably connecting her father’s disappearance to him.

Gu Dahe hurried to Gu Yundong’s side. Without uttering a single word, he crouched down and began tugging at her sleeves.

"What are you doing?!" Gu Yundong managed to muster a bit of strength and yanked her arm back from his grasp.

"You're going to die soon anyway, so don't let the money your father left behind go to waste. Your second uncle will help you use it to honor your grandmother." Gu Dahe suddenly snatched a nearby stone and slammed it against her head. Gu Yundong only had time to curse "Shit" before she lost consciousness and collapsed.

"Big sister!" Gu Yunshu let out a piercing scream, rushing forward to strike at Gu Dahe with frantic blows.

Mrs. Yang also snapped into action. Dropping her basket, she lunged forward to scratch at him.

Hammered by the two of them, Gu Dahe was actually forced back a couple of steps. Finally losing his patience, he seized Gu Yunshu by the neck with one hand. He shouted at Mrs. Yang, who was preparing to pounce and bite him, "Stop! If you come any closer, I’ll strangle your son to death."

Mrs. Yang froze instantly. Hesitating to move forward, she looked back and forth between her son and her unconscious daughter. Suddenly, she dropped to her knees before Gu Dahe. "Second uncle, I beg you, please... put Ashu down. He’s hurting, he’s hurting."

Gu Yunshu’s face had turned a deep shade of purple from the constriction, and his eyes were bloodshot. Though tears welled in his eyes, he refused to let them fall. He struggled wildly to break free. "Mom, get up! Don't kneel to him! He isn't human; he’s a beast! He beat my sister and wants to kill us. I won’t let you go even if I become a ghost!"

Gu Dahe remained completely indifferent to the boy's curses. With the Yang family no longer in his way, he stepped back toward Gu Yundong and tore at her sleeve. He was aware that his eldest brother had secretly given this niece silver for protection. Having previously caught a glimpse of Gu Yundong sewing the silver into her clothing, he had doubled back specifically to claim it.

In his mind, there was no way this branch of the family would survive more than a few days in this chaotic world. It was better for him to take the money than to let it be buried alongside their corpses.

Gu Dahe felt no guilt at all. Ripping open the fabric, he discovered a piece of silver worth about one or two taels. His eldest brother certainly had his own schemes, hiding away such a significant amount of money in secret.

Once the silver was in his possession, Gu Dahe tossed Gu Yunshu aside. Mrs. Yang scrambled forward to catch the boy, shielding his head from hitting the jagged stones. "Ashu, mother has you. It’s okay, it doesn't hurt."

Gu Yunshu had nearly suffocated; once released, he began to gasp desperately for air.

Gu Dahe stood up and looked down at them with a smug grin. "Don't hold a grudge against me. It was your grandparents who decided to cast you out. I’m just a junior, so I have to follow their orders."

With that, he hummed a tune and walked briskly back toward Old Man Gu and the rest of the group.

Old Man Gu had noticed his second son slipping away. Seeing him return, he frowned slightly and questioned, "What were you up to?"

Gu Dahe didn't bother hiding the truth. "That girl had some money hidden on her. I’ve brought it back for you and mother."

Old Man Gu paused. "They were just cast out, and yet you still went to..."

"Why shouldn't he go?" Before he could finish, Mrs. Zhao interjected with a scold. "I knew the eldest was dishonest! He didn't use that money to honor his elders but secretly handed it to his wife and daughter instead. He has no conscience. We suffered so much to raise him, only for him to turn into such a white-eyed wolf. He should have been dealt with long ago! What's wrong with the second son taking that money? It’s better in our hands than lost to strangers."

Old Man Gu opened his mouth to speak but ultimately just let out a long sigh. "It is simply their fate." His silence served as a tacit agreement with Mrs. Zhao's words.

Gu Dahe tucked the money away with a clear conscience. "Mother, I'll hold onto this for you. I'm young and strong, so I won't lose it easily."

Mrs. Zhao glanced at him but remained silent. In these desperate times, she wasn't willing to upset her son over a few dozen pennies. If she angered him and he abandoned her, she wouldn't survive. Assuming it wasn't a large sum, she decided to let him keep it.