Hu Lanfang chuckled, "This matter is not up to me to decide, but up to my husband.
I can't possibly agree, and then bring a woman into our home that my husband dislikes. Wouldn't that make him unhappy?"
Hu Lanfang was determined to test Gu Chaobei.
Sun Sanniang was overjoyed upon hearing this, thinking Hu Lanfang was quite open-minded and magnanimous.
As for winning over Gu Chaobei?
With her looks, wouldn't it be a piece of cake?
Men were all susceptible to temptation.
Given such a prime opportunity, wouldn't Gu Chaobei readily accept her advances?
Sun Sanniang felt this was a sure thing and quickly bowed, "Thank you, Sister Hu, for your consideration."
"Heh heh, I'll call Mr. Gu here, and you can chat directly. You two can make the decision yourselves. As a woman, I can't make such important choices."
Sun Sanniang nodded vigorously, a look of confident satisfaction gracing her face.
Hu Lanfang suppressed her annoyance and led her to the living room.
Discussing such matters in her daughter's room felt like it would sully the space.
Gu Chaobei had always been a devoted husband. He had been a "phoenix man" – a term for someone from a rural background who got into university in the city.
He had fallen for Hu Lanfang at first sight during the university's welcome party.
Hu Lanfang had been on stage, playing her violin with a delightful "zizizi" sound, looking utterly beautiful and ethereal.
Indeed, before becoming a neighborhood committee member, Hu Lanfang had been a cultured young woman, quite sophisticated.
Gu Chaobei fell instantly in love, pursued Hu Lanfang ardently, and ultimately won her heart.
For his wife, he even gave up the opportunity to become a doctor in a large hospital, opting to stay in the community as a small clinic doctor.
Of course, "phoenix man" was a playful jab. Gu Chaobei's parents in their village actually owned ten thousand acres of orchards, earning two to three million yuan annually. He wasn't the kind of impoverished man who would try to latch onto an only daughter from a city family.
Instead, his presence had improved Hu Lanfang's quality of life. He had brought her to live in a spacious apartment, they drove a Mercedes-Benz, and their family life was quite blissful.
At this moment, seeing Hu Lanfang call him with a peculiar expression, Gu Chaobei asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"
"Come here, Sanniang has something she needs to discuss with you."
Hu Lanfang gestured with her chin towards Sun Sanniang, who was in the living room.
Gu Chaobei, utterly bewildered, walked over to Sun Sanniang with a serious demeanor and politely asked, "What is it, Sanniang?"
He assumed she might be ill, which was why she was called so urgently.
Sun Sanniang, at this moment, felt Hu Lanfang was quite gracious and possessed the air of a matriarch.
But she dismissed such thoughts. She wasn't inferior to Hu Lanfang. She hadn't had children, so her figure was still well-maintained, whereas Hu Lanfang, having already given birth to a daughter, would surely not be in as good a shape.
Seeing Gu Chaobei approach with his sunny, upright demeanor, Sun Sanniang's cheeks blushed slightly. Then, in an incredibly gentle tone, she said, "Mr. Gu, Sister Hu and I were just discussing something, and she said I should ask your opinion directly."
"Oh, what is it? Usually, my wife makes the decisions for our household. If she agrees, then it's settled, haha."
Gu Chaobei said with a teasing tone.
Sun Sanniang blinked her beautiful, captivating eyes and said, "Mr. Gu, I am alone, relying on my cousin, with no one to depend on. It has been a long time, and with the weather worsening, it's impossible to set off to find my parents and return home. Yet, I cannot stay at my cousin's house indefinitely."
Gu Chaobei nodded. This was indeed the situation.
But what did it have to do with him?
He wondered why Sun Sanniang was telling him these personal matters.
Could she be asking him for money?
Gu Chaobei felt a surge of wariness.
He was a good man in the Gu family. Without his wife's consent, he wouldn't easily lend even a single coin to an outsider, not even a woman. He had to be mindful of appearances!
However, since it was Sun Sanniang, Gu Chaobei felt he might lend some.
The Sun family was decent. Especially when Qingcheng had an accident, considering their past kindness, he could discuss with Hu Lanfang and lend Sun Sanniang some money for her journey.
Of course, in this extremely cold weather, it would be best to advise her to stay at Mr. Sun's house. Enduring hardship there was better than freezing to death on the road.
To his surprise, Sun Sanniang's next words made his head spin.
"I wish to become Mr. Gu's concubine. I only seek your protection, and if I could bear you a son or daughter in the future, that would be even better."
What?
What did she mean?
Gu Chaobei couldn't comprehend it for a moment. His eyes blinked, his mind racing.
Did she want to freeload in his house?
Sun Sanniang was an adult. Couldn't she earn her own living?
Become a concubine?
No, becoming a concubine meant being a mistress, didn't it?
Gu Chaobei's heart exploded like thunder. He felt a strong instinct for self-preservation and turned to look towards the lower hall.
Hu Lanfang was in the kitchen, chopping firewood as if nothing was happening.
But her chopping seemed a bit ferocious, didn't it? Each strike was like chopping bone.
Gu Chaobei swallowed hard, suppressing his inner fear. He had to give the correct answer quickly to save his life!
So, Gu Chaobei cleared his throat and said ruthlessly, "Becoming a concubine is impossible. Our family has no tradition of taking concubines. My wife and I vowed to be each other's only love when we married. No third person can ever intervene between us! I'm sorry, Miss Sun. I believe you will find a better match in the future."
Sun Sanniang hadn't expected Gu Chaobei to be so decisive. She quickly declared, "I will not be jealous or quarrelsome. I will serve you and your wife well, and I am capable of anything."
After speaking, Sun Sanniang gazed at Gu Chaobei with amorous eyes, her intention more than obvious.
Gu Chaobei blushed. When had he ever been openly confessed to by a woman?
And so shamelessly, in broad daylight, in front of his tigress, er, his wife?
"I'm truly sorry, Miss Sun, but I cannot accept such good fortune. Let this matter be dropped and never mentioned again.
Considering your past help to our family, let us pretend this never happened.
In the future, let's maintain a respectful distance and avoid being alone together!"
Having said this, Gu Chaobei, who was now alone with a woman, glanced at Hu Lanfang. She seemed to have stopped chopping firewood. He quickly made a hasty retreat.
Sun Sanniang hadn't expected that Gu Chaobei, a grown man, would be so utterly dominated and timid, so clearly afraid of his wife.
Sun Sanniang was left in an awkward predicament.
Gu Qingcheng finished heating the underfloor heating, ensuring the coal would last for half the day. Then, she removed the fully charged battery from the solar panels and replaced it with a freshly charged one.
After busy for most of the morning, she walked into the courtyard. Not seeing Mr. Sun or Sun Sanniang around, she asked curiously, "Dad, Mom, where are Mr. Sun and Sun Sanniang? Are they not staying for lunch?"
"Oh, they just left," Hu Lanfang said indifferently.
A flicker of embarrassment crossed Gu Chaobei's face as he said, "It's good they left. They won't be coming back."
After saying this, he glanced at Hu Lanfang in an appeasing manner.