Chapter 43: A Talent Bestowed by Heaven

Elder Gu and Gu Fengrui both knew that Gu Fengji had not asked Lu Jiaolou to bring anything back.

However, they truly did not expect Lu Jiaolou to tell the children such a thing, and she seemed to be extremely fond of children.

Generally speaking, anyone who genuinely loves children cannot be a bad person, nor could their character be fundamentally flawed.

Both Elder Gu and Gu Fengrui felt this way, and their approval of Lu Jiaolou deepened further.

Before dinner had even begun, Lu Jiaolou had already grown familiar with the five children and learned all their names.

The eldest, Gu Zhongning, was ten years old; the second, Song Yu, was nine; the third, Liu Xiaoling, was eight; the fourth, Wang Ni, was seven; and the youngest, Gu Zhongdong, was three.

Among the five children, four different surnames were represented, making it obvious at a glance that they were not a single biological family.

Once Lu Jiaolou learned their names, it was impossible for her not to realize that Song Yu, Liu Xiaoling, and Wang Ni were not children of the Gu family. The only true members of the Gu family were Gu Zhongning and Gu Zhongdong, while the other children must have been adopted by Gu Fengrui.

She did not wish to dwell too deeply on the matter, nor did she intend to pry. The mere fact that Elder Gu and Gu Fengrui were willing to adopt these children suggested that, at the very least, they were decent men.

As for why Gu Fengrui and the children were living with the old man instead of at the main Gu family residence, there were undoubtedly many untold stories behind it.

After dinner, Lu Jiaolou played with the children for a while before announcing that she needed to return home.

The present era was no longer as safe as it had been decades ago; bright lights and surveillance cameras covered almost every corner without blind spots. For a young woman to walk back alone was still quite unsafe, so the old man ultimately dispatched a guard to drive her home.

The moment the family returned after seeing Lu Jiaolou off, Gu Zhongning led his younger siblings upstairs to take baths and finish their homework. Little Dongdong, the youngest, had already been given a bath by Lu Jiaolou earlier, so he went upstairs alongside his older brothers and sister.

"Fengrui, what do your thoughts tell you?"

The old man sat in the living room with his eldest grandson, beginning a discussion about Lu Jiaolou, who had just departed.

"She seems like a good person, not a bad one."

Gu Fengrui had sensed this the very moment he laid eyes on Lu Jiaolou. Drawing upon his years of reconnaissance and professional experience, she appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary young woman.

"Your grandfather feels the same way. Her background has already been thoroughly investigated; the only questionable aspect is her ability to concoct medicines, especially since her remedies are remarkably effective."

The old man picked up the bag of medicines still resting on the coffee table—all of them brought by Lu Jiaolou and crafted with her own hands.

"Didn't she claim she is self-taught? Perhaps she is simply a natural-born genius with a passion for traditional Chinese medicine, endowed with extraordinary talent in precisely this field."

Gu Fengrui did not view this as a major problem. After all, Lu Jiaolou was not affiliated with a pharmaceutical factory, nor was she in a position to contaminate industrial production. As long as her medicines were not formulated to harm others, which family lacked a few ancestral secret recipes or treasured heirlooms?

Besides, certain individuals possessed genuine talent for specific crafts—the kind of people whom fate relentlessly chased to feed, or rather, forced gifts upon. What could one possibly say about such individuals?

Regardless, the times had changed, and people's perspectives had evolved alongside them.

"Let us continue to interact with her and observe her closely."

"Tell my father to keep my mother and the others from interfering or harassing her."

"Very well."

When grandfather and grandson touched upon the Gu family household on the other side, a heavy silence and awkward atmosphere descended upon them.

Gu Fengrui remained entirely composed, whereas the old man felt a sense of stifled frustration, harboring deep dissatisfaction toward his daughter-in-law on that side.

"By the way, I heard that the ointment Xiaolu makes for rheumatism and lumbar pain is exceptionally effective. Once you finish your bath tonight, grandfather will let you try some."

"Grandfather, you should use it as well. If it proves effective, we can ask Xiaolu to purchase a bit more for us."

Both grandfather and grandson suffered from aching lower backs and joints—one due to advanced age, the other from prolonged periods of lying down and sitting still—making such a remedy a necessity for both.

Upon returning home, Lu Jiaolou took a bath and immediately immersed herself in her books and studies. She had already reviewed all the textbooks for junior and senior high school and had moved on to practicing with test preparation materials found on the market.

In any case, she was brimming with confidence regarding her prospects of entering university and harbored no doubts about passing the examinations.

Elder Gu's sudden appearance today was undoubtedly linked to her medicinal preparations, but she felt no anxiety whatsoever. Furthermore, the goodwill Elder Gu had displayed toward her suggested that he held no negative opinions of her character.

Even so, his visit today served as a test—or perhaps more accurately, an opportunity to observe precisely what kind of person she was.

As long as her medicines were safe and her conduct remained irreproachable, no one could possibly find fault with her.

Crucially, she had only ever demonstrated her talent for pharmacology, revealing nothing else out of the ordinary.

Therefore, even if the higher authorities placed her under close observation, the period would likely last no longer than a year. She felt neither worry nor fear.

Yet, starting from this moment onward, she decided to minimize the production of ingestible medicines, focusing instead primarily on cosmetic and skincare products designed specifically for women.

Money from women and children was the easiest and most lucrative to earn, accompanied by the fewest complications.

A few days later, Lu Jiaolou successively sold several more bottles of whitening, blemish-removing, and acne-scar-fading creams, bringing in additional income. Afterward, she purchased some fabric, cotton batting, and sewing needles, setting to work on handmade crafts.

Thus, when Elder Gu and Gu Fengrui arrived at her doorstep with little Dongdong in tow, she had just finished completing all her handiwork.

"Xiaolu, didn't I tell you to come over to our house for dinner on the weekend?!"

Before Lu Jiaolou's departure last time, the old man had explicitly instructed her to visit their courtyard residence for meals every weekend, yet she had failed to show up yesterday.

"Grandfather, I didn't want to be a bother."

These were Lu Jiaolou's true sentiments. She saw no reason to conceal them, especially since they were not truly family and remained largely unfamiliar with one another.

"We are family; don't speak of being a bother over something as simple as a meal. Your grandfather retired and stays at home all day, and Fengrui has nothing pressing to occupy him at home either. If you come over, more people will make the house livelier."

Elder Gu genuinely welcomed Lu Jiaolou into his home. Day after day, the children were cooped up with an old man and a gloomy eldest grandson like Fengrui; the house lacked liveliness, which was hardly conducive to the children's healthy physical and mental development.

"Auntie, Dongdong missed you."

Little Dongdong was thrilled to be taken out by his great-grandfather and father today. Having learned that they were coming to visit his young auntie, he eagerly chimed in.

He still remembered his young auntie fondly because she loved to hold him in her arms and play with him.

"Dongdong, I missed you too."

A bright look lit up Lu Jiaolou's face the moment she laid eyes on the little fellow, and she hurriedly waved him over into her embrace.

The little boy happily released his great-grandfather's hand, which he had been holding the entire time, and dashed headfirst into her arms with a joyful gait.

For a long while, the adult and the child indulged in affectionate mutual teasing, completely ignoring the other two men in the room.