Chapter 3 - I’m going to summon grandpa’s soul
Mr. Gu didn’t know how he got his two sons home. He was so angry that he didn’t even have the strength to lecture them. Sitting on the office chair, he looked wearily at his sons, couldn’t even utter a word.
Gu Ye also didn’t know what to say. He’s afraid that if he says just one word wrong, it will instead fuel the old man’s ire.
Gu DeCheng was an old-fashioned and a conservative man. He follows the rules and does everything single-mindedly. He doesn’t believe in metaphysics which was shrouded in mystery and obscurity. Especially since Gu Ye’s original soul was doing things blindly by researching materials he bought from Taobao. This being the case, it’s really hard for Gu Ye to convince Gu Decheng that he can really do fortune telling.
After 15 minutes of silence, Gu DeCheng took a deep breath and looked at Gu Ye who was relaxed and calm with a complicated gaze then said : “How do you know that my business is not going well recently?”
Gu Ye narrowed his eyes, “It must not have been like this when the house was first built. Grandpa must have hired a skilled Feng Shui master. The gate has Bai Hu Formation to guard against evil and on the inside is Azure Dragon Moon Guarding Array so that the family will be safe for generations. Unfortunately, no one cares about these things once he’s gone. That beast statue has lost its teeth so evil spirits could get in and the array is destroyed. The Feng Shui that was set up no longer has its original functions.”
Gu Ye thought this was logical, but Gu DeCheng felt a headache trying to understand this kind of ‘logic’. Knocking on the table, he said, “Speak clearly!”
Tch, no culture, what a dreadful thing. Helplessly, Gu Ye said : “In a word, our home’s Feng Shui is pa.s.sive. It leaks money and attracts evil spirits, over time, it will lead to death.”
Father Gu’s expression was cold. Can you not talk about death so casually?
As soon as he saw his father’s face was not right, Gu Ye quickly remedied : “There’s really something wrong with the home’s Feng Shui. Grandpa came to me in my dream, saying that when he came here before, it was not like this.” Desperate, Gu Ye added, “I’ll summon his soul, you can ask him yourself.”
Seeing Gu Ye pinching his fingers in the gesture for counting in divination, Gu DeCheng instantly felt the flame of anger rushing up from his heart to his head. With a cold expression, he picks something up from the table without looking and wants to beat Gu Ye’s a.s.s : “You even dare to use your Grandpa as a shield, you unfilial son!”
Gu Ye immediately starts to run when he sees things are getting bad.
Gu Yang, who had been kneeling on the ground for the lecture, also followed suit once he saw his brother run.
Father Gu who had just taken two steps but already couldn’t see his sons’ figures was angry.
Mrs. Gu nervously grabbed the thing in her husband’s hand and held it carefully in her arms then said boldly, “Cheng-Ge, if you are angry then just use words. Don’t beat the children.”
Father Gu slapped the table angrily, “Being too kind of a mother is not a good thing! You dare to protect them! I still haven’t settled the account with you yet for covering for them this morning!”
Mrs. Gu was so frightened that she almost cried. She saw the jade ruler that was worth millions and it would be a pity if it breaks. That’s money, ah.
Gu Ye looked back and saw that Mrs. Gu being lectured. He stopped running and shouted, sounding aggrieved: “Mother, save me!”
Father Gu looked at his wife in anger, “You still dare to say you didn’t spoil him? He’s nineteen and still goes to his mother when he’s in trouble. It’s too shameful!”
Mrs. Gu who got innocently blamed, cried angrily. Gu Ye this little a.s.shole!
Gu DeCheng believes that Gu Ye used his grandfather who has been dead for many years as an excuse because he’s afraid of being beaten. Unexpectedly, he had a dream that night which effectively turned his cognition upside down.
The next morning, Father Gu got up early and went to the gate of the villa, then carefully observed the stone lion’s teeth. The statue on the right side of the gate which was left outside in the wind and rain has a crack in its mouth. The two teeth on the inside had fallen off. It didn’t look like it was damaged naturally, more like it had been chiseled off.
Gu DeCheng then went to the garden and found that his home had changed a lot. He has been busy with work and hasn’t had a good rest at home for a long time. The oldest son was busy developing in the foreign market and it was going well so he won’t come back to take over the company in the meantime. The second son started an entertainment company when he was still in university and that company was also developing rapidly. He couldn’t pa.s.s him the business either for the time being. The third and the fourth son…Father Gu rubbed his forehead, let’s just work for a few years more.
After wandering around the house, Father Gu asked the gardener who was pruning the begonias, “When was the fountain remodeled?”
The gardener answered respectfully, “Yes, sir. The fountain’s pump was broken three months ago so Madame hired a construction team to renovate it while replacing it.”
“When did this white elephant placed here?”
“Also three months ago. Madame thought it looks good and this s.p.a.ce is empty anyway so she ordered the people to place it here.”
Gu Ye placed his hands behind his back and walked towards his father, then whispered, “Did Grandpa talk to you last night?”
Ge Decheng was stunned for a moment. Last night, he dreamt of his father who has been deceased for more than a decade. It didn’t go well.
Gu Ye smiled and continued : “The formation guarding the family house was obviously created by someone with real ability. Every piece is essential to the formation. The stone lions at the gate are a zhènsha formation. This villa is too big and our family is too small. It’s not good to buy such a big house because it lacks liveliness. In order to prevent the house from getting chaotic, that Feng Shui master set up Bai Hu formation at the gate and those two stone lions are the key of the formation. So something wrong must have happened with that lion.”
Gu Ye then pointed at the white elephant, “That one is certainly an auspicious item, but it’s also a fierce beast. The Azure Dragon Moon Guarding Array could keep peace and wealth but its centerpiece, the fountain, has been changed. With the combination of such a fierce beast at home, if it’s not for the fact that our family is lucky, something really bad would have happened.”
Watching his father’s face that looks like he’s reshaping his three views and has yet to recover from this attack, Gu Ye continued with a smile : “Actually, I suspect that someone wants to harm our family. The Feng Shui formations wouldn’t be broken this fast otherwise.”
Gu DeCheng calmly asked, “Is that what your grandpa told you?”
Gu Ye seriously made a gesture with his fingers, “I’ll summon grandpa’s soul for you.”
Gu DeCheng was angry but also found this situation funny. Relatively speaking, his third son has changed so much. He didn’t like to speak previously and if you ask him anything he would just say ‘Em’. He often locked himself in his room to study Feng Shui and whatnot. He didn’t dare to say anything to his parents even when he was bullied. And now, he would sincerely advise Gu DeCheng and would also hide when he was about to be beaten, which was a good thing.
Gu Ye walked around the white elephant and said, “Uncle Li, bring me a hammer.”
Gu DeCheng also followed, “There’s something wrong with this elephant?”
“Whether there is or not, I’ll know it once I see it.” Gu Ye took the hammer from the gardener and shielded Gu Decheng behind him. He then smashed the hammer on the belly of the white elephant and that hollow part broke to pieces. From the belly of the white elephant, a charm with ghostly writing on it fell out. Gu DeCheng’s expression instantly went cold.
The facts were in front of him and he had to believe it.
Mrs. Gu heard the news and rushed out to have a look. As soon as she arrived, she saw Gu Ye smashed a hammer onto the belly of the white elephant that a friend of hers gave her. She was about to speak up then saw something fall out of the said elephant statue. The yellow rune paper was a little old and the cinnabar with winding and curved writing looked like coagulated blood. Out of nowhere, Mrs. Gu could feel ruthlessness and evilness emitted from the charm. Even under the warm sun, Mrs. Gu felt cold and had gooseb.u.mps.
Mrs. Gu immediately backed away several steps and asked, grossed, “What is this? Why does it look so evil?”
Gu Ye held the charm and asked in reply, “Mom, who gave you this thing?”
“It’s from Hu Yu, Li Sheng Kai’s wife.”
Gu DeCheng said angrily, “Didn’t I tell you not to mingle with his family? Li Sheng Kai’s history of making his fortune is not clean.”
Mrs. Gu lowered her head, knowing that she has been cheated, “That’s him, but his wife is good.”
In the capital’s elite circle, Mrs. Gu was lacking in good interpersonal relationships. It’s not that she did anything bad, but the real elites looked down on her status as the second younger wife. She wasn’t born in a rich family and her family has no background. She was young and beautiful and also dressed flamboyantly everyday. Gu DeCheng is 60 years old and she’s 17 years younger than him. For this reason, the eldest and second son rarely go home to avoid scandal with their stepmother. Other people thought she’s such a show-off and Gu DeCheng’s head is green . All in all, the rich and n.o.ble women in the circle wouldn’t mingle with her. Hu Yu, Li Sheng Kai’s wife, has no such thoughts. She does what she wants and over time, Mrs. Gu treats her as a real friend.
Gu Ye was speechless. Mrs. Gu treated Hu Yu as a friend but that woman might not have the same thought. This thing not only serves to rob their business, but also their family’s lives. Gu Ye drew something on the back of the charm twice and it seemed to come to life. It twisted and shook several times before turning into earthly yellow, motionless and dead.
Gu Ye hands the charm to his father, “Zhaosha Funeral Gate Charm . You get what it means just by the name.”
Mrs. Gu was also scared by this, her face turned pale before she got angry. She stomped her feet severely and exclaimed, “That little b.i.t.c.h!”
Gu DeCheng originally wanted to lecture his wife but before he could open his mouth, he was amused by her actions. “Okay, okay, don’t talk about this matter to anyone else, I’ll handle it. As for others,” Father Gu glanced at Gu Ye, “I’ll leave it to you. After this, play less with these kinds of things and study hard!”
“Okay, dad~ Love you dad~” Gu Ye made a salute with a smile. Gu DeCheng stumbled, his lips raised slightly for only half a second before he forced it down and recovered his serious expression then calmly walked away.
After going to the company, Gu DeCheng called his secretary. Pointing at the map, he asked, “Li Sheng Kai wants this land?”
“Yes, Mr. Gu. He wanted to build a mall.”
Gu DeCheng said coldly, “You go and smooth things out with our connections, say that I want this land. In addition, find someone to enquire about that Jin Street he’s been planning.”
The secretary asked tentatively, “What does Mr. Gu mean?”
“I want to make his family unable to even drink porridge.” Gu DeCheng looked at the planning design and suddenly remembered that his wife and Hu Yu had a meal together when the auctioning for the land beside the government building was held that day and an accident occurred on their way home. He hurried to the hospital before going to the auction right after but that land fell into Li Sheng Kai’s hands. Now that he thought about it, this thing must have been planned by the other party.
Gu DeCheng’s face turned even colder. This time, it’s all thanks to his third son that he managed to figure it out.
At this moment, his third son was re-arranging the Feng Shui at their home and the beautiful Mrs. Gu went out, wearing a small red dress with her handbag.
Gu Yang shuddered, “Mom, are you not cold?”
With a sneer, Mrs. Gu proudly said : “No! Mom is going out for a bit. You two should pack up your things. School starts tomorrow, right?”
“Yes, ma’am!” Gu Ye nodded obediently, he felt that Madame Gu was particularly murderous right now.
Gu Ye was right. Mrs. Gu went out to meet up with Hu Yu. This woman was also in her forties but was born in a rich family. Unfortunately, just a few years after she got married, her father’s family began to decline. Now, she just took care of her husband and son and has nothing else to do. Since this was the case, she will go to some beauty treatments and play mahjong to pa.s.s her time. She also takes good care of her appearance. If Hu Yu’s temperament was akin to an empty valley orchid, then Mrs. Gu’s was a fiery rose.
The two met at a coffee shop they often patronized. Hu Yu looked at Mrs. Gu’s dress, covering the disdain in her eyes, then said with a smile, “Why did you ask me out today?”
“Something happened at home!” After Mrs. Gu sat down, she let out a heavy sigh and said, “Lao San bought some books about Feng Shui and the larks, as if he could gain Yin and Yang eyes and pa.s.s his exams.”
Hu Yu covered her lips and chuckled, “It’s hard for you. That Lao San of your family, ah.” Hu Yu shook her head and looked at Mrs. Gu in sympathy then whispered : “If I were you, I would have strangled him. It’s really taxing.”
A trace of anger flashed in Mrs. Gu’s eyes and the corner of her lips curled up which was then quickly suppressed. Silently following the other woman’s farce, she said : “Well, he’s not my son, after all. I can neither scold him nor beat him.”
Hu Yu looked around, carefully observing Mrs. Gu’s eyes and said in a whisper : “Say, your son is soon to be an adult. Don’t you think about him?”
Mrs. Gu was shocked, then pretended to be puzzled : “What do you mean?”
“Are you stupid?” Hu Yu said, with a tone that sounds as if she was worried about her friend, “Gu Yang is only 16 this year and your husband is 60. In case he had an accident one day, his properties will be divided into four. The two eldest sons in your family, you know how they are, right? With those two, how much can you two get? If it were me, with how stupid Lao Son is, why not…” Hu Yu winked at Mrs. Gu, “Then, there will be one less compet.i.tor. Say…Ah!!”
Before Hu Yu could finish, Mrs. Gu stood up angrily and grabbed her hair then slapped the woman’s face with her other hand. Hu Yu was stunned with that one slap, “Even if he is a loser, I raised him when he’s still s.h.i.tting and peeing in his pants! I’m a stepmother. Yes, I admit that I’m partial but I’ve raised him for 18 years. Since he calls me ‘Mother’, then he’s my son! You mean little b.i.t.c.h, how dare you instigate me to kill my son! You wanna die?!”
It was said that the first wife was dignified while the second wife was arrogant. At the beginning, when Gu DeCheng took a fancy to Mrs. Gu, it was also because she was a shrew. She can act coquettishly yet able to handle matters on her own. Those women with soft or weak personalities couldn’t even take care of themselves let alone help him take care of his family and children. Hu Yu was also a lady of a great family but she has never met such a bold lady. She had no room to resist and was slapped several times in succession by Mrs. Gu who also added some scratches to the injury.
The waiters in the cafe were also frightened. When they came, Hu Yu’s make up was spent and her hair was a mess. She had a long b.l.o.o.d.y mark on her neck, crying with a runny nose, full of tears.
Mrs. Gu huffed proudly and her red lips spat : “Bah!” She then turned around flexibly in her high heels then left.
She asked that woman out today just to beat her up, nothing else. That Old Gu in her family was obviously making a big move and revenge should be executed gradually and thoroughly. But she couldn’t stand it. She didn’t expect that woman to be so brazen that she would say such a thing once that topic was mentioned. Having found the reason to beat her, Mrs. Gu wiped her hands, took out a recording pen from her bag then smiled slightly. That woman looked down on her too much, does she really think Mrs. Gu was just a bimbo?
Mrs. Gu directly posted the recording in her circle of friends and made a threat : Hu Yu, you little b.i.t.c.h! If I see you again, I’ll trash you.
The fact that Mrs. Gu beat Hu Yu up was spread all over the circle in just a short while along with the reason. Many ladies looked at Mrs. Gu with admiration. Although it won’t be good for their image to beat people up and scold them, Mrs. Gu’s actions were satisfying to watch. Soon, Hu Yu’s reputation as a poisonous woman spread out and countless ladies kept away from her.
Gu DeCheng wanted to deal with Li Sheng Kai but couldn’t find the reason to justify it. He can’t say Li Sheng Kai used some evil charms to curse his family to death. Li Sheng Kai was at a disadvantage because his business was a small one compared to the giant of the Gu Family. If he trampled the other party to death without giving a proper reason, the other small businesses will feel threatened and afraid of his family. With those slaps, Mrs. Gu directly delivered the reason to Gu DeCheng; Instigating his wife to kill his son, that’s enough for a reason!
Li Sheng Kai was also fl.u.s.tered. After taking Hu Yu home, he looked at her embarra.s.sing appearance but didn’t feel bad for her at all. Instead, he gave Hu Yu a slap : “You stupid woman! Li Family will be destroyed by you!”
Thinking of her bad luck today, Hu Yu cried heavily, paying no mind to her image.
In turn, Li Sheng Kai was upset by her cries and shouted angrily : “Stop crying!” His gaze was icy cold and a ferocious light flashed in his eyes, “Go find that master again. I want Gu DeCheng’s life!”
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Huge thanks to Velvet for helping me checking the translation and some of the T/N.