Rebirth: She is Ready for a Counterattack!-Chapter 276 - 275: Home

"You’re welcome, Gu Xiaoqing," Fang Shaohan answered through gritted teeth.

No way.

There’s nothing I want to do that I’ve been stopped from doing yet. It seems this little girl thinks I’m easygoing and is pushing her luck.

The car arrived home.

Gu Xiaoqing immediately got out of the car and walked into the house. That person’s gaze was like it could set someone on fire; Gu Xiaoqing didn’t have the thick skin to endure such a stare.

Li Xuemei heard the sound of the car and had already come running out. Gu Xiaojie had already rushed over to help Fang Shaohan with the suitcase and seemed very familiar with him.

Gu Xiaoqing couldn’t understand, had she not just been away for one year?

Everyone at home seemed to be familiar and warm with Fang Shaohan like he was family.

She, on the other hand, felt like a bit of an outsider.

Li Xuemei slapped Gu Xiaoqing on the back, and Gu Xiaoqing quickly feigned an "ouch," causing Li Xuemei’s eyes to redden, "You little brat, have your wings grown so strong that you just didn’t return, not afraid your dad and mom worried sick? If Xiao Fang hadn’t said you were doing great and even helped you buy a house, we would’ve gone to Shanghai to find you."

Gu Xiaoqing pretended to rub her shoulder, acting coyly and said to Li Xuemei, "Mom, I took an overnight train, my shoulder is still sore, and your slap really hurt."

Li Xuemei immediately panicked, pulling at the clothes to see if she had hit Gu Xiaoqing too hard.

Only upon seeing Gu Xiaoqing’s teasing expression did she realize she’d been fooled by her daughter. Laughing, she poked Gu Xiaoqing’s forehead and said, "You weren’t like this when you were little, always clinging to me. Wherever I went, you followed. Now it’s the complete opposite, and I feel my heart following you everywhere."

She pulled Gu Xiaoqing to sit on the sofa.

Looking her up and down, she reluctantly said, "Look at you, so thin. What have you been eating? Is the food at your school terrible? There’s barely any meat on you. Just wait, from today mom will cook delicious food at home for you every day, got to get some meat back on those bones. Girls look better with a bit of meat."

Gu Xiaoqing smiled bitterly. If Li Xuemei knew that the girls in the dorm eat only a tiny amount of rice to lose weight, would mom faint?

She’s not dieting, she’s naturally skinny. Gu Xiaoqing actually eats a lot but just can’t seem to gain weight.

"Mom, the food is really okay, it’s just that I’m one of those people who don’t gain weight no matter what. I can eat three buns at a meal. You say I eat less, but it’s really not what you think."

Reassuring Li Xuemei, because otherwise, she’d really cook up a storm with hearty meals every day.

Just thinking about it worried Gu Xiaoqing.

Gu Xiaojie jumped in front of Gu Xiaoqing. This kid must have grown quite a bit, starting to have a bit of manliness, with short crew-cut hair, thick eyebrows, and big eyes. Looking at Gu Xiaoqing, he grinned widely and said, "Second sister, you must have brought me some treats. Hurry and bring them out, I’ve been craving your nougat and White Rabbit candies."

Gu Xiaoqing really couldn’t understand why this kid was so obsessed with sweets, almost to an obsessed extent. The only consoling factor is that Gu Xiaojie’s teeth seem strong, not developing cavities despite the constant sweet indulgence.

She pointed to the luggage bag over there, "Go find it yourself. It’s for the whole family, not just for you."

Gu Xiaoqing feared that if she spoke too late, not a single candy would be left.

As expected, Gu Xiaojie cheered, abandoned his sister, and dove into the candy’s embrace.

Gu Xiaoqing turned to ask Li Xuemei, "Mom, where’s my older sister?"

"She went to the store. She knows you’re back today, so she’ll come home a bit earlier tonight. Liu Ming will pick her up, and the family will have a meal together. You can meet your future brother-in-law to see if he passes your test as the ’sister-in-law.’" Li Xuemei said with a smile.

Seeing Fang Shaohan carry Gu Xiaoqing’s suitcase up to the room, she got up to the kitchen to cook for Gu Xiaoqing.

Gu Ruhai had already gone downstairs with Fang Shaohan, chatting and laughing, surprisingly harmonious. Gu Xiaoqing tilted her head, observing the two.

"Stay for dinner. Can’t have you working without feeding you," Gu Ruhai said with a smile, patting Fang Shaohan’s shoulder. He genuinely liked this young man but, unfortunately, couldn’t entertain any further thoughts.

Fang Shaohan shook his head, "Uncle Gu, it’s alright, I still have things to do. There’s a meeting at the bureau in the afternoon. I’ll come by another day, and we can have a good drink together." His glance subtly drifted to Gu Xiaoqing, as if those words were meant for her. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Gu Xiaoqing withdrew her gaze and hurried into the kitchen to help Li Xuemei with cooking.

By the time the meal was ready, Fang Shaohan was already gone.

Li Xuemei and Gu Ruhai accompanied their daughter for the meal; Gu Xiaojie was nowhere to be seen.

"Dad, how’s business?"

Gu Xiaoqing asked while eating, still remembering to inquire about the family’s situation. According to her plan, the family business wouldn’t face any major problems; she just wanted to know if Gu Rushan’s under-the-table dealings had any impact.

That was the true purpose behind her question.

Gu Ruhai watched his daughter eat heartily, feeling satisfied at the sight, "Business is great. Gu Family Spicy Hot Pot, although Haidilao’s recipe has been disclosed, it’s just some of the recipes. Your other base recipes filled in the gaps nicely. People’s reactions are good, and business has been constantly positive.

As for Gu Family BBQ, we now have five franchise stores, and I estimate with our current growth, by next year we should have fifteen more opening in other cities, all franchises under our Gu Family BBQ model.

These deals are almost finalized, and construction can begin after the new year. So, following the plan you left, our business is flourishing everywhere.

This year alone, with dividends, you can earn over a million."

Once Gu Ruhai started talking, he couldn’t stop, filled with pride. In his heart, Gu Xiaoqing is the ultimate decision-maker for these businesses. Without her help, who knows what the Gu Family Spicy Hot Pot would be like now.

Li Xuemei gave Gu Ruhai’s hand a light slap, chiding, "You and your endless chatter about business, not worrying about boring Xiaoqing. How about talking about something else?"

Gu Ruhai scratched his head; some habits are just hard to change even after all these years.