Rebirth Counterattack with Space

Alas, my wife’s tactic of keeping herself out of the fray is just too clever; I have no choice but to admit defeat.

Gu Tianming thought to himself and said sternly to his mother, "Times have changed. The era of material scarcity is long gone. After so many years of reform and opening up, what is available in S City that Haicheng lacks?

My elder brother, younger brother, and younger sister and their families all live with you, without having to bear the cost of meals. They save all the money they earn, and they have rental income as well. This time, I even covered the round-trip plane tickets and accommodations for their visit to S City—that’s already saved them a lot of money. So stop pestering me about buying them clothes. Are they not even capable of affording a single piece of clothing for themselves? Do they still have to rely on me to buy it for them?

If that’s really the case, then when Gu Feng gets married, I think it’s better if everyone just stays home. It’s not like I acquired my wealth by stealing, finding it, or it being blown in by a strong wind."

The more Gu Tianming spoke, the more he felt that his contributions over the years were not worth it. Fortunately, he did not see himself as a man who chased after vanity. For his siblings, he was willing to give if he wanted to, but if he didn’t, nobody could force him.

Just looking back at the airport, when everyone seemed to enjoy the show while his mother talked about Xia Na, he felt there was no need to go the extra mile for them. Therefore, the words he spoke now came out particularly smoothly.

"If you are looking for clothes that are cheap and attractive, the wholesale market is the place to go. Who knows, maybe you can find something for ten bucks. Didn’t Xia Na buy clothes for you elders before? Each piece from the department stores cost several hundred, even thousands. Do you really think that’s cheap?"

"Was what Xia Na bought for us before really that expensive, costing several hundred to thousands?" Gu’s father and mother were stunned.

"Just take last year’s clothes that were sent over, among them were two sweaters that might not look very conspicuous, but they are from a big brand. A single piece costs one thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight."

Only then did Gu Tianming look closely at the clothes his parents were wearing, recognizing the brand as one Xia Na often bought, so he pointed it out, "What you are wearing now is bought by Xia Na, right? This outfit including top and bottom wouldn’t be less than two or three thousand."

"Why didn’t you tell us earlier?"

Gu’s father and mother were immediately filled with regret and began kicking themselves, feeling incredibly pained in their hearts. They had previously thought that Xia Na was reluctant to spend real money on them, assuming that the clothes she took them shopping for were at most a few tens to a hundred yuan. So, they wore them carelessly without cherishing them, and those sweaters Gu Tianming mentioned—disliking their patterns—they didn’t even try them on before giving them to their daughter to give to her in-laws.

As for the other clothes, not much actually stayed with the elderly couple; most were taken away and divided up by the other two sons, daughters-in-law, and daughter and son-in-law.

It was one thing for their own children to wear good clothes, but when outsiders or even their in-laws got them, it made them variously uncomfortable.

Especially those sweaters worth one thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight...

The other members of the Gu Family were also left stunned, having been aware that the clothes sent from S City every year were of good quality. Hence, they would often coax some away from the elders whenever clothes were delivered, but they had no idea they were this expensive.

This time they indeed came to S City with the intention of taking advantage of the "rich," persuading the elders not to bring luggage, and even brought very little themselves. But, unexpectedly, the usually generous second son suddenly became stingy.

The atmosphere turned weirdly silent, each person’s expression different.

"You’ve been on a plane for several hours and must be tired. I’ll take mom and dad back now, and tonight I’ll bring them, along with Xia Na, Gu Feng, and Gu Meng, over for dinner, so we can all eat together. These room cards have the room numbers on them. You can distribute them among yourselves."

Gu Tianming glanced around and could not comprehend the situation, suddenly feeling a stifling frustration. He placed the room cards on the coffee table, called to his parents, and left.

On the way back, he repeatedly confirmed with his parents inquiries like, "Did that sweater really cost one thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight?" Afterward, he simply instructed the butler to bring out the detailed register of clothes purchased for his parents over the years, along with the store receipts, and let them see for themselves.

Gu’s father was literate; he put on his reading glasses and, item by item, examined not only the expenses on clothes his second son had bought for them over the years but also the list of expenses for the villa in Haicheng. Upon seeing the total sum of the yearly expenses, he couldn’t help but gasp in shock.

Seeing everything recorded in such detail, with no possibility of falsehood, he naturally did not think it was meant to deceive him. After going through it, he also requested to see the expenses for Gu Tianming’s own household in S City.

The butler, following Gu Tianming’s command, did not refuse and promptly presented the accounts for inspection. What the butler did not mention, though, was that these accounts did not include the shopping expenses of Xia Na and her family.

Without the butler mentioning it, Gu’s father would not have thought of it, so he saw that the expenses from Haicheng were actually far greater than those of his second son’s own household.

Back in the room, Gu’s father said straight to Gu’s mother, "From now on, whether overtly or behind her back, you’d better stop picking on the second son’s wife. Whatever she wants to do, whatever lifestyle she chooses, don’t say a word."

"Her wings have grown stiff; I can’t have a say anymore. What, is it not enough that the second son supports her? Now you’re also taking her side?" Gu’s mother retorted angrily.

"Long hair, short wit."

Pointing at Gu’s mother’s nose, Gu’s father scolded her angrily, "Didn’t you see today that the second son is already getting dissatisfied with us? Next time you nag, think first about who you are relying on for a living. Xia Na has been doing well enough and has been generous with us. I think if it were the other two sons with such a large family business, they wouldn’t necessarily be willing to spend as they do."

"What did you see with your eyes? Is it true, as the second son said, that everything they buy for us every year is high-quality, not just a few pieces for show?" Gu’s mother asked, staring intently at Gu’s father.

"You, you’re too confused. Our own expenses here are still less than those in Haicheng. Those accounts are laid out there plain as day; how could they be fake?

Do you have any idea how much money it costs every month just for the fruit you like? Those are specially ordered by the second son’s wife to be flown in regularly from abroad. Do you want to end up annoying the second son and his wife so much that they stop providing for you altogether?"

...

Setting aside how Gu’s father communicated with Gu’s mother in the room, let’s talk about Gu Tianming returning to his room. In a subdued voice, he recounted the entire airport pickup process to Xia Na, then let out a long, relieved sigh.

"It’s unbelievably suffocating."