Zhu Xiumei and Liu Yu didn't stay at the Gu Family home for very long. They just showed some concern for Anning and chatted briefly with Mrs. Gu about family matters before leaving.
No sooner had they left than Mrs. Gu pursed her lips and said to Anning, "People really are such that when you're poor and in a bustling market, no one notices you, but if you're wealthy in the mountains, distant relatives show up. Look at your Aunt and her husband. If our family were still really poor and you weren't doing well in your studies, do you think they would ever come by our place?"
Anning just laughed: "It's human nature. Since they came, we should treat them as we would any ordinary relatives. We can't exactly send them away when they come to us with smiles—that would look terrible. No matter what is said, she's still your sister and my aunt, and although Aunt has grown distant from our family in recent years, I still remember how much she doted on me when I was little."
