Chapter 407 - 354: On What Grounds?
Chapter 407: Chapter 354: On What Grounds?
Lin Aizhen raised her hand to hit Wu Xiaorui. "What nonsense are you spouting?"
Wu Xiaorui giggled and dodged, then coolly turned and flagged down a taxi. As she opened the door and got in, she even blew a kiss. Lin Aizhen cursed with a laugh, "That child, she’s certainly gotten livelier since coming back to Beijing!"
Wu Xiaowen: "..."
’Livelier? That’s an understatement. The Wu Xiaorui of today is ruthless, vicious, crazy, and arrogant. She does whatever she wants in that apartment, constantly pointing and cursing at me and slapping Xuanxuan. And the two of us are powerless to fight back; there’s nothing we can do about her. On the surface, I’m honoring my agreement with Wu Xiaorui and saying nothing, but in my heart, I wish this sister of mine would just drop dead!’
She was filled with regret now. Back then, she’d been in a foul mood because of the incident with Manman, and nothing was going right. She had completely forgotten about Wu Xiaorui. If she hadn’t, all it would have taken was a few little tricks and a couple of words to their parents to ensure Wu Xiaorui would never get near them for the rest of her life, let alone even dream of returning to Beijing!
When Wu Xiaorui had tried to create a *fait accompli* with Tang Qingyun back then, Wu Xiaowen had come to despise her little sister. Times were so difficult, and she was struggling just to hold her marriage together. For her own sister to try and sabotage it—wasn’t that as good as sentencing her to death? ’Was this a sister? She was a sworn enemy. She couldn’t be allowed to get away with it!’
That’s why she had thrown her into some impoverished backwater to be a "sent-down youth," even deliberately hinting to the villagers that this particular youth was there to "put down roots in the countryside." At the time, she never intended for Wu Xiaorui to ever walk out of that poor, remote mountain village!
Wu Xiaowen bit her lip. ’It’s all Wu Xiaofeng’s fault for meddling and getting Wu Xiaorui out. Now this menace is targeting me!’
Lin Aizhen and Wu Xiaowen sat on a bench under the shade of a tree outside the school gate. They waited for what felt like an eternity, their eyes glued to the school entrance without blinking. They waited until the streetlights came on, but there was still no sign of Xiao Man. Finally, they went onto the campus and headed straight for Xiao Man’s dormitory. Her roommates all said the same thing: "Manman left a long time ago! She went home this afternoon!"
The mother and daughter were fuming, but they kept a placid look on their faces. The moment they were out of the school gates, Lin Aizhen started to complain, "Manman is still avoiding us. Doesn’t she see how hot it is? Making her elders wait around like fools while she sneaks off without a word. It’s just outrageous!"
Wu Xiaowen was also furious. "I told you, that girl is ruthless! Mom, if you and Dad want traditional Chinese medical treatment, there are plenty of famous old doctors in Beijing. Why do you have to go to her? Can’t you just find anyone else? She’s just a teenager who’s learned a trick or two about medicine and she’s already this arrogant. It’s only because she has the two Tang family elders protecting her. Otherwise, let’s see how far she’d get."
"How can you say that? She’s the daughter you gave birth to. You’re supposed to dote on her!" Lin Aizhen chided, looking at her daughter.
"She has to treat me like a mother first! She doesn’t have even the slightest bit of respect for me, so how am I supposed to dote on her? I gave birth to her for nothing, the ungrateful brat!" Wu Xiaowen took out a handkerchief and fanned herself, her face flushed from the heat. "Thank goodness I have Xuanxuan. I’m not counting on her for anything!"
Lin Aizhen: "..."
She shook her head helplessly, sighing to herself. ’How did the daughter I so carefully raised turn out like this? Wasn’t she always smart and clever growing up? Could it be her age? Is this that... what do they call it... menopause? But my daughter isn’t even forty yet! She’s become so witless, like her brain has stopped working!’
Again, she tried to persuade her in a heartfelt tone, "Xiao Xiao, how many times has Mom told you? It’s one thing that you raised Xuanxuan from a baby and can’t bear to be apart from her. But Manman is the one you carried for ten months. She’s your own flesh and blood. You have to distinguish between who is close and who is distant. Otherwise, you’ll never be able to resolve that child’s resentment. What will you do if she ignores you for the rest of her life?"
"What can I do? Mom, the reason I’ve fallen to this state is all because of that girl. She’s my nemesis, sent here specifically to ruin me! If you and Dad hadn’t insisted, I wouldn’t have wanted to come at all. Every time I see her, something bad happens!"
"Don’t talk nonsense!" Lin Aizhen’s face hardened, and she reprimanded her daughter in a low voice. After a moment, her tone softened. "If you and Qingyun hadn’t offended her over Xuanxuan in the first place, would things have ended up like this? The Tang family values Manman so much that even Qingyun was punished and kept in the countryside for years. You need to stop being so difficult. Just behave yourself and make a good impression. When Qingyun comes back, the two of you can work together and find a way back into the Tang family. Tang Qingshan is married now, and he might have children in the future. That’s not good for your branch of the family, since it means they’ll take half the inheritance. But since you can’t change it, you might as well look at it as a good thing. Once Tang Qingshan has his own flesh and blood, Manman will inevitably be neglected to some degree. That’s when you can step in and make amends. You might even be able to coax your real daughter back!"
Wu Xiaowen pressed her lips together, her gaze resolute. "I will definitely return to the Tang family. I don’t care if Manman acknowledges me or not. I have to plan for Hao Hao’s future. No one is going to take what belongs to my son!"
Lin Aizhen nodded and sighed. "Xiao Xiao, you’ve been Mom and Dad’s favorite since you were little, always the apple of our eye. You were raised to be proud and noble, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But the world is unpredictable. You’ve been through a lot yourself, so you should understand that you can’t be stubborn when it’s time to bow your head. Especially in front of people who are even prouder than you are, like Fang Qinglan, or like Manman... Manman is your daughter. You don’t have to feel embarrassed. Do you understand what Mom is saying?"
Wu Xiaowen answered sullenly, "Mom, I’ve heard this so many times my ears are callused. I get it. But that old hag is fierce, vicious, and has a venomous tongue. I can’t stand her! And Manman... I’m her mother! Why should I have to be so servile to her? I can’t swallow my pride like that!"
"Why? Because... she is also our Wu Family’s granddaughter! She’s exceptionally gifted. Not only has she mastered traditional Chinese medicine, but she can also identify and collect excellent herbs and health foods! Look at those mushrooms, wood ears, and dried fish we brought back from the Tang family last time. After your father and I ate them, our bodies felt noticeably lighter than before. Those strange aches and pains, the arthritis and rheumatism that would act up on cloudy or rainy days, it’s like they’ve just vanished! Needless to say, special herbs must have been added when this food was prepared, providing a nourishing and restorative effect on the body! No wonder Tang Renqian and Fang Qinglan look younger and younger. They eat this stuff every day, how could they not be well? Xiao Xiao, why do you think Mom is dragging you here to find Manman, insisting you don’t give up on her or give her the cold shoulder? This daughter of yours is no ordinary person! You’re still young and healthy now, so you can’t understand the pain of losing your health. Look at your father and me. We’re the same age as Tang Renqian and Fang Qinglan, but look how old we’ve become! We’re still tormented by illness! Just do it to be a filial daughter to your father and me, so we can live a few more years. Just suck up to Manman, alright?" As Lin Aizhen spoke, she let out a long, melancholy sigh, and her steps seemed to grow heavy.
Wu Xiaowen quickly moved closer to support her, comforting her, "Don’t worry, Mom. No matter what, Manman is still your granddaughter. She can’t just ignore your and Dad’s health. I called Hao Hao this morning. He said he was running some kind of experiment and couldn’t come home. Since Manman has gone back, I’ll go to the Tang Mansion tomorrow. I just bought a dress for Xuanxuan; I’ll give it to Manman first instead!"
Lin Aizhen grunted in satisfaction, then instructed, "Be gentler when you see Manman. Treat her the way you usually treat Xuanxuan. And remember—do not mention Xuanxuan at the Tang Mansion!"
"I know, Mom."