Chapter 575 - 495: Argument (2)
Chapter 575: Chapter 495: Argument (2)
But Zhou Hui Lan couldn’t stand hearing Tian Xueqin slander Grandma Tang, so she couldn’t help but jump into the fray, targeting Tian Xueqin. The three sisters-in-law were now clearly divided into two camps.
After just a couple of retorts from Zhou Hui Lan, Tian Xueqin started to cry. "I know, I’ve fallen from grace. I have no status in this family anymore. We all married into this family, but you show no consideration for our sisterly bond. Go on, just gang up on me and bully me all you want!"
Zhou Hui Lan was completely unmoved by her tears. "Let’s stick to the facts and cut the irrelevant drama. Our family values fairness and justice, not underhanded tricks!"
"Who are you calling underhanded? Your two sons are already grown, but my Shaoling is still little! Why can’t all the children in this family be treated equally? If Shaoyu and Shaoying get to eat it, why can’t Shaoling?"
Jiang Yuyan chimed in, "You’re the one saying that. No one in this family mistreats the children! The kids have their snacks and extra meals at different times. Mom is the one who usually looks after Shaoling. If Shaoling had come home earlier today, I would have made a bowl for her too."
Tian Xueqin snorted. "Easier said than done. There are only three children in this house. If you were really that generous, why would you hide the good dried fish to eat in secret? The dried fish from the Tang family came in all sizes, some good, some bad. You picked out all the big, good ones and left the small, spoiled ones in the kitchen! My poor Shaoling, suffering so much with her parents away. She never gets a turn for the tasty, delicious food. All she gets from the kitchen is rotten stuff! I saw with my own eyes that she got sick from the food today. What about all the times I wasn’t looking? Who knows how many times it’s happened! We’re all parents here. She even calls you ’Aunt.’ How can you be so cruel?"
Jiang Yuyan was so angry she burst into tears, unable to respond. She had a straightforward personality and was usually blunt, with a bit of a fiery temper. But she was a paper tiger. When a real argument broke out, she would always lose control of her emotions—not by becoming stronger in her fury, but by growing weaker and weaker, until she was a crying mess with no fight left in her.
Zhou Hui Lan said to Tian Xueqin, "I suggest you watch your mouth. The less you say, the fewer mistakes you’ll make!"
"What mistake? Tell me. What mistake can a mother make when she’s only thinking about her child?"
Tian Xueqin looked at Zhou Hui Lan, a sarcastic smile playing on her lips. "I know you’re siding with the Tang family. You’re desperate to marry into their family, aren’t you? That little country girl who was switched at birth—what kind of environment did she grow up in? She may be young, but she’s full of petty schemes. I’d advise you not to celebrate too early, lest you regret it later and can’t even talk about it! Oh, I just remembered, this dried fish came from her hometown, right? Does that little benefit make you feel so proud, Eldest Sister-in-law? Don’t you forget, before that girl showed up, this family ate the sea fish that Qiyuan and I brought back from Lian City! Every year, we’d haul back huge bags of it, providing for you all, letting you take it and give it away to your own relatives. And now, someone gives you a couple of river fish and a few sweet words, and you’re all singing their praises, completely forgetting all the effort and kindness my husband and I showed you. You people..."
"Enough!"
Grandma Tang emerged, holding Xiao Man’s hand, and stared directly at Tian Xueqin. "My granddaughter is a country girl, so what? What corner of what city did you crawl out of? With that attitude and that narrow-mindedness of yours, a country girl is leagues ahead of you! And let me tell you something, Tian Xueqin: everything I, Old Mrs. Tang, have ever given to the Gu family, including the dried fish, was hand-picked with the utmost care. I can guarantee that none of it was spoiled! If you ate something rotten and got sick, it must have been your own stuff. You can’t blame me for one bit of it!"
Xiao Man wanted to add something. Her lips moved, but she stopped herself, not wanting to add to the chaos. ’Grandma’s firepower is more than enough to handle Tian Xueqin,’ she thought. ’Right now, all I need to do is be a quiet, pretty girl.’
Grandma Tang and Xiao Man’s sudden appearance startled all three of the Gu family’s daughters-in-law.
After Grandma Tang finished speaking, Tian Xueqin and Jiang Yuyan were left speechless and flustered. Zhou Hui Lan sighed, gave Tian Xueqin an ’it’s-over-for-you’ look, and explained to Grandma Tang, "Aunt Tang, Shaoling did indeed get an upset stomach from eating some dried fish stored in the kitchen. She was rushed to the hospital. Old Mrs. Gu, Qifan, and Shaoyu are still there with her. We just took out that fish to inspect it. It was sea fish, and it had all gone bad before we had a chance to throw it out. The fish you gave us was dried river fish, which we finished a long time ago. There isn’t any left in the kitchen. So, the reason Shaoling got sick this time was the sea fish."
"So, this has nothing to do with me, correct?" Grandma Tang looked coldly at Tian Xueqin. "And you call yourself a mother? You were the one who prepared her food, so why didn’t you use your eyes and look? Can’t you even perform the most basic check to see if something has gone bad? Are you a fake doctor or something? Your own child gets food poisoning, and instead of rushing to take care of her, you have the leisure to stand here and argue? You’re a real piece of work!"
Tian Xueqin knew how formidable Old Mrs. Tang could be. It was one thing to vent behind her back, but facing her directly was intimidating. She bit her lip. "I’ve already been to the hospital. I just came back to grab a few things... I’ll be going now!"
"Not so fast!" Zhou Hui Lan said. "I just called the hospital. The child is fine, and someone is with her. Old Mrs. Gu will be back soon. We still need to talk about the dried fish. It’s been proven that the fish you gave Shaoling wasn’t the river fish from the Tang family. So what about everything you just said? Don’t you think you owe Aunt Tang an explanation?"
"Eldest Sister-in-law, how can you be like this? My daughter is still lying in a hospital bed, and you’re stopping me to demand an explanation! My son returned to the country, and I haven’t even seen him yet. He went behind our backs and got married on his own! Who am I supposed to demand an explanation from for that?" Tian Xueqin glared at Zhou Hui Lan, her face full of resentment and anger.
"One thing at a time. We’re talking about the fish right now. Don’t change the subject!" Zhou Hui Lan insisted.