Jian Ai’s tone was even more indifferent than her grandmother’s attitude towards her. It was as if she was talking to a person she wasn’t related to.
Cai Chunhua had never seen such a sharp side of her granddaughter before. She immediately felt a little surprised, but Jian Ai’s words were especially ear-piercing. A wisp of displeasure filled her face, and she said in a low voice, “Children shouldn’t interrupt when adults are talking.”
Wang Yunfa felt even more embarrassed. He immediately looked at Jian Ai and sneered. “I haven’t seen my niece for a few months, but her personality has changed quite a bit. Her temper has also gotten worse. In the past, she spoke like a mosquito, but now, she dares to speak to her elders like this.”
Wang Yunmei immediately panicked. Even if the old lady and her brother came to make things difficult for her, they were still Jian Ai’s grandmother and uncle.
However, before she could say anything, her daughter grabbed her hand and the words were stuck in her throat. Wang Yunmei looked up at Jian Ai, only to see Jian Ai’s indifferent expression. She said, “I’ll show you looks based on what kind of person you are.”
Cai Chunhua’s and Wang Yunfa’s faces immediately turned green. Cai Chunhua’s mouth was half-open. She was either shocked or angry. For a moment, she couldn’t find the right words to reprimand Jian Ai.
Wang Yunfa’s neck turned rough, and he raised his hand, wanting to lay a hand. However, he forcefully pushed it back down. He scolded in a low voice, “Little brat, what are you talking about?”
“Xiao Ai…” Wang Yunmei didn’t expect her daughter to say something so harsh. She was helpless.
Although their relationship as family members was not deep, as a mother, Wang Yunmei had always been looking for opportunities for her children to interact more with her family. She hoped that one day, their relationship would improve.
However, her daughter’s indifferent words made the cold relationship turn into ice.
“Mom, what have you gotten in exchange for all these years of tolerating and accommodating?” Jian Ai looked at Wang Yunmei and said calmly, “When I was a year old, our family of three lived in this house. It was -20°C during the winter, and we couldn’t even afford to use charcoal to heat the house. Grandma’s house was located just five hundred meters away. Did any of them ever show concern for us?”
“When Brother was six years old, he had a high fever at night. It was pouring outside, and the roads in South City were muddy and hard to walk on. You went to look for Uncle and asked him to send Brother to the hospital in his electric scooter, but he only cared about playing mahjong and didn’t want to do so. You held an umbrella while carrying Brother on your back. Every step you took landed in a mud pit. You walked for half an hour but haven’t even reached the intersection. If you weren’t lucky enough to meet Uncle Wu, have you ever thought about what would have happened that night?”
“Uncle lost money betting outside and didn’t dare to tell anyone else. He left the address of our breakfast stall to someone. More than ten burly men came to smash the stall into pieces. In the end, you took out ten thousand yuan to help him clear his debt. Did he ever thank you?”
“When I was twelve years old…”
Wang Yunmei lowered her head silently as Xiao Ai shared everything that had happened in the past. Because too much time had passed, she had forgotten many things. However, she didn’t expect her daughter to remember them so well.
At this moment, when she brought up the past, Wang Yunmei’s heart suffered a severe blow. It was said that the past was unbearable to look back on. To Wang Yunmei, these incidents were undoubtedly unforgettable scars that she would never be able to get rid of in her lifetime.
Wang Yunfa didn’t say a word. He was involved in most of these old matters. The old lady knew this very well, but now that she had been exposed, no matter how thick-skinned she was, she still felt embarrassed.