"Did you really say that?" Sun’s father questioned his daughter. "Did you say that to Mrs. Qiu?"
Sun Ling remained silent, looking at Mrs. Qiu with a wronged expression, then at her father, neither confirming nor denying but repeatedly almost speaking.
"I’m asking you, did you say it or not?" Sun’s father thundered.
At that moment, Sun’s mother splashed a cup of cold water in Sun’s father’s face.
All those present were stunned, including Sun’s father himself.
"What are you doing?"
"It’s to make you see clearly whose side you’re on, who your daughter is. Anyone who doesn’t know might think you’re the Qiu Family’s grandson!" Sun’s mother said, "Didn’t you realize that those words from the Qiu Family were trampling on your daughter? Even if they back out of the marriage, they want to pin the blame on your daughter, yet you, here you are, climbing up the bamboo pole eagerly, doing things that hurt your loved ones and please your enemies."
Sun’s father immediately wiped the water from his face, at a loss for words.
"Madam Sun, that’s not right of you to say, what I said was all true!" Mrs. Qiu said.
"Who heard it?" asked Sun’s mother.
"My household staff."
"Well, you said it yourself, that’s your household staff!" scoffed Sun’s mother, "They take your salary, there’s no way they’d speak up for my daughter. Let’s be honest, you didn’t come here today to clear up any misunderstandings, but to step on us. It’s meaningful to you? Having a son, you think he’s a gem, right? Showing off, arriving late, putting on a front—do you know your son has now offended a financial circle heavyweight? Are the Qiu Family aware of that?"
"You..." This time, even Mrs. Qiu couldn’t help but stand up from her chair.
At this point, Qiu Tianyi joined the conversation, saying, "Auntie, you’re being ungrateful. I’ve been nothing but open and sincere with you in the past."
"Open and sincere with me, but trampling on my daughter behind my back? Do you want to have it out with me or with the venerable Mr. Sun?" Sun’s mother countered.
Qiu Tianyi was infuriated, "It’s all your daughter’s scheming, can’t you see that? She wants to call off the marriage, she wants to lead to a rift between our two families."
"Even if it is my daughter’s scheme, I support her. To be in-laws with people like you? The ancestors of the Sun Family would not rest peacefully in their coffins," Sun’s mother proclaimed loudly, "My daughter was born at the risk of my life. I went through all the hardships to bring her into this world. I thought Mr. Sun could truly find a good support for my daughter, but I didn’t expect that your family would be one way to our face, another behind our back, full of tricks. Did you think we mother and daughter are easy to bully?"
Upon hearing this, Sun Ling grabbed the corner of her mother’s clothes, "Mom..."
"Xiaoling, it’s all right, I stand by you. From now on, you don’t have to listen to your father. If he interferes with your marriage again, we can just as well live without him," Sun’s mother said to Xiaoling, holding her hand tightly.
Sun Ling had thought that her mother would be the most difficult to persuade, but unexpectedly...
A mother’s protective instincts were so deeply rooted.
"I think we can skip the meal today. After all, we operate by different principles and cannot plan together. Since the Qiu Family likes to throw their weight around, go play king on your own turf to your heart’s content."
"Madam Sun, you protect your daughter so much, it will lead to trouble sooner or later. Every woman in the world gives birth, doesn’t she?" Mrs. Qiu still had to provoke at this point.
Hearing this, Sun’s mother laughed directly in retort, "My daughter doesn’t want to give birth? She just doesn’t want to bear children for your family. You still don’t understand her meaning?"