Zheng Zhen naturally noticed her younger son’s attitude. He wasn’t smiling at her, which made her feel uneasy.
"Jiang Yan, what kind of attitude is that? Don’t you know to greet guests?" Zheng Zhen scolded with a stern face, not caring how old her son was, still using that tone.
Moreover, she didn’t think about why her usually polite son was acting this way.
Old Master Jiang and Grandma Jiang both couldn’t help but frown. As for Jiang Yan, he acted as if he hadn’t heard anything, not changing his newspaper-reading posture one bit.
From the kitchen, where she was helping the Jiang Family’s maid Aunt Li cook, Cheng Xue heard the sound and passed the spatula to Aunt Li, letting her take over.
Cheng Xue poked her head out from the kitchen, cheerfully greeting Zheng Zhen, "Grandma, you’re back! I’m helping Grandma Li cook, and I even personally cooked two small dishes. Grandma, you should try them later..."
As for Hu Xiaoqing beside Zheng Zhen, she naturally ignored her...
But some people just like to make their presence known, "Oh, Xiao Xue, you’re so capable now, much more mature. Hehe, Aunt Zheng, you’re so lucky. I wonder if I’ll have the luck to taste Xiao Xue’s cooking..." She saw that Jiang Yan ignored her, and Aunt Zheng had spoken like that, so the atmosphere was still tense. As she wondered how to break the awkwardness, Cheng Xue came out, giving her a breakthrough. Just in time, she could stay for dinner.
Cheng Xue had a hot temper and originally didn’t want to pay her any attention, but she insisted on provoking her, "Why are you everywhere? Want to eat my cooking? Where do you get the nerve? Doesn’t your family cook? Wandering around others’ homes all day."
"Aunt Zheng..." Hu Xiaoqing, after being rebuked by Cheng Xue, couldn’t maintain her composure, looked aggrieved, with red-rimmed eyes.
Zheng Zhen, who was initially pleased to see her granddaughter, became somber again, "Xiao Xue, how can you speak like that? Xiao Qing is still your elder, how can you be so impolite? Who taught you manners?"
How could Cheng Xue’s good mood last? Her grandma treats outsiders better than her...
"How is she an elder? Shamelessly trying to marry my uncle, with that pretentious demeanor, my uncle would have to be blind to fancy you." Cheng Xue was not convinced, directly exposing their little secret, "Grandma, my uncle is excellent and can find a good match himself. Why do you insist on her? My uncle doesn’t like her..."
"Enough!" Zheng Zhen really got angry, "Who taught you to speak to adults like that? Your mother hasn’t been gone long, yet your temper has become so wild. It’s not for a younger generation to meddle in the Jiang Family’s affairs. Your father is injured and lying at home with no one to take care of him, just..."
"Zheng Zhen, shut up!" Grandma Jiang heard things going wrong and hurriedly tried to stop her, but it was too late.
"What did you say? What’s wrong with my dad?" Cheng Xue’s mind buzzed.
Everyone fell silent. Originally, Cheng Hongbing had instructed everyone to keep it from Xiao Xue, but Zheng Zhen spoke without thinking.
"Great-grandpa, great-grandma, tell me, what happened to my dad?" Although Cheng Xue had often complained about Cheng Hongbing in the past two years, he was still her father. She no longer had a mother and couldn’t lose her father too.
"Sigh..." Old Master Jiang, seeing that things couldn’t be hidden, spoke up, "Your father was seriously injured and is still being treated at the military hospital."
Hearing this, Cheng Xue felt heartbroken, and tears couldn’t stop streaming down, "I want to see him, uncle, can you take me there, please?"
"Sure." Jiang Yan had already put away the newspaper and stood up to leave. As he passed by Zheng Zhen and Hu Xiaoqing, he paused, looking at his mom with an expressionless face, "Xiao Xue is right, I don’t care for a pretentious woman. Also, I’ll take charge of my own marriage, please don’t interfere anymore, and don’t bring irrelevant people home, polluting the air."
Jiang Yan’s words were quite harsh, already trampling on Hu Xiaoqing’s face. He was very angry, not understanding why his mom would trouble the family for an outsider.
"Jiang Yan, you..." Zheng Zhen was flushed red with anger from her son’s words.
"Brother Yan... Why do you have to treat me like this? I just like you." Hu Xiaoqing watched his departing figure and, unable to maintain her composure anymore, ran over trying to hug him.
Jiang Yan heard the sound behind him, shifted slightly to dodge.
Hu Xiaoqing rushed too forcefully, couldn’t stop, and just then, the door opened, and Xiao Wang walked in, causing Hu Xiaoqing to fall right into his arms.
Xiao Wang was Jiang Zhongyi’s guard and had a girlfriend back home. When he saw a young woman in his arms, he hurriedly pushed her away, and Hu Xiaoqing fell to the ground.
The sudden situation left everyone momentarily stunned.
Right behind Xiao Wang was Jiang Zhongyi, whose stern and austere face darkened slightly upon seeing this scene, "What’s going on?"
Hu Xiaoqing burst into louder tears.
The Hu Family had also returned and, hearing their child’s crying, rushed over from the yard.
Jiang Yan frowned, Cheng Xue returned to her room to grab her luggage, and upon seeing the ungraceful sight, couldn’t help but twitch her lips. Wanting to laugh, she remembered her father’s situation, feeling a complex mix of emotions. Seeing the people blocking the door, though anxious to leave, she could only wait patiently.
"Dad, Uncle Hu, Aunt Hu, Grandpa Hu..." Jiang Yan stepped back, letting everyone in.
He gestured for Cheng Xue to come to his side.
Cheng Xue understood, grabbed her luggage, and called everyone she should greet as she walked over.
"Xiao Xue, where are you going?" Jiang Zhongyi asked when he saw the luggage in her hand.
Cheng Xue thought of Cheng Hongbing and couldn’t help but sob a few times, "Going to the hospital to see my dad, Grandma said he was seriously injured and hospitalized."
The moment Cheng Xue said this, Jiang Zhongyi couldn’t help frowning at Zheng Zhen, thinking: Didn’t everyone agree to keep it from her at first? This old lady is becoming more unreliable.
"Xiao Xue, don’t worry," Jiang Zhongyi comforted, "Your dad woke up a few days ago and is now out of danger. As long as he’s treated well, he’ll recover."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Xue breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you, grandpa."
"Alright, put your luggage down first. It’s not too late to go after dinner. I’ll accompany you then." Jiang Zhongyi, thinking of Cheng Hongbing’s situation, couldn’t help but feel sorrow and worried that Cheng Xue couldn’t handle it alone, so he wanted her to calm down and then accompany her, to take care of things.
Since Jiang Zhongyi said so, Cheng Xue hesitated for a moment and looked at Jiang Yan. Jiang Yan nodded at her, and Cheng Xue could only nod and agree, "Okay, I’ll listen to grandpa."
With that, she placed her luggage by the door.
At this moment, Hu Xiaoqing had also been helped up by Mrs. Hu, and Zheng Zhen assisted her to sit down.
Jiang Yan stood at the door without moving, and for a moment, the room was somewhat quiet, with only Hu Xiaoqing’s sobbing particularly noticeable.