Mrs. Jiang has been in a bad mood these past few days.
Jiang Anan simply took a fancy to Wei Jiaming, with a mind as if blind and deaf to any objection, dead set on no one but him.
Initially, Mr. Jiang was in agreement with Mrs. Jiang, both adopting a stance of opposition.
But later, after being persuaded by Anning, Mr. Jiang allowed Wei Jiaming to visit again.
Once Mr. Jiang had agreed, Mrs. Jiang couldn’t let her husband lose face, so she gritted her teeth and consented.
She might have agreed verbally, but deep down she truly had her doubts.
Men and women view things differently.
Mr. Jiang thought that after Anan married Wei Jiaming, keeping a distance from Mrs. Wei would suffice, with Shen Feng having no official ties with Mr. Wei, and since they have their own daughter, they wouldn’t trouble Wei Jiaming in the future. It’s just that Wei Jiaming’s sister might be a bit of a nuisance, but that can be managed by hiring help, as Wei Jiaming isn’t short of money, and to him, it’s really not a big deal.
But Mrs. Jiang kept thinking, even if Mrs. Wei wasn’t great, she was still Wei Jiaming’s biological mother. If something serious happened to her, could Wei Jiaming ignore it?
Just hearing about her, one knows she’s not easy to deal with. If she kept causing trouble by showing up, Anan would never have a moment of peace.
And Wei Jiaming’s sister is the kind that would require a lifetime of attendance, something Wei Jiaming himself wouldn’t be up for, and if Anan has children in the future, they would also be stuck with caring for her aunt. It’s like digging a hole for two generations.
Because of this, Mrs. Jiang lost all motivation to go out and has been staying home, eating less these last few days, looking listless and unenergetic.
Mr. Jiang was terrified, thinking Mrs. Jiang had fallen ill, asking where she felt uncomfortable, and insisting on calling Xiao Yuan to have a look if it was serious.
Mrs. Jiang denied being ill, stubbornly refusing to let Xiao Yuan come to check, but wouldn’t explain what was wrong when asked.
Mr. Jiang was preoccupied with this matter, originally intending to speak to An Nan about it, hoping she would ask directly, but then he thought that An Nan was too straightforward and not good with words, so he informed Anning instead.
Anning had been genuinely busy these past few days, bustling about daily with hardly a moment at home, so Mr. Jiang could only relay the situation over the phone.
Upon hearing that Mrs. Jiang wasn’t feeling well, Anning, no matter how busy she was, had to come home to check on her.
She drove straight home, entered through the door, and saw Mrs. Jiang sitting alone in the living room watching TV. The TV dramas seemed lively, but Mrs. Jiang showed no sign of joy, appearing thinner and somewhat jaundiced.
Startled, Anning quickly approached Mrs. Jiang and asked, "Mom, what exactly is wrong? You’ve scared me to death. If you’re feeling unwell, I can call Xiao Yuan to come have a look. My second uncle-in-law is quite the sensation now; so many people queue to see him that some are even thinking of getting scalpers for an appointment. It would be such a pity for you to have such an impressive son-in-law at your disposal and not make use of him."
With that said, Mrs. Jiang’s tears started flowing.
Grasping Anning’s hand, it took Mrs. Jiang a moment to tremble out: "Second child, you’re always close to your mom’s heart. That Third child, that dead girl goes out to play every day without ever saying a warm word to mom. Your sister now only has eyes for that Wei..."
Anning immediately understood – the crux of the matter must lie with Wei Jiaming.
Being such a sharp person, she had no trouble grasping the worries of Mrs. Jiang after a little thought.
Seeing Mrs. Jiang so distressed about An Nan made her heart ache.
A mother’s concern for her children never wanes; if any one of them is unwell, it cuts deep like the flesh being sliced from her own body.
"Mom."
Anning quickly poured a glass of warm water for Mrs. Jiang: "Let’s drink some water first. In a minute, I’ll fry up a couple of dishes for you. If you feel like drinking, I’ll join you for a few cups. Just the two of us, we can eat, drink, and also have a heartfelt talk, alright?"
Mrs. Jiang nodded.
Anning changed her clothes and went into the kitchen, and in no time she brought out several dishes.
Mrs. Jiang found a bottle of wine, and Anning filled her cup to the brim, pouring one for herself as well.
Neither intended to drink much; it was the atmosphere that mattered.
As Anning served her mother food, she said, "Mom, try my cooking. I learned it all from you. How much of your true skills have I inherited?"
Mrs. Jiang took a bite, and sure enough, though the second child might have been a bit spoiled and barely touched domestic tasks, never really cooking much, but being clever, she had observed and picked up the cooking skills to a tee.
Anning watched Mrs. Jiang eat and gently coaxed her into drinking half a cup of wine before saying, "Mom, I know what’s on your mind. You’re worried about my sister. It’s just us today, so let me speak frankly. She’s my sister, my own flesh and blood, sisters from the same mother. How could I not care about her? When we were little, our grandmother despised us, and it was nothing but beatings and scoldings all day. When you and dad were not at home, we faced so much grievance. Back then, it was always my sister who protected me. When our grandma wanted to hit us, my sister would hold me tight and take the beatings on my behalf. When we weren’t given food, my sister would secretly save some for me, going hungry herself just to feed me."