Chapter 677

Nervous, she bought five buns, and shielding her face with her sleeve, scurried back home.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​⁠

When those five plain buns were set before Wei Jiani, she was so hungry that her stomach seemed to stick to her back. She was nearly starving, but even then, seeing the buns made her feel as if she'd already eaten her fill.

"Mom, why are we eating this again?" Wei Jiani clutched her stomach, reluctant to reach out and take one. She'd been hungry all day. "I want braised pork, I want shrimp, I want fish! Didn't you go ask that woman for money? Hospital wages are so high, why are you so stingy about buying me some meat?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Sang Zhilan grabbed a plain white bun and started gnawing on it. But she ate so hastily that she choked, frantically searching for water. Finding no hot water after searching for a long while, she went outside to drink tap water straight from the faucet. After getting the bite of bun down, she felt as if she had come back to life.

Wei Jiani pinched a white bun between her disdainful fingers, brought it to her lips, and bit into it. ... Despite her reluctance, contempt, and resentment, the supposed plainness tasted incredibly delicious, like the finest delicacies.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​⁠

"Mom, can't you buy us something else?" After eating a bun, Wei Jiani no longer felt hungry, but she wasn't at peace. Why hoard so much money and be so stingy, not knowing how to spend it on her?

"Be content that we have anything to eat at all." Sang Zhilan glared at Wei Jiani. This is all because of the trouble you caused, she thought, recalling recent days filled with fear and scurrying around, with nowhere to vent her anger.

"What did I do?" Wei Jiani, yelled at by Sang Zhilan, felt her spoiled temper flare. "If it weren't for all your demands, would I have displeased Jin Wenhan's parents? I just talked a bit too much with Xiaohe, and then he and his mother ganged up to bully me. They deserved it." Even now, Wei Jiani didn't think she'd done anything wrong. What had she done wrong? She was innocent, not at fault in any way.

Faced with such an attitude from Wei Jiani, for the first time Sang Zhilan felt she had failed in raising her daughter. Of course, her daughter's repeated accusations also struck a chord in her heart. But no matter how much it hurt, she had to endure it and still make plans for her, because, no matter what, this was her own flesh and blood. Yes, her own, not someone else's. And she never considered that if it had been Tang Yuxin standing before her, daring to say such things, she would have beaten her to death by now. Whether someone is your flesh and blood doesn't depend on whether you gave birth to them, but on whether you regard them as such.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​⁠

The mother and daughter shouted at each other for a while, blamed each other for a long time, and in the end, both just sat in a corner. Although the plain buns weren't exactly enjoyable, to two hungry people, they at least filled their stomachs, giving them the strength to contemplate other matters.

"Mom, I want to go abroad." Wei Jiani had been thinking for several days and always felt this was the best plan. Once abroad, it would be out of sight, out of mind. She could do whatever she wanted, and by the time she returned years later, who would even recognize her?

"Where's the money?" Sang Zhilan was certainly much more realistic than Wei Jiani. There was only so much money at home, and it had all been spent on Wei Jiani long ago. Their family had never been rich since Wei Jiani was born, barely getting by on the meager salaries of her and Wei Tian. When Wei Jiani was with Jin Wenhan, financial control primarily rested in the hands of Jin's mother. If Jin's mother had really been that generous, giving them whatever they wanted, Sang Zhilan wouldn't have allowed Wei Jiani to ask for things like houses, cars, and jewelry. She wanted these things for her daughter, but the Jin Family had never given them anything substantial: no house, no car. They had been given a few checks, but they couldn't even cash them, let alone anything else. It was clear that Jin's mother was guarding against their whole family.

In the years that Wei Jiani had been with Jin Wenhan, aside from enjoying herself, she hadn't brought back anything of real value, so the Wei Family was just as poor as before. Otherwise, no matter what, they wouldn't have ended up living like this and having to come to Tang Yuxin for help. After all, Sang Zhilan was most reluctant to see this daughter, but now she had come to her anyway. It was not just a slap in the face—it was a direct hit.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​⁠

Wei Jiani clenched her teeth tightly. "Isn't your daughter rich? You ask her for money," Wei Jiani didn't know how much money Tang Yuxin had, but what did the Tang Family do? They were real estate tycoons with yards as big as parks; could they be poor?

"Ask her for money?" Sang Zhilan laughed miserably. "Do you think she would give me any?"

"You're her mother; she should be supporting you," Wei Jiani's brows knotted together as if made of mud. She wasn't worried about money; Wei Tian and Sang Zhilan would have to figure it out no matter how much was needed.

Sang Zhilan didn't want to discuss these issues with Wei Jiani. She knew better than anyone that Tang Yuxin had never considered acknowledging her as her mother. So don't even mention real mother-daughter relationship; Tang Yuxin had never said harsh words, but Sang Zhilan knew very well in her heart that she didn't qualify. She couldn't even get a hundred yuan, let alone expect Tang Yuxin to pay for Wei Jiani's studies abroad. Did they really think Tang Yuxin was stupid?⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​⁠

"Mom, you should go ask her for money again tomorrow." Wei Jiani just wanted to go abroad now. Only when she was out of the country would she be safe from the Jin Family.

"Jin Wenhan is now in the hospital." Sang Zhilan picked up the leftover buns, which would be their dinner and tomorrow's meal. Throwing them away meant they would have nothing to eat. She now understood that Tang Yuxin hadn't driven them away, but she had never intended to take care of them either. It was as if she had left them to survive or perish on their own.

Wei Jiani initially felt quite proud of coming up with such a good plan, but the mention of the name Jin Wenhan made her jump in shock. "They've come. What do they want to do? Did that woman betray us?"

Sang Zhilan hadn't thought about that. She had only worried about the Lin Family finding them and causing them trouble, but Wei Jiani's remark instantly turned her world upside down.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​⁠