The Art of Teasing - Chapter 155
Chapter 155
The New Year was the busiest time. Even with her eldest aunt, second aunt, and Ye Ling helping to manage things, many matters still had to be arranged by Wen Zhengyu personally.
In previous years, the entire Wen family had always gathered together for the New Year, but this year she had to include her maternal grandparents as well.
On the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, she went to the Lian family home to celebrate Minor New Year.
On the twenty-fourth, she invited the entire Wen household to her place for their Minor New Year celebration.
On New Year's Eve, she ate the family reunion dinner with the Wen family at her home.
On the morning of the first day of the first lunar month, after paying New Year's respects to Wen Shili and Wen Shishu, she and Ye Ling went to the Lian family home to pay their respects to her maternal grandparents.
According to custom, visits to the maternal family or relatives typically began on the second day of the first lunar month. But she was a member of the Lian family's Fourth Branch—her name was recorded in the ancestral genealogy register—so she could not be considered an outsider or merely a relative. This was paying New Year's respects to her own family elders, and going on the second day would have been inappropriate.
On the second day of the first lunar month, Ye Ling went to pay New Year's respects to Ye Zhan, and Wen Zhengyu stayed home to recuperate.
During the New Year holiday, it was very difficult to hire a caregiver, so the family took turns staying with Wen Zhengyu. On the two days Ye Ling was away, Wen Shili and Wen Shishu alternated staying with her at night.
These past few days, Wen Zhengyu's paternal cousins and maternal cousins all had to go visit their own maternal families, so none of them came to see her. She thought about how the uncles were accompanying their wives, and the cousins were accompanying their wives to visit relatives, and the Old Madam and Old Master would inevitably feel lonely. So she had Zhuo Yao go pick them up.
Now, the only members of the Wen family left were Wen Zhengyu and her two aunts. Although the main culprit had yet to be sentenced, several years of prison were unavoidable. The two elders' lingering resentment toward the Wen family had dissolved. When Wen Zhengyu sent someone to bring them over, they came.
Wen Zhengyu had someone prepare a room for them in her own courtyard.
The courtyard where her mother used to live had already changed from its original appearance because of the modifications she had made.
Today was the fourth day of the new year, and the weather was very pleasant.
Wen Zhengyu set up a tea table in the courtyard and sat drinking tea in the sunshine with her maternal grandparents and her two aunts, eating homemade pastries. The days were rare in their comfort and ease.
Zhan Cheng came over and reported that Kang Bai had arrived with his wife and child and was waiting outside the gate.
Wen Shishu's face darkened. She stood up and said, "Drive them out." She began walking out as she spoke, intending to chase them away personally.
Wen Zhengyu called out, "Second Aunt, please sit." She asked Wen Shishu to sit back down, then braced herself against the chair and rose.
Zhuo Yao, who was seated at a distance, saw this and rushed over in a few swift strides, steadying Wen Zhengyu.
After Wen Zhengyu stood firm, she said to her maternal grandparents and two aunts, "During the New Year, there is no custom of driving guests out. I will go receive them." She saw Wen Shili stand up and said, "Eldest Aunt, you sit as well. I'll handle it." Then she said to Zhan Cheng, "Go inform the kitchen later to add three more for lunch."
Zhan Cheng acknowledged the order.
Wen Zhengyu went to the main gate and welcomed Kang Bai inside.
When Kang Bai saw Wen Zhengyu, he glanced behind her. Not seeing Wen Shishu, his expression dimmed slightly.
His wife stepped forward quickly, supporting Wen Zhengyu. "Oh dear, Xiaoyu, you haven't recovered yet—why did you come out personally?" She carefully supported Wen Zhengyu as they walked inside, and told her child to greet her cousin-aunt.
The child obediently and charmingly called out "Cousin-Aunt," then asked, "Where is my grandma?"
Wen Zhengyu patted the child's head and gave her a New Year's red envelope, saying, "Cousin-Aunt's maternal grandparents are here. Your grandma and great-aunt are keeping them company. Do you miss Grandma?"
The child said, "I do."
Wen Zhengyu said, "I'll have big brother take you to her." With that, she summoned a bodyguard and instructed him to take the child to see her eldest aunt. She then invited her cousin and his wife into the main courtyard's guest hall and asked them to sit.
His wife first had the holiday gifts brought forward before saying to Wen Zhengyu, very apologetically, "We had planned to come a couple of days ago, but I had some matters that delayed us until today. Xiaoyu, please don't take offense."
Wen Zhengyu said, "I'm very happy that Cousin and Cousin-in-Law could come." She didn't need to think to know that Kang Bai had to first take his wife and child to his father-in-law's house before he could come visit her.
During casual conversation, she asked about their travel arrangements. Work resumed on the seventh, so they had booked plane tickets for the afternoon of the sixth to return. Wen Zhengyu had someone prepare a guest room for them, telling them to put away their luggage and freshen up first.
In the past, when Kang Bai visited, he had always stayed in her mother's courtyard. Now, without her mother present, the couple was arranged to stay in a guest room. While putting away their luggage, his wife asked him, "What do Mom and Xiaoyu mean by this?"
Kang Bai sighed quietly and said, "This cousin of mine has been crafty since childhood. Her surface decorum is flawlessly maintained, and she must have been deeply involved in my mother's decision. The collapse of the Ye family's Second Branch—she was right in the middle of it, stirring up chaos, which is why they fell so completely and so quickly. She's always been good at pretending, charming people into treating her like a precious treasure. When it comes to our grandparents' affections, as long as she's there, everyone else has to step aside." His voice dropped even lower. "When my youngest maternal uncle fell, she immediately teamed up with Ye Ling and roped my mother into helping Ye Ling bring down the Ye family's Second Branch. The two of them are stuck together like glue. After more than twenty years of no contact with the Lian family, suddenly they're as close as real family. Now everyone outside is saying she belongs to the Lian family's Fourth Branch. Just think about her capabilities."
"No matter what, I am her biological son. She can't let my mother be completely taken in by her as well. Right now, she's very displeased with me and Dad. But the granddaughter is her own flesh and blood—if not for the son, at least she should consider the granddaughter."
The child hadn't seen her grandmother for a long time. Once she did, she clung to her and wouldn't get down. Children are naturally competitive. Her grandmother was more beautiful than anyone else's grandmother, which made the child very proud. Grandmother would also dress her up beautifully and call her a little princess, unlike her maternal grandmother, who constantly urged her mother to give her a little brother, saying sons were the true support.
The little girl was well-behaved and charming, clever and affectionate. Even Old Madam Zhang couldn't help but like her and called the child to come closer.
Wen Shishu said, "Go on. This is Cousin-Aunt's maternal grandmother. Call her Great-Grandmother."
The child went over and called out "Great-Grandmother," then looked toward Old Master Lian, and asked thoughtfully, "Should I call him Great-Grandfather?"
Old Madam Zhang smiled. "Yes, call him Great-Grandfather." She said to Wen Shishu, "This child has been raised well."
The group played with the child until noon before moving to the main courtyard for lunch.
Wen Shishu ignored Kang Bai entirely, treating him as if he were invisible.
Just after lunch, Ye Ling returned.
Wen Shishu immediately looked as if she had been liberated, handing Wen Zhengyu over to Ye Ling. She dragged Wen Shili along, bringing the elderly couple and the child, and took advantage of the fine weather to go out for some fun.
Ye Ling returned to the bedroom and saw that Wen Zhengyu was still taking her afternoon nap. She removed her clothes and quietly slipped into the bed.
Wen Zhengyu didn't even open her eyes. Recognizing the familiar scent of perfume and sensing the sneaky movements, she knew Ye Ling was back. The corners of her lips curved slightly upward. As naturally as ever, she nestled into Ye Ling's embrace and continued sleeping.
When they woke, neither of them was willing to get up. They cuddled lazily under the covers.
Although Wen Zhengyu was recuperating and couldn't engage in strenuous activities, a few kisses were still permissible.
Ye Ling lay beside Wen Zhengyu, kissing her back and forth for a long time before sighing, "The more I kiss, the hungrier I get."
Wen Zhengyu looked at Ye Ling, whose entire being seemed to radiate the words hungry and thirsty. She examined her own long fingernails and hesitantly said, "Maybe I should trim my nails?" She couldn't do that, but she could do that for Ye Ling.
Ye Ling immediately shuddered. "Don't you dare. Ancestral Aunt, just focus on recuperating. Please, I surrender. I have no ideas whatsoever. I am more devoid of desire than you are when reciting the Scripture of Clarity and Stillness."
Wen Zhengyu corrected her: "It's the Scripture of Clarity and Stillness Spoken by the Most High Lord Lao."
Ye Ling gently tapped Wen Zhengyu's nose and did not argue with her. She asked, "You've settled Kang Bai and the others in?"
Wen Zhengyu said, "Mm. During the New Year, when relatives come to visit, it's not good to drive them out."
Ye Ling said, "Let me tell you something. Your second aunt has made a will. You, Wen Li, and Cui Dong are the heirs to her estate. Additionally, her granddaughter has a trust fund overseas that she can only claim personally when she turns twenty-eight."
Wen Zhengyu asked, "And her relationship with Cousin Bai…?"
Ye Ling didn't feel it was appropriate to comment too much on their mother-son relationship. She said, "I made some inquiries along the way. Your former uncle-in-law only owns the apartment he lives in, and his bank deposits are just his salary—probably around three hundred thousand or so. His own car is a second-hand Volkswagen. When Kang Bai and his wife got married, your second aunt gave them quite a lot. The house and the car were both gifts from her, plus a dowry of ten million, which the young couple used to buy property. The couple themselves only own two properties in their names and each has an unremarkable mid-range car. The luxury cars Kang Bai usually drives to show off are all your second aunt's cars that he borrows."
"Your former uncle-in-law's nephew relies on him for business dealings and has assets worth several tens of millions—plenty of questionable dealings there."
Ye Ling paused briefly, then continued, "Your former uncle-in-law's siblings have always had their eyes on your second aunt's wealth. They believe she was only able to earn that money because of your former uncle-in-law. Now that she's divorced from him, they think that money should belong to your former uncle-in-law and cousin. Of course, that's what they say out loud—anyone with eyes can see what they're really thinking."
"However, Kang Bai has no share in your second aunt's estate. The state of the relationship between Kang Bai and your second aunt—you can see it clearly now, can't you?"
Wen Zhengyu pondered this. "Second Aunt made a will and isn't leaving her estate to Cousin Bai… why?"
Ye Ling said, "If she didn't make a will and something happened to her, your cousin Bai and your former uncle-in-law would be the most direct beneficiaries." From this, one could see just how badly the relationship between Wen Shishu and the Kang family had deteriorated privately.
Wen Zhengyu understood the situation after hearing Ye Ling's explanation. She looked at Ye Ling and asked, "And you 'made some inquiries along the way'?" Inquiries made along the way that could dig up other people's financial situations and even the details of her second aunt's will?
Ye Ling smiled and asked, "Shouldn't you thank me?" She leaned in close to Wen Zhengyu as she spoke.
Wen Zhengyu hesitated a moment, then gently kissed Ye Ling on the cheek.
Ye Ling then planted a dozen more kisses on Wen Zhengyu's cheek, nose, and lips, only getting up contentedly after she was satisfied.
In the afternoon, Wen Zhengyu was by the small lake at her home, feeding the koi fish.
Ye Ling asked, "How many years have your family's koi been raised? They're so big—you could probably fetch a good price if you scooped them up and sold them. It's completely unscientific that no fishmonger came to buy fish from your family last year."
Wen Zhengyu said, "The Old Master believed in feng shui. He said koi are feng shui fish and must be kept to nurture the residence's feng shui. These koi spawn every year, but the pond is only so big and can't sustain too many fish. Every couple of years, someone is sent to scoop out a batch of the fry."
Ye Ling asked, "Scooped out to where?"
Wen Zhengyu said, "It's always the household's maintenance staff who do the scooping. Grandfather said that leaving home to work for a living is hard, and if they took the fish to sell at a night market stall, they could earn a bit of pocket money to buy candy for their children. So he let them take them all."
As they were chatting, Kang Bai approached.
Wen Zhengyu exchanged greetings with Kang Bai and invited him to take a seat on a nearby stone stool. Ye Ling nodded politely in acknowledgment.
After sitting, Kang Bai told Wen Zhengyu that he had come because he wanted to take his mother back. She had been living here for so long—the household couldn't manage without her, and they felt too embarrassed to let her keep imposing here.
Wen Zhengyu fed the fish unhurriedly and spoke slowly. "I heard from Grandmother that when Second Aunt was born, she arrived half a month later than expected. The midwife lived at the house for a month. The delivery room was set up in the main courtyard, right here in this house. Second Aunt was born in this house, learned to walk here, learned to speak here, grew up here, was married from here, and from here she sent off her parents."
Kang Bai said, "She married my father over thirty years ago."
Wen Zhengyu understood Kang Bai's meaning—he was implying that her second aunt had married out and was no longer part of the Wen family. She silently glanced at Kang Bai. "She and Uncle Kang divorced many years ago. She no longer has any obligation to help Uncle Kang, and you have long been an adult who has made your own choices."
Kang Bai raised his eyes to look at Wen Zhengyu.
Wen Zhengyu met his gaze and said slowly, "Her surname is Wen. This is her home."
Kang Bai asked, "You know about my mother's will, don't you?"
Wen Zhengyu was silent for two seconds. "She and I have suffered the same kind of sorrow." She turned her head toward Kang Bai and said, "What I guard against is my own biological father. What she guards against is her own biological son. For flesh-and-blood kin to turn against each other and become enemies—I suppose that's what this is."
Kang Bai said, "My mother and I simply have some differences of opinion, a temporary conflict. Your words carry a hint of instigation, I suspect."
Wen Zhengyu said, "At the end of the twelfth month, when Qi Wei came to deliver New Year's gifts to my grandparents, I invited her to my home to discuss some matters. Second Aunt wants to sell off all her properties in the capital. I asked Qi Wei to help, and Qi Wei is currently looking for buyers. She is also very interested in some of Second Aunt's shares and investments and wants to take them over. Second Aunt said the price is negotiable—as long as it can be settled cleanly and efficiently, a little more or a little less money doesn't matter. Peace of mind is more important than anything." With that, she resumed feeding the fish.
Kang Bai was so angry he truly wanted to push her into the pond. He said darkly, "Don't you think you're meddling a bit too much?"
Zhuo Yao quietly moved closer, within a single stride's range.
Wen Zhengyu unhurriedly offered Kang Bai six words: "One protects one's own family."
Ye Ling helped Wen Zhengyu feed the fish and even winked playfully at her: Oh, you've grown bold.
Kang Bai sneered. "You're just after my mother's money."
Ye Ling let out a "Pfft" of laughter, then said to Kang Bai with a grin, "Sorry, I couldn't hold it in. You two keep arguing. Just pretend I'm invisible." As she spoke, she looked at Wen Zhengyu, her eyes brimming with delight. She finally understood why Old Madam Zhang would threaten Wen Zhengyu by saying she'd hit her. This Young Miss's usual style was: you come provoke me, I'll just stay away from you. But when someone bullied the people close to her, even if she was a soft bun, she would struggle and fight back. For her second aunt's sake, she had actually learned to argue without any lessons—though her skill level was still a bit lacking. As cousins arguing, she probably should have mediated, but… it was simply too funny. Perhaps this was the level of kindergarten children bickering. Seeing how seriously they were arguing, Ye Ling could only try her best to hold it in.
Kang Bai's face was ashen.
At this moment, Wen Zhengyu especially agreed with her eldest aunt's words: His surname is Kang, not Wen. Some families valued money above all else, but in truth, people were what mattered most. She said gently, "Please rest assured. In Second Aunt's partnership with your father, he will not be shorted a single penny of what is rightfully his. As for my second aunt's estate—she is perfectly healthy and will live at least another twenty or thirty years. Thinking too much about it now is unrealistic." Even she, someone uninvolved in politics, could see that the greatest crisis Lao Kang faced right now was not money, yet Kang Bai was fixated on her second aunt's wealth and had come to argue with her. She now understood why Kang Bai had accepted the Cen family's favors.
She paused for two seconds, then turned her head toward Kang Bai and said, "We are cousins, after all. Allow me to offer a few extra words. Grandfather used to say: adding flowers to brocade is easy; sending charcoal in the snow is hard. Adding flowers to brocade—a little more or a little less, it doesn't matter. Sending charcoal in the snow—whether you extend that helping hand or not makes all the difference between heaven and earth." The phrase those who kick someone when they're down are especially detestable she left unsaid, to avoid slapping people's faces. And the most important line was: Be upright yourself, stand firmly on solid ground, and only then can you endure.
Kang Bai darkened his expression, stood up, and left.
Ye Ling watched Kang Bai's departing figure and said to Wen Zhengyu, "He didn't understand." Or rather, he had never even considered what Wen Zhengyu's words meant and only took them as a dig at him.
If he were smart, he wouldn't have brought up a single word about money at this time. Not a single cent. He should have fallen at his mother's feet weeping, crying and begging to bring her back—that was the key. He never stopped to think about why Wen Shili and Wen Shishu had come back to live here, or whether Wen Zhengyu was someone who lacked money. It was only now, when the Wen family seemed on the verge of collapse, that they had come back to reside here, to support this household, to help Wen Zhengyu endure this period of recuperation and pull through this juncture. He never understood that Wen Shishu didn't need to do anything—her very presence carried weight.
If Kang Bai were smart, he would have taken on the manner of an older brother now. Even if he had to fake it, he should have faked it. He didn't need to do anything else—just show his face when things came up, sit for a while, listen for a while, and the benefits would be boundless. Yet here he was, driving an ironclad kinship to the point of deep enmity, while shamelessly fawning over connections that could snap at any moment. Did he really think that as long as he and his father held their positions and curried favor with the higher-ups, everything would be fine? The moment Wen Shishu pulled out, a massive sinkhole would open beneath their feet. Just as they had once waited for the Ye family's Second Branch to vacate their positions, countless people were now waiting for them to vacate theirs.
Wen Shishu's withdrawal was a signal that the father and son were about to fall. Plenty of people would pounce to tear into this juicy piece of meat. If they still had money in their hands at that point, they wouldn't even know how they died. Wen Shishu's business dealings were a solid web of connections and interests. If anything happened, having someone quietly tip you off or behind the scenes coordinate—sometimes that was the difference between life and death. Wen Shishu could withdraw anytime she wanted. She had readily profitable businesses ready to transfer, and plenty of people wanted to take them over, people who would also help clean everything up thoroughly so the acquired assets wouldn't be implicated. As for the Kang father and son—how they had built their standing in the first place, didn't they have any self-awareness?
Ye Ling was silently ridiculing them in her mind when she heard her Zhengyu say, "You understand." Though it was the simple truth, Ye Ling still couldn't help feeling elated. "That's why we're a pair," she said. Then she asked, "What other proverbs did your grandfather leave behind?"
Wen Zhengyu: "…"
Ye Ling said, "Come on, I know there's more."
Wen Zhengyu suddenly felt that Ye Ling in her house was like a mouse that had fallen into a rice jar, poking around here, digging around there—everywhere looked like high-quality rice to her. She told Ye Ling all the things the Old Master had said, adding, "They're really just principles of how to conduct oneself and handle matters. To speak of them is to repeat clichés—as droning as chanting scriptures."
Ye Ling said slowly, "These things—I suppose they are what's called family tradition?" Look at Wen Shili: she had run as far as she could go and didn't return for years. But when Wang Zidao came to bully her family, she spent a fortune hiring a team of mercenaries to hunt him down. And Wen Shishu, a businesswoman—Old Zhao was Lao Kang's superior, yet when Zhao Si bullied Wen Zhengyu, Wen Shishu stormed into the hospital and berated him furiously, then promptly spread the matter far and wide, ruining the Zhao family's reputation. The Zhao family being so passive now, with everyone avoiding them like the plague, owed no small part to Wen Shishu's campaign.
Lao Kang had his eye on Old Zhao's position. Switching sides and having Wen Shishu help maneuver behind the scenes—that would have just been a matter of dragging out negotiations a few extra days. If he had switched sides in time, no one would have said he was wrong. When someone bullies your own niece, who wouldn't be furious? It was only natural. As for now—he could see that position but couldn't touch it.
When Ye Ling had returned to the capital, she had made some inquiries through her brother's father-in-law and her brother on the way back, and then just treated it as a joke to watch.
As for Wen Shishu moving back—this was truly a pie falling from the heavens, something to be wished for but not sought.
To say nothing else, at the very least this family now had someone who could manage affairs. Add in the eldest aunt's presence here, and the place had become an iron fortress. Who would dare say the Wen family was about to fall? The two aunts could smear it all over their faces.
Ye Ling would have liked to manage the household affairs, but given their woman-with-woman relationship, sometimes things were indeed a bit awkward. Some people just treated it as a curiosity, not taking it seriously at all. Compared to the solid bonds of blood kinship, it was far inferior. Besides, she had only been navigating this territory for a few years. The connections and relationships she had just begun to build couldn't compare to their decades-deep friendships or family ties. To put it in perspective: back on their home turf, even when Wen Shiyi had become such a disgrace, during the New Year, Fourth Brother Wen had still sent him clothes and blankets. Wen Shili and her sister—which one of them wasn't ten or eight times better than Wen Shiyi? With them here, even Ye Ling felt as though she had another mountain to lean on behind her.
In the evening, when Wen Shishu returned, Kang Bai went to her courtyard to speak with her. Then, he was directly driven out the main gate by the staff Zhan Cheng had summoned on Wen Shishu's orders.
Wen Shishu said to him, "Do you think I'm Xiaoyu, who would still leave you some face? Get out!" She chased her son away but kept the granddaughter, tossing him one more line: "After you get back, remember to mail the child's household registration booklet over. Otherwise, don't blame me for taking her and changing her surname when I register her."
Her daughter-in-law hurriedly said, "If Mom likes her, let her stay with you a few more days. Why would we need the household registration booklet?"
Wen Shishu swept a cool glance over her. "Do you think you'll have any peace when you go back—time to take care of the child? I have quite a lot of cash to transfer to Lao Kang. Putting that money under his or Kang Bai's name would be inappropriate. And do you think his siblings would prefer that money to stay with you or with them?" She added slowly, "The Kang family tradition: daughters-in-law are outsiders, and a daughter-in-law's dowry belongs to the family." Over the years, she had seen through that entire extended family, including this daughter-in-law. Whenever the daughter-in-law had free time, she would bring the granddaughter over, all for the sake of coaxing her into buying a pile of luxury goods so she could show off among her circle of sisters. She had simply treated it as spending money for amusement.
Wen Zhengyu had been worried about her safety and had asked whether she needed additional bodyguards. Hand over Lao Kang's share of the money, and the Kang family would descend into chaos amongst themselves over it first—they'd have no time left to deal with her.
Her daughter-in-law immediately snapped to attention and called out, "Mom!"
Wen Shishu glanced at her. "Enough. Mail over the household registration booklet and your bank account details."
Her daughter-in-law immediately opened her suitcase, pulled out the household registration booklet, and handed it over. "The child's ID card was lost and hasn't been replaced yet. We used the household registration booklet for the flight." She took a photo with her phone on the spot and sent it to her mother-in-law.
Wen Shishu was entirely unsurprised.
The security guards and bodyguards at the gate were collectively a bit dumbfounded: Was the child just sold to the grandmother in the blink of an eye?
Wen Shishu took the household registration booklet, flipped through it, and then said to her daughter-in-law, "Discuss it with Kang Bai. Transfer the child's household registration to my address, let her take my surname, and I will raise her. When I grow old, all these family assets will be handed over to her. As for you two—if you want to have a second child and a son, go ahead. If you're not willing, once things settle down in a while, you can come pick her up. I'll just have Xiaoyu and Lili take care of me in my old age and see me off."
Her daughter-in-law said, "Mom, what are you saying? Baobao has always been closest to you since she was small. If you're willing to take care of her, we couldn't ask for more. As for the surname change, we…"
Wen Shishu cut her off. "I know you can't make that decision. Go discuss it yourselves. Tell Lao Kang: I want the child. If he won't give her, he can deal with it himself." With that, she told her to leave quickly and not hold up the bodyguards closing the gate.
After Kang Bai and his wife left, the security guard told Zhan Cheng everything he had just seen and heard. Zhan Cheng told Wen Zhengyu and Ye Ling.
Wen Zhengyu's eyes went wide. She couldn't recover for a long while. Was her second aunt snatching the child or buying the child? It had actually been that easy…
After Zhan Cheng withdrew, Ye Ling teased Wen Zhengyu, "If the Wen family were like the Kang family, your grandparents would laugh themselves awake from dreaming."
Wen Zhengyu was utterly stunned; her horizons had been vastly broadened. Although it was perfectly normal for a grandmother to take care of a child—she herself had been raised by her grandparents—but this kind of…
Was her cousin-in-law selling her child? Only selling the child to the child's own grandmother?
Ye Ling said, "Think of it this way: how many families beg the elderly at home to help take care of the children? This is a grandmother paying out of her own pocket to raise the child. How wonderful."
Wen Zhengyu's mind couldn't quite wrap around it for a moment. She said to Ye Ling, "Let me sort this out. I'm a bit dizzy." She was struggling to distinguish between grandmother paying money for a granddaughter and grandmother wanting to help raise a granddaughter.
Ye Ling smiled. "Take your time sorting it out."
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