You really are my own mother

"N-no, nothing."

Xie Yazhi suppressed her shock and smiled gently. "I just thought Tangtang was such a clever child. She's only ten days old, and she can already hold her own bottle."

Su Xiajing: "..."

She had been so busy protecting her baby that she had forgotten the little girl was still drinking her milk.

If Tangtang hadn't held on to it herself, the bottle would have fallen.

Tang Tang: "..."

Discriminating against a little baby, are we?

I'm small, not stupid!

Su Xiajing: "..."

This child really was fearless...

Tang Beichen: So my daughter mouths off to people regardless of their age or status.

That was comforting.

He felt better now.

Xie Yazhi: "..."

The little girl certainly had a sharp tongue.

Still, having a clever child was a good thing.

It's all that old man's fault that I only got to meet my adorable granddaughter so late.

If he knew how clever our Tangtang was, I wonder whether he'd curse that charlatan to death...

Forget it. That old man is hopelessly old-fashioned. He wouldn't appreciate her. Even if I told him about Tangtang, he would definitely take this as proof that she brings bad luck.

Better not tell him.

Now that she knew Tangtang wasn't an ordinary baby, Xie Yazhi dared not be careless in the slightest. She gave the little girl her full attention.

"Hello, Tangtang. I'm your grandma."

She carefully reached out and touched Tangtang's cheek, then produced a Longevity Lock in her other hand as though by magic.

"This is Grandma's first gift to you. I'm sorry I took so long to come see you."

Tang Tang was now a little rich girl who owned tens of millions' worth of gold, several homes, and a black card with no spending limit.

She was no longer the baby whose eyes would light up at any old Longevity Lock and who could instantly be won over by it.

She merely lifted her eyelids to glance at the Longevity Lock her grandmother offered, showing little interest.

It's gold. Not bad.

But I already have all kinds of pretty gold jewelry from Grandpa and my beautiful mommy, plus gold bars from my scumbag dad.

"..."

Xie Yazhi gave her son a plaintive look.

So my granddaughter likes gold.

No wonder you specifically told me before we left that I didn't need to bring anything else, just plenty of gold jewelry and money. Thanks to you, I only brought this one Longevity Lock.

And... you gave her so much that you spoiled her appetite before bothering to tell me. Isn't that a bit much?

Tang Beichen: "..."

Mom, looking at me won't help. I didn't know you'd brought something Tangtang already had...

Her granddaughter had turned her nose up at the gift before she could even give it to her. Xie Yazhi felt rather embarrassed.

"Well... doesn't Tangtang like it?"

Xie Yazhi hesitantly drew it back. "Then how about Grandma gets you a prettier one another day?"

Who said I didn't like it?

Quick as a flash, Tangtang grabbed the Longevity Lock.

I was just making an observation. I never said I didn't want it.

Who would complain about having too much gold?

But I'm not wearing this. I'll have my beautiful mommy put it away for me.

After she had been successfully abandoned, the old man had bribed the medical staff to substitute a dead infant and told her parents she had died at birth. Even when she was found and brought back later, he had shifted the blame onto a nurse, claiming the nurse had made a mistake.

She couldn't say whether anyone else believed him, but as the old man's wife, her grandmother certainly knew more than the others. That was why, when she had first returned to the Tang Family, her grandmother had treated her well, fussing over her and buying her plenty of things.

Beyond that, however, she hadn't shown her much concern.

Even those gestures had merely been an attempt to compensate her with money and material things so she could feel better about herself.

So even though Tangtang hadn't returned to the Tang Family at all in her later lives, and her love and hatred for its members had faded, her feelings toward this grandmother remained complicated.

"Thank you. I'll put it away for Tangtang."

Su Xiajing took the Longevity Lock.

No one knew a daughter better than her mother. Tang Tang was interested only in gold and money, and she would never think she had too much of either. The only reason she could be so unenthusiastic was her aversion to the Tang Family... or, more precisely, its patriarch.

If Tangtang could set aside her grudges for the moment and accept the Longevity Lock, Su Xiajing wouldn't reject it either.

At worst, she could find a chance to sell it and exchange it for gold or cash.

Xie Yazhi could tell what mother and daughter were thinking. Feeling a little downhearted, she could only direct all her resentment and anger at the old man.

It's all that damned old man's fault!

The more Xie Yazhi thought about it, the angrier she grew. She wanted to go straight home and give him a thorough dressing-down.

"Xia Jing."

She looked at Su Xiajing, her eyes full of remorse. "I know you're still angry over what your father... what that old man did. I won't ask you not to resent us. You have every right to be furious."

"As for the old man, I've already scolded him these past few days. I can promise you that I absolutely won't let him pull anything like that again."

"But Beichen is innocent in all this. As the baby's father, he's a victim just like you."

"So I'm asking you, could you give him another chance to make things right?"

"After all, Tangtang is still little. She needs a father, and raising a child on your own would also..."

Huh? Who said I need my scumbag dad?

You didn't even ask my opinion. How can you speak for me?

Tang Tang couldn't bear to listen anymore. She interrupted her grandmother with a string of babbles.

"..."

Scumbag dad?

Scumbag?

Xie Yazhi abruptly turned to Tang Beichen.

What exactly did you do to wrong Xiajing and Tangtang?

Tang Beichen: "..."

*???*

Mom, why are you looking at me?

Su Xiajing: "..."

Tangtang is right.

I can manage on my own. I don't need anyone else to protect me.

Zhang Zhang, who was watching the drama unfold: "..."

Rich families are terrifying.

Tang Tang had no idea why the room had suddenly gone quiet.

She was still upset about someone speaking for her without permission.

What's so great about my scumbag dad?

Is it that he cheats on my beautiful mommy, betrays her, and hurts her?

Or that he brings home a stepmother for me?

Or that all he does is say he's sorry and that he's let me down, then leaves me neglected and lets people bully me?

Tang Beichen: *???*

What is all this now?

"He" did all that?

Xie Yazhi: "..."

Cheating?

Betrayal?

Tang Beichen, you've got some nerve!

You actually ignored everything I taught you and did nothing but hurt your wife and child!

With her own son at fault, Xie Yazhi couldn't simply lie through her teeth.

She shot her son a look of bitter disappointment, then awkwardly steered the conversation back. "If Tangtang really doesn't like him..."

Through gritted teeth, she added, "And you're unhappy too, then just get a divorce."

Tang Beichen: "..."

Mom, you really are my own mother.