Stepping out of her role as their child, Tan You could look back at Cheng Wenhui and Tan Lin with more objectivity and reason. In the end, all their troubles stemmed from poverty.
But Tan Desheng’s favoritism had also genuinely made Tan Lin and Cheng Wenhui feel wronged.
"He’s getting old, after all, and he isn’t close with his children. Who knows what the future holds for him." Tan You hung the clothes back in the closet, untouched. "But I won’t ignore my duties to you. You won’t end up like him."
Even though the family had formally split, Tan You still couldn’t bring herself to truly open up to Cheng Wenhui and her husband. But that didn’t mean she would shirk her responsibilities. Tan You had no intention of evading her filial duty to support them.
Cheng Wenhui blinked. "I’ll call President Yang in a little while."
Tan You knew her mother’s tough personality; she wasn’t one for sentimental words herself. She simply said, "Your best days are still ahead of you. I’m going to be rich someday. I’ll make a lot of money."
A smile immediately spread across Cheng Wenhui’s face. "You’re already so capable. I don’t ask for much. As long as you have a stable and peaceful life, that’s all that matters. I don’t really care whether you make a fortune or not."
"That’s not good enough. People need to have aspirations," Tan You countered. "I have no desire to just give up and coast while I’m still young."
"If your father heard you say that, he’d probably have a fit." Cheng Wenhui helped Tan You organize the closet. "He’s the one who’s always thinking about coasting. He’s incredibly lazy most of the time."
Tan You just smiled. "It’s not easy taking care of the household, either."
’As for whether Tan Lin was actually lazy, that was something for Cheng Wenhui to put up with. In any case, it’s not like I live with him,’ Tan You thought.
Cheng Wenhui hadn’t been making an excuse about calling President Yang. While Tan You was busy preparing lunch, she did just that. President Yang was so excited he practically jumped out of his seat, wishing he could come over to the Tan family’s home that very moment.
Cheng Wenhui said, "We have guests during the day, and besides, Tan You doesn’t want anyone else to know about this."
President Yang was quick on the uptake. "Then how about tonight? We could meet at the factory? Little Cheng, I’m truly sincere about working with Mr. Tan. We had a great partnership before."
Cheng Wenhui didn’t feel she could agree on her own. "Don’t hang up. I’ll get Tan You to talk to you."
"Perfect! Let me speak with Tan You directly," President Yang naturally couldn’t wait to get in touch with the girl herself. Why not get straight to the point?
So, Cheng Wenhui brought the phone into the kitchen. Tan You handed the spatula to her mother, took the phone, and stepped outside. She returned two minutes later to take the spatula back from Cheng Wenhui.
Cheng Wenhui was surprised. "You settled it already? President Yang is usually so long-winded."
Tan You raised an eyebrow. "I found him very easy to talk to. We’re going to the factory tonight after everyone has gone home."
Cheng Wenhui was excited too. "Great, we’ll go together. I was absolutely dazzled just looking at it. President Yang is going to want it even more."
Tan You smiled, brandishing the spatula. "It’s decent, I guess. Too bad I can’t wear things like that at school, so I’ll just have to make more for you. The weather is starting to get cooler; you should bundle up more for your commute. Or... why don’t you get a driver’s license?"
Cheng Wenhui froze. "Are you going to buy me a car? There’s no need for that, is there?"
Tan You thought for a moment. "If you get your license, I’ll buy you a car. Anything up to 200,000."
Cheng Wenhui protested, "That’s too much! You already bought me an apartment. Let’s just forget about a car. You have to study and earn money at the same time. Nothing is easy for you."
"If I’m buying it for you, then you accept it," Tan You said softly. "No one spent money on you before, but they will now. As long as it’s something I can afford, and you like it, I can buy it for you."
"You’ve been married all these years and you don’t have any nice jewelry. If we’re not busy tomorrow, let’s go to a jewelry store. I’ll get you some pieces."
Cheng Wenhui felt a sting in her nose. "Gold is tacky. I don’t like it."
"Then we’ll buy gold bars. They won’t lose their value," Tan You said with a smile. ’How many women her age don’t like gold? Cheng Wenhui was just saying that out of sour grapes, trying to hide what she really wanted.’
Looking at Cheng Wenhui now, she felt as if she were the parent, wanting to make up for all the things her mother never had.
’It doesn’t matter that the man she married isn’t capable. I’ll be there to support her, to make sure she’s never wronged again.’
"Grandma, you should come with us. I’ll buy you something too." Tan You wasn’t one to play favorites. With her own mother on one side and the old woman on the other, she wouldn’t be so biased.
Wang Hunv’s voice rose. "You’re really buying me gold?"
The next second, she rolled up her sleeve, revealing a gold bracelet on her arm. "You already had this gold chain made for me."
Tan You shook her head. "That’s just a little something. It’s not enough. You should have all the nice things you deserve. Besides, this is pocket change. Buying gold won’t lose value; it’s an investment."
Cheng Wenhui was at a loss for words. Her daughter wanted to buy her a car *and* jewelry. How could any of this feel real?
"What are you staring into space for?" Tired of listening to Tan Zhen suck up to Tan Desheng, Tan Lin had made an excuse about getting tea and escaped the living room. When he entered the kitchen, he saw Cheng Wenhui with a dazed look in her eyes; she didn’t even notice him standing right in front of her.
Cheng Wenhui snapped out of it. She glanced at Tan You, who was talking with Wang Hunv, then pulled Tan Lin out into the garden. "Tan You just told me to learn how to drive. She said if I get my license, she’ll buy me a car."
"And she asked if we were free tomorrow because she wants to take me and your mom to a jewelry store."
"That’s wonderful!" Tan Lin chuckled. "If she’s happy to spend the money on you, just accept it. She’s your daughter, not some stranger. If she wants to be filial, we should accept it with a clear conscience."
"I’m not after her money, but if she’s offering, I won’t refuse."
Cheng Wenhui was still hesitant. "I just feel like it can’t be easy for her to earn all that money..."
Tan Lin snorted with laughter. "Our daughter... she’s got a mind of her own. Earning money isn’t easy for her? I’d say it’s the other way around. For her, making money is a lot easier than doing her homework."
Cheng Wenhui recalled the sight of Tan You struggling with her schoolwork before, her brow constantly furrowed, with no appetite for food or drink. ’Compared to that, maybe writing to earn money really is easier for her?’
"What about Tan Zhen? Did she ask about us?" Moving on from Tan You, Cheng Wenhui’s thoughts turned to other worries. She really had drawn the short straw in life. Her husband wasn’t particularly capable, yet he had a terrible temper. On top of that, she was stuck with a vicious mother-in-law and a sister-in-law who was a constant source of trouble, always making things difficult for them.
"Didn’t she ask the last time she was here? We already got rid of her. The excuse we gave last time must have thrown her off. She didn’t make the connection to Dad or Tan You."
Tan Lin plucked a tomato from a vine, wiped it casually on his t-shirt, and took a bite with a CRUNCH. "Hey, about that car Tan You said she’d buy you... how much was she planning to spend?"
Cheng Wenhui shot him a look. "Up to 200,000."
SPLAT. The tomato dropped from Tan Lin’s hand.
"Wait, what? An offer that good, and you haven’t agreed yet?" Forgetting all about the tomato on the ground, Tan Lin hurried after her. "We didn’t even spend that much on our apartment!"