Cheng Wenhui paid him no mind and went to the kitchen to help Tan You. Tan Lin followed her in. He’d forgotten all about Tan Desheng; all he could think about was sucking up to his eldest daughter.
Perhaps it was because Tan You had lifted her spirits so much today, but Cheng Wenhui was in a wonderful mood all day. Even while eating at the same table as Tan Zhen, she kept a smile on her face.
She no longer envied anyone else’s life; she felt her own was paradise. She used to harbor all sorts of resentment, but now, that bitterness and pain seemed to be slowly fading away.
The Tan family had retiled the roof recently, but the house still only had two rooms. When night fell, no matter how much Tan Zhen wanted to stay, she had to take Chen Chen and head home.
As for whether the visit had been fruitful, Tan You glanced at Tan Deming. He whispered, "I saw your second granduncle give her 2,000. Said it was for Chen Chen."
Tan You scoffed. "It’s his money. How he wants to spend it is his business. But the way he treats you... really..."
Tan Deming smiled. "In the past, I might have been upset. But not anymore. I have you. You’re more accomplished and more devoted than most children in this world."
"It doesn’t matter that I can’t enjoy the blessings a son is supposed to bring. My eldest granddaughter is incredible."
Tan You grinned. "It’s just a shame you’ll have to wait a little longer for your mansion."
Tan Deming waved a hand dismissively. "I’m not in a hurry. I’m very happy with how things are now. It’s just your grandma and me here. A mansion that big would be too much for the two of us, and I don’t want to live with your father anyway."
"With your dad, I can only handle seeing him every now and then. That’s how we can get along. If we lived together for too long, we’d inevitably end up fighting. And he’s got such a violent temper. I’m getting old; I just want to live my days in peace."
Tan You didn’t say anything bad about Tan Lin. Whether he was good or bad, she kept her judgments to herself and never voiced them.
Cheng Wenhui, who had taken the dishes to the well to wash, joined the conversation. "Your second granduncle is so good to Tan Zhen. When he saw she was leaving, he gave her another three thousand. Said it was for Xiaoqin."
She pursed her lips. "Whenever he came back in the past, he never once gave you any money. You remember that, don’t you?"
Tan You understood her mother’s feelings. Because Tan You was a girl, in Tan Desheng’s eyes, his older brother Tan Deming’s family line was practically at an end. That’s why he so obviously favored Tan Zhen’s family.
"In this day and age, it makes no difference whether you’re a man or a woman. Wasn’t he born of a woman himself? And yet he turns around and looks down on women. It’s laughable, really."
Tan You rarely dwelled on the past herself. "’The issue is not poverty, but inequality.’ I get it. Do you still feel bitter about it now?"
Cheng Wenhui thought for a moment. "It’s not so bad, really. In the past, when we begged him for help, he wouldn’t lift a finger. But now, I don’t need anything from him."
"I have a stable job now, and you’re helping out your dad. You’re so accomplished. I’ve found that all my old worries have just vanished. So when I saw him give money to Tan Zhen, I suddenly didn’t feel a shred of jealousy."
"I just don’t want to see him now, because as a person, he’s rotten to the core. The moment I see him, I’m reminded of how pathetic and desperate your dad and I used to be. And yet he has the gall to turn around and criticize us for every little thing."
Tan You took the dishes from her mother’s hands. "Then you don’t have to come back while he’s here. You have to go to work anyway. It’s the perfect excuse."
Cheng Wenhui smiled. "I thought you were going to..."
Tan You squeezed a pump of dish soap onto a sponge. "You’re my mother. He’s just a granduncle from a different branch of the family. I know how to tell who’s close and who’s distant."
She smiled. "There’s no reason you should have to feel wronged for the sake of an outsider. If you don’t want to see him, then don’t. No one gets to make you feel that way. I don’t care who they are."
Cheng Wenhui lowered her head, her eyes suddenly turning red. Tan You pretended not to notice. Tan Deming quietly moved to the side. ’His eldest granddaughter really is a softie when it comes to her own mother.’
Cheng Wenhui sniffled. "Hearing you say that... suddenly it feels like the past wasn’t so hard after all."
Tan You said softly, "You should go see Tan Zhen and Chen Chen off. They’re guests, after all. I can’t be bothered to talk to them. They’re too annoying."
Cheng Wenhui wiped her face. "Alright, I’ll go deal with them for you."
’So what if she’d given birth to two daughters? Her eldest daughter made up for everything. How many children bought their parents a house before even coming of age? In the entire village, Cheng Wenhui could say with pride—not a single one.’
In front of outsiders, both Cheng Wenhui and Tan Lin were socially adept, always leaving people with a positive impression. For instance, even though they couldn’t stand the sight of Tan Zhen, they could still see her off with warm smiles and pleasantries.
As for Tan Zhen, she was naturally delighted. She had brought her grandson back to her maiden home, shown her face, and walked away with 5,000 yuan. That was a hefty paycheck by any standard.
Wang Hunv had also seen Tan Desheng give money to Tan Zhen. Once everyone was gone, she sidled up to Tan You and whispered in her ear, "Your second granduncle is so biased. He gave something to everyone but you."
Tan You let out a laugh. She hadn’t expected the old woman to be indignant on her behalf. ’Come to think of it, that’s a rare sight,’ she thought.
When Tan You was happy, she liked to give people money, and right now was one of those times. She unzipped her backpack, casually pulled out a few bills, and handed them to her grandmother. "Take Grandpa out for a nice meal when you have a chance."
Wang Hunv clutched the money, her triangular eyes crinkling into a smile. "Really? For me? But doesn’t Grandpa usually go collect your money?"
Tan You replied, "Not all the letters are sent to the post office. Some come to my school."
Wang Hunv’s face lit up. "Alright, then I’ll hold onto it for you. Next time you come back, I’ll buy you some beef. I hear it doesn’t make you fat."
’Incredible,’ Tan You thought. ’The old woman is actually showing a bit of a compassionate heart, even if I was the one who gave her the money to be compassionate with.’
When Cheng Wenhui came in, she immediately saw the money in Wang Hunv’s hands. She knew without even thinking that it must have been from Tan You. Cheng Wenhui bristled for a second, but then she remembered the 200,000 yuan Tan You had promised her for a car that morning, and she immediately felt calm again.
’Besides, the old couple is depending on Tan You now,’ she thought. ’So it’s only right that she gives them some spending money, isn’t it?’
"They’ve all left. We should get ready to go back, too," Cheng Wenhui said, pretending she hadn’t seen the money and changing the subject.
Tan Yue hugged Tan You’s waist. "I don’t want to go back! I want to sleep with my big sister!"
Tan You raised an eyebrow. "Just let Tan Yue stay here. I was supposed to take her somewhere fun for the National Day holiday, but now we’ll have to put it off until winter break. Let her stay here for the next few days. When I head back to school, I’ll take her into town with me."
Cheng Wenhui didn’t object. ’Of course she wanted the sisters to be close. A strong sibling bond meant they would always have each other to care about and wouldn’t be so lonely in the future.’
"Fine. You be good and listen to your sister here," Cheng Wenhui said with a helpless gesture. "Your father and I are getting ready to head back, too. I start work again tomorrow. As for your father... I have no idea if he’ll be back or not."