The Ruan family prepared a homecoming banquet, but now that the main guests have already left, there's no point in the others staying.
Aunt Ruan originally wanted to comfort Ruan Man, but after thinking about everything that happened at the dinner table today, the words she was about to say were swallowed back. As an Aunt, she didn't come to the Ruan family often, so she didn't have deep feelings for her niece Ruan Man. After Ruan Su was recognized as a true member of the family, she knew that her feelings towards Ruan Man had diminished a lot, since they weren't related by blood. Anyway, Ruan Su was still a true member of the family.
Now that Ruan Man wants to embarrass Ruan Su, it's clear to everyone, and they can't help but grumble about it. Who does Ruan Man think she is, acting like a legitimate young lady of the Ruan family when she's just an adopted daughter?
Aunt Ruan is also upset and can't help but think, "If Ji Mingchong was doing well and woke up, why would I bother to appease this outsider, Ruan Man?"
Actually, they're just doing lip service. If they have to pay for something, like money, they wouldn't be willing to do so.
Everyone is afraid of empty promises. Lin Xiangdong might have some skills, but Ruan Man isn't a true member of the Ruan family. Can she really work towards the Ruan family's interests? Perhaps she has some feelings towards Father and Mother Ruan, but how deep is her affection for other relatives?
At this point, the relatives couldn't say any comforting words anymore, so everyone picked up their bags and went back to their own homes.
Aunt Ruan sat in the car with her daughter and couldn't help but remind her, "Don't get too close to Ruan Man in the future. She's just not a good person, and she's not your real cousin either."
Aunt Ruan's daughter nodded, "I think so too. Actually, I think Sister Susu is better…"
"Don't get too close to either of them!" Aunt Ruan sighed, "We can't get on Lin's boat, and the Ji family is already declining. Forget it. Your cousin Susu was right, everyone should just live their own lives!"
After the relatives of the Ruan family left, apart from the housekeeper aunties, only Mother Ruan and Ruan Man were left in the house.
Although Mother Ruan felt some resentment towards Ruan Su's ignorance in her heart, her mood became subtle when she thought of what Ruan Man had said today.
A good homecoming banquet, in plain terms, was ruined by what Ruan Man had said.
Mother Ruan looked at Ruan Man and couldn't help but say, "We had such a happy day today, why did you have to bring up something that shouldn't have been mentioned? I know In-law's Mother well. She can't stand it when others talk about her family. You shouldn't have brought up Ji Mingchong."
Ruan Man was still thinking about what Ruan Su had said. When she heard Mother Ruan also talking about her, she felt wronged and her eyes quickly turned red. "Mom, how could you say that too? Wasn't I doing it for Susu's sake? She's the one who's not sensible. What's the benefit of drawing a clear boundary with us? I even thought about waiting until she's had enough of the Ji family, until no one can point out anything wrong with the Ruan family, and then get her divorced. I'll have Xiangdong introduce her to a good person. Look, she doesn't even consider me a family member. What she said is what hurt my feelings!"
In this family, the easiest person to fool was Mother Ruan.
Mother Ruan also had feelings for Ruan Man. After all, she had raised Ruan Man for so many years. Whenever she saw Ruan Man almost crying, she didn't know what to do and quickly apologized, "Mom didn't mean it that way. I was just confused by Susu's anger. But, Manman, you're the elder sister. Su Su doesn't know any better, so you shouldn't be bothered by her. Don't hold a grudge against her…"
To Mother Ruan, both Ruan Su and Ruan Man were important. Although she knew that Ruan Su was closer to her, she had real feelings for Ruan Man after so many years. Moreover, now that there were also interests involved in their relationship, she had to comfort Ruan Man and take good care of her.
Ruan Man knew that in her past life, she returned home alone looking miserable, and Mother Ruan secretly gave her some money. That was Mother Ruan's private savings, and in this life, Mother Ruan would definitely do the same for Ruan Su. If it weren't for what happened today, Ruan Man wouldn't have bothered to interfere. However, Ruan Su had made her unhappy today, so Ruan Su shouldn't expect to be happy either.
With these thoughts in mind, Ruan Man cried and then took Mother Ruan's hand, saying, "After all this talking, we still don't have enough money. If Susu had some money, and if our family had money, wouldn't our lives be better? Mom, I came back today with an important matter. I met someone named Xiangdong at a dinner party before. She does business in the south and now wants to invest in a project. She asked if I'm interested. It's a surefire investment. I don't have any money, but do you, Mom?"
Mother Ruan was taken aback, not knowing whether to nod or shake her head. She had indeed saved some money over the years and had planned to secretly give half of it to Susu so that her life could be better.
But Manman couldn't have known about this.
Ruan Man kept talking about how good the project was and how capable the person was until Mother Ruan was also interested. In the end, she absent-mindedly took out the card that she had originally intended to give to Ruan Su. Mother Ruan thought that Susu still had some money, so she might as well invest this money first. When she earned more money, she could give some to Susu.
Ruan Man walked away contentedly with the card in her hand.
She no longer cared about the money. Now that she was engaged to Lin Xiangdong, would she need this amount in a few years? She didn't really intend to invest Mother Ruan's money. The project was all made up by her. She just couldn't stand the thought of Ruan Su living a comfortable life. If they had no money, how could their lives be good? Ruan Man knew that the Ji family was now very poor, and Ruan Su didn't have much money either. Only when she thought of Ruan Su living in poverty did she feel somewhat satisfied.
As she checked the account balance, she tightly clenched her hand in disbelief.
To her surprise, there was a whopping extra 200,000 yuan compared to her previous life!
At that moment, Ruan Man's jealousy towards Ruan Su almost reached its peak. She couldn't believe that Mother Ruan would show such favoritism despite claiming to treat both daughters equally. She had thought that Mother Ruan was closer to her, but reality had cruelly slapped her in the face. Biological child truly is different from a non-biological one.
Although she had already seen through Father and Mother Ruan, Ruan Man still regarded them as her parents. In her past life, she had concealed the secret, not only because she didn't want to lose her status as the Ruan family's young lady, but also because she didn't want to lose her parents' love. She didn't understand why Mother Ruan would favor Ruan Su despite the fact that her future was much brighter. It was true that where the money goes, so does the affection. It was clear that Ruan Su was much more important to Ruǎn Mother than she was.
Ruan Su didn't care about what Ruan Man was thinking. After going back home with Mother Ji and Maodou, Mother Ji's expression was not very good. She seemed to have remembered everything that had happened at the Ruan's house today and her face was not pleasant. Maodou was afraid when his Grandma would show this kind of expression, so he quickly left without waiting for Mother Ji to say anything, saying that he wanted to go downstairs and play with his friends.
Although Maodou was smart, he was still young and couldn't quite understand what was happening at home.
He only knew that he shouldn't get involved. After all, he had done something wrong today and his Grandma was already unhappy. It would be safer for him to stay away.
Maodou quickly found his friends and they went to play with sand at the old flower bed. He used to love playing with sand, but today he was distracted and didn't hear his friends talking to him.
He was thinking about how he had just run away and whether he was being irresponsible. He felt like he was not a real man. What if his Grandma bullied his Aunt? Or what if his Aunt bullied his Grandma? The more he thought about it, the more scared he became, especially of the possibility of them fighting at home.
He couldn't stop worrying about what was happening at home, so he gave up playing with sand and stood up resignedly, clapping his hands.
As his little friend saw him walking towards the residential building, he loudly asked, "What are you doing, Ji Junting?"
Maodou turned his head with a helpless expression and replied, "Resolving the people's conflicts."
His little friend didn't understand, but it sounded very impressive to him.
Maodou walked home while sighing towards the sky. He was just a child in kindergarten, yet he had to deal with such difficult matters.
—Uncle, wake up soon and handle these things! As it should be his Uncle's responsibility.
Now, he was taking on the burden that his Uncle should have shouldered.
Maodou climbed the stairs and let out a long sigh, "When Uncle wakes up, he should buy me a remote-controlled airplane."
The atmosphere in the room was not as tense as Maodou had imagined.
Neither Mother Ji nor Ruan Su were the kind of people who would fight with others. However, they did sit down and have a conversation, and the content of their conversation was far from peaceful.
Today, Ruan Su's performance not only shocked the Ruan family but also greatly surprised Mother Ji.
Mother Ji didn't interact with Ruan Su much. Before Ruan Su came to Ji's house, they had only met a few times in total. Although Mother Ji didn't think Ruan Su was a pushover, she didn't consider Ruan Su to be particularly formidable either. After all, Ruan Su was still young, not even twenty-five years old. In Mother Ji's understanding, a twenty-four-year-old young girl, even if she was cunning and scheming, shouldn't be able to deceive someone like Mother Ji who had experienced a lot in life.
Today, Ruan Su completely overturned Mother Ji's perception. Mother Ji had originally thought that she was always bullied by Ruan Man, but now it seemed that it wasn't the case. On the contrary, she was just concealing her abilities, or perhaps she didn't care enough to bother. Once she decided to fight back, Ruan Man couldn't withstand it at all.
Someone like Ruan Su was either genuinely good or incredibly cunning and scheming. It was hard to tell.
Mother Ji had originally not intended to pay attention to this matter, but considering Ruan Su's decent behavior at home these past few days, she naturally wanted to express some words in advance.
"In the beginning, it was your Ruan family who did everything they could, knowing that my husband was soft-hearted and kind, which allowed your Ruan family to take advantage and form a marriage alliance with our family. After the marriage, the Ruan family gained countless benefits, your father may have told you, or maybe he didn't. The reason I insisted on having a young girl like you marry into our family was for the sake of our reputation. But I never truly intended to trap you for a lifetime. If you are a good person and willing to consider this family as your own, then I naturally welcome you. But the prerequisite is that you genuinely consider yourself a part of this family and not someone with ulterior motives."
Ruan Su listened without interrupting. She knew that Mother Ji had much more to say.
Mother Ji said, "If you don't want to stay in this family, I won't force you. Now that I'm no longer angry, and you've seen the situation at home, I'm not too keen on keeping an outsider with ill intentions. Perhaps you've heard from someone that I have something hidden away and you want to squeeze gold and silver from this old lady. Well, let me advise you, don't hold onto that illusion. Maodou's biological mother sends money every year, not a small amount, but it's meant for Maodou, and that money will only be spent on Maodou. I don't have much savings, and I haven't been able to earn money these past few years. As for this house, I've already made a will. This house belongs to Maodou. Even if Mingchong wakes up one day, then he'll only have half of this house.
"If you think you can gain something, save your energy. With your appearance and character, finding another way might be better for you. I'm not an easy person to fool. Even if I had something, which I don't, I wouldn't necessarily give it to my child, let alone to a daughter-in-law who could leave at any time."
The youngest son and the eldest grandson are the lifeblood of the old lady. Mother Ji had lost her eldest son first and then her husband. The reason she could keep going was for her still unconscious youngest son and her grandson, Maodou. Everything she did was for these two people, not for herself. She would surely arrange everything and then pass away. How could she leave her life-saving assets to a daughter-in-law?
Mother Ji explained everything to Ruan Su, breaking it down for her, all for the sake of Maodou's fondness for her.
It would be good if Ruan Su could understand and let go of any unnecessary thoughts.
As Ruan Su listened to Mother Ji, there was a moment when she wanted to explain the reasons why she had come here. However, in the end, she didn't say anything. She didn't want to complicate matters further. It was normal for Mother Ji not to trust her now, and if she were to reveal what happened many years ago, Mother Ji would probably suspect her motives even more. She came here simply to help this family and make Mother Ji's life a little better, not to gain anything. If she could earn Mother Ji's trust, that would be great, but if not, it didn't matter.
When Father Ji helped her back then, he certainly didn't expect anything in return.
Mother Ji silently watched Ruan Su sitting on the sofa beside her.
There was no doubt that Ruan Su was a beautiful woman. Both Father and Mother Ruan were good-looking, especially Mother Ruan. Back in the day, Mother Ruan almost stepped into the entertainment industry and was renowned for her beauty. Ruan Su inherited the advantages of both of them and was even more beautiful than Mother Ruan during her prime.
For a beauty like Ruan Su, if she truly had such intentions, it would be a waste of effort for her to stay in the Ji family. With the energy and time she had, she should think of other ways and explore different paths that might yield higher returns.
After a moment, Ruan Su spoke up.
Her hands rested on her knees, and her fingers were fair and slender.
"Don't worry. I don't have any ulterior motives," she paused and continued, "When the time comes for me to leave, I will leave."
If there comes a day when Ji Mingchong wakes up and the Ji family is on the right track, at that time, she won't be needed anymore, and she will leave.
She had already thought it through. If that day really comes, she will return to her former home, find an ordinary job, and if luck is on her side, meet someone she likes and build a happy little family.
But the prerequisite for all that is Ji Mingchong waking up.
If Ji Mingchong never wakes up, she has prepared herself mentally for that outcome.
After hearing what she said, Mother Ji glanced at her and was carefully pondering the meaning of her words when a sound came from the door. Maodou, who was supposed to be playing outside, sneaked in with a cautious expression on his face.
"Why are you back so early?" Mother Ji asked.
Seeing that the two of them weren't fighting, Maodou breathed a sigh of relief and replied, "It's not fun outside, so I came back."
Mother Ji understood her grandson. Seeing the mischievous look in his eyes, she knew what he meant.
She also figured it out. Whether it's a donkey or a horse, take it out for a walk and you'll find out. Her eyes have never been deceived. Whether Ruan Su is good or not, it can't be seen in just a day or two. Given enough time, true colors will be revealed.
"Then go do your homework," Mother Ji said with a stern face.
Ruan Su also stood up and said to Maodou, "What do you want to eat tonight? I'll prepare it in advance."
Maodou's eyes lit up, "Anything is fine?"
Ruan Su replied, "…Not really, it depends on whether we can buy it or not."
"Well, I want to eat those chicken wings from yesterday. They were so delicious."
"Okay, I'll make more today."
Even Mother Ji had to admit that Ruan Su's arrival had made her life much easier. She no longer had to cook every day or worry about her grandson's meals. What surprised her the most was that Ruan Su was willing to stay in the master bedroom. During those two days, she was worried that Ruan Su wouldn't get up at night to take care of her son, so she secretly got up and eavesdropped outside. As a result, she found Ruan Su actually got up every two hours to turn her son over and give him a massage.
After all, she was sixty years old this year and hadn't slept through the night for several years. Her health was not as good as before. If Ruan Su was a trustworthy person, she would have to burn incense to thank the Gods.
Maodou shouted happily, "Great! I'm going to eat an extra bowl of rice today!"
Mother Ji urged him, "Aren't you going to do your homework?"
Maodou shrunk his neck and casually picked up a picture book from the coffee table. He then rushed towards the master bedroom and said, "I haven't talked to Uncle yet today. I want to tell him everything that happened!"
After speaking, he entered the master bedroom and closed the door.
In the living room, Mother Ji didn't look at Ruan Su again. Ruan Su took money from the biscuit tin and prepared to go out to buy groceries. She had been relatively free recently, and with two weekends plus five days of wedding leave, she had nine days off and could familiarize herself with the Ji family's house and the surrounding area.
In the master bedroom, Maodou dragged a chair and sat by the bedside. He only dared to talk to his Uncle during the daytime.
As time went by, he got used to it. Sometimes, when something unhappy or inconvenient happened that he couldn't tell his Grandma, he would tell his Uncle.
Even if he cried because he was upset, his Uncle would not make fun of him. His Uncle was the best person to confide in!
Maodou looked at his Uncle and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Uncle, since the day of the wedding, Aunt has been bullied by that vine. I've noticed that Aunt seems very pitiful. None of her relatives help her. Although Grandma is strict with me, if someone bullied me like that, Grandma would definitely help me. Uncle, if you wake up, please be nicer to Aunt because she is so pitiful. And, and, remember to buy Aunt the biggest and most beautiful ring. I told Aunt about it, and if you don't buy it, she will think I can't keep my promises and won't trust what I say anymore."
Ji Mingchong lay on the bed. The sunlight was streaming through the window, gradually moving until it finally shone on his legs.
He closed his eyes tightly and remained motionless, as if he had truly become a breathing plant.
But it was strange, because he just lay there like that, both Mother Ji and Maodou felt unusually at ease. They firmly believed that this man would definitely wake up, and as long as he was there, their family would be complete. If he woke up, it would be the best day ever!
Ruan Su went out to buy groceries and passed by a jewelry store that was having a promotion.
Out of curiosity, she walked into the store and looked at the jewelry displayed in the glass case. A thought crossed her mind. In her life's first wedding, she didn't have a ring or a groom. The groom was still there, so why not make up for the ring? The silver rings were quite affordable, and Ruan Su chose a pair of simple circle rings without any decorations.
She had no idea what ring size Ji Mingchong wore.
The salesperson assured her that if they were too big or too small, she could come back to exchange them.
Ruan Su walked out of the store with the pair of rings. The sunlight was just right, and she looked up at the sky, feeling that the wedding seemed a bit more complete now that she had bought the rings.
After Ruan Su bought the ring and returned home, she began to feel a little regretful.
Influenced by her foster mother, Ruan Su was someone who paid great attention to the sense of ceremony. Even when she lived alone in that narrow room, she would often go to the flower shop to buy a bouquet of flowers to put at home, which would make her feel very good. She always tried to make her days as enjoyable as possible, and this habit continued when she moved to Ji's house. When she came back with a bouquet of baby's breath, humming a song and placing it in a vase, Mother Ji came in from outside and took a few extra glances at the scene, which was rare.
Although it had only been two short days, Ruan Su had indeed brought more vitality to this household.
Every time she went out to buy groceries, she would bring back something, and there was a small pot of succulent plants on the balcony of the master bedroom.
After dinner, Ruan Su suddenly pulled out a jigsaw puzzle and handed it to Maodou, as if performing a magic trick.
Mao Dou asked with surprise, "Is it for me?"
Ruan Su smiled and shook her head, saying, "No."
Mao Dou disappointedly exclaimed, "It's not for me…"
Ruan Su continued, "I really like this puzzle and want to complete it and hang it in the bedroom, but it's too difficult for me. Maodou, could you help me?"
Maodou regained his enthusiasm and said, "What's so difficult about it?" He patted his chest and added, "Don't worry, leave it to me!"
"If you help me finish the puzzle, then I'll give you another gift, okay?"
Maodou looked at her and asked, "A gift? What kind of gift?"
"You can pick something you like as a gift," Ruan Su knew that Maodou was very sensible and never made any demands. But the more he was like that, the more she felt sorry for him. She wanted to make this child as happy as other children, if possible. However, they weren't very close yet, and always buying toys for Maodou might make him uncomfortable. It might also go against the principle of educating grandchildren set by Mother Ji. So she came up with this idea.
She was just Maodou's aunt, and their relationship wasn't particularly close. The responsibility of educating Maodou fell on Mother Ji. Ruan Su didn't have the confidence to believe that she could educate a child well… She was well aware of her position. She could only be an aunt who cared about Maodou's life as much as possible.
When she finished speaking, she deliberately glanced at Mother Ji. Mother Ji didn't show any other expression on her face, as if she didn't oppose the idea. Ruan Su secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Maodou couldn't believe it and asked, "Really? Will I really have a gift?"
Ruan Su smiled and said, "Of course."
Maodou was obviously very excited and couldn't wait to start solving the puzzle.
Ruan Su was about to clean up the dishes and chopsticks when Mother Ji stopped her and said, "It's better to have a clear division of labor at home. If you're willing to cook now, I won't stop you. But you don't have to do the cleaning, I can still manage."
Actually, in Ruan Su's opinion, Mother Ji was far from being an evil mother-in-law. She had seen what a truly evil mother-in-law was like, and Mother Ji was not like that at all.
Although Mother Ji is not particularly caring to her, after spending these few days together, Mother Ji did not deliberately make it difficult for her.
On the contrary, Mother Ji is someone who pays great attention to boundaries.
Mother Ji had previously made it clear that she would personally bear all the living expenses in the house. She wouldn't contribute a penny more than she should, and she wouldn't contribute a penny less than she should.
It can be seen that rumors may not be true. Before Ruan Su came to Ji's house, she had heard from others about how difficult it was to get along with Mother Ji, especially from the words of Ruan Man and Mother Ruan. According to them, Mother Ji was an extremely harsh person. But in reality, to put it bluntly, compared to her own biological mother, Ruan Su would rather be with someone like Mother Ji…
Although they haven't spent much time together, Ruan Su also knows that Mother Ji is someone who sticks to her word. Ruan Su doesn't insist and generously gives up her place in the kitchen.
Without having to clean up the dishes, Ruan Su simply returned to her room to take care of Ji Mingchong.
Before their meal, she had already fed Ji Mingchong some liquid food through a feeding tube. Taking care of a vegetative person is not an easy task. If they don't hire a nurse, someone has to take care of him all day long. This room has been turned into a sickroom by Mother Ji, equipped with an oxygen monitor and various medical devices to monitor Ji Mingchong's vital signs at all times.
She sat beside him, picked up a warm towel, and gently wiped his hands. She noticed that his nails were getting a bit long, so she took out a nail clipper from the bedside table and carefully trimmed his nails. His hands were well-formed, with long and distinct fingers. Looking at his hands, she naturally thought of the ring she bought today. After giving it some thought, she took out the men's ring from her bag and solemnly put it on his finger.
The ring was slightly big, but it actually suited him. Since he had been bedridden, his fingers were prone to swelling, so it fit well when worn.
With both of them wearing the same style of ring, it seemed to imply a certain sense of being husband and wife.
The vacation period passed quickly. Ruan Su had become familiar with the surroundings and knew which supermarket had fresher vegetables and which fruit shop had better fruits. Mother Ji rarely initiated conversations with her, but Maodou was becoming closer to her every day. She found the slightly old and worn three-bedroom apartment quite cozy.
Ruan Su worked at a chain medical examination center, and the working hours there suited her well. She worked in the blood collection area and had one day off per week, not having to work on Sundays. However, the medical examination center also had specific time requirements. Blood collection would typically stop around ten o'clock. She could finish work before five o'clock in the afternoon, but she had to start earlier than others.
She and Mother Ji had also adjusted their schedules and reached a consensus.
While she was at work, Mother Ji took care of Ji Mingchong, and when she finished work, it was her turn to look after him.
For Ruan Su, her current life was a bit tiring, but she felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction and fulfillment.
Maodou was still attending kindergarten, and there was a school bus to pick him up and drop him off every day. Currently, they didn't need to spend too much effort taking care of him. However, when he starts primary school next September, their lives might become busier.
It was Sunday, and Ruan Su didn't have to work. She woke up early and went to the supermarket to buy pork bones to be stewed for soup.
Mother Ji made plans with Grandma Wang from the neighboring house to go up to the rooftop together to sun the quilts. They were of similar age and temperament, and they got along well.
Grandma Wang exclaimed, "Your daughter-in-law is really a great girl!"
Living close to each other, Grandma Wang had long noticed the changes in the Ji's house.
Mother Ji just smiled and didn't continue the conversation. Ruan Su looks great now, but what kind of person she is on the inside is not something that can be seen in a month or two.
Grandma Wang was initially praising Ruan Su for being capable, but as they were about to go downstairs, she changed the subject and lowered her voice, saying, "Sister, I don't consider you an outsider, that's why I'm telling you these annoying words. Please don't mind. It's not easy for a young girl like Ruan Su."
Mother Ji smiled, "I know what you mean."
Grandmother Wang sighed in relief, "I was afraid you would misunderstand. We are all women, and naturally, we sympathize with this girl. I can't stand those troublesome mothers-in-law, of course, those daughters-in-law who don't respect their mothers-in-law are also not good. But between you and Ruan Su, you're not really mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, right?"
Ruan Su and Mother Ji couldn't be considered mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
Although Ruan Su went through the wedding ceremony with Ji Mingchong, everyone knows that Ji Mingchong is a vegetative state. Ruan Su has never even interacted with him before. If Ji Mingchong wakes up, it would be fine, but if he doesn't, it wouldn't be appropriate for Ruan Su, a beautiful young girl, to spend her whole life in this family.
Therefore, everyone knows that Ruan Su is currently Ji Mingchong's "wife," but nobody takes it seriously.
Mother Ji nodded slightly. She has lived to this age and knows that a forced relationship would not end well. Even if Ruan Su is a good person, and is willing to take care of her son for the rest of Ruan Su's life, she wouldn't agree to it. It would harm Ruan Su. And if Ruan Su has ulterior motives, keeping Ruan Su in the Ji family for a lifetime would eventually lead to resentment and possibly create trouble for her own family. The selfish desire to have someone take care of her son forever is ultimately unattainable.
She made a mistake once, but she can't afford to make the same mistake again.
Ruan Su hadn't even reached the entrance of the residential area after buying groceries when she saw her older brother, Ruan Shuyang.
When she was recognized by the Ruan family, she was already an adult and had grown accustomed to a life without parents. Therefore, she couldn't develop a close relationship with Father and Mother Ruan, but she still had some affection for this elder brother.
Similarly, Ruan Shuyang was genuinely good to Ruan Su. He always wanted to make it up to his younger sister. He had been on a business trip for a while, and as soon as he returned, without even resting properly, he came to see Ruan Su.
Ruan Su was somewhat happy and wanted to take Ruan Shuyang upstairs to sit for a while.
However, Ruan Shuyang waved his hand and said with some embarrassment, "I didn't even help the Ji family before, so let's forget it. I'll just talk a few words with you and leave."
After saying that, he took out a card from his pocket and handed it to Ruan Su. "The password is your birthday. There isn't much money inside. The family's situation isn't as good as before, and the company as well. I don't have much cash on hand that I can spare, so you take it and use it. If it's not enough, call me."
Ruan Su quickly refused, saying, "No, no, I have money, and I also have a salary from my job!"
"It's not just for you. The Ji family is in this situation now, and everything requires money. Aunt Ji is getting old, she can't go out to work, and the whole family needs to eat. There will be even more expenses in the future." Ruan Shuyang continued, "In fact, our family is where it is today because of Uncle Ji's full support. Without Uncle Ji's assistance, the Ruan family wouldn't be doing so well. It's just a pity that the Ji family's situation was such that no one could have saved it unless Mingchong woke up. Susu, you didn't have to get involved in this mess. Every member of the Ruan family has received kindness from the Ji family, the goodness of the Ji family, but you…"
If in the past, Ruan Shuyang had some sibling affection for Ruan Man, it had diminished significantly since Ruan Man insisted on pushing this engagement onto Ruan Su.
In Ruan Shuyang's opinion, it was Ruan Man's insistence that led to the engagement between Ruan Man and Ji Mingchong. After the engagement, the Ruan family also gained tangible benefits. Ji Mingchong became a vegetative, and the Ji family declined, but Ruan Man was unwilling to marry him. She could have fought for her own rights, but she didn't. Instead, she pushed this unwanted marriage contract onto Ruan Su.
Initially, Ruan Shuyang disagreed and told Father Ruan that if Ji family insisted on the marriage, it should be with Ruan Man. If she didn't want to marry, then neither should. The Ruan family could compensate the Ji family in other ways, such as providing substantial economic support or even helping the Ji family make a comeback. However, Ruan's father did not agree. In his view, marrying off a daughter could settle the matter, so why use other means?
In the end, it was Ruan Su who voluntarily said she was willing, and that's how the conflict ended.
Ruan Shuyang became disheartened, and he visited home less frequently. In recent years, he even had thoughts of starting his own business.
Ruan Su smiled and said, "How do you know I haven't received kindness from the Ji family?"
She really wanted to tell her elder brother about what had happened to her back then, but she couldn't. Her elder brother was a very sensitive person, and if he knew, it wouldn't just make him unhappy, but it would also burden him.
So, she had no choice but to give up.
"Hey," Ruan Shuyang naturally didn't take her words seriously and continued, "Take this card. There's not much money in it, but it's a little something from me. When I earn more in the future, I'll give you more. Don't shortchange yourself, okay?"
Seeing her older brother insist like this, Ruan Su knew that he could be particularly stubborn about certain things, so she simply accepted the card and blinked, saying, "Then I'll take it. If I have money in the future, I'll pay you back. If I don't," she paused, and rarely made a joke, "then I'll have to pay you back in my next life."
Ruan Shuyang chuckled and reached out to pat her head, "Are you doing well here?"
Ruan Su turned the question around, "Brother, do you think I can make Ji family's life a little better?"
"Of course you can, I never doubted it," Ruan Shuyang looked at the residential building and thought of the once-admired Ji Mingchong, with a sad expression, "It would be great if Mingchong woke up. You and him would definitely be a good match and could live happily."
Ordinary and uneventful days pass quickly.
When Ruan Su first came to Ji's house, it was still late summer, but in the blink of an eye, it was already late autumn. After these few months, Ruan Su gradually adapted to this kind of life. The tenth day of each month was payday. On that day, Ruan Su received a text message notification from the bank and discovered that her salary for this month was unexpectedly three hundred yuan more than before. She specifically asked the finance department and her superiors and learned that it was because of her excellent performance that they gave her a raise in advance. On this day, because of these three hundred yuan, she happily went to buy half a roasted duck and some white fungus. Lately, the weather has been dry, so she would stew white fungus soup every few days.
Under her careful care, Ji Mingchong's complexion improved somewhat compared to before. He even gained two pounds when he was taken to the hospital for various check-ups last time.
Because of these two pounds, Mother Ji has become a bit closer to her than before.
When Ruan Su returned home, Maodou had already come back from school. Mother Ji went to the neighbor's house to learn knitting from Grandma Wang, so Mother Ji was not at home. Ruan Su walked towards the bedroom and heard Maodou's voice coming from inside, which made her stop in her tracks.
Maodou talks to Ji Mingchong every day. Sometimes it's a short conversation to report on his kindergarten situation before sneaking out to watch TV, and sometimes it takes more than half an hour as he confides his worries.
Children also have secrets, but Ruan Su had no intention of prying.
However, the door was not closed, and she caught a few sentences of what Maodou said—
"Uncle, the day after tomorrow is my birthday…
"Actually, not every kid in the class celebrates their birthday at the kindergarten. I lied to Xiao Min and told her that my birthday is on Saturday."
Ruan Su was taken aback. She ran to the calendar and sure enough, Mother Ji had circled and marked the day after tomorrow in red, showing Maodou's birthday.
Nowadays, kindergarten classes have their own group chats, but Mother Ji isn't very familiar with using WeChat, so she isn't in the group. Whenever there's something happening in the class, the teacher always calls Mother Ji directly. Maodou is a sensible child and knows that his family is not doing well, so he wouldn't ask Mother Ji to celebrate his birthday at the kindergarten. Maodou has been in kindergarten for two years and has never celebrated his birthday there. The teachers don't enforce a rule that every parent has to buy a cake for their child on their birthday. Maodou's teacher knows about his family situation and would prepare a small gift for Maodou on his birthday, without letting the other children know.
Because children say whatever comes to their mind, if they knew it was Maodou's birthday, they would definitely congratulate him but also ask why there's no cake.
This would embarrass Maodou, as children also have their pride.
Although the teacher feels sorry for Maodou, the teacher wouldn't buy him a cake to celebrate. If the kindergarten administration and other parents found out about it, it wouldn't be appropriate.
As for Mother Ji, she has been taking care of her son every day, which has already made her tired. Naturally, she didn't notice Maodou's true thoughts. Maodou also never made a fuss about this matter. So, on Maodou's birthday, Mother Ji would only buy a small cake from the bakery to avoid wasting money. She wouldn't eat it herself, Ji Mingchong couldn't eat it either, only Maodou would eat it.
Ruan Su believes that if Mother Ji knew that Maodou wanted a big cake, Mother Ji would buy it for him no matter what.
But now, if Mother Ji were to find out… it would only make the old woman blame herself for neglecting her grandson's needs.
After much contemplation, Ruan Su decided to discreetly resolve the matter. After dinner, she used taking out the garbage as an excuse to go to the cake shop near the residential area. She ordered a two-layered large cake and also went to the pizza shop to pre-order pizzas and snacks.
On the day of the birthday, Ruan Su took a few hours off work and left early. Instead of directly bringing the cake to the kindergarten, she went home with the intention of picking up Mother Ji. When Mother Ji saw her carrying the cake box, she was momentarily stunned.
"So, that's how it is," Mother Ji murmured.
After entrusting Ji Mingchong to their neighbor, the two of them went to the kindergarten.
Ruan Su had already discussed with the kindergarten teacher the day before, and the teacher was waiting at the entrance to lead them to the classroom.
Maodou was very happy today. He thought that he would only have a small cake for his birthday, but he didn't expect his Aunt and Grandma to bring a two-layered cake, as well as pizza, fries, and cola!
The children in the class were also ecstatic, as they all loved celebrating birthdays!
Mother Ji looked at her grandson's excited and flushed face, unconsciously smiling.
Suddenly, the kindergarten teacher standing next to Mother Ji said, "Junting's Grandma, at first, I thought Miss Ruan was Junting's mother. But then I saw how young she looks and realized it couldn't be."
Because the kindergarten teacher mentioned Ruan Su, Mother Ji instinctively shifted her gaze to Ruan Su, who was busy distributing pizza to the children.
Ruan Su has become thinner. Sometimes even Ji Mu couldn't help but think, "If this girl's kindness is really just a disguise, then she's really amazing."
Ruan Su has never deliberately tried to please anyone at home, and she has never shown a look of grievance. It seems like everything she does is natural, as if… she has been living in this family for a very long time and has already become a part of it.
After Maodou's birthday, the Ji family returned to their usual daily life. One day, Ruan Su came back from work after buying groceries and saw Mother Ji sitting on the sofa being busy. Upon inquiring, she found out that Mother Ji had actually taken up some work from the factory!
Ruan Su could hardly believe her ears.
Mother Ji still said in a calm tone, "I'm idle anyway. It was introduced by Grandma Wang next door. The work is not difficult, just folding packaging boxes."
This was the result of Ruan Su's efforts over the past few months. Otherwise, in the past, Mother Ji Mu would never have explained so much to her.
"Is there no money at home?" Ruan Su suppressed the bitterness in her heart and asked.
Mother Ji said, "Folding one earns thirty cents, and in the time I'm idle for a day, I can fold a hundred."
Her tone was indifferent, as if she didn't think it was a big deal.
Ruan Su calculated it, thirty cents for one, then a hundred would only be thirty yuan!
She knew that Mother Ji was not always idle at home. Every two hours, she had to turn Ji Mingchong over and feed him liquid food at regular intervals. Now she had to take on such work at the factory…
"I have money," Ruan Su looked at her. "My monthly salary is enough to cover the expenses of a family. As for the nursing fees for Mingchong, I have enough savings to provide for him."
"You keep that money," Mother Ji also had her own insistence. "I'll do what I can when I can. If I can't do it, I won't force myself. Although the money is not much, it can still subsidize our lives. As for you, Ruan Su, what I said earlier still stands. If you're willing to stay here, I won't drive you away. But whenever you want to leave, I won't stop you either. You're still young, and there's a long way ahead of you. It's not a bad idea to save some money for yourself."
Ruan Su felt warmth in her heart.
People are inherently compassionate, she had always believed. In this world, most things are exchanged with sincerity. Although Mother Ji still didn't consider her as family, it was much better than before. Right now, Mother Ji didn't accept her money because Mother Ji didn't see her as part of the family. She believed that one day Mother Ji would accept it. Until then, she shouldn't do anything to disrupt the existing rules.
Ruan Su didn't attempt to argue with Mother Ji anymore. She simply made a soft sound of agreement as if she had taken it to heart.
The situation in the Ji family wasn't terribly dire, at least that's what Ruan Su could see. Mother Ji still had some savings to sustain their lives, and Maodou's biological mother paid a considerable amount of child support every year. Mother Ji even opened an account in Maodou's name to save the money… This family was slowly moving forward. Even Ruan Su couldn't help but pray silently, hoping for a miracle that Ji Mingchong would wake up. Only then would this family truly become better.
Ruan Su entered the room and took advantage of the faint sunlight that could still reach the room. She bathed Ji Mingchong in the sunlight and picked up the newspaper she had received at the medical center today, her face filled with a sense of desolation as she read aloud.
In the medical examination center, there are many magazines and newspapers. She usually takes the financial newspaper.
For someone like her, who is not knowledgeable in this field, the financial newspaper is terribly boring and dry… The colorful entertainment section is much more appealing.
But unfortunately, none of the information she found about Ji Mingchong's preferences had anything to do with the entertainment industry.
He enjoys playing golf, fencing, and rock climbing.
He used to be known as a business genius in people's mouths.
She thought that he should be interested in the content of financial newspapers. So on normal days, apart from chatting with him about daily life matters, she would read him these financial news articles. Sometimes she would even search for some jokes to tell him.
"The European and American stock markets have suffered a 'major hemorrhage.' Looking at the weekly trend, the three major US indices all experienced a decline last week…"
Inside the room, the young woman's voice was gentle. If someone were to see this scene, it would be a picture-perfect tranquil moment.
The man was lying on one side while the woman sat beside him, holding a newspaper. Sunlight streamed into the room, making it slightly warmer on this late autumn afternoon.
Ruan Su wasn't very familiar with finance. Sometimes, as she read, she even paused at the wrong places in sentences.
As she pronounced those professional terms, she felt her tongue almost tying itself in knots. After a moment, she reluctantly put down the newspaper and unconsciously leaned towards Ji Mingchong, her face filled with pain. She said, "I have a terrible headache. This stuff is so boring. How can anyone enjoy reading these newspapers? It's unbelievable…"
Mother Ji stood at the doorway, listening to Ruan Su's soft complaints, and a rare smile appeared on her face.
Modern technology liberates life. Before the arrival of the Winter Solstice, Ruan Su added a sweeping and mopping robot as well as a dishwasher to Ji's house. Unconsciously, she has been at Ji's house for almost four months. During these four months, she felt as if time had been accelerated. Before she could react, she had already put on a thick winter coat.
Here, the Winter Solstice is also a day of reunion. Since that day of her homecoming banquet, Ruan Su has never returned to Ruan's house, and her parents never cotacted her.
On this day, just as Ruan Su finished work and was about to enter the building, she received a call from her mother.
In a cautious tone, her mother said, "Susu, the Winter Solstice is in two days. Come back and have a meal. Your father hasn't seen you in a long time."
Sometimes Mother Ruan also felt troubled. If they had found their daughter a few years earlier, things would have been different, and at least their relationship wouldn't be so distant.
Even for a child raised by their side since childhood, if they are absent for a few years, the relationship cannot be repaired. Moreover, Ruan Su's absence was not just a few years, but nearly twenty years. Mother Ruan still remembers that when Susu first returned to the Ruan family, Susu wouldn't even call her mother. The twenty-year-old Susu was no longer someone who could be swayed by a dress or a teddy bear. Before she could repair this mother-daughter relationship, Susu was forced to replace Manman for the engagement.
In fact, she knew very well what she owed her daughter.
She had been with her husband for many years, and the interests and honor of the Ruan family always came first. Initially, it was Ruan Man who didn't want this engagement, but her husband didn't object because Ji Mingchong had almost no chance of waking up. Even if he did wake up, the Ji family had already declined, and without power and money, how could he return to his former state… Ji Mingchong was already a waste. But, before Susu came back, the Ruan family had no choice and couldn't actually cancel the engagement. After Susu returned, they had to choose one of the two daughters to marry into the Ji family. Considering the pros and cons, it was better for Susu to marry into the Ji family.
Sure enough, not long after, Manman got together with Lin Xiangdong.
When Manman marries into the Lin family, the Ruan family will have an extra layer of security and support.
Doesn't she and her husband know that they owe their biological daughter? Of course, they know… but if they really want to make it up, they have to wait until the Ruan family returns to how it used to be. She has already thought it through. At most, she will wait for two or three more years before she takes the initiative to talk to Mother Ji and bring Susu back. By then, Susu will still be young and can continue to live a happy life.
Ruan Su walked into the hallway and said to Mother Ruan on the other end of the phone, "I might not have time that day." After a pause, she added, "Will Ruan Man go back that day too?"
Mother Ruan subconsciously ignored the latter sentence and frowned, asking, "You don't have time? Don't you finish work early every day?"
Before Ruan Su could say anything, Mother Ruan continued, "I heard that the Ji family doesn't have a nanny. Is your mother-in-law making you do everything now?"
"No," Ruan Su said, and it was the truth. She was not idle in the Ji family, but Mother Ji didn't make her do everything.
Ruan Su realized she was almost home and decided not to say more. "Mom, I'll call you another day. I have something to do now."
Mother Ruan had no choice but to hang up the phone. When she checked the time, she knew her daughter had finished work. She knew exactly what her daughter was busy with. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She even lost her appetite for dinner and went straight upstairs to her room to lie down.
Meanwhile, Ruan Su climbed a few steps and looked up at the light in the hallway. She noticed it last night when she went downstairs to throw out the trash. The hallway light flickered on and off inconsistently. Now that winter had arrived, it was dark early and bright late. If the light suddenly went out, it would be easy to trip and fall. She was fine because she was still young, but Mother Ji was already old. If the light went out and she tripped, it would be a big problem.
With these thoughts in mind, Ruan Su no longer wasted time. She took a detour and went outside the residential area to hire someone to replace the light bulbs in the hallway. Only then did she feel at ease.
When Ruan Man returned home today, as soon as she entered the house, she heard the housekeeper say that Mother Ruan hadn't eaten dinner. She went upstairs to the bedroom and sure enough, she saw Mother Ruan sitting on the edge of the bed sighing.
Ruan Man didn't need to guess; she knew that Mother Ruan was upset because of RUan Su.
Sure enough, when Mother Ruan saw her approaching, Mother Ruan grabbed her and said, "The Ji family's house is too old and small. I've been thinking, Susu must be uncomfortable living there. How about I just rent a big house for her and find her a nanny? That way, her life will be easier."
Ruan Man had heard the same words from Mother Ruan in her previous life.
She had a subtle psychological conflict. Even though she knew in her heart that Ruan Su was Mother Ruan's biological daughter, and it was only natural for Mother Ruan to take care of Ruan Su, she still felt uncomfortable. Deep down, she felt that Mother Ruan shouldn't treat her and Ruan Su equally. After all, she grew up with Mother Ruan, so how could she be treated the same as Ruan Su?
"Let's not cause any trouble," Ruan Man said. "Aunt Ji would never agree. Didn't we already discuss providing money for Ji Mingchong to stay in a nursing home? She didn't agree to that, so how could she agree to move out now?"
In her previous life, she also wanted to move to a brighter and more luxurious house, but Mother Ji never agreed. She wouldn't mind living alone, but at that time, she hadn't given up hope yet. She was still fixated on Mother Ji's hidden assets, so she had to grit her teeth and continue living in that shabby house.
In this lifetime, could Mother Ji really move out and live elsewhere? That's impossible.
Mother Ruan also became angry after hearing this. She said angrily, "So my daughter will just go to the Ji family and work as a nanny? This is simply too much!"
She just kept thinking about this matter, so she couldn't eat.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, and she even transferred her anger to Ruan Man, who was standing beside her, looking bright and cheerful.
However, it was just anger in her heart, and she didn't say anything.
Ruan Man felt speechless and asked, "So what do you want then?"
Mother Ruan pondered for a moment and said, "They can choose not to move, but I want to hire a nanny for Susu. Otherwise, should the whole Ji family rely on Susu to serve them? My daughter is not meant to be a slave or servant for the Ji family."
"I advise you not to interfere in Ji family matters," Ruan Man recalled Ruan Su's words that day and adopted a sarcastic tone, "Susu has made it clear that we shouldn't meddle in her affairs. Those were her exact words."
Mother Ruan felt frustrated, "That was just her angry words. You shouldn't take it seriously."
Ruan Man felt even more annoyed, but she had to persuade Mother Ruan, "Fine, I won't mention it anymore. Let me analyze a serious matter with you. If Aunt Ji thinks our family is meddling and blames Susu, what should we do? Besides, Susu has only been married there for a short time, not even four months. This is the crucial time to gain Aunt Ji's trust. If you suddenly interfere, maybe… Do you really believe Aunt Ji doesn't have anything in her hands?"
Under Ruan Man's persuasion, Mother Ruan eventually dropped the idea.
However, Ruan Man didn't feel much better, especially when she recalled what Ruan Su said at the time, it made her angry.
She didn't believe how hard Ruan Su's life in the Ji family is. In her previous life, when she stayed at Ji's house, the house was a bit dim and slightly rundown, but Mother Ji didn't let her cook or clean. Mother Ji probably feared that she would rummage through their things. She had to admit that Mother Ji treated Ruan Su much better than her, so it was even less likely that Mother JI would make Ruan Su do anything…
If something happened to Mother Ji, Ruan Su would be the one truly working hard.
This thought flashed through Ruan Man's mind, and she immediately seized it, quickly turning it into a plan.
Ruan Man remembered that in her previous life, during the winter, Mother Ji woke up early to buy groceries, but the lights in the hallway were broken. Mother Ji accidentally stepped on the wrong step and fell, resulting in bone fractures… At that time, she worried that Mother Ji would delegate all the tasks to her, which she feared would be too burdensome. So she used the excuse of a business trip to leave for a while. She returned only after Mother Ji had recovered.
Calculating the time, Mother Ji's fall should be about to happen during this period, right?
If Ruan Su gritted her teeth and took care of Mother Ji, then it was her own fault to be exhausted. But if Ruan Su ran away like Ruan Man, would Mother Ji and Maosou still treat her well? Let's see if Ruan Su dares to act all noble and superior towards her, Ruan Man, again!
Little did Ruan Man know, she waited and waited and waited, but she didn't receive any good news of Mother Ji falling down from the stairs.
She couldn't help but wonder if her rebirth had changed these things. After all, everything has a butterfly effect.
If that was indeed the case, it would be terrible.
If the mountain won't come to me, I'll go to the mountain, Ruan Man thought for a moment. She couldn't do such things herself, so she decided to have her younger brother sabotage the lights in the hallway.
Naturally, this younger brother is not surnamed Ruan. He is her biological younger brother. Originally, her biological parents were impoverished and ignorant. None of them had much education. In order to prevent her biological parents from causing trouble, she brought her younger brother here. He doesn't have much education or skills, and now he works as a driver for Lin Xiangdong. She is somewhat relieved about her younger brother, knowing that he is willing to do things for her and she believes he can keep his mouth shut.
Sure enough, when her younger brother, Zhang Jian, heard about it, without hesitation, he agreed to help her with this matter.
Ruan Man still remembers what the Ji's house's residential area looks like. Not to mention that the surveillance cameras are practically non-existent, even the security guards are elderly men who usually prefer to play cards at the entrance. It was too easy to carry out the plan of damaging the hallway lights. Moreover, if she remembers correctly, those lights probably haven't been changed for several years, and even if they break, it wouldn't arouse anyone's suspicion.
After all, Zhang Jian is still young. He hastily looked around the residential area, made sure there were no surveillance cameras or witnesses, and then proceeded to damage the lights in the hallway. When he saw that the light bulb was not covered in thick dust, he felt a bit puzzled. Didn't his sister say that the lights in this residential area haven't been changed for years? Why does it look brand new? He originally wanted to tell Ruan Man about this matter once he accomplished it, but the words stopped at his lips. He had finally managed to do something for his sister. If he couldn't even complete this task, wouldn't it mean he was useless? Besides, upon further consideration, this matter wasn't that important, there were no surveillance cameras or witnesses in the residential area…
It should be fine, right?
Ruan Su had to attend a dinner gathering with her colleagues tonight, and she couldn't find an excuse to decline. Moreover, she didn't want to cancel it since she usually enjoyed spending time with her coworkers. So she called Mother Ji in advance and informed Mother Ji that she would be returning home late today. Mother Ji didn't say much in response.
However, before she finished her meal, she received a call from her neighbor, Grandma Wang. In a hurried and anxious voice, Grandma Wang said, "Susu, your mother-in-law just went to take out the trash and accidentally slipped and fell. It looks like she broke a bone!"