After leaving the hospital, Xu Zhenhua remained silent.
Xu Zifan chuckled, "Dad, did you owe Wang Yalin's dad something in your past life? That's why you treat his daughter like a treasure in this life, while he treats yours like livestock. Tsk, luckily the debt isn't too great, otherwise we wouldn't have found Yao Yao at this crucial moment."
Xu Zhenhua frowned. "What key point?"
"You don't know? The Wang family plans to stop letting Yao Yao go to school after she graduates from high school. They want to sell her to a forty-year-old cripple for a dowry. That man is an alcoholic and abusive. If you had found out six months later, how badly would your daughter have been abused? And you still gave him five million just to keep his daughter in the Xu family and continue to spoil her. Don't you think you owe him something?"
"Shut up!" Xu Zhenhua's aura dropped several times, like a volcano about to erupt!
Xu Mengyao saw his appearance in the rearview mirror, reached out and tugged at Xu Zifan's sleeve, and whispered, "Brother, don't say anything, I'm fine, aren't I?"
Xu Zifan, unafraid of death, said, "Of course you're fine. Our dad is very generous. This five million is fifty times the ten thousand dowry that cripple gave. Our dad will also help them continue to raise their daughter. When Wang Yalin becomes successful, he can buy them villas and luxury cars. How cost-effective is that? Maybe one day our parents will have a brain fart and give Wang Yalin some shares of Xu's Group. The Wang family will directly join the ranks of the rich."
"I told you to shut up! Xu Zifan, are you trying to drive me crazy?" Xu Zhenhua was furious. He was the one who had the final say in the Xu family, but this son of his didn't listen to him at all.
Xu Zifan sneered, "You'd better take good care of your health, otherwise who will raise the Wang family's daughter? I won't raise her. I can tell right from wrong. I only recognize Yao Yao as my sister. Ha, if the Wang family dares to let my sister suffer from malnutrition, I'll make sure their whole family goes hungry!"
"Enough! If you say another word, I'll send you to Africa!" Xu Zhenhua felt his authority challenged by his son. He glared at him fiercely, then closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat, his brows still furrowed. His son's words echoed in his mind like a curse. For the first time, he felt disgust for Wang Yalin, and his hatred for the Wang family ran deep. He wouldn't get those five million back, but he would make sure the Wang family knew that money was too hot to handle!
Throughout the rest of the journey, Xu Zifan didn't speak to Xu Zhenhua. Instead, he introduced whatever he saw to Xu Mengyao, saying he would take her out to play another day. Xu Mengyao found everything fascinating, even the surging traffic on the road seemed spectacular to her.
Xu Zhenhua opened his eyes and saw the siblings chatting and laughing. There seemed to be a warm atmosphere surrounding them, which made people feel relaxed.
Xu Mengyao's longing for the big city saddened him. His daughter should have been born with a silver spoon in her mouth, pampered and spoiled by her family, enjoying a life of luxury. But in reality, his daughter had been mistreated by the Wang family for seventeen years, and he had spoiled Wang Yalin for seventeen years.
Although Xu Zifan's words infuriated him, he had to admit it was incredibly unfair. To him, it might just be another person in the family, and he wouldn't care about the small amount of money given to the Wang family. But for Wang Yalin to remain in the Xu family was a constant reminder of the seventeen years Xu Mengyao had lived as a substitute. All her suffering was on behalf of Wang Yalin, yet her family preferred Wang Yalin. Who could accept that?
Xu Zhenhua is the kind of person who never puts his mind on family matters. He has limited abilities, and he is already too busy with the affairs of the group.
But these past few days, Xu Zifan kept whispering these words in his ear and exposed Wang Yalin's little schemes. His attention was completely focused on the children, and he really felt indebted to Xu Mengyao.
Even if he continues to dote on Wang Yalin, it's just rubbing salt into Xu Mengyao's wounds. And doting on the Wang family's daughter feels stupid. As Xu Zifan said, did he owe the Wang family something in his past life? Wang Yalin is innocent, but isn't his daughter innocent too?
When the car arrived home, Xu Zhenhua had already decided that after Wang Yalin's eighteenth birthday celebration, he would give her a house to move out of. Now that she was an adult, he had no further obligations to this adopted daughter, and all the Xu family's resources should be used for his biological daughter. Without Wang Yalin, perhaps the children's relationship with their mother would be better. Harmony in the family is paramount; the family doesn't need an outsider who easily causes conflict.
The three of them walked in, and Feng Xiangjun was sitting on the sofa waiting, looking as if she was about to interrogate them.
Xu Zifan's face immediately fell. "Dad, I was wrong. It's not that you owe the Wang family, it's that Mom owes them. Otherwise, why would she treat Wang Yalin better than her own children? I think I should get a paternity test done. Maybe I was switched at birth and I'm not her biological child."
Xu Zhenhua said unhappily, "Nonsense! What nonsense are you talking about?"
Feng Xiangjun held back for a moment in front of Xu Zhenhua, then stood up and asked, "Did you two run into each other outside?"
Xu Zhenhua waved his hand, not going upstairs to change his clothes, but sitting on the sofa. "Zifan and Mengyao picked me up from get off work. We went to the hospital to pick up Mengyao's medical report."
Feng Xiangjun was taken aback and looked at Xu Mengyao, "Medical report? Where do you feel unwell?"
Xu Zifan smiled and said jokingly, "To be honest, I didn't know what was wrong with Yao Yao before I took her for a checkup. I just thought she should get a checkup after coming out of that hellhole of the Wang family. But what surprised me was that you didn't know what was wrong with her either. I thought you would care about your biological daughter since you love her so much. It seems that the bond between a biological daughter and a child raised by your own hands is incomparable."
"You! Zhenhua, look at him, he's becoming less and less like..."
"She said that, she doesn't treat me like her mother at all..."
Xu Zifan quickly interrupted her, "Please don't say any more. If you keep talking, people will start saying I'm unfilial tomorrow. Mom, don't you value the Xu family's reputation the most? Please watch your words and don't harm your son. I am your own flesh and blood."
Xu Zifan's repeated use of "biological daughter" infuriated Feng Xiangjun. Could she not hear the sarcasm in his words? She couldn't hold back any longer and rebuked him, "Reputation? You're talking to me about reputation? Look at the mess you've made! You said you were going to take care of your sister? Is this how you take care of her? Letting her spread rumors at school and ruin the family's reputation?"
Feng Xiangjun tossed her phone onto the coffee table; it contained screenshots of Zhang Tingfei's WeChat messages. Xu Zhenhua picked it up and looked at it, his face turning extremely ugly. Feng Xiangjun glared at Xu Mengyao and said angrily, "You should take a break from school for a while. Stay home and learn proper etiquette before going out, so you don't embarrass yourself."
Xu Mengyao suddenly raised her head, looking at her in disbelief, her body trembling slightly with anger!
Suddenly, she felt a warmth in her hand; it was her brother holding her hand. He was giving her strength and encouraging her to solve the problem herself.
She was no longer afraid or angry. She straightened her back and looked directly at Feng Xiangjun. "Mother, the court should give the defendant the right to appeal. You didn't even ask me a question. You convicted me based solely on the words of an outsider, causing me to miss my studies. Isn't that too hasty?"
Xu Zifan's disobedience was commonplace in the Xu family, so even though Feng Xiangjun had been angered by him many times these past few days, she didn't think much of it, simply assuming her son was becoming increasingly unruly. But Xu Mengyao, who had always been like a quail, afraid to even speak to her or meet her gaze, dared to talk back to her like this now?!
She clutched her chest with one hand and pointed at Xu Mengyao with the other. "So this is your true colors now? Before the household registration was changed, you were so well-behaved and obedient. But today, the household registration was changed, and you're already talking nonsense outside and even arguing with me. Do you deserve the title of Miss Xu? Tomorrow I'll go to the school to get you suspended from school. You stay home and behave yourself. You can only go out when you act like a proper young lady!"
Xu Mengyao's expression was cold, and even the last trace of filial piety she had for Feng Xiangjun had vanished. Thinking of Xu Zifan's words, she curled her lips into a half-smile and said, "Mother, if you go to school tomorrow to withdraw your child, everyone will say you favor your adopted daughter, can't distinguish right from wrong, and are cold-blooded and heartless towards your own daughter. Is this what you want? Is this how you protect the Xu family's reputation?"
She looked at Xu Zhenhua and said respectfully, "Dad, I've always known that family scandals shouldn't be aired in public. Since returning home, I've rarely mentioned the Wang family's affairs because I don't want to gossip behind people's backs. There's a reason why I spoke about the Wang family's ugly side and Wang Yalin's deliberate fall down the stairs in class today. My brother said that my reputation in the outside world represents the Xu family's reputation. If I'm slapped in the face or insulted, it's the same as insulting the Xu family. I don't care about myself, but I finally got home, and I don't want anyone to insult my family."
Feng Xiangjun laughed angrily, "Did your brother teach you all this? Teach you to rebel against your elders, to use sweet words, and to argue?"
Xu Mengyao didn't even glance at her. Instead, she took out her phone, opened a recording, and said to Xu Zhenhua, "I know Wang Yalin won't let any opportunity to smear me slip by, so I recorded this."
Feng Xiangjun's face changed when she heard her say that about Wang Yalin. She was about to speak when the recording started. Xu Zhenhua frowned and glanced at her, after which she listened quietly. However, she had a very poor impression of Xu Mengyao and didn't believe a recording could prove anything; she was just trying to find a way to argue. Just like how she could never win an argument with Xu Zifan, but that didn't mean Xu Zifan wasn't a playboy.
"...Wang Yalin couldn't bear to part with my parents...My mother loved her and finally decided to keep her as our adopted daughter."
"My parents gave the Wang family five million... Given their personality, they will likely come back to them when they need money in the future, after all, five million came so easily."
"I don't think Wang Yalin and I have had any major conflicts. However, I grew up in the countryside and haven't seen much of the world. We don't have much in common, so we probably don't get along very well. You should all be able to see that over the past month or so. My brother dotes on me at home, and I'm very happy to have found family. My mom dotes on Wang Yalin, so she's quite happy every day. She's living very well in my home."
Listening to Xu Mengyao's words in the recording, Xu Zhenhua nodded in satisfaction. Xu Mengyao's words were evasive and not at all inappropriate; she even concealed part of the truth and didn't expose the unsavory aspects of the matter. She was quite eloquent. But how did she end up revealing everything?
Just as he was thinking this, he heard an unfamiliar female voice in the recording questioning him: "How did she get the injury on her forehead? You dare to say that you didn't bully her... You're nothing but a hypocrite, pretending to be innocent and pure on the surface, but actually you love to scheme behind people's backs. No wonder you were raised in the countryside!"
Xu Zhenhua frowned. This girl was far too ill-mannered. He felt uncomfortable hearing her words. How could a young girl like Xu Mengyao bear it?
"City people are people, and country people are people too. I grew up in the countryside and have seen despicable bastards as well as heroes who value loyalty and righteousness. You should apologize for what you said. Your words only show your ignorance!" Xu Mengyao's cold voice touched Xu Zhenhua deeply. It was courageous and kind of her to stand up to her classmate for the sake of the reputation of country people.
"As for the photo Wang Yalin sent you, family scandals should not be aired in public. I didn't want to talk about it, but she used you to frame me, which is to tarnish the Xu family's traditions. We Xu family members are upright and never have petty intentions. On the contrary, Wang Yalin, whom you say was bullied, has truly continued the shamelessness in the Wang family's bloodline."
"Wang Yalin deliberately rolled down the stairs, and had her maid lie and say that she had fallen down because she heard my brother talking and became mentally confused... My mother was so angry because of her that she almost became estranged from my brother... Besides..."
It was just a minor injury, nothing serious. The doctor said she's perfectly healthy… If Zhang Tingfei doesn't believe me, you can bring the doctor to my house after school for another checkup of Wang Yalin to see if she's alright… The Xu family doesn't like the farmer and the snake story; some things need to be clearly defined. But you don't need to worry about your good friend. My mom really likes her; she'll always be Miss Lin of the Xu family, and my mom won't mistreat her."
Xu Zhenhua glanced at Feng Xiangjun. This wasn't Xu Mengyao deliberately spreading the news; it was clearly Wang Yalin's friend who was relentlessly pressing for details and even slandering Xu Mengyao. Xu Mengyao was only protecting the Xu family's reputation by telling the truth. Otherwise, would she really let the eldest daughter of the Xu family be branded as scheming, bullying, and intolerant of her adopted daughter just to protect an outsider like Wang Yalin?
Especially that line, "We Xu family members are upright and honest, and we would never have the heart of a petty person," was exactly what he wanted to hear! This daughter has a strong sense of belonging to the Xu family, which is excellent!
The girl in the recording suddenly seemed to have seized on something, saying, "If your mother likes her, it means she's not wrong. Otherwise, you're the biological daughter, so why would your mother like the manipulative Yalin? You're clearly lying. What about your family's maid? Maybe you're framing her!"
"Are you saying that my dad, my brother, and my grandma can't tell right from wrong? Do you think the president of the Xu Group can't see through your so-called petty tricks?"
"What 'farmer and snake'? Are you talking about yourself? Listen to what you just said! The Wang family is shameless and has a terrible character. They raised you all these years, and this is how you treat them? Not only do you not call them uncle and aunt, but you also insult them. You are a complete snob, you are the real snake!"
"Since you're interested in the Wang family, let me tell you about it. The Wang family favors boys over girls. The boys eat meat every day, while the girls have to work in the fields after school, tidy up the house and yard, feed the pigs and chickens, and then eat leftovers. Wang Yalin's parents beat me whenever they're unhappy. They demanded that I not go to university after graduating from high school and marry a 40-year-old, abusive, crippled man in exchange for a dowry. Do you think such people deserve to be called uncle and aunt? My luckiest moment was when my biological parents found me before I graduated from high school. Of course, Wang Yalin is also lucky. If she went back to the Wang family now, she would probably be marrying that cripple very soon."
After the recording ended, the group remained silent for a long time. Xu Zhenhua said to Feng Xiangjun in a deep voice, "Xiangjun, you must remember that you are Mrs. Xu, the mother of Zifan and Mengyao. Don't put the cart before the horse and cause unrest in our Xu family for your own pleasure."
"I...I didn't do anything..." Feng Xiangjun had never heard Xu Zhenhua say such harsh words before. It was practically saying that she was an incompetent wife, and he said it in front of their two children. She had lost all face and dignity. She wanted to say something, but when she opened her mouth, she didn't know how to say it.
Xu Zhenhua didn't look at her again. "You heard that, Mengyao is very sensible. She knows what she should and shouldn't say. It was that girl who insisted that Mengyao harmed and bullied Yalin, so Mengyao told the truth. If she hadn't said that, what would outsiders think of our Xu family? That finding our biological daughter means letting her bully our adopted daughter? Do you think that's appropriate?"
And about the Wang family matter—if you hadn't been so biased towards Yalin, how could outsiders have seized on this as leverage to make things difficult for Mengyao? Why would Mengyao have bothered to reveal those things about the Wang family? Do you think she wasn't embarrassed by saying those things? Also, you asked Zifan why he took Mengyao for a medical checkup? Look at her medical report yourself—don't you, as her mother, feel any heartache at all?!
Xu Zhenhua threw the medical report in front of Feng Xiangjun. Feng Xiangjun felt a tightness in her chest after being scolded, but when she opened the report and saw Xu Mengyao's health condition, she was shocked. She had never considered this possibility before, seeing that Xu Mengyao ate and slept well, or rather, she was very resistant to Xu Mengyao and had never cared about her. Now, knowing that Xu Mengyao's health was compromised, she felt a pang of sadness.
However, she wasn't feeling sorry for Xu Mengyao; after all, Xu Mengyao had already been brought back and could recover. She was angry at the Wang family. It was fortunate that Ya Lin hadn't been allowed to go back to that kind of family; otherwise, wouldn't they have pushed Ya Lin into a fire pit?
Seeing the anger on her face, Xu Zhenhua assumed she shared his thoughts. Thinking he should give his wife some face in front of their children, he softened his expression. "I've decided to reveal Mengyao's identity as soon as possible. I'll leave this to Zifan. Also, Mengyao and Yalin's eighteenth birthdays are in two months. We'll have a big celebration. You make the arrangements, but Mengyao is the Xu family's daughter, so don't let Yalin overshadow her. After the birthday party, let Yalin move out."
Feng Xiangjun's eyes widened. "What did you say? You want Yalin to move out? We agreed to let her stay in the Xu family for the rest of the year. For seventeen years... seventeen years, don't you have any fatherly affection for her at all?"
Xu Zhenhua said coldly, "In these seventeen years, the Xu family has never mistreated her. Letting her go is for the sake of family harmony. You don't want to drive away your own children, do you? Give her a house, choose a good place, and that will be considered taking care of her. You can visit her whenever you want, and you can support her whenever you want."
"Alright, it's decided then. The Xu family only has two children in this generation, Zifan and Mengyao. I hope they will grow up to be successful and independent. We can't let Yalin's matter affect them. Remember, who the Xu family members are. Dinner will be a little later tonight, everyone get some rest." Xu Zhenhua got up and went upstairs. When the conflict arose, he had already made a clear choice between his biological children and his adopted daughter.
Feng Xiangjun hurriedly followed him upstairs, clearly intending to return to her room to continue her conversation with Xu Zhenhua. Her maternal love was entirely focused on Wang Yalin, and she certainly wouldn't give up easily. Besides, in her view, this whole affair was Zhang Tingfei's fault; Wang Yalin had been implicated by Zhang Tingfei. Moreover, Wang Yalin had told her not to mention it; she only brought it up because she felt Xu Mengyao was being insensible, and it had nothing to do with Wang Yalin. Of course, she wanted to clarify things with Xu Zhenhua.
Otherwise, having Wang Yalin move out in two months would be...
Will this affect Wang Yalin's entire life? She only has one semester left before the college entrance exam, and she's determined to give it her all.
After the two left, Xu Zifan stretched and chuckled as he ruffled Xu Mengyao's hair. "This little girl is quite something, she even knows how to record."
Xu Mengyao pursed her lips, put her phone away, and said apologetically, "I actually just wanted to record it for you to hear how I did and if there was anything inappropriate, but when we talked about donating the gymnasium after school, I forgot about it and only just remembered."
"Good recording, otherwise I wouldn't be able to explain things to Mom today. 'Mother' is a good title. She doesn't like us, so we don't need to force ourselves on her. From now on, we'll just call her 'Mother' and let Wang Yalin call her 'Mom' alone." Xu Zifan stood up. "Come on, go back to your room, take a shower and rest for a while. I'll call you when it's time to eat."
"Brother, you've worked hard today. Take a good rest. I'll wake you up in a bit."
"Okay." Xu Zifan's phone had been vibrating since earlier, but he was busy protecting his sister and didn't have time to answer it. When he took it out now, he saw that it was all his former friends bombarding him with messages asking him to go out and have fun.
He stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and said, "Go ahead. Wang Yalin is always thinking about causing trouble, but if they don't take the bait, she can't get anything done. She might as well go out and have some fun. Once everyone knows that Wang Yalin, this adopted daughter who usurped their place, has forced them siblings to refuse to come home, will the Xu family still tolerate her?"
Wang Yalin has neither used her schemes to make the Xu family dislike Xu Mengyao, nor become his girlfriend, nor has she gained the favor of the three elders. What reason does she have to be kept by the Xu family?