novelGranduncle Is a Pure-Hearted Person
| ← Ch.463 | Ch.465 → |
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"You've seen how Grandma treats me. She treats me better than Ruan Danchen. Deep down, she hates Ruan Danchen. Even if Ruan Danchen was her real granddaughter, Ruan Danchen lacks that twenty-seven-years' worth of feelings between grandma and I. Since Elder Uncle's the one who took the first step of showing kindness to Ruan Danchen and display such affection for her, there's no leeway for you to fight over it. Rather than following them, it's better for you to support me, isn't it? As long as you help me strike down Ruan Danchen and make Grandma thoroughly hate her, Elder Uncle won't have anywhere to stand within the Chang family, and all his efforts would go to waste."
Chang Jingqiu noticed Liu Xiangwen's ruminative expression and continued, "Elder Uncle has already made his move. He thinks that Changhe will benefit after mending his relationship with Qi Chenglin. What he doesn't know is that Grandma hates it if any outsiders interfere in the Chang family's affairs. Changhe belongs to the entire Chang family, not to Elder Uncle alone. As long as Grandma doesn't look kindly on Ruan Danchen, Qi Chenglin won't give Changhe any benefit. He's alright with giving Elder Uncle benefits, but Qi Chenglin will not give any benefit to other members of the Chang family. If Elder Uncle doesn't have that support from Qi Chenglin, what's it all worth, then? His hard work goes down the drain, and if I make a case for it to Grandma, there'll surely be a day that Younger Uncle gets to stand out."
"Ruan Danchen has the Chang family's blood in her, so even if Mom doesn't like her, wouldn't this be too much?" Liu Xiangwen frowned and said hesitantly.
Chang Jingqiu curled her lip."I have a plan, of course. Come closer."
Liu Xiangwen's eyes glimmered and she leaned over to Chang Jingqiu. After hearing what the young lady had to say, Liu Xiangwen's eyes darted in all directions.
...
The next day, Ruan Danchen brought Qi Youxuan to meet Chang Zhiyuan. As they passed by Chang Jingqiu's room, the door was closed shut and there was no sound coming from within. Ruan Danchen was quite surprised that Chang Jingqiu would be so quiet instead of making a big scene.
Most people who suffered such a sudden change in fortune would vent their feelings thoroughly.
She then thought about it for a moment and realized that Chang Jingqiu's status had changed. Grandmother Chang might not be too patient with repeated bouts of stubbornness—if too much of a fuss was made, Grandmother Chang might not be too happy about it.
Conversely, if she quietly accepted that her misfortune was fated and was considerate of other people, Grandmother Chang might take pity on her.
Ruan Danchen did not bother to take a look at Chang Jingqiu; she brought the little boy directly to Chang Zhiyuan's sickroom.
Mo Yuxin sliced up some apples and Hami melons for him. They were placed on the table for Chang Zhiyuan to poke and eat.
"Uncle looks much better, doesn't he?" Ruan Danchen came in with a smile and said.
"Yes. He'll be under observation for another night, and if there isn't any problem, he'll be discharged tomorrow night." Mo Yuxin was really happy."We were lucky to get through this feeling more scared than hurt."
"Ah yes, Chang Jingqiu's parents will arrive today. Once they're here, they'll do the DNA test right away, " Mo Yuxin said.
Ruan Danchen nodded. She did not take that matter to heart as she felt that it did not involve her at all. She did not want to be too close with the Chang family either.
Her disinterest prompted Mo Yuxin not to say anything further.
Ruan Danchen smiled and ushered Qi Youxuan in."Youxuan, this is your granduncle and grandaunt."
During the drive there, Ruan Danchen roughly explained everything to the little boy. Thus, the boy greeted Chang Zhiyuan happily.
Chang Zhiyuan's eyes teared up and he looked at the little guy. He smiled, and hot tears welled up in his eyes."I didn't think... I didn't think I'd ever hear Youxuan call me that."
He then looked to the ceiling and said, "Big Sis, this is your grandson. Your grandson!"
Mo Yuxin liked Qi Youxuan since long ago. Although she did not interact with the Qi family that much, the little one was quick-witted, lively, and far from annoying. He was a stark contrast from Chang Jianan, which made it all the better.
Hearing Qi Youxuan call Chang Zhiyuan 'granduncle' was a whole new level of closeness.
Mo Yuxin was attentive and had everything ready. She knew that Ruan Danchen would bring her kids after she had already acknowledged Chang Zhiyuan. That was why she brought a red packet with her all the time, and at that time, she took it out and handed it to the little boy's hands.
"This is your granduncle and grandaunt's present for our first meeting, " Mo Yuxin smiled and said.
"Oh my! This... Granduncle, Grandaunt, this is the first time we meet, it's not good for me to accept this!" The little boy pinched the red packet between his fingers and was extremely shy. He even twisted his waist although he did not give the red packet up.
"..." Mo Yuxin finally understood why those who met Qi Youxuan would make the comments that they made.
Anyone who talked about Qi Youxuan and knew him to some degree would sigh and say, "This... this child is really... uncriticizable!"
Mo Yuxin's feelings were also quite indescribable too.
She let go of the packet and touched the boy's face."This is from Granduncle and Grandaunt! Don't be shy. When we're closer next time, don't feel too much pressure when you receive this okay! Granduncle just wanted... just wanted to give you this."
Mo Yuxin looked at the bedridden Chang Zhiyuan and looked again at the little guy. She wondered if her words had any other meaning behind them.
"In that case... Thanks! Thank you, Granduncle; thank you, Grandaunt!" The little boy tried hard to show an expression that suggested he did not want to take it but was forced by them to do so. He passed the red packet to Ruan Danchen, "Mom, Granduncle, and Grandaunt spent plenty on this!"
Ruan Danchen, "..."
Mo Yuxin giggled."Hehe!"
Qi Youxuan felt that it was best to say some good things after receiving red packets from someone else, since that would make them hopeful, right?
The little boy then said, "Granduncle, Grandaunt, I'll make sure to save up all this money. In the future... in the future, I'll show my respect to you by buying good food for you!"
As to when that time would come, no one would know.
Chang Zhiyuan knew that the boy was simply throwing an empty promise, but he bought into it delightedly.
"Granduncle will be waiting, then." Chang Zhiyuan had a touching expression that made him look incredibly silly.
Seeing Granduncle smile so widely, as if admitting defeat, made Qi Youxuan feel as though Granduncle was a pure-hearted person.
On the other hand, Mo Yuxin had never seen the little boy's expression before. It was the first time she actually felt remorse in giving a red packet to a small kid.
It was simply too amazing for someone to turn willingness into unwillingness in giving a gift.
The little boy felt that he had coaxed his granduncle successfully, and thus hid gladly in a corner to count how many red packets he would get during the new year each year.
Previously, he only managed to get it from the Qi family's side, and he had to cook up tremendous effort just to get more from his elder uncle and fourth uncle. The money he would get that year would probably be quite a sum, considering he would have money from the Shen 1family and the Chang family. He did not even need to think too elaborately, as he surmised that he would be given a hefty sum.
The thought of that made him very happy, very happy indeed!
Afraid that things might change, he looked up again and raised his voice, "Granduncle, Grandaunt, this... this has nothing to do with new year's money, okay!"
"Yes, yes, this has nothing to do with that. This is our first meeting, so it's a present for our first meeting!" Chang Zhiyuan said hurriedly.
"Mm, and... Next month's my birthday..." said the little guy, blushing, and halting his sentence after that.
"There'll be more for your birthday, there'll be more!" Chang Zhiyuan nodded as if he was pounding garlic. Seeing the little boy's cuteness, he felt that he would be more than willing to empty out his life savings for the boy.
"Granduncle, you know that Mom... Mom found me late, but Mom gave me presents for all the birthdays she missed in the past!" the little boy exclaimed. His big, round, dark eyes were shining bright.
Ruan Danchen poked his meaty little cheeks and said, "You can't be like this."
The little guy's cheeks turned red immediately, and straightened his little tummy, twisting it too. He hugged Ruan Danchen's thighs and treated it like a pole. His fat body hugged Ruan Danchen's thighs with only his little head peeking out and looking guiltily at Chang Zhiyuan.
"..." Mo Yuxin was unable to continue standing. She dragged a chair and sat down, as it was a first for her to meet such an adorable child!
"Granduncle will compensate for it! I'll compensate for all of it!" Chang Zhiyuan said it so fluently, as if he had practiced it many times before.
The sight of his cute grandnephew made Chang Zhiyuan unable to refuse him. Chang Zhiyuan had no objections whatsoever. Mo Yuxin felt that Chang Zhiyuan might probably hand over Changhe's shares to Qi Youxuan if the little boy asked for it.
At that point, Chang Zhiyuan was grinning from ear-to-ear, and Mo Yuxin could not bear to see her husband's silly look anymore.
"Granduncle, you're the best! Youxuan likes you!" The little boy released himself from Ruan Danchen's thighs and ran over to the side of the bed. He climbed up the sickbed as if he had done so a million times, then plopped himself into Chang Zhiyuan's embrace. The little boy then gave the man a saliva-laden kiss.
It was as though there was absolutely no pressure in having a granduncle pop up after seven years of the little boy's life. There was no feeling of alienation, and within such a short amount of time, all feelings of closeness came back.
Chang Zhiyuan smiled and closed his eyes. He hugged the little boy tightly because it was the first time in a long time that he felt that happy.
Before he knew of Chang Jingqiu and Ruan Danchen's status, he was still treating Chang Jingqiu as his niece. Even so, the various upsetting things that Chang Jingqiu did made him very annoyed because he always had to clean up her mess.
His nephew Chang Jianan on the other hand, was the same age as Qi Youxuan but was much more stubborn and immature. Nothing about his nephew was worthy of adoration, but Liu Xiangwen thought that Chang Jianan was better than anyone else.
Chang Zhiyuan's own daughter had grown-up. She was in senior high and they were not that close anymore; Chang Zhiyuan would have to hold back his tears whenever his own daughter was mentioned.
Sadness plagued Chang Zhiyuan constantly and he never once smiled so happily from the bottom of his heart.
He was overjoyed upon setting eyes on Qi Youxuan.
That child from another home became a part of his family.
"Youxuan, you must visit Granduncle often next time. Granduncle will give you whatever you want, " Chang Zhiyuan smiled and said.
The little boy rolled around happily on the bed. The high-quality hospital bed was wide but not as wide as his bed at home. When the little boy rolled around, from time-to-time he would crush Chang Zhiyuan's body, exerting pressure on the man's stomach.
Chang Zhiyuan felt as though the fruits that he ate were being squeezed out of his stomach. The one thought in his mind was, 'Damn, this cub of a boy is heavy!'
Qi Youxuan was rolling around happily on the bed while Ruan Danchen smiled and looked on from one side.
Mo Yuxin thought, 'This is how a family is supposed to feel like. '
She wondered what was wrong with Grandmother Chang and why the old lady fancied an eye-rolling wolf like Chang Jingqiu. It was surprising that the old lady did not appreciate true goodness.
Seeing Ruan Danchen being so carefree made her realize that Grandmother Chang was particularly unlucky.
They remained there and spoke with Chang Zhiyuan for some time. Since the only reason he was still in the hospital was because he was under observation, he could still move around without anyone to keep watch over him beside his bed. The rest kept him company by chatting with him.
When noon came, Ruan Danchen personally went to the nearby hospital cafeteria and brought back food for everyone to eat.
Chang Zhiyuan noticed that Ruan Danchen gave Qi Youxuan his own portion which was completely filled with vegetables. It did not look appetizing, and the boy seemed to be struggling to eat his food. Chang Zhiyuan became quite uncomfortable when eating meat.
"Why... Why isn't the child allowed to eat any meat?" Chang Zhiyuan was afraid that Ruan Danchen would be annoyed with him if he asked too much since they only got to know each other recently. Nevertheless, he could not help but ask that question.
Ruan Danchen turned her head and looked at the little boy's guilt-ridden face. She then turned to Chang Zhiyuan and explained, "He exceeded his weight limit. We restricted his diet previously, but we still allowed him to eat some meat. But, when we left for our ten-day honeymoon, no one kept an eye on him, so he ate more and grew even fatter than last time. We have no choice but to let him eat only vegetables, otherwise, in the future, he'd be gasping for air after just a few steps."
Once he understood that it was for the boy's health, Chang Zhiyuan thought it imprudent to stop her.
"Youxuan." Chang Zhiyuan looked at how the little boy's chubby face was struggling hard to eat those vegetables. He advised, "You have to control yourself and do your best to slim down. Once you're at your normal body weight, there won't be anyone stopping from eating meat anymore, isn't that right?"
The little boy chewed on his mustard greens and said, "I... I'll do my best..."
After lunch, Mo Yuxin saw how Qi Youxuan was feeling a bit sleepy. His little head was drooping low, so she told the couple to have some rest, surmising that it was probably about time for the little guy to have his afternoon nap.
Ruan Danchen brought the little boy away. He seemed to believe that anyone who behaved openly with him was a good person, although it remained unknown whether that was a result of the money he received.
At the entrance, he said sweetly to Chang Zhiyuan, "Granduncle, I'm going to school tomorrow. I'll come visit you when I'm on holiday."
"Sure, sure!" Chang Zhiyuan nodded repeatedly."Granduncle will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow, so just come straight to my home when you visit! Granduncle will..."
He wanted to say, '... buy lots of good food for you to eat, ' but when he remembered that the boy was going on a diet, he said instead, "... prepare all sorts of fun things for you!"
Mo Yuxin sent them off and originally wanted to see them off at the hospital lobby, but Ruan Danchen advised her to head back to the ward.
The instant Mo Yuxin entered, he heard Chang Zhiyuan say, "Good kid! They're all good kids!"
His eyes reddened as he said that.
"Sigh, you're already old but you're still being moody." Mo Yuxin handed him a tissue and sat beside the bed."It's not too late to acknowledge her. We're lucky to be able to do so. Danchen and Youxuan are good, and we can finally experience the true meaning of a happy family."
Chang Zhiyuan nodded contentedly, and then thought about all his flaws. He held Mo Yuxin's hand."I've let you down all these years. You had to endure Mom for my sake."
In fact, Mo Yuxin's family was a force to be reckoned with and Mo Yuxin was more than capable herself. She did not have to put up with Grandmother Chang, but she still did so for his sake.
Mo Yuxin smiled and shook her head without saying anything.
"Next time, you don't need to hold it in anymore, " Chang Zhiyuan said."Although Mom hasn't truly shown her attitude yet, her demeanor yesterday shows that she probably wouldn't treat Danchen kindly. Mom's character is that of a person who never wants to admit her wrongs, and not only does she not admit it, she even steps up her belief that she's correct when she so much as gets an inkling that she's in the wrong. If Chang Jingqiu isn't in the picture, I would've wanted us to acknowledge Danchen's status among ourselves only, since she isn't particularly interested in the Chang family's status. As of right now, I'm worried she won't be treated well in our Chang family. You must side with her more in the future. If Mom doesn't show you any courtesy, there's no need for you to be patient anymore. Danchen has the Qi family to support her, and you have the Mo family. There's no need for patience."
Mo Yuxin nodded and grasped his hand."Don't worry."
...
Ruan Danchen brought Qi Youxuan out of the room and chanced upon two people coming from ahead. They looked like a couple, seemingly from rural areas, and were not dressed well.
The couple had probably already put on their best clothes, but it was quite obvious that those clothes had not been worn for about seven or eight years. The colors may not have faded, but the clothing style was fairly dated.
The design of their clothes was as if they were used for attending weddings. Dated though the style may be, the clothes still had a fairly elegant look.
Both persons had skin that was dark due to years of being in the sun, thus making it extremely rough.
Wrinkles abounded on the woman's face, likely a result of dryness and lack of water. Those creases were prominent even when the woman did not show any expression. Her parched black hair was interspersed with plenty of grey hair, and it was left undyed. Due to that, it was fairly hard to discern her age.
The couple walked uneasily, and Ruan Danchen could even hear the middle-aged lady say to her husband, "City hospitals are different. So high-class. Look at the decorations, it's like a guesthouse. How is this a ward? Five-star hotels should look like this, right? Even our President doesn't get such good treatment when he's being welcomed by our country's head commissioner."
The man looked at Ruan Danchen before shifting his gaze downward and telling his wife, "Don't act like a farmer! It's so embarrassing. When Dan'er comes here to study for university, then becomes successful after graduating, we can visit and let him book us a five-star hotel to stay in."
"I... I heard there are even seven-star hotels in B City!" The woman extended seven of her fingers.
"Then let's stay in a seven-star hotel. It won't be much!" the man said arrogantly and was particularly smug."We'll let Dan'er buy a house for us in the city, then we can enjoy ourselves here and never have to go back to the run-down house back in the village. Hmph! When the time comes, we'll make sure that those who look down on us will stare at us with their eyes wide open! By then we'll even be living better than them!"
"Exactly!" The woman nodded forcefully."Ah yes, someone brought us here again this time. I wonder what they're gonna do? Will it be the same as last time?"
"It's a good thing if it's like last time. We can ask her for more money. She sent us on our way with only eight hundred thousand last time. See, now she's getting retribution! Hmph, if she gave us more money, we could've bought a house in the city and her uncle wouldn't be able to find us, wouldn't he? This is all retribution!" the man said.
"Yes, that's right!" The woman nodded in agreement."She has to be smarter this time. We'll even keep her secret if she gave us more money."
"True." In agreement with her, the man nodded.
"Yes, when her uncle came by the other day, he already knew about it. Will it still work if we hide it from them?" the woman asked.
"Who cares. It's not us who are going to suffer the loss, " the man replied nonchalantly."We'll try to get as much money as we can, and if we can't, we'll just treat all this as a free trip. We already have Dan'er's school fees anyway, so either way we won't lose out. What if she comes up with some trick and tries to hide it again?"
"You're not wrong." The woman nodded.
Ruan Danchen did not halt her footsteps, although she did slow down her pace as she held Qi Youxuan. The couple's conversation enabled Ruan Danchen to figure out who they were looking for.
They were likely Chang Jingqiu's parents, as mentioned by Lao Liang the day before.
Ruan Danchen turned around and saw them opening the door to Chang Jingqiu's sickroom.
"Why are you here? LEAVE!" Chang Jingqiu's ear-splitting voice rang out, followed by the loud thud of a cup that was thrown onto the floor.
Chang Jingqiu then looked out to Chang Zhiyuan's room, where Mo Yuxin was originally seeing off Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan from the door. At that point, Mo Yuxin did nothing to mediate the situation, but instead, closed the door without intending to interfere in the matter.
Ruan Danchen lowered her head and told Qi Youxuan, "Let's go."
...
Ruan Danchen brought Qi Youxuan down to the ground floor and was about to head to the parking lot in search of Xiao Yang. However, the first person she saw when she stepped out was Grandmother Chang coming out of the car. Beside her was the Chang family's servant, who was holding a thermos that was probably filled with herbal soup for Chang Jingqiu.
Ruan Danchen nodded and greeted, "Old Madam, " instead of 'grandma. '
Grandmother Chang narrowed her eyes and told her servant, "Send the soup up."
She then turned to Ruan Danchen, "Let's talk."
Ruan Danchen frowned as she was afraid that Grandmother Chang might say something unpleasant. She was fine with listening to it, but she did not want Qi Youxuan to hear them too.
In the past, Qi Youxuan was always beside Qi Chenglin when Ruan Danchen was not in his life yet. There was never an occasion when people would just look down on him and scold him.
It was due to her that Qi Youxuan had to suffer all those nasty insults.
Ruan Danchen blamed herself and felt that she had let him down.
"I'll bring you to look for Uncle Xiao Yang. Let him send you home. I'll be home soon, too, " she lowered her head and said to the little boy.
He grasped her arms and looked up, saying, "No. I want to be with you."
"Be a good boy and listen." Ruan Danchen caressed his soft, chubby hands. She did not want him to hear what Grandmother Chang had to say.
"I'm being a good boy by staying by you!" The little boy looked up at her and said naively, "Mom, let me be with you."
Grandmother Chang was annoyed by their discussion and let out a cold huff."Such a big boy but still so ignorant. How was he even raised? No family upbringing at all! Why does a little kid like him want to be involved in adult matters!"
Ruan Danchen's face turned cold and she did not even try to hide her displeasure."His family upbringing was taught by Qi Chenglin and I. Since you're so dissatisfied with us, you don't have to lower your standards and talk to me. I'm not fit to be sitting at the same table with you anyway, and it'll only tarnish your image if you're seen to be speaking with me."
To her surprise, Grandmother Chang even displayed an expression that seemed to be saying, 'It seems you understand. '
Ruan Danchen smiled icily but was at a loss as to what she was supposed to say. After thinking about it, stooping to Grandmother Chang's level was a truly undignified thing to do.
"Since that's the case, we won't be bothering you anymore, " Ruan Danchen curled her lips and said sarcastically.
She then held the boy's hand and exited.
"Wait!" Grandmother Chang raised her voice without even being mindful that she was in a hospital.
"Where's your manners?" Grandmother Chang queried unhappily and shook her head while sporting a pejorative look."It seems like it's completely useless for you to have your new status. Simply uncultured!"
Ruan Danchen pursed her lips and looked at Grandmother Chang. At that moment, all Ruan Danchen wanted to do was bring Qi Youxuan away, but the old lady was blocking her path and was being unreasonable. She could not push the old lady away too.
"Since you're now our Chang family's granddaughter, I can't let you be so lawless in public and ruin our Chang family's name. Come over to the Chang family's house tomorrow, we'll have a proper talk." Grandmother Chang acted as though she was conferring a favor on Ruan Danchen, believing that her actions of insisting on 'reasoning' with Ruan Danchen was a sign of her own patience.
Regardless of how much she disliked Ruan Danchen, Ruan Danchen was still her granddaughter, so for Ruan Danchen's good, she would open her heart a bit more and teach Ruan Danchen properly. At the very least, Ruan Danchen would not look like a fool in front of all the other great families.
Ruan Danchen was on the verge of laughing due to exasperation."So based on your opinion, Chang Jingqiu fits your standards particularly well, is that it?"
"Of course, " Grandmother Chang proclaimed proudly. Her face beamed with approval when Chang Jingqiu was mentioned."Besides, it's not proven yet, but even if there's evidence that she doesn't have any blood relations with the Chang family, she was there beside me since she was small. I was the one who taught her. All of her mannerisms and upbringing conform to the demeanor of an influential family's daughter. No one can fault her in public."
Ruan Danchen felt that it was best to treat Grandmother Chang as a senile old lady. There was no way she could treat the old lady seriously.
Grandmother Chang looked at Ruan Danchen from head to toe."Since you're my granddaughter, I can't just leave you to your devices, since I can't be letting you embarrass yourself out in public. Your misbehavior will lead others to feel bad about the Chang family. You've just only been acknowledged, and although teaching you now won't be as effective as a childhood upbringing, it'll be much better for you to learn a bit than not learn anything at all."
Ruan Danchen smiled softly, "Well, since Chang Jingqiu is the benchmark for your standards, I guess I'll opt not to learn, then! If I became like Chang Jingqiu, you'd be happy, but my husband won't be. Aside from Chenglin, the Qi family and my grandfather's family won't be happy either. I'm worried that they'll cut me off. Chenglin might divorce me and Youxuan wouldn't like me anymore. I'd much rather keep it this way and let you be the only person not to like me."
Qi Youxuan held on to Ruan Danchen's waist and looked as though he was massively afraid that his mother would suddenly become like Chang Jingqiu. In a loud voice, he said, "I like Mom as she is now! If Mom becomes like Aunt Chang, I... I... I'll be miserable!"
Ruan Danchen smiled and nodded earnestly, "So you see, it's best if I don't become like that. Besides, I never wished for you to like me. I'm content as long as I have my uncle and his wife as my relatives from the Chang family. I can't be too greedy. Miss Chang has the privilege and luck of being unequivocally loved by you. I'm lucky too because I didn't grow up beside you, otherwise I won't be fated to meet Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan if I were to grow up like Miss Chang."
"You..." Grandmother Chang got so angry that she glared widely at Danchen.
Ruan Danchen seemed to be insinuating that she looked down on Chang Jingqiu.
Looking down on Chang Jingqiu was the same as looking down on the old lady!
Ruan Danchen even felt lucky that she did not grow up alongside Grandmother Chang.
What of it, if Ruan Danchen was raised alongside Grandmother Chang? Did Ruan Danchen suggest that Grandmother Chang was not worthy of her, that Grandmother Chang would only humiliate her?
Ruan Danchen was intimating that Grandmother Chang was teaching all the wrong things. It happened to Chang Jingqiu and Chang Jianan, and yet the old lady still remained oblivious—pleased even—in the false belief that her teachings were superior.
| ← Ch. 463 | Ch. 465 → |