As noon approached, Madam Jian finally arrived, fashionably late.
“My little darling, come let Grandma see if my little darling is unhappy~”
Jian Sheng, unintentionally careless, had her little face pinched a few more times by the old madam.
“Chái méiyǒu, Shēngshēng méiyǒu kāixīn…”
Jian Sheng, her face distorted and speaking indistinctly, mumbled.
After being asked a barrage of questions by the old madam and being hugged and squeezed for a good while.
Once she was sure Jian Sheng was truly alright, the old madam finally released her.
Escaping the old madam’s clutches, Jian Sheng gently rubbed her own cheeks with her hands.
Were her cheeks really that attractive?
Why was everyone always rubbing, kneading, or pinching her cheeks?
Jian Sheng, with her short little legs, nestled close to her Mommy. As soon as she saw anyone looking at her with shining eyes, she immediately hid behind her Mommy.
Only a small head peeked out, and with it, she curved her two clear, bright, large eyes towards the person.
After a round of greetings, the conversation meandered and eventually returned to Jian Junruo and Jian Sheng.
Surprisingly, Jian Sheng’s eldest aunt-in-law remained quiet this time, merely echoing the old madam’s solicitous concern for Jian Junruo.
Only after both Jian Junruo and Jian Sheng had repeatedly affirmed that they were fine did the eldest aunt-in-law finally reveal her true intentions.
“Junruo, don’t blame your sister-in-law for speaking bluntly. The family and I are all very concerned about your and Sheng Sheng’s well-being, but you cannot disregard the family’s reputation!”
Everyone quieted down.
Jian Junruo looked at Chen Yuling with an unchanged expression.
“Eldest sister-in-law, please rest assured, I will never publicly disclose that I am a member of the Jian family.”
Chen Yuling let out a cold snort, “Have you seen the uproar online these past couple of days?”
“Now the entire internet knows about a girl who got pregnant before marriage, and her surname is Jian!”
“It’s already known across the entire internet, what else do you expect people to know?”
“Do you have to publicly declare yourself as the eldest daughter of our Jian family for it to be considered public?”
“Our Jian family cannot afford to lose this kind of face!”
“Junruo, you must understand, you are the eldest daughter of our Jian family! You have the obligation to uphold our Jian family’s honor!”
Jian Junruo’s expression was blank, but her arm, holding Jian Sheng, involuntarily tightened.
Jian Sheng gently patted her Mommy’s arm, offering silent comfort.
She tilted her head, “Then if Mommy and I leave the Jian family, won’t we no longer cause the Jian family to lose face?”
Chen Yuling’s eyes widened, “I’m talking to your Mommy, is this a place for you to speak! What does a child understand?”
Jian Sheng, sitting in her Mommy’s embrace, blinked her large eyes and asked with much curiosity:
“Mommy, you often tell Sheng Sheng stories from when you were younger, why have you never told Sheng Sheng about the Jian family~”
Jian Junruo’s lips curved into a faint smile.
“Perhaps it’s because Mommy spent too little time in the Jian family, and had no happy memories, so there was really nothing to tell.”
The two spoke back and forth, as if treating Chen Yuling as if she didn’t exist.
Especially their conversation, which was almost directly stating:
I have never asked anything from your Jian family, so why should I consider your Jian family in everything I do?
In the end, Jian Junruo never had a sense of belonging to the Jian family.
Chen Yuling was furious, and angrily tugged at Jian Xiuhuan, who was watching the scene from the side with a cold gaze.
“Fine, fine, however you shame yourself is your own business, but what do you mean by dragging my son into this?”
Heaven knew that when her husband informed her and she saw the overwhelming news online, she had almost fainted from anger.
As Chen Yuling spoke, the sense of grievance within her rose.
“What have I done wrong in my past lives! To have married Tan Ge and worried myself sick for the Jian family is one thing, but now everyone in the family is against me!”
“I wanted my son to go to the company and learn management from his father, but the brat plunged headfirst into the entertainment industry!”
“I thought my son would come back after playing around in the industry, but then he was pulled by his uncle to get involved with you all!”
“Now, it’s great, the aunt and nephew are rumored to be involved, if other people in the circle find out, how will I be able to conduct myself!”
“I’ve already lost face to the point that everyone in the country knows, do I still want to live, boohoo!”
Chen Yuling’s expression was mournful, and as she spoke, she couldn’t help but start crying.
The old madam patted Chen Yuling’s shoulder, her eyes showing guilt.
“Yuling, you’ve worked hard all these years.”
Everyone fell silent.
Chen Yuling cried a bit more, pretending to be distressed, then suddenly exclaimed.
“Junruo, why don’t you understand, no matter what, your sister-in-law is doing it all for the good of this family.”
“Sister-in-law just wants everyone in the family to get back on the right track and not stray.”
“What I said just now was a bit harsh, but it’s ultimately inconvenient for you to be out there alone.”
“Whether it’s for you to have a protector, or for the reputation of our Jian family.”
“Come back, once you return, the family will be your backing, and you won’t be bullied to the point where you can’t even fight back.”
These words were spoken with such sincerity that those listening nodded repeatedly.
Indeed, even though some of the things she did were a bit out of line.
Her intentions were always good!
Didn’t they see that she could put aside her past grievances and invite Jian Junruo back in such a gentle manner?
Jian Junruo’s arm, holding Jian Sheng, tightened further, causing Jian Sheng some pain.
Jian Sheng inwardly scoffed.
She spoke so righteously, but didn’t she still want to trick Mommy into coming home!
As long as Mommy agreed to return and become a true member of the Jian family, then her eldest aunt-in-law could do whatever she pleased with Mommy.
Jian Sheng could not allow what had already happened in the original story to unfold before her eyes!
Jian Sheng broke free from her Mommy’s arm, which was causing her pain, and stood on the sofa, glaring at Chen Yuling.
“If Mommy is not suitable to speak, I will! I am young, I am not afraid of you!”
This statement immediately made everyone laugh.
They had seen people use their age to bully the younger, but this was the first time they had seen someone use their young age to speak without restraint.
However, everyone had to admit that what she said was not wrong.
No matter what a young child said, it could be dismissed with a phrase like, “they’re young and don’t understand, it’s just childish talk.”
If the other party were to hold a child accountable, it would appear as though they were bullying a junior.
Chen Yuling had a premonition of something bad.
This little girl, despite her young age, was sharp-tongued, which made her a bit apprehensive.
Chen Yuling looked at Jian Sheng with cold eyes, hoping she would shrink back in fear under the pressure.
However, Jian Sheng did not back down.
“Eldest aunt-in-law said she wants Mommy to come back so Mommy can have a protector, and it’s all for Mommy’s own good?”
“That’s right, is there a problem with that?”
“No problem, but why does Mommy need to come back to be her protector?”
“Naturally, only by returning to the Jian family can one be considered a Jian family member!”