The woman was thin, with sunken cheeks and slightly protruding eyes, resembling a withered piece of wood.

Those eyes were lifeless, as if covered by a thick layer of gray, their gaze dull and empty.

Jiang Ji called her, but the woman did not respond. She sat blankly in her wheelchair, letting the servants push her along.

Lin Xi stood up in surprise, "She is..."

Jiang Ji lowered his voice and said cautiously, "Our mother has been in poor health for many years. She is either lying in bed or sitting in a wheelchair."

"Sister, say hello to her."

Lin Xi approached the woman and slightly widened her eyes.

At first glance, she was too thin.

His forehead was dark and his philtrum was black; he was exhausted and his whole body was shrouded in an aura of decay. He would not survive the winter.

Facing a dying man, Lin Xi didn't know what to say, so she softened her voice and began with her classic opening remarks.

Hello, have you eaten yet?

The woman's eyelids trembled slightly when she heard the unfamiliar voice. She looked up but her expression remained indifferent.

Jiang Ji explained, "Don't mind her, little sister. Mom has been sick for too long and her mental state isn't very good. She doesn't talk to anyone."

Lin Xi nodded. "I can see that."

When a person is dying, their internal organs fail, and even the slightest movement is tiring; they have no energy to care about anything else.

Jiang Ting's personality is very much like his mother's.

Lin Xi casually instructed, "Feed her breakfast, then let her walk around the yard. It's too stuffy to stay cooped up in the room all the time."

The maid replied, "Yes, Miss."

Lin Xi: "..."

She reluctantly accepted the title, saying, "Let's go."

The maid pushed the wheelchair toward the restaurant, and the woman suddenly moved, gripping the back of the chair tightly, her palms bulging with veins and her knuckles turning white.

She opened her mouth, as if she hadn't spoken for a long time, her voice hoarse, "Wait, wait."

The maid was startled. "Madam, you spoke!"

Jiang Ji was equally shocked. He hadn't heard his mother's voice in a long time and felt a little uncomfortable.

He gripped the wheelchair handle, asking expectantly, "Mom, what do you want to say?"

The woman's expression was blank, her eyes unfocused.

Even though the two were so close, they felt as if they were worlds apart, she uttered each word carefully.

"You should have died!"

Jiang Ji pointed to himself, looking completely bewildered, "Am I going to die?"

The woman's expression finally changed, and she managed to utter a single word.

"stupid."

Jiang Ji slapped his forehead and hugged her arm. "Mom, even you dislike me."

The woman returned to her original state and remained motionless.

Jiang Zhengyuan came out of the restroom carrying a bottle of expensive red wine. His earlier cowardice had completely vanished, and his face was full of impatience.

"You talk too much nonsense, take her away!"

The maid lowered her head and quickly left.

Jiang Zhengyuan slumped onto the sofa, picked up the wine bottle and drank it all in one gulp. He slammed his hand on the table, "Sister Wang, where's my glass?"

"Sir, you've arrived."

Aunt Wang cleaned up the tea that had gone cold and replaced it with crystal-clear stemmed glasses.

Jiang Zhengyuan waved his hand and ordered, "Fill my glass with wine!!"

The room reeked of alcohol. Lin Xi frowned. "What's wrong with him this time?"

Grandpa Jiang was prolific, with four sons and one daughter. His three uncles were all ill-intentioned: one was arrogant, one was a sycophant, and one was a smiling tiger.

Her nominal parents were a cowardly alcoholic and a dying man.

This large family couldn't even muster a single normal person.

It's a miracle that Jiang Ji can maintain a childlike heart.

Lin Xi pinched her nose and walked away.

Jiang Zhengyuan glanced at her, his face instantly darkening. "Jiang Ji, you're becoming more and more unruly, bringing just anyone home!"

"Are you blind? Throw her out!"

The servants pretended not to hear and continued with their work.

Jiang Zhengyuan was so angry he was practically spitting fire. "This is my house, and I can't even make the decisions?"

Jiang Ji retorted, "You only dare to get angry at us. When your uncles and elders break into your home and even threaten to beat your children, you don't dare to utter a single word."

These words struck a nerve with Jiang Zhengyuan, who slammed his fist on the table, the bright red wine staining the corner of his clothes.

"So what if I'm timid and cowardly?"

"My name is Zheng Yuan! They can only call me Cong!"

According to the rules passed down in the Jiang family, only the lineage that inherits the family business can use the name "Zheng".

Other collateral relatives are "from", meaning to follow and obey.

Jiang Zhengyuan raised his wine glass high and laughed excitedly, "Haha, I am the only heir of my father. My eldest brother lost, and my two younger brothers lost too, hahaha."

Jiang Ji retorted, "You're seriously ill. Without your older brother, who are you?"

Jiang Zhengyuan's smile vanished, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Shut up! Father approves of me, not Jiang Ting!!"

"Now that you've grown wings, you're trying to ride on my head and shit on me. I should have thrown you and that unlucky thing out of here back then, so they wouldn't be an eyesore here!"

Jiang Ji was furious and grabbed his collar. "You can insult me, but you're not allowed to talk about my sister."

"younger sister?"

Jiang Zhengyuan's steps were unsteady. He smashed the wine glass in his hand, grabbed Jiang Ji by the neck, and his face was ferocious and crazed.

"She's long dead, you idiot!"

"I told you never to mention her again, you deserve to die too!!"

The stench of alcohol hit Jiang Ji, and he gasped for breath. "Quickly pull it open... cough cough."

Jiang Zhengyuan's eyes were bloodshot, and his expression became even more frantic.

Lin Xi grabbed his arm, twisted it behind his back, and a pig-like scream rang out.

"ah--!"

Jiang Zhengyuan fell to the ground, his vision gradually blurring.

The woman's appearance overlapped with that of the baby girl.

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