I never had any illusions about Ding Huizhu from the beginning, so where did the disappointment come from?

But saying those words today made me feel a sudden sense of relief.

Xie Li: "I know you're also dissatisfied with me. In that case, let's leave each other alone and go our separate ways."

Xie Li left, and Zhang Ma wiped away her tears, glanced at Ding Huizhu with a hesitant expression, and then left as well.

Aunt Wan hesitated for a long time before stepping forward, standing there with her head down, unsure whether she should remind Ding Huizhu that her phone was ringing, probably from the Pei family.

Ding Huizhu was completely dazed, feeling as if all five senses were submerged in water, dull and suffocating, unable to perceive any external information.

After a long while, she emerged from the water like a drowning person, gasping for breath.

Aunt Wan was terrified and rushed forward to support Ding Huizhu's arm: "Madam, please calm down, please calm down..."

Ding Huizhu grabbed Wan's arm tightly, the shock in her eyes still lingering: "How dare she disown me as her mother?"

She murmured, "Has she gone mad? She doesn't even recognize her own mother. I haven't even said I don't recognize her yet, so why doesn't she acknowledge me as her mother?"

When Huo Yuntang entered the Xie family's courtyard, he saw Ding Huizhu looking completely lost and dejected.

"Auntie, what's wrong?" He frowned, quickly stepped forward to support Ding Huizhu, and instructed the flustered servants, "Quickly call the family doctor!"

When Ding Huizhu saw Huo Yuntang's face, she seemed to have found her pillar of support. She grabbed Huo Yuntang's hand and looked aggrieved.

"Yun Tang, you be the judge. I only said a few words to her for her own good, how can she say she doesn't recognize me as her mother?"

It took Huo Yuntang a long time to figure out the ins and outs of the matter from Ding Huizhu's rambling narration.

"So, she argued with you because of another man?"

Ding Huizhu: "Yes! Just for a petty thug, she rejected the marriage I arranged and even disowned me as her mother!"

She gradually calmed down, suppressing the panic of losing something, but another emotion called anger surged up.

She worked so hard for Xie Li, and this is how Xie Li repays her?

She endured ten months of pregnancy and various difficulties during childbirth. She suffered so much to give birth to Xie Li, but Xie Li was not only unfilial, he never let her have a single day of comfort.

Even now, they still say they don't acknowledge her!

As expected, without raising them by your side, there's no affection left. They can even utter such despicable and heinous words!

Ding Huizhu originally didn't want to mention Xie Li too much in front of the Huo family; he was so useless, and mentioning him too much would only cause her distress.

But at this moment, she really wanted to confide in him, and pulled Huo Yuntang aside to chatter on and on, "Yuntang, it's a good thing you and Ziyuan have such a deep relationship. If you had really gotten engaged to Xie Li, I'm afraid it would have ruined your Huo family."

"She truly lives up to her upbringing as a peasant woman; she's got that urban, shrewd air about her, talks big, loves to show off, and makes a fool of herself everywhere she goes."

"They become arrogant and think they are great just because they have achieved a little bit of success. It's ridiculous."

Later, she suddenly remembered something and gave Huo Yuntang some instructions.

"From now on, when you see her, just pretend she doesn't exist. Don't pay any attention to her, lest she offend you..."

Ding Huizhu tidied her hair, regaining her elegant demeanor as a noblewoman, and shook her head with a sigh, "This child is so easily swayed. If she knew about the marriage agreement between the Xie and Huo families, who knows what inappropriate thoughts she might have."

Huo Yuntang raised an eyebrow in surprise, but nodded nonetheless: "I know."