Xia Qingqing looked at the old lady with a half-smile: "You're not planning to borrow it and not pay it back, are you?"
Grandma Xia felt as if she had been seen through, and her anger immediately flared up: "How dare you speak to your elders like that? I am your own grandmother."
“Heping, you really need to teach your daughter a lesson. She has no manners at all.”
She thought Xia Heping would help her teach Xia Qingqing a lesson, but Xia Heping didn't show any interest at all.
Zhang Hongyan rolled her eyes at Old Lady Xia and said sarcastically, "My daughter is so outstanding, how can someone like you be a suitable grandmother?"
Old Mrs. Xia was so angry at Zhang Hongyan's words that she was panting. Her second son stood by coldly and did not help her. It was truly better to have a piece of barbecued pork than a son.
Xia Qingqing went to her room and brought out a copy of "Physics" and handed it to the old lady. All the other books had been borrowed, and this was the only one left.
The current college entrance examination is also divided into arts and sciences. Arts subjects include Chinese, mathematics, politics, history and geography, while science subjects include Chinese, mathematics, politics, physics and chemistry. Applicants for foreign language majors will take an additional foreign language test.
Xia Qingqing chose liberal arts as her major, and she plans to study economics and management in college so that she can start her own business and become her own boss in the future.
It's impossible for me to work; I'll never work in my life.
So Xia Qingqing herself doesn't need this physics book, so she might as well give it away.
After taking the book, Grandma Xia flipped through it a couple of times, but found that she couldn't understand a single word, so she closed the book sheepishly.
She looked at Xia Qingqing with a long face and said, "Is this the only one? You're not afraid that your cousin will do better than you and don't want to lend it to him, are you? You little brat, you can't have so many selfish thoughts. Your cousin is the hope of our Xia family."
"How could that be? All the other books have been lent out. If you want them, you can go to someone else's house now. I'm too embarrassed to ask for them myself," Xia Qingqing said, looking helpless.
As for the old lady's claim that she had ulterior motives, that's just laughable.
She said that even if Xia Jiashun studied this physics book for a month, he probably wouldn't understand it. Giving him a few more books wouldn't help.
Grandma Xia didn't quite believe what she said, and immediately said that she would go to Xia Qingqing's room to look for her herself.
Knowing that Xia Qingqing had a new set of books, Zhang Hongyan quickly tugged at Xia Heping's sleeve, signaling him to send Old Madam Xia away.
After receiving the instructions, Xia Heping immediately took the old lady's arm and said, "Mother, I will take the books to your home after they return them. Let me take you home now."
Grandma Xia shoved him away: "I'm not leaving. That girl is a cunning liar. She must have secretly kept these books for herself. These books must be taken back to Jiashun."
"Mom, please stop making a scene!" Xia Heping shouted impatiently. He would never allow Old Lady Xia to take away Qingqing's books.
Grandma Xia was stunned and stared at her second son in disbelief. This was the first time her second son had ever been so harsh with her.
An honest person can be quite intimidating when they get angry, and Old Lady Xia's original idea of continuing to make trouble was nipped in the bud.
"This book will keep you studying for a long time. I promise to send you a new copy in a few days. Now I'll take you home first." Xia Heping didn't ask for Xia's opinion anymore and directly helped her out of the house.
After the two left, Zhang Hongyan and Xia Qingqing smiled at each other.
Zhang Hongyan never expected her husband to be so tough.
"What a pity about that book. Giving it to that scoundrel Xia Jiashun would be a waste," she said, frowning and shaking her head.
Xia Qingqing smiled nonchalantly: "Anyway, I don't need it, and I can't make things too difficult for Dad."
If she doesn't get the book, Old Lady Xia won't be so easily appeased.
Zhang Hongyan understood this principle; otherwise, why would she have brought the old woman home?
Looking at her daughter sitting leisurely on the stool, she urged her in a serious tone, "Qingqing, why are you still sitting here? Hurry up and go to your room to study. What time is it? Why don't you have any sense of urgency?"
Xia Qingqing glanced helplessly at her mother. Ever since the news of the college entrance examination came out, Zhang Hongyan was even more anxious than she was. She even stopped her daily teaching, for fear of affecting her studies.
Actually, she had almost finished reviewing, since she had started preparing so far in advance.
However, such words were rather arrogant, so he had no choice but to obediently return to his room under Zhang Hongyan's urging.
Seeing that she had obediently gone back to her room to study, Zhang Hongyan nodded in satisfaction and turned to go to the kitchen to cook.
......
Xia Heping took Grandma Xia back to the old house.
The atmosphere between the mother and son was awkward throughout the journey. Old Mrs. Xia was preoccupied with her thoughts because she had just been yelled at by her honest second son.
Xia Heping, on the other hand, really didn't know what to say to his mother.
"Mother, I'll head back now," Xia Heping said, turning to leave.
Looking at her son, who had completely distanced himself from her, Old Mrs. Xia grabbed Xia Heping's hand:
"Peace, don't go yet, your mother has something to tell you."
"Have you always resented your mother for favoring your older brother and younger brother, and held a grudge against me, your mother?"
As she spoke, a sad expression appeared on Grandma Xia's face.
Xia Heping was taken aback, and it took him a long time to reply, "No, Mother, don't overthink it."
“You are, you crawled out of my belly, how could I not know what you are thinking?” Old Mrs. Xia looked very sad, and two tears squeezed out from the corners of her eyes.
Seeing his mother like this, Xia Heping felt bad too, and his voice choked with emotion: "I don't resent you and Dad, but you do seem to prefer my eldest brother and younger brother, and I can understand that."
After all these years, he finally spoke his mind, and it felt like some shackles had been removed, making him feel much lighter.
"Heping, do you remember that one winter when you fell into the river while playing? Your mother risked her life to save you. All of you brothers are my children, how could I not love you?" Old Mrs. Xia recalled the past, her voice filled with tears.
Xia Heping also remembered that he was only 5 years old that year. He went out to play with his older brother and other older children. During the play, he was pushed into the river by someone. It was Grandma Xia who heard the noise and braved the cold to pull him out.
This happened so long ago that Xia Heping had forgotten that his own mother had once risked her life for him.
Xia Heping said with some guilt, "Mother, I was too rude just now."
Seeing that he was moved, Grandma Xia seized the opportunity to talk about many things from her childhood, and the mother and son reminisced about the past.
Under Grandma Xia's gentle persuasion, Xia Heping was persuaded to stay at the old house for dinner.
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