Upon hearing this, Zhao rolled her eyes.
She wasn't stupid. When the secret recipe scandal broke out, Sun Shi had been secretly instigating her to confront her in-laws and husband. It was Sun Shi who even revealed to her that her father-in-law had given her five taels of silver to establish a female household for his sister-in-law.
At the time, she hated her sister-in-law so much because her children were implicated that she couldn't care less about anything else.
However, now that the matter has passed and she has come to her senses, she naturally no longer wants to be used as a pawn by the Sun family.
Seeing her sister-in-law frantically winking at her, Zhao turned her head away, too lazy to pay her any attention.
Zhao didn't respond, and Sun felt awkward. She cursed him as a "good-for-nothing" in her heart and became even more sarcastic.
"You're all not going to say anything, huh? I'll say it! You treat them like treasures, but they treat you like weeds! In their hearts, you're only fit to eat this rotten pork that nobody cares about!"
"What, why are you looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong? If she really thought highly of us and wanted to treat us to a meal, she should at least buy two pounds of mutton!"
Although Grandma Gan had long known that her daughters-in-law wouldn't say anything nice about pork and was mentally prepared, she was still unhappy to hear them badmouthing her daughter like that.
She slammed her hand on the table, glared at her, and scolded, "Second son's wife, what are you saying? Ali kindly bought meat for you to eat, and you're here picking and choosing. Aren't you afraid of biting your tongue?"
"You want to eat mutton? You'd better see if you're even born to have it! We ordinary folks, who buys mutton to eat on ordinary days, except for holidays or special occasions? What? You think you're so special you can fly to the moon?!"
Seeing his wife's harsh words, Gan Mingyi exploded even more, roaring in a gruff voice:
"Are you bored out of your mind? What are you making a scene about? Don't you think that if it weren't for this little sister, we might be sold off somewhere right now! You don't even thank her, and you're saying such heartless things!"
Seeing her husband also siding with Ganli, Sun became increasingly displeased and screamed in a high-pitched voice:
"Bullshit! I should thank her? If it weren't for her, how would our family have gotten into this secret recipe mess? In the end, it's all her fault. She's a jinx, a troublemaker!"
She seems more docile now, but isn't it because that heartless bastard Chen Danian dumped her? That's why she has to keep a low profile and put on an act in front of you all! She's done so many disgusting things; she deserves to be unwanted by any man!
Gan Tian felt guilty seeing her uncle's family making such a fuss over the pork her mother bought, so she shrank to the side and didn't dare to speak.
Hearing her aunt's harsh words, she could no longer hold back and mustered her courage to loudly retort to Mrs. Sun:
“My mother isn’t unwanted; she’s the one who didn’t want my father! Besides, a woman needs to be wanted to prove herself, right? My mother is so smart; she can live well even without a man!”
Others were one thing, but seeing even a burden dare to talk back to her, Madam Sun was furious. She strode forward, her outstretched finger almost piercing Gan Tian's eyes, and mercilessly berated her:
“Who gave you the right to interrupt us? Don’t think that just because you changed your surname you’re one of us from the Gan family. In the end, you’re still a burden and a money-loser!”
Grandma Gan quickly pulled her granddaughter back into her arms and called out to Mrs. Sun:
"What are you doing? You don't mean to hit me, do you?"
Gan Mingyi was already furious at Sun's words. Now, seeing that she dared to bully his niece right in front of him, he was even more enraged. He rolled up his sleeves and was about to rush up and teach this foul-mouthed woman a lesson.
"I think you really need to be taught a lesson. I'll beat you to death today!"
However, before he could even touch Madam Sun, she sat down on the ground and began to wail and cry:
"Help! Murder! The boss is going to beat someone to death! I don't want to live anymore! You're all bullying me!"
Gan Lin watched coldly from the sidelines, not only making no attempt to stop the fight, but actually hoping his parents would start fighting. That way, he might be able to seize the opportunity to squeeze a few coins out of his grandfather.
But seeing that his mother was about to get a beating, he couldn't pretend he didn't see it anymore. He stepped in front of Sun Shi and shouted at Gan Mingyi:
"All you do is target us! Is Mother wrong? Our family's misfortune is all because of my aunt!"
She not only ruined the whole family, but she ruined me too! If she hadn't swindled the money my mother had saved for my schooling, I might have already passed the imperial examinations and brought honor to our ancestors!
Old Man Gan was frowning as he looked at the chaotic scene, about to speak up to stop it, but his grandson's words left him speechless and unable to speak.
After all, Ali is Ganlin's aunt. How can a junior point fingers at an elder and scold him like that?
However, Gan Lin's accusations did indeed strike at his sore spot. Back then, Madam Sun had nagged him countless times to send Gan Lin to the academy, until he got a headache from the nagging and finally gave in.
Later, his daughter came home crying and said that it was getting cold and Yaozu still didn't have a cotton-padded coat. He felt sorry for his daughter, so he gave away the money that he had originally planned to give to Ganlin to go to the academy.
Thinking of this, Old Man Gan unconsciously avoided his grandson's gaze, concealing his inner guilt.
Gan Mingyi, on the other hand, was being scolded by his son, and he felt a lump in his throat, his face turning red, but he couldn't utter a word for a long time.
Gan Mingli frowned as he watched. He also felt that Gan Lin was being extremely rude, but since he was a nephew, not a son, he could only hold back and remain silent.
Zhao, however, remained indifferent, pulling her daughter aside to watch the spectacle. Gan Quan stood quietly to the side, his eyes glazed over, his face expressionless, as if he couldn't see the farce unfolding before him at all.
In the eerie silence, Ganli entered carrying a basket. She placed the basket on the table with a dull thud.
Only after everyone's eyes were on her did she slowly and deliberately speak:
"Oh, who do we have here spouting nonsense? It turns out to be our family's future top scholar!"
She looked directly at Gan Lin and asked with a half-smile:
"What's wrong? This pork isn't worth much, but it still cost fifty or sixty coins. If you look down on it so much, why don't you give me those fifty or sixty coins?"
Gan Lin never expected that her aunt, whom she had just been cursing, would suddenly appear. She was even more surprised that her aunt, who was usually bad at talking and only knew how to throw tantrums, would say such things to mock her today.
Although he looked down on the pork, calling it worthless, he really couldn't come up with fifty or sixty coins for it.
Seeing him standing there stiffly without saying a word, but his face already turning bright red, Gan Li knew he was embarrassed because she had touched a sore spot. However, she didn't let it go so easily, and continued:
"You keep saying that if it weren't for me, you would have been able to become the top scholar? Well then, let me ask you this: the academy has clear requirements for admitting students. Only those who are seven years old or older and have already received their initial education are allowed to enroll."
You were only four or five years old at the time, and had not yet received any formal education. So the question is, which teacher dared to override the academy's rules and allow someone who failed in every way to enroll?
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