The bickering between mother and son brought a faint smile to Jiang Yong'an's lips.
Gu An'an realized something, and the smile on her face vanished abruptly.
If Jiang Yong'an hadn't just exposed the Jiang family's scheme, she would have known that this person was clever and not easy to deal with, plus the previous life-saving grace, and the fact that the Jiang family's old mansion was not a good place for negotiation.
Gu An'an thought that she would never invite Jiang Yong'an to her home for negotiations.
But she had no choice; the fate of these children had to be decided.
"You live here?"
The man's tone was tinged with displeasure, and his eyes held an undisguised solemnity.
Is it not safe to stay here?
Gu An'an replied, "Otherwise, are we supposed to sleep in the open?"
Jiang Yong'an was speechless for a moment, not knowing what to say.
This house is very dilapidated. There is a thatched hut inside that leaks when it rains. How can anyone live there?
Upon learning that the children had been left in Gu An'an's care, Jiang Yong'an knew that his mother and two brothers didn't really care whether the children lived or died. They also didn't care where they lived.
He was still somewhat annoyed.
How could this be?
The anger vanished the moment he stepped into the house.
The thatched cottages of my memory have vanished, replaced by brick and tile houses.
Jiang Yong'an frowned. "You did this?"
Gu An'an pouted, "Otherwise what?"
The main house was set up after the original owner moved in; she genuinely wanted to live a good life back then.
Later on, the woman who was worn down by fate was no longer the simple and kind one.
As for the other houses, they were renovated by Gu An'an.
There's no place like home; comfort is the most important thing.
The yard isn't particularly large, but it's very comfortable to keep.
Jiang Yong'an looked around and said, "We should build two more rooms."
Gu An'an agreed, "Mm."
Pearl is not a little girl anymore and needs to have her own room.
There's a tradition that children shouldn't sleep in the same bed after age three, or sit at the same table after age seven. But before, there was only one main room in the house, so of course they all had to squeeze in to sleep.
Gu An'an only managed to clear out an east room and a woodshed, which were meant to be the living quarters for Jiang Mingzhu and the others.
"Mingyi, take Bao'er and the others to read. I have something to discuss with your father."
Jiang Mingyi, who usually obeys Gu An'an's every word, did not listen to her this time.
"This matter concerns us siblings." The boy glanced at Jiang Yong'an. Even though he had seen the real person, he didn't know why the image of his father felt more blurred than ever before.
"I think we all have a voice."
Gu An'an was stunned for a moment, and the water she poured out flowed on the table.
She got the same answer from Jiang Mingzhu's face.
As for Jiang Mingxu, he acted like a hooligan, saying, "Even little kids have to listen. I want to stay with my mother."
“Bao’er will follow Your Majesty.”
The two siblings had even more vague memories of their father. Although they knew what had happened, they still resolutely chose Gu An'an.
After all, they had been doing very well during this period.
This situation has arisen before formal negotiations have even begun.
Jiang Yong'an glanced at the young woman, but he didn't think she was playing any tricks.
However, the scrutiny in his eyes became increasingly obvious.
"Thank you for your hard work these past few days."
Gu An'an didn't respond to this, because she felt it sounded like a man comforting a woman in a family.
Although in name she is Jiang Yong'an's wife.
But what kind of husband is someone who doesn't even show up for the wedding ceremony?
Besides, she's not that Gu An'an.
"As you can see, Mingxu and Bao'er are very dependent on me. I think we don't actually have much to talk about regarding the children's whereabouts."
Gu An'an was a bit assertive, but what could she do when she liked children?
Having raised these children for so long, it's impossible for me to abandon them.
Jiang Yong'an is indeed smart, but can he take good care of several children?
“I’ve heard Yi’er and the others say that the four children haven’t seen you many times. They don’t have a deep impression of a father who always brings his children back with him. Before, everyone in the family said you were dead, but I don’t know how that news got out. But as a father, Jiang Yong’an, you are a failure.”
She immediately launched into a tirade of accusations. Gu An'an needed to make the other party feel guilty in order to ensure she would have custody of the children.
Otherwise, if Jiang Yong'an really wanted to compete, what would she have to offer him?
"I know."
Although Gu An'an took the initiative, she never expected the other party to cooperate like this.
This left Gu An'an at a loss for words.
Her prepared lines included Jiang Yong'an denying it, or at least offering some explanation.
What's going on here?
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you before. I know it's hard to ask for your forgiveness, and I don't expect you to forgive me at all. But Mingyi, can you give me this chance to make amends?"
The old father adopted a very humble attitude.
This made Gu An'an a little suspicious. Had this guy been kicked in the head by a donkey, or had someone wear his brain?
They don't seem like indigenous people at all.
I was just thinking about it.
Gu An'an heard Jiang Mingyi's voice, "There's no need for such trouble. We survived without your care in the past. Now that Zhu'er and I are grown up, we can help Mother with some things, and we can live a good life."
The young man's voice was cold, and even his expression was extremely indifferent. "I will always remember your kindness in giving me life. If you pass away in the future, my siblings and I will naturally wear mourning clothes for you."
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