Chapter 40 Why is my aunt so selfless...?
The housekeeper came into the living room and reminded everyone that the meals were ready. The three of them, including Grandpa Song, also came out of the tea room.
Lin Jixin smiled, and her whole demeanor seemed more relaxed.
Needless to say.
Grandpa Song must have granted her request.
A second chance at life.
Tang Ran's greatest joy was not the opportunity to get revenge on Song Wuqi.
It's not like you have a chance to change your fate.
Instead, he saw his two mothers again.
She tried her best to save the Tang family, and also to protect them.
Tang Ran had never thought of it.
Her mother.
The mother who had cared for her so much and doted on her since she was little would disregard her wishes.
Use her to gain Song's help.
Exquisite crystal chandeliers hang from the high ceiling, their dazzling light almost blinding.
Black and white snowflakes floated before my eyes, and my vision began to blur.
Tang Ran lowered her eyes.
She bit down hard on the corner of her lip with her pearly teeth, and the metallic, sweet taste of rust spread across her tongue.
The sharp pain stimulated her somewhat confused nerves.
It dispelled the overwhelming dizziness.
The banquet was halfway through.
Unsurprisingly, Old Master Song naturally brought up the engagement between Song Wuqi and Tang Ran.
“I’ve had someone look into it, and the 17th and 20th of next month are both auspicious days. What do you think?” Jiang Mei asked with a smile.
Last week, Grandpa Song told her that Song Wuqi was thinking of settling down with Tang Ran as soon as possible, and asked her to ask the Tang family for their opinion.
That evening, Jiang Mei made an overseas call to Tang Wanru.
Tang Wanru was quite happy to hear this, and the couple changed their plane tickets and returned to China ahead of schedule.
In Jiang Mei's view, the Tang family also wanted to settle things as soon as possible.
So she had already chosen a date and was just waiting for Tang Wanru to make the selection.
"Next month?" Tang Wanru put down her chopsticks. "Isn't that a bit too rushed?"
This month is almost over; even if it's the 20th, there's still less than a month left.
The engagement customs in Jiangcheng are complicated. Both families need to choose an auspicious day to exchange gifts, plus the purchase and reservation of gifts in advance, and the invitation of guests.
Time is limited.
"The better days will come at the end of the month after next."
Jiang Mei has checked the Chinese almanac for the past two months.
The next auspicious day is August 25th.
We'll have to wait another month or so.
Jiang Mei was unaware of Tang Ran's thoughts, nor did she notice anything wrong with the tea that Grandpa Song and the other two had just drunk.
I simply felt that the timing was appropriate.
The 17th of next month is a bit rushed, but it's still manageable.
“Putting it at the end of September would be much more lenient.” Jiang Mei glanced at Song Wuqi jokingly, then said, “But some people are in a hurry.”
Song Wuqi smiled, then lowered his head slightly, seemingly embarrassed.
The acquisition failed, so she had to do something to make her grandfather happy.
And lately she's been feeling uneasy.
Tang Ran would get jealous for her, and would also care for her and bring her soup after she was injured.
But she just felt that Tang Ran seemed different.
But she couldn't quite put her finger on what was different.
So she told her grandfather about her idea of getting engaged sooner.
In Jiangcheng, people usually start planning their wedding six months after getting engaged.
Getting engaged early means getting married early.
Old Master Song was naturally pleased.
Despite her words, Tang Wanru still remembered her promise to her daughter to postpone the engagement.
She put down her chopsticks and was about to speak when Lin Jixin bumped into the cup beside her.
The half-finished cup of tea was spilled on the table.
Lin Jixin hurriedly grabbed a towel to absorb the water, but some tea still spilled onto her.
Fortunately, the dress she wore today was a dark color and didn't leak much water; she wiped it with a towel and it was no longer noticeable.
Just as she put down the towel, she heard Lin Jixin say, "It's good to settle things sooner rather than later. The sooner the children are settled, the more at ease we'll be."
"Yes," Old Master Song said with a smile, "Once the engagement is arranged, we'll choose a wedding date carefully."
He was very satisfied with Tang Ran, his granddaughter's wife, and couldn't wait for them to get married so that he could hold his great-granddaughter soon.
Having said all that, Tang Wanru knew that if she said anything more about delaying, she would spoil the mood.
She glanced at her daughter and could tell that her daughter had been a little down ever since she saw Lin Jixin go to the tea room.
Not to mention his daughter, even he was disappointed when he saw his wife take out that box of tea.
If they weren't at the Song family's house, she would have smashed Lin Jixin's box of tea right away.
Tang Ran lowered her head and drank the sweet soup.
Song Wuqi peeled a shrimp for her, and Tang Ran thanked him, seemingly happy.
But she quietly moved the shrimp into the trash.
At this moment, Tang Wanru was certain.
The daughter's problems weren't just with her relationship with Song Wuqi.
She truly loathed Song Wuqi.
She raised her daughter single-handedly.
She knew her daughter had a little, unnoticed habit.
She would instinctively poke at foods she disliked a few times first.
My daughter likes to eat shrimp.
The annoying thing isn't the shrimp, but the person who put the shrimp on her plate.
Tang Wanru regained her courage.
So be it if it's disappointing.
She had promised her daughter, and she was determined to keep her word.
No matter what, I can't let my daughter suffer.
Tang Wanru took a deep breath.
She picked up her cup and tried to stand up.
My clothes were tugged.
She turned her head to the side.
She met her daughter's disapproving gaze.
Before she could even be surprised, her daughter took the teapot and poured her some water.
Tang Wanru put down her cup.
Tang Ran refilled Tang Wanru's water bottle and was about to explain to her.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Song Zhixu looking over.
She bit her lip and lowered her head.
If she had a choice, she thought she shouldn't have lived in Shengming Mansion in the first place.
If she and Song Zhixu were still unfamiliar with each other, she probably wouldn't feel so embarrassed.
"Wanru, how about we set the date for the 20th?"
Lin Jixin said it would be better to do it sooner rather than later, but Jiang Mei still insisted on mentioning July.
Tang Ran patted Tang Wanru's leg reassuringly, signaling her to agree first.
"I'm afraid that won't work," Song Zhixu said abruptly.
Everyone at the table turned to look at her.
Tang Ran was stunned for a moment, then looked at her in astonishment.
Old Master Song frowned.
I don't know why my daughter would suddenly say something like that.
At first glance, it sounds just like she disagrees with Song Wuqi and Tang Ran's engagement.
Song Zhixu stopped what he was doing unhurriedly. "Wuqi has a new project to start, and he'll probably be on a business trip in Rongcheng next month."
The explanation was for everyone to hear, but the words were spoken specifically to Song Wuqi.
"Is Auntie referring to the Rongcheng Ancient Town development project?"
Song Wuqi controlled his tone, trying his best not to appear overly excited.
I saw my aunt frowning just now, and I thought there was a problem with the project.
I didn't expect her to agree so quickly.
Song Zhixu said calmly, “It looks good, but we need to conduct further research before making a decision.”
"If you have work to do during your indefinite term, then let's set the date for August." Tang Wanru seized the opportunity to add, "Your career is the most important thing for a young person."
The engagement date was finally set for August 25th.
Tang Ran remained somewhat dazed until the banquet ended.
My mother's sudden change of heart and the unexpected move to bring forward the wedding date were ultimately settled in August, albeit without major incident.
With her heart pounding, Tang Ran was utterly exhausted.
After the meal, the elders from both families discussed some engagement etiquette.
Tang Ran didn't want to get involved, so she secretly went to the garden for some fresh air.
The Song family kept a pond of koi in their garden.
They are all rare species, and some of them were even airlifted from a neighboring island nation at great expense.
Tang Ran looked at them.
His eyes were dull.
Beautiful, rare, and precious, seemingly free, yet unable to swim out of this artificial pond.
The cool evening breeze slightly dispelled the heat of early summer.
Tang Ran looked away.
I took a deep breath and suppressed the negative emotions that had been building up inside me.
"If you clearly don't want to, why don't you refuse?"
Song Zhixu's voice rang out from behind.
Her voice was as gentle and soft as ever, but to Tang Ran, it inexplicably carried a hint of questioning.
A sudden surge of anger rose in her heart. She gave a self-deprecating laugh and turned to look at Song Zhixu.
"Why didn't I refuse? Does my aunt think I have the right to refuse?"
The right to refuse had already been given away by her mother in that box of tea.
Upon hearing her address, Song Zhixu's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Now let's look at Tang Ran.
He was in that highly guarded, irritated state again.
It was already completely dark, and there was only a row of ground lights facing the water along the pond.
When you turn your back to the light, your vision immediately goes dark.
Tang Ran is afraid of the dark.
The darkness amplified her fear and anxiety.
The negative emotions that had been suppressed were released again.
Her mother's words gave her the right to refuse, and because of Song Zhixu's words, the engagement was postponed.
Song Zhixu's words helped her, and she should be happy.
But Tang Ran felt more sorrow than anything else.
What makes her different from the koi in the pond today?
Doesn't she want to refuse?
She was disgusted by Song Wuqi's hypocrisy and wished she could throw everything Song Wuqi offered at her face.
But can she?
She has clearly been trying very hard to change.
But little did she know that her mother, who loved her so much, would use her to gain Song's help.
Song Zhixu clearly knows nothing, so what right does she have to question her about why she didn't refuse?
An unnamed grievance suddenly sprouted in my heart.
It grew rapidly and wildly, like aquatic plants.
He captivated her heart.
The soreness and swelling were difficult to suppress.
Tang Ran forced a smile, suppressed the sting in her eyes, and laid bare her embarrassment.
"If I don't get engaged to Song Wuqi, will the Song family lend money to the Tang family?"
Seeing her reddened eyes, Song Zhixu's fingertips twitched.
I somewhat regret the question I just asked.
She knew that Tang Ran disliked Song Wuqi.
They also knew that Tang Ran had hired a private investigator to obtain evidence of Song Wuqi's infidelity.
She could even guess that all of Tang Ran's forbearance was because the Tang family had run into problems and needed the Song family's help.
But I still can't help but ask why?
Why not refuse?
Why not contact her?
She has said more than once that she can help her.
Seeing her suppressing her anger as she was about to agree to the wedding date, Song Zhixu was even a little angry.
But now she's starting to regret it.
Tang Ran's inner wounds were far deeper than she could see.
“We will help, not because of Wuqi and you,” Song Zhixu paused, “and not because of the engagement.”
Even if the two families did not form a marriage alliance, the Song family would still help out of consideration for the relationship between the two families.
"But the fact is, it was still borrowed, wasn't it?" Tang Ran smiled sadly.
Not only today, but the same thing happened in my previous life, and more than once.
She was completely oblivious to the truth.
In her previous life, after her mother died, Song Wuqi used an extremely disdainful tone to mock her mother as a useless piece of trash.
At that time, she knew nothing. She defended her mother, and Song Wuqi said she was a fool who knew nothing.
She would always remember the time when Song Wuqi glanced at her sideways.
The disdain in his eyes was like a steel knife, slowly tearing her self-esteem apart piece by piece.
Tang Ran wondered if Song Wuqi's final scheme to bankrupt the Tang family in his previous life was because he was fed up with the Tang family's constant leeching off of the Song family.
A torrent of negative emotions washed over Tang Ran, quickly overwhelming her.
"Tang Ran".
Sensing that something was wrong with her, Song Zhixu stepped forward and took her hand.
The warm touch stimulated Tang Ran's tense nerves.
A strange sense of unease welled up inside me.
Tang Ran snapped back to her senses and forcefully shook him off.
Song Zhixu didn't let go. She softened her voice and said, "Tang Ran, I can help you."
She took a step forward and stared into Tang Ran's eyes. "I don't need you to give me anything in exchange."
Tang Ran paused for a moment, then lowered her hand.
Song Zhixu had a gentle expression, and her light brown eyes were sparkling with light, as warm and gentle as water, making people want to get closer.
Once upon a time, Song Wuqi had looked at her with the same gaze.
But what was the result?
"How is Auntie going to help me?" Tang Ran smirked. "Will she help me cancel my engagement?"
Before Song Zhixu could speak, she continued, "Considering the relationship between our two families, can the Song family help this time? But what if there are problems with the subsequent loans?"
Song Zhixu frowned slightly.
This time, Tang Ran saw things clearly.
She smiled slightly, "Will my aunt always help me?"
His tone was slightly mocking, clearly indicating his belief that Song Zhixu couldn't do it.
She deliberately changed her form of address and asked again, "Can President Song also make the decision and help?"
According to Tang Ran's guess, there is a high probability that Tang's subsequent loans will also run into problems.
Her mother would still come begging to her mother's door just the same.
Since everything is going to happen, we might as well lay it all out on the table and show it to Song Zhixu.
The restlessness in my chest kept clamoring.
Tang Ran was even curious to see how Song Zhixu would react after learning all this.
Will he end up like Song Wuqi?
Look at her with disdain.
She stared intently at Song Zhixu's expression, not wanting to miss any subtle changes.
Song Zhixu lowered his head and thought for a while before speaking.
"There is nothing wrong with the Tang family's business. It's just a temporary overdue loan approval. The Song family can provide funds again for working capital."
His gaze toward Tang Ran remained unchanged, calm and serene, without a trace of contempt or disdain.
"Moreover, the central kitchen is a joint project between the two companies. If Tang's project is shelved, it will also affect Song's."
“From the company’s perspective, the Song family can also provide assistance.”
"If Tang is unable to repay the loan on time and needs to borrow more funds, it can pledge its shares. I believe Song's shareholders will not object."
"Of course, besides the Song family, the Tang family can also seek out third-party institutions. I believe that with the Tang family's assets and business capabilities, there will be someone willing to lend money."
Song Zhixu's voice was gentle yet steady and powerful.
We analyzed each point from both a personal and company perspective.
It was as if he was deliberately explaining things separately, answering the two questions Tang Ran asked using different titles.
In fact, in the previous life, the Tang family had pledged their shares. Later, due to the collapse of Taiwo, the Tang family's business was impacted, which led to their inability to repay the loan on time and ultimately resulted in bankruptcy.
In his previous life, Song Wuqi deliberately set a trap to make the Tang family pledge their shares.
But at this moment, Song Zhixu spoke plainly and clearly, without any ulterior motives or schemes.
They even offered alternative solutions.
The unbridled clamor suddenly subsided, replaced by disbelief and skepticism.
Tang Ran carefully observed Song Zhixu's expression.
They were trying to find a trace of deception or concealment.
But it failed.
How could that be?
A strange sense of resentment lingered in Tang Ran's mind; she neither believed nor wanted to admit that Song Zhixu's help was selfless.
Its gentle warmth made Tang Ran unconsciously flinch away.
She lowered her head.
Her gaze inadvertently fell on Song Zhixu's hand holding hers.
The image of me being drunk came to mind.
The thought that I had been deliberately ignoring resurfaced.
It was as if I had suddenly found the thread that led to the mystery.
Everything was sorted out.
The questioning became reasonable.
Tang Ran raised her head, her watery eyes curving slightly into a beautiful smile.
She took a step forward, meeting Song Zhixu's gaze, her eyes deep and intense.
Tang Ran's change was too sudden.
By the time Song Zhixu realized what was happening, those watery autumn eyes were already right in front of her.
A sweet fragrance permeated every breath she took.
Song Zhixu paused slightly, then released Tang Ran's hand, only to have it grabbed by hers in return.
He slowly leaned forward, closing the distance between them even further.
Tang Ran parted her lips slightly, her breath brushing against Song Zhixu's neck. "But why is Aunt helping me so selflessly?"
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