Chapter 140 implies following the rules.
What Song Fenglan needs is not an apology from Fatty Sister-in-law, who is not highly educated and has little life experience.
Perhaps it was Zhang Xiaohu's first love that hurt Fatty Sister, or perhaps it was Zhang Xiaohu's current wife that made Fatty Sister feel uneasy...
For a time, Fatty Sister was full of enthusiasm. Xiao Hu got into university, Zhang Wen was a primary school teacher, and Zhang Wen's wife was doing well. When Fatty Sister talked to Song Fenglan on the phone, Song Fenglan could feel Fatty Sister's joy. But now, Fatty Sister's tone had a hint of humility, as if she had returned to when Song Fenglan first went to accompany the military, when Fatty Sister was quite humble.
Back then, Fatty Sister appeared loud and boisterous, and she would even stand up for herself if others criticized her. But deep down, Fatty Sister was very insecure; she felt she couldn't compare to those people.
“You live your life, I live mine. Adults have to work hard to make a living, and it’s impossible to stay together forever. Even between husband and wife, it’s not certain that they will stay together until the end,” Song Fenglan said.
“Fenglan…” The fat woman was a little surprised. She thought Song Fenglan might be unhappy and might scold her, but she did not expect Song Fenglan to say such a thing.
“You should be proud. Compared to those around you, your family is very strong,” Song Fenglan said.
"Fenglan, you...you're still the same as before." The fat woman's eyes were slightly red. Actually, it wasn't Song Fenglan who had changed, but herself.
After her two sons got married, Fatty Sister-in-law inevitably had more to consider. She always said Tan Wu wasn't good enough, but there were times when she dared not speak ill of Tan Wu in front of her. Not only in front of Tan Wu, but also in front of her eldest daughter-in-law, Fatty Sister-in-law dared not displease her eldest daughter-in-law.
Fat Sister can only make a small amount of money selling herbal jelly; she can't earn a lot. Fat Sister herself doesn't have that much ability, nor can she be like Fan Yani.
Some parents would want their children to hand over their salaries, but Sister Pang didn't ask her two sons to hand over their salaries, nor did she ask them to send her money every month.
In previous years, Fatty's wife and her husband had accumulated a lot of debt because of Zhang Xiaohu's house purchase and Zhang Wen's wedding house purchase. Being in debt inevitably makes one feel inferior, so Fatty's wife was always careful with her words, afraid that someone might upset her and demand she pay back the money quickly—that wouldn't do.
"I've paid back all the money I owed those people, but I can't repay all the favors I owe them all at once," said the plump woman.
“There will be plenty of opportunities in the future,” Song Fenglan said. “Other people’s problems and debts are their own business, but why are you worrying so much?”
Sometimes, Fatty Sister-in-law is just too honest; she's not that fake.
“Before, I…”
"There's no need to say those things." Song Fenglan knew what Fatty Sister-in-law was going to say. "You're already at the age to be a grandmother. When you go to Xiaohu's place to play in the future, you can come over here."
"Okay, sure." The plump woman nodded, and didn't say anything more.
When Zhang Chenghai returned home, he found his wife very happy and wondered, "What's the good news?"
"Fenglan is still as good as ever," said the plump woman.
"..." Zhang Chenghai thought that Fatty Sister-in-law was going to say something, but he never expected her to say such a thing.
“Aren’t people outside saying bad things about me about Fenglan? Fenglan must know too. But she didn’t blame me,” said the plump woman. “She told me to stand up straight, that I should be proud, that I don’t need to bow my head or be humble. Both of my sons can earn money now, and we don’t owe anyone money anymore. Tell me, how can Fenglan be so good?”
“If she weren’t good, would she be your friend?” Zhang Chenghai said. “She’s been very forgiving of you.”
"Yes," the plump woman nodded, "She is indeed very tolerant."
Aunt Pang understood. She was already at the age to be a grandmother, the family had grown, and everyone was busy with their own things. Less contact, less phone calls—that didn't matter. Who took the initiative, who didn't—none of that mattered. What mattered was this genuine affection.
“You’re right, I was just being stubborn,” said the plump woman.
Everyone has their low points, and during these times, it's easy to overthink. My wife was like that before, always thinking about all sorts of random things.
“I also said that Fenglan doesn’t care about me and doesn’t treat me as a friend, but that’s not true,” said the plump woman. “She can sense my emotional changes, but that’s just her personality. She’s experienced more and is much more composed than me.”
"See, now you know how to say it like that. I told you before, but you still insisted that they were ignoring you." Zhang Chenghai was speechless. He had told Fatty Sister-in-law several times before, but it was no use at all.
“I…I’m going through menopause.” The fat woman glared at Zhang Chenghai.
"Fine, you're going through menopause." What else could Zhang Chenghai say? This was his wife, not some stranger.
It is said that Aunt Song made a lot of money as a director, and the Tang family had their eyes on her. Tang Shaotao thought about getting his child into the film crew so that the child could act.
Aunt Song would never agree to that. Tang Shaotao could let his son go to other film crews, but not Aunt Song's.
"Mom, that's your own grandson. Can't you lend a hand? You let others make money, but you won't let your own grandson make money?" Tang Shaotao went to the filming location to block Song San's aunt.
Actors can earn a lot of money from filming, but Tang Shaotao's youngest son, Tang Qiming, didn't do well in school and didn't get into a good school. Now, Tang Qiming doesn't have a stable job, and Tang Shaotao is thinking of Aunt Song again.
After all these years, Tang Shaotao believes his mother should let go of those things.
"No way." Aunt Song nodded. "As long as it's my production team, I won't use any of you. You can't force me to use you."
Aunt Song just wanted to make movies in a simple way, instead of getting caught up in all this fuss. Aunt Song knew what these people were thinking; they were after her company.
No way!
Aunt Song would never give her company to these people, nor could she give them the film and television copyrights.
"Mom, are you really going to just stand by and watch your grandson become a good-for-nothing?" Tang Shaotao said. "If he can't earn money, what will he do in the future?"
"Cold or deep-fried, do whatever you want with him," said Aunt Song. "This isn't a refuge for you, I can't help you. I've already said you've severed ties with me, so don't even think about it. According to the current law, I'm already being lenient by not asking you for alimony, yet you're still eyeing my possessions. I have the right to decide where my property goes, it has nothing to do with you."
Aunt Song rolled her eyes. Tang Shaotao wanted to go over, but was stopped by Aunt Song's bodyguard.
Tang Shaotao's face was grim. Why was his mother still hiring bodyguards? These bodyguards were all very strong, and Tang Shaotao didn't dare to get too close, afraid that they might kick him away. It wasn't impossible for such a thing to happen; Aunt Song really dared to have someone do that.
Tang Qiming didn't dare to approach Aunt Song himself, so Tang Shaotao came to him.
When Tang Shaotao returned home, Tang Qiming stared at him.
"Dad, how is it?" Tang Qiming asked.
“It’s no use, your grandmother doesn’t agree to you going to act,” Tang Shaotao said.
“Why is Grandma like this?” Tang Qiming complained. “I heard that those actors make a lot of money, no less than working in a company. Some of them become famous and can even act in other TV series and earn more money. But Grandma, she doesn’t think about us at all.”
“I told her, but she doesn’t agree,” Tang Shaotao said. “Just like before, she won’t budge.”
Tang Shaotao felt irritated just thinking about it. His mother was completely stubborn and wouldn't listen to reason. It had been years since he'd tried anything, and she was unwavering in her convictions.
"Why don't you try your luck on other film sets?" Tang Shaotao said. "Let's see if it works out."
“I didn’t graduate from a vocational college, so they wouldn’t want me,” Tang Qiming said. “I asked them, and they said they wouldn’t hire someone like me. Did Grandma talk to them and tell them not to hire me?”
Tang Qiming felt that he had very good qualities; he was tall and good-looking, so he was perfectly capable of acting.
“Your grandmother…” Tang Shaotao frowned. He thought his mother wouldn’t do such a thing, but he couldn’t be completely sure.
"It must be her!" Tang Qiming was convinced that it must have been Aunt Song who did it when his father didn't continue.
Tang Qiming has never respected Aunt Song, and now that he feels he is being made difficult by her, how could he possibly be happy?
The next day, Tang Qiming went to see Aunt Song, carrying a large brick. He was about to rush towards her when the bodyguard stopped him. Aunt Song was unharmed, but Tang Qiming twisted his ankle.
Aunt Song watched coldly as Tang Qiming shouted, and then called the police.
When the police arrived to inquire about the situation, Tang Qiming repeatedly emphasized that he was just joking with his grandmother and didn't really intend to smash her. Tang Qiming said he was practicing acting and had no other intentions.
“He’s lying. I have witnesses and physical evidence,” said Aunt Song.
The police considered this a private matter and a family dispute for Aunt Song, and advised her to forgive Tang Qiming and have him apologize to settle the matter. Aunt Song refused, fearing that if she accepted the so-called apology, the Tang family would continue to pull similar stunts on her from time to time.
Then, Tang Qiming was detained for fifteen days, and Aunt Song did not pursue the matter further.
When Song Fenglan learned of this, she took some time to visit her third aunt. Her third aunt was still filming, without stopping. The scenes were originally built in her third aunt's house, and some scenes were built in other actors' houses.
Therefore, after Song Fenglan arrived, she quickly found Aunt Song. Aunt Song was getting old, and she planned to make this film a success. As for the next film, she would have to see how her health was at that time, but the script still needed to be polished first.
"Auntie." Song Fenglan placed the food in the living room of her third aunt's house and went to the room where the people were filming. This room was quite large and had been specially decorated by her third aunt.
"Why are you here?" Aunt Song asked. "Did you come because you heard about what happened a couple of days ago? I'm fine, I'm all right."
"Come and take a look," Song Fenglan said.
“It’s alright,” said Aunt Song. “It was Tang Qiming who twisted his ankle. I’m perfectly fine. He deserved it. He even tried to hit me with a brick. He has no filial piety at all. He really is a member of the Tang family.”
"It's good that you're alright." Song Fenglan was worried that her third aunt was unhappy.
"Don't worry, I'm not upset at all." Aunt Song knew what Song Fenglan was thinking. "Those people aren't worth it."
"Yes." Song Fenglan nodded. "It's good that you know."
Song Fenglan had no good feelings towards the Tang family; there were few good people among them.
These past two days, Sister-in-law Tang has come to see Aunt Song, but Aunt Song has ignored her. If she doesn't teach these people a lesson, they'll think Aunt Song is a pushover.
Tang Qiming was detained for only fifteen days, and time passed quickly.
"Those people are no good," Aunt Song said. "Only a fool would be unhappy about them. By the way, Tang Lu hasn't come to see you, has she?"
"No," Song Fenglan said. "What's wrong?"
"It's alright," said Aunt Song. "She's still in the south of the city and hasn't started a family yet."
Tang Lu was focused on her career and had no intention of starting a family. Aunt Song didn't interfere much, but during a previous phone call with Tang Lu, Tang Lu had mentioned airplanes, leading Aunt Song to wonder if Tang Lu was trying to reconnect with Song Fenglan.
“If she comes looking for you, don’t pay any attention to her,” Aunt Song said. “Whether she’s appreciating your talent or what, that’s her own business. You’re not one of her connections.”
“She didn’t contact me.” Song Fenglan repeated the same statement. “She didn’t contact me when I was in Nancheng, so it’s even less likely that she will contact me now.”
Song Fenglan didn't know what to say about Tang Lu. Tang Lu was a member of the Tang family, yet she didn't quite seem like one. Tang Lu might be a bit of a tea enthusiast at times, but overall she was alright.
Song Fenglan heard that Tang Lu was doing well in Nancheng and had been promoted. Tang Lu could have continued in that role and stayed in the military. Even if she were to leave the military, she could have found a good job, such as at an aviation flight school, where she could teach students how to fly.
In Nancheng, some people know that Tang Lu and Song Fenglan are cousins. They are thinking of asking Tang Lu for help with their children, hoping that their children can study under Song Fenglan and apply for Song Fenglan's graduate program.
"We'll definitely thank you once the matter is resolved," the colleague said.
“No need, I can’t do it.” Tang Lu told the truth. “My relationship with my cousin is very ordinary. During those special times, we were cut off from our own mother, let alone a cousin. I wouldn’t even dare to go to her for my own sake, so how could I go to her for someone else’s sake? If you want to find her, you should do it through legal and compliant means. Don’t think about using back channels. She won’t let anyone succeed through back channels just like that.”
Unless that person is truly capable, Song Fenglan has no reason to interfere.
Tang Lu's colleague wasn't doing this for her own child, but for a relative's child. Those people were making inquiries and asking around, all hoping their child could easily get into graduate school. The child hadn't gone to a very good undergraduate university, so they wanted to get into a good graduate school. Many students contacted professors in advance; some professors were particularly popular, and many students wanted to study under them.
Song Fenglan has always been very popular, especially in recent years. As she has gotten older, people no longer doubt her abilities; they simply think she is very capable. Many students contact Song Fenglan every year, but she doesn't answer them all individually. Sometimes she just asks her assistant to check, and the response is almost always the same: it depends on their postgraduate entrance exam results.
As for those people who wanted Song Fenglan to give them high scores during student interviews, that's fine with them. Sometimes Song Fenglan didn't even participate in the student interviews; other people in the college handled that.
"I really can't help," Tang Lu said.
“My brother only has one son, and he happens to be studying a related major,” my colleague said. “I was wondering if you had any ideas, but is there really no way?”
“No,” Tang Lu said. “Capital University of Aeronautics and Astronautics is the strongest school in this field, with many top students. Those people at the school must know how amazing my cousin is, and there must be many who want to apply for her graduate program. Let’s take the exam first, get the score, and be admitted to the school before we talk about anything else.”
"..." My colleague was worried that her brother's child's score was too low, and even if he made it to the interview, he would easily be rejected. If someone could vouch for her nephew, this matter would be much easier. "Money is not a problem. If the child gets in, you can keep the money, whether he becomes your cousin's graduate student or not. If he doesn't get in, you can return it to us."
"No." Tang Lu couldn't accept the money. She knew that according to her colleague, if the child didn't pass the exam, they could just refund the money. But she didn't want to deceive anyone. She couldn't go to Song Fenglan. If the child could pass the exam, great; if not, there was nothing Tang Lu could do.
Tang Lu lives alone, has no major expenses, and still has a considerable amount of money left over. Tang Lu should stay out of these things; otherwise, she might ruin her reputation and end up being unable to stay here due to embezzlement and bribery charges.
A colleague spoke to Tang Lu privately about many things, but Tang Lu didn't respond to any of them. The colleague also invited his nephew to meet Tang Lu, suggesting that Tang Lu test his nephew, but Tang Lu refused to do so.
“My professional skills are average, and I haven’t pursued graduate studies, so I can’t pass the exam,” Tang Lu said.
Tang Lu didn't want people to think she had leaked the questions because of this. Tang Lu understood that her colleagues were trying to get her help in various ways, but she really couldn't help.
Jiang Erge's tofu business is very successful. Jiang Yufei has visited several times and has seen people ordering tofu each time.
"Quite a few people are buying tofu." When Jiang Yufei arrived at the shop, Jiang Ersao was still making tofu in the shop. She made slabs of tofu, which looked tender and smooth.
"It's alright," said Jiang Ersao.
Some people buy tofu and want it processed, so they ask Jiang Ersao to fry it. Jiang Ersao wears an apron and a hat, and the shop is very clean. Jiang Ersao and her husband clean the shop every day. Food vendors have to keep the shop clean so that customers can buy things with peace of mind, without worrying about whether there's anything dirty in the food.
"Have you sold out of fermented tofu?" Jiang Yufei didn't see any fermented tofu when she came over today.
"We're sold out for today, we're not bringing any more." Jiang Ersao glanced at Jiang Yufei. "If you want some, come tomorrow, and I'll give you a jar of fermented tofu."
Fermented tofu, made from fermented bean curd, is a popular food. Jiang Ersao even prepared special seasonings like chili peppers to enhance the flavor.
Jiang Ersao didn't bother arguing with Jiang Yufei about a little bit of fermented tofu; it wasn't anything particularly valuable.
"I heard the person who cheated you out of money was caught," Jiang Yufei said. "Did they pay you back?"
“How could they possibly pay us back? They insist it was a failed investment,” Jiang Ersao said. “We hired a lawyer, and he said there’s most likely we won’t get the money back. Those people have already spent all the money; they’re just scoundrels, they don’t have much money on them.”
"What about the demolition compensation?" Jiang Yufei asked.
“Demolition compensation? Some people have their household registration here, but they don’t own property,” said Jiang Ersao. “Those who own property would never give us the demolition compensation; they’ve already transferred the money away. In recent years, money has become worthless, so maybe they’ll just wait a few years and then pay us back. Who knows?”
Jiang Ersao felt heartbroken just thinking about it. That money used to be so valuable; it could buy so many things. Now, money isn't worth as much, and it can buy far fewer things. And those scoundrels refuse to pay back the money, preferring to be sued rather than return it. They've committed fraud, a criminal case that means jail time. Since they're going to jail, why should they pay back the money? They just think they got their money by cheating.
Not only was Jiang Ersao unhappy, but the other people who had been cheated out of their money were also furious. But they really had no other choice. When they went to the parents of those scoundrels or to their other relatives, those people said that this matter had nothing to do with them.
What could Jiang Ersao and the others do? They couldn't force those people to give them money.
“Thinking about this money now is useless,” said Jiang Ersao. “Some of them tried to escape, but luckily they didn’t. If they had escaped, they wouldn’t even have to go to jail.”
“That’s true,” Jiang Yufei said. “I think they’re deliberately not paying back the money.”
“Isn’t it intentional?” Jiang Ersao said. “We can’t count on them to pay back the money, so we can only try to earn more money ourselves.”
Thanks to the demolition of their house, Jiang Erge and Jiang Ersao finally had more money. Now, the couple has become smarter. They don't know what else to do, so they've learned from Song Fenglan and others to buy houses and rent them out. At least they can collect rent and preserve the value of their property.
"Where's your brother-in-law? How's the renovation going?" Jiang Ersao asked.
"It's alright, I can still support my family," Jiang Yufei said.
Jiang Yufei's husband works in construction and earns a good monthly wage. She wanted to tell people about it, but her husband told her not to. Lu Ping felt that there were many people who earned more than him, especially those from the Song family, who were all very wealthy, making him seem quite ordinary. Lu Ping also felt that if Jiang Yufei told anyone, it would only make him lose face.
Jiang Yufei thought about it and realized that compared to the Song family, they really couldn't compare.
"You guys are lucky to have encountered demolition and relocation," Jiang Yufei said.
"Luck," said Jiang Ersao. "Are you going to see Mom?"
"Yes, yes, I need to go find her. I'm going now," Jiang Yufei said.
Jiang Yufei's son got married and still lives in the same house as Jiang Yufei and her husband. The couple hadn't saved much money, mainly because Jiang Yufei hadn't known how to save in her early years and had spent all her money. When it came time for their son to get married and buy a house, they didn't have enough money and had to borrow from others.
After buying a house, you still need to renovate it, and there are other things that cost money.
Jiang Yufei and her husband only just bought an apartment for their son now; the apartment isn't even renovated yet, and they can't live in it.
Go inside. The whole family still lives together. Jiang Yufei is already a grandmother. There are children in the house, crying loudly, which gives Jiang Yufei a headache.
To avoid taking care of the child, Jiang Yufei went out to find Aunt Yu; she preferred to have some fun.
When Jiang Yufei met Aunt Yu, she said that she shouldn't have had so many children back then, and should have been like Song Fenglan, having only one son was enough.
"There's so much to do, and now I have to take care of the child too. It's too much." Jiang Yufei is someone who prefers to enjoy life. If the child wasn't crying all the time, she would take care of him. But when the child cries constantly, Jiang Yufei finds it extremely annoying and can't stand it.
"Now that you're a grandmother, if you don't help take care of the child, how will your daughter-in-law go out to work?" Aunt Yu said. "Your family doesn't have mountains of gold and silver. It's not bad for you to help take care of the child so that your daughter-in-law can go out to work."
Aunt Yu herself does odd jobs, and she and her husband have some compensation money from the demolition, as well as part of Aunt Yu's dowry. Aunt Yu doesn't dare to spend that money casually; she has to do whatever she can to earn it, for fear of having other expenses in the future.
"What can she do?" Jiang Yufei said. "She can't earn much money. Let her take care of the children."
"How's the renovation going?" Aunt Yu asked.
"That's how it is. Lu Ping personally took charge of the renovation, which saved some money," Jiang Yufei said. "When we bought the house, we said we wanted a bigger one with one or two more rooms, but they said no. They're just afraid we'll move in. They don't want to live with us. We even paid for most of the house, and that's how they acted."
This made Jiang Yufei very unhappy with her daughter-in-law. She also wanted to live in the new house; nobody doesn't want to live in a new house. However, her daughter-in-law's behavior was giving Jiang Yufei a real headache. Talking to her daughter-in-law didn't work.
“My daughter-in-law even said that Song Fenglan gave her a house, and the house is directly registered in her daughter-in-law’s name,” Jiang Yufei said. “It’s ridiculous. Does she even know who she married? Does she think she married Qin Zihang?”
Jiang Yufei had long heard that Song Fenglan was very generous, but could her family compare? Song Fenglan alone had earned a lot of money, not to mention Qin Yizhou's compensation for the demolished property. Song Fenglan and her husband were so wealthy that they could easily produce several houses.
“Song Fenglan is really generous; she gave several property certificates to her daughter-in-law,” Jiang Yufei said. “I heard that her second brother’s company shares are also in her daughter-in-law’s name.”
Jiang Yufei thought Xu Yan was an outsider. Xu Yan hadn't even given birth yet, but Song Fenglan was already treating Xu Yan so well.
“She’s not worried at all that her daughter-in-law will run away with the money,” Jiang Yufei said.
“She’s not afraid,” Aunt Yu said. “Gifts come with conditions, and people can write them clearly in the contract. Do you think Fenglan is a fool? She’s not.”
Aunt Yu had lived under the same roof as Song Fenglan for several years, and she knew that Song Fenglan was also a bit cunning. If she weren't, Song Fenglan would have turned out very differently by now.
"Your family shouldn't compare itself to others," Aunt Yu said. "Your family doesn't have that much money."
“That’s what I said too,” Jiang Yufei said.
“If you don’t want to take care of the child, then don’t. Don’t expect your daughter-in-law to treat you well,” Aunt Yu said. “Your daughter-in-law isn’t your biological daughter. She’s hoping you’ll treat her well so she’ll treat you well in the future. If you treat her this way now, she’ll treat you the same way in the future.”
“I have a son and a daughter,” Jiang Yufei said. “Even if I treat her well now, she may not treat me well in the future.”
"You decide for yourself." Aunt Yu's hair was completely white, and she looked much older than Song's mother.
Aunt Yu rarely visited Song's mother; she would only go if there was nothing else to do. Since Aunt Yu received the compensation money from the demolition, Song's mother still gave her some things, but not as much as before. Song's mother didn't want Aunt Yu to feel like she was being given charity, and Aunt Yu didn't find Song's mother's actions offensive.
Her older sister had already helped her a lot, and Aunt Yu knew that Song's mother was protecting her self-esteem.
During the postgraduate entrance examination re-examination, a student hinted during the interview that he knew Song Fenglan and was related to her. At the time, Song Fenglan did not participate in the re-examination, and others thought that the student was pre-selected by Song Fenglan, but upon reflection, they felt something was amiss, as Song Fenglan never did such things.
"No, I don't know her." A staff member asked Song Fenglan, only to find out that Song Fenglan knew nothing about this matter.
"He's from the south of the city and knows your cousin," the staff member said.
"I don't know, I don't know, I don't recognize him," Song Fenglan said.
"His score was too low; his written test results were unsatisfactory," the staff member said.
“We’ll follow the rules,” Song Fenglan said. “I can’t accept him as a student.”
Song Fenglan spoke these words bluntly, letting everyone know her attitude. Song Fenglan was particularly speechless; how could anyone dare to say such a thing?
When Song Fenglan returned home, she didn't call her third aunt or contact Tang Lu. She told Qin Yizhou that she was somewhat surprised that someone in Nancheng, using Tang Lu's name, claimed to know Song Fenglan and kept hinting at, and even explicitly stating, things to the examiner.
"Such a thing is true?" Qin Yizhou was hearing Song Fenglan say this for the first time.
“Yes,” Song Fenglan said. “I really don’t know him, and I have no intention of taking him on as a student. He was last in the written test and came for the retest at the very last minute. That’s not a problem; many people have been at the very last minute. He knew he probably wouldn’t get in, so he hinted at it.”
"Didn't you provoke him?" Qin Yizhou asked.
“I have no choice,” Song Fenglan said. “If someone comes to me and asks me, of course I’ll just tell them directly.”
Song Fenglan thought that person was shameless enough to dare to say such a thing.
“Tang Lu knows her, right?” Song Fenglan said. “I don’t know if she’s aware of this matter, and I won’t ask her. I haven’t been in contact with her for many years, not even when we were in Nancheng. Tang Lu knows that our relationship is just so-so, so logically speaking, she shouldn’t do something like this.”
Unless Tang Lu dislikes that person and wants to get revenge on them.
But Tang Lu wouldn't dislike a young person like that, and Song Fenglan didn't know what had happened. In any case, Song Fenglan couldn't possibly take that student; if someone else wanted that student, they could take that student.
Tang Lu's colleague went to see her again, wanting Tang Lu to call Song Fenglan and ask her to make an exception. The child had already gone to the Capital University of Aeronautics and Astronautics for the second round of interviews; passing the written exam meant the interview would be a piece of cake. All Song Fenglan had to do was say a few words, and the child would be in.
When Tang Lu learned about her colleague's nephew's questionable actions, she knew that he would not be able to get into Capital University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
"Let's go to another school," Tang Lu said.
"Why?" my colleague asked. "How will you know if you don't try?"
"If you can find out about my relationship with Song Fenglan, you should also be able to find out that we don't get along. Back then, I was here, and she was in Nancheng, but we never saw each other," Tang Lu said. "When I was sick, Lili went to see her, but she didn't come to see me. Under such circumstances, do you think my cousin would give me face? Or did you hint at it, and they'll let your nephew have the job?"
"this……"
"Don't even think about it. If you hadn't done that, you might still be able to get in. Now that you did, you can't," Tang Lu said. "You've outsmarted yourselves; you're overthinking it."
"How could this happen? You didn't say anything!" The colleague exclaimed, eyes wide.
“I told you before that we can’t rely on this relationship anymore,” Tang Lu said. “I told you directly, and you still said things like this, I don’t know what to say. I can’t tell you everything about my relationship with my cousin. I was clear enough when I said those things. You still did this, who can you blame?”
"Oh no, if my brother finds out this, he'll hate me to death," my colleague said. "Is there really no way out?"
"No," Tang Lu said. "Your brother and the others were just thinking of giving it a try, even if it's a long shot. If it doesn't work, there's nothing we can do."
"I'm afraid they'll resent me," my colleague said.
“This is not my fault, I’ve already said that,” Tang Lu said. “Who knew you didn’t explain it clearly to your brother?”
"I..." The colleague was helpless. She couldn't very well say that she had taken her brother's money and claimed that she was helping her nephew get into Capital University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Now that things had turned out this way, not only would she have to return the money, but her brother and sister-in-law would definitely be unhappy.
If she doesn't refund the money and instead blames everything on Tang Lu,
That probably won't work either.
Her colleague thought that since they were all in the same city, if her older brother and sister-in-law really came looking for Tang Lu, her lies would be exposed. But a full refund was impossible; at most, they'd get a partial refund. She'd even cheat her own nephew.
"It's getting late, are you still going to stay here?" Tang Lu asked.
"I have to go back," my colleague said.
Tang Lu didn't make this matter public, but many people knew that a colleague had approached her.
Two days later, Tang Lu's colleague's brother and sister-in-law arrived, demanding an explanation from Tang Lu. Tang Lu's colleague quickly went out and restrained her brother and sister-in-law, wondering why they had arrived so soon.
“She didn’t take any money,” her colleague quickly said. “She didn’t agree to help, so don’t make a scene and don’t let anyone else know.”
"If she didn't collect the money, who did?" my colleague's sister-in-law shouted.
The incident came to the attention of a passing leader, and both the colleague and Tang Lu were summoned to the leader's office. The leader already knew about Tang Lu's relationship with Song Fenglan. Tang Lu explained that she hadn't taken the money. The colleague had no choice but to admit that she had taken money from her brother and sister-in-law because they were worried and insisted that she take it.
That colleague didn't say that to her brother and sister-in-law. She said it required money to pull strings, and her brother and sister-in-law immediately understood and prepared the money. Now that things have blown up, that colleague is worried about being fired, so she said that.
The colleague's brother and sister-in-law didn't want her to be fired, so they had no choice but to lie along with her.
On a small scale, this is just a family matter, a misunderstanding. On a larger scale, it could be embezzlement and bribery, but with family and relatives involved, there could be other explanations.
Because of this incident, many people know what that colleague did, and that colleague was transferred to another place.
Tang Lu called Aunt Song to explain the matter, and Aunt Song immediately gave her a severe scolding.
"What a good colleague you are," Aunt Song sneered. "Are you also hoping Fenglan will help you?"
“No,” Tang Lu said. “I didn’t call my cousin or ask her to make an exception. How was I supposed to know that my colleague would have her nephew do that? She did it on purpose, thinking that my cousin would let the person stay because of me.”
"Do you think you're your cousin's ancestor? That people have to worship you?" Aunt Song said. "It's ridiculous, if you hadn't told anyone, how would anyone know about your relationship with Fenglan?"
"..." Tang Lu fell silent. Yes, she was the one who first told Jian Lili, and then more and more people found out.
Even though Jian Lili has left to get married and have children, other people who knew about it still stayed. Sometimes, when others gossiped, they might say something, and others would write it down.
Ultimately, it was Tang Lu herself who leaked the information. If she hadn't, her superiors wouldn't have been able to casually mention these things.
"You brought this on yourself, being come to your door and slandered," Aunt Song said. "Now everyone knows you and your cousin don't get along. What kind of cousins are you? Are you happy?"
Aunt Song showed no sympathy for Tang Lu; she even stomped on her foot hard, turning her toes twice.
"How could I be happy?" Tang Lu said. "I didn't expect them to do this. I thought I had made myself clear. Does my cousin already know?"
“She didn’t tell me,” Aunt Song said. “She usually doesn’t talk about these kinds of upsetting things, so it’s only because you’re comfortable telling me that you’re so concerned.”
"I...I...this isn't good, that's why I told you," Tang Lu said.
"Are you afraid that Fenglan will come to me first, afraid that your image with me will be affected? What kind of good image do you have with me?" Aunt Song said, "Don't say that you were ignorant and made mistakes when you were young, you haven't done things very well now either."
"Yes, it's my fault." Tang Lu couldn't possibly say it wasn't her fault. "Mom..."
"Then you should reflect on your actions," said Aunt Song. "Reflect on them more."
"I've reflected on my actions, I've reflected on my actions," Tang Lu said. "Mom, what about my cousin..."
“Don’t expect me to put in a good word for you,” Aunt Song said. “That person was so blunt, your cousin must know too. No, you shouldn’t even call her cousin, your Tang family and our Song family are no longer related.”
"..." Tang Lu's heart felt as if it were being pricked by many fine needles.
Although Aunt Song felt that what Tang Lu did had nothing to do with her, Tang Lu was still her daughter, so Aunt Song still bought some gifts and went to Song Fenglan's house.
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