On the way back to town from Tangjia Village, Tian Shu saw Hong Xiaoduo still strolling around, pondering things. He wondered again if she had forgotten the important business she came here to do.
Despite her curiosity, Tian Shu didn't dare to ask. She had only brought herself along, and she couldn't afford to offend or dislike her.
After returning to town, Hong Xiaoduo did not go straight back to the inn, but instead headed towards Chen Juren's residence.
Through the fence gate, I could see Pang Yong lighting a charcoal fire in the yard.
"You're back from fishing? Did you catch anything?" Hong Xiaoduo asked from outside.
Pang Dayong looked over upon hearing the sound, surprised to see Hong Xiaoduo and her companion there again: "We caught some, just a few small fish. Young ladies, would you like to come in and sit down?"
"Sure, I don't know if it's convenient." Hong Xiaoduo replied politely, but her hand had already opened the gate and walked inside.
Looking at the people who had already entered the hospital, Pang Yong swallowed back the words "convenience" that he hadn't had time to say.
"This charcoal still has some smoke. If you're here to see the master, young lady, please come inside," Pang Dayong said, gesturing for them to enter.
"I came here specifically to talk to you." Hong Xiaoduo no longer beat around the bush, and while speaking, she winked at Tian Shu and gestured towards the room.
Tian Shu immediately understood his meaning and said, "Then I'll go inside and keep the old gentleman company."
Pang Yong paused for a moment, looking at Hong Xiaoduo with great confusion, unable to guess what she wanted to talk to him about!
"Actually, what I did was very impolite and presumptuous, but I had no choice. I heard about your situation and was really curious but couldn't figure it out, so I just came to ask you directly."
"Of course, if you don't want to talk about it, I'll leave right now." Hong Xiaoduo really didn't like beating around the bush.
Upon hearing this, Pang Dayong looked at Hong Xiaoduo with a wry smile and said, "Young lady, feel free to ask whatever you want to know."
"Do you know why your maternal grandfather and uncles don't treat you well? Aren't they good to you? Their good life is all thanks to your mother. Logically, shouldn't they treat you better?" Hong Xiaoduo asked with a sigh of relief.
Without a second thought, Pang Yong replied, "I didn't understand when I was young, but as I grew older, I roughly guessed it. The reason they dislike me is probably because of my scoundrel biological father."
"Have you ever looked for your biological father? Could he have come looking for you?" Hong Xiaoduo continued to ask.
Pang Yong used iron pliers to pick up a piece of charcoal that was still emitting thick smoke, and said with his head down, "He has never come looking for me. On the contrary, I went looking for him when I was seven years old. I thought, no matter how scoundrel he is, I am his own son. Even tigers don't eat their cubs. It's better to be by his side than in the Pang family."
But when he saw me and heard who I was, he seemed to hate and despise me even more than the Pang family. He picked up a stick and chased me out, telling me to get lost with a vicious look.
"Then, didn't you ever think of going to find your mother? Why are you avoiding her when she comes back?" Hong Xiaoduo asked again.
Pang Yong carried the charcoal brazier into the house and quickly came out. While tidying up the woodpile, he said, "You've only heard people say that I didn't seek my mother's protection, and that I'm avoiding her when she comes back."
But who, besides the Pang family, could know the truth?
I had just turned one year old and started walking when my wet nurse was driven away. I slept and ate with the servants in the household. At that time, I thought and longed for my mother to come back.
But when I was five years old, she finally came. She looked at me as if I were a stranger, without any joy. She hugged and kissed my cousin and teased her, but ignored me completely.
Seeing me wearing my cousin's old clothes, seeing me being ridden like a horse by my older cousin, she didn't feel sorry for me. Instead, she laughed along with them, laughing very happily.
I called her "Mother," and her expression immediately changed. She frowned with disgust, and my uncle immediately ordered someone to drag me out and lock me in the woodshed, forbidding me from appearing in front of my mother, saying it would ruin the family's good mood.
So, young lady, you're saying that this kind of mother, who witnessed my situation at my maternal grandfather's house and knows what kind of life I was living, didn't show the slightest bit of sympathy when I went to her for protection?
As for me avoiding her every time she came back, the first few times it was because my maternal grandparents deliberately sent me away, but later it was because I wisely avoided her on my own.
From childhood to adulthood, the only person who has ever made me feel family affection is Mr. Chen.
When he was lucid, he heard about my situation. He was already relying on the help of relatives and neighbors, but he would rather go hungry himself than not share half of his food with me and teach me to read and write.
Even when he was delirious, if someone gave him a meat bun, he would still save half for me.
Sometimes I can't understand why my blood relatives aren't close to me, while someone with no blood relation treats me so well!
"Didn't you ever think about how to please your maternal uncle's family? If you make them happy, won't they treat you better?" Hong Xiaoduo asked again, thinking of Tang Meixia's words.
"They are a whole family of greedy and selfish people. Why should I go against my conscience to please them? To be honest, my little lady, the girl I liked before advised me in the same way many times."
"If you say I'm stubborn and inflexible, you'll only hurt yourself. Holding onto that kind of pride and ambition is meaningless." At this point, Pang Yong chuckled self-deprecatingly.
"Is it possible that if you ignore Mr. Chen, that girl might still marry you?" Hong Xiaoduo pointed into the room and asked.
Pang Dayong nodded: "That's possible, and that's another major reason why she's angry with me. But I'm not doing this without a reason; I can't even take care of myself, yet I'm always doing good deeds and meddling in other people's business."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
