Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The next morning, Chu Wei went to the supply company to buy the second set of silk bedding. She sent the bedding to her mother and said goodbye.
When she passed by the Ding Family’s wine shop, she heard Auntie Ding’s fierce voice. “Ding Shujuan, when have I ever lacked virtue in my life? I gave birth to a shameless daughter like you. Hurry up and return the household register to me. If I still have a breath left, I won’t agree to you marrying that old man who’s half buried. You’re so young and yet you’re becoming a stepmother. What a disgrace to the Ding Family!”
Chu Wei stopped in her tracks and took a few glances at the Ding family’s wine shop. She looked at Auntie Ding and Ding Shujuan walking around the table and felt amused. This pair of mother and daughter were really born enemies. They would fight every other day.
Looking at the household register in Ding Shujuan’s hands, Chu Wei understood that she was preparing to marry her blind date partner. She shook her head and felt helpless. She did not understand what Ding Shujuan was thinking. Why did she have to be a stepmother?
“What do you know? Once I assume this role of stepmother, you’ll definitely agree that I’m right!” Ding Shujuan said.
With that, she pushed the table with all her might. A corner of the table knocked into Aunt Ding’s body, causing her to bend over in pain. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Ding Shujuan took off at a speed comparable to a wild dog going crazy.
The onlookers pointed at her and criticized Ding Shujuan for being out of her mind. She even abandoned her own mother for a man. Ding Shujuan ignored them and squeezed out of the crowd to see Chu Wei. She was stunned for a moment and ran away without saying anything.
Auntie Ding covered her stomach and chased after her. She shouted angrily, “You unfilial daughter, if you dare to register your marriage, don’t ever step foot into my house again. Scram as far as you can in the future and die outside as a stepmother!”
Jumping into the car, Ding Shujuan beamed and said, “Hmph, when I become the stepmother and the wife of an officer, everyone will definitely be envious.”
Seeing that Auntie Ding was almost fainting from anger, Chu Wei’s lips twitched. She didn’t want to comment on or judge Ding Shujuan’s choice. Everyone had their own path.
…
When she returned to her mother’s house, she realized that Mrs. Chu was feeding the chickens in the courtyard. Chu Wei quickly gave the bedding to her mother. When she saw her, Mrs. Chu was surprised. “Daughter, Chen Ji finally came back. Why are you here instead of accompanying him at home?”
Chu Wei took over the broom. “Mom, we have already decided. We will leave early tomorrow. After we leave, we will ask my mother-in-law to move in with you. The two of you can take care of each other.”
Hearing that she was going to leave, Mrs. Chu’s eyes dimmed. After all, she was still her flesh and blood. Now that she was going to leave with someone else, it would not be so easy to meet her again in the future. Naturally, she felt upset.
Mrs. Chu took a deep breath and tried her best to suppress her sadness. Even though she had prepared herself mentally, she still could not bear to leave at this time.
“Go on, go on. A married daughter is like water that has been splashed out. Sooner or later, this will happen. When you reach the capital, just give Chen Ji a son. The conditions now are different from before. You can raise as many as you want. If you can’t afford it, send the child to your mother-in-law and me. We can help you raise him.” As she spoke, Mother Chu urged her to give birth to a son.
Chu Wei laughed bitterly in her heart. However, she was about to leave and did not want to make her mother angry. She quietly slipped 300 dollars into the silk quilt when she was not paying attention.
“When you arrive at the capital, don’t forget to ask around for your father’s whereabouts. If you find him, send me a message whether he’s dead or alive. Back then, he took away so many antiques from our family. If you don’t have enough money, ask him for it. Since you’re father and daughter, he will definitely give it to you,” Mrs. Chu added.
At the mention of her biological father, Chu Wei didn’t frown. She was filled with anger towards her heartless father. When she was 18 years old, she once asked about the whereabouts of the antiques, but he told her that the antiques were either lost or broken. The remaining pieces had been all donated to the museum.
Chu Wei couldn’t tell if he was telling the truth but she was very angry. The antiques that had been passed down for several generations had all been ruined by him, and they were all from her mother’s family. She couldn’t forgive or accept it.
Fortunately, through that dream, she found out that her father was near the capital city’s military district. He seemed to have some cooperative relationship with the military district and could be considered a capable businessman. However, she did not mention this matter for fear that Mrs. Chu would feel sad and upset.
Back then, her father had written a few letters to them. Chu Wei felt that it was necessary to take all these letters away because the mailing addresses of these letters were different. Perhaps she could find out where the antiques were from these letters.
Chu Wei thought it through very clearly. It was fine if those antiques were broken, but she had to ask about the donations. She had to find out exactly where they were donated to.
She took a deep breath and decided to talk about these things in the future. Right now, she should talk to Mrs. Chu more. Chu Wei leaned into her mother’s embrace and said coquettishly, “We’ll be leaving tomorrow. It’ll be hard to have a bite of the food you make in the future. Mom, I want to eat the fruits that you fried. Fry as many as you have. I’ll eat with the children on the way tomorrow..”