Chapter 273: Chapter 252: Can’t Stand It Anymore

"Mom..."

"You, shut your mouth!"

He had barely spoken when Grandma Tang cut him off. Tang Qingyun knew his mother’s temper all too well. In the past, he might have dared to talk back a little, but after the incident with Xiao Man, he had lost his nerve. Besides, his mother had just recovered from a serious illness, and he didn’t want to provoke her. So, he meekly swallowed his words. He subconsciously glanced toward where Xiao Man and Hao Hao were, only to see the two of them had already gone into the kitchen. He let out a secret sigh of relief. ’I’m a father, after all. I have to save some face.’

But Wu Xiaowen couldn’t stand it any longer. The resentment she had suppressed for so long finally erupted. "Mom, my husband and I are adults. We’re parents. We have our dignity, so please respect us! If Qingyun and I have done something to offend you, just say it. Can you please not be like this? This is the behavior of a feudal patriarch, a toxic relic of the past! Out in the real world, this kind of attitude would get you abandoned and despised, you know that?"

Wu Xiaowen’s eyes were wide as she stared directly at Grandma Tang, her chin slightly raised and her back straight. To everyone else in the living room, she looked heroic and fearless. But how did she feel? A popular term from a later era could describe it: absolutely exhilarating!

That’s right. Wu Xiaowen had long dreamed of a day when she could speak her mind in public and throw her defiance in Old Mrs. Tang’s face. She never expected this day to arrive so suddenly, but here it was. She had done it!

’Why should I have to swallow my anger and keep quiet? I’ve endured this old woman’s oppression day in and day out for ten years! I, Wu Xiaowen, come from a respectable scholarly family, with a background and wealth comparable to the Tang family. I could have married anyone better than Tang Qingyun! No matter who I married, I wouldn’t have had to grovel before this hateful, fierce old hag like a stray dog begging for scraps!’

’So what if it’s a wealthy family? My friends from school also married into wealthy families. And what kind of treatment do they get? Now that’s how a true young mistress should be treated! Several of them are my inferior in every way—talent, looks, you name it—yet they live happy and fulfilling lives! Why? Because their husbands are obedient and considerate, and their in-laws, who are also high-ranking, are incredibly kind and gentle!’

From childhood to adulthood, Wu Xiaowen’s life had been smooth sailing; her luck had always been excellent. Her parents doted on her, she was beautiful, her studies went well, and she never lacked for suitors. She used to be so proud and reserved, as noble as a princess. But because she married Tang Qingyun, she had endured so many years of pent-up grievances and humiliation. Even her friends felt it was unfair to her. She wasn’t going to tolerate it anymore!

Her own mother had also told her, ’It’s a new era. You don’t need to be so afraid of your mother-in-law. Now that she’s recovered, who knows how much longer she’ll live? Constantly backing down is not a solution. You have to be tough! You are a daughter-in-law of the Tang family. You married into the family over a decade ago and raised children through hardship. Who has contributed more than you? So you have to fight for the rights you deserve! If you keep acting like a dough figurine that she can mold however she wants, she’ll really think you’re an idiot. She’ll step on you, suppress you, and deny you what you’re owed. You’ll never have your day!’

"Xiao Wen, stop talking!" Tang Qingyun frowned, feeling his temples throb. Seeing Wu Xiaowen glare daggers at his mother, he almost thought he was hallucinating.

"Why can’t I speak?" Wu Xiaowen turned her head, her face flushed with indignation, her eyes glistening with tears. She looked tragically beautiful. "Qingyun, I’ve had enough of this life!"

"Xiao Wen, you..."

Grandma Tang didn’t get angry as Tang Qingyun had feared. She looked at Wu Xiaowen with indifference and sneered, "A feudal patriarch? A toxic relic? That’s what you, Wu Xiaowen, really think, isn’t it? I should thank you for pinning those two labels on me. Go on, say whatever you want. Since I’m not dead, and I’m not deaf or mute, I’ll listen to you! As for the respect you want, whoever wants to give it to you can give it. Let me tell you again, clearly: from me, you don’t deserve any respect, and you will never get any!"

Wu Xiaowen was so angry she clenched her jaw, her whole body trembling.

"Mom," Tang Yaxuan, who had at some point fetched a cup of hot water, came over and handed it to Wu Xiaowen. She said weakly, "Your voice is getting hoarse. Have a drink. Grandma isn’t well, so please don’t be angry with her!"

Wu Xiaowen’s expression softened slightly. She took the cup and gently patted Tang Yaxuan. "Such a good, filial child. Don’t worry, Mom knows what to do. The adults are talking here. You go... go play with your sister and brother!"

"Okay, I’ll go then." Tang Yaxuan had been wanting to leave the living room for a while. Grandma Tang was too fierce, too terrifying. When she had just berated her father like that, Tang Yaxuan saw his awkward, embarrassed expression and wished she could turn invisible.

Grandpa Mo also took the opportunity to say to Grandpa Tang, "Why don’t Ayue and I go back to our room to sort some things out? You... you all can talk as a family?"

Grandpa Tang laughed. "Manman went to boil water. It’ll be ready soon, so have a cup of tea before you go up. Brother Mo, Sister Su, we’re all one family here. There’s no ’you’ and ’us.’ We can all listen together, and if anyone has something to say, they can say it. No need for formalities between us!"

Grandma smiled and nodded, giving Grandpa a look that told him to sit tight and not worry.

"Xuanxuan, wait!" Grandma Tang called out to Tang Yaxuan, gesturing for her to sit in a chair. Her tone was exceptionally placid as she said:

"You and Manman are the same age, so you’re old enough to understand. You haven’t forgotten what I told you before, have you? If you have, I’ll remind you one more time: The Tang and Mo couples swapped their children. This wasn’t your fault, and we don’t blame you for it at all. However, we cannot forgive your deception. What I cannot accept even more is that your very existence has harmed my biological granddaughter! Therefore, the Tang family has no place for you! From Gongdao Village to Wancheng, we investigated and gathered evidence, making the truth of your and Manman’s origins crystal clear. The two families publicly swapped the children back, and all the formalities are complete. You no longer belong to my Tang family! You shouldn’t have come to our home in the first place. Since you’re here, I can’t kick you out during the New Year, but you are only a guest, and you must behave! You should stick with whoever brought you here. Tang Manman and Tang Haocheng are my precious darlings, and you are not to go near them!"

Tang Yaxuan’s face turned deathly pale. Tears quickly welled up in her eyes. Biting her lip, she turned to look at Wu Xiaowen and Tang Qingyun as tears streamed down her face. She truly looked pitiful.

Wu Xiaowen immediately pulled out a handkerchief, walked over, and lovingly wiped Tang Yaxuan’s tears while retorting to Grandma Tang, "Xuanxuan is still just a child! Don’t you think you’re being too cruel to her?"

Grandma Tang’s gaze was sharp, as if it could see right through Wu Xiaowen. "You have the gall to ask that question! Let’s say word got out that you refused to take back your biological daughter because her face was disfigured, and you chose to raise a fake Xiao Man to fool your husband and did everything you could to hide the truth from the elders. If that story spread, who do you think people would say is the cruel one?"

Wu Xiaowen’s face paled. "Can you blame me for that? It was all because of you..."

"Oh, so you abandoned your own daughter because of me? Wu Xiaowen, in your eyes, I’m the evil mother-in-law, right? Today, we all saw that you actually do have the courage to stand up to this evil mother-in-law! So why didn’t you use that courage to protect your biological daughter? Let’s be blunt: it was clearly your own vanity! You thought your daughter’s disfigurement would make you, the high and mighty Wu Xiaowen, lose face. You were even more afraid that people would accuse you of being a negligent mother who caused your daughter’s condition. You have a guilty conscience, so you were willing to abandon your own flesh and blood! Wu Xiaowen, oh, Wu Xiaowen, even a vicious tiger won’t eat its own cubs. When a flock of sheep meets a wolf, the mother ewe will protect her lamb behind her... You are worse than an animal!"

"I’m not like that... I’m not!"

Wu Xiaowen quickly scanned the faces of everyone in the living room. Except for Tang Qingyun, who was looking down, everyone else had an expression of conviction and understanding. She opened her mouth to argue further but couldn’t find the words. Overwhelmed, she covered her face and broke down, sobbing hysterically.

Seeing Wu Xiaowen lose control and weep, Tang Yaxuan herself stopped crying. She wiped her tears, hugged Wu Xiaowen, and then walked to the sofa where the four elders were sitting and dropped to her knees with a THUD!

Grandpa Tang and Grandma Tang remained calm. Grandpa and Grandma looked at each other, a little flustered, but didn’t say anything. ’This is someone else’s home,’ they thought. ’Best to just wait and see.’

Tang Qingshan, sitting alone on a side sofa, watched Tang Yaxuan with a narrowed gaze. Tang Qingyun had already stood up and walked over to help her up. "If you have something to say, just say it. What are you doing?"

With tears in her eyes, Tang Yaxuan said, "I beg Grandpa and Grandma not to blame my mother. All the blame is on me. If it weren’t for me, Sister Manman would have grown up in this family... It’s true I shouldn’t have hidden it from Grandpa and Grandma when I found out I wasn’t my parents’ biological child, but I had my reasons. I love you all too much! I was afraid that if I told you, you wouldn’t want me anymore! I grew up in this home. I’ve long since carved Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle, Father, Mother, and my brother deep into my heart. You are my closest family! I can’t live without you! Because of this, I got sick. At my worst, I took a knife and cut my own wrist... Just like Xiao Man can’t leave her Grandpa and Grandma, I can’t leave my Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle, Father, Mother, and brother either! I beg Grandpa and Grandma not to drive me away. Let me stay. I will do everything I can to take care of my sister and brother, to be humble and yield to them. I will never make them angry. When the three of us grow up, we will honor all the elders together!"

As Tang Yaxuan spoke, she seemed to be moved by her own words, and she threw herself into Tang Qingyun’s arms, crying inconsolably.

Tang Qingyun sighed. All he could do was gently pat her back and try to soothe her.

Tang Haocheng came out of the kitchen. He had intended to tell his grandfather and uncle that the water had boiled, but he stopped when he saw Tang Yaxuan nestled in Tang Qingyun’s arms, sobbing. He couldn’t help but frown. ’Just now in the kitchen, my real sister burned her hand on the boiling kettle and just hopped on her feet for a second. She didn’t even make a sound, just nonchalantly ran it under cold water. If anyone has the right to act spoiled and cry, shouldn’t it be my sister?’

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