Chapter 627: Chapter 540: The Biological Daughter Is Coming Back

Xiao Man had no intention of letting Liu Fengying get close, but Grandma was faster. She stood, took two quick strides, and blocked Liu Fengying’s path. Her face was cold as she spoke. "I told you you’re not welcome here. What are you doing back?"

"Mom!" Liu Fengying cried, utterly shameless.

Grandma spat. "I only gave birth to one son, Mo Jiabao. I never had a daughter. If you keep calling me that, I won’t be so polite! Your mother isn’t here, and neither is your daughter. Now, get out!"

"Hey, isn’t that my daughter right there?" Liu Fengying pointed at Xiao Man. "She may not be my birth daughter, but I toiled to raise her for eleven years. The kindness of raising a child outweighs the act of giving birth. At the very least, she should show some respect to me, her mom!"

"Bullshit!" Second Granny Qiu, who was sitting by the door making frog buttons, sharpened her needle in her bun of hair, took it out, and then finally let her have it:

"You call that raising her? In your care, Xiao Man never had enough to eat or warm clothes to wear, and she couldn’t even go to school. You worked her to the bone day in and day out with endless chores. You raised her? It’s more like she raised your whole family! Besides, wasn’t your own biological daughter raised by Xiao Man’s parents? You’re a clever one, aren’t you? Only bragging about your own ’good deeds.’ So what about the eleven years others spent raising your real daughter?"

"That’s right! You abused Xiao Man, but the Tang family raised your daughter like a pampered princess. When they found out the children were switched, of course they wanted to switch back. It was your own daughter who despised the poor and clung to the rich, refusing to return to this hovel. Who can you blame for that?"

"If you miss your daughter so much, go find your biological one. Stop coming here to bother Xiao Man. Don’t you forget how you used to beat and abuse her. It’s lucky she has Grandpa and Grandma, or you would’ve been the death of her."

"..."

The crowd of older women and grandmothers sitting under the pear tree all began to condemn her. Being so bluntly and furiously berated by so many people showed just how terrible Liu Fengying’s reputation in the village had become.

Liu Fengying was outnumbered, but being shameless and thick-skinned, she craned her neck and started arguing back at the women. Xiao Man walked over and took a good, long look at her.

’In her past life, Liu Fengying had lived a comfortable and leisurely life. Even in her forties, her face was rosy, plump, and fair. Tang Yaxuan often sent her good food and nice clothes. She dressed elegantly and had a wealthy appearance; strangers would have mistaken her for a city woman. In the village, she was always strutting around, bragging about how rich and amazing her relative was and how her whole family benefited. Of course, that "whole family" didn’t include Mo Xiaoman...’

’But the Liu Fengying of today, without Mo Guoqiang to run errands and manage things for her, and more importantly, without a Mo Xiaoman to work like a beast of burden for her to enslave, had no choice but to shoulder the family’s burdens herself. She had to be both father and mother, handling all the farm work, chores, and miscellaneous tasks, both inside and out. In just a few years, she had become haggard and gaunt, withered to skin and bones. Her hair was graying, her skin dark and sallow. She looked like an old crone, appearing even older than Grandma.’

’And yet, the clothes she wore were surprisingly fashionable. Though they were wrinkled and so grimy you could barely tell their original color, the fabric quality was clearly not bad. Xiao Man looked a little closer and realized this was an outfit Wu Xiaowen had worn before. What was there not to understand? Wu Qin was such a filial daughter, packing up Wu Xiaowen’s old clothes and sending them back for her birth mother to wear.’

’If Wu Xiaowen saw Liu Fengying wearing her beautiful clothes in such a state, I wonder what her reaction would be?’ Xiao Man chuckled inwardly.

Liu Fengying turned her head and saw Xiao Man standing right there. She was both shocked and delighted. She reached out as if to rush toward her, but was ultimately intimidated by Xiao Man’s lofty and cold aura. Her smile froze, and she called out tentatively, "Xiao Man, it’s me, Mom!"

Xiao Man replied coolly, "How dare you pretend to be my mother? Are you worthy? You must already know that your daughter, Xuanxuan, now goes by the name Wu Qin. She might be coming back to see you soon, probably with a lot of money. Since you have so much free time, you’d better hurry back and get a place ready for her. Clean the house so it’s at least presentable. You wouldn’t want her to find it disgusting and refuse to stay, running off again. If she runs off this time, she’ll probably hide for good, disown you as her mother, and never send you money or things ever again!"

Liu Fengying stared blankly at Xiao Man, then her expression turned animated. "You... you’re saying my Xuanxuan is coming back? Yes, yes! I get it! Xuanxuan must have finished her exams and is coming back to see me! She told me, she has the college entrance exams this July. She’ll definitely get into a prestigious university and bring honor to her dad and me... Oh my God! Did you all hear that? My own daughter, my precious Xuanxuan! She’s thinking of me! She’s coming back to be a good daughter to her real mom!"

Overcome with joy, Liu Fengying burst into tears. As if hypnotized under Xiao Man’s gaze, she turned and briskly walked out of the Mo Family Courtyard. To everyone she saw on the way, she would shout happily, "My eldest girl is coming home! My real daughter, my Xuanxuan!"

She walked straight back to the Mo Family Courtyard, pushed open the dilapidated wooden gate, and only then did Liu Fengying snap out of it. ’What just happened? I feel like I forgot something... That’s right! I got a letter from Xuanxuan a few days ago. She didn’t say she was coming back soon! She just told me that I had to, no matter what, build an herb plantation and get the best herb seedlings from Grandpa Mo... I finally got to see Xiao Man just now, but I came straight home without saying anything? This is terrible! My plan was all set—I was going to beg, even if it meant crying and rolling on the ground, until Xiao Man agreed to help. I would’ve told her it was the last time, to repay me for raising her. She’d convince Grandpa to give twenty-something acres of the White Hat Mountain herb plantation to Mo Guoqiang and me, and provide us with high-quality seedlings. Then, from that day on, Mo Guoqiang and I wouldn’t bother Xiao Man for filial support anymore!’

’My brilliant plan, completely derailed! To think I let Xiao Man’s talk of Xuanxuan coming back with lots of money completely distract me from my real business!’

Liu Fengying gritted her teeth. ’That damn girl is just hateful!’

’But that damn girl has really become a phoenix after climbing the social ladder. The change is huge. She has this noble, cold aura that’s so overwhelming you can barely breathe or dare to get close. Still, when I think about the future prosperity of my family, I have no choice but to close my eyes and charge ahead, consequences be damned.’

When Liu Fengying rushed back to Grandpa Mo’s house, the courtyard gate was already closed. She leaned on the gate, pounding until her hands were swollen and shouting until her voice was hoarse, but the sturdy gate didn’t budge. There wasn’t even a single sound from within.

Of course, Liu Fengying refused to give up. She came back the next day. When no one answered her knocking, she started coming every day. For four days straight, she came three times a day—morning, noon, and night. No matter how they cursed her or tried to shoo her away, she wouldn’t listen. She insisted on seeing Xiao Man and on getting Grandpa to agree to her demands.

Finally, Grandma could no longer stand up to Liu Fengying’s shamelessness, which was as thick as a city wall. She calmly told her: Xiao Man had already left the village three days ago. She went to the county town to visit her teachers and classmates, and after that, she was going to Wancheng and the provincial city. In short, she would be out traveling for many days before she returned.

If Liu Fengying thought she could use Xiao Man as a bargaining chip to make Grandpa agree to those unreasonable demands, she could give up now. It was absolutely impossible! Forget Grandpa refusing—Xiao Man herself would be the first to object!

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