Chapter 272: Chapter 265: Mom Comes Again


    Hearing such a metaphor, Ren Liughed so hard she had to hold her stomach.


    “And,” Tang Yuxin turned around, stared at Ren Li for a while, “I will never call you mom.”


    “I’m really hurt,” Despite the jest in Ren Li’s voice, a twinge of sadness lingered. She had tried her best to be a good stepmother. Yet as children grow older, they form their own thoughts and opinions.


    Tang Yuxin ran her hands through her hair, almost exasperated, “You’re way too young. How could I call you mom? I’ll just refer to you as my sister then.”


    Ren Li was initially caught off-guard, then burst outughing so hard that tears almost filled her eyes. She found out that this little rascal had a cute side too. She thought Yuxin was all serious with no trace of childlike innocence. But it was understandable. She heard from Tang Zhinian about how Sang Zhn mistreated the girl. No mother should treat her offspring that way. Ren Li knew for certain that if she had her own child, she would love them with all her life.


    Just as she was about to leave, she remembered something. She reached out to draw open a curtain. Upon seeing the limp red snake inside, she felt a shiver run down her spine…


    She quickly closed the curtains, rubbing her arm. The goosebumps had covered her skin.


    She still couldn’t get used to the peculiar hobby of this Tang little monster.


    Actually enjoying snakes, no, using snakes to soak in liquor, could the resulting drink even be consumed?


    Outside, the dinner was ready. Even though they weren’t rted by blood and the Tang Family was usually quite deste, this New Year was a lively one.<div>


    Sisi was young, and she loved crowded New Year celebrations the most. She had received so many red envelopes that her hands were sore. Acting like a little money hoarder, she squirreled away her red envelopes, not sharing with anyone.


    Just like Yuxin, Ren Li pinched Sisi’s cheek. Like Yuxin, Sisi also stashed away her red envelopes.


    Right, Zhang Xiangcaoughed, covering her mouth. Sisi definitely learned this from Yuxin.


    Not another Tang little monster,” Ren Li was worried. The Tang children were frightening. How could an honest man like Tang Zhinian have produced such a creature? There was just no exnation.


    Before the New Year celebrations concluded, Tang Yuxin was to move back to the Xu Family. Sometimes, Ren Li wondered if she was corrupting these children. Or maybe they were always overachievers, and they were merely using her to morph from average students into top schrs.


    Tang Yuxin had hardly been home for a few days when people started visiting every day. They all brought books and notebooks. Wasn’t this just like being at the Xu Family? And they continued to torment her medicinal herbs, critiquing her bottle of snake wine.


    She was worried that if they weren’t careful and knocked over the bottle, her wine would be ruined. The snake would be wasted too. She had already soaked two pots. If she soaked more, there would be no medicinal properties left.


    So, she had decided to return to the Xu Family. It was beneficial for everyone that way. She wouldn’t have to worry about her snake getting embarrassed from all the staring. Even though, it was just a dead snake.


    “Sister, someone’s looking for you.” Little Sisi, who had just got back home, pulled on Tang Yuxin’s sleeve and pointed outside.


    “Where?” Tang Yuxin asked Sisi.


    Sisi pointed towards the entrance. She said there was a woman looking for Tang Yuxin, standing under the big tree outside.


    “Go and see, sis,” Tang Yuxin smoothed down Sisi’s hair, “Help sister keep an eye on the house, all right?”


    “Okay,” Sisi nodded. She watched the house very well, especially the sister’s medicinal herbs and the snake. It was true she had learned a lot from her sister. Most kids her age were terrified of snakes. But not her. Like her sister, she had never been afraid of these creatures.


    Tang Yuxin stepped outside, heading towards the tree Sisi had mentioned. Not far from the tree, there indeed was someone there. A woman, her back facing Yuxin.


    As Tang Yuxin approached, the woman turned around. Seeing her face, Tang Yuxin’s previously rxed expression froze over.


    What was she doing here?


    Had shee to visit her daughter?


    But that seemed impossible. Even if time was reversed, Sang Zhn would never harbor a soft spot for her daughter.


    To Sang Zhn, Tang Yuxin was a symbol of her failure, a blemish, a disgrace, and a constant reminder of the times when she was forced into marriage.<div>


    “Yuxin?” Sang Zhn was stunned upon seeing Tang Yuxin. It had been a long time since theirst meeting. Back then, when she was still at the Tang Residence, Tang Yuxin was a skinny, dark-skinned girl. But in just a year or two, it seemed as if she had grown up.


    She had grown up into a stunningly beautiful girl. Her bright eyes and white teeth were appealing, yet she also radiated a cold indifference. Especially her body, which gave off a faint chill. Now she was standing not far from Sang Zhn, unmoving.


    Despite being mother and daughter, they looked nothing alike.


    Despite being mother and daughter, they felt no closeness to each other.<div>


    Despite being mother and daughter, the mother could hardly recognize her daughter. And the daughter’s eyes were full of indifference.


    “What do you want?” The question remained the same, as always.


    Is there anything you want? Yes, not even an extra word added.


    “Yuxin,” Sang Zhn called her daughter by her name. This child stood before her wasn’t the Tang Yuxin she could manipte andmand around like when she was younger.


    In the past, whenever she ordered the girl to do something, she did it. She was like a servant, no, a dog that did her bidding. If Sang Zhn told her to go east, she would never dare to go west. If Sang Zhn told her to wash the dishes, she would never dare to do sweeping.


    But now, everything had slipped out of Sang Zhn’s control. This daughter no longer obeyed her, and worse, didn’t acknowledge her.


    “Yuxin, did you get first ce in the exams?” She asked hesitantly. The voiceing from her throat was strangled; for some reason, it hurt. And she felt a twinge of jealousy.


    Why was her Jiani not the one who got first ce? Why was it this daughter of hers that she had discarded?


    “Yes,” Tang Yuxin replied indifferently. Of course, earning first ce was easier for her than for others. Without realizing it, she had the answers to the test stuck in her head, possibly because of some cheating, she felt unfair and didn’t care much for it. In middle school, she never sought to be the first. She always figured it wasn’t fair to the bookworms if she, an average student, scored higher than them. As a result, she always ced third, fourth, or even fifth. In high school, she hadn’t nned on getting brilliant grades either. She simply wanted to avenge a grievance against her teacher, Mr. Song.