Free Web NovelChapter 437: Chapter 437: Interests Above All
But that’s not how it worked. After Tan You took in Tan Deming and Wang Hunv, she, and the couple Cheng Wenhui and Tan Lin, had effectively become two separate families.
Besides, Tan You had long been accustomed to processing her emotions on her own. If it were before she encountered the Beauty System, she and Cheng Wenhui might have been able to continue their mother-daughter chats.
But now, after she had seen more of the world, Tan You had a very mature mindset. In her eyes, even Cheng Wenhui and Tan Lin were her juniors. How could she possibly open her heart to others?
Thanks to the family bucket meal Tan You bought, the atmosphere at dinner was quite harmonious. Even though Cheng Wenhui didn’t have much of an appetite, she still ate a fair bit. But when she wanted to have a heart-to-heart with Tan You, Tan Lin pulled her back.
A hint of a smile appeared in Tan You’s eyes when she saw Tan Lin’s action. She patted Tan Yue’s head. "You’ll be living here from now on. As for me, I have to go to school tomorrow, so I won’t have time to take you around."
Tan Yue blinked. "Sister, I’ll come see you at school."
Tan You said, "It’s so sunny outside. You should stay home. What’ll you do if you get a really dark tan?"
Tan Yue replied, "I won’t. Anyway, no matter how tan I get, I won’t be as dark as Tan Ying."
Tan You shook her head. "Alright, we’re heading back now. Even if you really miss me, don’t go to the school by yourself."
Tan Lin poked his head out of the kitchen. "Don’t worry, how could I let her go out alone? She’s still little."
Tan You stood up. "We’re off. I’ll just leave my suitcase here. You can bring it to me at school tomorrow morning."
Tan Lin’s face lit up. "No problem! Take care, boss!"
After seeing Tan You and the old couple off, Cheng Wenhui couldn’t hold it in any longer. "How could you agree to rent an apartment for her? It’s not like she doesn’t have a room here at home."
Tan Lin replied, "You don’t get it. Tan You is very headstrong now. Besides, living with her makes me a little nervous. You say she’s my boss—if she lives with us, am I supposed to treat her like my daughter, or like my boss?"
"’Familiarity breeds contempt.’ If we live too close, I’m worried I’ll get carried away and forget my place. What if I piss her off one day and she stops paying my salary?"
"It’s better to find a quiet place for her to live. That way, we can go visit her when we have time, and we won’t have so many conflicts day-to-day."
Cheng Wenhui felt a little upset. "She’s my daughter. How did she become so distant?"
"Distant?" Tan Lin gave her a strange look. "She bought us a house, an electric scooter, and even arranged a job for you. No one has ever treated us this well. You can’t be too greedy in life."
"She’s already like this, so you might as well focus your energy on Tan Yue. From what I can see, Tan You isn’t someone who needs others to worry about her. We’d better not try to pull the ’mom and dad’ card with her. She probably won’t buy it."
"Oh, so you know everything now," Cheng Wenhui said, rolling her eyes. "Fine, we’ll do it your way."
When it came to social graces, Cheng Wenhui was the expert. But when it came to reading people and gauging the right amount of give-and-take, Tan Lin was the master. Unlike Cheng Wenhui, who still held onto some familial affection, all Tan Lin saw was pure, unadulterated self-interest.
He lived by one principle: whoever pays the money is the boss. Even if the one paying was his own daughter, his thinking was the same. So, in a way, Tan Lin was someone who recognized money, not people.
Tan Lin shook his head. "We should just keep getting along with Tan You like this. She can earn her own money now, so how could she possibly listen to us about everything like she used to?"
"Even if she lives far away, does that make her any less our daughter? You don’t have to live under the same roof to be family. We just do whatever she says, take good care of the old folks, and she’ll appreciate it."
On the way back, Tan You watched a video sent by the Beauty System. ’So,’ she thought, ’a person who only looks out for their own interests will always make the ’right’ choice at the right time.’
Closing the video, Tan You glanced at Tan Deming. "My dad’s only held back by his bad eyes. With his knack for seeing which way the wind blows, what couldn’t he accomplish?"
Tan Deming said, "Let’s not talk about him. Life hasn’t been easy for him either. When parents are incapable, their children just have to work harder."
Tan You said softly, "Life wasn’t easy for anyone in your generation; everyone was poor. Later on, only a few people managed to get rich. And even for those who did make money, many of them had to give up a lot."
"Grandma held this family together. Even if you ground her bones to dust, how much oil could you squeeze out? You shouldn’t demand too much from people. I think you and Grandma did a pretty good job, even if Grandma used to be very harsh."
Hearing Tan You call her harsh, Wang Hunv shifted uncomfortably and defended herself. "I... I’ve changed now. Look, your mom has been back for so long. Have I said anything bad to her?"
"Yes, you’ve changed. I know life wasn’t easy for you back then, either." Tan You placated her with a few words. Wang Hunv’s mistreatment of Cheng Wenhui was a deep-seated issue for her mother, and Tan You had no intention of taking her grandmother’s side.
That was Cheng Wenhui’s business to deal with. Besides, by taking on the responsibility of supporting the old couple, she had already lightened the burden on Cheng Wenhui and Tan Lin considerably. As for the emotional aspect, that was something Cheng Wenhui would have to process on her own.
’Perhaps by not living together for a while, Cheng Wenhui will be able to let go of the past.’
Wang Hunv grunted a few times, squirming in her seat as if there were nails on it. With her eldest granddaughter running the household, she no longer had to worry about food or clothing. Now that her basic needs were met, it was inevitable that she would start reminiscing about the past.
She admitted she wasn’t an easy person to get along with; only her eldest granddaughter didn’t seem to mind her.
Tan You seemed to sense what was on Wang Hunv’s mind and said coolly, "You weren’t exactly nice to me in the past, either. But you raised me, and that’s a fact. You raised me when I was little, and I’ll support you now that you’re old. That’s only natural."
Wang Hunv turned her head away. "I also raised your aunt and your dad, and neither of them ever said that."
"That father of yours, he wishes everything in the house was his. I’d be farming all day, and as soon as he came back, he’d be taking the rice and oil... He only ever came back to plant and harvest during the busy farming season. The rest of the time, I was the one in the fields pulling weeds and spraying pesticides..."
"I even had to buy the pesticides and fertilizer, and your dad wouldn’t contribute a penny... If I hadn’t kept a tight grip on the money, your dad would have bled me dry long ago."
Tan You said, "Tan Lin may not have said those words, but in his mind, he’s always believed he should be the one supporting you. He’s only so calculating because he’s incapable of making money."
"A lot of conflicts are just caused by a lack of money. Look at you now—you have some money on hand. Do you still fuss over such trivial things?"
Wang Hunv sniffled. "Just because we have a little money now doesn’t mean we can spend it recklessly."
Since Wang Hunv had brought up Tan Zhen, Tan You didn’t hold back. "When I’m not around, if Tan Zhen comes over, you are not to give her any money. I know you have a few hundred yuan on hand right now."
