Free Web NovelChapter 139: Chapter 139: The Child She Had with Another Man
Shen Ningning glanced over, then averted her gaze.
As long as Qin Fangmei didn’t provoke her, she was only here today to accompany Grandma Qin.
However, when Qin Fangmei saw them, a look of ecstatic glee and seething hatred erupted in her eyes.
She looked as if she couldn’t wait for Shen Ningning to see how her fortunes had turned, and she strode over eagerly.
"Grandma, I knew you would come." When Qin Fangmei stood before them, she greeted her quite dutifully.
But her eyes, laced with venom, were fixed on Shen Ningning, as if she wanted to devour her whole.
But she must have been warned beforehand, so she restrained herself.
Instead, right in front of Shen Ningning, she deliberately walked to Grandma Qin’s other side and took her arm.
"Grandma, I’ve already spoken with my aunt. Once I’m officially adopted as her daughter, I’ll have you move into the Wang Mansion to live with us."
"Look at it now. My maternal family’s mansion is huge! It’s so much better than that tiny place you live in in Xiangyun Village!"
"I have more than enough to eat and drink every day. Grandma, when you come, you won’t have to go hungry anymore."
Grandma Qin gave Qin Fangmei a cold look. "Have you move in with you? What, are you looking for another opportunity to abandon me on a mountain?"
Qin Fangmei’s expression instantly turned ugly.
She cried out in feigned grievance, "Grandma, you’ve wronged me! That was all my parents’ doing. I tried to talk them out of it, but they wouldn’t listen to me!"
"Besides, they’re both dead now. Grandma, if you won’t forgive me, then I don’t want to live anymore." As Qin Fangmei spoke, she covered her face and began to sob.
Shen Ningning watched with cold detachment, knowing she wasn’t really crying.
Qin Fangmei had always been skilled at putting on an act for adults. The little girl was used to it, watching her as if she were a performing monkey.
Just then, a gatekeeper approached and said, "There’s an old woman outside who claims to be a friend of Grandma Qin."
Qin Fangmei lifted her eyes. As expected, there wasn’t a single tear. She looked utterly baffled. "A friend?"
Grandma Qin’s expression was serene. "She is indeed a friend of mine. I’ll go greet her. Ningning, you wait here for me."
Shen Ningning had Chen Ye accompany her.
Once only Jiang Zhi remained by Shen Ningning’s side, Qin Fangmei finally revealed her vicious true colors.
"Shen Ningning, I’m surprised you have the nerve to show your face in front of me. You never dreamed I’d survive, did you?" she said with a grin, her eyes glinting with venom.
The little girl was perfectly composed. "And who are you? Why would I waste a thought on whether you live or die?"
"You—!" Qin Fangmei never imagined this little orphan would dare talk back to her with even more audacity.
She exhaled and let out a slow, cold laugh. "Go on, be insolent for now. You’ll be crying soon enough."
"My aunt has already said that once I’m adopted, I’ll be her official daughter. My older cousin and my own brother will both be here to back me up."
"As long as I’m alive and in the Capital City, Shen Ningning, I will never stop until one of us is dead!"
"I swear, one day I will grind your bones to dust, just like you did when you had my parents killed!" Qin Fangmei hissed, her features twisted in a ferocious snarl, her eyes seeming to split with rage.
Jiang Zhi moved to shield Shen Ningning, afraid Qin Fangmei would fly into a frenzy and attack someone.
But the little girl only grew calmer. "Is that so? Well then, I’ll be waiting to see."
Her tone was perfectly casual, and her dark, glistening eyes even held a hint of innocent amusement.
To Qin Fangmei, this was blatant mockery!
’Laugh all you want. We’ll see if you’re still laughing later!’
A short while later, Grandma Qin returned, accompanied by an old woman in simple, plain clothes.
The woman kept her head bowed, and her attire was unremarkable. After a few glances, Qin Fangmei lost interest and looked away.
After a while, the sound of gongs and drums filled the air. The guests were seated in the garden, where Grandmaster Wang had specially hired an opera troupe to perform.
As the banquet began, he appeared before the crowd with his family.
Wang Cuizhi was leading Qin Fangmei by the hand.
Grandmaster Wang was heard saying, "My youngest daughter was terribly unlucky. After marrying into the Qin Family, she lived a life of hardship."
"Not only did she lose her life, but the children she left behind lost both their parents and were nearly murdered by a malicious person."
As he spoke, Qin Fangmei, who was standing beside him, raised a sleeve to wipe away tears, looking as if she had suffered a terrible injustice.
With these words, Grandmaster Wang had not only insulted Grandma Qin, but he had also branded Shen Ningning as the malicious person.
Chen Ye and Jiang Zhi glanced at Grandma Qin and Shen Ningning, but the expressions of both grandmother and granddaughter were perfectly serene.
"Therefore, I ask all the friends and family gathered here to bear witness. Today, we will officially adopt these two children, Gao Zheng and Fang Mei, under my eldest daughter’s name. May this allow my youngest daughter to finally rest in peace."
Wang Cuizhi took the initiative to embrace Qin Fangmei, lovingly stroking her hair. "Fang Mei, from now on, your aunt is your mother. I will treat you well."
"When your brother Gao Zheng returns, we’ll all live a good life together, and I will never let anyone bully you again!"
"Mother~" Qin Fangmei cried, overcome with emotion, immediately changing how she addressed her.
The crowd below murmured in admiration. What a touching scene of motherly love and filial piety.
Grandmaster Wang turned to Grandma Qin and said in a cold voice, "In that case, Grandma Qin, please come forward and bear witness."
"Once Fang Mei is adopted under Cuizhi’s name, she will no longer have any connection to your Qin Family."
Grandma Qin used the chair for support as she rose, and Shen Ningning immediately moved to steady her by the arm.
Grandma Qin’s voice was slow and measured. "That’s fine. If she is no longer one of the Qin Family, we should indeed make a clean break. Otherwise, when this old woman dies, I’ll be too ashamed to face my late husband in the afterlife."
Her words were strange, and everyone present couldn’t help but turn to look at her.
Shen Ningning helped Grandma Qin walk over to Grandmaster Wang’s side.
"Grandmaster Wang, you and I are of a similar age. Do you remember what you said back when I came to your door with gifts to propose a marriage alliance? You looked down on us for being poor, but you still said something," Grandma Qin asked.
Grandmaster Wang’s brow furrowed. "Of course I remember. I said that if it weren’t for the fact that my youngest daughter was fond of your son, Qin Sheng, I never would have agreed to the marriage."
"Hmph. Besides, your son was cunning. He got her pregnant first, forcing my hand. Of course I couldn’t object after that."
’He hadn’t even brought it up, yet Grandma Qin had the audacity to mention it?’
But Grandma Qin just gave a cold laugh. "Yes, that is exactly what you said."
"But it’s clear now that you deceived me. And not just me—my utterly foolish son was also deceived by your daughter, Wang Guihong!"
"What do you mean, ’fond of Qin Sheng’? Wang Guihong was just looking for an honest fool to cover up her affair with another man!"
As soon as she said this, everyone present, Shen Ningning included, stared with wide eyes.
Grandmaster Wang was taken aback. He warned sharply, "Grandma Qin, you’d better be prepared to take responsibility for those words."
"I wouldn’t be so certain if I didn’t have solid proof," Grandma Qin said with a cold smile, shaking her head.
She looked at the crowd. "My son had two children, but neither of them were his!"
"Both Qin Gaozheng and Qin Fangmei are illegitimate children from Wang Guihong’s affair!"
WHOOSH— The entire crowd erupted in an uproar.
Wang Cuizhi grew frantic. "Where is your proof?!"
Grandma Qin looked out into the crowd. "Nanny Yan, come up here and speak."
The moment Wang Cuizhi saw Nanny Yan, the color drained from her face.
She recognized the woman. She was the midwife who had delivered both of Wang Guihong’s babies.
Grandma Qin stared at Wang Cuizhi, her voice low and chilling. "And you are very familiar with the man who had an affair with your sister, Wang Guihong."
"It was your husband, Landlord Du."
Wang Cuizhi swayed on her feet, nearly collapsing to the ground.
