Chapter 47: When Will She Acknowledge Her Roots?

When she said that, Jiang Dazhuang fell into a long silence.

Something like this—there’s no way she’d dare lie to him.

After all, it’s a matter of life and death.

Jiang Chenglong looked at his father with burning curiosity. Given their family’s poverty, rattling with emptiness, what kind of secret could they possibly have?

“Dad…”

“Get lost!” Jiang Dazhuang snapped immediately. Clearly, he found him very annoying at the moment. If he said another word, he’d probably get beaten.

“But I just…” Jiang Chenglong was bitter. He just wanted to ask. If there was something going on, at least he could be prepared.

“Eighty. Take it. Go pay off your debt. Hurry!” Jiang Dazhuang, unusually generous, pulled 80 yuan out of an envelope and shoved it at him like he was throwing change at a beggar.

All the confusion in Jiang Chenglong’s mind vanished in that instant. He took the money and left.

Sun Meilin looked at his back and let out a heavy sigh. Clearly, their son was no hope at all. Wasn’t he worried that Jiang Dazhuang would lose his temper and cause trouble for her?

If she hadn’t already guessed the situation, she might’ve really gotten away with nothing.

Jiang Dazhuang’s eyes were deep and piercing as he stared at her for a long time without saying a word. Eventually, he asked with suspicion, “Didn’t you say that child was… taken care of by my mother?”

Sun Meilin replied, “Yes, that’s what I thought too… That’s why I brought that little brat back to raise, as a substitute. But I didn’t expect the real one to still be alive—and to come back to us!”

Jiang Dazhuang: “How do you know she’s really ours?”

Sun Meilin: “She has a birthmark on her back. I saw it myself the day she was born. I couldn’t be wrong. Besides, why would she lie to us?”

Jiang Dazhuang: “So this is why you’ve been cozying up to her?!”

Sun Meilin: “Yes.”

Jiang Dazhuang: “…”

No wonder he always found Fang Mianmian oddly familiar.

Turns out she was his flesh and blood all along. Now it made sense! Hahaha, now it all made sense!

Sun Meilin looked exhausted, her tone full of grievance: “I’m doing this for our family. Think about it—we’ve never raised her a single day. Shouldn’t we at least give her some money now?”

Jiang Dazhuang: “Sure, we should.”

He’d long been fed up with Jiang Yunhe. That illegitimate feathered chicken had taken over someone else’s place. They’d sold her off already; things would be much easier now.

Sun Meilin rolled her eyes, staring at the envelope in his hand.

Nice talk, but if he really had the guts, he’d give her the money. Just saying sweet nothings—what good was that?

Unexpectedly, Jiang Dazhuang had no intention of giving out any more money. He’d already parted with 80 yuan, which was his limit. Giving another 200? Impossible.

Seeing Sun Meilin staring at him expectantly, Jiang Dazhuang quickly stuffed the envelope behind him.

“When is she going to acknowledge her roots?”

“Well…” Sun Meilin’s expression stiffened. She tested the waters: “Dear, you know what our family situation is like. If she acknowledges us as her parents, we have nothing to offer her, so…”

“What does that mean? She doesn’t want to acknowledge us?!” Jiang Dazhuang’s face darkened. The impulse he’d felt earlier was immediately suppressed.

Fang Mianmian had been sent to the countryside for years now. But every time she saw him, she never made any attempt to reconnect.

When they met, she would only give a lukewarm “Uncle Jiang.”

Looking at it now…

Sun Meilin quickly explained: “Don’t blame her. It’s not that she doesn’t want to. But with Jiang Yunhe, that little tramp, still in our home, how could she not mind?”

Jiang Dazhuang: “Who is Jiang Yunhe, and who is she? What kind of life does Jiang Yunhe live compared to hers? Besides, if she was really my daughter, would I let her suffer?”

Sun Meilin: “…”

Such nice words, but she knew deep down that Jiang Dazhuang was a selfish man. He never considered things from anyone else’s perspective.

If Fang Mianmian really acknowledged her lineage, she’d just become another tool for him to chase profit.

Noticing her dark gaze fixed on him, Jiang Dazhuang cleared his throat: “Um, go bring her here. Let me take a look.”

Sun Meilin: “What’s there to see? You see her every day. And besides, we just kicked Jiang Yunhe out. Wouldn’t it look bad to recognize the other girl immediately?”

Jiang Dazhuang was clearly irritated, but he knew she had a point.

He had just received a large sum of money, and who knew how many eyes were watching him? One misstep, and it could all go down the drain.

The thought soured his mood.

“Does she know I’m her father?”

“Of course. I told her,” Sun Meilin said, though she didn’t admit it was actually Fang Mianmian who had sought her out first. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.

“Then let’s wait. As for the money—don’t rush me. I’ll think it over.” Jiang Dazhuang had made up his mind. Since Fang Mianmian knew he was her biological father but hadn’t shown any interest…

Whether or not she’d truly acknowledge him was still uncertain.

Hard to say.

As for Sun Meilin—just a woman, what did she know? He suspected that if someone sold her, she’d still help count the money. The thought alone made him angry.

Sun Meilin burned with rage at his response.

What a sweet talker—he clearly just wanted to keep all the money for himself!

But she didn’t argue. Fine. Let him keep it for now. She’d love to see whether he could take it with him to the grave when he dies. Hmph.

Seeing she didn’t speak, Jiang Dazhuang assumed she agreed with him. His expression eased a little.

“Later, gather up that tramp’s clothes and burn them. Let’s consider it as if we raised her all those years for nothing. From now on, we have nothing to do with her.”

Sun Meilin: “What about Chu Peihan?”

Jiang Dazhuang: “If she wants to marry that blind man, let her. I’d like to see what storm she can stir up.”

To him, Jiang Yunhe was utterly worthless and insignificant. If not for Chu Peihan being blind, he wouldn’t have looked at her twice.

As far as Jiang Dazhuang was concerned, Jiang Yunhe was an irrelevant object—useless.

Sun Meilin understood. She didn’t say more. Things had spiraled somewhat out of their expectations, but at least Jiang Yunhe was still in the village and not making trouble.

That was enough to reassure her.

Right now, she needed to go talk to Fang Mianmian. Otherwise, the girl might be worried sick. After all, her daughter had never asked for much.

And here she was…

Failing to handle even this little thing. With that thought, she hurried outside.