Chapter 10

“Wen Xin! Who told you to speak to your sister-in-law like that? Apologize to Wanwan at once!”

Old Master Wen’s brows shot up as he scolded her.

Wen Xin stamped her foot, crying out in grievance: “But I didn’t say anything wrong! Grandpa, Mu Wanwan only knows how to sweet-talk you. Isn’t it all just so she can marry into our family?

I’m your real granddaughter. Why do you always side with her instead of me?”

Old Master Wen had once spoiled her, but ever since Mu Wanwan had been brought into the family, she had become his favorite.

This was another reason Wen Xin hated her.

“Silence! You’re becoming more and more unruly. All these years, and still you’ve grown up to be so ignorant!”

This time, Old Master Wen was truly angry. His granddaughter had been pampered since childhood, and now she couldn’t tell right from wrong.

What made things worse was how close she had become with Lin Huiru in recent years. That girl was full of little schemes, while Wen Xin was simple-minded—if someone sold her off, she still wouldn’t know it.

Wen Xin bit her lip, her eyes filling with tears of indignation. Almost instinctively, she turned to look at Song Meijuan at her side.

But Song Meijuan’s expression was flat, as if nothing could stir her interest. She ignored even her daughter’s grievance.

Old Master Wen sighed. Ever since his son had passed away, his daughter-in-law had cared about nothing, shutting herself away all day. He no longer knew what to say to her.

“Mu Wanwan, are you satisfied now that Grandpa has scolded me? Don’t think that just because you please him, you’ve become one of us. I’ll never accept you as my sister-in-law!”

Feeling humiliated by her grandfather’s rebuke and abandoned by her indifferent mother, Wen Xin was certain Mu Wanwan must be laughing at her inside.

She shouted those words, then ran out of the hospital room.

Song Meijuan also rose. “Father, I’ll take my leave as well. I’ll come visit again tomorrow.”

She nodded briefly at Wen Lin before walking away.

Old Master Wen then turned to Mu Wanwan, softening his tone. “Wanwan, don’t take Wen Xin’s words to heart.

She doesn’t have much malice, but sometimes she throws childish tantrums. Don’t bother lowering yourself to her level.

If she dares to bully you, tell me. I’ll set her straight.”

“Yes, Grandpa.”

A quiet warmth rose in Mu Wanwan’s heart.

Old Master Wen truly treated her like a granddaughter, always defending her.

“I’m already at this age, and I don’t know how much longer I’ll live. The doctors say there’s risk in this operation too.

My greatest wish now is to see you and Wen Lin living well together. If you two can keep a good home, I’ll be at peace.

And if you could give me a great-grandchild soon, I would be overjoyed.”

As he pictured himself holding a great-grandson, an irrepressible smile lit his face.

Hearing this, Mu Wanwan felt conflicted.

She had intended to tell him soon that she and Wen Lin planned to divorce. But now she couldn’t bring it up. His surgery was next month—what if the news upset him and delayed his treatment?

“Wen Lin, you must treat Wanwan well. Do not let her suffer in any way. Did you hear me?”

Old Master Wen even gave Wen Lin a stern reminder.

Wen Lin glanced at Mu Wanwan reflexively. Divorce was clearly off the table for now. If he brought it up and angered the old man, it might put his health at risk before surgery.

So in front of him, Wen Lin could only nod in agreement.

The couple stayed with Old Master Wen a while longer until he grew tired and wanted to rest, then they left.

There were people assigned to watch over him at the hospital, and he still had his own security detail, so it wasn’t necessary for family to stay constantly.

As they walked out, Wen Lin spoke first. “Let’s not tell Grandpa about our divorce plans yet. At least not until after his surgery.”

Mu Wanwan nodded. “Yes, we should hide it for now. But once the divorce petition is approved, we can go ahead and process the paperwork. By then, we’ll just need to put on an act in front of Grandpa.”

It would be a case of acting first and reporting later, but Mu Wanwan was confident she could persuade him eventually.

Her marriage to Wen Lin had been a mistake. The sooner it ended, the better.

Wen Lin froze. He hadn’t expected her to still be so intent on divorce—so eager to push it forward.

His chest felt strangely hollow. Could it be that she truly wanted to end things? Was it not just out of anger?

But Mu Wanwan didn’t notice his complicated expression. She was already thinking of how best to care for Old Master Wen.

He had stomach trouble, so his diet needed special care. In her past life she had studied many recipes for Wen Lin, including nourishing medicinal dishes.

She could prepare more for Old Master Wen, strengthening him before the surgery.

---

In the blink of an eye, several days passed. Wen Lin’s marriage leave ended, and he returned to the army.

Without him at home, Mu Wanwan felt much more at ease. She lived each day fully, and in just a few days she had saved nearly one hundred yuan. With a little more, she could buy a small house in Beijing.

Then, once she and Wen Lin divorced, she could move out immediately and focus on her business.

One day, after delivering food to Old Master Wen at the hospital, she went to the Wen family estate.

It was Song Meijuan’s birthday. Though she and Wen Lin had not yet divorced, as her daughter-in-law she ought to pay her respects.

In fairness, her mother-in-law treated her reasonably. Though not warm, she had never looked down on her for being from the countryside.

Mu Wanwan had made her a qipao by hand. At over forty, Song Meijuan still had a fine figure and the elegant beauty of a classical woman—she would look lovely in it.

When Mu Wanwan arrived at the estate, Wen Xin and Lin Huiru were already there, chatting happily.

The moment Wen Xin saw her, her smile vanished. She gave a cold snort and turned away.

Lin Huiru, on the other hand, smiled at her.

Ignoring them both, Mu Wanwan approached Song Meijuan, presented her gift, and offered birthday wishes.

A faint smile touched Song Meijuan’s lips as she thanked her.

“Mom, Sister Xiaoru also brought you a gift! She heard you haven’t had much appetite lately, so she specially queued up to buy you braised delicacies from Kelaiju!

They’re all the rage these days. Everyone’s scrambling for them, and many people can’t even get any! Sister Xiaoru stood in line for ages to buy this for you!”

Seeing Mu Wanwan hand over a plain-looking paper box, Wen Xin immediately assumed her gift was something cheap and thoughtless.

So she deliberately pointed out how much effort Lin Huiru had put in.

Song Meijuan’s expression didn’t change much; she simply thanked Lin Huiru.

But Mu Wanwan found it amusing.

Wasn’t Kelaiju’s braised food supplied by her?