Chapter 144: Heart Has Long Gone Wild

Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Heart Has Long Gone Wild

"So?"

She cut him off, her voice quick and cold.

Shen Zhenwu let out a breath.

"I’m thinking we split the savings fifty-fifty. Rong Dan will be getting married, and Song Yao has her studies and living expenses ahead of her. I want to help them both out."

"Besides, we have to live, don’t we? We can’t just survive on air."

Yao Yuzhen’s fingers were trembling with rage. After a long moment, she forced a sentence through gritted teeth.

"You really have some nerve! You can’t make ends meet?"

"You wear clothes made from special-supply fabrics, you eat from a private kitchen, and when you’re hospitalized, people run around after you with insulated food containers. Tell me, in what part of your life are you short on cash?"

"What did we agree on at the start? I just wanted one of the houses, and the rest of the savings would be mine! And now you’re turning around and trying to flip the table?"

"Yes, I’ve changed my mind."

Shen Zhenwu’s reply was blunt.

"I was too selfish before, only thinking about my own satisfaction and not about how our two children would live in the future."

"I’m their father. I have to fight for what they deserve, even if it means losing face."

He said this without so much as blinking.

Instead, it left Yao Yuzhen speechless, unable to come up with a retort.

Finally, she stomped her foot, her voice practically raising the roof.

"Don’t even think about it!"

Right after shouting, she glanced from side to side, then suddenly broke into a loud, sharp laugh.

"Fine. You’ve all gotten bold, haven’t you? I raised you for half my life, and now that I’m old, you won’t even let me cross the threshold? You’re going to push me to a dead end?"

"Just a couple of days ago, I was thinking I should just take the loss. Let the family keep the house, I wouldn’t take a cent. All I wanted was some peace and quiet, just enough pension money to get by for the rest of my life. But what happens instead? Hah..."

Shen Songyao tilted her head, her question sharp and to the point.

"Mom, besides that little bit of money in the bank, what else do we have that’s worth selling?"

Yao Yuzhen jutted her chin toward the room.

"You mean this house?"

"This is public housing assigned by Dad’s work unit. It’s not ours to begin with. Even if Dad wanted to shove it off on you, he’d have to get his work unit’s approval first."

"What about the car Dad usually drives?"

"It’s issued by his employer."

"So, besides all that, what of value is even left in this house?"

"A few old clothes? A dining table with chipped paint? Or that broken stool that’s missing a leg and wobbles if you even try to sit on it?"

"Why don’t you pick a couple of things? They don’t take up much space, and they won’t fetch enough money for a few pounds of rice anyway."

"Compared to the five thousand yuan you threw in my face back then? Tsk, this isn’t even a fraction of a fraction of that. Am I right?"

Shen Songyao’s voice hadn’t even faded before she opened her mouth again, ready to continue.

Yao Yuzhen couldn’t swallow this insult. She immediately swung her arm back.

The slap was just about to land when her wrist was caught in a firm grip.

Shen Zhenwu, sitting on the edge of the bed, had grabbed her hand in mid-swing.

"You think I’m a coward, that I’m easy to push around? Fine. You can walk all over me. But not my daughter."

With that, he flicked his wrist and shoved her away.

Yao Yuzhen’s feet slipped, and she staggered back violently, nearly falling over.

Fortunately, Yao Yingying rushed in from the doorway and caught her by the arm.

"My dear sister, your husband has a point. Rong Dan and Song Yao aren’t settled yet, and their expenses are indeed high."

She had been busy apologizing since she walked in and hadn’t had a chance to ask about Song Yao’s life over the years.

Unexpectedly, Song Yao added casually.

"Auntie, I got my marriage certificate two years ago."

"The family that took me back then paid a five-hundred-yuan bride price and sold me off."

Yao Yingying’s face turned pale.

"Sold..."

But Yao Yuzhen just scoffed.

"Pah! You’re full of it! If they really sold you, why didn’t they just stew you and eat you?"

When Song Yao had mentioned this before, she had almost believed it for a second.

After all, every year she had Ruan Yongxing send money to the Song Family.

And the result?

Ruan Yongxing had specifically asked about her on the Song Family’s side, and they told him the girl never touched a book and just goofed off all day. That report had angered her so much that she cut off the funding on the spot.

She also refused to believe the Song Family would dare to take money from both sides.

They wouldn’t have the guts to do it for a mere five hundred yuan.

’Most likely, Shen Songyao started playing the victim the moment she returned to the Shen Family.’

Hearing this, Song Yao laughed out loud.

"They sold me for money, and used that money to buy groceries, meat, and snacks. Isn’t that the same as eating me, bite by bite?"

Yao Yingying quickly interjected.

"Song Yao, you’re still young! It doesn’t matter if you’re pregnant or not, you need to get a divorce immediately! Leave that man, leave that family! Come back to Beijing first, and we can figure out the rest later."

Song Yao glanced up at her and saw genuine worry on her face.

’This aunt was genuinely worried about her niece, but...’

’What about all those years ago?’

Her gaze shifted gently, landing back on Yao Yuzhen’s face.

’In the end, people always protect their own.’

’Yao Yingying didn’t say a word back then. Maybe she had her own difficulties.’

’To put it bluntly, her internal scale tipped toward whoever she was closer to.’

’Yao Yuzhen was her sister, so her first instinct back then was to protect her, even if her sister had done something despicable.’

But Song Yao just smiled and shook her head.

"Auntie, thank you for looking out for me. But right now, I have no intention of getting a divorce."

The moment Yao Yuzhen heard this, she pointed a finger at Song Yao and turned to yell at Yao Yingying.

"See? I told you, not a single word out of her mouth is true! You actually believe her?"

"Corrupted at such a young age, doesn’t even go to school, her heart has already gone wild..."

"Who’s corrupted? Whose heart has gone wild?"

Yang Wanqing suddenly stepped forward and gave her a shove.

"How old was your mother when she had you?"

"And how old were you when you got pregnant?"

"Were you born without a mother? Didn’t you also become a mother before you were married?"

"Having a child is being corrupted? Then what does that make you?"

Yao Yingying quickly put on an apologetic smile.

"Auntie, please calm down! Yu Zhen speaks without thinking, she really didn’t mean to offend you..."

"Without thinking? Then why not compare her to Shen Shuangshuang?"

Song Yao blurted out.

As soon as the words were out, Yao Yuzhen’s face fell. She suddenly raised her hand and pointed at Song Yao.

"How can you possibly compare to Shuangshuang? You’re not as good as her in any way! You think you’re worthy of being compared to Shuangshuang?"

These words didn’t provoke Song Yao, but they made Shen Zhenwu’s face turn as black as the bottom of a pot.

Was Yao Yuzhen really just scolding Song Yao?

She was clearly trampling on his reputation at the same time.

And looking at that Shen Shuangshuang—no, Ruan Shuangshuang—she sounded like a glittering jewel coming from Yao Yuzhen’s mouth.

In reality, it wasn’t that Ruan Shuangshuang was so great; it was the person behind her that was valuable in her eyes.

"My daughter doesn’t need to be compared to anyone."

Shen Zhenwu spoke up before Song Yao could.

"And she’s certainly not someone that any random person can just step on and measure her against."

Yang Wanqing was stunned for a moment, then she immediately straightened her back, standing taller than a doorframe.

This was the first time her son had ever spoken so forcefully in front of outsiders!

"Isn’t that the truth! No matter how ordinary my granddaughter is, she never had any crooked thoughts, like opening her mouth and calling some other man ’Dad’! Even if our family has to survive on air, we would never let our own child starve!"

Yao Yuzhen’s face flushed crimson, and her eyes stared intently at Shen Zhenwu on the bed.

But the one who was most upset was Shen Shuangshuang.

All these years, with Yao Yuzhen protecting her, she had always gotten her way in the Shen Family. When had she ever heard even half a harsh word?

But today...

Shen Shuangshuang’s mouth trembled, she covered her face with her hands, turned, and bolted out the door.

Yao Yuzhen immediately ran after her.

Seeing this, Yao Yingying gave the Shen family an apologetic smile and slipped away after them.

Not a single person from the Shen family called for her to stay.