Chapter 245: Are You Willing?

Chapter 245: Chapter 245: Are You Willing?

"Mom, you really have the heart to do this?" Zhang Minzhen was dumbfounded.

"If they can have the heart to do it, why can’t your father and I?" Wen Xiu sneered.

What did she mean by that?

Zhang Minzhen looked at Wen Xiu, confused.

"We’ve never mentioned this, but for the past two or three years, ever since the year your eldest brother nearly had that accident, your father and I have been having the same dream, off and on," Wen Xiu said, her expression complex.

"Two people having the same dream?" Zhang Minzhen was astonished.

"Yes. Your father and I don’t have it at the same time. Sometimes he dreams it, sometimes I do. The dreams are fragmented, but the scenes within them are astonishingly similar. I suspect it’s a warning from heaven, just like how Nuannuan has prophetic dreams. We think it’s probably because one of our ancestors performed some great deed, and now we’re receiving their protection. Otherwise, how could you explain all these coincidences?" Wen Xiu’s eyes gazed at the distant mountain range as she sighed.

"Mom, you still haven’t said what you dreamed about," Zhang Minzhen said, still completely lost.

’What was in the dream?’

Wen Xiu sighed and slowly began to recount the tale. "We both dreamed that you were actually splashed across the head and face by that man from the Gu family. In the dream, Nuannuan didn’t manage to stop you, and the Gu Family successfully covered up the truth about the twins... Then your eldest brother really did have his accident. After that, your second and third brothers clamored to split up the family. Your father and I were too preoccupied to look after you. While you were in the hospital, not only did the Gu family ignore you, but they forced you into a divorce without giving you a single thing. Nuannuan, of course, stayed with you. At that time, because your face was ruined, you had a terrible temper and were incredibly strict with her. Poor Nuannuan was so terrified she never had the chance to think and speak as freely as she does now. All day, she was silent and withdrawn, wishing she could just shrink into herself so no one would see her..."

Zhang Minzhen’s face grew paler and paler as she listened. When her mother finished, she was completely stunned, muttering, "How could it have been like that?"

"Your father and I discussed the events of the dream over and over. We both came to the conclusion that if Nuannuan hadn’t stopped you this time, and then hadn’t insisted that her uncle not get on that bus, our family really would have ended up just like in the dream."

Wen Xiu gripped her daughter’s hand tightly; Zhang Minzhen could feel her trembling. She listened as her mother continued, "Over the past two years, your father and I have grown distant from your second and third brothers, and it wasn’t just because of the dream. We specifically had someone pay close attention to every word and action of their two families. In the end, as much as we hated to admit it, we had to face the truth. Your second brother and Third brother, along with their families, don’t just lack any sibling affection for you—they’re the same with us. There’s no parent-child bond to speak of. They’re just a pair of ungrateful wolves. It’s useless to be good to them. They just lie in wait, ready to pounce and tear a piece of flesh right off of us..."

As she spoke, her eyes reddened with sorrow.

"Mom..." Zhang Minzhen wanted to comfort her but found that, with her mouth agape, she had no idea what to say. Her own eyes quickly began to well up with tears.

"Don’t you get sad, too. In the end, this is all just fate." Wen Xiu’s emotions were turbulent for a moment, but once she composed herself, she turned to comfort her daughter with a wry smile. "Your father and I are content as long as you two are all right. As for the other two, let them be. We’ve already split the family anyway. We brought them into this world and raised them, and we’ve given them what they were owed. Your eldest brother helped them as much as he could. If they can’t make something of themselves, who can they blame? Whether they become wealthy or destitute in the future, it won’t weigh on my conscience any longer."

"Mom." Zhang Minzhen hugged Wen Xiu’s arm, resting her head on her shoulder.

"Let’s not talk about them. Just thinking about it is upsetting. Especially today. Look at this—they were the ones who made a mistake and came to us for help, yet they still couldn’t control themselves and made such a scene... Honestly. Anyway, I don’t want to get involved in their affairs ever again. You shouldn’t either. I’ll talk to your father and your eldest brother later and tell them to stay out of it, too. Let them make as much of a scene as they want... We’ve spoiled them rotten."

Wen Xiu sneered at something in the distance, then turned her gaze back to Zhang Minzhen, a faint smile returning to her face. "But enough about that. The person I’m worried about now is you."

"What about me?" Zhang Minzhen seemed to sense what her mother was about to say, and her ears quietly turned red as she averted her eyes.

"What’s there to be shy about when it comes to marriage? I’ve always felt that Song Yong seems to have feelings for you. What about you? How do you feel about him?" As she spoke, Wen Xiu’s smile widened. The more she’d interacted with Song Yong over the past two years, the more she approved of him. Both his character and his capabilities were outstanding. He was now a senior figure in the Zhang Group, holding a position of great power and influence.

She always wanted to laugh whenever she thought about how such an outstanding man—one who had trained himself to speak eloquently with anyone and who didn’t show the slightest timidity even before Old Shao—would, without fail, become utterly awkward whenever he saw her daughter, not knowing what to do with his hands and feet. His silver tongue would instantly become clumsy and tied. She hadn’t lived all these years for nothing; if she couldn’t tell he was interested in her daughter after seeing that, then she truly would have wasted her life.

"Mom, please stop. There’s nothing between us, and it’s impossible anyway. So many girls like him now, and plenty of people are trying to play matchmaker for him. He’ll naturally look for a young woman who’s never been married. Me... How could it ever be possible between us?" As she said this, Zhang Minzhen felt a sharp pang in her heart and secretly decided to keep her distance from Song Yong from now on, lest her family get the wrong idea again.

"Don’t be so absolute. Just tell me what you think of him and whether you’d be willing. Don’t worry about the rest." Wen Xiu knew all about the insecurity in her daughter’s heart, but a parent’s love is the same the world over—she thought her daughter was perfect in every way. Besides, the family’s circumstances had been improving by leaps and bounds these past two years. And wasn’t it because he was affiliated with their family that Song Yong had the chance to showcase his abilities in the first place?

Therefore, Wen Xiu didn’t feel in the least that her daughter, being divorced, wasn’t good enough for him. At the moment, she only wanted to confirm her daughter’s feelings. If she was also interested in Song Yong, then Wen Xiu would have her eldest son sound him out and get him to propose the matter himself. She looked lovingly at Zhang Minzhen. "If you think he’s a decent man, then I’ll have your eldest brother ask his opinion. After all, you’re both not getting any younger. If there’s a connection, you should settle things sooner rather than later. At your age, it’s not too late to have another one or two children. If there’s truly no destiny between you, then we don’t need to force it. After all, who can say what the future holds?"