Chapter 345 - 343: Dislike

Chapter 345: Chapter 343: Dislike

"No matter how hard it is this time, we can’t let her stay." Recalling Gu Nuan Nuan’s earlier words, Wen Xiu’s resolve hardened. "If worse comes to worst, we’ll just have Laidi and Tianci live with us."

"Live with us?" Zhang Dazhuang was taken aback, a sense of reluctance rising in him. ’Is that really necessary? Kids are better off with their parents, of course.’

"I know you don’t care for him, but he’s your grandson, isn’t he? And what kind of father is Wei Min? If he hadn’t been so neglectful, would Guo Xiuying have raised the kids to be like this? One is timid as a quail, and the other is bossy and unreasonable. Ugh, but no matter what, they’re still Zhang family children. If Wei Min remarries, do you really think it’s a good idea for the kids to stay with him?" Wen Xiu said, exasperated.

"We still need to discuss this with our eldest son and his wife. We at least need their approval," Zhang Dazhuang said after a moment of silence. "And it’s not just me who doesn’t care for the boy. Do you? Haven’t you complained about him in private more than once? You think a temper like that can change overnight? If he moves in with us, our home will be in an uproar within days. Do you want to make everyone uncomfortable?"

"That’s right. Even though you two have your own villa now, it’s practically the same as living with your eldest son’s family. His wife is such a wonderfully kind person. All the more reason we shouldn’t cause them any trouble. So, this is something you have to discuss with them first."

Chen Shulan, who was listening on the side, was also taken aback by Wen Xiu’s words. Living in the village, she saw the boy every day and knew better than anyone that despite his sickly appearance, his troublemaking was... on another level. People had to indulge him out of respect for his family. She looked at Wen Xiu with concern. "It’s not my place to say, but I’m afraid the two of you won’t be able to handle him by yourselves."

Gu Nuan Nuan couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. ’From my past life to this one, I’ve barely interacted with Zhang Tianci at all. I thought he was the most pitiful one, but I never imagined he’d be so universally despised. Was my earlier suggestion a bad idea? I always thought Cousin Laidi was pretty great, so I figured Cousin Tianci couldn’t be that different. Turns out their personalities are worlds apart.’

"...To be honest, I hadn’t thought it through that much. Now that you’ve all pointed this out, I’m not so sure anymore."

Wen Xiu grew troubled. Although Tianci was her grandson, his personality, even at his young age, was so much like Guo Xiuying’s that she secretly disliked him too. Her affection for him wasn’t nearly as deep as it was for her granddaughter, Laidi. She wasn’t willing to upset Lin Qin and everyone else for his sake, so she hesitated. "Then what do you all think we should do?"

"How about this," Zhang Dazhuang quickly came up with an idea. "We could buy an apartment in the city for him and hire someone to look after him. It’s still in the city, so we can visit whenever we’re free. Laidi boards at her school anyway. We could bring them both home for a couple of days each week, no problem." He added, "Once he’s a bit older, we can just send him off to boarding school."

Hearing this, Gu Nuan Nuan sighed. "Grandpa, I don’t think that’s a good idea. He needs someone to give him some real discipline. If you just let him live on his own with a caretaker, won’t he become even more uncontrollable?"

"That’s also a headache, but what’s the alternative?" Zhang Dazhuang shook his head. "Your grandmother and I are getting old. We can’t handle that kind of racket, and frankly, we don’t have the energy for him. We can’t possibly ask your uncle and aunt, or your own parents, to manage him, can we? They’re all busy, and even if they weren’t, they probably don’t have the patience for such a thankless task."

He gave a wry smile. ’Even though I say that, I know deep down the real reason is that I don’t like my grandson. I don’t feel any connection to him, so I’m not willing to discipline him myself.’

"Guo Xiuying is such a menace," Wen Xiu cursed, at a loss. A heavy silence fell over the group. Even Zhang Damei, who had been quiet, muttered, "That kid is just like his mother. Not a single bit like our Zhang family. It’s hard to feel any affection for him."

Gu Nuan Nuan: "..."

’So that’s how it is,’ Gu Nuan Nuan thought, finally understanding. ’Grandpa and Grandma don’t like Zhang Tianci either. No wonder when Cousin Laidi died in my past life, they were heartbroken for so long and still spoke of her right up until their own deaths. But when Zhang Tianci was gone, neither of them seemed particularly affected. They were somber for a moment, then just... let it go.’

’Favoritism really is something else...’

She instantly tossed aside her plan to give Zhang Tianci a few spoonfuls of the Hundred Herbs Rejuvenating Ointment to help him recover. She no longer had much interest in the little brat her grandparents couldn’t stand.

She thought for a moment before offering a more practical suggestion. "I don’t think we should even ask my uncle and aunt. They and my parents are tired enough after work. How miserable would it be to have someone at home causing a ruckus all day? Why don’t we just bring Cousin Laidi to live with us? As for Cousin Tianci, we can spend some extra money to find a family right here in Yingkou Village who can keep him in line. We’ll just send him over there, let him learn some discipline the hard way, and see if that straightens out his attitude."

’No matter how much of a terror he is, he’s still just a kid. A sudden change of environment with no one around to spoil him... even the boldest child would have to tone it down.’

’The medicine might be a bit harsh, but you can’t treat a problem child without a strong dose.’

Gu Nuan Nuan thought for another moment and added, "But before any of that, we need to take him to the hospital for a full check-up. We should get him completely healthy first."

"That’s a great idea." Wen Xiu’s eyes lit up.

"I agree, let’s do that." Zhang Dazhuang chimed in with his approval. "They say ’the child is father of the man.’ We can’t let that boy, Tianci, run wild anymore, or his whole life will be ruined."

"See? Nuannuan is the clever one. She’s full of ideas," Chen Shulan praised.

"Our girl is just naturally brilliant and full of ideas. She thinks of things that we adults would never even consider." Hearing someone praise Gu Nuan Nuan made Wen Xiu happier than being praised herself. She felt a swell of pride.

"Just think, I was about to go confront Guo Xiuying directly, but thankfully Nuannuan stopped me and told me it was a bad idea." Wen Xiu repeated what Gu Nuan Nuan had told her at home, sighing in admiration. "Isn’t her mind just incredibly quick? I was so close to making a huge mistake. Imagine if I’d turned myself from the party in the right to the one in the wrong. What a waste that would have been, and how much would I have kicked myself for it later?"