Ch. 261..270
Chapter 261 Fishing Time
Mrs. Tao had made a lot of delicious food and brought it over. The gray floral cloth was spread out, and the food was placed in the center.
Mr. Tao set up the fishing rod that he had brought from home. There was also a fishing rod provided by the resort beside him. Since he had decided to fish, he would give it a try.
Tan Rou picked a spot with a larger breeze. Fishing could not be done in still water. Fish liked to swim. They could sense the current and swim with it.
“The fish in this lake should be from the villa, right? I wonder if I can take it home with me?” Tao Zheng asked.
Tan Rou pointed at the sign beside her. “You can take it away, but you have to pay and buy the fish by weight before you can take it home.”
Mrs. Tao walked over and said, “The fish here are all bred here. They’ve been fed with pellets instead of natural food. They don’t taste good. If you want to eat good fish, we can go fishing in the village next time.”
Mr. Tao then spoke, “Fishing is fun but there’s no need to eat them. The food we brought is enough.” He handed the prepared food to Mrs. Tao. “Honey, you scatter the fish food and attract the fish over. ”
Mrs. Tao didn’t refuse. She walked to the edge and scattered the fish food. It was quite interesting.
“It’s fun.” Tao Qi’s mother said with a smile. She called Tao Qi over. “Xiao Qi, come and try it too.”
Tao Qi was upset because Tan Jing ignored him. Earlier before, his father and brother invited him to go fishing, but he refused. Although Sister Jingjing was busy, she didn’t seem happy to see him. Why? Sister Jingjing must be angry because he hadn’t called her recently.
On the other hand, his relationship with Tan Rou seemed to be getting better and better. She even gave him a computer.
“Xiao Qi!” Mrs. Tao shouted again, “What are you doing sitting there alone? Come and fish with everyone!”
Tao Qi crossed his legs unhappily. He rested his elbows on his knees and rested his chin on his hands. He looked unhappy. “I don’t want to go fishing. You guys go ahead.”
Tan Rou looked at his expression and knew that he was still thinking about the previous matter. Why was his judgment so bad at such a young age? Can’t you see what kind of person Tan Jing is?
“Tao Qi, we were just about to have a fishing competition.” Tan Rou left her seat and walked towards Tao Qi. “Do you want to come along?”
Tao Qi was uninterested. “I don’t want to participate. You guys can play on your own.”
“Hmm…?” Tan Rou raised her eyebrows. “You’re not afraid of losing, are you?”
When Tao Qi heard that, he immediately raised his head. “What do you mean I’m afraid of losing?”
“You’re just afraid of losing. You’ve already lost to me once in the last competition. Don’t tell me you don’t have the balls to compete with me this time?” Tan Rou laughed.
Tao Qi was young and easily provoked. When he heard Tan Rou say that he didn’t dare to compete, how could he tolerate it? “Who said I didn’t dare to? Don’t look down on me because I’m young. The number of fish I catch may not be any lesser than yours.”
He patted his pants and walked to the water’s edge in high spirits. “I’ll show you what I can do!”
Mother Tao snickered. “This kid.”
Tao Zheng said, “Shall we bet something for this contest? If you ask me, the last person to catch a fish has to do something for the first person to do so. As long as it’s reasonable, the last person can’t refuse.”
Tan Rou thought this was a good idea. She asked Tao Qi, “Little brother, do you agree to it?”
Tao Qi raised his head. “I wouldn’t be last!”
“Then let’s wait and see.” Tan Rou said.
When Tao Qi focused on fishing, he stopped thinking about what had just happened. He focused on his fishing rod and observed how many fish were in other people’s buckets from time to time.
Tao Qi had no experience in fishing, and he didn’t know how to pull the fish up. Therefore, the fish that he had caught all ended up back into the lake. In the end, he only caught two small fish.
“I lost.” Tao Qi was dejected.
Tan Rou showed him the empty bucket. “I’m in last place. When I got up just now, I accidentally knocked over the bucket.”
Tao Qi was happy again. “Haha, then you’re in last place, so I don’t have to work for the first place, right?”
“Indeed. Daddy is the champion. Is there anything you would like for me to do for you?” she asked Father Tao.
Mr. Tao definitely wouldn’t order her around, but if he didn’t use this opportunity, their game would be meaningless.
“Alright. I’m exercising this privilege now. I hope Xiao Rou will cut the cake for everyone.”
Tan Rou smiled and quickly agreed to it.
Chapter 262 Somewhat Familiar
Tan Rou cut the cake for everyone while Tao Zheng took his camera and took pictures. He did not want to miss any good opportunity to take pictures.
He adjusted the camera and prepared to take a wide shot. Suddenly, someone broke into his picture. He adjusted the focus again and found that this person seemed a little familiar.
When Zhuang Liu saw Tan Rou’s family, he didn’t go over directly. Instead, he observed the family from the side. Although his behavior was a little rude, he really couldn’t stand staying away from her when he knew where Tan Rou was. Due to his gaze that followed Tan Rou, he did not realize that Tao Zheng had already noticed him.
Tao Zheng took out his camera and observed. He was wondering where he had seen this person before. Although he couldn’t see him 1% clearly, he felt a sense of familiarity. It was as if he had seen a person in a wheelchair somewhere before.
He suddenly remembered that when he went out for business the other day, he seemed to have seen this person in a wheelchair. At that time, he seemed to be with Rourou, but when he approached, the person in the wheelchair had already disappeared.
Due to how Tao Zheng kept looking in that direction, Tan Rou’s gaze also turned in that direction. Then, she noticed Zhuang Liu behind the bushes.
Why was he here alone? Tan Rou looked around but didn’t see Xiao Mo.
After being discovered by Tan Rou, Zhuang Liu subconsciously wanted to push his wheelchair away. However, the road here was not a flat cement road, but a brick road made of small square bricks. As he was too focused on Tan Rou, he did not realize that his wheel was stuck in the cracks of the bricks.
“Who is it?” Everyone in the Tao family noticed. Mother Tao was meticulous and noticed the awkwardness of the man on the wheelchair. “He looks like he needs help. “Xiao Zheng…”
“I’ll go.” Tan Rou wiped her hands.
Zhuang Liu wanted to find a gap to hide in. Peeping was already rude enough, but he did not expect to be discovered. What was even more embarrassing was that he could not move.
“Where did Xiao Mo go?” Tan Rou smiled to ease the awkwardness.
“Why did he leave the Third Young Master here alone? ”
Since Zhuang Liu was already here, he would take it as it was. He said, “I asked him to do something. He wasn’t around, so I just came out for a walk. Then, I saw you guys. I wanted to say hello, but I was afraid that I would disturb your fishing mood. In the end…”
Tan Rou glanced at the wheels of the wheelchair. It was stuck between two stone bricks, and it was indeed hard to move.
“You should have called us earlier.” Tan Rou thought that he was stuck here all these while.
Zhuang Liu knew that she had misunderstood, so he went along with it. “I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“It’s fine.”
Tan Rou pushed him out from the crack of the stone bricks with great effort. “We’re eating. Do you want to join us?”
Zhuang Liu really wanted to. He didn’t care if he ate or not, but he was looking forward to participating in Tan Rou’s family gathering.
“Wouldn’t I be disturbing your family time?” Zhuang Liu still had to be reserved.
“It’s okay. My parents won’t mind.” Tan Rou pushed Zhuang Liu over.
Zhuang Liu had never been so nervous before. They were Tan Rou’s parents. This was their first meeting, and he did not bring any gifts. Wasn’t it a little rude?
“This is Mr. Zhuang.He’s my friend, the one who bought the calming incense that I mentioned before.” Tan Rou introduced.
“Hello, Uncle and Auntie.” Zhuang Liu greeted me politely.
If it wasn’t for the fact that the time wasn’t right, he would have called them his father-in-law and mother-in-law, but he couldn’t say it now.
Mr. Zhuang? Mrs. Tao and Mr. Tao exchanged glances.
“Mr. Zhuang, have you eaten yet? Do you want join us?” Mrs. Tao asked.
Zhuang Liu hadn’t had lunch yet. He had been watching for a long time, and Xiao Mo hadn’t returned. How could he have time for lunch?
“Thank you, Auntie.” Zhuang Liu said.
Tan Rou gave him a piece of cake and a cup of plum juice.
Tao Zheng had already confirmed that this person was the one he saw last time. Seeing his sister treat him so well, he felt very unsafe. He couldn’t let his sister get too close to this man, lest she was deceived by him.
Zhuang Liu sensed a hostile gaze and looked up. Tan Rou’s brother was glaring at him. He smiled and lowered his head to eat the cake. It seemed that Rourou’s brother was very hostile to him! Didn’t he say anything wrong?
Chapter 263 What Do You Work As?
“Big brother, are your legs injured?” Tao Qi looked at Zhuang Liu curiously. “Did you break your leg while learning how to ride a bicycle?” His classmate had broken his leg while learning how to ride a bicycle and had been in a wheelchair for a long time.
“Little Qi, you can’t be so rude!” Tao Qi’s mother scolded.
“It’s fine,” Zhuang Liu said. “I didn’t break my leg when I was learning how to ride a bicycle. It’s because of other reasons, but I’m almost completely healed.”
Tan Rou had been treating him and was very clear about his condition. He had been recovering well recently and could now stand for at least a few seconds. However, because she did not want to burden his legs before he recovered, she suggested that Zhuang Liu practice standing for a while.
“What is the reason the…Wu….wu….”
Tan Rou stuffed a small piece of bread into his mouth. “Hurry up and eat your favorite bread. There won’t be any more later.”
Zhuang Liu heaved a sigh of relief. He really didn’t want to talk about his injured leg in front of others. Fortunately, Tan Rou helped him out.
“Oh my, it must have been tiring for you.” Mother Tao was a kind woman. She thought about how the child was so young but had trouble sleeping and was also stuck in a wheelchair. Why did all the bad things happen at the same time?
“It’s alright.” Zhuang Liu smiled. He was actually quite grateful for his illness. If it wasn’t for this illness, he probably wouldn’t be able to talk to Tan Rou, let alone sit and eat together like this.
“What does Mr. Zhuang do for a living?” Mr. Tao said. His voice carried a hint of dignity, and his aura was very strong.
Zhuang Liu replied casually without batting an eyelid. “I’m helping my family manage the company now.”
“Oh, you look so young. I thought you were still in university. I didn’t expect you to be helping the family.”
Zhuang Liu replied, “I went to school early and skipped a few grades. I graduated from university at the age of nineteen and majored in economics and law. Then, I chose to study for a master’s degree and a Ph.D. I’m currently studying for a Ph.D. in economics.”
“Then you’re about the same age as our eldest son, but not only did you get a double degree at this age, but you also got a master’s degree and are studying for a Ph.D. That’s impressive.” Mrs. Tao gave her compliments.
Zhuang Liu’s results were something that he could boast about. The reason why he said all these today was to leave a good impression on Tan Rou’s parents. After all, which parent did not like a good-looking, smart and successful son-in-law?
“What kind of business does your family do?” Tao Zheng was still worried. He felt that this man was up to no good.
Mrs. Tao stopped him. “Xiao Zheng, don’t always ask about other people’s privacy!”
Zhuang Liu said gently, “Some investments. It could be real estate, biotechnology, information technology, and so on.”
“Seems complicated. You seem to come from a rich family.”
Tao Zheng didn’t know much about this but he continued, “Then why didn’t your family treat your legs first?”
Mrs. Tao felt a headache coming on. How could she have given birth to such two simple-minded sons? Mr. Zhuang was already suffering from a wheelchair. Perhaps he couldn’t sleep because of his leg injury. Yet, these two kept asking him questions.
“I’m already getting it treated.” Zhuang Liu glanced at Tan Rou. “It’ll be fine soon.”
Tan Rou said, “Second Brother, Mr. Zhuang’s leg is already injured. Can you stop bringing it up?”
Hearing that his sister was defending Zhuang Liu, Tao Zheng’s alarm bells kept ringing in his heart. Was his cute sister really going to be kidnapped by this man in a wheelchair?
“That’s right. Xiao Zheng, you should stop.” Mrs. Tao chimed in.
Tao Zheng was defeated and could only sit down and eat quietly.
“Xiao Zhuang, don’t be shy. Just tell me what you want to eat.” Mother Tao liked this child very much. He was very handsome. Although he was in a wheelchair, he mentioned that he would recover soon. Most importantly, this child was very compatible with their Xiao Rou. Together, they were a perfect match.
Moreover, since he was her daughter’s friend and had helped her deal with some matters from time to time, he must not be a bad person. If their daughter liked him, she would be at ease leaving her daughter in his hands.
After they finished eating, Tao Zheng and Tao Qi were responsible for cleaning up the place while Mother Tao and Father Tao went for a walk to digest their food. Tan Rou was responsible for sending Zhuang Liu back because Xiao Mo had not appeared yet. They couldn’t allow him to walk back alone.
Chapter 264 No Judgment
The road wasn’t easy to walk on, so Tan Rou had to push the wheelchair slowly. She was more curious about how Zhuang Liu pushed the wheelchair here when Xiao Mo wasn’t around.
“Thank you for your hospitality. Uncle and Auntie are very nice people,” Zhuang Liu said.
Tan Rou said, “Don’t take my brother’s words to heart. They didn’t mean to discuss your legs.”
Zhuang Liu noticed that Tao Zheng was somewhat hostile towards him, but it didn’t matter, as long as Tan Rou sided with him.
“It’s fine. My leg hasn’t been like this for a day or two. It’ll be fine soon, won’t it?” Zhuang Liu was quite open-minded. As long as Tan Rou continued treating him, he would be satisfied with it.
“You can try standing for a while longer. Let Xiao Mo watch you from the side.” Then, she looked around. “Where did Xiao Mo go? Didn’t you say you were going on a vacation? Why did you bring work along?”
Zhuang Liu thought of a reason. “I asked him to see if there are any leisure activities suitable for me in this resort.” It was a very lame reason.
However, Tan Rou believed him and even recommended some fun activities to him. “I think the Grape Picking Farm is fine. You can push your wheelchair in, but you have to be careful when picking. Don’t get caught by the branches.”
Zhuang Liu nodded. “Alright, I’ll try it out then.”
When Xiao Mo rushed back and didn’t see Zhuang Liu, he ran out to look for him. He happened to see Tan Rou pushing Zhuang Liu back. How could he let Tan Rou do such hard work? He immediately ran over.
“Third Young Master, Miss Tan Rou.”
Tan Rou stopped in her tracks when she saw him.
Tan Rou scolded Xiao Mo as soon as he arrived. “How can you let the Third Young Master appear in the wilderness alone? As his personal assistant, you should take care of Third Young Master at all times.”
Xiao Mo was confused. “Ah… What?”
Tan Rou handed Zhuang Liu over to Xiao Mo. “You’re really an incompetent assistant.”
Xiao Mo grumbled bitterly. How did he become an incompetent assistant? He was so busy that he didn’t even drink a sip of water.
“Ahem.” Zhuang Liu coughed. “Alright, let’s talk when we get back.”
Xiao Mo understood what Zhuang Liu meant. “Alright then, I’ll take the Third Young Master back to his room first.”
“Fine. Don’t neglect your duties again.” Tan Rou instructed.
“Understood, understood.” Xiao Mo replied.
Zhuang Liu’s face turned black. Xiao Mo, this guy with no foresight, why did he run so fast? He could have stayed with Xiao Rou for a while longer, but now he had to leave with Xiao Mo.
“Third Young Master, you’re rushing me because you want to know about Tan Song, right?” Xiao Mo thought he was smart. “There is indeed something wrong with him…”
“Xiao Mo…” Zhuang Liu interrupted him.
“What’s wrong, Third Young Master?” Xiao Mo asked.
Zhuang Liu facepalmed. “You really need to improve your IQ and EQ.”
“??? ”
“Forget it. Tell me about Tan Song.”
“It’s almost as you guessed.Tan Song is indeed in contact with the Tao family from the Capital. He brought Tan Jing over because he really wants her to marry into their family.”
“The Tao family in the capital has always been very strict with their daughter-in-law. Someone like Tan Jing is not qualified. Tan Song wants Tan Jing to marry into the family? It’s simply wishful thinking.” Zhuang Liu said disdainfully.
“The representative of the Tao family from the Capital is a weird person too. According to the information we gathered earlier, it was the Tao family who was in contact with the Tan family first. In other words, it was the Tao family who first extended an olive branch but they didn’t seem very enthusiastic. It’s as if he was just keeping them in suspense.”
“Hmm…..”
Zhuang Liu was in the same social circle as them and he knew very well what kind of situation each family had. “The Tao family values the character of the person who gets married into their family. Tan Song and Chen Yi are not very good in-laws. I think the people of the Tao family in the Capital know very well about this.
“I just heard about the business cooperation between the Tan and Tao families.” Xiao Mo continued, “Tan Song was the one who mentioned it. The other side would occasionally respond with a few words. His attitude was cold.”
“Continue to investigate the business that the Tao family from the Capital has given to the Tan family. I don’t think it’s that simple.” Zhuang Liu instructed.
Although Zhuang Liu had never met the head of the Tao family, everyone in the circle said that he was an unfathomable person. He would definitely be able to see through someone like Tan Song, but he still chose to do business with the Tan family. It seemed a little deliberate. It was as if a pie had fallen from the sky and landed on Tan Song’s head. However, whether it was a pie or a trap, only the person who threw it knew.
Chapter 265 Annoying Little Brat
It was getting dark. Everyone went back to their rooms to rest, but there was a young boy who carried his bag and sneaked out.
Tan Rou had originally gone to the living room refrigerator to get some water to drink, but she saw Tao Qi sneaking out. It was late at night, and he was still carrying a bag. She didn’t need to think to know where he wanted to go.
He was a child, and Tan Rou was worried about him going out alone. Although there were surveillance cameras everywhere at the resort, it would be terrible if he fell and got injured. She took a few sips of mineral water and put it on the refrigerator before quickly chasing after Tao Qi.
Tan Rou should have stopped Tao Qi, but this child would probably run away if she found him. The street lights were not very bright and the surroundings were dark. What if he got lost and couldn’t find his way? Hence, she followed behind him and pretended to bump into him when he got lost to bring him back.
Tao Qi had already found Tan Jing’s residence in the afternoon. Due to how he was afraid of being discovered by his parents, he chose to go out at night. It was not easy to walk at night, so he took a big circle before he found the villa where Tan Jing lived.
Just as he was about to knock on the door, Tan Jing and Tan Song had just returned. Tao Qi didn’t want to face that fierce uncle, so he hid and prepared to secretly call Tan Jing.
“Jingjing, you saw what happened today, right?” Tan Song was in a good mood. “The Tao family from the Capital is very happy with you. You have to perform well in the future and not make any mistakes.”
Tan Jing was also very happy. “Don’t worry, Dad. I won’t let you down.”
“Speaking of which, why are you still in contact with that family? Didn’t I tell you already? You have to cut ties with them. If the Tao family in the Capital finds out that you used to be in that kind of family, they will definitely be dissatisfied with you.” Tan Song scolded.
Tan Jing was also annoyed by Tao Qi. She said coldly, “Tao Qi has been bothering me. I don’t even care about him anymore. He keeps sending messages. I wanted to use him to deal with Tan Rou, but it was useless. I’ll blacklist him when I get back.”
She didn’t fall out with Tao Qi because she wanted to make use of him. In the end, no matter what she told him to do, Tao Qi wouldn’t agree to it. He even said that Tan Rou has been good to him. He was an ingrate. She had treated him well in the past for nothing.
“It’s good that you know. Kick away this annoying and useless child as soon as possible so that it won’t affect your future life. Remember, throw away people and things that are useless to you as soon as possible.” Tan Song lectured her.
“I understand, Dad.” Tan Jing wanted to block Tao Qi right away.”
“So to you, I’m just a useless child.” Tao Qi couldn’t help but walk out of his hiding place. He cried and said, “Aren’t you my sister?”
Tan Song was annoyed by him and told Tan Jing to deal with it quickly. “Chase him away. ”
Tan Jing made her stance clear. “Tao Qi, I’m really annoyed with you and I hate your family. I was supposed to be the young miss of a rich family but I was brought home by your family. I stayed in that lousy place for seventeen years and was separated from my biological parents for so many years. This kind of pain can never be made up for. I’m not your sister at all. Don’t call me sister either. I can’t be bothered to even see you.”
Tao Qi bit his lips tightly and silently listened to her cruel words. He clearly treated her as his biological sister and carried a lot of her favorite snacks in his bag, but how could she say that?
“You’re right. You’re not my sister.” Tao Qi threw his bag aside. “I won’t call you sister anymore, and I won’t bother you anymore. I hate you, I hate you!”
Tan Jing could only despise his departure. “Ridiculous. How dare you come and acknowledge me as your sister?”
Tan Rou came out from her hiding place, her cold eyes piercing at Tan Jing and they were like arrows. She walked straight over, picked up Tao Qi’s small bag on the ground, and left without saying a word.
When Tan Jing saw Tan Rou come out, she suddenly felt a little annoyed. If she had known that Tan Rou would come over, she would have made use of that little fool Tao Qi.
“That’s good. That’s what my good daughter should do. This kind of useless trash should be thrown away as soon as possible.” Tan Song praised. “Otherwise, it will become a burden to you and drag you down.”
“Understood.”Tan Jing was in a good mood. “I’m going to marry into the Tao family from the Capital and become the mistress. How can I be dragged down by such a small matter?”
“You are someone worth teaching. Go back and rest first.”
Tan Jing glanced in the direction that Tan Rou had left. She would soon be marrying into the Tao family from the Capital. As for the other Tao family, she would leave them to Tan Rou. In the future, she would let her know that even if they were both from the Tao family, their lives were worlds apart.
Chapter 266 Being Calculative
The lights in the resort were not very bright street lights, but the kind of yellow atmosphere lights. Tao Qi was sad and didn’t know what the right decision was. He only wanted to stand underneath the bright lights. He did not know the way to begin with. When he stopped, he had no idea where he was.
The cicadas chirped from time to time, adding some terror to this dark night. The young Tao Qi looked at the road that he was not familiar with at all, and tears flowed down his cheeks.
He regretted coming here and looking for Tan Jing. Right now, he only wanted to return to his parents ’embrace.
Tan Rou followed him. She didn’t call out to Tao Qi. This child was naughty and she should teach him a lesson.
Tao Qi heard the sound coming from behind him. He thought that a monster was coming after him. He was so scared that he squatted on the ground and cried.
Tan Rou’s heart softened. She turned on the light on her phone and walked over slowly.
“You’re still out jogging in the middle of the night? Trying to be better than me?” Tan Rou asked.
Tao Qi heard her voice and cried even louder.
“”Don’t cry here. This area is filled with villas. Everyone is sleeping. Don’t wake others up. Aren’t you supposed to be a little man?” Tan Rou squatted down to comfort him.
Tao Qi raised his head, revealing a face that was dripping with tears. “Big sister…”
Tan Rou smiled in relief and opened her arms. “You’re finally calling me big sister sincerely. Well, I’m happy. Come here, let me hug you.”
Tao Qi threw himself into her arms and sobbed softly.
“Let’s go back.” Tan Rou suggested.
“If you want to practice running, I’ll call you tomorrow morning. Don’t slack off.”
Tan Qi said instead, “I didn’t come out here to run.”
“I know.” Tan Rou passed the bag to him. “But this is a secret between us. If Dad, Mom or anyone asked us where we went last night, we’ll say that we came out to practice running.”
Tao Qi didn’t understand. “Why would you lie for me?”
“Mmmm….”
Tan Rou smiled. “Maybe it’s because you’re my younger brother.”
“I don’t want Tan Jing to be my sister anymore. She’s a bad person.” Tao Qi said angrily.
“She’s a bad person to begin with, and she’s never been on the same side as us.” Tan Rou patted his head and pulled him back. “I heard everything you said just now. Tan Jing has always hated us. She hates our family for letting her live a poor life. Look at the Tan family’s life and then look at our family’s life. How can it be the same?”
“But we gave her the best of everything!”
“Some people are born like that. Even if you treat her well, it won’t change her hatred for you.” Tan Rou felt that it was time for Tao Qi to recognize the difference between them.
“I’ll make it clearer for you then. Let’s talk about our standard of living. Look at your outfit. The shoes cost more than 2 yuan, but Tan Jing’s high heels cost 1 to 2 thousand yuan. Also, the dress she was wearing was probably a custom-made design with diamonds embedded in it. It isn’t cheap either. That set of clothes is enough for our family to spend for a few years. Do you think she can still be of one heart with us now?”
“She was the only girl and we’ve always left the best for her but it looks like she doesn’t care.” Tao Qi felt his heart ache.
“The Tan family doesn’t like the best things that you can bring out, so in her heart, it’s better to be from a rich family. When she found out that she was the biological daughter of the Tan family, she rushed back to her own home without any hesitation. Let’s go. We don’t have to talk to her in the future.”
Tao Qi thought for a moment and threw the bag that Tan Rou had brought back into the non-recycled trash can. He looked at the trash can for a while before turning around to look for Tan Rou.
“Sister, let’s go back and look for Daddy and Mommy.” Tao Qi smiled again. “Next time, I’ll bring you your favorite snack!”
Tan Rou thought for a moment and said, “Well, as long as it’s something that you gave me, I will like them.”
“Do you like chocolate? I bought a lot.”
“I prefer black chocolate.”
“What about jellies?”
“Sure!”
The dim yellow street light shone on the siblings, casting a shadow on the ground.
Chapter 267 Tan Rou's Question
When the siblings came back, they saw that the lights in the villa were still on. Mrs. Tao was sitting in the living room in her pajamas. She was obviously a little nervous.
“Where did you two go? It’s already so late at night!” Mother Tao heaved a sigh of relief when she saw them return. “I was scared to death!”
Tan Rou and her brother looked at each other and prepared to give the excuse like what they had discussed earlier.
“Mom, we went for a night run.” Tan Rou explained, “Tao Qi saw me running at night and in the morning, so he wanted to do the same. So I taught him some techniques for jogging. We were tired from running, so we rested outside for a while and enjoyed the wind.”
Tao Qi also nodded. “That’s right, that’s right! Third Sister is very good at running. She runs very fast.”
Mrs. Tao looked at them suspiciously. “Did both of you really go jogging?”
The siblings nodded at the same time. “Yes.”
Mrs. Tao didn’t want to probe further. Anyway, it was good that the two of them were fine. The siblings seemed to have their own little secrets that they didn’t want others to know. As their mother, she should give them more space.
“Hurry up and go back to sleep.” Mrs. Tao sat back down on the sofa. “We still have plans tomorrow.”
Tao Qi was sleepy. He yawned and went upstairs to rest.
“Mom, where’s Dad?” Tan Rou asked after walking a few steps.
“What are you alone in the living room?”
She remembered that when she went out, the door was closed. She thought that they were all asleep. Now, only her mother was sitting in the living room alone and her father was probably not there either.
“Your dad went out to do something.” Mother Tao said casually.
“But, it’s so late at night.” Tan Rou stood by the sofa and asked, “What is he up to?”
Mrs. Tao realized that she had let the cat out of the bag. She quickly tried to salvage the situation. “Oh my, your dad’s colleague brought his whole family here to play. Your dad went over to meet them to say hi.”
“Mom, it’s already past nine o’clock. Why didn’t they come to meet us earlier in the day?” Tan Rou pressed on. “Mom, are you and Dad hiding something from us?”
“No. What could your father and I be hiding from you?” Mrs. Tao looked a little flustered.
Tan Rou glanced around and continued asking, “Can Dad’s salary support us to rent such a big villa?”
“Your dad received a lot of bonus.”
“It’s not a holiday, why did he suddenly get bonuses?” Tan Rou continued to ask.
“I… I don’t know either…” Mrs. Tao was thinking about how to fool her daughter.
“Mom, perhaps our family is secretly a wealthy family?” Tan Rou probed.
“No, how could that be?” Mrs. Tao suddenly stood up from the sofa and said loudly.
“How can our family be a hidden wealthy family?” Then, she started to play the emotional card. “Rourou, I know that our family’s financial situation isn’t good, but don’t worry. I will never allow you and your siblings to starve, alright?”
Tan Rou had already made a judgment in her heart. She nodded slightly, seemingly believing Mother Tao’s words. “Dad is just a small employee. He has to support six people and even paid for this vacation. It must be quite tiring for him. Let’s not be so extravagant in the future.”
Mrs. Tao thought that she had managed to fool him. “It’s okay. We still have some savings.”
“Good night, Mommy.” Tan Rou had already gotten what she wanted to know, so she didn’t say anything more.
“Good night, dear.” Mrs. Tao watched her daughter go upstairs. She was really worried that her daughter would continue asking. Pretending to be poor in front of outsiders was different from pretending to be poor in front of her own daughter. She could say it unscrupulously in front of outsiders, but in front of her daughter, she was very flustered.
She told Mr. Tao about it as soon as he came back. “We have to be careful in front of our daughter in the future. She’s smart. She easily found lots of clues.”
“Alright, I’ll be careful.” Father Tao said.
“I think I have to find a job when I go back. Otherwise, I can’t say that all of these are from investments and bonuses, right? Let’s take it slow.” Mrs. Tao suggested.
“We can’t touch Xiao Rou’s money, and we can’t let the children suffer. We have to allow them enough money for food and entertainment.”
Father Tao had no objections.
“You went to see Tao Sheng, right? What did he say?” Mother Tao asked again.
“Tan Song wants his daughter to be married to the Tao family.” Father Tao replied. “Tao Sheng kept him hanging. He said that he would let him be happy for a few days first. When the time is right, he will give him a fatal blow.”
“My heart aches when I think of how our daughter has suffered over there,” said Mother Tao, feeling a heartache.
“No one will bully our daughter in the future.” Father Tao comforted his wife. “I promise.”
Chapter 268 Eating Grapes
There was still half a day left at the villa, and Tan Rou wanted to enjoy the time with her family. However, there were still two other people there.
Xiao Mo brought breakfast to Tan Rou and the others early in the morning. She didn’t know when the chef woke up to cook, but there were so many dishes in the morning. All of them looked exquisite.
Mother Tao liked Zhuang Liu very much. When she found out that Zhuang Liu was bringing them breakfast and that only the two were there, she warmly invited them over for breakfast.
Xiao Mo, who had already received Zhuang Liu’s instructions, pushed Zhuang Liu over without saying anything. Zhuang Liu was very considerate. He especially brought two small sunflowers with dew from the villa’s garden for Tan Rou and Mrs. Tao.
Mrs. Tao happily accepted his gift and immediately found a vase to put in. She even said that she would take it back when she left.
Tao Zheng glared at Zhuang Liu while he was eating. The words ‘up to no good’ were written all over this kid’s face. Why didn’t anyone notice? However, this kid’s status was really high. Not only did he win over his sister’s heart, but he also won his mother’s favour. They had not known each other for long, but in the end, the two most important people in the family had already been seduced by him.
After breakfast, they went to pick grapes together. They were allowed to bring back these grapes, just like the fish. They had to be weighed before they could be brought back.
The three siblings walked together. The Tao family’s parents carried baskets as they reminisced about their younger days. Zhuang Liu and Xiao Mo were in a team. As they walked, the team got separated.
“Why is the Third Young Master alone again?” Tan Rou came over with a basket. In her basket were two bunches of dark purple gemstone grapes, a bunch of rose grapes, and a bunch of green grapes.
Zhuang Liu didn’t have a basket so that he couldn’t pick the grapes on the shelf. He let Xiao Mo pick them while he found time to meet Tan Rou privately.
“It’s not convenient to use a wheelchair. I should stay here.” Zhuang Liu pretended to be pitiful.
“I managed to pick a huge amount of them.” Tan Rou walked over. “Do you want some? The outside sign says you can eat as much as you want.”
Zhuang Liu was empty-handed. “I don’t have any grapes with me.”
“Here you go.” Tan Rou pulled down the biggest one on top. “I heard that this is the sweetest. Try it.”
Zhuang Liu took the grapes, peeled them, and handed them to her. “You picked them. You should be the first one to eat.”
Tan Rou smiled and ate it with her hand. As expected, it was sweet and juicy.
“I’ll peel one for you!” Tan Rou couldn’t just enjoy it on her own.
Why didn’t Zhuang Liu think grapes were so delicious before? Maybe the person who fed the grapes was wrong.
Xiao Mo hid behind the grape rack. He didn’t want to ruin this beautiful scene. Third, Young Master said he didn’t have good eyesight, but he finally had some eyesight today, right?
Just as he was thinking about it, he suddenly heard the voices of Tan Rou’s brothers. They seemed to be coming over, so Xiao Mo distracted them.
“Brothers, I saw a bunch of very big grapes there just now. They are a little too high for me. Let’s go and cut them together.” He could only help Third Young Master up to this point.
“Xiao Rou, do you want to go back together in the afternoon?” Zhuang Liu ate the grapes and invited them to go back together.
“My dad drove here. I’ll go back with them.” Tan Rou couldn’t possibly leave them behind to ride with Zhuang Liu.
“Alright then.” Zhuang Liu was a little disappointed.
When they left, they met Tan Song and his daughter again. They were just about to return.
Tan Jing saw Zhuang Liu and Tan Rou together and saw that he was still sitting in a wheelchair. She could not help but feel glad. Fortunately, she had broken off the engagement early. Otherwise, she would have had to marry a disabled person.
Now that she would marry the Tao family from the capital, the Tao family was as famous as the Zhuang family. With a healthy husband, who would care about a disabled person?
She looked at Tan Rou with disdain. Only a person like Tan Rou was suitable for a good-for-nothing. However, even if that man was trash, he was still a member of the Zhuang family. Tan Rou, a girl from the slums, could forget about being Cinderella.
Tan Rou ignored her. There was no need to be angry at herself.
They didn’t say anything and got into their respective cars. One went out from the south gate of the parking lot, and the other went out from the north gate. As the saying goes, different paths don’t work together.
When school started on Monday, Tan Jing felt that the cement road in the school was no longer worthy of her. Once she got married into the Tao family in the capital, she would order people to repair the entire school. At that time, she would say it was the new equipment donated by Tan Jing, an outstanding alumni. It would definitely be very prestigious.
Chapter 269 Life Is Like a Play
As soon as she entered the door, she was surrounded by seven or eight girls. Although she was popular in the past, after a few accidents, the people in the class were not so warm to her. What was going on now?
“Jingjing, I heard that Uncle Tan took you to meet the Tao family from the capital this weekend?” A rich second generation daughter said.
“Jingjing, are you on very good terms with their family? I heard that you guys even had dinner together.” another said.
“There’s a limited edition perfume under the Tao family that I really like. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get it. Since you’re on good terms with them, will you be able to get any of them privately in the future?”
Their school had no shortage of rich second-generation heirs.
“What are you talking about?” Tan Jing greeted them with a smile and said shyly, “It’s nothing. It’s just that the Tao family from the capital has some business cooperation with my father. He was just bringing me there to gain more experience.”
“Jingjing, don’t be so humble.” A girl held her arm. “I heard that you guys went to the villa that the Tao family just invested in. The expenses there aren’t cheap!”
“That’s right, Jingjing! If you have connections, help me pull some strings. I really like the Tao family’s perfume.” Another girl held her other arm.
Tan Jing pulled her arm out and put on a fake smile. “It’s true. I…..”
‘Damn it, how did everyone know? She clearly didn’t tell anyone. Could it be that Tan Rou, that little slut, had set a trap for her to fall into?’
“Forget it if you don’t want to say it.” The rich second-generation heiress didn’t want to be cold to Tan Jing either.
“We won’t snatch it from you. We just want you to help us matchmake and get some of the perfume. Why are you being so stingy?”
“Let’s go, let’s go. She’s about to become a heiress. Why would she care about us?”
Everyone dispersed.
Tan Jing was furious. This hateful Tan Rou actually dared to scheme against her like this. She wanted to teach her a lesson.
Wei Ling, who was sitting in her seat, saw her and hurriedly began the second round of guidance.
“Jingjing, are you really going to marry into the Tao family from the capital?” Wei Ling looked happy for her. “That’s great! You must invite me to the wedding!” She had said this in front of Song Lin and Tan Jing.
“What?! Jingjing is going to marry the Tao family from the capital?” The rich second-generation heirs immediately surrounded her. “Really? That’s great.”
“That’s right, Jingjing. Don’t forget us when you’re rich in the future!”
Wei Ling pretended to be jealous and said, “I don’t have such a good life like Jingjing. First, it’s the Zhuang family. Then, when you rejected them, you even got the Tao family! There’s also the pursuit of the two male idols from our class. You’re so lucky!”
Tan Jing almost couldn’t maintain the fake smile on her face. Why was Wei Ling revealing her secrets?!
Initially, everyone only wanted to get close to Tan Jing after hearing Wei Ling’s words. Now, after hearing Wei Ling’s words, their jealous souls burned. Why did everything nice happen to Tan Jing?
“Wei Ling, what nonsense are you spouting?” Tan Jing rebuked. “I have nothing to do with them. Also, don’t talk nonsense about the Tao family. It’s just a collaboration between our families.”
“Don’t be angry, Jingjing.” Wei Ling looked like she had only realized what was going on. “I really didn’t mean to say it. I’m just happy for you. After all, it’s a marriage alliance with the Tao family from the capital. Many people would die for it.”
The more Tan Jing listened to it, the angrier she got. “Wei Ling, stop spouting nonsense!”
Seeing that Tan Jing was getting mad, the rest of them left.
“If you don’t want to say it, then we’ll keep quiet then. Look at how pretentious you are.”
“Tsk, you’re still pretending to be nice after getting a good bargain.”
Tan Jing was about to explode with anger. She blamed Wei Ling. “What nonsense are you talking about?”
Wei Ling said with a faint smile, “Jinghing, I’m just trying to help you. Recently, everyone has been dissatisfied with you. It is quite obvious and I was trying to help you regain your reputation. This is a good opportunity. It’ll help you regain your previous position. Isn’t that good?”
Tan Jing felt a chill down her spine. It was different. Wei Ling was different. She didn’t know when Wei Ling had become someone she couldn’t control.
“Aren’t you afraid that you won’t be getting any money from me?!” Tan Jing threatened.
“Oh! I’m sorry, Jingjing.” Only then did Wei Ling remember her character. She quickly tried to salvage the situation. “I didn’t do it on purpose. If you don’t like it, I won’t say it again.”
Tan Jing calmed down a little. She realized that Wei Ling had changed and she didn’t recognize her anymore. Damn it, someone must have said something to Wei Ling.
Chapter 270 How Do You Feel
Wei Ling returned to her seat with a hurt expression. A few people came to get more information from her but were stopped.
“Don’t ask; I don’t know anything.” Wei Ling looked at Tan Jing as she spoke, directing the fire toward her. “Don’t ask Jingjing as well. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have said it.”
After Wei Ling sent them off, she was in a good mood. She felt that it was easier for her to memorize the English vocabulary that morning.
The phone in the pocket of her school uniform vibrated. She took it out and looked at it under the table.
[How do you feel?] This was Tan Rou. Wei Ling had given her a nickname to prevent Tan Jing from discovering her real name.
Wei Ling’s lips curled up as she typed back, [Feels good. I’m happy.]
Nameless: [Well, that’s good.]
Wei Ling thought momentarily and typed again, [Will she really marry into the Tao family from the capital?]
[Does it matter if it’s true or not? Didn’t she like to show off? We shall allow her to then.]
Tan Rou was just making an assumption. Tan Song had brought Tan Jing there because he wanted her to get to know the Tao family from the capital. Since Tan Jing liked the attention, they might as well make a big deal out of it.
Wei Ling smiled and replied, ” It doesn’t affect me. ”
Nameless: [And this has nothing to do with you. You’re just giving a stage for people who like to show off.]
[Thank you!] Wei Ling thought it made sense.
Nameless: [It’s almost time for class. Study hard. Don’t forget what you said.]
Wei Ling’s gratitude was indescribable. Not only did Tan Rou give her a second chance, but she also reminded her occasionally to study hard and achieve her goals. Tan Jing had never said this before. Tan Jing would only use her to do bad things and then let her take the blame.
She deleted the chat history. She couldn’t tell anyone she was in contact with Tan Rou. She still had to keep this a secret.
Wei Ling looked at the restless Tan Jing and thought about how to get more money from this young lady. She no longer had any hope in the Wei family, but she still needed money after university. Where would the money come from? Tan Jing should pay the price for using her previously.
“Jingjing, I heard you’ll marry into the Tao family from the capital. Is this true?” Song Lin ran to Tan Jing the moment he entered and questioned her.
Tan Jing was really annoyed to death. How many people had Wei Ling, this little slut, told about this?
“It’s not like that.” Tan Jing didn’t want to discuss this in class anymore, so she asked Song Lin to discuss it outside.
Song Lin was very anxious. “Jingjing, didn’t you say you didn’t want to date now? Why are you discussing marriage with the Tao family?!”
Tan Jing steadied Song Lin. “It’s nothing. This is a misunderstanding. Don’t listen to the rumors.”
She briefly explained the situation. “Recently, the Tao family has had a business deal with my father. My father only wanted me to gain more experience in the business world, so he brought me along. There were no discussions about marriage.”
“Then what did they mean about the engagement with the Zhuang family?” Song Lin asked again. He had just discovered that the Tan family was engaged to the Zhuang family.
“That’s Tan Rou.” Tan Jing brought up Tan Rou. “She was the eldest daughter of the Tan family previously. She was the one engaged to the Zhuang family, not me. After I came back, I canceled the engagement.” Tan Jing still needed Song Lin, so she had to calm him down.
“Really, Jingjing?” Song Lin was skeptical. After all, that was the Zhuang family in the capital. How could they easily break off the engagement?
“It’s true.” Tan Jing was so annoyed that her tone became a little harsh. “Didn’t I tell you? I just want to study hard now. I don’t want to be bothered by these things now.”
Seeing that she was angry, Song Lin quickly coaxed her. “That’s not what I meant. After all, it’s the Zhuang family and the Tao family. If they really want to get engaged, I’m afraid you won’t be able to object.”
“There’s really nothing wrong. Why don’t you see if the Tao family will send out a wedding invite?” Tan Jing said. She had just met the Tao family. It was still too early for her to get engaged.
“Alright, I understand.” Song Lin hurriedly apologized. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have trusted you. I shouldn’t have believed everything that you said.”
“Yes.” Tan Jing lowered her head, looking like she was deeply hurt. “Song Lin, you must prepare well for the next monthly test. Don’t lose to Tan Rou.”
Speaking of the monthly exam, Song Lin was annoyed. He had originally agreed to take the exam this week, but it was postponed because of the physics competition. He couldn’t give Tan Rou a heads-up.
“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely do well.” Song Lin patted his chest and promised.