Ning Qiutong straightened up slightly, then looked at Zhuang Lingyu squarely. "Sister-in-law, you say that Uncle made you disillusioned when you're the one who's sorely disappointing!"
"What are you saying?" Zhuang Lingyu frowned.
"It's fine if the outsiders don't know, but everyone sitting in this room is very clear that Ning Xueluo is just an adopted daughter while Ning Xi is your biological daughter. She's the one who's blood-related to the Ning family. Is it wrong for Uncle to distribute his shares to Ning Xi?"
"I never said that it's wrong for Father to give Ning Xi his shares. That's his right. I'm asking about the reason Xueluo gets nothing!" Zhuang Lingyu replied.
Ning Qiutong jeered, "Well, then, let's talk about why the shares aren't distributed to Xueluo! Ning Xueluo is just an adopted daughter that we carried home wrongly from the hospital, yet she has enjoyed a life of luxury for 18 years that should've belonged to Ning Xi. After the truth was revealed, she didn't return to her original home and biological parents. Instead, she remained in the Ning family and held the name of a lady of the Nings. She even used this identity to get a good match to Su Yan!
"On the other hand, Ning Xi who is blood-related to the Ning family wandered afar for 18 years and lived 18 years of poverty. When she had finally been found by the Ning family, she could only continue with the title of an adopted daughter. The things that should've been hers were taken away. Even the servants can bully her and call her a wild chicken and bumpkin!
"And all this while, what have you two done as parents? You took the side of the outsiders and criticized her for being vulgar and tacky! What rights do you have to criticize and scold her? Have you raised her or taught her at all?
"Do you think you've completed your duty as parents just by bringing her home, giving her food to eat and clothes to wear? To have such cruel parents like the two of you, you might as well have just let the child continue to live in the countryside and know nothing! That's better than losing faith in humanity and being stabbed in the heart by her own parents!"
When they heard this, the table was dead silent. No one said anything.
Ning Xueluo felt herself stiffen. Even Ning Yaohua and Zhuang Lingyu's faces clouded as they kept silent. The elder looked at Ning Xi while his expression was full of guilt. Su Yan had balled his hand into fists...
Ning Xi sat there quietly, her eyes full of mixed emotions as she looked at Ning Qiutong beside her. She had long been numb and was used to the indifference from this circle. She never would have thought that...
Ning Qiutong could actually disregard everything but she had said these words to defend her...
Ning Qiutong paused, then her sharp gaze cut to Ning Xueluo. "Uncle has given Ning Xueluo those assets. It's enough for her to marry gloriously and live in luxury for the rest of her life. Since she's just a village girl who's eaten from the Ning family, lived with us and held the title of a lady of the Ning family, what else are you unsatisfied about?
"Tang Xueluo, I have to ask you one thing. What else are you dissatisfied about and what qualifies you to even hanker after our Ning family's shares?!"
When she heard Ning Qiutong's every word, especially hearing her address her as "Tang Xueluo", Ning Xueluo's shoulders shook violently and her fingernails stabbed into her own palms. She had lowered her hateful face at this point, and in the next second, she got up and ran out the door...
When Su Yan saw that, he quickly chased after her.
"Ning Qiutong, you're too much! Even if you're a part of the Ning family, this is our family matter and you have no right to intervene! Don't spew nonsense here when you don't know anything!" Zhuang Lingyu was instantly riled up in anger when she saw her daughter run out after being deeply hurt.