Chapter 43

She raised her hand and delivered a strong slap.

The slap carried wind, obviously with great force.

The head of moral education was completely unprepared, startled, he said, “Madam Ying, let’s talk this over; don’t hit the child.”

Zhong Manhua was used to acting on her own and certainly didn’t listen.

“Smack.”

The slap fell, and it hurt just to listen.

But the person who got slapped wasn’t Ying Zijin.

Zhong Manhua, looking at Zhong Zhiwan who received her slap, was confused, “Wanwan?”

Ying Zijin casually let go of Zhong Zhiwan’s shoulder, “Sorry, my hand slipped.”

Zhong Manhua’s slap had not held back, and Zhong Zhiwan was utterly stunned by it.

Her tears came out readily, and her ears buzzed with the sound.

“Are you alright?” Xiu Yu couldn’t believe it, “Is she really your mom?”

“No,” Ying Zijin laughed in a low voice, not caring in the least, “Adoptive.”

“Wanwan…” Zhong Manhua became slightly flustered, “Auntie didn’t mean it. I apologize to you.”

“No, no problem,” Zhong Zhiwan said, struggling to speak; as soon as she opened her mouth, she cried even more.

She couldn’t hold back and, covering her face, ran off.

“You dare to hide?” Zhong Manhua instantly became furious, “You run away, fine, but you dare to use Zhiwan to block? Is this how I taught you?”

“Listen Auntie, you really are quite the comedian,” Xiu Yu stepped forward, blocking the girl, and scoffed, “You didn’t birth nor raise her, what right do you have to talk about discipline?”

“Even a dog knows to jump in the water to save its puppies, yet you come up here hitting people. You really are worse than a dog.”

“I didn’t…” Zhong Manhua started to retort but then stopped herself.

Correct.

To outsiders, Ying Zijin was just a foster daughter.

If word got out that her biological daughter was so poor in performance, she would lose all face.

“It’s only natural for a parent to discipline their child,” Zhong Manhua sneered, “And what are you, to think you’re qualified to meddle in Ying Family’s affairs?”

“Bang!”

As soon as she finished speaking, a water bottle flew past Zhong Manhua’s face, startling her to the point of collapsing onto the sofa.

Xiu Yu was taken aback.

Was she being protected by her father?

Ying Zijin looked up, her expression unreadable, “Watch your mouth.”

Zhong Manhua simply couldn’t believe that Ying Zijin dared to raise a hand against her.

Anger, sadness, and injustice surged through her at once, and with teary eyes, she said, “Who am I doing all this for? Isn’t it for you? Do you have any idea how much Ying Family has to pay because you hit someone?”

Only then did Xiu Yu realize why Zhong Manhua was there, and he couldn’t help but laugh with irritation.

“So,” she tossed her phone to the head of moral education, “now let’s just call Jiang Ran’s parents and see if he really wants Daddy Ying to apologize to him.”

Regaining his composure, the head of moral education quickly picked up the phone, which already had a number dialed through.

He looked momentarily shaken, too quick to wonder how Xiu Yu got Jiang Ran’s parents’ number, and hurriedly answered, “Hello, good evening…”

**

Jiang Ran returned to his own studio apartment.

With a Band-Aid on his face and looking upset, he kicked open the door.

As soon as he entered, he was met with a ghastly pale face, eyes shining brightly, like a ghost.

Jiang Ran almost died of fright, but upon closer inspection, he was stunned, “Mom?”

The ‘ghost’ was Lady Jiang, Jiang Huaping, with a facial mask on, who now gave him an imploring glance, “How many times have I said it? I’m still young, call me ‘sister.’”

Jiang Ran, “…Mom, can you not be so frightening?”

He had suffered serious physical and mental damage today, and now his mother was the icing on the cake.

Lady Jiang was rather aloof, “Oh, I can’t.”

“…”

Jiang Ran gave up, prepared to go to sleep and forget the day’s humiliations.

Before he could move, Jiang Huaping spoke, “Got hit?”

Jiang Ran tensed up instantly, “Mom, how did you know?”

“The call came for me,” Jiang Huaping waved her mobile phone, “Sigh, you really love to interrupt your mom’s good times.”

After a pause, she seemed thoughtful, “They said on the phone it was a girl who hit you?”

“…Yes,” Jiang Ran really didn’t want to admit it, loathing the person who had told his mother.

Jiang Huaping clapped her hands in joy, “Good for her.”

Jiang Ran, “???”

His own mother?

“I had been hoping someone would straighten out this brat,” Jiang Huaping removed her face mask, “It seems my wish has finally come true.”

“Mom!” Jiang Ran was infuriated, “Can you please keep it down?”

“Tsk tsk, what else can I say, you are just too weak,” Jiang Huaping stood up, “I’m going.”

Jiang Ran was puzzled, “Where to?”

“School,” Lady Jiang elegantly picked up her handbag, “I’m going to thank the young lady for helping me discipline my son.”

**

“Madam Ying, Lady Jiang will be arriving very soon,” the head of moral education had no fondness for Zhong Manhua, “Please discuss the issue amicably with each other.”

He really hadn’t seen such parents before; although he was called the Exterminator Mentor because he dealt with early romances, who had ever seen parents jump to hitting?

“What’s there to talk about?” snapped Zhong Manhua, not wanting to make a scene, as she reached out to grab the girl’s hand, “Ying Zijin, come with me to the Jiang’s to apologize.”

Xiu immediately pulled out a realistic-looking mace from behind, “What are you doing?”

Zhong Manhua was shocked.

The head of moral education, “???”

To bring such a thing to school? Had they no regard for him?

Just as Zhong Manhua was about to explode in anger, the housekeeper, who had been waiting outside the office, suddenly pushed the door open with urgency, “Madam, Lady Jiang has arrived.”

“Ying Zijin, the mess you’ve created, forcing someone to personally come and seek accountability, isn’t it shameful enough?” Zhong Manhua, her face darkening with anger and humiliation, demanded, “Get up and apologize immediately!”

As the door opened, a woman in a cheongsam entered.

Zhong Manhua hurried to her feet, filled with shame, “Hello, I didn’t discipline my child properly, please…”

Jiang Huaping walked right past her without even glancing at Zhong Manhua.

She went straight to the girl, took her hand, and said, “Ying Zijin, right? Thank you so much. I hope you beat him more in the future, to teach him that the world is a cruel place.”