Chapter 6
Chapter 6: The Self-Righteous Scheme, and Everyone Quietly Watches the Show
Mu Mei Xi’s undisguised words of dislike were like a sharp sword stabbing straight into Jiang Yi Zhu’s heart. They made her think of the bitter days she had lived through on Trash Star, and her tears streamed down as if she had suffered some huge grievance.
Mu Mei Xi turned her eyes away and did not look at her at all.
She had angered Jiang Tea Tea into leaving. Where were they supposed to find, at the last moment, another human without supernatural abilities to send over to Person in Charge Zhou?
Jiang Zong Shen ran happily out of the house, looked at Mu Mei Xi, and asked: “Where is Jiang Tea Tea? I already made an appointment with Person in Charge Zhou. I am supposed to bring Jiang Tea Tea over at eight tonight. Why don’t I see her?”
Mu Mei Xi blamed Jiang Yi Zhu for being childish, petty, and unable to appear in public, but she was still her own daughter, so she could not help speaking up for her and protecting her: “Jiang Tea Tea argued with Yi Zhu a few times and left in a temper. This child is getting more and more out of line.”
Jiang Zong Shen frowned, not believing it, and said: “Since when does Jiang Tea Tea have the temper to quarrel with Yi Zhu? When Yi Zhu came back and bullied her so badly, she did not even say a word.”
He turned to his wife and asked: “Wife, tell me, did Yi Zhu bully her again after she came back and anger her into leaving?”
Mu Mei Xi muttered: “No…”
“What business deal or not?” Jiang Yi Zhu felt her grievance surge up. She did not appreciate her mother’s help at all and roared at Jiang Zong Shen: “I was beaten by her until my face was bruised and swollen. I told you, but you did not believe me. Now she has broken my hand, and you still do not believe me.”
“I think you are just biased. You are biased toward that fake. You want that fake to be your daughter. You want that fake to take everything that belongs to me.”
Jiang Zong Shen’s face turned cold as he said: “What exactly is going on?”
Mu Mei Xi started softly: “Husband…”
Jiang Zong Shen cut her off: “I want to hear the truth.”
Forced by Jiang Zong Shen’s cold face, Mu Mei Xi repeated everything that had happened.
After he heard it, Jiang Zong Shen pointed at Jiang Yi Zhu and began to scold: “Jiang Yi Zhu, you are a stupid pig-brain. Do you also take me and your mother for pig-brained idiots and think we do not know what you have done to Jiang Tea Tea?”
“You cheated her, ruined her, framed her. We know everything you have done to her. It is only because you are our own child, and because we were the ones who accidentally switched you two, that we felt sorry for you. You suffered and needed to vent, so we turned a blind eye.”
“But look at you now. Right when the family needs her, you still beat and scold her without caring how serious this is. You really cannot get rid of the bad habits you brought back from Trash Star.”
Mu Mei Xi started again: “Husband, you…”
Jiang Zong Shen snapped: “I do not care how many fingers you have broken or what method you use. Before eight tonight, you must make sure she appears in Person in Charge Zhou’s bed. Otherwise, you can roll back to your Trash Star!”
Jiang Zong Shen threw out this heartless threat at Jiang Yi Zhu without any emotion, then turned to accuse Mu Mei Xi: “And you, you spoil her every day until she is completely lawless, nothing like a young lady of a rich family. She still has that nasty habit she brought back from Trash Star of grabbing anything she sees.”
Mu Mei Xi felt aggrieved at being scolded and blamed it all on Jiang Tea Tea, but she did not dare talk back. She answered: “It is my fault. Husband, do not worry. Before eight tonight, I will definitely make Jiang Tea Tea appear in Person in Charge Zhou’s bed.”
“I will also teach Yi Zhu again so she will be obedient and sensible and be the well-behaved daughter you want.”
Jiang Zong Shen snorted heavily and said: “You had better do what you say.” Then he turned and went back into the house.
“Mom.” Jiang Yi Zhu threw herself into Mu Mei Xi’s arms, her eyes full of tears, and complained: “You have to believe me. I am not lying. I really was hurt by that bitch Jiang Tea Tea. I lay in the healing pod for half an hour.”
“She even wanted to break my fingers. Brother Chu Ming can testify for me…”
Mu Mei Xi patted her while saying: “All right, all right, I believe you.” But in her heart she did not believe her at all. She understood Jiang Tea Tea, and she understood her own daughter even more.
Jiang Yi Zhu felt her mother’s perfunctory tone. She pulled out of her embrace and looked at her with hurt eyes as she said: “Mom, you still do not believe me.”
Impatience flashed in Mu Mei Xi’s eyes as she said: “Right now it is not about whether I believe you. It is about how to send Jiang Tea Tea to Person in Charge Zhou before eight tonight.”
Person in Charge Zhou was the key to whether their family could become a Purchasing Officer for the Imperial Military Headquarters. As long as their family became a Purchasing Officer for the Imperial Military Headquarters, their future money would be endless.
Her eldest son, who had a Level S water element supernatural ability, would only graduate in a year. Only then could he enter the front-line Army Corps, earn military merits, gain a foothold in the army, and bring prosperity to the family so they could climb up a class.
“Auntie Mu, I will go find Jiang Tea Tea.” Chu Ming, who had followed them out and been ignored without saying a word, finally spoke up and took on the task.
Mu Mei Xi frowned and looked at him as she asked: “You will go look for her?”
He had heard everything they said and still wanted to go look for her. It seemed he also wanted to use them to break off his engagement with that useless Jiang Tea Tea.
Chu Ming said confidently: “Yes, I will. I am Jiang Tea Tea’s fiance. She listens to me the most.”
If he openly joined her adoptive parents to sell her, he could righteously break off the engagement and be with Jiang Yi Zhu, who had a water element supernatural ability.
Mu Mei Xi hesitated and asked: “What excuse will you use to look for her?”
Chu Ming did not hesitate at all as he said: “I will use the excuse that I am taking her to meet my parents to discuss our marriage and bring her to whatever place you want her to go.”
Mu Mei Xi was moved and said: “That really is a good idea. Jiang Tea Tea has been saying since she was little that she would marry you after adulthood.” She still asked: “But you also heard what we want her to do. Are you sure you want to do this?”
Chu Ming walked up to her, took Jiang Yi Zhu’s hand, and said: “Auntie Mu, only after I saw Yi Zhu did I understand what it means to be moved, what love at first sight is.”
“I want to pursue Yi Zhu, but that useless Jiang Tea Tea who has not awakened any supernatural ability will not agree to break off the engagement and wants to tie me to her for life.”
“If she is heartless, then she cannot blame me for being unkind. I am willing to do anything for Yi Zhu, even personally send Jiang Tea Tea to someone else’s bed!”
Jiang Tea Tea sat in an automatic flying device and listened to the fake young miss’s adoptive mother, fiance, and cheap younger sister scheming about her.
She clenched her hand into a fist and squeezed hard. The tea twig she had left at the gate of the Jiang family was crushed into ash from a distance.
In the blink of an eye, Chu Ming called her.
She watched the light-brain wrist terminal vibrate. When it rang for the third time, she finally answered. Her soft voice was full of understanding as she said: “Brother Chu Ming, is Little Sister okay? You have to comfort her well for me and show her more care. It was not easy for her to stay on Trash Star for more than ten years.”
Chu Ming glanced at Mu Mei Xi and Jiang Yi Zhu sitting across from him and said: “She is fine. Her hand has already been treated in the healing pod.”
“It is my dad and mom who want to see you, to talk with you first about our wedding date…”
Before he could finish, Jiang Tea Tea let out an excited scream and cut him off: “Ah, ah, ah! Really? You are taking me home to meet your parents and talk about our wedding date?”
“I knew it. The three years since Yi Zhu came back cannot compare to the ten years we have known each other. You only see her as a younger sister. You do not love her at all. She is just clinging to you and overthinking things!”