Back to Three Years Old: Crushing Scumbags on a Parenting Reality Show 152

Chapter 152

After watching Liu Qiongfang send the message, Zhang Jin waited with her for a while.

Unfortunately, the message, like the previous calls, sank without a trace.

It was late, Zhang Jin had to leave, politely saying he would come back early tomorrow.

After he left and the door closed, Liu Qiongfang locked it, the strength she had maintained throughout the day drained away, she slumped in her wheelchair.

She had finally waited for the opportunity for that woman to back down, but…

Liu Qiongfang stared blankly at the ceiling, unsure where this unexpected turn of events would lead her.

Of course, a few hours later, she found out.

A knock on the door. Liu Qiongfang opened her eyes, the faint light of dawn filtered through the half-drawn curtains. She reached for her phone on the pillow, no new calls or messages, the time displayed was just past six.

Who could it be…

A sense of foreboding, a premonition she didn’t want to believe, filled her heart. Liu Qiongfang sat up, put on a robe, and wheeled herself to the door.

Without speaking, she looked through the peephole, one hand on her cane, the other gripping the rope hanging from the top of the door.

Seeing Zhang Jin’s face at the door, Liu Qiongfang felt a mix of annoyance and relief. She didn’t know whether to be angry or relieved.

She should have just asked directly…

Liu Qiongfang slumped back in her wheelchair, too tired to bother with her appearance, she opened the door.

“Why so…”

The door opened, revealing the person standing in the corner, previously hidden from view through the peephole. Liu Qiongfang’s greeting died in her throat, the last word stuck like a bone, she couldn’t even make a sound.

“Well… come in, come in, let’s talk inside.” Zhang Jin said, standing closest to the door, he noticed Liu Qiongfang’s shock and resistance, but it didn’t stop him from enthusiastically inviting the true decision-maker inside.

Yes, the true decision-maker.

Compared to the six-year-old Cheng Tingyan, who had no autonomy, and Liu Qiongfang, who was in a wheelchair and still obsessed with men… Zhang Jin, seeing this elderly woman, her hair gray, but her eyes bright, her back straight, her demeanor elegant and polite, with an air of resilience, he knew who was truly in charge of this family.

Not to mention anything else, Liu Qiongfang’s panicked reaction yesterday, just from knowing that her mother might find out about her lies, even before talking to her, it didn’t seem like she was the one making decisions.

Although he had said he would support Liu Qiongfang and help her through this difficult time last night, he, Zhang Jin, had a family to support. A wise man knew which tree to roost in, this wasn’t his first time switching sides.

The mother and daughter, reunited after many years, there were no excited greetings, no tears, not even a sound.

Zhang Jin could only take the initiative, ignoring Liu Qiongfang’s obvious rejection, he pushed her wheelchair inside, making way for the two who had traveled all night.

Liu Qiongfang, her body jolted by the movement of the wheelchair, slowly turned her stiff neck and glanced at Zhang Jin.

His attentiveness was far greater than yesterday.

Ha, as expected of him… He had just met Chen Sujuan, and he was already abandoning her? Heh, he would regret it.

Except for that first, startled glance at the door, Liu Qiongfang didn’t dare to look at her mother again. She didn’t even dare to think about the person standing next to her, or her own disheveled appearance, she focused all her attention on criticizing Zhang Jin in her mind.

Chen Sujuan didn’t rush to speak either, she just looked around.

The old apartment, it wasn’t clean, nor tidy. Ropes hung from nails on the walls and doors, everyday items were placed lower than usual, there was a tall stool like a small platform by the kitchen sink… The air circulation was poor, a musty smell lingered, mixed with the scent of medicine and… the scent of a sick person.

It was as she had imagined on her way here, actually… even a bit better than she had imagined.

Although it had nothing to do with the wealth, happiness, and joy described in their phone calls, but… her daughter was still alive, and she seemed to want to live.

Her heart, tense all night, relaxed slightly.

Chen Sujuan looked at Zhang Jin and smiled apologetically. “Xiao Zhang, thank you for accompanying us. You know, my daughter and I haven’t seen each other for a long time, I want to talk to her alone. Can you get some hot water and food for Yeye? She’s been with me all this time.”

“Of course, of course, no problem.” Zhang Jin said with a smile, retreating, he glanced at Liu Qiongfang.

The person with her head lowered didn’t respond to his gaze.

It’s okay, there was still time.

Zhang Jin looked at Jiang Heye. “You haven’t eaten anything since getting off the plane, right? I’ll see what’s in the kitchen, I’ll make you something warm.”

“Okay, are there any eggs?” Jiang Heye asked with a smile, she had just finished two boxes of snacks on the plane, she entered the kitchen, giving the mother and daughter some space to talk.

“You…” Chen Sujuan said, looking directly at Liu Qiongfang’s legs, the place she saw at first glance, then wanted to look at again, but didn’t dare to.

Different people had different understandings of the world.

Liu Qiongfang felt that even after so many years, although her mother had aged considerably, she was still as sharp as ever. Her gaze, fixed on her weakest point, was like a sharp blade, piercing through her years of lies and pretense.

It was so painful that it jolted Liu Qiongfang back to her senses.

“Let’s talk in the bedroom.” Liu Qiongfang said, trying to sound casual, she turned her wheelchair and moved towards the bedroom.

The first thing Liu Qiongfang did after entering the bedroom was to grab a cloth from the bed and cover her legs before her mother could enter.

The cloth armor might be useless in the end, but it could at least give her a temporary sense of dignity.

But Liu Qiongfang overlooked one thing.

The bedroom, the place she spent most of her time in, the unpleasant smell of a sick person, it was the strongest there. She couldn’t notice it because it was her own scent, she had gotten used to it after so long.

Chen Sujuan was old, but her health was still good, and her sense of smell was fine.

She smelled the scent of illness as soon as the bedroom door opened.

It was normal. When Jiang Heye found her, she gave her a lot of information from the program team. And on their way here, she also learned some things from Zhang Jin. A person with mobility issues, without money to hire a full-time caregiver, without any family to help, being able to maintain the house and herself like this was already not easy. Having a bit of a smell was normal, it didn’t matter, she was here now.

Although the program team found her and brought her here for her granddaughter, seeing her daughter like this after so many years, the unspoken heartache made Chen Sujuan instinctively take on the role of a caregiver.

So, the first thing Chen Sujuan did after entering the bedroom was to walk to the window and open it.

The morning breeze, carrying the fresh scent of plants, blew in, dispelling the stuffy smell.

She would clean up while talking to her about Yan Yan, Chen Sujuan thought.

Then, when she turned around, she was met with her daughter’s mocking gaze.

“If you dislike the smell in my room, then don’t come!”

Her mother’s action reminded Liu Qiongfang of the cleaning lady’s quiet complaint a long time ago. The feelings of inferiority and self-loathing reached their peak, Liu Qiongfang even started to hate, hate the talkative Cheng Tingyan, hate the meddling program team, and hate Chen Sujuan, who made her want to go crazy!

“What, why are you here? To watch my misery?”

“Look, look, look, let you see! That Jiang Heye is from the program team, right? They told you everything, right? Yes, that’s right, I got married, had a child, got divorced, and I’m paralyzed! Everything I told you before was a lie! Are you satisfied?”

“Have you seen enough? You can leave now! Just go!”

Going crazy only required a starting point, then it could escalate into a complete loss of control.

Sentence after sentence, Liu Qiongfang had completely forgotten that this was an old apartment with poor sound insulation, she forgot about the two people in the kitchen, she was immersed in her own venting.

In the kitchen, the two people who could hear everything clearly felt increasingly awkward.

Zhang Jin instinctively stirred the eggs in the bowl vigorously, trying to use the clinking sound of chopsticks against porcelain to drown out the voice from the bedroom.

Then he heard Jiang Heye clear her throat and ask, “Well, Brother Zhang, didn’t you say you were going to make poached eggs in sweet soup? Do you use beaten eggs for your poached eggs?”

The chopsticks stopped abruptly, the egg mixture spilling out of the bowl.

“Beaten eggs, beaten eggs are also fine…” Zhang Jin said with a wry smile, grabbing a cloth to clean it up.

The ranting from the bedroom was getting louder and louder, it didn’t seem like it would end anytime soon.

Zhang Jin’s hand paused, he had to ask the crucial question before the person next to him was overwhelmed by the awkwardness and left. “I’ve been following the live broadcast of ‘Where’s Baby Going’ this season, I saw Ms. Jiang’s performance as Beibei, she’s truly very talented. Does Ms. Jiang have any intention of pursuing a career in the entertainment industry? Have you signed with an agency yet?”

A diamond in the rough!

A diamond in the rough had flown right into his hands!

Even though he didn’t have time to make a decent breakfast, with the ranting in the background, Zhang Jin still had to ask with utmost sincerity, he couldn’t miss this opportunity.

“I have.” Jiang Heye said, glancing at the boiling water in the pot. So breakfast was beaten eggs in sweet soup? It sounded a bit strange…

“Ah…” Zhang Jin’s heart sank, but he understood, it was normal for good things to be snatched up quickly. “Well, may I ask which agency Ms. Jiang signed with…?”

“Mmm, because of a confidentiality agreement, I can’t reveal it now.” Jiang Heye said with an apologetic smile.

It sounded like a big deal… Zhang Jin did some mental calculations, if the penalty for breaking the contract was high, even if she was a diamond in the rough, the company might not be willing to let her go…

Outside, Zhang Jin’s mind was racing.

Inside, Liu Qiongfang’s ranting continued.

Chen Sujuan couldn’t listen anymore.

For a patient living alone, venting might be good for their mental health, but excessive venting… it wasn’t good for anyone.

“I’m here for Yan Yan, I won’t leave.”

“I’ve already listed the house back home for sale.”

“If the money isn’t enough, we’ll figure it out together, repay the Cheng family, get Yan Yan’s custody back, then treat your leg.”

Chen Sujuan said, squatting down in front of her daughter, trying to make her voice heard over the loud ranting.

It worked.

Because Liu Qiongfang stopped yelling after the second sentence.

“I don’t want your money, just leave. I’ll get Yan Yan’s custody back. We don’t need you.” Liu Qiongfang said, trying to sound calm and rational, she looked at her mother, whose expression was as calm as ever, and finally remembered her younger self, who couldn’t get her way with tantrums and could only run away in defeat.

“I’ll stay and be with you.” Chen Sujuan said, standing up and starting to fold the clothes piled up by the bed.

“I said we don’t need you!” Liu Qiongfang said, her voice rising uncontrollably, although she knew rationally that throwing a tantrum was useless.

Chen Sujuan stopped and turned to Liu Qiongfang.

There were some things she didn’t want to mention, at least not on their first meeting after so many years.

But…

“Yan Yan needs me.” Chen Sujuan said, her voice quickening as she saw the mocking look in her daughter’s eyes. “I’ve seen Cheng Feiying’s photo. You’re with him because he looks like…”

“Don’t say it! Don’t say it!” Liu Qiongfang roared in a hushed voice, like a thief, then she paused, her eyes wide with panic. “Who did you tell? Zhang Jin? Did you tell Zhang Jin? Or that Yeye girl!”

“I didn’t tell anyone, no one.” Chen Sujuan sighed. “Is this why you’re turning a blind eye to Yan Yan’s situation? We’re both mothers, I don’t believe you know nothing about her life at the Cheng family.”

“Both mothers, heh, both mothers.” Liu Qiongfang sneered, then, under Chen Sujuan’s calm gaze, she turned her face away and said defensively, “Look at me, what can I even do if I know?”

Chen Sujuan looked at her daughter’s profile.

Although they hadn’t seen each other for many years, but… she still looked the same when she was lying.

“No matter what happened before, I’m here now. Maybe, to you, I wasn’t a good mother. But I won’t leave.” Chen Sujuan said, she couldn’t describe her feelings, a mix of disappointment and a sense of resignation. After so many years, they still seemed to be the same…

Liu Qiongfang sneered, about to retort.

But Chen Sujuan was tired, she waved her hand. “Stop. Cheng Feiying, with his looks, you can’t be cruel to him. You said thank you to me yesterday, I can tell you ‘you’re welcome’ now. But if you insist that I shouldn’t interfere with you and Yan Yan, I’m afraid I can’t say ‘you’re welcome’ anymore, but ‘I’m sorry’ instead.”

Liu Qiongfang: “…“ What did she mean?

She watched as her mother folded one piece of clothing after another…

Liu Qiongfang finally understood, she wheeled herself forward and pushed the neatly folded clothes onto the floor, she sneered. “Don’t interfere with my life! Are you threatening me? Threatening me again? What, if I don’t let you stay, you’ll tell someone! About me and him, who are you going to tell! Ha, it’s always like this. You used to threaten to tell my teacher, and now you’re…”

“Cheng Feiying. I’ll tell Cheng Feiying. Isn’t that why you sent that message, because you’re afraid I’ll tell him?” Chen Sujuan asked, looking at the clothes on the floor. She felt truly old, she couldn’t handle too much disappointment anymore, maybe when she was younger, she could have endured more, but not now.

“Ha, you’re so capable, so capable, always threatening to tell this person or that person, you’re so capable, you’ve always been the most capable!” Liu Qiongfang said, giving her a thumbs up.

“What else can I do?” Chen Sujuan asked, sitting down on the bed, exhausted after a sleepless night, the years of accumulated pain made her voice cold. “Yes, I shouldn’t have threatened you back then, shouldn’t have said I would tell your teacher if you didn’t break up with him. I should have called the police, reported him for dating a minor, had him arrested, then you wouldn’t have run away with him…”

“I was an adult! I was an adult at that time, I’m an adult, I didn’t run away, I didn’t escape, I just chose the path I wanted to take!” Liu Qiongfang shouted, interrupting her angrily.

“An adult, heh, you were indeed an adult on the day you left. But before that, when you first met him? How old were you? It was my fault, I didn’t watch over you properly!” Chen Sujuan said, clutching her chest, she squatted down and gathered the clothes on the floor. “I don’t want to bring up the past, no matter what has happened, it can’t be changed. I don’t care if you regret it or not, fine, just consider it your own choice. Now Yan Yan has also made her own choice, I hope you can respect her choice, just like you respect your own!”

That little girl on the screen, the little girl who called out to her grandma by the tree, she absolutely, absolutely wouldn’t let her return to the Cheng family.

Chen Sujuan, who had already read the information and video clips provided by the program team on her way here, looking at her daughter, who seemed to be still living in the past… she hardened her heart.

The next generation couldn’t live in the shadows of the previous generation.

This was something she had learned in half a lifetime.

“I’m here to take care of Yan Yan. It doesn’t matter if you don’t need me.” Chen Sujuan said, putting down the clothes in her hand. “But don’t stop me from doing what I need to do.”

Her face, wrinkled and with gray hair, the kindness and heartache she showed earlier were now… replaced by determination, even a hint of coldness.

This was the mother Liu Qiongfang was familiar with.

Silence, a heavy silence.

For a long time, the only sound in the bedroom was Chen Sujuan folding clothes.

In some places, silence concealed turbulent undercurrents.

And for some people, the turbulence was written all over their faces.

“Hehe, hehe, hehe, what are you giggling about this morning?” Wei Chengli asked, unable to bear it any longer, he leaned closer to the little rascal, imitating her grin, and teased. “Look at you, happily drinking your porridge, it’s dripping everywhere, if it weren’t for Yan Yan constantly wiping your mouth, you would have to change your clothes after breakfast. If you keep smiling like this, you’ll spill the whole breakfast through the corners of your mouth. What’s so funny? Don’t just keep it to yourself, share the joy with your dad.”

Cheng Tingyan, next to them, nervously tightened her grip on the handkerchief. It was her mistake, last night, charmed by the little chubby bunny’s cuteness and moved by her pitiful state, she had mentioned some future possibilities that might make her happy. And the little chubby bunny was indeed very happy, although she fell asleep quickly last night, she had been giggling and mumbling about showing her the house when they got back…

She didn’t react in time, she missed the opportunity to remind the little chubby bunny not to mention it.

She didn’t expect the little bunny to be happy for so long…

Now, without a chance to remind her privately, Cheng Tingyan could only pray that this three-year-old little bunny would understand and realize that this was a continuation of their secret plan… and add it to her list of secrets to keep.

“Blegh.” Wei Maomao stuck her tongue out at Wei Chengli, she took the handkerchief from Cheng Tingyan and wiped her mouth clean.

Cheng Tingyan let out a small sigh of relief. Then, in the next second, she saw the little chubby bunny, picking up her porridge bowl again, giggling to herself…

She was… that happy…

Cheng Tingyan couldn’t help but smile too.

Closer, a little bit closer.

Living in the same residential complex would be good, just a bowl of hot soup away.

But Cheng Tingyan didn’t know that while she was thinking about a bowl of hot soup away, a certain bunny was thinking about a mouthful of boiling water away.

Time flew by when one was immersed in happy daydreams about the future.

Wei Maomao felt like she hadn’t even eaten much when Wei Chengli left the table.

“Dad, where are you going?” Wei Maomao asked, craning her neck.

“Where am I going?” Wei Chengli asked, pointing at the unknown stain on his pants with a smile. “I’m going to change my pants, thank you, Little Miss Spill-Your-Porridge!”

He knew it, he knew this little rascal, giggling while drinking, would definitely spill it on herself, but he didn’t expect it to be on him. Well, it was also his own fault for being too amused by the little rascal’s silly appearance, leaning closer…

“Dad, wait for me! I’ll help you change your pants.” Wei Maomao said, reaching out.

“No need… You eat, you’ve barely eaten anything. Finish those two buns, I’ll check when I come back.” Wei Chengli said, pushing away the little chubby paw, dissatisfied.

Wei Maomao: “… “ Sigh, so annoying.

In the next second, the small spoon, leaving the porridge bowl, tilted slightly, a dollop of porridge landed on the little rascal’s dress under Wei Chengli’s watchful eye.

Faking an injury… Some chubby dumplings were professionals.

Seeing this, Wei Chengli understood, this little rascal probably had something to tell him secretly.

What was it?

Was there another problem with Yan Yan?

Wei Chengli, carrying the little rascal upstairs, felt uneasy.

Entering the room, locking the door, turning off the microphones, checking if the cameras were off…

The father and daughter, in perfect sync, after finishing their preparations, Wei Chengli sat down on the bed, ready for another day, another blow.

But it seemed things weren’t as he had imagined.

“Dad, who lives across from us?”

“Dad, Dad, who lives upstairs?”

“Dad, Dad, Dad, what about downstairs, who lives downstairs?”

…

After finally figuring out where these questions were coming from, Wei Chengli wanted to throw this little rascal, who had been giggling all morning and even spilled porridge on both of them, out the window.

“It’s not even a definite plan yet. The 1 hasn’t even been written, and you’re already adding eight hundred zeros after it, what’s the point?” Wei Chengli said, not caring if she understood, he just wanted to complain, he even pinched the little rascal’s pigtails.

“Ouch, stop, stop…” Wei Maomao said, swatting his hand away, she pouted. “Yan Yan did my hair this morning…”

“… “ Wei Chengli, exasperated, poked the little rascal’s head. “Wei Maomao! I’m advising you to be kind!”

Although she was criticized by her dad, Wei Maomao was still very happy.

It didn’t matter if Wei Chengli couldn’t tell her who lived in the other houses, the key was, the apartments directly above and below theirs were both rented.

As long as they weren’t owner-occupied, there was a possibility of switching, right?

And most importantly!

Wei Chengli said that a few days before they came to the show, one day, while Wei Maomao was sleeping, he saw people moving out from the apartment downstairs, a moving truck came, he didn’t know if they had found a new tenant or if the apartment was sold and couldn’t be rented anymore. After filming for so many days, he didn’t know what the situation was downstairs now.

How should she put it, Wei Maomao could only pray!

But having hope was good!

Closer, a little bit closer!

After ruthlessly crushing the little dumpling’s dreams, Wei Chengli went to the bathroom to change his pants, and when he came out…

Okay, a certain chubby dumpling was sitting there, cross-legged, hugging her feet, smiling even more happily than before.

Wei Chengli: “Tsk…”

She had gone silly, there was no saving her…

He would just give her to Yan Yan.