Ch. 49: A Talk Between Mother & Daughter

Jiang Churan unconsciously shrunk back, afraid.

Jiang Haishan clicked his tongue and turned away from Jiang Churan. Then, he closed his eyes and waited for breakfast restlessly.

Jiang Haishan's irritable mood affected Jiang Churan. Her uneasiness escalated.

Fortunately, Jiang Churan heard her mother calling her. "Ranran, help mother bring the food to the table."

Tang Hongyu's request felt like a light at the end of a dark tunnel for Jiang Churan.

Jiang Churan got up. She was about to head to the kitchen when she overheard her father's grumble. "Tsk, what a useless woman…"

Jiang Churan was stunned when she heard her father's low grumble. She paused for a moment as she stood up.

It was not the first time for Jiang Haishan to act like that, but it was quite rare. Still, Jiang Churan felt uneasy.

What's more, it was still early in the morning. Her father's irritated behavior would surely affect the whole day.

Jiang Churan decided to put this matter aside and headed to the in a hurry. The sooner she got away from her irritable father, the better.

…

"Ranran, what's with that long look?"

Tang Hongyu asked her daughter when she saw her uneasy and pale face.

Jiang Churan looked at her mother and saw the confused look on her mother's face. She hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Mom, did you and dad have a fight last night?"

Tang Hongyu blinked and put on a concerned look, though in truth she was withholding the urge to snicker. 'Aren't you working fast, darling?'

'I aim to please, dear.'

Tang Hongyu was stunned when she received a reply transmitted by her man. However, she kept her concerned mask in front of her daughter.

'Is that you, darling?' She thought back.

'Don't be surprised. Exchanging messages telepathically like this is a small matter for Immortal Cultivator.' She heard Chen Fan's smug voice and wanted to find him to pinch his cheek.

'This is so convenient, darling. How far is the maximum range of this connection?'

'I can cover the whole planet while you can cover the whole Chuzhou.'

'This is better than a phone call, darling.'

'Isn't it?' Tang Hongyu could sense the amusement in Chen Fan's tone.

"Mom?" Jiang Churan's voice returned Tang Hongyu to her senses.

"Sorry, your mother is thinking about something. Anyway, did something happen between you and your father?" Tang Hongyu made a contemplative face before hissing venomously, "Don't tell me that he has lashed out on you?!"

"Ah, um… no, dad just raised his voice a bit at me…" Jiang Churan shrunk back slightly after hearing her mother's venomous hiss.

As an aside, although Jiang Haishan had shown irritable behavior in the past, he had never gotten physical with Jiang Churan when lashing out. At most, he raised his voice at her, but it was enough to shock and scare the pampered girl.

"That man," Tang Hongyu muttered while gnashing her teeth. She pretended to be furious.

She knew that her mother was angry on her behalf. She was touched by her mother's love and care for her. However, her mother could be scary when she wanted to be.

"Mom, what's going on? Why does dad look so…irritable today?" Jiang Churan asked timidly.

Before Tang Hongyu could reply, they heard Jiang Haishan's impatient and irritated voice, however.

"Hongyu, Ranran, why are you two taking so long? Quickly bring the food here!"

Jiang Churan froze after hearing Jiang Haishan's voice. She couldn't help but feel scared of her father due to his irritable and unreasonable behavior.

On the other hand, Tang Hongyu frowned deeply while giving her daughter a concerned look.

To be honest, Tang Hongyu was surprised to find out the weak mental fortitude of her daughter. However, she quickly realized that her daughter was pampered too much as she grew up.

Although Tang Hongyu felt a little uncomfortable with this plan, she couldn't deny that it could give her daughter a reality check.

Jiang Churan needs a reality check.

Jiang Churan was too influenced by her father's superficial values. If she kept them, Tang Hongyu was afraid that she would become miserable in the future.

Tang Hongyu didn't mind this plan because this was within her and Chen Fan's control. In addition, this plan was better than the alternative, which was letting Jiang Churan experience something painful without leaving permanent damage.

Although Tang Hongyu was worried, she could accept a small sacrifice. In her mind, this wasn't different from teaching a baby to walk or a child to ride a bicycle; they might stumble and fall and get hurt, but there wouldn't be any permanent damage.

"Alright, let's bring the food on the table and don't give him more reason to be more unreasonable."

Jiang Churan nodded after listening to her mother's voice.

'By the way, nice timing, darling.' Tang Hongyu complimented Chen Fan telepathically.

Their telepathic connection was still active.

'Hehehe, as I said, I aim to please,' Chen Fan replied.

Then, the mother and daughter brought the food to the table. After that, they had a silent breakfast, though it was filled with tension and awkwardness.

After breakfast, Tang Hongyu and Jiang Churan returned the tableware to the kitchen while Jiang Haishan drank the tea with a crumpled expression and an unpleasant mood that caused Jiang Churan to feel uncomfortable around him.

Tang Hongyu and Jiang Churan were washing the tableware silently.

Tang Hongyu was flirting with Chen Fan through their telepathic link. On the other hand, Jiang Churan was deeply troubled by the mood in the house.

Jiang Churan didn't know what to do and felt extremely frustrated. However, she buried her frustration deep in her heart…just like usual.

Suddenly, Tang Hongyu sighed and began speaking.

"Sorry if breakfast was uncomfortable. Your father has become more irritable and unreasonable lately."

"Um, what's going on? Why did Dad become like that?" Jiang Churan turned to her mother and inquired. She couldn't hold back her curiosity.

It was understandable. Her father rarely snapped at her like that.

Tang Hongyu didn't immediately answer. After drying another bowl, she finally spoke up in a low voice that could still be heard by her daughter.

"Your father's career has hit a glass ceiling and he is trying to find a way to get a promotion. He has become restless and impatient. However, your father cares for his image outside, so he only shows his displeasure at home. He is an ambitious man, selfish and irresponsible to his family as well. There are too many flaws with too few good things in him. What's more…"

Jiang Churan paused her work to listen to her mother. She didn't know that her father had such an unpleasant side.

Her father might have started a fight with her mother often in the past and vice versa, but Jiang Churan never thought deeply about this matter. She never asked the reason behind their fights. Mostly, those fights started by careless, insensitive, or satirical remarks they hurled at each other.

'Well, now that I think about it, dad rarely showed his care for me. It was always mom who did it. She always put her work aside for my sake, always celebrated my birthday, and gave me gifts to show her care and love for me, and everything I have was something she bought.

'Even this house is something that mom bought with her money, not dad's. Dad rarely gave me gifts to show his care like mom. At most, he only praised me. If I remember correctly, they had fought over money to support dad's campaign in the past. He took and took without giving any…'

Jiang Churan's expression fell when she realized how unsightly her father's personality was. She would have never thought about this matter deeply if she wasn't shocked by her father's horrible attitude and had a talk with her mother today.

'Why did I never realize this? How could I have been so blind?'

The answer was obvious, wasn't it? Girl, because you were pampered, you had taken everything for granted so far!

Tang Hongyu dried her hands with a towel, after which she hugged Jiang Churan and put her daughter's head on her bosom. She rubbed her daughter's back.

"Let's be frank. I'm sure that you realize how I want to match you with Fan. To be honest, I don't want to force you, but I'm afraid that you'll make a mistake and become miserable because of a bad married life like me. You're a big girl now, and soon, you'll graduate high school. After that, you'll enter college and then graduate and become an adult."

Tang Hongyu paused for a moment. "However, a mother's job is to worry and ensure her children's future. I know what kind of guy Fan is. Although he's mischievous, his personality takes after his parents, meaning that he's a loyal man when he acknowledges someone. If you hook up with him, I guarantee that you'll have a man who'll stay with you through thick and thin, happiness and sadness, healthy and sick…"

'Why thank you, dear.'

Tang Hongyu rolled her eyes when she received her man's telepathic transmission. When she didn't respond, she got another one.

'By the way, do you want me to steal the Oscar award for you? I think you're worthy to get one…'

'Be quiet, you dummy! I am having a moment with my daughter here!'

Tang Hongyu couldn't help but snap at her man.

Through the telepathic link, Tang Hongyu sensed Chen Fan's emotions; a mix of sheepishness and amusement. Mostly amusement.

'Mischievous indeed,' she thought outside the telepathic link while rolling her eyes again.

Tang Hongyu was lucky that she was hugging her daughter, so her daughter couldn't see her funny expression. It would have ruined their touching moment if Jiang Churan saw her mother's odd expression.