CHAPTER 40: 039: PLAN

Now that such a thing has happened, even if Old Mrs. Ye didn’t want to come to the city, she couldn’t refuse it anymore. She nodded, agreeing to the matter.

"You just take good care of Ye Qian. I’ll take care of the house. But Lingzi is taking her high school entrance exam this year, she can’t afford any delays. You and He Ping need to get her enrolled in a school. The trip was sudden, and nothing has been arranged back home. I have to go back and pack things up and find someone to look after the house." Old Mrs. Ye felt a bit of resentment.

It’s just to have her come over to help with cooking and the house. Why wasn’t that explained clearly? This trip feels pointless, a waste of money, especially when money is tight right now.

Bai Xue rubbed her hands and spoke with difficulty, "Mom, you’ve seen how things are at home. Even Xiaoqian’s medical expenses were raised by the company. He Ping thinks Lingzi shouldn’t continue her studies."

When Bai Xue said this, she didn’t even dare to lift her head.

After those words fell, silence filled the room.

Ye Ling had long known the matter wasn’t that simple. Given that they were called back, how could they return without packing and coming over again? Clearly, the ultimate goal was to stop her from studying. They beat around the bush to finally get to the point. You have to admit it was hard for them.

"No." Before Ye Ling could speak, Old Mrs. Ye snapped out of it, "No matter how tough things are at home, we can’t stop the child from studying. Only by studying can one become successful. Otherwise, they’ll end up farming and being poor all their life, and even their next generation will suffer. Why do you think He Ping has reached his position now? If I hadn’t let him study despite our poor conditions back then, could he have become a professor without education?"

"Mom, isn’t it because we genuinely have no other choice? Besides, Lingzi isn’t without an education. She’s already finished middle school. We can find her a job, even if she continues to study. By the time she finishes, there might be no place willing to hire her. It’d be tough without achieving anything. While He Ping hasn’t retired, we can use his connections to find her a good job." Bai Xue spoke as if she was entirely considering her daughter’s prospects.

"Mom, then Ye Qian won’t study either?" Ye Ling interjected.

Bai Xue raised her voice, "How could your sister not study?"

Right after she said it, she realized she was wrong and quickly explained with a guilty conscience, "Your sister has a dance specialty, and with her illness, she can’t handle exhaustion. She can’t work now; it would be easier for her to find a relaxed job if she studies."

"If she’s afraid of exhaustion, isn’t learning dance tiring?" Ye Ling sneered, not caring if her mother got embarrassed, "Mom, you and dad are biased but can’t be this biased. Now that Ye Qian is sick, I have to give up studying for her. She gets the whole family’s care and gets to learn dance. Is she your biological daughter, and did you pick me up off the street? You keep saying she’s too frail to handle stress and needs comprehensive care. If that’s the case, isn’t it better for her to stay home and rest without studying or dancing? Why waste money and effort on her studies and dance lessons?"

Old Mrs. Ye also found the couple’s actions too much, "When is He Ping coming back? Ask He Ping to talk to me. This useless thing only knows how to be harsh to his daughter. I didn’t raise him like that. After all these years as a professor, instead of learning well, he picked up all the bad habits."

Upon closer look, Old Mrs. Ye’s words weren’t really scolding her son but subtly blaming her daughter-in-law for corrupting her son.

Across from her, Bai Xue’s face was alternating between blue and white, "Mom, He Ping will be back in the evening. You’ve been on the train overnight; rest in the East Room first. I’ll go make food."

Old Mrs. Ye showed no pleasant expression, "There’s no need to be aggrieved. You’re a mother, you’re doing this for Ye Qian, but Ye Ling is also your child. You need to treat them equally. Everyone is worried about Ye Qian’s illness and willing to endure hardships for her. But it shouldn’t be to the extent of stopping Ye Ling from studying. She can stop the dance lessons since she can’t manage the stress, right? Use the dance lesson money for Lingzi’s tuition."

These words, Old Mrs. Ye had never said nor spoken harshly to her daughter-in-law. She usually sided with her son in any matter. But today, with her son absent, she directly spoke to her daughter-in-law, showing she was truly angry.

Bai Xue regretted thinking that as long as her younger daughter was sick, her mother-in-law would agree to anything, but she had indeed been mistaken.

As the tension was building, Ye Qian, who had kept silent, softly spoke, "Mom, even if I don’t get treatment, we can’t stop sister from studying. If you and dad really did this, I wouldn’t forgive myself all my life, and I wouldn’t go for treatment."

Ye Qian was certainly jealous that Grandma sided with Ye Ling but also understood that this wouldn’t work. Instead of letting Grandma resent her and their parents, she might as well step up to mend her image in Grandma’s eyes, making it easier for her parents.

Ye Ling could obviously see it too. Ye Qian speaking up not only improved Grandma’s impression of her but also made their parents feel Ye Qian was sensible and pity her more—in a sense, knowing how to grab benefits for herself.

Bai Xue was already covering her face and crying, "Lingzi, mom isn’t biased. It’s your sister’s illness; mom really has no other way. Don’t blame your dad, blame me instead. Now your sister is even giving up dancing for you, so if you don’t do well in your studies, you’d be letting her down."

These words irked Ye Ling.

"Mom, you make it sound as if Ye Qian is making a sacrifice. Ye Qian learning to dance and studying is proper, and my studying is not? You’d rather spend money on her dance lessons than let me study. Is her dance more important or my entire life? Besides, didn’t you say Ye Qian can’t handle stress? Everyone knows dancing is the most strenuous—jumping and leaping. If it’s for her health, why do you insist she keeps dancing?" Manipulating Ye Qian’s illness was something Ye Ling couldn’t tolerate anymore.

But attempting to sacrifice her studies to benefit Ye Qian’s was too shameless for Ye Ling to accept.

Bai Xue, feeling guilty, found no words to counter and mentally cursed her elder daughter multiple times while just sitting there with her face buried, lamenting her misfortune.

Old Mrs. Ye paid no mind, rising and entering the East Room. She wasn’t blind. The elder granddaughter spoke clearly. This couple was blatantly partial, preferring to spend money on the younger daughter’s meaningless pursuits rather than allowing the elder daughter to study. She’d never seen such parents, and yet it was her own son who was like this. The more Old Mrs. Ye thought about it, the angrier she became, groaning on the bed.