CHAPTER 33: CHAPTER 33: DEAD WEIGHT

"Just because you say you didn’t pick them up doesn’t mean you didn’t, do these chicken eggs have your family’s name written on them?" Wang Aihua had always been domineering, and although Zhang Hualian had Tang Zhengde’s protection since marrying into the Tang Family, she often felt aggrieved when Tang Zhengde was not around.

In the past she was naive, thinking that her mother brought this upon herself for insisting on marrying Tang Zhengde.

"Aunt, these chicken eggs don’t have your family’s name written on them either," countered Tang Yue.

"Xiao Yue, let it be," Zhang Hualian saw Tang Yue and Wang Aihua about to start arguing and, worried about Tang Yue’s reputation, hurriedly whispered while gently pulling Tang Yue’s hand.

"I don’t care, those two chicken eggs were definitely taken by you!" Wang Aihua was adamant that the eggs were taken by Zhang Hualian and relentlessly demanded their return.

Tang Yue, familiar with Zhang Hualian’s temperament, said before she could return the eggs, "Mom, if we didn’t take them, we didn’t take them, why should we return the eggs to them?"

"Aunt, you hide the chicken eggs and now accuse my mom of taking them?" Tang Yue pursed her lips, really unable to take a liking to Wang Aihua, truly not knowing what she was blind to in her past life to think that the aunt had treated her well.

Aunt Wang Aihua was always instigating disputes between her and Zhang Hualian, without her inciting, she wouldn’t have been so willful.

"Tang Yue, how can you speak like that?" Wang Aihua saw the chicken eggs she was about to get slipping away, and her words carried a hint of anger, "When adults are talking, why is a child interrupting?"

Silent, Tang Yue climbed over the bamboo fence and headed towards the corner where the toilet and firewood were piled up, reaching her hand in to dig around.

Wang Aihua’s eyelids twitched, and she suddenly screamed, "Tang Yue, what are you doing?"

"Mom, look quickly, Tang Yue is tearing down the house," Wang Aihua loudly exclaimed, not minding making a big fuss.

Before long, Tang Yue pulled out two chicken eggs, saying, "Aunt, aren’t these the eggs you hid? You always hide them here, don’t you change the spot?"

"Aunt, you hide the eggs and blame it on my mom and sister?" Tang Jun firmly stood on his sister’s side and loudly complained, "Granny Tang, Aunt hid the eggs to feed Tang Xian and Tang Min, then falsely accused my mom of stealing eggs, Granny, won’t you manage Aunt?"

Tang Jun was young, and he was the best at acting spoiled in front of Granny Tang.

Granny Tang came out upon hearing the noise, and seeing the eggs in Tang Yue’s hands, her face turned grim instantly, "Wang Aihua, I’ve been wondering why eggs were frequently missing; turns out you’ve been secretly hiding them here!"

"Mom, I didn’t..." Wang Aihua’s voice weakened, trying to defend herself but not knowing what to say, she pathetically explained, "Mom, I really didn’t know the chicken went there to lay eggs."

"Aunt, only a hand can fit into that space; a hen couldn’t get in there," Tang Yue reminded.

Wang Aihua was instantly enraged. Tang Min, upon hearing the noise, came over and seeing her eggs gone, shouted at Tang Yue, "Tang Yue, you’re just a burden; what right do you have to slander my mom? And besides, those eggs are ours, my mom can put them wherever she wants."

"My sister is not a burden," Tang Jun, hearing this, jumped up and lashed out at Tang Min.

Tang Min, being younger and a girl, not as strong as Tang Jun, was hit several times by him.

Originally very upset, Tang Yue, seeing Tang Jun like this, worried he would be punished, quickly separated them, "Xiao Jun, let go."

"Sister, don’t be angry, I’m sticking up for you," Tang Jun said excitedly, looking like he was ready to stand up for Tang Yue.

"Enough, let go now. Playing the brother without acting like one, playing the sister without acting like one," Granny Tang, watching the scene, scolded with a stern face, "Tang Yue bears the name Tang."

"But she’s not born to my second uncle," retorted Tang Min with a pout.

Granny Tang angrily said, "She still bears the name Tang, she is one of the Tang Family, go apologize to your second uncle and his wife."

After Granny Tang spoke, she turned and entered the house. Soon, there was a clanging noise inside, indicating that Granny Tang was very angry.

Tang Min was also a bit scared, so she hid behind Wang Aihua. It’s just that she was too angry at that moment, so...

"Mom." Tang Min looked towards Wang Aihua for help.

Wang Aihua felt both heartache and helplessness. She had privately told her many times not to call Tang Yue a burden. Couldn’t she see how much her second uncle adored her?

This child, she just never learns.

In the end, it was Tang Zheng Yuan who heard about the incident, and he dragged Tang Min to Tang Zhengde’s house to apologize.

His own second brother values Tang Yue greatly. Calling his daughter a bastard— if they didn’t apologize, Tang Zhengde would surely cause a ruckus at home.

"Second Uncle, Second Aunt, I’m sorry, I was wrong." Tang Min said with her head lowered, filled with both anger and rage, but more afraid of her father’s fury. Whenever her father glared at her, it made her feel fearful.

"Big Brother, although Xiao Yue is not my biological daughter, you know that over these years, I’ve truly cherished Xiao Yue as my own." Tang Zhengde had returned from working at the forestry site, and before he even had a chance to wash off his sweat, he heard Tang Min scolding Xiao Yue as a burden.

Tang Zhengde was livid.

Seeing Tang Min now, if it weren’t for the fact that she was a girl, he might just grab and punish her first before saying anything.

"Yes, yes." Tang Zheng Yuan nodded. After all, it was his daughter who had insulted someone. As a father, he had to step forward and said, "Zhengde, Xiao Min is young and doesn’t understand things. I’ve already scolded her. From now on, she will definitely not insult anyone again. Rest assured, I also regard Xiao Yue as my own niece."

"Big Brother, Xiao Min is already ten years old." Tang Zhengde sighed and said, "Xiao Min, apologize to Xiao Yue. If Xiao Yue forgives you, I will forgive you too."

"I..." Just about to say ’no’, but with one glance from Tang Zheng Yuan, Tang Min’s word ’no’ immediately silence itself. With reluctance, she turned towards Tang Yue and muttered an apology with a voice as quiet as a mosquito: "Sorry."

"Xiao Jun, did you hear anything?" Tang Yue cocked her head and asked Tang Jun beside her.

Tang Jun cooperated and said, "No, I didn’t hear anything."

"Hey, don’t go too far." Tang Min puffed her cheeks, saying angrily.

"Tang Min, if I called you a burden, how would you feel?" Tang Yue retorted.

Without thinking, Tang Min countered: "I am not a burden."

Tang Yue’s expression turned cold. She had heard the insult "bastard" plenty of times since she was young, but this was the first time Tang Zhengde had stood up for her.

Before, they would say worse things behind her back, and she never snitched, bearing it silently. Tang Zhengde would be busy earning money working at the forestry site and carrying bricks every day, completely unaware of these things.

"Xiao Min, apologize." Tang Zheng Yuan said sternly.

"Sorry." Tang Min quickly uttered the apology and turned to run back.

After Tang Zheng Yuan said some more nice words, Tang Zhengde finally said, "Big Brother, I hope I won’t have to hear such things again in the future."

"Rest assured, it definitely won’t happen again," Tang Zheng Yuan promised.