Ruling the Historical Romance Novel as the Female Supporting Character-Chapter 428: Seeking Grandma’s Help
Wang Fengsong fell silent, staring intently at her son. The coldness in her eyes made Mu Yanming feel uneasy; it was the first time he had ever seen his mother look at him like that. Although it was a bit scary, the thought of his future and the ridicule from everyone in the courtyard pushed him to bear with it.
"You know what will happen if you tell your dad? With his upright character, do you think you’ll have a good outcome?" Wang Fengsong asked coldly.
Mu Yanming shuddered at the thought of his father’s stern face. Still, he gritted his teeth and nodded. "I know he would definitely beat me to death. But we still have Grandma, right? Dad is very filial; we can tell her and ask her to plead for me." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦
Wang Fengsong knew how much that old lady cherished her only grandson. She was also well aware of Mu Xiaowei’s filial nature. Over the years, if it weren’t for her carefully maintaining a good relationship with that old lady, she and Mu Xiaowei might have divorced long ago. However, once this matter reached the old lady, all her years of effort to maintain her image would be in vain. Would the old lady still stand by her side, forcibly keeping Mu Xiaowei from divorcing her?
"Mom! You wouldn’t really not want to help me, right? I’m your son! If you don’t rely on me to protect you in the future, who else can you depend on? Only if I’m doing well can you have a good life too," Mu Yanming urged.
Though his words carried a hint of threat, they were undeniably true. No matter how high Mu Xiaowei rose, it would do her no good. He wouldn’t help her or even give her any face. Everyone in the courtyard knew how poor their marital relationship was. For twenty years, Mu Xiaowei preferred to sleep on the sofa in his office rather than come home. He only came back for a couple of days during the holidays. Everyone thought they spent those few days together, but in reality, he would sleep in the study even when he returned home.
Thus, regardless of whether Mu Yanming was smart or not, he was all Wang Fengsong had to rely on.
"Then you go and talk to your grandma. Plead with her properly," Wang Fengsong finally relented, seeing no other way out.
But after she said that, Mu Yanming looked at her incredulously. "Why do I have to go? You were the one who made me take the university entrance exam, and you’re the one who found the person for me. Shouldn’t you be the one to speak?"
"You ungrateful child! You have no sense of responsibility at all, do you? You don’t want to be scolded, so you want me to take the blame, right?" Wang Fengsong said angrily, giving him a light slap on the head, though she held back, not wanting to hit him too hard.
Mu Yanming, however, was not afraid of her. Since she was holding back, he felt even bolder, remaining stubbornly rooted in place.
Wang Fengsong had no choice but to pull him downstairs forcibly.
"Mom, we need to talk to you about something." Since she had decided to rely on the old lady for help, she wouldn’t dawdle.
Grandma Cui frowned as she looked at the two of them, who were clearly in a bad mood. "What kind of trouble have you gotten into?"
Wang Fengsong bit her lip, her eyes reddening as she suddenly knelt before Grandma Cui. "Mom, you know Yanming’s grades have never been very good. But this time, getting into university is crucial for his future. So I took the liberty of finding someone to take the exam for him..."
"What?! Yanming didn’t take the exam himself?!" Grandma Cui exclaimed, springing to her feet in shock.
She stared in disbelief at her daughter-in-law on the floor and at her grandson, who was hanging his head.
"Do you both realize what you’re doing? Our Mu family has never engaged in such shameful acts!" Grandma Cui scolded, growing increasingly furious, her whole body trembling.
Mu Yanming had never seen his grandmother this angry before. He quickly stepped forward to support her. "Grandma, please don’t be angry; I know I was wrong."
"Don’t touch me!" Grandma Cui pushed him away in disgust, her eyes filled with disappointment. "Three years ago, when you graduated from high school, I offered to send you to the University of Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers, but you refused. Your mother is a typical indulgent mother who would spoil you, agreeing to let you work in a department instead. Now that you refused university three years ago, why are you resorting to such disgraceful means to attend university now?"
She questioned him in exasperation. Their family had gradually climbed out of hardship; how could they stoop to such behavior? Why did her late husband sacrifice so much to work in the team? Why did he endure so many dangers to earn this honor for China?
"Three years ago, when so many people didn’t go to the University of Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers, it wouldn’t matter if I did or didn’t. But now that the National College Entrance Examination has been reinstated, it shows that the country wants to focus on nurturing knowledgeable talents. If I don’t go to university, I will inevitably be eliminated. I was eager to work early to climb up. My mother and I resorted to this method to go to university so that we can bring honor to the Mu family. With my grandfather and father in such high positions, I can’t afford to let the Mu family decline," Mu Yanming pleaded passionately, his eyes reddening.
In front of Wang Fengsong, he was only arrogant and spoiled, but seeing his grandmother furious, he knew he had to say something grandiose.
Grandma Cui stared at him intently, pondering his words. Her heart softened little by little. Since they arranged for someone to take the exam, it meant that the other party was taking the test under Yanming’s name. This wouldn’t impact that person’s life. They were merely borrowing someone else’s ability, and the other party must have been compensated in return. Such a mutually agreeable arrangement wasn’t necessarily a serious issue.
"So what exactly happened now?" Grandma Cui still couldn’t comprehend why they appeared so anxious if they had everything arranged.
Mu Yanming glanced at his kneeling mother, hesitating for a moment before saying, "This morning, the school suddenly organized an examination inspection. Mom just called to ask, and if there’s any cheating on the results, we could face imprisonment. For me, it would be at least three years."
