Chapter 706: Chapter 4: The Cannon Fodder Best Friend of the Tragic Romance Heroine (4)

The people around started whispering.

"This mother-in-law is quite ruthless, not even taking care of her own grandson."

"A mother-in-law like this just can’t see things clearly, too nice to her daughter, but neglects her daughter-in-law, causing disharmony in the family."

"Not even taking care of her own grandson, these old ladies today are really lazy."

Cai Xian’s face looked increasingly unpleasant.

She wanted to say something, but after glancing at Jiang Lai, she held it in.

"Lili, I said it before, I won’t push you to have children. You can have them if you want, and if not, that’s fine too.

I already gave you everything I should have at the wedding. As for the child, you’re the ones who wanted to have one."

Cai Xian’s voice wasn’t loud, but her attitude was very firm.

Wang Lili, upon hearing this, instantly became emotional.

"What do you mean by that? Is my child not the Jiang Family’s grandson to you?

Are my son and I outsiders to you?

And you’re supposed to be someone who went to a good university, yet you can’t even distinguish right from wrong! When I was in postpartum rest, my parents came to take care of me, and where were you? You only showed up once at the hospital!

Is there a mother-in-law like you under heaven?! Is there someone like you who’d rather support a mooching daughter than help raise her grandchild?!"

As Wang Lili spoke more, she became more emotional, and her tears were about to fall.

She truly felt she was being treated unfairly.

Cai Xian kept a stern face and remained silent.

She was inherently strong, always willing to shoulder any burden alone, not wanting others to see her in a mess.

But now, her son’s wife was criticizing her in front of so many people, calling her an irresponsible mother-in-law.

She didn’t know what to say.

A wave of bitterness welled up inside her.

"Jiang Lai, let’s go."

Jiang Lai was still focused on the crab legs in the hot pot. Seeing that they were almost done, she quickly fished them out onto a plate, eating while watching Wang Lili across from her.

"So, are you here to beg for food?"

"What nonsense are you spouting?! Who’s begging for food?!"

Jiang Lai took a bite of the crab leg meat, sighed, and looked a bit impatient.

"If you’re saying this while we’re eating, aren’t you begging for food?

Can’t you afford to raise your own child? Can’t you and my brother, the two adults, provide food for the child?

Otherwise, why choose to talk about this while we’re eating? If you’re not begging for food, what are you here for?"

Upon hearing Jiang Lai’s words, Wang Lili finally found an outlet for her pent-up anger.

"Jiang Lai, what right do you have to speak here? This is our family’s issue, what’s it got to do with you?"

"Exactly, this is your family’s issue, what’s it got to do with my mom? You think you’re a hero for giving birth to a child for the Jiang Family, then go find someone with the surname Jiang, like Jiang Zhi or Jiang Dao Hai.

Why are you bothering my mom? Your son’s last name isn’t even the same as hers."

"You...you, just wait, let’s see who takes care of you when you’re old! You care so much about your daughter now, let her take care of you alone when you’re old!"

These are the words elderly people fear most.

No one to care for you when you’re old.

Jiang Lai clapped her hands.

"Great, then return the house, since you’re not going to take care of my mom when she’s old, you definitely shouldn’t feel entitled to continue living in the house she bought.

Oh right, and the money for the child’s red packets, for the full month banquet.

The house is over three million, thirty thousand for the banquet, and the car... tally it all up and pay it back, so when my mom gets old, you won’t have to worry a bit.

But my brother is still obligated to support her, let’s say, like me, two thousand a month. After all, my mom raised him to adulthood, that money isn’t spent for nothing."

For ordinary families, a full month banquet is just a few tables at a standard hotel with some close relatives.

But Wang Lili went for it, the best hotel in the city, over sixty tables, over five thousand a table, plus over a thousand a table for drinks and cigarettes, utterly draining Cai Xian’s savings.

And she didn’t contribute a bit from the money received from guests.

And she still expected Cai Xian to take care of the postpartum period. If not, there’s the seven thousand-a-month postpartum care center in the city, plus a babysitter and a domestic helper, all expenses on Cai Xian.

Good grief, milking one person dry.

This couple, having a child, didn’t want to spend a cent and even wanted to squeeze Cai Xian dry.

Jiang Lai exposed Wang Lili’s intentions in one sentence, and the onlookers’ gazes changed.

"Enough, this mother-in-law has been kind enough, giving a house and a car, if you have a child, take care of it yourself."

"It’s tough for the elderly, having such a daughter-in-law, they’ll be unlucky when old."

"Shameless, never satisfied! I thought she was so wronged, turns out she wanted the child, already given so much and still wants more, disgusting."

The seafood restaurant had quite a few elderly patrons.

None of them held back with their words.

Making Wang Lili, who was so confident standing by the table, feel like a street rat, pointed at by everyone.

After all, her goal was to grab everyone’s attention.

Now the goal was achieved, everyone was looking.

"What? Still want some food? Well, here’s a plate of fried rice I’ve barely touched, you can take it and eat.

Eat more, so you have energy to take care of the child."

Wang Lili couldn’t bear the humiliation, glaring viciously at Jiang Lai, then she turned and left.

With the trouble resolved, Jiang Lai continued eating.

"Mom, why are you in a daze? Eat."

"Jiang Lai...do you think mom is particularly useless?"

"Is there anyone more capable than you? Earning two houses at such a young age, supporting the whole family, raising two kids, and now still busy in your retirement years.

You are great, but there’s one thing wrong, you care too much about what others think."

Jiang Lai handed her a crab leg.

"Eat."

Cai Xian, concerned about appearances, didn’t want people around to laugh at her, so she struggled alone to keep the fragmented family together.

She endured consciously.

Clearly, she was an educated modern woman, yet she was trapped by a mess of people and things.

Not caring for the postpartum period was probably the greatest resistance she could muster.

Jiang Lai looked at her, unchanged in expression.

"You see, they won’t appreciate what you did, they’ll only think it’s not enough.

Every penny you spend, they think you’re spending their money. So, do you still want to keep saving for them?"

"I won’t give them any more money."

"Is that enough?"

Cai Xian looked at her, as if making a big decision.

"I won’t help with their house and car payments either."

Aside from the wedding house Cai Xian gave them, the couple bought another house to rent out.

And aside from the car, Wang Lili used work convenience as a reason to buy another one.