My Youth Began With Him (Web Novel)
chapter-167

Huo Mian thought those sad memories would cause her mother to treat her with indifference again.

However, to her pleasant surprise, Yang Meirong just pursed her lips and said, "He's been dead for so long, why bring him up? I'm happy today, let's just enjoy the food."

Naturally, the other women all changed the subject upon hearing these words from Yang Meirong.

During the dinner, when Huo Mian went to get some more rice in the kitchen, Jing Zhixin quietly followed her in.

"Sis, forget those old ladies. They're super gossipy like that."

"I know, already forgotten."

"That's good. You don't seem to be too busy these days, right?" Jing Zhixin asked his sister.

"Yeah, the hospital gave me three days off so I don't have much to do."

"That's good! If you don't have to go to work today, sleep here tonight. You haven't stayed overnight in a while." Jing Zhixin looked at her with puppy eyes. He adored his sister; when they were young, he and his sister often played hide-and-seek under the old tree in the yard. When they were tired, he would fall asleep under that tree, and Huo Mian would recite Grimm's Fairy Tales to him.

His sister was a genius; Grimm's Fairy Tale is a very thick book, and back then, Zhixin couldn't even recognize all the words, but Huo Mian recited it like it was her own.

He was always so proud of his sister.

Even after his birth father, Jing De, died because of his sister, he never blamed her, not one bit.

Huo Mian, on the other side, always thought that his brother was a warm and outgoing boy. He was carefree and innocent, and she wanted to protect him.

Especially after Uncle Jing's death, she couldn't bear to let anything happen to Zhixin.

"Okay." Huo Mian thought about Zhixin's request and nodded her head in agreement.

"Yay, awesome!" Zhixin was overjoyed.

After dinner, the other women left, and Huo Mian helped her mother clean up the plates and cutlery.

As she was washing the dishes, she quietly mumbled, "Mom, Jiang Hong came looking for me a couple of days ago, and she asked me if I wanted to go back."

"Nothing good comes from her contacting you."

"It was about the Huo family's civil war – the wife and mistress are butting heads."

"That's good, I hope they fight to the death. I hope that heartless bastard dies." Yang Meirong's heart was filled with resentment at the thought of Huo Zhenghai.

After all, she used to be a celebrity. She had a bright future in front of her and never thought that bastard would ruin her entire life.

In the end, he wouldn't even acknowledge his own child and gave that sly vixen Shen Jiani an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

"I won't go back, I'm not interested in their inheritance or anyone in that family." Huo Mian told her mother how she felt.

Yang Meirong stopped what she was doing; she turned around to look at Huo Mian.

"It's rare for you to think that way."

"I don't want to go through the pain that you went through. I don't care about money; more money, more problems. I just want to spend the rest of my life with you and Zhixin peacefully. Once Zhixin gets married, I'll take you down south. We'll have a chance to go see our country's beautiful mountains and rivers."

Huo Mian's words touched Yang Meirong's heart…

Since the death of Jing De, she always blamed Huo Mian for everything that happened. The truth was, she didn't really hate her daughter.

She just never learned how to face the ugly truth.

"You're not so young anymore, you'll have to get married someday. Keep on a lookout and find a good man to spend your life with. Not a rich guy, he'll look down on us, and you'll have a rocky relationship."

Huo Mian's heart filled with guilt when she heard her mother say this.

If her mother found out that she had married Qin Chu, she would go crazy, right?

Mom, your health isn't as good as it used to be. Why not close the grocery store? We can sell this house and buy an apartment in the city, you can enjoy your retirement." Huo Mian wasn't so financially strapped anymore. She wanted her mother to sell this place. She could provide a down payment for a new apartment in the city, where the three of them could live together.