"It's not a big deal. Although I slept late, I slept soundly afterward and am quite awake now. There's nothing else to do at home, so I'll head to the company. There are many matters there that require my attention, and I'm not entirely comfortable handing them over to others.
Oh, by the way, Godmother, how are you feeling? Are you still uncomfortable? I've already scheduled a doctor's appointment. In a couple of days, we'll go see what's going on. It’s not a good situation to be in so much discomfort." Chen Lishu sized up Mother He, unsure if it was her imagination, but Mother He seemed to be in much better spirits today than a few days prior.
"When you have time in a couple of days, let's go to the doctor together, mother and daughter, to see what's happening. Since you're not sleepy, come and eat. Even if you have to go to work, you must fill your stomach. Take care of yourself first, and then worry about the company!"
As Mother He spoke, she pulled Chen Lishu to the dining table and personally served her the dishes she had already prepared, pushing them all in front of her. She looked very much like a mother worrying about her child.
Seeing this, Zhang Wan'er's eyes flashed with a hint of jealousy. She had initially thought Mother He was good to Chen Lishu because Chen Lishu had looked after her grandson for a while, and Mother He felt grateful to Zhang Wan'er.
The reason the two families lived together was to better care for the child. After all, how much affection could strangers have for each other? Now, it seemed things were not as she had imagined. Mother He genuinely treated Chen Lishu like her own daughter. Why did all the good things have to go to Chen Lishu?
If Mother He's goddaughter were herself, then the Zhang family's status in Kyoto could soar, becoming the foremost among the four great families. Zhang Wan'er realized for the first time that Chen Lishu had everything better than her. She was already coveting everyone around Chen Lishu. If only she were the current Chen Lishu, with all the prosperity, wealth, and affection belonging to her. A greedy glint flashed in Zhang Wan'er's eyes.
After she finished eating, Chen Lishu glanced at Zhang Wan'er and Qin Yue behind her, then frowned and asked Mother He, "Although there are many matters at the company, Su Nian and other employees can handle them independently. I only need to do the final review.
This means I have a lot of free time today. Would you like to go out? Or perhaps I can accompany you! We haven't gone shopping together for quite some time, so why don't we go today?"
Mother He affectionately tucked a stray strand of hair behind Chen Lishu's ear with her hand, saying, "You say you're not busy, but sometimes when you work, you don't even answer calls from Ruirui and the others. You should go take care of your own matters. We can go shopping anytime."
In truth, Chen Lishu didn't want Mother He to have any alone time with Zhang Wan'er, because Zhang Wan'er was by no means a good person. Someone who offers favors without reason is either a thief or a schemer. She feared Zhang Wan'er might harm Mother He; if that happened, she would regret it for the rest of her life.
However, seeing Mother He's insistence and remembering that there were cameras installed at home, she thought there wouldn't be any major issues, so she could only compromise. "Alright then, if you need anything, you can ask the servants or call me. Don't worry, I'll have my phone on me twenty-four hours a day."
Mother He nodded, then said a lot of cautionary words behind Chen Lishu. Only after Chen Lishu disappeared from her sight did she return to the living room.
Seeing her chance to win favor, Zhang Wan'er went to Mother He's side and supported her arm, saying, "Auntie, you've been feeling unwell and staying at home all day. You must be tired of it, right? Since I don't have much to do, why don't I accompany you for a stroll outside to pass the time?"
Mother He subtly withdrew her hand and said with a pale face, "I'm feeling a bit unwell and it's not suitable for me to go out now. Let's go out together another day when I feel better.
I'll accept these medicinal herbs you sent today. As for the money you spent, I'll transfer it all back to your card. After all, as an elder, it's not appropriate for me to spend so much of your money, and we're not that familiar with each other, are we?"
"There's no need for the money. Buying something for Auntie is my gesture of goodwill. I'll visit you more often when I have time, and then we'll be considered familiar." After saying this, Zhang Wan'er walked towards the door without giving Mother He a chance to refuse.
Watching Zhang Wan'er's receding back, Mother He pursed her lips. In the end, she said nothing and turned back into her room.
Old Master He was reading the newspaper. Hearing the noise from the door, he looked in the direction of the sound. "I just went to the restroom and saw you chatting happily with Zhang Wan'er. A few days ago, you were telling me Zhang Wan'er wasn't a good person and that you wanted her to pay the price for Lishu's revenge. Why have you changed your mind today?"
Mother He crossed her arms and rolled her eyes at Old Master He. "Changed my mind? Are you saying Zhang Wan'er is still the same person? Haven't the investigation results clearly shown who she is? Or do you think I'm a fool who can't distinguish between good and bad?"
Old Master He put down his newspaper and looked at Mother He with a serious expression. "You are not a fool, which is why I find it strange. When did your relationship with Zhang Wan'er become so good!"
Mother He leaned back against the sofa lazily and said, "Wasn't I trying to get some useful information from her? But Zhang Wan'er is a slick-tongued girl. I couldn't get any useful information, and I almost got myself entangled. I owe her a great favor.
By the way, have you been in contact with Yang Zhiguo recently? I've sent people to investigate the value of these medicinal herbs. You should transfer tens of millions to his card later. He who eats people's food has his mouth shortened; he who accepts soft things has his hands tied. I can't eat anything for free!"
"Alright, but I must say, you have quite the courage. You dare to eat things given by strangers. Aren't you afraid Zhang Wan'er might have put something in these herbs?" Old Master He said, taking out the herbs from his bag and examining them carefully. After all, it concerned his wife's safety, and he couldn't be too careless.
However, after observing for a long time, he found nothing amiss. He put away the herbs and said, "Professional matters should be handled by professionals. I'll go find those old guys to take a look!"
Da Feng Novel Network