"Did you go on a blind date yesterday?" Mian Mian asked unhappily, her voice muffled.
"I didn't go willingly. I didn't know anything about it at first. I only found out it was a blind date when I got there," Jiang Jingxiu explained quickly.
"If you want to find a new wife, I won't object, but can you at least have some discernment and not bring back some ugly hag?" Mian Mian felt a pang of bitterness. She firmly believed her mother wasn't dead and would return. But it had been six years, and her father had been single for six years. He had it tough too.
"I'm not planning to find any 'ugly hags' or anything else. Don't worry. Come over quickly, get dressed, and let's go see Uncle Jin Lan," Jiang Jingxiu said, his concern and attention focused intensely on his daughter's well-being, terrified she might be unwell.
After all, Mian Mian had suffered two serious illnesses. Even though she had recovered, she still needed to be doted on and cared for with substantial financial investment. Fortunately, Jiang Jingxiu was never short of money, so he never hesitated to spend it on his daughter.
"I'm hungry. Ask Auntie to make something to eat," Jiang Mian Mian said.
Jiang Jingxiu employed two housekeepers and a driver. He had always been meticulous about cleanliness since he was young. If it were just him, he wouldn't even hire housekeepers, just a part-time cleaner. But his daughter needed comprehensive care, so he hired three people to serve her exclusively.
One of the housekeepers was the former part-time cleaner.
The one currently at home was her. The other housekeeper had taken two days off due to a family emergency, so for the past two days, the auntie who had been bullying Mian Mian was the one doing the cooking.
Jiang Jingxiu doted on his daughter. Seeing that she seemed to have good spirits, he agreed and asked the auntie to prepare breakfast.
When the father and daughter went downstairs, the auntie lowered her head guiltily, not daring to look around. Mian Mian also seemed to have forgotten yesterday's unpleasantness and sat at the dining table, ready to eat. The little girl was wearing a white cotton maxi dress, her thick, jet-black hair tied into a ponytail by Jiang Jingxiu. Her large eyes looked listless, clearly indicating she was ill.
Seeing that her master hadn't said anything to her, the auntie assumed it was fine. She looked down on Mian Mian, thinking that she was just a child who knew nothing and deserved to be bullied!
Thinking how foolish Mian Mian was, she felt more confident. Her face was beaming, and she showered Jiang Jingxiu with solicitous questions.
Jiang Jingxiu cut a steak for his daughter and brought it to her, saying, "Eat more. You get sick easily when you eat less."
"Thank you, Daddy. Daddy, why don't you marry Aunt Zhao's daughter?" Jiang Mian Mian had observed Aunt Zhao's behavior. She sneered inwardly. Since Aunt Zhao was so eager to court death, she would oblige her.
Aunt Zhao's heart leaped at the mention. Just as she was about to say something, she saw Jiang Jingxiu frown and say, "Mian Mian, don't talk nonsense."
"I'm not talking nonsense. Aunt Zhao wants to marry her daughter to you. The mother and daughter have conspired. After you marry her daughter, she'll have a chubby baby for you. Then they'll get rid of me, the 'drag,' and all the family fortune will belong to them," Mian Mian said with a sweet smile, her long eyelashes fluttering.
Jiang Jingxiu: "..."
Aunt Zhao felt as if she'd been struck by lightning. Her face turned pale as she explained, "Sir, I haven't. I wouldn't dare to have such thoughts."
"I heard all of this with my own ears. Your sophistry is useless. You called me a 'drag' yesterday too. Daddy, am I a 'drag'?" Mian Mian deliberately asked again.
Jiang Jingxiu felt his heart might explode. His sharp gaze swept over the woman who had worked for him for over a decade. He truly hadn't realized she was such a venomous person.