The 70s Novel: The Supporting Character Just Wants to Lie Down-Chapter 118: Reaping What You Sow and Being Disliked

Zheng Zhen was not in a good state.

Because of her hesitation, avoidance, inaction at the time, and later inability to swallow her pride, acting aloof and no longer appearing in the hospital room, rumors gradually began to circulate in the hospital.

Originally extremely sensitive and with a strong sense of pride, she had now become paranoid and aloof, putting herself above all. Clearly aware of her own mistakes, she could not bring herself to seek forgiveness.

The Jiang Family mansion was cold and quiet. She sat upright on the sofa, not knowing what she was thinking, her face changing unpredictably, sometimes with sorrow or hatred, sometimes with worry and grief...

"Crack... creak..."

After an unknown amount of time, the front door opened, and she saw the family returning under the moonlight.

"Click"... The lights in the living room were turned on. Jiang Zhongyi, being a soldier, was very perceptive. He immediately sensed the oppressive atmosphere in the living room. His eyes swept across and saw the woman sitting on the sofa, not missing the expression on her face, which was a complex mix of emotions. He furrowed his brow slightly but didn’t pay her any mind.

"Dad, let me help you back to your room." Jiang Zhongyi assisted Old Master Jiang into the house.

He also told Jiang Huilan and Jiang Shulan behind him, "You two should go to bed early too." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Okay, Grandpa." Jiang Huilan held her sister Jiang Shulan’s hand and was about to head to the stairs when a fierce voice interrupted from a diagonal direction, "Stop! Who taught you manners? Coming back without greeting your elders, do you think I’m invisible?"

Jiang Huilan and Jiang Shulan were startled. They truly hadn’t seen Zheng Zhen on the sofa. The two sisters turned around and called out, "Grandma..."

The greeting was emotionless, merely out of politeness.

Jiang Huilan didn’t like this grandmother at all. She had watched her grandmother often scold her mother while her mother could only swallow her anger. Their grandmother disliked them for being girls and would criticize their mother for not having sons, saying that their father had the worst luck marrying her.

"Grandma, we didn’t know you were home. Why didn’t you go to the hospital to see Great-Grandma?"

Zheng Zhen was feeling very agitated. Jiang Zhongyi hadn’t acknowledged her at all, and now even the two youngsters were ignoring her. Her frustration was building with no release, so she used this as an excuse to vent her anger on the two granddaughters.

Now, her eldest granddaughter was actually talking back to her. Her mood worsened, "Who are you to question me? How did your mother teach you manner? So disrespectful from a young age..."

"Enough!" Jiang Zhongyi emerged after escorting Old Master Jiang to his room and scolded Zheng Zhen, "What right do you have to teach them? You’re the one with the least manners in this house. Hui Lan, Shu Lan, you two go upstairs."

He hadn’t intended to bother with her, but she was getting too brazen. She had no position to throw her weight around in this home.

"Okay, Grandpa." Jiang Huilan glanced at Zheng Zhen, seeing the distorted expression on her face, extremely displeased. The grievances and discomfort from just being reprimanded vanished considerably. She promptly responded to Jiang Zhongyi and pulled Jiang Shulan along upstairs.

"Jiang Zhongyi, what do you mean by this?" Zheng Zhen felt weak inside but could not lower her ridiculous pride, so she spoke harshly, as if that would make her right and give her the upper hand.

"What do I mean? I’m just stating the facts." Jiang Zhongyi sat down on the couch beside her. He was exhausted, both mentally and physically, with work and family matters piling up.

He hadn’t intended to engage with her, but she remained unrepentant and started pushing boundaries.

"You say Hui Lan and Shu Lan don’t have manners? What about you? Did you acknowledge my father when he returned? Or did you attend to my mother in the hospital?" Jiang Zhongyi said unkindly, "Lacking virtue for your position, you’ve made a mess of everything you’ve handled. What face do you have to teach children? Moreover, I think their mother has taught them well. Even children know to visit the hospital to care for the elderly, but you... how have you acted? What right do you have to lecture the children?"

"Who said I didn’t take care of her? I did go, but your mother ignored me..." Zheng Zhen defended herself vigorously, "I stayed for half the day, your mom treated me like air, wouldn’t ask for anything, preferred to ask Xiao Xue. I asked her, and she said she didn’t need anything... Since she doesn’t want me to attend to her, why should I even go. Just to sit on the cold bench..."

"Is that your reason? Half a day? Hmph... How long really was your so-called half a day? Did you even warm the seat you sat on? My mom ignored you, so that means you can stop going?" Jiang Zhongyi mocked, "Did you even regret knocking my mom over, did you apologize to her?"

"Why should I apologize? I didn’t do it on purpose; it was your mom who got in my way." Zheng Zhen was in complete denial, her mind only focused on others’ faults, "Besides, it all started because you got angry at me; would I have lost my temper otherwise..."

"Heh... You truly have no shame." Jiang Zhongyi was infuriated to the point of laughter. He couldn’t believe that this was the true nature of the woman who had been by his side for so many years. Arrogant, unrepentant...

Zheng Zhen’s face turned crimson, and she stubbornly refused to back down.

"Fine, if that’s what you think, there’s nothing I can do." Jiang Zhongyi stood up, unwilling to argue with her any further. He felt even speaking another word to her would taint the air, "I don’t care how you want to think or what you plan to do. Remember this: from now on, the descendants of the Jiang Family won’t be taught by you. None of their matters are your concern; you’re not qualified."

With that, he turned and walked towards the guest room in the house. Since that day, he had moved into the guest room, and the couple had formally separated.

Watching his indifferent back, Zheng Zhen screamed angrily, "What gives you the right to say I’m unqualified? I’ve given birth and raised children for your Jiang Family, teaching my own grandchildren. How am I unqualified?"

"I said you’re not, so you’re not. If you’re not happy, you can leave the Jiang Family." Without turning back, Jiang Zhongyi’s words were as ruthless as ever. He opened the door, entered the room, and shut the door all in one fluid motion.

In the living room, only Zheng Zhen was left, breathing heavily, tears welling up in her eyes, finally flowing uncontrollably. Her mind buzzed as she couldn’t figure out what happened to her, why she couldn’t control her temper at all. What was she to do now?

At the corner of the stairs on the second floor, Jiang Huilan and Jiang Shulan exchanged a knowing smile, then both of them tiptoed quietly back to their room.

In the downstairs room for the elderly, Grandma Jiang lay on the bed, eyes cloudy, listening until the living room quieted down, then sighed deeply and closed her eyes.

Before falling asleep, he thought: Let it be, children and grandchildren have their own fortunes.

"Ding dong ding dong ..." The clock struck midnight, welcoming the first day of the new year.