Chapter 153: 124 Indulgent Pampering, Gentle Indulgence (1 more)_1 Chapter 153: 124 Indulgent Pampering, Gentle Indulgence (1 more)_1 After leaving the restaurant, Su Ruoan subconsciously started to drag Zhao Xinlan toward the parking lot, feeling that after such a bloody and brutal battle, Zhao Xinlan deserved a big meal.

Moreover, it was mealtime, and they were all hungry. But with the Jiang Family around, they preferred not to join the bustle there, so going to a different farmhouse restaurant would do just as well.

However, Zhao Xinlan, realizing Su Ruoan was heading to the parking lot, grabbed her, “What are you doing? After winning such a splendid battle, do you want me to look like a deserter?”

“…”

What did that mean?

Su Ruoan frowned as she looked at her.

“Come on, let’s go to the private room. Everything to eat and drink is ready. I’m so hungry I can barely walk. Tangtang, Qingqing, hurry up and follow.”

“Coming.” Tang Su and Sun Qing said in unison with a smile.

Everyone was in high spirits today, and sure enough, as Zhao Xinlan had said, a table full of delicious food was already prepared in the private room.

As for the restaurant side, the women who usually joined Zhao Xinlan for Mahjong, she didn’t have the time to tend to them. After all, their husbands still had to watch Jiang Tao’s expressions.

Not everyone could be like Su Ruoan, who could throw caution to the wind and steadfastly back her best friend.

“Godmother, I’m in a super good mood today, shall I drink a few with you later?” Inside the cozy private room, Sun Qing took off her cumbersome coat, looking excited.

“Qingqing is so considerate. Today we’ll drink more, and if we get drunk, we’ll go to the Tang Family to sleep.”

Tang Shengyi: “…”

His home had only two bedrooms.

If they really came over, he would have to sleep in the living room.

“Hey hey hey, don’t be a bad influence on the youth, Godmother. Qingqing, drink less, it’s not too good for girls to drink too much,” Tang Shengyi quickly interjected in persuasion.

“That’s right, you and Lu Han both have to drive, you two must stay sober,” Zhao Xinlan reminded Tang Shengyi.

“…”

Tang Su was also happy, chiming in that she wanted to drink along, and Tang Shengyi just felt a headache coming on. Thankfully, Lu Han was there too; he wasn’t alone in this.

Otherwise, he really wouldn’t be able to handle these four women causing a ruckus on his own.

Well, if his wife and daughter both wanted to drink, what else could he do as a husband and a father besides agree?

Lu Han sat there quietly, eyes full of indulgence, his gentle and permissive demeanor seeming to tell Tang Su that with him there, she could drink and be merry as much as she liked.

**

While Tang Su and her company were enjoying a lively and harmonious atmosphere, Jiang Tao’s group struggled to muster any enthusiasm.

After a while, Jiang Tao came back to his senses, asking the waiter to serve the dishes, thankful that it was only their Jiang Family present and no outsiders had been invited.

Otherwise, their family scandal would have been impossible to hide.

There were still a few of Zhao Xinlan’s usual Mahjong partners nearby. Jiang Tao asked his sister Jiang Mei to take care of them, to send them away without spreading any gossip after they left.

Jiang Mei naturally understood how to send these people off.

Moreover, with such an unexpected event occurring today, these people were already panic-stricken and confused. A simple scare from her, and naturally, they wouldn’t dare spread any rumors outside.

However, sending these people off was easy; what worried Jiang Mei was whether Zhao Xinlan, suddenly so uncontrollable and blatantly disregarding her brother’s face, even brazenly suggesting divorce, could become a ticking time bomb for the Jiang Family?

They were a couple, after all, and she feared her brother might share everything with Zhao Xinlan.

It wouldn’t be a problem if he shared things they should talk about, but what about the things they shouldn’t?

There would be no issue if the couple were loving, but now they were talking about divorce, weren’t they?

Jiang Tao still couldn’t understand, wasn’t it just a minor accident?

Even if it was Mengmeng’s prank, nothing serious had happened, had it?

With so many people around, it wouldn’t have been possible for the clothes to catch fire, so why was she so relentless?

His Lanlan was such a gentle, considerate wife, how could she suddenly become like this…

“Dad, has that woman gone crazy or is she being manipulated by someone?” Jiang Qimeng didn’t think she had done anything wrong. Even if it was intentional, what of it? Wasn’t it just one of the many pranks she had played on that woman since childhood?

She had endured all those past pranks, so why not this one?

Still deluded into thinking she could use the divorce as leverage against them?

Let her have her pipe dreams.

“Mengmeng, what are you saying? What do you mean by ‘that woman’? She’s your father’s current wife. I don’t force you to call her ‘mom’, but as an elder, you should at least call her ‘auntie,’ right?”

“Hmph—”

Jiang Qimeng let out an indifferent snort, “Dad, ‘that woman’ is going to divorce you anyway, so what wife? Are you being too sentimental here? Is she really that good?”

“If she weren’t good, would we have been together all these years? Mengmeng, I won’t divorce Auntie Zhao. She is a good woman and has been very kind to me.”

Jiang Tao knew very well just how good Zhao Xinlan had been.

Therefore, he had no intention of letting go easily; he knew that his Lanlan had brought up divorce in a fit of anger, simply speaking without much thought.

She was easy to coax. As long as he made an effort and bought her a gift she liked, Zhao Xinlan would stay by his side.

As for the rest, he didn’t dare say; if he were to fail in life someday or become paralyzed, he might not be able to rely on his children, but his Lanlan would undoubtedly stay true to him.

Zhao Xinlan’s character was indeed good. Jiang Tao’s perception of her was still based in the past, unaware that, after years of constant concessions and grievances, the current Zhao Xinlan had become utterly disillusioned with him.

How could she remain unchanged as before, without any bitterness or change?

“Fine, she’s good, right? Then go find her. We are all superfluous. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come today. It’s just a waste of my time.”

Jiang Qimeng didn’t want to argue with Jiang Tao on his birthday, but she couldn’t stand the way Jiang Tao spoke of ‘that woman.’ She left some harsh words behind and walked away.

No matter how the Jiang Family tried to persuade her, Jiang Qimeng wouldn’t listen.

Jiang Tao was also annoyed. He could tolerate princess tantrums at a young age, but now that she was an adult nearing thirty and still couldn’t see clearly, he didn’t feel like placating her anymore.

The father and daughter parted on bad terms.

Jiang Mei sent Zhao Xinlan a WeChat message about the father-daughter quarrel, “Sister-in-law, big brother really cares about you. He even scolded Mengmeng away. Please don’t be angry anymore.”

“Today is big brother’s birthday. You two have been together for so many years. I know the bond between you is strong. People in their fifties shouldn’t keep bringing up divorce so lightly, okay?”

“Sister-in-law, we were wrong. Everything happened so abruptly, and many people were caught off guard. Please come back, we want to apologize to you, is that okay?”

…

Jiang Mei sent many private WeChat messages to Zhao Xinlan, all with the intent of making her forgive the situation for the sake of Jiang Tao’s birthday.

Regrettably, after seeing the first message, Zhao Xinlan set her phone to silent mode.

Ha, sister-in-law?

Now they start calling her sister-in-law with such dedication?

After she had completely lost interest?

Su Ruoan had told her before that the people of the Jiang Family were very realistic. They were all too familiar with the societal rules of currying favor and were not the kind to mingle in the same circles as the two of them.

Before marriage, Su Ruoan had warned her that as a person who was sharp-tongued but soft-hearted, dealing with a family as sly as the Jiangs would be exhausting.

Yet what had she said back then? She’d said it was okay, with Old Jiang protecting her, she feared nothing, and her armor was very tough.

However, not long after getting married, she was proven wrong.

She always came after the Jiang Family members in everyone’s eyes.

Jiang Tao claimed he was the eldest in the family and needed to take care of his younger brothers and sisters, and said she should be like a mother to them.

Right, like a mother, but only in the sense of enduring hardships to manage all affairs for the Jiang Family, without receiving the respect a mother deserves.

During family gatherings, whether at home or outside, Jiang Tao’s siblings often compared her to their former sister-in-law.

Jiang Mei, in particular, frequently used that deceased person to rebuke her.

At first, maybe Jiang Tao genuinely didn’t know, but as Jiang Mei became increasingly brazen, she couldn’t believe that Jiang Tao was completely in the dark.

And since he had never spoken up for her, to her, this man was nothing but a disappointment.

Yes, having been Mrs. Jiang Tao for so many years, to see them all fall out over her for the first time on this harmonious family day, Zhao Xinlan actually felt quite pleased.

This was the first and would be the last time.