CHAPTER 637: CHAPTER 626: VICIOUS VILLAIN

Jiang Cheng and Ye Qiuxin, whose minds are sharp, immediately sensed the severity of the situation from their expressions and knew today was not going to be good, but both were innocent, so they had nothing to fear.

"Uncle Jiang, Mom." Jiang Cheng did not speak, so Ye Qiu had to look at them.

"Where have you two been? Why did you come back so late?" Jiang Hongcai’s face clouded with anger, Ye Qiu was his stepdaughter, hard to discipline, so he directed his anger straight at Jiang Cheng, "Jiang Cheng, you can spoil yourself if you want, but you can’t lead Aunt Luo’s daughter astray."

Faced with Jiang Hongcai’s unfounded accusation, Jiang Cheng seemed already accustomed to it, standing lazily, head slightly bowed, a mocking smile curling at his lips.

Whenever Jiang Hongcai saw him like this, he would become uncontrollably furious. He really didn’t know what sins he committed to have a son like this, completely different from him and his older son Jiang Yi, needless to say, he is just like his mother who was a dancer.

Jiang Hongcai has regretted more than once the youthful temptation he couldn’t resist. If it wasn’t for the accident of Jiang Cheng, Jiang Yi’s mom wouldn’t have misunderstood him, thankfully his older son has never blamed him.

Ye Qiu looked at this stepfather and then at Jiang Cheng who was radiating palatable resentment, her perception of Jiang Hongcai dropping once again, seeing him as a typical biased father.

She admitted that it was wrong for Jiang Cheng’s mom to confront him harshly at the beginning, but was Jiang Hongcai right? Without him, would all these things have happened? He couldn’t control himself and blamed Jiang Cheng, did he think Jiang Cheng wanted to be born into this family?

Ye Qiu knew how desperately Jiang Cheng once craved family affection, he himself said that as a child he also tried hard to earn his father’s praise, but every time he brought his report card home, he was ignored by Jiang Hongcai, who always found faults to criticize him, as if he was born just to be blamed by Jiang Hongcai.

Since whatever he did wouldn’t gain recognition, he simply let himself go, letting others say whatever they wanted, since he didn’t care anymore.

Ye Qiu, seeing Jiang Cheng’s reluctance to argue, felt a pang of pity, and thus stared stiffly at Jiang Hongcai: "Uncle Jiang, he hasn’t led me astray."

Jiang Hongcai didn’t believe it, sneering: "Since he hasn’t led you astray, why have you come back so late now, I’m busy but that doesn’t mean I don’t know, how long it’s been since you two had dinner at home? Ye Qiu, I know you are an obedient child, when I’m disciplining Jiang Cheng, don’t speak up for him, I think he needs to be straightened out."

"No, I wasn’t at home for meals because I took on a part-time job outside." Ye Qiu took a deep breath, continuing to explain.

However, Luo Sitian suddenly raised her voice: "Who would hire you at such a young age? You just want to be lazy, right? Am I missing meals because of you or drinks because of you?"

As soon as she said this, both Ye Qiu and Jiang Cheng looked at her, feeling somewhat panicked, then she glared fiercely: "How, did I say something wrong? At such a young age, instead of focusing on studying, you roam around outside every day, am I, as your mother, not supposed to discipline you?"

"I only took a part-time job to make some money," Ye Qiu said expressionlessly.

Luo Sitian continued accusingly, "Earning money? What does a student need so much money for? Have you ever lacked anything from me?"

"Don’t you know whether you’ve lacked anything or not?" Ye Qiu looked at her mockingly, too apathetic to speak further.

Jiang Cheng looked at her with pitying eyes. He thought he had endured enough, but it seemed Ye Qiu had suffered even more. At least he had some pocket money, and at least being an illegitimate child made him somewhat understandable. But what about Ye Qiu? What did she do to deserve all this? Does Luo Sitian deserve to be a mom?

"What do I know? All I know is that I’ve worked hard to raise you, only for you to turn out to be an ingrate," Luo Sitian became even more infuriated especially since Ye Qiu didn’t save her face in front of Jiang Hongcai and Jiang Yi.

"Worked hard?" Ye Qiu scoffed. "What have you raised? I was cared for by my dad until I was five, did you bother about me after that? From the moment you married into this family until two months ago, wasn’t I the one doing all thehousework that I could? Did you, as a mother, ever have pity for me, your daughter?"

Ye Qiu spoke bluntly, "No, you only took my efforts as an excuse to curry favor from Jiang Hongcai. Have you ever considered how I felt? What, I’ve been doing housework for nearly ten years, and you’ve been tired of it after only two months? Complaining I wasn’t helping you at home? Do you not know why I need to earn money? Have you ever given me any pocket money? Have you bought me clothes? What should I use to buy my necessities if I don’t earn money? School is about to start, should I continue being mocked for wearing those two pairs of old, dirty shoes? Uncle Jiang is a man, and a stepfather, so it’s normal if he doesn’t care about me, but I am your own daughter, and this is how I ended up under your so-called hard work in raising me? Hah...what a joke."

As Ye Qiu said these things very calmly, her questioning tone turned Luo Sitian and Jiang Hongcai’s faces pale, as they watched her sarcastic glance, Jiang Hongcai then turned his gaze towards Luo Sitian.

With a pale face, Luo Sitian couldn’t believe that Ye Qiu would slap her face in front of the Jiang family’s father and son. But seeing Ye Qiu’s worn-out T-shirt, ordinary jeans, and frayed shoelaces, she realized she indeed had been negligent.

But even so, couldn’t she discuss it privately with me? Making it seem like she’s being mistreated.

"Couldn’t you have asked me for pocket money if you needed it? Besides, what does a student need to dress up so nicely for?" Luo Sitian stubbornly retorted.

Ye Qiu calmly met her gaze, "My brothers and Miaomiao are also students, so why did you prepare new clothes every season for them but not for me? Mom, am I really your own child? I’ve done everything possible to lighten your burden so that you could have a good life in this family. I was afraid people would call me a burden you brought into this home, so I worked desperately doing housework, even neglecting my studies. And all I got in return was your neglect, right? Now that I’ve merely left the housework for two months, you’re dissatisfied with me? Is it your idea, or Uncle Jiang’s? If this family can’t accommodate me, I can leave. I can live alone in the small house dad left me."

On hearing Ye Qiu’s last sentence, Jiang Hongcai and Jiang Yi’s faces changed drastically. If Ye Qiu really went to live alone, wouldn’t that mean their family truly couldn’t accommodate a stepdaughter? And if she accidentally reveals she had been doing nearly a decade of housework for the Jiang family, how would they ever save face?

Ye Qiu can’t leave, at least not now!