At the second watch, she wished for rosy clouds.
*****......****
Lian Manman saw Lady Zhou behaving like this and knew that Lady Zhou had fully understood the stakes. In fact, despite Lady Zhou’s hysterics and madness, reminiscent of an unsophisticated old woman, she was inherently as astute as few others, capable of seeing things clearly without needing Lian Manman’s explicit explanation. Between Lady Zhou and Lady Gu, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, their so-called harmony from the past to the present, and into the indefinite future, was nothing more than a façade easily torn apart.
But Lian Manman could not underestimate Lady Gu, she didn’t want Lady Zhou to be swayed by Lady Gu into doing anything detrintal to her family after leaving with her.
Even if Lady Zhou was no longer capable of causing them any substantial harm, this kind of nuisance should be avoided if possible.
Moreover, given Lady Gu’s actions, it wasn’t excessive for Lian Manman to hope she would be troubled and kept busy.
Lian Manman’s visit was, in fact, to offer Lady Zhou a step down.
According to Old Master Lian’s temperant, he would definitely try to nd the relationship between Lady Zhou and their third and fourth sons before leaving, at least superficially, to show everyone around that their large family was harmoniously reunited.
This matter would be better handled by her rather than by Old Master Lian.
Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang were soft-hearted, especially towards the elderly. Lian Manman could imagine the approaches Old Master Lian would use. In that case, they might lose the initiative.
Now with her taking the lead and making Lady Zhou see Lady Gu’s trajectory clearly, understanding the stakes, they would hold the upper hand.
Look, isn’t Lady Zhou already taking the initiative to make ands?
For Lady Zhou, this was extrely difficult. Even in front of Lian Manman, although Lady Zhou was saying such things, her expression could not soften imdiately,
"Mom, we’re family, there’s no need for all this ’what’s ours and what’s not’," Lian Manman replied with a smile, "No matter what, at all tis, us - my family, and my uncle’s family - we’re on your side."
Lady Zhou made a friendly gesture and Lian Manman imdiately showed her stance.
Lady Zhou’s gaze fell upon Lian Manman’s face and only after a long while did she avert her eyes.
"Let... your father and the others co over, I can’t take everything with , I’ll share so with you," Lady Zhou added.
"Mom, with your words, we have enough. When you go with my aunt, it’s better to keep more things for yourself..." Lian Manman continued cheerfully, then exited the room.
Lady Zhou’s offer to give them things was spontaneous. Of course, Lian Manman couldn’t accept. Even though it’s hard to turn down such an easy benefit, considering Lady Zhou’s nature, whatever she might really want to give, how could she bear it? Her heart would ache terribly once her hand gave it away.
Lian Manman did not covet Lady Zhou’s belongings. Moreover, she never intended to be intimately close with Lady Zhou in the future.
Just now, Lady Zhou had already identified the key points to leverage in the future, and the status of Lian Manman’s family had beco transcendent. Moreover, a new model of relationship between Lady Zhou and Lian Manman’s family had been established. Lady Zhou no longer held the upper hand, as Lian Manman had set the new rules of engagent.
Maintain a distance, know each other’s boundaries, and don’t interfere with one another. Lady Zhou could no longer manipulate or target Lian Manman’s family. Based on this, Lian Manman’s family would support Lady Zhou.
This could not have a double interpretation: one was that subjectively, Lady Zhou would no longer act this way; the other was that objectively, Lady Zhou no longer had the capacity to do so.
In this social environnt, unless you live secluded within the confines of your ho, not interacting with the outside world, it is unrealistic to cease all contact with your parents until death. Both Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou were in their fifties, while Lady Zhang and Lian Shouxin were in their pri years. Lian Zhizhi, Lian Manman, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi had an even longer journey ahead.
Breaking away from the old relationship model was to establish a new one that was most advantageous to Lian Manman’s family.
Lian Manman returned to the West Wing Room, where Lian Shouxin, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi also ca back from the shop.
"Sis, sothing good happened?" Xiao Qi asked.
"Ah, you noticed?" Lian Manman touched her face. Xiao Qi, a clever sprite, was especially close to her and more sensitive to her emotions than others.
"Sis, anyone can see it. Look how you’re smiling," Xiao Qi laughed.
Lian Manman quickly picked up Lady Zhang’s Target Mirror to look at herself, and indeed, her face was brimming with smiles.
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