The Kitty Became a Cutie and Was Pampered in the 80s
Chapter 728: Snatch (20)_1

Chapter 728: Chapter 728: Snatch (20)_1

Shu Jiao nodded. She didn’t refuse this point. Children are children, and adults are adults; they shouldn’t be conflated. Things that needed to be clarified must be made clear—they of the senior branch had no obligation to take care of and raise another’s child.

She turned to Xiu Xi, who had been silent with a stern face, and said softly, "Xiaoxi, you should go to sleep too. Jiaojiao is fine now."

Xiu Xi lifted his head to glance at her, then nodded and, before leaving, took one last look at Ruan Jiaojiao, who was sleeping soundly.

Shu Jiao silently watched his departing figure.

In fact, she knew that Xiu Xi’s concern wasn’t any less significant than Xiu Xun’s; it was just that this child, his daughter, was exceptionally close to him, so close it seemed as if none of their parents or kin could wedge their way in.

There were some things that Ruan Jiaojiao did not make clear, but Shu Jiao had long been aware of them; she had simply never laid them bare and spoken about them openly.

As for today’s incident, if it had not been for his kick, she knew that given her daughter’s mindset, she might have kept the whole matter secret from the adults because she cared too much about her brothers—she would rather suffer herself than let her brothers be upset.

When Shu Jiao returned to the room, Ruan Jiandang was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for her. Seeing her enter, he immediately trotted over to greet her.

"My dear wife..." he called out ingratiatingly.

"Ruan Jiandang, I know you value loyalty and righteousness. When I got together with you, it was this very trait that I admired. But now, I regret it," Shu Jiao said coldly as she pushed aside his approaching body.

Ruan Jiandang’s heart sunk in an instant.

Although he often annoyed Shu Jiao, she had never spoken to him in such a tone before.

He looked at her somewhat apprehensively and asked, "Wife, what do you mean by...?"

"About your second brother’s issues, haven’t I spoken to you about them several times? Have you taken them seriously?"

"That year, because of Liao Zhaoji, Jiaojiao fell into a ditch and froze to death. She died, froze to death!!! Do you know what death means? No breath, no sound, nothing at all, she died!"

"Xiaojiao..."

Shu Jiao wiped her eyes and scoffed, "I won’t rehash the past now, and I’ve never said anything about you pulling up your brothers, have I? But remember this one thing, Ruan Jiandang: if Jiaojiao gets hurt again because of your second brother’s mess, let’s get a divorce. I’ll take the children back to Beidu to live, and you can live with your several brothers."

"Xiaojiao!" This time Ruan Jiandang was truly panicked, moving forward to crouch in front of her: "Xiaojiao, your words are like digging my heart out."

"Digging your heart out?" Shu Jiao laughed, her finger pointing at his chest: "Then do you know what it feels like to watch my daughter freeze to death in that ditch with my own eyes? Maybe, in your eyes, that was just my daughter’s figment of imagination; have you ever really believed it?"

"I do, I do believe it. My dear wife, I really do. About your second brother, I’ll speak with him properly tomorrow. Please don’t scare me like this; I’m not one to stand being scared," Ruan Jiandang said, his eyes reddening a bit.

He had not anticipated Ruan Jiandang’s folly to extend this far, failing to handle even this small matter, which ended up making his nephew resent his daughter.

Shu Jiao said nothing in response, only snorted coldly and turned her back to him as she lay down.

Ruan Jiandang fumbled over to her, but after Shu Jiao swatted his hand away, he entirely quieted down, yet inside he was becoming increasingly infuriated. He was so angry with Ruan Jiandang that it made his teeth itch with rage.