HBWMA -Chapter 37 Expulsion

Fang Mei’s hands and feet turned ice-cold, her face completely drained of color.

Jiang Wanyi’s mind also went blank in an instant. If the classmates at school found out she had been kicked out of the Shen family, none of them would ever associate with her again.

Since everyone had already been dismissed, and the Chrysanthemum Courtyard (Juyuan) couldn’t be stayed in for the time being, Old Master Shen spoke gently to Jiang Huashan.

“Why don’t you move to Qinyuan and stay with Grandpa for a few days first? Once everything is arranged, we’ll send you to Xiangying?”

Jiang Huashan was more than willing and nodded hard.

Old Master Shen stood up and glanced at Fang Mei from the corner of his eye before leading Jiang Huashan toward the door.

“Old master!” Fang Mei’s expression was tearful and pleading as she looked at Jiang Huashan. “Can I speak to Shanshan alone for a few minutes?”

Old Master Shen hesitated slightly.

“Old master, you’re right to criticize me. What happened before was my fault—I was too foolish. But Shanshan is, after all, my child. She’s about to go to Xiangying. Please let me give her a few instructions.”

Old Master Shen lowered his head and looked at Jiang Huashan. Jiang Huashan nodded.

“I’ll wait for you outside,” Grandpa said.

He walked out of the room first. Fang Mei patted Jiang Wanyi’s shoulder. “Yiyi, you go out too.”

Jiang Wanyi was a little surprised. Reluctant, but she didn’t dare disobey and left.

Soon, only Fang Mei and Jiang Huashan remained in the room.

Jiang Huashan looked completely unfazed. “What do you want to say to me?”

Fang Mei’s expression turned cold as she studied her from head to toe. She had underestimated her—this girl could still smile at a time like this.

“Shanshan, there’s no one else here. Tell Mom—why are you so determined to drive me away?”
This fall might not be fatal, but she had to understand where exactly she had lost.

Jiang Huashan replied calmly, “I already said it. Because I don’t need you anymore.”

That indifferent attitude made Fang Mei tremble with rage. “W-why?”

Jiang Huashan said, “There’s no why. I just want… Mom to understand one thing. You can’t use me for benefits while refusing to treat me well. There’s no such convenient deal in this world. Not even between biological mother and daughter.”

Fang Mei was stunned. She hadn’t expected such an answer. The girl in front of her felt unfamiliar—and even frightening.

“Shanshan, is there some misunderstanding? Did someone tell you something?”

Jiang Huashan shook her head. “There’s no misunderstanding. That’s all I have to say. Take care of yourself.”

She stepped back and turned away without the slightest hesitation.

In her past life, her father died shortly after she was born, and her mother left her with her grandmother. Because she had grown up without parental love, she longed for it more than anything.

Back then, she was too young to understand. In her mind, parents naturally loved their children—there was no such thing as abandonment.

But later, she learned the truth.

Parental love did exist as something natural—but just not in her mother.

No matter how deep a bond seemed, once disappointment piled up enough, it could be severed easily.

“Shanshan!” Fang Mei’s eyes were unwilling. “Do you really think you can survive in the Shen family on your own? The old master has so many children—who among them doesn’t share blood with him? Without me protecting you, do you really think your grandmother’s small amount of favor is enough to let you live peacefully?”

Jiang Huashan paused, then turned her head slightly, her eyes lifting faintly at the corner.

“Yes. It is enough.”

Fang Mei had underestimated her grandmother—and underestimated the old master as well. People of their generation kept promises with their lives. That was why even until the day he died, the old master never gave up trying to raise her properly.

Fang Mei was shaken by that cold, detached gaze. In her memory, this daughter had always been foolish and timid—she could never have said something like this.

Jiang Huashan no longer wanted to tangle with Fang Mei any further, so she pushed the door open and walked out. She had already broken ties with Fang Mei once before, so this time she felt unusually calm.

As she descended the pavilion stairs, her expression remained blank. It wasn’t until she saw Shen Zhuang standing under the moonlight with a cane, smiling and waving her over, that her eyes suddenly warmed. She hurried forward in a light run. “Grandpa.”

Shen Zhuang took her hand. “Let’s go. Come home with Grandpa.”

Under the moonlight, their two shadows—one long, one short—stretched farther and farther apart, as if overlapping with the moonlight from a certain distant small town three years ago…

Winter Garden.

Shen Jiao wore a silk nightgown, leaning against the terrace railing. The cigarette between her fingers had burned halfway down.

Aunt Feng pushed the door open, paused for a moment, then naturally took the cigarette from her hand and extinguished it. “Miss, you should be careful. If Sui’er sees this, she’ll pick up bad habits again.”

Shen Jiao had long treated Aunt Feng as family, so she wasn’t at all annoyed by her actions. Instead, she rubbed the bridge of her nose and smiled. “Just smoking for fun because I can’t sleep. Has Sui’er fallen asleep?”

Aunt Feng took out a silk handkerchief from her chest, wrapped the cigarette in it, and held it tightly in her hand. “She just fell asleep. Miss, there was quite a commotion over in the Chrysanthemum Garden just now.”

Shen Jiao raised her eyes at her. “What happened?”

Aunt Feng leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Miss Jiang made a scene. Fang Mei and that child were expelled from the Shen residence by the Old Master.”

Shen Jiao froze slightly, a hint of surprise flashing across her face. Aunt Feng added a few more quiet words, and Shen Jiao immediately showed a look of disdain.

“I always said that woman was short-sighted… but still,” her gaze deepened, thoughtful, “did Jiang Huashan’s grandmother really save the Old Master’s life? This level of favor is a bit excessive.”

“Mom…”

At that moment, a slightly childish voice interrupted their conversation. Shen Jiao and Aunt Feng both froze and turned toward the master bedroom. Fu Sui’er was standing there barefoot, they didn’t know when she had come in.

Aunt Feng quickly ran over, picked up a blanket from the bed frame, and wrapped it around her feet. “Oh you little ancestor, how can you walk around barefoot in a room full of air-conditioning? What if you catch a cold?”

Fu Sui’er looked up at Shen Jiao. “Mom, I can’t sleep. Can I sleep with you tonight?”

Shen Jiao was a little surprised. After entering middle school, her daughter rarely acted this close to her anymore, so naturally she wouldn’t refuse. She nodded. “Sure.” Then she seemed to think of something and walked toward the bathroom. “You sleep first, I’ll come over in a bit.”

Aunt Feng understood tacitly and went forward to prepare the bed. Suddenly, Fu Sui’er grabbed her sleeve. “Grandma, does your waist still hurt?”

The old woman stiffened. Tears immediately rolled down her face. She thought she had misheard and looked at Fu Sui’er in disbelief. “Sui’er, what did you just call me?”

Fu Sui’er felt a little awkward. She jumped onto the bed and pulled the blanket over her head. “Nothing. Go back to sleep.”

Aunt Feng wiped her tears and silently left the room.

In truth, Fu Sui’er had once been very close to Aunt Feng when she was young. From her earliest memories, there had always been a round, dark, not-so-good-looking smiling face in her mind.

She hadn’t always called her “Aunt Feng.” She used to call her “Grandma.” She didn’t remember when she stopped. She only remembered her aunt telling her that Aunt Feng was just a servant in the house, and that she only worked for money. If she kept calling a servant “Grandma,” people would laugh at her.

Later, Shen Jiao had even asked her about it. At the time, as a child, she had pointed at Aunt Feng and said, “Auntie said she’s just a servant of our family.”

Shen Jiao’s expression changed immediately. The next day, at a family banquet, she poured a glass of wine over her younger sister-in-law. After that, Aunt Feng moved back into the Shen residence.

Fu Sui’er lifted the blanket and watched Aunt Feng’s short, stout figure disappear beyond the crack of the door. She let out a frustrated sigh.

So… was what Jiang Huashan said true?

Would Aunt Feng really die a tragic death because of her?