☆, Chapter 22: Moving
The animals’ pilgrimage continued. More and more stray cats and dogs came to the Hao residence every day for food, and not only Mr. and Mrs. Hao, but even the nearby residents began to notice the strangeness. And Hao Ren, too, finally couldn’t help but start picking up some old, weak, sick, and disabled animals from the outside every now and then.
She didn’t want to, but those old, weak, sick, and disabled animals were just too pitiful. Lame, blind, sick, injured… If left alone, they would surely die on the streets in no time. After more contact, Hao Ren realized that Ah Hua’s experience was not an isolated case at all. The worst were those who had been tortured and left half-dead.
Hao Ren had once picked up two little kittens whose eyes had been gouged out. When she found them, the kittens’ eyes were already severely infected. Although Hao Ren did her best to treat them, one of them eventually died in pain. That little one had a strong will to live, and the way it ate was as if it were fighting for its life. Hao Ren had thought that even if only one of the two could survive, it would surely be that one, but it still didn’t make it. The little one’s expression was very peaceful when it passed, as if it were relieved to finally no longer have to suffer in this world. After burying it, Hao Ren cried her eyes out. Even a boy like Hao Yi couldn’t help but cry his heart out.
The Hao family’s garden had now become a paradise for small animals, and the flowers and plants that Auntie Mei had planted there had long since been ruined. Fortunately, because of the previous Burmese python, she didn’t even dare to set foot in the garden now. Ever since the college entrance exam scores came out, she was convinced that Hao Ren had deliberately hidden her abilities, and her gaze towards Hao Ren had been quite wary during this time. If it were any other time, she would have already exploded.
As for Hao Weiguo, ever since he had set the grand goal of selling his daughter for a good price, he had been trying hard to curry favor with Hao Ren, so of course, he couldn’t have any objections to this small matter.
That guy Hao Yi was even more exaggerated. Ever since he had been taken in as Hao Ren’s underling, he didn’t even play games anymore. As soon as he got home every day, he would run to the garden to help take care of the small animals. He even paid for the medical expenses of the old, weak, sick, and disabled ones out of his own pocket, a model underling indeed.
Although her family had no objections, Hao Ren still felt a lot of inconvenience. Although she was happy to see Auntie Mei’s terrified and pale face, it was not worth risking the lives of the small animals. Seeing her occasional ferocious expression, Hao Ren couldn’t guarantee that she wouldn’t be tempted to throw a bag of rat poison into the garden. After considering for a period of time, she proposed to Hao Weiguo that she move out.
“Dad, I’m going to the Imperial Capital for university when school starts. I’m thinking of moving out.”
“Where do you want to move?” After realizing that his daughter also had her uses, Hao Weiguo’s attitude towards Hao Ren had been extremely good recently. He even had a smile on his face when he asked.
“Xiaoshan Villa.”
When people are rich to a certain extent, buying a house is as common as buying a new mobile phone. Hao Weiguo had many properties that he himself didn’t even remember. Some were half-sold, half-given by friends when they opened a new development, some were bought on a whim after seeing them in newspapers and magazines, and some were even bought on the spot after encountering a persistent real estate agent.
Xiaoshan Villa was the most remote villa complex in H City. It had a reasonable layout, exquisite design, was nestled by mountains and water, and had a quiet and beautiful scenery. It even had a garden and a swimming pool, and the supporting facilities were not bad. Unfortunately, it was too far from the city, and could even be said to be close to the urban-rural fringe. Real rich people wouldn’t even look at it. The reason Hao Weiguo had bought it back then was just to do a friend a favor.
It was inconvenient to live in, and the scenery was not as good as outside for a vacation. Xiaoshan Villa was a chicken rib-like existence for the Hao family, so it had been empty ever since it was bought. But for the current Hao Ren, it was the best place to live. It was far from the city, and behind it was a small mountain with an altitude of more than two hundred meters. Even if a large wave of small animals came to pay homage, it would not be easy to attract the attention of humans.
“Why do you want to move there? It’s too remote!” Hao Weiguo frowned, probably not expecting his daughter to want to move to such a remote place.
“It’s empty anyway. The environment there is good, and there’s a subway, so the transportation is also convenient. Dad, is it not okay?” Hao Ren looked at Hao Weiguo with burning eyes, her face full of anticipation.
Thanks to Hao Ren’s outstanding performance in the college entrance exam, although Hao Weiguo hesitated for a while, he finally agreed. If it were before, he would probably rather give the villa to a company employee than to Hao Ren.
Holding the key that Hao Weiguo handed over, Hao Ren was so excited that she didn’t know what to say. She was just trying her luck, and she never expected it to actually work out. Since she was a child, she had never successfully gotten anything she had asked for from Hao Weiguo. Happiness had come too suddenly. Fearing that a long night would bring many dreams, she packed her luggage that night and, after saying goodbye to Hao Weiguo and the others the next day, went straight to Xiaoshan Villa.
She didn’t have much luggage; a rolling suitcase that Hao Yi had discarded could hold everything. She went to the villa alone that morning. Because pets couldn’t be brought on the subway, Daizi, Lucky, Ah Hua, and the old, weak, sick, and disabled ones could only be sent over by the driver after Hao Yi got out of school.
Although the location was remote, Xiaoshan Villa was advertised as a super-luxury scenic resort villa, and both the scenery and the decoration were impeccable. As soon as she entered, Hao Ren had the illusion of instantly becoming a real “pale, rich, and beautiful” girl. Outside was a garden, a swimming pool, green mountains and clear water. Inside, the decoration was luxurious, and all kinds of furniture and electrical appliances were readily available. Although a layer of dust had accumulated because no one had lived there for a long time, after cleaning, it immediately gave off the feeling that it could be rented out to a film crew to shoot a wealthy family drama.
Since she was the only one living there, Hao Ren unceremoniously chose the master bedroom with the best view. The villa was too big, and just cleaning it took Hao Ren a whole day. By the time everything was tidied up, it was almost dinner time. Hao Ren went to a nearby supermarket to buy a few packs of instant noodles, preparing to make do with a simple meal. To her surprise, when she returned home, the aroma of cooking wafted from the kitchen.
Not only was there the smell of cooking, but there were even several suitcases piled up at the entrance. Hao Ren had locked the door when she left, so her first feeling upon seeing all this was, had Hao Weiguo gone back on his word? Had he already given the villa to someone else?
“Woof!” Just as she was feeling uneasy, Daizi suddenly rushed out from the kitchen. Then, the old, weak, sick, and disabled ones she had been keeping in the Hao family’s garden all excitedly ran to the door to greet her.
Only then did Hao Ren suddenly realize that Hao Yi must have arrived.
“Oh, you’re back just in time. The food is just ready. I’ll stir-fry one more dish, and we can eat. Don’t worry, I’ve already fed your little friends.” Looking closely, sure enough, in the kitchen, the one wearing an apron and holding a spatula was her dear little brother, Hao Yi.
“What’s with all the luggage at the door?”
Hao Yi was skillfully battling with the oil pan, stir-frying a dish while answering, “Oh, that… I was afraid you’d be scared living alone, so I came over to keep you company!”
“Are you kidding?” Hao Ren was shocked.
“Not kidding. Anyway, there’s a subway to and from school. If it’s too tiring to take the subway, it’s no problem to have the driver pick me up and drop me off.”
Seeing that Hao Yi was clearly serious, Hao Ren immediately became a little anxious and quickly said, “Auntie Mei won’t agree!”
“So what if she doesn’t agree? I’m living here anyway!” With that, Hao Yi successfully finished the last dish, turned off the heat, and plated it. “Come, come, try my cooking. It’s my first time, all according to online recipes. See if it’s good.”
After bringing the dishes to the table, he even thoughtfully served Hao Ren a bowl of rice and handed her chopsticks. It was hard to refuse his hospitality, and she was really hungry, so Hao Ren took the bowl and chopsticks and started eating.
Having grown up together, she naturally knew that today was definitely Hao Yi’s first time cooking, so she only took a small piece of food with her chopsticks, feeling apprehensive. To her surprise, the taste of the food was a big shock.
“Delicious!” If she hadn’t seen him fiddling with the computer with her own eyes, Hao Ren might have even suspected if he had really made it.
“It’s delicious? Then I’ll cook for you every day from now on!” Hao Yi had taken off his apron and was now sitting opposite Hao Ren. After receiving the compliment, his face was full of satisfaction.
After a comfortable dinner, Hao Ren tactfully went to wash the dishes. Hao Yi, on the other hand, really did take his several large suitcases upstairs. When he came down, he told Hao Ren that he had already occupied the room next to hers.
While Hao Yi was packing his luggage upstairs, Hao Ren secretly opened the refrigerator and saw that it was indeed filled with fresh strategic supplies like fruits, vegetables, and eggs. Even the smart rice container in the kitchen was filled. She finally realized that her foolish little brother was really not joking.
Hao Yi was excited about running away from home, but Hao Ren was very uneasy. Because ever since they were young, whenever Hao Yi did something stupid, she was always the one who was unlucky.
“You ran over here, do your parents know?”
“It’s fine! I left a note!”
Hearing his answer, Hao Ren wanted to cry but had no tears. She cursed “holy crap” in her heart. A bad premonition that she was about to be screwed over by him again arose spontaneously.
Her bad premonition soon came true. Sure enough, before eight o’clock, Auntie Mei rushed over with a murderous look. Fortunately, it was only her; Hao Weiguo hadn’t come. Since Hao Weiguo hadn’t come, Hao Ren was relieved. She picked up Ah Hua and sat on the sofa, leisurely watching the show. Although Auntie Mei hated Hao Ren to the core and wished she would die immediately, on the surface, she was still a gentle and virtuous good stepmother. In front of her son, she had to maintain this image even more.
“Come back with me! Why did you run to such a remote place for no reason? Can you even get up in the morning tomorrow?” As soon as Auntie Mei entered, she grabbed Hao Yi’s hand and pulled him out.
Hao Yi quickly broke free. “Of course I can! It’s just an hour earlier. I’ll just go to bed an hour earlier at night! The environment here is so good, the air is fresh, and the scenery is excellent. It’s perfect for relieving the fatigue of studying!”
“What’s so good about her that you would chase her all the way here?” This sentence was full of jealousy. The scene was just like a mother trying to win back her son who had been seduced by a vixen.
Hearing this, Hao Ren couldn’t help but glance at Hao Yi. Faced with his mother’s accusation, his answer was righteous and confident. “She can help me with my homework.”
It was just an excuse. Although he wasted his time on games every day, Hao Yi’s academic performance had always been in the top ten of his entire grade. Yuntian High School was a private high school, and the school had used high scholarships to recruit a large number of top students from various junior high schools. Being in the top ten of the grade was definitely not an easy thing. It only proved that someone’s brain was really good. This guy didn’t need Hao Ren’s help at all.
But obviously, with Hao Ren now holding the title of the top scorer of the college entrance exam, Auntie Mei really couldn’t find any fault with Hao Yi’s excuse.
“If you want a tutor, I can find another one for you! Come home with me today!” Auntie Mei shot Hao Ren a cold glare and dragged Hao Yi out by the hand.
“This is also home!” Unfortunately, her son was grown up. How could a mother win against him? Hao Yi just gently struggled and broke free again.
“This is not a home!” She was indeed furious now. If it were any other time, Auntie Mei would never have said such a thing. She was a kind and amiable good stepmother.
“Mom, what are you saying? A place with family is a home. Ren is here! Of course this is a home!”
Hearing her son’s words, Auntie Mei was so angry that she couldn’t even breathe properly. She stood there, rubbing her chest. Hao Yi was a little scared by her and quickly ran over to help her catch her breath. Auntie Mei took several deep breaths before she finally calmed down.
While helping her catch her breath, Hao Yi secretly glanced outside the door. After one glance, a brilliant smile quickly bloomed on his face. “Dad didn’t come, which means he agrees with me staying here!”
Auntie Mei shot him a murderous glare. “Your dad has been bewitched recently! He even said it’s good to deepen the relationship between you and your sister! How can a lone man and a lone woman live together?”
Hao Weiguo’s idea was actually quite right. If Hao Ren really did achieve his grand goal in the future, having a good relationship with Hao Ren would be nothing but beneficial for Hao Yi, the future heir of the Hao Corporation.
“Mom, you’re overreacting, aren’t you? We’re all family. What lone man and lone woman?”
“Your dad is an idiot and doesn’t know anything, but I’m your mom, and I know you best! Do you really understand what you’re doing?”
Hao Ren clearly felt that when she said this, Auntie Mei’s cold gaze shot over like an arrow. She pretended not to see and continued to play with Daizi and the others.
After Auntie Mei’s shouts, the air somehow seemed to suddenly become stagnant. Hao Yi, who had been righteous and confident all along, suddenly fell silent. After a long time, Hao Yi finally spoke faintly, “Mom, I’m grown up now. I know what I’m doing!”
After saying this, without another word, he directly kicked his own mother out.
**
Author’s Note: Sister-con pisses off mom, oh yeah!