Volume 1 Chapter 2: The Scumbag Dad Calls, Time to Scam Some Money
Shen He had just arrived at the foot of her apartment building after taking a ride when her phone rang.
The caller ID showed "Grandma."
Seeing her grandmother's call, Shen He was momentarily dazed.
Shen He had been raised by her grandmother, and the two had relied on each other for survival, sharing the closest of bonds.
But this summer, her grandmother, who lived alone in the countryside, had accidentally fallen into a pond. By the time Shen He checked the surveillance footage from the old house after work, the elderly woman was already floating on the water's surface.
Mu Tingyun had accompanied her throughout the entire process of handling the funeral arrangements, ensuring her grandmother was laid to rest with dignity and grandeur. This had solidified Shen He's determination to marry him.
Shen He carefully answered the call.
Before she could even speak, her grandmother's loud voice echoed in her ear: "Miaomiao, have you had lunch yet?"
Miaomiao was Shen He's childhood nickname, and only her grandmother called her that.
Hearing her grandmother's familiar voice again, Shen He was overwhelmed with emotion and burst into tears as soon as she spoke: "Grandma."
Hearing her granddaughter's choked voice, Grandma Shen fell silent for a moment before asking with concern, "Tell Grandma, did your parents mistreat you, or did that Mu family boy bully you?"
"I just miss you, Grandma," Shen He replied as she entered her apartment, took off her shoes, and slowly slid down against the wall.
Crouching in the corner, she whispered, "Grandma, I want to eat the bighead fish you make. I'll come back to the countryside to see you tomorrow, okay?"
"You have work to do. I'll come to the city to see you instead! The bamboo shoots in the backyard have just sprouted, so I'll bring some for you. It's rained a few times recently, so there are also little mushrooms in the mountains…"
Listening to her grandmother's rambling, Shen He bit her forearm and silently shed tears.
Suppressing her sobs, Shen He replied, "Okay, then I'll pick you up at the high-speed rail station tomorrow."
"No need, I'll take the subway to your place myself. I know the way…" Grandma, eager to dig bamboo shoots in the backyard, hung up after just a few words.
She needed to find a way to persuade her grandmother to live with her and prevent the tragedy of her previous life from repeating itself.
Although Grandma was 78 years old, she had always been in robust health. If she could avoid this calamity, living another ten years wouldn't be a problem.
After taking a shower, Shen He cooked herself a bowl of noodles. While eating, she received a call from Shen Guanghui.
Without any pleasantries, Shen Guanghui immediately issued an order: "Shen He, your grandmother's birthday is tonight. Don't be absent. Remember to ask Tingyun if he's free and bring him along."
So, it was the Shen family's matriarch's birthday.
The matriarch of the Shen family, surnamed Zhong, was named Zhong Pingting. She was a wealthy heiress whom Shen Zhenkun, Shen He's grandfather, had pursued with all kinds of tactics after abandoning his first wife in his youth to climb the social ladder.
Zhong Pingting was not the third party who had destroyed her grandmother's marriage.
But Shen Guanghui, in his efforts to curry favor with his wealthy stepmother, had neglected his own mother, making him no different from his father.
Shen He would never forget how, after her grandmother drowned, her father had been so heartless that he didn't even attend the funeral.
At her grandmother's funeral, there wasn't even anyone to carry the funeral basin or support the coffin.
After her grandmother's death, Shen He had unilaterally severed ties with the Shen family.
Shen He slurped her noodles loudly and replied coldly, "My grandma is picking mushrooms in the countryside."
"Shen He, are you deliberately trying to anger me?" Shen Guanghui reminded her sternly, "Your grandmother's birthday is tonight. Your uncles' children will all be there. If you don't come, it'll make me lose face."
Shen He continued eating her noodles and mumbled vaguely, "I just got out of the hospital. I'm still weak…"
Shen He's father impatiently interrupted her: "You're as strong as an ox. If you want to fool me, find a more believable excuse."
Shen He stared at the needle marks on her hand, her eyes moistening for a moment.
She said in a casual tone: "I recently started a company, business is hectic, I still have to work overtime tonight to finish the design drawings…"
After graduation, Shen He opened a home interior design studio, and indeed was quite busy.
Upon hearing this, Shen Guanghui immediately understood Shen He's meaning. He irritably interrupted Shen He: "How much do you need?"
Shen He didn't specify a number, only saying: "That depends on your prestige, and how much the old lady's goodwill is worth."
After saying this, Shen He decisively hung up the phone.
Soon, her banking app notified Shen He of a transfer of 500,000 yuan.
When Shen He was young, she lived with her grandmother in the countryside. Shen Guanghui only gave Shen He's grandmother 5,000 yuan a year. That 5,000 yuan was the living expenses for the grandmother and granddaughter pair.
From this, one can see how much prestige this old lady holds.
The scumbag father had no affection for her, so Shen He felt no psychological burden in extorting money from him.
Receiving the money, Shen He was satisfied.
She sent Shen Guanghui an OK gesture, then carried the bowl to the kitchen.
Just after washing the bowl, her phone rang again.
Seeing Mu Tingyun's name, Shen He's heart reflexively twitched, the hatred from her previous life flooding into her mind.
Shen He leaned against the kitchen counter, pressing her chest to calm herself for a moment. Once that hatred subsided, she answered the call.
"Shen He." Mu Tingyun was a wealthy nobleman, skilled at controlling emotions, his tone always gentle and clear.
"I received a call from Uncle Shen and learned tonight is Shen He's grandmother's seventieth birthday. I found out the old lady enjoys collecting artworks, so I asked someone to find a longevity white crane painting by Teacher Zhang Jingyu."
"Do you think it's suitable?"
"Teacher Zhang Jingyu's work?" Shen He smiled mysteriously, saying: "Since you personally selected it, she will definitely like it very much."
During Shen Zhenkun's middle age, he cheated with embroidery artisan Zhang Jingyu, and was caught by Mrs. Zhong in the late stages of pregnancy while they were engaging in illicit relations in a car, causing her to miscarry prematurely.
It was said the premature birth was a daughter.
Mrs. Zhong and Shen Zhenkun had two sons, dreaming of having a caring little darling. The death of her premature daughter was a lifelong pain for Mrs. Zhong.
Shen He's grandmother hated Teacher Zhang Jingyu most in her life.
Mu Tingyun's gift truly hit the old lady's heart.
Shen He remembered in her previous life, Mu Tingyun had chosen Teacher Zhang Jingyu's longevity white crane painting.
But at that time, she still held some hope for her father, wishing Mu Tingyun could leave a good impression on Shen Guanghui, so she reminded Mu Tingyun to change the gift.
But now…
Heh, she wished Shen Guanghui and Mu Tingyun would fight like dogs, biting each other's fur.
On the phone, Mu Tingyun asked again: "Are you at the studio? Later I'll come pick you up, we'll go to your home together."
"I'm not feeling well today, resting at home. After work, come pick me up at my apartment."
Upon hearing Shen He say she wasn't feeling well, Mu Tingyun immediately anxiously asked: "Where are you uncomfortable? I'll accompany you to the hospital for a check-up."
Previously, whenever Mu Tingyun cared about her health, Shen He felt she was the happiest woman in the world.
Now.
Heh.
How much he cared about her health reflected how deeply he loved Qin Yinong, that childhood sweetheart.
She had terrible luck to encounter Mu Tingyun, this dog bastard!