Chapter 154 - 72: The Top Star of the 1960s Art Troupe (11)
Chapter 154: Chapter 72: The Top Star of the 1960s Art Troupe (11)
"What do you mean, old injuries?" Mother Song exchanged a look with Father Song and said with a smile, "Kids are mischievous when they’re young. Bumps and scrapes are normal. Who doesn’t have a few scars?"
"Take the wound on her hand—that was from when she accidentally broke some glass and fell on it..."
"Comrade Song, Mr. Yan, there’s no need to hide anything," Aunt Liu couldn’t stand it any longer, frowning as she spoke. "We’re mothers. You think we don’t know what normal childhood scrapes look like?"
"There isn’t an unblemished spot on Comrade Xia Zhaoyun’s body! You Song Family are truly heartless. How could you bring yourselves to harm such a beautiful, well-behaved child? Or did you already know she wasn’t your real daughter?"
Father Song couldn’t help but speak up. "That child has been withdrawn since she was little. She has an intense competitive streak, and no amount of counseling from us helped. Whenever she did poorly on a test, she would lock herself in her room and inflict..."
"Enough!" Aunt Tong slammed a notebook onto the table. "Director Song, you’re an educated man. How can you lie so brazenly? Is she crazy? Do you really think she’d inflict such serious wounds on herself?"
"And how do you explain the wounds on her back?!"
"If you won’t admit it, do we need to take her to the hospital for an official examination? Do you want this to become a scandal that the whole factory knows about?"
Father Song and Mother Song were instantly silenced.
They were furious with "Song Ruoyun" for being so shameless, showing her injuries to everyone.
After all, they had raised her for eighteen years! Even if there was no great achievement, didn’t their hard work count for anything?
But she was acting like an ungrateful wretch, turning on them and holding a grudge!
"Alright, there’s no need for a special investigation. Just sign this paper. From now on, you are you, and Comrade Xia Zhaoyun is Comrade Xia Zhaoyun. Stop holding the fact you raised her over her head to torment the poor girl." Aunt Tong slapped a piece of paper down in front of them and handed over a pen.
It was a declaration of severance. The reason stated was that the Song Family had failed to fulfill their parental duties, and now that they had found their biological daughter, both families would cease all contact. Neither side could dredge up the past, nor could they falsely claim a connection to the detriment of the other’s interests.
"Song Ruoyun" had been a pawn the Song Family carefully cultivated. The original plan was for her to marry into the Tong family, thereby creating a connection by marriage to Director Huo’s family.
But now that they had their biological daughter, that path could be given to her. "Song Ruoyun" could still bring the Song Family handsome profits in other ways.
The honey trap was an ancient and highly effective tactic. Used correctly, it could lead to meteoric success in a single step.
Forcing them to give up this fattened calf was like carving flesh from their own bodies.
The Song couple couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. ’If only we had been a little more patient, if we had controlled our tempers with her... wouldn’t everything be different now?’
Seeing their hesitation, Aunt Liu said:
"Normally, we wouldn’t want to meddle in your family’s affairs, but this child, Xia Zhaoyun, is just so dear."
"She is Little Hero Huo Tianhao’s sweetheart. You’ve recently caused a huge scandal throughout the factory. If we don’t step in, and the higher-ups start asking questions, do you think you’ll come out of this looking good?"
"Don’t go around thinking you’re so smart and everyone else is a fool. If you don’t quit while you’re ahead and this really blows up, who knows what other skeletons might come tumbling out of your closet."
Mother Song was taken aback. "How is the director’s son involved in this?"
"Isn’t it because you two broke up the happy couple by arranging for Comrade Xia Zhaoyun to be engaged to the Tong family? Little Hero Huo was completely disheartened, and not long after, he had an accident while protecting the factory’s property."
"Now Comrade Xia Zhaoyun wants to remain faithful to him. You should have seen the girl—she cried herself into a mess. Sigh, even for us who’ve lived half our lives, it was a heartbreaking sight."
"If you have any conscience left, just sign this paper. How she lives her life from now on will have nothing to do with you. Otherwise... that marriage alliance you have with the Tong family might become difficult..."
Aunt Tong shook her head and sighed.
The Song couple was completely bewildered by all this, but they realized something was wrong, and it was very unfavorable for the Song Family.
Father Song pondered for a moment, then picked up the pen and swiftly signed his name. "Even though I’ve signed this," he said, "Yunyun will always be a member of the Song family. We won’t trouble her with our difficulties, but if she ever runs into trouble, the Song Family will always be there for her..."
"That’s enough. You signed the paper, the ties are severed. Cut the phony act!" Aunt Liu couldn’t stand his hypocrisy. "Just staying away from her will be more than enough." Her own daughter-in-law had also been at the bathhouse at noon and had seen it quite clearly: several scars from cigarette burns on the young girl’s buttocks.