Chapter 263: Chapter 263: Honest and Simple

Tan Deming also sighed wistfully. "Our family has always relied on your grandma and your mom. To be honest, it’s rare for women to be the pillars of the family in the countryside. In our village, it’s pretty much just us. It’s because your dad and I just aren’t cut out for it, you know?"

Tan You said, "I get it. That’s why I don’t want to have kids or get married in the future. Whenever I hear a child cry, I feel this deep-seated frustration, because those aren’t good memories for me."

"After Tan Yue was born, I couldn’t go anywhere. I had to stay home and help take care of her, so I couldn’t go out and play with my childhood friends. I had to rush home right after school to help my dad with the chores."

"I understood they were working hard, but I still felt wronged. I was only nine years old. Why did I have to do all those things?"

Tan You leaned back in her lounge chair. "And honestly, Mom and Dad were still biased. They placed more of their hopes on Tan Yue because she wasn’t nearsighted."

Tan Deming was silent for a moment. "When they decided to have another child, they were thinking of you too."

"You’re severely nearsighted, so they thought it would be hard for you to find a job after graduation. If you couldn’t earn much money, supporting them in their old age would become an issue. But if they had another child, maybe that one’s eyesight wouldn’t be bad."

"If you had a sibling, your future wouldn’t be so difficult. At least you’d have someone to help you out."

Tan You hadn’t understood this reasoning before, but now she did. ’What could I say?’ She knew her parents would think this way, but it still made her sad.

This meant her parents had already written her off. And the one who gets written off is bound to feel sad.

"That’s looking too far ahead," Tan You said simply. "I never saw a future where someone was helping me. All I saw was how difficult my past was."

"Actually, thinking about it now, my mom... the way she pushed me to study, it was really something." Tan You rested her head in her right hand, her gaze turning distant. "Her methods were a bit extreme, but honestly, I don’t hate her for it at all."

"But you do resent her a little," Tan Deming said slowly. "Your mom is stubborn. She never backs down. She always had high expectations for you—far too strict."

"Yes, I do resent her," Tan You admitted frankly. "I used to be so envious of Tan Ying and the others. They could go out and play whenever they wanted, and their parents never said a word."

"But not my mom. She thought I should be quiet and well-behaved, get good grades, and know a lot of things. She believed all my time should be spent on studying, not running wild with Tan Ying and the others."

"She had a very strong need to control me. She believed I should listen to her in everything, and that I couldn’t do anything she didn’t approve of." Tan You sighed. "Looking back now, I admit I do resent her for it."

"But at the same time, I’m grateful to her. Because she really did her best. She fought to keep me in school, to give me a chance to build a future for myself."

"Grateful and resentful at the same time... Grandpa, you understand what I mean, right?"

"I understand," Tan Deming said, unwrapping a piece of candy. "I know what’s on your mind. No one in this family understands you better than I do. So, what’s your plan?"

"We’ll just interact as we do now," Tan You said pragmatically. "I’m old enough to earn my own money. Besides, I grew up with you and Grandma. Honestly, I was never that close with my parents."

"I’ll be going to high school and then college, so I won’t be home much. Once I start working, I’ll probably only see them a few times a year. I just need to fulfill my duties to them, and that’s enough."

"Honestly, seeing what my mom went through is another reason I don’t want to get married. What has marriage really given her? If all it means is living a life like hers, I’m not willing to do it."

Tan Deming smacked his lips. "We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. You’ve always had a strong mind of your own anyway. I don’t think girls have to get married and have children, either. My eldest granddaughter is so capable, I don’t think anyone is good enough for you."

Tan You couldn’t help but laugh at his words. "In your eyes, I can do no wrong, can I?"

"Of course," Tan Deming said, counting on his fingers. "You’ve been honest and kind since you were a child, and all the old folks have always liked you. You know how to sew and cook. And most importantly, you started earning money at such a young age, enough to support your grandma and me."

"Your dad is his age and has nothing to show for it. Compared to him, you’re so much more capable."

"Anyway, in my eyes, you’re better than anyone else. I’d hate to see you get married off. A girl is only treated like a treasure when she’s with her own family. Once she’s married... just look at your grandma, and then your mom. You’ll see how it is."

Tan You hugged her knees. "’Honest and kind’ isn’t always a compliment. Grandpa, do you still think I’m like that?"

"You’ve gotten more cunning," Tan Deming said, proving he wasn’t slow on the uptake. "At least you learned not to be friends with Tan Ying anymore, and you know how to keep something back for yourself. I never expected you to leave your money with me."

"Tan Ying..." Speaking of her, Tan You had a lot on her mind. "She made me realize that a childhood friend isn’t necessarily a true friend. I’ve learned that friends aren’t as important as I thought."

Tan Deming said, "Then just don’t associate with her. You’ll both be in school soon, and it’s not certain you’ll even be in the same class. You’ll probably see each other even less."

"I hope so," Tan You said, not wanting to dwell on it. ’The school isn’t that big, but if we’re not in the same class, we really won’t cross paths much.’

"I thought carefully about leaving the money with you," Tan You said, holding nothing back from her grandfather. "You’re the person I trust most in this family. I wouldn’t feel at ease leaving it with anyone else."

"I just never expected my mom to actually transfer all her money to you. That really surprised me. Because of that one act, a lot of my resentment toward her has faded."

Tan Deming looked surprised as well. "I was shocked your mom did that, but on second thought, it makes sense. This is like an unspoken division of the family. From now on, your grandma and I are your responsibility, while your parents only need to worry about raising your sister."

"So, since your grandma and I will be relying on you, your mom wouldn’t dare touch this money. In that respect, she can be quite magnanimous."

"But honestly, your future will be tough. When your parents get old, are you really going to ignore them? And if your sister, Tan Yue, doesn’t amount to much, won’t that burden fall on you in the end?"

"Of course I’ll take care of them," Tan You said, unfazed. "I’m going to be very wealthy in the future. A lot of things become easier when you have money. It can’t solve every problem, but it can certainly relieve most of them."

"My dad just wants to coast through life, but my mom is still ambitious, which is something I admire." Tan You had long since figured out everyone’s personality in the Tan family. "My mom learned long ago that you can’t rely on men. I bet she won’t be able to sit idle even when she’s seventy."