Chapter 403: Shi Ran and Her Grandfather Have a Conflict

The millet and pumpkin porridge was fragrant, the stir-fried meat was golden in color with bright green chili peppers, and the red-braised pork was a date-red hue, sprinkled with chopped scallions and cilantro on top—it was incredibly appetizing.

These were all the dishes Shi Youxuan loved to eat when she was a child, but Shi Ran did not appreciate it.

She sat at the dining table and began to complain.

She poked at the plate with her chopsticks twice before putting them down: "It's too greasy. How can anyone eat something so greasy in the morning?"

Shi Yucheng had been smiling as he picked up a piece of red-braised pork, ready to place it in his granddaughter's bowl, but his chopsticks froze in mid-air; it was so awkward.

Shi Youxuan hurriedly held out her bowl: "Dad, give it to me. You can't play favorites; you should be good to me, not just her."

"Alright."

And so, the red-braised pork went into her bowl, and Shi Youxuan used a tactic that looked like "vying for favor" to resolve the awkward situation.

But before she could breathe a sigh of relief, Shi Yucheng asked his granddaughter what she liked to eat, saying he would go make it.

Although he strongly opposed Shi Youxuan and Sheng Hanyu getting back together, he was still very fond of their daughter.

Usually, when Shi Youxuan took Shi Ran to see him, the grandmother and granddaughter got along very happily, but today was different.

Shi Ran hung her little head and didn't give him any face at all: "I don't like to eat anything you make."

Shi Yucheng's smile froze on his face, very awkward.

"Ranran, apologize to Grandpa." Shi Youxuan darkened her face and sternly demanded her daughter apologize to her father.

Her father had a very strong sense of self-esteem; he would take what a child said to heart.

What's more, her own child hadn't done it unintentionally; she was clearly provoking him on purpose!

If this matter were to be brushed off lightly this time, she would only be worse next time.

"I won't apologize. I didn't do anything wrong."

The little girl started talking back.

Not only did she refuse to apologize, but she also shouted loudly that she didn't like Grandpa and hated Grandpa, just because her father couldn't come over because he was here...

Shi Ran could accept Grandpa living in the house, but she could not accept the fact that she couldn't see her father because Grandpa was there!

Therefore, she was doing it on purpose.

"Smack!"

Shi Youxuan slapped her: "Shut up, don't say another word."

This slap wasn't very hard, and it didn't hit her face, but the little girl wouldn't have it; she immediately made a scene and burst into loud sobs.

While crying, she said: "Bad Mommy, I hate you. You're unreasonable and hit a child for no reason. The child didn't do anything wrong, why hit the child?"

"Why? You had no manners toward Grandpa, shouldn't you be hit? And you're asking why—don't you know why?"

Shi Youxuan knew her daughter too well; she was a classic case of being unreasonable yet demanding three points of justification. You couldn't slack off with her even a little bit; if you slacked off even slightly, she would seize the moral high ground.

"I was stating a fact. Breakfast shouldn't be too greasy, you told me that yourself. You also told me children shouldn't lie, but now you're overturning what you said before and even want me to lie..."

Tears covered her face, but it didn't hinder Shi Ran's rebuttal in the slightest.

The little girl had clear viewpoints, rigorous logic, and both arguments and evidence.

She wasn't even six years old yet, and she was already becoming hard to manage. If she "won" today, there would be no chance of managing this child in the future.

Shi Youxuan had more ways to deal with things than the child; bypassing Shi Ran's point, Shi Youxuan lectured her on the big picture.

She talked about traditional virtues, the rules passed down from the ancestors over five thousand years—you are the child, I am the parent, and the child must listen to the parent!

This is called filial piety.

Shi Ran was, of course, unconvinced, and with her hands on her hips, she roared: "Wrong, what you're saying makes no sense. This is called being a dictator."

She wanted to leave home and go to her father's house, so she wouldn't have to "suffer" at Mommy's house anymore, because Mommy was completely unreasonable.

"Wait a minute!"

Shi Youxuan made a pause gesture and asked Shi Ran: "Where is your Grandpa?"

"Hmm?"

The mother and daughter only then realized that they had been too busy arguing; when had Shi Yucheng left?

Not in the living room.

Not in the guest bedroom.

Not in the Study.

The kitchen and dining room were connected, so naturally, he wasn't there.

When Shi Youxuan discovered there was no one in the bathroom either, Shi Ran pointed out a key detail—"Mommy, Grandpa's Spring Shoes and coat are both gone."

"You brat, if I find your Grandpa, everything will be fine. If I don't find him, you just wait."

Shi Youxuan grabbed her coat and hurried out the door to chase after her father.

The little one had been so articulate and formidable just a moment ago.

Now that she saw she had caused trouble, she obediently returned to her room and hid.

Shi Youxuan chased after him, and fortunately, he hadn't gone far; she caught up to him before he even left the residential complex.

"Dad, Dad, please don't lower yourself to a child's level. I'll make her apologize to you. Shi Ran already realizes her mistake; won't you come back with me?" Shi Youxuan held onto her father's arm to keep him from leaving.

Shi Yucheng wiped his tears, insisting on returning to the nursing home!

He said he was old and useless and a nuisance; rather than staying here and being unwelcome to the child, he might as well go back early to avoid bringing shame upon himself.

"Old children, old children"—this refers to how when people get old, their temperaments become more like children's instead.

Shi Yucheng was in exactly that situation now.

Every sentence and every word of Shi Ran's had struck home in his heart.

He was truly hurt, but he wasn't angry at the child.

Shi Yucheng stubbornly believed, what does a child know?

He was certain that everything Shi Ran said had been taught to his granddaughter by Sheng Hanyu.

Therefore, he was angry at Sheng Hanyu, the kind of hatred that made his teeth itch.

However, in the end, Shi Yucheng still went back with his daughter; after being blown by the cold wind outside, his head cleared up a bit.

He felt he could not leave, as leaving now would be giving Sheng Hanyu an opportunity.

His daughter had already been tricked by him once, and there must absolutely not be a second time!

……

Returning home, Shi Ran took the initiative to apologize to her grandfather, and the small disturbance seemed to have passed.

In reality, it had not.

After New Year's Day.

Because of the matter regarding Fang Jie, the grandfather and granddaughter almost erupted into a new conflict again.

Shi Yucheng wanted his daughter to fire Fang Jie, and the reason was very simple—she was introduced by Sheng Hanyu!

Shi Yucheng was now suspicious of everyone and everything, determined to cut off any possibility of Sheng Hanyu approaching his daughter.

But Shi Ran did not agree.

The little girl's reasoning was also very sound: "Neither of you cooks well; if you fire Fang Jie, what will I eat?"

Shi Yucheng: "I will hire another worker. My old worker happens to be at home with nothing to do; I'll have her come over, and she also cooks very well."

Shi Ran sat directly on the floor and threw a tantrum: "I don't care, I don't want anyone else, I only want Fang Jie. If you bring someone else, I will drive them away!"

She could not drive away her grandfather.

Could she not drive away a servant hired by her grandfather?

Shi Youxuan was caught in the middle and in a difficult position, and neither would listen to her advice.

The grandfather and granddaughter seemed to be at odds, determined to fight until one won!

And it was not just this one matter.

From that day on, even trivial matters could become the fuse for arguments between the grandfather and granddaughter, and once started, there was no end to it.

The house was noisy from morning until night; Shi Youxuan really could not stand it, so she brought Jian Yixin over, wanting her to persuade them.

She had quite a way with things and took Shi Ran away directly.

She said that Shi Ran would stay at her house during the winter break, and then the two of them would have time to tutor the child in her studies.

Jian Yixin said she was taking Shi Ran to her house, but in reality, she sent her to the Sheng Hanyu Villa.

The father and daughter had only been apart for a week, yet it was as if they had been separated for a long time, especially Shi Ran, who hugged her father and cried bitterly!