Wen Jianmin was so furious that he lost the capacity to speak. "Good, very good. Lass, you… you've got a sharp tongue…"
"Because we didn't have the protection of my biological father, so we could only learn to protect ourselves. Mr. Wen, you should properly reflect on that!"
Who wished to come across as prickly?
Who wouldn't want to be a civilized and presentable person?
But not everyone had that kind of chance to make such a choice.
"You're terrific. You're really terrific, standing proud on your own feet like this, facing up to your father."
Wen Qiao raised her chin and said, "I'll give Mr. Wen one week's time. If by then Mr. Wen hasn't transferred the money to my account as per my request, next time the court summons might be sent to the homes of your major clients, so they can see for themselves the sort of person you are."
"You dare?!"
Wen Qiao smiled, a cold glint in her eyes. "I'll let you see if I dare to or not!"
It was the cold and intrusive gaze of a ferocious young one, and Wen Jianmin actually felt himself shuddering under such a gaze. He kicked the wall and left after snapping out waspishly, "Su Yun, these three have turned to trash under your care."
If this went on, it wouldn't do him any good at all. With that said, he left with a sour face.
Once he left, Wen Qiao pulled Wen Mo, Wen Chi and her mother into the courtyard and she comforted Wen Mo in a soft voice, "Are you alright?"
Wen Mo nodded and pointed at Wen Chi.
Wen Qiao then asked Wen Chi, "Are you feeling better now?"
Wen Chi sounded a little breathless as he spoke. "Just now it was as if someone had set my brain on fire. The blood all over my body was screaming and my actions weren't in my control at all. Did I look very scary?"
Wen Qiao stroked his head. "No you weren't scary. Not at all. You're just sick. It's an illness that can be cured, just like a flu or a gastric problem."
Su Yun said with a sigh, "Qiaoqiao, why don't we just forget about it? Things are getting too ugly."
Hadn't they just discussed this? Wen Qiao stared at her mother with a dark expression, disappointed as she had expected better. "Now that things have gotten this far, you're asking me to forget about it? No way, Mom. You heard him too. He's never deemed it as his responsibility to provide for us. In contrast, he feels that we are insatiably greedy. What kind of person can be like that? Do we need to be so benevolent towards such a heartless person?"
When she heard her daughter's words, Su Yun felt helpless. "I will think of ways to earn more money."
Wen Qiao said with a heavy sigh, "How about this? To be fair let's put this to a vote, and the majority will decide. Okay, Mom?"
Su Yun had no choice but to agree.
"Those who think we shouldn't ask for money from Wen Jianmin, raise your hand."
Her mom was the only one who raised her hand.
Su Yun gazed at Wen Chi, then at Wen Mo.
The two of them averted their gazes.
Wen Qiao then said, "Those who agree we should ask for money from Wen Jianmin, raise your hand."
Without any hesitation, Wen Qiao and Wen Chi raised their hands at the same time, whilst Wen Mo slowly raised his.
Su Yun was astounded. "Xiao Mo, even you…"
Wen Qiao pressed a hand upon her mother's shoulder. "Mom, you can stay out of this matter and just leave it to me."
Su Yun feared that her daughter's radical actions would bring about revenge from her ex-husband. She could tolerate being poorer, but she couldn't tolerate having her children's safety be threatened.
The way she conducted herself throughout life was to 'bear with things', to hide inside her tortoise's shell and not offend anyone. Even if someone got overboard and poked into her tortoise's shell to mess with her, she could still tolerate it.
In her dictionary, there were only the terms 'compromise' and 'swallow insult and humiliation silently'.
She had lived in this manner all her life.
Perhaps she had too many soft spots, and she worried that her three children would be harmed.
As the saying goes 'Excessive strength gives way to fracturing'. She was too afraid that with Qiaoqiao's fiery temperament she would be on the losing end. Why was she so weak and useless? She blamed herself for her inability to protect her three children properly.