Putting on an act?
Qianqian secretly tilted her cheek to glance at Shen Meixiu, who was inexplicably throwing a tantrum.
She explicitly told them not to look up, yet when they lowered their heads, they were still wrong?
Qianqian pouted and tugged at the napkin in front of her, displeased.
The ripping sound was unusually loud at the quiet dining table. However, Qianqian, lost in her own thoughts, didn't notice.
Shen Meixiu's gaze fell upon Qianqian at the sound. Looking at her delicate, pretty face, she felt an inexplicable aversion, just as she did when she saw Ye Ziyu.
"A girl shouldn't eat without proper manners!"
Xiao Ran frowned and glared at Shen Meixiu with dissatisfaction.
"What are you looking at? Am I wrong?" Shen Meixiu scolded. "Look at any other child eating; they don't behave like you. You can't sit properly, and your hands are constantly fidgeting. You exude a sense of provincialism, and it's clear the mother hasn't raised her children well."
It was fine to criticize them, but when Ye Ziyu was involved, they immediately became unhappy. Even Xingxing, who preferred to avoid trouble, looked at Shen Meixiu with displeasure.
"Why are you criticizing other people's behavior? Is this what you call being well-educated?" Xiao Ran retorted sharply.
Unprepared for his reply, Shen Meixiu was furious. She slapped her hand on the table, pointed at Xiao Ran's face, and said, "These are the children Ye Ziyu raised. Truly, if the beam is not straight, the planks will be crooked. From your mother to all of you, not a single one is good."
Her words not only insulted Ye Ziyu but also implied criticism towards those who were no longer present.
Children naturally wouldn't understand the grievances of people from past lives, but they could tangibly feel the aversion and sarcasm in her words towards Ye Ziyu.
Yuze stood up from his chair and looked at Shen Meixiu sternly. "Mom always told us that no matter what others do, we shouldn't speak ill of them."
"Look at how sharp-tongued they all are. Your mother really knows how to raise children. A good sapling was bent crookedly by her." Shen Meixiu scoffed.
They had tried to reason with her, considering she was their elder. However, Shen Meixiu, relying on her status as an elder, relentlessly lectured them.
Xiao Ran and Yuze were no match for her. After just a few rounds, they were rendered speechless.
Qianqian, even more terrified, wept silently beside them. At that moment, she missed Ye Ziyu protecting them by her side even more.
"Grandma, they didn't mean to talk back to you. It's precisely because they know you're an elder that they respect you deeply. When you were unhappy earlier and told us not to look at you, that's why they all lowered their heads. They weren't showing you a displeased face," Xingxing explained.
Shen Meixiu had never paid much attention to Xingxing, but his words caught her notice.
She turned, squinting, the corners of her lips curling up in a mocking gaze as she sized him up. "Do you have a right to speak here?"
What right did an abandoned child from outside have to call her Grandma? If Ye Shaoting hadn't ignored their advice and insisted on adopting him, would he even be here lecturing her?
Shen Meixiu had to be somewhat polite to Xiao Ran and the others, but she held no reservations about Xingxing. Her words towards him were even more venomous. "An unwanted, wild child, you really think entering the Ye family makes you part of it. Know your place. Keep your mouth shut, and our Ye family can still provide you with a meal. If you can't keep it shut, then go back to wherever you came from."
Xingxing's face instantly dimmed, his lips turning pale.
His origins had always been a painful spot in his heart. If he could, why would he suppress his emotions and live in someone else's home without status?
"This is too much!" Xiao Ran kicked his chair and roared in frustration.