Chapter 2: My Mom Says She's a Second-Generation Rich Girl

Zhinang kept her eyes open, sensing a hint of nervousness from Li Sui.

She had a rough guess as to the woman's identity, but still asked Li Sui in a low voice, "Who is it~?"

Li Sui replied in a heavy tone, "It's my mom—my mother."

Biological mother, for sure.

Zhinang wore an expression that said, *as I thought.*

Back in their time, the Sect Leader would often sigh and tell them how much she missed her own mother. At that time, the world was in chaos, and everyone assumed the Sect Leader's mother had passed away.

Who would have thought?

They weren't even in the same era!

However, Li Ping seemed somewhat agitated at this moment, which Li Sui noticed.

Because after glancing at Zhinang, she asked, "What's her name?"

Zhinang appeared more well-behaved in front of the Sect Leader's elder, even smoothing out her clothes. "You may call me Zhinang."

Li Ping: "..."

Her body jolted.

It was at this moment that Li Sui realized something was wrong, because Li Ping didn't follow up with more questions for Zhinang. According to her mother's personality, she would have already started prying into Zhinang's genealogy and how she was related to them.

Li Sui sat down as well, reaching into the vegetable basket to pick through the greens. "Mom, what's wrong? You don't look very happy."

Zhinang glanced at Li Sui, her eyes darting around, before sitting down next to her to help pick the vegetables.

Li Ping shot her a glance.

At this moment, Li Sui actually detected a hint of guilt in this woman's eyes.

Guilt.

How incredible!

Since she was a child, Li Ping had never understood how to write the words "guilt" or "remorse"!

After a long silence, Li Ping suddenly muttered, "There's something I've been hiding from you for a long time, but if I tell you, you'll definitely scold me."

That was when Zhinang interjected.

Before Li Sui could respond, Zhinang coaxed her delicately, "Since you are the Sect Leader's mother, I shall address you as Old Madam—"

Li Ping's face fell. "Drop the 'Old'!"

Zhinang immediately changed her tune: "Sister."

Li Ping smiled with satisfaction.

Li Sui: "..."

*The generational hierarchy is ruined!!!*

"Sister, I know the Sect Leader; she is soft-hearted. No matter what your difficulties are, as her mother, she shouldn't blame you."

Li Ping couldn't help but look at Li Sui in confusion. "Why does she call you 'Sect Leader'?" She scanned her up and down. "I don't see any talent for practicing dark arts out there."

However, she wasn't particularly shocked, because ever since she was a child, Li Sui had always had some eccentric ways—for example, attending the wedding between the older brother upstairs and his rice cooker. She had given a 200-yuan gift and eaten a meal at the banquet. Amidst the scolding and crying of the neighbor's parents and the brother's stoic expression, she had even offered a word of comfort: "It's a joyous day..."

Regarding the sudden return of a red-clad woman who seemed to have a slightly unstable mind, Li Ping wasn't overly shocked.

Li Sui glared at Zhinang and looked at Li Ping suspiciously. "Don't change the subject. You just said you were hiding something from me?"

She would definitely scold her. It had to be something very wicked.

It wasn't surprising that Li Sui thought this; she had been tricked by Li Ping many times growing up.

Li Ping coughed. "If I said I was a 'rich second generation,' would you believe me?"

Li Sui: "..."

She instantly recalled many things.

Even though she had traveled back a thousand years to serve as the Sect Leader of a demonic cult for a few years, to her modern life, it was nothing more than the moment yesterday when she had sprained her ankle while walking. The moment she opened her eyes at home, only half an hour had passed since her transmigration.

Her modern life had not been interrupted. She had grown up following this "great" single mother of hers.

Admittedly, Li Ping had endured hardships, raising her through thick and thin, never abandoning her even in the toughest times. During their most difficult periods, the two of them had even scavenged through trash cans.

—However, that had only been for a brief half-hour; later, Li Ping joyfully told her she had found a good job. Since then, they had lived a stable life for over a decade in this decent old residential community.

Because of this, Li Sui had infinite tolerance for her mother. She wasn't recalling these things for any other reason than the fact that in her and Li Ping's lives, there had never been a single day that could be described with the words "rich second generation."

Li Sui glanced at Li Ping's permed waves, which had been done on discount at a hair salon, and murmured, "You've lost your mind."

Beside her, Zhinang asked softly while picking vegetables, "What is a 'rich second generation'?"

"..."

Li Ping closed her eyes, took a heavy breath, and then quickly opened them, as if having made a certain resolution. "Mom isn't lying to you. Mom really is a rich second generation. Do you know the wealthy Li family from Li Jia Mountain in Fucheng? That's my biological father."

"For the first twenty years, I was a rich second generation sitting at home waiting to die, but then I went blind and fell in love with your shameless, scumbag father..."

Li Ping rarely mentioned Li Sui's father; she simply said he had died long ago.

Li Ping's tone was weary. "I was so proud back then, so rebellious. I thought it was true love and insisted on marrying him. I even had a falling out with my family over it. I thought they didn't support my love. My father told me not to come back to the Li family if I regretted it later."

Li Sui murmured, "So you really didn't go back..."

Li Ping stiffened her neck, wanting to explain something, but realizing she had deceived her biological daughter for over twenty years and made her live such a hard life, she lacked the confidence. Her tone became increasingly guilty. "How much pride did I have back then? How could I have known I'd misjudge him? I... it wasn't just anything, it was my dignity!"

Li Sui raised her voice. "Your dignity made you scavenge through trash cans?! Don't you think this characterization is inconsistent when you make it up?"

"That was an emergency measure!" Li Ping explained. "Later, your grandfather thought I was an embarrassment and found me a job, but I still didn't want to go back to the Li family. But Mom got this job through her own ability; look, I've been doing it for so many years..."

Her argument made Li Sui feel cold.

"Twenty-three years! If you've been hiding it this long, why not just keep hiding it? Why do you have to say it now and break my heart?"

Li Ping sighed. "Your grandmother is in the hospital. The Li family came to find me to take you back with us."

Li Sui stood up immediately. "Let's go. Let's pack our things right now."

Li Ping looked at her in surprise. "You don't blame me?"

Li Sui looked at her in shock. "Ever since I was a kid, I've dreamed of this kind of plot—that my mom is a legendary wealthy person. Now that the dream has come true and I'm about to start living the good life, why would I blame you? Everything in the past is over; let's not mention it again."

But Li Ping was not as happy as expected.

Li Sui thought she still didn't want to return to the Li family.

Instead, in the next second, Li Ping said

"There's one more thing. Actually, your biological father isn't dead. He's now the richest man in Bincheng."

Li Sui: "..."

(End of Chapter)