Song Ying had only turned around, not yet leaving her spot, when she naturally heard Shi Li's voice.

Shi Li's words were too impactful; even the homeroom teacher's theory about special abilities from this morning seemed ordinary in comparison.

What did it mean to live two more years, and what did it mean to be found by her birth parents?

Didn't this imply that Hong Yan wasn't her biological mother?

And that she would pass away within two years.

Of course, upon hearing these two statements, Song Ying's first reaction was to turn back in disbelief.

She saw that Shi Li, Hong Yan, and the others had calm expressions, which made her compose herself and remember the warnings from her homeroom teacher and class monitor.

Could this be what everyone referred to as Shi Li's inner thoughts, and she could even predict the future?

Yes, yes, yes, only she could hear it, her mother and grandmother couldn't hear it. She absolutely couldn't betray everyone's trust by letting Shi Li know they could hear her thoughts.

Song Ying adjusted her expression so it wouldn't appear as shocked as before.

Hong Yan glared at her, "Weren't you going upstairs to do your homework? What are you up to now?"

Shi's Grandmother couldn't stand Hong Yan scolding the child, even if she wasn't her own granddaughter. She couldn't help but speak up, "How can you scold a child like that? Some mother you are!"

Some mother you are.

This vivid phrase seemed to flash before Song Ying's eyes. She had never doubted that Hong Yan was her biological mother.

Although her mother's attitude towards her had always been different from normal mother-daughter relationships, far from affectionate, and often filled with harsh words.

No one can choose their parents.

Some parents love their children, while others treat them poorly, and there are even many parents who abuse their children.

Compared to those parents who frequently hit and yell at their children, her mother only verbally insulted her, so Hong Yan could be considered a good mother.

Parents are the closest people to a child after birth, and Song Ying often felt regret for not receiving motherly love from her mother.

Although she often tried to convince herself that it wasn't a big deal, not all parents have to love their children.

Yet there was still a thorn constantly pricking her heart.

But was Hong Yan really not her mother?

In fact, hearing Shi Li say that Hong Yan wasn't her biological mother actually made Song Ying feel relieved.

Whether her parents were poor or rich, Song Ying only hoped they would treat her a little better, like the family of three that used to live next door when she was little.

Hong Yan was very respectful to everyone in the Old Mansion, even to Sister Cui, the housekeeper.

In the Old Mansion, she wouldn't dare talk back to anyone, yet she could freely insult her daughter.

Hong Yan's expression was somewhat awkward, and a flash of unease crossed her face. "Look at what you're saying. I'm this girl's real mother, no doubt about it. Scolding her a bit is for her own good, hoping she'll improve."

Shi's Grandmother snorted, "Spare the rod, spoil the child? That's all outdated feudal thinking. Constantly scolding a child will only make them lose confidence. Since Song Ying is The Third's daughter, that makes me her grandmother, and I have the right to educate her. As long as you and The Third are living in the Old Mansion, you're not allowed to scold this child anymore. Otherwise, you and The Third can pack your bags and get out."

Shi Li chuckled, "Grandmother, you're mistaken. When Uncle and Ms. Hong came to live here, they didn't bring any bedding. They're using our family's things now. You can't let them take our stuff with them when they leave."

Shi's Grandmother looked at Shi Li with eyes full of amusement. This little mischief-maker.

"You're right, Grandmother made a mistake. Your Third Uncle and Ms. Hong can just roll out directly, saving the time of packing."

Hong Yan's face turned from pale to flushed. At this moment, Youngest Uncle Shi returned home from work.

He was a big idler at the company, with extremely fixed work hours every day. Although he was there due to connections, his salary wasn't connection-based – only 5,000 yuan after tax, less than half of what normal employees in the company earned.

Of course, his workload was proportional to his salary, which was practically non-existent.

Youngest Uncle Shi's position in the company was essentially that of a useless idle person.

This was Eldest Uncle Shi's compromise to his mother.

Hong Yan, however, was not satisfied. She had graduated from high school, had no work experience, and was now middle-aged. If she went out to work, she would probably only find jobs like cleaning or cashiering, which were both tiring and low-paying.

Hong Yan would absolutely not do such work, but Youngest Uncle Shi's salary was too low.

When she initially persuaded Youngest Uncle Shi to return home, she thought that since it was their own family's company, they would surely arrange a leisurely and well-paid position for his younger brother.

And as the sister-in-law, she should also be given a good job. If the couple's combined monthly salary reached 100,000 yuan, they could move out and live on their own, without having to endure the frustrations of living in the Old Mansion. She could buy whatever she wanted, which would be absolutely fantastic.

As it turned out, her husband's monthly salary was 5,000 yuan, and his entire year's salary wasn't enough to buy her a handbag.

Although Youngest Uncle Shi's salary was low, he got off work early.

While Eldest Uncle Shi was still at the company working overtime and attending meetings, Youngest Uncle Shi had already returned home.

Upon entering, he sensed the awkward atmosphere in the room and asked, "What's going on now?"

Shi Li smiled and said, "It's nothing much. Ms. Hong was just being too strict in disciplining the child, and Grandmother felt it might hurt the child's self-confidence, so she advised Ms. Hong to be gentler when educating the child."

Hong Yan thought to herself, this little girl really knows how to distort facts. Was that really what the old lady had said? Well, she had to admit, the old lady's words were roughly to that effect.

But the tone was completely different. The old lady had told her to pack her bags and get out. How did this girl manage to swallow that part?

"After all, Song Ying is her own daughter, flesh of her flesh, not her enemy. Don't you agree?"

Shi Li's repeated mentions of "own daughter" and "not her enemy" made Hong Yan's eyelids twitch.

People with guilty consciences can't bear to hear such things.

Hong Yan was one hundred percent certain that she had done everything flawlessly, and no one could possibly find out.

Even if someone did discover it, that person definitely shouldn't be Shi Li, who had no connection to her whatsoever.

When she had done those things, Shi Li had just been born, and she hadn't even met The Third of the Shi family yet.

So Shi Li absolutely couldn't know. If this little girl knew, then the matter should have been spread far and wide by now, but it hadn't.

This girl's words must just be a coincidence, Hong Yan thought to herself.

Youngest Uncle Shi had long felt that his wife's attitude towards her stepdaughter was inappropriate. He took this opportunity to advise, "My mother has a point. Even between a biological mother and daughter, constant negativity can wear down their relationship. You really should be gentler with Ying."

Hong Yan couldn't take it anymore. What was wrong with this family today? Why did they keep bringing up the topic of biological mother and daughter?

Hong Yan felt guilty and tried to placate her husband and in-laws, "Alright, alright, I get it. I'll change in the future."

After dinner, Song Ying returned to her room.

Looking at her blank workbook, she couldn't bring herself to start writing for a long time.

Shi Li's two sentences tonight had a huge impact on her. She didn't know how to process this information, let alone what she should do.

At this moment, she remembered what her homeroom teacher and class monitor had said today: when encountering problems you can't solve, you can ask classmates for help.

She hesitantly typed out a line on the screen: [I have a question, but I'm not sure if I should ask it.]

Someone replied instantly: [Don't hesitate, please ask.]

Song Ying said: [When I got home today, I think I heard what you all called Shi Li's inner thoughts.]