"Fan, why are they like that? They've gone too far! Both of you are returning home and you're both relatives, so what's with this double standard? They're clearly looking down on you and they don't welcome you here. Fan, let's not go back to your home. Bring Auntie Ye along back to Jingzhou, we'll spend the new year at my place instead."
When Lu Wen-Jing saw how Ye Yu-Yan was so well-loved and Ye Fan was so neglected, her eyes turned red.
She felt indignant for Ye Fan.
Her Fan had come all the way from Yunzhou just to spend the new year at home.
But when he came back, he didn't get any warm welcome from his friends and family, and was treated so coldly instead.
Even an outsider like Lu Wen-Jing felt angry about this.
How much more disappointed was Ye Fan himself?
Ye Xi-Mei was also pale in the face when she saw this.
There was some guilt and self-blame in her expression.
"Fan, I'm so sorry. Your mum has made you suffer."
Lu Wen-Jing was just a child and even she felt upset by this, so of course Ye Xi-Mei was even more upset.
Perhaps the Ye family didn't deliberately do this to pick on Ye Fan, but it was still an insult to Ye Fan and his mother.
It was his first day home, but her son had to suffer such humiliation along with herself, so Ye Xi-Mei felt terribly guilty about it.
Ye Fan shook his head and smiled faintly. "Mum, I'm fine. That's the way people are. Uncle Tian is high-ranking in the county office, and my cousin Yu-Yan is high ranking in the army. I'm just a live-in son-in-law, so I can't possibly be compared to them. Besides, didn't you say we're not some government official and we don't need such fanfare, so we don't have to be jealous of them either.”
Ye Fan wasn't saying this just to console his mother. He meant it.
He wasn't jealous and wasn't angry. He had remained calm throughout.
The only little emotion he had was some disappointment.
He didn't think that even his mother's own family would still be as materialistic and pragmatic as the rest of the world.
But it didn't matter.
If they treated him this way, he would treat them the same.
Since they couldn't be bothered with Ye Fan now, then they would only have themselves to blame if Ye Fan became too powerful for them to get close to in the future.
Besides, his main purpose in coming home was to see his mother.
So even if his mother came out on her own to receive him, it was enough!
Ye Xi-Mei was very assured to hear what Ye Fan said.
"Fan, you've really matured. You've become more mature and steady compared to before. Come along, Jingjing, Fan, let's go back and cook some dumplings," said Ye Xi-Mei with a smile even though her eyes were slightly red.
By the time they reached the Ye house, Ye Ya and the rest were carrying several items into the house.
Ye Yu-Yan had come back for the new year, so she had bought a lot of presents for everyone.
Everyone in the Ye family was helping out.
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