Hearing Grandma's stern voice, Zhao Hongyu and her family were all surprised as well.

"Mom, please calm down," hurriedly, Hao Zhonghua took two steps forward and explained, "I had to handle some urgent business in the office, and that's why I'm a bit late."

"Scientific research is your priority, and this old woman is none of your concern at all, right?" Grandma's face fell as she asked.

Hearing that Grandma's tone turned a little bit softer, Hao Zhonghua took two more steps forward and replied as he wanted to help her walk to the car, "I…"

"Extend your hand!" Grandma raised her voice abruptly.

The dignified Hao Zhonghua s.h.i.+vered at his mother's scolding and glanced at Zhao Hongyu's family in embarra.s.sment.

"Auntie…" seeing the situation turning ugly, Zhao Hongyu walked to Grandma and tried to calm her down.

"Hongyu, stay out of this. Today, I must have my say," Grandma raised her hand and stopped Zhao Hongyu.

Seeing the awkward situation between the mother and the son, Yue Yang finally broke the silence and said, "Mom, please calm down. Your high blood-pressure…"

"And you!" Grandma who was usually amiable was beside herself today. "Have you ever taken care of Ren since he was born? I took care of him all by myself! Have you ever worried about the duties in this household? I took care of them all by myself! Work! Work is everything in your lives!" she shouted.

Scolded by Grandma, the decorous Yue Yang backed off a little and remained silent.

"Give me your hand!" Grandma yelled at Hao Zhonghua for the third time.

Seeing his mother shaking in rage, Hao Zhonghua was afraid that she would have another stroke due to high blood pressure, and he had no choice but to lower his head in embarra.s.sment and extend his palm.

Grandma looked around and saw a folding fan on the coffee table, and she picked it up instantly.

The folding fan had a frame made of fine rosewood, and it was smooth and hard.

"As the old saying goes, amongst all the virtues, filial piety comes first. With all your trips overseas, it seems like you have forgotten our ancestors' teachings and disciplines!" Grandma held Hao Zhonghua's hand in one hand and hit the palm with the folding fan.

Feeling the sharp pain, Hao Zhonghua had the urge to withdraw his hand, but he dared not to in front of his angry mother.

A red welt appeared immediately on his palm.

"Where were you when I pa.s.sed out due to high blood pressure? Where were you when I was discharged from the hospital? Where were you when I was ready to go home? If it weren't for Zhao Hongyu's family, I would have been dead!"

Snap! Another hard lash landed on Hao Zhonghua's palm.

Yue Yang felt sorry for her husband but was afraid to stop Grandma. She said in a low voice, "Mom, please don't say that."

"Every word I have said is true! Hongyu's family saved my life, and they took care of me. How about you? Zhonghua is my son, and you are my daughter-in-law, but where were you when I was in danger? And you treat my saviors with such att.i.tude? I may be illiterate, but I know the virtues and how to act in good faith!"

Snap! The third hard lash landed on Hao Zhonghua's palm.

Hao Zhonghua's palm had quickly turned red, and this well-known scientist stood obediently before his mother with a red and sweaty face.

"We agreed on eleven o'clock, then you must come at 11 A.M. Being late is not respecting others' time! Hongyu's family are my saviors, and you made them wait at home! You are ungrateful for their kindness and have acted in bad faith!"

Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap! The fan landed on Hao Zhonghua's palm repeatedly each time Grandma opened her mouth.

"You are ungrateful, unfilial, and unfaithful! I don't want such a son like you!" Grandma got even angrier with each lash. She was now panting, but the beatings got even more forceful.

Hao Zhonghua bowed before his mother and bore the pain with a frown. He kept his head lowered the whole time.

When he was a boy, Grandma would scold him this way whenever he messed around or got lazy with his studies. In the last 20 years since he grew up and earned his reputation, he had not been punished like this.

Now in front of outsiders, he experienced his mother's fury again. He felt not only the burning pain but also shame, guilt, and some grat.i.tude as well.

"I taught you everything about filial piety, faith, honesty, and honor! Have you forgotten them all?!"

Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap! Another series of lashes landed on his palm, and Hao Zhonghua gritted his teeth, endured his mother's rage, and didn't withdraw his hand that was regarded as the deftest and valuable hand in science as his hands could split cell membranes with the a.s.sistance of a microscope and a pair of tweezers.

"Don't think you are above everyone with several prizes and the support of the Mayor! There is something higher than us! How can you call yourself a man when you treat the saviors this way?!" out of breath, Grandma couldn't stand any longer, and she had to sit down on the sofa behind her.

"Mom, it is my fault," Hao Zhonghua moved forward and held his mother's hand in his and said with sincerity.

"I'm wrong, too," Yue Yang took two steps forward and said with her head lowered.

"It's never too late if you can correct your mistakes! Don't forget our ancestors' teachings while you are abroad!" Grandma said in a loud voice.

"Auntie, don't work yourself up. You must take care since you were just discharged from the hospital," Zhao Hongyu took the opportunity to appease her.

"Grandma, please don't be so angry," Zhao Yanzi also walked over to comfort Grandma.

Hao Ren moved to his grandma's side and gently patted her back, helping her calm down.

Hao Zhonghua and Yue Yang were now standing beside Grandma in silence. A couple of days before, they were confident and pa.s.sionate scientists giving lectures in the auditorium, but now, they had tears in their eyes as they faced Grandma like kids who misacted.

"Faith and virtue! They are the foundation of our race! Even though you are building a big career, you will amount to nothing if you have forgotten the most basic principles of being a human!" Grandma raised her head and added.

"Mom, we know we are wrong," Hao Zhonghua and Yue Yang said together.

"Ok then. Now go get my bags!" Grandma gave them a hard look.

Hurriedly, Hao Zhonghua and Yue Yang began to move Grandma's bags into their car. Hao Ren saw the red tomato-like palm of his dad that was s.h.i.+vering uncontrollably, and he knew Grandmother was dead serious this time.

"I apologize for what happened today," after several deep breaths, Grandma returned to her amiable self and said to Zhao Hongyu and Zhao Guang.

"It's all right," Zhao Guang said with a smile.

After publicly scolding her son, Hao Ren's grandma apologized to her hosts, hoping that they would not hold any grudges against Hao Ren's parents for being late.

"Mom, the bags are all in the car. Shall we go to lunch now?" Hao Zhonghua reentered the house and said.

His expression returned to normal and didn't look as embarra.s.sed as a few minutes before.

"Um-hem," Grandma stood up and walked toward the door.

After several days of rest in Zhao Hongyu's home, Grandma was much stronger, and her complexion looked much healthier.

She was old, but her head was clear. She knew Zhao Hongyu must have put many valuable ingredients in the chicken soup that she made been making for her

Also, she noted how much Zhao Hongyu liked Hao Ren.

Seeing Zhao Yanzi and Hao Ren together, she found his grandson's calm manner quite matching with Zi's cuteness.

Now that she had told everyone that Zhao Hongyu's family was her savior and showed them her authority as the big boss of the Hao Family, everything else would go smoothly.

She was willing to wait a few years as long as Zhao Yanzi and Hao Ren had feelings for each other. She didn't mind Zhao Yanzi's age since when she was young, she had even seen girls marrying as young as 12 or 13!

Hao Ren was oblivious to his grandma's plan underneath her outburst, and he walked his grandma out of the door and into his father's Ford.

Zhao Guang drove out his black Chevrolet, and the two cars drove toward the Starlight Restaurant one after another.

"Today, are we just have lunch, or do we want to let Ren's parents know about the arrangement?" sitting in the pa.s.senger seat, Zhao Hongyu asked Zhao Guang.

"Auntie has just expressed to us that she has the final say in the family. Since this is the case, we can make it known," Zhao Guang said calmly.

Sitting in the back seat, Zhao Yanzi heard her parents' discussion, and she bit her lip but didn't interrupt.

"I don't want to marry that silly Uncle…" looking at the clouds through the car window, she mused to herself.