Supper Baby

003 The Maid's Dilemma

With Grandfather present and no objection from him, Tan Mo naturally had no grounds to refuse.

Time for dinner.

The dishes were laid out, and the family gathered around the table.

Tan Yi, having just been disciplined, had been sent to his room to tend to his wounds, so he was absent from dinner.

At the table, Tan Mo met the other two sisters of the family: the eldest young miss and the third young miss of the Tan household.

The eldest, Tan Rou, was the adopted daughter of Tan Mo's biological mother. She was one year older than Tan Mo, and now, in mid-July, she was enjoying a leisurely break after just finishing her college entrance exams.

She had a delicate, pitiable appearance and remained mostly silent during the meal. After briefly greeting Tan Mo to put a face to the name, she said little else.

Tan Qi, the third young miss,complete opposite. Throughout the meal, she kept engaging Old Master Tan in lively conversation, and each time she received a response, she would shoot Tan Mo a glare,as if staking her claim.

Tan Mo ignored this childish behavior and simply focused on eating quietly.

She deliberately tried dishes with stronger flavors, but the result was always the same.

Nothing. No taste.

She'd first noticed it in the hospital while drinking plain congee, but she'd assumed it was just the blandness of the porridge. Now, sampling these dishes, she realized the truth.

She couldn't taste anything at all.

Xu Piao, preoccupied with worry over her son's injuries, had no energy to cause trouble.

Thus, the family dinner came to an uneventful close.

After dinner.

Tan Mo gazed at the room before her—simple in design yet undeniably luxurious. A warmth spread through her heart.

This was clearly her grandfather's thoughtful doing.

On the desk sat a photo frame. The woman in the picture bore a certain resemblance to Tan Mo, though her aura was more mature and intellectual—this was Tan Mo's mother, Wang Chuyan.

"Mom?" Tan Mo studied the woman in the photograph with a probing gaze.

Madam Tan, Wang Chuyan, had met Tan Mo's father, Tan Kai, in their youth. They married and had a daughter—Tan Mo.

Unfortunately, Tan Mo was taken away right after birth. The agony of losing her child plunged Wang Chuyan into severe postpartum depression. Even when the Tan family adopted an orphan named Tan Rou and pretended she was the lost baby, hoping to rekindle her will to live, it was to no avail.

She died one autumn when the withered leaves had fallen, landing in a pile of vibrant maple leaves—her splattered blood redder than the foliage.

Little did this woman know that in the spring following her death, her childhood sweetheart husband would marry another woman, who soon gave birth to a daughter.

Tan Mo placed the photo frame face down on the desk and fell silent.

She had no memories of her mother, and therefore no emotional connection—she simply found the story tragic.

When she was lost in thought, that familiar buzzing sound began in her ears again.

This time, someone else was on a call.

"Mom, how's Dad doing?"

The voice was familiar—it belonged to Lily, the maid assigned to care for her.

"Lily, the doctor says he needs surgery as soon as possible."

Lily's father had been diagnosed with advanced cancer. The cost of surgery, followed by chemotherapy, was an endless pit for an ordinary family like hers. Plus, with the summer break ending and the new semester approaching, her younger brother's university tuition was also due—stretching their already tight finances to the breaking point.

"Mom, don't worry. I'll find a way to cover the surgery costs," she reassured her mother.

Madam had made it clear—if she kept an eye on the young miss and handled a few tasks on the side, she'd get enough money for her father's operation.

The newly arrived young miss seemed easy enough to get along with, but for the sake of the money, she had no choice but to betray her trust.

Money—the one thing common families could never have enough of.

A single serious illness could swallow decades of savings in an instant.

Lily's mother tried to comfort her. "I know you're working hard, but don't do anything foolish. Take care of yourself while you're working there."

"I understand, Mom."

Lily hung up the phone, tears streaming down her face.

If she had listened to her mother's voice any longer, she feared she might lose control.

Her mother was struggling day and night, working two jobs just to get by, yet she still worried about Lily—still feared she might be mistreated.

After crying herself out, Lily glanced at her watch, picked up the tray, and walked into the room to fulfill her duties.

"Miss, it's time to change your bandages."

Lily was a recent hire. She had a nursing certificate and a gentle disposition. As a servant with no prior ties to the family, she was unlikely to arouse suspicion—exactly why Xu Piao had chosen her to keep an eye on Tan Mo.

Tan Mo, who had been staring blankly at the dark screen of an unopened computer, wheeled herself over.

The bandage change was quick.

When Lily finished and turned to leave, Tan Mo called out, "Lily, come here."

"Is there anything else needed, Miss??" She turned and stood at attention.

Tan Mo simply wheeled herself over to the desk and pulled out a check from the drawer.

Now that she was a young lady of the Tan family, there was naturally a considerable amount of money at her disposal.

"How much does your family member need for the surgery?" she asked.

Lily froze. "How did Miss know?"

She had only just arrived.

"I heard from Uncle Wang that your father needs an urgent operation, right?"

Tan Mo certainly couldn't reveal that she'd overheard the conversation using her superpower, so she had no choice but to use the butler, Uncle Wang, as a cover.

As the old master's assistant and the villa's butler, Wang Ming was indeed aware of Lily's family situation.

Lily nodded and answered honestly, "Mm, the treatment alone will cost over a hundred thousand…"

"Here's a check. You can fill in any amount. Consider it a loan from me. If it's not enough, just let me know."

Tan Mo picked up the pen, signed her name, and handed it to her.

Lily stood there, stunned.

This Second Miss of the Tan family was so kind-hearted and generous—she felt truly grateful.

"This… Miss, I can't accept such a reward without having done anything to deserve it."

She hadn't even started doing anything, so accepting this money didn't feel right.

"It's simple. Whatever my stepmother might have told you, from now on it has nothing to do with you. Just take good care of me, and that's enough." Tan Mo laid it out for her plainly.

She knew Xu Piao had likely used Lily's father's medical expenses as leverage—offering her money to buy her loyalty, with promises of more if she kept a close watch.

A tempting bait, designed to make someone her pawn.

Now, by giving Lily enough money outright, Tan Mo had nipped Xu Piao's scheme in the bud. And because of this kindness, Lily would only be more devoted in her service from now on.

Maybe Xu Piao would be so furious she'd spit blood when she found out?

As for Lily, she was completely stunned by Tan Mo's words.

It was true—upstairs, the mistress had indeed told her that if she agreed to the arrangement, a sum of money would be transferred into her account first thing tomorrow morning. It wouldn't cover the full amount, but it would at least ease the immediate crisis.

Back then, Lily had been too scared to agree, and the mistress had given her time to think it over.

This matter was supposed to be confidential—how did the young miss know about it?!

Her mind went blank. It took her a long moment to collect herself.

If she agreed now, her father could have the surgery right away. Compared to the mistress's promises, this was far more reliable.

For her father, for her overworked mother, for her brother who still had a bright future ahead.

"Miss…"

Lily stepped forward, took the check, and bowed deeply, her heart brimming with gratitude.

For a moment, she couldn't find the right words. She opened her mouth, hesitated, and finally managed to speak after a long pause.

"Please rest assured, Miss. I haven't agreed to anything with the mistress yet. From now on, I will take good care of you."

Clutching the check, her emotions ran high. Her chest heaved as she made her solemn pledge.

"Thank you, Miss. I will pay back every cent of this money." She found a piece of paper, wrote out an IOU in neat handwriting, and handed it to Tan Mo.