The grandmother took a deep breath and continued, "I never imagined she would completely ignore Zachary's condition and refuse to give a single cent! What's more, she hasn't visited the hospital even once since Zachary fell ill. I admit I raised my hand to her, but if she hadn't been so outrageous, why would someone my age lay a hand on her? But even if I was in the wrong, that's absolutely no excuse for her not to visit Zachary or pay for his medical bills!"
Vera Xavier listened to her grandmother's clear, impassioned, and well-reasoned speech and gave her a silent round of applause. 'As expected,' she thought, 'the older, the craftier!'
She chimed in softly, "Actually, Grandma didn't land a hit on Mom. It's just... my dad is still lying in the hospital, and when Grandma came home and saw Mom playing mahjong, she got angry. She just lectured Mom a little, as an elder would. Alden and the others can all testify to this."
