But how could she avoid it?
She would have to wait for Sun Jiaming to help her investigate first.
And then there was Huang Mingyu.
Just thinking of Huang Mingyu made Gu’er’s teeth itch with anger. ’That woman is a nace, only ever thinking of herself. I wonder which unlucky man will marry her in this life. It would be best if she married that man with the surna Chen and went on to have Chen Tao. In any case, Zhang Juan won’t be appearing in this lifeti.’
But Chen Tao...
At the thought of Chen Tao, Gu’er clenched her fists.
’That Chen Tao wasn’t even human.’
She rembered the period right after Little Yueyue was born, when she was living with her daughter and son-in-law.
When Yueyue was three months old, Zhang Juan went back to work. One day, Chen Tao ca ho in the afternoon, reeking of alcohol and so drunk he could barely walk straight.
Although she disliked her son-in-law, she still helped him into the house and over to the bed.
But to her utter shock, just as she got him to the bedside, Chen Tao grabbed her and pinned her down on the bed.
He slurred vulgarities, tried to kiss Gu’er, and attempted to force himself on her.
Gu’er froze in that mont. ’Chen Tao is my son-in-law, and I’m his mother-in-law! How could he do sothing like this?’
Gu’er used all her strength to push Chen Tao away, slapped him twice, kicked him once, and then fled the room.
Chen Tao, being heavily drunk, hurled a few curses before passing out.
Gu’er held Yueyue and cried for a long ti. She desperately wanted to leave, but she couldn’t bear to part with Yueyue. She knew what Zhang Juan and Chen Tao were like—the type you couldn’t wake up in the middle of the night. If she left the baby with them, she would starve sooner or later.
When Zhang Juan ca ho that evening, she saw the slap marks on her husband’s face and asked what had happened. That shaless Chen Tao actually claid that Gu’er had tried to seduce him.
He even said that because Gu’er had been a widow for so long, she was desperate for a man—so desperate she’d even go after her own son-in-law.
Gu’er never imagined soone could be so shaless. She was too furious to speak.
Not only did Zhang Juan believe her husband, but she also stord into Gu’er’s room and scread vile insults at her before kicking her out of the house.
Gu’er spent the next three days lying in her own ho. ’I don’t know what sins I committed to deserve a daughter like that. Is she really my daughter? She’s more like an enemy! If I had wanted to seduce him, why would I have hit Chen Tao? Besides, I’m not that kind of person at all. I never even thought about finding another man; I only wanted to raise Yueyue.’
She refused to believe Zhang Juan couldn’t see the truth. Zhang Juan knew everything, but she simply didn’t like her own mother, so she deliberately sared her na.
Her heart grew completely cold toward her daughter. Betrayal from a loved one hurts far more than any stranger’s cruelty. Gu’er swore she would never go back there again. She would live as if she’d never given birth to that daughter and just be on her own.
But a few days later, her daughter and son-in-law ca looking for her, asking her to co back.
Gu’er refused, until finally, Zhang Juan told her the baby had been hospitalized.
Gu’er rushed to the hospital. Seeing the baby on an IV drip, her heart ached and tears fell. It had only been a few days, but Yueyue had already lost weight.
It turned out that Huang Mingyu had been staying over, but she slept like a log through the night and never got up. Zhang Juan and Chen Tao also ignored the baby’s cries. None of the three took care of the child.
After a few days, the baby was not only starved but also suffering from digestive issues. She had caught a chill, her stomach was bloated with gas from undigested milk, and she couldn’t keep any milk down. She would vomit violently after eating just a little. The sight terrified them, which was why they finally took her to the hospital. The doctor gave them a harsh scolding, asking how they could have possibly cared for a child so poorly.
In the end, Zhang Juan and Chen Tao discussed it and decided they had to ask Gu’er to co back. With Gu’er around, they wouldn’t have to worry. Otherwise, the baby would be done for. They didn’t want the trouble, which is why they showed up at Gu’er’s door again.
Gu’er never wanted to set foot in that house again, but looking at her adorable, pitiful granddaughter, she couldn’t bear to abandon her. What would happen if they tornted her to the point of breaking?
But Gu’er didn’t want to enter that house. The mont she did, she would be reminded of what had happened, so she refused.
In the end, Gu’er rented a small apartnt in their neighborhood. She and the baby lived in that small apartnt. When Zhang Juan and the others wanted to see the child, they would go over. If they didn’t, Gu’er would take care of her.
As for Zhang Juan and her husband, Gu’er no longer helped them cook or clean the house. She only took care of Yueyue.
After discussing it, Zhang Juan and Chen Tao agreed. Zhang Juan could see that her mother was determined. And thinking back on what Chen Tao had done, Zhang Juan felt disgusted herself; it was better not to live together. And so, Gu’er continued to live in that small apartnt with Little Yueyue.
Later, when Yueyue started kindergarten, Gu’er moved out and returned to her own ho.
But it was in that neighborhood that Yueyue died, while she herself died in her old house.
That neighborhood, that place, was a taboo in her heart. She never wanted to set foot there again in this life. She didn’t want to think about the cold, hurtful daughter, the shaless face of her son-in-law, or the image of Little Yueyue covered in blood. The pain was just too much to bear.
Gu’er’s tears slid onto the pillow again.
’Huang Mingyu, in this life, I won’t let you ruin Liu Yuan. Don’t even think about ruining again. I will have nothing more to do with you.’
Gu’er’s mind wandered, filled with all sorts of thoughts, and she didn’t drift off to sleep until very late.
anwhile, Sun Jiaming was also having trouble sleeping. He was thinking about Gu’er.
Gu’er hadn’t seed right today. He felt it wasn’t just because of Liu Yuan’s situation. Her expression seed sorrowful, and her spirits were especially low. Her eyes were a little red, as if she had been crying. ’But what was the reason?’
Gu’er definitely wouldn’t say, so he could only guess. He knew she had a stubborn streak; if she didn’t want to talk, you couldn’t get it out of her.
’What on earth happened to Gu’er? Was it not just about encountering Liu Yuan’s mother and that woman he was being set up with?’
’It doesn’t seem like she knows anyone in the city.’
’Gu’er probably doesn’t have such deep feelings for Liu Yuan. Besides him, what else is she so concerned about?’
’Gu’er had never been to the city before she started selling mountain vegetables. She shouldn’t have any connections there.’
’Or maybe she t soone recently?’
’Who could have such a big impact on her?’
’But she hasn’t said a single word about it.’
Sun Jiaming tossed and turned, but he still couldn’t figure out what had happened to Gu’er.
He was still awake deep into the night, unable to co up with an answer. He decided he would go to the city first thing. Since he had promised Gu’er, he would ask about Liu Yuan’s situation and, while he was at it, see if he could find out if sothing else had happened to make her so upset.
As for everything else, he would figure out a plan once he had a clearer picture.
The next day, both Gu’er and Sun Jiaming had dark circles under their eyes.
After breakfast, Gu’er decided not to go sell popsicles. She gave the bicycle to Sun Jiaming so he could ride into the city and investigate for her.
She, in turn, stayed ho to take care of Grandma Sun. After finishing the laundry, Gu’er also cleaned the entire house, inside and out.
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My mastitis is acting up, and it hurts so much I can’t even sleep on my side. It feels like I’m being stabbed with needles, and I’m already on long-acting anti-inflammatories. This is awful. I feel so useless.
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