All at once, memories long buried deep in Shen Yunchu’s heart surged forth like a volcano.
They were her most beautiful memories.
Back then, life for her and her siblings had not been easy, but they were very well protected by their mother.
“Mom…”
The word was already on her lips, about to be spoken.
Her eyes uncontrollably reddened.
Nan Lingyi stepped forward, gently squeezed her palm, and smoothly took over the conversation. “Oh my, why are your eyes red all of a sudden? Ah, you must be heartbroken seeing your daughter hurt, right…”
She was talking about Qiao Lihua—but also about Shen Yunchu.
Shen Yunchu felt heartache for Qiao Lihua.
Nan Lingyi felt heartache for Shen Yunchu as well.
Shen Yunchu steadied herself. With reddened eyes, she stared straight at Nan Lingyi, yet a smile formed on her face.
Back then, she didn’t know what had happened, but there was one thing she firmly believed: her mother would never abandon them.
That year, they were still very young. The mother who had always been by their side suddenly disappeared. Everyone said their mother had gone crazy and vanished somewhere. Their father then married another woman…
She didn’t know why her mother was stopping her from acknowledging her.
But she knew her mother must have her reasons for doing so.
So she nodded, and Nan Lingyi said, “I was just waiting for you to come back. An injury on the face is no small matter—it needs to be checked at the hospital.”
At that moment, Old Madam Qiao also came out. She couldn’t stop Nan Lingyi, but surely the child’s own mother could decide. If Shen Yunchu herself insisted on not going, then the hospital trip wouldn’t be necessary.
Thus, Old Madam Qiao put on a fake smile and said, “Oh you, you’re just making a fuss. You didn’t believe what I said earlier, so now ask the child’s mother—hasn’t this child always been naughty, getting injured here and there every single day?”
As she spoke, she pushed Shen Yunchu and lowered her voice in threat. “Hurry up and send this old woman away! You know what to say! Don’t think about crossing me—otherwise, once she leaves, you’ll pay for it!”
In the past, when people noticed the injuries on Qiao Lihua, Shen Yunchu had once thought it was a lifeline—but nothing was ever resolved. What awaited her and her daughter at home was Old Madam Qiao’s increasingly harsh abuse.
That was why Old Madam Qiao was confident that Shen Yunchu would do exactly as she wished.
If someone else had been standing here today, things might truly have gone her way. But today, the one standing here was Nan Lingyi—the person Shen Yunchu trusted without reservation.
Lowering her head, Shen Yunchu said, “Mom, I think Lihua is usually very well-behaved. And since the injury is on her face, it’s a serious matter. Of course we should go to the hospital.”
Old Madam Qiao instantly flew into a rage. Today she had truly been plagued by misfortune—not only had she been slapped twice and extorted, now this pair of mother and daughter wanted to escape her grasp as well?
Sister-in-law Li had been silent all along, but despite her carefree appearance, she was actually very perceptive.
What was more, Nan Lingyi had just said that Qiao Lihua looked like her descendant—so Shen Yunchu…
Sister-in-law Li gasped inwardly. Thinking of her husband’s instructions to build goodwill no matter what, she pulled Li Jiaojiao along and walked forward with a smile. “You must be Lihua’s mother. I’m Jiaojiao’s grandmother. I often hear Jiaojiao talk about Lihua.”
To a mother, nothing was more important than her child, so Shen Yunchu naturally remembered her child’s good friends. She quickly responded politely, “Lihua says she’s closest with Jiaojiao. Thank you for taking care of Lihua all this time.”
The two little girls held hands and smiled at each other.
Sister-in-law Li slapped her thigh and, without giving Old Madam Qiao any face at all, accused her straight to her face. “Usually, my Jiaojiao says Lihua always has injuries—one after another. I even asked Sister Qiao about it, and she said the child fell on her own. But today, I saw with my own eyes—it was Sister Qiao who shoved her!”
At this moment, because of the candy Nan Lingyi had handed out—candy being something precious in those days—many families pulled their children over to express thanks. They all overheard this exchange.
One by one, they widened their eyes, their expressions filled with suspicion.
Old Madam Qiao wished she could grab a needle and sew Sister-in-law Li’s mouth shut. Slapping her thigh, she began to cry loudly. “You’re framing me! Everyone in this courtyard knows how good I am to the child… I won’t bear to eat well or dress well myself, but whatever Lihua wants, I buy it for her…”
For a moment, the people in the courtyard didn’t know whom to believe. Having lived there together, however, they tended to trust what they themselves had seen and said, “That can’t be right. Old Madam Qiao is always so kind.”
A trace of smugness flashed through Old Madam Qiao’s heart. She had lived in this courtyard for so many years—not for nothing.
Sister-in-law Li’s temper flared at once. She had seen it with her own eyes—how could these people not believe her? She was just about to say more when Nan Lingyi grabbed her and shook her head.
After all, this was Old Madam Qiao’s territory.
Still, Nan Lingyi couldn’t stand seeing her smug expression. Looking at Old Madam Qiao, her smile not reaching her eyes, she said, “I wonder what you’d say if lawyers or the police came to investigate, old madam?”
That instantly scared Old Madam Qiao. She recalled hearing that in the northern part of the city, someone had killed another person, hidden the body deep in the mountains for the wolves to eat—and it was all still uncovered.
If what she’d done were investigated…
Nan Lingyi stayed there only because she was waiting for her daughter so they could take Lihua to the hospital together.
So she stopped entangling herself with Old Madam Qiao. She had managed to intimidate her for now, but she knew very well that even if she reported it, Old Madam Qiao’s actions would likely be treated as a family matter and resolved with mediation.
And she…
A dangerous expression appeared on the old lady’s face.
If that was the case, there was no need to bother with procedures. She would handle matters herself later. Mediation? That depended on who was being “persuaded.”
Nan Lingyi looked at Shen Yunchu. “Take the child to the hospital.”
Shen Yunchu naturally complied and left the courtyard with Nan Lingyi. Behind them, Old Madam Qiao’s face was dark with resentment—she felt that this daughter-in-law was due for another round of “disciplining.”
But suddenly, Nan Lingyi’s half-smiling face flashed through her mind, along with her earlier threat…
She decided she had better not act again for now and needed to be cautious.
Once they left the alley, Shen Yunchu looked at Nan Lingyi with complicated emotions. The old lady reached out and gently touched her head. “Yunchu, you’ve been wronged. Mom is back. From now on, you don’t need to force yourself anymore. Remember, whatever happens, Mom is here. Mom is your strongest support.”
Shen Yunchu burst into tears and laughter at the same time, repeatedly calling out, “Mom, I missed you so much…”
Sister-in-law Li wiped her tears from the side and urged, “Alright, there’ll be plenty of time to talk about everything later. Take the child to the hospital first—you must get Lihua thoroughly checked.”
(End of Chapter)