“Say it! Tell him to cut off contact, just like I told you.”

Wang Yaqin gritted her teeth, pointed at Yuan Qiang, and stared fiercely at her daughter.

It was as if he had given her a death order, forcing her to obey him.

Mao Xiangling shook her head, looking at her mother with eyes full of fear. She couldn't bring herself to say it, and she didn't want to.

"Fine! Since you won't listen to your mother, I'll die in front of you, and you don't need to bury me."

Let me rot and decay in this room until I stink to death.

Go with them!

Wang Yaqin took the scissors, raised her arm, and stabbed herself in the neck.

"Mom! I'll talk! I'll talk! I'll talk..."

Mao Xiangling threw down the rolling pin, ran over, grabbed her mother's hand, collapsed to the ground, and shouted loudly.

Her face turned a peach-pink, and her messy hair, damp with sweat, bounced up in front of her forehead.

The bloodshot veins in her eyes spread out with the tears, making the tears seem pink as well.

"Then let's settle things with them exactly as Mom said, word for word."

Mao Xiangling stood up, stared into Yuan Qiang's eyes, and took a few steps closer.

Her lips trembled, and her nasal cavity had long since lost its ability to breathe due to crying.

He said in a hoarse voice:

“Yuan Qiang....... From today onwards, I will never see you again........ I will never have any contact with you again........ And don’t come looking for me again.”

"Let's...let's break up from this moment on. From now on...we'll each go our own way..."

Mao Xiangling forced herself to suppress her grief and stop her body from trembling any longer.

She could see the despair and helplessness in Yuan Qiang's eyes when she said those words.

But she had no choice but to do it, because her mother was the only family she had left in the world.

Yuan Qiang felt a chill run down his spine after hearing Mao Xiangling's words.

He could no longer contain his grief, and tears were already streaming down his face.

This was not the outcome he wanted. On his way here, he thought that after today, the two of them could be together openly.

They can get married, have children, and even stay together for life.

But his dream shattered at that moment.

"Xiangling, is what you're saying true? I don't want to! I don't want to be cut off completely, and I don't want us to go our separate ways."

Yuan Qiang wanted to go over and take her hand.

As soon as she took a step, Mao Xiangling called out:

"Stop right there! Move!!! Move now!!!"

She pointed to the door, crying out in anguish, her emotions completely collapsing.

Yuan Qiang withdrew his leg, stunned for a few seconds.

Seeing that both sides would suffer losses, Yuan Zhijiang knew there was no point in staying any longer.

This only made Wang Yaqin more agitated, in case something really happened to her.

This is what truly severs the bond between the two children; even if they can be together, a thorn will forever remain in their hearts.

He patted his son's arm and pulled him towards the door.

Yuan Qiang staggered as if his soul had been drained, feeling as if he were walking on cotton.

That kind of mixed sense of unconsciousness is like the soul being numbed by opium in ancient times.

His father pulled him open the door, and he turned his head to take one last look at his beloved.

Isolated from the world by that door, the iron gate of the courtyard finally slammed shut with a loud bang.

The only sounds coming from inside the house were sobs and cries of grief.

Yuan Zhijiang pushed his son onto the Liberation truck, enduring the pain in his forehead, and turned the key to open the door.

The bumpy dirt road in the alley was even more difficult to walk on than when we came.

Inside the room, Mao Xiangling knelt on the ground, burying her face in her hands and crying.

Wang Yaqin breathed a sigh of relief. She put down the scissors and sat on the sofa for a long time.

The sight of gifts scattered all over the ground was so jarring, and the beautiful pictures on the tin cans were as irritating as a raging flood.

She got up and was about to reach out to pick up the items one by one and throw them out the door.

Mao Xiangling, her eyes red, stared intently at her mother and said:

"The person is gone, can't you even keep this? Keep it! Consider it my last memento."

Her tone was calm and low, and her resolute demeanor seemed to brook no doubt from anyone.

Wang Yaqin had never seen her like this before. She silently withdrew her hand and walked towards the kitchen.

Looking at the gifts scattered on the ground, Mao Xiangling's tears dried up, leaving her with no more tears to give.

She got up, picked up the carefully chosen gifts, and went back to her room.

Yuan Qiang returned home and locked himself in his room, refusing to eat for a whole day.

When Yuan Zhijiang and his wife saw their son like this, they were afraid that something had happened.

He stood outside and kept knocking on the door.

"Son, if you're feeling down, tell Dad what's bothering you."

Please don't do anything foolish. Your mother and I can't handle any shock or fright.

"Son, say something! Mom made your favorite noodles, have a bite."

"Take a bite, go back inside, and then go to sleep."

The couple stood outside for a long time, but there was still no movement from inside.

Fearing something was wrong, Yuan Zhijiang was about to kick open the door to find out what was going on when Yuan Qiang opened the door.

"Yes, it's good that you're out, it's good that you're out."

"Hurry downstairs for dinner. Your mom has been busy for ages preparing a meal that will suit your taste."

Seeing that Yuan Qiang was alright, the couple were relieved and quickly pulled their son towards the kitchen.

Yuan Qiang remained silent, simply burying his head in his food, finishing three bowls in a row.

"Son, eat slowly. There's plenty more in the pot!"

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