Chapter 289 Overwhelming Compassion

She had a smile on her face, looked clean and tidy, like a girl next door, and her voice was crisp and clear: "Why didn't you give me a heads-up before you came? You scared me!"

Li Hongmei was immediately at a loss, her face turning red to her ears. Clutching the bag in her hand, she stammered, "I... I just happened to be passing by... and thought I'd grab some fruit. You... you should try some."

Upon hearing this, Liu Piaopiao immediately smiled and took her arm, acting very affectionately: "Oh, Sister Li, you're too kind! Who brings fruit when passing by the art troupe? You clearly came on special occasion! Come, come, come into my room. I just boiled some water and will make you a cup of hot tea to warm you up."

As soon as Li Hongmei entered the dormitory, her heart skipped a beat.

That unease shot straight up from the soles of my feet, like a cold wind seeping into my bones through my trouser legs.

She stood at the doorway, her fingers still resting on the doorframe, but her eyes had already quickly scanned the furnishings inside.

The white walls were spotless, the windows were clean and bright, and the sunlight slanted in, casting a soft band of light on the floor.

The sheets on the bed were folded neatly with sharp corners, just like the "tofu blocks" folded by new recruits in the army, so meticulous that one dared not touch them.

Several thick books were neatly arranged on the table, their spines sturdy and their covers clean, without a single crease.

The most eye-catching item was the blue and white porcelain teacup, placed on a bamboo coaster. Its glaze was smooth and its patterns were elegant, clearly indicating that it was not something an ordinary household item would use.

She only glanced at it, and her heart sank even further—this place was so clean it didn't seem like a place for everyday life; it looked more like a ritual.

"Sit here."

As Liu Piaopiao spoke, she pulled a wooden chair from beside the desk, her movements swift yet unassuming.

She picked up the glass, walked to the kettle, unscrewed the lid, and poured water with astonishingly steady hands, producing a long, even stream of water without spilling a single drop.

When the cup was handed to Li Hongmei, wisps of steam rose up, blurring her glasses.

"Sister Li, what brings you here today?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but her tone was like needle and thread, meticulously sewing into Li Hongmei's heart.

Li Hongmei took the cup with both hands, her fingertips touching the warm glass, when suddenly her heart ached.

She lowered her head, not daring to look Liu Piaopiao in the eye.

The emotions that had been building up in my chest for days were slowly soothed away by this cup of warm water.

She tried to hold back, but her eyes suddenly welled up with tears, which welled up like spring water thawing.

She opened her mouth, her throat tightened, but the words flowed out like a river bursting its banks.

"Comrade Fang, I really... have nowhere else to go."

Her voice was as soft as the wind, yet trembled violently. "Every day I get up before dawn and walk through the frost to open the kindergarten. I'm the last one to leave at night, and even after the lights are off, I'm still wiping the floor and washing the toys. I take on all the chores at the kindergarten, no matter how dirty or tiring. I coax those kids to eat, change their diapers, sing and dance with them—I care about them more than my own daughter!"

She paused, tears finally falling onto the back of her hand. "But Wan Yin... she absolutely refused to budge, not uttering a single word about me staying! I begged and pleaded, but she pretended to be deaf and dumb, as if she didn't hear me!"

Liu Piaopiao listened silently without interrupting, but gently took out a handkerchief and handed it over.

The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, the smile so faint it was almost invisible, as fleeting as morning mist, impossible for anyone to catch.

But Li Hongmei still sensed it—it wasn't a perfunctory smile, but a knowing smile that came from seeing through the ways of the world.

"Sister Li, don't rush, tell me slowly, what exactly happened?"

Her voice was soft and gentle, like a light rain falling on tiles on a spring night, soothing the other person's anxiety little by little.

Li Hongmei took the handkerchief and hastily wiped away the tears on her face.

"I really did do exactly as you said, giving it my all."

She choked back tears, her voice filled with grievance and resentment. "I'm more diligent and hardworking than anyone else. Even Political Commissar Li's wife, when she passed by the kindergarten and saw me sweeping the yard, grabbed my hand and praised me for being 'capable' and 'hardworking.' But what about Wan Yin? She heard it, but acted as if she didn't hear it. She saw me busy running around, but acted as if she didn't see me either. I brought up the matter of becoming a permanent employee a few times, and she dismissed me with a single sentence: 'Wait a little longer, the quota hasn't been released yet.' But this wait has lasted for half a year! There's still no sign of it!"

She became more and more agitated as she spoke, her eyes growing redder and redder until they were almost bloodshot. "I finally understand now—she looks down on me, her sister-in-law from the countryside, from the bottom of her heart! She thinks I'm unsophisticated, uncultured, and unworthy of this garden!"

Liu Piaopiao gently patted her back, her palm warm and rhythmic.

Her voice was as soft as cotton, every word filled with tenderness: "Sister Li, don't get upset and harm your health. I understand you're feeling wronged. But we need to calm down and talk things through together to figure out what's wrong. Is something going wrong?"

"I really don't understand!"

Li Hongmei suddenly grabbed Liu Piaopiao's hand with such force that her fingertips turned white.

Those hands trembled as if a drowning person were clinging to a piece of driftwood, yet they refused to let go.

“Comrade Fang, you are literate and knowledgeable. Take a look and tell me what I did wrong? Was I too impulsive? Was I not efficient enough in my work? Or... should I not have worn these old clothes to see her?”

Her tears welled up again, and her voice trembled, "I followed all the rules, so why can't I stay? Is it because I came from a remote mountain village that I'm destined to be an 'outsider' for life?"

Liu Piaopiao lowered her head, her long eyelashes drooping down and obscuring her eyes.

The light in the room suddenly dimmed, and the shadows of the trees outside the window swayed on the wall like a silent riddle.

She was silent for a few seconds before slowly speaking, her words deliberate and deliberate, as if she were carefully choosing each word before uttering them: "Sister Li, have you ever thought about it...? Director Qiao, it's not that she doesn't want to keep you, it's that... she's afraid to keep you?"

"You dare not?"

Li Hongmei was suddenly stunned, her brows furrowing tightly, as if she had heard some unbelievable story.

She stared at Liu Piaopiao, her eyes full of doubt. "What do you mean? She's just a kindergarten director, doesn't she have any say in things? Does she think someone can control her and stop her from doing things her way?"

Liu Piaopiao lowered her voice, making it so soft that it could almost be heard by whispering in someone's ear.

She glanced towards the door to make sure no one was passing by before continuing, "Think about it, who is she now? Qiao Wanyin, the wife of Political Commissar Li, a military officer's wife, and also the principal of a kindergarten. Everyone is watching her. What does someone like that care about most? Not ability, not hard work, but reputation."

She paused, her gaze sharpening. "If she keeps a childcare worker from the countryside, what will people say? Will they say she's nepotistic? That she took bribes? Or that she's overly compassionate and doesn't follow the rules? Once these rumors spread, how can she hold onto her position as principal?"

Seeing that Li Hongmei was still confused, she continued softly.