After Gan Yingzi stammered out the whole story to Gan Li, she nervously twisted the hem of her clothes with both hands, her heart pounding with anxiety. She secretly glanced at Gan Li's face and saw that the latter's expression was ashen, which made her even more uneasy.
What if the manager gets angry and kicks her out of the restaurant? If that happens, she'll probably never find a better job here again.
Gan Yingzi was terrified and quietly awaited Gan Li's 'judgment'.
Gan Li was indeed very angry, but not at Gan Yingzi; she was angry at Yingzi's mother—as a mother, instead of guiding her child onto the right path, she actually taught her daughter to steal!
Just then, a voice rang in my mind—
[Ding—System mission issued: Save a wayward girl! Complete the mission to receive 20 merit points!]
Ganli: "..."
【Hey Xiao Ma, the terminology used in your system is getting more and more abstract.】
Maria popped into her mind and said confidently:
[What's wrong with that? It's not like only prostitution counts as falling into prostitution!]
Ganli: "..."
Forget it, why is she arguing over a lychee?
Gan Li snapped out of her daze and looked at Gan Yingzi in front of her. Seeing the worry and fear on the little girl's face, she quickly understood what Gan Yingzi was thinking.
Gan Li admitted that Gan Yingzi did not make a good impression on her at first, but after spending time with her, she felt that the girl was not a bad person at heart.
So she softened her voice and comforted the anxious girl in front of her:
“Yingzi, I’m glad you told me about this. It shows you understand right from wrong and you’re a good girl.”
"Shopkeeper..." Gan Li's rare gentleness made Gan Yingzi feel flattered. She timidly raised her head and saw Gan Li's trusting expression. Her fear immediately dissipated, and a hint of joy appeared on her face.
But in an instant, it turned into worry: "Shopkeeper, but I'm afraid my mother won't give up so easily..."
"Are you worried that your mother will force you to steal money again?"
“Even if she doesn’t force me to steal money, she’ll still force me to do other things.” Gan Yingzi’s expression darkened. “As long as it benefits my uncle’s family, she won’t care whether I’m willing or not.”
"So do you think your mother did the right thing?"
Gan Li's seemingly casual remark was like a boulder, instantly shattering the emotions that Gan Yingzi had been suppressing for so long.
She burst into tears, shaking her head violently: "I don't want to! If my mother hadn't forced my father, he wouldn't have died so young!"
Gan Li was shocked to hear this. She knew that Yingzi’s father had died young, but now that she heard this, could there be other hidden stories?
Gan Yingzi had already started speaking, and it was as if a floodgate had been opened. Without Gan Li asking, she told the whole story of what happened back then.
“My… my father was indirectly killed by my mother and my uncle… my father… he… was an honest man, he loved my mother and me. Our family was doing quite well back then, we would slaughter a sheep every winter…”
Gan Yingzi choked back tears as she recalled the events.
Every winter when they slaughtered sheep, her mother always thought of letting her uncle's family have a taste of the delicacy. Her father thought that it was just a small gift to make his wife happy, so he never refused.
One year, the snow fell particularly heavily, and her mother insisted that her father take the freshly slaughtered mutton to her uncle's house. Her father couldn't refuse his mother, and thinking that the distance wasn't far, he went.
As a result, the snow on the road was too thick and the road was slippery. Her father fell and hit his head on a rock... and that's how he died.
“My uncle… my uncle’s family lives in the next village, but my father… died, and they… made an excuse that the snow was too heavy, and they didn’t even come to the funeral…”
Gan Yingzi cried even harder as she recounted this: "My mother wasn't angry at all. She even said that the snow was so thick, what if my uncle also..."
Gan Li listened quietly, feeling even more sympathy for the child. Her mother's favoritism and blind filial piety had caused the death of her husband and made Gan Yingzi experience the pain of losing her father at a young age.
“My mother has no sons. After my father passed away, she relied more and more on her own family. She always felt that I was going to get married and become someone else’s family. In the future, only her nephew would be able to take care of her in her old age. So she tried even harder to please my uncle’s family, wishing she could move all her belongings there.”
Gan Yingzi wiped away her tears, her voice tinged with resentment: "But my uncles and their family don't really care about my mother at all!"
Unfortunately, her mother acted as if she didn't know anything and was still wholeheartedly thinking about her own family. She would give even a needle from the house to her uncle's family.
She used to steal and rob people in the village because her mother had taken everything from her home. She was too young to do anything else, so she had to make a living that way.
After arriving at the restaurant, I gradually came to understand that those things were wrong through what I saw and heard.
"Shopkeeper, I know I made mistakes before, and I want to change. But... but I'm afraid my mother will pressure me again..."
Gan Li looked at the thin, frail girl before her, her heart filled with mixed emotions. Compared to Gan Tao, Gan Yingzi seemed to have a stronger personality; perhaps this task would be much simpler for her.
Gan Li had an idea. She raised her hand and patted the little girl's shoulder reassuringly, her tone firm: "Yingzi, don't be afraid. Leave this to me. I'll go and persuade your mother."
Gan Yingzi was overjoyed to hear that her mother was willing to help her, but then she bit her lip, shook her head, and smiled bitterly: "My mother is too stubborn. What if she refuses..."
"Oh, right, I was just about to ask you, what if she still can't understand?"
Gan Yingzi was momentarily stumped by the question.
Seeing the little girl's conflicted expression, Gan Li smiled indifferently: "Never mind, you don't need to make a decision now. We'll talk about it after I've met your mother."
She wanted to resolve the matter, but she didn't go to find Yingzi's mother immediately. Instead, she deliberately waited two or three days before calling Gan Yingzi back to the village together.
When they arrived at Yingzi's house, Ganli didn't let her come with her, but instead went to knock on the door herself.
Yingzi's mother happened to be home. When she saw Ganli, a look of panic flashed across her face, and she hurriedly welcomed her in.
Before she could exchange pleasantries, Gan Li cut to the chase: "Yingzi's mother, I caught you red-handed in instigating Yingzi to steal the restaurant's shadow."
Upon hearing this, Yingzi's mother's face immediately changed, and she stammered, trying to deny it: "Manager Gan, what... what are you saying? How could Yingzi possibly do such a thing? Besides, when did I instigate her..."
Gan Li sneered, "Yingzi has already confessed, and she sent the stolen silver to your brother. I'm here today to ask you, are you planning to pay it back yourself, or do you want me to go to your brother's house to ask for it?"
Seeing that Gan Li spoke earnestly, and considering that her daughter had never disobeyed her, Yingzi's mother immediately believed her, thinking that Gan Yingzi had really stolen the silver. But the stolen silver hadn't been given to her!
She was furious: "That wretched girl! She stole the silver and hid it away! I'll beat her to death when she gets back!"
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