"Zhaozhi... thank you."
Yang Wenlan's voice was a little choked up.
Some people come here just to take away weights that others can't carry.
She knew in her heart that handing Zhenzhen over to Su Qingzhi and Gu Chuan was the best arrangement for him.
Her mother-in-law disliked her from the very beginning, speaking harshly and making sarcastic remarks at every turn.
When she proposed to adopt Zhenzhen, her mother-in-law smashed a teacup on the spot and cursed her as "a jinx who brings misfortune to husbands and children, and has a hard fate that brings harm to others."
She said she couldn't even keep her own marriage, so how could she be qualified to be a mother?
Forget about agreeing to the adoption, they even gave her a cold shoulder when asked to take care of Zhenzhen a little longer.
They disliked her for "causing trouble and disrupting the family."
She hated herself for being useless, powerless, unable to even hold onto a job, let alone protect a child.
Even so, she never let her guard down for a single day.
She could only do her best to take care of everything, from food and clothing to the smallest details of daily life.
Yang Wenlan knew that Zhenzhen was not having an easy time in the family compound.
On one occasion, she witnessed the neighbor's child snatch the only half-piece of bread from Zhenzhen's hand.
Zhenzhen didn't cry, she just silently picked up the scraps, put them in her pocket and said, "I can eat them if I get hungry tonight."
At that moment, her heart was breaking.
“Zhenzhen’s mother and I used to be best friends.”
Yang Wenlan suddenly spoke.
"She is gentle and doesn't talk much. She always speaks softly, but she is very kind and warm-hearted."
"Whenever someone is in trouble, she is always the first to rush to help; when a child is crying, she can hold and soothe them for an entire afternoon."
"But she... has such a hard life."
At this point, her voice suddenly became hoarse.
"She was already in poor health and had a cough since childhood. The doctor said she shouldn't overwork herself, but she was always the one who was most willing to endure hardship."
"Later, Zhenzhen's father sacrificed his life while on a mission. The day the news came back, she was holding Zhenzhen and breastfeeding her."
"The man suddenly collapsed to the ground, opened his mouth, and vomited blood. The bright red blood splattered on the baby's swaddling clothes, which terrified everyone."
"She didn't survive more than three days after being taken to the hospital. She passed away without leaving a single word."
"When she left, she held my hand and said that her biggest worry was Zhenzhen. She felt that she owed the child too much, that she couldn't give him a complete family, and that she couldn't be there for him as he grew up."
"Please, I beg you, please keep an eye on him, don't let him suffer, don't let anyone bully him, just let him grow up safely..."
By the end, her voice was trembling so badly that her words were barely audible.
"But I... I still couldn't do it."
Every night, when she closes her eyes, the image of Zhenzhen's small, thin figure appears in her mind.
She dreamt that he was huddled alone in a corner on a cold night, and that he was pushed away and fell to the ground.
She woke up in fright again and again, her pillow soaked through.
Su Qingzhi silently took out a handkerchief from her bosom and gently placed it in Yang Wenlan's hand.
"Sister Wenlan, you've already done enough. Some things can't be handled by you alone. Don't blame yourself. If Zhenzhen's mother knew, she would never blame you."
“Zhenzhen’s mother, Ahan, knows you best. If she is watching from heaven, seeing how much you have done for Zhenzhen, she will only be grateful to you and will never blame you in the slightest.”
“Zhenzhen actually remembers all the good things you've done for him. The more guilty you feel, the less he dares to smile, the more afraid he is of hurting you.”
“He’s young, but he’s very perceptive. He can sense your emotions. If he sees you’re sad, he’ll quietly hide away, not saying a word or making a fuss. He’s afraid his laughter will disturb you. Actually, he really wants you to be happier, to hug him like before, and to praise him with ‘Zhenzhen is so great.’ Your emotions are what he cares about most.”
Yang Wenlan sniffed.
"Zhaozhi, thank you so much. If you ever have any difficulties in the future, don't keep them to yourself, just come to me anytime. You also have two young children to take care of, so if you're too busy, just send them to me, and I'll look after them for you."
She paused, her eyes still red.
“I know Xiaobao and Zhouzhou well, so I feel at ease looking after them. Don’t think it’s a hassle. We’re both women and mothers, and we all know how tiring it is to take care of children. I see how much you support this family on your own. If you ever really can’t take it anymore, even if you knock on the door in the middle of the night, I’ll open it for you.”
She spoke sincerely; it wasn't just polite talk, but a genuine feeling that she considered Su Qingzhi someone she could entrust her future to.
"Then thank you in advance, Sister Wenlan."
Su Qingzhi nodded and did not refuse.
Refusing at this point will only make the other person more upset.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, Yang Wenlan took out a piece of red cloth from his pocket.
Inside lay a gold earring, uniquely designed and carved with a tiny flower.
"Zhaozhi, before Ahan left, she told me something."
She lowered her voice even further.
“Ahan is not their biological child. She was abducted by human traffickers and was later taken in by her current parents. This earring is the only keepsake left to her by her biological parents.”
“When Ahan told me this, her eyes were red. She always remembered that she wasn’t their biological child, but her adoptive parents treated her like their own daughter, and she never complained. It’s just… she wanted to know where her roots were.”
"She said that if Zhenzhen grows up one day and can find out his biological parents, he should tell them that Ahan is doing well and has not suffered."
“If they are still looking for her, tell them to stop. She has had a fulfilling life with the love of her parents, the affection of her husband, and the companionship of her son. She doesn’t want them to shed tears for her anymore.”
Su Qingzhi was stunned; now she understood.
No wonder Zhenzhen's grandparents didn't even want to look at him that day at the hospital.
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