Chapter 172 Daya, why don't you recognize your mother anymore?
Lin Guizhi let out a burp, wiped her greasy lips haphazardly on her sleeve, and then remembered the important matter.
His eyes swept around the room.
When her gaze fell on Daya by the kang (a heated brick bed), Daya's eyes lit up for a moment, then dimmed completely as if she had been doused with cold water.
Throughout the entire ordeal, the woman's eyes were only on the meat on the table; she showed not a trace of surprise or longing.
Xia Qianqian felt utterly cold upon seeing this scene. This was hardly a family coming to claim a daughter.
Daya secretly glanced at Lin Guizhi and saw that she was still staring at the remaining slices of meat on the table, biting her lip tightly.
She used to think that it was because she wasn't obedient or capable enough that her mother abandoned her.
But ever since she started following Xia Qianqian, she gradually realized that she was wrong.
She only swept the yard clean, and her mother would smile and pat her head, praising her as a capable little helper; she was afraid of the dark at night, so she would always secretly place a small oil lamp by her bedside, the wick turned up bright; when it got cold, she always wore her new cotton-padded jacket before other children, and it was a high-end one bought in the city.
These acts of kindness never required her to tiptoe to please them; they were as natural as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west.
Steam welled up in my eyes. It wasn't that she wasn't good enough; it was that this woman simply didn't deserve to be a mother.
Lin Guizhi was completely unaware that the atmosphere in the room was off. Back in the military family compound, she was always like this. She didn't need to say a word; as long as she stood there, Da Ya would come running over like a little dog begging for food to massage her legs and shoulders.
This time will definitely be the same. She has even already imagined what the scene will be like later.
Daya cried and threw herself into her arms, shouting, "Mommy, I missed you so much!" Lu Zheng and Xia Qianqian watched from the side, and had to give her some face.
The more she thought about it, the smuger she became. She was calculating her options, thinking that this little girl was quite lucky to be living a life with meat at every meal in the Lu family!
I was originally thinking of coaxing them a bit and taking them away, but now it seems better to stay here for the time being.
The Lu family is doing so well, she has to get some benefits before she leaves.
After all, Daya has worked for them for so many years for free, doing laundry, cooking, and taking care of the children—all of which are physically demanding jobs. Shouldn't they compensate her, their mother?
Lin Guizhi secretly glanced at the meat and dishes on the table, then at the new cotton-padded jacket hanging on the wall, her eyes practically overflowing with greed.
Lin Guizhi waited for a long time, but not only did Daya rush up to her and act cute, she didn't even hear her say "Mom".
Her fake smile crumbled, her face darkened, and she glared impatiently at Daya: "Daya! Are you blind? Didn't you see Mom's here? Are you mute?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Da Ya, like a frightened little animal, shrank back behind Xia Qianqian, her little hands tightly gripping the hem of Xia Qianqian's clothes.
"Hey! You little brat!" Lin Guizhi was completely enraged. She took two steps forward with her hands on her hips, her voice rising eight octaves, "I raised you all these years for nothing, and now that you're successful, you don't even recognize your own mother? You ungrateful wretch!"
Xia Qianqian pulled Da Ya closer to her, and she could clearly feel the girl's body trembling in her palm. It wasn't fear, but anger and grievance.
Just then, Daya suddenly peeked out from behind Xia Qianqian, her little face flushed red, tears welling up in her eyes: "I don't have a mother like you!"
Lin Guizhi was stunned, as if she hadn't heard her clearly: "What did you say?"
"I said! I don't have a mother like you!" Daya said, her voice trembling with tears, but each word was clear.
"My mom is Qianqian's mom! Go away! I don't know you!"
Xia Qianqian's heart clenched. She had never seen Daya like this before. The child, who usually spoke softly, was now like a cat with its fur standing on end.
She looked down at the girl in her arms. Tears were already streaming down Daya's face, but she bit her lip tightly, refusing to cry out. She just kept repeating, "Qianqian is my mother..."
Lin Guizhi was completely stunned, then flew into a rage: "You've gone too far! I'll tear your mouth apart!"
As it spoke, it lunged at him, baring its teeth and brandishing its claws.
Lu Zheng, who had been holding back for a while, stepped forward to block Xia Qianqian, his eyes as cold as knives: "Get out!"
Lin Guizhi trembled at his intimidating aura, but still retorted defiantly, "I'm her biological mother! What right do you have to stop me from disciplining my daughter?!"
"The biological mother?" Xia Qianqian stood up, holding the trembling Daya. "Was it the biological mother who abandoned the child?"
"How can you talk like that?" Lin Guizhi glared at Xia Qianqian, convinced that this woman was the one instigating things behind the scenes. Otherwise, why would her perfectly good daughter not recognize her own mother?
She suddenly sat down on the ground and began to wail, wiping away non-existent tears with her hands, but deliberately raising her voice so that everyone in the inner room could hear her.
"Da Ya! My poor daughter! I had no choice back then! Your father sacrificed his life, and the pension was swindled away. We were starving to death, so I gritted my teeth and remarried! How could you listen to outsiders and hate your mother in your heart?"
After crying for a while, Lin Guizhi caught a glimpse of Daya still huddled behind Xia Qianqian, not even raising her head. Her anger flared up instantly.
It seems this girl has really been corrupted!
She secretly glanced at Xia Qianqian and saw that she was wearing a clean cotton coat and had a perm with big waves. The more she looked at her, the more she looked like a vixen!
No wonder she kidnapped her daughter!
With a change of heart, she looked at Daya again. This girl would be eleven years old after the New Year. She had started to grow taller, and her features had matured, making her a pretty girl.
Old Wang from town asked a matchmaker a few days ago to say he was willing to pay twenty yuan and two bags of flour to buy a sensible and capable child bride for his lame son…
Lin Guizhi's gaze swept over Daya, as if she were sizing up livestock waiting to be sold.
Daya has been doing laundry and cooking since she was little, and she can also help take care of children. Isn't she the perfect candidate?
Thinking of the twenty yuan and the white flour, her heart suddenly raced, and she forgot to even cry out. A greedy smile even crept onto her lips.
Seeing this, Lin Guizhi's eyes darted around, and a plan came to her mind.
She scrambled over and grabbed Daya's wrist. Daya pulled back as if burned, her little hand turning red from the effort.
Lin Guizhi, however, refused to let go, and her voice suddenly softened: "Da Ya, in three days it will be the anniversary of your father's death. Don't you want to burn some paper money for him and kowtow to him?"
“Dad…” Daya’s body stiffened suddenly, and she slowly loosened her grip on Xia Qianqian’s clothes.
She looked up at Lin Guizhi with teary eyes, her lips trembling as if she were making a difficult decision.
Xia Qianqian's heart jumped into her throat. She knew how much Daya missed her sacrificed father and had said before that she would visit his grave when she grew up.
Sure enough, Da Ya sniffed and slowly stepped out from behind Xia Qianqian, saying in a soft but unusually firm voice, "I'll go."
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