Chapter 16 Yuan Dongmei
◎No one has ever praised me◎
Ji Jinmao had just been busy arranging Ji Zhao's place, and had to deal with Luo Yihui, Duan Yong, Feng Hongying and others. When he finally caught his breath, he found that Xu Songling and Zhao Xiangwan had already left. He hurriedly led his men to catch up with them, thanking them while giving each of them a box of homemade hotel cakes.
"Ji Zhao is my lifeblood. You risked your lives to save him. I am deeply grateful. I know that you police officers value integrity. This cake is just to fill your stomach. Tomorrow, I will come to your police station to present you with a banner."
Xu Songling was about to decline, but Zhu Feipeng took the cake without hesitation: "Cakes from the hotel? Great, great, I'm hungry after running around today, this food comes just in time."
Ji Jinmao personally handed the cake to Zhao Xiangwan, smiling attentively and cordially: "I don't even know your name yet."
"Zhao Xiangwan."
The sweet aroma of pastries wafts from the delicate paper bag.
Ji Jinmao was not tall, and had a chubby figure. He was almost the same height as the tall Zhao Xiangwan. The more he looked at Zhao Xiangwan, the more he liked her. His eyes sparkled with joy. "I'll treat everyone to a meal tomorrow. Please come and see me."
Zhao Xiangwan shook his head: "I have to go to class."
The management of the People's Public Security University is strict, and you have to ask for leave to go out, not to mention that she doesn't like this kind of social activities.
Ji Jinmao smiled and said, "Okay, okay, then just go to class and I'll have someone take you to your dormitory."
As for where Zhao Xiangwan studied and where her dormitory was, Ji Jinmao always found a way to find out.
Ji Jinmao went around in circles for a long time before finally getting to the point: "Student Zhao, Ji Zhao is refusing to eat now. He ignores anyone who talks to him. Can you please go and talk to him so that he can eat something?"
Zhao Xiangwan: "It's okay, Ji Zhao is resting now, just let him lie down and take a nap." When he wakes up, the scene may change.
Ji Jinmao tried hard to control his excited emotions, but his chattering voice reached Zhao Xiangwan's mind.
[She really knows! Dan Feng and I have raised him for twenty-one years, but we don't understand Ji Zhao as well as this girl. She can make Ji Zhao quiet, obedient, and sleep well. Oh my God! She is sent by God and is the savior of our family.
I don't know what she likes, how can I please her? Money, gold and silver jewelry, house, clothes... I don't know what young girls like nowadays. No matter what, I must make friends with her at any cost. If she can talk to Ji Zhao often, maybe Ji Zhao can get better slowly and live like a normal person. 】
Ji Jinmao asked cautiously: "Student Zhao, I wonder what you meant by saying to Ji Zhao earlier that the wind was so strong that the trees were shaking? How should we express this when we talk to Ji Zhao in the future?"
Zhao Xiangwan pondered for a moment and said, "This is a metaphor in psychology, using figurative things to express a state. When you communicate with Ji Zhao, try to use words as directly and briefly as possible."
At this moment, in Ji Jinmao's mind, Zhao Xiangwan was more powerful than those foreign psychologists who charged high fees. He repeatedly said: "Okay, okay, I'll listen to you. When you are free in the future, you must come to my house as a guest."
Zhao Xiangwan nodded.
Ji Jinmao asked again: "What did Luo Yihui say that was wrong? Why did you let someone detain him? What should we pay attention to in the future?"
Zhao Xiangwan did not answer the question immediately.
Luo Yihui obviously dislikes Ji Zhao and may be detrimental to Ji Zhao; but he is someone Ji Jinmao trusts, otherwise he would not have become Ji Zhao's personal assistant.
There are some things that can be discussed within the serious crime squad, but cannot be said to outsiders.
Xu Songling acted calmly. He saw Zhao Xiangwan's embarrassment and said seriously, "Mr. Ji, Zhu Feipeng and Zhao Xiangwan stopped Luo Yihui because they saw that Ji Zhao was emotionally unstable. As for what he said was not good, we don't know. The situation was urgent at the time and Luo Yihui was offended. I hope you don't blame me."
Ji Jinmao looked chubby and innocent, but he had been in the business world for many years and had become very experienced. He cupped his hands and smiled, "It's an emergency, it's okay. Everyone was trying to save people, I can't thank you enough, how can I blame you?"
Zhao Xiangwan could see Ji Jinmao's sincerity and reminded him, "Mr. Ji, why don't you first find out what Feng Hongying said."
What story did the landlord's idiot son tell? Why did it irritate Ji Zhao? How did he get used by Luo Yihui? This is the key.
When Ji Jinmao heard her words, his heart was stirred.
【I did find out the story that Aunt Feng told. A stupid son of a landlord, he was well taken care of by his parents since he was young, wearing gold and silver. When his family fell into poverty, no one paid attention to him, and he froze to death alone in the winter. Could it be that Ji Zhao understood and was worried that after I died, he would be left alone and unable to live? Ji Zhao didn't like to communicate with others since he was a child, and I don't know why he was suddenly stimulated by this story. When Dan Feng is better, I will take Ji Zhao to see a psychologist abroad to find out the reason.】
It was late at night and a cold wind was blowing outside the hotel entrance.
Ji Jinmao shook his shoulders and smiled: "This story is a bit long, would you like to go upstairs and sit for a while?"
This girl is so smart, it's a waste of talent for her to be just a criminal police, it's better to keep this talent by your side. Ji Jinmao decided to recruit people himself and strike the snake while the stick is still there. In short... the most important thing is to coax this lovely girl in front of him.
Hearing Ji Jinmao's plan, Zhao Xiangwan was a little amused and waved his hands.
Ji Jinmao became more and more interested in Zhao Xiangwan. Being able to remain calm in front of him might be because he was too young to understand the importance of wealth, but being able to control curiosity and not ask questions was true wisdom.
He laughed, took out a black card, and stuffed it into Zhao Xiangwan's hand without saying anything: "Student Zhao, I'm giving you a card to play with. The Ji family welcomes you anytime."
The hotel entrance lighting is soft, the black card material is special, and it glows with a mysterious light. The golden rice ears in the center and the dandelion lace around it reflect the dazzling light in the corridor.
A bright light flashed and blinded Zhao Qingyun's eyes.
Zhao Qingyun had been paying attention to Ji Jinmao's movements. When he saw the black card stuffed into Zhao Xiangwan's palm, his throat seemed to be stuck. It took him a long time to squeeze out a sentence: "Black card..."
The membership cards of Four Seasons Hotel are divided into gold card, silver card and blue card. The blue card offers 10% discount, the silver card offers 20% discount and the gold card offers 30% discount. The Four Seasons Hotel membership cards are issued to the rich and powerful, so the gold card has become a status symbol for the wealthy in Hunan Province.
Above the gold card, there is the black card. Issued by Ji Jinmao himself, it is for the top VIPs of the Four Seasons Hotel, and all consumption in the hotel is free. Many people want to get one but cannot. Even Zhao Qingyun, who has heard of the name of the Four Seasons Hotel black card for a long time, has never seen one in person.
However, Zhao Xiangwan now holds a black card given by Ji Jinmao himself!
Zhao Qingyun's scalp was numb, and his body was cold and hot. What kind of background and ability did his biological daughter have? She actually made the richest man in Xing City and the old fox in the business world, Ji Jinmao, try so hard to please her!
——Zhao Xiangwan is far more valuable than he thinks!
When Zhao Qingyun realized this, he was overwhelmed with deep regret. Thinking of the opportunity to become Zhao Xiangwan's kin just now, but missing it because of a moment of hesitation, Zhao Qingyun's face darkened, and he looked at Zhao Chenyang coldly: "You'd better explain the matter clearly!"
If it weren't for Zhao Chenyang and his greedy parents, Zhao Xiangwan would have been taken in to be raised eight years ago. The person standing beside her and greeting Ji Jinmao today and showing off the black card in the circle of wealthy people would be him, Zhao Qingyun!
Although Zhao Chenyang is young, he has heard of Ji Jinmao because he has always been with his parents for social events. Today, when he saw him speaking humbly to Zhao Xiangwan, he couldn't help but feel jealous and hateful. Zhao Xiangwan is just a wild girl who grew up in the countryside. How could she deserve to be treated so politely by the richest man in Xing City?
I have lived my life over again, snatched away the resources that originally belonged to Zhao Xiangwan, and tried my best to suppress her growth, but I still can't reach her level. This feeling is simply too painful!
Hearing Zhao Qingyun's cold words, Zhao Chenyang gritted his teeth and cursed Zhao Xiangwan for showing up at this time instead of earlier or later. Zhao Qingyun and Wei Meihua were very realistic. They would recognize which daughter they would adopt, not based on which one was their biological child, but on which one was more useful.
Previously, because she was engaged to the Xu family, which would pave the way for Zhao Qingyun's career in the future, they did not recognize Zhao Xiangwan immediately. But now Zhao Xiangwan somehow got in touch with Ji Jinmao, and Zhao Qingyun might have some ideas.
In order to avoid being driven back to the countryside, Zhao Chenyang tried hard to force a smile and replied respectfully: "Dad, I just found out about this recently..."
After listening to Zhao Chenyang's words, Zhao Qingyun fell into deep thought.
Zhao Xiangwan took the black card without realizing how valuable it was. He only felt that the dandelions and rice ears on the card were painted very realistically. He knew it was Ji Zhao's handwriting, so he put it in his pocket and said, "Thank you."
Through the glass door of the Four Seasons Hotel, Zhao Xiangwan caught a glimpse of Zhao Qingyun whispering with Zhao Chenyang. His eyes dimmed and he left with everyone without stopping.
The more you long for your biological parents, the more disappointed you will be when you actually meet them.
The art of mind reading sharpened Zhao Xiangwan's heart to be strong and resilient. After just one quick glance, he decided to let go of his previous obsessions and walk his own path with peace of mind.
When I got back to school, it was almost time to turn off the lights in the dormitory. I quickened my pace and walked into the dormitory building. I saw my roommate Zhang Yalan standing at the window of the dormitory management office on the first floor answering the phone.
Zhang Yalan was from Xing City. She was a city girl who loved to talk, laugh and dress up. She gave people the impression that her family was well-off and her life was going smoothly. But tonight, she had tears on her cheeks and was choking up at the microphone.
"Mom, don't cry. You have to take good care of yourself when I'm not at home."
"Yes, I am a girl, but is that something I can decide? Does being a boy change anything?"
"If you don't want to live, then don't live. I've told you countless times, but you won't listen!"
Zhao Xiangwan pretended not to hear and walked around Zhang Yalan to the staircase. However, Zhang Yalan's crying heart made her stop.
[Incompetent! An incompetent mother, a father who beats people when he is drunk, Zhang Yalan, oh Zhang Yalan, you act crazy and silly every day, what's the point? What's the point?! You can't do anything, you can't help anything! Even if I study at the Public Security University, can I call the police to arrest my father? Can I help my mother get on her feet? No! Nothing! ]
It turns out that the seemingly heartless Zhang Yalan has a suffocating family.
With one foot on the stair step and the other on the first floor platform, Zhao Xiangwan turned his head to look at Zhang Yalan who was on the phone.
Zhang Yalan had already hung up the phone and met Zhao Xiangwan's gaze blankly. As if she had thought of something, Zhang Yalan hurriedly wiped away her tears and tried hard to force a smile.
Unfortunately, just as her mouth opened, tears began to fall uncontrollably. Zhang Yalan finally lost control of her emotions and walked towards Zhao Xiangwan while crying. She reached out her hand to hold the sleeve of her tweed coat and called out pitifully, "Zhao Xiangwan..."
Zhao Xiangwan patiently looked at her hand holding his sleeve and asked, "What do you need me to do?"
Zhao Xiangwan's attitude was a little cold, but as they had lived in the same dormitory for nearly half a year, Zhang Yalan knew that she was cold on the outside but warm on the inside, and as long as they were honest with each other, it would not be difficult to get along with her.
Zhang Yalan finally found someone to confide her deep thoughts to: "Zhao Xiangwan, can you go home with me after the exam tomorrow? I want you to help my mother."
Zhao Xiangwan walked upstairs and led Zhang Yalan to the water room on the third floor. There was still half an hour before the lights in the dormitory building were turned off. It was quiet and deserted here, with only one fluorescent light on.
Zhao Xiangwan asked: "How can I help?"
Zhang Yalan's tears have stopped, but her voice is still nasal: "I want my mother to divorce, but she has always been unwilling. Can't you identify lies through micro-expressions? I want to know what my mother is thinking, and I want to help her."
Zhao Xiangwan glanced at her in surprise.
In the early 1990s, people’s concept of marriage was: divorce is bad for reputation, and you should just get along for life. If a couple wanted to divorce, people in the workplace would advise them to be patient for the sake of their children. After divorce, the children would either be without a father or a mother, how pitiful. How could a child advise his parents to divorce?
Zhao Xiangwan shook his head: "This is your family affair, outsiders cannot interfere."
Zhang Yalan looked anxious and explained very quickly.
"I am an only child. My father works in a construction company and manages many workers. My mother used to be a salesperson in a state-owned store, but because of the restructuring and contracting, she quit her job and now only cooks and cleans the house at home.
Since I was in high school, my father became arrogant after making money. He drank all day and made a fuss about my mother not giving birth to a son. He beat my mother until her head was bleeding. My mother cried when she was beaten, and when I tried to persuade her, she blamed me for not being a boy.
After I was admitted to the university, my parents were the only ones left at home. My mother told me that my father had found another woman outside and urged her to divorce him every day. My mother refused, saying that she couldn't let me be looked down upon by others.
Speaking of this, Zhang Yalan's eyes were filled with sorrow and tears welled up in her eyes.
"We used to live a peaceful and tranquil life as a family of three, but ever since my dad started making money and my mom quit her job, life has changed. My mom is now obsessed and always feels that she is rejected because she didn't give birth to a son. She lives like a sinner every day. She even begged my dad, saying that as long as they didn't divorce, he could do whatever he wanted. Even if he had a son outside, she would have no complaints and would bring the child home to register him and she would raise him."
Zhao Xiangwan got a headache after hearing this.
When interrogating Wang Qiankun's wife Cao Caiyan, Cao Caiyan kept saying that her husband's infidelity was all the fault of the mistress, and that the family could be saved if these shameless women were eliminated. Now Zhang Yalan's mother is even more humble, and as long as they don't get divorced, she is even willing to raise the child born by the mistress.
What makes a woman's "self" distorted like this in marriage?
Zhao Xiangwan sighed: "If even you can't persuade your mother, what can I do?"
Zhang Yalan's eyes were filled with admiration and trust: "You are different, you are Zhao Xiangwan. You helped Teacher Zhou find the kidnapped baby, and helped Officer Xu solve the case of the headless female corpse, and were commended by the principal. You are so amazing, you will definitely be able to find the real problem between my parents. I am their daughter, and I am easily affected by my emotions, and I can't see many things clearly. Please help me, please..."
Zhao Xiangwan was still a little hesitant.
As the saying goes, it is better to demolish a temple than to destroy a family. Zhang Yalan's parents have a deep grudge against each other. Whether it is to repair the relationship between husband and wife or to divorce cleanly, there are too many things involved. Although Zhao Xiangwan is precocious, she is only an 18-year-old girl after all. It is inappropriate for her to interfere in her classmate's family problems.
Seeing Zhao Xiangwan hesitate, Zhang Yalan lowered her hands and said softly, "I'm sorry, I made things difficult for you."
After saying that, Zhang Yalan stopped begging, walked out of the water room, walked through the long corridor, pushed open the dormitory door and walked in.
The fluorescent lights in the corridor had been used for a long time, and the tubes had turned black. In the dim light, Zhang Yalan's shoulders slumped, her back was not straight, and her steps were a little slow. It was obvious that she was worried.
Something touched Zhao Xiangwan's heart.
The face of my junior high school teacher, Ms. Mei Xinhui, suddenly appeared before my eyes.
Zhao Xiangwan scored 100 points in her elementary school graduation exam. She knew that her adoptive mother Qian Shufen would not let her continue her studies, so she took her report card to Huangtian Township Middle School and asked for help from Teacher Mei, the head of the first grade group.
When she met teacher Mei Xinhui, Zhao Xiangwan felt uneasy. Although she had the ability to read minds and could hear her inner sympathy and compassion, to be precise, Zhao Xiangwan had not yet registered at the school and could not be considered Mei Xinhui's student. Whether to help her or not was entirely up to her.
Mei Xinhui could have easily refused Zhao Xiangwan's request for help.
Zhao Xiangwan was just an ordinary rural girl. What did Mei Xinhui have to do with her education? It was so difficult to get a pair of parents who favored boys over girls to agree to let a girl continue to study and to bear the cost of her education and future!
However, Mei Xinhui listened patiently to Zhao Xiangwan's explanation of the situation without any hesitation. She took the initiative to contact the principal of the primary school, the director of the Zhaojiagou Village Committee, and the director of the Women's Federation, and brought these people to Zhao Xiangwan's home. She explained the situation to Qian Shufen and Zhao Erfu with reason and emotion, and promised to pay for Zhao Xiangwan's tuition. Only then could Zhao Xiangwan continue his studies.
Without the help of teacher Mei Xinhui, Zhao Xiangwan would have dropped out of school at the age of twelve. Like other girls in Zhaojiagou, she would have worked on the farm for a few years and then gone out to work. When she reached marriageable age, she would have returned to the village to get married and have children. She would never have had the opportunity to be admitted to the People's Public Security University, combine mind reading with criminal investigation techniques, and become a good assistant to Xu Songling, the captain of the Criminal Investigation Brigade of Xing City Public Security Bureau.
Is Zhang Yalan's request for help today the same as Zhao Xiangwan's request back then, where she was forced into a desperate situation and had no choice but to ask for help?
Zhao Xiangwan remembers very clearly that Mei Xinhui once said to him with a smile: "Zhao Xiangwan, don't be afraid, there are still many good people in this world."
Mei Xinhui, Xu Songling, Zhou Qiaoxiu, Zhu Feipeng... Yes, there are still many good people in this world.
Thinking of this, Zhao Xiangwan strode into the dormitory, walked to Zhang Yalan's bed, and whispered to the drawn bed curtain: "Zhang Yalan, I will go home with you tomorrow."
brush--
The beige bed curtain was suddenly opened. Zhang Yalan was surprised and delighted, her eyes full of emotion: "Really?"
Zhao Xiangwan nodded: "Yeah!"
Zhang Yalan, wearing a sweater, jumped down from the upper floor and shouted excitedly: "Zhao Xiangwan, you are so nice!"
When the weekend came, Zhao Xiangwan and Zhang Yalan went home together.
Zhang Yalan's home is located in a community in the west of the city, which takes about an hour to get there by bus.
After getting off the bus, the two walked side by side, and Zhang Yalan introduced the basic situation of her family as they walked.
"This is the housing my father was assigned when he worked at the Municipal Engineering Bureau. My family and I moved in when I was six years old. It has two bedrooms and a living room. Although the kitchen and bathroom are small, it is still quite comfortable for a family of three to live in."
Zhao Xiangwan asked: "He used to work in the Engineering Bureau? Where does your father work now?"
Zhang Yalan answered, "I'm working at Xu's Construction Company now. Xu's Construction Company is the largest private construction company in our Xing City. The boss's surname is Xu. He used to be a leader in the Engineering Bureau. Later, he resigned and started his own company. It's getting bigger and bigger. Half of the construction projects in Xing City are undertaken by Xu's. My father used to be the foreman under Mr. Xu. The two of them have a good relationship. I have been working with Mr. Xu since he resigned and started his own company."
Xu's Construction Group? A familiar name. It seems to be Zhao Chenyang's backer, Zhao Qingyun's future in-law? However, Xing City is only so big, and there will always be some intersections between people, which is not surprising.
Zhao Xiangwan turned his attention to this unfamiliar neighborhood.
The community is laid out in an ordinary row-and-column pattern, but the landscaping is very beautiful. There are tall and lush camphor and magnolia trees on both sides of the road, and the rose plums are fragrant in the flower beds between the buildings. Even in winter, the community still feels full of vitality.
Zhang Yalan saw Zhao Xiangwan's eyes resting on the plum blossoms in the flowerbed and said with a smile, "You like plum blossoms? I like them too. They smell really good."
Zhao Xiangwan nodded: "We don't have plums in our countryside."
The first time Zhao Xiangwan saw amaranth was in high school. He remembered that there were many of them planted in front of the school building. He was amazed when he smelled the fragrance of amaranth for the first time.
Zhang Yalan's attention was distracted, and she began to mutter to Zhao Xiangwan about the stories of her visits to the park and flower-viewing when she was in school. Before they knew it, they had arrived in front of Unit 2, Building 11.
Zhang Yalan's excited and cheerful mood suddenly became depressed.
"Well, I live on the first floor, and my mom should be cooking dinner at this time. I called home before I came back, and my mom knew I would bring my classmates with me."
Zhao Xiangwan saw that Zhang Yalan was feeling uncomfortable when she approached the house, and knew that she wanted to escape from this suffocating family. He smiled and comforted her: "Okay, then I'll try the food your mother cooked."
The two girls entered the house. Zhao Xiangwan put on the cotton slippers handed to her by Zhang Yalan and observed the furnishings in the house.
The floor of the old house is paved with light blue flower tiles, the door and window frames are painted sky blue, the curtains are green and yellow, and the flower glass reflects the sunset, which has a unique beauty. The decoration is a bit old, but it is very clean. The wooden sofa in the living room is padded with a mosaic cotton cushion, and the red telephone on the square table in the corner is covered with a piece of hook-shaped white gauze.
Hearing the noise at the door, a middle-aged woman wearing a floral cotton shirt slowly walked out of the kitchen. She had an apron tied around her waist, a spatula in her right hand, and a gentle smile: "I'm back."
Seeing Zhao Xiangwan, her smile became even more enthusiastic: "Is it Zhao Xiangwan? I often hear Yalan mention you, welcome."
[In the three years of high school, I never saw Yalan bring a classmate home. I didn't expect that she could make friends in just half a year in college. This is a good thing. This girl looks simple and steady, which is good. ]
Hearing the heartfelt welcome from her classmate's mother, Zhao Xiangwan greeted her politely: "Hello, Auntie. Sorry to bother you."
Zhang Yalan was a little worried at first, because she was afraid that her mother would treat her classmates badly, and she was also afraid that Zhao Xiangwan would dislike her mother. Now that she saw that the two of them were getting along well, she finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Mom, is the meal ready? We are all hungry."
Yuan Dongmei was thin, with no flesh on her cheeks, a deep wrinkle between her brows, and purple bruises on her forehead and mouth. When she heard her daughter crying out that she was hungry, she hurriedly said, "I'm cooking now. Please wait a moment."
Zhang Yalan stood in the entrance and took a look. She pointed to the place where the dressing mirror used to hang in the shoe cabinet and asked curiously, "Mom, where is the mirror?"
Yuan Dongmei looked at her daughter carefully and said hesitantly: "I, I accidentally broke it and didn't have time to replace it."
[Her father got drunk and got violent again yesterday. It took me a whole day to clean up the house. Yalan said she was going to bring her classmates back. I was busy buying groceries and cooking and didn't have time to change the mirror. I just hope... Yalan doesn't blame me.]
The broken mirror, the scratched forehead and mouth, the unnatural walking posture - all these combined, combined with Zhang Yalan's words that her father would hit her when he was drunk, Zhao Xiangwan was sure that Yuan Dongmei had suffered domestic violence last night. No wonder Zhang Yalan shed tears when she was on the phone with her mother last night, both out of heartache and hatred, right?
Zhang Yalan is slightly nearsighted, but she usually doesn't like to wear glasses, so she didn't notice the injury on her mother's face when she entered the house. When she changed into slippers and walked into the house, she saw her mother face to face and was stunned for half a second.
"Mom, you..."
Yuan Dongmei lowered her head, raised her elbow to cover the injured cheek, and forced a smile: "I'm fine, I fell when I entered the house, the mirror was broken, and my face was scratched, I'm fine, I'm fine."
[Her father didn't hit me hard yesterday. He just pushed me and slapped me twice. I don't know if he was kind or if he finally realized that his wife is better at home. What's there to be afraid of if he has a woman outside? As long as he doesn't mind that I gave birth to a girl and is willing to come home from time to time, I will be satisfied.]
Although he had heard Zhang Yalan talk about his mother's blind loyalty, Zhao Xiangwan still felt heavy-hearted when he heard what Yuan Dongmei was thinking with his own ears.
Your husband is abusive, but you still feel grateful because the beating was not too lenient on one occasion?
Even though her husband cheated on her, she still reflected on her sin of not having a son, and would be content if she only wished that he would come home from time to time.
Zhang Yalan obviously didn't believe what her mother said. She walked over to her mother and carefully checked the wound on her mouth. She was so angry that her teeth itched: "My dad beat you, right? Mom, don't be stubborn and break up with him! I will graduate in three and a half years. When I graduate and get a job, I can get a salary and I will support you."
Yuan Dongmei avoided her daughter's touch unnaturally: "What nonsense are you talking about? Your classmates are still here."
Zhang Yalan put her hands on her mother's shoulders without saying anything: "Mom, I'm telling you the truth. You're so pitiful. Zhao Xiangwan is my good friend. I won't hide anything from her."
Zhang Yalan's movements were quite large, and her knee hit Yuan Dongmei's right leg. After a muffled groan, Yuan Dongmei's face was distorted with pain.
Seeing Yuan Dongmei's face turn pale, Zhao Xiangwan felt something was wrong, so he stepped forward to support her lower back, and when she stabilized her body, he withdrew his hand and said to Zhang Yalan, "Auntie's foot is injured, help her sit down quickly."
Without giving Yuan Dongmei the chance to object, Zhang Yalan pushed her to sit on the sofa. She rolled up her trouser legs and found that her knees were covered with a large piece of gauze, with blood seeping out of the gauze.
Zhang Yalan squatted in front of her mother, her eyebrows knitted into a line: "Mom, why didn't you tell me last night that you were so badly injured?"
Yuan Dongmei raised her hand and touched her daughter's head, saying softly, "I'm fine. It's just that the mirror broke and it scratched my skin a little. I can handle it myself and it won't affect my work. I'm a free person and I don't have much to do at home. What else can I do besides buying groceries and cooking?"
Zhao Xiangwan took the spatula from Yuan Dongmei: "Auntie, let me make dinner, you take a rest."
Yuan Dongmei waved her hands hurriedly: "Don't
No, you are a guest and it is your first time at home. It is not right to let a guest do anything."
[It's just a cut, it's nothing. Two years ago I broke two ribs, and last year I had a ruptured spleen. I was hospitalized for half a month, but they were all healed, weren't they?]
Hearing this, Zhao Xiangwan's heart shrank: "It's okay, leave it to me."
Zhao Xiangwan was already standing on a stool or stove to cook when she was six years old. It was just frying a few dishes, which was not a difficult task for her.
When it was six o'clock and it was getting dark, Zhao Xiangwan quickly prepared the three dishes and one soup prepared by Yuan Dongmei and placed them on the dining table.
Stir-fried beef, shredded pork with sweet potato vermicelli, scrambled eggs with garlic leaves, and pork ribs and radish soup.
Yuan Dongmei had only cooked a pot of soup and had already cut and prepared the rest of the vegetables, waiting for her daughter to come back and start cooking. She had never expected that Zhao Xiangwan, the guest, would be so quick and efficient, serving the dishes in just ten minutes, and she couldn't help but praise him, "You are such a capable child."
After saying this, Yuan Dongmei turned around and patted her daughter's head weakly, sighing, "You, you can't do anything. What are you going to do in the future?"
Zhang Yalan tilted her head unconvincedly: "In the future, I want to be a career woman, not a housewife like you."
Yuan Dongmei's eyes dimmed a lot, and it was obvious that she knew her daughter looked down on her as a mother.
[What else can a woman like me do besides housework? Yalan can get into college and get a salary as a police officer in the future, but what about me? I used to be a salesperson selling sweaters. After I got off work, I did housework at home. I can't do anything except cleaning the house, buying groceries and cooking.
Her father often disliked me, saying that I couldn't even give birth to a son, and that I was a sinner because I didn't leave an heir for the Zhang family. What else could a sinner like me do if I didn't do housework at home?
Yalan always says that she raised me, but that's just childish talk. She will fall in love and get married in the future, and a married daughter is like water spilled out of the water. It's useless to bring a useless mother like me with her. It's better for her to stay at home alone. As long as her father comes back every now and then and gives me some money every month, I will be satisfied. 】
After hearing what Yuan Dongmei was thinking, Zhao Xiangwan roughly understood why she lived such a humble life.
First, lack of sense of value.
Perhaps because she had no contact with society after retiring as a housewife, Yuan Dongmei's sociality weakened after returning to her family, and it was difficult for her to gain a sense of value from the outside world. The feedback she received about her status and meaning all came from the evaluation of her husband and daughter.
Her daughter Zhang Yalan lived in the school dormitory during high school and was only at home on weekends and holidays. In addition, she had a carefree personality and was completely unaware of her mother's inner needs, so she was unable to give Yuan Dongmei the praise and affirmation she needed.
Her husband Zhang Shihu was used to Yuan Dongmei's efforts, and he didn't think it was a great thing for her to keep the house clean and tidy and to have hot meals when she came home. He lacked respect in his words. After he made money, his personality changed. He liked new things and hated old things. He was picky and did his best to suppress her.
As a result, the message Yuan Dongmei gradually accepted was that she was a useless person and did not deserve the care, love and respect of others.
Second, Stockholm Syndrome
Zhao Xiangwan once saw a case when he was researching in the library. In 1973, a bank robbery occurred in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. The criminals took four bank employees hostage. After a six-day standoff, the police rescued the hostages but found that they had developed sympathy for the kidnappers, refused to accuse them, and were hostile to the police. Therefore, in criminal psychology, this kind of obedience and loyalty between hostages and kidnappers in order to survive under the threat of death is named "Stockholm Syndrome" [1].
Although Yuan Dongmei was not Zhang Shihu's hostage and did not experience death threats, she was subjected to domestic violence for a long time and had no one to turn to for help. In order to survive, she had to behave as obediently and loyally as possible, and gradually developed a dependent mentality in her life.
I was beaten so hard that my ribs were broken and my internal organs were bleeding. But this time I was only slapped twice, which was a blessing.
Once you have been humiliated and belittled, giving you some money occasionally is a sign of care.
Although Zhang Yalan wanted to help her mother, she only knew the surface and not the inside, and she set too high expectations on her mother. Therefore, Yuan Dongmei treated her suggestion of "Divorce, I will support you" as a childish remark.
Support? How? With no house to live in and no money to spend, how can a freshly graduated college student support his mother? Life is so long and changes are everywhere. The three words "I will support you" sound light, but it is extremely heavy to do.
Zhao Xiangwan took a sip of the pork ribs and radish soup and praised with a smile, "It's really delicious." The soup stewed by Yuan Dongmei was indeed delicious, with a strong meaty aroma and the sweet taste of radish.
Zhang Yalan's mother would cook all kinds of soup every time she went home. She had long been accustomed to it. When she heard Zhao Xiangwan praising her mother's soup, she drank two sips in confusion, raised her eyebrows, and muttered to herself: Is it delicious? It's just so-so.
Zhao Xiangwan's praise was simple and soothing, and a warm current flowed through Yuan Dongmei's heart.
After all these years, it was the first time I heard someone brag about his cooking skills. Yuan Dongmei smiled brightly and desperately put food into her bowl: "Come on, come on, eat more if you like it."
Zhang Yalan opened her mouth, but Zhao Xiangwan stopped her with a look.
Zhao Xiangwan ate a lot of dishes. Although she didn't talk much, her expression was relaxed, her eyes were slightly narrowed, and she looked comfortable and enjoying herself. She expressed her affirmation of Yuan Dongmei's cooking skills with her actions. Occasionally she made one or two comments, and each one touched on the point that Yuan Dongmei was most looking forward to.
“The beef is very tender.”
Yuan Dongmei explained happily: "Yes, you have to pat the starch in advance and control the heat well, otherwise it will be overcooked."
“The sweet potato vermicelli is really tasty.”
Yuan Dongmei happily imparted cooking tips: "Soak the potato starch in advance, then marinate it with soy sauce and salt so that it can absorb the flavor."
"Zhang Yalan is so lucky to have a mother like you."
…
These words touched Yuan Dongmei's heart. She suddenly put down her chopsticks and covered her face with tears.
Zhang Yalan panicked and clung to her mother's shoulders and asked, "Mom, what's wrong with you?"
Tears flowed from her fingers, and Yuan Dongmei said in a muffled voice: "I have been doing hygiene and cooking for so many years, and your grandma, your dad, and you, no one has ever praised me."
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