Chapter 11
The old man was still talking on the other end of the phone.
"Miaomiao, you were so pretty when you were little, such a sweet little girl. I haven't seen you in so many years, I wonder what you look like now. I heard you got into A University, no wonder you're Xiaoqing's child, Xiaoqing was just as smart as you back then..."
Wang Shuo looked at Yu Miaomiao with a questioning gaze, asking whose phone number it was.
Yu Miaomiao simply turned on the speakerphone.
“Xiaoqing has been stubborn since she was a child. We told her to go to a teacher’s college so she could get a good job, but she insisted on going to university and choosing her own major.”
The old man rambled on, as if lost in memories, “The same thing happened when I got married. That man surnamed Lu had no money and no house, but he insisted on getting married. He even broke off relations with me and stole my household registration book to get the marriage certificate.”
"Later, I was right. Xiaoqing disappeared while she was still pregnant. What a man..."
Wang Shuo deduced the old woman's identity from the conversation, and became wary. He shook his head seriously at Yu Miaomiao and whispered, "Don't believe her."
When Yu Miaomiao's mother passed away, Wang Shuo was in charge of handling the compensation. The huge sum of three million yuan made him witness the wickedness of human nature.
A group of relatives who had no connection to Yu Jianqing swarmed over, like flies trying to suck blood from the corpse. Among them, Yu Jianqing's mother, who was also Yu Miaomiao's maternal grandmother, was particularly disruptive.
According to Wang Shuo's investigation, the mother and daughter had not seen each other for at least three years, their relationship was extremely bad, and they were ruthless when they quarreled.
He did everything from disrupting the funeral hall and throwing a tantrum to splashing chicken blood at his doorstep, and even tried to abduct Yu Miaomiao.
Of course, the last one was stopped by Wang Shuo and the Enforcement Division.
Out of concern for the child's safety, he never told Yu Miaomiao about this grandmother, but unexpectedly, this person came to his door on her own.
Sure enough, the old man reminisced about the past, then changed the subject to the compensation.
"Oh, I just remembered, Xiaoqing's compensation money is frozen in your account and won't be released until her 18th birthday, isn't that today?"
"yes."
Yu Miaomiao wasn't surprised at all—receiving a call from her grandmother, whom she had never contacted before, on her birthday made her immediately guess the old woman's purpose, and she wanted to see what she was up to.
The old man's voice was filled with excitement, "That's good, that's good..."
"Miaomiao, you're just a little kid. It's not easy for you to manage so much money. You're likely to spend it recklessly. How about letting Grandma keep it for you?"
"Don't worry, Grandma is about to pass away. She doesn't want your money. She'll give it back to you as your dowry when you get married."
"...Miaomiao, what do you think?"
"Not very good."
The old man was taken aback and almost lost his kind tone, "You child, how can you talk to your elders like that?"
She tried to probe several more times, but Yu Miaomiao refuted her with a single sentence each time. Finally, she was so angry that she could no longer hide it and finally spoke her true feelings.
"You good-for-nothing, just like your mother, stubborn and unpleasant. You went to college and think you're so great!"
The voice was shrill, piercing straight to your head: "Don't think that just because your mother is dead, you're no longer a member of the Yu family! Let me tell you, this three million doesn't belong to you alone; it has to be divided among you, whether you like it or not!"
Even Wang Shuo was startled by this sudden change. He looked at Yu Miaomiao with concern, worried that she might be saddened or at a loss because of her relative's sudden change of attitude.
Yu Miaomiao's expression didn't change at all. She brushed a speck of dust off the tombstone with her finger and asked casually, "Really? Then how do we divide it?"
The old man thought the other party had finally given in, and his voice immediately became cheerful: "Of the three million, your eldest uncle and second uncle, and your three brothers, each will receive 500,000. Of the remaining 500,000, I will keep 300,000 for my retirement, and you can keep the remaining 200,000 for yourself."
This unthinking way of allocating the money shows that the old man had obviously thought about it many times beforehand.
“Miaomiao, your two uncles are in business and have many expenses. Your three older brothers also need money to get married and buy houses. 500,000 yuan per person is not much.”
She changed her tone, adding a reassuring tone: "You've just started university, so you don't have many expenses. You don't need to buy a house after graduation either; your in-laws can buy it for you. Two hundred thousand yuan is just right as a dowry."
The old woman was completely absorbed in her own daydream: "When the time comes, I'll just say that this 200,000 is from me, and together with my three brothers from my maternal family, we'll set up a business with my husband's family..."
Wang Shuo couldn't stand it any longer and shouted, "Yu Suhua, you wish!"
The old man's voice stopped abruptly, then rang out even more sharply.
"You persistent little brat, you've been blocking my way for twelve years now, how come you're still alive!"
Then, a series of vulgar words mixed with local dialect were used to precisely attack Wang Shuo's family tree and body.
He was a local and could understand the local dialect, but he couldn't refute it, and his fair, round face turned red with anger.
He kept emphasizing, "This money belongs to Miaomiao, you won't get a single penny..."
Finally, Yu Miaomiao grabbed the phone and said, "Yu Suhua."
She read out her grandmother's full name, not loudly, but both of them instinctively fell silent.
“This is the money the person who killed my mother paid as compensation. I don’t know how to use it, and you can forget about getting a single penny.”
Her voice, though devoid of any emotion, exuded an undeniable confidence.
"If you want, come and try it."
The call was abruptly ended, and the number was blacklisted.
Wang Shuo had gotten carried away with the argument, but he has calmed down now.
I said apologetically, "Miaomiao, I don't know how your information was leaked. Next time she calls you, just block her, and I'll handle it."
"Um"
"Don't listen to your grandmother's nonsense. Your mother almost severed ties with her back then, and you have no obligation to be filial to her."
"I know."
Wang Shuo observed Yu Miaomiao's expression, trying to find any trace of emotional fluctuation.
But there was nothing there; his face remained completely calm.
There was no heartbreak from relatives demanding money; no helplessness from being insulted; not even anger.
He felt an indescribable pang of heartache and guilt, and the words that had been buried in his heart suddenly burst out.
“Miaomiao, over the years, I’ve never seen you truly sad, nor have I ever seen you truly happy.”
The words were already out of his mouth, and he blurted them all out in one breath, his voice trembling:
“I regret that I didn’t ask someone to keep an eye on you during the years I was sent abroad.”
This is what Wang Shuo feels most guilty about.
Not long after Yu Miaomiao was sent to the orphanage, he was sent to the north for three years. When he returned, he went to visit the orphanage and met a Yu Miaomiao who was completely different from before.
As a child, Yu Miaomiao was physically weak and lacked demonic power, so she could only live in her original form most of the time.
When he returned, Yu Miaomiao was already nine years old and could maintain her human form for a long time, but she looked about the same age as a six or seven-year-old child.
Her skin was pale, her cheeks were shockingly thin, her chin was narrow and pointed, her light brown hair was draped over her shoulders, and her large, lake-green eyes were like glass beads, clear but without any luster.
Exquisite yet indifferent, like a lifeless doll.
This Yu Miaomiao won't turn into a kitten and hide in his pocket just because she's shy;
He wouldn't quietly ask where his mother was or why she hadn't come to pick her up.
She wouldn't secretly wipe away tears and say, "Uncle, I miss my mom."
She wouldn't squint her eyes and smile at him when she ate dried fish.
Yu Miaomiao accepted his gift and politely thanked Uncle Wang, but in a voice devoid of any emotion.
Wang Shuo got goosebumps.
He immediately returned to his unit to submit a report and check the surveillance video of the orphanage.
The results of his investigation enraged him.
A group of children used Yu Miaomiao, a kitten no bigger than the palm of their hand, as a punching bag, throwing it around and occasionally "accidentally" dropping it on the ground.
Put it under the tap and "bathe" it with cold water;
They used the kitten as a canvas, coloring its fur in various colors with crayons;
Or perhaps they use the excuse of practicing magic to use the kitten as a target, watching it run around the yard;
...
Wang Shuo felt heartbroken. Every time he called to inquire, he was told that everything was fine.
He went to his supervisor and demanded that the children who bullied Yu Miaomiao and the caregiver who had neglected her duties be dealt with seriously.
The leader just looked at this human subordinate with a strange expression, as if his request was some kind of fantasy.
The leader said, "Xiao Wang, you are human, so you may not understand. Among monsters, this is just a minor incident and doesn't need to be dealt with."
Even today, when recalling that time, Wang Shuo is still angry and helpless: "I contacted the Education Department, the Administrative Department, the Public Opinion Department, and the Law Enforcement Department, but no one wanted to handle this matter."
"I kept applying, and each time my application was rejected, I would apply again. After six months, perhaps my supervisor got tired of me and finally approved my application."
Yu Miaomiao was taken aback. She remembered that not long after Wang Shuo returned from his assignment, the little monsters who had bullied her the most suddenly disappeared, and the caretaker was replaced.
But at that time she was already in school, and the discrimination and bullying against her at the monster school had not stopped, ignoring the changes in the orphanage.
She looked at Wang Shuo, her eyes finally welling up with emotion. "Why...why didn't you tell me?"
Wang Shuo smiled bitterly, "It was my fault to begin with, and the damage has already been done to you. How can I have the face to talk about making amends afterward?"
In his view, his task was not only to manage the compensation money well, but also to protect Yu Miaomiao and ensure her healthy and happy growth. This was also his responsibility.
The main reason for this incident was his negligence.
Wang Shuo looked at the girl earnestly, "Miaomiao, I'm someone who did something wrong, and maybe I don't have the right to say this, but as your elder, I still want to say it."
The matter is in the past, and I hope you won't punish yourself for someone else's mistakes.
"If your mother saw you now, I don't know how heartbroken she would be."
……sad?
Yu Miaomiao looked at the tombstone with a puzzled expression. The bright afternoon sunlight shone on the clear and vivid photograph. The woman's bright eyes seemed to be gazing at her beloved daughter, just as they had twelve years ago.
Shouldn't her mother be proud of her?
She is so outstanding that she skipped three grades, was admitted to one of the best universities in the country at the age of 17, and achieved financial freedom on her own. The Demon Supervisory Committee, which has the strictest requirements in the Demon Department, is just a place that she can pass by following the rules.
Why are you sad?
Seeing Yu Miaomiao's expression, Wang Shuo knew his persuasion hadn't been very effective, and he sighed. Rome wasn't built in a day; such things couldn't be changed overnight.
The two returned in silence, and Wang Shuo drove Yu Miaomiao to the gate of University A.
In the passenger seat, Yu Miaomiao hesitated to get out of the car. After a long while, she said, "Uncle Wang."
The voice was barely audible, but Wang Shuo, being human, heard it. He exclaimed "Eh!" and his worried brows relaxed, revealing a hint of joy. The last time Yu Miaomiao called him Uncle Wang was probably a few years ago.
"Miaomiao, what's wrong?"
"This is not your fault, I have never blamed you."
Wang Shuo remained in a daze for a long time. He turned to the side, making a sniffling sound, and his eyes were red when he turned back.
Her voice was nasal as she spoke, "Miaomiao, thank you. I know you're a very kind person at heart."
Yu Miaomiao felt uncomfortable; such an atmosphere was rare for her, something she had never experienced before.
She unbuckled her seatbelt. "I'm going back."
"etc."
Wang Shuo got out of the car and took a box out of the trunk.
"This is a local specialty from my wife's hometown. I was planning to send it to you at A University sometime, but here you go."
As often as before, Wang Shuo would always send Yu Miaomiao something during holidays or seasonal events.
She took it.
"……Thanks."
Perhaps because she had said it to someone not long ago, Yu Miaomiao spoke very smoothly and clearly this time.
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