Chapter 46 Love is never an illness
Chen Lin, Shen Guodong, and Zhang Hua were invited for tea by the police for spreading rumors and received a good talking-to.
Gu Yushu sent Chu Pei to Shen Zhen's hometown to warn Chen Lin and the others that if they continued to speak recklessly, Shen Huai would suffer even more in prison.
Chu Pei had people keep an eye on them back in his hometown. If they said anything out of line, someone would come knocking on their door that very night, beat them up, and cut off their entire family's livelihood. Chen Lin, Shen Guodong, and Zhang Hua knew they had really messed with them this time, so they completely behaved themselves back in their hometown and dared not say another word.
...
The trending topic did have some impact; after returning from the hot spring resort, Tuantuan gradually became less interested in going to school.
At first, Shen Zhen thought Tuantuan was just being lazy and stayed home, so she patiently coaxed her and took her to the hospital every day. Gradually, she noticed something was wrong. Every day when Tuantuan came back, she would have some injuries on her arms and legs. Tuantuan also had nightmares at night and often woke up crying in the middle of the night.
Shen Zhen then realized the seriousness of the situation; Tuantuan might have been bullied at school! Those parents probably saw the trending topic and said something to their children that Tuantuan was being bullied!
Shen Zhen forced herself to calm down, squatted down and looked into Tuantuan's eyes, trying to ask in a calm tone, "Tuantuan, do your arms and legs hurt?"
Tuantuan lowered her head, not daring to look directly into Chen Zhen's eyes. Her little hands kept fidgeting with the hem of her clothes, and she murmured, "It... doesn't hurt..."
Shen Zhen picked up Tuantuan and sat her down on the sofa. She held Tuantuan in her arms, gently stroking her arm, blowing on it, and said softly, "Mommy will blow on it, and the pain will go away. Tuantuan, aren't you afraid? Can you tell Mommy how it happened?"
The fluffy head hung low, its eyelashes fluttered, and its expression was conflicted.
Shen Zhen held Tuantuan's little hand, gently squeezing her palm, her eyes full of concern. "Tuantuan, don't tell Mommy, Mommy will worry. Trust Mommy, we'll solve anything together."
Tuantuan's eyes immediately reddened, and she mustered her courage to stare at Shen Zhen and ask, word by word, "Mom, why are all the other children's parents 'Mom and Dad,' but mine is 'You and Aunt Shu'? Are you sick?"
Shen Zhen's heart clenched. Tuantuan was being discriminated against because of her and Yu Shu! Her nose stung slightly, and she hugged Tuantuan gently, saying, "Tuantuan, when we grow up, we'll have people we like. Mommy likes Aunt Shu, just because she's a person, not because of her gender, understand? Love is never a disease."
Tuantuan's little brows furrowed, her eyes brimming with tears, and she said aggrievedly, "But my classmates all say they won't play with me. Their mothers said they'd give me this disease so they'd stay away from me..."
Shen Zhen felt as if her heart was being gripped tightly by a large hand, the pain making it hard to breathe. Her little Tuantuan was still so small, yet she had to endure all of this.
Shen Zhen put Tuantuan down and looked into her eyes seriously, saying, "Tuantuan, this isn't an illness. This is Mommy's own choice, and no matter what, it's no excuse for them to hurt you, understand?"
"Mom will intervene with the teacher. If anyone bullies you again, you must learn to stand up for yourself. You are Mom and Aunt Shu's child, and we love you just as much as any other parent. You are no less than anyone else, understand?"
Tuantuan nodded, seemingly understanding, "Mom, don't worry, I know. Next time they bully me, I'll beat them all up! My mom isn't sick, and neither am I!"
Shen Zhen smiled and ruffled Tuan Tuan's hair. She hadn't expected that the trending topic would also hurt Tuan Tuan. She needed to contact the teacher to prevent the bullying from continuing, as it would harm Tuan Tuan's physical and mental health in the long run.
After finally coaxing Tuantuan to sleep, Gu Yushu leaned against the door and waited quietly for her. "Zhenzhen, Tuantuan's teacher said she would be coming to visit in a few days."
Shen Zhen was taken aback. Tuantuan's teacher contacted Yu Shu? Why hadn't she contacted her? She pursed her lips, slowly walked to Yu Shu's side, and threw herself into her arms. "Yu Shu, Tuantuan was bullied at school because of me..."
Gu Yushu hugged the person in his arms tighter and comforted her softly, "Zhenzhen, let's talk about it after we've met with Teacher Tuantuan. Maybe we can get Tuantuan into a better school. This is something I've been wanting to mention to you before."
The school Tuantuan is currently attending isn't in a very good district; many of the students are left-behind children, and the parents' overall education level is not high. Actually, Yushu had wanted to transfer Tuantuan to another school before, but considering that Tuantuan had already adapted to this school, she didn't want to put pressure on her.
It seems that we should transfer Tuantuan to a better school instead of letting her stay here.
Shen Zhen nodded. "Okay, let's hear what the teacher has to say about what happened."
Before the teacher's home visit, Shen Zhen asked Tuantuan for a few days off. Shen Zhen stayed home with Tuantuan during the day, and when she needed to write, she would take Tuantuan to the hospital to see her grandmother so that Tuantuan could play with her grandmother for a while.
Tuantuan's emotions gradually stabilized. Although she still didn't want to go to school, she wasn't having nightmares as much anymore. Shenzhen promised her that when Aunt Shu had time, she would take her to the amusement park.
A few days later, with a mix of trepidation and excitement, Teacher Zhang rang the doorbell of the villa.
Hearing the sound, Shen Zhen put down the water pipe and went straight to the door. When she saw that it was Teacher Zhang, who was arrogant and haughty, Shen Zhen immediately smiled and politely welcomed her in.
The large courtyard was lush with flowers, plants and trees, clearly well-maintained.
Teacher Zhang was stunned by the sight before her. The garden was well-designed with flowers and trees arranged in a harmonious and orderly manner, and many precious flowers and trees were planted brightly in the garden.
She knew it! The first time she saw Tuantuan's aunt, she knew she was no ordinary person. Now, looking at that family's circumstances, they could easily outshine the big shots in City A, let alone ordinary people. No wonder Tuantuan wears international brands or clothes with unidentifiable brands; she had thought they were high-quality replicas, but it turned out they were genuine or custom-made.
Teacher Zhang's eyes were filled with excitement. Opportunities to meet such people are rare, and this time she had to specifically intercept the homeroom teacher to come over.
For some reason, Teacher Zhang thought of the tragic past of Shen Zhen that was mentioned online, and she concluded that Gu Yushu must like the innocent and naive type.
Teacher Zhang raised her lips slightly and quietly pulled off the hair tie, letting her black hair fall loose behind her head. She looked innocent and a little timid, which made her seem pitiful.
Shen Zhen welcomed Teacher Zhang inside. She was taken aback when she noticed that Teacher Zhang had let her hair down, but her expression quickly returned to normal. With a smile, she said, "Teacher Zhang, please have a seat. Coffee or tea?"
Teacher Zhang sat upright on the sofa. "Coffee, please. It'll help me stay awake. I'm feeling sleepy since I didn't take a nap at noon."
"Okay, just a moment." Shen Zhen called out to the kitchen, "Zhang Ma, coffee."
“Yes, Madam,” came Zhang Ma’s warm and respectful voice from the kitchen.
Hearing this, Teacher Zhang couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. How could Shen Zhen, a mother herself, still have the president of Gu's Group so devoted to her?
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