Chapter 23
Sometimes you have to admit that you can tell whether a person's heart is good or bad just by looking at their face; otherwise, there wouldn't be the saying "the face reflects the heart."
At this moment, Wu Tingting's face looked sharp and mean.
"You can only blame yourself for this! Blame yourself for being selfish!"
Wu Tingting looked at Aunt Tuanzi with resentment, as if the one who had done wrong was not herself, but the other person.
She said angrily, "Do you remember how I begged you back then? I knelt down and kowtowed to you, I cried and begged you to give me the child... You know perfectly well that I can never have my own child in this life, and all I'm asking you to give me is one child. It's not like you can't have children. If you want, you and my brother can have several children!"
"I only have this one request, but you just won't agree!"
Finally, she concluded: "In the end, this is all your own fault. If you had agreed to my request back then, why would I have needed to secretly take the child away? None of this would have happened today."
Aunt Tuanzi was stunned by her logic. She said, "Just because you can't have children, does that mean I have to give my child to you? What kind of logic is that?"
Wu Tingting replied matter-of-factly, "I'm my brother's sister, so his child is my child. What's wrong with giving me one of his children? I wouldn't mistreat a child!"
She glared at Aunt Tuanzi and said, "How good were you to me and my mom? And what did you do in return? Since you're unwilling, then I'll just have to take it from you myself!"
Aunt Tuanzi only knew that her sister-in-law was spoiled rotten by her former in-laws, becoming arrogant and rude. However, she had no idea that the other party's thought process was so incredibly unconventional.
She reached out and pressed her dazed head to calm herself down.
"...And then what? You had countless opportunities to tell me this fact!" Aunt Tuanzi began, "but you just watched me search for my child everywhere, watched me travel across mountains and rivers, watched me search for thirteen whole years!"
When she mentioned the number "thirteen years", her tone couldn't help but carry a hint of grief and indignation—thirteen years! How many thirteen-year periods does a person have in their life?
Her most vibrant and passionate thirteen years were wasted on the search for her child because of the Wu family.
Aunt Tuanzi choked back tears, saying, "How could you do this? Wu Hao, you were my husband back then, how could you treat me like this? How could you do something so vicious?"
When the child was lost, she insisted on searching for him. Even years later, when Wu Hao couldn't hold on any longer and wanted to give up and asked for a divorce, she never blamed him. But now, a surge of resentment suddenly erupted in her heart.
She resented her ex-husband's concealment and his cruelty.
Wu Hao fell silent. Wu Tingting said, "Don't talk about my brother. My brother also thought about telling you... but who told you to keep insisting on finding the child?"
She said unhappily, "We originally thought that as time went by, this matter would gradually fade away, and you and my brother would have another child. Then we would slowly reveal this to you. But who knew you would be so stubborn?"
They had a good plan.
That's right, Li Ru will definitely find it hard to accept the loss of her child at first, but with time, these things will eventually fade away. Then, Li Ru and her brother can have two more children. With new children by her side, Li Ru will eventually be able to forget about the child who was "lost" before.
After all, it was just a one-year-old child. They had only been together for a year since birth. How deep could the bond between mother and child be?
However, they misjudged Li Ru's stubbornness.
One year, two years, three years...
Seven or eight years have passed, but Li Ru remains stubborn and shows no sign of changing her mind. She is still unwilling to have another child with her husband, unwilling to forget the "lost" child, and insists on continuing the search.
They saw no sign of giving up on her whatsoever.
Under these circumstances, the Wu family dared not tell Li Ru about this matter. Given Li Ru's stubbornness, if they really told her, her family would surely be torn apart.
Since that's the case, they can only continue to keep it a secret. Anyway, Li Ru wouldn't recognize Bowen as her child, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, she'll never find out the truth in her lifetime.
But who knew that an unexpected incident would occur?
Wu Hao closed his eyes and said, "I knew it. This can't be kept a secret forever. Sooner or later, you'll find out."
He looked at Aunt Tuanzi and said in a hoarse voice, "Li Ru, believe me, I really didn't mean to hide it from you. I only found out about it later. I did think about telling you, but I didn't know how to tell you..."
In addition, his mother and sister knelt down and begged him, which led his sister, Wu Tingting, to attempt suicide by cutting her wrists.
On one side was his mother and sister, and on the other was his wife with whom he shared a bed... During that time, Wu Hao didn't know how he got through it, but in the end, he obviously chose his family.
Aunt Tuanzi wiped away her tears and said, "I won't let this go. Xueya is my child, and I'm taking him with me!"
Upon hearing this, Wu Tingting immediately exploded. She grabbed Wu Xueya beside her and shouted, "You're dreaming! Let me tell you, Bowen is my child! He's not your son anymore!"
As she spoke, she turned to look at Wu Xueya and said in a hoarse voice, "Bowen, right? You'll stay by your mother's side, won't you?"
Wu Xueya stared at her blankly, his mind a complete mess.
He is thirteen years old (actually fourteen, and already knows how to distinguish right from wrong). He heard and understood the argument between his mother and aunt. In other words, his aunt is his biological mother, while his current mother is actually his aunt.
Wu Xueya glanced at Aunt Tuanzi subconsciously, and it was just like him, which led Wu Tingting to misunderstand.
"Smack!"
Wu Tingting slapped him across the face. She glared at him fiercely and demanded, "Do you want to acknowledge that woman as your mother? Don't forget who has fed and clothed you all these years, and how much I have sacrificed for you. Have you forgotten?"
Wu Xueya covered her face, looking at her with a trembling expression, and subconsciously apologized: "...I'm sorry, Mom."
Wu Tingting stared intently at him and said, "You must remember, I am the only one who is your mother. Have you forgotten? For all these years, you have been calling me 'Mom'..."
"Wu Tingting, what did you do? How could you hit the child?" Aunt Tuanzi rushed over anxiously and angrily. She reached out to touch Wu Xueya's reddened face and asked with concern, "Xueya, does it hurt?"
Before her hand could even touch anyone, she was shoved hard.
Wu Tingting glared at her fiercely and said, "You think I'm being kind? Let me tell you, Bowen is my son, and you can't take him away from me!"
Aunt Tuanzi stumbled from the push, but was caught by someone. When she looked up, her face lit up with joy.
"Little turtle?" she exclaimed in surprise, "What are you doing here?"
Xu Gui smiled at her and said, "I was out having dinner with someone and just happened to be passing by... Aunt Tuanzi, are you alright?"
Aunt Tuanzi stood up straight and shook her head, saying, "I'm fine."
She turned to look at Wu Tingting and said angrily, "Wu Tingting, even if you're angry, you shouldn't take it out on the child!"
"What business is it of yours how I discipline my son?" Wu Tingting sneered. "Let me tell you, Li Ru, give up on that idea. Bowen is my child, and he always will be! All these years, I've been the one teaching him and taking care of him. What right do you have to take him back?"
“Right, Bowen?” She turned to look at Wu Xueya and asked softly, “You won’t leave your mother, right?”
Wu Xueya's face was flushed, and two finger marks could still be vaguely seen. When he heard Wu Tingting's question, he nodded timidly.
Wu Hao looked at Aunt Tuanzi and said, "Li Ru, I admit that our family was wrong in this matter. I sincerely apologize to you. I know that the words 'I'm sorry' are too inadequate for you..."
Aunt Tuanzi pursed her lips, her eyes filled with anger as she looked at him.
Wu Hao avoided her gaze and said, "But, so many years have passed since this happened, and Bowen has grown up so much. Why should we keep bringing this up?"
Aunt Tuanzi was furious. Before she could speak, Wu Hao quickly said, "Listen to me first and see if what I'm saying makes sense."
He sighed, "Bowen has been by Tingting's side for years, and you've seen how she treats him. She really treats him like a precious gem, afraid he'll break if she holds him in her hands or melt if she keeps him in her mouth. Anyone can see that she truly treats Bowen like her own son, giving him the best of everything, from food and clothes to other necessities."
“If it weren’t for this, how could I bear to let Bowen stay by her side? Besides, you should also consider the child’s thoughts. For so many years, he has always called Tingting “Mom”. In his heart, his mother has always been Tingting… Children at this age are naturally sensitive. If you suddenly ask him to change his mother and his family, do you think he can accept it in a short time?”
"Don't you think it's too cruel for him?"
In the end, Wu Hao revealed his true intentions, saying:
"Li Ru, I think, even for the sake of the child, why don't we just let this go? Otherwise, if we keep making a fuss like this, the child will be the one who gets hurt!"
He looked completely sincere, but Xu Gui was utterly bewildered: ?
Was she hearing human speech? Even turtles wouldn't say such outrageous things.
Xu Gui was angry.
However, Aunt Tuanzi was truly swayed by Wu Hao's words. If Wu Hao had said anything else, she wouldn't have been so swayed, but when it came to the children, Aunt Tuanzi's thoughts couldn't help but follow his words.
She glanced at Wu Xueya standing next to Wu Tingting, her heart clenching. She murmured, "But, but..." But this is her child, a piece of flesh that fell from her belly, the biological child she had been searching for for thirteen years.
"etc!"
Just then, a voice suddenly broke in from the side.
Wu Hao paused, looked up, and saw that the one who spoke was the young girl standing next to Li Ru.
The other woman glared at him, her whole body baring its teeth and claws like a small animal. She said, "Who the child belongs to is not for you to decide!"
Wu Hao was taken aback: "What do you mean?"
Wu Tingting then demanded in a shrill voice, "Who are you? What business is it of yours what happens to our family?"
Xu Gui ignored Wu Tingting. She looked at the brother and sister and sneered, "Let me tell you, I've already called the police. You didn't inform the child's mother before secretly taking the child away and raising him for so many years... To put it nicely, this is a crime; to put it bluntly, you are human traffickers!"
Upon hearing this, many people in Xu Gui's live stream suddenly realized what was going on:
[After listening to their explanations, I felt something was off. Now, after hearing Xu Guiyi's words, it all clicked, and I finally understand what was wrong: this is a crime, human trafficking! It's not a domestic dispute!]
These two siblings are truly masterful; one plays the good cop, the other the bad cop, and the child's own mother was almost completely fooled!
Isn't this man just manipulating the child's mother? He keeps saying he's doing it for the child's good, but this whole thing is clearly the fault of his mother and sister. They took the child away, and then lied and said the child was lost. What kind of deep-seated hatred is that? If I were that mother, I'd be furious!
[The main problem is that they've been searching for the child's biological mother for thirteen years! Not one or two years, but thirteen! And this man has been avoiding the real issues, damn it! Honestly, I would have won with my fists. This man and his whole family are idiots!]
[This is the first time I've so strongly supported Xu Gui reporting the incident to the police. This family is complete human traffickers! This man even manipulated the child's own mother; he's utterly despicable! A complete scoundrel!]
I know this family; they're my neighbors. Their story is quite well-known around here. The child's grandmother took him out to sunbathe, and when they came back in the afternoon, the child was missing. For years, this woman has been searching for the child. I heard she spends half the year earning money and the other half searching for him. It's incredibly hard work for her.
Also, this aunt and this man were divorced a long time ago. He remarried within two years and has two children with his new wife. By the way, I heard that he initially searched with the aunt, but after a few years he gave up and even advised her to give up, but she refused, so he divorced her—that's what my mom said.
[Did he give up because his mother and his mother told him that his nephew was his son? That bitch, she knew but didn't tell the child's biological mother, and watched him search for thirteen years. Is that something a normal person would do?]
This family is absolutely despicable! Sisters, we can't let this kind of person get away with this. Everyone, please spread the word and let everyone online know what kind of people this family is!
...
The netizens are all hot-tempered but also kind-hearted. They not only use foul language but also try their best to help this family become famous.
As people continued to share and promote the content, Xu Gui's live stream became increasingly popular. The number of viewers in her live stream grew from 300,000 to 500,000, and then continued to grow rapidly, breaking through the million mark in a short period of time.
The staff who were monitoring the live streams of the various guests immediately noticed the abnormal increase in the popularity of Xu Gui's live stream. Their first reaction was "vote rigging," since the final results of their program would also take into account the popularity of the live stream and the value of the gifts. Under such circumstances, it was inevitable that some people would have some crooked ideas.
However, after checking, the staff member discovered that the live stream's popularity was actually normal!
The staff were getting a little overwhelmed and called the director over: "Director, take a look at this guest's live stream. In just half an hour, the number of viewers in this live stream has increased from 230,000 to more than 1.1 million..."
The director casually asked, "Was there vote rigging?"
Staff member: "...It's normal." It was precisely because it was so normal that he found it strange; based on this guest's usual viewership numbers, the growth rate shouldn't be this fast.
The director leaned closer and asked, "Who is the guest?"
Staff member: "...Let me see, it's Xu Gui...Teacher Xu Gui!"
who?
Upon hearing this name, the director's ears perked up reflexively, as if he could see himself flapping his wings and embarking on a global journey again... The director was surprised, the director became wary.
"Open her live stream and let me see it," the director instructed, bending down to watch as the staff brought up Xu Gui's live stream. Then, he saw the title of Xu Gui's live stream.
[After searching for my son for thirteen years, I discovered that my nephew was actually my son?]
director:"……"
After a few seconds of silence, the director turned to the assistant director beside him and said, "Does this guy think our program is some kind of vulgar live broadcast channel?"
The assistant director gave a dry laugh—he couldn't really respond to that.
*
Meanwhile, at the school gate, when Wu Hao heard that Xu Gui had called the police, his expression froze. He clearly knew that what his mother and sister had done was something that couldn't be brought to light.
A few seconds later, he looked at Aunt Tuanzi and said helplessly, "...Li Ru, is it really necessary to make such a fuss about this? After all, Bowen has been calling Tingting 'Mom' for thirteen years."
Xu Gui stood in front of Aunt Tuanzi and retorted, "You've got one thing wrong. First, this child's real name is Wu Xueya, not Bowen. Bowen was given to her by the human traffickers. Second, if your sister hadn't secretly stolen Aunt Tuanzi's son, how could he have recognized a thief as his mother and called a human trafficker 'Mom' for thirteen years? Don't get the cause and effect backwards."
"What's it to you?" Wu Tingting jumped up and down. "Who are you?"
Xu Gui said without blushing or panting, "I'm nobody, I'm just a righteous bystander who can't see the bad things you've done, yet you still try to manipulate the victims!"
She looked sharply at Wu Hao and said, "If you really think your mother and sister did nothing wrong, why are you so afraid that I'll call the police? Only those who have done wrong are afraid of the police!"
Wu Hao's expression froze instantly.
Xu Guiguang said, "Now, let's just wait here for the police to come. I don't believe the police will give the child to your family of child traffickers!"
Wu Tingting shrieked, "Shut up! You're the human trafficker!"
Xu Gui took a breath—she had never been insulted like this before.
But... this Wu Tingting looks so fierce, her face is all contorted, it's terrifying.
Xu Gui secretly took two steps back, hiding behind Aunt Tuanzi. She peeked out from behind her and shouted, "You're a human trafficker! Your whole family are human traffickers! Otherwise, ask everyone, they'll all say you're a human trafficker!"
Aunt Tuanzi, who was originally filled with grief and indignation, suddenly lost her grief and indignation when Xu Gui used her as a shield. Instead, she felt a bit amused and exasperated.
Upon hearing Xu Gui's words, Wu Tingting subconsciously looked around.
It's school dismissal time now, and there are a lot of people. Their commotion has already attracted a lot of people. Xu Gui even saw several stall owners stop tending to their stalls and come over to join in the fun.
At this moment, these people pointed and whispered among themselves at Wu Tingting and her brother.
As Wu Tingting looked over, someone in the crowd shouted, "You're a human trafficker!"
Everyone else was whispering, but his voice was extremely loud.
Upon hearing this, Wu Tingting completely lost her temper, stomping her feet and screaming, "You're the human traffickers! You're the ones who are!"
Xu Gui was stunned by her shrill voice. She covered her ears and sneakily leaned close to Aunt Tuanzi's ear—it was obvious to everyone that she was talking badly about someone.
"Aunt Tuanzi, has your former sister-in-law always been this... crazy?" she asked Aunt Tuanzi in a low voice.
Aunt Tuanzi was amused by her furtive appearance, and then replied with a complicated look in her eyes, "...She is indeed a bit willful."
Xu Gui muttered, "He's clearly just prone to going crazy..."
She glanced behind Wu Tingting and saw Aunt Tuanzi's son standing there with a blank expression, looking quite pitiful.
Xu Gui blinked and secretly waved to him.
Wu Xueya: ?
He glanced furtively at Wu Tingting, who was lashing out at the passersby, and then at Aunt Tuanzi, who was staring at him. He hesitated for a moment and took a few steps toward them.
As he approached, Aunt Tuanzi looked at him and couldn't help but take a step forward: "Xueya."
Her eyes were filled with tears, and she was very emotional.
Wu Xueya hesitated, but at that moment, the crazed Wu Tingting had already noticed him, her face contorted with rage.
"Lin Bowen!" she shouted angrily.
Wu Xueya shuddered, a look of fear on his face, and his feet froze in place. But just then, a hand reached out and pulled him into the crowd.
Wu Xueya stared wide-eyed at the person in front of him.
"Hurry, hurry, hurry!"
Xu Gui pulled the person and ran behind Aunt Tuanzi, and the two of them hid directly behind Aunt Tuanzi.
Aunt Tuanzi's gaze couldn't help but follow them. When Xu Gui saw her turn around and look at them, he said happily and proudly, "Aunt Tuanzi, I've snatched your son away!"
She thought her actions were cool, but in reality...
[Haha, why does my daughter look so suspicious?!]
[They were clearly doing a good deed, but they managed to make it seem like they were doing something wrong—it's truly amazing.]
[Daughter, hurry! Take this child back to his mother!]
[What a touching display of mutual affection! But it seems like that woman is about to go crazy again.]
...
Aunt Tuanzi looked at the two faces in her eyes and suddenly burst out laughing.
She laughed as tears streamed down her face. She couldn't help but reach out and gently pat Xu Gui's head with her palm. Then, she moved her right hand and gently placed her palm on Wu Xueya's head.
“Good child…” she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes, but the look in her eyes gradually hardened.
Wu Xueya was pulled into a half-squatting position by Xu Gui. He looked up, his expression blank, his eyes filled with Aunt Tuanzi's face.
After Aunt Tuanzi turned her head away, he reached out and touched his face. His fingers were a little wet—it was a tear that Aunt Tuanzi had inadvertently fallen on his cheek when she was crying.
At this moment, Wu Xueya was unsure of how she felt; she was simply at a loss.
*
Aunt Tuanzi turned to look at Wu Tingting, who was going crazy because of Wu Xueya's departure, and a fierce glint appeared in her eyes.
This time, she will absolutely not let her child be taken away again.
Before she could do anything, she felt a force pulling her backward, and then a voice called out from behind her.
"Help! A child trafficker has snatched a child! Help!"
Aunt Tuanzi: ?
Aunt Tuanzi was bewildered.
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