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Ye Wenyu nodded, and Uncle Wang considerately pulled her suitcase for her.
The three of them entered the room. Zhang Susu closed the door, and Uncle Wang said to her considerately, "I'll put the suitcase in Xiaozhi's room. Xiaoyu, you'll sleep in their room tonight."
Xiaoyu nodded, still not daring to look up at Uncle Wang, because her face was bruised and swollen. However, Uncle Wang's warmth eased her tension. Now, she finally had a place to stay.
Zhang Susu said to her husband, "Hey, Lao Wang, it's getting dark, you should go inside and get some sleep."
Old Wang nodded, knowing that the mother and daughter had something to talk about, and tactfully went back to his room to rest.
Once the surroundings quieted down, Zhang Susu immediately got up, found the first-aid kit she always kept at home, and began cleaning Ye Wenyu's wounds. As the cotton swabs dipped in medicine gently touched the wounds, Ye Wenyu could no longer hold back her tears.
Zhang Susu's eyes also reddened. She didn't say anything, but tenderly cleaned her wound and put on a band-aid.
Because it was late at night, everything was quiet.
The mother and daughter sat under the lamplight, creating a very warm and cozy atmosphere.
An hour later, Zhang Susu finally finished cleaning and caring for all the wounds and asked Ye Wenyu with concern, "Did he hit you?" Her voice trembled slightly, like leaves in the wind.
Ye Wenyu was stunned, then slowly raised her head and looked at her mother's sad expression.
Tears welled in Zhang Susu's eyes, and she said to her with self-reproach, "It's all my fault for being so useless! I made you suffer like this. I knew all those rich old men were bad people! But because I was powerless, I could only watch you jump into this fire pit. I'm so sorry, so sorry—"
Zhang Susu sobbed uncontrollably, her shoulders trembling. Seeing her mother crying so hard, Ye Wenyu couldn't cry out loud either. She held the old woman's hand tightly and said to her, "Mom, he didn't hit you."
"Who is that?" Zhang Susu looked up, feeling a little better, and began to wipe away her tears.
Ye Wenyu said in a hoarse voice, "It was his wife who hit him, at noon today—"
Under the dim light, the furniture cast heavy shadows, like monsters lurking silently around them. Ye Wenyu still felt lingering fear as she recalled the painful events of the day.
Zhang Susu listened quietly, then sighed and said to her, "Whether he hit her or his wife hit her, this is not a long-term solution!" Her heart was filled with shame for the daughter in front of her.
Ye Wenyu didn't say anything. When her mother first learned that she was with Lin Tingfeng, she said that she should leave this old man as soon as she graduated from university and found a job.
It seems we have to leave earlier than planned.
Zhang Susu stood up and said gently to her, "It's too late today, you should rest first, we can talk about it in a couple of days."
Ye Wenyu nodded. She was indeed tired, her heart was heavy, and her mind was blank. She didn't want to say anything more, so she obediently stood up.
Zhang Susu took her hand and led the way, saying to her, "Go sleep in your brother's room." Ye Wenyu nodded and followed behind her.
Zhang Susu led the way. Because the house was so small, it only took a few steps to get there. If the living room was as small as a shoebox, then her two younger brothers' bedrooms were even smaller, like matchboxes. Besides a bunk bed, there wasn't even room for a desk. Her suitcase was on the top bunk; she would be sleeping on the bottom one tonight. To enter, one had to turn sideways to avoid bumping into anything.
Zhang Susu turned on the room light and smiled at Ye Wenyu, saying, "The blankets and mattresses are freshly washed and very clean. I heard you were coming, so I cleaned the room again and opened the windows to let it air out. Oh, and there are your favorite snacks on the bedside table. I just went downstairs to buy them."
A warm feeling washed over Ye Wenyu. She looked at her mother with red eyes. Her mother loved her; she had just always been limited in her abilities.
At this moment, she felt as if she had returned to her childhood. Although her family was poor, her mother loved her wholeheartedly, and they were each other's most important family members.
Zhang Susu looked at the injury on her daughter's face, and felt a pang of self-reproach and sadness. She said in a hoarse voice, "Go to sleep first. Let me think about this."
Ye Wenyu nodded obediently.
Zhang Susu then went out and closed the door behind her. Ye Wenyu was too tired and in too much pain. She took off her clothes haphazardly, lay down and fell asleep. It was still good that she had her mother's love even though she was alone.
She closed her eyes peacefully.
Let's talk about everything tomorrow.
The next day, when Ye Wenyu woke up, everything was quiet. She could hear her own breathing. Sunlight streamed in from outside, casting dappled patterns on the ground. She checked her phone and saw that it was already 10 a.m. She exclaimed in surprise, hurriedly got out of bed, and opened the door. The room was quiet. Her mother was sitting in the living room, doing some kind of handicraft. Her stepfather didn't seem to be home.
Ye Wenyu went to the bathroom to wash up, and her mother followed her, saying considerately, "I bought the toothbrush and towel at the supermarket downstairs early this morning. They're new, so you can use them without worry."
Ye Wenyu nodded, a warmth filling her heart. Having been away from her mother for several years, this sudden act of care deeply moved her. Last night, she had worn pink slippers; since there were no girls in the house, they must have been new.
When she came out after washing her face and brushing her teeth, her mother smiled and said to her, "Come out and eat."
She sat at the dining table with a bowl of steaming porridge in front of her, along with several side dishes: red spicy radish strips, yellow soybean paste, and green cold dishes, accompanied by several large, fragrant, white steamed buns. It was a very homey and cozy meal that whetted her appetite.
Ye Wenyu felt as if she had returned to her childhood, when her mother had not remarried, the house had not been sold, and her home was still there.
Her mother loved her dearly, and she was very happy.
Her eyes reddened again, and she took a bite of her steamed bun, but choked up and couldn't speak.
Memories flooded back like a tidal wave.
Zhang Susu sat opposite her daughter, sighed, smiled, and said to her, "Why are you crying?" Ye Wenyu tried to smile and continued to eat, but tears fell like pearls from a broken string.
Once she could control her tears, she took a deep breath and said to her mother, "Why didn't you wake me up? I had class today."
Zhang Susu said to her, "You're a top student, it's okay to skip get out of class occasionally."
Ye Wenyu smiled. The smile aggravated the wound at the corner of her mouth, causing her to wince in pain. She suddenly realized that her mother, as a parent, had asked her to skip school because her face and body were covered in injuries, and going to school would have a negative impact on her.
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