When Jiang Xin got off work, she saw Wang Jing and her mother, whom her colleagues had mentioned. Wang Jing stood numbly in the lobby, letting her mother tear at her without resisting or making a sound.
Wang Jing had a bright red handprint on her face, but she didn't react at all. She was like a puppet whose soul had been drained, with empty eyes and a blank expression.
The middle-aged woman grabbed her clothes with one hand and pointed at her with the other, cursing loudly: "I raised you all these years, shouldn't you repay me! You can't even give me a little money, I shouldn't have adopted you in the first place!"
Seeing that Wang Jing did not react, she slapped her on the other side of her face. The crisp and loud slap echoed throughout the hall. Many colleagues couldn't stand it and went up to stop her.
Just then, a young girl rushed out of the elevator. She looked at Wang Jing with concern and shielded her behind her.
She said righteously, "Auntie, aren't you going too far! Over the years, Wang Jing has given you all the money she earned. You've bought two houses in your hometown, haven't you? She studied entirely on her own through part-time jobs. Haven't you repaid her kindness in raising her all these years?!"
Wang Jing's mother raised her hand to hit her, but the girl glared at her fiercely and said, "Go ahead and hit me! I'm not Wang Jing. If you hit me today, you'll go to jail!"
The middle-aged woman plopped down on the ground and began to wail and perform: "Oh my, you heartless company, you just watch someone bully this old woman and do nothing about it."
I raised her, and she's supposed to support me for life! She thinks she can get rid of me with this little bit of money? Dream on! Not only does she have to support me, but she also has to support her brother! If she doesn't give me the money, then go back and marry my son! We don't eat the food of the Wang family for free!
"You raised her? She was only eight years old when you adopted her. An eight-year-old child has to cook, do laundry, clean the house, and work in the fields every day for the family!"
She could only eat your leftovers every day. During all those years living in your house, she never had a full meal! Whenever anyone in your family was in a bad mood, they would take it out on her. She endured countless beatings from childhood to adulthood!
Did you pay a single penny for her tuition? Did you give her even a fraction of her living expenses? She worked for 10 years, giving you at least a million yuan. Isn't that enough to repay your kindness in raising her? Your leftovers are certainly worth a fortune!
The middle-aged woman blushed at these words. She gritted her teeth and shouted at Wang Jing, "You brat, you think you're all grown up now? Let me tell you, you won't get rid of me! You'd starve to death without me!"
Wang Jing's colleagues accused her of being greedy and exploiting her.
Wang Jing stepped out from behind the girl and stared at her intently: "What do you want?"
Wang Jing's mother looked at her smugly: "Your brother is getting married, and the bride's family is asking for a dowry of 500,000 yuan. Give me the money, and I'll leave right away."
Wang Jing's numb expression softened slightly, and she gave a self-deprecating laugh: "It costs 500,000 to get married now, will it cost another 500,000 after we have a baby?"
"Of course, you'll raise the child after it's born!" Wang Jing's mother's self-righteous attitude infuriated many people.
Wang Jing looked up and quietly gazed at her: "Mom, I have no money. I only keep 3,000 yuan for myself each month for living expenses, and I give you the rest of my salary. Where am I going to get 500,000 yuan?"
"I don't care about that, I just want the money!" Wang Jing's mother curled her lip in disdain. What did her mother's troubles have to do with her?
The lobby was filled with employees leaving get off work, and everyone felt sorry for Wang Jing's plight. Except for the girl, no one spoke up for her.
Wang Jing's mother is clearly an unreasonable shrew; nobody wants to cause trouble for her, including Jiang Xin.
Wang Jing lowered her eyes and slowly said, "Give me a few days to put it together."
The girl next to her tugged at her clothes, but Wang Jing dodged to the side and distanced herself from her.
Wang Jing's mother then smiled and said, "Okay, then Mom will wait for your good news."
After saying that, he patted his behind and swaggered out of the company lobby.
The company employees walked out with complicated expressions. The girl wanted to say something, but Wang Jing didn't give her a chance and strode away from the company.
Jiang Xin followed the others outside, her mind in turmoil. The events that had just occurred had a huge psychological impact on her, and she was still somewhat unable to process what had happened.
Jiang Xin didn't go home, but went to the park. She sat on a chair by the artificial lake, pondering the events of the day.
It turns out that everyone's life wasn't as good as it seemed, and that there was such a big difference between adoptive mothers.
Her mother never made any demands on her, let alone asked her to repay the Ye family.
If she had encountered a family like Wang Jing's instead of the Ye family, would she have become another Wang Jing?
Thinking of this, Jiang Xin couldn't help but shudder. Both of them were adopted, but she and Wang Jing had completely different lives.
Her childhood was filled with endless chores and constant beatings. My own childhood was spent eating ice cream and watching TV in an air-conditioned room.
The stark contrast stirred a pang of regret in Jiang Xin's heart. Although her mother hadn't been kind to her, she had provided her with a life free from want, and she shouldn't have harbored resentment towards her mother.
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