Wang Xu only had a boxed lunch, without even a vegetable pancake, so Lin Xiaocui couldn't accept it either.
To solve the food problem, Lin Xiaocui gave Wang Xu two cents and asked him to buy two meat buns at the school gate so that no one would go hungry.
A few minutes later, Wang Xu came running back, panting, and handed her the steaming hot buns. He grinned mischievously and said, "I just saw your mom is still outside! Why don't you want to see her? But the sky is getting gloomy, and it's going to rain soon, so I guess she won't be here for long."
Lin Xiaocui munched on her steamed bun without saying a word. She didn't know what Wang Xiuqin wanted to talk to her about, so to be on the safe side, she decided to wait until after the exam.
Once she finished her history exam, the school officially started its holiday, and everyone was like a bird released from its cage, eager to fly home.
Lin Xiaocui sat in the chair, remaining motionless for a long time.
Luo Chunlei usually walks to school, but today he was given special permission to ride a bicycle.
He waited for a while, and seeing that Lin Xiaocui didn't move and Wang Xu came looking for her again, he got up and rode away on his bike, feeling annoyed.
"Why aren't you leaving yet?" Wang Xu asked.
Lin Xiaocui picked up her schoolbag, stood up with a look of resignation, and said, "I'm leaving now."
Wang Xu walked and talked with her, wondering if Wang Xiuqin might still be at the door.
Unexpectedly, it started raining outside, so they had to take out the plastic sheet they kept in their schoolbags and put it on their heads.
Fortunately, Wang Xiuqin was no longer at the door.
Lin Xiaocui walked forward confidently, and just as she reached the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative, Wang Xiuqin darted out from under the eaves with a stick in her hand.
"You brat, I came looking for you, why didn't you come out? You left me out here starving and soaked in the rain, making me look like this. I'll beat you to death today!"
Wang Xiuqin swung the stick at Lin Xiaocui repeatedly, but she didn't dodge.
She shouted through the pain, "It wasn't me who asked you to come! In all these years, have you ever come to the school even once? I had my exam today, and you came here yelling and shouting, almost ruining the exam!"
"Slap!" Wang Xiuqin used all her strength to slap her face, saying viciously, "You brat, you complained to your older brother and made him stop sending money home. Since he won't send it, I'll have to ask you for it!"
Lin Xiaocui laughed angrily: "Haha~ How interesting! Are you widowed or have no son, yet you make a schoolgirl support the family! Lin Gou Dan does nothing all day, and instead of looking for him, you try to exploit me. I'm going to report you to the Women's Federation!"
Wang Xiuqin's anger flared even more after being rebuked, and she continued to beat the girl with the tree stick: "You little brat, how dare you compare yourself to a grown man! You still want to go to school? Tomorrow I'll go find a matchmaker for you, find you a husband, and marry you off. Let's see if you'll still be so arrogant then!"
Wang Xu, who was standing to the side, didn't want to get involved in other people's family affairs, but Wang Xiuqin was going too far. With such a thick stick hitting Lin Xiaocui, and her inability to dodge, something bad was bound to happen sooner or later. So he snatched the stick from Wang Xiuqin's hand and said coldly:
"Auntie, please stop hitting her! How can you treat your own daughter like this? You'll be punished for this!"
Surprisingly, she had helpers. Like an enraged lion, Wang Xiuqin pounced on Lin Xiaocui.
Seeing the opportunity, Wang Xu grabbed Lin Xiaocui's hand and ran, causing Wang Xiuqin to miss her target and fall hard onto the muddy road.
In the rain and mist, Lin Xiaocui's figure grew smaller and smaller. Wang Xiuqin had no choice but to get up on her own and walk home in a disheveled state amidst the laughter of several employees at the supply and marketing cooperative.
"If you're so capable, then don't go back to that house! When she does, I'll skin her alive!" she thought viciously as she stood in the rain.
Over there, Lin Xiaocui was being led by Wang Xu, running mechanically as raindrops pattered against the plastic sheet.
The thought of Wang Xiuqin's words about marrying her off brought tears to her eyes, which mingled with the rain, making it impossible to distinguish between the rain and her tears.
When they reached the fork in the road between the two teams, Lin Xiaocui forced a smile that looked more like a grimace at Wang Xu and said, "You can go back now. I'm fine. I'm used to it now."
“How can that be? If you go back, your mother will beat you again, right? And will she really find a matchmaker to marry you off?” Wang Xu asked with a worried expression.
In this era, girls have very little autonomy. There are countless examples of parents who are scoundrels and sell their daughters' marriages for money. They have no chance to resist. Some of the more rebellious ones can only pay the price with their lives in order to resist.
Wang Xu knew Lin Xiaocui's personality; she would never willingly marry. She had once smiled and described the future, and that beautiful picture deeply moved him.
She absolutely cannot go back and jump into that fire pit again; he cannot stand by and watch her die!
“Come on, I’ll take you to find your brother Lin Ye. I had dinner at their house last time, and they’re such a kind couple. They wouldn’t just stand by and watch someone die,” Wang Xu said resolutely.
Lin Xiaocui naturally didn't want to cause them any trouble, so she absolutely refused to go. Wang Xu practically had to push her along the way.
After hearing the whole story, Lin Ye and Lu Wanqing both looked very serious. Wang Xiuqin was not a good person, but they did not expect her to be so vicious to her daughter. Wasn't she afraid that her daughter would hate her?
Lin Xiaocui kept her head down as she ate her rice. Seeing that everyone was silent, she raised her head and said, "It's okay. My dad should protect me. I'll go back after I finish eating."
"What nonsense are you talking about! You can stay here in peace from now on. If your mother comes looking for trouble again, we'll handle it," Lu Wanqing said hurriedly.
Lin Ye glanced at Lu Wanqing and said, "It looks like it's going to thunder and rain tonight. You can keep my mom company; she's terrified of thunder."
Lin Xiaocui lowered her head again, swallowing rice along with her tears.
This time, the tears weren't bitter, but sweet and touching.
Lu Wanqing saw through her act but didn't say anything, silently putting some food into her bowl, "Don't just eat rice, eat more vegetables. I'm letting you stay here for free, you have to run errands for me."
Running errands means earning money! Lin Xiaocui looked up and burst into tears, "You're all so good to me! I'll definitely work harder from now on, hiccup~"
It was both heartbreaking and funny to see.
Elaine Chao patted her on the back, her face full of doubt: "Why did this child suddenly start crying while eating?"
Lu Wanqing didn't stop her from crying. She quickly wrung out a towel for her and said, "If you want to cry, just cry. It's not good to keep it inside."
In fact, the sight of the scene brought back painful memories, and Lu Wanqing, thinking of her parents' actions, longed to have a good cry.
However, she was lucky. She had Lin Ye, and she also had a cheat code that others didn't have. If anyone was going to cry, it would be the one who bullied her.
Lin Xiaocui cried for a while before her trembling shoulders gradually stopped. She sniffed and gave an embarrassed smile.
Seeing that she smiled, Wang Xu got up to say goodbye and went to find his father.
He had just left when Luo Chunlei and Luo Hao rushed in.
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