"Juan," Grandma Xu gently patted Xu Juan's shoulder and smiled, "You're my daughter, I know your personality very well, and I know all about what you did before. I'm not so old and blind that I can't tell right from wrong, you don't need to say these things to comfort me."
As she spoke, Grandma Xu paused, withdrew her hand, and coldly revealed, "You came back to find me for two reasons: one, you know Anzi has made money in business, and two, you see that the livestock farming in Xu Family Village is thriving and want to come back and get a share of the profits, right?"
"Mom, how could you?"
"Go back now, and don't come looking for me again. I'll pretend I never had a daughter like you."
The moment she finished speaking, the courtyard gate slammed shut, leaving Xu Juan standing outside, looking completely bewildered. No matter how much she knocked, the gate remained closed.
"Mom, please let me explain. It's not what you think. It's a rumor. Mom, how can anyone be so heartless as to disown their own daughter? Mom, I really didn't mean it. Please, open the door, Mom!"
Listening to the person outside the door argue, curse, plead, and finally leave, two turbid tears that had been hanging in her eyes for a long time finally slid down Grandma Xu's deeply lined face, disappearing into the soil with a 'plop' and vanishing without a trace.
If it were half a month ago, when her biological daughter came to visit, speaking so kindly and revealing so many of her grievances, Grandma Xu might still have refused, but the refusal wouldn't have been as decisive and uncompromising as it is now.
But just half a month ago, Grandma Xu started having strange dreams, dreams about Anzi, her daughter, and the two little ones.
In the first night's dream, I dreamt of the familiar scene of my daughter's family visiting. But in the dream, I was persuaded by my daughter's family to secretly send Xu Kang and Xu Le to my daughter's house without Anzi's knowledge.
In the second night's dream, Xu Kang and Xu Le were well taken care of at their daughter's house, with new clothes, new bedding, new toys, and lots of delicious snacks and meals. After seeing their standard of living at their daughter's house, Anzi stopped arguing and tacitly approved of it.
On the third night, I dreamt that Anzi received her college acceptance letter, and I took Anzi to my son and daughter-in-law's graves to pay my respects and tell them the good news.
On the fourth night, her daughter found out she was pregnant, but she didn't tell her. She only found out because people from the neighboring Majia Village told her.
On the fifth night, the daughter taught Xu Kang and Xu Le to be good to their younger brother, to give him all the good food, clothes, and toys. By this time, the two little ones' clothes were already covered in stains.
On the sixth night, the baby was born, and the two little ones were forced to take on household chores: washing clothes, cooking, sweeping and mopping. The two little ones, who were not even as tall as the stove, stood on small stools and worked hard, wielding huge spatulas to cook.
The seventh night, the eighth night, and the ninth night.
As the children grew older, their treatment worsened. In the dream of their last night, the children, who should have been in school, were instead huddled in the kitchen eating leftovers, pale and thin, timid and obedient.
Just as she was heartbroken in her dream, Anzi, now an adult, appeared and forcefully took away the two children, Kang Kang and Lele, but the children's health had already deteriorated.
If this is a dream, it's far too real; if this is reality, then the two children are perfectly fine in reality.
Confused, Grandma Xu consulted several blind fortune tellers, and the answers she received were surprisingly consistent: the two children were destined for a life of hardship and early death, but eight months ago, someone defied fate and changed their destiny, and now the children's fate has become one of great wealth and honor.
Eight months ago, it seemed to be the month she broke her leg, the month Anzi suddenly changed her personality and started selling boxed lunches at the construction site entrance, and the month her daughter came to the door wanting to take Kang Kang and Le Le away.
Grandma Xu didn't know what had happened to Anzi, but she knew that Anzi was still Anzi, without a doubt.
From that day on, Grandma Xu began to be wary of Xu Juan, her own daughter. As she learned more about Xu Juan, the bond that was held together by longing grew weaker and weaker.
Until today, until just now, until I heard those insults, curses, and schemes with my own ears, this bond was finally broken.
This peaceful life is something Anzi worked tirelessly day and night to achieve, and she absolutely, absolutely, absolutely will not let anyone ruin it so easily.
Even if that person is your own biological daughter, it's still not allowed!
——————
A car brushed past a bus. Two children playing in the back seat caught a glimpse of the bus out of the corner of their eye and saw a familiar figure through the window. They immediately shouted, "Brother, old hag! We saw the old hag!"
"That old hag is over there!" Xu An said with a fierce expression, "Tell your brother, and your brother will help you beat her to death!"
"On the bus, the one behind us!"
"Oh dear, the bus is so far away from us. Let's let it go this time. Next time Kang Kang and Le Le see that old hag, brother can go and beat her up, okay?"
"Hmm," the two little ones glanced at the bus that was about to disappear from sight, and nodded reluctantly, "Okay, we'll let it go this time, but next time you have to help us beat up the old hag!"
"Alright, next time I see that old hag, I won't hold back!"
“.”
(End of this chapter)
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