Chapter 302 Help or Destroy
Her voice choked with sobs, breaking into broken sentences, "By the time I came to my senses, the fire was already raging... Thick smoke billowed, and the cries of the children filled my ears... But by then, it was too late... There was no time for anything."
"What I really want to say has been bottled up inside me since that day, and I want to say it out loud!"
She looked up, tears streaming down her face and falling to the floor. "But then... I had that thought again... Something happened at the kindergarten, you'll definitely be short-staffed and need help, then I can stay... I'll have a reason to stay here and won't be kicked out again..."
She suddenly raised her head, her eyes blurred with tears, but she stared intently at Qiao Wanyin, her gaze piercing her eyes like nails: "I just thought, as long as you would look at me a little more, give me a little more trust, let me do a little more work, even if it's just sweeping the floor or cooking... I would be content. As long as I, Xuezhi, and Miaomiao, the three of us, can stay here with dignity, no longer having to be subservient to others, no longer being disliked... I am willing to give everything."
"But you never believe me, you always avoid me, and you won't even listen to me finish a single word..."
Her voice suddenly dropped, as if all her strength had been drained away.
"Wanyin...do you really not want our family to stay? Do you think we are a burden, a source of trouble, or a nuisance that could cause problems at any time?"
Qiao Wanyin's heart clenched suddenly, as if someone had grabbed her heart and twisted it hard.
She instinctively lowered her head, unable to meet those eyes filled with despair and questioning.
His fingers unconsciously tightened around the hem of his clothes, his fingertips turning white.
actually……
She truly never intended for her second brother's family to stay.
My second sister-in-law has a bad temper; she's impatient and prone to getting stuck on trivial matters, and she can make a huge fuss over the smallest things.
If they were to live together long-term, and they started arguing again, how could Fu Li'an bear being caught in the middle?
She was thinking of Li An's best interests, not wanting him to be in a difficult position, and even less wanting the family to be torn apart by conflict.
But when things got to this point, the second sister-in-law cried her heart out, her sobs heart-wrenching, and even her breathing became convulsive.
If she still has a cold face and refuses with a heart of stone...
Humans are not plants or trees; how can they be without feelings?
She really made us seem too heartless and inhumane.
Even if she didn't start the fire at the kindergarten herself,
But who doesn't know that she was behind all those rumors and gossip from a few days ago?
She had intentionally or unintentionally mentioned to the neighbors that "the new kindergarten is not peaceful" and "outsiders have ill intentions," inciting suspicion and creating conflict.
She even resorted to such tactics in order to stay.
This mindset is no longer just an obsession, it's bordering on fanaticism.
What about the future?
If the family lives together, will she become even more aggressive if they have an argument?
Will they say something even more hurtful or do something even more irreversible?
Who can guarantee that?
Who can control it?
As Qiao Wanyin listened to her second sister-in-law's cries, every word felt like a hammer blow to her heart.
Her heart felt like a crumpled piece of paper, crammed full of guilt, defensiveness, struggle, and reluctance, a chaotic and suffocating mess.
She took a deep breath, her chest heaving, and finally slowly raised her head. Her voice was soft, but clear enough to be heard: "Second sister-in-law, listen to me... The one who will be hurt the most by what you've done is Miaomiao."
"How old is she? Not even five years old, she doesn't understand anything yet... but she can see and hear everything clearly."
"Think about it, if Miaomiao saw you working so hard, crying like this, even kneeling down to beg for help, how scared, helpless, and guilty would she feel?"
“Such a young child should be growing up carefree, but she is being dragged into the arguments and pain of adults… Can she withstand this kind of stimulation? Will she later think that her mother’s pain is because she is not good enough?”
These words were like a sharp knife, silently piercing Li Hongmei's heart.
She froze, tears still streaming down her face, but it was as if all her strength had been drained away, and she couldn't even cry out loud.
The image of my daughter Miaomiao's clear yet timid eyes flashed through my mind, like a candle flame flickering in the wind, teetering on the verge of collapse.
Her crying stopped abruptly, and she froze, as if she had been frozen in place.
In that instant, the air seemed to freeze, and even breathing became heavy and difficult.
Her lips trembled slightly, and her eyes were wide open but unblinking, as if she were firmly nailed to the spot by some invisible force.
The wind blew in from the window, ruffling the stray strands of hair that fell across her forehead, but she didn't even have the strength to lift her hand to brush them away.
What she couldn't let go of the most was always her daughter.
That small figure, those clear yet timid eyes, always made her heart melt.
No matter how stubborn or hard-tempered she is, everything hard will crumble into powder the moment she sees her daughter's face.
She was the only light in her life, the person she would protect with her life.
"Think about Miaomiao."
Qiao Wanyin continued, "How old is she? What could she possibly know? If you push her, she'll only become more scared."
Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear, piercing Li Hongmei's heart like needles.
She spoke very slowly, as if every word had been carefully considered, for fear of missing even the slightest bit of emotion.
"Do you remember how she called you last night?" Hongmei paused, her eyes unfocused, as if she was trying to recall that cry.
Li Hongmei's hands gripped the window frame so tightly that her fingernails turned white.
His knuckles turned bluish-white from the exertion, and his skin clung tightly to the grain of the wooden window frame, even embedding itself into the cracks in the wood.
Her hands were trembling, yet she gripped them even tighter, as if if she loosened her grip even slightly, she would vanish from this world.
A cold wind blew in, making her thin clothes flutter, but she didn't feel cold; she only felt a tightness in her chest that felt like it was about to explode.
She knew how obedient her daughter was.
From childhood to adulthood, Miao Miao has almost never made a fuss.
Other children would cry if they broke a bowl or made a fuss if they spilled food, but she would just lower her head and quietly clean up, clumsily picking up the broken pieces with her little hands, and even wiping the soup off the floor with her sleeves.
She always sat obediently on the little stool waiting for her mother to come back, and never complained, even when it got dark.
Every time she went out, Miaomiao would chase after her to the door, her little hands gripping the door frame, her eyes wet with tears, and ask, "Mommy, when are you coming back?"
The voice was soft and timid, like a thin thread gently tugging at her heart.
Every time she turned around and saw her daughter standing alone in the doorway, she longed to turn back and hug her immediately.
But she couldn't. She had to work, earn money, and make sure her daughter was warmly clothed and well-fed.
"I..." Tears streamed down Li Hongmei's face again, "I did all this for her!"
Tears streamed down her cheeks, each drop landing on the rough back of her hands, leaving dark spots.
Her voice choked with emotion, barely able to form a complete sentence, "I don't want her to suffer, I don't want her to be laughed at for wearing tattered clothes... I don't want her to end up like me..."
"For her?"
Qiao Wanyin chuckled softly, a bitter smile on her face. "So, what you're doing now, is it helping her, or ruining her?"
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