punish
The vows of an old lover are like a slap in the face.
Every time you remember a phrase, you get slapped.
--A Song for Myself
Xia Tong was getting impatient. Last time, she mailed the explicit photos she had taken at Haoyuan to Zheng Yulu's school and her parents. Surprisingly, after more than half a month, life gradually calmed down, and they stopped arguing. With school about to start, she couldn't hold back any longer and asked Zheng Yulu out.
The afternoon sun was still dazzling, but once the teahouse's heavy curtains were drawn back, it was nowhere to be found, leaving only its intense heat. A small stove on the table bubbled and boiled fruit tea, with aloe vera pulp lying beneath, being simmered—just like Xia Tong's heart.
Zheng Yulu wasn't dressed as flamboyantly as she had been the first time they met; her makeup was also more understated, and she looked somewhat tired. When she saw the various so-called "evidence" Xia Tong had laid out on the table, she suddenly realized: "It was you! Ha, no wonder this summer vacation has been so chaotic. I really didn't expect it; I underestimated you."
Xia Tong was actually a little nervous, but she deliberately put on an arrogant look and took a sip of tea: "If you don't want people to know, then don't do it in the first place. I advise you to stop as soon as possible. You've already made a lot of money off my dad, haven't you? That villa alone is enough to make it worthwhile. Don't be too greedy and ruin your reputation."
Zheng Yulu watched her stubbornly lecturing for a long time, and then laughed: "Disgraced? You're so naive. If I become Mrs. Xia, they'll be green with envy!"
"Mrs. Xia? What man with a sense of pride would divorce his wife for a mistress? You'd probably be waiting from the time you become an old lady or a child before that day comes."
Upon hearing the word "mistress," Zheng Yulu's expression changed slightly, but she smiled and sighed, "You're still too naive!"
Xia Tong hated her fake smile and immediately retorted, "Of course, I can't compare to an old woman like you."
Zheng Yulu was in a good mood seeing her angry: "Most men are like this, keeping the wife at home while having affairs on the side, just playing around. But haven't you ever felt that your dad isn't close to you at all?"
Xia Tong sneered: "Don't tell me I'm not my dad's biological daughter."
"How could someone who isn't your biological child raise you to this age? Xia Xinwen is such a shrewd person. He's just desperately missing his son, but unfortunately, you're not. You just aren't." Zheng Yulu shook her head mockingly.
"So what?"
Xia Xinwen promised me that as long as I could give him a son, he would immediately divorce his wife and marry me.
"You believe that?" Xia Tong stiffened, but still refused to admit it.
Zheng Yulu took out a medical report from her bag and pushed it in front of Xia Tong: "You're going to have a younger brother, but I think you definitely don't want me to be your stepmother, so I hope you won't be a burden to your father when we get divorced."
Xia Tong was truly incredulous. She stared at the diagnosis report for a long time, still unable to believe it: her father was going to abandon her and her mother to have children with other women? Just for a son?
------
When Xia Tong returned home, she found her parents arguing. Her mother, who was usually gentle and polite, was now disheveled and glaring fiercely at Xia Xinwen.
A broken telephone and a knocked-over shoe cabinet were scattered all over the floor. Xia's mother ignored Xia Tong, who had just entered, and continued to glare at Xia Xinwen. Xia Xinwen, however, said, "Tongtong, go to your room first."
Xia Tong ignored him, grabbed her mother's arm and whispered, "Mom, what's wrong?"
That grab caused all of Xia's mother's emotions to erupt. Her voice was filled with anger and grievance as she grabbed a book and threw it at him: "Ask him!"
Xia Xinwen rolled up his sleeves and rushed over to hit his mother, but Xia Tong immediately stood in between to protect her.
"Don't you dare hit my mother!"
While Xia Xinwen was dealing with Xia Tong, Xia's mother slapped him hard across the face. The resounding slap knocked off his glasses. Without his glasses, Xia Xinwen looked terrifying with his distorted red eyes, and he became even more ferocious. He reached past Xia Tong, grabbed Xia's mother's long hair, and yanked her hard, pulling her towards him with a scream. Xia's mother arched her back, struggling desperately, feeling as if her scalp was being ripped off. Xia Tong's eyes also turned red. She bit her father's arm, refusing to let go no matter how Xia Xinwen pushed her away, biting harder and harder. Her teeth dug into his flesh, leaving faint bloodstains on his arm. She wouldn't let go until Xia Xinwen, unable to bear the pain any longer, released Xia's mother's hair.
Xia Tong stared at Xia Xinwen, who was clutching his arm, her eyes filled with tears, her voice choked with sobs: "Do you really not want us anymore?"
Xia Xinwen stepped forward, trying to pull her: "How could that be? You will always be my daughter."
"What about my mother?" Xia Tong took a step back, preventing him from touching her.
"Children shouldn't meddle in adults' affairs." Xia Xinwen didn't want to answer the question.
"Where is my mother?" Xia Tong stubbornly wanted an answer.
“Your mother and I don’t get along,” Xia Xinwen explained.
"Incompatible personalities," Xia Tong laughed angrily, tears welling in her eyes finally falling as she repeated his words over and over: "Incompatible personalities? Incompatible personalities? Your excuse is ridiculous. Where were you all those years ago when you said incompatible personalities? Have you felt particularly wronged all these years?" Suddenly, she yelled at her father: "Xia Xinwen! Why are you my father? How can someone like you be a father! Didn't you not want a daughter? Do you think I wanted you? Go have your son with that bitch! Your mother and I don't want you anymore!"
Her scream stunned Xia Xinwen and her mother, who was crouching in the corner, both of them looking at her in shock. She had never raised her voice in front of her parents, nor had she ever called her father by his name. She had never been so hysterical. What had turned their usually obedient daughter into this? So ferocious, so desperate.
Xia Tong didn't look at Xia Xinwen again, helped Xia's mother into the room, and locked the door.
Xia's mother lay limp on the bed, her arm covering her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. Xia Tong watched silently. What could she say? Was it all in vain?
After a long silence, Xia Tong finally whispered, "Mom, let go."
Xia's mother suddenly sat up, her eyes filled with hatred: "Why should we let go? To let him elope with that slut? There's no such thing as a free lunch! I'll drag them out until they're dead, and that woman will never see him again!"
"And what about you? You'll be in this pain forever, don't ruin yourself for them!"
"Me?" Xia's mother laughed with a face full of despair. "What could I possibly have to ruin? I'm so old, what would my relatives and friends think of me if I got divorced?"
Xia Tong was speechless.
"I've stayed at home for so many years, haven't worked for decades. Without him, how will we live? All my classmates graduated from university and got jobs in public institutions, and they're doing so well now. At previous gatherings, they all said I was spared the troubles of work because I married a good husband. But now? What do I have left?"
“In our time, it was such an honor for me to get into university. After graduation, everyone could get a good job. But I just happened to fall for your dad. He started working after high school and would ride his bike to my school every day to see me. When we got married, my family was against it. They said I should find someone who was a good match for me, but I just wouldn't listen. How could I have been so stupid back then?”
"Tongtong, I won't leave, I can't leave!" Xia's mother wiped her face with her hand, revealing tears.
"Mom, how about I earn money to support you?" Xia Tong stroked her mother's back and shed tears along with her.
"Mom, you don't want a divorce, can I help you?"
September 1st is the start of the school year for children again. The principal will once again deliver the same opening speech that has been around for years, and parents will once again help their children find their newly assigned classes and try to get on good terms with the teachers.
The school was a mixed bag today, so Xia Tong went straight into Sunshine Elementary School without any pressure. When she found Zheng Yulu, she was holding a class meeting, with students and parents sitting close together in the audience.
Xia Tong teased loudly from the doorway, "What kind of teacher are you, a mistress? Aren't you afraid of corrupting the children?"
Zheng Yulu panicked a little when she saw it was her: "What nonsense are you talking about? Don't spread rumors, please leave!"
Before the parents could react, Xia Tong scattered the photos, which fluttered down like butterflies, landing around many of them. They picked up the photos and examined them closely. The subjects were a woman who appeared extremely wanton, her breasts exposed, posing in various ways with older men.
"Get out of here!" Zheng Yulu said anxiously.
“If you promise me you’ll leave my dad, I’ll leave right now. I don’t want to see your hypocritical, oily face either.”
"Get out!"
"You're the one who should get out! I've already told your family. Now you'd better think about how to make up a lie to fool your parents. They're furious."
Zheng Yulu was furious. She no longer cared about her students and parents; she'd already seen the photos anyway: "Your father can't live without me! Do you think I want an old man like that? If it weren't for him constantly saying your mother is a nagging, haggard woman with an unhappy marriage and threatening to divorce her..."
Xia Tong grabbed a book and threw it at her face: "Dare to talk about my mother? You should mind your own business first, you old hag!"
The woman panicked and rushed forward in her high heels to retaliate, but Xia Tong grabbed her hair and kicked her hard in the flat stomach: "Didn't you say you wanted to have a little brother with me? I'll make him come out and see me right now!"
She screamed, clutching her stomach and collapsing to the ground, disheveled and looking like a madwoman. This was the first time Xia Tong had ever hit someone in her life. She finally understood why some people enjoyed fighting. The feeling of pulling out the thorn that had been growing into her flesh day and night was surprisingly good.
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Sorry it's so late. I had classes all morning, and then spent over two hours taking a bus to the station to buy a ticket in the afternoon, so I can only write this tonight. But I'll skip the last two classes tomorrow to go home! Hehe~ I'll have some drafts saved up, don't worry!
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