Chapter 208 I Won't Regret It
"Grandma, I will never regret it."
The child held his neck stiffly, his little face full of stubbornness, but his eyes were slightly red.
Xu Zhili noticed the bruises on Xie Xiazhu's arm and couldn't help but frown.
"Later, the neighbors couldn't stand it anymore and reported it to the commune, and that's when they got divorced."
Wang Xiuying continued, "What's infuriating is that Baosheng, the son Xia Zhu raised, refuses to come back with her and insists on staying with that Zhang Xiujuan!"
Baosheng, the boy hiding behind Zhang Xiujuan, spoke up at this moment, his neck stiff and his little face full of stubbornness.
“I’m not going back with Mom. Aunt Xiujuan is good to me. She never cries and she even makes me new clothes! Mom only knows how to work and she can’t even smile.”
These words pierced Xie Xiazhu's heart like a knife, and she cried even harder.
"Baosheng, how could you do this? I raised you with my own hands. Is this how much you miss your biological mother?"
Xie Xiazhu asked in a trembling voice.
Bao angrily pointed at Xie Xiazhu: "I really did nothing wrong, you're not my mother, I hate you. She's my mother!"
He held Zhang Xiujuan's hand tightly.
Looking at her son's resolute expression, Xie Xiazhu felt utterly hopeless: "You've disappointed me too much. Fine, as you wish. I'll pretend I don't have a son like you. From now on, when you see me, don't say I'm your mother. Remember, when we meet, let's act like strangers."
Three-year-old Yaya wiped her mother's tears with her little hands: "Mommy, don't cry. Yaya will stay with you. When Yaya grows up, she'll earn money to support you."
At this moment, Zhang Xiujuan spoke up, her voice soft and gentle: "Sister Xiazhu, don't blame Baosheng for choosing me. Children will be close to whoever treats them well. Don't worry, I will treat Baosheng like my own son, and I will make sure he doesn't go hungry as long as I have food to eat."
Standing beside her were two girls around ten years old, Zhang Xiujuan's daughters from her previous marriage, who chimed in, "We will take good care of our little brother."
Zhang Xiujuan led Baosheng away from Captain Xie's house.
Xie Xiazhu felt a tightness in her chest—that child was truly heartless.
They're such ungrateful wretches!
Xu Zhili sighed, knowing that the child had been brainwashed too deeply and couldn't be persuaded to change his mind in a short time.
Fortunately, Xie Xiazhu is already divorced, so it seems that her youngest son's life won't last much longer.
“My Xia Zhu, just stay at your parents’ home. This will always be your home. Don’t worry about it.”
As Wang Xiuying spoke, her eyes reddened, and she turned away to secretly wipe away her tears before turning back to continue speaking to her second daughter.
Xie Xiazhu wiped away her tears and nodded.
She opened the package she had brought back; inside were a few pieces of clothing, some embroidery work, and a small cloth bag.
“These are the dowry my grandmother gave me back then, and I’ve kept them hidden from Tiezhu.”
Xie Xiazhu opened the cloth bag, inside was a stack of money and vouchers. "This is what I've secretly saved over the years, all earned by staying up all night doing handicrafts. Tiezhu doesn't know I have these. However, due to historical issues, I can no longer continue doing embroidery."
Everyone present was stunned.
In that environment, Xie Xiazhu was still able to save up some money on her own, which shows that she was not as weak as she appeared.
Wang Xiuying held her daughter's hand: "My poor child, you've suffered so much, my child. It's good to be home, it's good to be home."
Xu Zhili looked at Xie Xiazhu with admiration.
It turns out that this seemingly weak woman possesses an unknown resilience and wisdom.
A few days later, when Xu Zhili went to visit Xie Xiazhu, she found her doing a dress in the yard.
Ya Ya sat obediently to the side, helping her mother hand over the scissors.
"Sister Xia Zhu, what are you doing?" Xu Zhili asked curiously.
Xu Zhili understood but didn't expose it. She simply nodded and replied, "Okay, I'll keep an eye out for you and find some safer options."
Xie Xiazhu gripped the hem of her clothes, opened her mouth, and whispered, "Thank you, Zhili."
The sunlight fell on her face, and her timidity gradually faded away, leaving only a tenacious spirit to forge ahead for her child.
Xu Zhili noticed that Xie Xiazhu's craftsmanship was quite good, and the long dresses she made were beautiful and exquisite.
"Your cooking skills are really good." Xu Zhili exclaimed sincerely.
Xie Xiazhu smiled and said, "My maternal grandmother was the personal maid of a young lady. She learned skills from working for a wealthy family. I really enjoy the fun of making clothes. I learned from my grandmother since I was a child. After I got married, I occasionally took on some work, but Tiezhu didn't like me doing these things, so I always did them secretly."
Xu Zhili's heart skipped a beat: "Sister Xia Zhu, I'll design a few outfits and provide the fabric. Can you make a few for me?"
Xie Xiazhu was stunned: "Me? Can I?"
“Your skills are right here, what’s wrong with that?” Xu Zhili said firmly.
At Xu Zhili's strong suggestion, Xie Xiazhu indeed took on the handicraft work.
What's even more surprising is that Xie Xiazhu not only has superb craftsmanship, but also always manages to add clever little details to Xu Zhili's designs.
The collar buttons have a different weaving method, and the cuffs are adorned with delicate lace, making the garment more lively.
When the first batch of garments was finished, Xu Zhili looked at the well-fitting and unique dress in the mirror and exclaimed in surprise, "Sister Xiazhu, your craftsmanship is even better than that of the tailors in the city!"
Xie Xiazhu touched the hem of her clothes, her eyes shining with a long-lost light—the joy of being recognized.
Thinking back to the nights when she used to pass by Captain Xie's house, Xu Zhili could see the light on in Xie Xiazhu's room, guessing that she was rushing to make clothes.
"Sister Xia Zhu has changed a lot." Before anyone knew it, Wang Xiuying stood next to Xu Zhili.
Xu Zhili nodded: "She was never weak to begin with, she was just suppressed for too long."
Wang Xiuying sighed, "Yes, it seems that whether a person is successful or not has nothing to do with gender. Just like you and Xia Zhu, you are both outstanding."
Ya Ya has also become much more cheerful, often following her mother around and imitating how to thread a needle.
However, the peaceful days were shattered by news that Wang Tiezhu and Zhang Xiujuan were getting married, and Baosheng would officially recognize Zhang Xiujuan as his mother.
On the day the news came, Xie Xiazhu didn't say a word, just buried herself in her work until her finger was pricked by a needle and bled.
When Xu Zhili saw this, she forcibly dragged her home to rest.
That night, Xie Xiazhu held Yaya and cried uncontrollably: "Am I such a failure? Even my own son doesn't want me anymore."
Ya Ya patted her mother's back with her little hands: "Don't cry, Mom. Ya Ya will always want Mom. When Ya Ya grows up, she will go to find her brother and tell him how good Mom is."
Xu Zhili stood outside the door, listening to the conversation between the mother and daughter, her heart filled with mixed feelings.
She knew how great the difficulties and prejudices faced by divorced women were in this day and age.
Xie Xiazhu's strength is both heartbreaking and admirable.
The next day, Xie Xiazhu got up early. Although her eyes were red and swollen, her expression was unusually determined.
She approached Xu Zhili and said she had an idea.
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