"DouDou, I heard about your family from Ning Jing. Did Zhuang Shuhui hurt the child?" Zhang Aiju squatted down, turned Anji around to check him, and was relieved to see that he was alright.
"Auntie, I've thought it over. I'll never leave Angie alone at home again."
Zhang Aiju sighed: "You're busy with this and that all by yourself, how can you possibly take care of everything? I told Qiqiang that I'd like to recognize you as my goddaughter. From now on, you can call me godmother, and I'll help you look after the child for a day. You won't have to bring Anji with you every time you go to town. It's tiring for you, and the child suffers too."
Zhang Aiju's words touched her heart, and Yuan Doudou said gratefully, "Godmother, with your words, I will definitely take care of you like my own daughter when you get old."
"Don't be so formal with me. I'm just happy that you have this intention." She felt sad whenever she thought about Dou Dou not being able to become her daughter-in-law, but now that she's her goddaughter, it can help ease her depression.
“I can’t just call you godmother for nothing. Please accept this meat as a gift.” According to custom, she should kneel down and kowtow three times.
It's just that she has naturally hard knees; she's never even knelt before her own mother, so she simply can't do it.
Zhang Aiju quickly waved her hand: "No, no, if you do this, your godmother should give you a red envelope. Here, take this money, don't think it's too little."
"Godmother, I can't accept this money."
The two were pushing and shoving each other on the path, and nothing came of it for a long time.
"Mom, I think you should give me this money. Your goddaughter thinks it's too little and doesn't want it." Wang Ningjing had just returned home from visiting a neighbor when she came across this scene.
Hmph, she's not going to be the eldest sister-in-law anymore, she wants to be the god-sister now, how annoying!
"Ning Jing, shut up! Dou Dou is my goddaughter now, you should call her sister." Zhang Aiju was furious at Wang Ning Jing's unruly attitude.
Yuan Doudou pursed her lips and remained silent.
She still doesn't understand why Wang Ningjing harbors such a deep grudge against her.
"Oh, should I call her Big Sister or Miss?" Wang Ningjing asked with a playful grin, completely unserious.
Zhang Aiju said with a stern face, "Ning Jing, don't be so disrespectful. Call her 'Sister Dou Dou,' do you hear me?"
Wang Ningjing rolled her eyes. Why should I? I won't shout.
Zhang Aiju's shoulders trembled with anger. Her own daughter was so unruly in her words and actions that it was better to tease her goddaughter.
She wanted to hit him but couldn't bear to. She only hated herself for being useless. Her husband had died, and she had raised the children alone. But apart from the eldest, the second and third children were disobedient and caused her trouble every day.
Yuan Doudou disapproved of Wang Ningjing's carefree and rude manner, but knew she had no right to interfere.
"Godmother, it's getting late. I'll take Anji back first and visit you another day."
Looking at her slender back, Wang Ningjing's eyes turned red with jealousy.
"Go home!" Zhang Aiju restrained herself, adhering to the rule of not hitting her child in public.
She wasn't in the mood to buy meat and pushed Wang Ningjing towards home.
Once inside, Zhang Aiju said sternly, "Kneel down."
In front of it is an altar, on which is enshrined the memorial tablet of Wang Yangming.
“Let your father see what you look like now,” Zhang Aiju said, heartbroken.
Wang Ningjing said indifferently, "Mother, Father is already dead. He can't see or hear anything, so don't deceive yourself."
Zhang Aiju stared at her daughter with red eyes, almost not recognizing her. Was this really the daughter she had doted on since she was a child?
Wang Qisheng came out from the inner room, puzzled: "Mother, what mistake did my sister make?"
"Go and get the rattan cane," Zhang Aiju said softly.
Wang Ningjing thought she had misheard. "Mom, are you going to hit me?"
"You can't learn without being disciplined, Qisheng, go get it quickly." She raised her voice.
Wang Ningjing retorted defiantly: "I'm not convinced that you beat your own daughter for your goddaughter. Even if you beat me to death, I still won't acknowledge her. She's a shameless whore who seduced my older brother."
Wang Qisheng felt sorry for his younger sister and advised her, "Ningjing, shut up. Do you want to make Mom angry to death?"
It's all because of Yuan Doudou again. Ever since I got involved with her, there hasn't been a moment of peace at home. It's really bad luck.
He used to think Yuan Doudou was beautiful and a good woman, but now that he sees how much his sister dislikes her, Wang Qisheng has also come to dislike her.
"Mother, calm down. My sister is still young and doesn't understand. After a while, she will understand and won't say such things again."
Zhang Aiju wiped away her tears and slowly walked into the house.
"That's enough, you're all grown up now, I can't control you anymore." She went into the room, lay down on the bed, and burst into tears.
Zhang Aiju felt bitter inside. She was angry at Ning Jing, not only for her lack of manners, but also for her disobedience. She had reminded her several times in front of Dou Dou, but Wang Ning Jing did not listen and did not respect her as her mother at all.
She always talks a good game, promising to take care of me and be filial to me in the future. But right now, as long as she can move around, she defies me every day. When she can no longer move, won't she drag me out to be fed to the dogs?
She began to doubt her child; the idea of raising children to provide for old age doesn't apply to every family.
Perhaps because he was thinking too much, he became drowsy and fell asleep.
The brother and sister, who were waiting in the hall, saw that their mother had been inside for a long time without making any noise. They thought she had committed suicide and were so frightened that their legs went weak.
"Second brother, what should we do now? Mother won't abandon us, will she?" Wang Ningjing asked in a terrified tone.
Wang Qisheng was also worried, so he vented his anger on his younger sister: "Now you know how to be scared? Where were you before? I've told you so many times not to disobey Mother. Just listen to whatever she says. Is it that hard?"
Wang Ningjing was young and terrified.
She began to cry bitterly, fearing that her mother would abandon her.
"Second brother, I know I was wrong, please go and see him."
She didn't dare go in and pushed Wang Qisheng to go instead.
Wang Qisheng didn't dare, afraid that if he opened the door he would see his mother hanging from the roof beam.
"Little sister, let's wait until big brother comes back before we talk about it." Wang Qisheng admitted defeat and backed down repeatedly.
Wang Ningjing saw through her second brother's cowardly face and said, "Second brother, I look down on you."
She was determined to succeed. With one burst of energy, she broke down the door and found her mother lying stiffly on the bed.
Wang Ningjing turned pale with fright and staggered to the bedside.
"Mom, I was wrong. Wake up! I promise I'll listen to you from now on and never talk back to you again." She was also instigated by Li Xueqing, who told her to be wary of Yuan Doudou, saying that Yuan Doudou was trying to swindle money from their family.
To swindle money, first deceive people. She first fooled her mother and older brother, promising them everything they needed in the future.
The more she listened, the more frightened and disgusted she became with Yuan Doudou. She was a scheming woman and not at all as good as her older brother described.
“Mom, I won’t listen to Li Xueqing anymore. I thought Dou Dou was a bad person, that’s why I treated her like that. Everyone in the village says she’s a jinx, and anyone who’s connected with her will end up badly.”
Wang Ningjing's sudden repentance woke Zhang Aiju.
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