Luo Yan never expected that Hua Li would actually ask Lin Qingping to teach her self-defense techniques, and Lin Qingping acted so quickly that she started implementing it that morning.
Faced with children who couldn't even stand in line properly, let alone learn any moves, Luo Yan was filled with regret for offending Sun Bailing.
Seeing that Luo Yan was so desperate she felt like dying, Lin Qingping took pity on her and dismissed the group, letting Luo Yan sit down and rest for a while.
Xiao Xiu, who was in charge of calling out the commands, was even more tired than Luo Yan, who was demonstrating. She picked up the water bottle and gulped down more than half of the water in one go.
"Xiao Xiu, your mother is here to see you."
A child pointed at Gu Xiu, who was peering into the park from the iron fence, and called her Xiao Xiu.
Gu Xiu used to visit Xiao Xiu frequently, but she hasn't come since Zhou Bing died. This is the first time Xiao Xiu has seen Gu Xiu since Zhou Bing's death.
However, Xiao Xiu did not intend to go over, and sat on a small stool next to Luo Yan with her back to Gu Xiu.
Gu Xiu called out to Xiao Xiu, who didn't want to be the center of attention, so she reluctantly went over.
As they got closer, Xiao Xiu noticed that Gu Xiu had lost a lot of weight, her eyes were sunken, her face was haggard, and she looked somewhat gloomy.
"Xiao Xiu..." Gu Xiu reached into the fence to touch Xiao Xiu, but Xiao Xiu turned away.
"What do you want from me?" Xiao Xiu frowned and asked Gu Xiu impatiently.
"Your brother is gone. He'll be buried tomorrow. Come with me to see him off."
Xiao Xiu tilted her head and looked at Gu Xiu, "He's not my brother, and you're not my mother, so why should I go with you to see him off?"
When Xiao Xiu told him that she wasn't his mother, Gu Xiu was at a loss.
“We’re family. If it weren’t for you, he wouldn’t have died so tragically. Can’t you even see him off?”
How did he die?
Xiao Xiu was expressionless, as cold as if he were wearing a mask.
"He was beaten to death. Those bad kids couldn't stand his excellence, so they beat him to death."
Gu Xiu wept bitterly, while Xiao Xiu remained unmoved.
"Oh, it wasn't me who killed him, so I'm not going."
Gu Xiu met Xiao Xiu's indifferent eyes, and the words of accusation stuck in her throat.
"Also, don't come looking for me again. I don't want my family to be unhappy because of you."
Gu Xiu could not accept Xiao Xiu's heartlessness.
"Xiao Xiu, how could you say that to your mother?"
Xiao Xiu continued calmly, "If you bother me again, I will tell the political commissar what you did to me back then, and I will write big-character posters to publicize it all."
Xiao Xiu's resolute words pierced Gu Xiu's heart. "Xiao Xiu, do you really hate us that much?"
"I don't hate you, I just don't want to be bothered by you anymore."
Suddenly, Gu Xiu looked up at Xiao Xiu's back with tears in her eyes, but Xiao Xiu noticed and did not move.
Deng Ling pushed Xiao Xiu hard, but was bounced back and fell to the ground.
Gu Xiu recognized Deng Ling and looked annoyed. She didn't say anything more and left.
Xiao Xiu didn't take Deng Ling, who was eyeing the Cheng family's son, seriously at all, and walked away.
After school in the afternoon, Deng Ling immediately told her mother about Xiao Xiu's meeting with Gu Xiu. Just then, Hua Li came to pick up the child, and the two met face to face.
Deng Ling's mother suddenly revealed a sinister smile, which Hua Li found completely inexplicable.
Hua Li picked up her two children and rode home on her bicycle when a man suddenly appeared and blocked her way.
Upon seeing the man's face, Hua Li screamed in surprise, her hands slipping from her grip on the handlebars as the bicycle wobbled precariously, until the man grabbed her arm.
"Be careful, don't let the child fall..."
The man chuckled and released her hand. Hua Li braced herself on one leg, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Dad!" Deng Ling, who was walking behind, saw the man and shouted as she ran over.
The man frowned as Deng Ling called out to him, glanced at Hua Li who was riding away on his bicycle, and a sinister smile crept onto his lips.
Hua Li rode her bike home at lightning speed, put the two little ones down on the ground, parked the bike, ran upstairs, closed the bedroom door, and didn't come down until it was time to eat.
The whole family was confused. Just as Luo Shicheng was about to go upstairs to call Hua Li, Hua Li, who had changed into her home clothes, came downstairs.
Seeing that Hua Li looked normal, the whole family breathed a sigh of relief.
Shen Suyin couldn't help but scold Hua Li, "I don't see you all day long, and I'm just waiting for you to spend time with me after get off work, but you hide upstairs and won't come down. Do you think I'm annoying you again? If you're really annoying, I'll leave..."
Hua Li ate in silence without explaining, and stopped after a few bites, which made Shen Suyin throw down her chopsticks.
Luo Shicheng went to talk to Hua Li, but Hua Li said it was nothing.
Aunt Shi brought food, but Hua Li said she wasn't hungry.
Sun Bailing wanted to talk to Hua Li, but Hua Li simply turned off the lights and went to rest.
Luo Yan knocked on the door. Hua Li stood in the darkness, head slightly bowed, and closed the door immediately after Luo Yan entered.
"Mom?" Luo Yan followed Hua Li into bed and patted Hua Li with concern.
Hua Li pulled Luo Yan into her arms and closed her eyes to sleep.
The next morning, Hua Li appeared normal, but Luo Shicheng and Xiao Xiu knew this was just an illusion, because Hua Li hadn't entered the space to play games the night before.
Luo Shicheng had already heard from Xiaoxiu about what happened after school yesterday. He accompanied Hua Li to take the two children to kindergarten, and waited at the kindergarten gate after Hua Li left.
Deng Ling was sent by her mother, not her father. Luo Shicheng followed Deng Ling's mother back to the Deng family home, a private house located outside the military canteen.
After learning about the Deng family's situation from his neighbors, Luo Shicheng returned to his unit.
At the kindergarten, Luo Yan thought and thought, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt that Hua Li was not in a good mood, so she simply dragged Xiao Xiu along to find Deng Ling during their break.
Xiao Xiu caught Deng Ling and gave him a beating. Deng Ling opened his mouth to cry, but Luo Yan stuffed an apple into his mouth.
Deng Ling was in pain all over, and after being warned by Xiao Xiu not to cry, she nodded reluctantly.
Xiao Xiu took the apple that was used to gag Deng Ling, disgustedly stuffed it into Deng Ling's hand, and asked Deng Ling a question.
"What's your dad's name? What does he do?"
Deng Ling sobbed as she replied, "My dad's name is Deng Liren. He doesn't work, and he's often not home. I don't know what he's doing."
Luo Yan stroked her chin thoughtfully with her chubby little hand. How could a social idler know her mother?
Could it be... someone my mom met when she was doing odd jobs?
But she met Deng Liren yesterday, and he didn't seem like a good person at all. My mother is quiet by nature and would never associate with someone like that.
Based on Hua Li's reaction after meeting Deng Liren, Luo Yan made a heartbreaking conjecture: Deng Liren had harassed her mother and left her with psychological trauma.
But why has Deng Liren only appeared now, and why is his harassment intermittent, since she transmigrated here?
Luo Yan waved her hand, and Xiao Xiu abandoned Deng Ling, ordering Deng Ling to have Deng Liren escort him tomorrow.
"Why are you looking for my dad?" Deng Ling asked, shrinking back.
It seemed that Deng Ling wouldn't cooperate obediently unless she took action; Luo Yan's small fists smashed Deng Ling's nose until it bled profusely.
Xiao Xiu's injury to Deng Ling was barely noticeable, while Luo Yan was deliberately designed to attract attention.
Deng Ling screamed like a pig being slaughtered. Lin Qingping ran over and saw that Deng Ling's face was covered in blood. She quickly asked the caregiver to take Deng Ling to see a doctor.
Lin Qingping was at a loss when she noticed the blood on Luo Yan's hands.
"Yanyan, the principal can waive the parent-teacher meeting this time, but you must promise not to hit Deng Ling again."
"How can we not call the parents?" Luo Yan said, emphasizing each word.
"Thank you, Principal. We need to call the parents."
Lin Qingping! ???
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