Jiang Ziling rubbed the tip of his nose gently, a hint of embarrassment revealed between his brows. He was puzzled as to why Su Yu was not happy to see that he could walk alone, but was in a bad mood instead.
This sudden confusion, like the darkness of night, quietly enveloped his heart.
Xie Xinghua led a few maids and walked briskly to the kitchen to reheat the food.
In the past few days, they deliberately postponed their meal time, just in case - when Su Yu and Daya returned, hunger would not invade the hearts and stomachs of the returnees, and the warm meals would be the first stop to comfort their hearts.
Su Yu carefully led the horse to the stable and tied it up carefully to ensure its safety and comfort. Then he turned and walked into the yard, washed his dusty hands, and walked towards the kitchen step by step.
Night had completely fallen, and the darkness around him seemed to flow into his chest with every breath. Jiang Ziling lit the candles in the house, and the flickering flames illuminated the expectant faces of everyone.
With the addition of Xie Xinghua's second brother and his apprentice, the atmosphere at the table became more lively than usual. The delicacies were dazzling and delicious, but this scene, which should have been cheerful, seemed out of place because of the silence.
Even the young children seemed to sense the strangeness in the air. They exchanged glances, trying to find answers from each other's eyes.
Su Yu was already starving. She couldn't wait to pick up the bowl and chopsticks and enjoy the long-lost delicacy in big mouthfuls. Her desire for food was released at this moment.
However, after a while, she noticed that no one sitting around the table had touched their chopsticks, but was just staring at her silently. So she swallowed her food and said softly, "Everyone, don't look so sad. Let's eat. Daya is fine. I'll tell you all in detail after dinner."
Although these words temporarily calmed everyone's hearts, deep in everyone's eyes, their worries and anxieties were still hidden. Finally, when Su Yu finished his dinner with satisfaction, it was Daya's uncle Wang Dayong who had been sitting quietly beside him who was the first to speak up, unable to suppress his anxiety and eagerly asked.
"Sister, what happened to Daya? Why didn't she come back with you?"
His tone was full of anxiety and worry, but it was not a reproach, because during the working days, he could always catch the moment when his sister secretly wiped away tears.
In addition to worrying about Daya, he also felt sorry for his sister.
Su Yu slowly explained the whole story: "She is fine, and the human traffickers have agreed to release her, but... she herself does not want to come back."
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire room fell into deathly silence. Even the tiny dust particles in the air seemed to be still, and only the sound of the needle tip that had not yet fallen to the ground echoed in everyone's heart.
After a long silence, Wang Dayong suddenly stood up. His movement was so big that even the wooden tables and chairs beside him were shaken and made a clanging sound.
"How is this possible?"
He muttered in disbelief, his face full of shock and confusion.
Xie Xinghua gently pulled her brother's clothes, trying to calm his out-of-control emotions.
Wang Dayong immediately realized his mistake and apologized quickly: "I'm sorry, I was too impulsive, sister, please don't mind it."
Su Yu waved his hand, motioning him to sit down, and then began to slowly tell the story behind it. Every word seemed to be well thought out, heavy yet full of affection.
…
Time slipped by quietly. Su Yu took a sip of water and cleared his throat. His voice was calm, yet a subtle weariness lingered. "That's basically what happened. She absolutely refused to come back and insisted on being self-reliant and helping the family. No matter how I tried to persuade her, it was useless. I had no choice but to ask Mute Woman to look after her temporarily. Now that Mute Woman's illness has been cured by me, I think she won't bother Daya anymore."
When Xie Xinghua heard this, she burst into tears, and her tears seemed to contain too much helplessness and heartache.
"You mean, she cut her cheek with a knife to avoid being sold to a bad place?"
Her voice trembled, and every word she said was like a hammer hitting everyone's heart.
Su Yu nodded heavily and confirmed: "Yes, but I have already used medicine to treat the wound, so there is no need to worry about leaving scars."
Xie Xinghua cried even more heartbrokenly. What kind of fear and despair did her precious daughter endure at that moment to make such a decisive choice?
Everyone present felt as if their hearts had been pinched harshly, with mixed emotions.
Wang Dayong tried his best to comfort his sister: "Don't cry, at least she's safe. Tomorrow, you go find her yourself and bring her back no matter what. She's still so young, how can she do those servant jobs? That would only make her feel wronged."
Xie Xinghua sobbed and nodded to show her agreement.
Jiang Ziling offered a different opinion: "Well, why not wait and see? That child is stubborn, and Ayu, you must have tried your best to persuade her. Since she doesn't want to come back, I'm afraid you'll get the same result if you go tomorrow, sister-in-law. Give her some time to think it over and experience the hardships of life outside. Perhaps her desire to run away will soften."
Jiang Ziling felt heartbroken for A Yu. After all, she had just returned home after a long journey, and he couldn't bear to let her go out immediately.
Since A Yu said that the mute woman would take good care of Daya, then waiting a few more days would not be a problem.
However, Xie Xinghua's heart could not wait any longer. She pleaded, "Let's do it tomorrow, sister-in-law. After all, I am her biological mother. Maybe she will listen to me. As long as Daya doesn't come back, my heart will not be at peace."
"Please accompany me again tomorrow."
There was determination in her words. Even though Jiang Ziling's suggestion made sense, for a mother, her daughter's safety was above all else.
Not to mention waiting for a few days, at this moment, she wished she could fly to Daya immediately.
Xie Xinghua's tear-stained face made everyone around her feel a heart-wrenching pain.
Su Yu gently comforted her: "Sister-in-law, don't cry. You should have a good rest tonight, otherwise Daya will see it and worry about you again."
Hearing this, Xie Xinghua hurriedly wiped away the tears on her face and forced a smile. "Yes, yes, sister-in-law is right. I won't cry anymore. I won't cry anymore. I have to go out tomorrow and pack my things."
She led the two maids out of the room, and her heart was filled with joy as she thought about the scene of her upcoming reunion with her daughter.
She took out the new clothes that Su Yu had given her from the depths of the closet and placed them carefully at the head of the bed.
She had been reluctant to wear this dress, but in order to go to the city to pick up Daya tomorrow, she decided to wear it and not let her image be neglected.
Afterwards, Xie Xinghua told Jiang Wangshan the good news that Daya was safe and asked him not to worry. As for Daya's reluctance to go home, she did not mention a word and only said that she would go to pick her up the next day.
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