From Broken Family to Life Winner: A Reborn Mother's Journey

Su Li was genuinely surprised to suddenly get a call from Little Tang Mo.

This was the first time Little Tang Mo had ever called her.

Su Li had just gotten back from the university when she heard the phone ring. At first, she thought it was Li Hongqin or one of her people.

But when she picked up, she heard Little Tang Mo’s bright, excited voice on the other end, ”Mama.”

Su Li paused for a moment before it registered. ”Little Mo?”

”It’s me, Mama! I miss you so much. Can you come pick me up? Please?” Little Tang Mo pleaded the moment he heard Su Li’s voice.

A sour feeling welled up in Su Li’s heart. ”I miss you too, but Little Mo, I’m so busy. I don’t have time.”

”Mama, just for a little while! Just a tiny little while! I can wait for you at the gate,” Little Tang Mo said, his voice tinged with urgency.

”Mama, this isn’t what we agreed on before. You said I’d live with Dad, but you’d come see me or pick me up on Saturdays and Sundays. But now I never get to see you at all.”

Su Li forcefully swallowed the lump in her throat. ”Mama’s just too busy...”

She hadn’t meant to lie to Little Tang Mo. That really was what she had planned.

But plans can’t keep up with reality. So many things were out of her hands, beyond her control.

Given the current situation, she had to keep her distance from Little Tang Mo for both their sakes.

No matter how she looked at it, no matter how much she agonized over it, she just couldn’t escape this reality.

”Mama, please come get me, okay...?” Little Tang Mo’s voice was full of pleading. ”I want to be with you. I don’t want to stay here...”

”Just a little longer... Little Mo, just wait a little longer. In a few days, okay? Be a good boy...”

Afraid she would give in if she softened for even a moment, Su Li hardened her heart, said a few quick words, and hung up the phone.

She was afraid Little Tang Mo would cry. If he cried, it would only make her feel worse.

She was also afraid she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from crying, from agreeing.

But how could she agree?

She had waited so long. The time when she could finally be done with Tang Yuanxiao and the Tang Family for good was almost here. She couldn’t let anything go wrong now.

Mrs. Tang was right there in the family compound. How could she possibly go and pick up Little Tang Mo?

If she went to get him, there was no telling what would happen.

The fact that Mrs. Tang hadn’t come to the university to cause a scene or look for her was already a blessing. This period of peace was rare enough as it was.

Su Li didn’t want to let her soft heart make a mess of things all over again.

Su Li sat on the sofa, staring blankly at the phone for a long time.

She had returned in high spirits, even buying some groceries to cook herself a nice meal. But Little Tang Mo’s call had completely drained her of all enthusiasm.

After a long while, Su Li patted her cheeks.

’Stop thinking about it. Just stop. He’ll get used to it...’

Mrs. Tang was in the compound. Su Li couldn’t be sure of much else, but she knew Mrs. Tang truly doted on Little Tang Mo with all her heart.

’Even if Little Tang Mo is crying his eyes out because I said no, Mrs. Tang will be there to comfort him, and he’ll be fine in no time.’

”Stop thinking about it!”

Su Li forced herself to stop thinking about Little Tang Mo and turned her attention to work.

The factory purchase was just waiting on some paperwork. The necessary funds had already been transferred to the account, and once the purchase was complete, everything would need to get up and running.

For the factory in the Imperial City, Su Li had decided to produce clothing for young men and women, a market with huge potential.

The factory in Fengcheng County would specialize in children’s clothing from now on. To capture a larger share of the market in the future, it would have to expand.

As for school uniforms, that business had mostly stabilized.

A branch of the factory would be set up in Li Family Village. Without Su Li even needing to say anything, the more business-savvy people in Li Family Village had already taken the initiative to start drumming up business. It was only a matter of time before they covered the entire province.

The Pinjun enterprise was getting bigger and bigger. Opening a branch factory involved a lot of work and was no easy task.

Su Li had been busy with this for the past two days, only stopping by the bookstore occasionally and ignoring almost everything else.

Su Li used work to distract herself, and for a while, she managed to stop agonizing over Little Tang Mo.

As she kept busy, she had no idea that on the other end of the line, Little Tang Mo had burst into tears the moment she hung up.

”Mama... Mama... Mama, please come get me...”

Little Tang Mo’s face was streaked with tears as he cried out, but all he could hear from the phone was a dial tone.

”Don’t cry, Tang Mo,” Aunt Chang said, watching from the side with a heavy heart.

She knew very well why Su Li wouldn’t come to pick up Little Tang Mo. It pained her to see him like this, but she understood.

Aunt Chang took the receiver from Little Tang Mo’s hand and hung it up. ”You can try calling Mama again later.”

She sighed. ”Your grandma’s here to get you for dinner. Be a good boy, okay?”

Hearing the word ”grandma,” Little Tang Mo’s crying faltered.

He turned just in time to see Mrs. Tang enter the room. Her gaze made him flinch.

”Looking for your mama, were you...?” Mrs. Tang’s face twisted, and the look she gave Little Tang Mo made him freeze on the spot.

”He’s just a child. It’s normal for him to miss his mother...” Aunt Chang glanced back at the expressionless Mrs. Tang and offered a weak explanation.

Mrs. Tang gave a dry laugh. ”Sorry you had to see that.”

She reached out to pull Little Tang Mo. ”Let’s go. Time to go home for dinner.”

They had just left Aunt Chang’s home when Little Tang Mo cried out with a sob, ”Grandma.”

”Grandma, you’re hurting me.”

Mrs. Tang glanced at Little Tang Mo, released his hand, and walked ahead without a word.

Little Tang Mo followed behind Mrs. Tang, his steps growing more and more hesitant.

Mrs. Tang’s pace, meanwhile, grew faster and heavier.

”Looking for Mama... Heh, looking for Mama...” she muttered neurotically, her face dripping with scorn.

The madness in her eyes could no longer be contained, erupting forth.

Mrs. Tang had truly had enough.

The grandson she had doted on endlessly, the one she had painstakingly raised through thick and thin, the one she loved to her very bones—turned out not to be her biological grandson at all.

Years of devotion, all for nothing!

For Mrs. Tang, the pain was as real as having her heart carved out of her chest.

How could it not hurt?

But no matter how much it hurt, because of all the love she had felt before, because she was so used to loving him, she seethed with resentment but still forced herself to take care of Little Tang Mo.

But Little Tang Mo... heh...

He was now looking for Su Li, the little ingrate!

Ungrateful brat!

’He really isn’t my flesh and blood. I’ve raised an ungrateful little traitor!’

The madness in Mrs. Tang’s eyes slowly brewed into a furious rage.

Little Tang Mo watched Mrs. Tang’s retreating back, a flicker of fear in his eyes.

He was a sensitive child to begin with, and ever since that one day, he had noticed his grandma seemed like a different person. Her eyes had become terrifying.

She no longer smiled at him. She would just stare at him with a strange, frightening gaze, and she didn’t dote on him like she used to.

Little Tang Mo felt that something was wrong, and he was scared. That was why he couldn’t stop himself from going to Aunt Chang’s house to call Su Li.

Su Li never expected this was the reason for Little Tang Mo’s call. And Little Tang Mo never imagined that his one phone call would be the thing that pushed Mrs. Tang completely over the edge.

The tall figure and the small one returned home, one after the other.

Little Tang Mo had just stepped inside when Mrs. Tang turned around and spoke.

”Close the door.”

Little Tang Mo froze for a second, then obediently closed the door.

”Grandma...” Little Tang Mo had just turned back and called out to her when he heard Mrs. Tang command—

”Shut up.”

Little Tang Mo looked up, and the sight of Mrs. Tang’s face stunned him into place.

He instinctively took step after step backward. ”Grandma...”

”I said, shut up!” A suppressed roar echoed through the Tang residence.

A series of CRASHES and BANGS rang out, followed by a sudden, dead silence.