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

New Year’s Day arrived, and a new year began.

For Su Li and Little Tang Mo, the new year also brought a new kind of busy.

Right after New Year’s Day came the final exams.

Su Li had missed too many classes, so she was very nervous about the finals. Plus, their final exams were a little different from regular ones.

So, on the morning of New Year’s Day, she was on edge the entire time.

’Well... besides the final exams, the most important reason I’m so nervous is what Wu Sheng said.’

’Meeting Wu Sheng’s mother... it really takes a lot of courage.’

Just as Wu Sheng had predicted, Su Li tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She only drifted off in the middle of the night, and when she did, she started dreaming.

They were chaotic, jumbled dreams. In any case, she didn’t sleep well all night.

Fortunately, the next day was New Year’s Day, so both Su Li’s and Little Tang Mo’s schools were closed for the day.

The phone rang first thing in the morning.

Su Li answered. It was Yin Cuihua and Li Hongqin.

These days, the two of them didn’t just celebrate the Spring Festival; they celebrated New Year’s Day as well.

The employees at their factory were also getting a half-day off in the afternoon to go have some fun.

”Su Li, Happy New Year.”

”Happy New Year to you too.”

After chatting for a bit, Su Li couldn’t help but ask for their advice on meeting a mother-in-law.

Hearing Su Li’s question, both of them were startled.

Previously, the news of Su Li’s divorce from Tang Yuanxiao had been kept secret, and Su Li hadn’t told them. It was only after the news broke that she finally told them.

When they found out what Mrs. Tang had done, the two, who both adored Little Tang Mo, were tempted to storm the Imperial City and settle the score with that ’old hag’ Mrs. Tang.

They had been worried that Little Tang Mo still couldn’t speak and that Su Li was heartbroken. But now, here was Su Li, stammering as she asked them about meeting a future mother-in-law.

”Meeting a future mother-in-law? Su Li, what’s going on?”

”A future mother-in-law? Su Li, are you getting married?”

Listening to the two of them excitedly fighting over the phone on the other end, Su Li was so embarrassed she wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

”No, no, I’m just asking.”

’Ugh, I’m just so nervous I can’t help it!’

Li Hongqin and Yin Cuihua were full of suspicion, but Su Li was being too shy on her end. They couldn’t get anything more out of her, so they had to give up.

In the end, the two shared their past experiences.

Yin Cuihua: ”Back then, the matchmaker came to my house, and my mother-in-law came with her. I had no time to prepare at all.”

”My mother-in-law is a real wolf in sheep’s clothing. She smiles at everyone, all sweet-like. At first, I thought she really liked me, but it turned out that wasn’t the case at all!”

When Yin Cuihua started talking about her mother-in-law, she could go on for three days and three nights.

They still had constant conflicts, but because she was successful now, her mother-in-law was more polite to her.

”A mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law can never be on the same side. That’s my experience.”

That was Yin Cuihua’s conclusion.

Su Li nodded repeatedly, her heart sinking with a sense of shared misery.

Li Hongqin: ”I married a man who moved in with my family, so my situation isn’t really comparable. Back then, I went with the matchmaker to his house to discuss things, and oh my god, the look on my mother-in-law’s face.”

”TSK TSK...” Li Hongqin clicked her tongue repeatedly. ”Good thing I was the one ’marrying’ him into my family and not the other way around. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to stand it for long!”

Li Hongqin recalled the past and finally summed it up.

”Oh, Su Li, being a daughter-in-law is the worst. If you can, you should also find a man who’ll move in with you. I mean, with your current situation, you could have any man you want!”

Li Hongqin was giving her sincere advice. With Su Li having Little Tang Mo, most in-laws would definitely not be happy to see her. Why should she subject herself to that kind of unfair treatment?

Su Li was speechless. ”...”

After hanging up, Su Li’s little seed of anxiety had grown into a giant tree of dread. She was really getting cold feet.

For a moment, she really couldn’t decide what to do.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the line, after Li Hongqin and Yin Cuihua hung up, they launched into another heated discussion about mothers-in-law. After they had vented to their hearts’ content, they stared at each other for a long moment before it finally dawned on them.

’Wait a minute, Su Li wouldn’t have asked that for no reason. What if she really does have to meet a mother-in-law and we just made her get cold feet?’

”You can’t just not get married and give up on life just because mothers-in-law are terrifying, right?”

”I think... we might have overdone it,” Li Hongqin realized.

”Yeah, we didn’t give her a single piece of advice on how to win over a mother-in-law. We just complained...” Yin Cuihua also realized with a pang of regret.

”Quick, call her back!” Li Hongqin decided instantly.

Unfortunately, they called several times, but no one answered.

Su Li wasn’t home.

Before Li Hongqin and the others could call a second time, she received a call from Tang Yuanxiao.

Tang Yuanxiao wanted to see Little Tang Mo and asked if it was possible.

If not, he asked if he could just see him from a distance.

He hadn’t seen Little Tang Mo in a very long time.

Tang Yuanxiao had later voluntarily given up his custody rights to Little Tang Mo, all for Little Tang Mo’s own good.

His desire to see Little Tang Mo was understandable.

After Su Li hung up, she frowned and thought for a moment.

Just as she was thinking, Little Tang Mo came in, leaned against her leg, and handed her a slip of paper.

”Mom, who was that on the phone just now?”

Little Tang Mo had heard Su Li on the phone. Seeing her staring into space, he had a guess.

Su Li looked at Little Tang Mo, debating whether she should tell him the truth.

Little Tang Mo added another sentence to the note.

”Was it him?”

Su Li stared, stunned for a moment.

Then she suddenly understood what Little Tang Mo meant.

He had guessed who was on the other end of the line. ”Him” was his replacement title for Tang Yuanxiao.

Little Tang Mo didn’t want to call him ”Dad,” but he couldn’t just say ”Tang Yuanxiao” either, so he used ”him” instead.

Su Li looked directly into Little Tang Mo’s eyes. Seeing his unflinching gaze, she finally nodded slowly.

”He wants to see you. Little Mo, we don’t have to meet him face-to-face. Can we just go out and let him see you from a distance?”

Little Tang Mo had never brought up Tang Yuanxiao or Mrs. Tang on his own before. This was the first time he had actively asked about Tang Yuanxiao.

Little Tang Mo watched Su Li’s response, took a deep breath, and pursed his lips before finally nodding.

He wrote on the paper slip to confirm, ”Let’s see him, Mom.”

Little Tang Mo remembered all the good things Tang Yuanxiao had done for him.

He also knew that Tang Yuanxiao hadn’t directly harmed him, so he didn’t need to be afraid of him.

Little Tang Mo took Su Li’s hand and smiled at her.

Su Li was very surprised.

”Little Mo, you mean you want to meet him properly?”

Little Tang Mo nodded.

”Are you still scared? If you are, we don’t have to see him. Little Mo, you don’t have to force yourself. Really.”

Little Tang Mo wrote,

”I’m not forcing myself. I’m still a little bit scared, but it’s okay, Mom. Let’s go see him.”

Moved by the determined look in Little Tang Mo’s eyes, Su Li took him out.

Tang Yuanxiao was waiting nervously at the agreed-upon meeting spot.

Holding Little Tang Mo’s hand, Su Li spotted Tang Yuanxiao at a glance.

Little Tang Mo’s steps faltered for a moment, but then he gripped Su Li’s hand and started walking forward again.

’I have Mom. I’m not afraid anymore.’

’I don’t have to be afraid of anything. Mom will protect me. She’ll never abandon me!’

And so, little by little, Little Tang Mo fought the urge to turn and run, and walked right up to Tang Yuanxiao.

”Momo.” Tang Yuanxiao’s eyes filled with tears as he looked at Little Tang Mo.

Little Tang Mo walked to the seat opposite him, sat down, and looked up at Tang Yuanxiao.