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

Su Li was stunned when she received the news.

The call was from Aunt Chang, who told her that Mrs. Tang was back at the family compound.

”How is that possible? She was sentenced to two years. It hasn’t even been half a year, let alone two. It’s only been a few months. How could they let her out of prison?!”

Su Li didn’t have time to talk more with Aunt Chang and immediately called the women’s prison.

She had scribbled down the number hastily at the time, and maybe because it was the wrong one, no one answered.

Su Li wanted nothing more than to rush straight to the women’s prison, but she looked at the time and forced herself to hold back.

It was almost time for Little Tang Mo to get out of school, and she had to go pick him up.

Su Li took two deep breaths to calm down before heading out to get Little Tang Mo.

After the New Year, Little Tang Mo was considered seven years old. He had grown a bit taller and was on the tall side for his age.

”Little Mo.” Su Li was waiting at the school gate and spotted Little Tang Mo at a glance.

Little Tang Mo’s eyes lit up when he saw her, and he immediately ran over. But strangely, he wasn’t smiling today.

Su Li found that a little odd. Little Tang Mo usually beamed with joy whenever he saw her.

”What’s wrong?” Su Li asked as she hurried to meet him. ”Did something happen?”

Little Tang Mo grabbed Su Li’s hand and shook his head, indicating that nothing was wrong.

How could Su Li believe that? Seeing his tightly pressed lips, she grew worried.

”Little Mo, don’t be scared. Tell Mommy what happened, okay?”

Little Tang Mo shook his head desperately and mumbled, ”Nothing.”

’And he says nothing’s wrong!’

A thousand possibilities instantly flashed through Su Li’s mind. ’Did someone at school bully Little Tang Mo? Or... did Mrs. Tang find him as soon as she got out of prison?’

The color drained from Su Li’s face at the last possibility.

”Little Mo, did you... did you see someone who scared you?”

Seeing the change in Su Li’s expression, Little Tang Mo quickly shook his head and opened his mouth. ”Mom, my tooth fell out.”

The moment he opened his mouth, Su Li saw that one of Little Tang Mo’s front teeth was missing.

No wonder he’d kept his mouth tightly shut. Su Li let out a sigh of relief, then couldn’t help but let out a little snort of laughter.

The moment Little Tang Mo saw Su Li laugh, he clamped his mouth shut again.

”Okay, okay, Mommy won’t laugh at you.” Su Li tried hard to suppress her laughter and took his hand. ”Let’s go.”

Ever since he started talking again, Little Tang Mo would tell her about his day at school on the way home, but today he remained silent, his lips sealed.

So Su Li deliberately asked him questions to tease him into talking, and Little Tang Mo had no choice but to answer.

But he’d get annoyed after every reply, because the gap in his teeth made him lisp slightly when he spoke.

”It’s okay. You’ll get used to it in a few days. Is the front tooth next to it loose?”

Seeing Little Tang Mo losing his baby teeth reminded Su Li of her own experience.

It wasn’t just her generation; even for Little Tang Mo’s generation, most people used the old-fashioned method for losing teeth.

When a tooth was a little loose and ready to come out, kids were told to wiggle it with their fingers. Once it was very loose, their parents would help pull it out, or it would just come out on its own from all the wiggling.

That was basically how everyone did it back then. If you didn’t wiggle your loose teeth, your parents would even scold you.

They’d say that if you didn’t wiggle it, the new tooth would grow in crooked, or it would grow out and pierce your lip, and you’d be drooling all the time. It was ugly and terrifying...

Anyway, everyone had heard their fair share of these scare tactics from adults.

So, as soon as a tooth started to get loose, you’d see kids wiggling it with their fingers, drooling all over the place.

That’s how it was for everyone, but things were different in modern times.

Professional dentists all advise against wiggling teeth with your fingers. Besides being unhygienic, using the wrong amount of force can affect the growth of the new tooth and even impact facial development.

The general advice is to let them fall out naturally or see a dentist.

Su Li winced as she recalled her own childhood experiences with losing teeth.

Who was that concerned about hygiene back then? Other than washing your face, you rarely washed your hands unless there was a special reason. And you’d wiggle your teeth whenever you felt like it. Who knows how many germs were on those hands.

Thinking of this, Su Li quickly added, ”Little Mo, if your teeth get loose in the future, please don’t wiggle them with your hands, okay?”

Little Mo looked puzzled. ”Why not? Everyone does it. They say you get scolded if you don’t.”

”You don’t need to wiggle it; just wait for it to fall out on its own.” Su Li thought for a moment. ”If you see your classmates wiggling their teeth in the future, you should suggest they wash their hands first if you can.”

’At least they’ll wash them once,’ she thought.

Little Tang Mo nodded, but he was still doubtful. ”But it won’t fall out if I don’t wiggle it. It’ll just get firm again.”

Su Li had experience with this too. If you started wiggling a tooth but then stopped or didn’t pull it out in time, it would indeed grow tighter again. Pulling it out later was a major ordeal.

When parents couldn’t pull it out by hand, they sometimes resorted to tying a piece of sewing thread around it and yanking. If that didn’t work, they might even use pliers...

It seemed incredible to think about now, but it was normal back then. After all, medical resources were limited.

In mountainous areas like Xinghua Village and Su Family Village, people just had to endure minor illnesses. Many who fell seriously ill simply died from their sickness.

Who would go to a hospital just for a child’s loose tooth?

Su Li patted Little Tang Mo’s head. ”Don’t worry. If it doesn’t fall out, we’ll go to a doctor and have them pull it.”

Little Tang Mo nodded obediently, but he couldn’t resist licking the gap with his tongue.

Su Li quickly said, ”Don’t lick it! Don’t use your tongue. It’ll affect how the new tooth grows in. Don’t lick any other loose teeth in the future, either.”

Kids have a habit of licking loose teeth or the empty socket with their tongue during this period. It was a bad habit that needed to be corrected.

”Oh.” Little Tang Mo agreed meekly, then tugged on Su Li’s hand. ”I just really want to lick it.”

Su Li knew the feeling. ”It’s normal to want to lick it. From now on, just try to stop yourself each time. You’ll break the habit in a few days.”

Little Tang Mo nodded. ”Mhm.”

After saying that, he couldn’t help but grin.

Looking at his missing front tooth, Su Li had to try with all her might not to burst out laughing.

Thanks to the distraction of Little Tang Mo’s lost tooth and their conversation, Su Li didn’t feel quite so terrible anymore.

Thank goodness Little Tang Mo was all right now. Thank goodness he could talk again. Otherwise, upon hearing that Mrs. Tang was out of prison, Su Li would surely have been unable to control her emotions and would have already run off to the women’s prison and every other place she could think of to protest.

After buying groceries, they went home. Little Tang Mo helped out while Su Li cooked, and the mother and son enjoyed a lively meal together.

”Mom, when school starts in September, I want to skip another grade.”

Little Tang Mo spoke up halfway through the meal.

”To the fifth grade?” Su Li asked.

”Mhm.” Little Tang Mo nodded. ”They have a sixth grade now, right? I’ll skip to fifth grade first.”

Little Tang Mo had already finished all the fourth-grade coursework long ago. If it weren’t for the fact that he was also learning foreign languages with Su Li and had other hobbies, he would have been bored to tears by now.

”Okay. I’ll talk to your teacher about it then.”

Su Li put down her chopsticks and stood up. ”Speaking of which, Little Mo, the library cards we applied for are ready.”

Su Li took two small, red library card booklets from her bag and handed them to Little Tang Mo with a delighted smile.