Helping Beautiful Women Become Stronger, I Have a Love System

129: Chapter 129 A Mother and Daughter Who Depend on Each OtherUpon reaching her parents’ home, her mother, Wang Xiulan, saw the child in her arms and tears immediately fell. ’My poor, unfortunate daughter...’

Her father, Xiao Jianguo, squatted by the door, smoking, and said nothing.

Her sister-in-law, Zhang Chunmei, came out from inside the house. Seeing Xiao Baihe and the child, her face instantly darkened. ’Oh, you’re back? And you brought a little burden with you.’

’Chunmei!’ Wang Xiulan scolded.

’Did I say something wrong?’ Zhang Chunmei planted her hands on her hips. ’A married daughter is like spilled water. Now your husband is dead, you’ve been kicked out by his family, and you think you can come back to your parents’ home to freeload? Don’t you know what our family’s situation is like?’

Xiao Baihe’s older brother, Xiao Baiqiang, came out from the room. Seeing his sister, his eyes reddened. ’Baihe...’

’Brother.’ Xiao Baihe’s nose stung with emotion.

’Baiqiang, I’m telling you, if you dare let them stay, I’ll take our son and go back to my parents’ home!’ Zhang Chunmei threatened.

Xiao Baiqiang opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing.

He was an honest man. Marrying Zhang Chunmei had cost the family all their savings and left them in debt.

For five years of marriage, he had been completely under Zhang Chunmei’s thumb.

’Sister-in-law...’ Xiao Baihe’s voice choked with sobs, ’I won’t live here for free. I can work. Once my postpartum confinement period is over...’

’Once your confinement is over?’ Zhang Chunmei sneered. ’Who’s going to wait on you for this whole month? Who’ll cook for you? Who’ll look after your child? Our family of four barely gets by on Baiqiang’s little salary. How can we afford to feed idle mouths!’

Wang Xiulan couldn’t help but say, ’Chunmei, Baihe is my daughter, Xiao Jing is my granddaughter...’

’Mom, if you’re going to say that, fine,’ Zhang Chunmei said coldly. ’Either they leave, or I leave. You choose.’

A deathly silence fell over the room.

Xiao Jianguo took a fierce drag of his cigarette. Xiao Baiqiang hung his head. Wang Xiulan covered her face and wept.

Xiao Baihe understood.

There was no place in this home for her and her daughter.

’Dad, Mom, Brother, I’m leaving,’ she said calmly. ’Take care of yourselves.’

’Baihe!’ Wang Xiulan tried to grab her.

But Xiao Baihe had already turned away.

Holding her daughter, she walked step by step out of the place where she had grown up.

Behind her were her mother’s sobs, her father’s sigh, her brother’s silence, and her sister-in-law’s urging: ’Hurry up and close the door! The cold wind’s blowing right in!’

That night, Xiao Baihe held her daughter and stayed in the town’s only small inn.

The room cost twenty yuan a day. After paying, she had only thirty-seven yuan and fifty cents left.

Xiao Jing cried from hunger, but she had no breast milk.

The recent blows and poor nutrition meant she simply couldn’t produce any milk.

In tears, she went and knocked on the innkeeper’s door, begging for some hot water to mix formula.

The innkeeper was a kind-hearted woman. Not only did she give hot water, but she also waived the room fee.

That night, Xiao Baihe held her daughter, awake until dawn.

Looking at the little sleeping face in her arms, she whispered, ’Xiao Jing, Mommy only has you now. We must survive, the two of us.’

...

Xiao Baihe rented a single room in the county town for one hundred fifty yuan a month.

The room was tiny, only ten square meters, filled by just a bed and a cabinet.

The window leaked wind; in winter it was as cold as an icehouse.

She found piecework.

Sewing cloth dolls for a toy factory.

Payment was by the piece, fifty cents per doll.

She was skillful with her hands and could sew seventy or eighty a day, earning thirty or forty yuan.

Barely enough for mother and daughter to get by.

After her postpartum confinement, she carried Xiao Jing on her back while working.

When the child cried, she would gently rock her body, never stopping her hands.

Sometimes she sewed late into the night, her fingers so tired they wouldn’t straighten, but looking at her sleeping daughter, she felt it was all worth it.

Xiao Jing was very well-behaved, rarely fussy or crying.

At three months old, she would smile at her. That smile looked so much like Jianjun’s. Xiao Baihe would often stare at her daughter’s face, lost in thought, wondering how much Jianjun would have doted on this daughter if he were still here.

Life was hard, but with mother and daughter depending on each other for survival, there was a peculiar kind of warmth.

When Xiao Jing was one year old, Xiao Baihe set up a small stall in the market, selling hair clips and hair ties she made herself.

She was clever with her hands. The hair clips she made were delicate and cheap, very popular with girls.

Combined with the income from sewing dolls, she could earn over a thousand yuan a month. After rent and living expenses, she could even save a little.

The hardest times were over.

Xiao Jing learned to walk, to call ’Mama,’ to stumble and help pass things to her.

Xiao Baihe’s beauty gradually returned.

Though dressed in plain clothes, though her hands had calluses, that innate beauty couldn’t be hidden.

Men at the market often tried to chat her up, saying they wanted to ’take care of’ her and her daughter.

But she knew these men were all coveting her looks.

They didn’t genuinely want to be with her.

She refused them all.

There were also those who sincerely wanted to build a life with her.

A middle-aged man who ran a grain and oil shop, whose wife had died of illness, was raising his son alone.

He sent someone to propose marriage, saying he would treasure her and treat Xiao Jing as his own daughter.

Xiao Baihe thought it over for three days but ultimately refused.

’Why?’ the matchmaker was puzzled. ’Boss Zhang’s conditions are good, and he’s a solid person. It’s so hard for you alone with a child.’

’I’m afraid,’ Xiao Baihe said softly. ’Afraid Xiao Jing would be wronged, afraid of meeting people like Jianjun’s parents again.’

By the time Xiao Jing was three, she was already a heartbreakingly sensible child. Seeing her mother tired, she would massage her back; seeing her mother frown, she would ask, ’Is Mama unhappy?’; going to the market stall, she would help greet customers, saying in a milky voice, ’Auntie, buy a hair clip, it’s so pretty.’

The neighbors all liked Xiao Jing, calling her a clever little imp.

Watching her daughter grow day by day, Xiao Baihe felt all the hardship was worth it.

She began to plan for the future.

Save money for two more years, send Xiao Jing to the best kindergarten in town.

When Xiao Jing starts elementary school, she could rent a storefront and open a small accessories shop.

When Xiao Jing grows up, she’ll support her through university, let her have a good life...

Everything was moving in a good direction.

Until Xiao Jing’s fourth birthday.

That day was a Saturday. Xiao Baihe deliberately didn’t go to her stall, wanting to spend the birthday properly with her daughter.

She bought a small cake, made a few dishes, and even bought Xiao Jing a new dress.

Pink, with lace trim, something Xiao Jing had talked about for a long time.

’Mama, the cake is so pretty!’ Xiao Jing circled the table, her eyes sparkling.

Then the two of them happily made wishes and blew out the candles.

In the afternoon, Xiao Baihe took Xiao Jing to play at the small Park in town.

There were slides and swings, Xiao Jing’s favorite place.

’Mama, I want to play on the swing!’ Xiao Jing hopped and skipped over.

’Slow down, don’t fall,’ Xiao Baihe followed behind her.

There weren’t many people in the Park. A few elderly folks were walking, a young couple was talking on a bench.

Xiao Baihe watched her daughter on the swing, a smile on her face.

’Mama, push me higher!’ Xiao Jing called out happily.

Xiao Baihe gently pushed the swing, mentally planning to make longevity noodles for her daughter that evening. Just then, she heard someone shout: ’Fire! Fire!’

She looked up and saw thick smoke billowing from the residential building opposite the Park. The crowd began to stir; some ran towards it, others fled in the opposite direction.

’Mama, what’s happening?’ Xiao Jing stopped the swing.

’It’s nothing, there seems to be a fire opposite,’ Xiao Baihe said. ’We’ll play a little longer and then go home.’

She turned back to push the swing, but her eyes involuntarily glanced towards the direction of the smoke.

The fire seemed quite serious; the sound of fire engines grew from the distance.

’Mama, I want some water,’ Xiao Jing said.

’Okay, Mama has water in her bag.’ Xiao Baihe turned to get the bag she had left on the bench.

While getting the water, she happened to run into an acquaintance. The two chatted briefly.

The whole thing took less than three minutes.

When she turned back with the water, the swing was empty.

...