The sudden, deafening bang startled the two of them.
Chen Xiaoyan instinctively wanted to hide under the dining table, but on second thought, she wasn’t some thief with a guilty conscience, so why should she hide?
She feigned composure and looked around. “Is it thundering somewhere?”
“Sister Xiaoyan, it seems to be outside the door. Someone is knocking. I’ll go check,” Qian Renxue said, pointing toward the front door before standing up and walking over.
Hearing that it wasn’t the wrath of the God of Thunder, Chen Xiaoyan gently patted her chest and let out a sigh of relief. Afterward, she couldn’t help but feel a bit irritated. She stood up, intending to follow and see who it was. She wanted to know which idiot didn’t know how to use the doorbell.
By then, Qian Renxue had already opened the door. A shout of “YOU LITTLE BRAT!” stunned both of them.
As soon as Chen Xiaoyan, who had just stood up, heard that voice—one etched into her very DNA—her legs went weak, and she flopped back down into her seat with a dull thud. She stared toward the door with eyes as wide as copper bells, her mind filled with disbelief.
Only one phrase echoed in her heart.
‘It’s over. It’s completely over.’
—
Deng Xiaoxiao had traveled all the way from the countryside alone. After saying goodbye to her husband, she had packed her feather duster in a bag and boarded the high-speed train to Qingzhou.
On the train, bored, she frequently took out the feather duster to wipe it down, swinging it around to test which way would hurt the most when she finally caught that little brat. Her behavior left the young girl sitting next to her completely bewildered.
After getting off the train, she took a taxi to the residential complex. She had been here before when she helped the little brat move.
“301?”
Deng Xiaoxiao raised a hand to shade her eyes from the sun as she looked at the apartment building. She counted to the third floor and then hurried up the stairs.
She reached 301 and took out her phone to call Chen Xiaoyan.
“I’m sorry, the user you are calling has powered off…”
Powered off. It was off again. This little brat was getting bold; he had actually blacklisted his own mother. Did he think that just because he was grown, she wouldn’t dare lay a hand on him?
Deng Xiaoxiao was so angry she started laughing. She slapped her hand against the door. Having lived in the countryside for years and spent her days doing farm work, the 40-something-year-old woman had dark skin but didn’t look old at all. Instead, she gave off a lean and capable vibe.
With a pair of Iron Sand Palms covered in thick calluses, she didn’t feel any pain when she slammed her hand against the stainless steel door.
A loud *BOOM* echoed.
Startled, she quickly withdrew her hand, realizing she had used too much force. She wasn’t afraid of Chen Xiaoyan; she was just afraid the neighbors would laugh at her.
A moment later, the door opened.
“YOU LITTLE BRAT!” Deng Xiaoxiao saw the door open and immediately swung the feather duster.
Qian Renxue caught the feather duster out of thin air, staring at her with an unfriendly expression. “Who are you?”
“Uh…” Deng Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded. Why was it a girl?
She let go of the feather duster and took two steps back to look at the unit number 301 on the wall. It was 301. She hadn’t gone to the wrong place. So why did a girl come to open the door?
‘Given my son’s pathetic appearance, what kind of girl would be blind enough to take an interest in him?’ Then what was the deal with the girl in front of her?
“Little girl, do you know Chen Xiaoyan?” Deng Xiaoxiao asked, a kind and amiable smile appearing on her face.
Qian Renxue held the feather duster, her face cold. However, upon hearing the question, her expression changed slightly in surprise. “Auntie, are you looking for Sister Xiaoyan?”
“Sister Xiaoyan?” Deng Xiaoxiao was momentarily stunned.
“Yes. Sister Xiaoyan is eating. Sister Xiaoyan, an auntie is looking for you!” Qian Renxue turned and called out to Chen Xiaoyan.
Meanwhile, Chen Xiaoyan was slumped over the table with her head in her hands, though it was unclear what she was doing.
“No, no, little girl, you’ve got it wrong. I’m looking for my son,” Deng Xiaoxiao explained quickly, fearing a misunderstanding.
“Son?” Qian Renxue was full of confusion. “Auntie, did you come to the wrong place? I don’t know your son.”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I have the wrong door,” Deng Xiaoxiao said with a forced smile as she took back her feather duster and closed the door.
As soon as the door closed, her sunny expression instantly turned stormy, and she gritted her teeth in anger. That little brat hadn’t just blacklisted her number; he had moved too? Was he trying to start a rebellion?!
She couldn’t reach him, and he had moved. She had no idea where he had run off to go wild. Aside from her anger, Deng Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but feel a bit worried. “That stinky brat… he doesn’t know how to give me peace for even a day.”
Sigh, whatever. She would go ask the oldest sister, the landlady, about the boy’s whereabouts. If she really couldn’t find him, she would call the police and let the officers track him down. She didn’t believe she couldn’t catch that little brat.
As she thought about it, Deng Xiaoxiao’s fists tightened. It was time to let him feel the greatness of maternal love once again.
Deng Xiaoxiao put the feather duster back into the bag and prepared to head downstairs to find the landlady. She had only taken a few steps when the door slowly pushed open, and Chen Xiaoyan stepped out.
“Wait a moment,” she called.
“Hmm?” Deng Xiaoxiao turned back to look at her. She couldn’t help but size the girl up, her eyes full of admiration.
‘Another pretty girl. If only she were my daughter-in-law, that would be wonderful. I’d serve her every day.’ Unfortunately, that son of hers didn’t have such luck.
“Auntie, I know your son.” Chen Xiaoyan bit her lip lightly. Her entire body was tense, and she kept her head down, not daring to look at her own mother.
Little did she know, this behavior only made Deng Xiaoxiao admire her more. In today’s society, there were far too many bold and outgoing girls; it was rare to see such a shy young lady. She truly liked her.
‘Maybe I should think of a way to set them up? After all, this girl said she knew that stinky brat.’
“Girl, you know my son?” Deng Xiaoxiao’s eyes lit up, looking very much like a hungry wolf looking at a weak and pitiful little lamb.
Chen Xiaoyan didn’t dare look at her directly, so she didn’t notice her mother’s enthusiastic and strange gaze. “Yes… Please, come in.”
“Alright, alright!” Deng Xiaoxiao agreed joyfully. She had been wondering how to approach this girl, and she hadn’t expected the opportunity to come so soon.
She followed Chen Xiaoyan into the house. Deng Xiaoxiao sized up her figure again, her gaze lingering on the girl’s hips for the longest time.
‘The butt isn’t big; not ideal for childbearing. The chest is small; there won’t be enough milk for the baby.’
But none of that was the point. The main thing was that this girl was beautiful and very pleasing to her eye.
Walking in front, Chen Xiaoyan suddenly got goosebumps for some reason. However, she was preoccupied with her own heavy thoughts and didn’t pay it any mind. She was still thinking: should she tell her the cruel truth? What would be the best way to say it?
‘Hello, Mrs. Deng Xiaoxiao. I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first? The good news? The good news is that you now have a beautiful daughter. The bad news? Oh, the bad news is your son is gone.’
“Sister Xiaoyan?” Qian Renxue was extremely surprised to see Chen Xiaoyan leading Deng Xiaoxiao into the house.
“Yaoyao, could I trouble you to make another portion for lunch?” Chen Xiaoyan gave her a weak smile, trying her best to hide her nervousness.
“Okay, I’ll do it right now.” Qian Renxue nodded. She gave Deng Xiaoxiao a meaningful look before leaving the room.
Chen Xiaoyan walked to the door and locked it. Then she went over to the sofa, patted the cushion, and cautiously said to Deng Xiaoxiao, “Mom, please have a seat.”
“Thank you, little girl,” Deng Xiaoxiao said. The more she looked at Chen Xiaoyan, the more satisfied she felt.
But as she sat down, she suddenly realized the way the girl had addressed her was wrong. The smile on her face instantly froze.
‘This little girl called me… Mom?’
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