Chapter 11: Testifying for the Children

Su Yi walked straight over and stood behind the two children.

Facing the doubts and curiosity of everyone, she explained calmly, “I only realized there was no introduction letter and I couldn’t stay at the hostel after leaving the hospital. On my way back, I found them in an alley, with Xiaowu and Nuannuan being beaten and scolded. When I heard the children crying pitifully, I went over to ask about their situation.”

“When they heard I was going to find the vendor to testify, they panicked and ran away. They probably fell and got hurt while escaping. If you don’t believe me, you can go check the bloodstains over there. Xiaowu and Nuannuan are already quite weak, and Xiaowu have to protect his little sister. How could one person beat both of them like this?”

“Later, on my way to the office, I ran into Commander Zhou. I asked him to help  with the recommendation, and following him, I found out that the two children were from Commander Zhou’s family. The Commander stayed to care for the children and left me some food out of gratitude. Fortunately, I’m still here, otherwise, Xiaowu and Nuan Nuan would have been too pitiful!”

Everyone found her explanation reasonable and understandable.

This girl is indeed kind. Helping the children clarifying things, giver her food was the right thing to do.

It cleared up the doubts everyone had just now.

Turning to Liu Dajie, he said, “Qiang Qiang and Liang Liang usually bully others in the hospital. Do you have anything to say about this? Shouldn’t you discipline the kids in your family?”

“Yes, in the past two days, they took away the small amount of sesame I had just harvested. I still need to settle the score with them! You really need to discipline your kids properly.”

Hearing everyone criticize her for poor discipline, Liu Dajie felt embarrassed and her face turned green.

She turned to look at the two children, who guiltily lowered their heads and didn’t dare to meet her eyes.

Since there was no excuse, Liu Dajie could only bow her head and sigh, “It’s normal for kids to have some fights, but now both of our kids are injured and in trouble. What are we going to do in the future?”

Su Yi gently lifted Xiaowu’s sleeve to take a look.

She originally intended to make a point, but didn’t expect to see a large area of bruises when she lifted the sleeve.

She couldn’t help but let out a cold breath, “Xiaowu, how did you get hurt so badly and not tell us?”

Commander Zhou quickly crouched down to check.

Everyone gathered around and saw Xiaowu’s thin arms covered in bruises, one after another.

Su Yi sighed, “When I went there, the children were holding onto Xiaowu’s legs and crying, while Xiaowu didn’t dare to move to protect Nuannuan inside. When I came back, I didn’t dare tell Commander Zhou, fearing it would strain your relationship!”

“If boys fight, they should just let it go. But if they’re shouting and cursing inside, like some wild children, I don’t know what to say. Though I just got here, Xiaowu and Nuannuan have Commander Zhou to rely on. How could they end up like this?”

“It’s hard for me to say these things. I never imagined I’d have to say this about someone else’s children. As an outsider, I shouldn’t say much, but the truth is sometimes bitter. I couldn’t stand by and watch. Everyone is watching Xiaowu and Nuannuan grow up, and they must be angrier than I am.”

Xiaowu and Nuannuan’s younger sister couldn’t help but move closer upon hearing this.

Everyone felt a chill in their hearts, unable to imagine the children’s world.

When their family first had an incident, everyone was very nice to the two children, often helping to take care of them and giving them food.

But as time passed, they were slowly forgotten.

Only Commander Zhou, who provided a place for them to stay, has always taken care of them without complaint.

Commander Zhou saw the bruises on Xiaowu’s legs and, though they weren’t as severe as Su Yi said, he still felt a pang of sadness.

As the guardian of the two children, he didn’t know they had been bullied and didn’t even notice when they got hurt.

He usually treats them well but might not show them enough care, thinking that no one would dare to bully them under his protection. He never imagined that those responsible were from the same place they live in.

Su Yi listened to what they said each time and realized that Liang Liang was just putting on a show in front of them.

When she carefully thought about their usual home situation and the poor condition of the two children, it became clear to her.

Seeing Commander Zhou’s face darken, Liu Dajie quickly admitted, “Commander Zhou, the kids were just playing around. I had no idea about this!”

“Don’t worry. When I get back, I’ll properly discipline my kids. I guarantee they won’t dare to bully Xiaowu and Nuannuan again!” she said, grabbing the two children by their hands, ready to hit them.

Su Yi, seeing that things were getting out of hand, intervened, “Mrs Liu, hold on. You have a reason, but hitting them like this is too cruel.”

Liu Dajie hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly let go, “Everyone calls me Liu Dajie.”

Su Yi rolled her eyes and thought, “No, they call you ‘demon woman,’ and I hear them call you that.”

“Liu Dajie, I don’t know how much Commander Zhou pays you each month. Is it too little? Is that why Xiaowu and Nuannuan are so thin? They helped me cook dinner, and I saw that it was like it was the first time they have eaten their fill.”

Everyone immediately buzzed with chatter, speaking up to defend Commander Zhou.

“Commander Zhou gives her twenty yuan a month. How could that not be enough? Ten yuan is enough to feed the children well.”

“Exactly, before Commander Zhou left last weekend, I saw with my own eyes that he asked Xie Xiaojun to bring back rice and flour. How could they ever run out?”

Commander Zhou’s face turned dark, almost dripping with anger, “Liu Dajie, I clearly give you thirty yuan every month.”

“How much? Thirty?”

Everyone was stunned. Previously, when chatting with her, she always said it was twenty.

Even twenty, everyone already thought was too much.

The two children don’t eat much, she just needs to cook three meals a day, which doesn’t cost more than ten yuan a month.

And sometimes, Commander Zhou buys things and brings them back himself, so she doesn’t even need to do that.

Yet this woman took thirty yuan, and still treated the children so poorly.

Hearing everyone’s discussion, Liu Dajie felt a bit guilty, “Xiaowu is at the age where he needs to eat well to grow. Taking care of two children is not as easy as you say!”

Commander Zhou took a deep breath and decided not to argue with her further.

Commander Zhou took a deep breath and decided not to argue with her further, signaling to everyone, “It’s getting late. Everyone, please head back home early!”

Then he turned to Liu Dajie, “You don’t need to take care of things here anymore.”

Liu Dajie, realizing she would no longer receive the thirty yuan each month, was startled and panicked.

Today, she had planned to take advantage of this situation to complain a bit, hoping to get some sympathy from Commander Zhou for the two children. After all, the kids were usually so scared of her that they didn’t dare to speak up. She never expected the woman in front of her to expose everything publicly.

Liu Dajie glared at Su Yi, still wanting to plead her case.

But Commander Zhou interrupted her again, “No need to say more. I won’t argue about past incidents, but if this happens again, you won’t be able to stay here.”

Liu Dajie, hearing this, didn’t dare say more. She quickly grabbed the two children and left.