Chapter 010

Meng Li had never experienced such grievances before. She was born into a loving family where her parents adored her. With her good looks, charming personality, and excellent academic performance, she was always well-liked by her teachers and classmates at school.

A pampered girl raised in a honeyed world, she had never endured such mistreatment.

In just a few days, the slights she endured seemed to surpass all the hardships she had faced in her entire seventeen years of life in her past.

Initially, she had planned to keep enduring it, but when she heard Gu Huijuan’s sharp words dragging Zhuo Xi and the others into it, Meng Li found herself unwilling to stay silent any longer.

Zhuo Xi and the others didn’t owe her anything—why should they be insulted?

Though Meng Li had a gentle disposition, she had always been fiercely protective of those close to her.

Meng Li lifted her gaze toward Gu Huijuan and asked calmly, “Who are you calling indecent?”

Gu Huijuan put on a disdainful expression. “You know who I’m talking about—you and those who just left.”

Meng Li’s eyes remained steady as she replied, “If your daughter is indecent, that’s on you. A crooked beam makes a crooked pillar.”

Gu Huijuan was momentarily stunned by Meng Li’s sharp retort, caught off guard and unable to respond for a long moment.

In the past, whenever Gu Huijuan insulted Meng Li, she never retorted. Every time, she would just coldly turn her face and walk away, disappearing outside without returning.

Meng Li never argued with her biological mother—at most, she would just give a dark look.

But now, this girl suddenly dared to speak back in such a bold manner, leaving Gu Huijuan completely dumbfounded.

As if she couldn’t quite believe it, Gu Huijuan furrowed her brows and stared at Meng Li, asking, “What did you say?”

The pent-up resentment had broken free, and now it couldn’t be stopped.

She met Gu Huijuan’s cold gaze head-on, her voice steady but laced with suppressed anger.

“Do you think you’re any better? After my dad’s incident, you couldn’t wait to divorce him. Once you got your wish and divorced, you immediately remarried and had a child.

Now you treat your own daughter like a piece of trash, like some worn-out rag you can’t wait to throw away. You pushed me out into the streets, forced me to fend for myself like a stray. You’re worse than a stepmother—more cruel, more heartless.”

Gu Huijuan had heard every word clearly now. The shock on her face faded, replaced by a deep surge of anger. Her fingers trembled slightly as she clenched them into a fist, glaring at Meng Li. “Say that again!”

With the anger and emotions flaring up, Meng Li wasn’t afraid at all. “I said you’re cold-hearted, selfish, and self-serving. My dad treated you well, but you despised him and abandoned him! The way you’ve treated me now, I’ve been keeping track of every single thing, and I’ll remember it for the rest of my life!”

Gu Huijuan was completely furious now, but she still tried to control her temper.

After a brief pause, she suddenly raised her hand and pointed to the door, shouting at Meng Li, “Get out!”

Meng Li lowered her gaze for a moment before meeting Gu Huijuan’s eyes again, her own gaze burning with fire.

She had known it all along—Gu Huijuan had been wanting to kick her out for a long time.

Seeing the look in Meng Li’s eyes, Gu Huijuan’s anger could no longer be contained. She pointed directly at the door curtain and yelled, “Meng Li, I said get out! Do you hear me?! Get out right now! The farther, the better!”

Her angry shouts reached the kitchen, startling Grandma Cheng and Tang Yuan’er.

Tang Yuan’er flinched slightly, then turned to Grandma Cheng with wide eyes and asked, “Grandma, what’s wrong with Mom?”

Grandma Cheng had just finished preparing dinner. Hearing Gu Huijuan’s furious yell, she quickly got up and left the kitchen.

She lifted the door curtain and entered the main room, only to find Gu Huijuan and Meng Li facing off.

Both of them were glaring at each other with fierce expressions, as if the other were their greatest enemy, neither willing to back down.

Their anger was so intense that it seemed like it might lift the roof off the house.

In the past, both Grandma Cheng and Gu Huijuan knew that Meng Li would likely just get up with a cold expression and leave.

When she left, it would be for a long time, and she usually wouldn’t return to the Cheng family home.

But this time, it was different.

Meng Li remained sitting on the bed, not getting up. She looked directly at Gu Huijuan and spoke in a tone that could infuriate anyone. “If I want to leave, I’ll leave. If I don’t want to, I won’t. Who are you to tell me to get out? I’m still a minor, and the law says you have to take care of me.”

“If you keep mistreating me, I’ll report you to the police station. If they don’t do anything, I’ll take it to the neighborhood committee. If they still don’t care, I’ll take it to the revolutionary committee. I don’t believe no one will do anything about you abusing your child!”

Hearing this, Grandma Cheng’s back chilled.

What kind of time was it now? Everyone knew the stakes.

If this matter escalated like this, the Cheng family could be ruined—no one could say for sure!

Gu Huijuan was so enraged that her entire body was shaking. She held back her anger and spat out, “Go ahead, report! Go right now and report!”

Meng Li stood up from the bed. “I’ll report you then!”

She walked to the door, but before she could leave, Grandma Cheng grabbed her arm.

Grandma Cheng, looking genuinely anxious, held onto Meng Li’s arm and pleaded, “My dear grandchild, she is your mother, isn’t she? Don’t make a scene and let outsiders see. For Grandma’s sake, don’t let your anger get the best of you, okay?”

Meng Li had never been this angry before, so consumed by her desire to stand her ground. All she wanted was to get back at Gu Huijuan.

But seeing Grandma Cheng like this, she remembered how Grandma Cheng had bought her snowflake cream, and her anger began to subside little by little.

She didn’t walk out anymore. Instead, she turned around and returned to the room, sitting down by the bed.

Grandma Cheng followed her, trying to calm her down and ease her worries.

Meng Li just stared at Gu Huijuan, her gaze sharp and full of the fury of a small beast, ready to strike.

Gu Huijuan was an adult, and naturally, she understood better when to stop. She didn’t say anything more but turned around, picked up her bag from the side table, and went into her room.

Once inside, she sat down and began crying, feeling as though she had given birth to a cursed child.

When Cheng Chunliang came home and entered the house, only Tang Yuan’er was still in the living room.

Tang Yuan’er ran up to him and cheerfully said, “Dad, you’re back!”

Then, she added, “Mom and Meng Li had a fight!”

Cheng Chunliang looked confused. “What happened?”

Tang Yuan’er couldn’t explain it clearly and simply replied, “I don’t know.”

Cheng Chunliang put down his bag and glanced around, then headed into his own room.

When Cheng Chunliang entered the room and saw Gu Huijuan wiping her tears, he walked over and asked gently, “What happened?”

Gu Huijuan wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and choked on her words. “I gave birth to a cursed child.”

Cheng Chunliang lowered his voice. “He’s always been like that. Why are you getting so angry?”

Gu Huijuan sniffled. “Do you know what he said?”

After hearing the whole story, Cheng Chunliang’s anger flared. “That bastard!”

If he were my son, I would’ve gone straight to beat him to death by now! he thought, his fury rising.

Gu Huijuan calmed herself down, no longer having any tears left to shed. In a steady voice, she said, “He says things like that, so how could he not do such things? I raised a white-eyed wolf. What sin did I commit? I worked so hard to raise him, and now he even threatened to report me to the revolutionary committee.”

Cheng Chunliang was furious, but he kept his voice down. “I think he’s just trying to scare you.”

It was strange, really. This child had always just ignored them, giving them a cold shoulder and leaving whenever they said something she didn’t like. But she had never said such harsh words before, nor had she ever reacted so intensely.

Cheng Chunliang had a fierce reputation outside, but at home, he had never been overbearing.

Unable to gauge Meng Li’s temperament, Cheng Chunliang took a deep breath to calm himself and then said, “Forget it, just endure for another six months. After that, he’ll be sent to the countryside to join the work teams. Once he’s there, he’ll be stuck in the countryside for life and won’t be able to come back even if he wants to.”

Gu Huijuan felt a little comforted and nodded. “Mm.”

Cheng Chunliang patted her on the back. “Stop crying. If not for yourself, think about the baby in your belly.”

Gu Huijuan didn’t respond. Just then, they heard Grandma Cheng calling from the living room, signaling that dinner was ready.

By the time Gu Huijuan and Cheng Chunliang opened the door and stepped out, Grandma Cheng, Meng Li, and Tang Yuan’er were already seated at the table.

The five of them sat around the small square table, which felt a bit cramped.

Meng Li picked up her chopsticks and reached for a white steamed bun from the ceramic plate.

Gu Huijuan kept her face expressionless, never once lifting her gaze to look at her.

Meng Li didn’t look at her either and continued eating her meal.

The other two families in the courtyard were also having dinner, and they had all heard the commotion coming from the northern room earlier.

After dinner, Aunt Dong from the east house and Aunt Liu from the west house pulled Gu Huijuan into a room and started gossiping. After hearing the general details of what had happened, they began to criticize Meng Li, each adding their own words to denigrate her.

Once they were done, they all agreed, “Just wait for another six months. Once he’s gone, everything will be peaceful.”

“You’ve got Tang Yuan’er, and you’re pregnant with another one. You won’t have to worry.”

“Not that I’m saying it, but Meng Li, that child, is unlikely to amount to anything.”

Gu Huijuan sighed, “Look at Aunt Dong’s Yongmei, and then look at Aunt Liu’s Shao Jun. What wonderful children they are, full of kindness and righteousness.”

Aunt Dong and Aunt Liu both patted Gu Huijuan’s hand in reassurance. “Tang Yuan’er and the one in your belly, neither of them will be any worse. They’ll both turn out to be exceptional. Don’t waste your energy on that one, it’s not worth stressing over. It’ll only harm your health.”

Gu Huijuan felt a bit more at ease and nodded in agreement.

They continued chatting for a while, just to pass the time.

Meng Li knew her reputation wasn’t good, especially in this courtyard, where she wasn’t well-liked.

No matter what Gu Huijuan told others, Meng Li wasn’t curious about it. She knew it would never be anything positive.

That night, after washing up and lying in bed, Meng Li simply stared into space.

The anger inside her had mostly dissipated by now. She quietly made a resolution in her heart—she would work hard, and she would make Gu Huijuan regret her actions, regret treating her own flesh-and-blood daughter so harshly.