Chapter 12: Grandmother and Grandson Busy Running for Their Lives

“It’s all his fault for not watching where he’s going. I really hate that I didn’t just step on the gas and run him over back then. Mom, you have no backbone—why did you have to bow your head and admit fault? You’ve completely shamed me!”

After saying this, Zhao Guang smashed up the house and ran away from home.

Zhang Xiulian cried at home every day, worried something bad might happen to her youngest son.

She called her two sons, but none of them answered or cared.

She had really exhausted herself for this youngest son.

In the end, that son watched her die from being constipated, didn’t even glance at her once, afraid to give anything for his mother.

Having a son like that—better to have given birth to a piece of roast pork.

From childhood to now, she treated Zhao Guang like a precious treasure—afraid he would melt if put in the mouth, afraid he would break if held in the palm. She showered him with all her love.

He ate and used things that many times even Zhao Pingping, the daughter, had never seen.

When eating chicken, he could gnaw on two chicken legs, while Zhao Pingping could only gnaw on the bones.

When buying stationery, he got new stuff ten times, but Zhao Pingping only once.

Even clothes—small and thin Zhao Pingping mostly wore hand-me-downs that were too small for him.

In the end, the daughter who suffered so much took care of herself with money and effort.

Zhang Xiulian reflected carefully in her last moments.

The reason Zhao Guang turned out this way was closely tied to her past spoiling.

Now that she had a second chance at life, she was determined to properly discipline this heartless boy.

Hearing her mother’s explanation, Zhao Guang sat dumbfounded on the ground, crying loudly like an abandoned child.

“Mom, why did you buy things for her? You said daughters are other people’s in the future, so you can’t spend money on them—only on me and my two brothers!”

“That’s nonsense. In my heart, daughters and sons are the same. If you say such nonsense again, I’ll sew your mouth shut with a needle and thread—let’s see if you still dare to talk nonsense.”

Kids will be kids.

Zhao Guang immediately covered his mouth and stopped making any noise.

Then he turned over and slowly stood up, dejectedly carrying his schoolbag toward his room.

Zhang Xiulian hurried over, grabbed his bag from behind, and glared down at him.

“Don’t go. Today you misunderstood your sister. Shouldn’t you apologize to her?”

Zhao Guang turned around, his eyes rolling as he realized he couldn’t escape, and muttered softly, “Sorry.”

“No, your attitude isn’t sincere enough!”

“Sorry.” Zhao Guang corrected his tone.

“Don’t you feel like something’s missing?”

“Sis, sorry.”

Zhao Guang’s mind worked fast, and reluctantly he apologized again.

Then he turned to head back to his room.

Just then, a little girl with two braided pigtails ran in.

She was Zhao Pingping’s good friend and deskmate, Zhao Yun.

“Auntie, Pingping didn’t steal Zhao Guang’s schoolbag. Xiaoming just told me he saw Zhao Guang throw the bag into the village river with his own eyes.
I went to check, and it’s true. This dictionary is Zhao Guang’s.”

She pulled out a soaked, torn dictionary and handed it to Zhang Xiulian.

Zhang Xiulian took it, flipped open the first page. Though the ink was blurred by water, she could still make out the big characters “Zhao Guang,” along with the grade and school.

Zhang Xiulian’s face darkened; her molars clenched painfully.

She grabbed a slipper and shouted at Zhao Guang:

“You little brat! Not only did you throw away the dictionary yourself, you also lied and deliberately framed your sister. Today I’ll show you why these flowers are so red!”

After a few hits from the slipper, Zhao Guang ran wildly around the courtyard.

She chased him, cursing.

He had no place to fly or hide.

Each slipper strike landed squarely on his butt and back.

Zhao Guang grimaced and begged for mercy.

Liu Dani, who had just returned inside, heard her precious grandson being beaten.

She immediately rushed out like a mother hen, shielding Zhao Guang behind her. “Are you crazy? Why are you hitting my grandson? Kids will grow up on their own; it’s none of your business!”

“I spit on that!”

“Spoiling a child is like killing one — you’ll be the one crying later!”

Zhang Xiulian threw down her shoe, breathing heavily, and cursed loudly.

When Zhao Lili came in, she saw chaos in the yard — chickens flying, dogs barking. “Mom, what’s going on?”

Having lost face to Zhang Xiulian, Liu Dani vented her anger on Zhao Lili. “You stupid girl, where have you been all day? Always running wild! I bet you’ll get pregnant sooner or later. Hurry up and cook!”

Though Zhao Lili was used to her grandmother’s usual scolding, she was still a young lady with a thin skin.

Hearing such harsh words, her face flushed red in an instant, and she clenched her toes hard against her shoes, wishing there was a crack in the ground to crawl into.

“Liu Dani, what did you say? Say one more word and I swear I’ll cut you down!”

Zhang Xiulian, who had just calmed down, suddenly exploded in anger.

She dashed to the kitchen, grabbed a kitchen knife, and charged out.

“Liu Dani, my daughter is about to marry. If you dare ruin her reputation, I’ll fight you to the death.”

Liu Dani was old and slow to react, but Zhao Guang, quick-witted, grabbed her and said as they ran, “Grandma, run! Mom really dares to cut people. Didn’t you forget how she treated my brothers?”

Usually moaning with aches and pains, today Liu Dani ran faster than a rabbit — the grandmother and grandson disappeared like a flash.

Zhao Lili and Zhao Pingping exchanged a glance, both in disbelief. When did their mother become so fierce, daring to wield a kitchen knife at grandma?

One person there was also dumbfounded — Zhao Pingping’s deskmate, Zhao Yun.

She often heard Zhao Pingping say her mom was fierce, but today she witnessed it firsthand.

Feeling endless sympathy for her deskmate, she decided to treat her even better in the future.

“Auntie, I’m going home now.”

Zhao Yun quietly greeted Zhang Xiulian and hurried toward the door.

“Eat here before you go,” Zhang Xiulian shouted after her.

But the shout only made Zhao Yun run even faster.

“This kid, why does she look at me like I’m a ghost?”

Zhao Lili and her sister were stunned again: their mother’s mood could switch so fast — she’s a born actress!

Zhang Xiulian approached her two daughters, pulled them into a hug, and gently said, “From now on, no one in this house is allowed to bully you. If they do, mom will fight them to the death!”

Zhao Lili and Zhao Pingping’s eyes welled up, almost crying tears of joy. They forced smiles, feeling happiness in their tears. With their mother’s protection, they could stand tall at home.

“Pingping, go do your homework. Lili, help me with the cooking. That’s called teamwork,” Zhang Xiulian playfully took on a leader’s role and gave orders to the two children.

“Okay, Mom. Yes, ma’am!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

The three of them laughed heartily together, the laughter echoing through every corner of the courtyard.

Whether in the west room with the three generations or in the east room with Zhao Debao, everything happening in the courtyard was all seen by him.

When he saw Zhang Xiulian chasing his mother with a knife, cold sweat quietly covered his entire back.

The sweat invaded pores that had been stabbed by an awl, burning and painful.

“This woman — could she be possessed by something dirty? I need to find someone to check on her in a few days.”