Shirley knew what Shen ng ant and nodded to her. She started to pack the clothes, shoes, and socks for both children and herself. The hospital had a temporary resting room; she would just need to make do and take care of Dezi there. Looking around the house, there were things that shouldn’t be left for too long.
"Daya, take these bits of at and pig’s feet to your aunts and your uncle’s mother. I’ll pack so more things, and then we’ll go see your brother."
"Okay, Mom," Daya hesitated for a mont before adding, "Mom, can’t we take Brother with us to the county? Uncle Qian is a good man. Just now at the door, he even said he wanted to raise Brother!"
"We can’t talk like that, Daya. Your Uncle Qian and Granny Qian are good people, and they treat you all with so much heart and soul, I’m grateful enough. Your brother is the grandson of the Xu Family. No matter how that brute of a father treats him, he is their flesh and blood. If I really took your brother away, it’s likely none of us would end up with good days ahead. It would also bring trouble to your Uncle Qian and Granny Qian. Don’t worry, the village chief, the Secretary, and your Grandma Guo will all help take care of your brother. It’ll be okay!"
"Ah!"
Daya, biting her lip and with slightly reddened eyes, went out carrying a cloth bag. She used to hate Dezi when he bullied her, but so much ti had passed, and he realized his faults. Besides, he was young, led astray by the grandparents, and now he had beco sensible. They were blood siblings; she couldn’t truly disown him.
Thinking that she might never see him again, she felt very upset.
The mother packed a bundle of things and borrowed a bicycle to go to the county.
Dezi was now unconscious on the hospital bed, his little face deathly pale, with a bandage wrapped around his head. Only Mother Xu was guarding his bedside. Seeing Shirley arrive, she let out a cold snort.
"Sister Yu, the child is quite injured. There are nurous wounds on his body, including so old ones. It’s likely he couldn’t endure the abuse and that’s why he jumped into the river. It’s just unfortunate that he bumped his head on a rock underwater, which is why he’s still unconscious. However, overall, there’s no serious issue. He should co around tomorrow. If he talks in a delirious state in-between, just wet the gauze and wipe the corners of his mouth."
"Ah, thank you so much, Xiao Li, and another thing, please write up a dical record for and also get a statent from the doctor who treated this child, with a signature or sothing."
"I understand, Sister Yu. It’s all minor stuff. You’ll be marrying Dr. Qian next month, we’ve all discussed going to attend the wedding."
"Good, I’ll treat everyone to wedding candy then."
Xiao Li smiled, congratulated her once more, and then left with the patient round record book.
"Humph, her own son is in such a state, yet she’s still thinking about getting married. Is she really lacking a man that badly or what? Does she look like a mother at all? My eldest grandson used to be so chubby—had you not insisted on being bewitched, insisting on a divorce, would he have suffered all this? And you’re still getting married, aren’t you afraid of being struck by lightning?"
Daya and Xiao Ya felt a bit intimidated seeing Mother Xu, both kids retreating behind Shirley.
She quickly comforted the two children.
"It’s nothing to be afraid of, just an old withered tangerine peel, half buried in the yellow earth. There’s nothing frightening about her. Aren’t you concerned about your brother? Go take a look."
"You—who are you calling? Shirley, you cheap hussy, are you looking for death? I shouldn’t have let you roam free for so long, you shaless thing! Right in front of , your mother-in-law, you’re acting like an adulterer. It’s a good thing policies are lenient now; otherwise, you would have been dragged out and shot."
"Don’t make laugh. You think this is your kang bed at ho? This is the county hospital, my territory. And whose mother-in-law are you? You vile creature, in the past, you would have been pulled out for public denunciation. I ca to see Dezi, and it’s out of respect for the mother-son relationship. If you’re really capable, you go pay the hospitalization fees, the surgery fees, the dical bills, hmph. Now that I’ve seen him, Daya, Xiao Ya, let’s go. You’re so worried about your grandson, surely you can take good care of him."
After Shirley finished speaking, she left the ward with Daya and Xiao Ya.
Mother Xu was stunned. She thought Yu Xueli had co because she couldn’t bear to see Dezi suffer, and a few words from herself would be taken seriously. If she could endure her own mockery today, then Mother Xu was confident she could make her turn back. But Yu Xueli turned around and left for real.
Heartless creature, devoid of compassion and loyalty.
"Dezi, oh my grandson, please wake up and open your eyes. Look, you heartless mother, she only has n on her mind and in her heart, completely abandoning you. When you grow up, you must rember, don’t let her off easily, wuwuwu..."
Yu Xueli, standing by the door of the ward, heard what Mother Xu said and snorted coldly. She took the dical record book from Xiao Li and went straight to the Qian Family with the two children.
Aunt Qian had already heard about the incident and took Daya and Xiao Ya into her care, telling Yu Xueli to focus on her own matters.
She had just arrived at the police station when the village chief and Secretary from Lu Family Village ca, together with Shen ng’s assistant, Xiao Zhang.
"Village chief, why have you co?"
"We’re here to file a report. Lai Zi beating Dezi into this state is child abuse. We can’t just neglect this and do nothing."
"We have evidence if it’s evidence you want, witnesses if it’s witnesses you desire. We must properly deal with that good-for-nothing, wretched beast."
Xiao Zhang, with a smug grin, then presented a docunt.
"This is a regulation from our county. The Secretary General personally signed it. The county takes this child abuse case very seriously. With this docunt, I believe the Police Station will handle it with due severity."
Yu Xueli, with reddened eyes, gave the three people a deep bow, then walked towards the Police Station carrying the dical record book.
When the police arrived, Lai Zi was still sleeping soundly on his kang at ho. Seeing soone co in, he even scolded them, but the next second, he was so frightened he almost wet the kang. When a pair of silver handcuffs were fastened on his wrists, he fainted from fear.
Mr. Xu was also in the room smoking. Hearing the commotion, he hastily ran out and saw his beloved eldest son being led away. With a cry, he lunged forward.
"What are you doing? Let go of my son, release him now, or I’ll fight you!"
"We are the police. Your son is suspected of child abuse. We need to take him for investigation. If you dare to obstruct, we will take you as well."
Desperate, Mr. Xu grabbed the police officer’s arm: "Comrade, comrade, it’s all a misunderstanding, truly a misunderstanding. Country children are naughty; which one doesn’t get beaten? His father just doesn’t know his own strength and went too far. It’s all a dostic issue, really, it’s all a dostic issue. It has nothing to do with my son, comrade. He is our family’s only hope; you can’t take him away!"
"Old Wu, cuff him. This old man’s thought and consciousness are flawed. The child is nearly dead and he still thinks it’s a minor issue. It seems certain he has also been abusing the child. Take him back to the station for questioning."
"Yes."
Mr. Xu collapsed on the ground, nearly kneeling before the police officers.
"We’ve been wronged. We really have been wronged!"
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