"Better to live without at than to live without bamboo."
Along the wall of the courtyard, a row of bamboo was planted, and everyone in the Xiao family felt that the entire courtyard had co alive.
They naturally didn’t know the real reason Chun Nuan planted bamboo.
"Nuannuan, there are so bamboo planted in the yards of houses in our village too."
"Alright, I’ll have Nanny Wu go to her mother’s house to dig so more."
"No problem, there’s plenty as you wish," Nanny Wu smiled and said, "Bamboo grows every year, there’s plenty of it."
She didn’t dig them from her mother’s house; the people there were not to be trifled with!
But she didn’t tell Chun Nuan about all this.
"Miss, today I want to go ho to see my daughter."
"Then go, after you feed Yangyang, you can go ho. Spend more ti with your daughter."
Chun Nuan almost wanted her to bring her child here—it wouldn’t cost much to feed.
But certain rules couldn’t be broken.
She could only give her two or three days off each month so she could go ho and see her child more.
Children also need the accompanint of their mothers.
When Wu Shi returned to her own ho from the Xiao family, she saw her four-year-old Daya crying.
"Daya, what’s wrong, what’s wrong?"
One’s own child, own heartache, Wu Shi stepped forward and tightly hugged her daughter: "What happened?"
"Brother took my cake. The cake mom bought for is gone, wah..."
That was the dessert Wu Shi brought back last ti when she visited her daughter, the family gave her a pack, and she left a pack for Daya, letting her eat a little when she missed her mom, sparingly, until mom ca back next ti.
The young Daya was so reluctant to eat it, even a small piece would be eaten over two days, but unexpectedly today, it was secretly taken and eaten by the larger room’s Tie Dan.
Tie Dan is five years older than Daya, the little girl couldn’t protect food at all.
"You greedy girl, what’s wrong with your brother eating a little cake? So selfish at a young age, eating alone, let’s see which family will dare to marry you off in the future," Sister-in-law Cao cursed bitterly in the kitchen, "So greedy, skip two als, and you’ll understand then."
Wu Shi looked up, shocked as she stared at Sister-in-law Cao.
The Cao family said they would raise Daya well if she went to be a wet nurse—is this how they raised her?
Taking what’s not theirs, stealing food isn’t called being greedy, and protecting food warrants punishnt—what kind of logic is this?
"Sister-in-law, Tie Dan is the older brother, and he’s much older than Daya..."
"Wu Eri, perhaps you’ve forgotten, you don’t have a son. In the future, you and your husband in old age will rely on our Tie Dan, along with your Daya; after she marries, she’ll depend on her family brothers for support. If you don’t treat our Tie Dan better now, it’ll be too late to rely on him later!"
Wu Shi, face iron-green with anger, bit her lip tightly, not daring to speak.
Since when does not having a son an she should treat Tie Dan better?
Her daughter’s cake was stolen, must she thank him?
She knew, with herself not beside her child, many grievances awaited the child.
Yet she didn’t expect, even having herself beside her, the grievances suffered were no less; she was so cowardly, she didn’t dare retort.
Because she knew deeply, any retort, the in-laws and husband would scold her in unison, saying she was wrong.
Not having a son is like missing a bone!
"Sister-in-law, this cake was brought ho from the employer’s house, one pack for Tie Dan, one for Daya..."
"Wu Eri, you need to get it clear, never mind a pack of cake; everything of the Cao family is for my family Tie Dan’s."
Wu Eri, angered... forget it, her ti to see the child was limited, sotis she could only bear it, just so the child could have it better.
"Daya, co, Mom will wash and brush you for a bath."
Her darling daughter, every ti she cos ho, she’s dirty and ssy, this was her fault!
Birthed her yet unable to remain by her side, allowing her to suffer at such a young age.
Wu Shi also knew in her heart, even if she remained at ho, their days wouldn’t be good.
Her mother-in-law couldn’t see her treating her daughter well, calling her daughter a worthless burden. Threatening to sell her to soone else as a servant at every turn...
Wu Shi went to the kitchen herself to burn so water to wash her daughter.
"Truly the wood not needing chopping, unaware of frugality," Sister-in-law Cao saw this and started scolding again.
"Sister-in-law, I’m working as a nanny at the employer’s, the monthly Silver is handed over entirely, can this money not even buy so firewood?"
"What can your little silver do? Last month, your father-in-law was sick, buying dicine cost over one tael..." The implication being that she earned too little.
"The money for treating father-in-law, wasn’t it shared by the two rooms equally?"
"What do you an? Does your second room not eat or drink? You think raising Daya is easy, washing and cleaning isn’t tiring..."
Wu Shi found her mouth wasn’t capable, couldn’t win in argunt against her.
She could only continue focusing on the fire, after the water was heated, she scooped it out to wash and brush her daughter.
"Daya, what’s going on here?"
Undressing her daughter revealed her arms and legs full of bruises.
"These were pinched by big mother, these twisted by big sister, these hit by grandma..."
Every source of injury, Daya clearly rembered.
"And here, this was hit by dad," Daya pointed at her bottom, "Dad used his hand, it hurt Daya."
Wu Shi looked, red and swollen, five fingerprint marks clearly visible.
"Why did Dad hit you?"
"Dad said I was naughty, wanting to compete with brother Tie Dan for cake."
The beast, it was his biological daughter, only four years old—how could he bring himself to do it?
Wu Shi’s tears stread down.
She thought by working as a nanny for the Xiao family, earning silver tael each month to bring back to the Cao family, they would truly treat her daughter well, but in fact, the whole family was mistreating her Daya!
"Mom, can’t you stay?" Daya turned and hugged Wu Shi, "With mom here, Daya won’t be afraid."
In her limited mory, when Mom was ho, she was never beaten. Of course, they’d curse Mom, saying she only gave birth to worthless burdens.
"Mom, what does ’worthless burden’ an?"
Wu Shi tightly hugged her daughter, how could she explain this?
She remained unable to stay, it was a signed contract with the employer. More so, the employer treated her very well, losing this job would make their days in the Cao family even worse.
But her daughter really needed her.
Wu Shi carefully washed her daughter’s hair and body, and when washing over bruised areas, the child couldn’t help but cry out from the pain, shattering her heart to pieces.
She dried her daughter’s hair, using two silk ribbons gifted by the employer to tie Daya’s hair into a beautiful bun.
"Mom’s Daya is such a good girl."
Looking at her daughter before her, it reminded her of Chunxin, at the sa age, that child appeared rosy and delicate, every move taught well by the third wife, a face pleasing all around.
But her daughter appeared timid, a small face filled with sorrow.
It’s her fault, she lacked ability, unable to take good care of her daughter!
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