Sheng Tang and her parents had all taken leave.
Her father took care of her mother, and Sheng Tang took care of her younger brother.
Every morning, she would wake him up, buy him breakfast, and then remind him to go to school.
Sheng Zong didn’t want to go.
"Sis, I can’t focus in class," Sheng Zong cried. "Will mom go crazy?"
Sheng Tang patted his shoulder and wiped his tears. "She won’t."
The case of her grandmother’s car accident was about to reach its final day.
Mrs. Gu messaged Sheng Tang, begging her to persuade her parents to accept the Gu Family’s high compensation and write a letter of understanding for Gu Shiting.
That day, her mother was eating in the living room.
Sheng Tang came out of the room with a piece of paper in her hand, hidden behind her back.
"Dad," she said softly.
Sheng Sidong looked over at her, "What’s wrong?"
"Dad, can we not let Gu Shiting go to jail? His health is poor, and the prison can’t provide constant lighting. He might die there," Sheng Tang said.
Fang Mengying had been sitting there motionless, but when she heard this, her eyes suddenly widened, staring directly at Sheng Tang.
Sheng Tang didn’t dare to look at her and continued speaking to Sheng Sidong, "Dad, Gu Shiting made a mistake, but it was an accident. Although this accident can’t be undone..."
She hesitated, "Is it possible to sign the letter of understanding? The Gu Family said they would compensate us with five million."
As soon as she finished speaking, Fang Mengying stood up abruptly.
Fang Mengying raised her hand and slapped Sheng Tang hard across the face.
Her cheek went numb from the slap, a blank moment followed by waves of pain that crawled up her face, even engulfing half of her head.
Her mother’s cries were piercing and despairing: "Are you human? We raised you, and your grandmother treated you like a treasure! For five million, you want to let her die like this? Are you human?"
After scolding her, she raised her hand to strike again, but Sheng Sidong stopped her.
"Don’t do this, don’t do this!" Sheng Sidong’s voice was rarely so loud, almost like a roar, "Why are you hitting the child? It’s not her fault."
"She’s not our child, she’s an outsider! You don’t see it normally, but when something happens, you see she has the heart of a wolf! She’s Xu Bingzhi’s child, she’s just like Xu Bingzhi!" Fang Mengying sobbed as she screamed, "Get out, get out! This is not your home!"
Sheng Tang stood there, dazed.
Sheng Sidong feared she might actually run out and quickly said, "Tangtang, go back to your room, hurry back to your room!"
Sheng Tang turned and went back.
The letter of understanding she had written by hand fell onto the sofa in the living room.
Her mother continued to scold her for a long time until she was exhausted and stopped.
Sheng Tang stayed in her room all the while.
She didn’t know how long she had been crying.
In the middle of the night, there came a soft knock on the door.
She opened it to find her father standing there with a bowl of noodles.
It was instant noodles, cooked with two eggs added.
"Eat something, don’t let your stomach go hungry," her father said.
Sheng Tang took the bowl.
She had no appetite at all, sitting there, picking at the food, swallowing with difficulty.
Sheng Sidong stood next to her, watching her struggle to swallow, unable to bear it and looking away slightly.
After a while, he pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and placed it in front of Sheng Tang.
Sheng Tang looked at him.
"It’s the letter of understanding. I signed it and also secretly stamped your mother’s private seal," Sheng Sidong’s voice was hoarse. "Gu Shiting made a mistake, but it wasn’t drunk driving or drug driving. He was just sick. I know.
Your mother still can’t forgive him, and neither can I... I can’t either, Tangtang. But you mustn’t hate him. The road ahead is for you two to walk; parents can only accompany you this far."
Hearing this, Sheng Tang broke down.
Tears as big as beans rolled down, and she hugged her father’s waist, crying until she couldn’t catch her breath.
She choked out words, repeating them over and over.
At first, Sheng Sidong couldn’t hear her clearly, but eventually, he heard her say, "Don’t make me leave!"
His hand trembled violently as he gently touched his daughter’s hair.