Bai Xin was so furious she was about to explode, never expecting that Bai Da had bullied Xingxing behind her back, she wanted to kill him.
Since they were young, Bai Xin had actually had a good relationship with Bai Da, but as they grew older, Bai Da started to become annoying,
actually bringing friends home to show off how many he had, expecting her to cook for them.
She could tolerate it once, but when it became a daily occurrence, Bai Xin exploded with anger, smashed the stove, and marched back home. At that time, the siblings lived in what is now Bai Da’s yard.
As a result, everyone learned that Bai Xin of the Bai Family had a terrible temper, scaring away quite a few suitors.
As for Bai Da, if someone asked, "Can I come over to your place to eat?"
he would always say yes, without taking a moment to consider whether it would be a burden on the family.
Being honest and stupid are not the same thing, okay?
When Bai Xin unleashed her temper, of course, Bai Da dared not say a word. From then on, Bai Da was the honest one and Bai Xin the girl with a bad temper.
Bai Xin took everything from Bai Zhi’s hands, her heart aching at the sight of Bai Zhi’s small frame.
"What are you thinking, girl? Why don’t you ever take after me? Why do you bother with them? Just hit them—your aunt tells you, people only bully those who are too nice, you know?"
Bai Xin seldom came back home, always running around with Bai Zhi’s uncle.
But every time she returned, she would buy lots of pretty clothes for her niece and braid her hair.
Bai Xin had no children, and, unsurprisingly, she loved her soft, gentle niece more than her two outward-facing nephews.
Bai Zhi felt a warmth in her heart, wondering if her aunt had forgotten that she actually did fight back earlier.
She wasn’t completely unresistant.
"Auntie, I just now..."
Bai Zhi hadn’t finished her sentence when Bai Xin started speaking, her tone full of bitter disappointment.
"And you’re still talking? You got pushed into the water; why did you even pull her up? If I were you, I would have kicked her twice. Some outsider dares to bully my dear girl. And your father, he’s just sick. No, no, no, from now on, don’t call him dad. Xingxing, how about you be my daughter instead?"
Bai Xin had blurted this out without thinking, but in that moment, her eyes lit up with extraordinary brightness, and she immediately squatted down, setting down the basin and gripping Bai Zhi’s shoulders, her hands trembling with nervousness.
"Xingxing, Xingxing. Would you like to be my daughter, would you?"
She had been married for five or six years now, but hadn’t had a child of her own and had given up on the idea.
She truly loved Xingxing as her own daughter, and the thought of Xingxing actually becoming her child was something she had longed for.
This time, she wanted to give it a try, to see if she could make this idea a reality.
Of course, all of this was predicated on Xingxing agreeing.
"Auntie, you must be tired from your journey, let’s head back first. Let’s talk about this matter again in a few days, okay?"
Bai Zhi realized that her Aunt Bai Xin was probably serious about the idea, her gaze perhaps filled with long-held hope.
She remembered, from the original owner’s memories, that her aunt never had children, yet her uncle still loved her as before.
So, it wasn’t actually necessary to adopt her, probably just out of pity and affection for her. But Bai Zhi couldn’t accept.
For one, she wouldn’t leave her home, let alone her grandfather.
Secondly, acceptance wouldn’t be good for her aunt.
She knew that although her aunt was doted on by her husband, their relationship with his family wasn’t good, and even though her aunt wasn’t afraid of gossip and rumors, what man doesn’t want his own children?
If she were adopted, wouldn’t that mean they couldn’t have their own? Although she knew they had no children, her uncle didn’t know yet.