He’s from the same town as me, our villages separated by less than five miles. It’s just him and an older sister at home, and neither of our families had any objections to our marriage.
After a year of marriage, I had Dongdong. When Dongdong was four, we got divorced because the daughter of the small restaurant where he worked took a liking to him.
The man’s heart was no longer with me. No matter what I did, he was displeased. In the end, I had no choice but to divorce.
I thought about taking Dongdong back to my hometown, but he went back to the village and slandered me as a loose woman, claiming he divorced me because he couldn’t stand my fooling around with other men outside.
My parents misunderstood me, let alone others. This wasn’t something that could be clarified with explanations. When Dongdong and I returned to my hometown, the villagers acted as if they didn’t recognize us and spoke ill of us once we passed by. My brother and sister-in-law hinted in every way that I should leave quickly and not bring shame to the family.
Later I thought, even if I reluctantly stayed, Dongdong probably couldn’t continue in school. You haven’t seen that kind of remote rural area; children are influenced by adults and bully such kids to death.
Going to another place, Island City was the only place I was familiar with. With no other options, I took Dongdong back here. But the only things I can do are cooking and cleaning, and the money I’ve made barely gets us by.
Miss Luo, I’m not the kind of mother who neglects her child’s future. But I really had no other choice. To be honest, the treatment you offer here is the best, and I finally see hope for affording Dongdong’s school fees. Please don’t send me away. I will work hard. I’m begging you!
Luo Ye sighed softly, "Just now I did think you weren’t considering your child’s future. Ah, it hasn’t been easy for you. Here’s what we’ll do: we’ll keep your salary the same, you can cancel your rental, and bring over Dongdong too, to save you worrying and spending extra money.
As for Dongdong’s schooling, I’ll find someone to help transfer him to Taiping Road Primary School, which is just a five-minute walk from here. This way, you can be reassured, right?"
Sister Li trembled with excitement, "Miss Luo, thank you, thank you for not sending me away. But it’s better not to bring over Dongdong, it’ll be too much trouble for you and it’s against procedure."
"Aunt Li, you’re wrong there. I told you before, a person can have pride but should not be obstinate. When Luoluo says this, it means she is sincere. Where does this idea of procedure being broken come from?
Besides, Dongdong is a sensible kid. His company could cheer up Qingqing, and he’s far better than what you can do, Aunt Li."
Ying Nuo quickly added, "Xing Nong is right. Although I’m meeting you for the first time, if both Luoluo and Xing Nong trust you, then you can’t be wrong!"
Tang Luo pointed at Ying Nuo with a smile, "Aunt Li, this is Luoluo’s future sister-in-law. Look, even the future sister-in-law has spoken. If you’re being pretentious now, it’s pointless!"
"I’ll smack you for being so disrespectful!"
The group’s laughter and banter relaxed Sister Li, and though she was incoherent with emotion, they finally made sense of her gratitude—Miss Luo’s kindness would never be forgotten by her and her son; they were determined to repay it.
Sang Qingqing, who had been silent, hugged Sister Li with tears, "Ye’er did this because she acknowledges you, and she doesn’t mean for you and your son to shoulder anything. When you find a proper place and it’s time to leave, don’t feel any burden. For now, just stay here with peace of mind."
A week had passed since returning from Sha City, and Luo Ye would call Mom every day. As for progress, she believed that asking Mom would be futile. She couldn’t help but ask Grandpa once, whose reply was consistently brief, "Don’t worry, it will be sorted out soon."
Another person who promised to keep her informed, Classmate from night school, didn’t have any news either. She originally wanted to call and ask, but after thinking it over, she gave up. She had done all she could, and with her current ability, she couldn’t offer more help. She might as well focus on what she could do, as her brother said, so she could better help her family in the future. Once she came to terms with this, she truly felt more at peace.
With a better mood, her academic progress accelerated. Now, the class had small tests every few days, and her grades were improving each time, much to the delight of her teachers who praised her occasionally.
As Q University’s anniversary was approaching, and coincidentally on a Saturday, Luo Ye decided to go cheer for her brother, along with Tang Luoxing, Nong Ying Nuo, and Fu Mo. After some thought, she decided to pick up Dongdong from her master’s villa.