Last time by the riverbank, Ruan Jiaojiao ran past her, and in that instant, she didn’t know why, but suddenly a malicious thought emerged, a thought that she couldn’t consider the consequences of.
She just thought that if Ruan Jiaojiao died, the Ruan Family wouldn’t have this daughter, and the Ruanlin Family would also lose this granddaughter.
Would the Ruanlin Family start to pay attention to her? Would Ruan Jiaojiao’s place in the family become hers?
And Zhao Li, without Ruan Jiaojiao, would she turn to recognize her as her goddaughter instead?
The moment she thought about these things, about the beautiful life she might lead afterward, she couldn’t help herself and pushed Ruan Jiaojiao.
When she saw Ruan Jiaojiao choking on water and being pulled up by several brothers of the Ruan Family, she regretted it, suddenly coming to her senses.
She truly didn’t want Ruan Jiaojiao to die; she just... just wished she could have a life like hers. Even one thousandth of such a life would satisfy her!
The day after Ruan Jiaojiao’s accident, the Ruanlin Family came calling.
It was the first time she truly saw indifference toward her from that kindly old person, that kind of gaze, as if she were thoroughly disgusted with her, as if one more glance would dirty her.
She did not call her Tingzi or Xiaoting as she used to, not uttering a word, just speaking two sentences to her aunt, two sentences she still remembers to this day.
She said, "If anything happens to my precious treasure, your family’s wretched life will have to pay for my darling child’s!"
She called her a wretched life.
The only person in this world who had ever been kind to her, who had ever been gentle to her, was calling her a wretched life. At that moment, Wa Yiting felt as if her heart had been shredded by a huge hole, almost unable to feel the pain, completely numb.
Later, after the Ruanlin Family left, her aunt tied her up and beat her viciously, not allowing her a single sip of water, not a bite of food, the whole night.
That night, as she lay in agony and hunger among the firewood, feeling like she was going to die , a white snake entered, not eating her or biting her to death, but biting off one of her hands.
Her aunt, unwilling to spend money, wouldn’t allow her treatment, leaving her to fend for herself, and now her right hand had grown twisted and deformed.
Now, every time it rains, that hand hurts terribly, reminding her constantly to never dare to do anything to Ruan Jiaojiao again; now whenever she sees Ruan Jiaojiao, she instinctively dodges away.
She truly had no other purpose for being here, just deep envy, knowing they were going to register at school today, wanting to have a look—as if by doing so, she too was enrolled in school.
Ruan Jiaojiao walked over.
This was the first time in over a month she had truly faced Wa Yiting.
Wa Yiting was even thinner than when she first arrived, so thin that she resembled a skeleton doll. Previously, when she had a good relationship with Ruan Jiaojiao and Ruan Jiaojiao often gave her alms, she could occasionally freeload meals at the Ruan Family’s, making life not too tough.
Looking at Wa Yiting before her, Ruan Jiaojiao didn’t know what to say.
She actually understood Wa Yiting.
Her life was tough, she wanted to live a better life, so she became harsher, her mind sharper than other kids’, because that was her only hope for survival, and truly, there was nothing wrong with that.
Isn’t there a saying: "Every man for himself, or heaven and earth will combine to destroy him?"
She never should have extended her hand towards her.