CH 47

When Zhou Yuan mentioned their parents, Jingjing looked at the clock. Her original plan was to furtively leave with her friends and then return to school quickly so that the teachers wouldn’t notice their absence.

Only now did she realize that it was almost time for class.

Jingjing spoke to Miaomiao, “Take one final look at him before we hurry back to class.”

Zhou Yuan wanted Miaomiao to stop crying, so he lulled her into a sense of security, but Jingjing’s thoughtless words just made her weep again.

Zhou Yuan’s heart tightened when he witnessed Miaomiao’s incessant weeping, so he cajoled her again, “Don’t listen to her nonsense. It’s just a mango allergy; I’ll be fine tomorrow.”

It’s just a mango allergy, right? Only a child would do something like this. Needless to say, it’s just a loss of culture.*

The young girl then realized that the boy was only wearing a mask and a hat due to his mango allergy.

Wait a minute…these three kids were under the assumption that he was going to die? So, they rushed over to see him one last time.

Upon hearing the teachers and parents hurrying to their location, the young girl was relieved to find out that he wasn’t a trafficker who was using his illness as a facade to kidnap children. Everything was fine now.

Jingjing froze for a moment before finally suggesting, “Don’t complain…we have to go back to school soon.”

However, the parents had already arrived to check on the situation.

When Mother Hua noticed Miaomiao, she immediately ran up and hugged her. She buried her head into her neck and cried, “You scared mommy.”

Deng Feng’s and Jingjing’s mothers hugged their own children for about 5 seconds, and then  they wiped their tears and began harshly scolding them, “Why did you skip class? You really had the nerve to climb over a wall, skip your classes, and run to the edge of the world!”

“Mom…I was wrong,” Jingjing said as she hugged her mother’s leg.

Jingjing’s mother was already inured to her usual tricks. She blamed herself for spoiling her, so she commanded angrily, “Stand up!”

When she watched the surveillance footage, she realized that it was Jingjing who dragged the other two children to go along with her little plan. It was also Jingjing’s idea to use the ladder to go over the wall…

Jingjing is much too courageous for her own good. Her bravery led her to hatch up such a dangerous plan. She might be responsible for some disaster in the future if I don’t put a stop to her dangerous shenanigans.

Aggrieved by her mother’s ire, Jingjing stood up. She threw a quick, furtive glance at Miaomiao, who was gently lulled by Mother Hua and was warmly embraced.

She felt a sense of indignation due to this. She didn’t know what to do to slip out of this predicament.

Jingjing felt aggrieved since her mother had scolded her in front of so many people and didn’t love her anymore.

My mother promised that she would save my face outside, but she doesn’t even bother anymore. She doesn’t love me at all…

This thought filled every crevice of her mind, yet she refused to cry. Instead, she stubbornly suppressed her tears and refused to lower her head.

This just served to anger Jingjing’s mother even more since Jingjing doesn’t understand the gravity of the situation, “We’ll go back to school first, then I’ll discipline you.”

Zhou Yuan told Mother Hua that the young girl accompanied Miaomiao and the others over. Since they didn’t have any gifts, they tried to repay her by offering her some money, but the girl left immediately.

After their mothers had arrived, the three children’s fathers arrived soon afterwards. While Jingjing and Deng Feng were harshly reprimanded by their fathers, Father Hua simply embraced Miaomiao and said, “It’s great that you’re okay. Everything is fine.”

During their drive back to school, Jingjing refused to sit with her mother.

Miaomiao felt responsible for this.

If I didn’t ask the teacher what had happened to Zhouzhou, Jingjing wouldn’t need to take me with her to see him…

This whole mess took place because she wished to see Zhouzhou. Since she feared that Jingjing’s mother would beat Jingjing, she implored her mother for permission to sit with Jingjing.

Since all of them couldn’t fit in one cab, they hailed three. Because Miaomiao wanted to sit with Jingjing, there wouldn’t be enough space for Mother Hua; therefore, Mother Hua reluctantly acquiesced to Miaomiao’s passionate pleas and allowed her to sit in Jingjing’s cab while she sat in another car.

Miaomiao sat next to Jingjing.

If her mother wants to hit her, it would be better to hit me in her place instead…

“Jingjing…” Miaomiao softly spoke her name and tried to grasp her hand, but Jingjing wouldn’t allow her and continued to ignore Miaomiao.

Currently, she didn’t care about anything or anyone and stared out the window with an obdurate, uncaring attitude that seemed to imply that she was ‘the enemy of the world.’

Her obstinate demeanour enraged Jingjing’s mother even more when she noticed her indifference. She didn’t even apologize for her error.

“You still don’t think you’re wrong? Running away from school with your classmates. Do you even care about the consequences? If some people kidnapped you, took everything from you, and forced you to beg people for money on the streets, what would you do then?” Jingjing’s mother commented.

After Jingjing’s mother finished speaking, she reached out to hit Jingjing, but Miaomiao suddenly hugged Jingjing to protect her.

Due to her ire, Jingjing said without thinking, “I’ll just beg in the future. Auntie, when you pass by, remember to please give me some money.”

While I think of you as my daughter, you intend to treat me as your Aunt???!

Jingjing’s mother was furious.

I must discipline this hapless child right now.

Due to what Zhou Yuan had expounded to her before, Miaomiao always believed that she was her mother’s daughter. But some bad people abducted her away from her mother.

Upon hearing Jingjing’s mother’s words, Miaomiao recalled the harsh treatment that she incurred during her abduction.

The thought of this made her feel as if she was slipping into a slough of despair. “We…we don’t want to be kidnapped. We don’t want to beg on the streets,” she said as she clenched Jingjing’s hand.

Now, Jingjing was truly sad.

My best friend isn’t on my side but on my mother’s side.

Jingjing felt as if someone had stabbed a knife through her heart. She shouted angrily and pushed Miaomiao away from her, “I’ll want to be kidnapped alone. I also don’t want to be friends with you! I don’t want to be your friend anymore!”

Miaomiao was taken aback for a moment and felt forlorn. She didn’t know what to say as she stayed silent for a while. She sat in her seat, staring blankly.

Tears flowed down Miaomiao’s cheeks, and Jingjing’s mother wiped Miaomiao’s tears as she coaxed, “Miaomiao, don’t cry. Jingjing doesn’t understand what she’s saying.”

As Jingjing watched her mother comforting Miaomiao, she thought that she didn’t care for her. Immediately, her tears began to stream down her cheeks, and she screamed, “I don’t like Miaomiao anymore! I don’t like Miaomiao anymore!”

Miaomiao was silently sobbing, but when she heard Jingjing’s angry words, she cried out loudly.

Jingjing regretted her words when she saw her crying so loudly, but she turned her head away and refused to apologize.

Jingjing’s mother was so angry that she wanted to hit Jingjing, but as soon as she reached out her hand to strike, Miaomiao hugged Jingjing again and prevented her from being hit.

On the other hand, Jingjing refused to let Miaomiao hug her. They were both in tears. It was a mess.

Jingjing’s mother could only Mother Hua, who was in another car.

As everyone stopped their cars, Jingjing’s mother took Miaomiao back to Mother Hua, “I’m very sorry. My daughter has always been arrogant. I’ll let her know the severity of her mistake and make her apologize.”

Mother Hua’s heart broke as she watched Miaomiao’s weeping. As she embraced Miaomiao, she heard her say sadly, “Jingjing…Jingjing…”

She comforted her, “It’s alright, Miaomiao. Don’t be afraid; mom is here.”

Jingjing’s mother returned to her car and pressed her palm onto her temples in exasperation. 

“It’s fine for now. But in the future, Miaomiao will cease playing with you. She will never like you again.”

Until today, Jingjing’s mother spoiled her quirky daughter without a care in the world, but today, she realized that she could also become emotionally aggravated, and she never realized this earlier.

Jingjing refused to listen to her mother.

Jingjing’s mother asked coldly, “Do you truly believe that you’re being treated unfairly? Do you think that your scolding was unwarranted? Do you hate Miaomiao just because she didn’t side with you? Should she just say that some criminal should just kidnap both her and you together?”

Jingjing replied, “Auntie. I never thought that I was being treated unfairly.”

“Try calling me aunt again and see what happens.”

Jingjing’s mother took a deep breath and decided to forget about this. “Do you understand the danger that you were in today? What would you do if the three of you fell off the wall? What would you do if you were kidnapped?” she asked softly.

“Relax. Nothing happened to us.” Jingjing knew that something was wrong, but she still spoke stiffly.

“Do you know why Miaomiao was afraid of being kidnapped?” Jingjing’s mother understood that her words were useless against Jingjing’s obstinacy.

Jingjing’s mother took her phone and searched for a video on the Internet. She opened the video and showed it to Jingjing, “This is Miaomiao.”

Jingjing’s mother put her mobile phone in Jingjing’s hand. The video started playing.

There was a small child in a hospital bed. Her head was shaved, and she was extremely gaunt and unhealthily thin. There was a look of fright in her big, pain-filled eyes. Her pallid face shuddered with fear. Her thin, emaciated body was completely wrapped in bandages. The reporter was still speaking about the abuse that the cadaverous child had incurred.

A multitude of images flashed behind the reporter. They showed her face doused in blood. Blood even streamed out of her mouth…

Jingjing’s body trembled with fright as she watched this video.

“Mom doesn’t want to punish you. She wants you to understand that there are bad people out there. Miaomiao is afraid to go outside by herself, but she willingly followed you because she liked you, but you treated her lightly.”

Jingjing couldn’t hold back anymore and began to cry.

She cried out, “Yeah…I’m sorry…”

They had already reached school at this point.

Mother Hua was holding Miaomiao. Miaomiao was still sad about Jingjing’s dislike for her and refusal to play with her.

Jingjing jumped out of the car. She cried and called out for Miaomiao.

“Miaomiao, I’m so sorry.”

Miaomiao cried again.

Deng Feng’s parents spanked him, but he felt that a man shouldn’t cry. He witnessed his two friends crying as soon as he got out of the car.

Their parents probably also beat them.

Deng Feng was under the assumption that they had been severely beaten.