"When Xiao Ji was in his teens, he found out his father had another woman outside. During those years, he seemed to develop autism—he barely spoke and would stay alone in his room, refusing to come out. It took so much effort for him to recover. I don't want him to know his father has another illegitimate child outside. I'm afraid he won't be able to handle such a blow."
As she spoke, the mother-in-law's sobs grew louder, even prompting the taxi driver to glance back at her.
Su Qing hadn't realized how deeply her father-in-law's actions had affected Xiao Ji—to the point of causing autism. She had no idea.
"Has that woman ever come looking for you again?"Su Qing asked. She knew that if a mother faced such a situation, she would never give up, even if there was the slightest hope.
"She's already come several times,"the mother-in-law replied, wiping tears from her face.
"What's Dad's attitude?"
"Your father gave her some money and told her to take her son to the hospital first."
"Her purpose in coming is to ask Xiao Ji for a bone marrow match for her son. Xiao Ji will find out sooner or later,"Su Qing said, looking at her mother-in-law.
"No matter what, we'll hide it for as long as we can,"the mother-in-law said, her face etched with sorrow and helplessness.
The hearts of parents are pitiable. Both that woman and the mother-in-law endured deep pain for their sons, hiding their grief. A mother would bear any hardship, suffer any torment, to protect her child—it's an innate instinct.
As they spoke, they arrived at the amusement park. Su Qing and her mother-in-law got out of the car, each holding Xiao Bao's hand as they walked toward the entrance.
The moment Xiao Bao saw the many children at the park, he gleefully ran to the carousel, pointing at it and saying to his grandmother, "Grandma, I want to ride this!"
Su Qing quickly bought two tickets and joined Xiao Bao on the carousel. As they rode, Xiao Bao laughed joyfully, waving his hands excitedly—it seemed he rarely got to play like this.
She thought to herself that in the future, if she had the chance, she would take Xiao Bao out more often. What the child needed most now was companionship.
The amusement park had many attractions, but the ones suitable for Xiao Bao were likely the carousel, slides, ball pits, sandboxes, and the mini train.
Xiao Bao played almost everything he could.
Unexpectedly, he was particularly delighted in the ball pit, playing there for nearly two hours without wanting to leave.
This was Su Qing's second time bringing Xiao Bao to the amusement park. The first time, Xiao Bao couldn't speak or walk yet, and he hadn't shown much interest in anything.
The smooth, colorful balls in the pit were pleasant to touch, and countless in number. As she played with Xiao Bao, she also taught him to count and recognize colors. It turned out this seemingly simple toy had so many unexpected benefits.
By six in the evening, Xiao Bao still didn't want to leave, much to the mother-in-law's growing impatience.
She said to Su Qing, "Shouldn't we go back now? We haven't prepared dinner yet. Your father and Xiao Ji still need to eat at home."
Su Qing sighed and shook her head. "Mom, since you're already out, don't worry about whether they've eaten or not. Do you really think they'll starve if you skip one meal?"
After speaking, Su Qing suddenly felt her tone had been a bit harsh.
The mother-in-law said, "Your father and Xiao Ji don't know how to cook. If we don't go back, what will they eat?"
"Are all the restaurants outside closed? Will they really go hungry if you don't cook one meal? You spend your whole life revolving around them—aren't you tired? Do you really think the world stops turning without you?"
"Mom, after all these years of pouring your heart into them, what have you gained? Dad betrayed you, and Xiao Ji barely acknowledges you at home. What do you have to show for it?"
"Isn't any of this related to you? You've taken such good care of them that they don't even know how to be grateful. They think everything you do for them is just expected. Haven't you realized this at all? Why do you let yourself live so humbly?"
Su Qing spoke all this in one breath, then exhaled deeply. The mother-in-law stared at her in shock, never expecting Su Qing to say such things—her words were sharp, even accusatory.
The mother-in-law lowered her head and remained silent for a long time, like a student humbly listening to a lecture.
"Mom, I'm sorry if I was too harsh today, but I really wanted to speak my mind."
"Say whatever you want. I don't blame you at all,"the mother-in-law replied, her expression solemn.
"Mom, just skip cooking for them today and see if they really starve. Later, I'll take you and Xiao Bao to..."