Chapter 5

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When the little one finished speaking, he stared at the tablet silently like he was waiting for something. But, after getting no response in a long time, disappointment gradually seeped into his eyes as his lips curved down. His figure looked lonely and pitiful.

Was he talking to his father? Was he disappointed because he didn’t receive a reply? Tang Tang couldn’t bear to see him like that. She thought for a moment before slowly moving closer to Xiao Zhuo and asked, “Bao Bao, what are you saying to your fa — no, your daddy?”

Ji Xiao Zhuo turned around, so his back was facing Tang Tang. He did not respond.

Tang Tang could only move to the other side and carried on, “Bao Bao, you’re amazing, ah. You know how to use a tablet. I don’t know how to. Can you teach me? I want to learn.”

Xiao Zhuo let out a humph and turned around again. He insisted on not looking at her.

Tang Tang grinned. She patiently moved again and started to say sweet words unwaveringly, “Cute Bao Bao, precious Bao Bao, teach me how to use it. Once I know how to use it, I can use it to talk to you. Isn’t that good? Please teach me, good Bao Bao ~.”

Maybe it was because Tang Tang was being too cheesy, but the little guy reacted as he glared at her with his puffed cheeks, “You’re lying! You know how to use it! You used to play with your mobile all the time.” He had seen her send a voice message to someone to go out for drinks frequently before.

Mobile? What was a mobile? Tang Tang was at a loss, so she could only explain, “Bao Bao, I didn’t lie to you. I really don’t know how to. I got injured before and forgot everything. I don’t know how to do anything anymore, just look at my injuries.”

What she said shocked Xiao Zhuo, so he looked at her with skepticism.

Tang Tang pointed at her leg and the purple bruises on her face. She tried hard to make him believe her, “Look, Bao Bao, I really got injured. I forgot everything, so I’m not as smart as Bao Bao now.”

Xiao Zhuo stared at Tang Tang’s injuries while he clenched his fists. After a period of silence, he said, “I’ll teach you once. If you can’t remember after I teach you, then I’ll just leave it.”

Tang Tang nodded her head happily, “Okay! Thank you, Bao Bao.”

Xiao Zhuo turned around to get the tablet and pushed it towards Tang Tang. He seemed like he was unwilling. Then he pointed towards the ‘speaker’ button and said, “You just need to press this while you speak. Then daddy would be able to hear you.”

Tang Tang was really curious about this object that could speak, so she wanted to learn how to use it. Since she was going to be living in this world from now on, she needed to learn these things, so she watched the little guy carefully. She recognized that the one in the picture was the little one. In one of them, the little guy was biting on a chicken leg. In the other picture, he was sleeping deeply. It was cute.

“Ah, Bao Bao, is this you? It really looks like you!”

Xiao Zhuo humphed, but he was rather proud as he said, “Both mine and daddy’s profile picture is a photo of me. Daddy took the pictures.”

Tang Tang looked at the pictures with amazement. The more she looked at, the cuter she found them. She also felt that the drawing skills here were very mystical, as the person in the picture looked identical to the real person.

When Ji Xiao Zhuo saw Tang Tang kept staring at his picture, his face reddened. He forced himself to keep a blank expression and said, “Do you still want to learn? Don’t waste my time. I’m very busy.”

Tang Tang focused and replied, “I want to learn. I’ll learn it now. So, do you just have to press that, and then speak?”

The little guy nodded and pressed in the speaker button to demonstrate, “Daddy, Daddy, it’s me, Xiao Zhuo!” He let go of the button when he finished speaking. Then he turned to Tang Tang and said, “It’s just like this. When daddy sees it, he can hear what we said. You give it a try.”

“Ah, me?” Tang Tang rubbed her hands. She didn’t know what to do. After all, what should she say to her 'husband'? What’s the best thing to say? Maybe she should start with a greeting.

Tang Tang felt a bit nervous and a bit excited at the same time. She repeated what she wanted to say a few times in her head. After confirming that it was ok, she slowly moved to press the button, but before she could touch it, a chubby hand stopped her.

Tang Tang confusedly looked at the little one.

Ji Xiao Zhuo puffed his cheeks and glared at her again, “You need to speak nicely. You can’t curse at daddy! You can’t argue with him either! Otherwise… Otherwise…”

The little one couldn’t think about anything else to say, so he could only swing his chubby legs in defeat.

“Eh …” Tang Tang blinked. It took her a moment to understand the little one’s meaning. Could it be the original owner treated her husband badly and frequently cursed and argued with him? Was that the reason why Bao Bao said that?

But, why would the original owner curse at her husband? Since she was married, she should assist her husband, teach the children, and treat them well. That was what a good wife should do. Tang Tang’s wet nurse had always said this to her from a young age. So, why would the original owner treat her husband and children so badly? Unless her husband was a bad person?

Tang Tang asked Xiao Zhuo cautiously, “Bao Bao, is your daddy a good person?”

Ji Xiao Zhuo answered without even thinking, “Of course, daddy is good. He needs to catch bad people and earn money to raise me and you. It’s hard to earn money, and you don’t earn any money. All you do is drink, break things, and curse at daddy. You’re bad! I don’t want a mummy like you!”

As Ji Xiao Zhuo spoke, he remembered all sorts of things from the past. He thought about the sadness and grievances he felt when he saw other mothers love their children. The rim around his eyes reddened. He didn’t want to face her anymore, so he quickly climbed down from the sofa and rushed back into his room and slammed his door shut.

“Bao Bao,” Tang Tang felt helpless. She didn’t even grab her crutches as she hopped to the door. She discovered the door was locked, so she could only knock, “Bao Bao come out. Come out, let's talk about it, okay?”

There were no movements in the room. The little guy was ignoring her.

Tang Tang pursed her lips and sighed internally. Was the original owner really such a bad woman?

Aunt Li, who was in the kitchen, rushed out when she heard the door slam, “What happened? What’s wrong?”

Tang Tang pointed at the door, “It’s nothing. It’s just that Bao Bao is angry at me, so he doesn’t want to come out.”

Aunt Li looked at the tightly closed door. Her mouth twitched, but she didn’t say anything and returned to the kitchen to cook.

In the end, Tang Tang glanced at the door once more before she limped back to the sofa to get her crutches. Then, with the support from the crutches, she went into the kitchen to help Aunt Li wash the vegetables.

Aunt Li didn’t react much to her help. Maybe Aunt Li got used to it after helping out for the last couple of days.

In Tang Tang’s mind, she was still thinking about the event from before. Also, she now knew that Aunt Li was the only one who could tell her about the original owner.

“Aunt Li, I want to ask you about something. Can you answer me truthfully?”

Aunt Li blanked, but after that, she nodded, “Ask away.”

“Aunt Li, you know that I can’t remember anything about the past. Can you tell me what I was like before?”

There was only silence in response because Aunt Li didn’t expect Tang Tang to ask that.

“Aunt Li, I really don’t remember anything about the past, but I know that I wasn’t a good person. Please, tell me, and I’ll change. I’ll treat Bao Bao… and Bao Bao’s fa… daddy well.”

Thinking about Tang Tang’s actions for the past two days, Aunt Li was inclined to believe Tang Tang had amnesia. She hesitated before nodding, “Alright, I’ll tell you.” Maybe Tang Tang had amnesia for real, and maybe she would change and become a good person.

“I don’t know why you and Sir got married. But, from when I started working here, you were never calm. You would always drink every day and go crazy when you were drunk. When Xiao Zhuo was younger, he frequently got frightened and cried. Sir was busy in the army, so he hired me since he was afraid there was no one to look after Xiao Zhuo.”

“Since I was like that, why didn’t my spouse… Bao Bao’s daddy divorce me?” Such a woman should be divorced earlier.

Aunt Li was curious about the old phrase Tang Tang used，but she didn’t think too deeply about it and only said, “I don’t know. But, I think Sir was thinking about Xiao Zhuo. Children should have their mother. Xiao Zhuo is still young and desires a mother’s love. Even though he’s acting like he hates you, he actually wishes you can love and pamper him.”

She had seen Xiao Zhuo staring at the other mothers playing with their children many times. Aunt Li could even see the jealousy and longing in his eyes. If she could see this then, naturally, the Sir had seen it as well. All young children long for their mother’s love. Even though his mother was not good, Xiao Zhuo still hopes that his mother would love him. Maybe only when he grows up will he completely lose hope.

She reckoned that the father was only enduring it for Xiao Zhuo’s sake.

Tang Tang nodded. It felt like a stone was weighing on her heart.

Now that Aunt Li started talking, it was like she couldn’t stop and had to express all of her thoughts. Maybe she could get through to Tang Tang this time. In the past, when she spoke, Tang Tang didn’t listen at all, but it seemed she would listen this time so naturally, some things needed to be said.

“Madam, even though I’m just a caretaker that Sir hired, I must say this. Even if you think it’s unpleasant, I must say it.”

“Madam, you really don’t know how lucky you are. You don’t need to work, and neither do you have any pressure. Everything is handled by the Sir alone. Sir is a talented, honest, and responsible man. You have such a cute son and a reliable man. What are you not content with? There are so many women wishing for what you have, while you're constantly making a ruckus. I really don’t know what you were thinking.”

Tang Tang listened to her quietly and made a verdict about the original owner. The original owner was not a good wife, and neither was she a good mother.

Such a bad woman and Bao Bao’s daddy didn’t divorce her. He was really too kind. If it was other men, they would have divorced her and got remarried ages ago, but he willingly endured her for his child’s sake. Bao Bao’s daddy was a good man and a good father.

When Aunt Li finished speaking, she persuaded Tang Tang, “Madam, since you said you don’t remember anything, then that’s just like starting again. You should live well with Sir in the future and treat your child better. Is it not good for a family to live happily together?”

Tang Tang nodded, “Aunt Li, don’t worry, I’ll be a good wife and a good mother from now on.”

Even though she suddenly gained a free child and husband, this was now her life. From now on, Bao Bao and his daddy were her family. The only people she can depend on in this world. If she doesn’t treat them well, who else should she treat well? That was the only meaning she had in this world.

Although Bao Bao’s daddy probably doesn’t like her, she will work hard, so Bao Bao and Bao Bao’s daddy would come to like her.