Chapter 1: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The biological parents of the orphan girl who had been raised by the mute Grandmother Liu for more than ten years had come to take their daughter home!
The people in the village had been gossiping about this at their leisure.
“Alas, Grandma Liu shouldn’t have adopted that girl in the first place. We told her not to do that because it would be a waste of money and energy, but she just didn’t listen.”
“But that girl doesn’t seem to be an ingrate.”
“Who knows? Her first option was her biological parents living in the city, and the other was a poor mute living in the countryside. If it were you, who would you have chosen? Alas, poor Granny Liu! As a lonely and helpless old woman, she’s suffered for more than ten years to raise this girl. But the girl is going back to her parents without repaying her kindness at all. Gee, all her efforts were all for naught.”
“So, no good deed goes unpunished!”
And Sheng Yang, the girl they were gossiping about, was standing not far away.
The wind blew her waist-length black hair, which was dancing in the wind.
Her skin was enviably fair, and her features were exquisite and beautiful.
She just stood there quietly, indifferent and gorgeous, so beautiful that she was even awe-inspiring.
At the sight of Sheng Yang, these happily gossiping peasant women all froze then dispersed at once.
Sheng Yang didn’t say anything and walked into the room on the path the onlookers had cleared for her. Whispers could be heard behind her.
“She was brought up by a mute. Is she mute too?”
“No, I’ve heard her speak. Her voice is pretty nice, but she doesn’t talk much.”
“Gee, what’s the use of raising her so well? Anyway, the fruits of Granny Liu’s labor are about to be picked by someone else. I think Granny Liu is most pitiful. If she got the chance to marry this girl off to someone, she would get at least ten thousand yuan as a dowry, wouldn’t she?”
Passing through the small but clean and tidy courtyard, she could see the central room of her home. From a distance, she saw a gray-haired woman sitting in the middle of the room and two people sitting on her side, one man and one woman.
Upon seeing her, the two people stood up with excitement and looked at her expectantly. Unconsciously, the corners of their eyes were wet.
Their daughter looked so beautiful and it was obvious how much care this Grandma Liu had put into her all these years. She must love Yangyang so much.
But in contrast to them, Sheng Yang just looked at them with no emotion as if looking at two strangers.
Kang Weizhen didn’t dare to ask too much. She raised her hand a bit uneasily. “Yangyang, it’s been a long time.”
She wasn’t like a mother but more like a student who was particularly nervous in front of her teacher.
Although they were related by blood, she knew it was difficult for an adolescent child to accept a mother appearing out of blue.
Sheng Yang raised her eyebrows. Long time? But we met only two days ago.
She merely nodded to the couple in a most polite way and then walked to Grandma Liu. Grandma Liu’s loving gaze slowly fell onto her and she began to “speak” to the couple with sign language.
Sheng Yang watched and was about to translate for them when Kang Weizhen’s slightly trembling voice was heard. She choked back the sobs that were about to break out and said, “I understand what you mean. We shouldn’t rush on this matter. We’ll be patient and won’t push Yangyang.”
Granny Liu’s eyes seemed to see through everything, and she still smiled.
When the couple arrived two days ago, they didn’t know sign language at all, but now they could already understand it.
Grandma Liu gently held Sheng Yang’s hand then let go before she began to gesture again.
For the sake of Sheng Yang’s future, she agreed that they could take Sheng Yang back as long as they were nice to her.
The couple suddenly bowed down to her. Upon seeing this, Grandma Liu hurriedly stopped them from kneeling, but she was mute and couldn’t express herself well. The couple still insisted on kneeling and kowtowed to her three times. They kowtowed so hard that their foreheads turned red.
“I know it’s very rude of us. Thank you for raising Yangyang for so many years, and we will bring her back to see you often. From now on, you’ll be Yangyang’s grandmother.” Sheng You, who had experienced much of life and was already in his forties, looked at Sheng Yang deeply. His eyes were red and his tone was solemn. “We were absent from Yangyang’s life before but now, we will use everything we have to make up for it.”
The villagers were still watching at the gate, gossiping about how foolish Grandma Liu was to force Sheng Yang to return to her parents.
“I guess they threw their daughter away to give birth to a son. Now that the girl has been brought up by someone else, they came to pick the fruit!”
“Alas, Grandma Liu is really silly. She’s lived a hard life all her life.”
“Tsk tsk, in the end, she has nothing left—neither the girl nor money. Why do you think she’s put herself through so much?”
At this time, two nice cars suddenly stopped at the door and the villagers knowledgeable about cars gaped in surprise. Although these cars weren’t theirs, it was really a pity to see such fine cars parked in the mud pit.