Chapter 4
Rong's son does not particularly like Su Mo, probably because he finds her attire shabby, which is quite distant from his mother's standards. The social dynamics among children are a microcosm of those among adults, and their expressions are more direct. They favor the wealthy and look down upon the poor, placing importance on appearances; this is a mindset instilled in them by reality—being poor is seen as original sin.
Su Mo increasingly loathed herself
Taking money from others to do their bidding, employers have the right to be picky, especially when it comes to looking after children, a task that allows for no mistakes. Rong places great importance on her seven-year-old only son, to the point of being anxious: when to eat, when to have fruit and drink milk, when to go to bed, and even the combination of meat and vegetables and the content of oil and salt in the dinner are all specified.
Upon returning home, Su Mo felt as if all the bones in her body had come apart. After hastily washing up, she collapsed onto the bed, and with her eyes closing and opening, a new day had arrived.
Cong Rong is a mid-level leader at a local electronics company. Her work is busy, and sometimes she returns home late. Su Mo stays at her house, checking homework, putting the children to bed, telling stories, and doing some housework. Of course, the working hours exceed the norm, but Cong Rong pretends to be deaf and mute regarding the matter of a salary increase.
However, when the boy occasionally receives a bit of juice as a reward, a look of obsessive reluctance appears on his face, a look that everyone possesses, which only emerges when one succumbs to their own weaknesses and desires
Rong sneered, "So honest, being too honest is just foolishness. If it were someone else, they would have already soared to greater heights." She continued with a sigh, "No wonder your ex-husband changed his heart; if a woman is not bad, a man will not love. You, on the other hand, are bland and tasteless, like a chicken rib. If it were me, I would have grown tired of it long ago"
Since taking on this part-time job, Su Mo has had to wake up early every day. If there is a lot of work at her uncle's factory, she is sure to be the first to rush to work, in order to make up for the lack of working hours during the day. If the factory is relatively quiet, she prepares breakfast for the whole family. Over time, everyone has gradually become accustomed to this and does not engage in excessive formalities with her, all enjoying a leisurely pace.
She met Tong Ruian at a young age, and for ten years, their feelings for each other were unmatched by anyone else. However, passion inevitably wanes, and the trivialities of reality come crashing in wave after wave, leaving them either unable or unwilling to resist.
Two women sat in the car, neither of them spoke. As they were nearing their destination, Rong finally said, "Su Mo, I actually think you are a person with great plasticity. The key lies in the kind of people you encounter. Sometimes, men are containers, and women are water. You, however, are the kind of woman who adapts and changes according to the shape of the container."
She recalled that someone once made this comment: "Su Mo, as a woman like you, you have a low tolerance for setbacks but an exceptionally strong endurance, which means you will only be bullied by others and will not bully anyone yourself"
Su Mo felt a mix of surprise and joy, immediately gathering her full attention, but then hesitated for a moment and inadvertently said, "I need to go back and discuss this with my uncle and the others first. Can I give you a response in a couple of days?"
From Rong's laughter, she said: "With such a small amount of money, do they consider you a relative or a contracted laborer? In this case, why don't you come work for our company? Although the pay isn't much, you won't need to work two jobs. You have a bachelor's degree in computer science, so working in our company aligns with your field of expertise. What do you think?"
By that time, it was already late at night. Su Mo looked at Cong Rong and felt that Cong Rong was not suited for makeup, as she appeared quite unpleasant.
Such days are becoming increasingly frequent, and Su Mo feels that she has become numb, so numb that even when her physical strength is exhausted, she has no time to savor the taste of fatigue.
Rong's evaluation of this is: You really should learn well from Mo Weiqing.
Su Mo looked at Rong, and then thought about herself. Although they were in the same situation, their ways of living were different. For the first time, she felt a sense of indignation in her heart
However, Su Mo once again showcased her "characteristic"; she said nothing, turned around, took out the cleaning tools from the closet, and began to scrub the greasy range hood.
Su Mo was puzzled: What are we studying?
Rong has a peculiar habit; no matter what Su Mo does, she loves to follow closely behind and observes every move without saying a word. This feeling brings Su Mo back to her student days, reminiscent of the time during an exam when she encounters an unfamiliar question, and the invigilator stands beside her, intently watching her write the answers, which makes her feel quite anxious.
The boy does not like Su Mo to pick him up from school; he feels embarrassed. Whenever he meets someone, he introduces Su Mo by saying: she is just our family's little maid, she cannot drive, and only knows how to do housework
The child cried and shouted loudly, refusing to give in. Su Mo steeled herself and left him alone at the street corner, hiding in a concealed spot to secretly watch over him, to prevent any mishap from occurring.
Seeing Rong in a daze made her happy: learning how to serve men
The boy became increasingly obedient in front of Su Mo, and the two gradually developed a good relationship. Su Mo began to tutor him with his homework, took him out for outings on weekends, and taught him how to save money and be polite to others. Regarding these matters, Rong remained silent and entrusted more of the child's affairs to her.
Su Mo was too lazy to hide it from her and gave a rough answer
Su Mo has never deliberately concealed her past failures; in fact, she is unable to hide them. In today's society, people have long honed their keen insight in the mundane world, allowing them to perceive the privacy of others. Just as she was memorizing the various rules set by Rong, Rong was also getting a general understanding of her life experiences.
Su Mo felt embarrassed to make too many requests. She was kind-hearted, and every time she saw Rong returning home looking haggard, she thought of their shared situation as single mothers. Some words were on the tip of her tongue but were swallowed back down.
Su Mo was somewhat curious about how these two could become friends
Su Mo suddenly thought to herself, if love is like juice, then some people are just children who haven't had enough juice
At first, Su Mo couldn't help but have some objections; she was also a mother and had gone through a phase of being overly protective of her children. However, she did not expect that Rong had surpassed her by several streets in this regard
After Su Mo acted impulsively, she began to regret it. The child would certainly tell Cong Rong about this, and Su Mo prepared herself for the possibility of being fired.
However, she immediately dismissed this curiosity, as it was evident from Rong's expression of disdain when she mentioned Mo Weiqing. It seems that the "friend" Mo Weiqing referred to does not regard her as a friend, at best considering her merely an acquaintance.
After waiting for a few days, Rong acted as if nothing had happened, still getting angry as usual, being critical when it was time to be critical, yet not mentioning anything about the child.
The friend mentioned by Mo Weiqing has the surname Cong and the given name Rong, is approximately forty years old, wears a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on her nose, and has a serious and stern expression. She does not pay much attention to her clothing and appearance, clearly indicating that she is not of the same ilk as Mo Weiqing. Initially, Su Mo did not enjoy working for her, as this person exuded a strong sense of oppression and had high demands for both people and tasks. If things did not go well, she would incessantly complain or even be aggressive.
She worked tirelessly for two full hours, moving up and down, until everything fell silent, completely exhausted, and all the kitchen utensils were renewed.
Su Mo could not refute this; she was currently at the bottom of society, and the reality was right before her eyes. What more could she say? Su Mo remained silent, channeling all her energy into her work, rising early and toiling late, busy and preoccupied.
She had just washed her hands and was about to leave when Congrong called her back. It was rare for Congrong to show kindness: "It's too late, I'll drive you."
Su Mo felt tired, but it was merely a feeling of fatigue. She did not believe there was anything wrong with the growing laziness of those around her, nor did she find Rong's harshness to be detestable. She relied on them to support herself and her child, and to please her parents; she should be grateful for this.
Su Mo self-deprecatingly said: "Yes, I am not a person with strong opinions or principles; I do whatever others say, so I can only live in the shadows of others"
On this night, Rong returned home late once again, but this time it was not due to work; rather, she had been on a date with her new boyfriend. When she returned home, vibrant and full of life, Su Mo nearly fell asleep beside the child's crib.
Su Mo felt unhappy: Why do I have to learn this
Su Mo certainly could not stoop to his level, as he was not her own child, and thus she did not consider how to educate him. However, the boy became increasingly audacious and rude, making his scolding of her a daily occurrence. Finally, unable to contain her anger, Su Mo dragged the boy out to the street and said: "I will throw you out right now. You have nothing, your mother won't be able to find you, you will have no food to eat, no money to buy clothes or toys, and you will wait to starve to death, to die of thirst, and in the end, those beggars will dismember you and throw you on the street to beg. Leaving your mother, you are just another poor wretch. I am poor, but I still have the ability to earn money. Can you?"
Until the moment of departure after the completion of the work, Rong Cai expressed her numerous grievances in a rapid-fire manner, articulating each point with great detail. As the conversation progressed, she nearly dragged Su Mo to revisit the household chores from the beginning. This disruption caused what was originally an 8 PM finish to extend until after 10 PM for Su Mo to leave.
Rong speaks directly: Because you are in a weak position
She glanced at Rong, neither affirming nor denying, and after a while said: "You no longer need to concern yourself with the child's matters." Su Mo was taken aback, and then heard her continue to ask: "How much do they pay you at your uncle's factory each month?"
Rong entered the room with a carefree and cheerful demeanor, and as she passed by the kitchen, she glanced at the range hood inside: "Oh, it seems like this hasn't been cleaned in a long time. I forgot to mention it the last time the cleaning lady came. Since you haven't left yet, how about giving it a wipe?"
The boy cried for quite a while on the street, where the sky was darkening and the crowds were sparse, feeling increasingly afraid and unable to find his way home
Regarding this method of upbringing, Su Mo fundamentally disagrees: one day, the child will grow up, and upon leaving the glass castle, he will discover that what you have provided is not everything. He may be overwhelmed by the temptations that come his way, and may even lose the already fragile self-control.
By the time Su Mo came out, he had already become obedient
She scoffed at Rong's carefully expressed opinion, saying: This is my child, and I have the right to let him live in a way that I believe is healthy. If he can drink water, there is no need to give him juice. The food and drinks should ideally have no sweetness. All candies and chocolates must be eliminated. Sour is sour, and bitter is bitter; sweetness should never be mixed in to spark his interest in eating sugar