Chapter 349: Chapter 348: They Are All Ingrates

Gu Yuwei, of course, wasn’t about to admit to that. She raised her voice and said, "I left back then because my parents had an accident on the farm. I had no choice but to go. I just never expected that by the time I got there, they had already passed away. I was so heartbroken that I blocked everything out, and that’s why I never came back. Now that I’ve remembered it all, of course I have to get my daughter back. She’s my own flesh and blood! How could I ever abandon her?"

Mrs. He roared, "That’s bullshit!"

A police officer stepped forward and said to Mrs. He, "Ma’am, let’s discuss this calmly. There’s no need for profanity."

The three children were pressed against the window, looking outside. Shiyi saw Gu Yuwei and said, "That bad woman is here again. She’s arguing with Grandma, and she brought the police with her. Is she going to have Grandma arrested?"

Ruanruan said, "Grandma didn’t do anything wrong. The police won’t arrest her."

Xiao Yu didn’t say anything. She just watched Gu Yuwei in the yard, her eyes turning a little red.

Gu Yuwei said to Mrs. He, "If you’re willing to give the child to me, I’ll give you a sum of money to thank you for raising Xiao Yu all this time."

Mrs. He spat in her direction. "Pah! Who wants your filthy money? You want to take Xiao Yu? Not a chance in hell."

With no other choice, Gu Yuwei looked to the police. "Officers, that’s the situation. I feel I’ve been more than fair. I’m the child’s mother. I’ve come here several times before, but they wouldn’t let me see my daughter. They refused to even speak with me and even hit and cursed at me. I’m willing to let all of that go, but I want my daughter back."

The two officers from the station exchanged a glance, then one said to Mrs. He, "What she’s saying makes some sense. Ma’am, why don’t you two try to talk it over again? You’re both her family. There’s no need for things to get this ugly."

Mrs. He retorted, dissatisfied, "Officers, this woman has you all fooled! She doesn’t deserve to be a mother!"

The officer was also in a difficult position. "You both have valid points. How about we let the child choose for herself? Whichever one of you she wants to stay with, the other has to accept it."

Mrs. He agreed without a second thought. "Fine. Let the child choose."

Mrs. He was quite confident about who Xiao Yu would choose.

Seeing her chance, Gu Yuwei shouted toward the house, "Xiao Yu, come out! Mommy has something to tell you."

The door opened from the inside, and the three children walked out.

Gu Yuwei glanced at Ruanruan and Shiyi, then her gaze fell on Xiao Yu.

She walked over and knelt in front of Xiao Yu, speaking softly. "Xiao Yu, I’m your mommy. I’ve missed you so much. Would you like to come live with me?"

"Why did you run away back then?" Xiao Yu asked in a low voice.

Gu Yuwei paused for a moment before explaining, "Mommy was in a lot of pain back then. I really felt like I couldn’t go on, so I went to find your grandma and grandpa. I never thought they’d be gone too. Mommy never abandoned you. Please believe me, Mommy loves you."

Xiao Yu nodded, and tears welled up in her eyes and fell.

Xue Yue frowned as she watched. Mrs. He strode over and shoved Gu Yuwei away.

"Don’t stand there poisoning the child’s mind! She doesn’t understand anything. You know perfectly well whether you left because He Ze was poor or for some other reason."

Mrs. He looked down at Xiao Yu. "Xiao Yu, do you want to live with Grandma, or do you want to go with her?" Mrs. He pointed at Gu Yuwei.

Xiao Yu looked confused. "Grandma, can’t we all live together?"

Mrs. He grew anxious. "Oh, you child, why can’t I make you understand? You want to stay with Grandma, right?"

Xiao Yu nodded.

Mrs. He let out a sigh of relief.

Gu Yuwei was also getting desperate. She asked Xiao Yu, "Don’t you want to live with Mommy?"

Xiao Yu looked at her and said slowly, "I do."

Even the police officers were getting confused.

Sensing an opportunity, Gu Yuwei quickly knelt down again, took Xiao Yu’s hand, and said, "Xiao Yu, you’d rather be with Mommy, wouldn’t you? At home, Mommy has so many pretty little dresses and toys ready for you. I’ve bought you everything the other kids have. I’m just waiting for you to come home with me."

The corners of Xiao Yu’s mouth twitched.

The officer from the station asked Xiao Yu, "Young lady, do you want to live with your mom, or with your grandma? You can only pick one, okay?"

Gu Yuwei squeezed Xiao Yu’s hand.

Finally, under everyone’s watchful eyes, Xiao Yu looked at Mrs. He. "Grandma, can I go live with my mom? Everyone says I don’t have a mommy or a daddy. They call me an orphan. I want to tell them I have a mom. I’m not an orphan."

Mrs. He felt a mix of anger and heartbreak. She said to Xiao Yu, "But if you go with her, you won’t be able to see Grandma anymore."

Xiao Yu blinked and turned to Gu Yuwei. "Mommy, can I still see Grandma later?"

Gu Yuwei glanced at Mrs. He and nodded. "Of course. Whenever you want to see her, Mommy will bring you over."

Xiao Yu nodded and said, "Okay."

Mrs. He said, crestfallen, "Xiao Yu, isn’t it good here with Grandma? Have we ever let you go hungry or thirsty? Isn’t everyone in the family good to you?"

Xiao Yu shook her head. "Everyone’s wonderful. But... I want my own mommy. Sister Ruanruan and Brother Shiyi have their own mommies, and I want one too."

The words struck Mrs. He like a heavy blow.

Gu Yuwei was overjoyed. She leaned in and kissed Xiao Yu’s cheek. "My darling, I knew you loved your mommy."

Since the child had made her choice, the police had nothing more to say.

"Ma’am...?"

Mrs. He’s blood pressure was skyrocketing, and her words turned nasty. "See what? I’m looking at an ungrateful little brat! After I fed her and gave her everything, what happens? She still wants her mother! That woman abandoned her for her own selfish reasons! If it weren’t for us, she would have starved to death long ago! Would she even be here today?"

The police looked awkward. This was a civil dispute, and the details were murky. They were in a tough spot, not knowing whose side to take.

"Ma’am, look... you’re getting on in years. If you were to get a headache or a fever, having to care for a child would be a lot to handle. Why not let her go with her mother? If you miss your granddaughter, you can just have her bring her over. In the end, this is all for the child’s good, right?"

Mrs. He let out a cold laugh. "That’s right. An old woman like me, how many years do I have left? Even a child knows who to pick for a better life."

The officer gave an awkward smile, not knowing what else to say. He turned to Gu Yuwei. "Didn’t you say you wanted to offer the grandmother some compensation?"

Gu Yuwei nodded. She opened her bag, took out a thick stack of cash, and started to offer it to Mrs. He. Seeing the furious look on the older woman’s face, however, she hesitated. Instead, she walked over to Xue Yue and held the money out to her.

Xue Yue hadn’t said a word the entire time, merely watching in silence. She understood how Mrs. He felt and knew how much love the grandmother had poured into Xiao Yu, but in this matter, she was an outsider.

Xue Yue looked at Gu Yuwei but didn’t take the money.