Free Web NovelChapter 249: Chapter 249: Wu Sheng
Su Li stood at the door, unmoving for a good while.
Little Tang Mo’s grip on the bed rail slowed, and finally, he turned his head slowly to look at Su Li by the door.
Su Li noticed his gaze and smiled.
"Little Mo, do you want to go for a walk outside?"
This time, Little Tang Mo finally reacted. He shook his head.
"Then how about we go home together? We didn’t get to go back yesterday, and I didn’t bring anything with us. How about we make a quick trip home?"
Su Li walked to the bedside as she asked, "What do you want to eat? I can go home and make it for you."
Little Tang Mo didn’t shake his head this time.
"Here, have some water. Then we’ll go back, alright?"
Little Tang Mo reluctantly took a sip.
"Does your throat hurt a lot?" Su Li asked, pointing to his neck.
Little Tang Mo gave a nearly imperceptible shake of his head.
"I already asked the doctor. It’ll just hurt for a couple of days. It will start getting better tomorrow, and Little Mo should be able to talk around the day after tomorrow."
Su Li lifted Little Tang Mo’s blanket.
"Come on, let’s change your clothes and head home for a bit."
Little Tang Mo took the clothes from Su Li’s hands and turned his back to her.
"Oh, Little Mo wants to get dressed by himself? Such a good boy. Mommy will wait for you right here."
Su Li tidied up nearby, watching Little Tang Mo change out of the corner of her eye.
He was still wearing the same set of clothes from before. They were very dirty. In the past, he would have refused to wear them, knowing they needed to be washed.
But this time, he changed into them quietly.
Su Li took out a baby carrier sling. "Come on, Little Mo. Climb onto Mommy’s back. Mommy will carry you."
Little Tang Mo looked at the sling, then at Su Li’s back. After a moment’s hesitation, he finally climbed onto her back.
"Good boy." Su Li settled Little Tang Mo on her back.
Su Li didn’t feel comfortable leaving Little Tang Mo alone, but she couldn’t stay at the hospital indefinitely. So, she had asked the doctor earlier, and he had given her permission to take Little Tang Mo out for two or three hours in the afternoon.
Going out like this would be a good distraction for Little Tang Mo, but they couldn’t be gone for too long.
Carrying Little Tang Mo, Su Li left the hospital. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
Little Tang Mo rested obediently on Su Li’s back, but he kept his head buried, refusing to look outside or interact with anyone.
Su Li spoke to him in a gentle voice, taking in their surroundings as they made their way home.
"Little Mo, we’re almost home. We’re starting to climb the stairs now."
With Little Tang Mo on her back, Su Li slowly climbed the stairs.
As she reached the last step, Su Li saw Wu Sheng standing at her door and stopped in her tracks.
Wu Sheng, who had arrived at some unknown time, was standing right at her doorstep. When he saw her, he let out a nearly imperceptible sigh of relief.
"Where did you go?"
He asked as he stepped forward. Looking at Su Li’s appearance, he sensitively detected that something was wrong.
"What’s wrong? What happened?"
He drew closer to Su Li and looked at Little Tang Mo on her back. "What’s wrong with Little Point?"
Su Li looked at Wu Sheng without speaking.
Wu Sheng watched Su Li quietly for a few seconds, then suddenly stepped forward and pulled both her and Little Tang Mo into his arms, stroking each of their heads in turn.
"If you want to cry, just cry. I’m here."
In his warm embrace, listening to his voice, the tears Su Li had been holding back instantly burst forth.
She bit her lip hard, trying not to let a sob escape.
Wu Sheng felt the warmth spreading across his chest and sighed internally.
"You were so happy during your birthday... It’s okay. It’s better to cry it out."
He stroked Su Li’s head with one hand and caressed Little Tang Mo’s face with the other.
"Little Point, do you remember Uncle?"
Little Tang Mo sluggishly raised his head and glanced at Wu Sheng.
"How did you get so thin? Are you sick?"
Little Tang Mo didn’t say anything.
"Not talking, huh? Looks like Little Point isn’t in a very good mood."
Wu Sheng produced a piece of candy from somewhere, unwrapped it, and held it to Little Tang Mo’s lips.
"Want one? This is my favorite thing to eat when I’m sick or in a bad mood."
The rich, sweet aroma made Little Tang Mo’s nose twitch. He opened his mouth and licked the candy.
"Tastes good, right?" Wu Sheng smiled as he watched him.
Listening to Wu Sheng’s voice, Su Li lowered her head, wiped away her tears, and cleared her throat before speaking.
"He’s still on medication."
"If he can’t eat a whole one, he can at least have a taste. Little Point, open up and take a bite."
As Wu Sheng spoke, Little Tang Mo opened his mouth and bit down on the candy.
"Here, let me take him so you can unlock the door."
Wu Sheng took Little Tang Mo from Su Li’s back. The boy’s body was a little stiff, but he didn’t struggle.
"It’s okay. Uncle isn’t a big monster; I’m not going to carry you off."
Wu Sheng patted Little Tang Mo’s head again and gently took the candy from his mouth.
"Without your mom’s permission, you can only have a little taste for now. When you’re off your medicine, I’ll buy you a hundred of them."
Su Li opened the door and looked at Wu Sheng, seeming to want to say something but hesitating.
"Let’s go inside first," Wu Sheng said, as if he could read her expression.
"We can talk about the details inside."
Wu Sheng carried Little Tang Mo into the apartment, placed him on the sofa, and asked Su Li, "Have you two eaten?"
"I came back planning to make some congee for Little Mo."
"I know how. Let me make it," Wu Sheng offered.
Su Li recalled the soup he had made for her before and shook her head. "No, it’s fine. I’ll do it."
Although it was subtle, Wu Sheng still sensed a hint of disdain.
"My cooking is actually pretty good," he defended himself. "But Little Point will definitely prefer what you make, so you should go ahead."
Su Li nodded and looked at Little Tang Mo. "Little Mo, just wait a minute, okay?"
Little Tang Mo sat quietly on the sofa, staring at the door to what was once his room, his expression unreadable and unresponsive.
Su Li forced a smile for Wu Sheng and went into the kitchen.
Wu Sheng sat down next to Little Tang Mo and placed the candy the boy had licked to the side.
Although Su Li hadn’t said anything yet, seeing her appear with Little Tang Mo on her back was both surprising and, in a way, expected for Wu Sheng.
Back when the news of Little Tang Mo’s illness came, he had already seen the special affection Su Li had for him, an affection nearly identical to that of a birth mother.
Wu Sheng was a perceptive man; he had noticed something was wrong with Little Tang Mo from the moment he saw him.
This was the same boy, but he was completely different from the clever little rascal he had met before. The gaunt frame, the unusual silence, the marks on his neck and body—Wu Sheng saw it all clearly the instant he took the boy into his arms.
Wu Sheng didn’t ask what Little Tang Mo had been through, but he already had a good idea.
He even had a sensitive inkling as to who the culprit was.
A person’s eyes can’t lie.
He could clearly see the change in Little Tang Mo, the pain and scars behind his overnight "growth."
Why could he see it so clearly? Because he had experienced something similar at the same age as Little Tang Mo.
Seeing Little Tang Mo was like seeing his younger self.
"Little Point, when you’re better, do you want to learn a very powerful type of kung fu from Uncle?"
Wu Sheng reached out and poked Little Tang Mo’s arm as he asked.
Little Tang Mo froze for a second, then whipped around to look at Wu Sheng and nodded affirmatively.
Wu Sheng chuckled lightly. "I knew you’d want to learn."
’Once you learn, you can protect yourself. You can stop the abuse.’
’No matter who raises a child, in their own little world, the most profound and keenly felt experience is abuse.’
’How do you truly escape that nightmare?’
’The answer is to make yourself stronger.’
