I Don't See You as My Mother

Mrs. Zhao's hair was a tangled mess like a bird's nest, dirty and black. Standing from afar, her wild eyes looked somewhat stunned when she saw Zhang Zhaocai.

She reached out her hand, as if trying to grab something in the air.

"Shimao... why aren't you coming home?"

"Good grandson, you've grown so big, let grandma hold you..."

Mrs. Zhao waved her hands, trying to grab towards Zhang Zhaocai's direction from afar: "Shimao, I sent you to school for your own good... Shimao, I miss you, where are you, Shimao?"

Muttering to herself, Mrs. Zhao staggered forward, swiping at the air a few times.

Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind, grabbed Mrs. Zhao's hair, and yanked hard. A vicious eye glared at her: "Crazy woman, running off again! Run away one more time and I'll break your legs!"

Mrs. Zhao turned her head and saw Su Meixiang's half-covered face, terrifying like a demon.

Fear immediately showed on Mrs. Zhao's face. She covered her head with both hands and shrank back: "Mother, don’t hit me. I gave birth to a son for our family, why do you still hit me..."

The tone was just like when she first married into the Old Su family, speaking to the evil mother-in-law, Old Lady Su.

Su Meixiang looked at Mrs. Zhao with disgust and kicked her calf: "What madness are you spouting again! Your son Su Shimao, your grandson, your mother-in-law—all dead! Come home with me now! Father told me to watch you and not let you run off. If father finds out you sneaked out, he’ll beat me again!"

As she spoke, Su Meixiang fiercely tugged at Mrs. Zhao’s hair, dragging her toward home.

Mrs. Zhao cried out in pain, and Su Meixiang slapped her: "Why are you crying? Who told you to favor sons over daughters? Who told you to only favor that heartless Su Shimao? This is all your own doing. You deserve what’s happening to you!"

Mrs. Zhao, hurt, whimpered as she covered her face: "Mother, stop scolding. It was me who broke the bowl, not Meixiang who smashed it. If you want to scold, scold me! Meixiang, run quickly, don’t let your grandma catch you. Come back tonight, mother will leave food for you!"

Su Meixiang paused her raised hand, obviously stunned by Mrs. Zhao's words, then her single eye gleamed even more viciously: "Crazy woman, only knows how to play the victim! You never loved me since I was young! You didn’t treat me as your daughter before, and now I don’t treat you as my mother!"

Su Meixiang roughly dragged Mrs. Zhao’s hair as she pulled her home. Several villagers who saw this couldn’t stand it and scolded Su Meixiang for being heartless. Especially Zhu Saozi, a longtime neighbor of the Su family who had watched Su Meixiang grow up, couldn’t hold back and spoke up for Mrs. Zhao: "Su Meixiang, she is still your mother. How can you treat her like this? Your mother loved you so much. Whenever there was food, she always gave you and your siblings first. No matter how bad she was outside, she truly loved you. Now that she’s mentally ill, how can you treat her this way?"

Since her reputation was ruined, Su Meixiang lost one eye and half her face was disfigured. Her personality changed drastically, becoming even more cruel and vicious. The villagers’ gossip and criticism didn’t bother her at all.

Su Meixiang sneered at Zhu Saozi and pointed at Mrs. Zhao: "This is our family’s private matter. My father and grandfather haven’t said anything, so you, an outsider, have no business meddling. If you pity her, take her home yourself!"

As she spoke, Su Meixiang grabbed the collar of Mrs. Zhao’s clothes and pushed her toward Zhu Saozi.

Zhu Saozi was so frightened she kept stepping back: "Su Meixiang, how can you do this? She is your mother!"

Su Meixiang glared at Zhu Saozi and said: "You know she’s my mother, so what? You’re so nosy! If anyone else complains, let them come take care of this crazy woman!"

With that, ignoring the crowd’s curses, she dragged Mrs. Zhao into the courtyard and slammed the door shut.