Chapter 10: The First Time Saying "Mom"

Sister Li’s words were like a sharp, slender needle—though they drew no blood, they pierced deep into the bone.

As soon as she finished speaking, several military wives nearby, who had been quietly busy with their chores, perked up their ears and glanced over casually, their eyes gleaming with anticipation for a spectacle.

In this military family compound, it was no secret that the original Zhou Susu had mistreated her burdensome child, An An. Everyone silently knew the truth, though no one dared to speak it aloud.

Therefore, Sister Li’s remarks echoed the unspoken sentiments of most present. They were curious whether this notoriously difficult Zhou Susu had truly changed or was merely playing some new trick.

Faced with this sudden, barbed provocation, Zhou Susu’s smile remained unwavering. She even nodded kindly to Sister Li.

“Good morning, Sister Li. Doing laundry?”

Her calm, effortless demeanor, like a gentle breeze redirecting a heavy blow, left Sister Li feeling as if her punch had struck cotton—frustrated and stifled.

“I…” Sister Li was momentarily stumped but quickly found a new target for her attack.

Her gaze cut like a knife across An An’s delicate, pale face and the brand-new little cotton jacket she wore.

“Tsk, the child’s put on some weight these days. Susu, you sure do spend lavishly—don’t tell me you’ve burned through Captain Lu’s entire allowance? A man fights tooth and nail out there; us wives ought to be thrifty, can’t just indulge ourselves and some outsider.”

She deliberately emphasized “outsider” with a pointed tone.

Her words were deeply piercing—not only accusing Zhou Susu of extravagance but also openly casting doubt on An An’s identity and, by extension, Zhou Susu’s true intentions toward the child—reminding everyone that any kindness she showed was as suspicious as a weasel’s goodwill toward a chicken.

The surrounding military wives began whispering among themselves.

“Yeah, that cotton jacket’s made of some expensive stuff.”

“Zhou Susu used to count every penny, even for a scallion; now she’s suddenly so generous?”

“I bet she’s trying to impress Captain Lu, win his favor.”

These murmurs were like countless tiny needles, pricking the mother and daughter standing under the sun.

Zhou Susu remained unfazed, but behind her, An An could no longer bear it.

Though small, the little girl was unusually sensitive to hostility, having long endured abuse and disdain.

She could clearly feel the ill-intentioned gazes coming from all directions.

Her small body began trembling uncontrollably again.

The little courage she had just mustered deflated like a burst balloon.

Clutching tightly at Zhou Susu’s clothes, she buried her face behind her legs, trying to hide, to retreat into the familiar, if dark, but safe shell.

Zhou Susu sensed her fear.

The anger she had just suppressed flared up again explosively.

They could say what they wanted about her, but anyone who bullied her child was out of line!

Just as Zhou Susu prepared to confront Sister Li with reason, an unexpected moment unfolded.

An An, who had been hiding behind her mother, suddenly peeked out with a tiny head.

Her face, flushed with fear and anger, was unlike before.

For the first time, the big, glossy eyes shed all timidity and fear, replaced by a desperate, fierce courage reminiscent of a young animal fiercely protecting its food.

She stared at the “bad woman” who had spoken harshly to the woman she recognized as her mother and summoned all her courage.

Her mouth opened, and a series of soft, uneven “huff huff” sounds, like a little kitten’s mewls, escaped her throat.

All eyes turned to her.

Sister Li sneered, “What? You little mute want to speak now?”

But just as the words left Sister Li’s mouth—

“Ma… Ma…”

Two clear, though faint and trembling, syllables came from An An’s small lips, audible to everyone present.

The soft, tender voice, tinged with nervous quiver, uttered a simple yet explosive “Mama,” instantly silencing the entire courtyard.

Everyone was stunned.

The mocking smile froze on Sister Li’s face, her expression shifting wildly like a painter’s palette.

The surrounding military wives gaped, mouths agape wide enough to hold an egg.

The mute child had spoken?!

The poor little thing, rumored to be beaten into silence and too afraid even to cry loudly, had just called out “Mama”?!

For Zhou Susu, the one at the center of this blow, that single word struck her heart like a gentle lightning bolt.

It thrilled her.

It electrified her.

She felt as if immersed in honey, every cell in her body shouting with bliss.

She slowly lowered her head, meeting An An’s sparkling eyes, filled with a hint of seeking approval and hope.

After calling out, the little one nervously watched her, clutching her clothes as if afraid she might be rejected.

Tears welled up instantly in Zhou Susu’s eyes.

She couldn’t hold back any longer.

At this moment, Sister Li’s words and the gossip around them all became insignificant.

Zhou Susu knelt down and pulled An An tightly into her arms, holding her as if wanting to fuse the tiny treasure into her very bones.

“My dear daughter!” Her voice thick with emotion and a barely suppressed sob, “Mama’s here!”

“Say it again, will you?”

Though An An was a bit breathless from the tight embrace, feeling the warmth and strength of it, the last trace of fear within her vanished.

She buried her face in Zhou Susu’s neck and summoned all her strength to softly, clearly call out once more:

“Mama!”

“Oh!”

Zhou Susu’s tears finally broke free, falling in large drops.

She cupped An An’s tender face, kissing her again and again with loud smacks.

“My precious darling, my heart and soul, how wonderful you are!”

The mother and daughter clung to each other, oblivious to anyone else, completely dismissing Sister Li and the others as mere background.

Sister Li’s face turned a patchy mix of blue and white.

She felt as if someone had struck her repeatedly with the sole of a shoe, the pain burning fiercely.

She had just mocked them as “putting on an act,” but in the next instant, the child had spoken.

What was this if not an undeniable slap in the face?

And from a three-and-a-half-year-old toddler, no less!

She was caught between standing and fleeing, her old face flushed dark purple, wishing desperately for a crack in the ground to swallow her whole.

The military wives’ expressions shifted too.

Their initial anticipation morphed into ridicule.

“Oh my, what a clever child, so endearing!”

“Indeed, looks like Zhou Susu really cares about the child this time.”

“Sister Li’s really something, poking at a happy mother and daughter—now she’s the one left with no face, huh?”

The atmosphere subtly changed.

Unable to stay any longer, Sister Li shot a fierce glare at the mother and daughter, grabbed her laundry basin, and fled in haste.