BXBX NOVEL Chapter 491: Trauma
Chapter 491: Trauma
However, this was her burden to bear. Although it was possible to work while caring for a child, it was undoubtedly more troublesome. Her efficiency would be compromised, and she deemed it reasonable to accept half the usual wage.
Aunt Yang was not the type to take advantage of others’ kindness. She had no desire to inconvenience anyone without reason. Her current predicament had left her with no other choice.
Mother Lin wanted to say something, but hesitated. She felt it was best to let Gu Zi make the decision. She couldn’t always put her daughter in a difficult position. Thus, she merely patted Aunt Yang’s back, offering silent comfort.
Gu Zi understood her mother’s intention. She addressed Aunt Yang, saying, “There’s no need for that. I’ve been here these past few days, taking care of Lele. I can look after Yuan Yuan as well.
“As for the future, it’s fine if you work while caring for him. Just be careful not to hurt him. The shop is always bustling with people. Your wage will remain the same. As long as you help out, there’s no reason to deduct anything.”
When Gu Zi had agreed to let Aunt Yang work here, she had already anticipated the potential difficulties. She had thought it through, so there was no need for further deliberation.
Having chosen to fulfill her mother’s wish by helping Aunt Yang, she was committed to seeing it through. There was no need to discuss halving the wage. In fact, as long as Aunt Yang could effectively assist in the shop, there would be no loss in terms of labor cost.
It could even be considered a good thing. Judging the character of a new helper in a short time was not easy. Even if they found someone, they might not be as meticulous as Aunt Yang. Worse still, they might try to steal the shop’s secret recipes, which would only lead to more trouble.
In the following days, Gu Zi took on the responsibility of looking after Yuan Yuan. Lele, who was originally only able to play with her mother, now had a new playmate. This made her extremely happy.
Yuan Yuan also loved playing with Lele. He was particularly caring towards his younger sister. Whenever he had something tasty, he would eat one and then immediately give one to Lele. If there was only one, he would willingly break the food in half and hand one piece to Lele.
After observing for a while, Gu Zi found Yuan Yuan to be a rather clever child. He was generally good, except for one thing – he was prone to losing his temper easily. Any slight deviation from his expectations would result in a major tantrum, with his emotions fluctuating wildly.
Moreover, it seemed as though he had some sort of trauma. He couldn’t stay alone in a small, confined room. For instance, when Gu Zi played hide-and-seek with him and Lele, she asked Yuan Yuan to hide in the storage room at the back and come out to find Lele later. Everything was fine at first, but as soon as Gu Zi stepped out, Yuan Yuan followed, his eyes wide with terror and tears streaming down his face.
With one small hand clutching Gu Zi’s, he sobbed, “I want my mom. Mom, don’t leave me. Yuan Yuan will be good, will listen…”
No matter how Gu Zi tried to comfort him, he wouldn’t stop crying. It was only when Aunt Yang arrived that he threw himself into her arms, pleading with her to take him to his mother.
Children are perhaps the most innocent, and their innocence is not stupidity. They can identify blood relations through their feelings.
Even though Yuan Yuan enjoyed playing with Gu Zi, when it came to crucial moments, he would still seek out his grandmother, asking her to take him to his mother.
Clearly, in every child’s heart, the position of their mother is unshakeable. Aunt Yang looked at her grandson, feeling helpless.
She asked Gu Zi, “You’re an intellectual. Do you have any way to help Yuan Yuan become more normal? He wasn’t like this before. It started when he was four years old, when his mother took him and his father to rent a house in town for a while.
“I went to visit them and found Yuan Yuan locked in a room by himself. Through the crack in the door, I saw a bowl of cold noodles on the table that hadn’t been finished. Since then, he’s had this problem, unable to stay alone in small, dark places.”
As Aunt Yang spoke, memories surfaced in her mind. That day, she didn’t have a key to enter, so she went to find her daughter-in-law. She only found out from the neighbors that when Yuan Tao went to the city for work, Yuan Yuan’s mother would go to the mahjong parlor, often mingling with some people in town. Everyone felt sorry for the child, but they didn’t know what to say, after all, he was someone else’s child.