Chapter 386: Eighties Gourmet System (24)

"Xiao Xie, I owe you so much this time! If you hadn't taken the time to go check on the two children, they would have been sold off to the countryside."

Upon hearing about the matter, the Women's Director immediately brought a net bag of fresh fruit, along with canned yellow peaches and Malt Extract, to the hospital to visit the two children.

Mentioning that Shuisheng and Musheng had nearly been sold by their own mother, she felt immense self-reproach.

Come to think of it, it was she who had facilitated Xue Lihua taking the two children away.

She had felt that no matter how unreliable a biological mother was, she would still be closer than a stepmother.

She never imagined that Xue Lihua, this biological mother, would be unreliable to such an extent—actually wanting to sell the two children.

What a sin!

Xie Yang comforted her with a few words.

Knowing she meant well, she could only say that Xue Lihua was truly unfit to be a mother.

"Xiao Xie, don't you worry. Now that we all know, we see that you are truly sincere in your kindness toward the two children; from now on, they will live with you. If you have any difficulties, just tell us, and the organization will do its best to provide you with help."

Xie Yang shook her head: "I have hands and feet; I can support them."

The Women's Director admired her even more.

She had been in her post for many years, had mediated countless family disputes and conflicts, and had seen all sorts of people, even doing ideological work for several stepmothers, but a stepmother like Xie Dani was a first.

She held Xie Yang's hand and offered her sincere condolences for quite a while before leaving.

As soon as she left, Shuisheng couldn't help but grin.

"What are you so happy about?" Xie Yang asked with a smile.

"I heard it! From now on, my brother and I will live with Mom."

"Isn't that something you already knew?"

"Hehe..."

Shuisheng was so happy he laughed out loud.

At this moment, he truly looked like a seven-year-old child, laughing so carefree.

"Mom, I will do my Tasks well and won't let our family have a hard life."

After being happy for a while, Shuisheng suddenly thought of something, leaned into Xie Yang's ear, and whispered his promise.

Xie Yang pinched his cheek: "How many times have I told you? These are things for adults to worry about."

Shuisheng chuckled to himself again.

No one knew what he was happy about.

"Mom, when are we being discharged and going home?"

This was a question Shuisheng had asked every day for the past few days.

Xie Yang was tidying up the items on the bedside table and handed him a banana she had broken off: "Once your brother wakes up and the doctor comes for rounds to confirm you two are fine, we will go home."

Shuisheng turned his head to look at his brother, who was sleeping soundly on the adjacent hospital bed with his bottom stuck up on the quilt, and felt an urge to wake him up.

Xie Yang pressed her hand on his shoulder: "If we leave now, the shops on the street won't be open yet. We might as well leave a bit later; I'll take you to the department store to buy each of you a pair of shoes. We'll eat out at noon."

Shuisheng was moved and tempted, but it also pained his heart: "My brother and I have shoes to wear... and eating out is too expensive. Let's just go home and eat. It doesn't matter if there are no vegetables; I have eggs! I still have many eggs!"

"..."

Xie Yang found it amusing: "Alright, alright, you aren't short on eggs, but I need to survey the market. My Snack Bar is about to open, and I want to know what dishes the neighbors prefer. This is called 'know yourself and know your enemy to make money.' Besides,"

She paused and looked at the little guy with a smile: "Don't you need to do Tasks? Eating out is also a way to complete Tasks. We can order a few dishes that aren't easy to make at home, or dishes we wouldn't think to make. Only by seeing a rich menu can you have more gains and earn more rewards, right?"

That's right!

Shuisheng instantly perked up.

Eating a meal out would cost quite a bit of money, but if it could be exchanged for Rice, flour, eggs, and meat, it wouldn't be a loss!

"Mom, then let's go eat out!"

Xie Yang laughed: "Deal!"

These past few days, the two children had been very clingy to her in the hospital.

If they didn't see her for a moment, they would call out "Mom, Mom."

Fearing they might have psychological trauma, Xie Yang spent points to redeem a Psychological Detector produced by the interstellar civilization; the data showed no psychological issues, and they were just relying on her, which put her mind at ease.

As for the inhaled sedative, although the hospital said the amount wasn't large, after induced vomiting, stomach pumping, and a few days of intravenous detoxification, there were no major issues left.

But Xie Yang still spent points to redeem two bottles of Children's Nutrient Solution, diluted them, mixed them into orange juice, and fed it to them a few times.

Ensuring the two children were physically and mentally healthy, it was indeed time to be discharged.

Otherwise, Xiao Rong would soon be unable to hold down the fort at the Snack Bar alone.

Thus, after Musheng woke up, Xie Yang completed the discharge procedures, took the two children to shop and eat on the street, and then returned home with a full harvest.

Over there, things were not going well for Xue Lihua.

As a biological mother, not only did she not raise her children well, she actually put a price on them and sold them.

Who would want to be her neighbor?

Who would dare?

Especially neighbors with children—what if she developed malicious intentions again and set her sights on the neighbor's children?

Her husband had even filed for divorce before the court verdict came down.

Then he quickly disposed of the house and his job, and headed south with the money from selling the house and the position.

When Xue Lihua heard this news, she was completely petrified; her heart suffered a heavy blow and shattered into pieces.

Although the house was written in her husband's name, the money used to buy it had been pooled together by her and him, and she had provided the bulk of it.

The job had also been found for her by her maiden family; seeing him just returned to the city and feeling depressed about not having a job, she had transferred it to him.

He became a Formal Worker at the factory, and she became a housewife, washing clothes for two, cooking for two, and cleaning the yard and rooms every day.

Don't look at these as just daily chores, but she hadn't needed to do them before she remarried.

It is no exaggeration to say that during the years she was married to Zhang Li, she lived more comfortably than she had before she was married.

But as long as she could see her sweetheart every day, sleep under the same quilt with him, welcome the morning sun and send off the evening glow with him, and in the future have a crystallization of their love with him... Xue Lihua was willing to endure all these sacrifices.

Yet she never imagined that her devotion would be met with his heartlessness.

The moment she was arrested, he began selling their house and his job, and then filed for divorce.

As soon as her verdict was handed down, the divorce papers were delivered to her.

Xue Lihua clutched her head in agony, let out a roar of "Ah! Ah!", slammed herself against the wall, and finally fainted.

The prison guards sent her to the internal prison clinic and discovered she was pregnant, but because she had suffered extreme shock and had been beating her chest, stamping her feet, roaring, and slamming against the wall, it resulted in a miscarriage.

"You haven't heard yet, have you? After Xue Lihua had the miscarriage, she didn't recover and has been bedridden ever since. Her brothers from her maiden home went to visit her in prison, and they came back shaking their heads; it's likely she won't make it through this year."

As soon as Liu Shen got hold of this fresh gossip, she ran over to tell Xie Yang.

Xie Yang felt surprised: "Wasn't it said that she wasn't very far along? How could it have such a big impact on her health?"

"She's completely disheartened. For that man, she abandoned her family and children, threw away her reputation, and even tried to sell her two sons from her previous marriage. In the end, as soon as trouble hit, that man swiftly filed for divorce, sold the house and his job, didn't leave her a single cent, and didn't even go to see her once before he ran off. Anyone would be unable to withstand such a blow."

"..."