Chapter 12: Favoring Boys Over Girls

Listen to that, such an obedient child; why on earth does the Du woman not like her?

"Yaya is a good girl. Grandma can't eat anymore, will you eat some for me?" Bai Yunxi tugged at the corners of her mouth, revealing a kindly smile like a wolf in grandmother's clothing, lowering the little Red Riding Hood's guard.

She was just a little girl, after all. Seeing her grandmother smiling at her, her eyes lit up.

"Is Grandma really unable to eat any more?"

"Yes, Grandma really can't eat any more."

Look, little Red Riding Hood had taken the bait.

"Then Yaya will help Grandma eat a little." The little girl tilted her head back, speaking in a milky, childish voice.

"Then thank you, Yaya."

Bai Yunxi fed her spoonful by spoonful. The little girl squinted her eyes in enjoyment, her face full of satisfaction, a sight that made one's heart ache.

Food that she had once considered the most ordinary thing in the world was so precious here.

In this household, a single egg was hard to come by.

After half of the steamed egg custard was gone, Yaya patted her little belly.

"Grandma, Yaya is full too."

"In the future, when there is something delicious, Grandma will share it with Yaya, okay?" A child of just over three years old had such a small appetite; the Du woman truly didn't pay her any mind.

"Grandma is so nice today."

Yaya tilted her head back. Whether it was because she had eaten the egg custard or because her smile was truly kind, the little girl’s courage grew just a little bit.

Hearing her granddaughter’s innocent tone, Bai Yunxi was stunned. In her memories, although the original owner hadn't abused her, she had never paid her any attention either.

Ever since the Du woman became pregnant, the original owner had been hoping for a boy; the Bai family’s first grandchild should have been a boy.

Unfortunately, the Du woman was disappointing; she gave birth to a girl and had nearly died in the process. The original owner was unhappy about it and treated both the mother and daughter poorly.

But fearing gossip from outsiders—as the wife of a *juren* scholar, her reputation could not be tarnished—she still provided one egg and a packet of brown sugar every day, even if seeing the Du woman annoyed her. That was all there was.

For a normal woman who had just given birth, these things were acceptable, but the Du woman had suffered a difficult labor and injured her body; she should have seen a doctor for recovery.

In fact, the original owner had prepared plenty of postpartum supplements in advance—brown sugar, eggs, red dates, lotus seeds, longans, a whole basket full... but because the Du woman had given birth to a girl, she had withheld them all.

The Du woman knew what her mother-in-law meant. Since she had given birth to a girl, she wasn't favored by her mother-in-law and didn't dare to bring up seeing a doctor.

In private, she had mentioned it to Bai Anchen, saying her health was poor and she feared it would affect her ability to conceive again, but he had dismissed it with disdain, saying she should be burning incense in gratitude that his mother hadn't blamed her for giving birth to a girl, let alone seeing a doctor.

It was all just affectation.

The Du woman felt aggrieved, but she never dared to mention it again. However, the way she looked at her daughter changed; not only was there no maternal love, but there was also a faint sense of resentment.

The original owner had once accidentally overheard the Du woman complaining that her daughter was a debt collector, a money-losing burden, and her own personal calamity.

At the time, the original owner hadn't paid it any mind, but thinking about it now, how innocent was the little girl?

Thinking of this, Bai Yunxi placed the bowl in the corner of the cabinet and reached out to pull Yaya into her arms. Feeling the little girl’s stiff body, she sighed in her heart once more.

She picked up a handkerchief to wipe the girl's mouth and coaxed her softly,

"My good girl, from now on, Grandma will be good to Yaya every day, okay?"

"Really?"

Yaya tilted her head back, her black, grape-like eyes staring at her with such innocence that it made one's heart ache.

"Of course it's true. Grandma never lies."

Mentioning the title of "Grandma," Bai Yunxi felt as if she had stabbed herself in the heart.

Ah~, what kind of grandmother? She didn't want to be one.

But looking at the little girl’s ignorant eyes, she couldn't bear it.

(End of chapter)