At three in the afternoon, Mu Yuting underwent a follow-up brain CT scan as advised by her doctor. By four o'clock, she had received the results, confirming there was no intracranial bleeding, and promptly completed the discharge procedures.
She only had a little over 300 yuan on her, but fortunately, her mother had deposited enough money into her hospital account, leaving a refund after discharge—otherwise, it would have been quite awkward.
She had made up her mind: once home, she would take the initiative to ask to manage her own salary instead of letting her mother handle it for her. In her past life, her mother controlled her finances before marriage, and after marriage, her husband took over. It wasn't until after her divorce that she finally managed her own money…
She would never make such a foolish mistake again.
When she arrived home, her mother was still doing manual bookkeeping for the two small companies she worked part-time for, with a pile of receipts and several ledgers spread across the desk.
"Mom, I'm back."
"Tingting, you're discharged early? Didn't they say you'd have a follow-up CT tomorrow morning before leaving? Why didn't you call? I would have picked you up." Mu's mother immediately stood up and walked to the door to help her daughter with her things.
Mu Yuting smiled and said, "Everything was settled today, so I just went ahead with the check-up and discharge. It's fine—I didn't have much, just a few pieces of clothing. I can manage."
Her mother asked a few more questions about the test results and only relaxed after personally confirming the report showed no issues.
"I'll rest tonight and go back to work tomorrow." Mu Yuting put down her clothes and went to wash her hands in the bathroom. "Mom, have you informed the relatives about the called-off wedding?"
Amid the sound of running water, Mu's mother hesitated and didn't respond.
"What? You haven't told them? Then I'll call them myself in a bit." Mu Yuting finished washing her hands, came out, and picked up her phone to dial.
"You're just a child; how would you know which elders to notify?" Her mother snatched the phone from her.
Their eyes finally met.
Mu Yuting was calm and resolute.
Her mother's hand trembled slightly as she spoke first, "Decisions like this need careful consideration. Once you make that call, there's no turning back."
"Mom, even now, do you still think I'm just playing around?" Mu Yuting took out the two agreements and handed them to her. "This is my carefully considered decision."
"I will take responsibility for my own life. And only I can take responsibility for my own life. For better or worse, I'll bear it alone."
"Tingting, you're still young and inexperienced. What if you make the wrong choice? What if you can't handle the consequences? What if you regret it later?"
"I will never regret the path I choose. No matter how difficult, I will see it through to the end." Back when she divorced in her past life, she had only a little over a thousand yuan to her name and struggled to raise her child alone—hadn't she still carved out a path for herself?
"Tingting, I just don't want you to have a hard life. I want everything to go smoothly for you, for you to be happy."
"Then don't interfere with my choices. Please, Mom, choose to respect me."
After carefully reading the two agreements in her hand and realizing the marriage could no longer continue, Mu's mother sighed and said, "Alright, as long as you don't regret today's decision. I'll make the calls now."
True to her word, Mu's mother didn't hesitate further. She picked up her own phone and began calling relatives, first apologizing, then explaining that she was dissatisfied with the groom and had decided to cancel the wedding.
She took full responsibility for calling off the engagement, shielding her daughter from any blame to avoid affecting Mu Yuting's future marriage prospects.
"Mom, just tell them directly that I'm the one calling off the engagement..."
"Should I make the calls or will you? Do you even know the guest list we sent invitations to? Don't interrupt." Mu's Mother turned away, phone in hand, moving to another room to continue her calls.
Some relatives were tactful and didn't press for details. Others dug deeper, and Mu's Mother could only offer brief explanations, doing her utmost to protect her daughter's reputation.
By the time all the calls were finished, it was already past seven in the evening. Mu Yuting reheated the leftovers from lunch, and the two ate in silence.
After the meal, Mu Yuting brought up the matter of managing her own salary. After a long silence, Mu's Mother finally agreed.
Her daughter had truly grown up. Mu's Mother felt a complex mix of emotions.
That night, after a warm, fragrant bath, Mu Yuting slipped into her familiar bed and fell asleep quickly.
She slept dreamlessly through the night.
The next morning, awakened by the familiar ring of her phone alarm, Mu Yuting got up and headed to work.
She arrived at the office ten minutes early as usual, opening the windows to air out the room, tidying her workspace, brewing tea, and turning on her computer—all just in time for eight o'clock.
Qin Jie walked into the office and asked with a smile, "You were discharged yesterday afternoon? Why not rest a couple more days?"
Mu Yuting smiled back, teasing, "Yeah, discharged yesterday. I missed you, Qin Jie, so I came in early." She had always been one to repay kindness and wanted to help share Qin Jie's workload sooner.
Qin Jie laughed too, then, glancing around to ensure no one was nearby, lowered her voice. "If the boss calls you in for a talk, don't argue. Just listen quietly."
Mu Yuting nodded, her obedient demeanor making Qin Jie unable to resist giving her an encouraging pat on the shoulder.
Sure enough, at nine that morning, a call from the boss summoned her to his office.
The boss's office was at the far end of the second floor, requiring her to pass by several other offices. People in each office greeted her along the way, and she exchanged a few polite words with smiles.
After she passed, the whispers began.
"Such a sweet, pitiable girl, getting beaten by her fiancé before even marrying. Ah, how did she end up with someone like that?"
"Guess she's calling off the engagement. She seemed pretty firm about it the other day."
"Is she heading to the boss's office? Will he lecture her?"
"She didn't do anything wrong."
"But sometimes, it's not about being wrong to get a talking-to."
Ignoring the murmurs, Mu Yuting knocked and entered the boss's office.
The boss was brewing tea, his movements meticulous, his expression focused.
"Sit."
Mu Yuting obediently took a seat.
Once the tea was ready, he handed her a cup.
"Drink."
She took a sip—bitter. She recognized it instantly: bitter spike tea, a local specialty. Used as a beverage, it also had medicinal properties—reducing fat, lowering blood pressure, fighting inflammation, acting as a diuretic, and reportedly even anti-cancer.
Her family had some too; her father used to enjoy it. After he passed away from illness, no one at home drank it anymore.
"How does it taste?" the boss asked after taking a large gulp.
"Very bitter." She took another small sip, stating the plain truth.
"Yes, very bitter. Do you know why I called you here today? Why I offered you this tea?"
Mu Yuting met his gaze. Should she be honest or play dumb?
Before she could decide, the boss continued, "I didn't call you here to scold or criticize you."
"You did nothing wrong."
"But I still gave you bitter spike tea to drink."
Mu Yuting was stunned. So, what does this mean?
Comments
Post a Comment