Chapter 160: [Passing the Imperial Examination] A Mother’s Strength
This was an opportunity—perhaps one that could drag that “Master” right out into the open.
At the same time, it could address the issue between this mother and daughter.
Their problem was starkly obvious.
Relying solely on the private dynamic between the two of them, it would be almost impossible to make Mother Han understand in a short time that there was a massive flaw in the way she expressed her love.
Nor would she realize that a person must love themselves first before the object of their love can accept that affection without feeling burdened.
However, Mother Han had long grown accustomed to this dynamic; she was beyond changing her ways.
And so was Han Yingying.
Thus, external pressure was required.
Even if they came to realize this now, it might already be too late to change the past.
Still, Mother Han needed to learn that death didn’t solve everything, nor did it relieve a mother of her burdens.
If Han Yingying truly wanted to help her mother, she needed to step forward and express herself with courage.
Mother Han awkwardly refused to say the word “love,” choosing instead to hide behind “I’m doing this for your own good”—and was Han Yingying any different? Exactly the same.
After all, she was a child raised by this mother; the two shared identical temperaments.
Bai Cha wanted Han Yingying’s power, which effectively meant taking her life.
Therefore, she would do everything possible to fulfill the wish deep within Han Yingying’s heart first—a wish the girl herself might never have dared to dream.
She wanted her to hand over her power willingly.
Bai Cha’s eyes were brimmed with grievance and fury.
“Mom, if you’re not angry, I am! My heart aches for you!”
Mother Han froze.
Bai Cha’s direct, unfiltered declaration was something Mother Han had never experienced in her life; she had no idea how to respond.
She simply stood there in a daze, watching Bai Cha turn around, her entire aura flaring back up with fierce determination.
“Auntie, actions and words require evidence! If you’re making wild accusations based purely on superstitious nonsense, then we’ll just have to call the police. Your slander has severely disrupted our lives, interfered with my college entrance exam preparation, and even tarnished our school’s reputation!”
“After all, if according to you, anyone with good grades stole them from someone else, then what does that say about the students our school produces? Why don’t we call the principal over right now and discuss it together!”
“And to all the uncles and aunties standing here—when your children get good grades, isn’t it because they are smart and well-taught by you? How would you feel if someone slandered your children, claiming they stole their scores from others?”
Quite a few people nodded subconsciously.
Bai Cha knew exactly how to speak to them.
She attributed their children’s success to innate intelligence and good parenting.
Such words struck straight at the hearts of these parents, who were desperately anxious for their children to succeed.
“She’s right, claims need proof! What does ‘stealing scores’ even mean? How do you even steal a score?”
“Speaking of which, does that Master really have a method for that?”
“I don’t know, maybe we should ask him when we get back later?”
Several parents exchanged covert glances.
On the surface, however, they indeed sided with Bai Cha, causing the color on Wang Jiapeng’s mother’s face to shift between red and pale white.
“You… keep your sharp tongue to yourself!”
“Mom, the idiom is ‘sharp-tongued and quick-witted,'” Wang Jiapeng whispered softly from the side.
Hearing this, Wang Jiapeng’s mother smacked him hard on the arm.
“Shut your mouth! Who asked you to speak? You’re sitting here correcting my idiom mistakes—why don’t I see your Chinese exam scores going up?”
Wang Jiapeng quietly shrank his neck back again.
He still found it utterly surreal.
It felt as though the tone of this instance had suddenly taken a bizarre shift.
Wang Jiapeng’s mother shot him a look of utter disappointment before turning back to face Bai Cha. With things having escalated to this point today, she was completely backed into a corner.
“Fine! You want proof, right? Let’s go! We’ll go find the Master right now and get your proof!”
“Fine by me! I’d like to see what ‘proof’ this Master of yours actually has! And if he has none, you must apologize to my mother immediately!”
The expression on Wang Jiapeng’s mother’s face contorted slightly.
“Fine! If there’s no problem, I’ll apologize to your mother! But if there is a problem, I’m telling you… you two better watch out!”
Saying this, she led the way back toward the residential area.
Remarkably, no one found it strange that Bai Cha had dismissed it as superstitious nonsense one moment, only to demand the Master produce proof the next.
Everyone subconsciously followed along.
Mother Han remained completely silent.
Standing amidst the crowd, her head hung low, no one knew what she was thinking.
A hand that felt slightly cold gently took hers.
“Mom…” Bai Cha looked at her with an anxious, uncertain expression.
“You won’t blame me for taking matters into my own hands, will you?”
Mother Han opened her mouth, wanting to say something, when her eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of Bai Cha’s wrist, slightly exposed as her arm raised.
Instinctively, she grabbed her hand and rolled her sleeve straight up.
The injury left behind from Han Yingying’s crushing grip on her wrist had turned significantly more terrifying after a full day.
The entire wrist was swollen high, the deep bruising purplish-black, with certain spots even gleaming with a slick, taut sheen.
Panic and a suffocating pang of heartache seized Mother Han all at once.
“What happened here?! Who hurt you?!”
As she spoke, her gaze suddenly snapped toward Wang Jiapeng’s mother, burning with fierce hostility.
Departing completely from her previous attitude of wanting to keep the peace, she strode forward, bridging the gap between them in three fast steps until she stood right before Wang Jiapeng’s mother.
“Did you teach your son to bully my daughter?!”
Seeing her approach, Wang Jiapeng’s mother flared up with rage.
“Who bullied your daughter?! Who knows what happened to your daughter’s wrist—don’t you dare splash dirty water on me so casually!”
“You can splash dirty water on me casually, so who knows if you’re capable of doing something like this?!”
“You! Who’s splashing dirty water on you?! You’re the one who used underhanded tricks to steal my son’s grades!”
“My daughter’s grades are far better than your son’s! Why would she need to steal his?!”
“Bah! My son is far better than your daughter!”
As Wang Jiapeng’s mother spoke, she reached out to shove her.
A figure moved even faster, however—Bai Cha placed herself in front of Mother Han, taking the shove and tumbling directly back into Mother Han’s arms.
Mother Han instantly held her close with heart-wrenching concern. Watching Bai Cha clutch her shoulder where she had been pushed, her eyes lingering on the horrific injury on her wrist, Mother Han’s eyes turned blood-red with fury.
“Who gave you permission to bully my daughter?!”
“Who bullied her?! She ran over here herself!”
This time, it was Bai Cha’s turn to pull gently at Mother Han’s clothes. With tears welling in her eyes, she shook her head.
“Mom, I’m fine.”
The pain in Mother Han’s heart deepened even further.
“Fine! Fine! Pushing people too far! I want to see what you people are trying to pull today!”
Saying this, Mother Han strode forward toward the Master’s home with wide, furious steps.
In the past, she felt being gossiped about wasn’t that important, as long as it didn’t affect her daughter’s college entrance exam.
Things were different now.
Her daughter had stood up for her so fiercely, only to be bullied in return. If she couldn’t even protect her own daughter as a mother, then she was a mother in name only!
As for grades, as for studies—in this moment, none of it was remotely as important as justice!
None of it was as important as the harm her daughter had suffered!
Bai Cha glanced back behind her, her expression unreadable.
She didn’t know where Han Yingying was hiding, but she was certain the girl was watching.
Look—your mother doesn’t only care about whether you get into a university or not.
By protecting yourself and taking care of yourself, she too can find peace of mind.
Even though… it’s already too late.
