| BYSG | Sour | 89 | Extra 4
[If Line: If the one who is reborn is Grandma, she helps Mom take Xiao Yu away to live in Yancheng, and Xiao Cheng becomes a childhood friend.]
When she was young, she was always at her husband's beck and call, occasionally suffering his blows. She hadn’t received much education, and in that era, her spirit had long been completely tamed.
All she knew was raising children, supporting her husband, and serving her in-laws.
As a result, after her son got married and had a child, she naturally became like her own mother-in-law had been.
Her husband passed away early, and in her heart at that time, her son and grandson were the most important.
When her grandson was born, she actually heard the commotion the first time her son committed domestic violence. But the baby had just woken up, still hungry, blinking his big, beautiful eyes at her.
Perhaps startled by the noise, he wrinkled his little nose. Afraid he would be scared into crying, she quickly picked him up and carried him away.
Perhaps she feared violence too. She couldn’t resist it when she was young, and even more so when she was old.
Perhaps, deep in her subconscious, she had once walked this same path, and even now, she was still trapped in it—so accustomed to this kind of family dynamic that she never questioned it.
At that time, she never imagined that Shen Xunyan would actually propose a divorce.
Divorce.
In her era, divorce was something utterly unthinkable.
Before she could recover from her shock, Shen Xunyan was already trying to take her grandson from her arms.
No… Absolutely not!
Her grandson was so well-behaved—never throwing a tantrum, even when he shed tears, only making people feel tender and protective toward him. From the moment he was born, she had cared for him without a moment’s separation, watching him grow day by day.
At that time, she simply couldn’t accept the idea of him leaving her side. He was her only emotional anchor.
Later, after the court case, the law ruled that custody of the child belonged to her son. She finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Under her meticulous care, her grandson grew up little by little.
She later heard that Shen Xunyan had gone north, where she met her current husband—who, by all accounts, was in good financial standing. Her son would occasionally make sarcastic remarks about it, but she herself felt nothing in particular.
As long as her little grandson was by her side, that was all that mattered.
But later, when Shen Xunyan suddenly returned to secretly visit Shen Yu, she realized that, deep down, she still felt uneasy.
Afraid that Shen Xunyan would take Shen Yu away, she began, intentionally or not, to work with her son to instill in the boy the idea that "his mother abandoned him." She guided him to say hurtful things to Shen Xunyan, pushing her further and further away.
Little Shen Yu gradually started to resent his mother, and only then did she feel slightly at ease.
She thought things would always continue this way—that she would watch her grandson grow up into an adult.
But fate is unpredictable. When Shen Yu was in middle school, she fell ill and passed away.
After her death, her son’s family became even harsher toward Shen Yu. Not only was he left hungry and cold, but he was also frequently beaten and scolded, living a life worse than the children in orphanages.
She was furious, but by then, she had already turned into a pile of white bones buried in the mountains, powerless to interfere in the affairs of the living.
She never expected that Heaven would give her a chance to do it all over again.
Looking at the frail woman before her, crying until her voice was hoarse, holding her barely two-year-old grandson, a sense of unreality washed over her.
This time, she loosened her grip and handed little Shen Yu over to Shen Xunyan.
Under the stunned gazes of Shen Lide and Shen Xunyan, she took one last greedy look at little Shen Yu before pretending to sneer, “Who would want a burdensome little brat? Take him with you and care for him yourself. If you don’t want him, just throw him in the trash.”
Hearing her voice, little Shen Yu blinked his big, dark eyes and looked over at her.
She turned around, closing her eyes as tears welled up.
She wasn’t sure if, after gaining custody of Shen Yu, Shen Xunyan would truly be able to care for him.
If Shen Xunyan ever decided she didn’t want him anymore and abandoned him, she would pick him back up, no matter what.
…
Shen Xunyan never expected that her mother-in-law would suddenly change and no longer fight her for Shen Yu.
But of course, her son was still young, and now that he had a new lover, it was only a matter of time before he gave her another grandson or granddaughter.
They would never understand how much a mother’s first child meant to her.
Holding the sleeping baby in her arms, Shen Xunyan resolutely bought a ticket to Yancheng, seeking refuge with a friend there.
When she opened the bag her mother-in-law had thrown to her—filled with baby supplies for little Shen Yu, she was caught off guard by the sight of several bundles of red banknotes tucked inside.
She stared at the money in silence for a long time.
There was no way Shen Lide would secretly give her money, which meant it could have only come from one person, her mother-in-law.
Thinking back, her mother-in-law had always been a rather silent woman. She was never particularly kind to her, but she was never overly harsh either. But when it came to little Shen Yu, her love was genuine.
Shen Xunyan couldn’t quite put her feelings into words.
In the end, she simply let out a soft sigh, made a bottle of milk for little Shen Yu, and watched as he obediently clutched the bottle, sucking on the nipple. Her eyes softened, and she bent down to place a gentle kiss on his forehead.
Her condition wasn’t great—raising a child while working was far from easy. But every day, when she saw little Shen Yu’s sweet smile, all her exhaustion melted away.
Fortunately, with the money her mother-in-law had secretly given her and her own talent for painting, she was able to navigate an era filled with opportunities.
Later, she fell in love.
His name was Ning Boren. He had a son from a previous marriage, a few years older than little Shen Yu.
They met at an art exhibition. He was passionate about photography and admired her artwork. They exchanged contact information, and as they got to know each other better, a subtle spark of romance ignited between them.
Her past failed marriage had made her cautious, but their shared experiences made it easier for them to open their hearts to each other. Their souls resonated, and in the end, they chose to walk this path together.
Ning Boren treated little Shen Yu with great care. Little Shen Yu also liked this ‘new father’.
After some discussion, the two decided that Ning Boren would take custody of Ning Que.
After all, in a failed marriage, the ones who suffered the most were always the children.
By bringing Ning Que into their home, both children would at least have a companion.
Ning Que was two years older than Shen Yu and had already started elementary school.
His biological mother had abandoned him and moved abroad. Originally, he had been living with his maternal grandparents.
Perhaps believing that growing up in a complete family would be better for him, the elderly couple did not refuse Ning Boren’s request to take Ning Que.
However, they insisted that Ning Que be brought back to visit them every week—after all, they knew nothing about Ning Boren’s new wife and couldn’t help but worry she might turn out to be a wicked stepmother.
Before long, little Shen Yu was happily trailing after Ning Que, calling him "Big Brother" over and over.
It was clear that Ning Que liked Shen Yu as well. He always shared his things, read him storybooks, and watched cartoons with him… Even when it came to his favorite pine nut snacks, he would peel them and give them to Shen Yu to eat.
The two children were living harmoniously and happily in their blended family.
Ning Que’s grandparents gradually relaxed, and whenever they bought something for Ning Que, they always prepared a second one for Shen Yu.
...
Today was little Shen Yu’s first day of kindergarten at the age of four.
With Ning Boren’s help, Shen Yu was enrolled in one of the best-known kindergartens in Yancheng, with top-tier facilities and teaching staff.
Since he was a year older than most children starting kindergarten, after some consideration, the couple decided to have Shen Yu skip a grade and enter the middle class, planning to have him graduate from kindergarten a year early and start elementary school.
They first dropped Ning Que off at school, watching as he, wearing his red scarf, passed the Young Pioneers inspection at the gate. Afterward, they got back in the car and headed to the kindergarten.
Just as they arrived at the entrance, they suddenly heard the sound of a child crying heart-wrenchingly.
Starting kindergarten at such a young age, it was natural for the child to feel scared, and crying was the most straightforward way to express those emotions.
Shen Xunyan and Ning Boren exchanged a glance and then looked at the little Shen Yu, who was holding hands with the teacher in the middle of them.
Little Shen Yu, with his new hamster-patterned backpack on his back, looked obedient and cute, his big eyes blinking with curiosity.
They had bought the backpack for him a few days ago, and it was the one he had picked out himself. He was so fond of it that he wouldn’t even put it down at home, and now he was finally able to take it to kindergarten.
As they listened to the cries in the distance, both of them felt uneasy, worried that their little one might cry when they left.
But their worries turned out to be unnecessary.
Perhaps due to the turmoil of the divorce when he was young, little Shen Yu was unusually mature and understanding. He held the teacher’s hand, his eyes fixed on the figure of the two of them as they walked away, but he didn’t shed a tear.
The two parents, however, kept looking back every few steps, reluctant to leave.
When Shen Yu saw his mom and dad get into the car and drive away, he blinked his eyes but still didn’t cry or make a fuss.
His older brother Ning Que was also going to school, so he knew he’d get to play with him in the evening when he came back. During the day, although his mom would take him to the gallery, he had to sit alone at a small desk to draw.
After a while, it could get a little boring.
But Ning Que would meet new friends at school, and Shen Yu actually felt a little excited about it.
The teacher immediately took Shen Yu’s hand and led him into the kindergarten.
Little Shen Yu, delicate and cute, looked like a doll. He was also very well-behaved, and the teacher had a great impression of him. Throughout the walk, Shen Yu softly responded to everything the teacher said with a sweet, gentle voice.
When they reached the classroom, the teacher placed a small stool and said, "Xiao Yu, you can sit anywhere you'd like."
In their kindergarten, each class didn’t have a fixed number of children, and when they played games, they would often mix the groups, so seating arrangements weren’t strict.
After all, they were just kids, and the idea was to let them be free and comfortable.
With a curious gaze, Shen Yu walked around holding his small stool.
Some enthusiastic children invited him to sit next to them, while others quietly blinked and observed him.
Suddenly, a hand appeared in front of him, offering a small orange.
Shen Yu stopped and looked up to meet a pair of light brown eyes.
"If you sit here and be my little brother, I’ll share this orange with you," the boy said, smiling and revealing a small tooth.
At that moment, five-year-old Cheng Xiaofei, influenced by cartoons and shows, was eager to be the big brother and recruit little brothers.
Perhaps because it was his first gift at kindergarten, which held significant meaning, Shen Yu hesitated for a moment before taking the orange. He obediently set down his small stool and sat beside him.
"I'm Cheng Mofei. You can call me Brother Fei," Cheng Xiaofei introduced himself proudly.
Little Shen Yu, while peeling the orange, obediently called out, "Brother Fei."
"What’s your name?" Cheng Xiaofei asked.
"Shen Yu."
Cheng Xiaofei nodded and, noticing the little hamster design on Shen Yu's backpack, continued, "We all have a codename. My codename is Wolf, and from now on, your codename will be Hamster."
Little Shen Yu responded with a soft "Mm," being as obedient as ever.
As they spoke, Cheng Xiaofei peeled a piece of the orange and popped it into his mouth. This was the first gift Shen Yu had received in kindergarten, so he felt an extra sense of excitement as he eagerly enjoyed it.
In a second, Shen Yu's little mouth puckered, and tears instantly welled up in his eyes. "Wuuu..."
—It was too sour!
"?!?" Cheng Xiaofei was stunned and immediately panicked.
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