10 History 2 (1/2)

Naturally, the first name that came into Xiu Ling's mind after she had known about her pregnancy was Lin Kang.

After given the terms of her contract, Xiu Ling contacted her mother, Mrs. Xiu.

Mrs. Xiu, maiden name Chen Ning, had retained her married name as a sign of respect for Xiu Ling's father who passed away when Xiu Ling was still very young.

This meant that Xiu Ling was raised by her mother alone and they were everything each other had during that difficult time where Mrs. Xiu had to work multiple odd jobs to make ends meet.

Things got monumentally better when Xiu Ling managed to procure for herself a scholarship and left the humble village where she came from for her university where she met Joann.

Xiu Ling and her mother shared a vital bond and it was Mrs. Xiu whom Xiu Ling turned to for advice in such a tumultuous moment of her life.

On the phone, she explained to her mother the situation that she was in but she left out the part about the mistress agreement, hoping it would shed a better light on herself as well as Lin Kang.

Instead, like the plot of so many romance webnovels, she blamed her pregnancy on a drunken night. She did fill her mother in on the details of the contract that was offered to her by Lin Kang.

The first thing Mrs. Xiu told Xiu Ling was to leave the city and return to the countryside. She would help her raise the baby.

To be honest, that thought had entered Xiu Ling's mind before but after talking to Lin Kang, she knew that would not work out. The Lin family would not allow a stray child to grow up outside of their observation lest he or she grew up to contest their right to the inheritance. Xiu Ling told her mother that.

Mrs. Xiu was silent on the phone for a long time after that. Then again, what could she have said in such a situation?

In the end, she told Xiu Ling she would respect her decision no matter what it would be.

The pair of mother and daughter talked for a little while longer on the phone, there were more discussions and more tears. After the call ended, Mrs. Xiu went to pray, the only thing she could do for her poor daughter then.

If she had the money, she would hop on a train or plane to accompany her daughter but things were financially hard as it was, so she could only be there for her daughter in thoughts and in prayers.

Back in the city, Xiu Ling was caught in this choice that would realistically decide the rest of her life.