lady she comes from 1938

Chapter 222: Trapped in a cocoon
"Also, Ding Xiaoman wants to go home."

Shen Jiayin was not very surprised about this.

"She just needs to think it over carefully. We are only providing help and have no right to restrict her freedom. We have done what we can, and the rest is to respect her decision."

As for continuing to suffer domestic violence after returning home, she had to pay the price for her own choice and there was nothing to say.

"Before she goes back, she wants to see you."

"can."

Shen Jiayin also wanted to hear what she thought.

After hanging up the phone, she turned to look at Xiao Changqing.

"You go home and rest or go to the company. I'm going to the rescue center."

Xiao Changqing protested against her behavior of throwing things away after use: "Jiaojiao, are you considered to be destroying the bridge after crossing the river?"

Shen Jiayin was amused by his words. "I was wrong."

"That's it? Nothing else?"

"I'll ask Aunt Zhang to prepare something delicious tonight. Can you come and eat?"

"Why don't you do it yourself?" That's so insincere.

"If you want to eat dark cuisine, I have no objection."

She is the eldest daughter of the Shen family. There are servants doing the housework, and she seldom deals with daily necessities.

The original owner had learned to cook since elementary school, but she only knew some simple home cooking and was not very good at it.

"As long as you make it, I will eat it."

Shen Jiayin chuckled and said, "Boss Xiao, you can't put yourself in danger. If you get an upset stomach, you'll have to go to the hospital. Even if it's your own hospital, it'll still be painful."

"No, I have confidence in Jiaojiao."

"But I don't have confidence in myself, so I'd better leave professional matters to professionals."

Shen Jiayin knew very well that she could not be the kind of good wife and mother that was required at home.

"Okay. But I have one condition."

Xiao Changqing was just joking. He didn't think that love had to be expressed by cooking for the other person, and he never thought of trapping her in that small place.

"I'll call and ask Aunt Zhang to prepare the guest room. Are you satisfied?"

"Not bad." He pulled her into his arms and bit her ear. "But, Jiaojiao, when are you going to let me move into the master bedroom, huh?"

Shen Jiayin: “…” This guy is crazy about becoming a regular employee.

This time, Shen Jiayin did not go to the rescue center dormitory to meet Ding Xiaoman, but asked her to come out from the back door and then took her to a nearby teahouse.

Ding Xiaolan didn't understand tea art, but she thought her movements in making tea were particularly beautiful, even more beautiful than those of the tea art master she had just seen in the hall.

Shen Jiayin placed a cup of tea in front of her. "Be careful, it's hot."

"Ah? Oh, thank you." Ding Xiaolan quickly picked it up and took a sip, then clinked the cup in her hand, and looked up at Shen Jiayin opposite her who was holding the tea and tasting it with some stiffness.

She didn't actually do any special movements, but she made people feel elegant and leisurely, not at all deliberate.

She is good-looking and has a confident and generous temperament, as if she is better than others in everything she does.

"I heard from Doctor Ouyang that you decided to leave the rescue center and go home?"

Ding Xiaoman held the teacup in both hands, not daring to look Shen Jiayin in the eye. "Yes."

"Can I know the reason?" Shen Jiayin took the cup from her hand, put it on the table, and poured her another cup.

"I... Doctor Ouyang should have told you that they have been causing trouble these past few days. Not only has it brought trouble to the Chunyu Rescue Center and affected other people's moods and lives, but it has also set a bad example. If this continues, more and more people will come to cause trouble."

"Dr. Ouyang did tell me about this. But I'm not afraid, so why are you afraid?"

"Not only because of this, but also...can I tell you a story?"

Shen Jiayin nodded. "Of course."

Ding Xiaoman then talked about her own growing up experience, which was not much different from that of most families that favor boys over girls.

From childhood to adulthood, everything in the house was always given to her brother first. Only when her brother no longer wanted something would it be her turn to pick it up.

Her parents' education of her was full of denial and suppression. No matter how well she did, she could not be even a hair better than her brother.

"You must have been spoiled by your parents when you grew up." Ding Xiaoman suddenly asked.

"Yes. My parents treat me like a treasure, giving me everything they can, and respecting my ideas as much as possible, allowing me to choose to live the life I want."

If she had not been born in troubled times, her life would have been happy and wonderful.

"I guess so. That's why you look so confident, generous, and elegant. Just standing there, others can't help but be attracted to you. I'm a woman, and I can't help but look at you, and I can't help but feel envious and jealous."

Ding Xiaolan drank the tea in the cup in one gulp and was silent for a while before continuing.

"Children like you who grew up in a happy family environment probably find it difficult to understand the thoughts of people like us. Many people think that your parents don't take you seriously and even only know how to exploit you. It's better not to have such a family. When you grow up, you should decisively leave this family and live the life you want."

"But in fact, girls raised in such families often have low self-esteem and are people-pleasing. They dare not express their normal needs, and cannot refuse excessive requests. They feel wronged and sad, but they can't help wanting their love and recognition. They always humbly think: If I try to behave better, will they like me and love me?"

"We know that this kind of thinking is wrong and stupid, but it's like a bird locked in a cage, trapped to death by an invisible thing."

"Later, when I was dating someone, he once told me: You should learn to love yourself first, and then consider others. It is wrong to always think about putting yourself in a difficult position to please others. Not only will others not be grateful, but they will also look down on you."

"He is a very nice person, but his family is not well off and he is from another place. It is not easy for him to settle down in Jincheng."

"Later, my parents forced me to break up with him because Qi Biao, my husband, offered a high betrothal gift and they wanted to use the money to buy a house for my brother. I was of course not happy about it, so they drugged me and asked Qi Biao to rape me. The drug was obtained by Qi Biao."

"Can you believe this? Other parents are afraid that their daughters will be bullied or taken advantage of, but they helped outsiders rape me! Even so, I still didn't agree, and then my mother threatened to commit suicide..."

"In the end, I compromised. Because they went to my boyfriend's workplace to cause trouble. He worked so hard and finally achieved some results. If all his previous achievements were ruined because of me, wouldn't that mean I was harming him? And even if I married him, he would definitely be troubled by having such a father-in-law and mother-in-law... I really don't want to harm him for the rest of his life."

"I thought I just lost love and had to make do with my life like most people. I never thought I would live in hell from then on. Just like what they say on the Internet, there are only zero times and countless times of domestic violence..." "I've been thinking about it again and again these past few days. You're right. If I had called the police the first time he hit me, or thought of a way to fight back hard, maybe the outcome would have been different. Of course, there's no point in talking about this now."

Shen Jiayin immediately rejected this view. "Who said it's meaningless? Even if you want to fight back now, it's not too late."

"I know, you mean to sue him in court. But I've also read a lot of cases, and it's very difficult to win the lawsuit and get a divorce smoothly. Even if I win, I'll be locked up for a year or two, and he won't let me go when he gets out, right? For a scum like him, prison education may not necessarily make him turn over a new leaf."

This is too pessimistic.

But for someone living in poverty, it is understandable.

"Don't predict the worst outcome before it happens. At worst, you can just leave. After all, you don't have children. Our country is vast and you can live somewhere else. As long as you cut off contact with them, they won't be able to find you. If you're worried about not being able to find a job, we can still help. Or are you still worried that your family will be retaliated against by him? Or do you have other concerns?"

This time, Ding Xiaolan remained silent for a long time, which was a disguised form of consent.

No matter which one it was, as she said herself, she was trapped to death by something invisible.

Trapped in a cocoon.

Shen Jiayin was not unfamiliar with this type of people, and this kind of psychological problem was not something she could solve.

"Must I go back? Even if I might get beaten even more severely, or even die?"

"Yeah." Ding Xiaoman answered quickly, and it was obvious that she had really made up her mind.

Shen Jiayin nodded. "Since you have made up your mind, I have nothing to say. I wish you good luck."

"You... do you look down on people like me? Do you think I'm a slut and deserve domestic violence?"

Ding Xiaoman saw on the Internet that every time a domestic violence incident broke out, netizens scolded the women who were abused more harshly than they scolded the abusers. They thought that the women were cheap and had been beaten like this, but they neither fought back nor left, so they deserved to be beaten to death.

"No. My upbringing is completely different from yours, and I haven't experienced what you've experienced. I can't understand your way of thinking, and I'm not qualified to judge easily. And, let me make a bold guess, is he threatening you with your ex-boyfriend?"

She talked about so many people and things, but only when she mentioned that boyfriend and things related to him did her eyes light up a little.

After so many years, she may not love him anymore, but rather regard him as the only light in her life. She is like a person who has been walking in the dark, trying her best to protect this light and keep it from going out forever.

Ding Xiaolan's eyes suddenly widened, full of disbelief and a sense of fear as if she had been seen through.

"H-how did you know?"

She didn't even tell Teacher Ouyang about this.

"Let me make another bold guess. Is the reason you came to ask for help because he went somewhere else, or changed jobs, and you thought Qi Biao might not be able to find him?"

"And the reason you chose to go back was because Qi Biao found him? Or was it because he saw the news and came to find you, and was discovered by Qi Biao?"

Ding Xiaolan was not only surprised, she even suspected that she had some special ability, like in the novels, where she could hear other people's thoughts.

"Are you still human? How do you know everything?"

After she finished speaking, she felt that what she said was a bit inappropriate and quickly apologized.

"I'm sorry. That's not what I meant. I meant to say that you are amazing."

It's like a mind reader, really.

"I know. Now, would you like to tell me more about what happened? Perhaps I can offer some advice."

Ding Xiaolan was silent for a long time, and drank several cups of tea before she finally chose to speak and talked about the most important person in her life.

"We met when I was working part-time... I thought I could finally escape from the misery and find happiness, but in the end..."

"After my parents went to cause trouble, he changed his company. I heard from his friends that he continued to work in that company and was gradually appreciated. He later bought a house and a car and lived a good life."

"So when Qi Biao beat me and I felt like I couldn't hold on any longer, I thought of him. At least I could see him living a happy life. It didn't matter whether I was happy or not."

"I never went to look for him and deleted all his contact information. I didn't want him to see my miserable and ugly appearance, and I didn't want to disturb his life. I just want to know that he is fine, that's enough."

"Not long ago, his friend told me that he would soon be sent abroad by the company to develop overseas markets and would not be back in the short term. I just happened to hear your interview, so..."

"He did see my story in the news. He came here to look for me yesterday, but Qi Biao saw him and beat him up. He had a work ID in his pocket, which fell out during the fight and was seen by Qi Biao. If I don't go back, Qi Biao will find his workplace and make a scene so that he can't go abroad or even stay in the workplace..."

Shen Jiayin didn't know how to comment on her thoughts, so she could only say, "I've always been curious, is this Qi Biao someone important or very capable?"

"Neither. He's just a scumbag. He knows all kinds of people and can do anything. I know what you're going to say, but I really want to understand."

Shen Jiayin nodded, indicating that she respected her decision.

We are all thinking adults. As long as it does not harm others, what we choose is our own business as long as we are willing to bear the consequences.

Even if it is for her own good, you shouldn't force it too much, otherwise it will become a shackle in the name of love.

"In that case, I have nothing to say. So why do you want to see me today?"

If you want to find someone to chat with, Ouyang Hai and the others are obviously more suitable.

"I heard that you are very good at martial arts, so I want to ask if there is any quick way to learn it. It doesn't matter how hard or tiring it is, I can accept it."

"No. But there are some easy-to-learn and practical self-defense techniques, mainly used by girls to deal with perverts."

"I want to learn, can you teach me?"

Shen Jiayin agreed and took her to Zhenxing Martial Arts School, where he spent an entire afternoon teaching her how to protect herself.

In her opinion, one afternoon was still too short a time, but Ding Xiaoman promised Qi Biao that she would go back tomorrow.

Shen Jiayin sent the person back to the dormitory of Chunyu Rescue Center. Before leaving, Ding Xiaoman bowed deeply. "Thank you."

"Wish you luck. And if you figure it out, you can always come back here for help."

"I know. You're really good. Society isn't so bad because of people like you."

Ding Xiaolan thought, if she had met this person earlier, perhaps she would not have become like this today.

But there are no ifs in life, and no medicine for regret.

I have stopped updating for Children’s Day and forgot to wish you all a happy Children’s Day!

May you always have love in your heart and light in your eyes, and be your own little sun!