Love in the Midst of Mistaken Identities

The two finally hung all the laundry after they were done washing. It concluded their day’s work.

In the tiny kitchen, Rainy grabbed onto Xia Ruoxin’s clothes, without leaving a step.

“Hungry?” Xia Ruoxin turned around and asked her daughter tenderly.

Rainy smiled shyly and hugged Xia Ruoxin’s thigh tightly with both her hands. “Yes, Mommy. Rainy is a bit hungry, just a bit.”

She stressed on the ‘bit’ part when in reality, she was famished.

Xia Ruoxin turned back. She did not know why her eyes started tearing, and she almost cried. She was already trying very hard, but there was still a limit as to what she could give her daughter. She could not afford nice clothing to wear or delicious food. At times, she even had to starve with her.

“Mommy.” Rainy hugged her thigh tight and rubbed her cheek against it.

“Mommy, Rainy loves Mommy. Very much.”

Xia Ruoxin turned back again and held her daughter in her arms. She kissed her face. “Mommy loves Rainy, too.”

A bashful smile appeared on the child’s flushed face. She hugged Xia Ruoxin’s neck and smiled prettily.

Two dishes and two bowls, one big and one small, lay on the undersized table. The big one was for Xia Ruoxin while the small one was for Rainy.

Xia Ruoxin held her daughter in her arms. “Come, Rainy. Mommy will feed you.”

Rainy blinked her eyes stubbornly and shook her head. “No, Rainy has grown up and can eat on my own. I don’t need Mommy to feed me.”

She climbed off Xia Ruoxin’s lap, sat on her small stool, and held her chopsticks clumsily as she started to eat. The speed that she was eating was slow, but not a grain of rice had fallen on the table.

“Rainy, why won’t you let Mommy feed you?” Xia Ruoxin asked her daughter curiously. Ever since this child was two years old, she had not allowed Xia Ruoxin to feed her. She preferred to eat on her own.

Rainy put a mouth of rice carefully. Her tiny apple-shaped face was full of grievance. “Mommy’s arm hurts.” Xia Ruoxin’s eyes teared up upon hearing her soft voice. How could her daughter be so obedient and sensible? She would rather she had a temper like the other children and be naughty or act like a spoilt child. However, she did not. She had been very sensible.

Rainy climbed off the stool and hugged Xia Ruoxin’s leg. “Mommy, carry.” She reached out with two small hands, allowing Xia Ruoxin to carry her.

Xia Ruoxin turned around and lifted her daughter off the ground while Rainy reached into her pocket and started digging. After some time, she produced a piece of candy in one of her tiny hands and presented it to Xia Ruoxin. “Mommy, a candy. Granny gave it to me.”

She looked up, her beautiful eyes kept blinking. “Granny insisted that I keep it, or else I am not good. I am the most obedient child.”

She lay the candy in Xia Ruoxin’s palm with a yearning look in her eyes. She really wanted to eat it.

“Mommy doesn’t want it. Rainy, you can have it.” Xia Ruoxin put the candy back into her daughter’s hand as she caressed her face. She had wanted to eat it so badly, and yet she had thought of her mother. The suffering she had while giving birth was worth it; her heart ached even more for her daughter.