“So in this family, whenever something good comes along, it all goes to Uncle’s family, and everyone else just has to ‘think of the family.’”
Lin Erxia’s low, calm voice—just one light sentence—instantly ignited the entire courtyard.
“You little Fifth Girl, don’t think just because you’re young that I wouldn’t dare hit you. Looks like you haven’t been beaten enough.
You’re not allowed to go to school, so now you’re here stirring up trouble, trying to make the whole family fight so you can get your way? Dream on! You’ve had it too easy. Third Son, hit her—keep hitting until she changes her tune!”
Amid Chen Shi’s furious shouting, before Lin Yongshun could even move, Lin Erxia suddenly stood up.
“Grandma, you say you’re not biased. You say Lin Zhuer has better grades than me. So what—just because her grades are better, the middle school won’t accept me?
What does her good performance have to do with me? I also got into high school. I fought tooth and nail for that! And you compare her grades to mine—why not compare how much more work I do than her every day?”
“You always say you’re fair. But food, clothes, housing—we’re all granddaughters of the Lin family. Open your eyes and look—is it the same? I worked hard to get into high school. Why can she go, but I can’t?”
Lin Erxia’s sharp, rising questions made Chen Shi’s face, pale under the moonlight, grow even more ashen. Her teeth clenched, her expression turning darker.
Before Sun Xiaoyun could stop her, Chen Shi forced out a hoarse, strained voice:
“I’ll tell you why Zhuer eats well, dresses well, lives well, and gets to go to high school—because she has good parents and two capable brothers.
If you want to complain, then blame your own family for not having a capable brother—let alone one who works in a factory.”
Those words made Zhao Lanhua’s face go pale. Her hands clenched white as she lowered her head in shame. Lin Yongshun looked at Chen Shi but said nothing.
Lin Erxia shot back, “Grandma, why would I blame my parents? They raised me.
My parents earn work points. Together they don’t earn less than Uncle and Aunt combined. My eldest sister earns seven points a day now, and my younger siblings and I also earn points. Altogether, we earn more than Uncle’s family—so how are we worse than them?”
She spoke without fear. Even if her father sometimes slacked off, her mother and sister hardly ever missed a day. Meanwhile, her aunt didn’t even work as much as her father, Lin Zhuer didn’t earn points, and Lin Yudong didn’t either. By any calculation, their family contributed more.
Her words restored a bit of color to Zhao Lanhua’s face.
But Lin Erxia’s blunt reasoning left Chen Shi unable to respond.
At that moment, Sun Xiaoyun interjected, “Your eldest brother gives the family ten yuan a month. In a year, that’s enough to pay for Zhuer’s schooling for two years. You can’t compare to that.”
Lin Erxia looked at her as if she were foolish. “Aunt, what nonsense are you talking about? Our family hasn’t split up. If my eldest brother gives money to the family, it’s for everyone. If it’s only for Lin Zhuer, why give it to the family at all? He could just give it directly to her.”
“Besides, yes, he gives money—but he doesn’t earn work points. Last year and this year, how much grain and vegetables has the family given him? After expenses, how much is really left? Why don’t you mention that?”
Then she muttered—quietly, but loud enough for everyone to hear:
“Our whole family hands over all our earnings and grain, and no one praises us. He only gives part, yet everyone treats him like a treasure.”
Sun Xiaoyun’s face darkened. “Fifth Girl, don’t you feel guilty saying that? Your eldest brother takes such good care of you all. Every time he comes back, he brings so much food—and the clothes your parents wear, weren’t those from him?”
“Aunt, don’t talk nonsense. I’ve never seen any of that food. As for clothes, they’re all on Lin Zhuer—you won’t find any on me.
As for my parents wearing old clothes—he’s their nephew, raised by my father since childhood. Is giving elders a few things supposed to earn him our kowtows in gratitude? If he doesn’t want to give, just say so. Don’t act all sarcastic about it.”
Lin Erxia was completely straightforward. Lin Yudong did buy things, but not much—he’d only become a driver recently and didn’t come home often.
She had never seen the food. As for clothes, maybe occasionally—but with so many girls in the family, not everyone got one. Otherwise, she and Lin Zhuer wouldn’t look like a mistress and her maid.
Every time Lin Yudong came home, her father would repeat how he had raised him since childhood—she was sick of hearing it.
Lin Erxia’s blunt words made Sun Xiaoyun snort coldly. “Your eldest brother is a driver in the county transport team—that’s our family’s pride in the village. Not something a little girl like you can casually criticize.”
“Pride doesn’t fill stomachs or pay my high school tuition—what use is it?
It doesn’t show filial respect to my parents, doesn’t let them eat or dress well. Just because they wear someone else’s old clothes, they get mocked and looked down on.
None of that matters as much as me getting into high school, finding a job, and supporting my parents myself. I won’t need anyone else.”
The argument circled back to the original issue. Lin Erxia clung to it, even adding a layer of sarcasm that made Sun Xiaoyun so angry she wanted to scratch her face.
At this point, the old master could no longer stay silent. He crushed his cigarette underfoot.
“If Fifth Girl wants to go to high school, then let her go.”
The moment those words fell, reactions varied. Chen Shi and Sun Xiaoyun looked anxious but didn’t dare interrupt. Zhao Lanhua’s face lit up with joy.
In the dim night, Lin Erxia stood straight, looking at her grandfather, waiting for what came next.
Lin Dayong sighed. He really had grown less decisive with age.
“But there are conditions. If you don’t rank in the top ten of your class by the final exam, you’ll come back and work in the fields. For the next ten days, you alone will be responsible for making breakfast.
And from now on, anyone who dares to smash bowls or dishes will be punished by family rules!”
The last sentence was delivered loudly to everyone present.
This was both a condition and a punishment for her causing such a commotion. Otherwise, if everyone behaved like this, how could the household function? Especially that last warning—it was clearly directed at Lin Erxia.
Breakfast duties usually rotated between households. Now she had to do it alone, along with the warning.
But Lin Erxia wasn’t afraid. She answered cleanly, “Okay, Grandpa. I’ll make breakfast.”
The old master then addressed everyone:
“From now on, this is the rule for all children in the family. If you can get into school, the family will support you—but your grades must be good. Otherwise, it’s a waste of money. And stop comparing yourselves to others.”
Lin Yongfeng, Lin Yongping, and Lin Yongshun all voiced their agreement.
The old master knew well—scarcity isn’t as troubling as unfairness. For a family to remain harmonious, the elders had to strive for fairness, especially since each of his three sons had their own households.
That remark about all good things going to the eldest branch—though the second and third sons hadn’t said anything, how could they not have thoughts? If he still prevented Fifth Girl from going to school, the third branch would grow resentful.
And with a “good-for-nothing” father and a rebellious daughter, the household would truly know no peace.
For now, the matter came to an end, easing tensions among the branches—especially the third.
Unknowingly, the crescent moon hung high, bringing a faint coolness to the summer night.
The old master and Chen Shi returned to their room first. The three branches followed, each going back without a word.
Zhao Lanhua gripped Lin Erxia’s hand, still shaken. The old lady had been furious today—who knew what would happen next? But her daughter being able to attend high school was already a great joy. Nothing else seemed to matter anymore.
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