World 1.Chapter 16
Ever since she saw her family’s social media posts that afternoon, Qin Huan had been in a terrible mood. She’d made a few mistakes at her part-time job and got chewed out by her boss. Her pay wasn’t high to begin with, and now forty yuan had been docked from her paycheck. A sense of injustice and anger flooded her heart.
“Mom, while you’re living it up over there, have you ever thought about your own daughter here, starving and suffering? Are you even my real mother?” Qin Huan felt truly wronged, her voice trembling with tears.
“If I weren’t your real mother, would you have made it this far in life? Ask your conscience: 2,500 yuan a month is more than enough for you to live on. Don’t tell me it’s not enough—there are people out there getting by just fine on 1,000 yuan a month! Besides, Mom wants to ask you: did you really spend all that money yourself? You’re always saying other families are poor and have no money, but is our family any better off? We’re still relying on your brother and sister-in-law to support us. You sympathize with others’ hardships, but have you ever considered how hard your own family works?
Yes, we went out to eat today, and the meal was quite good—because your sister-in-law’s test results came out, and she did very well. But that was the result of her own hard work. “Before this semester started, I told you: that’s your living allowance for the entire semester. If it’s gone, it’s gone…” Hearing Qin Huan’s voice, Lin Yanan knew deep down that her daughter wasn’t doing well, but now wasn’t the time to show mercy.
“Fine, you only care about your son and daughter-in-law. As for your own daughter, you couldn’t care less about her. Since that’s the case, I don’t need you to look after me anymore!” ”After delivering that harsh rebuke, Qin Huan hung up the phone and crouched down by the roadside. Though she told herself not to let it bother her, her tears stubbornly streamed down her face. The more Qin Huan wiped them away, the more they flowed, so she simply stopped wiping and let the tears run freely.
“Wipe your face. If you cry for too long, your eyes will swell up.” She didn’t know how much time had passed when a pack of tissues suddenly appeared before her. Through tear-filled eyes, she looked up and saw that it was Wu Yue who had come to find her.
“Why are you here?” Qin Huan took the tissues and wiped away her tears. After a moment, once her emotions had settled, she asked timidly.
“You’re usually back by now. I was worried something might have happened, so I came out to check on you.” In truth, Wu Yue had been there for a while, but seeing Qin Huan’s state, she hadn’t spoken, letting her vent her emotions freely.
“Thank you.” Hearing Wu Yue’s words, Qin Huan couldn’t help but immediately hug her and pour out her story. Wu Yue, meanwhile, served as a patient sounding board, absorbing all of Qin Huan’s complaints.
“You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Come on, let’s go to the cafeteria and get your favorite rice noodles, plus some fried leeks, chicken cutlets, grilled sausages, and tofu skin—how about that?” Seeing that Qin Huan had calmed down, Wu Yue suggested.
“Sure, and add a large bottle of Coke too. ” Though her spirits were low, she wasn’t about to pass up a good meal.
The longer time went on, the more Qin Huan realized that Lin Yanan was serious this time—she wouldn’t be sending her money anymore. Qin Huan had no choice but to tighten her belt, cutting back on most of her expenses. She sold off some of the idle items she’d bought on impulse in the past through her social media feed and secondhand apps, which brought in a little pocket money and eased her financial strain somewhat.
“Why should I pay for both of our tickets? Can’t you pay for your own?” Zhang Rui, of course, hadn’t missed the fact that Qin Huan was selling her old belongings. He’d thought that now she had money again, the two of them could go back to the way things used to be. But he never expected Qin Huan to stop contributing—this was completely out of the blue.
“Didn’t I pay for them before? I don’t have much money right now—can’t you just pay this one time?” In the past, as long as Qin Huan was persistent enough, she could always get money from her family. Since the money came easily, she didn’t think twice about spending it. But now, every penny she had was hard-earned through part-time work or selling her own belongings. It didn’t come easily, so every time she spent money, it felt like a sharp stab in her heart. Naturally, she wasn’t as generous as she used to be.
“What’s the matter? Are you calling me stingy? Are you saying I used to take advantage of you?” Qin Huan’s words only served to fuel Zhang Rui’s anger.
“I didn’t say that, but it’s true that I used to pay for most things!” Qin Huan didn’t dare look at Zhang Rui; otherwise, she wouldn’t have dared to say such a thing.
“Yeah, I’m a poor guy, but I didn’t hide it from the start. Unlike you—if you don’t have money, why act all high and mighty? You go have fun on your own!” With that, Zhang Rui stormed off from the amusement park entrance, leaving Qin Huan standing there, her face flushing with embarrassment as everyone stared at her.
From then on, although the two hadn’t officially broken up, they communicated less and less, and there was no sign of reconciliation. Qin Huan began to numb herself with part-time work and studying. Occasionally, when she found a moment of quiet, she would check her phone, only to discover there was absolutely no activity.
While Qin Huan was struggling to get by, Li Xue’s journey toward passing the civil service exam was going very smoothly. After the list of interview candidates was announced, Li Xue realized she had scored five points higher than the second-place candidate—a margin that, if not guaranteed, was at least a sure thing. Sure enough, after hiring a tutor specifically for interview preparation, Li Xue successfully secured a position by ranking first in both the written exam and the interview, which was a fitting reward for her months of hard work.
While celebrating with a hot pot dinner at home, Lin Yanan suggested moving out to rent a place.
“Mom, has our time together lately been making you unhappy? Why are you suddenly talking about moving out?” Qin Feng and Li Xue were both shocked. She’d never hinted at anything like this before—why the sudden change of heart?
“That’s not it—I’m quite happy living here. But you know, it’s not just you young people who need some space; I do too. Isn’t there a saying that distance makes the heart grow fonder?
Besides, your sister is about to start her senior year. If she comes back, she’ll be living with me. No matter how you look at it, when a whole family lives together, there are bound to be times when it’s inconvenient.” Seeing that Qin Feng and his wife were still objecting, Lin Yanan played her trump card: “I’ve already signed the lease. It’s in that building right across the street—second floor, seven hundred a month, fully furnished, two bedrooms and a living room. It’s plenty of space.”
Lin Yanan had planned this carefully; she’d had her eye on the place for a while and waited until everything was settled before bringing it up.
“Well, since that’s the case, I’ll go help Mom pack up while I have some free time these next few days.” Things had already come to this; there was no point in trying to stop it now.
“Xiao Xue is so thoughtful. Anyway, even after we move, it’s just a short walk away, so we can still look out for each other. We’ll clean up here, and you can help move the luggage—got it?” After praising Li Xue, Lin Yanan turned her gaze to Qin Feng.
“You’ve all already decided. What else can I say?” Qin Feng shrugged, looking helpless.
“Of course not. Just go with it.” With that, Lin Yanan and Li Xue exchanged a smile.
Many hands make light work, and within a couple of days, the move was complete. Meanwhile, standing in the school cafeteria, Qin Huan felt a mix of emotions. Ever since their falling-out at the amusement park, she never imagined their next encounter would be like this. Liu Yutong was walking arm-in-arm with Zhang Rui, looking very intimate. Upon seeing Qin Huan, not only did she not let go, but she held on even tighter, her gaze full of defiance.