Yun Duoduo ignored the Heiress entirely. She was floating on air, completely immersed in the joy of the “Big Sister” coming to visit. As Li Qinglian put it, she was so excited she’d probably wake herself up laughing from a dream.
Indeed, as they lay in bed that night, Duoduo hugged her mother’s arm and whispered, “Mom, maybe I should go to the river and catch some more crabs. The ones at the supermarket were so expensive today, I didn’t buy any.”
Li Qinglian flicked her forehead gently. “You silly girl, stop overthinking. Just do what needs to be done now. Otherwise, when your guest arrives and we’re rushing around, we won’t get anything right.”
Duoduo nodded, realizing her mother was right. She squeezed her eyes shut, eager to dream about the upcoming visit.
The next morning, Li Qinglian woke up early. Seeing Duoduo still asleep, she washed up and began preparing breakfast; the guest was expected around ten. The moment Duoduo opened her eyes, she didn’t even change her clothes before bolting into the kitchen. “Is she here yet?”
“Why are you acting like a child? Be more mature,” Li Qinglian advised. “You don’t want your Big Sister to think you’re unreliable. Successful people appreciate those who are confident and independent, you know?” Duoduo nodded like a little chick pecking at grain.
Perhaps because the crew assumed no one was coming for them, the director and cameramen weren’t even up yet. Only the mother and daughter were busy in the house. Duoduo finished her chores, grabbed her net, and ran to the river. If she didn’t catch a couple of crabs, she felt the meal would be incomplete.
By the time she returned, it was 8:00 AM. The time for Huai Jian’s arrival was drawing closer. “Mom, should we start the rice now so she can eat as soon as she arrives?”
“No,” Li Qinglian said. “It’s a long journey. She’ll need to rest a bit first, or she’ll be too exhausted to eat.”
“Oh, right! Then I’ll go tidy her room again.” Duoduo grabbed a broom. She had already cleaned the room three or four times, but she was terrified it wouldn’t be comfortable enough for Huai Jian.
At 9:30 AM, the director finally showed up, looking bored. “Ji Zhen’s guest has arrived. How are things on your end? Have you coordinated? We need to start filming footage soon.”
Duoduo, knowing the mountain roads were tricky, said, “She should be here around 11:30 for lunch.”
The staff behind the director exchanged a look that clearly said: Keep dreaming. It’ll be a miracle if anyone actually shows up for you.
…
Duoduo was restless. She paced between the door and the bedroom, nearly scrubbing the floors raw. To keep her occupied, Li Qinglian sent her out. “Go see if you can find some more fruit. We only have a few apples left.”
Remembering a dragon fruit patch nearby, Duoduo grabbed a basket. “I’m on it!”
On her way, she had to pass the Heiress’s residence. Duoduo was humming a tune, trying to ignore her, but the Heiress—seemingly incapable of minding her own business—blocked her path. She pointed at the smoke rising from her own chimney. “Do you see the difference between having money and being poor? With money, I’m on a show and people handle everything for me. Without it, you have to toil for every scrap. Honestly, you’re so pathetic.”
Duoduo regretted not wearing headphones. She took a deep breath and walked past without a word.
The Heiress followed her, chirping away. “Do you know who my guest is? Maybe I’ll be generous and let you have a look, since we’re ‘sisters’ after all.”
Duoduo didn’t care if she had invited a deity; she had her Big Sister. She was a girl who was easily satisfied. She had an all-powerful mother and good friends. She couldn’t understand why the Heiress, who supposedly had everything, was so obsessed with showing off to her.
They reached the dragon fruit patch. Duoduo ignored the Heiress’s chatter, negotiated with the old man guarding the orchard, and went inside to pick. The Heiress followed, picking one and stuffing it into her mouth. Once Duoduo had enough, she paid and prepared to head back.
Since the Heiress had no money on her, she got into an argument with the old man. “Ugh, I only ate one! I’ll bring you the money later! No wonder your business is failing if you’re this stingy.”
The old man shook his head, having been burned by tourists before. He handed her a landline phone. “Call your parents to come pay.”
The Heiress screamed at the retreating Duoduo, “Are you blind? Come pay for me! It’s only two dollars and fifty cents!”
Pay for you?
Duoduo turned back with a smirk. “We aren’t related. I don’t have the money.” Then she hiked away.
…
Down the trail, she ran into Wu Heyue hurrying up the mountain with a man in tow. The man looked at Duoduo with initial surprise, which quickly turned to disdain as soon as Wu Heyue spoke.
“Duoduo! How could you leave your sister alone on the mountain?” Wu Heyue cried out theatrically. “She’s just a child! What if she ran into bad people?”
Duoduo said nothing. Her gaze locked onto the middle-aged man. He was dressed in a sharp suit with slicked-back hair, radiating an aura of “social elite.”
“Duoduo?” The man frowned.
It had been over twenty years. They hadn’t met officially or interacted as family in all that time. But Duoduo knew exactly who he was: Yun Jianghai, the father who had cheated on and abandoned her mother.
She felt nothing but coldness. She retracted her gaze, acting as if she hadn’t seen him.
Wu Heyue continued her performance. “How can you be so heartless? Your sister wanted to help you pick fruit, and you just abandoned her! Didn’t anyone ever teach you manners?”
Duoduo tried to walk away, but the man stepped in her path, his face full of rebuke. “Is what Auntie Wu says true? You left your sister alone?”
Duoduo looked at him coldly. “I don’t have a sister. My parents divorced long ago. My mother only has one daughter.”
Her message was clear: You have no right to lecture me.
Yun Jianghai was a man who valued “face” above all else. “Then it’s your mother who failed to raise you properly!”
Duoduo snapped back, “It’s not that my mother didn’t raise me well; it’s that I didn’t have a father. Usually, in divorced families, fathers make time for their children. I didn’t have that luxury.”
Back then, Li Qinglian had tried to reach out to him so Duoduo wouldn’t grow up with psychological scars. But he had always broken his promises. Once, he actually took Duoduo out only to abandon her on the street. She had come home crying and sick, telling her mother she never wanted a father again.
Duoduo’s blunt accusation, delivered right in front of the cameras, stripped away every bit of “face” Yun Jianghai had.
“What nonsense are you talking about?” he blustered. “If I hadn’t been good to you, would you even be here filming alongside your sister?”
Duoduo sneered. “My mother and I have never relied on you for a single thing. Don’t shout at me.” She turned and walked away.
Wu Heyue immediately rushed to comfort him. “Jianghai, don’t lower yourself to her level. She’s just a child holding a grudge because she’s immature. I know your heart. The Heiress and I love you.”
Comforted by her words, he put an arm around her waist. “You’ve suffered so much. Her mother and I had a peaceful breakup; I have no idea how she’s been educating that child.”
The camera captured this “harmonious” moment. Wu Heyue felt that she was finally shaking off the “mistress” label. She was going to turn the tables today. “As long as I’m with you and the Heiress is happy, I don’t care about myself. It’s just… the Heiress has been bullied so much these past few days.”
“What happened?” Yun Jianghai demanded.
Wu Heyue spun a tale of lies and exaggeration, making his face turn purple with rage.
“I’m going to find them right now,” he fumed. “How dare they bully her! I’ll make sure that mother and daughter apologize to you both!”