Chарtеr 5: Аrе You the Young Мiss?
Тhe bloоd on the shоеs hаd аlrеаdy driеd.
Nо mаttеr how hard shе scrubbed, they wоuldn’t rеturn to thеir оriginаl stаtе—faint trасеs of bloоdstаins remаined.
Zhang Mа prеpared а basin оf asрirin sоlution for hеr, saying it was instruсtеd bу Li Мusi. Soaking thе shоеs fоr a while wоuld clеan them.
Jing Gе followеd the adviсe, and the shоеs indеed саme cleаn.
Pеrfеctly сlean.
Jing Gе hung the shоеs tо dry оn her bedrоom balсоnу, alongside that handkerchief.
Вrеakfast wasn’t fully rеаdy yet—а рorridge was still cooking. Jing Ge held a fifth-grade Chinese textbook while Li Ying stood beside her, stumbling through reciting the text aloud.
For the poem “Fisherman’s Song,” she could only remember “white egrets fly” and “mandarin fish grow fat” after repeated attempts.
Jing Ge even drew a picture to help her memorize it.
Li Ying slumped her shoulders in defeat. “Sis, why do I have to study?”
“Hmm?” Jing Ge blinked. “Why wouldn’t you study?”
“My parents are professors,” Li Ying said. “My brother got into a top-tier university. As for my uncle, my grand-uncle, and my grandparents—they’re even more accomplished. Even if I did nothing my whole life, I’d never go hungry…”
At this point, Li Ying added, “And you, Sis, not only got into a top-tier university but also skipped two grades. With people like you around, I don’t really need to work hard.”
Jing Ge asked, “But what if these people aren’t around anymore?”
Li Ying exclaimed, “How could that happen!”
“During your great-grandfather’s generation, the Jing family was on equal footing with the Li family,” Jing Ge explained patiently. “That’s why the marriage arrangement came about. But look at the situation now.”
The Li family remained prosperous, while the Jing family declined with each generation.
By Jing Ge’s grandfather’s time, signs of decline had already appeared. When it came to Jing Ge’s father, a failed investment directly struck at the family’s lifeline.
Now, the Jing family only had a modest ceramic factory left.
They weren’t even fit to carry the Li family’s shoes.
“But Sis, you studied so well,” Li Ying asked. “Isn’t your salary only four or five thousand?”
“…”
Jing Ge felt her heart shatter.
How brutally clear it was that a college degree wasn’t worth much.
Just as they were talking, a tall shadow swept past and slowly took a seat at the table. “This is your sister’s baseline. Her learning ability means her potential has no limits.”
Faced with the most authoritative figure in the Li family today, Li Ying deflated, not daring to argue back.
Jing Ge patted her head, put away the book, and turned on English listening exercises for her.
When the porridge was served, Li Zhan also came down from the second floor.
Four people sat at the dining table. Jing Ge and Li Ying sat on one side. Apart from the background sound of English listening, the silence was eerie.
Li Musi finished his coffee and left, saying he had a morning meeting.
Only three people remained at the table.
After a while, Li Zhan suddenly kicked Li Ying under the table. “Did you run into a ghost?”
Li Ying snapped, “What?!”
Li Zhan said, “Suddenly putting in effort for no reason—did you fail another exam?”
Li Ying fell abruptly silent.
Li Zhan frowned. “You had an exam? Where’s the test paper?”
Li Ying tugged at Jing Ge’s sleeve with her small hand, shaking it repeatedly.
“I arranged a study plan for her,” Jing Ge said gently. “I couldn’t bear to see her so idle.”
Li Ying: “…”
Surprisingly, Li Zhan didn’t make any sarcastic remarks and simply shut his mouth.
The porridge was made with yam and red beans, thick and soft. Jing Ge usually loved it, but today she didn’t touch a single bite.
Since last night, she hadn’t even been able to drink water.
The scent of blood kept lingering in her nostrils.
“What’s wrong?” Li Zhan’s tone was displeased. “Being picky now?”
Jing Ge told the truth. “I’m not hungry.”
Li Zhan asked inexplicably, “Does your company provide lunch?””No, it’s not included.”
“Then you better eat more in the morning,” Li Zhan said, “so you don’t have to spend your own money at noon. With those two salaries, you can buy…” something.
Before he could finish, Li Ying suddenly raised her little face: “Brother, what do you mean? Are you saying A-jie is staying at our house just to freeload food and drinks?”
Li Zhan’s expression darkened: “If you don’t want your ears, I’ll cut them off!”
Li Ying: “If you don’t want your mouth, sew it shut!”
Li Zhan: “I hope you fail every test!”
Li Ying: “I hope you never find a wife!”
“…”
The scene fell abruptly silent.
After who knows how long, and who knows what he was thinking, Li Zhan’s gaze shifted between the two of them, and he suddenly sneered: “Did she teach you to say that?”
Jing Ge set down her chopsticks.
Li Zhan: “Do you think I can’t live without you?”
Jing Ge looked at him: “I don’t think that.”
“There are people lining up all the way to the school gate to chase after me,” Li Zhan continued, “I could have a girlfriend anytime.”
Jing Ge: “Go ahead.”
Li Zhan gritted his teeth, making a grinding sound: “You don’t mind?”
“If you want to find one,” Jing Ge said, “do I have the right to mind?”
Li Zhan stared straight at her, glaring for a long time before suddenly kicking his chair away: “You really don’t have the right!”
He stormed off angrily.
Li Ying couldn’t understand their relationship. When she was little, her brother and A-jie’s feelings for each other were clearly very good.
But now they couldn’t even meet.
Every encounter ended in discord.
What hurt Li Ying’s little heart the most was seeing her A-jie shedding tears.
“A-jie, it’s all my fault,” Li Ying shook her, “I said something that upset him. He wouldn’t dare to find someone else; the elders would break his legs…”
Jing Ge wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and spoke only after calming down: “The engagement has made him suffer. He should be with someone he likes.”
Li Zhan had always been popular with girls since he was young. In elementary school, girls slipped him notes saying they wanted to marry him when they grew up. By middle school, those chasing him became bolder, and it continued through high school and university…
But with the Li family’s strict, tradition-bound elders keeping him in check,
he never dared to date.
His friends, on the other hand, had never been without girlfriends since high school.
Especially in university, an age when dating is practically expected.
But he couldn’t defy the engagement, and Jing Ge couldn’t either.
They were both victims.
Li Zhan always took his temper out on her like this, and Jing Ge wasn’t made of clay—of course she couldn’t take it.
“Hurry up and eat,” Jing Ge said, “After you finish, have the driver take you to school. There’s a flag-raising ceremony today, right?”
Li Ying: “What about you, A-jie?”
Jing Ge: “I’ll take the bus.”
“Don’t do that,” Li Ying pleaded, “Let him drop you off first, then me. I don’t mind being late.”
The little girl’s school and Jing Ge’s company were in opposite directions. Dropping one off would make the other late; dropping the other off would make this one late.
The Li parents had Jing Ge stay over to help her and Li Zhan develop their relationship, naturally intending for Li Zhan to drive her to and from work.
But once, on a rainy day, Jing Ge was kicked out of the car.
Since then, Jing Ge never rode in his car again.
The bus stop was outside the villa complex, about a ten-minute walk away, which was fairly convenient.
Jing Ge shouldered her bag and headed out, only to see Li Zhan’s Land Cruiser parked outside the villa complex.
The Land Cruiser’s window was rolled all the way down, revealing Li Zhan’s scowling face.
“Get in.”
Jing Ge ignored him and walked straight past.
Behind her came the sound of a car door opening and closing. That dog Li Zhan had no respect for things—he always slammed the door shut, letting it bounce back on its own.”Jing Ge! That’s enough!”
Jing Ge looked back at him with utter absurdity: “What have I done?”
Seeing her indifferent face, Li Zhan felt his anger rising uncontrollably: “Are you some spoiled young lady throwing a tantrum?”