"Sis, I just saw Grandma slip you some money. How much was it? Mom gave you a thousand too. I’m so jealous of you." Jiang Lu spoke while her gaze remained fixed on the handkerchief Grandma Jiang had just given.
Jiang Xue tucked the handkerchief containing the money into her pocket and picked up her book to continue reading.
"Sis, when you start earning money, could you buy me an MP3 player when you come back for New Year’s? So many of my friends have one, but Mom won’t buy it for me." Jiang Lu leaned closer, her eyes locked on the spot where Jiang Xue had put the money, her tone ingratiating.
"Jealous, huh? In three or four years, you can graduate from middle school too, or drop out like me and go work. Mom loves you so much—she’ll definitely give you more money than she gave me."
"I don’t want to go work. My mom said I need to study hard, go to college, and work in an office someday." Jiang Lu’s tone was disdainful.
"And you call yourself my sister? You’re so stingy. And Grandma is so biased too." Jiang Xue couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. She never thought she’d hear the word "biased" from Jiang Lu’s mouth.
"Yeah, go ahead and tattle to your mom. Let her beat me up." Jiang Xue’s words stopped Jiang Lu, who had been planning to do just that. The scene of her sister killing a chicken two days ago was still vivid in her mind, and she was afraid Jiang Xue would retaliate if she told.
"Hmph." With a dismissive snort, Jiang Lu went back to her own bed to sleep.
Jiang Xue also put down her book and prepared for bed. She had originally planned to put the money in her schoolbag, but remembering how she had lost it in her past life, she shot a warning glance at Jiang Lu. Right in front of her, she tucked the money under her pillow, turned off the light, and went to sleep.
In the middle of the night, Jiang Lu crept stealthily to Jiang Xue’s bedside. She stretched out her hand, trying to feel for the handkerchief of money tucked under the side of the pillow. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light in the room, the moonlight from outside illuminated the space, and Jiang Lu realized that her sister, whom she had assumed was asleep and breathing steadily, was wide awake and staring right at her.
She quickly tried to pull her hand back, but Jiang Xue grabbed it, squeezing with considerable force.
Startled and now caught, Jiang Lu let out a sharp scream.
In the dead of night, the scream was especially piercing.
The light in the neighboring room switched on, and soon footsteps were heard. Jiang’s father and mother pushed the door open and turned on the light in their room.
Jiang Xue released her grip. Jiang Lu clutched her painfully squeezed wrist and began to cry.
"What’s going on? Xiaoxue, did you bully your sister?" Jiang’s father asked.
"Let Mom see, what happened to your hand? Why did you pinch your sister’s hand?" Jiang’s mother spoke gently to Jiang Lu but immediately switched to a harsh tone when addressing Jiang Xue.
Jiang Xue sat up in bed and looked at Jiang Lu. "You should ask your precious daughter about that. What was she doing standing by my bed in the middle of the night, feeling under my pillow? I thought it was a ghost."
"I was just curious how much money Grandma secretly gave you. I wanted to see how much it was. Oh, and Mom, Grandma came over yesterday and secretly slipped money to Sis." Jiang Lu started off a bit guilty but, remembering her goal, immediately tattled to Jiang’s mother.
"Your grandma gave you money? How much? Let me see it."
"No need to look. It’s two hundred. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Grandma."
"If your grandma gave you two hundred, then give me back two hundred from the thousand I gave you."
"Fine. Here, take it all." She pulled the money from under her pillow and threw it on the floor, then ran to her schoolbag, took out the thousand yuan Jiang’s mother had given her earlier, and threw that at her too.
"Here's your money back. I don't want to go work at such a young age anyway."
"Since you gave birth to me, it's your responsibility to provide for my education, food, and living expenses until I turn 18. That's what you owe me."
"If you try to withhold my tuition or cut my living allowance, I'll report you to the police. If the police won't handle it, I'll go to the Women's Federation, find reporters at the newspaper office, or go to the market where you sell vegetables—I'll let everyone judge this fairly. Why have children if you won't raise them? Since you gave birth to me, raising me is your obligation." After Jiang Xue finished this string of words, the three people present instantly lost their earlier imposing air.
"How did you become like this now?" Jiang Haiyang asked angrily.
Her quietness over the past two days had made them forget about her frenzied chicken-killing from before.
But now her expression was exactly the same as it had been that noon.
Jiang's father and Jiang's mother couldn't be sure whether she might go crazy again, picking up a knife or sickle to kill something else.
"Fine, don't give it then. You've grown some backbone—can't even say a word to you anymore. And you, what are you looking at in the middle of the night? How much we give is none of your business. Stop acting crazy in the middle of the night and go to sleep!" Jiang's mother slapped Jiang Lu lightly, pretending to be calm as she said those words, then pulled Jiang Haiyang away.
Only two people remained in the room again. Jiang Xue glanced at Jiang Lu and smiled mockingly.
"Pick up the money and turn off the light." Jiang Lu didn't want to move, but she didn't dare disobey. Rubbing her still-sore wrist, she obediently picked up the money, placed it beside Jiang Xue's schoolbag, turned off the light, and returned to her own bed.
In the next room, Jiang Haiyang and Liu Yan lay in bed, unable to fall asleep again for a while.
"Your eldest daughter has suddenly become like a different person—flying into rages at the drop of a hat. It's really quite frightening," Jiang's mother said, still somewhat shaken.
"She's grown up. You should be more careful too—don't show favoritism so obviously. Also, now that she's older, you can't just hit her whenever you want, and you need to watch what you say."
"Is it my fault for being biased? You saw it too—even though I gave birth to her, does she feel close to me? No wonder, raised by your mother—that craziness is exactly like your mother's." As she spoke, Jiang's mother even felt a bit wronged.
"But you're right—I should be more careful. She's a grown girl now; in a few years, we'll be discussing marriage proposals for her. Now she's going out to work—if she gets truly heartbroken and runs off with some wild man outside, wouldn't raising such a big daughter be all for nothing?"
"Do you think I should say some gentle words to coax her tomorrow? No, I can't swallow my pride. You coax her properly tomorrow."
"Are you even listening to me? You're such a pig—falling asleep so quickly." Jiang's mother wanted to say more but got no response. Angrily, she pushed Jiang's father. Seeing Jiang Haiyang hadn't woken up, she huffily pulled the covers over herself. After a while, her breathing gradually steadied.
Jiang's father opened his eyes, sighed as he looked at Jiang's mother, then turned on his side and closed his eyes again.
Early the next morning, before dawn, Jiang Xue was awakened by Jiang's father.
After waking up and washing up, Jiang's mother had already prepared breakfast.
She had made noodles for her, with two poached eggs added.
She also boiled seven or eight hard-boiled eggs, instructing her to eat them on the way. The weather was hot, so if she couldn't finish them, she should share them with others to avoid spoilage.
Then she helped her pack water, and the only pair of mesh sports shoes she could wear out had been cleaned a couple of days earlier. Jiang's mother was busy tying the shoelaces and inserting insoles, bustling around, and even generously gave her a few dozen yuan in small change, telling her to keep the larger bills safe.
Jiang Xue accepted it all without a second thought—that was just how her mother was.
Even when she had ulterior motives, she could still put on a show of maternal affection.
In her previous life, after Jiang Xue graduated and started earning money, her mother would act just as attentive during their occasional interactions.
But if they actually lived together, her true nature would be exposed in less than two days.
If things went her way, it was fine; if not, she’d cry and make a scene.