Li Jianyong had never known how much his youngest sister had quietly suffered for him. He looked at the marks on her body and the blood she had spat and a heavy guilt crashed over him. She had done so much while he had done nothing but hurt her. He felt ashamed of himself.
“Little sister I am so sorry.” He turned to Li Xixi. “But Xixi why did you lie to us? Why did you say she ate well at Director Xiao’s home?”
Li Jianhan looked at Li Xixi with the same questioning gaze. She had known the truth all along and said nothing.
Li Xixi bit her lip trembling. “Big brother second brother I am sorry. I kept the truth hidden out of selfishness.”
“But I could not bear seeing second brother carry that guilt forever. I did not want him to blame himself for the rest of his life.”
“Because when someone truly loves you they cannot bear to see you hurt yourself with remorse.”
Li Jianyong was moved. He chided himself for ever doubting her. Xixi was so good so selfless. Everything she had done was for him.
“Forgive me Xixi. I was wrong. You did nothing wrong. You acted only out of care for me.” He turned to Li Chuxin and his tone grew cold. “Little sister I will remember what you have done and I will repay you.” Unlike Chuxin who always reminded him of every favour Xixi expected nothing.
Li Chuxin heard the chill in his voice. She understood now. Li Xixi truly was skilled. A few soft words could twist everything completely. No wonder she had been so thoroughly defeated in her past life. She had not spoken up to compete for affection. They did not deserve that. She only wanted the truth acknowledged.
“I do not want repayment later. I want it settled now in money. I worked there as a maid for a whole year. I was only thirteen then. The going wage was twenty yuan a month.”
“I did not eat there. I tutored his son and did the work. Twenty yuan a month.”
“Twelve months makes two hundred and forty yuan.”
If they would not see her sacrifices then let them pay what they were worth. Two hundred and forty yuan was a substantial sum in nineteen seventy three.
Li Jianyong saw she was serious. He gritted his teeth. “Very well. You shall have it.” He pulled banknotes from his pocket a large note and smaller ones adding to just over two hundred yuan. He had meant to save this for a bicycle for Xixi. Other girls in the village had one. Their sweet kind Xixi deserved one too.
“Xixi this was meant for your bicycle. Do not worry. I will save from my allowance and buy you one soon.”
Li Xixi’s heart ached. She had wanted that bicycle so badly. She took a steady breath. Nothing compared to the pendant and the space within it. She would have a bicycle later.
“Second brother do not blame yourself. It is all my fault. Little sister we are family. Must we really count everything so exactly?”
“You have not even married yet. Can you truly take all his money and feel at peace?”
Li Chuxin gathered the money quickly counting it. “I can feel perfectly at peace. This is what I earned.”
“If you wanted it so badly you could have gone to the Xiao family and knelt for him yourself.”
“And besides you felt perfectly at peace when he promised it to you for a bicycle did you not?”
Li Jianyong glared at her angered by her indifference. “You have your money. Now will you return the pendant to Xixi?”
Li Chuxin nodded then shook her head. “You are mistaken.”
“This pendant is mine. It never was hers.” She had been wronged too many times to count. She would clear her name herself.
“Elder sister was this pendant yours or did I find it on the mountain? Tell the truth and I will hand it over.”
Li Xixi loved to claim what was not hers. This time she would see clearly that what did not belong to her could never truly be hers.
Li Xixi stared back defiant. Everything would unravel if her story changed now. She had to have that pendant. Once she held the space she would explain everything.
“You found it.” She admitted quietly.
Li Jianhan looked at her with eyes that felt unfamiliar. “Xixi you told us this was your life pendant given to you from birth.” His voice was cold. If it had always belonged to Chuxin what had he been striking her for?
Li Jianyong stared in shock. He had beaten his youngest sister nearly to death thinking she had stolen something. He had drawn blood.
From the window a man watching from the hallway gave a mocking smile and clapped his hands slowly. “I thought it was the poor little thing being robbed. But it is three against one. Three ganging up on one girl.”
“Truly a shameful spectacle.” Huo Qiyuan had only stepped out for fresh air. At first he had assumed the girl must have done something terrible to deserve such treatment. Usually he did not interfere in family matters. But as he listened his sympathy turned entirely to the thin quiet girl. She had been struck again and again for the sake of another.
Li Jianhan felt the words lodge in his throat like a thorn. Their righteous anger had been nothing but a cruel farce. They were no better than thieves. He could not even bring himself to say the apology.