The room wasn’t large—only about eight or nine square meters. Sunlight filtered through the curtains printed with pale purple flowers, casting hazy spots of light on the concrete floor.
The edges of the curtains were a bit frayed, but they were very clean.
A narrow bed stood against the wall, covered with a neatly made pink-and-white checked bedspread.
Two pieces of clothing were folded beside the pillow, and two wooden crates were tucked under the bed.
By the window sat an old desk. Beneath its glass top were pressed a few cutout pictures of movie stars. On top, books, a pencil case, and other items were arranged neatly.
It was clear that Yin Li’s room had been thoughtfully decorated.
And Yin Li herself looked like a gardenia blooming quietly by the bedside.
Li Xiaohe tugged at the hem of her own clothes. “Little Sister, your room is really pretty.”
In fact, Yin Li noticed that her cousin—whom she had only met once before—was actually not bad-looking.
Even though she wasn’t dressed well, she was tall and had a good figure. Yin Li thought for a long time before coming up with the word: feminine.
Li Xiaohe had a very feminine quality. Her facial features were quite beautiful, too, but her bangs were thick, and she kept her head lowered. Her skin wasn’t particularly fair, but she was still a beauty.
Since moving here, Yin Li hadn’t had many friends her own age. Seeing Li Xiaohe like this, she felt inclined to make friends.
“Then you should come over often, Sis. I don’t really like listening to the adults talk anyway. We sisters can just chat.” Yin Li had originally wanted to share her books, but then remembered that her uncle and aunt didn’t seem to have sent Li Xiaohe to school. So instead, she took out an old, paint-chipped radio from beside her.
This radio was one Zhao Xiujie had used before. It was very old and the style was outdated.
Li Wenyue had originally planned to buy her a new one, but Yin Li had declined. A new one wouldn’t have been cheap, and besides, this one still worked well. She could listen to music, English lessons on the radio, the news, and storytelling programs.
Also, she didn’t mind at all that Zhao Xiujie had used it before. As long as it worked, that was fine. She certainly wasn’t going to let Aunt Li know she was greedy and never satisfied. Many people didn’t even have a radio at all.
The two sisters listened to the radio with great interest. But Yin Li’s ears were sharp, and she caught the sound of the door opening.
She quickly took Li Xiaohe’s hand and went out.
“Mom, you’re back?” Yin Li was pleasantly surprised. She hadn’t expected her stepmother to come home.
Li Wenyue seemed surprised to find her cousin’s family there, but she still smiled and said, “Yes, here. A gift.”
She handed over a gift bag. Yin Li quickly took it but didn’t open it right away. “Thank you, Mom~”
Her voice was naturally sweet and soft, and now that her throat was better, it came through fully, tinged with a girl’s unique coyness.
No wonder Yin Jianguo doted on Yin Li so much, unwilling to let her suffer the slightest hardship. If it weren’t for this stepdaughter, he probably wouldn’t have agreed to marry her at all.
Those two calls of “Mom” eased much of the fatigue from Li Wenyue’s journey.
“Sis, you’re finally back,” Li Tianbao hurried over. Looking at them, there was a slight resemblance between the cousin and sister around the eyes.
But Li Wenyue was much more capable and refined.
Yu Meifeng also stepped forward, pointing to the bags and bundles stacked by the wall. “Sis, these are vegetables we grew over the summer, and some freshly harvested grain. Don’t think it’s too little—the weather was bad this year, really hot, so the harvest wasn’t great.”
“Don’t talk like that,” Li Wenyue waved her hand and walked over to look at the vegetables. “You worked hard to grow all this and brought it all the way here. I’m the lucky one who gets to eat it.”
Yin Li only knew a little bit about her stepmother’s family. Her parents had died young, and she didn’t have many siblings. The few relatives she had were scattered far and wide, and they hadn’t been in contact for years.
The closest family was Li Tianbao’s. The most important reason was that a few years earlier, Li Wenyue had fallen into the water and nearly drowned. Yu Meifeng had saved her.
Yu Meifeng herself wasn’t a strong swimmer, but she had risked her own life to drag Li Wenyue to shore.
Li Wenyue was deeply grateful to her cousin’s wife for this and had always looked after Li Tianbao’s family in return.
“It really has been dry this year. This must be Xiaohe, right? Such a big girl now, and so pretty.” Li Wenyue was warm and gentle with her cousin’s daughter as well. Having Yin Li had taught her that boys and girls were different.
Girls had delicate hearts and shouldn’t be treated too roughly.
Li Xiaohe greeted her softly, “Aunt.”
With both parents home, Li Wenyue sat chatting with Li Tianbao and his wife, while Yin Li continued to spend time with Li Xiaohe.
Yin Jianguo was busy in the kitchen. The aroma of cooking filled the air, and Yu Meifeng kept glancing over.
“Brother-in-law is so capable. Sis, you really married well this time,” Yu Meifeng said enviously.
Li Wenyue was delighted to hear this. Seeing that her cousin’s wife was as honest and simple as ever, she wanted to give her a hand. “He certainly is. You’ll both get to taste his cooking in a bit. But since you’re here, don’t blame me for saying a few things.”
“Sis, you’re well-traveled and knowledgeable. We’ll listen to whatever you say,” Li Tianbao said, almost meekly in front of this older cousin.
Yu Meifeng also nodded repeatedly.
“You’re used to life in the village, with your land and fields. But farming depends on the weather. In a bad year like this, the harvest suffers. You’re hardworking and can get by, but Xiaohe is growing up. She’s got slender arms and legs. How can she keep grubbing in the dirt like you?”
“Sigh… Sis, what can we do? We can’t afford to send her to school,” Li Tianbao sighed.
Li Xiaohe looked up cautiously at her father, then lowered her head again.
Li Wenyue didn’t say much more. A few years ago, Yu Meifeng had given birth to a little boy, whom they doted on like the apple of their eye.
So Li Xiaohe had even more work to do. After just a few years of schooling, her father had stopped supporting her education, and she had to take care of her little brother as well.
This wasn’t uncommon back then. When resources were available, they mostly went to the boys in the family. When resources were scarce, the girls not only got nothing but were also expected to sacrifice and give.
Li Wenyue had wanted to escape such an environment since she was young. She would advise Yin Li, and naturally, she also wanted to help the daughter of the woman who had saved her life.
“Our factory is hiring female workers. The work isn’t too hard. Xiaohe is diligent. If she earns a little herself, it’ll ease your burden as well.”
“Xiaohe, hurry up and thank your aunt!” Li Tianbao’s face lit up with joy. He rubbed his hands together and gave Li Xiaohe a nudge. “Sis, I don’t know how to thank you. We really… I’m sorry to make you feel like we’re troubling you.”
Even though it was indeed a trouble, Li Tianbao didn’t refuse. Even if it was embarrassing, there was no way he would turn down such an opportunity.
Yin Jianguo was cooking on two stoves at once, so the dishes came out quickly. The aroma of the food made everyone smile even more.
Li Xiaohe had an eye for work. She quickly helped set out the bowls and chopsticks, then joined Yin Li in carrying the dishes.
The stir-fried meat in her hands was something Li Xiaohe rarely got to eat even once a year. She carried it very carefully, afraid of dropping it.
Just then, the door opened from the outside. Zhao Xiujie stepped in, tall and graceful as jade, carrying several bags.
“Cousin-in-law? Aunt? Xiaohe?” Zhao Xiujie hadn’t expected so many people. He greeted each of them in turn.
But Li Xiaohe’s ears began to ring, and she nearly lost her grip on the bowl in her hands.