Su Wanwan believed Qin Shuanglan wasn’t bad, just confused, easily swayed by family ties.
She gave an “mm” and got straight to the point.
“You’re here to stick up for Lin Zhixia, aren’t you.”
Qin Shuanglan was taken aback, then chided her. “You child. Zhixia is your own sister. How can you not even call her sister?”
In her heart, her sister’s child was her own child. But her daughter showed no sisterly affection at all and had always been at odds with Zhixia. As her mother, she was caught in the middle, torn both ways.
Hearing “own sister,” Su Wanwan smiled mockingly.
What kind of sister steals her sister’s man?
When the affair between Lin Zhixia and Zhou Mingyuan came out, the original host had wanted to tear Lin Zhixia apart alive. But she and Zhou Mingyuan had only been flirting. Nothing was public, no engagement. She had no choice but to swallow the bitter pill.
If she exposed it, she’d be the one gossiped about.
The villagers would laugh at the Su family’s daughters fighting over one man.
Especially seeing her own mother, knowing nothing, happily preparing a dowry for Lin Zhixia, the original host grew even angrier.
She fought with Qin Shuanglan every day.
That indirectly estranged her from her own mother and benefited Lin Zhixia instead.
Seeing her daughter silent, Qin Shuanglan sighed.
“You shouldn’t have embarrassed Zhixia in front of so many people yesterday. She lost her parents so early. She’s already pitiful enough. Can’t you two sisters just get along?”
Last night, her niece had come over with red eyes.
Looking at her niece’s face, so like her sister’s, her heart ached.
If Wanwan could become real sisters with Zhixia, she’d trade years off her own life for it.
If Su Wanwan knew what Qin Shuanglan was thinking, she’d definitely call her foolish.
She treated Lin Zhixia like her own daughter, and Lin Zhixia treated her like a fool to be toyed with.
She said two words, crisp and clear.
“No.”
“Lin Zhixia is not a good person. Don’t ever expect me to get along with her.”
“You’re just prejudiced against Zhixia.”
Su Wanwan knew Qin Shuanglan would say that. She paused, lowered her head to work up some emotion, then looked up, her eyes reddening.
“Mom, she lost her parents and that’s pitiful. But what about me? I have a mother, but it’s the same as not having one. Every day I watch my own mother be good to someone else, and it hurts like a knife in my heart. You used to dote on me so much. The moment Lin Zhixia came, I lost everything.”
“I’m the one without a mother’s love.”
As she spoke, a tear fell.
Qin Shuanglan was stunned.
In these past few years, her daughter had fought with her constantly, rarely shedding tears. She was her mother. How could she not love her own daughter? Her heart softened at once, and she hurried to comfort Su Wanwan.
“Daughter, don’t cry. Mother won’t scold you.”
Su Wanwan whimpered. “Woo…”
Qin Shuanglan was so anxious she didn’t know what to say. She just threw money at the problem.
“Take these two yuan and buy yourself some snacks.”
Su Wanwan ignored her and kept crying. “Woo… woo…”
Qin Shuanglan’s heart ached terribly. She shoved all the remaining money at her in one go.
“Take it all. Don’t be angry with your mother anymore. You’re flesh of my flesh. How could I not love you?”
Su Wanwan clutched the money. A rough glance told her there was seven or eight yuan. She made a show of pushing it back a few times, then “reluctantly” pocketed it and wiped away her tears.
“I’m just hurting inside.”
Her daughter was crying. The words stuck in Qin Shuanglan’s throat couldn’t come out.
After she left, Gu Shiwei finally snapped out of her shock.
“Sister-in-law, are you okay?”
Su Wanwan smiled brightly. “Not a thing wrong. Little sister, tomorrow when we go to town, Sister-in-law will buy you candy.”
So Sister-in-law just sheds a few tears and money falls into her lap?
Impressive. Truly impressive.
Gu Shiwei was filled with admiration. Sister-in-law really had some acting skills.
Qin Shuanglan had no idea about her daughter’s little schemes. On the way back, she felt quite uneasy. After all these years, her daughter was finally willing to open up to her. So the child had been hiding such deep grievances.
Just as she was thinking, someone called out to her.
“Aunt.”
Lin Zhixia came over, batting her almond eyes. She took Qin Shuanglan’s arm affectionately, the picture of a devoted daughter.
“Where have you been?”
“I went to see Wanwan.”
Seeing Qin Shuanglan’s expression wasn’t good, Lin Zhixia guessed the mother and daughter had argued again. She immediately seized the chance to add fuel to the fire. But before she could say much, Qin Shuanglan cut her off.
“Zhixia, Wanwan has it hard too.”
“She cried right in front of me. This child never suffered grievances growing up. Her father and brothers couldn’t bear to let her suffer at all. As her older sister, indulge her a little. She just has a bad temper. Her heart isn’t bad.”
Lin Zhixia was dumbstruck.
Wait, what’s going on?
Weren’t you going to scold Su Wanwan?
Why are you lecturing me instead?
She was unhappy but couldn’t show it to Qin Shuanglan’s face. She gave a perfunctory response, her eyes darting around. Then she changed tack and, with a look of embarrassment, asked Qin Shuanglan for a loan.
A loan in name only. She’d never once paid it back.
She never borrowed much. Fifty cents, a yuan. Never more than five. Qin Shuanglan, as an elder, couldn’t bring herself to demand repayment.
“Aunt, I’ll pay you back in a few days.”
After the college entrance exam was restored, Zhou Mingyuan started trying to get into university. He’d failed twice. He wanted to keep trying. He ignored all the household work. Even at work, he couldn’t earn full work points. Their life was tight. And her mother-in-law was stingy. When Lin Zhixia had no money, she could only go to Qin Shuanglan.
“Aunt, Mingyuan is a man with a future. Once he gets into university, I’ll bring you to the city to live the good life.”
Qin Shuanglan only listened to this. Zhou Mingyuan had his own mother. The good life wouldn’t fall to her.
But she doted on her niece. Habitually, she reached for her pocket. Only then did she remember she had no money.
“Zhixia, Aunt has no money.”
The fake smile on Lin Zhixia’s face nearly cracked. “No money?”
“I gave it all to Wanwan.”
Lin Zhixia was speechless.
She lost control of her emotions for a moment, and the question burst out.
“How could you give it all to her!”
Hearing this, the smile on Qin Shuanglan’s face froze. She felt Lin Zhixia’s words made no sense. Wanwan was her own daughter. Couldn’t she even help her own daughter?
But she had always been lenient with Lin Zhixia. She only said she’d get her some later.
“You should spend more carefully too.”
It hadn’t even been a month, and Lin Zhixia had taken five or six yuan from her in bits and pieces. It wasn’t much, but it wasn’t little either. She’d heard a regular worker in the city only made twenty or thirty yuan a month.
“Okay, Aunt. I’ll definitely spend carefully.”
Watching Qin Shuanglan leave, the obedient look on Lin Zhixia’s face vanished instantly. She gritted her teeth and cursed under her breath. “Partial old hag. You’ll die a horrible death sooner or later.”
Su Wanwan naturally had no idea of Lin Zhixia’s viciousness.
After drying the herbs, she went into the kitchen to prepare lunch.
She was just cutting potatoes when a shout came from outside.
“Bad news! Your Gu Shiyan is about to be beaten to death!”
Who?
Gu Shiyan?
Su Wanwan’s mind went blank with a buzz. The knife in her hand slipped, and she cut a gash in her finger. The pain was agonizing, lancing straight to her heart. But what shocked her more was Gu Shiyan.
How could he be about to be beaten to death?!