“Enough already. Aren’t you worried the neighbors will laugh at you?”
A middle-aged man’s voice suddenly rang out.
The woman’s voice immediately softened.
“If Ma Laihua isn’t afraid of being laughed at, why should I be?”
“That’s enough, enough. Chunfeng will be home from work soon. It’ll look bad if things get out of hand,” the man continued to persuade her.
“That purebred blockhead?” the woman scoffed proudly. “I could curse his mother right to his face, and he wouldn’t even change his expression.”
Jiang Lai stood outside listening for a moment.
No wonder Jiang Chunfeng had worked himself to death with overtime.
If he came home every day to such a suffocating atmosphere, where neither his body nor his mind could rest, no wonder he’d rather stay outside than come home.
She stepped forward and knocked twice on the door.
The voices inside fell silent at once.
The door opened halfway, revealing half of a young girl’s face.
The girl looked Jiang Lai up and down before asking warily,
“Who is it?”
“Is Sister-in-law Hua home?”
The girl sneered disdainfully.
“Wait.”
Then she turned toward the house and shouted,
“Big Sis! There’s a beggar outside looking for you!”
Jiang Lai couldn’t help lowering her head to examine herself.
Her two braids, though somewhat dry and yellowish, were neatly done.
She wore a light green jacket, dark blue trousers, and cloth shoes handmade by Grandma Wang.
Aside from looking dusty from the long journey, she was dressed perfectly decently.
How did she look like a beggar?
Soon came the scraping of chairs and approaching footsteps, accompanied by a woman’s puzzled voice.
“What beggar would come to the factory housing?”
“And why would a beggar be looking for your sister?”
A moment later, the door swung open.
A family of five stood neatly in the doorway, all staring at Jiang Lai.
Only then did she get a good look at the young girl.
The girl also wore twin braids, but hers were decorated with pearl hair clips.
She had on a floral dress and yellow leather shoes.
Compared to her, Jiang Lai really did resemble a country bumpkin.
Ignoring the scrutinizing looks, Jiang Lai fixed her gaze on the woman holding a little boy’s hand.
Guessing she was her eldest sister-in-law, she cautiously called,
“Sister-in-law?”
The form of address startled Wen Hua’er.
The young girl was the first to react.
“You’re the daughter Aunt Ma has been raising in the countryside, aren’t you?”
“That’s right.”
“I’m Ma Laihua’s biological daughter.”
Jiang Lai’s calm honesty made Wen’s mother feel somewhat embarrassed.
She silently wondered how much of their earlier conversation Jiang Lai had overheard.
Awkwardly, she shifted her gaze away.
Wen Hua’er quickly recovered.
She hurriedly pushed open the screen door and welcomed Jiang Lai inside.
“Little Sister, when did you get back?”
It had been years since she’d last seen the original Jiang Lai.
But those fox-like eyes, identical to Ma Laihua’s, left no doubt about her identity.
The Wen family’s apartment had two bedrooms and a living room, spacious by city standards.
A single bed occupied one side of the living room.
Several sets of clothes—for men, women, and children alike—were piled on it.
Apparently the family of three had been sleeping in the living room these days.
Jiang Lai placed her cloth bag beside her feet and immediately burst into tears.
“I just got home.”
“Second Sister-in-law told me Mom spent the money meant for my little nephew’s surgery so I could come back.”
“My heart feels terrible.”
“I wanted to come apologize to you in person.”
“What good is an apology?”
“The money’s already been spent.”
“So she didn’t even care about her own grandson’s future.”
The older woman crossed one leg over the other and sat opposite them.
She didn’t even bother getting up to pour a cup of hot water.
Her hostility couldn’t have been more obvious.
Jiang Lai looked toward little Jiang Xiaowei, who sat quietly beside Wen Hua’er.
The boy’s right eye had a severe lazy eye.
The delicate surgery couldn’t be performed in the provincial capital.
He would have to go to the capital city.
The cost would be around ten thousand yuan.
The family had been saving for years.
The doctors had repeatedly said the earlier the surgery was performed, the better.
But people couldn’t survive without eating, socializing, and covering daily expenses.
Over the years, the Jiang family had only managed to save about five thousand yuan.
Then Ma Laihua spent one thousand of it buying Jiang Lai a job.
Only after everything had been settled did Ma Laihua tell the family.
What angered Wen Hua’er wasn’t merely the money.
It was the feeling that no one had respected or consulted her.
Jiang Lai sighed softly.
“My mom feels awful too.”
“On one side is her own daughter.”
“On the other is her eldest grandson.”
“How could she possibly choose?”
“She hasn’t slept properly in two months.”
“When I was fourteen, Grandma told me our family finally had enough food and that she’d send me back to school.”
“But then the neighborhood committee demanded someone from our family be sent to the countryside.”
“At the time, both my eldest and second brothers were in relationships.”
“My dad was already trying to arrange jobs for them.”
“The educated youth office said if our family didn’t send someone down, they wouldn’t assign anyone work.”
“My third brother had injured his back and couldn’t do physical labor.”
“So in the end…”
“I was the one sent.”
“I was only fourteen.”
“They told me educated youths couldn’t continue attending school.”
“I had to quit and go farm.”
“That winter…”
“The chilblains on my hands kept breaking open over and over.”
“They itched so badly every night that I couldn’t sleep.”
As she spoke, she stretched out both of her chubby hands for Wen Hua’er to see.
Back then, Wen Hua’er and Jiang Chunfeng had still been dating.
Wen Hua’er already had a work assignment and didn’t need to go to the countryside.
As the eldest son, Jiang Chunfeng had originally been expected to go.
He had even discussed breaking up with her beforehand.
Later, when his younger sister took his place, Jiang Chunfeng became a permanent employee at the textile factory.
Only then were they able to marry and start a family.
“I know you have resentment.”
“I know you feel sorry for Xiaowei.”
“My mother feels sorry for me too.”
“Other dual-income families could let their youngest daughters stay in school, take exams, and enter factories.”
“But when she thought about her own daughter surviving on three work points a day in the fields…”
“She couldn’t bear it either.”
“Sister-in-law…”
“Don’t worry.”
“Once I start working, I’ll save money so Xiaowei can get his eye treated.”
Seeing Jiang Lai covered in road dust, dressed so plainly—and then glancing at her own elegantly dressed younger sister—Wen Hua’er suddenly felt a lump rise in her throat.
If Jiang Chunfeng had been the one sent to the countryside all those years ago…
Jiang Lai would probably look just like her younger sister now.
Wearing a pretty dress.
Living a completely different life.
“I’m human too.”
“I long for a good life.”
“I envy all of you.”
“You work regular hours.”
“You don’t have to bake under the sun or be battered by the wind.”
“I don’t want to spend my whole life squatting in endless fields where the horizon never ends.”
“Don’t worry.”
“Once I receive my salary every month, I’ll hand it all over to Mom.”
“Our whole family will work together and save enough for Xiaowei’s surgery as soon as possible.”
She wiped away another tear as she finished.
Jiang Lai’s crying made Wen Hua’er’s heart ache.
“Little Sister…”
“Please don’t say that.”
“You’re making me feel terrible.”
“Hmph.”
“So a few tears are enough to soften your heart?”
Wen’s mother sneered.
“Your son might end up cross-eyed for the rest of his life.”
“Sister-in-law, don’t worry.”
“If our whole family works together, Xiaowei’s eye can be fixed next year.”
“No matter what…”
“You have to accept my apology.”
“Otherwise, I’ll never forgive myself.”
“Xiaowei is Mom’s own grandson.”
“He’s the apple of her eye.”
“How could she not feel sorry for him?”
“But this was my only chance to come back to the city.”
“She truly had no easy choice.”
Jiang Lai cried just enough to seem sincere.
Seeing Wen Hua’er’s eyes redden, she knew she’d reached the right point.
Any more would feel overdone.
She quickly wiped away her tears and changed the subject.
“Before I came, Mom said you went back to your parents’ house without bringing anything.”
“She packed two jin of freshly milled flour, some vegetables, and two salted fish for you.”
“She even scolded my eldest brother, saying he didn’t know how to behave.”
“‘How can a man visit his parents-in-law without even bringing a bottle of liquor?’ she said.”
“Your brother doesn’t have any money.”
“I keep all our savings.”
“I’m just going back to my own parents’ home.”
“There’s no need to fuss over gifts.”
Jiang Lai glanced toward Wen’s mother.
At those words, Wen’s mother curled her lips nearly to her ears in disdain.
She couldn’t tell whether Wen Hua’er was genuinely naïve or simply pretending not to notice her own mother’s contempt.
With reddened eyes, Wen Hua’er looked at Jiang Lai and quietly asked,
“Did… Mother really say those things?”
“Our mom said your personality is the most like hers.”
“She cares about you the most.”
“But after arguing with you, she’s the elder.”
“She doesn’t know how to be the first one to offer an olive branch.”
“And every time you get angry, you run back to your parents’ house.”
“She knows you don’t have it easy here.”
“She reminded my eldest brother several times that whenever he came to pick you up, he should bring some gifts.”
“But my eldest brother’s just a big, simple blockhead.”
“This isn’t Chunfeng’s fault.”
“It’s really not.”
Wen Hua’er covered her face and burst into tears.