According to local custom, after the baby’s full-month celebration and the banquet for relatives, the groom’s family would host another dinner that evening exclusively for the bride’s close relatives.
It was both an apology for any shortcomings in the day’s hospitality and a way of showing how much the husband’s family valued the newborn and appreciated the daughter-in-law, thanking her parents for raising such a wonderful woman.
As Yang Lan’s younger sister, Yang Yuan naturally had to attend.
After work, she went straight to her second sister’s house.
There were only two tables of guests, all family.
The men occupied the outer room—Yang Father, Yang Wenping, Meng Quan, Meng Father, Grandpa Meng, and Meng Quan’s two older brothers.
The women sat inside—Yang Mother, Yang Yuan, Yang Lan, Meng Mother, Meng Quan’s two sisters-in-law, and his younger sister.
The men drank liquor.
The women chatted while eating, their conversation revolving around the baby and family matters.
It wasn’t much different from the luncheon earlier that day.
Halfway through the meal, little Leilei started crying.
Yang Lan returned to the bedroom to tend to him.
Yang Yuan followed.
“Second Sister,” Yang Yuan asked once they were alone, “Leilei’s already a month old. Has his grandmother really not done anything?”
Things were different now than in later generations.
In the future, many young couples would prefer to live separately from their parents.
But in this era, the older generation was expected to help the younger one however they could—providing money, childcare, and household support until the young couple had firmly established themselves.
Yang Lan had one undeniable advantage:
She was beautiful.
Other than that…
She had no influential family background.
No higher education.
No respectable job.
When she’d married Meng Quan, Meng Mother had opposed the marriage with every fiber of her being.
On the wedding day, when the bride traditionally toasted her mother-in-law, it had been Meng Father who accepted the toast instead.
In the two years since the wedding, Meng Mother had never once visited the young couple’s home.
It was always Meng Quan who brought gifts to visit his mother.
Even when Yang Lan gave birth, Meng Mother had only come on the first day.
Afterward, whenever chicken soup was sent over, it was always delivered by the family’s housekeeper.
Yang Lan gently cleaned Leilei, changed his clothes, and cradled him while nursing.
Only then did she answer.
“Meng Quan brought home two hundred yuan.”
“He said his parents gave it to us.”
“I don’t know if that’s true.”
“They came quite early today.”
“His mother held Leilei for a while.”
“When she left, she tucked a solid gold longevity lock into his swaddling blanket.”
“It looked newly made.”
“I have no idea how she managed to find a goldsmith these days.”
Yang Yuan nodded.
To her, that arrangement wasn’t so bad.
A little distance between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law often prevented conflict.
But judging from Yang Lan’s expression…
She clearly didn’t feel the same.
“Hmm… sounds about right.”
“Our mom took care of you during your confinement.”
“Your mother-in-law has money, so she just gave cash instead.”
“It’s basically the same.”
“You can buy fine flour or malted milk to help yourself recover.”
“And you don’t have to worry about dealing with your mother-in-law every day.”
“Wouldn’t that be more comfortable?”
She tried to comfort her.
“I know.”
“Mom told me the same thing.”
“But it still hurts.”
“My mother-in-law’s an educated cadre.”
“When Eldest Sister-in-law gave birth, she personally washed cloth diapers.”
“Not only that…”
“She even traveled all the way to the military compound just to help.”
Yang Lan sniffed.
“Second Sister-in-law’s oldest daughter stayed with her.”
“She practically raised the girl herself.”
“Niu Niu is already six years old and still lives there.”
“So why…”
“When it’s my son…”
“She suddenly can’t do any of that anymore?”
“How am I supposed to feel?”
What hurt wasn’t having less.
It was being treated differently.
“And do you know what everyone says?”
She grabbed Yang Yuan’s arm.
“They all insist that Meng Quan is his parents’ favorite son.”
“Every relative and neighbor thinks he got all the advantages.”
“But what advantages?”
“What have I ever received from that family after getting married?”
Her nose turned red.
She looked ready to cry.
“Oh, Second Sister…”
“You can’t cry.”
“Mom says crying during your confinement will ruin your eyesight.”
Yang Yuan hurriedly grabbed a handkerchief and wiped away her tears.
“I know.”
“They’ve always looked down on me.”
“They think all I have is my face.”
“Eldest Sister-in-law’s a military doctor.”
“Second Sister-in-law comes from a prestigious family in Changhai and worked in a song-and-dance troupe.”
“Even my job at the supply and marketing cooperative came through their connections.”
“Compared to them…”
“I’ll always be beneath them.”
“And now…”
“They even look down on my son.”
Yang Lan sighed deeply.
“That’s why, Yuanyuan…”
“When your brother-in-law told me you wanted to buy a job…”
“I was the first one to support you.”
“A woman has to stand on her own.”
“Only then will people respect her.”
“Otherwise…”
“You’ll end up like me.”
“I rushed into marriage.”
“And now…”
“I can’t even hold my head high.”
“My child suffers because of it too.”
Yang Yuan spent a long time trying to comfort her.
But some beliefs were simply too deeply rooted to change.
After all…
The two sisters had effectively grown up decades apart.
Their differences in outlook couldn’t disappear after just a few conversations.
She sighed inwardly.
Every family had its own burdens.
To outsiders, Yang Lan seemed to have everything.
She was beautiful.
She’d married into a wealthy family.
People envied her happiness.
But only the person living that life truly knew what it was like.
Only the wearer knows whether the shoe pinches.
Yang Yuan also understood exactly why Meng Mother had never accepted Yang Lan.
The original owner’s memories made everything clear.
Back then, Yang Yuan’s eldest brother had already volunteered to go to the countryside.
Under the new policy, anyone who wasn’t studying or employed had to go.
At the time, Yang Yuan had been running around town with the Red Guards.
The moment she heard the policy, she’d rushed back to school and quietly stayed in class.
But Yang Lan and Third Sister Yang Yue had already graduated.
Neither had found work.
There was no escaping it.
Originally…
The family had planned to send Yang Lan first.
With one daughter already assigned to the countryside, they might have been able to delay Yang Yue’s assignment while desperately searching for any job—even a dirty apprenticeship.
Anything to let her stay in the city.
But Yang Lan refused.
She was exceptionally beautiful.
Even walking alone through the city during daylight hours attracted men who followed behind her.
If she were sent to the countryside…
Whether she could handle farm work wasn’t even the biggest concern.
Her personal safety was.
At the time, Yang Lan was already engaged.
Her fiancé came from an ordinary working-class family.
Yang Mother had deliberately found someone of similar social standing, believing her daughter would never be mistreated there.
Unfortunately…
That young man was also scheduled to go to the countryside.
He couldn’t help her.
Desperate to remain in the city…
Yang Lan quickly chose Meng Quan from among her many admirers.
Within less than a month…
She broke off her previous engagement, married Meng Quan, secured a job as a sales clerk at the supply and marketing cooperative…
And achieved exactly what she’d wanted.
That incident was precisely why Meng Mother had never respected her.
In Meng Mother’s eyes…
If Yang Lan could abandon one fiancé the moment hardship appeared…
Then one day she’d abandon Meng Quan just as easily.
Meng Mother had never truly considered her part of the family.
The Yang household hadn’t escaped unharmed either.
Yang Lan stayed.
That meant Yang Yue had no choice but to go.
Originally…
There might still have been a chance to keep Yang Yue in the city.
After Yang Lan’s decision…
That possibility disappeared entirely.
What hurt even more…
Was that Yang Father and Yang Mother had clearly chosen Yang Lan.
How could Yang Yue not feel hurt?
How could she not feel wronged?
Normally…
Third Sister had always been gentle and dutiful.
Her eldest brother was the firstborn son and naturally received the family’s greatest expectations.
Second Sister was beautiful and constantly praised.
Their parents loved taking her everywhere.
Fourth Brother excelled academically.
Anything good in the family was always saved for him.
Youngest Sister Yang Yuan was lively and adorable.
She was their mother’s favorite.
Even the youngest brother, who’d been sent away to be raised elsewhere when he was little, remained constantly on everyone’s minds.
Only Yang Yue…
Had always been overlooked.
In Yang Yuan’s memories…
That was the first—and only—time Third Sister had ever completely lost her temper.
Soon afterward…
She left for the countryside.
Aside from the train ticket issued by the Educated Youth Office…
She took nothing.
Just the clothes she was wearing.
Before leaving, she’d said only one sentence:
“There isn’t a single thing in this house that belongs to me.”
Later…
Second Sister and Fourth Brother chased after her with supplies.
But it didn’t matter.
From that day forward…
Yang Yue never spoke to her family again.
No matter who wrote to her…
She never replied.
Not once.