“Second sister never took stuff from home to her in-laws’ place.”
“It’s true, second sister cares for me the most, she has been good to me since I was little, while you, eldest sister, only know how to bully me. Anyway, since you’re married now, better not to hang around home too much. Every time you come, you find fault with me. Look at second sister, she never asks me to do this or that. After all my hard work, you’re still not satisfied…”
Lin Jiadong curled his lip and retreated to his room under the furious gaze of Lin Jiayi. Of course, to avoid his cooked food being taken away, he held tightly to the bag of food as he went back to his room.
Lin Jiayi was truly about to lose her mind with anger, tears streaming down her face, “Mom, why don’t you discipline him? Listen to what he’s saying. I am his biological sister, yet he’s taking the side of that wretched girl.”
“Keep your voice down!”
Mother Lin quickly spoke up, reminding her with caution, glancing suspiciously towards Lin Jiadong’s room, then glared at her.
“What nonsense are you talking about, you and your second sister are both his biological sisters.”
Lin Jiayi couldn’t believe that even her mother was not on her side now. This had never happened before.
She was too shocked and aggrieved to care.
Her eyes red and swollen, she opened her mouth to say something but ended up closing it again, unable to utter a word.
Mother Lin felt a pain in her heart, but some things still needed to be said.
“Jiadong only has you two sisters, you both should help him when it’s time. What he said isn’t wrong, you’re a married daughter, there’s no way you should be taking things from your parental home to your in-law’s, isn’t that turning your elbow outwards?”
“When I found you such a good marriage prospect, you refused, saying Li Guangyuan would make something big of himself, but what about now? How’s your life? I think it’s not even as good as your second sister, what’s it like to be living in widowhood? Doesn’t she eat well every day? You have to come to your parents’ house even for a bite of meat, is this the good life you were talking about? I can’t see what great abilities Li Guangyuan has.”
Lin Jiayi felt like she had been hit where it hurt, her eyes vicious and red as she lashed out, “Li Guangyuan is indeed capable. No matter how good Qin Yang is, he’s a cold-blooded creature, not just cold-blooded, but also a hypocrite who’s different behind your back. Mum, you just wait and see, in no time at all, Li Guangyuan will definitely surpass the Qin Family. And Qin Yang? He’s been living outside for years, who knows if he’s got someone there already. He and Lin Chuxia get along so well, why don’t you see her pregnant? She’s just waiting to raise his bastard child.”
She didn’t say it out loud, but she waited, eager for her mother to see what kind of cold-hearted creature Qin Yang was and how he treated Lin Chuxia.
Waiting for her mother to see Lin Chuxia’s good days come crashing down.
She had never expected that her mother would also become so mercenary, seeing that wretched girl doing well and even…
Lin Jiayi wiped away her tears, as if to encourage herself, “Mum, just you wait, I will live better than Lin Chuxia. Once I have money, I won’t be like her, so stingy about giving you a bit of meat. I’ve said it, I’ll help Jiadong with the betrothal money, just you wait and see, by that time, I hope you won’t regret it…”
After saying this, Lin Jiayi turned and walked out.
At this moment, Mother Lin was already regretful. Her eldest daughter had always been concerned about their family, unlike that ingrate who wouldn’t even give a few hundred dollars when asked.
“Jiayi…”
She called out, but seeing Lin Jiayi not turning back, she hastily chased after her.
After a couple of steps, she thought of something, rushed into her son’s room, and amidst her son’s discontented complaints, took a length of sausage and chased after her.
……
Lin Jiayi carrying a length of sausage, couldn’t hide her disdain, yet couldn’t help but place it near her nose to take in the aroma.
It was truly fragrant; she seemed to have smelled this scent before but couldn’t remember where.
Perhaps that day at Qin’s Buns Shop?
Even though they didn’t buy any cooked food that day, Qin’s Buns Shop sold cooked items, and the entire place was filled with the aroma of meat.
Just as she was thinking, she saw a blurry yet familiar figure in the distance and immediately put down the deli food.
“Jiayi, why are you coming back so late? I was just about to go over to my mother-in-law’s to pick you up.”
Li Guangyuan had already recognized Lin Jiayi. As he walked over, he said.
Noticing the items in her hand, he reached out to help, “What’s this?”
Lin Jiayi handed it over nonchalantly, “Mom saw that I enjoyed dinner tonight and let me bring the leftovers home.”
She glanced at him again, her voice proud, “If not for my mom who dotes on me, always making my favorite dishes when I visit because she knows I’m pregnant and it’s hard on me.”
Touched by the starlight, Li Guangyuan could roughly see what was inside, his face filled with emotion, “Yes, your mother dotes on you the most. When you have time, you should visit your parents more often. There’s nothing much going on at home anyway, spend more time talking with your mother..”
Lin Jiayi: “…”
“Li Guangyuan, do you even have a conscience? The child I’m carrying is the Li Family’s grandchild. Do you really think it’s right for my mom to take care of me?”
Li Guangyuan looked innocent, “Isn’t it you who said your mother dotes on you the most and that you’re comfortable at your parents’ home? I’m just thinking of your best interest.”
“Thinking of my best interest? If that’s true, you should talk to your mom and your two sisters. Your mom took 20 yuan from us for the New Year’s preparation but didn’t buy any goods. Now we have to do it ourselves. What did she need the money for? She probably gave it all to your sisters.”
If it weren’t for this, she wouldn’t have needed to go back to her parental home.
“Mom did buy some New Year’s goods, didn’t she ask Dongmei to buy two jin of pork?”
“What’s two jin of pork enough for? You gave her 20 yuan, remember?”
Seeing Li Guangyuan silent again, it had been like this lately; whenever they touched on issues, he would clam up as if avoiding the problem, acting as though not speaking would solve everything.
This Li Guangyuan, really doesn’t resemble the awe-inspiring President Li from her past life at all. She even began to doubt if her previous life was a dream and there was no President Li.
“Guangyuan, I’m not just nagging about the money. It’s just that we don’t have much capital to begin with. How much can your mom even spend at her age? We gave quite a lot when Hongmei got married, and her dowry money is still held by your mom. She’s not without money. If she wants 20 yuan for the New Year, she should be buying the goods.”
Li Guangyuan remained silent. Lin Jiayi was so frustrated she could kick him.
In the end, she could only change the subject, “In the end, we’re just poor. If we were like the Qin Family, running a shop and doing business, we wouldn’t care about these 20 yuan. We could even give your mom 200 yuan. Guangyuan, it’s the same old story; selling vegetables won’t make us a lot of money. We have to think of another business to really get ahead.”
She was desperate to get into business and earn big money so she could firmly trample Lin Chuxia under her feet.
Li Guangyuan agreed with her. Ever since he found out that Qin’s Bun Shop belonged to his sister-in-law, he had also gone to see it.
Such a large bun shop, constantly bustling with people, must have a substantial daily income.
But opening a shop isn’t as easy as just deciding to do it.
“I understand, Jiayi. I’ll find a way.”
Only upon hearing his promise did Lin Jiayi finally feel satisfied.
As the couple entered the house, Li Hongmei had just come out of the latrine.
She initially didn’t want to pay any attention to them, but then her sharp eyes caught the item Li Guangyuan was holding.
“Brother, what’s this? Did you bring it back for me?”