Chapter 34

After Jiang Mingchuan and the others left, Liu Jingzhi helped her mother wash the dishes, and Song Xiaoru sent her eldest daughter to take a nap.

Liu Jingzhi nodded, dried her hands, brushed back a lock of hair from her forehead, and walked into the room. Upon entering, she saw her sister holding two hats, examining them left and right, seemingly torn between which one to choose.

Seeing her sister approach, Liu Aihua tossed one of the hats onto the table unhappily, then took the other hat and preened in front of the mirror.

Liu Qin quickly picked up the hat on the table and handed it to his eldest daughter with a smile. "There's one for each of you."

But Liu Jingzhi knew that if they were different, they would both be for her younger sister. Her parents treated her well, but whenever her sister cried, they would look at her with difficulty, silently asking her to yield to her sister.

Liu Jingzhi returned to her room with the hat, caressed it affectionately, and carefully placed it on her head. There was no mirror in the room, so she couldn't see how she looked wearing it; she could only reach out and feel it, a faint smile appearing on her face.

Suddenly, she thought of something and removed the hat from her head. She then took out the red envelope from her pocket, expecting it to contain the usual ten yuan. To her surprise, when she opened it, she found ten ten-yuan bills inside, causing her mouth to gape open in astonishment.

How could there be so much? Her heart pounded wildly.

Hearing her sister's footsteps approaching, Liu Jingzhi instinctively stuffed the money back into her pocket, her emotions taking a while to settle. She wondered if her cousin had made a mistake.

Before she could think further, her sister entered the room, holding the hat casually, her expression sour. After entering, she threw the hat onto the table and sat down on the bed to sulk. Seeing the identical hat on her sister's lap worsened her mood. She didn't look good in this hat, and if she wore the same one as her sister outside, people would surely mock her.

With this thought, she turned to look at her sister. The sunlight shone through the window, illuminating her sister's fair and tender skin, even revealing the fine hairs on her face. Her skin was pale, and her lips were red, unlike herself, who seemed to inherit the less attractive traits from their parents.

Her sister's name sounded better than hers, yet their parents always indulged her, except when it came to changing her sister's name. Wasn't it just a trip to the police station? She didn't understand why her parents were so partial.

Feeling resentful, she took out the red envelope from her pocket and examined it again. Then, she suddenly asked, "How much money was in your red envelope?"

Fearing her sister might misunderstand, Liu Jingzhi replied, "Not much."

Liu Aihua responded curtly, "How much is not much? One yuan?"

Liu Jingzhi hesitated before nodding.

Liu Aihua felt relieved and said disdainfully, "This cousin of ours has become stingier ever since he married his wife. Combined, we only got three yuan. What can you buy with three yuan?"

Liu Jingzhi was speechless. Three yuan was half her monthly living expenses. When she started university, her parents gave her thirty yuan for six months' worth of expenses. Her sister threw a tantrum upon finding out, accusing their parents of favoritism. Eventually, seeing how difficult it was for them, Liu Jingzhi accepted only twenty-five yuan. Even then, her sister remained unhappy.

Liu Aihua grumbled and kicked off her shoes to go to sleep. Liu Jingzhi glanced at her sister, who occupied most of the bed, and secretly wished for school to start soon.

She turned around, sat properly at the table, and picked up a book to read. However, after reading a few lines, she couldn't concentrate. Thinking about the red envelope in her pocket, a strange feeling arose within her.

Her sister only received two yuan, while she had one hundred. Could this really be a coincidence?

She recalled what her cousin had said—

"In the past, he didn't know how to treat you well, but from now on, we will cherish you."

Why should they treat her well?

Her parents also treated her well, albeit with some favoritism towards her sister. But her cousin seemed to have always favored her since childhood, even sneaking to visit her at school. At the time, she was young, and perhaps her cousin assumed she had long forgotten. Yet, she remembered everything, including how he chased away a wild dog for her. Ever since, she never saw the large black dog that used to bark at her when she went to school.

Now, not only did her cousin like her, but his wife did too.

Something flashed through Liu Jingzhi's mind, but she didn't dwell on it, or perhaps she was afraid to consider it.

In the next room, Liu Qin and his wife lay in bed, unable to fall asleep.

Liu Qin tossed and turned several times, dissipating the warmth under the quilt, which annoyed Song Xiaoru enough to slap him. "Are you going to sleep or not?"

Liu Qin sighed. "The thought of Jiang Mingchuan reclaiming our eldest daughter unsettles me. We've raised her for so many years; even if it were a dog, we'd have developed feelings for it."

Years ago, when he and his wife were childless, his father brought over a woman carrying a child. He recognized the woman; when he was young, he had seen her from afar when visiting the Bai family. The servants called her "Miss."

She was a true heiress, exquisitely noble. Their estate was so vast that he always got lost whenever he visited. That woman gave them a substantial sum of money and arranged for them to move to S Province, setting up a small house and transferring their household registration. The only condition was that they treat the child well. She also mentioned that the child would bear their surname and be named Liu Jingzhi.

Such a stroke of luck was beyond their wildest dreams. He knew the Bai family were great benefactors to their family, so he always treated Jingzhi as his own daughter.

Unfortunately, his brother-in-law wasn't reliable. After much effort to get him a job at the Machinery Plant, he ended up crashing a car and killing someone, forcing them to sell their house and pay compensation. Liu Qin himself became a temporary worker, and if not for spending money to secure his position, he might have been laid off.

He admitted that after having his younger daughter, he couldn't help but favor her more. His younger daughter resembled him, not very good-looking and not particularly smart. In comparison to his elder daughter, she fell short in every aspect. Whenever he saw her cry, he couldn't help but soften.

However, he hadn't neglected his elder daughter. Knowing she loved studying, he spent an entire year ingratiating himself with his superiors, working hard, and even secretly giving gifts, all to secure a recommendation for university admission. Thankfully, his elder daughter was capable and passed the school's entrance exam with top honors.

Upon hearing this, Song Xiaoru sighed and suggested, "What if we arrange a marriage between Jingzhi and my nephew?"

Liu Qin frowned. "That wouldn't be appropriate. Your nephew is younger than our daughter."

Song Xiaoru retorted, "So what if he's younger? An older wife brings prosperity."

Liu Qin wasn't pleased. His elder daughter was so outstanding that his wife's nephew wasn't worthy of her. He understood his sister-in-law's intentions better than anyone.

Not hearing a response from her husband, Song Xiaoru turned over. It was merely a fleeting thought in her mind.

---

After returning to the guesthouse as a family of four, they first went to find a bathhouse for a soak.

The bathhouses in S Province weren't as bustling as those in the capital. Each shower stall was separated by wooden boards. This time, Jin Xiuzhu felt less self-conscious while bathing, although she still washed quickly.

When she emerged, Jiang Mingchuan and He Yan followed shortly after. On the way, Jiang Mingchuan asked Jin Xiuzhu what she wanted to eat for dinner.

Jin Xiuzhu thought for a moment. "I kind of want to have the radish and pork stew you make."

Jiang Mingchuan was an excellent cook, especially when it came to the radish and pork stew he prepared in a clay pot. It was incredibly fragrant, more delicious than any delicacy she had tasted before.

Especially when paired with the rich broth and rice, she could easily devour two bowls.

Thinking about it, Jin Xiuzhu realized she was hungry.

She didn’t eat much at Liu Qin’s place due to the unappetizing taste of the food.

Jiang Mingchuan was about to ask her whether she wanted noodles or rice for dinner, but he didn’t expect her to want his cooking instead. "I’ll go downstairs and ask if they can cook us a meal."

Jin Xiuzhu smiled.

Taking advantage of the moment, He Yan said, "Dad, I also want to eat your dumplings."

Jiang Mingchuan gave him an annoyed look. "Do you think I have the time to make them for you?"

He Yan puffed up his cheeks and whispered to his sister beside him, "Dad is biased."

Fu Yanyan couldn’t be bothered with him. She wouldn’t make dumplings for him either, given how troublesome he was.

Back at the guesthouse, Jin Xiuzhu sat on the bed and dried her hair. When it was almost dry, she called her daughter over. Fu Yanyan looked at the towel in Jin Xiuzhu’s hand and walked over, puzzled.

Jin Xiuzhu sat her down on her lap and started drying her hair with the towel.

The little girl’s hair was fine and dried easily.

At first, Fu Yanyan was stiff, but she gradually relaxed. At home, everyone had their own towels, and they usually washed their hair in the morning when the sun was out. Jin Xiuzhu had never dried her hair like this before.

A tingling sensation spread from her scalp to her back. Her face rested on Jin Xiuzhu’s soft legs, and Fu Yanyan seemed to catch a faint fragrance.

Jin Xiuzhu suddenly spoke up. "Today we visited Auntie. What do you think of her life?"

He Yan shook his head immediately. "Not good. Auntie’s clothes have patches, and they’re not as nice as her sister’s."

But Fu Yanyan thought differently. Although Auntie wasn’t dressed as well as that Liu Aihua, she carried herself gracefully and had clear eyes. Perhaps she had suffered some injustice, but the Liu couple hadn’t mistreated her.

At least she was better off than her past self. If not for what happened later in her previous life, things would have been fine.

Jin Xiuzhu shared the same thoughts as her daughter. "The couple are honest people who haven’t mistreated your aunt. But their biological daughter is clearly more demanding. With someone like her around, something bad will eventually happen to that family—either your aunt will suffer, or the couple will be unlucky."

She couldn’t help sighing. "They really are siblings, both willing to bear losses themselves."

After hearing this, Fu Yanyan was surprised and wanted to look up at Jin Xiuzhu. She had hit the nail on the head.

Jin Xiuzhu stopped her from moving and held her head down. "I’m not done yet."

Then she continued, "I’m telling you these things so that you know it’s alright to accept small, harmless losses at times, but you shouldn’t always endure losses and wrongs. Otherwise, others will keep taking advantage of you. You should say no to any unreasonable requests or anything else that makes you uncomfortable right from the start. Do you understand?"

He Yan nodded vigorously after listening. "Like last year when Wu Xiaojun asked me to do his winter break homework, I told him no straight away."

Wu Xiaojun never played with him, only thinking of him when he needed help with his homework. He wasn’t stupid. Now he had friends and didn’t need to worry about being left out.

Then he said to his sister, "When you start school, if anyone asks you to do their homework and threatens to hit you if you don’t, tell me about it."

Fu Yanyan turned her head away, showing no appreciation.

He Yan looked at his mother, aggrieved. "Look at her!"

Jin Xiuzhu quickly comforted him. "I know you’re a good big brother."

That made He Yan happy.

Jin Xiuzhu secretly pinched her daughter’s cheek and muttered under her breath, "Little rascal."

It was a gentle pinch, but Fu Yanyan still felt a warmth on her face.

For some reason, hearing those words made her feel loved by Jin Xiuzhu.

Once Jin Xiuzhu and her daughter’s hair was dry, Jiang Mingchuan brought up the braised pork with radish he had prepared. Seeing that Jin Xiuzhu and her daughter had their hair down, he sent his son downstairs with him to fetch the dishes, worried about them catching a cold.

When they came back up, He Yan was carrying two side dishes, while Jiang Mingchuan held the rice bowl and chopsticks in one hand and the serving dish in the other.

They placed the three dishes on the table. There weren’t enough chairs, so Jin Xiuzhu and the children sat on the bed while Jiang Mingchuan took a chair. The family of four enjoyed the warm meal together.

In the casserole was Jin Xiuzhu’s favorite dish, braised pork with radish. The meat was cut into medium-sized cubes, half lean and half fatty, with a delicious charred flavor when bitten into.

Looking at the three men in her family enjoying their food, Jin Xiuzhu couldn’t help but recall the past. In previous years, when she was Concubine Jin in the Marquis Mansion, she would be eating exquisite dishes prepared by the mansion’s chef at this hour. During the New Year period, the Lord Marquis was the busiest, having to attend banquets every day. As a concubine, she didn’t have the privilege to join him. After dinner, she couldn’t rest and could only wait for the Lord Marquis to return. If he came to her courtyard, she would get up to serve him. If he didn’t, she could finally sleep.

She had never imagined that one day, a man would cook her favorite dishes for her and that she would have two adorable children by her side.

Previously, she had looked down on the happiness of ordinary families, but now, she cherished it so much that she wouldn’t trade it for all the gold in the world.

—

The next morning, Jin Xiuzhu said to Jiang Mingchuan, "Let’s take our sister out to play today?"

Jiang Mingchuan was tempted but soon hesitated.

In the past, he had wanted to take his sister out shopping, but she had been too afraid to go alone with him. Instead, the younger daughter of the Liu family had clung to him, begging to come along.

Jin Xiuzhu saw through his thoughts. "I’ll talk to them."

From yesterday’s brief interaction, she had a good grasp of the couple’s personalities and knew that Song Xiaoru was easier to persuade.

Sure enough, when the family of four arrived at the Lius’ with a bag of apples, Jin Xiuzhu put down the gift and warmly took Song Xiaoru’s hand. "Sister-in-law, you’re amazing. You’ve raised such well-behaved children. Talking to Jingzhi yesterday, I learned so much. Today, I’m shamelessly coming to ask if you’d let Jingzhi accompany me to buy some books."

"You know, working at the publishing house means we need to read more works by great leaders to enrich our spiritual world. Isn’t that true, Sister-in-law? Please don’t worry. We’ll bring her back this afternoon. You must agree. I’m offering my sincerity to yours, and as a sister-in-law, you can’t be stingy."

These words left Song Xiaoru unable to refuse. Jin Xiuzhu started by praising her and then ended by saying that a sister-in-law shouldn’t be stingy—it was all said in one breath.

Only Song Xiaoru and Liu Qin knew that Jin Xiuzhu wasn’t actually interested in buying books; she clearly wanted to take the older daughter out to play and get closer to her.

Even though she knew her position in her daughter’s heart, she couldn’t help worrying that if the daughter ate well and had fun, she might become less close to her.

However, she didn’t dare say no. After hesitating, she agreed.

Liu Jingzhi, standing beside them, brightened up at these words.

But Liu Aihua was unhappy. Why only her sister? She quickly said, "I want to go too."

Song Xiaoru sighed, "Why would you come along?"

"Why can't I come? I love reading too."

After saying this, she turned to Jin Xiuzhu and said in defiance, "You're my aunt too. Why do you only take my sister and not me? Are you biased towards her as well?"

Liu Qin hurriedly intervened, "Aihua, you're still young."

Then he apologized to Jin Xiuzhu and Jiang Mingchuan with a smile, "She's just a child and doesn't know any better. You two go out and have fun."

Seeing that her parents weren't going to placate her like they usually did, Liu Aihua became furious and started yelling, "You all favor my sister! You always want to give her the best and only take her out to play. I hate you all. This is my home, get out of here—"

Liu Qin shouted, "Liu Aihua!"

Liu Jingzhi, who had a smile on her face, fell silent. She pursed her lips and whispered to Jin Xiuzhu, "I won't go, Auntie."

"You're just pretending to be nice. I hate you the most."

"Shut up!"

Liu Qin apologized to Jin Xiuzhu, "She's still young and doesn't know any better."

Jin Xiuzhu curled the corner of her mouth, but her words were meaningful, "Sixteen or seventeen isn't that young. When we're not around, Jingzhi mustn't suffer such injustice every time, right? It's truly heartbreaking and disheartening."

When she said the last sentence, Jin Xiuzhu looked at Liu Qin with cold eyes.

Beside her, Jiang Mingchuan stepped forward. "Cousin, our family has never owed you anything."

If Jin Xiuzhu's words were like a soft knife that left Liu Qin and his wife defenseless, then Jiang Mingchuan's words were like a real bullet that pierced through all their pretenses.

The Bai family had never mistreated them. The Bai family's patriarch saved his father's life and provided for their family during those tough times. To put it bluntly, without the Bai family, there wouldn't be a Liu Qin.

And when Miss Bai gave them the child, she arranged everything for them.

Over the years, hearing their eldest daughter call them Mom and Dad every day made them almost forget their relationship. They only remembered it during the New Year.

Their eldest daughter was obedient and sensible. Many times, she would step back without them even having to say anything.

Hearing her aunt and uncle defend her, Liu Jingzhi didn't understand some of what they said, but she could feel their concern for her. For the first time, someone stood firmly by her side and spoke up for her.

She couldn't describe how she felt, but being openly favored was such a wonderful feeling.

She bit her lip and looked at her parents.

Liu Qin and his wife avoided her gaze. Liu Jingzhi thought they disagreed, and there was disappointment in her eyes. But perhaps due to a rebellious streak, she stubbornly didn't say she didn't want to go.

Liu Aihua continued to argue, telling Jiang Mingchuan and the others to get out of their house. She even reached out to push Jin Xiuzhu.

Jiang Mingchuan moved aside and stood in front of Jin Xiuzhu. His demeanor changed completely, and his gaze was like a cold blade cutting into people.

Liu Qin quickly held onto his younger daughter. Only he knew that while Jiang Mingchuan seemed easy-going and good-tempered, he was a genuine veteran from the military, and no one knew how much hardship he had endured.

He remembered the first time he saw this boy, who wasn't even as tall as him, thin as a bamboo stick, asking cautiously if he was his sister's adoptive father. Over the years, he grew more mature and steady.

But one thing remained unchanged: every month, he sent money without fail, which helped their family through many difficult times.

He lacked confidence as he said, "Then come back early."

Jiang Mingchuan grunted and directly led Jin Xiuzhu and his sister away.

Jin Xiuzhu held Liu Jingzhi's hand tightly. Liu Jingzhi's other hand was held by Fu Yanyan. It wasn't until they stepped outside that she realized what was happening. She looked down and met the little girl's obedient eyes.

Her heart softened, but she also felt a sense of unreality. Despite her sister's tantrum, she was able to go out and play alone. She didn't even know how her aunt and uncle managed to do it.

Even knowing that her sister would be angry with her for a long time after returning, she was still happy.

As they walked, Liu Jingzhi seemed to think of something and took out the red envelope from her pocket, handing it to Jin Xiuzhu. "Auntie, I think you took the wrong red envelope yesterday."

Jin Xiuzhu smiled, "No mistake. It's for you."

Liu Jingzhi looked at her in disbelief. "But...my sister only got two yuan, and this is one hundred..."

Jin Xiuzhu's eyes curved. "That's right."

Liu Jingzhi was so surprised that she couldn't speak.

Jin Xiuzhu hummed. "Someone was too foolish before and didn't know to secretly separate the envelopes. How could they put the same amount in each?"

After saying this, she glanced deliberately at the man beside her.

Jiang Mingchuan smiled when he heard this.

This was the first time Liu Jingzhi saw her uncle laugh so happily. Before, she had seen him smile, but even when he did, his expression was heavy, as if he wasn't happy. But since they weren't close, she didn't dare ask. Every time he came, he was in a hurry, and when he left, he was in a hurry as well.

She pursed her lips, not understanding why they were treating her so well.

Jin Xiuzhu acted as if she hadn't noticed anything and chatted with her, talking about life in the military, stories between military wives, and how her work in the canteen had been reported. Liu Jingzhi looked at her worriedly.

But then she heard how Jin Xiuzhu worked hard to learn and unexpectedly discovered her talent for painting, which was recognized by a newspaper. Liu Jingzhi couldn't help but be moved. "Auntie, you're amazing."

"You're amazing too."

As they walked and talked, He Yan occasionally interjected with a few words, drawing Liu Jingzhi's attention. When they arrived at the department store, Liu Jingzhi realized that they weren't there to buy books but to buy clothes for her. Liu Jingzhi refused, but Jin Xiuzhu insisted on buying expensive ones, as their body shapes were similar.

Liu Jingzhi had no choice but to accept, afraid that her aunt and uncle would spend even more money. Still, they bought a lot, including sweaters, pants, coats, and shoes.

After shopping, they went to the state-owned hotel for a meal, ordering a table full of delicious dishes.

Her aunt and uncle both served her meat, even the two children passed over their favorite dishes to her, filling up the large blue bowl.

This feeling of being doted on by everyone made Liu Jingzhi's nose tingle with emotion.

Jin Xiuzhu spoke to her gently, "We'll stay for another two days. Tomorrow, we'll take you to the guesthouse. Your uncle cooks the best meals, and I can make pastries. I'll prepare some for you tomorrow."

"About your clothes, I'll send them directly to your school later. These were bought for you, not anyone else. You must be starting school soon, right? Are the blankets in your dorm warm enough? In our place, we can make quilts at very low prices. I'll send you a couple as soon as we get back..."

Before Jin Xiuzhu could finish, a large tear fell from Liu Jingzhi's cheek as she ate with her head bowed.

She quickly wiped it away, not daring to look up for fear they would see her reddened eyes.

Jin Xiuzhu patted her back softly. "No matter what happens in the future, big or small, you can always come to us."

Across the table, Jiang Mingchuan, who had seen this, held his chopsticks motionless for a long while.

Jin Xiuzhu noticed that his eyes were also a little red.

After the meal, they sent off the clothes first, then took Liu Jingzhi to see nearby sights. Although she grew up here, she rarely ventured out to play and hadn't visited many places.

Around four o'clock, the family of five returned to the state-owned hotel for another meal, ordering several bowls of dumplings, before finally escorting Liu Jingzhi home.

Jin Xiuzhu and the two children waited downstairs, leaving Jiang Mingchuan to take her upstairs.

They wanted to give the siblings some alone time.

Liu Jingzhi wasn't naive, and couldn't help but ask as they climbed the stairs, "Uncle, why are you and Auntie being so good to me?"