Chapter 9 She Just Loves Me Too Much

Huang Jinxiu was momentarily at a loss—she had only reflexively ordered An Ruoyan around out of habit, and now she realized the situation was different from before. She quickly changed the subject: “What about the money the Zhou family compensated you with? I raised you all these years; now that you’re leaving, you should just give the money to me.”

An Ruoyan glanced at her: “Are you sure?”

“This is my child. How could I not be sure? I’m your mother. Your money going to me is perfectly normal!”

An Ruoyan nodded: “Fine!” She said it as she walked to the door and opened it.

Shi Meijiao, seeing this, panicked. She hurried across the living room past her packed luggage, but it was too late. “This is impossible! They’re trying to drive their own daughter to death!”

Because of yesterday’s commotion, many people in the compound were still keeping an eye on the Shi family. Hearing An Ruoyan’s cries, they all dropped their work and rushed over.

The first to arrive was, of course, the neighborly aunt: “Child, what’s going on? Tell me.”

An Ruoyan tearfully explained: “They’re forcing me to go to the countryside, and they still won’t leave me alone. Look at the things in my room—they were all bought by my mom for Shi Meijiao. There isn’t a single thing for me! And on top of that, she’s eyeing the compensation for my countryside trip. If I don’t give it to her, she makes a fuss. But I’m going to the northeast! Winters are freezing there, and she refuses to give me anything—she’s trying to freeze me to death!”

The neighbors couldn’t stand it.

“How can you be a mother and not prepare anything for your child, and even want to grab her money?”
“Exactly! If it’s all given to you, how is Ruoyan supposed to survive in the countryside?”
“Look at her, she’s clearly not foolish; she’s so good to a stepdaughter.”
“You said that wrong—she is sensible. If she weren’t good to the stepdaughter, how could she lure the girl’s father?”

Huang Jinxiu tried to explain: “No, no, I’m just worried she’d spend recklessly, so I saved it for her first, and I send her money every month.”

Before An Ruoyan could respond, the aunt defended her: “Don’t be ridiculous! You didn’t even pack your child’s luggage. You’re never going to send her money!”
“Exactly! Even a tiger won’t eat its cub! You’re taking everything your daughter could eat!”

Shi Qiang had just returned from exchanging tickets when he saw the crowd at the door again. He was frustrated—hadn’t he said not to bother An Ruoyan these past two days?

“Oh! Vice Factory Director Shi is back! Let me tell you—” Someone added, “You’re already a vice director; you’re not going to covet a bit of money from a child, are you?”

Shi Qiang awkwardly laughed and loudly said: “Of course not. The child’s mother meant well. Since Ruoyan wants to keep it herself, we have no objections. Alright, everyone, disperse! We won’t take the child’s money.”

An Ruoyan snorted, grabbed her big bag, and went back inside. Huang Jinxiu lowered her head, not daring to look at Shi Qiang, while Shi Meijiao acted as if nothing had happened.

Since the train was at 7 a.m., everyone went to bed early. The next day, An Ruoyan woke at 5:30 a.m. The station was only a 15-minute walk, so she wasn’t in a hurry. She ate a bowl of hot and sour noodles from her space and drank a cup of spirit spring water. The water was amazing—her skin, already fair, now looked as white and tender as a peeled egg, and even she wanted to pinch herself.

By the time she left her room, the house was empty. “They left early. Well, I won’t be polite,” she muttered as she went to the kitchen, putting rice, flour, oil, seasonings, soybean and pork lard, and all the pots and pans into her space.

As she left the Shi residence, she whispered to the door, “Hopefully next time I come back, there will be more things in this house for her to pack.”

An Ruoyan left the compound. The neighbors whispered among themselves:
“Look at that poor girl!”
“See her standing at the door just now? She must be reluctant to leave home.”
“We can understand Shi Meijiao going to the countryside since her reputation here is ruined, but why is Ruoyan going too? The vice director’s family isn’t too poor to buy her a job.”
“You don’t get it—it’s to make her help Shi Meijiao in the countryside.”

An Ruoyan, carrying a shoulder bag and a large bag, walked to the train station. She was used to hard work from being bossed around by Huang Jinxiu, so she had some strength. She assumed Shi Meijiao would have arrived early, but when she got on the train, she heard Shi Meijiao’s affected voice:

“Shuchen, my luggage is too much! Can you help me carry one?”

Ugh. A couple of minutes later, Shi Meijiao and Zhou Shuchen boarded the train. Zhou Shuchen carried two large bags and one on his back, shaking and trembling from the weight, but stubbornly said: “If anything happens later, tell me. I’ve got plenty of strength!”

Shi Meijiao cooed: “Brother, you’re amazing!”

An Ruoyan rolled her eyes—how disgusting.

A girl sitting next to her whispered: “Is that it? Weakling, what a pair of gutsy people.”

An Ruoyan laughed softly. The girl turned to her, embarrassed: “Uh, hi, I’m Deng Xiuli.”
“Hi, I’m An Ruoyan.”

A boy said: “I’m Xu Jiang, this is my brother Xu He.” Xu He didn’t speak, but nodded to An Ruoyan and the others.

Deng Xiuli asked: “Are you all going to the countryside in Shun City?” Everyone nodded. Since they were headed to the same place and were easy to get along with, they started chatting. They pulled out snacks to eat.

Shi Meijiao sat nearby and stared at An Ruoyan the entire train ride, as if trying to find some flaw.

Deng Xiuli curiously asked: “Ruoyan, do you know her? Why is she staring at you?”

An Ruoyan munched on sunflower seeds, unbothered: “Maybe she’s jealous because I’m prettier.”

Xu Jiang laughed: “Even if that’s true, you can’t just say it out loud! People have no shame!”

Shi Meijiao clenched her fists, angry that they were laughing at her: “You…”

She wanted to scold An Ruoyan but stopped, eyes reddening. She turned to Zhou Shuchen: “Shuchen, Ruoyan is still angry with me.”

Shi Meijiao had intended to make Zhou Shuchen side with her, so she could be pampered while making An Ruoyan jealous. But Zhou Shuchen didn’t follow her plan:

“Jiao Jiao, don’t do that. We were the ones at fault. Ruoyan only loves me too much. Since we’re together, we should treat Ruoyan well and make it up to her.”