Chapter 16

“How did I give birth to such retribution as you! If I had known you would turn out to be such a lowly wretch, I should’ve drowned you in a bucket the moment I gave birth to you!” Her mother lashed out at her furiously, shouting with venom.

She grabbed the carrying pole by the door, ready to strike her.

Zhaodi, who had been in the room all along, rushed out and clung tightly to Wu Axiu. “Mother, don’t hit Big Sister, please don’t…”

“You get out of my way!” Wu Axiu shoved Second Sister aside. “If I don’t beat her to death today, then she’s not someone who crawled out of my womb!”

“Second Sister, step aside.” Lin Qingping wanted to settle this matter once and for all.

When Wu Axiu actually raised the pole to strike, Lin Qingping grabbed it firmly and questioned her: “Mother, I want to ask you—are Second Sister and I really your daughters?”

Wu Axiu yanked at the pole angrily but couldn’t pull it back. “What kind of ungrateful thing did I raise! You latch onto higher branches and now you don’t recognize your parents?”

“If we are, would you really be willing to let Second Sister go to that kind of household—ordered around like a beast of burden, beaten to near death by a man?”

Lin Qingping’s heart ached like it was being torn apart as she recalled how, in her previous life.

Her Second Sister had become skin and bones, her hair turning white at a young age, and finally dying all alone and desolate in a hospital.

Her mother was momentarily stunned by the question. She raised her chin and replied: “If she gets beaten, it must be because the woman did something wrong. How could anyone get hit for no reason? Our Zhaodi is so obedient and hardworking—once married off, she’ll only enjoy blessings! How could she possibly get beaten?”

Victim-blaming…

“Blessings? You call serving an entire household from dawn to dusk—feeding, cleaning, toileting everyone—and still having to wash the old folks’ and children’s feet at night, ‘blessings’? Or is doing the labor of two men alone in the fields considered ‘blessings’? And after all that, still getting beaten every few days—is that what you call ‘blessings’? Then you go enjoy those blessings yourself! Huh—”

Before Lin Qingping could finish speaking, a sharp pain struck her forehead—a large enamel bowl had smashed against her head.

The one who had thrown it was her father, just back from the fields.

Lin Qingping felt something running down her forehead. She reached up to touch it—it was blood…

The enamel bowl clattered to the ground with a loud crash.

Second Sister was terrified. She immediately threw her arms around her elder sister and began to cry. “Don’t hit Sister, don’t hit her, I… I promise…”

“Don’t you dare agree!” Lin Qingping stood tall. “Come with me!”

She gripped Second Sister’s hand tightly, and suddenly, her determination solidified.

Yes, she would take her Second Sister away.

She couldn’t stay here and keep watch all the time. If she left, who knew when her parents might accept the bride price and marry Second Sister off. No—better to take her away altogether!

Most importantly, only if she brought her back could Second Sister truly have time to study properly.

However, the words “Come with me” stunned the entire Lin Family.

Her mother was the first to sneer: “Go with you? I raised this daughter—what right do you have to take her away?”

“With 500 yuan!” Lin Qingping’s voice rang out like iron striking the ground. “You want that 500 yuan betrothal gift, don’t you? I’ll give you 500 yuan all the same, and I’m taking Second Sister with me!”

“You… You really have 500 yuan?” Her mother stared at her in disbelief.

“Yes!” Lin Qingping truly did.

Gu Juncheng sent money home every month, and her Mother-in-law gave it all to her. This time, when he came back for home visit, he also gave her all their savings to manage.

Five hundred was no small sum—it made a thick stack when withdrawn. Lin Qingping clutched Second Sister’s hand tightly. “If you believe me, then wait. I’ll bring you the money tomorrow after I withdraw it. If you don’t believe me, then come with me now, and we’ll go to the bank together.”

Yesterday, when she went to the county town, she had brought the passbook with her, already prepared to use a large sum of money at any time. After returning, she had forgotten to put it away, and today, it was still in the small cloth pouch she carried.

In matters like this, it had to be said—her mother was truly swift and decisive, handling things with resolute efficiency. With a wave of her hand, she said: “We’ll go with you to withdraw it!”

Did that mean she had agreed to let her Second Sister go?

“Let’s go.”

Though the weather was scorching, Lin Qingping felt a chill settle over her heart. Her forehead was still bleeding, but clearly, neither of her parents cared…

Some people, in both lifetimes, were exactly the same…

Without delay, she took Second Sister by the hand and went to the county with her mother to withdraw the money.

In that era, there were no banks in their rural township.

As they were heading out the door, her father stirred slightly, as if he wanted to say something. But in the end, he swallowed it back down.

Inside the small savings office in the county town, Lin Qingping carefully counted out fifty 10-yuan bills with her mother.

The moment the money was handed over, she felt an inexplicable sense of finality—as if things between them were now settled.

Holding Second Sister in her arms, she felt a heavy burden lift from her shoulders, though there was also a faint bitterness to it.

“All right! I won’t say anything more about Zhaodi’s marriage. Zhaodi, you go and stay with your sister for a while…”

“It’s not for a while. From now on, she’s coming with me for good!” Lin Qingping corrected her.

Her mother, having just received the money—more than she had ever seen in her life—was already thinking about all the things she could buy for her son. For now, she didn’t bother arguing with them.

“Fine, fine, stay as long as you want!”

Then, happily clutching the money, she went on her way.

Second Sister, on the other hand, leaned against Lin Qingping, tears streaming down in big drops as she watched their mother leave like that.

After all, she was a child who had never once left her mother’s side.

After all, she was only eighteen.

“Let’s go home too. Your brother-in-law isn’t home most of the time anyway—you can just sleep with me. From now on, it’ll be just the two of us sisters, relying on each other.” Lin Qingping said, gently stroking her sister’s dry hair, her voice choked with emotion.

“Mm.” Second Sister nodded in her arms.

Everything that had happened today had been so sudden—so sudden it felt inconceivable. But truly, she didn’t want to marry that kind of man so early, only to be beaten to death.

After such a chaotic day, Lin Qingping was also hungry. Thinking her younger sister probably hadn’t eaten either, she took her to the State-Owned Restaurant for a bowl of noodles.

It was Second Sister’s first time eating in such a place, and she found everything around her novel and exciting. When the noodles arrived, she thought they tasted delicious.

Lin Qingping looked at her, feeling slightly comforted, and gave a small smile. “Is it good?”

Second Sister nodded a little shyly.

“Do you like this place?” Lin Qingping asked again.

Second Sister could only keep nodding, then blushed because she had never seen the world before.

“In the future, your sister will let you eat things better than this, take you to places better than this. Second Sister, shall we change your name? Let’s call you… Lin Qingyun. From now on, rise high and soar.”

Lin Qingping pronounced the name slowly and deliberately.

Second Sister drank the last sip of the noodle soup and nodded. “Mm, I’ll listen to Sister in everything.”

“Let’s go home, then.”

Lin Qingping led Second Sister back toward Gujia Village.

Only now, having calmed down, did she realize she had done something quite rebellious.

She could still explain things to her in-laws for the time being—saying that she brought her sister back to stay for a few days wasn’t a big issue. But letting her stay long-term, and the fact she had given 500 yuan to her Maternal Family, that was something serious.

She decided she would explain it all clearly to Gu Juncheng and see what he had to say.

With that on her mind, she held her sister’s hand as they walked back to the village together. Slowly, the sky turned dark.

When they reached the entrance of the village, they saw a group of lights flickering in the distance, swaying back and forth.