Chapter 6

Jiang Ling shook her head inwardly. Jiang Zhifu really hadn’t changed at all over the years.

Being thrown out of the house was no small matter, but due to habits formed since childhood, Jiang Lian was quick to apologize on her younger sister’s behalf. “Dad, Jiang Ling didn’t mean it. Don’t be angry with her.”

Jiang Ling stomped off to the master bedroom, grabbed the luggage that the original owner had already packed, and when she saw the malted milk powder and canned oranges carelessly tossed on the bed, she paused for a moment.

Then she dashed out of Jiang Zhifu and his wife’s bedroom, grabbed Jiang Lian with one hand and Song Guanshu with the other, and as she left, she didn’t forget to throw out a harsh parting shot. “Fine, I’ll go.”

Jiang Liwu came home from evening self-study. There were no lights in the stairwell, so he climbed the stairs one step deep, one step shallow. When he saw someone standing eerily on the landing, he was so startled he thought he had seen a ghost.

He didn’t dare go upstairs, but the “ghost” came down toward him instead. Not only was it getting closer, it even looked a little familiar.

“Big Sis?!” Once he realized it was someone he knew, the fear vanished. He patted his chest twice. “Is there something special going on today? Why are you back?”

You couldn’t really blame him for asking. Just before the Lantern Festival, the Jiang family had held a wedding, and Jiang Lian had come home for that.

It hadn’t even been a full week since the last time she was back.

Jiang Lian forced a smile but didn’t answer his question directly. Instead, she asked, “Can you get enough to eat at the school canteen?”

As she spoke, she reached into her pocket to pull out some money and ration coupons.

Jiang Liwu was at an age where he could really eat, and Jiang Lian was worried her little brother wasn’t getting enough food.

Jiang Liwu quickly took two steps back. “Third Sis already gave me some pocket money. You should save your money to buy candy for your kid.”

He was willing to accept pocket money from Third Sister Jiang Ling not because he was closer to her, but because she was still unmarried. Eldest Sister had a husband and a mother-in-law, so she couldn’t keep supporting her natal family.

Besides, Eldest Sister had a child of her own to raise.

He saw that Jiang Ling was carrying a large bundle in her hand. It was the same one that used to sit in the corner of their parents’ bedroom, used to store her everyday clothes.

Jiang Liwu was a bit puzzled. Noticing the odd expressions on the three of them, he followed them downstairs.

Outside, the cold wind was biting. Jiang Lian spoke with difficulty, “Don’t see us off. Go back.”

Jiang Liwu was very curious about the unfamiliar man standing beside Third Sister, but with the man right there, it wasn’t convenient to ask.

Interrupted by Jiang Liwu, it wasn’t until they reached the bottom of the stairs that Jiang Lian remembered to ask, “You’re carrying your luggage out, are you planning to…”

Jiang Ling replied, “I’m going to stay in the staff dormitory.”

Jiang Lian suddenly recalled why she had gone to the Accounting Section earlier that afternoon to look for this girl. Could it be that she had already anticipated being kicked out by their father, so she had applied for a staff dormitory in advance with the Logistics Section?

But if she had already foreseen what might happen, why hadn’t she tried to avoid getting kicked out?

Holding onto the belief that family harmony was the key to everything, Jiang Lian tried to persuade her. “You know what kind of temper Dad has. It’s been so many years, don’t you know him by now? Listen to your big sister, go back and yield a little to him, and everything will be fine. Don’t be so stubborn with him.”

Jiang Liwu, who had been completely confused, finally understood: while he was away, Dad and Sister had a fight. Unable to suppress Third Sister, their father had pulled his usual stunt and shouted at her to get out.

Jiang Liwu spoke up softly, “It’s not a bad thing for Sister to stay in the dormitory. It’s better than living at home.”

Jiang Lian said, “If outsiders hear about this, it’ll be such a disgrace.”

Jiang Ling slung an arm around her elder sister and waved Jiang Liwu off. “Oh my dear sister, you’re already married, so stop worrying about these messy family affairs.”

Jiang Liwu still wanted to catch up with his two sisters to ask in detail what had happened at home, but they had already walked off. He had no choice but to shoulder his satchel and head back.

The atmosphere at home was terrible.

The neighbors had already finished dinner, and Sun Yilan was in the communal kitchen, cooking with a dark expression on her face.

After Jiang Liwu got home, he didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly.

Ever since Jiang Ling left this home, he no longer had anyone to talk to.

He couldn’t get along with Jiang Liwen and Zhao Hongyun as a couple, and he definitely didn’t dare speak directly to Jiang Zhifu, who was fuming with rage.

Even as he lay in bed, he still couldn’t figure out what exactly had sparked the fight between Jiang Ling and their father.

And who was that young man who had been standing beside Jiang Ling just now?

There weren’t many streetlights around the Daily Chemicals Factory’s staff compound, and the few that were there cast a faint, hazy glow.

Jiang Ling rummaged through her bundle, pulling out a can of oranges and some malted milk powder.

Jiang Lian, upon seeing those familiar items, was momentarily speechless. “Aren’t those…”

Jiang Ling stuffed the two cans of oranges into the pockets of Jiang Lian’s cotton-padded jacket. “Take them back and give them to your kid.”

She hung the cloth bag containing the malted milk powder onto Song Guanshu’s bicycle handlebar. “Take it back. Keep it for yourself.”

For the first time in his life, Song Guanshu experienced a situation where the gifts he had brought to someone’s home were taken out and returned to him just as they were.

Jiang Ling really was one of a kind.

But somehow, the gesture was surprisingly satisfying.

Jiang Lian tapped her forehead lightly, her voice tinged with a hint of helplessness. “Mom and Dad will definitely be even angrier. They won’t forgive you easily. Next time, think about the consequences before you act.”

She couldn’t make sense of how things had unfolded today. Originally, the youngest sister had brought her partner home to meet their parents, but in the end, she and the young couple were thrown out together.

Jiang Ling shrugged. It was precisely because she had thought about the consequences that she chose to act this way.

Thinking about how furious Jiang Zhifu and Sun Yilan had looked, she felt completely at ease.

Jiang Ling nodded toward Song Guanshu. “You go home first. My sister and I will just make do in the dormitory tonight.”

Song Guanshu said, “It’s not safe for two female comrades to be out alone. I’ll take you to the dormitory and then head back.”

Having lost face in front of her brother-in-law, Jiang Lian felt humiliated, but at the same time, she also worried it might affect how her little sister was seen in his eyes.

“Xiao Song, sorry you had to witness all that. My father has a bad temper, but he’s definitely not a bad person. Once you get to know him better, you’ll see—he’s one of the most upright men you’ll ever meet.” Even at a time like this, she didn’t forget to support Jiang Ling. “Jiang Ling is the youngest daughter in our family. My parents have always doted on her the most.”

Jiang Ling looked up at the sky in speechless exasperation. Her eldest sister really had a remarkable talent for talking nonsense. Just a while ago, Jiang Zhifu had nearly slapped her, and now supposedly he doted on her the most?

“If you ever dare do anything to hurt her, don’t even think about my parents—just the three sisters in our family will never let you off.”

Normally, such words should have come from Jiang Zhifu or Jiang Liwen, but since they couldn’t be relied upon, Jiang Lian had to say it herself.

Throwing out such threats in front of a vengeful villain—was she trying to get herself killed? Startled, Jiang Ling immediately covered her sister’s mouth and gave a couple of awkward laughs. “My big sister’s just joking with you. It’s exactly because she knows you’re a good person and would never bully me that she dares to say something like that.”

Just as she was wondering whether the villain would be angered, she heard a voice in the darkness, slightly ghostly and eerie.

“Jiang Ling, are you afraid of me?”

Being called out so suddenly made Jiang Ling shiver from head to toe.

This man’s intuition was frighteningly sharp.

Of course, Jiang Ling couldn’t admit it. She spouted nonsense, “Nonsense. I’m too busy loving you to have time to be afraid of you.”

Jiang Ling anxiously waited to see Song Guanshu’s reaction. She turned her head to look, only to be met with a pair of eyes that seemed especially cold in the darkness. But the moment their gazes met, he put that familiar gentle yet insincere smile back on his face.

The change was so swift, it was as if everything had just been Jiang Ling’s imagination.