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The villagers looked at Lin Xiao with expressions that clearly said, "I knew they couldn't afford it," yet they were still filled with envy that she could get a car. Lin Xiao understood her sister's intentions behind the whispers of the villagers. If she were to tell the truth that the car belonged to her boyfriend, the rumors could become even more dreadful, with talk of being a kept woman or a mistress.
Lin Mu, standing nearby, addressed the villagers, "My son is a graduate student; he receives a scholarship of ten thousand every year. Of course, his advisor values him." Lin Xiao found this aspect of her mother particularly annoying. Her mother, oblivious to everything, always liked to show off, as if afraid that others wouldn't be jealous.
Lin Xiao didn't understand why her mother felt the need to boast. Their family had lived in this village for over a decade and had never been respected due to their poverty. Now that her children were doing well, Lin Mu wanted to hold her head high and slap the faces of those who once looked down on her.
At dinner, Lin Mu prepared a table full of dishes: Spicy Chicken, Spicy Tofu, and Spicy Stir-Fried Green Beans. "Mom, my sister can't eat spicy food. Why didn't you make something lighter?" Lin Xiao complained as she looked at the array of red dishes.
"She’s just too picky! Look how thin she is; she needs to eat more," Lin Mu grumbled while checking on Lin Xiao as she cooked.
Seeing Lin Xiao cough from the spice, Lin Mu quickly shooed her away to serve herself some porridge from the rice cooker instead.
After dinner, Lin Mu quietly called Lin Xiao into the room. "This is from your sister; you should take it."
Lin Xiao pushed it back towards her mother. "Mom, if my sister gives it to you, just spend it. Don't save it. If you think you won't use it all, tell her not to send money home every month."
Lin Mu made a shushing gesture. "Your sister will be getting married after the New Year. Once you graduate, let her sell the house and buy you a bigger one so you can find a wife."
Lin Xiao gasped in disbelief. She had always known her mother favored sons over daughters but never imagined she would be so extreme. The house belonged to Lin Xiao; it had nothing to do with them. "Next time you say something like that, please don’t."
Lin Mu thought Lin Xiao was being naive. "What does a girl need with a house? It's all about getting married! If she buys a house, aren’t you contributing too?"
Fuming, Lin Xiao stood up and left the room. As she lifted the curtain to exit, she saw Lin Xiao standing just outside the door; she had overheard everything.
Not knowing how to respond, Lin Xiao forced a smile before stepping out.
That night, lying on the bed in the side room, Lin Xiao felt a deep sense of discomfort and frustration. She often thought about home while in the provincial city but never dared to return; each visit shattered her longing for home.
At that moment, her room had been tidied up by her mother countless times. Her own side room was cluttered with items due to her long absence from home; the windows hadn’t been opened in ages and smelled musty.
Earlier when Lin Xiao suggested switching rooms with her mother, her mother nearly fought back against her suggestion. She would rather sleep in the side room than let Lin Xiao take over her space.
In previous years, she would have squeezed into a room with her mother without hesitation. But now she dreaded facing her mother's wrath.
As a child, when faced with such unfair treatment, she had rebelled fiercely only to be met with Lin Mu's dramatic lamentations about how her late husband had left behind two debt collectors—her and her brother.
Lin Mu would recount every hardship they faced in life as if putting Lin Xiao through torture on an execution rack. In the end, young Lin Xiao would cry while her oblivious younger brother kept apologizing for being so troublesome.
Lin Xiao was truly afraid. From now on, whenever she encountered such situations, she would just endure them.
Holding her phone, she waited for Li Hao's call. He should be reuniting with his family now; he certainly wouldn’t have to deal with something like this.
Lin Xiao didn’t even have the courage to call Li Hao. Would he answer the phone in front of his family, or would he sneak away to take the call in a corner? Would he mention her to his family? How would he even talk about her?
These questions lingered in Lin Xiao's mind, and although she wanted to know the answers, she was too afraid to delve deeper.
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