When I arrived at my sister’s, her expression soured the moment she saw Juyan drop me off. However, when she heard that my cousin had broken into our house to steal things, she gasped. "What? How could he..."
Fearing she wouldn't believe me, I unbuttoned my collar to show her my neck. "He even choked me! Look!"
My throat still ached, and I assumed the marks were still visible. My sister took a glance, told me to button my shirt back up, and then said to Juyan, "I really am sorry for the trouble. Thank you. It’s quite late, so I’ll walk you out."
Juyan stood up and said to me, "Get some good rest."
Then he followed my sister out the door. Once they left, I rushed to the balcony to look down.
A short while later, I saw them standing downstairs, talking for quite some time. I pressed my palms together and prayed silently: *Please make up, please make up, please make up...*
Instead, my sister slapped him across the face!
The sound of the "smack" was audible even from upstairs, and my heart sank. *Ancestors above, what happened now?!*
My sister turned and ran back inside. Juyan stood where he was, wiped his face with his hand, then turned and walked away.
My sister returned in tears. She ignored me as she entered, rushed into her room, and slammed the door shut. I stood in the living room, looking from her door to the balcony. Even though I didn't know what they had said, it was ten-to-one they had broken up!
It was over. My mom was going to skin me alive.
That night, neither my sister nor I slept well. My cousin hiding in the bathroom, Juyan’s words, "Then I’ll just give it to you," and my sister’s muffled sobbing behind her door—these three things kept spinning in my mind. The rupture between my sister and Juyan reminded me of the stupid thing I had done on New Year’s Day. The more I thought about it, the more anxious and remorseful I felt.
By the time the windows turned pale with dawn, I threw off my quilt and sat up. I hadn't slept a wink.
Suddenly, my phone rang. I checked the caller ID: Mom.
I didn't want to answer, but I didn't dare not to. I picked up. "Hello, Mom..."
"Lianhe!" The familiar thunderclap of a greeting started, followed by a rapid-fire barrage. "Where are you? Did you go to Yan Luo’s place again? Didn't I tell Juyan to take you to your sister’s? Your uncle said your cousin went to our house and hasn't returned yet. Where is he?"
"Mom, give the phone to Dad. I want to talk to him."
"He’s right here. What can’t you say?" Then, her voice shifted slightly. "I’ve put it on speaker; your dad is listening too. Go ahead!"
Well... fine then. You both better stay strong.
I told them about my cousin breaking into the house to steal and Juyan calling the police before taking me to my sister’s.
As soon as my mom heard, she predictably exploded. "You lent them twenty thousand, and they found it wasn't enough, so they went to steal? How can there be such shameless people? I’ve truly seen it all today!"
Dad tried to calm her down from the side. "Keep your voice down, we’re in a hospital..."
My mom was like an erupting gas canister, filled with rage:
"So what if we’re in a hospital? Do they care that you’re hospitalized? Coming to see you empty-handed and then turning around to steal from your house—is that something a human does? It’s because of your spineless behavior that they keep pushing their luck! This time they stole from me, and I’m going to make sure he sits in a cell for a few years to learn his lesson! I, Ding Lin, am not one to be trifled with!"
***
Half an hour later, all parties involved gathered in the hospital room.
My aunt was wailing and sniffling, calling me heartless. She insisted that family matters should be settled behind closed doors, yet I had sent him to the police station. She argued that if he got a criminal record, he wouldn't be able to get married, he wouldn't be able to apply for civil service jobs, and his whole life would be ruined.
My mom snapped, "If you were so worried about him being ruined, why did he steal? It was only because Lianhe happened to walk in that this came to light. Who knows how many times he’s been there lately? I have to go home and check if anything else is missing."
My aunt and mom didn't see eye to eye. My aunt immediately slapped her thigh and sat on the floor, crying to my uncle, "She’s trying to baselessly slander Lianbei! Our son was just worried about his little sister, went to see her at night, and when he saw a necklace that looked unique, he picked it up to take a look. In their mouths, he’s become a thief!"
My uncle stammered, looking cowardly. He didn't have his wife’s thick skin; he couldn't lie through his teeth.
My mom stood with her hands on her hips, watching her like she was watching a monkey show. "Oh, if he was worried about Lianhe, why didn't he let her stay at your place? Why did he specifically choose to go to my house when no one was there? Who opened the door for him? The jewelry box had three locks, and the key was with me. How did he get the necklace out?"
"He..."
My aunt was rendered speechless by my mom’s retort. Even though my mom’s nagging usually infuriated me, it was quite satisfying to watch her tear someone else apart.
At this point, my aunt noticed she was the only one sitting while everyone else stood. She had to look up at everyone, so she stood up, brushed off her behind, and looked at my dad. "Old Third, say something! Your nephew is being wrongly accused as a thief and is in the police station. Does that look good for you, his uncle?"
My dad looked torn.
Seeing him about to play the saint again, I quickly stepped forward and showed him my neck. "Dad! This is what cousin did! He tried to snatch the necklace, and when I wouldn't give it to him, he choked me!"
I had looked in the mirror that morning; my cousin had been ruthless, and after a night, the marks were even more apparent.
Dad looked at my neck, finally dropping his saintly facade, and said in shock, "He choked you?"
My aunt saw this, pulled me over, and glanced at it, saying, "That’s an allergy! You scratched it yourself!"
My mom knew my cousin had laid hands on me, and her resolve grew stronger. Just then, a doctor happened to pass by the door, and my mom pulled him right in. "Doctor, take a look! Is this an allergy or was my daughter choked?"
The doctor was caught between my mom and my aunt, his eyes darting like a lost lamb. My mom pushed me toward him. Finding a target, he rubbed his hands and pulled down my collar to look, telling my mom, "It’s not an allergy. It’s strangulation..."
Before the words were even out, my mom gave my aunt a triumphant look. "Did you hear that! It’s strangulation! Your son isn't getting out of this one!"
The doctor asked, "Should I prescribe some medicine?"
My mom waved him off. "Thank you, no need! We might need it later when we get an injury report!"
The doctor, having seen his fair share of storms, walked away calmly.
My aunt was at her wit’s end, and my uncle was useless. She sniffled and began to whimper, "Old Third, sister-in-law, I beg you to show mercy and leave our Lianbei a way out! Our other sons, Liannan and Liandong, are about to be set up with matches too. If people find out someone in the family has a criminal record, what girl would be willing to marry into this family? Waaah..."
It was impressive; even in such a disgraceful state, she could still lower herself to beg my mom.
My mom turned her face away, ignoring her. She had finally caught her in a trap, and she was ready to settle years of old scores at once.
My dad looked at my aunt and then at me. After a moment of hesitation, he made up his mind. "Sister-in-law, stop crying. We’re all family. Xiaohe is fine, and the necklace wasn't lost. Let’s just let it go this time."
My mom looked at him in disbelief. "You’re letting it go? Lianbei broke into our home and choked Lianhe like that, and you can still forgive him? Do you have to let him choke your daughter to death before it counts as a real issue?!"
Dad shouted angrily, "I said let it go! Don't say another word!"
***
It was rare for my dad to lose his temper, let alone shout at my mom in front of my aunt.
My mom was stunned, then laughed in extreme anger. "Fine, you’re all family, and I, who have been with you for twenty years, am an outsider! Let your 'family' take care of you then. I’m done!"
With that, she dragged my sister and me out of the ward. She started crying in the elevator; the other passengers thought someone in our family had died. Even though they found her noisy, they were kind enough not to say anything. One lady even handed over a pack of tissues, saying to my mom, "Dear, everyone has to face this day sooner or later. Please accept my condolences."
My mom cried even harder.
When we got downstairs, my mom wanted to go to my sister’s place to sit for a while. My sister was already in a bad mood and had been forced to witness this farce early in the morning; she didn't have the energy to deal with my mom’s crying, so she refused directly. "You should just go home and see if anything else is missing."
At that, my mom realized. "Right, right, I have to go home. Xiao Xun, you don't look well, go back and rest. You have work tomorrow. Lianhe, come with me."
I didn't want to go with her either, but I couldn't refuse, so I just said, "Oh."
As soon as we got home, my mom went straight to her jewelry box. She took inventory and then said with great regret, "He only stole that one."
Her jewelry box contained many pearls, but my cousin had precisely taken the most expensive Tiannv. I didn't know if I should call him a connoisseur or just unlucky.
The police had temporarily seized the Tiannv last night and asked Juyan to provide a purchase receipt to determine the severity of the sentencing. Juyan said he needed to go back and look for it, so he hadn't given it to them yet. But as far as I knew, the value of that Tiannv was enough for my cousin to spend ten or eight years behind bars.
Yet Dad wasn't pressing charges. It was a cheap win for that bunch of annoying people.
I resigned myself to cleaning the room. My mom lay on the living room sofa, covered with a blanket, sighing toward the TV and wiping away tears from time to time; she looked quite pathetic.
I had just finished cleaning and hadn't even sat down when my aunt called, saying they were at the police station and wanted me to come help withdraw the case.
My mom got angry the moment she heard and turned her back on me. "If you want to go, go yourself! I’m not going!"
I had no choice but to grab my bag and head out alone.
At the police station entrance, my aunt, who had been waiting, grabbed me. She wanted to butter me up, but since she had no real affection for me, the smile she forced out looked particularly strained.
"Xiaohe, be a bit sharp when we get in there. If the police ask how much the necklace is worth, just say it's over a hundred yuan, you hear me? I’ve already asked around; if it's over a thousand, they have to press charges, and withdrawing the case won't help. Your dad isn't pursuing it, so don't you go blaming your brother, okay?"
I was furious just hearing it. That was a Tiannv! Over a hundred yuan? Did she think the police were blind?
Just then, Juyan arrived. He stood beside me, looking at my aunt. "Who is this?"
I said irritably, "She’s the cousin’s mom."
Seeing his elite demeanor, my aunt asked me in a panic, "Who are you? A lawyer?"
Juyan gave her a slight nod as a greeting, then said concisely, "I bought the necklace."
He looked at me. "I brought the purchase receipt and bank statements. Let’s go in."
My aunt hurried to block us, pleading with me, "Xiaohe, hurry and tell him not to blow this out of proportion!"
No matter how reluctant I was, I couldn't go against my dad’s wishes. I pulled Juyan aside and explained the situation. Juyan listened and handed the materials to me. "This is a family matter. You decide."
***
We had called the police yesterday and were withdrawing it today; I hated being so fickle.
Juyan also had a remarkably good temper. After breaking up with my sister, he really had nothing to do with our family anymore, and he didn't need to answer my mom’s calls at all, yet he was still running errands for our family without complaint. I felt terrible about it.
When my aunt saw the receipt in my hands, she reached out to grab it. I put my hand behind my back and watched her warily. "What are you doing?"
My aunt gave an awkward cough. "It’s not going to be needed anyway, just tear it up."
An idea crossed my mind, and even I was surprised by it. "No. You and Uncle borrowed twenty thousand from my dad. You need to write me an IOU."
My aunt was terrified that the receipt would fall into the hands of the police. Even though she was furious that I was taking advantage of the situation, she ran over to a nearby shop, asked for paper and a pen, scribbled down a messy IOU, and shoved it at me irritably. "Your dad didn't even ask for one, you really know how to worry for him!"
It was my first time having someone write an IOU, so I didn't know if anything was wrong with it. I instinctively looked at Juyan. He had been standing by, and when he received my plea for help, he looked down at it and said, "There’s no repayment date."
My aunt bitterly added a date two years from now. "Happy now? Give me the receipt!"
I put the IOU away and handed her the receipt. My aunt unfolded it, looked at it, and her brows jumped violently before she folded it up and stuffed it into her bag, urging me to hurry into the police station.
My uncle was waiting inside. He mumbled a "Xiaohe" when he saw me, then hesitated when he saw Juyan, unsure of what to call him. My aunt gave him a frantic look, signaling him to shut up. My uncle obediently stepped back beside her.
We followed the police to the mediation room. A moment later, my cousin was brought in. My aunt only saw her son then; she stood up, slapped the table, and shrieked, "My son! What happened to your face..."
The police said, "Keep it down!"
My aunt sat back down, gritting her teeth at me. I looked at my cousin across from me, his face bruised and swollen, and wanted to laugh. *Serves him right.*
Although the police didn't believe that the Tiannv was only worth a hundred yuan, since the victim wasn't pressing charges, they leaned toward maintaining harmony and preferred to mediate to avoid giving anyone a criminal record.
My cousin’s attitude during the apology was decent, and after some criticism and education, the mediation concluded smoothly.
As we were walking out, two other police officers brought in a dejected yellow-haired guy. When the yellow-haired guy and my cousin locked eyes, both of their faces changed drastically. My cousin bolted, and the yellow-haired guy pointed at him and shouted, "Officer! He’s the one who asked me to sell the bracelet!"
When the police heard it wasn't a pearl necklace but also a bracelet, they chased after him immediately.
A moment later, my cousin was brought back in, and both my uncle and aunt were stunned. Upon investigation, the bracelet turned out to be the jade one Juyan had given me.
I was stunned, too. Hadn't Dad already returned it? How could my cousin have stolen it?
My cousin couldn't have stolen it from Juyan’s house, so it must have been from ours.
He hadn't just been to our house once!
The situation escalated suddenly, and there was no time to get their stories straight. The yellow-haired guy said the bracelet had been sold for one hundred thousand.
Hearing the amount, my aunt collapsed on the floor, her face ashen. My uncle stood there, unable to stop wiping his tears.
I had mixed feelings. Even the resale price was one hundred thousand; it must have cost much more to buy. How could Juyan... Even if he had money, he shouldn't be so wasteful.
***
Now my cousin was under criminal detention, and the case wasn't something I could just withdraw. The police told us to go back and wait; they would notify me once the bracelet was recovered.
I walked out of the police station and looked at Juyan, who had been silently accompanying me. I couldn't help but ask, "Didn't Dad return the bracelet to you?"
He said, "I gave it to you specifically. If you don't want it, you can smash it."
...Smash it? I wouldn't dare smash that thing even if I smashed myself!
Sigh, how could there be such a good person? So good that it made me feel guilty. Even though he had bought a more expensive home for my sister, he hadn't told her until the very end. My sister had only seen him give me the jade bracelet, so it was no wonder she suspected us.
I asked, "Brother Juyan, you and my sister have broken up, right?"
"Yes."
"Is there no chance of reconciliation?"
"Lianxun will meet someone better."
"...Then I really can't take your things." I bowed deeply to him. "Our family has caused you so much trouble. Thank you for always helping us. Even if you’re not my brother-in-law anymore, you are a good person, really, really good! You will definitely find happiness in the future. Sorry for making you run back and forth again today, please go home."
Juyan said, "I’m going that way anyway, I’ll walk you."
"No, I’ll walk back myself. I don't want to go home so fast." I waved at him. "Goodbye, Brother Juyan."
With that, I turned and left. Even though Juyan didn't mind, I couldn't shamelessly take advantage of his kindness anymore. It was all my fault; if only I hadn't said that one sentence. I didn't know if I would ever meet such a good brother-in-law again in this life.
I dragged my feet back home. When my mom heard that my cousin had just gotten out only to be locked up again, she immediately sat up from the sofa, beaming. "Really? That guy even stole your bracelet?"
"Yeah. But Mom, why was my bracelet in your drawer?"
According to my cousin’s confession, when he snuck in the first time, he saw the jade bracelet in the drawer. Because it was so beautiful and he wasn't sure if it was real or fake, he took it to have the yellow-haired guy verify its value, and it ended up fetching tens of thousands.
For the next few days, our house was empty and no one noticed anything was missing, so he got greedy again. He snuck in a second time, pried open my mom’s jewelry box, and took the Tiannv, which was the highest quality, and that was when I caught him red-handed.
My mom rolled her eyes at me. "How would I know? Maybe your dad put it there. And you, Juyan said he gave it to you, why did you return it to him?"
I wanted to tell her that Juyan and my sister had broken up, but she would definitely start yelling and call my sister or Juyan. Thinking of how exhausted my sister looked, I decided to wait until she was in better spirits and could tell Mom herself.
I didn't mention the bracelet again and gave her the IOU my aunt had written, explaining it was in exchange for the necklace receipt.
Seeing the IOU, my mom let out a long breath. "Heh, you finally did something smart. We won't pursue the necklace matter, but one thing is one thing—the money they borrowed must be paid back! By the way, Juyan went to the police station too; why didn't you come back together?"
"There’s no one cooking at home, so why bring him over?" I said. "And don't just call him for everything. He’s not a free errand boy."
"You don't know a damn thing!" My mom shot me a look. "If you hadn't messed things up, would I have needed to put so much effort into creating opportunities for your sister and him? Both of them are as cold as ice; if I left them alone, they would have broken up sooner or later!"
She glared at me fiercely. "If they’ve really broken up, I’m going to beat you to death!"
"..."
It seemed I couldn't escape that beating.
***
My mom said she wouldn't bother with my dad, but she couldn't sit still by the afternoon. Plus, with the uncle’s family having run into such bad luck, she was in a great mood and went back to the hospital.
Thinking there was nothing to do at the hospital, I didn't go with her and called Yan Luo to go back to school together.
As soon as we met, I let out a huge yawn. Yan Luo asked, "Didn't sleep well? Is it about Uncle Lian?"
"Not my dad, it’s just..."
In the past, I would have spilled the beans, but now we were both high school seniors, and he was someone preparing to study abroad. I couldn't let him be distracted by the mess in my family.
So I swallowed the words in my throat and said, "I just didn't sleep well."