Chapter 8

"No, no, I must keep it a secret."

I shut my mouth and shook my head at Dad.

Dad couldn't do anything with me, so he had to change the subject. "I'm going to go see Xiao Xun tomorrow morning. Why don't you come with me?"

"Okay!"

"Your elder sister has been sick for a week and still hasn't recovered. And your mom—she just lets her lie there at home without taking her to see a doctor. When we go over there, we have to take Xiao Xun to the hospital. We can't let a minor illness drag on into something serious."

"Right. Dad, has Mom's necklace been fixed?"

"It has."

I said, "Should we take it to her tomorrow? I also want to apologize to her."

"That's a good idea," Dad said. "But when you see her, don't talk back this time. After all, you... well."

"I know, I won't talk back. I'll take whatever scolding or punishment she gives me. But if she hits too hard, you have to hold her back!"

Dad patted my head. "Alright, alright. I won't let her hit you."

"Are you sure?"

I was quite doubtful of Dad's word. Even though he was more protective of me, he never managed to hold Mom back whenever she started beating me. Like on New Year’s Day, when Mom had already beaten me to the point of howling, he just stood there on the sidelines, staring with wide eyes.

I thought of another looming problem. "By the way, Dad, you didn't lend money to Uncle and Aunt, did you?"

Dad immediately avoided my gaze, looking a bit guilty. "They were in such a hurry, so I just..."

I grabbed him. "You did! How much?"

Dad’s eyes darted around. "T-twenty thousand each..."

"Did you get an IOU?"

"We're all family, what kind of IOU..."

I gasped. Great. Forty thousand yuan, lent out without an IOU—that money was basically down the drain. Mom was already angry at me and worried about Elder Sister; if she found out Dad had lent money to our relatives... Poor Mom. It was the New Year, and not a single person in this family was giving her any peace of mind. I even started to feel sorry for her.

The next morning, Dad bought groceries, flowers, and fruit, and took me to visit Elder Sister.

While I had been at school over the past few days, Dad had been visiting Elder Sister’s place every day. At first, Mom wouldn't let him in, but her own cooking was terrible, and she couldn't stand the thought of sick Elder Sister eating takeout every day, so she let Dad in to cook.

When she opened the door that day and saw I had come along, her face immediately turned black. "What are you here for?"

I braced myself and walked inside, trying to be ingratiating. "Mom, where's my sister?"

Mom looked at me with eyes like blades. Only after Dad tugged at her did she reluctantly say, "She's lying in her room."

"I'll go check on her."

I hurried toward Elder Sister's room. I felt like if I stayed under Mom’s gaze for one more second, she would slap me across the face.

The bedroom door wasn't locked. As I pushed it open, a wave of stuffy, unclean, warm air rushed toward me. Elder Sister was lying on the bed with her back to me, playing on her phone. She was curled up entirely under the quilt, her long hair spread across the pillow, looking greasy as if it hadn't been washed in days.

Unopened medicine was scattered messily across the table, and used tissues were everywhere on the floor. The trash can was overflowing, and no one had emptied it. Seeing my once neat and tidy sister reduced to this state, I was filled with regret.

I stood by the bed and whispered, "Sister?"

She didn't make a sound, her fingers sliding mechanically across the screen.

I said, "How are you feeling? If you're uncomfortable, shall we let Dad take you to the hospital?"

She still ignored me.

"Sister, I'm sorry. Hit me, scold me, take all your anger out on me, just please don't torture yourself like this..." I nudged her shoulder, my nose beginning to sting. "I really know I was wrong, please don't ignore me..."

"Hah," Elder Sister suddenly let out a laugh.

I froze. She sat up and turned to look at me. Her eye sockets were sunken from exhaustion, making her eyes look unnaturally large. "Lianhe, do I have a grudge against you?"

I shook my head vigorously, tears falling. "No."

She asked again, "Have I ever done anything to wrong you?"

"No..."

"Do you like Juyan?"

I felt utterly ashamed. "It's not like that..."

Elder Sister leaned her face toward mine and whispered, "Then why did you try to ruin me?"

I didn't dare meet her eyes, only hung my head and cried. "I'm sorry, Sister. I only said that to spite Mom. I really regret it..."

"Hah." She laughed again. Her laugh made my skin crawl, and I couldn't help but stop crying.

Elder Sister said, "Cry, why stop? Isn't this your specialty?"

"..."

Put like that, I really couldn't cry anymore. I had come to apologize sincerely. If she had let her anger out, I would have endured any beating or scolding. But her mocking, sarcastic tone was too much; it made me feel like some kind of scheming bitch who was crying just to act pitiful.

I wiped the tears from my face, straightened up, and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Elder Sister looked up at me. "When you're in front of Juyan, do you also cry and apologize like you are now? He must have forgiven you, right?"

"I know I did something stupid, and I regret it. Can't I cry when I apologize to him?"

"Stupid thing? Ha..." She laughed again. "What a brilliant excuse to spite Mom. He touched you, kissed you? Why didn't you just say he slept with you?"

"Sister, you!" That comment made me angry too. "If you don't trust me, you should at least trust Juyan! Our engagement was called off just because of one thing I said. It seems to me the two of you didn't have much of a relationship to begin with!"

As soon as I said it, I wanted to bite my tongue off. Wasn't I here to apologize? Why argue? If she wanted to scold me, I should just let her! A few insults wouldn't kill me.

Elder Sister lowered her head and went back to scrolling on her phone. "So, I should be thanking you? You managed to test our relationship with just one sentence. You're my great benefactor."

"Sister, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. Juyan wants to make things right with you. He cares about you a lot. Didn't he come to see you when he heard you were sick? Why won't you see him?"

Her fingers didn't stop moving. "So he only came because he heard it from you. You two are getting along quite well, aren't you?"

"..."

She seemed determined to believe I was having an affair with Juyan; every word was dripping with sarcasm. I'll endure it!

"Juyan gets along well with Mom and Dad too, it's not just me. Besides, he treats me well because he likes you, and I’m your sister..."

Without looking up, she suddenly asked, "What about that jade bracelet?"

Upon hearing this, I instinctively felt I couldn't tell the truth. "That... I gave it back to him when I apologized." Even though he hadn't actually taken it back.

Elder Sister put down her phone and stared straight at me. "When you gave it back, what did he say?"

"He didn't say anything. Dad and I went to return it together. We said it was too precious to keep, so he took it back."

Her expression softened slightly. "Is that so?"

"Yes."

It seemed that bracelet was trouble. I had to return it to Juyan as soon as possible and make sure Dad didn't say anything to the contrary.

Elder Sister was no longer as combative as before. She twisted her hair up and said she was going to take a shower. Hearing this, I was so grateful I could have cried. I immediately rushed to find her a change of clothes, escorted her to the bathroom door, and spent the time she was showering cleaning up her room.

As for Mom, Elder Sister was sick, and Mom wasn't. How could she let the room get this messy? No hygiene, no laundry, and she didn't even cook.

When Mom and Dad saw Elder Sister come out, their faces were full of relief. Mom even stopped glaring at me. Although I was working like a dog, I felt happy inside. Finally, home felt like a home again. Elder Sister’s temper was terrifying; I wouldn't dare provoke her again.

After Elder Sister showered, Dad finished breakfast. It was the family's first time eating together after the New Year. Although the atmosphere was still a bit stiff, thankfully Elder Sister was answering Mom and Dad's questions, even if she still wouldn't engage with me.

After the meal, Mom urged Elder Sister to take her medicine while Dad and I cleaned the kitchen. I whispered to him, "Dad, if Elder Sister asks you about the jade bracelet, tell her it's already been returned to Juyan."

Dad asked, "Why?"

"Don't ask! Just make sure she never finds out the bracelet is still with me. I'm going to return it this afternoon."

"Going to see him again?" Dad frowned. "Xiaohe, you really shouldn't have too much contact with Juyan. Your sister hasn't cooled down yet; if she finds out, it will only cause more friction. Why don't I go?"

"Hmm... That works! I'll give it to you when we get home."

Mom came out of the room, saw us whispering, and immediately walked in. "What are you two whispering about now?"

Dad wasn't good at handling sudden situations; he just stuttered, "Ah..."

I smiled brightly. "Nothing special, just wondering when you were planning on going home, Mom."

Dad immediately caught on. "Ah, yes, yes, when are you going home? Xiao Xun is still on sick leave, why not take her with you? The kitchen here is too small, and back home I can cook her more nutritious food to help her recover."

"That's fine, let's go back then." Mom reached out her hand to Dad. "Where is my necklace?"Dad wiped his hands and pulled a jewelry box from his pocket. My Mom took out the necklace, inspected it with satisfaction, and then shot me a glare. I lowered my head obediently. "Mom, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pulled your necklace. I’ll never do it again." "Hmph." Mom turned away to look for a mirror. Dad and I exchanged a look and breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, no beating and no scolding. Once Mom put on the necklace, her spirits visibly lifted. She paced around the house, speaking in a loud voice, picking faults here and there. When she ran out of things to criticize, she caught me and started lecturing me again. Dad asked her to keep her voice down and told her not to be so busy showing off the necklace, lest Sister see it and be reminded of her heartbreak. Even though Mom retorted, "You’re always minding everyone’s business," she still took the necklace off. After finishing up in the kitchen, Mom and Dad tried to persuade Sister to come home with them. Sister refused. "My cold is much better already, and I have to work tomorrow. Staying home to rest today is fine; you don’t need to worry." Mom said, "Why be in such a rush to work? Just take a few more days off and get your strength back. If you come back, your father can take care of you more easily. If you stay here, he’ll have to run back and forth every day to cook for you." Sister replied helplessly, "Then don't make Dad come. Ordering takeout here is very convenient; I can buy whatever I want to eat. Mom, you should go home, too. You’re too noisy with your phone and the TV; it’s affecting my rest." Mom looked a bit embarrassed and defended herself, "I’m only worried about you! I feel miserable the moment I get quiet, my heart aches for how hard things are for you..." Seeing Dad and me looking at her with skepticism, she immediately shifted her aim and fired at us. "What are you looking at? This is all the trouble you two caused!" Dad and I nodded quickly. "Yes, yes..." What did her noisy phone and TV habits have to do with us? Of course, there was no reasoning with this shrew; better to just shut up and take the blame. ... Since Sister wasn't coming home, Mom had to return alone. I pushed the suitcase behind my parents, listening to them discuss what to have for dinner. When Mom left earlier, she acted as if she were abandoning her family, but now she was holding Dad’s arm naturally, as if nothing had happened over the past few days. It was a waste of me being so terrified and crying several times out of worry. Yan Luo is definitely more experienced with this. Oh, right—after I parted ways with him yesterday, he messaged me asking if I’d gotten home. Did I reply? I checked my phone—I did. My brain. But why is he so quiet today? Has he already gone back to school? I texted him to ask where he was, and he replied quickly: "At home. Are you heading back to school together this afternoon?" I said, "I have something to do, so I’ll be back a bit later. You go ahead." He asked, "Are you going to see that guy from last night?" "Hey! That is my sister’s boyfriend, my parents’ golden son-in-law, our future brother-in-law! What 'that guy'! Be polite." Yan Luo said, "What did he want from you last night?" It shouldn't matter if I tell Yan Luo about the wedding house; he’s an outsider, and he knows the gravity of the situation—he wouldn't tell Sister. So, I told him everything about the wedding house and the jade bracelet. After a moment of thought, I even told him the real reason for the argument at my house over the Lunar New Year. He cares about me so much; it’s really hard to keep things from him. After he read my confession, there was no response for a long time. I began to feel uneasy. Was I a bit too carried away today? Although Mom and Sister forgave me, this was likely the first time Yan Luo had seen such an ugly side of me. Would he hate me from now on and break off our friendship? Yan Luo still hadn't replied. I felt so anxious. After buying groceries and returning home, I said to my parents downstairs, "I haven't been to Yan Luo’s house since he came back. Dad, Mom... can I go visit Uncle Yan and Auntie?" Dad said, "Why don't we go together in a while? They sent us so many things, and I haven't had a chance to return the favor." Mom asked, "What did they send?" Dad said, "A lot. You’ll see when you go back." Even though Mom clearly cared, she acted indifferent and said, "What’s there to see? It must be some cheap junk..." I stuck my tongue out at Mom’s back. I really don’t know where she gets all this hostility toward the Yan Family. Uncle Yan and Auntie Yan have been so good to me and always very friendly to my family. What on earth is Mom still unhappy about? Back home, Mom went straight to the gifts. After rummaging through them, she stopped calling them cheap junk and even started crunching on the nuts they had sent. "Hmm, not bad." Tch. The gifts Juyan brought when he visited my parents at Christmas were still largely unopened. Dad had already calculated the total value; if things turned sour later, he could just return the money, keeping the items for themselves. He went to pick out a few good boxes. Mom was nearby taking inventory. "Hey, why are there two fewer bottles of red wine? And two cans of tea are missing... Oh my, the gift set of rare delicacies is gone too!" She grabbed Dad by the sleeve. "Aha! So you took the gifts my son-in-law gave and used them for your own relatives?! What did they give you in return? Some withered produce or rotten fish? Don't tell me they didn't even give you a single sunflower seed this year!" Wow, she guessed right. She knows my dad’s relatives too well. To make matters worse, not only did those two families not give any return gifts this year, they also swindled 40,000 yuan out of my dad. Dad stammered as he tried to make excuses for them. Mom flew into a rage and started pounding on him. "Shut your mouth! Which year isn't us paying out of our own pockets to visit them? Every time you go, you act like a walking charity, handing out money and gifts. What about those two families? If Xiao Xun doesn't go, they don't give a dime, and I’ve never seen a red envelope for Xiaohe that wasn't begrudgingly given! One year, they even claimed to be 'following Guangdong custom' and only put a single hundred-yuan note in each envelope! If you don't want to give, don't take ours! Being that stingy is truly something else. No wonder nobody wants to marry into their family..." Seeing things go south, I quickly ducked into my room. Sigh, sorry Dad, I can’t even save myself, let alone share the heat for you. After Mom finished her tirade, she finally felt better and told Dad to pick out some good gifts to send to the Yan family, saying she wasn't as greedy as my aunt and uncle. Dad finished picking the gifts and called me from outside. I went out and saw him looking as normal as ever, secretly admiring him. As expected of Dad—thick-skinned, he acts like nothing happened even after getting yelled at. The Yan family had just finished lunch. When Auntie Yan saw us, she quickly called out Uncle Yan and Yan Luo, greeting us warmly: "Come in, come in! No need to change your shoes. Brother Lian and Sister Ding, you’re too polite—why bring so many things... Husband, make some tea! Yan Luo, get some candy! Oh my, Xiaohe, my dear, why have you gotten so thin?" The moment I heard Auntie Yan speak, I couldn't help but want to act spoiled. "Auntie, I missed you so much, and I missed your cooking..." "If you want to eat, just come over. It’s just an extra pair of chopsticks." Auntie Yan hugged me and walked to the kitchen. She washed half a bowl of cherries for me to eat, then, while slicing some cantaloupe, she whispered, "Have your parents made up?" "Yes, but they had another fight about my aunt and uncle before coming here." Knowing them for so many years, Auntie Yan wasn't a stranger to those two and could guess why. "Those two families are counting on your dad being soft-hearted. Their children must be of marriageable age by now. You need to remind your dad—it's one thing to take a little loss now and then, but don't just lend them money easily." "..." Auntie, you’re too late. Mom usually dislikes coming to the Yan house and always speaks ill of them behind their backs. Today, taking advantage of the tail end of the New Year to deliver gifts, she acted quite normal, chatting and laughing with Uncle and Auntie Yan. Then she saw Yan Luo sitting in the corner of the sofa playing with Curry, and asked with a smile, "Yan Luo, how were your results in the weekly exams this time?" My heart jumped into my throat. For the first weekly exam of the new semester, I did slightly better than the final exam last year, but I still hadn't reached the first-tier university cutoff, and Mom didn't know that yet. Yan Luo looked at me first, then said quite kindly, "Not bad." Mom said, "So humble. If my Lianhe were as good as you, I wouldn't have to worry about anything." Auntie Yan said, "Sister Ding, Xiaohe is a very smart child, it's just that there might be too much pressure lately. Don't push her too hard. I see she’s lost quite a bit of weight; her face has no meat on it anymore." Mom shot me a cold glance, thinking I had bad-mouthed her to Auntie Yan. I quickly waved my hands. "I didn't lose weight, I’m fine, Auntie, haha..." Yan Luo picked up Curry. "Lianhe, come here. I’ll make a copy of my notes for you." Mom immediately pushed me. "Stop eating, go on! Study hard with Yan Luo!" The cantaloupe I had just speared almost fell to the floor from her push. I hurriedly stuffed it into my mouth and followed Yan Luo into his room. Once inside, Curry struggled in Yan Luo’s arms, using its paws to demand I hold it. I reached out to take Curry, avoiding its frantic licking while carefully observing Yan Luo’s expression. "Hey, why didn't you reply to me? Are you mad at me?" Yan Luo turned his back to me without a word and spread his notes out on the desk. I walked over and poked him with my elbow. "Yan Luo..."