Chapter 16 A Sincere Invitation

Yao Fanghua couldn't hear the conversation in the cubicle very clearly, but she heard Wu Peng's words in the main room very clearly.

Seeing Yao Weimin get on his bike and leave, she couldn't help but laugh and lay on the blanket. She really didn't like her two aunts, especially her eldest aunt, who was always finding fault and never satisfied with anything she did. When her grandmother was still alive, this eldest aunt would always whisper and sow discord between her and her mother-in-law, yet her grandmother favored this eldest aunt the most, even giving her all her savings before she died. Besides gossiping, this eldest aunt also loved to act like the eldest sister, criticizing people for no reason, especially Yao Deyi, whom she criticized mercilessly. Unfortunately, her father was indeed a disappointment, the poorest, worst, and most incompetent of the four siblings. Lacking any ability, he would drink whatever was offered, unable to resist alcohol, no wonder he was looked down upon.

However, Yao Deyi was different from ordinary people. Even when he was scolded, he felt that it was his older sister who cared about him.

Thinking of her uncle again, Yao Fanghua's eyes darkened even more.

Yao Fangyuan washed her hands and went to help make dumplings, and her two younger cousins ​​quickly washed their hands as well. Yao Fangfang composed herself and also started making dumplings, saying that she would go see Yao Fanghua after she finished.

Around noon, several of her sisters came to visit Yao Fanghua. As soon as they entered the house, a wave of heat hit them; the stove in the house was burning very brightly.

Yao Fanghua leaned against the headboard reading a book, while Wu Peng sat at his desk reciting English. Tea was warming by the stove, and there were canned goods, melon seeds, and candies on the table, along with several wooden carvings—little lions, tigers, oxen, and monkeys—all looking adorable. The room exuded an atmosphere of tranquility and peace.

Yao Fangfang frowned, feeling a sudden surge of jealousy at the sight. How could Yao Fanghua live such a life? She should be like she was when she was a child, with endless chores and hardships, enduring the cold in winter and the heat in summer, lacking food and clothing, only able to look up to her with envy, watching her warm herself by the fire in winter and craving her popsicles in summer.

Song Xiaowen: "The room is so much better now that the windows have been replaced. It's bright and warm. My cousin really knows how to enjoy life." Is this the benefit of going to university? Song Xiaowen couldn't help but feel a little envious.

Yao Fanghua put down her book and asked Yao Fangyuan to bring over some stools and folding stools. Then she invited her younger sisters to eat melon seeds.

"Cousin, how's university?" Song Xiaoshi sat on the bed and flipped through Yao Fanghua's books. "They're all in English." She couldn't understand them.

Yao Xiaogu had four daughters and longed for a son so much that she was heartbroken. She always put her husband first, and the fact that she hadn't given birth to a son made her feel even more sorry for the Song family and for her husband.

Song Xiaowen and Song Xiaoshi are only one year apart, almost like twins. Song Xiaowen is more lively, while Song Xiaoshi is gentle and quiet. Of the four sisters, the two older sisters are married, and the two younger ones, like Yao Fangyuan, are currently in school preparing for the college entrance examination.

Yao Fanghua: "It's alright, you can learn a lot. Study hard and try to go to university next year."

Song Xiaoshi felt a little melancholy. Of course, she wanted to go to university; just look at her cousin, she knew the government would provide her with a job. But she just couldn't grasp math; it was really difficult. If only she could be like her cousin Fangfang, getting a good job without going to school!

At noon, Wu Peng finally got Grandpa Yao to call him to the main room for a drink.

Several girls set up a table in Yao Fanghua's room, eating dumplings and chatting. They even had Yao Fangyuan move the TV over, and the girls gathered around the room to watch it.

They were watching TV in this room, while in the main room they had drunk and eaten, and Brother Yao was playing mahjong. Li Chunying's face darkened at the mention of mahjong. Yao Deyi always lost; he never won. Today, he'd drunk quite a bit, completely intoxicated—no wonder he couldn't win. She'd told him to give his seat to the younger generation, whether it was his nephew or niece, anyone could play, but he wouldn't listen. He always stubbornly sat there, and she couldn't even pull him away. Li Chunying harbored resentment every year. Starting at the beginning of the year, she felt like she'd be angry all year round.

Wu Peng was adept at reading people, and he could glean some information from Li Chunying's face. Once the mahjong tiles were laid out, he pushed past Yao Deyi and said he wanted to play a couple of rounds, "Second Uncle, I'll play a couple of rounds. You can take my place after I've lost all my money."

Yao Deyi would refuse his own wife, but he never refused outsiders. When Wu Peng told him to give way, he actually did so with a smile. Li Chunying gritted her teeth and cursed inwardly, always feeling that Yao Deyi was cowardly and afraid of trouble, not a real man.

It was really strange; Wu Peng was having exceptionally good luck today. Coupled with his excellent mahjong skills, he'd never had such a smooth run. He was either konging (a winning hand) or winning by self-draw. After several rounds, he won three out of four, a complete victory.

Brother Yao and his two sons-in-law looked grim.

Li Chunying finally felt relieved and watched with great interest. She hadn't had such a pleasant New Year in all these years. She found Wu Peng more and more pleasing to the eye.

Song Xiaowen wanted to take advantage of the holiday to have Yao Fanghua tutor her, but Yao Fanghua said she had to report to the factory on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year and probably wouldn't have time. She'd rather use that time to carve a piece of jade.

Seeing that Yao Fanghua was unwilling to tutor them, Song Xiaowen and Song Xiaoshi were somewhat unhappy.

Yao Fangfang: "Sis, when did you become so stingy? Even if you're at work, you'll still have time on weekends."

"I was self-taught back then, and I only got in because I was lucky. I believe Xiaowen and Xiaoshi are definitely better than me. Besides, with the school teachers there, why would they need me?" Yao Fanghua is no longer a child. The two years she spent in the countryside forced her to grow up quickly. Having witnessed life and death, she has transformed like a silkworm emerging from its cocoon. Now she has wings and thorns. She won't do anything that doesn't benefit her, and no one else should expect to get anything from her without working for it, or force her to make sacrifices for nothing.

She used to feel sorry for her parents' hardships, considerate of others, and willing to sacrifice herself for them. Now, she just wants to live her own life well first, letting go of her desire to help others and respecting their fates. After all, when she went to the countryside, no one spoke up for her; when she was enduring hardship, no one asked if she was suffering; some might even have secretly enjoyed seeing her suffer. She thought, why should she be the one to suffer? Why can't she live a good life? Was she born to suffer, destined to suffer forever?

She was determined to climb up step by step!

"It's just going to college, what's the big deal? You can still get a job if you don't go. Don't take it too seriously." It's like going to college is some big deal. She'll still end up in a factory, working in a workshop. What's so great about that? She'll do that her whole life, what future can she have? She wouldn't even consider it. Her current job is better—easy, respectable, and pays more.

Song Xiaowen: "How can everyone be like Sister Fangfang? Shishi and I are just grateful that we can even get into the workshop."

The sisters parted on bad terms. Wu Peng then dominated the mahjong table.

The departure of Aunt Yao and Aunt Yao's families lacked their usual cheerfulness. They glared at Wu Peng with particular irritation, silently cursing the convict countless times in their hearts.

Li Chunying hummed a little tune as she cooked dinner, adding oil and stir-frying meat until the aroma almost made the people in the house drowsy. Smiling, Li Chunying kept piling food onto Wu Peng's plate, earnestly inviting him to come back for Chinese New Year next year, promising to cook him something delicious.