Chapter 24 The Ungrateful Childhood Sweetheart

Jiang Ermei stopped Ji Huaizhi from leaving.

Seeing that he was unmoved, she started to say nice things: "Please let me see my older sister, I won't tell my parents."

Ji Huaizhi lowered his eyes: "I can't take you there. Your older sister has been with me for so long, and she has never once said that she misses you."

I've actually said that before.

After all, the eldest child does the most work at home and takes on the role of caregiver.

When Xiaomei first arrived, she was worried about her younger siblings.

The original owner's words silenced him completely, and he never mentioned it again. The original owner's exact words were:

You're used to being a nanny, and you want to go back to selflessly dedicating yourself to others? What kind of affection do you think there is in a family like ours with siblings?

There was only competition between you and your younger siblings. You felt sorry for them, so you had the hardest time at home.

Jiang Xiaomei never mentioned it again after that.

Hearing his words, Jiang Ermei cried even harder: "Impossible! Give me back my eldest sister! You tricked our eldest sister away! Did you really sell her?"

"Ermei?" Jiang Xiaomei's voice came from behind.

Seeing that Ji Huaizhi hadn't returned, she took a side path to check on him.

I never expected to see my sister here.

First came joy, then panic. She looked around to see if her parents were there.

"Big sister!" Jiang Ermei vaguely saw her eldest sister and excitedly went forward to hug her, but when she got closer and saw her eldest sister's appearance, she didn't dare to go forward.

With tears still in her eyes, she stared incredulously at the older sister who was both strange and familiar.

She's gotten so much fairer.

My hair has also become shorter, and it's not the malnourished, yellowish kind anymore; it's very black and smooth.

She looked at herself in surprise, wearing a lake-blue shirt and a khaki skirt, just like those college students.

Jiang Ermei was somewhat hesitant to recognize him.

"Big sister?"

"Ermei? Are you alone? Where are Mom and Dad?" Jiang Xiaomei looked at Ji Huaizhi: "You ran into them, didn't you? Are you alright?"

Jiang Ermei watched the two of them chatting as if no one else was around.

Biting her lip, she looked her older sister up and down. She was living a really good life in the city; no wonder she didn't want to go back.

"It's alright, she probably ran away on her own and was looking for you." Ji Huaizhi walked over.

Jiang Xiaomei looked down and tried to pull her: "Ermei."

Jiang Ermei took a step back: "No wonder you don't want to go back. You're just like those people on TV now. You're doing so well now, no wonder you don't want to go back."

Jiang Ermei cried, feeling wronged.

She had mixed feelings—happiness, grievance, and a hidden resentment.

She was happy to see her sister, and also happy to see that she hadn't suffered any hardship or injustice.

She felt wronged that she missed him at all, and that she had dropped out of school after he left. The work that she used to do became her own, and she became the one who suffered the most in the family.

What's frustrating is that even though they're sisters, their lives are so different.

"Ermei, eldest sister really doesn't want to go back." Jiang Xiaomei felt lucky.

Ji Huaizhi brought her out to change her fate.

Seeing her younger sister's appearance was like seeing her former self; she felt heartache, helplessness, and sorrow.

Jiang Ermei cried so hard she couldn't say a word. She wanted to complain that her parents wouldn't let her go to school anymore and were very biased towards her. She couldn't control Jiang Shengyao.

But now I can't utter a single word.

Jiang Xiaomei also cried; judging from her appearance, she actually understood everything.

"Big sister, is it really that good outside?" She touched her older sister's clothes.

The tears in her eyes masked all other emotions.

"Of course it's good, didn't you see?"

Jiang Xiaomei wiped away her tears: "Sister will take you to eat."

"I want to eat beef noodles." Jiang Ermei really wanted to eat a big bowl of beef noodles.

The two took her to a noodle shop, where they made handmade noodles. When Ji Huaizhi ordered, he added a beef to Jiang Ermei's order.

Jiang Ermei noticed that there was significantly more beef in front of her, and then looked at their bowls.

"Eat up." Jiang Xiaomei glanced gratefully at Ji Huaizhi.

Jiang Ermei wolfed down her food, crying as she ate.

What she wanted most right now was for her older sister to tell her to stay and not go back, but she had finished all the soup in her bowl and still hadn't heard her sister speak.

She was stuffed after eating such a big bowl of noodles.

Looking up and seeing my older sister's refined way of eating, that awkward feeling returned.

He then carefully examined Ji Huaizhi.

They both understood her gaze, but neither spoke first.

"You two have essentially eloped."

Ji Huaizhi: "Your sister and I fell in love freely. Neither of us was married, so it can't be considered an elopement."

“Nobody agrees with the two of you,” Jiang Ermei stubbornly insisted.

“We don’t need anyone’s consent. From the moment we left home, we were the closest of people.” Ji Huaizhi’s words were somewhat heartbreaking.

My own sister, whom I conceived, has become someone else's closest person.

“Ermei, I don’t regret it. On the contrary, I feel very lucky.” Jiang Xiaomei looked at her younger sister and said, “Actually, I understand what you want to say but can’t say it.”

"But I only live this one life, so don't blame me."

Ji Huaizhi went outside to answer a phone call.

Upon entering, I saw Jiang Xiaomei wiping away tears. After paying the bill, I said, "Go back and rest first. I'll take Ermei over. Don't cry, wait for me to come back at home."

As Jiang Ermei watched Ji Huaizhi speak to her eldest sister, she suddenly recalled a time when she was very young.

The guy next door, Ji Huaizhi, always pulls my older sister's braids and throws firecrackers at her during the Lunar New Year. I've never seen him speak to her so gently.

"I'll go with you, we can just hide a bit."

"No need, they won't stay long, and they won't take you back."

Looking at her younger sister's thin figure, Jiang Xiaomei couldn't help but call out to her, "Ermei."

Jiang Ermei quickly turned around, a hopeful glint in her eyes: "Big sister!"