Chapter 24 No Way Out
This story doesn't even sound true if you tell others.
Shen Cuifen originally didn't want to mention it in front of the children.
She was just a woman, keeping her bitterness bottled up inside, hoping only to save face for her family.
She planned to handle it herself.
Either remain silent and endure it for the rest of your life, or grit your teeth and bear all the humiliation.
"Mom, what brings you here? What are you looking at?"
Her daughter, Lu Xiuye, shifted her gaze, quick-witted, and immediately sensed the unusual atmosphere, so she changed the subject.
She understood and believed one thing from a young age.
In her heart, Shen Cuifen was Lu Weidong's true love.
It is precisely because of these heavy emotions that she was repeatedly subjected to domestic violence, yet she neither resisted nor ran away.
Although she was young at the time, witnessing the two men committing such a sordid act in the cornfield filled her with such rage that it nearly consumed her.
But afterwards, the only thing you can think of to deal with it is to keep your mouth shut.
She was terrified that if her mother found out, she might do something foolish, like hurting herself.
So from that day on, Lu Xiuye kept this matter to herself.
Shen Cuifen took a deep breath and gripped the edge of her apron with both hands.
“I’ll take you sisters to buy a new pair of shoes… Look at these shoes of yours, they’re all worn out, your feet are practically showing.”
Upon hearing this, the two sisters looked at each other, their eyes filled with hesitation, yet they couldn't find any words to refute it.
So he looked down silently at his old shoes.
Sure enough, a few toes had already poked their heads out to let in some fresh air.
The shoes were badly torn, and a few bent toes trembled in the cold wind.
Lu Xiuwei glanced down, sighed helplessly, but felt quite used to it.
In her previous life, Shen Cuifen treated her daughters very badly.
The mother, who was once fairly fair, now seems to only have her sons in her eyes.
Although it wasn't really bad to the two daughters.
But from food, clothing, shelter, and transportation to care and consideration, the scales have long since tipped in favor of the three sons.
The best food and clothing in the house were always given to the three brothers first.
The two sisters were placed at the back of the line.
As time went by, even the thought of resistance became numb.
"Buy shoes? Have you lost your mind?"
When those words came out of my mouth.
Lu Xiuye was startled by her own tone.
But she quickly regained her composure and looked at her mother, Shen Cuifen, with a suspicious expression.
You should know that in their family, they only own one pair of shoes a year.
Whether it's winter or summer, we always try to save money at home and never buy an extra pair of clothes or shoes.
The only legitimate reason to buy new clothes is on "New Year's Eve".
But I clearly promised to buy each of the two sisters a pair of shoes that time.
But it was canceled at the crucial moment.
Because Lu Fuquan wanted a pair of leather shoes.
The sisters' money was unsurprisingly diverted and used.
Lu Xiuye was quite annoyed at the time, feeling that it wasn't like her younger brother was without shoes.
Why use up what originally belonged to her?
But Shen Cuifen asked her to be understanding.
"You're the older sister, so you should learn to do things for your younger brother."
They promised to make up for it later.
However, she knew that while the word "afterwards" sounded easy to achieve, it was actually a long way off.
So she had long since given up on the idea and decided to just wear her worn-out shoes until the next year.
She lowered her head, twisted her toes, and smiled bitterly while frowning.
"It doesn't matter if the shoes have holes, at most they'll just be a little more breathable."
The problem is that the soles of these shoes are almost worn through.
It makes a crunching sound when you walk on it, and if you accidentally step on a pebble, you'll jump up in pain.
She had originally planned to go home this week.
Ask your sister to find some scraps of cloth so she can make a pair of thick insoles.
As for Lu Xiuwei, her situation was even worse.
The little girl followed her mother to work in the fields every day.
Rolling in the mud and crawling in the dirt, their shoes were completely worn out.
The base was already in a terrible state, riddled with holes, revealing a pair of dusty little feet.
Once exposed to moisture, the cloth shoes on your feet will quickly absorb the water.
The mud was not only sticky and sticky, but it also seeped directly into the soles of the shoes.
After wearing them all day, your feet will become white and wrinkled from being soaked.
Recalling those difficult days, Shen Cuifen felt a pang of guilt.
In her past life, she always thought about delaying and putting things off.
However, he never had the chance to buy the two sisters a pair of new shoes that truly belonged to them.
Lu Xiuwei was still wearing those old shoes with frayed seams and exposed toes when she was sold.
Even when Lu Xiuye was suffering from illness, she was still wearing tattered cloth shoes with patches upon patches on them.
"I should have bought you these shoes a long time ago."
Her tone was somewhat downcast.
“We just haven’t been able to make a proper arrangement yet… We have some free time today, so let’s go pick out a new pair for each of the two sisters.”
"oops!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Xiuye, the youngest daughter standing beside her, couldn't help but cheer.
Before I could even laugh out loud, my foot slipped and I landed on a smooth, round pebble.
Her center of gravity suddenly shifted, and she staggered.
"Ouch! That hurts so much!"
Lu Xiuye quickly pulled her feet back and hopped a few times, losing her balance.
Then lift that foot up and gently massage it with both hands.
The soles of the shoes were too thin, and the edges wore out from wearing them for too long.
The moment she stepped on the stone, her sole felt an intense, needle-like pain.
She swayed a few times before regaining her balance.
How could Shen Cuifen not know what was going on?
Their shoes were practically falling apart, and they risked exposing their toes or twisting their ankles if they weren't careful.
She quickly stepped forward and took Lu Xiuye's arm, her words carrying a hint of reproach, but her eyes were full of heartache.
"Serves you right for jumping around like that! You can go crazy after you get your new shoes!"
Lu Xiuye pouted, stuck out her tongue, and leaned against Shen Cuifen's shoulder.
"Mom loves me the most, hehe!"
Although Shen Cuifen usually worries more about her three sons.
After all, the family relies on the labor force to support them, and her husband, Lu Weidong, also needs her constant care.
However, when it comes to studying and going to school, neither of the two daughters has ever been left behind.
The eldest daughter, Lu Xiuwei, was in her third year of junior high school when the college entrance examination had not yet been reinstated; otherwise, she would not have had to interrupt her studies.
To support her children's education, Shen Cuifen went to great lengths and saved every penny.
Back then, she was often scolded and berated by Lu Weidong just for trying to get her daughter to continue her studies.
Every time the topic of sending the two girls to school comes up, it's always a reminder.
The couple inevitably had a fight, and when they were angry, they were even too lazy to cook.
In Lu Weidong's view, a woman will eventually belong to another family, so no matter how much she learns, it won't be of much use.
Therefore, he always thought it would be better to arrange for them to go out and work to supplement the family income as soon as possible.
But Shen Cuifen simply didn't believe in this logic.
She firmly believed that it didn't matter whether it was a boy or a girl.
Only with cultural knowledge can one go further and live a life that truly reflects their own identity.
"Only those with ability will find a way out!"
This became a phrase she often said.
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