"You don't need to do this for me anymore."
She can eat however she wants when she's alone. But it would be too much of an inconvenience to have such a large family cater to her.
"Don't worry, although our family members aren't particularly good at eating spicy food, they all like it."
Although eating it may cause localized discomfort, people have a strong craving for it.
"Yes, yes, don't worry about us, we love to eat."
After Xie Xiuying finished speaking, she picked up a piece of fish and put it in her mouth, almost getting a fish bone stuck in her throat.
To show their love for spicy food, the rest of the group attacked the fish.
With Xie Xiuying and Gu Changfeng feeding her enthusiastically, Ruan Qiushui ate until her belly was round and full.
“Ruan girl, come with me.”
After dinner, Xie Xiuying mysteriously pulled Ruan Qiushui into the bedroom.
"Auntie, what's wrong?"
Ruan Qiushui sat down and saw Xie Xiuying hand her a red paper packet.
"This is a gift from your aunt. Please keep it safe."
On her first official visit, her future mother-in-law gave her a red envelope, which was considered a form of acceptance.
"Thank you, Auntie."
Ruan Qiushui thought it wasn't much, so she accepted it generously.
When I got back, I found 101 yuan inside.
After dinner, it was getting late, so Gu Changfeng got up to escort Ruan Qiushui back to the educated youth camp.
"Why haven't I seen your little sister today?"
Ruan Qiushui was somewhat curious.
She thought that coming to the Gu family today would be difficult for Gu Xiaoxiao.
Their first meeting was not very friendly.
"My little sister was sent to my maternal grandmother's house by my mother. She probably won't be back for a few more days."
Thankfully, her mother sent her younger sister to her maternal grandmother's house in time; otherwise, who knows what kind of foolish things she and Wang Qiaohui would have done.
What if he makes things difficult for his wife? What if she gets upset and refuses to date him?
"Father! Mother! Do you have to be so heartless? From childhood to adulthood, I've been nothing more than a tool in this family. My greatest use is waiting for you to bleed me dry to support your other children."
“Now that my younger brother is of age to go to the countryside, we need to find him a job, and that’s when you all remember me.”
“You’ve never shown me any love or care since I was a child. Now that I’ve found someone I want to spend my life with, I only hope you can give me your blessings, but you’re only looking to maximize your own profits.”
"You're asking for a dowry of five hundred yuan right off the bat? That's five hundred yuan! Are you even human?"
Before Ruan Qiushui and Gu Changfeng even got close, they heard Chen Fenglan's heart-wrenching cries coming from inside the educated youth compound.
Ruan Qiushui and Gu Changfeng exchanged a glance and quickly went inside.
"Stop talking nonsense. If you want to get married, you have to give me five hundred yuan. Do you think I raised you for over ten years for nothing?"
Chen's mother was relentless, and no matter how much Chen Fenglan cried, she would not soften her heart.
Her son's work was the most important thing to her; Chen Fenglan couldn't even compare to a single hair on her son's head.
"Your name is Wang Jun, right? Let me tell you, if you don't have five hundred yuan, you can forget about marrying my daughter."
Mr. Chen glanced disdainfully at the country man standing helplessly to the side.
With such conditions, he still dares to marry a city girl? He's like a toad trying to eat swan meat.
"Uncle, it's me."
Wang Jun was speechless for a moment.
Why did things turn out this way?
They clearly love each other, so why can't they be together?
Five hundred yuan is an astronomical figure for his family; they couldn't raise that much even if they sold their house.
Did he and Fenglan just miss each other like this?
"Since you are so heartless, then just pretend you never had a daughter like me. I want to sever all ties with you."
Chen Fenglan looked up, her face covered in tears.
"Smack!"
Say it again.
Chen's father slapped Chen Fenglan across the face.
"Fenglan!"
Wang Jun felt extremely distressed and quickly protected her in front of him.
"I told you, I'm severing ties with you. From now on, just consider me dead."
Despite blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, Chen Fenglan still resolutely uttered those words.
"You unfilial daughter, you want to die? Fine, then I'll grant your wish."
Enraged, Chen's father was about to punch him.
"Stop it right now."
Gu Changfeng strode forward and grabbed Chen's father's wrist, rendering him unable to move.
Are you alright?
Ruan Qiushui ran to Chen Fenglan's side and felt a pang of heartache when she saw her swollen cheeks.
What kind of parents are these, that they could be so heartless?
"I'm fine."
Chen Fenglan shook her head and gave a bitter laugh.
"Wang Jun, help Sister Fenglan inside. We'll handle things here."
Ruan Qiushui was afraid that Chen Fenglan would get hurt again, so she thought it better to go inside and avoid her.
"Qiushui, I cannot back down."
Chen Fenglan shook her head and stood up.
"I must make things clear with them today and settle this once and for all."
If we cannot completely break free, they will come back to cause trouble a second and a third time, and then there will be no peace forever.
"Let go of me! Who asked you to meddle in my business?"
Mr. Chen felt as if Gu Changfeng was going to crush the bones in his wrist.
"You say you've raised me for over ten years? If the swill I ate at home that even pigs wouldn't eat counts as food? If the clothes I wore at home that were patched a dozen times and leaked air counts as clothes?"
“As far back as I can remember, I’ve been like a servant at home, working from dawn till dusk, doing all the dirty and tiring work. I even had to stay up late with bloodshot eyes to paste matchboxes, just to supplement the family income.”
“If it weren’t for the old lady from the neighborhood committee taking pity on me and coming to my door several times to persuade me, and in the end she paid for my tuition, you wouldn’t have let me finish elementary school.”
“Over the years, I haven’t spent a single penny of my family’s money, and you haven’t fulfilled your parental obligations to raise me. On the contrary, I’m the one who helps the family earn money and works as a servant.”
"The one who should have been sent to the countryside that year was my older sister, but you changed my age and kicked me out."
"Today you insist on a dowry of 500 yuan. Ask yourselves honestly, do you deserve it?"
"You may leave now. I have repaid my debt of gratitude. From now on, let's never see each other again."
It took Chen Fenglan all her strength to muster the courage to finish saying those words.
Her early life was too pitiful and humble; she didn't want to live like that forever.
Wang Jun gave her love and hope, and she wanted to change her way of life.
"Sister Fenglan is telling you to leave, didn't you hear? If you don't leave, we'll call the police. You've got this old habit of using your daughters to make money, do you want to spend a few years in jail?"
She's so angry!
I never imagined that Sister Fenglan, who has a kind and cheerful personality, had such a childhood.
"Get out of here!"
Gu Changfeng shook off Chen's father's hand and stood beside Ruan Qiushui.
“The town ahead just arrested a man who sold his daughter for a high dowry. I heard he was sentenced to twenty years. Do you want to give it a try?”
Liu Pandi, who had approached unnoticed, said something.
She had always thought Chen Fenglan was happier than her, so she was a little jealous. Little did she know, Chen Fenglan was even more miserable than her.
She was willing to say a word in support because she felt a sense of shared suffering.
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