Zhou Bingxuan stood at the door, watching Yu Zihan and her family leave. He was filled with anticipation for his future life. He turned and walked home, his steps brisk and firm. Yu Zihan's words still echoed in his ears: "Hurry up and take care of things at home, then prepare for the final exams. We'll go to Pengcheng together during the winter vacation."
He had a plan for his life, so he was full of confidence. He knew he had to take care of things at home and not let his sister get hurt again. Now that he had money, he was confident. He believed that as long as he worked hard, everything would be fine.
Back home, the brother and sister began to discuss how to get rid of the man's entanglement with their sister. Zhou Bingxuan sat next to his sister, holding her hand tightly, his eyes firm and determined. He told his sister that he had a plan, and as long as they worked together, they would be able to get rid of the man's entanglement.
Zhou Yiran burst into tears after hearing her brother's plan. She threw herself into his arms, hugged him tightly, and said with a choked voice, "Thank you, Bingxuan."
After Zhou Yiran's father passed away, she was forced to shoulder the heavy responsibility of supporting her family. She struggled daily to make ends meet, while her mother grew increasingly frail and dazed. Her younger brother, still young, needed her care. She felt like she was suffocating under the weight of this burden.
However, she had always thought she was alone. Until one day, she heard her brother's plan and saw the two thousand yuan he had raised. Then she realized that she was not fighting alone. Her brother had grown up and was willing to face difficulties with her and overcome them together.
Zhou Bingxuan gently patted his sister on the back and comforted her, "Sister, you are not alone. We are a family. We face difficulties together and overcome them together." The brother and sister smiled at each other, their eyes full of determination and courage.
That evening, Second Aunt brought my mother home, followed by the old man, Li Fugui. Zhou Yin, who was cooking, shuddered at the sight of him. She recalled his repeated harassment of her, and her heart was filled with fear and disgust.
Li Fugui was an old bachelor who was introduced to her by her second aunt. He knew the Zhou family's situation and thought that if Zhou Yiren had a bit of tact, she should agree to their marriage. Because although he was a bachelor with three children, he was a seventh-level fitter with a high salary. For the sake of money, she should agree.
When Zhou Er's aunt first introduced Zhou Yiran to Li Fugui, he fell in love with this beautiful girl at first sight. He was secretly delighted: this girl is not only beautiful, but also capable. If he could marry her, he would not only be able to sleep with her, but also have someone to help with the housework. Such a good thing is what he has always wanted.
As for the prior agreement to support her family, Li Fugui didn't take it seriously at all. He thought, after marrying her, he would have the final say. As long as he served her well, he would give them some benefits. If they made him unhappy, huh, no way! A married woman is like spilled water. Now that she's married, why should he be afraid of her causing any trouble? It must be said that Li Fugui had a very good idea.
Ever since they first met, Zhou Yiran had told her second aunt that she didn't agree to the marriage because she hated the way Li Fugui looked at her. Although her family was short of money, she absolutely refused to sell herself to such a man.
Li Fugui had already taken a fancy to Zhou Yiran, and seeing how sick and vulnerable the family was, he began to harass her even more brazenly. He came to her house every day, bringing her worthless gifts and frequently making ambiguous comments. Zhou Yiran was terrified and didn't know what to do. She didn't dare tell her mother, let alone her brother.
Just when Zhou Yiran was in despair and about to agree to Li Fugui's proposal, her brother and Yu Zihan brought her hope. When her brother told her about the plan, she was delighted to find that he had grown up without her noticing. He stood in front of her like a man to protect her from the flood and beast in front of her.
Now facing Li Fugui, Zhou Yiran was no longer afraid. She thought of the plan she and her brother had discussed that afternoon, and she faced the newcomer calmly.
"My house is small, so I won't invite you in to talk. I wonder what Second Aunt and Uncle Li are doing here?" Zhou Yin straightened his back and said loudly.
Second Aunt looked at her niece, who spoke with much more force, and felt puzzled. She looked at the siblings with disapproval.
"Guests are here, how can we talk in the yard? It makes our family look so uncultured. I think we should go inside and talk." As she spoke, she pulled Zhou Bingxuan's mother into the house.
Zhou Bingxuan stood at the door, blocking their way. "Why? Is what Second Aunt wants to say shameful?"
"What are you talking about? How can you talk to your second aunt like that?" When the mother heard her son say such words, she angrily accused him.
"Mom, don't worry about this. Let's handle it ourselves." Zhou Bingxuan said this to his mother not out of disrespect, but because recently, his mother had been bewitched by his second aunt. She obeyed her in everything. The gentle and wise mother seemed to have changed. At first, the siblings obeyed their mother's arrangements, but when the second aunt introduced Li Fugui to her sister, their mother actually agreed.
"You, now that you have grown up, it's all because of your mother's uselessness, your mother's uselessness." Mother Zhou spoke with trembling lips, as if she had suffered a great injustice.
Seeing their mother like this, the brother and sister did not give in to her this time. Because this matter concerns the happiness of his sister's life, he cannot ruin her. His mother is confused, but he is extremely clear-headed.
"Then Mom will go back to the room and rest. My sister and I will handle this matter." Zhou Bingxuan refused to give in. He knew that doing so would make his mother very uncomfortable, but he would not compromise this time.
"Oh, sister-in-law, look at your two children. They are becoming more and more disobedient. No wonder, without the guidance of their eldest brother, it is understandable that they have grown up astray." Her words broke Mother Zhou's nerves that were close to collapse.
Thinking of the suffering she had endured and the bleak and irrelevant future, she shouted, "Don't you respect your mother anymore? Are you rebelling against heaven? If your father were here, how would you treat him?"
Mother Zhou sobbed after saying this. Second Aunt pretended to wipe her tears beside her. She secretly laughed at herself, thinking she was a rich girl, but now she was like a puppet, at the mercy of others.
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