Chen Lan paused, wiped away non-existent tears from the corners of her eyes, and continued, "I lost my mother when I was 3 and my father when I was 10. I also had to support my disabled grandmother and my young brother. I had to drop out of school early and enter the workforce before finishing junior high. I did all kinds of hard and tiring jobs just so that my family could have enough to eat and a place to shelter from the wind and rain."
“When I was 17, I met Li Yi. He was the head of a local charity organization. He promised to sponsor my brother and me to continue our schooling and arrange for our disabled grandmother to be sent to an orphanage for proper care. The condition was… the condition was that we had that kind of relationship…”
As Chen Lan spoke, her voice trembled slightly, as if recalling that unbearable past was tearing her heart apart.
"You agreed?" Lin Lele asked with a strange look.
“At that time, my younger brother couldn’t bear to see me working so hard to support him and our grandmother, so he was threatening to drop out of school to ease my burden. I had already been struggling in society for almost two years, and although I was still young, I had already experienced the harsh realities of life. I knew that in this world, without knowledge and education, one can never truly change their fate. I couldn’t let my life go on like that, nor could I allow my younger brother to repeat my mistakes because of a lack of education. I… I had no choice!” Chen Lan said bitterly. “Later, after I graduated from university, Li Yi’s second wife passed away. Perhaps because she felt that I had taken good care of him, I naturally married him and became his third wife.”
Lin Lele was completely bewildered after hearing Chen Lan's words. It took her a long time to come to her senses.
"Are you telling a story?" Lin Lele said, somewhat speechless, with a confident expression, "In the world before the natural disaster, such a thing couldn't have happened! Your family was in such a terrible situation, it's impossible that no one cared about you!"
"Isn't this taking charge?" Chen Lan smiled wryly. "Li Yi came here to take charge of us!"
“Uh…” Lin Lele was taken aback by Chen Lan’s answer and couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
"Anyway, I don't believe it. Is there no law anymore?" Lin Lele shook her head, with an expression that said, "I'm smart enough not to be fooled by such a clumsy lie."
To this, Chen Lan simply responded with a faint smile, it was unclear whether she was admitting that she was lying or mocking Lin Lele's naivety.
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