028
When Jiang's father turned into ashes in the crematorium, Jiang Yan didn't shed a single tear.
Father Jiang favored boys over girls all his life, and he was still resenting and cursing his daughter until the last second of his death.
There has always been only himself and his son in his heart. No matter whether it is Jiang's mother or Jiang Lai Di, there is no difference in his eyes, and they have no status at all. They are just tools for him to live a better life.
From the moment he found out that Jiang Lai Di was a girl outside the delivery room and turned around and left in anger, it was destined that his and Jiang Lai Di's relationship as father and daughter was over in this life.
Jiang Lai Di never enjoyed a single day of fatherly love. From childhood to adulthood, he never carried her on his back, never hugged her for even a second. He never showed any fatherly warmth towards her, only treating her as another mouth to feed. He would often look at Jiang Lai Di and sigh, shaking his head. Why is she just a girl, not a son?
Jiang Lai Di always believed her parents disliked her because she wasn't good enough, so she tried her best to behave like a good person. She was obedient, hardworking, filial, and a good student, and she always seemed more sensible than her peers. But no matter how hard she tried, Jiang's parents never smiled at her. Instead, they sighed even more deeply, wondering why they had given birth to a girl.
Jiang Lai Di often wondered what she had done wrong and why her parents still didn't like her even though she tried so hard.
Jiang Lai Di didn't know that no matter how hard she worked or how outstanding she was, it would be useless in their eyes. They didn't need her to work hard or be outstanding, they just wanted her to be a son, a son who could carry on the family line.
Jiang Lai Di didn't know that she had done nothing wrong, the only mistake was that she was not a son.
"Sister, what's wrong with you? You look so ugly. When can we go back? I don't want to stay here anymore."
Jiang Pengpeng glanced at Jiang Yanyi and finally said what he had been holding back for a long time. Facing the death of Jiang's father, he also did not feel any sadness in his heart. He just felt that he was finally freed. He no longer had to take care of his excrement and urine.
"I'm wondering where to scatter your dad's ashes."
Jiang Pengpeng curled his lips, "Isn't he your father too?"
"It's so annoying. Why isn't it ready yet? I'm hungry."
The people around them kept looking at the two of them, as if they couldn't believe that the two children were not sad at all when facing the death of their loved ones.
After a long time, the staff finally came out.
After taking the urn from the staff, Jiang Yanyi threw it directly to Jiang Pengpeng, "Here, your dad."
Jiang Pengpeng was disgusted: "Ah, I don't want to take it."
"It's up to you. Take it or not. If you don't want to take it, just throw it away. I don't mind."
Jiang Pengpeng had never won in front of Jiang Yanyi. In the end, he could only accept his fate and follow her home with Jiang's father's urn.
When they returned home, Jiang's mother was still lying on the bed crying. She hadn't eaten for two days. She was using this to put pressure on Jiang Yanyi and force her to compromise.
Jiang Yanyi placed Jiang's father's urn next to Jiang's mother, "Here, your husband is here. I brought it back for you."
Mother Jiang did not respond to her.
Jiang Pengpeng had already gone into the kitchen. Jiang Yanyi, not worried about him hearing anything, said to Jiang's mother, "You want to die, don't you? I won't let you have your way. I'm telling you, if you don't eat or drink any more, I'll feed his ashes to the pigs. Jiang Pengpeng will definitely not get away with it in my hands. Tomorrow I'll make him drop out of school and make him pick up trash every day."
Mother Jiang made a hoarse sound in her chest, and her sunken eyes stared at Jiang Yanyi.
Jiang Yan said with a smile: "Are you feeling very angry? Do you wish I were dead? Let me tell you, your daughter Jiang Lai Di died a long time ago. She was killed by you. I am here to avenge her." She was not afraid that Jiang's mother would tell others. Given her current condition, no one would believe her even if she told others. Everyone would just think she was seriously ill and talking nonsense.
"Ah, your expression tells me you don't believe it." Jiang Yanyi nodded with his finger in feigned annoyance. "Don't you notice that I'm completely different from before?"
Mother Jiang's eyes widened in horror.
"Speaking of which, your daughter is so filial. She works like a slave in this family, doing all the dirty and tiring work. She is also obedient to you. Let me tell you, in your previous life, you also had a car accident. Your daughter dropped out of school without saying a word and went to work to support you. She worked three jobs and hired the best caregivers for you. Because of her dedication, not only did you not die from complications, but you lived to see Jiang Pengpeng get married and have children. It's a pity that you don't cherish such a good daughter. You are so angry that she is almost dead, so I came here. Don't you always say that I am here to collect debts? Well, you are right, I am here to collect debts, to collect debts on her behalf."
"I'm telling you, this is just the beginning. Don't you think Jiang Pengpeng is just an eyeball? I'm so sorry, but he'll be next. I'm going to make sure your Jiang family has no descendants."
Mother Jiang was whimpering. She wanted to tear Jiang Yanyi's mouth apart and beat her to death, but unfortunately she was too weak and could do nothing.
"Sister, it's time to eat." In the living room, Jiang Pengpeng had set the table.
Jiang Yan straightened Jiang Mu's quilt and said, "Listen, he listens to me more now. If I ask him to do something, will he refuse?"
"Don't... don't touch him, don't touch him." Jiang's mother's strong desire to survive made her burst out with amazing strength. "Devil, you will die if you touch Pengpeng."
"Tsk, so noisy." Jiang Yanyi picked up the small urn and stuffed it into her mouth, "Be careful, don't swallow your husband."
She clapped her hands and went to eat.
Jiang Pengpeng attentively handed her the prepared meal and said, "Sister, today I made stir-fried shredded potatoes and stir-fried carrots with meat. They are all your favorites. Please eat more."
"I'm telling you, sister, I've learned a new one..."
"Pengpeng, you've worked hard recently."
Jiang Pengpeng, who was enthusiastically introducing his new achievements, was stunned when he heard this. It had been a long time since he heard Jiang Yanyi speak to him so gently. "No... Sister... you, what's wrong?"
After asking this question nervously, he stood there holding his bowl and chopsticks, not daring to move. He thought he had done something wrong, and Jiang Yanyi was being sarcastic, and she might explode and beat him up in the next second.
"Sister, what did I do wrong again?"
"No, sit down and eat." Jiang Yanyi didn't expect that his fist could actually make him so subdued. "Pengpeng, sit down, let's talk."
Jiang Pengpeng sat down flattered, "What... what do you want to talk about?"
"Pengpeng," Jiang Yanyi picked up a piece of shredded potato for him with his chopsticks, "come to think of it, you might have realized it yourself. I used to hate you."
Jiang Pengpeng buried his head and took a mouthful of rice: "Yeah, I feel it."
Jiang Yanyi didn't care about his thoughts and continued, "I've never understood why we are both children of the same parents, but they treat you like a treasure and me like grass. All the delicious food and fun things at home are given to you. I am obviously the older sister, but I can only listen to you. I am excellent in everything, but they never praise me. But as long as I make the slightest mistake, they will beat and scold me. You are different. You are not good at studying, you can't do housework, and you only play games on your phone after dinner every day, but they praise you for being smart and saying you are great every day. I am so jealous of you, sometimes I wish you would disappear."
Jiang Yanyi took out Jiang Lai Di's innermost thoughts bit by bit from the deepest corner of his heart.
"But I also know clearly that even if you disappear, if they don't love me, then they don't love me. It has nothing to do with whether you exist or not. So I am jealous and envious of you."
"When they had the car accident, I was actually very happy. They didn't love me anyway, and I could be scolded and beaten less if they were lying in bed unable to move. At that time, I looked at you every day and wondered why you weren't injured. It would be so much better if you were injured too."
Jiang Pengpeng finally couldn't help but look up: "Am I so annoying and hateful to you?"
"You do," Jiang Yan replied firmly. "You really do. There was a time when I wanted to die with you." Especially in her previous life, Jiang Lai Di had been a lifelong supporter of her brother, but in the end, her own brother had cut off her last hope of survival, leaving her to die alone. When she first arrived, she had seriously considered just dying together, but on second thought, she couldn't bear to let them die so easily. It was too easy for them, which is why everything happened today.
"But Dad died today, and I suddenly feel very sad. Dad is gone, and Mom is still sick, and she might not live long. When they are both gone, we will have no way to come, only a way to return. It will be just you and I left in this world, depending on each other. Some time ago, I resented you in my heart, so I beat and scolded you at every turn. Actually, I felt bad afterwards. You were so young and naive, and I didn't do anything a sister should do."
"I know you must hate me too, but it doesn't matter. I'm so incompetent, you have the right to hate me. Today I told you everything in my heart. After today, we will probably be the most familiar strangers. But I don't regret it. These words have been weighing on my heart for too long, and they are suffocating me. Only by saying them out loud can I feel that I can continue to live. Pengpeng, it was all my fault before, and I'm sorry. From today on, I won't treat you so badly anymore, and I don't ask for your forgiveness. I just want to tell you that you can do whatever you want in the future. I will shoulder the responsibilities of being a sister. Whether you forgive me or not, you will be my only relative in the future, and I will definitely treat you well."
There was so much information in Jiang Yan's words that Jiang Pengpeng couldn't digest it all at once and even forgot to chew the food he put into his mouth.
Is this girl in front of him who speaks softly and seems to have a light in her eyes when she looks at him really his sister who slaps and kicks him at every turn?
He couldn't be dreaming.
"Pengpeng, I've never praised you enough. The food you cook is delicious and you're very talented in cooking. However, starting today, don't go into the kitchen. I've worked so hard for you lately. Let me cook for you from now on."
"No... no need, sister." Jiang Pengpeng finally found his voice. "Actually, I was wrong before. Now that I think about it, I don't like my own behavior. You have reason to be angry."
"?" Jiang Yan looked at him in surprise. What happened? She suppressed the urge to vomit and said so many disgusting things, but in the end he was not angry at all?
"Pengpeng, don't you believe what I say?"
"I believe it, I believe it. Sister, please stop talking. You are right. Mom and Dad are like that. We are the only two closest people left in this world. No matter what, we should go on together." Jiang Pengpeng's face showed a long-lost childishness. "In fact, the experience during this period is very important to me. They say that children from poor families take on responsibilities early. I used to be spoiled by my parents and did whatever I wanted. I never considered other people's feelings, especially yours. Since Mom and Dad fell ill, under your guidance, I know that I have to do my own things. I know that laziness will lead to no food. I also know that as a member of the family, I must shoulder the corresponding responsibilities. You may not believe what I say, but I really think so."
"I hated you at first and wanted to fight you every day, but the longer time went on, the more I understood your good intentions. If I had remained like before, knowing nothing and nothing, I would have ended up a useless person, so I have to thank you."
If Jiang's father and mother were present, they would definitely be shocked. Jiang Pengpeng's words did not sound like something a primary school student would say, let alone something their spoiled son would say.
Jiang Yanyi raised his eyebrows in surprise. Did he really think so?
"Pengpeng, it's really great that you think this way. To make it up to you, you should just be a little brother from now on. As your sister, I will take good care of you."
"No, no, I really like cooking. I'll feel bad if you don't let me. How about this, I'll cook and you wash the dishes from now on. If you don't want to wash the dishes, that's fine too. I'll do it."
"That's not good."
"What's wrong with that? If a boy doesn't work hard, he won't be able to get a wife in the future. Okay, it's settled. Let's eat quickly, the food is getting cold."
/
When Jiang Pengpeng was sixteen years old, his mother passed away.
This time, Jiang Pengpeng was no longer as calm as when he was a child facing his father's death.
Walking out of the funeral home, he looked at Jiang Yanyi beside him with tears in his eyes, "Sister, Mom is gone."
Jiang Yanyi was dressed in a smart black suit. She had graduated a long time ago and now became the boss of a company, and her net worth had doubled.
Her assistant held an umbrella for her as she got into her Rolls-Royce without saying a word.
Just as Jiang Pengpeng was about to sit on it, the assistant reached out to stop him.
"Secretary Lin, what do you mean?"
"I'm sorry, this is what Mr. Jiang meant."
Jiang Pengpeng looked at Jiang Yanyi in surprise, "Sister, what happened?"
Jiang Yanyi took off his sunglasses and looked at him without any emotion. "It doesn't mean anything. As you can see, we are no longer brother and sister from now on."
The rain was pouring down, and the sky seemed to have a hole that could not be stopped.
Jiang Pengpeng was so shocked that he took a step back.
"Why?"
Why?
For Jiang Lai Di.
Jiang Yan glanced at him. To be fair, he had indeed done what he said on the day his father died over the years. He had always been working hard to correct his shortcomings and constantly shoulder his responsibilities.
Jiang Yanyi had originally planned to give him a slap in the face and then give him a sweet treat. He would brutally suppress and torture him in the early stages, and when he couldn't bear it anymore, he would show weakness and ask for peace. Once he let down his guard, he would start to flatter him, like fattening up a pig in the countryside before slaughtering it, raising him into a useless person who couldn't do anything. Finally, he would kick the mother and son out of the house and leave them to fend for themselves.
But Jiang Yanyi didn't expect that he would realize that his previous behavior was wrong and he didn't fall for her trick.
She is not someone who gives up easily. She doesn't believe that he will change so much. For so many years, she has been tempting him and trying to make him go astray. To this end, she has been tempting him with words and money, and tempting him to get involved in bad habits such as pornography and gambling.
Jiang Yanyi firmly believes that it is difficult to change one's nature. In his previous life, he was like a gadfly, lying on Jiang Lai Di's body and sucking her blood dry. He will not be a good person in this life either.
To her surprise, he was not fooled at all.
Jiang Yanyi has worked hard for so many years without any results. Now she has to believe that although she doesn't know which link went wrong, Jiang Pengpeng is really not the same Jiang Pengpeng as before.
However, even if he is not the outrageous Jiang Pengpeng of the past, Jiang Yanyi does not intend to continue to flatter him. Even if he becomes a better person now, the harm he has caused to Jiang Lai Di is real, and she has no right to forgive him on Jiang Lai Di's behalf.
After today's separation, Jiang Pengpeng will be completely alone. Whether he becomes successful or miserable in the future, it has nothing to do with her.
Her biggest concession was to let him live.
"Sister, please stop joking, okay? Didn't you say that you and I are the closest in this world? We are siblings connected by blood. Did I do something wrong to make you angry? I will change, I will change, okay? Please don't joke like that."
The car window slowly rose. Jiang Pengpeng's umbrella had long been blown away by the wind. He desperately slapped the window and kept calling Jiang Yanyi, trying to wake her up. "Sister, please stop, please stop. Tell me what I did wrong, I will change, I will definitely change. Please don't go, please don't go. You are the only relative I have, sister, please stop..."
Jiang Yanyi put on his sunglasses again and didn't want to say more to him.
"drive."
"Okay, Mr. Jiang."
The car slowly drove towards the airport. The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and Jiang Pengpeng's figure was getting smaller and smaller.
Jiang Yanyi took out his passport, which showed a brand new name: Jiang Xiwu.
Jiang Lai Di, you are Jiang Xiwu, not Jiang Lai Di anymore. You are a living person, not a tool anymore.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
