Da Mao was fast asleep, his little face buried in the pillow, making even breathing sounds.
Er Mao, however, still had his round eyes wide open, his little hands clutching the hem of his mother's clothes.
"Er Mao, go to sleep now."
Su Yufen lowered her head and kissed the child's forehead.
"Mom will steam some sugar buns for you tomorrow."
At the other end of the kang (a heated brick bed), Su Yuzhen stood with her back to them, wrapped tightly in the quilt like a silkworm cocoon.
Su Yufen knew that her younger sister was still awake.
I haven't eaten all day, so it's not easy for me to fall asleep.
Finally, Er Mao's eyelids started to droop, and his little fists slowly loosened.
Su Yufen carefully pulled out her arm, which had gone numb from being pressed down, and quietly got off the kang (a heated brick bed).
She tidied her disheveled hair and sat down next to her sister.
"Yuzhen."
She called softly, reaching out to touch her sister's shoulder, but stopped in mid-air.
"I know you're not asleep."
The person inside the blanket remained motionless.
Su Yufen sighed, lowering her voice even further.
"It was a bit wrong of me to lock you up, but you can't..."
She paused, carefully choosing her words.
"That Zhang Qiang is really not a good match."
The blanket was suddenly pulled off, and Su Yuzhen sat up abruptly, her eyes wide open.
"Big sister! Why are you just like Dad! Brother Qiang is better to me than any of you!"
"Shh-"
Su Yufen hurriedly gestured for her to be quiet, and glanced back at the sleeping child.
"Don't wake up Da Mao and Er Mao."
Su Yuzhen bit her lip and remained silent, but her chest heaved violently, clearly indicating that she was extremely angry.
Taking the opportunity, Su Yufen sat down next to her sister and held her cold hand.
"You're still young, you don't understand the wickedness of people. That Zhang Qiang is just a thug, he can't even earn money. If you get together with him, he won't have any money to support a family..."
"Who wants him to support them!"
Su Yuzhen abruptly pulled her hand back, her voice trembling.
"Besides, Brother Qiang said he's going to do big business; he doesn't bother with those small businesses!"
Seeing her younger sister's bewitched state, Su Yufen was speechless.
"Silly girl, you actually believe what men say? I've been through this..."
"Who do you think you are, someone who's been through it all!"
Su Yuzhen suddenly became agitated.
"Your brother-in-law is dead. What else can you do besides take care of the kids? Do you even know what the outside world is like? Have you ever even drunk Coca-Cola?"
These words pierced Su Yufen's heart like a knife.
Her eyes welled up with tears, but she held them back.
"Yuzhen, I'm doing this for your own good. Although Father has a bad temper, he's still..."
"What is it all about in the end?"
Su Yuzhen sneered.
"He's such an old-fashioned patriarch, clinging to those feudal patriarchal ways. What era are we living in? When I get out, I'm definitely going to sue him!!"
Su Yufen was truly furious.
Seriously, good advice is useless against a damned devil.
Er Mao, who was on the kang (a heated brick bed), suddenly groaned, and the two sisters fell silent at the same time.
Su Yufen quickly went over and gently patted the child. Once Er Mao was asleep again, she wearily walked back to her sister's side.
"Yuzhen."
Her voice was hoarse.
"I'm not good with words, I can't win an argument with you. But if you really want to be with someone, at least... at least bring them home openly so Dad can see them?"
Su Yuzhen turned her face away.
"Then have Dad take a shovel and beat Qiang Ge out?"
"That..."
Su Yufen racked her brains trying to find something to say.
"Then wait a little longer? Once Dad's anger subsides, I'll help you..."
"No."
Su Yuzhen lay back down and pulled the blanket over her head.
"I'm sleepy."
Su Yufen stood by the kang (a heated brick bed), at a loss for what to do.
She felt that if things continued like this, something bad would happen sooner or later, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why.
Finally, she could only sigh softly and lie down next to her child.
The oil lamp finally ran out of oil, flickered a few times, and went out.
In the darkness.
Su Yufen kept her eyes open, listening to her sister's deliberately soft breathing, which mingled with her father's thunderous snoring in the distance.
What she didn't know was that just as she finally succumbed to sleepiness and drifted off to sleep...
Su Yuzhen quietly opened one eye and observed her eldest sister's movements by the moonlight.
Su Yufen's chest rose and fell steadily, while Da Mao and Er Mao curled up in their mother's arms like two little animals.
Su Yuzhen held her breath and carefully lifted the blanket.
"Big sister?"
She called tentatively in a low voice.
Su Yufen didn't react, but unconsciously smacked her lips and hugged the child in her arms even tighter.
Su Yuzhen then fully opened her eyes and quietly climbed off the kang (a heated brick bed).
Her heart was pounding, and she had to stop and observe her older sister's reaction after every action.
She tiptoed to the wardrobe and got dressed.
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