"Third Brother, how could you do this! You can't keep the shoes, give them back!"
An Wan was so angry that her eyes turned red, but when she saw the pair of new shoes that had been soiled on the ground, she also saw the pair of old shoes that Lu Jingming was wearing, which had a hole in them and had been patched up.
Her nose tingled, and her eyes felt dry and uncomfortable. The next second, tears welled up and gradually blurred her vision.
The Lu family was poor and didn't even have the money to buy him new shoes, even though a pair of ordinary shoes could be bought for just two or three yuan.
Not only did he not have new shoes, but Lu Jingxing and his brothers Lu Chunhe were also still wearing old shoes with holes in them.
She could understand him because in her past life, she was often ridiculed for wearing worn-out shoes in a family that favored sons over daughters.
She was even given the nickname "loose woman".
For six years in elementary school, her classmates ostracized her, mocked her, and insulted her.
It wasn't until she was in junior high school that she secretly collected beverage bottles to save and sell for some money, which enabled her to buy new shoes.
But that nickname haunted her until she went to university in another city, and only then did she slowly emerge from its shadow.
But her inferiority complex still haunted her constantly.
"These shoes are mine! Mind your own business! Or I'll hit you!"
Lu Jingming was so angry that his face turned red and his eyes were spitting fire. He raised his fist to scare her.
"Third brother, you can't do this! The shoes aren't yours, and you can't ask for them in your brother's name. That girl will misunderstand."
An Wan bent down, picked up the new shoes, and gently patted the surface of the shoes to remove the dust.
She knew that Lu Jingxing didn't like the girl named He Lijuan, which was why he didn't want the beautiful new shoes.
However, if Lu Jingming takes the new shoes in his older brother's name, it will definitely cause an ambiguous misunderstanding. If word gets out, he will be forced to marry He Lijuan even if he doesn't like her.
It's still a remote rural area from the 1990s, very conservative and feudal.
Even a single spit can drive a person to their death.
"What am I doing? What did I do wrong? If my brother doesn't want it, can't I have it? An Wan, don't interfere in my affairs! I hate you."
Lu Jingming was so angry that he pointed his finger at her nose and reached out to snatch the new shoes from her hand, but she dodged him.
"Third brother, I can't give these shoes to you! They have to be returned. If eldest brother finds out, he'll be very angry."
An Wan didn't take Lu Jingming's words about disliking her to heart.
"Are you threatening me? An Wan, who do you think you are? Some nobody of unknown origin—"
At this point, Lu Jingming stopped talking, unable to continue. He turned his face away and lowered his eyes, but dared not look into An Wan's bright and kind eyes.
"It's all your fault! You're the one who made me not have new shoes! Anwan, I hate you! Mom promised to buy me new shoes last week, but because of you, she had to take me to the doctor, buy me clothes, and buy me meat, which is why I don't have new shoes now. Ugh... Waaah..."
He couldn't bring himself to admit his mistake and apologize to her, so in a fit of anger he said a few hurtful things, but as he spoke, tears streamed down his face.
He's going to school tomorrow, and if he keeps wearing these worn-out shoes, his classmates will definitely make fun of him and laugh him to death.
They openly and secretly mocked him every day for wearing stale shoes.
They laughed at his family for being so poor they couldn't even afford shoes, assuming his parents were lazy and good-for-nothing.
They laughed at him, saying he was a poor wretch with a shabby smell that they could smell as soon as they got close, and they would be disgusted if the smell got on their clothes.
They don't talk to him or associate with him.
They laughed at him, saying that since he was so poor, why was he learning art and painting with others? He should just go back to the countryside and herd cattle.
Oh, no, his family is so poor, they probably can't even afford to herd cattle.
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