“You should treat your younger brother well; he will be your support in the future.”
"You're a daughter, and you'll eventually get married, you know?"
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t go to school, you’ll belong to someone else’s family anyway, but it’s different for your younger brother. We need to save money for his schooling…”
"When you grow up, you'll understand our good intentions!"
"Be nicer to your younger brother. You're the older sister, you should give in to him..."
"..."
One sentence after another, every single sentence was telling the girl that she was not important, and that everything she had should go to her younger brother.
Chu Xiaolan's eyes reddened, as if she saw her former self in that girl.
When she was little, whenever she went to her grandmother's house for a meal, she could only sit in the kitchen and was not allowed to eat at the table.
Because she is a girl.
My mother was also scolded by my grandmother because she was a girl; she was called a hen that couldn't lay eggs.
Her father also felt ashamed in front of the whole village because she was a girl.
Because he had no son, no one would break the basin for him after he died.
If it weren't for her parents protecting her, she might have been strangled to death by her grandmother the moment she was born.
"Xiao Lan..."
Chen Hua noticed Chu Xiaolan's emotions and stepped forward to gently hug her.
"If you didn't like her, why did you have her in the first place? Why should everything have to go to your brother? She's your child, why are you treating her like this..."
"What's wrong with the girl!"
Chu Xiaolan pushed Chen Hua's arm away and shouted at the couple.
The girl looked up in disbelief when she heard Chu Xiaolan's words.
This was the first time someone had stood up for her.
"Girls are meant to get married. Once they marry into their husband's family, aren't they part of that family?"
"You're really something! Every family needs a son to carry on the family line!"
"What use is a girl? She'll just have to get married eventually. The only thing she's good for is exchanging for a dowry..."
The couple was startled by Chu Xiaolan's shout, but after hearing her words, the man laughed.
His disdainful and contemptuous manner towards women was evident in the fact that the woman beside him seemed to agree with him, nodding in agreement.
"..."
Xia Lan stepped forward and pulled Chu Xiaolan back.
“It’s no use talking to them about these things. These deeply ingrained traditional ideas of theirs can’t be changed by a few words.”
Xia Lan sighed softly. Nine out of ten people would agree with such a theory.
"Mental illness."
"Let's go!"
The couple glared at Chu Xiaolan, then, bewildered, turned and left with their son.
The girl stopped in her tracks as she walked out the door.
He glanced back at Chu Xiaolan and Xia Lan.
"Thanks……"
The girl spoke softly to Chu Xiaolan and Xia Lan.
Xia Lan saw the girl's eyes, and a glimmer of light appeared in those dim eyes.
"If they won't let you read, then read secretly, even if it's just secretly reading your younger brother's books, don't give up!"
Xia Lan said earnestly to the girl.
"Reading will be your way out!"
Xia Lan's words startled the girl, who then nodded gently.
"Zhao Di!"
"They're here..."
The girl left the store and reunited with her parents.
Xia Lan gently coaxed Chu Xiaolan, helped her out the door, and found a place to sit down.
“When I was little, at my grandma’s house, all my other cousins could sit at the table, but I could only sit alone in the corner to eat because the elders said I couldn’t sit at the table.”
“When I was little, my parents had to farm, and my grandma would give me candy when she was around. She was very kind to me.”
"But as soon as Mom and Dad left, she would forcefully open my mouth and scoop the candy out..."
"In public, she was very, very kind to me, but in private, she hit me, scolded me, and threatened to drown me if I didn't behave..."
Chu Xiaolan leaned against Xia Lan's chest, and childhood memories flooded into her mind like a tide.
"That's why you have that problem. Because you're afraid, you want to tell your parents, but you don't dare to because of your grandma?"
Xia Lan hugged Chu Xiaolan, whose eyes were red, and Chu Xiaolan nodded.
So she became increasingly afraid, increasingly withdrawn, and unwilling to communicate with others.
"It wasn't until one day when my parents came home early because of the rain that they saw me being pinched hard by my grandma that they realized that my grandma had always treated me like this."
"Later, my parents preferred to leave me at home alone rather than let me go to my grandma's house."
Although her parents found out, the trauma had already been inflicted on Chu Xiaolan.
Whenever there are many people around, her body trembles involuntarily, and she feels short of breath.
Later, when her parents found out that she wanted to learn how to make clothes, they spent all their savings to find her a master tailor and told her to live outside the village and not return.
Is this the reason you don't want to have a wedding?
Chen Hua pursed his lips and looked at Chu Xiaolan.
Recalling what happened when he went back to the village with Chu Xiaolan last time, he suddenly understood why Chu Xiaolan was unwilling to have a wedding.
"I don't want Grandma to participate. If she knew about your family's financial situation, she would definitely..."
Chu Xiaolan looked at Chen Hua, her eyes red.
This is her family matter, something she doesn't want to talk about, but today... seeing how that little girl was treated and the things her parents said.
Each item brought back memories she least wanted to recall.
“My parents don’t want to leave the village, nor will they sever ties with her. He just told me that all my family members are gone when he asked me to hold the wedding…”
Chu Xiaolan choked up as she spoke.
She did not doubt her parents' love for her; it was the most important thing in her life. However, her father told her to treat herself as an orphan and not to invite relatives and friends.
Listening to Chu Xiaolan's words, Xia Lan understood that her parents could not escape the concept of filial piety.
However, Chu's father's actions for his daughter are admirable.
However, avoidance is not a good solution, and the problem remains.
"I think you can introduce yourself more openly and confidently."
Xia Lan looked at Chu Xiaolan, and Chen Hua agreed with Xia Lan's opinion.
"But my grandma..."
"She's not the kind of person who can be reasoned with."
Chu Xiaolan said worriedly.
“Chen Hua told me last time that you gave your money to your family so that your dad could demolish the house and rebuild it.”
Xia Lan looked at Chu Xiaolan, and Chu Xiaolan nodded.
"Then let me ask you, can your father protect this money from your grandmother taking it, in the name of filial piety?"
Xia Lan's words startled Chu Xiaolan.
"Your family is going to build a house, but what happens after it's built? Can your dad refuse your grandma coming to live with you? What if your grandma brings other people to live with you and ends up taking over your house?"
"How can you stop it? Can you avoid it?"
Xia Lan's question hit the nail on the head.
Chu Xiaolan looked at Chen Hua, and Chen Hua agreed with Xia Lan's words.
"That's what I wanted to say too, honey. Running away won't solve anything."
Chen Hua said earnestly.
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