Chapter 34: First Update

"Xuexia, are you—are you really Xuexia?" Lin Yongfu’s lips trembled. His daughter’s cold, mocking tone, devoid of any warmth, pierced his heart like a blade. Was she... had she lost her mind? How could she say such things?

Lin Xuexia spoke coldly: "Who has the money I sent home?"

"Your grandmother took it. Your second cousin is preparing for his wedding..."

Lin Xuexia’s gaze was icy and grim: "Today it’s a dowry and furniture for your second cousin’s wedding; tomorrow it’s money to build a house. Is the third cousin going to get married and build a house next?"

Technically, the families of the two brothers, Lin Yongfu and his elder brother, had not yet formally separated. However, their situation was vastly different from other families; while Lin Yongfu and his wife turned all their earnings over to the old matriarch, the majority of the elder brother’s income remained with his own family.

When questioned about this unfairness, the excuse was always that the elder brother had more sons, so it was only natural to favor them and spend more on their household.

Lin Yongfu, on the other hand, only had three daughters—all of whom would eventually be married off—so there was no need to build houses for them, and thus, not a single cent should be spent on them. Spending money on daughters was seen as throwing the Lin family’s wealth away to outsiders.

"The elder brother’s sons get wives, houses, and mansions, while their daughters get chests full of dowries. But your two daughters, those cheap, spineless wretches, get nothing but straw mats, rotten quilts, and a few rags cast off by others."

Lin Xuexia’s chest heaved. As she spoke, her tone grew colder. Even as waves of hatred surged within her, her mind became chillingly calm. Her words were sharp and deafening: "That was my blood and sweat. You two cheap, spineless fools handed it over to others without a second thought. If you don’t treat me like a daughter, don’t blame me for not treating you like parents."

"Lin Yongfu, Zhang Yuqin, I, Lin Xuexia, owe you nothing. Aside from this flesh and bone, you haven't spent a cent on me. On the contrary, I’ve done farm work and chores since I was a child, serving like a beast of burden for over a decade. Even in the old society, a long-term farmhand would have been paid. How much does the Lin family owe me?"

Lin Xuexia’s tone reached an icy nadir: "I’m putting it out there today: Lin Yongfu, if you don’t get my money back, then even when you two are old, crippled, or dying, I will never look at you again. You are nothing but scum who sold your own daughter, two cheap, spineless fools."

"Are you counting on your nephew to provide for your old age? I’ll be waiting to see exactly how your three 'good' nephews take care of you."

"If you end up starving or freezing to death, I will return to collect your corpses, just to perform my final act of filial duty: spitting on you two cowards."

"I don’t care where your nephews bury you. Dying as lonely, wandering ghosts suits your cheap lives perfectly. I will never light a single stick of incense for you."

Lin Xuexia’s words came clearly through the receiver. Even without the speakerphone on, the phone’s acoustics were poor, and since the town was full of elderly people with poor hearing, most phones were turned to the maximum volume.

Lin Yongfu held the phone, and beside him, Zhang Yuqin and Lin Yuxia heard every word.

Lin Yuxia felt a surge of intense emotion. Her eyes turned red. The grievances and hatred accumulated over a decade were ignited by her older sister’s words. Thinking of her grandmother’s favoritism, the hardships they had endured, and her parents' cowardice and disdain for having daughters... scene after scene flashed through her mind.

In that moment, a volcano erupted. Her tone was equally filled with malice: "I’m the same as my sister. When you die, I won’t care either. Let your good nephews handle it."

After saying this, Lin Yuxia felt a sense of relief and liberation. She gave a cold laugh: "I wish you would die sooner. Without you as parents, my sisters and I would suffer much less."

"You would drain your daughter’s blood and flesh to subsidize your nephew." Lin Yuxia’s eyes were dark, obsessive, and bordering on madness. She bared her white teeth and licked her lips, whispering, "It seems that only when you are dead can my sister lead a good life."

Lin Yuxia had always been extreme and prone to agitation. While Lin Xuexia’s words on the phone could be dismissed as expressions of anger, the insane and hateful look in Lin Yuxia’s eyes left Lin Yongfu and his wife trembling with terror.

Lin Yongfu felt as if he had been plunged into ice water; a bone-chilling cold seeped into his marrow, making him shiver repeatedly. Zhang Yuqin cowered, not daring to speak, much less meet her daughter’s eyes.

Lin Yuxia had always been extreme and resentful of her parents' preference for sons, so Lin Yongfu knew that even if his second daughter made it to university, she could not be relied upon.

But she listened to her eldest sister. Lin Xuexia was gentle and virtuous—the first daughter, whom they had doted on before the younger ones were born, and the one with whom they had the closest bond.

They had previously been certain that their eldest daughter would never abandon them. But the youngest, Yuxia, was a lost cause.

Now, the only one they could rely on, Lin Xuexia, had spoken so decisively. It was like a thunderclap striking Lin Yongfu’s head.

Lin Yongfu dared not speak now, fearing he would truly enrage her.

Lin Xuexia was far away; she had run off and could not be brought back, and they couldn't reach her. The second daughter had gotten into university and left, and if her sister didn't come back, she would surely flee far away. As for the third daughter...

Previously, they could claim they would rely on their nephews for their old age and funeral arrangements. Without the nephew, without the Lin family’s men to fight for a good burial plot in the village, to carry the casket, and to hold the spirit tablet, they were doomed.

If the two daughters stopped caring about them, it wasn't just a matter of who would carry the casket—it was a mystery whether they would even have one.

A straw mat, a shallow hole in the dirt, and not even a tombstone.

Lin Yongfu and his wife were jolted by this terrifying realization.

"Divide the family assets. Get my money back. I will come home before December. If I see you giving even one more cent to the elder brother’s family, I will move my second sister’s residency registration, and I will never return for the rest of my life. Don't think about getting a single cent from me."

"You can live with your good nephews from now on. As for the youngest, it’s up to her whether she follows you or not."

"If you still want me as a daughter, I will be the one in charge from now on. You must listen to me in everything."

"Make your choice."

"Let Yuxia have the phone."

Lin Yuxia snatched the receiver from Lin Yongfu’s hand. This was what she had wanted to do all along; she had only stayed quiet because she wanted her sister to keep scolding them.

Now, speaking to her sister, she was so moved her eyes turned red: "Sister..."

Only in front of her sister did she show the softest side of her personality. Compared to Zhang Yuqin, the sister who had cared for her since childhood felt more like a mother.

Hearing Yuxia’s youthful voice, Lin Xuexia’s icy tone vanished. Seeing the girl in the red dress reflected in the glass window, she curved her lips into a gentle smile.

"Yuxia, don't worry about me. Sister is doing very well now. I’ve settled down here and started a business with Aunt Chunyan. I’ve earned money, I’m living in an apartment, and I have a clean bathroom."

"I’ve also met a man I like, and we’re planning to get married."

"I will transfer my residency out, and you will come with me. You’ll study here, take the college entrance exam, and get into a prestigious university."

Lin Yuxia bit her lip and nodded, letting warm tears slide down her cheeks. Her sister’s voice was so gentle; it was the same sister who had always taken care of her. After nodding, she realized the person on the other end couldn't see her, so she quickly wiped her face: "Okay, I will listen to everything Sister says."

Hearing the sniffing on the other end, Lin Xuexia said softly: "Don't be afraid, Sister is here."

"As for Mom and Dad, let them make their own choice. Don't let yourself go soft."

Lin Yuxia sneered: "Sister, I’d be happy to. Let them live with their precious nephews; we sisters will live on our own."

"Good. Get the money back and keep it for me."

After hanging up, the tears on Lin Yuxia’s face dried. The weight on her heart was lifted; as long as her sister was doing well, she had nothing to worry about.

She looked at Lin Yongfu and his wife. She didn't have her sister’s mercy—she didn't care about giving them a choice. Lin Yuxia longed to cut all ties with them.

With extreme, dark thoughts, she wondered what kind of life they would lead with their precious nephews.

Lin Yuxia said lightly: "I’m going back with you to get my sister’s money. She told me to keep it."

"Once I get the money, I’m going back to school tomorrow."

Lin Yongfu looked at Lin Yuxia cautiously, his eyes lighting up when he heard this: "Is getting the money enough?"

"Of course." Lin Yuxia gave a mocking smile: "For me, getting the money is enough. I’d be happy to let you live with your nephews."

"Anyway, to you, daughters are just water to be poured out. Now, we three buckets of water are pouring ourselves out. We don't care if you live or die; the sooner you die, the sooner you're liberated."

Lin Yuxia turned and started walking back.

Lin Yongfu and Zhang Yuqin chased after her, whispering: "Parents have their difficulties too. Please, try to persuade your sister."

Lin Yuxia bared her teeth in a grin: "Persuade my sister? Let me tell you, I will absolutely not allow my sister to go back on her word."

"Lin Yongfu, Zhang Yuqin, I’m warning you: if I don’t get that money today—" Lin Yuxia paused, her dark eyes deep and hollow. Her tone was low and frantic: "I will drag you both to the grave with me. A packet of rat poison, and we’ll all head to the afterlife together, so you don’t drag my sister down."

"As long as my sister can be happy, I’m willing to do anything."

Lin Yongfu and Zhang Yuqin swallowed hard, not daring to say another word.

If pushed to the edge, their second daughter was absolutely capable of doing such a thing.

When the three of them returned to the Lin house, it was already dark. The night sky was filled with twinkling stars—a beautiful, unpolluted sight—but as they walked through the cold wind, none of them looked up to admire the Big Dipper.

The Lin family had already finished dinner and left nothing for the three of them. Zheng Qiaoli looked at them with mockery and schadenfreude.

When they reached the old matriarch, Li Yinhua, Lin Yongfu didn't even get a chance to speak. Li Yinhua, hunched over, muttered like a curse about bad luck, praying to the heavens that they hadn't brought evil spirits that would interfere with her grandson’s marriage.

Under his daughter’s glare, Lin Yongfu hardened his heart: "Mother, Xuexia wants her money. Please give me the money she sent back."

"What?" Li Yinhua’s eyes widened. For the second grandson’s wedding, the bride’s family demanded an eight-hundred-yuan dowry. Only with Lin Xuexia’s money could they make ends meet, and they were counting on her to send more for the wedding banquet and house construction.

Now that Lin Xuexia had been fired from the factory, it was doubtful she could send money at all, yet she had the audacity to ask for it back.

Li Yinhua immediately grabbed a feather duster and began striking Lin Yongfu: "How did I give birth to such a spineless thing? You can’t even sire a son, and you dare ask me for money? What kind of daughters have you raised?"

Li Yinhua began to curse, using the foulest language imaginable to insult Lin Yongfu and Zhang Yuqin.

In the past, Lin Yongfu would have just felt miserable, but now, Li Yinhua’s words interwove with Lin Xuexia’s in his mind. He knew he had failed his daughters, but he had never failed Li Yinhua.

Yet, in his mother’s eyes, he was still a useless, cheap bone. And now, even his own daughter could point at him and call him cheap and a "cheap breed."

If he didn't get the money today, his second daughter would end his life along with her own.

Die, then. Let everyone die.

Lin Yongfu snatched the feather duster from Li Yinhua’s hand. She fell to the ground, dazed and wide-eyed in disbelief. Her youngest son, who had always taken her abuse without complaint, had actually fought back. "You’ve truly gone against the heavens!"

Lin Yongfu was jolted, panic setting in. He had just been overcome with emotion: "No, I didn't mean it."

"You rebellious son, you scoundrel!"

...

At that moment, Lin Yuxia slipped to her grandmother’s bedside and began searching for the money. Because the old woman was worried about the grandson’s wedding, she kept the cash sewn into her pillowcase. Lin Yuxia felt around and immediately found it.

Heh, the old woman’s savings.

Li Yinhua turned around, her eyes bloodshot: "You’ve all gone mad!"

"Lin Yongfu, if you don’t get your daughters under control, we are splitting the family! This house has no room for you."

Li Yinhua used the threat of splitting the family against her youngest son, a tactic that had always worked. Lin Yongfu, having no sons, had always feared splitting the family, fearing he would be alienated from his nephews and have no one to rely on in his old age.

But this time, Lin Yongfu and Zhang Yuqin’s eyes lit up: "Good! Let’s split the family!"

They had always been subservient to Li Yinhua and never dared to mention splitting the family, but they had no choice now. The most important thing was to appease their eldest daughter.

Only by appeasing the eldest could they appease the second, and avoid being poisoned by a packet of rat poison tomorrow.

A miserable life is still better than no life at all.