Chapter 58: Part One

The next day, Lin Xuexia accompanied Lin Yuexia to buy clothes and an electronic dictionary. Looking at the electronic dictionary in her hand, Lin Yuexia was filled with a myriad of emotions. Such a tiny gadget cost four to five hundred yuan; in the past, she would never have dared to dream of owning something so expensive.

"Elder Sister, you are the backbone of our family. Without you, I wouldn't have known what to do."

Lin Yuexia looked at her eldest sister, Lin Xuexia, beside her, her eyes full of admiration and awe. She felt that her eldest sister had been through so much and was truly incredible.

Lin Xuexia had only been in the city for a few months, yet she was already able to support a household, and Lin Xuexia was only three years older than them.

"In the past, everyone said there had to be a man in the family, but I don't think that's necessarily true. As long as we have our eldest sister, that's enough. Back in the village, we had a father, and it's not like our father was dead, but we still suffered grievances and had to swallow our pride when we were bullied."

"When Second Sister wanted to study, Grandmother and the eldest aunt would drop broad hints and make sarcastic remarks, saying girls studying was utterly useless." Although Lin Yuexia had been admitted to the town high school, she eventually gave up her studies because of this. She might not have made it to university anyway, but if she had continued to study, the complaints at home would have been endless.

What business did a girl have studying? Graduating from university would take another seven or eight years of wasted effort. It was better to finish primary school; a ten-year-old girl could help out around the house, and by the time she reached sixteen or seventeen, they could arrange a marriage for her and make a hefty profit from the bride price.

The only reason she and Second Sister had been able to study in the first place was because eldest sister Lin Xuexia hadn't gone to school and had done the chores instead, fighting for the chance to send her and Second Sister to school.

In this household, the eldest sister had suffered the most grievances.

Yet her sister had stubbornly carved out a path. Even though she only ran a roadside stall, she could make several hundred yuan a day—tens of thousands a month. Her brother-in-law worked in construction and transportation, probably making tens of thousands a month as well.

However, Lin Yuexia didn't quite trust this brother-in-law. Fu Wei seemed decent now, but what about the future? Men changed when they got rich. The landlord Chen Miaorong's ex-husband had ultimately run off with a younger woman.

"Elder Sister, Second Sister, Mom, and I—the three of us will try our best not to hold you back. But you must never hold it in. If you are wronged, just divorce your brother-in-law, and we'll live on our own."

Lin Yuexia's only thought right now was that she must never rely on a man. In her heart, she harbored an even deeper hatred for her cousin Lin Yanqiu.

Lin Yanqiu's parents, in order to make Lin Yanqiu cling tightly to her husband, had advised her to endure whatever happened at her husband's home—no matter how pampered Lin Yanqiu had been as a child—and to obediently stay there and take the beatings and scoldings.

Lin Yuexia knew that she and her mother and sisters had made it to Shenzhen smoothly thanks to the efforts of her brother-in-law Fu Wei, but she didn't want this to force her eldest sister Lin Xuexia to submissively please a husband, taking beatings and scoldings at home while being told to endure it—that was simply inhuman!

Lin Xuexia smiled. "Don't worry, your brother-in-law treats me very well."

Lin Yuexia curled her lips. "Lin Yanqiu also says her husband treats her very well, much more exaggerated than what you're saying. She talks about being cherished by a man and mocks Second Sister, Mom, and me for never having experienced the affection of a man."

"She has a man's affection, a man's love, and she's willing to suffer any hardship for it, completely of her own accord."

"Elder Sister, you must never learn from her!"

Lin Xuexia was immensely surprised. She blinked, finding it hard to believe that these words were spoken by her youngest sister, who in her past life had been led around by the nose by a scumbag.

Seeing that Lin Xuexia didn't speak, Lin Yuexia continued, "No matter how good a man's affection is, you must never willingly suffer for it. You must never become someone like Lin Yanqiu."

"If brother-in-law ever dares to lay a hand on you, you must divorce him!"

Lin Xuexia smiled and agreed. "Alright, Yuexia, you must remember what you just said yourself."

"However, also remember not to be fooled like a fool, believing a man just because he says a few sweet words."

Lin Yuexia nodded, thinking to herself that she would never be fooled like a fool. In the future, she would find someone who was completely obedient to her, who would listen to her in everything, just to spite Lin Yanqiu to death.

She was going to become strong and find an even better partner.

After finishing their shopping, Lin Yuexia caught a free ride back with her sister. Lin Xuexia hailed a taxi. It was Lin Yuexia's first time riding in a taxi, and she was extremely excited, looking left and right from her seat.

Lin Xuexia closed her eyes and dozed for a bit in the back seat. These past two days, she easily felt dizzy and fatigued, and after accompanying her sister shopping just now, she felt exhausted.

She calculated the time and decided to ask Fu Wei to accompany her to the hospital for a blood test in a couple of days.

The taxi arrived, and Lin Yuexia woke her up to get out. "Elder Sister, are you tired? Go back and have a good sleep."

Lin Xuexia nodded. "Didn't you want to go up and take a look? The place next door is still under renovation, go on in and wander around."

"Alright."

The two of them got out of the car, only to see two young women talking to Zhong Xiangdong downstairs. Catching a glimpse of one of the women's faces, Lin Xuexia paused. She recognized this person as Fu Wei's step-sister, Ding Lujia, who played the violin and was currently a member of a certain performance troupe.

"You're saying my brother got his marriage certificate? How could he do such a thing? How can he look Sister Zitong in the eye?" Ding Lujia's voice was full of disbelief.

The woman beside her persuaded, "Jiajia, say no more. He and I, sigh... what's missed is missed."

"Sister Zitong, my brother... he has let you down! Considering how you still kept him in your thoughts... how could he do this?" Ding Lujia's tone was filled with indignation. She played the violin, and the woman beside her, Xie Zitong, was considered her half-senior. Xie Zitong had frequently come to Ding Lujia's home to teach her the violin for free, and through coming and going, the two of them had developed a decent bond.

In the past, Fu Wei had been a promising military officer, and Xie Zitong had diligently appeared around Fu Wei's biological mother, Pei Ying, who wanted to introduce her to her son Fu Wei to facilitate their marriage.

Later, Fu Wei was discharged from the army, and Xie Zitong's interest waned, shifting her focus elsewhere.

A few years passed, and Xie Zitong wasn't getting any younger. She had dated a few men in between, but none of them worked out in the end, causing her to remember Fu Wei again. When her performance troupe came to Shenzhen to perform, Xie Zitong occasionally instigated Ding Lujia to visit Fu Wei.

Seeing that Ding Lujia still cared for her stepbrother, Ding Lujia couldn't help but be deeply moved, feeling that her brother had failed such a devoted person.

Zhong Xiangdong was surrounded by the two of them downstairs and felt his head throbbing with a headache. Why did this brother of his have so many romantic entanglements? He had gotten his marriage certificate without telling his family, and now his sister had brought a woman right to his doorstep.

"This Miss Zitong, how long have you known old Wei? I've never heard..." Zhong Xiangdong's voice trailed off as he caught sight of the sisters Lin Xuexia and Lin Yuexia. He thought to himself that this was bad—Fu Wei, you'd better get back here fast.

He gave an awkward smile. "Sister-in-law, you're back?"

Ding Lujia and the other woman turned their heads, caught sight of the Lin sisters behind them, and froze in surprise.

The woman walking on the left wore a snow-white turtleneck sweater with a gentle and elegant demeanor. The other woman beside her wore a newly purchased black-and-white professional suit, looking simple and capable. They shared similar facial features, and at a glance, anyone could tell they were a pair of sisters.

Furthermore, they were exceptionally beautiful sisters.

When Zhong Xiangdong saw the Lin sisters, he too wore a look of utter amazement. Ever since they appeared, the appearances of the two women right in front of him suddenly seemed dull and insipid.

"Ding Lujia, this is your sister-in-law, Lin Xuexia," Zhong Xiangdong introduced proactively. "Sister-in-law, this is Fu Wei's stepsister, Ding Lujia, and beside her is her senior sister, Xie Zitong."

Lin Xuexia raised an eyebrow and gave the two women in front of her a faint glance. In her past life, she had only met Fu Wei's stepsister a few times with not much interaction; she hadn't really been in contact with Fu Wei's family.

To think there was even this sort of development today?

"Th-This is my sister-in-law... she's so pretty." Ding Lujia almost bit her tongue. This new sister-in-law of hers looked like a celestial fairy, making it impossible for anyone to look away.

When Xie Zitong saw Lin Xuexia, her expression turned unsightly, her whole body feeling as if ants were crawling over it. She deeply regretted making this trip. Hearing just moments before that Fu Wei had gotten married had already made her deeply uncomfortable, yet she had wanted to stay and see what kind of woman Fu Wei had chosen.

She refused to believe that Fu Wei, having left the Pei family in the north to start a business in the south, could have found a woman of any notable standing.

Since she had come all this way anyway, she wanted to make Fu Wei regret it and make his partner feel thoroughly inferior.

Xie Zitong considered herself a woman of refined demeanor; her facial features weren't particularly striking, but that noble aura of hers was incomparable to other women.

Yet Lin Xuexia before her was stunningly gorgeous, her pair of eyes even more captivatingly moist. There was an indescribable allure about her—clearly delicate and pretty, yet not evoking any sense of weakness or pity, and there was not the slightest trace of timidity on her face.

Standing together, the two of them immediately overshadowed her.

Xie Zitong was burning with inner rage, an inexplicable irritation spreading through her body. She had wanted to make someone else feel inferior, but now she was the one feeling inferior, which naturally bred hatred in her heart.

Xie Zitong forced out a smile. "You must be Fu Wei's partner. I didn't expect him to find someone like you. The impression he gave me back then wasn't like this; he liked intellectual and generous women, and didn't care much about looks."

"...Most men like pretty ones, I know." As she spoke, Xie Zitong's expression grew desolate.

Ding Lujia comforted her, "Sister Zitong, don't say that. You're so outstanding; for my brother to miss out on you is simply his misfortune."

Xie Zitong lowered her head and bit her lip. "I don't blame him... Jiajia, I won't see your brother this time."

Her eyes brimmed slightly with moisture, and she looked at Lin Xuexia with a blend of stubbornness and grievance. "Xuexia, your name is so pretty. I hope you'll take good care of Fu Wei in the future. Could you pass a message to him for me? In Xie Zitong's heart, he has always been a great hero."

Lin Xuexia's mouth twitched. "...???"

"What kind of nonsense is this? I'm not passing any messages for anyone."

Lin Yuexia was also stunned. "Elder Sister, who is this person? Why does she talk like she's acting in an opera?"

Back in the village, Lin Yuexia had truly never seen a woman who spoke in a way that made one's teeth ache so much.

...No, come to think of it, there was one. Lin Yuexia couldn't help but think of her cousin Lin Yanqiu, who also spoke in that sour tone about how much her husband "cherished her," showing off that she had a man's love.

Xie Zitong's expression stiffened. She hadn't expected Lin Xuexia's reaction to be quite like this. The last time she had so plaintively asked a woman to pass a message to a man for her, that young girl had flown into a rage and fought crazily with her partner.

For women caught in matters of the heart, once the seed of suspicion was planted, they would become frantic and paranoid.

Now, these two sisters were actually mocking her for acting in an opera.

Suppressing her shame and anger, Xie Zitong assumed a desolate expression and said, "Jiajia, I'll be leaving first. I can't stay here; whatever is between Fu Wei and me cannot be explained clearly here."

With that, she lowered her head and started to leave, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly in a smirk, thinking about how many countless times this woman would end up fighting with Fu Wei. A surge of exhilarating satisfaction welled up in her heart.

When a man wants to explain such matters, could he ever explain them clearly?

"Sister Zitong, don't be sad..."

"Yuexia, grab her! Don't let her leave!" Lin Xuexia instructed Lin Yuexia to step forward. Complying with everything her sister said, Lin Yuexia lunged forward and grabbed Xie Zitong tightly by the hand. Xie Zitong tried to shake her off, but Lin Yuexia simply wrapped her arms around her, determined not to let her go.

Faced with this situation, both Zhong Xiangdong and Ding Lujia were somewhat dumbfounded.

Lin Yuexia shouted loudly, "Don't move! My sister said you can't leave."

Xie Zitong couldn't help wanting to curse. What on earth was wrong with these two sisters?

Lin Xuexia looked at Zhong Xiangdong and asked, "Where is Fu Wei?"

Zhong Xiangdong replied, "He hasn't come back yet, but he should be soon—"

Before his voice had even faded, he saw Fu Wei riding his motorcycle over. Spotting Lin Xuexia's return, Fu Wei hurriedly parked the bike, took off his helmet, and flashed a tender smile at his own wife. "Wife, you're back."

Ding Lujia called out, "Brother!"

"Fu Wei, hurry up and identify this woman. Who on earth is she? She says the relationship between you and her cannot be explained clearly." Lin Xuexia pointed at Xie Zitong, who was being tightly held by Lin Yuexia.

Xie Zitong was frantic with worry at this point. Lin Yuexia was simply too strong, and she couldn't break free no matter how hard she tried.

Xie Zitong attempted to bite her hand, but Lin Yuexia anticipated the move and fiercely grabbed a handful of her hair, forcing Xie Zitong to tilt her head back.

Ding Lujia finally processed what was happening. She felt that what Xie Zitong had said earlier was indeed far too ambiguous—especially since her stepbrother already had a partner... yet Xie Zitong harbored such deep affection for her brother, making things genuinely ambiguous.

Fu Wei looked at Xie Zitong, feeling an urge to curse aloud. "Who is she? What could possibly be unclear between her and me?"

Lin Xuexia said coolly, "She even asked me to pass a message to you, saying, 'In Xie Zitong's heart, you have always been a great hero.'"

Lin Yuexia was furious. "Brother-in-law, if you dare to wrong my sister, I'll fight you to the death."

"Xie Zitong, I've only met her once in my life, and we didn't exchange a single word. What on earth could possibly be unclear between us?" Fu Wei furrowed his brow, his sharp gaze scrutinizing the two uninvited guests before him.

As for this stepsister Ding Lujia, he had hardly had any contact with her and their relationship was lukewarm, yet she had suddenly brought someone over specifically to stir up trouble between him and Lin Xuexia.

Lin Xuexia stated, "You'll have to ask her that yourself."

"You've only met my brother-in-law once, and yet you're losing your mind, claiming your relationship with him can't be explained clearly?" Lin Yuexia questioned aggressively.

At this moment, Xie Zitong wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. She never imagined she would encounter so many people who played completely outside the rules.

If you walk by the river often enough, you're bound to get your shoes wet.