Bai Xue has been holding in her anger since she arrived, and now she sees it clearly. No matter what she says or does, this daughter remains unyielding. Instead of sulking here, she might as well be straightforward.
Having realized this, Bai Xue doesn’t beat around the bush, "Lingzi, you’re about to graduate from middle school. Your father and I think, given our family’s current situation, we can only afford to support one child. You’re the older sister; your younger sister is doing well in dance and has great potential. If she succeeds in the future, she won’t forget about you and will support you if she can. So, after graduating from middle school, maybe you shouldn’t continue studying. Let your dad arrange a job for you first. When the family’s financial situation improves, we can pay for you to learn something. How do you see it?"
Ye Ling turned her head, glanced at her mother, and her cold smile no longer needed to be hidden; she pointed out directly, "If the family conditions aren’t good, why let Ye Qian pursue dance? The money saved could cover one person’s tuition. Besides, which family doesn’t let the good students continue their studies while the not-so-good ones stop? I’m in the top ten of my year. How about Ye Qian?"
"Isn’t your school in the countryside? Is the teaching quality the same?"
"What’s wrong with the countryside? Are people in the countryside not human? Go back three generations, who didn’t come from the countryside? Mom herself is from the countryside, so why look down on rural people? According to what Mom says, I refuse to believe it. I refuse to believe I can’t get into high school. This time, I will show Mom." Ye Ling doesn’t care about losing face. After two lifetimes of living, they’ve tried to stop her from studying, but she’s long been fed up.
Shouting in the street, especially in this era when the proletariat is most honored and workers are most respected, anyone who looks down on farmer workers would be the one despised.
The surrounding gazes came over, and Bai Xue’s face flushed in shame, "Why are you shouting? Can’t you speak properly? Just look at your grades. It’s not that I look down on you, but how many from the countryside get into high school? Ever since we started implementing the college entrance exam nationwide, you can count the successful ones on one hand from our area. Lingzi, I’m telling you, our family conditions aren’t good now; we can only afford to send one child to school. I’m making it clear today that your sister is a good seed and mustn’t be delayed. Don’t hope for a fluke; even if you talk to your grandma, it won’t help. This is a decision made by Dad and me.
Originally indifferent to the eldest daughter, having embarrassed herself in the street, Bai Xue dislikes the eldest daughter even more, simply saying what she thinks without leaving any room.
Ye Ling, seeing her mother finally not pretending, also resolutely replied, "Mom, I’m determined to continue studying. Anyway, in these sixteen years, you haven’t spent much money on me. In the future, even without money from you, I’ll keep on studying."
"You act tough now? Fine, let’s see how you study without your dad and me funding it." Though the two kept walking towards the compound, not stopping, passersby couldn’t help but turn to look at Bai Xue after hearing their words, making Bai Xue both embarrassed and angry, "These years, if your dad and I hadn’t provided, you’d have starved to death. Ungrateful thing. Look at how you behave now, answering back to your parents without a kind word. Even if we had money, your dad and I wouldn’t fund your schooling."
Bai Xue’s words were purely heartless lies.
Ye Ling immediately rebutted without even turning her head, "I didn’t see the money you supposedly gave. I only know that my grandma worked for work points and money to support me, saving and selling eggs without eating them herself."
Bai Xue was so angry her chest shook while trying to keep pace with her daughter striding ahead, sometimes having to jog to catch up, feeling both angry and exhausted, panting heavily. Bai Xue wore a tailored gray outfit, given by Ye He Ping, who didn’t bear to wear it himself, saving for her. Walking down the street in her gray dress, it was sure to draw envy, paired with black shoes bought two years ago, which she rarely wore due to not bearing to. Following her elder daughter in anger, she ran and trotted, scuffing the front of her shoes.
When Bai Xue noticed, she clutched her chest in pain, watching her eldest daughter already through the compound gate, grinding her teeth. Although she knew she had clarified things, aware that her mother-in-law would eventually find out, she couldn’t help but worry, knowing her mother-in-law favored the elder daughter’s side.
Feeling worn out by the eldest daughter and returning home anxious about her mother-in-law’s anger, Bai Xue felt as if life had never been so challenging.