"I don’t want to get married so early."
"Early?" Mother Shi disagreed, "How is it early? You’re not eighteen or nineteen anymore. How much money have you brought home after graduating from university? You can’t even help with buying a house, so better get married quickly and bring us some betrothal money. It wouldn’t be a waste then, raising you all these years."
Shi Xiaotian frowned, "Why did you have to give birth to me? Do you know how much I hate being born into this kind of family? If I were also the daughter of a wealthy family, maybe I would be Liang He’s fiancée right now!"
"Unfortunately, you don’t have that fate." Mother Shi struck mercilessly, "Just give up on that idea, Xiaotian. Aunt Wang has found you a good match – the young man works in a bank, so stable, and his family has a house. He’s good enough for you. You must go and see him tomorrow."
"I won’t go." Shi Xiaotian stubbornly resisted, "I wouldn’t go even if I die."
"Why are you being so stubborn, Xiaotian?" Mother Shi was displeased, "While you’re still young, why not settle down early? If you become an older single woman, who will want you then?"
"This is my business, don’t interfere." Shi Xiaotian continued, "Marrying an ordinary person, that would be my life settled. But exactly because I am still young, I have plenty of opportunities. I’ve only just graduated from college, my life hasn’t even truly begun yet. Marry and have children for someone else? You may desire that kind of life, but I don’t. I want to be with the person I love."
"The person you love?" Mother Shi scoffed, "Liang He? Have some self-awareness, Xiaotian. Our kind of people can’t even dream of entering such wealthy families."
"Our kind of people?!" Shi Xiaotian hated those words the most: "Can we choose our own birth? If I could choose, I would rather die than be born from your womb. Why is it that all of us are human, but some can easily get what they want, whereas no matter how hard I strive, I can never reach it."
"Don’t give me all these excuses; you are going tomorrow whether you like it or not. If you don’t, I’ll drag you there myself."
"You don’t need to drag me." Shi Xiaotian informed her, "I have already said I won’t go for a blind date. I absolutely won’t go."
"Why are you so stubborn?" Mother Shi tried to persuade her, "Your sister also couldn’t stop thinking about Shen Congmo, but what has it proven? Even if they consider blind dates, they only match with those of equal status. It’s about people of the same level staying together."
"Mom, stop talking. Whatever you say, I won’t listen. My future is mine to decide, no one can interfere."
Mother Shi, frustrated and helpless, "Fine, do whatever you want. I’d really like to see what your future turns out to be."
"I will definitely make Liang He take notice of me."
Mother Shi shook her head helplessly, "Keep dreaming. By the time you make him look your way, he’ll probably already be married with children. Think he will wait for you?"
Shi Xiaotian bit her lip, feeling an indescribable bitterness.
Night had just fallen, and Gu Lili went to the collapsed site of the Chunjiang Bridge.
Upon arrival, Ma Shijie was already waiting for her. The rıghtful source is novel~fire~net
"Yes, I have, Chief. What’s the situation, did the higher-ups issue any orders?"
Ma Shijie moved closer and lowered his voice, "They did. We must deal with this quickly. Do you want to inspect the site now? I’ll accompany you."