Shen Jianhua was not here, and with the meddlesome Liu Da Niang and Li Chunhua also gone, Zhou Lanfang stepped on Shen Mianmian without any reservations.
"Zhang Meizi, judge for yourself," she said. "Siyu is my niece, sure, but I raised her like my own daughter. Our family can’t afford to educate two children. She’s a good student, so of course the family is willing to support her, right?"
She glared at Shen Mianmian, "This ingrate is just here to settle scores, not to mention going to the village chief’s house and complaining. The chief insists we support her too, even though she’s clearly not cut out for studying, yet she insists on competing with Siyu."
At these words, everyone could not help but feel that Shen Mianmian was being unreasonable.
Why compete with Zhou Siyu when her own academic performance was mediocre?
It would have been different had she been a boy, but, unfortunately, she was a girl.
Someone who couldn’t hold their tongue said, "Mianmian, you’re not young anymore. You need to understand how things work. Siyu is a good student. Don’t compete with her. Once Siyu’s life gets better, she won’t forget you, her sister."
"If I do well in the future, I’ll bring my sister and my aunt and uncle to live in the city," Zhou Siyu immediately added, which, although just a casual remark, pleased everyone.
People immediately praised Zhou Siyu for being sensible, and they urged Shen Mianmian even more forcefully.
These were words of people who didn’t understand pain—had they endured what she had, could they still say such things?
Shen Mianmian felt a coldness in her heart, but didn’t show it on her face. This was not the time for emotional outbursts.
"I know it’s hard for my dad to earn money and support the family by himself. Previously, I had to work and didn’t have much time to study, so my grades weren’t very good. But I will work hard from now on. My dad and I have agreed that if I don’t pass the exams this time, I won’t go to school next year." Follow current novels on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⁂𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢⁂𝘯𝘦𝘵
Her voice was soft and she appeared very obedient—not at all like what Zhou Lanfang had portrayed.
Zhou Siyu’s eyes suddenly lit up. Shen Mianmian seemed to be digging her own grave. Making such a statement in front of so many people, she would have no face to continue school the next year.
At that moment, Zhou Siyu did not consider what she would do if she failed to win the progress award and had to face these people.
Shen Mianmian’s speech was graceful, and those who previously said she was thoughtless were now feeling a bit embarrassed.
They turned to Zhou Lanfang instead, "Isn’t your daughter quite sensible? I think Mianmian is a good child, too."
Zhou Lanfang was fantasizing about the good days ahead and feeling proud. She wasn’t ready to listen to criticism, and her expression darkened, "Do I not know whether the dog I raised will bite?"
Her words were particularly unpleasant.
The Zhang Family’s daughter-in-law tried to smooth things over but couldn’t find the words, her expression notably awkward.
Shen Mianmian kept quiet, her head down, her aggrieved demeanor eliciting sympathy from those around her.
If she had been her own daughter, wouldn’t Zhou Lanfang treasure her like gold?
Seeing that the situation was turning sour, Zhou Siyu hastily made eye contact with Zhou Lanfang, signaling her, and quickly changed the subject, "Auntie, I’m going home tomorrow, so I won’t take a bath. Why don’t you give my five cents to my sister instead?"
On hearing this, everyone couldn’t help but inwardly sigh at Zhou Siyu’s sensibility, unlike Zhou Lanfang.
"Keep your money for yourself. I’m not buying anything and don’t need so much money," Shen Mianmian casually refused. Zhou Siyu offering her money so generously seemed suspicious, like she might have ulterior motives.
"I’m not buying anything either. Take it so you can buy some buns to eat on the street if you get hungry,"
Zhou Siyu said with a face full of concern.