Times have gradually gotten better, and she didn’t want her daughter to suffer anymore. Girls in the city dress so beautifully; she couldn’t let her daughter look so shabby. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭•𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦•𝘯𝘦𝘵
"I have clothes to wear; there’s no need to buy any for me. Instead, think about my sister, let her dress a bit nicer. She’s already so grown up. If she dresses beautifully, she might find a good husband. Also, my brother, he’s still in school, give him some pocket money from time to time. Dad’s been wearing that grey coat for over a decade, patching it up time and again. It’s been a while since you got something new for yourself, hasn’t it?"
Xiaocui, when she was younger, was just a kid in the eyes of her family, with no say in anything. She could only listen to whatever her parents told her, who never really took her input seriously on any matter.
But since she had started working, her parents’ attitude toward her changed. They started treating her like an adult. At first, Xiaocui wasn’t used to this, but as days went by, she gradually got used to it and would occasionally chat with them about various things.
Hearing her daughter talk, always considering the family before herself and remembering how she used to wear the clothes passed down from Erni, Liu Dania was filled with sadness. "Everything’s fine at home. We didn’t have money before, which is why your father and I were reluctant to buy you new clothes. We thought to let your sister wear them first since she’s older, and once she outgrew them, they could be passed down to you. You were still growing, and new clothes wouldn’t fit you for long, so we thought we’d buy you new ones once you were grown up. We went through the same when we were young, and we didn’t consider your feelings much. We just thought the eldest should dress better. Thinking about it now, my approach wasn’t much different from Mianmian’s mother. Xiaocui, do you hold any resentment towards your father and me?"
"Mom, what are you thinking about?" Xiaocui felt very touched by her mother’s words. "Mom, what you did wasn’t wrong. If I were you, I would have done the same. My sister is older; she does need to dress better. Don’t compare yourself to Mianmian’s mom. She’s not in the same league as you. How she treats Mianmian, I’ve seen it all while growing up. You and dad would never have the heart to beat me like that, right?"
"Am I as good as you say? Just don’t hold a grudge against me in your heart." Liu Dania felt much better after hearing her daughter’s words. She felt she owed her daughter but, as her daughter said, it wasn’t intentional. The family’s previous financial situation was a fact. If circumstances improved, whatever she bought for Erni, she would also buy for Xiaocui.
"You are my birth mother; I don’t have enough time to love you." Before, Xiaocui wasn’t very talkative and wasn’t good at expressing her feelings. But after moving to the city and meeting more people, her personality became more cheerful.
Liu Dania felt a bit awkward hearing Xiaocui’s words, as she wasn’t used to hearing such things.
So she chided her with a laugh, "What’s this talk of love? We, the rural folk, don’t indulge in that."
Xiaocui was amused by Liu Dania and walked back arm in arm with her, when suddenly, a familiar figure approached. Her eyes brightened, and she was about to greet them when she saw the person turn and enter a gold shop on the roadside.
"Do you know her?" Liu Dania asked curiously, noticing her daughter staring at the woman who entered the shop.
The person’s attire and demeanor clearly indicated she wasn’t from the countryside. Who from the countryside would carry a handbag when going out?
But... how could her daughter know someone from the city?
Seeing the question in her mother’s eyes, Xiaocui explained softly, "Mom, that person looks a bit like Mianmian’s god-sister. Didn’t I tell you before that Mianmian had taken a god-brother in the city? The one inside is his sister. I’m wondering if I should go in and say hello."