Sheng An didn’t go to buy bean sprouts today. With the end of the year approaching, the bean sprout business wasn’t doing well, so she stayed at home to help out the entire day. A few days ago, she received the sweater, scarf, and gloves her sister had sent over, which made her extremely happy.
Early in the morning, she donned the scarf and repeatedly paraded in front of Shen Luhua. Seeing that no one commented, she strutted by once again.
"What are you pacing back and forth for, girl? You’re making my head spin," said Luhua, who was peeling peanuts to prepare for the New Year’s banquet.
"Mom, haven’t you noticed something different about me today?" Sheng An looked at her expectantly.
Luhua glanced at her briefly. "Nope."
Sheng An became anxious and stamped her foot, "Really? Look here, here... isn’t it different?"
"Oh! You’re talking about your neck, aren’t you? Hmm, it does seem a bit fatter."
"..." She was certain she wasn’t her biological child; she strongly suspected she was adopted.
"Eh? How come you’re not wearing the sweater your sister sent you today?"
Sheng An’s frustration finally turned into joy, "I’m saving it for the New Year, I can’t bear to wear it!" She loved the sweater her sister had sent. It was truly soft, and the color was beautiful too. She had never seen such a pretty sweater in her life. She was going to treasure it, wearing it once every New Year; that way, she could wear it for many years!
"You’re so unambitious!" Luhua expressed disdain.
"Ha! Look who’s talking! Why aren’t you wearing yours?"
"Of course, I’m saving it to wear when I see my mother-in-law."
Sheng An made a face, "And that makes you ambitious?"
Sheng Ning was about to push the door open when she heard the voices inside. Her eyes grew teary, and a warm current flowed from the bottom of her heart. In her past life, she had really been blinded by ignorance, failing to see the truth and misunderstanding her closest family members.
The entire family had come to a bad end, she absolutely wouldn’t let the tragedy happen again this life. She resolved in her heart that after spring, she would definitely take An’an to the city for her education; she’d be responsible for her upbringing.
She would never let her repeat the same mistakes of her past life.
An’an, that girl, was tough on the outside but soft on the inside, brash and strong-willed, but also easily manipulated. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been driven to death by the mayor’s family in her previous life. This time around, Sheng Ning would rather raise her to be spoiled and arrogant than let her be gullible.
The Sheng family needed to tread carefully in life; having one person doing so was enough. A younger sister was meant to be cherished and protected. She could definitely provide An’an with shelter from the storms of life.
As she was deep in thought, the conversation inside suddenly dropped to a whisper. Overhearing the content inadvertently, her hand stiffened mid-air as she was about to open the door.
"How did my sister suddenly send back so much money?" Sheng An was truly puzzled. When she received that amount of money, she couldn’t grasp it for a long time and even thought she was dreaming. "I’ve laboriously saved up a few hundred yuan. How hard must my sister have worked to earn so much?"
"Don’t worry about that," Luhua reassured her, brimming with confidence in Sheng Ning’s capabilities. "Ningning is capable; she surely earned this money through her own efforts." The girl had been clueless before, but during her last visit, Luhua could see from her eyes that she had determination and ambition.
She would never be content to live a life of mediocrity, working at the General Union for a few years before settling down into marriage.
"It’s not that I doubt her, but..." Sheng An hesitated, "she asked to take five thousand yuan out of the ten thousand yuan to repay debts, but Little Yama already paid them off. What should we do now?"
Her honest nature prevented her from lying; in her understanding, repaying debts meant just that. Now that the debts weren’t there to repay, the money should surely be returned to her sister.