Tiantian He, with her keen six senses, sensed the sarcasm in the other’s tone when she said those two words.
So, the term "friend" was definitely not meant in the ordinary sense but rather one in quotes.
The reality might be unpleasant, and the original protagonist was the person who had created the unpleasantness.
Remembering the villainous scripts she had acquired multiple times, Tiantian He couldn’t help pondering, was this another top-grade scenario?
"Bam! Just eat your food, why talk about such things?"
The dark and gaunt old man at the head of the table put down his chopsticks. He didn’t raise his voice deliberately, but his words still carried a commanding authority.
"..." The girl with the braids was still somewhat defiant, but facing her obviously angry father, she bit her lip and swallowed all the grievances and bad feelings she had inside.
"Hmph, go then, go! I am indeed his ’friend’!"
Tiantian He hadn’t accepted the script, nor had she merged with the original character’s memories.
But she had experience.
She pushed her bowl forward, stood up with a clang, and dashed towards the front door.
"Tiantian! Tiantian!"
The fair-skinned old woman was not at ease, afraid that she’d cause trouble again, and quickly stood up, trying to chase after her daughter.
"Forget it, let her go!"
The dark and gaunt old man, watching Tiantian He’s retreating figure, had a fissure appear in his stern expression, revealing a rare vulnerability and weariness.
Ah, when it came down to it, they really hadn’t treated their youngest daughter right.
They hadn’t raised her properly when she was young, and as she grew up, they couldn’t just disdain her for being superficial and unfit for public appearances.
"Dad, Mom, you’ve just spoiled her too much, that’s why she’s become more and more unreasonable!"
This time, even the young man who had remained silent couldn’t help but speak up.
He understood his parents’ dilemma, but they couldn’t overindulge her either.
Tiantian He had become the laughing stock of their residential courtyard.
How many incidents had she caused in the past few months with her laziness, gluttony, and vanity?
The parents were both respected, longtime party members, revered and honored by others.
And yet, because of a disappointing daughter, they had suffered scorn from many in secret and had to apologize to others over and over again.
As her brother, he also felt sorry for his little sister, but she was really taking things too far
His previous sympathy and tenderness for her had been completely eroded away by her bizarre actions.
"You too, keep your comments to yourself."
The old woman, unable to chase after her daughter, was already in a bad mood.
Hearing her son speak so disparagingly of his sister, she redirected her anger onto these siblings.
"Weijun, Weihong, you are her elder brother and sister; if the little sister does something wrong, you should help correct her, not stand here and make sarcastic comments!"
He Weijun, being the older one, held back his retort, even though he felt aggrieved, as he saw both his parents were upset.
He Weihong had fewer concerns.
Before Tiantian He returned, He Weihong was the youngest child in the family, pampered by her parents and indulged by her brothers, and so she had become somewhat willful.
But ever since her sister came back, she went from being the family’s beloved "little sister" to a "big sister" who needed to take care of others.
Her mentality started to crumble.
Of course, the He Family was strict with their upbringing; He Weihong might be a bit petulant, but she understood reasoning and manners.
She empathized with her sister’s plight and thought about compensating her along with her parents and brothers.
But, but... her sister was really causing too much embarrassment.
He Weihong didn’t look down on her sister for her countrified manner or her strong dialect.
It was rather... when the family wasn’t lacking food or drink, why did she always stare hungrily at other people’s bowls?
These days, everyone was struggling; rations for grains, oils, and meats were allocated by exact quotas for every individual and household.
Unless it was a special case, even relatives would hesitate to impose on others for food.
Even if one needed to eat at someone else’s house, they brought their own food, fearing to cause gossip.
If this was true for relatives, then it was even more so for neighbors and colleagues.
But Tiantian He wouldn’t have it. In their large residential compound, whether she knew someone or not, if a savory smell wafted from their house, she could be found squatting at their doorstep.
Salivating with longing eyes, if it were some clueless child who had been lured into tears by the smell, it might be forgivable.
But Tiantian He was nearly eighteen, old enough to be married and have children in the countryside.
And yet, she was capable of such mortifying behavior.
At first, the neighbors, not wanting to lose face, would invite her in politely to share a meal.