Chapter 479 - 419: Not Worried
Chapter 479: Chapter 419: Not Worried
In her past life, Xiao Man had known poverty and hardship. Later, she became wealthy, earning more and more money. But she was all alone, with no desires, ambitions, or grand aspirations. She donated most of her fortune to help children who couldn’t afford school and to support orphanages and nursing homes. A small portion she saved in the bank for her old age. But then, she died without any warning, never getting the chance to use her savings.
In this life, she wasn’t worried about being unable to make money. She knew of many projects, any one of which would become a gold mine if developed. However, she didn’t think it was the right time to start a business. And, forgive her for her silliness and simple tastes, but she just really enjoyed spending the money her family gave her!
Grandpa and Grandma, her paternal grandparents, and Mr. Tang gave her and Hao Hao a considerable amount for tuition and allowance every year. This year, Mrs. Ai was added to the list. Mrs. Ai earned a lot from royalties and seemed even more loaded than Mr. Tang, giving money away with extraordinary generosity!
Xiao Man loved to compare the amount of money she and Hao Hao received. Every time, her share was much larger than his, which would frustrate Hao Hao so much his face would turn gloomy and he’d roll on the ground in protest. She would just burst out laughing.
’So,’ she thought, ’I should at least wait until I’m an adult at eighteen before I start earning my own money. That way, my family will be more accepting of it.’
After dropping Weiwei off at the Lu Family’s home, the two of them walked back out. At the mouth of the alley, a woman approaching them called out to Yang Liu’er.
The woman was wearing a gray smock over a padded cotton jacket and pants, making it impossible to tell her figure. When she removed the scarf wrapped around her head, revealing a sallow, gaunt face, Yang Liu’er was heard exclaiming, "Sec... Aunt Chunxiang! Is that you? How did you get so thin?"
Xiao Man had never been to the Bai Mansion, but she had gotten a rough idea of the Bai Family’s members from Yang Liu’er. Hearing Yang Liu’er’s words, she guessed that this must be Luo Chunxiang, the wife Second Uncle Bai Lihua had married at the Northeast Farm.
Luo Chunxiang smiled at Yang Liu’er. Perhaps because she was so thin, the smile looked somewhat bleak. "Liu’er, didn’t you ask me to keep an eye out for news about Brother Jun Fan? The other day, I heard them say he’s definitely coming back right around the New Year! Don’t worry, I’ll tell him where you live when the time comes."
Yang Liu’er took Luo Chunxiang’s hand, her eyes rimmed with red. "I’m so sorry, Aunt Chunxiang. I’ve been so busy lately, I forgot to call you... I have a phone now. I’ll write the number down for you. If anything comes up, just call me directly. You don’t have to trudge all the way over here. Come on, let me take you inside for a hot cup of tea to warm up."
"No need. I walked quickly the whole way, so I’m plenty warm, not cold at all." Luo Chunxiang wrapped the scarf around her head again and said, "I didn’t come just for this today. Yifen came back to her maternal home and she was craving roast duck from Hundred Flavors House. Miss Qing told me to come out and buy it, so I took the opportunity to stop by and see you."
Yang Liu’er said indignantly, "Aunt Chunxiang, you shouldn’t let them do this to you! You’re not their family’s maid. Whoever wants to eat something should go out and get it themselves. What kind of people order a woman like you around in this freezing weather? By the way, you still haven’t said, how did you suddenly get so thin? Are you sick? Have you been to the hospital?"
Luo Chunxiang sighed. "Even if I’m not a maid, does that mean I don’t have to work? Liu’er, you know what the Bai family is like. Every one of them is so formidable. I’m not well-educated, and besides some housework, I can’t do much else. My children have to go to school, and the expenses are huge. I can’t let people look down on us for being freeloaders... I don’t have any major illness. A while ago, Shun Ma said that homemade pickled vegetables taste best, so Miss Qing had me pickle a lot to give to relatives and friends. Shun Ma is too old to do it, so I was out in the courtyard by myself, washing, chopping, and drying everything. I pickled four or five vats of radishes and cabbage. I caught a cold, came down with a fever, and was bedridden for two or three days. Doctor Jia prescribed me some Chinese medicine, and I’m better now. It’s just that I have no appetite and can’t eat. Maybe I’ll recover after resting for a while."
Yang Liu’er sighed. "Aunt Chunxiang, you... Ugh! Don’t work yourself so hard. It’s not worth it for those people. Remember to come find me if you need anything. Don’t keep everything bottled up inside, that’s bad for your health. Living out here on my own, I can’t help but worry about you."
This was also something she had heard from Xiao Man. Xiao Man had said that when a person gets angry, their body fills with toxins, and they have to vent it, or they’ll get sick easily.
Luo Chunxiang’s eyes turned red. ’I have a home, a husband, and children, but the one who actually cares about me is an outsider!’
In the eyes of the Bai family, Yang Liu’er was a troublemaker. When Luo Chunxiang first arrived from the Northeast, she saw Liu’er being scolded by one person and disliked by another. She didn’t dare to openly support her or speak up for her. She could only help her secretly with chores. Liu’er was young and loved excitement, always wanting to go out. Afraid of being reprimanded by Miss Qing or Mrs. Liu, Luo Chunxiang would act as a lookout or guard the door for her. That was how the two of them became able to talk to each other.
With tears in her eyes, Luo Chunxiang said to Yang Liu’er, "I’m not afraid to tell you this. Your Second Uncle Bai got tired of me a long time ago and doesn’t want to be with me anymore. He hasn’t mentioned divorce yet because he’s afraid of ruining his reputation, but I feel like he’ll bring it up one day! You were right about everything you said before. He has another woman! While I was washing his clothes and cleaning his room, I found things he’d hidden away, and... a photo of that woman..."
For no apparent reason, Xiao Man felt her face flush. She lowered her head and cursed inwardly, secretly thankful that she didn’t look like Wu Xiaowen.
Yang Liu’er felt awkward too and offered some clumsy words of comfort, "Aunt Chunxiang, don’t be sad..."
Luo Chunxiang shook her head with a bitter smile. "At first, I was truly heartbroken. But then I realized, I don’t even have the right to be heartbroken. He doesn’t care about me at all. He won’t even look me in the eye anymore and never enters my room. Every time he comes home, he only smiles at his father, his sister, his children, and even Shun Ma. It’s like he doesn’t know me! The whole Bai family just treats me like a maid. Even Shun Ma doesn’t treat me like a human being. She follows Miss Qing’s lead and teaches my own children to despise me... My heart feels like it’s being sliced by knives and scorched by fire. It’s agony. No matter how hard I work during the day, I can’t sleep at night. I... I’m afraid I’m going to die!"
"Aunt Chunxiang, don’t talk like that. Don’t lose hope... Don’t be afraid of divorce. I’m here. I have work for you. You can absolutely support yourself!"
Yang Liu’er reached for Luo Chunxiang’s hand, but Luo Chunxiang wiped her eyes and walked away. "Thank you, Liu’er. I feel a bit better after telling you all this. I have to hurry back, or I might not be able to buy the roast duck, and then who knows how they’ll badmouth me when I get back."
Yang Liu’er took out two bills, wanting to give them to Luo Chunxiang for a taxi ride home, but when she heard she still had to walk to the main street to buy the roast duck, she gave up the idea.
Watching Luo Chunxiang’s desolate and lonely figure recede, Yang Liu’er felt that it was a reflection of her own former life.
’For people of their background, entering a grand residence like the Bai Mansion would absolutely not lead to a good end. Fortunately, I’ve come to my senses. In this life, even if I marry Brother Jun Fan, I will never move into that compound. The Bai family can forget about controlling me!’
Yang Liu’er thought about the money in her savings account and breathed a long sigh of relief. ’Just a little more, and I’ll be able to buy a small courtyard house in a good location. I’ll renovate it carefully to be our new home. After marrying Brother Jun Fan, we can live there in peace, and the Bai family and I can be like well water and river water—never bothering each other!’