Volume One, Chapter 16: The Eldest Sister Was Beaten

An elderly woman wearing a dark patterned cotton jacket walked in. Upon seeing Sun Yaqin, she paused briefly, then noticed the bag Sun Yaling had placed on the floor. Without hesitation, she thrust a three-year-old girl into Yaqin’s arms.

She then began rummaging through the bag. “You’ve only been married a few years, and you’re already bringing things back to your parents’ home. Yet I’ve been helping you with the child every day and haven’t seen a single thing in return!”

“Mom, this is the New Year’s gift my parents asked Yaqin to bring for me.”

“You’re lying. Since you married Gangzi, I’ve never seen your parents send us New Year’s gifts.”

Sun Yaqin couldn’t stand it anymore. “Auntie, I just bought these things at the market. If you don’t want to look after Yanyan, I can take her back for my parents to care for.”

“Yanyan is a child of our old Zheng family. Besides, how will she attend school living in that broken village of yours?”

“My parents will move to Beibin next year,” Yaqin continued.

Zhao Guiying looked at Sun Yaling with suspicion. “Why didn’t you tell me your parents were moving to Beibin? Let me make it clear: our family has no place for your relatives to stay. Don’t even think about our house.”

Her words, sharp and cutting, struck Sun Yaling’s pride like a series of small hammers.

At that moment, Yaqin did not speak up for her elder sister. In her past life, their parents knew exactly what kind of person Zheng Guiying was. To prevent her sister from suffering injustices in her in-laws’ home, they never told Yaling about family matters. But their silence only fueled the arrogance of Zheng Gang’s household. Yaqin wanted to use this opportunity to let her sister see clearly what kind of people they truly were.

“Mom, my parents both have jobs, and I have a job too. Isn’t our combined income enough to rent a place in Beibin City?”

Zhao Guiying had always thought her daughter-in-law was soft-hearted and never argued back, so when she was finally contradicted, anger flared up instantly.

“Sun Yaling, you’re Gangzi’s wife, so the money you earn belongs to the Zheng family! If you dare to use your salary to support your birth family, I’ll have Gangzi divorce you.”

“My money belongs to your Zheng family? Mom, you really know how to do the math. When I married Zheng Gang, my parents didn’t even ask for a dowry; they gave me a dowry instead. Gang’s salary is handed over to you, that’s one thing. But now you’re coveting my wages too? Our little family of three would have starved long ago without my income all these years.

Since Yaqin is here, I’ll be straightforward: from now on, I will save my salary myself. Give Gangzi’s salary to him; we’ll live on that. If you don’t, don’t talk about making him divorce me—I won’t stay with him either.”

Sun Yaling could endure many things, but she could not bear her parents being humiliated in front of her sister.

Zhao Guiying rolled up her sleeves and strode toward Sun Yaling. “Sun Yaling, don’t think just because your sister is here you have someone backing you up. You’re really living the good life—spoiled rotten!”

Suddenly, a slap landed on Sun Yaling’s face.

Yaqin wanted to fight back but was stopped by her elder sister, which only made Zhao Guiying more triumphant.

“I’m leaving the child with you. Not a single cent of our Gangzi’s salary will go to you.”

With that, she turned and left.

“Sister, are you alright?”

Sun Yaling shook her head.

“Has Zhao Guiying hit you before?”

Sun Yaling smiled bitterly. “No, this is the first time I’ve stood up to her. She must have been furious.”

Yaqin wasn’t sure how much of her sister’s words were true.

“Come stay at my place tonight. The northern room is empty. We’ll head back early.”

“Sister, Mom and Dad have built a house in the city. If you and Yanyan aren’t happy there, just come home.”

Sun Yaling’s expression froze for a moment. “When did this happen?”

“Earlier this year, Mom and Dad borrowed some money from Fourth Uncle’s family. Luckily, Big Brother paid it back early. They didn’t tell you to avoid worrying you.”

Sun Yaling said no more. “Wait while I pack up, then I’ll take you home. Tell me what you want for dinner, and I’ll cook.”

After what had just happened, Yaqin did not want to go to her sister’s home but, worried her sister might be bullied, she didn’t refuse.

Her sister’s home was near the workplace, just over ten minutes’ walk.

Sun Yaling rolled up her sleeves, ready to cook, when Zheng Gang stormed in angrily.

“Sun Yaling, what did you tell my mother?”

“Brother-in-law!” Yaqin’s voice was icy.

Seeing Yaqin, Zheng Gang instantly softened. “Oh, Yaqin, when did you get here?”

“I came to see my sister.”

An awkward smile appeared on Zheng Gang’s face. “Good, good! Whatever you want to eat, your sister will make it for you.”

He tried to leave but was called back by Yaqin. Normally, the affairs between sister and brother-in-law were not hers to meddle in. But in her previous life, her sister died young from illness, and she believed her death had something to do with Zheng Gang. Her sister was always a person who kept everything inside.

“Brother-in-law, you were probably here to talk to my sister about Aunt Zhao causing a scene at her workplace today, right?”

Zheng Gang looked helpless. “Ah, Yaqin, you must have misunderstood. My younger brother had some trouble today, so my mom took the child to Yaling’s workplace. She’s sharp-tongued but soft-hearted.”

“If she’s soft-hearted, why did she hit my sister?”

Zheng Gang was momentarily stunned. His mother hadn’t told him about hitting Yaling, and facing this young girl’s questioning, he was clearly at a loss.

“Yaqin, my mother would never hit Yaling. Over these years of marriage, she’s helped us take care of the child and cooked for us.”

“I saw her hit my sister with my own eyes. Brother-in-law, in all these years, have you ever brought my sister and Yanyan back to our home? My parents don’t want my sister to suffer and never tell her about family matters. Today, Aunt Zhao accused my sister of taking your family’s belongings to support her birth family and even hit her. Do they think the Sun family is helpless?”

“My sister gave me Yanyan. I care for her dearly. We didn’t visit our parents because my brother also has children, and my mother has to run back and forth. Yaling and I have no time to go home. I’m sure the accusation of supporting her birth family was a misunderstanding by my mother. I’ll explain it to her later.”

Yaqin sensed something was amiss from Zheng Gang’s tone. Though their relationship was far from perfect, it was unlikely he would physically harm her sister. Perhaps, in the past life, Zhao Guiying had been stirring trouble behind the scenes. Or maybe the scars on her sister were all caused by Zhao Guiying.

“Brother-in-law, if you don’t have time to take care of Yanyan, my parents do. After all these years, they’ve hardly seen her.”

Zheng Gang began calculating. They had a spare room now. Could it be that the Sun elders, as his mother said, wanted to use this opportunity to move into their home?