Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Ever since she was young, Qiao Yuelan knew she was more likable than her younger sister. Her younger sister wasn’t just fat; she was an introvert too. One example of this was when her younger sister didn’t know how to voluntarily greet her older sister when she returned home. She just focused on packing up her things in her bedroom.
How could there be someone so introverted? She didn’t know how to behave in front of others.
Hou Manrong shouted from the living room again.
“Lanlan, come over. Mom has something to tell you.”
“Oh, coming.”
Qiao Yuelan turned and casually threw the steamed bun she was holding, which she had only taken a few bites of, onto the dining table. She sat on the sofa and looked at Hou Manrong who was sitting beside her.
She asked, “What’s the matter?”
Hou Manrong glanced in the direction of Qiao Lingxiang’s bedroom. Then she placed a few energy coupons in her eldest daughter’s hand.
She said, “I called your teacher just now. Her attitude wasn’t bad. She said that with your results, as long as you can maintain your position as one of the top five students in your year, the school will exempt you from paying energy coupons. However, you still have to take these energy coupons with you to school for emergencies. Go back to school now.”
Qiao Lingxiang sat in her bedroom and overheard her mother giving her elder sister those energy coupons. Her hands froze as she packed her books. She felt as though her body was drained of all energy. She slowly leaned towards the bedframe.
Then she lowered her head and revealed a mocking smile. She lifted her plump hand and rubbed her wet eyes. It was alright. She already knew that this would happen.
It’s alright. Don’t feel sad, it’s alright!
“Mom, why are you doing this?”
The beautiful Qiao Yuelan didn’t understand her mother’s intentions. She knew that the school had a policy exempting top students from forking over energy coupons. However, wouldn’t it be good to stay at home? The food from the school’s cafeteria was getting worse and worse. They paid the school money but the food portions were also becoming smaller than before.
It wasn’t as nutritious as the food her mother made at home.
If she wanted to have better food, she needed to use food coupons… Food coupons were distributed by the school and they couldn’t be bought with money. You needed to exchange energy coupons for them.
Hou Manrong seemed to be in a difficult position. She lowered her voice and spoke to Qiao Yuelan.
“You must go back to school. You don’t know, Brother Po… He-he came again. My child, your school is an enclosed area. He wouldn’t dare to kick up a fuss at your school. What would you do if you stayed at home and he came to find you? I’m giving you these energy coupons. If you don’t have to use them, buy some food coupons and eat better food at least.”
The moment she heard Brother Po’s name, Qiao Yuelan’s expression changed. Qiao Yuelan had always been pretty even as a child. Even when she was angry, she looked beautiful.
Her cheeks turned red with anger as she said, “Tell him to come. I want to see what he’ll do to me. Our society has law and order. Ask him to come! What a shameless man.”
Qiao Lingxiang could hear every single word of their conversation from her bedroom. When Hou Manrong gave Qiao Yuelan the energy coupons. she didn’t care if Qiao Lingxiang might overhear.
She felt that it wouldn’t matter even if her youngest daughter heard. Her youngest daughter had a good temper. As a child, no matter how unfair the adults were, Qiao Lingxiang remained indifferent to everything.
This child was stupid. What would she know?
As expected, Qiao Lingxiang just stayed in her bedroom quietly as if she were hiding in her own world. She didn’t kick up any fuss.
The school told her that the top five students didn’t have to hand over their energy coupons. The urban management authorities needed to select outstanding students so they would definitely give the smart students ample chances to survive at school.
As for those who weren’t so smart, like Qiao Lingxiang for instance, the school didn’t want to invest any more resources in them.
Qiao Yuelan’s results had always been good. She was considered a favored child of heaven. Ever since she was young, Qiao Yuelan was the picture of success. Not only was she pretty, but her results were extraordinary and she had many talents.
She was the kind of student that the urban management authorities focused on grooming.
However, Hou Manrong was still afraid. She was scared that her eldest daughter would accidentally fall out of the top five rankings. Hence, she gave Qiao Yuelan a few energy coupons for emergency needs.
She had her reasons—she felt that Qiao Yuelan was safer at school than at home. She didn’t know if their world would improve or worsen in the future.
If the world didn’t improve, she wasn’t sure what Brother Po would do the next time he visited their house.
Hou Manrong felt that her eldest daughter couldn’t stay at home. She must go back to school.
Her concerns were valid.
Qiao Lingxiang also knew that her mother was right. She didn’t mind her mother giving her elder sister the energy coupons.
But… today, Qiao Lingxiang didn’t come back to ask her mother for energy coupons. She was just asked to stay at home by the school because she couldn’t hand over any energy coupons.
In her small bedroom, this fat young lady leaned against the bed frame quietly. The conversation between her mother and her older sister floated over from the living room. Qiao Yuelan was very angry but after feeling indignant for a bit, she still accepted the energy coupons obediently and left the house with a few big steamed buns.
She needed to go back to school as fast as possible before the sky turned dark completely and while it was still safe.
After her elder sister left, Qiao Lingxiang crawled up from the ground slowly. She was a little scared as she stood at the entrance of her bedroom. She looked at her mother who was sitting on the sofa in the dark living room. She knew that the chances were slim but she held onto a tiny bit of hope and asked one last time in a soft voice, “Mom, can I stay at home? The school won’t allow us to stay at the boarding school anymore starting tomorrow.”
At this moment, Hou Manrong was worried that Brother Po would do something out of line to her eldest daughter. Hence, when she heard what Qiao Lingxiang said, the anger in her heart got reignited. She immediately stood up from the sofa and pointed at Qiao Lingxiang.
“What are you doing at home? I told you to go back to school. I don’t believe that your teacher would really chase you out of your dorm. If she really kicks you out, you can call me again. I’ll go to your school and talk sense into them!”
The family only had a total of five energy coupons and she had given all of them to her eldest daughter. Hou Manrong wanted to give her youngest daughter some energy coupons too but she needed to get some more herself first.
Hou Manrong saw Qiao Lingxiang’s sad expression and forcefully suppressed the frustration in her heart. She tried to persuade her daughter sincerely.
“Go back to your school first. I’ll think of ways to get you your energy coupons. There’s no use staying at home. At least you will have food to eat at school but there’s nothing to eat at home.”
She hoped that her youngest daughter would be reasonable. Her daughter was already 16 years old so she could reason with her. She needed to work. At her workplace, she could eat at her cafeteria. If her youngest daughter moved home, she would still need to worry about her meals at home.
Hou Manrong was too tired. She just wished that her youngest daughter would be more obedient. She hoped Qiao Lingxiang would be as obedient as possible!
Qiao Lingxiang stood at the door. She could easily block the bedroom door with her figure. There was despair in the depths of her eyes. She opened her mouth and lowered her head, revealing her triple chin. She was utterly disappointed.
“Mom, if you do that, the teachers will kick me out of school.”