CHAPTER 163: CHAPTER 163: DEBT OF GRATITUDE FOR UPBRINGING

Something happened?

Seeing her behavior, Yi Chichi furrowed her brow and softly asked when she returned, "Did something happen, or did someone bully you?"

These words barely spoken, tears welled up in Ge Sujuan’s eyes.

"Don’t cry, please don’t cry, if something’s up, just say it. I’m really afraid of seeing you all in tears."

Last time, Wang Nan’s eyes turned red when she wanted to borrow money; this time, Ge Sujuan’s eyes turned red too. Those who know her wouldn’t think much, but those who don’t might think she’s being bullied, which would then give rise to bizarre rumors.

"My reputation is very important; please don’t ruin it!"

Ge Sujuan’s anxiety and dilemma vanished with that sentence, making her feel a bittersweet mix of emotions.

"No one’s bullying me."

Yi Chichi immediately understood, "Then it’s something else."

She nodded, hesitated for a while before finally blurting out, "Chichi, do you still have any food coupons?"

Yi Chichi, "..."

She didn’t have many national food coupons left.

She really couldn’t get used to coarse grains, and Qin Jiu, being young and having a delicate throat, was not good for his health to eat coarse grains long-term.

Her grandfather and others were getting old, and there were still several years to go before the reform and opening up, so they should be taken care of until then.

As a result, over the course of the year, most of the food coupons had been used up.

The remaining ones needed to be kept for emergencies.

They couldn’t and wouldn’t be lent out.

"Sorry!"

Ge Sujuan just sighed, "You haven’t done anything wrong to me, no need to apologize."

She was actually mentally prepared, considering Yi Chichi is a little particular about food.

No matter how many food coupons there were, they couldn’t withstand such consumption.

"Can you lend me some money then? I’ll ask Guan Mingyue for the food coupons."

Borrowing money wasn’t an issue; Ge Sujuan’s character was clear to her, just like Wang Nan, she would definitely pay it back.

Zhou Qiuyu was the same, even though she was the youngest, she had the most stubborn temper.

She never relied on others for work she could do herself.

If she could endure hardships, she would endure them herself; if others asked for her help within her ability, she was always willing to help, but asking others for help was like taking her life.

This kind of personality couldn’t be called bad, but it wasn’t very good either.

Because hardship tends to increase the more you endure, and once you’re used to it, it follows you everywhere.

Luckily, Ge Sujuan was different from her.

The girl had her own little thoughts, but she wasn’t a bad person and was capable.

"How much do you need?"

"Twenty."

"Is it urgent?"

"Not urgent."

"I’ll give it to you when I get back tonight."

With her assurance, Ge Sujuan’s heart completely settled, and without Yi Chichi needing to ask, she voluntarily explained why she needed to borrow money and food coupons.

Ge Sujuan was from an expensive province, and though her family’s circumstances weren’t great, they weren’t awful either.

Being the third child, with an elder brother and sister above and a younger brother below, she became the one easily forgotten and overlooked.

Good food and new clothes never seemed to be her share.

With many kids in the family, after schools closed, she had nowhere to go. Her mother often looked at her with displeasure, never physically abusing but always scolding indirectly.

Moreover, her elder brother was getting married, and her second sister had a boyfriend.

Her parents wanted to vacate the room she shared with her sister for her brother’s new home, and as for her second sister, she could live in an employee dormitory.

Her second sister was quite resourceful, having found herself a job.

Though temporary, with hard work, there was hope for becoming permanent.

Her younger siblings were still too young, and they could either sleep with their parents or set up a bed on the small balcony.

Only she was hard to arrange.

So, she consciously went to the countryside.

In her first year there, her family still thought about her, and she thought about them, writing letters and sending things were normal.

But after her elder brother and sister got married, her contact with the family dwindled, and rare communications were only to ask her for money or goods.

Making it seem like she wasn’t in the countryside, but in some factory holding a stable job instead.

Any hopes or fantasies about her family faded with each money-requesting letter.

Hearing this, Yi Chichi was perplexed, "Then why are you still borrowing money and tickets to send back?"

"This time, there’s really no other option."

She rubbed her face, looked up at Yi Chichi with complex emotions in her eyes, "My mom is gone, and my dad had his hand torn off by a machine at work."

"My brother..."

Taking a deep breath, she suppressed her anger and sorrow, her voice choked, "was arrested."

"??? Why?"

"My sister-in-law..."

She looked embarrassed to speak; Yi Chichi understood, "You don’t have to say it."

"Mm."

Nodding, she said, "The former sister-in-law ran off leaving the children, the second sister got married, the elder brother was arrested, now the family relies on my dad with the kids."

"If handicapped, the factory should have subsidies."

"They’ve been used up."

She then said, "My dad wants to use connections to bring me back to replace his job."

Originally, that job was supposed to be for his brother; the elder brother already had a job, so parents needn’t worry.

Yi Chichi nodded, acknowledging that it was indeed a good plan.

Rural life was tough, yet Kao Shan Village wasn’t too bad.

Returning, given the current state of the Ge Family, Ge Sujuan would not necessarily have it better than in Kao Shan Village.

One supporting four, one of them even a little baby.

But that’s not the main issue, the key point is, "This matter isn’t easy to handle."

"Indeed, it isn’t."

"My dad is a fitter, a technical job. Even if I go back, I can’t take over; I’d need to change positions, which would reduce my salary and be insufficient to support the family... Moreover, my second sister isn’t willing; she wants my dad to sell the job to her brother-in-law..."

Mentioning Second Sister Ge, Ge Sujuan’s tone was tinged with anger.

It was evident that the sisters’ relationship wasn’t just bad; it was almost like enemies.

She didn’t comment on that; instead, she asked, "And you? What’s your plan?"

"This time, my dad wrote demanding two hundred yuan and fifty pounds of national food coupons, threatening to sever ties if I don’t comply."

She laughed as she said it, her tone calm, but Yi Chichi felt a chill.

"I don’t have that much money, nor that many food tickets, so I can only comply with his wishes. After all, they raised me for years; twenty yuan and twenty pounds of food coupons can be considered my gratitude for their upbringing."

Yi Chichi didn’t know what to say, so she just comforted her with a pat.

"Things will get better; we’ll all be fine. The future is bright, don’t lose heart, being alone can also be brilliant."

"Yeah, starting today, I’ll live entirely for myself."

She smiled with relief, "Chichi, thank you for listening to me. I’ll go talk to Ming Yue about the food coupons."

"Okay."

She hadn’t gone far when Uncle Yaozi came back, beaming as he pulled out an oil-paper package from his chest and handed it over, "Eat while it’s hot."

Yi Chichi reached to take and open the warm oil-paper package, and inside was a fragrant, steaming pig’s trotter, shocking her at once.

"Where did it come from?"