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Tenth Period
T/N: Translated by Jen on Broken Jinsei! Please do not repost my translations! All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
That day ended very quickly. With Zhou Yanli causing more trouble than helping, the cleaning was entirely left to the other servants.
Jiang Huihui felt somewhat embarrassed, apologizing to Zhou Jinwei, “Sorry for causing trouble for you today.”
They originally came to work, but in the end, they didn’t do anything, even ruining the floorboard here, as well as a very expensive-looking wool rug.
“You weren’t the one that caused trouble, what are you apologizing for?” Zhou Jinwei tone was very calm, but who he was referring to was very obvious.
Zhou Yanli got up, “Who would’ve thought that you were even quite reserved with your insults twenty years ago.”
If this was twenty years later, where would he still get this kind of treatment. Just a single glance from his dad, and he would be scared to the point of not daring to budge.
Zhou Yanli casually took his jacket that was lying on the sofa, also picking up Jiang Huihui’s backpack and the clothes bought for her, “Fine, I, this heinous sinner, won’t continue to be an eyesore to you here.”
Seeing Jiang Huihui still in a daze, he reached out and tugged her hat, “What are you blanking out for, let’s go.”
“Oh.” She returned to her senses, glancing at Zhou Jinwei again, before finally running over to Zhou Yanli.
Zhou Yanli first had Jiang Huihui sent home.
He looked around at the shabby urban village[1]. Although it wasn’t his first time coming here, he was still shocked at how people can actually live in this dump.
Thinking of this, he just hated that Jiang Huihui can’t immediately move out from here.
But right now, he still doesn’t have any abilities; in the future……
He suddenly thought of something.
Crap, forgot to let Zhou Jinwei reimburse him!
–
When Jiang Huihui returned home, she heard her mother furiously shouting from inside, “Don’t know what all was going through that damn girl’s head before going out.”
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
Jiang Huihui paused in her step, a bad feeling suddenly arising from within.
She pursed her lips and carefully pushed open the door.
Her mom was currently standing in the kitchen with her hands on her hips, angrily looking at the mess all over the floor.
After seeing Jiang Huihui who’d returned home, she directly walked over and pointed at her nose, loudly shouting, “So you’re finally back now, how come you didn’t wait until the whole place was flooded before coming back?! Don’t you know to tighten the faucet after cooking? You damn wasteful girl!”
The faucet in the kitchen didn’t get turned off and had been running all morning. Nearly half the place was under water. Some of the furniture also got soaked and needed to be thrown away.
It was their mom who came home in the afternoon that discovered it first.
Jiang Huihui remembered very clearly, when she went out, all the faucets were very tightly turned off.
“It wasn’t me, I…..” She was just about to explain.
But, Jiang Man came out from his room, interrupting her, “It was you! You cooked for me before going out. You were the only one that went into the kitchen. If not you, who else can it be?!”
Her mom reached out and had her dragged into the kitchen, “See for yourself! This cabinet also needs to be changed. Do you think we have enough money at home for you to waste it like this? Are you crazy or are you stupid!?”
Jiang Huihui got violently tugged, losing her balance, her elbow hitting against the wall. That burning pain very quickly came through, but in this moment, she wasn’t able to think about anything else. She frantically tried to explain, “It really wasn’t me. Before going out, I even checked. After washing the pot, I just turned it off tightly.”
Because the faucet at home was somewhat broken, unless it was turned extremely tight, else it will still continue to drip water.
That’s why she remembered very clearly, she’d tightly turned it off.
Her mom’s voice grew louder, roaring at her, “You made a mistake, yet you’re even making excuses? Jiang Huihui, the audacity!”
Jiang Huihui got scared by this shout from her mom, freezing in place, unable to speak for a good while.
But, even if like this, she still tried to defend herself with trembling lips, “It really wasn’t me, I certainly didn’t….I didn’t…..”
“Jiang Huihui!” Her mom had her dragged over and vigorously started smacking her on her body, “This is just how I taught you? Making a mistake and refusing to admit it?”
The clothes in winter were very thick, so it actually didn’t hurt.
But Jiang Huihui’s eyes still turned red from it. She held back her tears with all her might. It was unclear whether it was because of fear or because of the enormous grivance.
She was shaking all over. No matter how she explained, her mom was completely convinced that all of this was precisely her fault.
Outside the kitchen was Jiang Man with darting eyes.
–
Zhou Yanli forgot to give Jiang Huihui the clothes he bought for her, so specially came back to deliver them.
This building they lived in was very old, not having an elevator, so can only climb the stairs.
Her home was also on the eighth floor.
Climbing up and down every day, no wonder she was that skinny.
Eight floors, for someone like Zhou Yanli who has been working out regularly for a long time, was very easy. Just, when he reached the sixth floor, his steps slowed by a lot.
The old building had poor sound insulation. He could hear the angry yells of a woman come through.
That “Jiang Huihui” was loud and clear.
He blanked for a moment, then immediately bolted up the stairs. The advantage of having long legs showed in this moment, climbing three steps at a time.
The door wasn’t shut. He stood outside, just about to go in, when he saw Jiang Huihui who was standing inside uncontrollably sobbing, unable to catch her breath.
The woman next to her was hitting her.
Zhou Yanli’s complexion abruptly changed, directly charging in and having that woman flung aside.
He long had the teachings of ‘respecting elders and caring for children’ tossed to the back of his mind, his face filled with rage, roaring at her, “What the hell are you doing!?”
Her mom nearly got knocked over by the force. She looked to the stranger before her in bewilderment, “Who….who are you? What are you doing in my home? I’m going to call the police!”
He coldly sneered, even taking off his jacket and rolling up his sleeves, “Call! Go f#%&ing call right now! Before the police come, it’s just enough time for me to beat you up!”
Jiang Huihui hurriedly went over to stop them, “Mom, he’s my classmate. He probably misunderstood, please don’t call the police.”
Mom?
Hearing this address from her mouth, Zhou Yanli briefly fell in a daze.
He looked towards the mean-looking woman in front, grandma??
His maternal grandmother passed away early, so he’d never seen her in person before, just having seen before in the pictures. However, his dad seemingly didn’t want to say too much about her. Every time he would point at the pictures and ask him, he would always half-heartedly brush over it.
So, towards this maternal grandmother, Zhou Yanli for the most part didn’t know anything about her.
Now, he finally understood why his dad didn’t want to talk about her.
Although an elder, he still couldn’t help but want to cuss.
This a**hole.
Jiang Huihui had him pushed towards the door, “I’m a bit busy today, why don’t you go back first.”
Her face was full of tears. She randomly wiped her face. Her eyes were also swollen.
Zhou Yanli saw, his heart feeling a stabbing pain.
But, he knew, at times like this, it indeed wasn’t suitable for him to stay behind.
After Jiang Huihui had him pushed out, she just closed the door.
Perhaps because of this interruption, having misgivings, the screaming voice of the woman inside gradually died down. Even if Zhou Yanli stuck his ear onto the door, he was still unable to hear anything.
Zhou Yanli didn’t leave, but instead stood outside waiting, planning on immediately charging in the moment there was the slightest commotion.
After about ten minutes, there still weren’t any big movements inside.
However, he was still worried. Just as he was about to go in, the door opened from the inside.
The person that came out was Jiang Huihui, her eyes red and swollen. She didn’t bring anything with her, only bringing that backpack that she has had for don’t know how long.
After going out, she just headed downstairs, not saying a word. She had her head down the whole time, occasionally lifted her arm to wipe her tears.
Don’t know how long she’d walked for, already having gone beyond the neighborhood area.
Zhou Yanli followed behind her, maintaining a certain distance the entire time.
He knew, at times like this, he should leave her alone for a while.
So, he just followed her, watching her from behind. She walked; he also walked. She stopped; he also stopped.
Her figure was skinny and small, wearing clothes that didn’t fit her. Her hair had also become messy from the scuffle earlier. Her skin was very pale, that kind of pale that didn’t have any color. Getting blown by the cold wind outside, there was a rosy hue within the paleness.
She appeared that frail and lonely, like if the wind was any stronger, it can just have her blown away.
She clearly had a very obedient-looking face.
Even bangs, fair skin, palm-sized face, round eyes, glossy dark pupils, and even if her body was thin and frail, her cheeks were still plump, her baby fat having yet to go away.
That’s why, Zhou Yanli couldn’t understand, such an obedient girl, how could someone bear to not love her?
If she was his daughter, he would certainly spoil her to death. Even if she wanted the moon in the sky, he would also think of a way to get it for her.
Snow started falling from the sky. Vehicles occasionally passed by on the road. The sky also slowly darkened.
She aimlessly walked for a while. Even the streetlights turned on.
Jiang Huihui suddenly stopped, not walking anymore.
She squatted by the roadside, blankly staring at the school across the street.
As she walked, she unknowingly ended up here.
Her life was very dull. Aside from her home, it was just the school.
Even if running away from home, she still had nowhere to go.
She has always been alone. She clearly had a home, but that home seemingly didn’t like her. She was forever the most unremarkable one in the crowd. For the sake of being able to continue her schooling, she did her best to study, using scholarships to pay for her tuition. But, for her younger brother, as soon as he was born, he just had everything.
She sniffled. That overwhelming sense of grievance once again rose up, blocking in her chest.
Since childhood, because she was the older sister, she has endured many grievances.
Her mom always said, you’re the older sister, so you need to yield to your younger brother. Back then, after giving birth to you, the burden at home also grew heavier; otherwise, your father and I wouldn’t have had to work this far apart in two different places.
That’s why, Jiang Huihui studied diligently. After school, she would also do more chores at home, so that her mom can relax a little. She would even work part-time during school breaks too. But her mom would always say that she didn’t do enough, still not enough, still not obedient enough, still not sensible enough.
Jiang Huihui thought to herself, if she could choose, she’d rather not be the older sister——-she’d rather not be born into this world at all.
She wanted to cry again, but she held back with all her might, repeatedly telling herself inside, tears were useless. After crying, she’d still have to wipe her own tears herself.
The cold wind at night was very strong, her cheeks getting stinged by it.
In the next second, the wind seemingly stopped.
She blanked for a moment, then lifted her eyes.
The person blocking the cold wind crouched down before her at this time. He reached out and took the backpack in her arms, saying in a gentle voice, “Where did this little stray cat come from? If you have nowhere to go, want to come home with me?”
His eyes and brows were gentle, his words also soft and slow. Jiang Huihui even felt that he was starting to feel unfamiliar, not the least bit like that nonchalant and cocky Zhou Yanli normally.
His eyes were full of heartache, wiping away her tears for her: “Our Huihui was wronged today. If you want to cry, just cry, no need to endure.”
[1] The literal translation for this is ‘village in a city’, it’s a unique part of modern chinese urbanization. They are usually the poorer district of a city, but surrounded by skyscrapers and have access to modern infrastructures. For more detail see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_village_(China)
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