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Chapter 50
"She really came up with a good idea, pitting us against each other with just a few words," Gao Dalin said indignantly as he glared at Gao Second Sister. "Second sister, you can't be falling for her trap, can you?"
Gao Second Sister looked up with a gaze filled with resentment and unwillingness. "Our family has already fallen to this point. An MeiYun is still living comfortably as a young miss. I don't believe she doesn't know about our situation now. Big brother, can you really just accept this?"
"Of course I'm not willing to accept it, but now that it's come out that San is not a biological child, she's probably struggling to protect herself. How could she have the ability to help us?" Gao Dalin's brows furrowed as he spoke dejectedly.
He didn't feel sorry for An MeiYun at all. He was just afraid that if An MeiYun was also abandoned by the An family, they would truly have no one left to rely on.
"That's not necessarily true," Gao Second Sister, who had inherited some wit from their father Gao Dazhuang, refuted. "If she was really struggling, this wretch wouldn't have come looking for us. The fact that she wants us to be a burden on An MeiYun can only mean one thing—in the struggle between those two, An MeiYun definitely has the upper hand."
"What's more, it's not necessarily harmful to her if we go. We could ask her to find us jobs and get urban residency permits in the city. We're blood siblings after all. Now that our parents have suffered misfortune, at least the three of us together can help each other out."
When it came down to it, she was still selfish.
She knew full well that going would only cause trouble for An MeiYun, but for her own benefit, what did someone else's troubles matter?
Not to mention, the family had fallen to this point precisely because of trying to give An MeiYun a good life.
She had achieved success by stepping on her parents' backs, so helping out her siblings now was only right.
Gao Dalin seemed to be persuading her, but in truth, how much real feeling could he have for a sister he hadn't even seen a few times? He was just afraid of bringing trouble on himself.
But when real benefits were laid out before him, what were sibling bonds or parental bonds compared to one's own interests?
All along the road into Zhou Village people kept greeting An ZhiAng, clearly showing what a big shot he was in the village.
But when they saw Zhou Zhi Zhi, they couldn't help whispering about her origins, mostly saying she had a bitter fate, but fortunately in the end the unscrupulous Gaos got their retribution.
The village children were mostly enthusiastic. Those who recognized them had already gone to report to the Zhou family.
Zhou Zhi Zhi came out to meet them from far away, holding her 4-year-old niece Xiangxiang and 1-year-old nephew Huzi. "ZhiAng, Zhi Zhi, why are you coming over so late in the afternoon?" She looked up at the darkening sky.
"We've come to transfer Zhi Zhi's residency registration. We're also dropping by to see Granny. Is everyone home?" An ZhiAng asked while taking the little tiger Huzi into his arms to play with.
"They're all working in the fields. I had Yuanyuan go let them know." Zhou Zhi Zhi said as she welcomed them in. "Let's go wait at home first."
It was just after the autumn harvest, and they were busy tidying up the fields to plant again next season, so they were very busy this time of year.
Zhou Zhi Zhi and Zhou Yuanyuan weren't working in the fields because girls had to be well cared for when they got older in order to find a good family to marry into. But household chores were still left to the two of them.
When they arrived at the Zhou home, Zhou Zhi Zhi busied herself pouring water for them, adding some white sugar that they didn't usually indulge in, clearly indicating the level of welcome.
It was only natural. Ever since Zhou Nan had married into the city, she had been classified as an enviable city person, and whenever her children came back to the Zhou home they were warmly received by the whole family.
Even the two aunts in the family felt this was only right.
Xiangxiang and Huzi were the children of oldest cousin Zhou Jianwen. The one-year-old boy had just started learning to walk, and kept wanting to get down despite his unsteadiness, which made him quite a handful.
With An ZhiAng playing with him now, Zhou Zhi Zhi felt more relaxed.
Zhi Zhi still felt very kindly toward this cousin, and pulled Zhou Zhi Zhi along to go see her room.
The few days she had stayed here she wasn't too familiar with the place, and Zhou Zhi Zhi had taken care of her, so she felt the closest to this cousin emotionally.
As soon as they entered the room, Zhou Zhi Zhi looked Zhi Zhi up and down with amazement and delight. "Zhi Zhi, you've changed so much in this time, I wouldn't have recognized you if you hadn't come with ZhiAng! Just think, when you first found our home a month ago, your hair was a tangled mess and your face was covered in blood. The clothes on your body could barely be called clothes—you looked no different from a wandering beggar! But in this short time you've become so pretty, and your face has filled out. You're not just skin and bones anymore."
"Now that I can eat my fill at home, I've put on some weight," Zhi Zhi said as she opened up her shoulder bag and took out the clothes, handing them to Zhou Zhi Zhi. "Sister Zhi Zhi, I kept wearing the clothes you gave me. These are new clothes I bought for you. Try them quickly and see if they fit." Zhou Zhi Zhi was first surprised, then moved. Touching the soft fabric of the clothes in her hands, she could tell they were quality material, clearly factory-made goods. And judging by the workmanship, they were bought, not homemade!
"Zhi Zhi, those clothes of mine were already half worn out to start with, just something I made myself from not such good material. These clothes can't have been cheap! I can't accept them. You should take them back and wear them yourself. And Granny already said she'd make me a new cotton-padded jacket for winter, so I won't be lacking either." Zhou Zhi Zhi refused, not daring to accept.
In the past when Aunt Zhou Nan came back she would bring hand-me-down old clothes to share with them, and it was rare to get new clothes. In all these years she could remember Granny making two new outfits for herself at most.
No girl's heart failed to be moved by new clothes, but to just take them for herself, she also felt uneasy.
"Sister Zhi Zhi, I bought these clothes in your size originally. Even if you don't want them, they won't look good on me if I try to wear them." Zhi Zhi said.
Zhou Zhi Zhi wanted to refuse further, but Zhi Zhi firmly stuffed them into the closet, leaving no room for further rejection, as that would hurt their relationship.
"Zhi Zhi, Granny already said she'd make me a padded jacket for winter. If I take all the new clothes for myself, I'll feel bad for my sister-in-law and Yuanyuan. Their sizes are about the same as mine. Why don't we split this outfit between the two of them? What do you think?" After all, they were a gift from Zhi Zhi, so Zhou Zhi Zhi didn't feel right deciding on her own.
But to monopolize all the new clothes herself, she was also worried it would make her sister-in-law and cousin unhappy.
Only then did Zhi Zhi realize she had been inconsiderate.
It wasn't that she was petty. It was just natural for women's minds to be more sensitive. Even though Zhou Zhi Zhi had given her clothes, sister-in-law Lin Caixia and cousin Zhou Yuanyuan had treated her well during those days at the Zhou home.
Yet she had only given new clothes to her cousin. While her intention had been to repay her, the other two would likely feel slights.
After all, this one outfit was worth more than the several Zhou Zhi Zhi had given her combined.