Li Zhiyan helped Sun Zhewen into her bed when they got home. She carefully helped him take off his coat and shoes, then got a warm towel and gently wiped his face. Sun Zhewen opened his eyes, still dazed, and looked at Li Zhiyan, a small smile playing on his lips. "Zhiyan, thank you," he murmured.
"Just rest," Li Zhiyan said gently. She watched Sun Zhewen fall into a deep sleep before finally exhaling. She went to take a shower, put on a thick, long-sleeved pajamas, and waited for her parents in the living room.
\n\n
Soon, Li's Father and Li's Mother arrived home. As soon as they walked in, they collapsed onto the sofa without even bothering to change their shoes. They kicked them off carelessly, and the whole room was immediately filled with the strong smell of foot odor.
Li Zhiyan frowned, unable to help herself. "You should wash your feet. It stinks so much."
Li's Father looked at her with disdain. "Oh, now you think you're something, huh? You even tell your parents what to do."
Li Zhiyan shook her head helplessly and explained, "No, I just want you to be careful. Zhewen won't be happy when he comes down."
Li's Mother immediately flew into a rage when she heard this. "Why wouldn't he be happy? This is your house. He's a poor nobody with nothing. What can he say? Where did he even go?"
Li Zhiyan sighed and patiently explained, "Mom, Zhewen drank too much. He's resting in the room right now. He works very hard, but he just doesn't have any savings yet."
Li's Father snorted coldly, "Hmph, working hard? I think he's just a good-for-nothing loser. Zhiyan, you can't let him drag you down."
Li Zhiyan felt a pang in her heart upon hearing this, like a needle prick. She took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice calm. "Zhewen, no matter what, is my husband. No matter how much money I have, it's ours together. You can look down on him if you want, but don't show it in front of me and him."
"Right, daughter," Li's Father suddenly changed the subject, his tone softening slightly. "Your brother said he's got a girlfriend at school, and his expenses are a bit high now. He wants you to give him an extra ten thousand a month."
"What?" Li Zhiyan's emotions instantly flared. Her voice rose a few decibels. "I already give him five thousand a month for living expenses, and it's not enough? He wants another ten thousand? Dad, Mom, just ask around at any university. How much do university students spend each month? Usually, it's just over a thousand. I'm giving him five thousand, not five hundred."
Her mother chimed in, "Isn't your brother studying hard? Besides, you're successful now. What's wrong with giving your brother some money?"
Li Zhiyan felt a wave of helplessness. Her voice trembled slightly. "Dad, Mom, you need to understand that I'm basically supporting my brother now. What have you done as his parents? You're his guardians. Five thousand is already my repayment for your upbringing and sibling affection. What do you think I am, a bank?"
Her mother's face turned unpleasant, and her tone became sharp. "You, how dare you talk to us like that? If it weren't for us, would you be where you are today?"
Li Zhiyan's eyes welled up with tears, her voice choked with sobs. "Mom, don't you feel ashamed saying that? You wouldn't let me study after I graduated from high school. If my grandma and the others hadn't sold the house to pay for my university, would you have contributed any money? How much living expenses did you give me when I was in university? Two hundred yuan? Tell me, what could I do with two hundred yuan? Now, my brother goes to university, and I have to give him 5,000 yuan a month to support him. You only see that I have money, but do you know how I earned this money?"
Li Zhiyan's mood was complex. She felt both resentment towards her parents and helplessness regarding her younger brother. She thought about all the hardships, the patience, the pain and torment she had endured over the years. Tears streamed down her face as she spoke, like a string of pearls breaking.
Li Zhiyan stood in the middle of the living room, hands on her hips, a determined glint in her eyes. Her parents sat on the sofa, their faces grim, looking dissatisfied. The air was thick with tension, like a powder keg ready to explode.
Finally, Li's Father spoke, his voice low and tinged with helplessness: "It's not like the family was rich before, right? There was nothing we could do."
Li Zhiyan let out a cold laugh, retorting without any courtesy: "The family was poor, yes, I admit it. But why were we poor? One of you is a drunkard, and the other loves to gamble. I'm actually impressed you two have even survived until now."
Her parents' faces instantly shifted, turning from pale to red, as if their weaknesses had been exposed. Li's Mother, unwilling to be outdone, shouted back: "No matter what you say, you should support us and provide for your brother."
Li Zhiyan's gaze grew even colder, and she refused to back down. "Fine, since you say so, I'll say this right here and now. From today on, don't even think about getting a single penny from me. I'm busy eating instant noodles every day, while you two are enjoying lavish meals? That's not happening."
Li's Father was so enraged that he raised his fist to hit her. Li Zhiyan did not flinch, stepping forward to meet him: "Go ahead, hit me. If you kill me now, it's two lives gone. What do I have to fear?"
Seeing the situation turn sour, Li's Mother quickly grabbed Li's Father, her tone softening: "Daughter, we're old now, we can't work anymore. If you don't take care of us, aren't you just letting us die?"
Li Zhiyan sneered, exposing them without mercy. "You're old? You're only around fifty. Go look at the street sweepers, the security guards in the community. How old are they? Older than you, right? They're in their sixties and seventies, still trying to earn money to help their families, while you're lazy and want to leech off your daughter. Aren't you ashamed?"
Li's Father's face turned ashen with anger. He ground his teeth and said, "Fine, fine! If you don't acknowledge us, I'll take the relatives back tomorrow. See if anyone wants to marry you then, and you'll lose face."
Li Zhiyan didn't care at all. "Come, I welcome you. Leave, and I won't see you off."
Li Zhiyan's parents argued incessantly, their voices carrying from the living room to upstairs, as if they were going to bring the whole house down. Li's Father pulled Li's Mother and slammed the door, storming out. The door panel trembled a few times behind them, making a muffled sound. Li Zhiyan stood in the middle of the living room, watching her parents' backs, and tears poured out like a flood. Her crying echoed in the empty room, sounding particularly desolate.
Sun Zhewen staggered down the stairs. He'd been woken up for a while and had sat at the top of the stairs listening for quite some time. He rubbed his eyes and saw Li Zhiyan crying her eyes out, and his heart ached. He walked to the coffee table, took out a tissue, and handed it to her. "Don't cry anymore. Your eyes are all swollen."
Li Zhiyan took the tissue, her voice choked with sobs, "Why is my life so miserable?"
Sun Zhewen sat on the sofa and sighed, "Your parents are indeed a bit too much, but don't be too sad. Things will pass."
Li Zhiyan wiped her tears, her eyes still filled with despair. "Zhewen, do you think I'm destined to suffer these hardships?"
Sun Zhewen sighed inwardly. Li Zhiyan truly had a hard life. Her family had been constantly draining her, and she was being toyed with by all sorts of people outside, adding insult to injury. And the root of all this was her parents. If they weren't like that, perhaps Li Zhiyan wouldn't have been so desperate to climb up, nor would she have been played with so miserably.
He patted her shoulder, trying to comfort her. "Zhiyan, don't think like that. You were just unlucky, encountering bad things. But you still have a chance to change, the future can be in your own hands."