Chapter Twelve: Thrown Out of the House

  Fu Peilan looked at her mother steadily and said in a soft voice, "I don't have money now, but I promised to support your family. Even if I go to the foundry, it's still paid monthly, isn't it? Who has ever heard of paying four years' salary in advance? Why can't you be more tolerant of me?"

  "Am I tolerant of you? You're going to drive me crazy and I'm still being tolerant of you?" Fu Mama sneered, "You don't have to fool me, I've lived for half my life and never heard of any unemployed girl making 68 bucks a month from part-time jobs, unless you're not doing it honestly and are actually working as a mistress!"

  "Mom, what are you talking about?!" Fu Peiyao glared at her mother, even if she was angry, she couldn't speak to her own daughter like that.

  "Yes, mom, little sister is your own daughter!" Fu Peilin also looked at her mother disapprovingly, "Mom, I think you're confused, let's just do this for now, you eat a couple of bites and sleep, we'll talk about it tomorrow."

  "What did I say wrong?" Originally, Fu's mother also regretted saying it, but seeing Fu Peilan staring at her coldly and the other two children constantly complaining about her, Fu's mother couldn't swallow her anger. "Your elder sister is an accountant at a machinery factory, isn't that a good unit? A good job? After working for so many years, she only earns over 80 yuan a month. And this little girl dares to say that she can earn 68 yuan by part-time work in one month! Does she think money grows on trees?! Now you're saying I'm being harsh, but maybe one day she'll do something even more shameful than what I said!"

  "I've figured it out, you just can't stand seeing me do well!" Fu Peilan was really angry, what kind of mother insults her own daughter like that?

  "Because I didn't see anything good about you at all!" Fu's mother said immediately, "Don't waste your breath on me either, that set of deceitful tricks of yours won't work on me, not a single word do I believe. In short, what are you really thinking? If you truly want to earn money steadily, I'll put aside my old face and go find the foundry's director tomorrow. Forget about being an accountant, just be honest and work as a laborer in the workshop. Although the salary is a few dollars less, it's still better than nothing. Who made you so worthless?"

  "Mom, there's nothing more to say. I won't go to the foundry, but I keep my word, next month I'll give you sixty-eight." Fu Peilan turned and left.

  Fu's mother suddenly shook off Fu Pei Qi's arm, pushed aside Fu Pei Lan who had just walked to the door, and ran to the small room of her two daughters on the right side. She opened Fu Pei Lan's closet and rolled up her clothes into two bundles, throwing them out into the courtyard. "I've told you before, either bring me 3,000 yuan now, or go find a job tomorrow and earn money. Since you won't choose either option, don't blame me for being heartless as your mother. This family doesn't raise idle people."

  Fu Peilan stared blankly at the clothes scattered all over Yang's courtyard, her heart filled with endless sorrow. Can they still be considered mother and daughter?

  "What are you doing, Old Fu's family? If you have something to say, say it properly to the child. Throwing clothes around is not going to solve anything." Next door's Mrs. Li came out with her daughter-in-law to mediate.

  "Our family's affairs are none of your business, I know you two mothers-in-law are just waiting to see our family make a fool of ourselves, your hearts have been eaten by dogs!" Fu's mother said angrily. She had never gotten along with Li's daughter-in-law, and now she was even more unhappy after being made a laughing stock in her own home.

  "How can you talk like that? My mother-in-law spoke to you in a gentle tone and you still gave her attitude."

  "None of your business, hurry up and get back in the house!"

  "Never mind, never mind," said Grandma Li, pulling her daughter-in-law back who was about to go forward and argue. "It's their business, why should we intervene? It's not worth it for two good women to quarrel over a small matter. Since they don't appreciate our kindness, let's just go home."

  "Hurry up and leave." Fu's mother spat on the ground and said loudly.

  Fu Peilan looked at Li Nainai and her daughter-in-law with a guilty conscience, picked up a small blue cloth package from a pile of clothes on the ground and held it in her arms, "Mom, do you really want to drive me away?"

  "Do you think I'm joking with you?"

  "Mom, I'll be going to college soon. After graduation, the job assigned to me shouldn't be too bad either. If you drive me away now, it will be a loss."

  "Hah, I only know that if you don't leave, I'll have to support you for another four years. By the time you graduate and are over 20, it's just a matter of slapping your butt and getting married off. I won't even get a penny from your salary, and on top of that, I'll still have to provide dowry. It seems like I'm the one who's losing out.

  Now thinking about it, raising a daughter is really a money-losing proposition." Fu Mama sneered, "If you were someone with ambition, I would believe that you could marry into a good family. But you insist on being lazy and don't distinguish between right and wrong, wanting to be with that poor kid from the Feng family. What kind of future can you have?"

  Fu Peilan lowered her eyelids, and her voice also cooled down. "Since that's the case, I have nothing more to say. Mom, take care of yourself, I'm leaving."

  "Xiao Lan, don't be impulsive." Fu Pei Yao stepped forward and grabbed her sister's hand.

  "Where can you go alone, Xiao Lan?" Fu Peilin's eyebrows were tightly furrowed as he turned to face his mother and said, "Mom, aren't you making a big enough fuss already? Xiao Lan has promised to give you living expenses every month, what more do you want?"

  Seeing her eldest son's cold expression, Mrs. Fu's tone softened a bit, and she said with a flat mouth, "Fooling the child, I didn't attend university, so I don't know that Qingcheng University is famous for its heavy coursework, especially in the first two years, school ends at 2 or 3 pm, what can she do? Where did she get the money from, isn't it still me who has to support her?"

  "Ma!" Fu Peilin roared, it's far from over!

  "Xiao Lan, go back to the house with sister first." Fu Pei Yao wanted to lead her little sister back to their room.

  "Sister, let me be quiet for a while. I don't know how much longer I can stay in this kind of home." Fu Peilan shook her head, "Third sister, don't pull me back, I'm not throwing a tantrum, I really want to leave this place."

  "Where are you going now?" Fu Pei-yao said anxiously.

  "Anywhere is better than being scolded by my own mother like this." Fu Peilan pushed her sister away and ran out, with Fu Peyao following closely behind.

  Fu's mother stared blankly at her two daughters and muttered, "How...how...how can you really leave?"

  "It's not you who drove me away!" Fu Peilin said in a bad tone.

  "If she wants to leave, then let her go! I'll see how long she can last!" Fu's mother said with a forced tone, suppressing the anxiety in her heart. "If she has the ability, then she shouldn't follow Pei Yao back home!"

  Fu Mama didn't expect that this little girl really hadn't come back.

  At night, Fu Pei-yao returned alone, and Mrs. Fu was a bit stunned.

  "Where is your sister?"

  Fu Pei-yao looked at her mother and let out a tired sigh, "Wasn't I driven away by you?"

  Fu's mother was choked with rage, and it wasn't until after a good while that she muttered in a huff, "Love him or not, I'll serve that little ancestor as I please." With that, she turned her body and went to bed.

  Fu Pei-yao turned off the lights, closed the door and went to Fu Pei-lin's room again. "Brother, Xiao Lan is now living in a hostel, I'm worried, you go accompany her for a night."

  Fu Peilin hastily put on his shoes after hearing the news, "How did you end up running to the guest house? Mom will know it's another commotion." His family's old lady is most particular about money, and staying overnight at a guest house would cost several dollars. Fu's mom would be heartbroken again if she knew.

  "She won't come back and doesn't live in the dormitory, what can we do?" Fu Peiyao also felt helpless.

  "This girl is too stubborn, a little girl living in a hostel, she's really brave." Fu Peilan put on her shirt and rolled up a thin quilt to put it in her bag, "I'll go take a look, it's already after 8 o'clock, you don't have to go, you still have an early shift tomorrow."

  Fu Pei-yao nodded, thought for a moment and said, "Wait." Hurried back to the house, found 50 yuan and handed it to Fu Pei-shan, "You give this to Xiao Shan, she only has more than 20 yuan on her, which is not enough to use outside. You also advise her to hurry back, mom's temper is like that, just asked her earlier, worried in my heart."

  Fu Peilin took the money and put it in his pocket, nodding and saying, "I will."

  But Fu Peilan had made up her mind not to go back, "Brother, don't say anything else, I'm not going back. Tomorrow I'll go out and find a place to rent for a while, and when school starts next month, I'll apply for boarding."

  "What's wrong with you, girl? Don't you know what kind of person your mom is after all these years? She just has a bad mouth, but she doesn't have any ill intentions." Fu Peilin was anxious and scratched his head, "She didn't let you go to school because she couldn't bear to see you do well. Now, only I and Peiyao have salaries at home. If it's just for food and living expenses, it's still enough, but Peiqi is not in good health, and every month there are medical expenses and nutrition fees that need a lot of money. That kid doesn't understand things, he insists on going to school, and mom can't afford it either. You might not know, the condolence money our dad left us when he passed away has almost all been spent in these few months. Mom is worried about not being able to make ends meet in the future, that's why she's forcing you like this."

  When it comes to the current situation at home, Fu Peilin is also very depressed. In the past, when his father was still alive, he only needed to hand over a portion of his salary for living expenses, but now he can only keep 10 yuan as pocket money every month. His mother always asks him where all the money has gone. There are two younger siblings at home who are still in school, one of whom is also ill. As the older brother, he doesn't even have enough money to get married, so who can he turn to?

  "Brother, if Pei Qi was a good person, I would have given up for him. But look at his attitude, he's always so careless and idle. Why should I sacrifice my own future for him? The compensation money from Dad is not much, but it shouldn't be spent in just half a year. Pei Qi's body is indeed weak, but after visiting many hospitals, no doctor said he was sick to the point of losing his ability to work and needing medicine all the time. Where did our family spend so much money? Mom told you that the compensation money is gone, I don't believe it!"

  Fu Peilin was stunned for a moment after listening to his sister's words. He is rough, but that doesn't mean he's stupid. His father didn't die from work-related injuries, and the compensation amount was limited, but saving some of it should be enough for their family to get by for a year or two, plus his and Pei Yao's salaries...

  Insert Bookmark