Volume One, Chapter Fourteen: A Weak Father, A Partial Mother

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Su Beilu looked at his eldest daughter, wanting to understand what was really going on. He had just arrived home when his wife started crying and babbling on and on, making his head ache more and more.

How could his daughter have changed like this? He simply refused to believe it.

Su Jinxia said, “Let’s not even talk about how she treated Grandpa and Grandma. A few days ago, I had a high fever and stayed in my room for three whole days and nights. Not a single person came in to check on me.”

“If I hadn’t forced myself to get through it, you’d probably be looking at a corpse right now!”

Su Beilu felt a buzzing in his head. He couldn’t believe such a thing could happen, but considering his wife’s attitude toward their eldest daughter, it wasn’t impossible.

He then turned to confront Xiao Ying, “Is what our daughter said true?”

Xiao Ying couldn’t let her husband think she was callous and heartless, so she quickly denied it. “You’re just listening to her nonsense! How could I not care for her? Otherwise, how could she be standing here in good health right now?”

“She’s afraid you’ll find out about the money and ration tickets, so she’s making up lies! Even if I’m not a good person, I know when it comes to life and death!”

Su Jinxia clapped her hands. “Alright, alright, you just say whatever comes to your mouth. But do you dare swear by heaven that you didn’t neglect me? If you break that oath, then your secrets won’t stay hidden!”

Locking eyes with her mother coldly, Xiao Ying was filled with fear. Could this stubborn girl know something?

Su Beilu sat back down on the sofa, scratching his head with both hands. He didn’t know what to do. On one side was his daughter, on the other was his wife. As the head of the household, he had no power to decide.

If only his father were here. When his mother was alive, she made the decisions. After she passed, his father took charge.

But then his father left, and he found himself increasingly unwilling to come home. Luckily, his long-distance job meant he only returned a few times a month, but each time there were always headaches to solve.

Today’s matter made his head ache even more.

Seeing her husband like this, Xiao Ying grew angry. Compared to Old Wang next door, the difference was vast.

“You’re nothing but a coward!”

“Don’t say that about Dad. He’s not a coward—he just doesn’t want to hurt you,” Su Jinxia said, sitting beside her father.

“You read the letter too. Grandpa is missing, and I have to find him! So I need this money and these ration tickets.”

Only then did Su Beilu loosen his grip and look at his daughter. “Your grandpa was a boatman with no fixed residence. Nobody knows where he is now. How do you expect to find him?”

Su Jinxia replied, “I’ll look at the boat docks. Someone will know something. Even if I can’t find him, I need to get clear news. It’s better than staying home doing nothing.”

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Su Beilu said, “Then I’ll go with you.”

Su Jinxia shook her head. “No, you still have work. You can’t just take leave all of a sudden.”

Su Beilu couldn’t bear the thought of his daughter going alone. “A young girl going so far alone is dangerous. She doesn’t know the place or the people—what if she gets scammed?”

Seeing her father’s worried expression, Su Jinxia felt a pang in her heart. They hadn’t communicated much in their past lives.

“Don’t worry, I can handle it. Besides, I’m grown up now. Sooner or later, I have to face the world.”

“Besides, someone’s going with me. Don’t worry!”

To reassure the old man, she had to bring up Zhao Yue.

Su Beilu frowned. “Who’s going with you?”

Su Jinxia said, “He’s a soldier. He’s going back to the island anyway, so I’ll go with him. That should put your mind at ease.”

Hearing that the companion was a soldier, Su Beilu’s anxious heart eased a lot. But then he wondered, how did his daughter know such a person?

“How did you meet him? Is he from around here?”

Su Jinxia replied, “Anyway, don’t worry. He’ll make sure I get to the island safely, and then I’ll find Grandpa. I’ll remember the way back and be able to come home on my own.”

Hearing this, Su Beilu was completely relieved. In his heart, soldiers were the most reliable.

Xiao Ying sneered, “So that’s why you dared to take things from home—you had someone backing you up. Such a little age, and you’re already luring men!”

Su Beilu glared at his wife. “Is that something a mother should say? Fine, just consider that money as giving your daughter travel expenses, and don’t make a fuss. After all, that money was earned by my father.”

“Now that he’s missing and whereabouts unknown, it’s useful to have extra money on hand.”

Xiao Ying wanted to argue further but, seeing her eldest daughter’s cold and sharp gaze and recalling everything before, she swallowed her words.

Su Mingyue noticed her mother’s obvious defeat and anxiously stood up. “Sister took over my room and even wore my clothes and pants. Aren’t you going to do anything about this?”

Su Beilu said, “That room was meant for both of you to share. If your sister wants to stay, she can.”

“If you don’t want to, then take the small room. So what if she wears your clothes? Sisters don’t have to be so particular at such a young age. You should learn to be more generous!”

Su Mingyue stomped her foot in anger. “Dad, you’re so biased!”

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Su Beilu said, “If I’m biased, then what is your mother? Her heart’s gone south! Now go to bed, you have school tomorrow!”

Su Mingyue looked at her mother, seeing she didn’t want to argue anymore. Knowing that today’s matter ended like this, she snorted coldly at her sister and turned to go back to her room.

But after just a few steps, her shoulder was grabbed. Turning around, she saw her sister.

“What do you want?”

“I don’t like sharing a bed with someone else. Go sleep in my old room!”

“Why? That’s my room!”

“Because my fists are stronger. You want a beating?”

“I…”

Su Mingyue looked at her mother, who had already gone back to the room with her father. The living room was now left with just the two sisters. Seeing her sister’s fierce gaze, she backed away step by step, growing more and more frightened until she turned and ran into the small, dark room.

“Coward!” Su Jinxia muttered, then went back to her room.

She casually took off her clothes outside and lay down on her sister’s bed, closing her eyes and quickly falling asleep.

Meanwhile...

Su Mingyue, in the dark room with no lights, groped her way around and finally got onto the bed. But the surface was unbearably hard, with only a thin blanket.

Surrounded by darkness, she was too scared to leave. Feeling more and more wronged, she started to cry.

Why had everything changed since her sister woke up?

Suddenly, a faint whooshing sound came from under the bed. It was very soft, but she heard it. She couldn’t help but look down and saw a pair of red eyes staring back at her!