Chapter 13 Not the First Time

• Before this, she didn’t know why Su Manxue wanted to break off their friendship, but now, she’d finally understood. After all, everyone in the village knew the kind of person her mother was.
• “Don’t you understand what I’m talking about? My meaning is very simple! I won’t be supporting you financially to continue studying in that damned junior college. If you want to finish your studies, you’ll have to think of a way to earn money to pay for your tuition and living expenses. Don’t think I don’t know that you’ve been working part-time while studying. So, where’s all the money you’ve made from your part-time job? Where did it all go?” Mrs. Liang questioned indignantly.
• Liang Yimo kept silent.
• Mrs. Liang then continued nagging unceasingly. “Well, you must have given all that money to that pauper, He Mingxu! You should learn from Su Manxue and have better taste in men! Since your education level is low, you don’t have the ability to make much money, nor do you have a promising future, so the best resort is to mooch off a rich man! But what did you do? What use is it having such beautiful looks when you don’t even make a move?”
• Liang Yimo was rendered speechless; since she didn’t agree with her mother’s point of view, it was no use saying anything.
• Meanwhile, Mr. Liang sat at the side, unable to even get a word in edgeways.
• Liang Yimo was silent for a moment. While her eyes were filled with sorrow, irritation, and resentment, she still declared with resolve, “I won’t do as Su Manxue did and pick a rich man to take advantage of, let alone do as He Mingxu by favoring the rich and disdaining the poor. Even if I’m not capable now, it doesn’t mean that I won’t be capable in the future. I’ll earn my own money. At least, I’ll feel more at ease compared to spending money given by someone else!”
• “Yimo, I support you! You’ll definitely make a name for yourself in the future!” Mr. Liang immediately flashed her a thumbs-up; in this family, only Liang Yimo’s father was of like mind with her.
• Now that the conversation had come to this, Mrs. Liang no longer argued with Liang Yimo. After all, what’s the point of bickering without action?
• After she was done eating, Mrs. Liang placed the chopsticks and bowl down on the table. As she stood up, she ordered impatiently, “Hurry up and wash the plates. Then, go up the mountains and pick some medicinal herbs back.”
• “Got it,” Liang Yimo answered placidly.
• Mrs. Liang was again dissatisfied and started nagging. “You’re merely studying for a diploma, yet you refuse to come home during semester break every time. Since you’re now home, help out and do some work! After picking the medicinal herbs, remember to sort them out before washing them properly and air-drying them. I’d initially hoped that you’d become a doctor in the future since you’d learned some medical knowledge when you were with your grandmother, but who knew, you didn’t even manage to get into a medical school but ended up attending that damned architecture school and studying interior design. I really don’t know what you’re thinking!”
• This was not the first time Mrs. Liang had spoken so vilely. While Liang Yimo had long since been accustomed to it, at times, she still couldn’t stand it and countered her.
• Meanwhile, Mr. Liang had always been the nice guy, straddling the fence in his speech to mitigate both their anger.
• After saying that, Mrs. Liang went downstairs to the drugstore, while Liang Yimo stood up and cleared the table upon seeing that Mr. Liang was also done eating.
• Having noticed that Liang Yimo wasn’t happy at home, Mr. Liang couldn’t resist speaking up gruffly, “Yimo, why don’t you go and work in the city where your brother is this summer break? At least with your brother there, I’ll worry less about you.”
• “Dad, am I truly as useless as Mom claimed?” Liang Yimo asked dejectedly. “Why does Mom always have so many complaints about me?” In her third year of high school, she’d neglected her studies to take care of her father, leading to her failing to gain entry into the medical school Mrs. Liang had aspired to. And even when she’d graduated high school and started dating, Mrs. Liang had griped and grumbled endlessly.
• Mr. Liang, however, smiled knowingly. “I think you’re incredible, Yimo! You’re a good daughter who’s filial to your parents, obedient and sensible, diligent as well as self-motivated. Your mother actually merely wishes for you to be better. After all, parents hope that their children will have a promising future and be someone in the future!”
• “Alright, I got it.” Liang Yimo’s mood eased, and she replied with a beaming smile, “Thank you, Dad.” She hoped the reason her mother treated her so harshly was truly as her father claimed.
• ...
• On the other hand, Su Manxue had someone investigate and tail Liang Yimo. When she learned that Liang Yimo hadn’t been able to find a job thanks to her machinations and had also broken up with He Mingxu, hence left Coastal City and returned to her hometown out of desperation, her perturbed mind finally had rest. Next, she just had to figure out a way to have the administrators of the college expel Liang Yimo because she then wouldn’t have a reason to appear in Coastal City again. Then, she could finally secure her position as the Young Mistress of the Leng Family. As this thought came to her, her elation brimmed.
• It’d almost been two months, and the villa in her hometown should be almost done. Su Manxue had told Housekeeper Liu and asked him to make some arrangements for her to return to her hometown grandly.
• ...
• The town was particularly lively today, not only because of the perfectly clear and blue skies, but also because a cinnabar red BMW worth millions was slowly cruising down the road in town. Everyone stood by the roadside, staring at the beautiful BMW as though it was a treasure, their eyes gleaming.
• Su Manxue had originally wanted to buy a rose-red Lamborghini worth tens of millions, but Housekeeper Liu nixed that idea, saying that a Lamborghini wasn’t suited for driving on uneven dirt roads of the countryside. In the end, she could only lower her expectations and chose this BMW that seemed to be nothing special in her eyes.
• When Su Manxue’s cinnabar red BMW passed by the entrance of Liang Yimo’s family’s drugstore, Mrs. Liang dragged Liang Yimo out the door and stood by the roadside to take a look. Now that Liang Yimo saw Su Manxue again after about two months, Su Manxue was seated in the backseat behind the driver’s seat with her window wound down, waving at the entire neighborhood and greeting them. Su Manxue wore heavy makeup and a dazzling diamond ring on her right hand with which she was waving at the people. Her dressing was also more stunning and stylish than before, while her bright red lips made her look particularly fair.
• Back then, Liang Yimo had even thought that something had happened to her, but from what she could see now, Mrs. Liang was right in that Su Manxue married a wealthy man. It’s always been Su Manxue’s dream to marry a rich man, and it seems that her dream has come true after all! Pursing her lips, Liang Yimo smiled. She then glanced at Mrs. Liang who was green with envy before shaking her head slightly and turned around to go back into the store.
• Upon seeing Liang Yimo come in, Mr. Liang who was sitting at the checkout and sorting out the ledgers, asked helplessly, “Yimo, do you envy her?”
• “For sure, I envy her. I’m not a saint, after all. But I hope that I can become a renowned interior designer in the future and drive a car I bought with money that I earned myself. That’ll be truly impressive!” Liang Yimo wore a smile on her face, filled with hope for her future. As she spoke, she picked up the bamboo basket on the ground at the side and shouldered it on her back.