"Why wouldn't he steal from me when he is a lazy slob addicted to gambling_ AH!" she hissed as her mother slapped her.
"Shut up! Don't insult your elder brother! You of all people should know what happened to him. Do you want the neighbors to hear!"
Song Ruoxin looked away from her mother as the front door opened and her elder brother walked in.
"I just spoke with Uncle Yang, mother. His son will be here.... soon... Xi-Xin Xin! You are back".
He put both hands in his pants pocket and gave her a nervous smile as his gaze fell on the metal saving box in her hand.
Song Ruoxin walked passed her mother and narrowing her eyes at him, threw her saving box on the ground, "Where is it? Where is my money".
"He... Xin Xin'er... I... That is... I owed Uncle Yang some money... hold on! Don't get angry yet... You will still get your money back! I just wanted to settle my debt is that you will be able to lift your head when you marry his Nephew_"
He jumped aside as the saving box came flying toward him. He ran the door, "Hey Ruoxin! What-what do you think you are doing!"
"Get me back my money, do you know how long I saved that money? Get it back this instant!"
Song Qingshan blinked and crashed his head, "That will be a little difficult, like I said previously, I gave it to Uncle Yang".
Song Ruoxin shut her eyes and counted till ten and back, "So you use the money I saved to use for the downpayment for my apartment to pay off your stupid gambling debt".
Song Qingshan tilted his head at her strangely quiet voice, he stared at her silently for a minute before nodding.
Ruoxin sucked in a heavy breath and let it out, she clenched and unchecked her fist eyes locked on the stupid smile on her elder brother's face.
She felt a scream growing within her as she glared at him.
Song Qingshan shivered at his sister's cold expression, the smile had already slipped off. "This... Ruoxin why are you so angry? We are family, after all, there is nothing wrong with me taking some money to help myself out.
"Things have been tough for your sister-in-law and I since I was laid off... Surely you do not think that the little changes I get from the taxi will be enough to train Guang through school?
"I have to keep trying to help my son get a bright future. Do I even need to say much you are his aunt, you should understand. I am doing this to help my family".
Song Ruoxin burst into laughter, she ignored her brother's and mothers wide eyes look as she threw
back her head and laughed.
"Only a gambling addict like you would justify his irresponsibility as a parent like this. You are trying to provide for your family by putting them into debt?"
Song Qingshan's expression darkened, "Don't belittle my efforts, you must think that you are all that just because you have a couple of thousand dollars.
"What is the point of having all that when you are this close to being a leftover woman? You will be 29 this year, you should be lucky that Uncle Yang's Nephew even wants someone like you!"
Her eyes narrowed, and she turned to her mother, "Are you going to stand there and let him say this to me, Mother?"
Her mother scoffed, "Is there anything wrong with what your brother said, how old was your sister-in-law when she married your brother?
"Stop being dramatic, so what if he took your money? He needs it more than you do!"
"What!"
Her mother ignored her and said to her son, "Go wash up before Uncle Yang and his Nephew comes".
Song Qingshan's lips curved, "Yes Mother".
He walked into the room and attempted to walk past Ruoxin but was held back as Ruoxin stretched out her hand.
She glared up at him, "Just how shameless are you?" she glanced at her mother, "I don't need the money?
"I worked two shifts in the restaurant and two extra shifts at the library to get that money! If he needs it as you claim then maybe he should work for it.
"How long is he going to keep relying on you and I? His wife is working two jobs just to pay his son's school fees while he seats back and gambles away the little that we have got.
"I will take being a leftover woman over being a shameless slob. Don't bother adding my mouth to dinner this night. I am leaving here, you can 'entertain' Uncle Yan and his son when they get here".
She went back to her room and packed her things. Ruoxin walked out of the room 30 minutes later with her backpack on her back and two boxes of her valuables.
Her mother and brother stood at the front door and welcomed Uncle Yang the local gambling lord and his son as she walked out.
The conversation paused as she rolled her luggage forward, her mother's face paled. "This..." Mother Song glanced at her guest, her face flushed as she met Uncle Yang's sharp stare.
"This is not what it looks like, Uncle Yang. Xin Xin is just trying to play a trick... Haha... She likes to do_"
"Don't waste your breath mother," Ruoxin pulled her backed and stepped closer to the group of people at the entrance. She paused and turned to Uncle Yang and his son,
"Please go back! I am not interested in getting married to anyone. If you want to help me, just ban my brother from coming to your gambling hall because he doesn't have any money to pay off his debt".
"SONG RUOXIN!"
"What! Mother, you know that I am telling the truth. I am tired of having to fight for just a little bit of respect from you two. I am leaving," she glanced at her mother and brother as she spoke.
They both had varying degrees of shocked expressions. Ruoxin did not give them a chance to respond, "excuse me," she said to Uncle Yang's son who stood in front of the door.
He blinked and stepped aside, her actions left him shocked. They were all struck speechless as she left.
The taxi she had called was waiting in front of the building, she put her bags into the booth and got into the car.