Qiao Xiaon'an was about to step away, but she hesitated.
Surrounded by her many neighbors, Yuan Yifan accused her of carrying Chu Nantian's child. Would she say such a thing if she really considered Xiaon'an her cousin? With the chill of an early spring morning setting in and a breeze on the rise, Xiaon'an managed to drag her mother back into their home.
She had no control over the gossiping neighbors and what they might say behind her back.
Nor could she control the mean and satirical words her aunt was uttering behind her.
She felt sorry for her mother, having to live in this resettlement area, no doubt hearing all sorts of rumors about her every day.
She finally understood why her mother had been so desperate for her to marry a rich man. It wasn't her mother's vanity; living in such an environment was simply too oppressive.
Even after returning home and sitting in the living room, her mother kept on nagging:
