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The elderly lady walking in front was thin and petite, with graying hair and a steady gait. Her clothes were plain but clean, and her wise eyes exuded tranquility.
But at this moment, there was no tranquility, only compassion.
The person who arrived was none other than Shi Peirong.
Li Yun and Principal Wang followed by her side, with a young man and woman behind them, as well as the kid from the neighboring Jiang Family?
What was this little rascal doing here, joining in the excitement?
Xie Jingying's heart thumped at the sight of Shi Peirong. Today was really... her own brother had not yet been taken away, and now her mother had come.
It wasn't any big deal, yet one after another...
Xie Jingying didn't know what to say for a moment; she just wanted to secure a peaceful future for her eldest daughter, so why did they all have to come out and stop her?
"Mom, you this..."
"Big sister, Mom is here because of Jiajia's issue. I heard that your family wants to betroth her and is even asking her to give up the college entrance exam to attend some vocational school in the county. Is this true?"
Li Yun didn't want Xie Jingying to dodge the issue and directly interrupted her, clarifying their purpose.
It was just right that Principal Wang and Jiajia's teacher were present. Everyone was here for this matter, who had the time to listen to your irrelevant rambling?
Xie Jingying shot Li Yun a glare, her face darkening.
"That's nonsense; don't talk rubbish."
At that moment, Song Jiawen walked out from the house and said to her mother, "How has it turned into nonsense again? Are the people sitting inside just here for tea?"
Xie Jingying quickly turned her head to look, glaring at Song Jiawen as if she wanted to devour her, "You shut up, it's not your place to speak!"
Song Jiawen scoffed, "So you've always thought I was mute, which is why you found it so natural to sell me off?"
To sell her, yet not allow her to voice any objections, what kind of thinking was that?
Hearing the word "sell," Principal Wang and the other teachers' faces turned shades darker, looking at Xie Jingying as if she were a monster.
It was said that both of Song Jiawen's parents had attended high school in their time, which meant they were considered intellectuals back then, yet how could their thinking be...
Shi Peirong looked at Xie Jingying with utter disappointment, "I've always believed that I gave my full effort in educating the children. Although you're a girl, your father and I always prioritized you first, then your brother, yet I never expected you to become like this in the end."
Xie Jingying's face instantly turned deathly pale, "Mom...."
Since Principal Wang and the teachers from Jianghai Middle School were still present, Shi Peirong didn't want the situation to turn too ugly, so she said, "If the two of you still have any shame, let's pretend today's events never happened. In a bit, Jiajia will come back to town with me, and from now until the college entrance exam, you won't have to worry about her affairs. Let your brother look after it. Jiajia, go pack your things."
Song Jiawen nodded and turned to go to the small partitioned room on the east side.
Without another look at Xie Jingying.
In this house, she had her own room, which was decorated by Song Xiwen. The quality of the bed, desk, and wardrobe was quite good, enough for any outsider entering her room to immediately see that her sister had put her heart into it.
Put her heart into it?
It seemed that way, Song Jiawen could feel it; her sister was mostly alright with her. But why did she always feel that when her sister looked at her, it was as if she was seeing someone else through her?
Who was she looking at?
Song Jiawen was not one to obsess over things, and when she found it hard to understand something without being able to ask about it, she would choose to let go and not think about it. Because if she was doomed not to get an answer, why waste time and energy on it?
Her belongings were few and easy to pack.
Because she had grown tall rapidly over the past year, many clothes no longer fitted her. Apart from the school uniform she was wearing, she only took two sets of sportswear that her aunt had bought for her and a few sets of underwear.
"Hey, what are you doing? Is this a place you can enter? Get lost!"
Jiang Yan's voice rang out at the doorway, accompanied by a few curse words.
Song Jiawen quickly stuffed her clothes into the bag and zipped it up, then went to the door and pulled it open.
Jiang Yan was standing at the entrance with his back to her, his 1.85-meter tall frame nearly touching the top of the door frame.
Standing opposite him was Chen Yijie, who appeared to have come looking for her but was stopped by Jiang Yan.
"Jiajia..."
Upon seeing someone come out of the room, Chen Yijie's eyes lit up immediately, "Jiajia, let's talk..."
"Talk your ass, does she know you? How many times have you met her? Just saw her once and you're already dying to marry her, what the hell? You think you're a prince or something? Dreaming about marrying whoever you want, not even taking a piss to look at yourself in the mirror to see what you're worth!
Get lost, don't damn stand there and be an eyesore!"
Jiang Yan's voice was loud, and his swearing spared no politeness. Everyone in the Song Laosan's yard and the main living area, one and all, heard him.
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Director Chen and his wife's faces turned completely dark; they were regarded as significant figures in the county, and Chen Yijie was their only son—everyone treated them with great respect and deference. When had they ever lost face like they did today?
When had they ever experienced such humiliation?
The couple and their eldest daughter abruptly stood up from the sofa. Director Chen, struggling to contain his fury, said to Song Shuqin and the old Lady Song, "Sister-in-law, what your Song Family has done today is utterly disgraceful. We had an agreement, and we came here at your request. But what happened? Not only did you refuse to honor the agreement, but you let everyone walk all over us... This matter, it's far from over today!"
After saying that, Director Chen huffed angrily and took the lead in walking out.
Madame Chen and her eldest daughter, dragging the reluctant Chen Yijie, followed closely behind.
All three were furious at their son/brother for not standing up for himself; he continued to stick to Song Jiawen even though everyone had spoken so bluntly to his face.
He clung to her, but if there had been even a glimmer of interest from her side, it might have been tolerable. However, from the moment she entered the room to the present, she hadn't given him a proper glance.
It was a classic case of unrequited enthusiasm.
If this had been any other time, a country girl like her wouldn't have had the option to refuse.
But now the issue had been blown wide open, hadn't it?
Never mind Song Jiawen's grandmother and uncle, but consider the principal of Jianghai Middle School...
Although Director Chen, as the head of the county people's hospital, did not regard a mere town middle school principal as important.
But such individuals could be troublesome to deal with, who knew if he had any protégés working in the county or even in the city government?
The mere fact of his personal attendance showed how much he valued Song Jiawen.
Director Chen was well aware that the marriage between Song Jiawen and his son was most likely off the table now, but he wasn't someone who could be easily bullied into leaving without making a point.
Before leaving, Director Chen turned to give Song Jiawen a sinister look.
This look did not escape Xie Yanhai's notice.
What the hell does he mean by that?
Song Shuqin originally intended to leave with Director Chen and his family, but hesitated, unsure, and by the time she decided, they were long gone.
With today's failure to come to an agreement, she was sure to face unpleasant consequences back at the Chen Family; after all, both her and her husband's jobs were arranged by Director Chen.
And her son was about to graduate from secondary vocational school...
That damned girl better not ruin her son's job prospects too.
Turning to the old Lady Song, Shuqin lowered her voice to a harsh whisper, "Mom, if that wretched girl refuses this marriage, your grandsons' jobs will be down the drain. Not just theirs, even mine and my older brother's positions might be at risk. He's lost so much face today; he will have to regain it somehow. If I lose my job, I won't have money to support you every month."
The old Lady Song's face was obviously not looking good either; she always thought, since Song Jiawen was her granddaughter, what was the harm in her, the grandmother, deciding on her marriage?
It was only because Shi Peirong had confronted her before, that she would react reflexively with trepidation at the sight of her, so even if she was dissatisfied, she had no intention of speaking out in front of Shi Peirong.
There was no need for direct conflict.
What she was thinking however, was that Song Jiawen was of the Song Family—could these people block her once, twice, thrice?
A worthless girl wouldn't be able to overturn the heavens, would she?
Hearing Song Shuqin's words, she responded in a soft voice to comfort her, "What are you afraid of? Go back and tell your older brother that this marriage will certainly happen. What use is their making such a fuss? Can they live with your third brother forever? As long as that wretched girl is part of the Song Family, and as long as your third brother and his wife are willing, she will have to follow our wishes."
After speaking, she also signaled that it was inappropriate to make a scene now; it would be futile.
So the mother and daughter duo dusted off their behinds and left as well.
The main room cleared out, and Shi Peirong invited Principal Wang and a few other teachers to come in and sit down.
"Song Jiawen's mother, I remember that during parent-teacher meetings, it was always Song Xiwen, your older daughter, who attended. So, she didn't mention Song Jiawen's situation to you?"
Teacher Yu, the homeroom teacher, couldn't wait to speak just after sitting down, "Such a promising student like her, in Jianghai Town, you might not find one in dozens of years. You should properly cultivate her talent, instead of..."
Teacher Yu was so angry that his hands resting on his knees began to shake; he struggled to hold back his curses while trying to articulate his continuing thoughts.
What kind of parents are these?
"Auntie Xie," said the English teacher, addressing Xie Jingying, "I'm Xue. I was classmates with Xiwen, and now I teach Jiawen English. I remember I once told Xiwen over the phone that Jiawen could contend for the city's top scholar this year. I don't know if she relayed that to you, but if not, I'll tell you and your husband again.
City's top scholar—in Jianghai Town, we might get one in many years.
Of course, high school exams haven't started, and you could say we're boasting. After all, Yunzhou has far better educational resources and conditions than we do. Jiawen consistently ranks first in our school, but compared to Yunzhou's top students, she might appear insignificant.
Many think this way, and we're not surprised, but we will see her true level in the university entrance exam.
Teacher Xue, a female teacher, spoke more assertively than Teacher Yu.
"I heard Xiwen came back yesterday—where is she?"