"Qiuhua, what's this about? Are you really getting married?" As soon as she entered the room, Song Xiaoru grabbed Cao Qiuhua's hand and asked impatiently.
Cao Qiuhua let out a long sigh, then nodded and said, "Yes, I'm getting married tomorrow."
"But your family..." Song Xiaoru really couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. Weddings are supposed to be joyful occasions, but this was far from it.
Cao Qiuhua gave a bitter smile and said, "Does it seem at all like a wedding to you?"
Song Xiaoru nodded.
Cao Qiuhua took a deep breath and continued, "My dad used to drive a truck, as you know; our family was doing okay, but then he got in a car accident the year before last and has been bedridden since. The compensation money and savings, after the medical expenses, were pretty much wiped out when my mom got cancer. It vanished like water into sand, drying up all our funds."
