The two of them walked towards the path Zhang Wenliang had mentioned. The path was narrower and steeper than the main road, making it harder to climb.
But they had lived here since childhood and were long accustomed to these mountain paths.
On both sides of the road, there were some fruit trees bearing wild fruits, which everyone recognized and tasted sweet.
The environment here is good, so you can pick and eat directly.
"This kind of small red fruit is juicier. We used to eat it often when we were kids; it fills you up easily."
"Wen Ying, do you think there's really a turning point in my senior's situation?"
Wen Ying picked a small red naiguo and put it in her mouth. "Haven't you already decided what to do?"
"But I don't know the truth, and I have no evidence."
"Your senior does have some unspeakable difficulties. I can tell you about it, and you can make your own judgment."
Looking at the photo compared to seeing the real person, although there were some slight differences, it didn't matter much to Wen Ying.
Her cultivation was enough to make up for it.
"She is strong and independent, never liking to tell others about her family matters because she doesn't want their pity. Such an outstanding girl, yet her parents have always favored boys over girls. When they heard she got into Tsinghua University, their first reaction wasn't to be happy for her, but to hear others say that graduates from such universities can marry better, and then the bride price could be used to buy a house and car for their son."
And she also knew that her parents were biased. Sometimes she even felt that she wasn't their biological child, though everyone said she was. She had always worked harder than others in her studies, just hoping her parents would see her strengths. But they always seemed to look further ahead, as if in her, they saw the bright future of her younger brother.
This was a repeated blow to her, but she was unwilling to admit defeat. Time and again, she proved her excellence. In the eyes of others, she was a well-behaved genius girl, always creating the illusion of happiness for others. From childhood to adulthood, everyone thought she was sensible, and her parents loved her. She was very happy. Although life at home was a bit tough, her parents supported her through college. Such kindness could never be repaid.
All the relatives said she had a promising future, that she would provide her parents with a better life, move them into a big house, and ensure they lived well.
Everyone said she was the best sister, capable of taking good care of her younger brother, even supporting him.
"Everyone has their own dignity they want to protect; this is probably her dignity."
Zhang Wenliang heard this and couldn't understand what these things had to do with her becoming a mistress
Clearly, it portrays a successful female protagonist who is strong and independent.
"She knew well that to change her fate, she had to stand out and study hard, which is why she worked even harder in college. But she didn't know that there are parents who always see you as their appendage, responsible for everything about them. From the start of her college years, she began tutoring as a part-time job. Apart from her living expenses, all the money she earned from part-time jobs was sent home, but it was still not enough. The rewards she received from projects were also sent home immediately."
During that period, her younger brother had just finished the college entrance exams and got into trouble. Her parents, concerned about their son's future, agreed to pay the girl's family a hush money of one hundred thousand yuan. This amount truly weighed her down, but she didn't give in. What finally made her compromise was that, after seeing she could actually earn that much money, her parents got the idea of buying a car for their son. All the young men from the village who went out to work returned driving cars, and naturally, her brother wanted one too. The vanity of youth was too strong. So, her parents concocted a reason to make her come up with this hundred thousand yuan. But she was already saving on living expenses, eating meals that cost only four or five yuan a day. To avoid suspicion, she spent all her free time in the library.
Her parents, however, wanted to give that car to their son as a gift for going to college, so they set a deadline for her to come up with the money within a month. That's why she chose that path. She didn't like that person, but during that time, she was on the verge of breaking down. In such a moment, it was that person who appeared, showing her immense care, like a ray of light in her dark and despairing world.
Even though she knew this beam of light was poisonous, she still grasped it, unwilling to let go. I don't need to tell you the rest of the story; you can probably guess it, right?
Zhang Wenliang had nothing to say except to sigh.
This answer was both expected and unexpected.
He didn't know how to accept it.
"Wenliang, you don't need to think so much. Everyone has some psychological issues to some extent, and she's no exception. So, she's not a bad girl, but she did do things she shouldn't have. She didn't have to end up like this today. She bears responsibility for today's outcome, and her family directly contributed to this situation. But since her family received the three hundred thousand from the other party, they don't care about any of this."
She felt that she had sacrificed for this family.
She was simply their good daughter, and a good sister to her younger brother.
"He is the pillar of this family."
Zhang Wenliang's speechless expression was quite evident. "Given today's outcome, don't her parents realize they've harmed her? Do they still want to place the entire family's burden on her shoulders? She's no longer the person she used to be!"
Wen Ying sighed, "Yes, there are families like this. What can we do?"
"Why doesn't she resist? Why doesn't she cut ties and leave completely?"
"If your parents treat you badly and start constantly asking you for money, would you cut ties with them?" Zhang Wenliang shook his head.
He seemed to understand something, yet at the same time, he seemed not to understand.
"Since she made her own choice, whether the outcome is good or bad, she will have to bear it."
Wen Ying couldn't quite describe her feelings. Perhaps she would have felt sympathy for the girl before, but now, a large part of the outcome was the girl's own doing.
She had resisted, but she was afraid of hurting her parents, afraid that they wouldn't love her, afraid that others would think she was ungrateful, so she continued to endure the high pressure.
Having a child out of wedlock, never seeing the child again, losing her reputation, and still having to take responsibility for the future of this family.
Just because she is a graduate of Qingbei University.
So no matter how much harm you endure, you must continue to take responsibility for everything and not give up.
"She... has serious psychological issues, right?" Zhang Wenliang thought for a moment and still asked this question.
Wen Ying nodded.
"If you want to do it, just go ahead, as long as it doesn't violate morality or the law."
Zhang Wenliang nodded. The two of them did not mention the girl again, clearly having already made their decision.
"This little path leads to a small cave near the end. I remember when I was a child, I once took a nap in that cave. My parents found me and gave me quite a beating. I don't even know if the cave is still there now."
When Wen Ying and Zhang Wenliang were walking, they didn't expect that someone was rock climbing on the other side.
Not taking the usual path, bringing tools to go rock climbing.