Volume One, Chapter 16: Who Will Repay the Million-Dollar Debt & I Am Getting Married

In the restroom, Luo Xuan splashed cold water on her face, trembling all over.

The door behind her creaked open, and Luo Qi came in as well.

She asked, “Sister, are you okay?”

Luo Xuan showed no expression.

After a moment, she casually wiped her face and said, “How else could I be? This is how Mom treats me. All these years, what am I supposed to be unaccustomed to?”

Luo Qi stood beside her, looking into the mirror. “Mom’s like this. Other mothers fuss over their kids every day, but ours only cares about the factory. Don’t expect her to be a mother.”

Luo Xuan blurted out, “I was still hoping for that?”

Luo Qi replied coldly, “In our little family factory, Dad, Mom, Uncle, and Aunt all want to be the top dog. You get what you eat. To be on top, suffering won’t help; you have to consume others. Big sister and I see it clearly, but you’re the only one still holding onto illusions about Mom.”

Luo Xuan snorted, “Consume others? I think she’s the one being consumed. No matter how capable she is, isn’t she just being spun around by Dad?”

Luo Qi lowered her voice. “Sister, if a million really landed on our family, what would you do?”

Luo Xuan irritably slapped the water, “Carry it! What else? Lao Bao insists the money was borrowed by Dad. Debts don’t just disappear, and Lao Bao is no saint.”

Big sister had mentioned that Uncle had pulled out a million from the Red Star Factory during the good market years. Luo Xuan estimated their factory’s output; though a million was a large sum, with hard work, it could be paid off in four or five years.

In contrast, the clothing business in Luosang County was all about acquaintances introducing acquaintances, relatives helping relatives. Reputation and relationships mattered more than the law. Manager Wang couldn’t be offended, and neither could someone like Lao Bao.

Luo Qi said, “Dad left us two hundred thousand in cash. What if Mom wants to use that money to pay off the debts?”

Luo Xuan said, “Can I control how Mom spends money? Does Mom care about me?”

Luo Qi shook her head with a bitter laugh. “Our family struggles even to afford a hot bath. Growing up, how much money did our parents ever give us? Look at Uncle’s cousin—he lives a life ten thousand times better than ours. Now he’s in debt and wants to use our money to pay it off. Why should he?”

Listening to her younger sister’s accusations of their mother, Luo Xuan grew more agitated.

To her, their mother had been good enough to Luo Qi, yet Luo Qi still blamed her. And if she, who devoted her heart, labor, and money to their mother, couldn’t get any goodwill—then what was it all for?

There was no such thing as fairness in this world.

Their father gave all his attention to big sister; mother gave all hers to little sister. She herself didn’t get a drop; her sisters didn’t want a drop either.

Luo Xuan said, “Jiao Jie told me Mom saved us a dowry.”

Luo Qi replied, “Oh, she only gives money if you get married—her money isn’t for me; it’s clearly for the son-in-law! To me, Mom wants a spiritual son, either Uncle or a son-in-law. None of us deserve to spend her money.”

Luo Xuan didn’t want to continue that line of talk. She turned the faucet on, the water rushing to fill the silence between them. She shook the water off her hands and forced a change of subject.

“This morning I ran into Zhang Dongyao—have you two broken up?”

Luo Qi gazed at the flowing water, absentmindedly murmuring, “Mm.”

“Is this a fight, or is it serious?” Luo Xuan tried to keep her voice steady. “I still think he has feelings for you.”

Luo Qi slowly put her hand into the water stream. “He can’t give me what I want. Besides, I already have a new boyfriend.”

“A new boyfriend?”

So this was the secret her younger sister had been hiding from her.

Luo Qi seemed resolute as she turned to face Luo Xuan directly. “That’s right. And his family hopes I’ll get married soon. I’ve already agreed. I want to finish handling Dad’s matters first, then start preparing for the wedding.”

Marriage?

Luo Xuan nearly lost her breath. “Dad just passed away, and you’re rushing to get married?”

Luo Qi gave a nonchalant “Mm.”

Luo Xuan’s tone sharpened. “What will people say about you? Unless you never come back home again...”

Luo Qi cut her off expressionlessly. “Call me unfilial if you want—I don’t live in other people’s mouths.”

Luo Xuan was stifled but continued, “If his family truly respected you, they’d think of you. Pressuring you to marry now is selfish, nothing else. Do you think such people can be good? Marriage is for life!”

Luo Qi’s voice was cold. “If it doesn’t work out, then divorce.”

Luo Xuan felt the veins on her forehead throbbing. “Divorce? You’re a woman. Facing a miserable marriage, whether you divorce or not, it’s like shedding your skin. Do you think divorce is just a simple breaking off?!”

Luo Qi snapped, slapping the water hard and shouting, “What do you know? You know me well? This is my decision, my life. You don’t usually care about me, so don’t come now and meddle! I love him! I love him, okay?!”

Luo Xuan grew angry too. “If I weren’t your sister, I wouldn’t bother with you! You love him? Is it love or just hormonal lust?! Women have those days every month—you want to sleep with him, you can do it with your eyes closed. But marriage requires open eyes! Such a serious matter, and you talk about it so lightly!”

Luo Qi sneered. “You think you’re so smart? You’re a fool! If I were you, I’d get married early too! I...” She swallowed the rest of her sentence. “Forget it. You don’t care about anything. Instead of worrying about you, I might as well worry about myself!”

Luo Xuan raised her voice. “I don’t care about anything? Then what am I doing here? Mom vents her anger on me every day, and I’m still here in our hometown. Am I really that pathetic? If I didn’t care, I’d be back in Shanghai by now! You only have money on your mind, pretending otherwise!”

The words hung heavy, and the two sisters fell silent for a moment.

Luo Qi screamed sharply, snapping without restraint: “Luo Xuan, without me worrying about Dad and Mom’s money, you wouldn’t have a cent! How dare you say that to me! This family isn’t just about your grievances. Stop always playing the victim, okay?! You know nothing!”

Luo Xuan and Luo Qi were only two years apart and had fought since childhood, each knowing exactly where to strike the other’s soft spots.

Luo Xuan wanted nothing more than to give her sister a beating. “You’re not me. How can you casually dismiss my pain? You know nothing!”

Luo Qi clenched her fists, bitterly retorting, “And you’re not me! I’m not asking for your opinion. I’ve made up my mind.”

The light in the restroom was dim. Through the mirror, Luo Xuan looked at her younger sister’s delicate, jade-like chin and almond-shaped eyes burning with stubbornness.

Called “Luo the Beauty,” her little sister truly was beautiful.

Everyone loved her, even Mom loved her. Little sister had enough. But what about her? Was she a cast-out youth or a life never truly valued?

She had nothing. Why bother persuading someone who had everything?

Luo Xuan sighed, her spirit deflated. “Fine, Luo Qi. In this family, I’m an outsider. I know nothing. Your own affairs, you decide. I only hope you live well.”

But Luo Qi cried, “Don’t expect anything from me. With big sister gone, and you indifferent, I’m exhausted. I just want to live a little better.”

Luo Xuan’s heart turned cold. She didn’t want to say more and turned to leave the restroom.