She Lives without Regret in This Life

"You'll find out."

"I'm sorry I'm so useless." Du Xiaosong felt guilty for not being able to capture the man's face.

"It doesn't matter." Meng Ping didn't care at all. As long as he knew who it was, that was enough, and Shen Yu wasn't that easy to deal with. He planned to take it step by step and make the two of them pay the price they deserved.

*******

Shixi Town

Tonight was New Year's Day, and every household had eaten dumplings and set off firecrackers before sitting on the kang to chat, preparing to discuss how to plant the spring crops. Sheng An took out her small box, which contained all the private savings she had earned from selling bean sprouts.

Usually, both Shen Luhua and Sheng Laosan didn't take her earnings, and aside from purchasing essentials like oil and salt, Sheng An hadn't spent a cent of it recklessly. She was just waiting for the New Year to be over so she could use it when she went to the city to find her sister.

"You girl, counting your little treasure again," Sheng Laosan, slightly drunk, said with a laugh.

"Dad, I'm going to the city after the New Year, and I'm so excited I can't even sleep," Sheng An counted again – one jiao, one fen, and five jiao pieces. All small change, but adding up to a full two hundred yuan!

"That won't do; you'll have to wait until after the Lantern Festival. I also need a letter from your sister before letting you go. Otherwise, I won't be at ease. What if you're kidnapped by traffickers?"

"That's fine!" Sheng An was pleased.

Shen Luhua carried in a basin of water for washing feet and overheard the father-daughter conversation, speaking unhappily, "An'an, don't even think about going anywhere."

"Why not? Sister has already asked me to come, why are you trying to stop me?"

"I said no, so it's a no."

"But didn't you agree before?" Sheng Ning turned her head and asked irritably, "How can you go back on your word?"

"When did I ever agree? Just forget about it." Shen Luhua gave the order very sternly and domineeringly, which was completely different from her usual gentle demeanor.

Sheng Laosan also noticed the problem and remained silent, smoking his cigarette.

"You're being unreasonable, hmph! I've grown up; I have my own ideas about what to do, and others can't control me." Sheng An hugged her own little treasury, intending to return to her room, but Shen Luhua stretched out her hand to stop her.

"Leave the money."

"What do you mean? This is my money, and I saved it through hard work."

"Don't think I don't know what you're planning, trying to use this money to run away from home. No way!" As she snatched the small box away, Sheng An's tears fell in big drops. She was so anxious but didn't dare to wrestle with her own mother.

"Give me back my money; it's mine."

"No! Unless you promise me not to go to the city, I won't give you the money."

"That's impossible. Even if you take my money, I will still go." Sheng An yelled at Shen Luhua fiercely and then turned and ran back to her room, lying on the bed and crying.

"Luhua, why are you stopping the child from going to the city?" Sheng Laosan disagreed, "It's good that Ningning is willing to help her. Isn't it what we've always hoped for, that the sisters would work together and support each other?"

Shen Luhua opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a word for a long time. In the end, with no other choice, she said in a firm tone, "Just stay out of it."

"Alright, alright..." Since he wasn't An'an's biological father, Sheng Laosan sometimes had to give in when he disagreed with Shen Luhua. He figured, if worse came to worst, he would just have Ningning come back to take An'an to the city himself.

This young girl had the opportunity to go to the city to study and learn skills; he couldn't let her waste her life away in the countryside.