“After we returned, my mom moved us to the county town, set up a small stall selling stationery in front of Xiguan Primary School, and at night, she worked as a nanny. She was very frugal, hard-working, and resilient, doing everything to support our education. Lin Yao wasn’t as good at studying as I was, and being a girl, my mom always prioritized me, ensuring I attended the best schools and had the best things, pouring all her effort into nurturing me.” Lin Ge’s voice choked up; he had never shared this with Xu Ke before.
“I went on to graduate school, but Lin Yao had to start working right after graduation. She always said mom was biased, favoring boys over girls. From childhood, mom always looked after me, supported me, ignoring and belittling her. She studied accounting, but without a local hukou, finding a job was always difficult. This cashier job was introduced by one of my classmates, and she needed two local guarantors to start. She has always wanted a local hukou, so she was eager to solve this through buying a house. The day before yesterday, my mom came because Lin Yao called her to discuss this matter. I didn’t agree because, after all, you paid for the house, and I couldn’t bring myself to ask you. My mom was very upset, thinking I was siding with you, but I wasn’t siding with anyone; I just felt it wasn’t right to ask you.”
Xu Ke now understood why Li Pingyu was suddenly angry and left that day; it was because they had argued over this issue. “I feel very guilty towards mom and Lin Yao. Sometimes, I know mom can be a bit critical, and Lin Yao might go too far, but I can’t stand on an impartial ground. I’ve always, always felt guilty towards them.” Lin Ge suddenly burst into tears. Xu Ke felt a pang of sadness and pain; in their two years together, this was the first time she saw him cry.
