TYH-DCI | Chapter 5 — The Suffering of Jiang Lai

Why could Jiang Rou and the others get two new sets of clothes every year?

Why could they eat ice cream, popsicles, and go to the park for fun?

Why did they have pocket money to buy whatever they wanted?

Why, after school, did they not have to do housework and could instead play with other kids at the alley entrance?

Why did she have to wear their hand-me-down clothes and eat their leftovers?

Why did she have to paste matchboxes, sew shoe soles, do laundry, and cook?

Why did they receive praise and favoritism from their parents without doing anything?

And why—no matter how hard she worked—was she still criticized for never doing things well enough?

Why?

Why, exactly?

She thought all of it. And then she spoke it out loud.

Jiang Lai voiced every grievance the “original her” had buried for years.

For a brief moment, Wang Cuihua froze.

Just a moment.

Then the anger came back ten times stronger.

“YOU LITTLE WRETCH! I’m your mother! Everything I do has a reason!” Wang Cuihua snapped.

“Now you’re questioning me? After all these years, you’re still holding onto something this small?”

“Go ask anyone in this building! Which family doesn’t make their kids work? Why are you the only one so delicate and petty?”

“Ungrateful white-eyed wolf! I raised you—you’re worse than a dog!”

There was no reflection in her voice.

No guilt.

Only rage—rage that her authority as a mother had been challenged.

In her mind, she was not wrong.

There was only so much money, and four children to raise.

Even fingers on a hand were not equal in length—how could a family ever be perfectly fair?

Besides, she had raised Jiang Lai to sixteen and supported her through school.

To her, that already counted as kindness.

So in the end, Jiang Lai was simply an ungrateful daughter.

That was the story Wang Cuihua repeated to herself until she believed it completely.

Jiang Lai, in contrast, slowly calmed down.

The more she heard, the less anger she felt.

Or rather—

the original Jiang Lai had already stopped expecting anything from this “mother.”

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

“Is that so,” she said calmly. “Then I hope Jiang Ya and Jiang Tianshi will take good care of you and Dad in the future.”

“May you all enjoy your old age peacefully.”

“Enjoy your old age” was spoken slowly, clearly—each syllable deliberate.

Wang Cuihua snorted.

“We don’t need you. You’re just an ungrateful wolf.”

“And listen carefully—don’t think you’ll get away with anything after going to the countryside. Don’t even think about contacting us again.”

Then her tone shifted sharply.

“Also, when your younger brother gets married, all three of you sisters will pay! Especially you!”

“You think going to the countryside means you’re off the hook? I’ll find ways to make you pay even if I have to drag you back myself!”

She stepped forward and jabbed a finger hard at Jiang Lai’s forehead.

“If you don’t pay, I’ve got plenty of ways to deal with you!”

Jiang Lai slapped her hand away.

“Then I won’t trouble you worrying about me,” she said coldly.

“Instead, maybe you should worry about Jiang Ya and Jiang Tianshi. They’re graduating next year, right?”

“You already gave Jiang Rou your job. What about Dad’s?”

“Or are you planning to send Jiang Ya and Jiang Tianshi down to the countryside instead of me—while Jiang Rou stays here and takes care of you?”

Wang Cuihua went silent.

Among the children, of course they would prioritize Jiang Tianshi.

As for Jiang Ya, they could always buy her a job later.

But she would never say that out loud.

She waved her hand impatiently.

“Enough. I’ll say this once—you’re not getting a single cent from this family.”

“And don’t expect anything from us after you go to the countryside.”

She turned away, picked up the kitchen knife, rinsed it casually, and resumed cooking.

Jiang Lai returned to her room without another word.

Jiang Rou had already slipped away during the argument.

When the rest of the family returned, dinner was ready.

But there was only food for five people.

Nothing for Jiang Lai.

The moment she realized this, her expression darkened.

She went into the kitchen.

Empty.

No portion for her at all.

Her stomach growled.

She exhaled sharply—but held herself back.

After searching briefly, she found a slightly larger plate.

Chopsticks in hand, she returned to the dining table.

The family had just started eating.

Jiang Rou glanced at her and smiled faintly.

“Oh, little sister,” she said sweetly. “After arguing so fiercely with Mom earlier, I thought you weren’t hungry. So I didn’t serve your portion. You don’t mind, right?”

Wang Cuihua sneered.

“Some people are about to go to the countryside to enjoy a good life. Of course they wouldn’t care about our humble food.”

Jiang Fuhai ate silently, indifferent.

Jiang Ya and Jiang Tianshi also continued eating.

In the next second—

Jiang Lai moved.

Like a flash.

She rushed forward and snatched both bowls of rice from Jiang Ya and Jiang Tianshi, dumping them directly onto her plate.

Before Jiang Rou could react, Jiang Lai pivoted—

but Jiang Rou’s bowl was already half-eaten.

So she changed direction.

She grabbed the only meat dish on the table: braised fish.

Then she turned and ran straight into Jiang Rou and Jiang Ya’s room.

BANG!

She slammed the door shut and locked it.

“Jiang Lai! You little brat! Get out here!” Wang Cuihua roared.

She rushed forward and began pounding on the door.

Inside, Jiang Lai ignored everything.

She ate calmly.

The fish was unexpectedly good.

She even poured leftover pork rib soup from lunch over the rice to soften it.

“Mmm…” she said loudly on purpose. “Mom, this fish is really good!”

“So good!”

“So delicious!”

Outside, chaos erupted.

Wang Cuihua shouted for someone to bring tools.

The twins complained loudly about their stolen food.

Even Jiang Tianshi grabbed a hammer, preparing to smash the door open.

To him, everything in this house had always been his by default.

Food. Clothes. Everything.

No one had ever taken anything from him before.

Just then—

Jiang Fuhai finally spoke.

“Enough.”

“Buy another fish tomorrow.”

Wang Cuihua froze.

“But—money doesn’t grow on trees! She ate meat alone while we got nothing!”

“She’s leaving the day after tomorrow anyway,” Jiang Fuhai said flatly. “Let it go.”

That single sentence ended everything.

Under his cold gaze, Wang Cuihua swallowed her anger.

The twins reluctantly returned to the table.

Dinner resumed.

Pickled vegetables filled the silence.