Su Xiaotian refilled Hu Xiaolian's cup with water.
"He got in, but you didn't, right?"
Su Xiaotian felt that if both of them had gotten in, their lives wouldn't be like this now.
Hu Xiaolian's life would at least be much happier than it was now, wouldn't it?
Hearing Su Xiaotian's question, Hu Xiaolian shook her head.
"I got in too. He got into the Provincial Agricultural School, and I got into the Teachers' College. When we received our admission notices, everyone around was so envious, and we were very happy too."
Su Xiaotian looked at Hu Xiaolian in shock. Since she had already been accepted into university, and a normal college at that, she would be at least an elementary school teacher after graduation.
Why had Hu Xiaolian become like this?
"But..." As Hu Xiaolian uttered these two words, the pain on her face gradually intensified.
Su Xiaotian's heart sank.
In this world, the most frightening words were "but."
"But, when I happily received my admission notice and prepared to go to school, my mother-in-law said that the family couldn't afford to send two people to study."
The children in the Su family all went to university. In those days, going to university didn't cost money; with a little saving, one could even earn some money.
Why would Xiang Ying's mother say that?
Perhaps Su Xiaotian's reaction was too obvious, as Hu Xiaolian saw through it.
She gave a bitter smile. "Actually, studying didn't cost money. My mother-in-law just had other plans and didn't want me to study!"
"When my family heard about this, they offered to help support my studies, but my mother-in-law still disagreed. Xiang Ying advised me to listen to my mother-in-law, saying that it was useless for women to study, as they would still have to manage the household and raise children in the future."
"He also repeatedly promised that after he graduated, he would take me to the city and I would never suffer."
Su Xiaotian listened and sighed. Most women were deceived by such lies.
Hu Xiaolian must have been deceived by such sweet talk, right?
"Did you agree to it just like that?"
Hu Xiaolian continued to shake her head. "No, I didn't agree. During that time, our family argued every day about this matter. Xiang Ying also changed from his usual gentle self and became indifferent to me."
As she spoke of these things, Su Xiaotian could even feel Hu Xiaolian's emotions at that time.
She could have had a different life, but it was forcibly taken away. Anyone would be upset, wouldn't they?
"Even so, I still refused to compromise. But then, I became pregnant."
She was pregnant right when she got accepted into university. Life was truly unfair to this woman.
Su Xiaotian could understand that most women would give up their studies for their children.
"For the sake of the child, I finally gave up on going to school."
As Hu Xiaolian spoke the word "gave up," tears streamed down her face.
It was not an unexpected answer, but Su Xiaotian could clearly feel Hu Xiaolian's pessimism and despair.
She quickly took out her handkerchief and wiped away her tears.
"Your daughter is very beautiful! Some things require trade-offs. Since you've made your decision, raise your child well."
Su Xiaotian was not particularly good at comforting people, so she could only offer a few words of comfort to the best of her ability.
Children were the softest spot in every mother's heart.
"I thought I was sacrificing for my child, and I never regretted it. But later, I realized that things were not as I thought."
Su Xiaotian was increasingly shocked. Could there be other twists to this story?
"Someone from the town offered to buy my admission notice for two hundred yuan, and my mother-in-law agreed. For two hundred yuan, my mother-in-law was willing to change my life."
"I only found out a few years later that even if I hadn't agreed to give up my studies, I wouldn't have been able to go anyway. My mother-in-law had already planned to steal my admission notice."
Su Xiaotian was completely stunned. Could things happen like this?
The Xiang family members all had character problems. No wonder Xiang Ying would tamper with the factory's money; it was inherited!
She wanted to say a few more comforting words, but she didn't know where to start.
"Little boss, my life these past few years has been like a joke."
Seeing how desolate she looked, Su Xiaotian gently patted her shoulder.
"Sister, everything will pass. You have to believe that you can overcome these difficult times, and you have to believe that you won't become a joke!"
"How can it not be a joke? That woman not only stole my life, but she wants to take everything from me!"
Hu Xiaolian's mouth was filled with bitterness, indicating the significant impact this incident had on her.
Su Xiaotian's curiosity was piqued by now. She wanted to know who the woman was who took Hu Xiaolian's admission notice and went to school, and how she was going to take everything from Hu Xiaolian.
She didn't speak, but patiently listened to Hu Xiaolian.
"Later, they got together. I don't even know when they got together."
"After she graduated, she became a teacher in Licheng. Xiang Ying, for her sake, refused to work in the countryside according to his assigned unit and chose to come to Licheng. I always thought Xiang Ying was too proud and felt it was beneath him to go to the countryside, but it turned out to be for that woman."
Su Xiaotian suddenly understood. No wonder Xiang Ying ended up working in her private enterprise.
People of this era were still superstitious about "iron rice bowls" (stable jobs). No one would want to work in a private enterprise if they could have an iron rice bowl.
"If it weren't for this incident, I would have been kept in the dark all along. I wouldn't have even known that he had already registered his marriage with that woman!"
At this point, the woman burst into tears, her emotions reaching the brink of collapse.
Su Xiaotian was startled.
Such a melodramatic event?
The original wife was kept at home, while he registered his marriage with another woman in Licheng?
Could Xiang Ying possibly do anything more despicable than this?
"All these years, I stayed home to take care of his parents, but he had already started another family in Licheng! Little boss, what should I do in the future! What should I do!"
Hu Xiaolian cried out in pain, hugging her head, like a wounded animal, suffering and helpless.
After hearing this, Su Xiaotian finally understood why Hu Xiaolian had emphasized that Xiang Ying was her man and the father of her daughter when she apologized.
A proper wife, without a marriage certificate, who had borne children and cared for the elders, eventually became a third party in someone else's marriage.
How could this not make the woman hold onto this resentment?
Su Xiaotian sighed deeply.
Meeting someone like Xiang Ying was truly the greatest sorrow for a woman.
This was a complete exploitation of all her value!
"My mother-in-law knew about it, but she hid it from me. All these years, I treated her like my own mother, but she knew everything and never told me!"
Su Xiaotian: "..."
The daughter-in-law was an outsider. How could she help the outsider instead of her own son? Su Dan Novel Network
Besides, that old woman didn't look like a good person at all!