Zhao Erhua was too nervous to go out, and Wu Guihua was criticized by her superiors multiple times for being absent-minded at work.
To make ends meet, she forced herself to work, leaving early and returning late every day, so much so that she didn't notice Zhao Erhua had stopped attending school.
The atmosphere at home was tense, and no one dared to speak out.
By the time Wu Guihua discovered the problem, the school was already preparing to expel Zhao Erhua.
Given Zhao Erhua's current reputation, the school had long wanted to expel her, and now the unauthorized absence provided the perfect excuse.
Wu Guihua, with her aged face, went to plead with the school leaders, but they refused to budge. With no other options, she tried to transfer her daughter to another school.
There were only three high schools in the county. Wu Guihua wore out her tongue and her legs running errands, but the other two schools also refused to admit Zhao Erhua.
"You are truly a debt collector, here to collect your debts from me. All of you are. Why didn't you tell me about such a big problem?"
Wu Guihua pointed at her children, venting her frustration, but her tone was filled with self-reproach as she wept uncontrollably.
"Mom, I know I was wrong. But they said such awful things, they cursed me, and I really didn't want to go to that place anymore.
Mom, please find a way for me. If this continues, I'll go crazy. Send me somewhere no one knows me so I can start over."
Wu Guihua pounded Zhao Erhua's back, "Have my days been easy these past few days? But for you siblings, I have to endure.
How can you be so thoughtless? Don't you know my capabilities? A few words from others won't cost you flesh and blood. Where would we get the money to send you elsewhere?"
"Mom, I beg you to help me, I am your biological daughter, you can't treat me like this.
You can't just watch me drop out of school and marry someone ordinary, can you? Mom, the life my eldest sister has is not the life I want.
I want to live well, have money, and be respected. If I drop out now, I'll only have a junior high education. Where would I find a good job position?"
"I'm sorry, it's all my fault, it's because Mom is incompetent. Wuwuwu~"
Mother and daughter held each other and cried, while the others remained silent. They were all accustomed to this situation.
They cried and made a fuss every day, doing so in vain. After all, given the Zhao family's current circumstances, no matter how much the mother and daughter cried, Zhao Erhua could only drop out of school.
"Oh dear, it's that troublesome girl from the Zhao family again. Crying and fussing every day, is he trying to drive her to death?"
"If I had a troublemaker like this, I would skin her alive. Wu Guihua is too soft-hearted and lacks authority."
"You raised them with your own hands, no matter what, they are still your flesh and blood. After making a mistake, all you can do is comfort and clean up the mess."
"It's better to have no child like this than to have one. They just cause trouble for the family. If it weren't for her, would her elder brother have been sent away?"
"Yes, it's really a shame. Why is the young girl's desire for comparison so strong? Doesn't she know her own family's conditions?
Wu Guihua gave her everything she could. Compared to the younger ones, her life was already quite good."
"To lose her elder brother's entire future for a dozen dollars is truly not worth it. What a sin, what a sin."
"Pah, a home-wrecker and a jinx. With her personality, I doubt anyone would dare to marry her in the future."
"That's for sure. If someone married her, wouldn't they be laughed to death? They'd have to walk with their faces covered, otherwise, what would they do if someone called them a thief?"
"Hahaha~"
The aunts' gossip was heard word for word by Zhao Erhua, like a tightening spell, pushing her to the brink of collapse.
She got up from the ground, ran into the kitchen, took out a cleaver, pushed open the main door, and looked down at the aunts in the yard.
Everyone was startled by her sudden appearance and fell silent, staring at her dumbfounded.
"Speak up, why aren't you talking anymore? You old gossips, do you know that vicious words can kill?"
One aunt recovered and patted her chest, "Zhao family's second daughter, what are you doing? Who are you putting on this show for? Which of our words isn't the truth?
Besides, we're just chatting in the courtyard, and we haven't offended anyone. Are you trying to fight by holding a cleaver? Does your Zhao family want to produce another murderer?"
The other aunts quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes. There are so many of us here, and you want to commit murder in broad daylight?"
Seeing their nonchalant expressions, Zhao Erhua placed the cleaver against her own throat. This action greatly frightened everyone.
"Wu Guihua, come out quickly, your daughter is about to do something foolish."
"Oh dear, has this girl gone mad? It's just a small matter, is it necessary to make such a big fuss?"
"Yes, yes. Besides, we haven't slandered her. If you dare to do something, you should dare to be spoken about. How can a person be like this?"
"All of you shut up. What may seem like a small matter to you is endless humiliation to me.
Every word you say stabs my heart. What's wrong with a girl wanting to look pretty? I just wanted a new dress.
I never expected things to turn out like this. I truly regret not stopping my elder brother that day. I really didn't do it on purpose, not on purpose!
If you keep pushing me like this, then I'll die for you all today. You should all remember what I look like today, and remember how you used your words to force a living person to death.
Even after I die, I won't let you go. I will keep all of you present firmly in my heart, and after visiting you, I will also go to visit your descendants."
The cleaver had already cut a thin blood mark on Zhao Erhua's neck. Several of the gossiping women closed their eyes in fright.
The braver ones dared not step forward to snatch the cleaver from her, fearing that she would exert too much force in a fit of emotion. They could only anxiously look towards the house.
Wu Guihua timed it perfectly, rushing over to snatch the cleaver from her hand and then hugging her waist, wailing.
"Erhua, why would you do something so desperate? You are so young, you still have a long road ahead of you, my poor Erhua."
"Wuwuwu... Mom, I didn't want this either. They forced me, they are all forcing me, I really can't live anymore~"
The gossiping crowd was stunned and sheepishly retreated to their own houses. If they had really pushed someone to their death, how would their families get by in the future?
They resolved not to join in any more gossip, fearing they might encounter someone stubborn and desperate. Upon returning home, they were also lectured by their husbands and wives.
Looking at their well-behaved sons/grandsons at home, they no longer dared to speak carelessly, determined to accumulate blessings for their descendants.
After everyone had left, Wu Guihua dragged the limp Zhao Erhua back into the house. After this suicide attempt, she believed that no one around would dare to say those things in front of Zhao Erhua again.
She had been called a thief and a troublemaker for days, children would surround her and tease her, and some people even wished they could spit at her.
It was this environment that broke the cunning and selfish Zhao Erhua, causing her to lose heart and stay home, afraid to go out.