Return to 88: Starting from Marrying My Sister-in-law

In a rented room in Shenzhen, the sudden busy tone on the receiver was like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing Ma Xiulan's heart-wrenching cries.

The monotonous "beep...beep..." sound was particularly jarring in the deathly silence of the cramped rented room, like a mockery of her despair.

She stood frozen in place, microphone in hand, her face streaked with tears and snot, the sobs in her throat choking her and causing a sharp pain in her chest.

"Hanged up...hung up?"

Her wailing stopped abruptly, and she murmured in disbelief. Then, a surge of anger at being abandoned by her loved ones suddenly rose up, instantly drying up the remaining tears.

"Damn girl!"

"Heartless thing!"

Ma Xiulan slammed the microphone down on the table with a loud crash, making the cheap water glass on the table jump.

"Oh dear, what terrible things have I done!"

"I raised you with all my love and care, and sent you to the best university!"

"To help you start your business, I poured my heart and soul into it, I sold my house and stocks, I emptied my savings!"

"Now that your mother is in trouble, this is how you treat your own mother?!"

"They hung up on me before I could even finish a sentence?!"

"Oh dear, you're making me so angry! You unfilial daughter, you have no conscience at all!!"

The crude curses echoed in the bare room, carrying all her grievances, fears, and unvented resentment.

The curses grew louder and more venomous with each utterance, as if they were about to unleash all the pent-up frustration in their hearts.

However, as the cursing subsided and the heavy breathing subsided, a deeper sense of powerlessness and heartache quietly spread.

After venting your anger and cursing, reality still stands coldly before you.

She slumped down onto the creaking hard bed, looking around the rented, bare little room—this was her current "home."

The house was sold, the money vanished in the stock market, and I was left with a huge debt of over 700,000 yuan!
The creditor's agonizing phone calls still seem to echo in my ears.

“Mingzhu…she’s had it tough too…” Ma Xiulan’s voice suddenly dropped, becoming very nasal.

She recalled her daughter's voice on the phone, which was trying to remain calm but couldn't hide her exhaustion, and her anxiety when she mentioned the tight cash flow.

My daughter is running nineteen stores on her own, which is a huge burden. I had planned to sell my house and withdraw money from the stock market to go and help my daughter start her business. But instead of helping her, I became the last straw that broke the camel's back. I was expecting my daughter to be nice to me.

Was that barrage of curses just now too much?

Thinking about how my daughter has been outstanding since she was little, and how she has made me proud as her mother when she grows up.

Yes, how can I blame my daughter for this? She's so innocent. It's my fault, this old woman. Sigh, it's all my fault for marrying the wrong person. Good heavens, why did things suddenly plummet like this?

But... as much as I feel sorry for you, the problem still needs to be solved!

Debts must be repaid, and people must live!
Are we really going to let this old woman, who is over fifty, end up on the streets, picking up trash and eating leftovers?
The thought sent a chill down her spine.

face?

dignity?

Compared to the threat of hunger, cold, and sleeping on the streets, it's nothing!
In her cloudy eyes, struggle, shame, and resentment were eventually replaced by an almost instinctive will to survive.

Or should we listen to the eldest daughter and bow down to the youngest daughter, Yin Mingyue?
That "brat" has become arrogant after marrying a rich man. She never dared to talk back to her before, but now she dares to lecture her. The mother-daughter relationship has also become distant... Ma Xiulan was a hundred times unwilling.

But right now, where else can she go besides Mingyue?

"Wandering the streets... or should I go to Mingyue's place..."

Ma Xiulan repeated the two options in a low voice, and made her decision in just a few seconds.

It was very satisfying; she had trampled her pitiful self-esteem under her own feet.

Living, living well and enjoying life, is more important than anything else!

The next day, it was dawn.

Ma Xiulan got up and rummaged through drawers and cabinets to find the last few crumpled banknotes hidden in her socks.

This was all she had left.

She counted them carefully twice, gritted her teeth, and headed straight for the upscale fruit store. She picked out the most expensive and beautiful imported fruit basket, piled high with red grapes, mangoes, and cherries. Then, with a heavy heart, she bought an expensive blonde, blue-eyed doll wearing a puffy skirt from the boutique next door.

Clutching these two heavy "stepping stones," she squeezed onto the early morning bus heading to the villa area.

I haven't ridden this kind of bus in years.

If she hadn't run away from home in a fit of pique, she used to have bodyguards chauffeuring her around in a car whenever she went out.

Alas, it’s hard to look back on the past.

The bus was crowded and noisy. She clutched the fruit basket and the doll in her arms tightly, as if protecting her last hope. Her cloudy eyes stared at the street scene rushing past the window, her heart pounding with anxiety as she repeatedly rehearsed, "Mingyue, Mom... Mom misses you. Come back and see Xin'er..."

Outside the car window, the outline of the villa complex, a symbol of wealth and status, gradually became clear.

The bus stopped at a station far from the main road. Ma Xiulan, carrying an expensive fruit basket and a delicate doll that seemed completely out of place with her current predicament, almost stumbled off the bus.

Taking a deep breath to suppress the complex emotions surging within her, as well as her anxiety about her youngest daughter's unknown reaction, she finally rang the doorbell beside the imposing, ornate iron gate. The crisp sound of the doorbell seemed particularly abrupt in the quiet morning, causing her to tighten her grip on the fruit basket, her knuckles turning slightly white.

Unexpectedly, the door was opened quickly.

It wasn't a servant who opened the door, but Yin Mingyue herself.

She was wearing a well-made loungewear set, her face showing a hint of languor from just waking up, but more than that, a calm and gentle demeanor.

Seeing her haggard mother outside the door, clutching a fruit basket and a doll, a fleeting, almost imperceptible look of understanding crossed Yin Mingyue's eyes, quickly replaced by a genuine, somewhat complex joy.

"Mom?" Yin Mingyue's voice carried just the right amount of surprise as she quickly opened the door. "Why are you here so early? Come in quickly!" she said, stepping aside to let her in.

Ma Xiulan's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, suddenly felt half relieved when she saw the unreserved and welcoming smile on her youngest daughter's face.

"Mingyue, Mom misses you all, and came back to visit Xin'er."

Ma Xiulan said, her throat a little dry.

Unable to bring herself to do it, she almost woodenly handed the fruit basket and doll to her daughter.

"grandmother!"

A clear, childlike voice flew down the stairs like a cheerful little bird.

Wearing cute pajamas, Lu Xin'er rubbed her eyes and rushed over to Ma Xiulan with delight when she saw her.

"Grandma! Xin'er misses you so much. Where have you been all this time?"

The child's unreserved affection was like a warm current, instantly melting away the last bit of dignity that Ma Xiulan was trying to maintain.

She knelt down, hugged her granddaughter tightly, her eyes instantly reddening, her voice choked with emotion: "Oh, my little darling, I've missed you so much..."

Yin Mingyue stood to the side, watching the grandmother and grandson embrace, her eyes gentle and a faint smile on her lips.

She handed the fruit basket to the butler who rushed over after hearing the commotion, leaving only the doll in her hand.

While Lu Xin'er was excitedly chattering away, holding Ma Xiulan's hand, Yin Mingyue gently patted her mother's shoulder and said in a gentle tone, "Mom, come inside and sit down. Have something hot to drink. You must be tired from coming all this way so early."

He led Ma Xiulan to a spacious and bright living room, where the family's housekeeper quickly brought her hot tea.

Holding a warm teacup, Ma Xiulan felt the soft, expensive sofa beneath her. Looking around at the exquisite, luxurious yet understated furnishings, the stark contrast made her even more uneasy.

She glanced at Yin Mingyue several times, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping herself.

Yin Mingyue didn't seem to be in a hurry to ask questions. She gently comforted Xin'er, who was nestled next to her grandmother, and patiently listened to the child tell her interesting stories about kindergarten, occasionally smiling and agreeing with her.

Until Xin'er was taken away by the family's nanny to wash up and change clothes, only the mother and daughter remained in the living room.

After a brief silence, Ma Xiulan finally mustered her courage, put down her teacup, unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes with her hands, lowered her head, and spoke with barely concealed embarrassment and trembling: "Mingyue... Mom... Mom came this time... because... because there was really no other way..."

Her voice trailed off, almost choked with sobs, "Mom... I lost money in the stock market... I owe... I owe a lot of money..."

After listening, Yin Mingyue's eyes flashed with understanding. She comforted Ma Xiulan and said, "Mom, these are all small things. Money can be earned back. You can come back now. Xin'er has been looking forward to your return for a long time. Look how happy she is when you come back."

Upon hearing this, Ma Xiulan felt a great sense of relief and even burst into tears of joy. She instantly switched to "good daughter" mode, praising Yin Mingyue profusely before immediately stating the debt amount of "more than 700,000 yuan".

This was entirely within Yin Mingyue's expectations.

In fact, ever since her mother left home, she had been worried and had someone secretly keep an eye on her. She was fully aware that her mother had given all her savings over the years to her sister, and was also planning to sell the house and withdraw money from the stock market to support her sister's business.

Although she felt a pang of sadness, thinking that her mother was too biased, she had never been a jealous person since childhood.

Kind-hearted, she felt that since the money was her mother's hard-earned savings and she was willing to let her sister spend it, then so be it. She even sincerely hoped that her sister could succeed in her second business venture.

Ma Xiulan's heart, which had been hanging in suspense for so long, finally settled down completely with Yin Mingyue's gentle words, "Money can be earned back" and "Xin'er has been looking forward to your return for a long time."

A tremendous sense of relief brought tears to her eyes again, but this time they were not tears of despair, but rather a complex mix of lingering fear, shame, and the joy of escaping a desperate situation.

The days that followed were like returning to paradise for Ma Xiulan.

The spacious, bright, and spotless villa, the exquisite and delicious meals, the considerate and attentive servants, and the sweet "Grandma" voice of her granddaughter Xin'er helped her quickly recover from her previous despair and fear. Life returned to normal. No, because she had suffered for a period of time and lived in fear, she felt that the good life she was living now was even more comfortable than before she ran away from home.

Yin Mingyue treated her extremely well, showing concern and care, and speaking without any hint of resentment, as if her mother's previous scolding and estrangement had never happened.

Ma Xiulan was overjoyed; her youngest daughter was indeed still the same kind, soft-hearted, and easy-going girl.

Seeing her daughter's current demeanor as the chairman's wife and her composure in controlling everything, the guilt she felt for favoring her eldest daughter was quickly overshadowed by the satisfaction brought by this comfortable life.

This comfort allowed her to start worrying about her other daughter.

The image of Yin Mingzhu, with her tight cash flow and in a state of utter distress, once again flashed through Ma Xiulan's mind.

The eldest daughter has had a tough time, managing so many shops all by herself... The youngest daughter is so wealthy now, paying back over 700,000 yuan so easily, she must have a lot more savings on her own, right?
Isn't it only natural to help your own sister?
Once this thought took root, it clung to her like a vine.

She held back for two days and two nights, swallowing back the words that were on the tip of her tongue several times.

On the third day, right after lunch, while her granddaughter Xin'er was being taken to nap by the nanny, only the mother and daughter were left in the living room again.

Afternoon sunlight streamed in through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, creating a warm and peaceful atmosphere.

Looking at her youngest daughter sitting opposite her, elegantly sipping tea, Ma Xiulan finally mustered her courage, forcing a cautious smile onto her face. Her voice was low, tinged with a tentative and ingratiating tone: "Mingyue, my little girl..."

She rubbed her hands together. "Mom sees that you... are really living a good life now. I know you must still have a lot of savings. You see... your sister is running so many shops and needs money right now. She's really tight on cash... could you... lend her some money to tide her over?"

Afraid her daughter would refuse, she quickly added, "Don't borrow too much, five million, no, three million, one million. You lend one million to your sister. You know blood is thicker than water, this shouldn't be a problem, right?"

However, Yin Mingyue refused decisively this time.

Looking directly into her mother's eyes, and under her expectant gaze, she said bluntly, "Mom, my sister's current chain of electronics stores is an agent for Lianxiang's computers and VCDs, mainly selling products from our Century Group's competitors. As the chairman's wife, I can't possibly support our competitors, can I?"

She is kind, but that doesn't mean she has no principles.

Seeing her mother's unpleasant expression, and just as she opened her mouth to speak, she preemptively cut her off, but not completely shut her down. After thinking for a moment, she said, "I can lend you money, not just one million, but three million, if only my sister can cancel her agency contract with Lianxiang, remove all their products from the shelves, and instead sign a contract with our Century Group's electrical appliance manufacturer to represent our company's products."

Ma Xiulan's expression changed repeatedly.

But he also felt that his younger daughter made sense, so he turned around and tried to persuade his older daughter.

The call went through quickly.

Yin Mingzhu was initially tempted, and she didn't mind bowing to her younger sister for the second time on her entrepreneurial journey in order to achieve success.

However, she demanded exclusive distribution rights because Lianxiang had granted her exclusive regional distribution rights. Only in this way could her appliance store have an absolute advantage in the local market. Furthermore, if she breached the contract with Lianxiang and completely removed Lianxiang's products from the shelves, she would not have to pay the breach of contract penalty. (End of Chapter)