Chapter 9: Something to Vent On

“Bang, bang.” Before there was time to comfort the tearful Lin Yuan, Uncle Liu knocked on their door.

“Vi Vi, did your mother just leave?”

“Yes, she went with Uncle.”

Uncle Liu grumbled, “This is too much. I saw them taking a lot of things; the house must be emptied out by now.”

“Yeah.” Lin Yuan nodded repeatedly, pouring out her grievances.

Lin Wei comforted her, “It’s okay, the kitchen is empty, so let’s eat out. Sister will take you out to eat.”

“Don’t bother eating out, it’s a waste of money. Your aunt has already cooked for you and is packing it up now…”

“Here it comes.”

Moments later, Aunt Liu handed over two lunch boxes.

In Xin County, there’s a custom forbidding visits to others’ homes during mourning, which Lin Wei knew well. That was why she declined to eat at the Liu family’s house, but Aunt Liu had already packed the food for them.

“Take it, girl. If it’s not enough, tell Auntie, and I’ll pack more for you.”

Lin Wei felt a deep warmth in her heart. “Thank you, Auntie. By the way, Uncle, Auntie, my brother and I plan to leave tomorrow. My mother said we can take everything we can carry from the house. If there’s any furniture you might need, you’re welcome to move it over.”

“That won’t do,” Uncle Liu quickly refused.

Lin Wei explained, “No, we can’t take it with us anyway. Even if we sell the house with the furniture, it won’t fetch a good price. My mom’s bedframe is barely two years old and looks like new, the cabinets too. Isn’t your family looking to buy? If you don’t mind the furniture is secondhand, it would save you some money.”

“How could we mind? Your dad spent a fortune on that furniture, and it really hasn’t been used for long.”

“Alright, after we finish dinner and clean up, we’ll call you over to take a look and decide.”

“Fine, we’ll talk it over.”

-

At the dining table, Lin Wei opened her brother’s lunch box and handed him a spoon. She then took out paper and pen, pieced together her memories from her previous life, and wrote a report letter. After making five copies, she finally started eating her dinner contentedly.

Lin Yuan curiously eyed the six letters on the table. “Sister, what are these?”

“These are things to help us get justice,” Lin Wei smiled and changed the subject. “Tomorrow morning, I have to go out for a bit. If you wake up and don’t see me, don’t worry. I’m going to buy breakfast and some food for the trip, so it might take a while. But I’ll definitely be back before nine.”

Lin Yuan blinked but didn’t reply, quickly finishing his meal instead.

Once the siblings washed the dishes, they knocked on the neighbor’s door.

-

“Aunt Liu, thank you so much. Your cooking is really delicious.”

“You’re such a flatterer,” Aunt Liu said, pulling a red, white, and blue woven bag from the table.

“I don’t know if your packing bags will be enough, but this one is sturdy and just right for your trip.”

Lin Wei accepted the bag without hesitation. She had hoped that by taking the bag, the Liu couple would feel less burdened when moving their furniture.

But to her surprise, Ni Fang hadn’t left them a single bag, relying solely on Aunt Liu’s woven bag. Otherwise, Lin Wei would have had to buy one herself.

“That Ni Fang is really shameless,” Aunt Liu said with displeasure. “She knew the kids were leaving yet used up all the bags. What are they supposed to use?”

“And look at the luggage—besides the clothes, shoes, and daily essentials, they even managed to squeeze in a set of bedding. They must have been badly treated all these years.”

“It’s alright. One bag is easy to carry, and it’s from Aunt Liu’s family anyway. It’s not like we have much stuff,” Lin Wei said to comfort her.

Aunt Liu softened her tone, sensing her intention. “It’s better this way. Since they’re leaving, just cut ties and don’t come back. Otherwise, they’ll just drain you dry.”

Uncle Liu nudged Aunt Liu. “What are you saying to the kids?”

“I’m not making things up. Ni Fang has always been unkind to the children, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad. Packing all their clothes and bedding took only twenty minutes. When our daughter went to university, her luggage took two days to pack. Also, the kitchen has nothing left but a gas cylinder, and the master bedroom only has the bed frame and cabinets left—the rest is gone.”

“Kids, we want your furniture. It’s better than letting it go to waste. But Auntie has to pay you for it; we can’t just take it for free.”

“Auntie, Uncle, don’t mention money. It hurts feelings. These things were unwanted anyway. I’m afraid you’d look down on them.”

“You shouldn’t be stubborn with Auntie. Your uncle told me your mother took all the money and only gave you 500 yuan. Five hundred sounds like a lot, but it’s not nearly enough.”

“No, to be honest, I have money. My dad has been doing side jobs for years and gave everything to me. I have over 2,000 yuan on hand, plus 500 from my mom. Three thousand is enough for my brother and me to live on for a while. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be so reckless.”

“Besides, if you take these things, I’m even worried my mom will come to make trouble.”

Aunt Liu, quick-tempered as she is, wasn’t worried about Ni Fang causing a fuss.

“That’s nothing. Your mom can’t win an argument with me.”

“So, it’s settled. You take the bed frame and cabinet. That way, Uncle Liu can help me out. I understand the principle of reciprocity.”

Uncle Liu smiled helplessly. “You’re a handful. Alright then, Auntie and I will shamelessly take them. When you leave tomorrow, your aunt will prepare some food for you to take along. You can’t refuse that.”

“Okay, then I’ll shamelessly accept.”

-

Uncle Liu and Aunt Liu worked swiftly, moving the bed and cabinet away.

They also took some other usable furniture from the house.

-

After seeing the couple off, Lin Wei and her brother had a good rest.

At 3 a.m., the alarm rang. Lin Wei slipped on her father’s coat, carefully took the six letters, and quietly left the house.

Her first stop was the hospital, where she slipped two letters into the mailbox by the door while no one was watching.

Once dawn breaks, the hospital staff would deliver these letters directly to the intended recipients’ desks.

To escalate the matter, Lin Wei quickly posted one letter on the hospital’s bulletin board.

There were few people at the moment, but once morning came, word would spread like wildfire.

After leaving the hospital, she went to the newspaper office, police station, and TV station, placing the letters in their mailboxes one by one.

Finally, she returned home with breakfast.

By then, her brother had already packed and was sitting obediently on the sofa waiting.

“Sister.”

Lin Yuan’s voice brimmed with excitement upon seeing her return.

“So happy? Don’t tell me you were worried I’d run away, and now you’re glad I’m back.”

Caught off guard, Lin Yuan blushed and denied, “No! Sister wouldn’t abandon me.”

“Come on, eat breakfast. After that, we’ll leave.”

They quickly finished breakfast, and with the help of Uncle and Aunt Liu, boarded the bus bound for Jiangcheng.

Aunt Liu handed her a bundle she had prepared in advance. “I wrapped it in cloth, so don’t open it. It should still be warm at noon. The lunch box has rice. It’s an eight-hour ride to Jiangcheng. If you don’t arrive by dinner, there are pancakes inside. Oh, and I boiled some eggs for you this morning. When traveling far, you need to bring plenty of eggs.”

“Thank you, Auntie, Uncle. Take care of yourselves.”

The engine roared to life, the bus slowly set off. They waved to each other through the windows as the vehicle gradually pulled away.

Lin Wei looked at her brother beside her. “Don’t be afraid. Sister won’t abandon you, and I will never let you suffer.”