Chapter 389: He Jing
Seeing He Xiao's persistence, her mother finally sighed, her eyes red-rimmed. "Xiaoxiao, Jingjing did scratch me, but this isn't her fault... It's ours. We're failures, unable to give her the means to hold her head high in front of her classmates…" Guilt was etched on her face as she clenched her fists, large teardrops falling and staining her clothes.
"Did she ask you for money again?" He Xiao's delicate brows furrowed, her eyes filled with anger.
"Yes..." her mother said miserably. "You know your father's and my situation. The community looks out for us and even helps us apply for the national subsidy every year. The subsidy money just came in a few days ago, and Jingjing somehow found out. She came back this morning demanding it."
"Did you give it to her?" He Xiao asked, her expression tense.
"No... I didn't..." her mother said, filled with shame. "I know Jingjing needs money for school, but this is for your father's medical bills. If I gave it to her, I... I really don't know what I'd do... Xiaoxiao, tell me, was Mom wrong?" Her mother clutched He Xiao's hand, her face wracked with self-blame.
"No!" He Xiao said angrily. "You did nothing wrong. She's the one at fault!"
"But... she said we're worthless... She called us old fossils who should be dead, said all we do is drag her down, that we can't help her at all, and just make her lose face in front of her classmates..." Her mother's tears began to flow again as she couldn't stop herself from recounting what had happened. "She wasn't wrong to yell at us. Your father and I really are useless, just a burden on you and your sister... But how could I abandon your father and not care for him?
"Jingjing wouldn't listen, though. She tried to snatch the money from me. I refused to give in, no matter what, and that's when she scratched me. It's not her fault... It's my fault, and your father's... It's our fault for being useless..."
Hearing this, He Xiao's anger completely erupted. Ignoring her mother's attempts to stop her, she pulled out her phone and called He Jing.
The call connected to the sound of jarring music, and He Xiao's anger flared once more.
She yelled, "He Jing! Are you even human? Mom and Dad worked their fingers to the bone to send you to university, and this is what you do? Go out for karaoke in the middle of the day?"
"He Xiao?" He Jing's drunken voice slurred through the phone. "Haha, you have the nerve to lecture me? You're a famous star; what have you ever given Mom and Dad?"
"Even if I haven't given them anything, at least I don't leech off them like you do!" He Xiao retorted. "Get back here right now. I need to talk to you!"
"Why should I?" He Jing slurred drunkenly. "I'm having a blast with my friends. Don't bother me!"
Just as He Jing was about to hang up, He Xiao shouted, "He Jing! If you dare hang up that phone, you can forget about ever getting another cent from Mom and Dad!"
As expected, He Jing grew anxious at the threat. Her drunken slur turned into a sharp, annoyed tone. "He Xiao, don't take it too far! I'm a university student asking my family for money. What's wrong with that? Name one student who doesn't get money from home!"
"Do you have any idea what our family's situation is? Can't you earn some money yourself in your spare time?" He Xiao shot back, refusing to yield.
He Jing sneered. "Earn it myself? I'm a girl. How am I supposed to do that?"
"Fine! Even if you can't earn money, can't you at least save it?" He Xiao's body was trembling with rage.
She recalled the days before she became famous. To avoid asking her family for money, she had eaten nothing but plain steamed buns and pickled vegetables for every meal. And He Jing? Not only could she not earn money, she couldn't even save it?!
Humiliated and enraged, He Jing shot back, "Save money? Why should I have to save money? My classmates all use luxury brand cosmetics, wear Gucci and LV, and carry iPhones! Why should I be inferior to them? It's your problem you don't have money! Why should I have to suffer along with you? I'm telling you, I refuse to accept it! I refuse!!!"
Fueled by alcohol, He Jing's final words were practically a roar. Hearing such twisted values come from her sister's mouth, He Xiao nearly fainted from rage. She knew she couldn't win an argument with He Jing over the phone, so she roared, "He Jing! This is your last warning! Get back here right now! Immediately! Otherwise, I'll throw all your stuff out, and you can forget about ever coming back to this house!"
"He Xiao! What gives you the right to do that?"
"Because I'm your older sister, and because I dare to do it!" He Xiao retorted, her usual gentleness consumed by fury. Clearly, her parents were her absolute limit.
"Fine! Fine! He Xiao, you really want to cross me, don't you? I'm on my way back. You just wait!"
He Jing hung up the phone in a fury.
Nearby, her mother was weeping uncontrollably while her father sat with a grim expression, not saying a word.
As a man, how could he not recognize how inappropriate He Jing's behavior was? But he was just a cripple with useless legs. What right did he have to scold her?
Seeing this, He Xiao didn't know how to comfort them. She poured them each a glass of water, then turned and went into the living room. Zhao Dong offered a few words of comfort to her parents before following her out.
In the living room, He Xiao sank onto the sofa, her face etched with exhaustion.
Zhao Dong took a deep breath and walked over to He Xiao's side with a glass of water. "Here, have a drink."
"Thank you..." He Xiao took the glass and shifted over, making room for him on the sofa.
Zhao Dong sat down, then asked, "Xiaoxiao, what's the deal with this He Jing?"
He Xiao gave a wry smile. "She's my sister. Not by blood, though. She's my parents' adopted daughter. They found her by the side of the road years ago. But my parents have never been biased; they've always treated He Jing like their own flesh and blood. In fact, because she was adopted, they were afraid she might feel slighted, so they always made sure to give her the best of everything first."
As she said this, He Xiao's tone grew increasingly angry.