Duan Mei suppressed the strange feeling in her heart and said with bravado, “If it weren’t for the fact that your father and I are both employees, do you think you would have received the factory’s subsidy? That’s for the families of the employees!”
Yu Bing sneered. “Mom, if it weren’t for the fact that Yu Wu and I are twins, you probably would have aborted me without hesitation.”
Duan Mei glanced at Yu Bing in disdain. “Don’t blame me for favoring boys over girls. Every family is the same! Although this is a new society and gender equality is emphasized, anyone who doesn’t have a boy will be laughed at. This is a traditional idea that has been passed down for thousands of years. How can it be changed so easily? If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for not being a boy!”
Yu Bing’s hand that was washing the dishes paused. “What about my sister? She’s also a girl. I’m always the first to be ordered around at home and whatever I can’t finish is given to my sister. Even if there are two things at the same time, I’ll always be in charge of the dirtiest and most tiring task.”
Yu Bing asked a question that she had been curious about for two lifetimes. “Mom, I want to ask you, why are you so unfair to me? Why do I feel that you look at me with hatred sometimes?”
Duan Mei’s eyes flickered when she heard this question.
Why? The doctor said that she had injured her body when she gave birth to the twins and couldn’t have children in the future. That was why she only had one son, Yu Wu.
What did having a son mean? It meant having someone to take care of her in retirement!
If she didn’t count on her son, should she count on her married daughter instead? Moreover, she was a sickly daughter! If not for the subsidies given by the factory, she wouldn’t have given away her healthy second child back then.
Duan Mei was biased towards Yu Pan. Other than the fact that her healthy daughter could bring her more benefits, it was also because Yu Bing had been introverted since she was young and wasn’t as eloquent as Yu Pan. She was so sickly that it annoyed her.
However, Duan Mei didn’t even think about how her exploitation of Yu Bing was comparable to that of a capitalist. Yu Bing ate the least but did the heaviest work at home while dragging her sickly body. It was all thanks to Yu Bing’s strong desire to survive and her unwillingness to give up on her that she was able to grow up.
Now, Yu Bing was a money tree in Duan Mei’s eyes. Of course, she wouldn’t reveal her true thoughts. “You silly child, what nonsense are you spouting? I admit that I’m a little biased, but you’re also my child. What hatred? You’re making a fool of yourself. Besides, I’m helping you safe keep your salary for your own good. Young people shouldn’t frivolously buy things they shouldn’t buy. I’m just saving it for you first. In the end, it’s all for your dowry.”
When Yu Bing heard this, she revealed a suspicious expression. “Mom, will you really give me every cent of this money as my dowry?”
When Duan Mei heard the question, she was secretly happy. The older the wiser. She planned to coax Yu Bing into giving her the salary. What could Yu Bing do even if she didn’t give it to her afterwards?
Duan Mei smiled kindly. “Of course, I won’t lie to you!”
In her previous life, Yu Bing was deceived by these lies. In this life, she had already given up on her family and wouldn’t fall for such lies anymore!
Yu Bing got the answer she wanted. After putting down the washed bowls and chopsticks, she wiped her hands.
Duan Mei didn’t rush her and waited patiently. She felt that Yu Bing definitely wouldn’t refuse. After all, she was considering it from Yu Bing’s perspective.
Yu Bing turned around and looked straight at Duan Mei. “Since you say so, I’m relieved. I’ll save the dowry money myself. At that time, my family won’t have to pay for it. This is the same as asking you to help me save money.”
Duan Mei felt that she had been played by Yu Bing and flew into a rage. She glared and raised her hand to teach Yu Bing a lesson like before.
Yu Bing grabbed her mother’s raised hand. “Mom, I’m already an adult. I’m no longer the child who let you vent your anger on me whenever you wanted.” With that, she shook off Duan Mei’s hand.
Duan Mei felt that her authority as a mother had been challenged by Yu Bing again, so she said fiercely, “Yu Bing, let me tell you. Send the money back to me obediently. Otherwise, I’ll report you to your superior and say that you’re unfilial! I’ll see if you can still keep this job if that happens!”
This was Duan Mei’s ultimate move. In this era, this kind of move was a sure kill!
Filial piety was one of the most important values. Even if the leaders knew that the parents of the employees were in the wrong first, out of ethics and various regulations, they could only talk to the employees and let them compromise. After all, if this matter blew up, it wouldn’t be good for the factory.