WBSGVS Chapter 129 V1

The daughter’s words made Mrs. Xia’s smile fade completely. She looked at the TV in front of her with displeasure, her grip on her phone tightening slightly.

Like many older parents considering a second child, Mrs. Xia had thought about this issue before. But this wasn’t her first child.

When she had her first child, she didn’t hesitate. At nearly thirty, everyone else was having kids, and she felt she had to as well—after all, women are supposed to have children.

Now, with a second child on the horizon, her concerns grew. If she reached seventy and her second child was only in their early twenties, what then? If it was a boy, they’d have to think about him getting married—houses, cars, all necessities. Even in their small county, it would still cost hundreds of thousands.

What could they do then?

She and her husband regretted not planning when their first child turned out to be a girl. They’d taken things as they came, never imagining that one day the government would allow a second child.

Still, it wasn’t an unsolvable problem. Mrs. Xia smiled and said, “If I have a baby brother for you, as his older sister, won’t you help out? When you’re dealing with things at your in-laws’, he can help you too.”

Qingli smiled faintly. “I’m twenty now. By the time I have in-law troubles, he’ll probably only be four or five. How is he supposed to help? Cry louder than the other side?”

Mrs. Xia was left speechless, her frustration growing.

But Qingli didn’t stop and continued her analysis. “And when he’s in high school or college, my kids will be in school too. We’re not a wealthy family; we can’t afford that kind of pressure.”

Hearing this, Mrs. Xia’s face darkened, anger rising within her. “How can you be so selfish? He’s your little brother!”

Qingli raised an eyebrow. “Mom, you know he’s my brother, not my son. If it comes down to choosing between my kids and him, of course, I’ll pick my kids. Once I have children, I have to take responsibility for them. I can’t prioritize my brother over my own family.”

Unable to listen any longer, Mrs. Xia hung up the phone. Frustrated, she took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She had planned to cook soon, but her mood soured so much she didn’t want to bother.

At six in the evening, Mr. Xia came home from work. They hadn’t started making an effort for a second child yet, so his attitude was indifferent. If it was another girl, he thought, they could just get by with the bare minimum—girls don’t need dowries, just raise them to adulthood.

He walked in, expecting dinner to be ready, but was surprised to find Mrs. Xia sitting on the couch with a dark expression. The TV was playing a comedy show, but it couldn’t lift her mood.

“Whoa!” Mr. Xia called out dramatically, drawing her attention. Then, with a smile, he asked, “What’s wrong? Why are you upset? You’re pregnant—you need to stay positive!”

Mrs. Xia immediately got up, pulling her husband aside to vent. “I just called Qingli and tested her thoughts a bit. Do you know what she said? She said she’ll have her own family and kids in the future and won’t have time to look after a younger sibling. What kind of attitude is that?”

Mr. Xia’s expression darkened as well. “We’ve spoiled her too much!”

Mrs. Xia sighed. Though she was angry, she was also worried. Unlike her husband, who only cared about raising children, she was the one carrying this pregnancy. At just four months in, she already felt exhausted. She doubted she’d have the energy to see their second child into adulthood. If Qingli refused to help, and she had to rely on her husband alone, it would be impossible.

“Why are you sighing?” Mr. Xia didn’t think much of it and was more annoyed than concerned. Men rarely grasp the difficulties of pregnancy. He frowned as he helped her back to the couch. “You’re pregnant. If you’re upset, the baby won’t feel good either.”

“I know.” Mrs. Xia replied irritably. “But have you thought about what we’ll do in the future? Every time I test Qingli, it feels like she doesn’t want us to have another child.”

Mr. Xia shrugged. “What’s there to be afraid of? The baby’s already four months along—are you willing to give up now? Once the baby is born, let them bond over time. Qingli has a soft heart. She won’t truly abandon her sibling. By the time Qingli starts working, even if she doesn’t give us most of her salary, half of it will be enough to raise a child.”

Mrs. Xia felt relieved at his words. Surely Qingli wouldn’t be so cold-hearted? Even if she didn’t help with the younger sibling, she’d still have to support her parents, right?

She’d heard that lawyers could earn tens of thousands a month. If Qingli sent home just five thousand, it would be plenty for them to live on.

Her earlier stress dissipated, and she said with a smile, “You’re right. I’ll go make dinner now—I was so upset earlier I didn’t even want to cook.”

“No need to cook if you don’t feel like it,” Mr. Xia said with a smile, leading her back to the couch. “You’re pregnant. I can cook for once.”

Mrs. Xia looked at him in surprise. After their honeymoon phase and subsequent marriage, he rarely stepped into the kitchen unless necessary.

Having a second child did have its perks—at least he was starting to show some consideration.

Meanwhile, Qingli stared at her phone, speechless after being hung up on.

Reality could be harsh, but Mrs. Xia, at over fifty, still couldn’t seem to accept it.

The crux of their struggles was money—or the lack thereof. In Qingli’s mind, if she earned enough, all these conflicts would disappear.

But there was one truth: in her past life, the original Qingli had gone above and beyond for this younger brother. And what had she received in return?

Human nature is fickle. It wasn’t that her parents didn’t care about her anymore—they’d simply grown used to exploiting her. After twenty years of being a doormat, their habits became second nature. When she started resisting, she was seen as a burden.

As for her younger brother, years of taking from her without consequences had turned him into an ungrateful leech. Qingli had no intention of letting such a person spend her hard-earned money.

Instead, she planned to stick to the original Qingli’s trajectory.

Before long, her parents would have a son. His health wouldn’t be great, and they’d pour all their energy into caring for him. To give him a house, a car, and a dowry, they’d start cutting corners on Qingli’s expenses. Eventually, they’d even stop supporting her education.

Her plan was clear: focus on earning money.

Sticking to her current capabilities, Qingli decided to avoid overreaching. After thinking it through, she searched online for tutoring jobs.

Law was a prestigious and respected career, but it required significant skills. As a sophomore, she was still in school and not yet ready for an internship at a law firm, where even doing errands might be a challenge.

However, her academic performance was excellent, and she was attending the top-ranked school for her field in the country. Tutoring would be a perfect fit.

Qingli contacted all the jobs she was interested in, but without an immediate response, she impulsively bought a plane ticket, spending most of the money in her account. After that, she returned to her dorm.

Her roommates were surprised to see her back. “Weren’t you out on a date? It’s your boyfriend’s birthday, right?”

Qingli smiled and replied, “No, they’re celebrating at a bar, and I’m not a fan of bars.”