The Female Lead Decides to Act Wickedly
Chapter 222 - 119: The Mother Who Favors Sons Over Daughters (Part 6)_2

Chapter 222: Chapter 119: The Mother Who Favors Sons Over Daughters (Part 6)_2

Zhaojiawa was indeed very poor, and electricity had only reached them a couple of years ago.

However, there was a telephone at the village committee, usually locked in a wooden box by the village head.

Except when there were notices from the county or town, or when the village officials needed to make calls, the keys would be taken out to unlock it.

"Oh? Xiaoya is getting quite capable, even knowing how to make phone calls!"

He Tiantian smiled and complimented Zhao Xiaoya.

Zhao Xiaoya pursed her lips shyly; she did not speak, but her heart was leaping with joy.

At the age of seven, in her limited memory, it seemed her parents had never praised her.

No matter how hardworking she was or how sensible she acted, she never received a word of praise.

On the contrary, her real mother would sometimes frown upon seeing her, occasionally saying, "What’s the use of being capable? No matter how capable, you’re still a loss!"

A loss!

Yes, she was seen as a loss in her parents’ eyes, a useless girl to the villagers.

Even her sister, grandparents, and parents disapproved of her.

Xiaoya always wondered why she and her sister were considered a loss.

Take her sister for example, this time, their real mother handed her over to Aunt Hua and instantly got back two thousand yuan.

And her cousin from her uncle’s family, he had an engagement last month, and just the bride price cost three thousand.

It was said that the girl’s family demanded a new house be built and insisted her cousin buy an apartment in town—even if not to live in, it was mandatory to purchase.

All in all, it probably cost tens of thousands.

...So, who exactly was at a loss?

You see, her sister had only attended elementary school for two years until she was fifteen, and it was free.

She only paid 30 cents for miscellaneous fees and spent a few cents on notebooks and pencils.

Together, it didn’t even amount to 50 yuan over two years.

Her cousin, on the other hand, after failing to get into vocational or high school post-middle school, was sent by their uncle to a technical school.

The tuition fee alone was over a thousand a year, not to mention boarding and living expenses.

Well, after two years in technical school, whether he learned any skills was unknown, but he certainly spent a considerable amount of money.

Of course, it’s not to say that studying in technical school was entirely fruitless—after all, his wife was a classmate from there.

It was supposedly a love match.

But love aside, when it came to discussing the dowry, the wedding house, and the wedding gold, the girl was very clear about her demands.

His uncle and aunt, the parents, were so stressed their hair turned white; they even came to borrow money from her father a few days ago.

Tsk!

Zhao Xiaoya didn’t mean her uncle shouldn’t borrow money from her family.

Rather, she thought that her uncle must have exhausted all his options and still hadn’t borrowed enough, which was why he came to them as a last resort!

Because everyone in the village knew her father, Zhao Baozhu, was useless.

While more than half of the village had new brick and tile houses, their family still lived in the crude mud houses allocated during the house separation.

Her capable uncle rarely visited their house normally.

Yet this time, he came despite his reluctance, evidently desperate.

All because his son was getting married, causing the normally proud uncle to suck up to her useless father with a placating smile.

Tsk tsk!

Zhao Xiaoya felt, instead, that her cousin was a real financial drain!

Ever since childhood, this nearly twenty-year-old had only been seen spending money like water, never bringing a penny back home!

...Oops, she had digressed. Zhao Xiaoya quickly refocused her thoughts.

She pursed her lips, her eyes wide with surprise: My mom praised me today!

That feeling of being acknowledged, being approved—it was wonderful!

He Tiantian pretended not to notice Zhao Xiaoya’s excitement and continued looking around.

She found a small supermarket by the roadside, where there was a public phone that could make domestic long-distance calls.

He Tiantian tightly held the child’s hand, her body stiff as if mustering great courage before she asked the store owner with a heavy local accent in Mandarin, "Comrade, I, I want to make a phone call!"

"Long-distance is 30 cents a minute," the owner didn’t laugh at He Tiantian, as he was used to seeing such rustic out-of-towners.

"That expensive? It costs 30 cents just to make a call?" He Tiantian feigned surprise.

The owner merely shrugged, not saying much.

The price is what it is—take it or leave it!

However, He Tiantian put on a hesitant expression, and after a long while, she pulled out a crumpled one-yuan note from her pocket.

"Make sure to include the area code for out-of-province calls, don’t dial it wrong!"

Seeing He Tiantian pulling out a slip of paper with a phone number from her pocket, the experienced owner kindly reminded her.

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