"Since middle school, I've gone to school while washing dishes for other people, earning my own tuition and covering your and Grandma's living expenses. Later, I resolutely gave up the chance to attend vocational school and chose to come alone to the south to work, supporting you through junior high, high school, and university."
"When you compared yourself with your classmates and wanted Lenin-brand sportswear and shoes, I'd rather chew on a steamed bun for a whole day than spend the money on myself. I saved it and sent it to you."
"After you entered university, you envied the city girls who had pagers and cell phones. I couldn't even bear to buy one for myself, yet I immediately mailed the money to you."
"When you wore famous-brand sportswear and shoes and carried a nice bag, I wore only a few sets of factory uniforms all year round and carried canvas bags that cost just a few yuan."
"For your sake, men pursued me over the years, but I never agreed to marry any of them. I was afraid that after getting married, I wouldn't be able to support your education or take care of you. And now, is this how you repay me?"
The more Su Ya Ni listened, the redder her face became. She was mortified. "Sis, I... I..."
But Su Qiao had no interest in listening to even a single word of her nonsense.
"You said you were living under someone else's roof at Uncle's house and having a hard time. You started boarding at school in junior high and had never felt what it was like to have a home. But do you know where I lived back then?"
"I squeezed into a room of barely a dozen square meters with more than a dozen strangers.