Chapter 216 Brother and Sister Ting’s Parallel Universe (1)

(The following four chapters are all about the parallel universe of Brother Tingmei, buy them if you need them)
Liu Tingmei glanced at the admission letter placed in the most conspicuous place in the main hall, and then looked at her parents’ smug faces in front of relatives and neighbors. She felt that the joy of being admitted to her favorite university was gradually disappearing.

The county and town both gave bonuses, plus gifts from others, the total was nearly 30,000 yuan.

Liu Tingmei said to her mother: “Mom, don’t spend the gift money carelessly. First, I have to repay the favor in the future. Second, the tuition and accommodation are 1500 yuan, and my monthly living expenses are high in BJ, so it’s at least yuan a month.”

When her mother heard this, she hesitated and didn’t say how much she could give.

A few days later, her brother got a new Apple phone.

At that time, Liu Tingmei only had a smartphone worth more than 1,000 yuan, which she bought secretly with her scholarship. She told her parents that it was an old phone lent to her by a classmate.

The iPhone incident made Liu Tingmei furious. She yelled at home, “He’s only in the first year of high school. It’s the time for him to study hard. Why does he need a phone? Is he going to play with it every day? And he bought such an expensive phone. What’s your family’s financial situation? How much bonus do I have left for getting into college?”

At that time, Liu Tingmei really felt helpless. Both of her parents were idle, lazy and greedy. Their monthly income was barely enough to support the family. Liu Tingmei spent three years in high school, relying on the school’s tuition reduction and the help of her kind relatives, friends and teachers. She remembered those who helped her. But who can choose their parents?
A few months before the college entrance examination, something happened that almost made Liu Tingmei collapse.

In winter, it snowed heavily. Liu Tingmei went home for the winter vacation. Her parents were afraid that one of the old houses would collapse, so they insisted that she go up to sweep the snow. As a result, she accidentally fell down and broke her right hand. When the news got back to the county, everyone from the principal to the class teacher to the classmates were anxious. The principal simply asked someone to drive to the village to take her to the county hospital for a plaster cast, fearing that it would affect the college entrance examination. And her class teacher asked his wife to stew pig’s trotter soup, bone soup, and fish soup every now and then, and secretly gave them to her. Her parents, although embarrassed, scolded her and said it was all her fault for being clumsy.

“If this affects your college entrance exam, that would be your fate! A girl is ultimately unreliable and could fail at the critical moment.” Her father said.

Nutritional supplements, soup, none at all.

“Our family is poor, so we’re sorry to bother the school and teachers,” her mother said with tears of gratitude.

Liu Tingmei was really scared that time. After the fall, she couldn’t hold a pen for a month, and her review was delayed for a month. She was also afraid that her hand would not be fully healed by the time of the college entrance examination, which would affect her performance.

Fortunately, young people recover quickly. The plaster was removed in a month and he was back to normal in a month and a half.

But from that time on, Liu Tingmei felt that a certain place in her heart had completely cooled down. In fact, there had been a little bit of chill flowing in from a long time ago, accumulating day by day, and always at some unexpected moment, Liu Tingmei felt a deep pain in her bones. She had always pretended not to see it. She had always thought that when she graduated in the future, she would just fulfill her filial duty. After all, her parents gave birth to her and raised her. Although she always ranked behind her younger brother in everything at home, they did not lack her food, clothing, shelter and transportation. In the future, she would help her younger brother appropriately, but she would never become a brother-supporting demon.

But no matter what, they couldn’t affect her college entrance examination, which was all her hope and passion, and her bright future. But they didn’t take it seriously and didn’t take responsibility. Especially after she returned to school with a broken bone, everyone was angry for her, saying how could a prospective college entrance examination candidate be asked to do such a dangerous job, saying that her parents were too son-in-law and told her not to recognize them in the future. Although Liu Tingmei was silent, she heard everything.

Therefore, when she saw her parents used the money they earned from college to buy her younger brother a flashy mobile phone, she was furious. After the anger, she felt even more disappointed.

After she yelled, her parents were a little confused at first. After all, their daughter was admitted to such a good university, and they had to look up to her. But the couple quickly reacted and scolded her one after another.

“Do you really think that’s your money? If we hadn’t supported your studies, would you have been able to go to Peking University?”

“What do you mean her money? This is the family’s money!” her father said angrily, “The family’s money belongs to my brother! I only have this one son!”

Her mother advised earnestly: “Sister Ting, no matter what university you get into, where you work in the future, or when you get married, a woman has to rely on her natal family, on your brother. He is the only legitimate grandson of your grandparents, and will be the pillar of the Liu family in the future. You are also a member of the Liu family, how can you be so picky with your brother?”

“Let her work and study! Earn her own tuition!” her father yelled, “So many college students work and study, and they can also subsidize the family. The money given by the county and town should be used as living expenses. She has been in high school for a few years, and everything costs money. The family has been empty a long time ago. Are we going to watch her live a comfortable life in Beijing and let our family of three starve?”

Her brother was laughing beside her, playing with his phone and laughing coldly. Liu Tingmei couldn’t say a word.

Only then did she realize that nothing had changed. Even if she was admitted to Peking University, nothing would change. She was still the lowest and least cared for one in the family. Her father used anger and strength to cover up his incompetence, and her mother used understanding to cover up her partiality.

Some thoughts died completely, and some ideas surfaced coldly and stubbornly.

She didn’t want to go back to this house. She thought, really not. When she went to college and went to BJ, did they really think they could still control her?
Liu Tingmei is the extra Liu Tingmei in this family.

But she is also Liu Tingmei, a senior in the third grade of Xiongba County Middle School. With the receipt of the admission letter from Peking University, the stubborn pride in her bones could no longer be suppressed.

She said nothing and went back to her room amid the voices of her parents.

A few days later, Liu Tingmei smiled and acted as if nothing had happened. She asked her mother for the first year’s tuition and accommodation fees, saying that the school required them to be paid in advance. She also asked her class teacher to call and explain the matter. Her mother believed it and gave her the money.

The next day, she said she was going to Xiangcheng to work and earn a living.

“I have been reflecting on myself these days. My parents are right. I am old enough now and I am more capable of getting into Peking University. My brother is in high school and the expenses at home are still high. I should earn my own living expenses.” She said excitedly, “If I earn more, I can also subsidize my brother.”

Her father was happy to hear this and said, “You’ve finally grown up. We’re a family, how could I harm you? This is all for your own good. When you graduate, work hard and take your brother to Beijing to find a job. Then our whole family will be residents of the capital.”

Liu Tingmei answered yes immediately.

Her brother also started to tremble, saying, “Sister, if you go to BJ and find anything interesting, buy it for me and send it back.” Liu Ting’s sister said, “Leave it to me.”

Her mother may still feel a little sorry for her, so she secretly gave her a thousand yuan before she left. Liu Tingmei took it with a smile and said, “How much money do I have left from the money I got for entering the university?”

Her mother stopped talking again.

–

The class teacher helped Liu Tingmei find a job. He has several friends who run education and training institutions in Xiangcheng. They are formal and informal, but they have their own informal ways. Liu Tingmei was admitted to Peking University and ranked third in the city. She can work as a part-time teacher during the summer vacation, or share her fresh college entrance examination experience with students. All these are money.

Liu Tingmei taught five classes a week at the institution and could earn 1000 yuan. But this was not enough. She thought about it and told the person in charge of the training institution about her situation. She wanted to do one-on-one tutoring to make money faster.

This made the head of the institution worried. It’s not that they couldn’t find one, but Liu Tingmei was too beautiful. If she really went to other people’s homes for one-on-one tutoring, what if she met a parent with bad intentions and suffered a loss? But he was the best brother of the head teacher in his hometown. He was honest and enthusiastic. He really found two suitable jobs for Liu Tingmei. One was to tutor the eldest grandson of the vice president of the Police Academy in mathematics; the other was to tutor the daughter of a single mother who was doing business in all subjects. Both families paid a lot of money, and they were decent families, so their safety was guaranteed. Liu Tingmei was very grateful. After class at the institution every day, she went to these two families for tutoring. Although she didn’t have much experience, she was very serious. She prepared lessons until late every day according to the children’s situation, and she taught with all her heart and strength. Both families also had a good impression of her.

However, she would only answer one out of ten calls from home. She told her family that she couldn’t get any training jobs because there were too many teachers and the management was strict. She didn’t have a teaching certificate and couldn’t get a job. She said she was working in a restaurant now, and she was frugal every day. She could save about 3000 in two months, which was barely enough for two months of living expenses. She asked her mother if she could give her another 3000. Her mother immediately said she had something to do and hung up the phone.

Liu Tingmei hung up the phone and just sneered. Looking at the 4000 yuan saved in her account in just half a month, she suddenly realized that this didn’t feel bad.

Everything they had taught her since she was a child was wrong. This was her life.