We're All Family

Lu Xinnuan went off by herself, as if venting her emotions.

"But I'm innocent too… We couldn't help it…"

"Mom has always blamed herself. She only recovered after we travelled to unwind for two months. Even now, she's forced to work in uncle's company to pay back the debt, at such low wages too…"

Even though the Lu Family started off with factories, climbed their way to the top ten richest families and could be considered an elite in Wu City, the riches belonged to their uncle. Her family was worse off than commoners.

They borrowed money, so they were in debt.

The only thing they got out of their situation was their status as a member of the Lu Family.

"We're all family at the end of the day, right?"

Lu Mian looked up confusedly when she heard crying.

What did she do to make Lu Xinnuan cry this time?

Lu Mian was confused and impatient. She then broke into a wry smile.

She was smiling, but it was cold.

It was like a winter day's sun; it seemed warm, but it was cold to the bone.

"Don't cry." Lu Mian looked at her, as if mockingly, while she thumbed through the pages of the book. "If mom saw, I'll be the one in trouble."

"…" Lu Xinnuan did not expect her to say that. She bit her lips as her face turned crimson.

Everything she said seemed to be a farce that Lu Mian had seen right through and put to an end on the spot.

"Time for dinner!"

Fu Man's voice from downstairs rescued Lu Xinnuan from her awkwardness.

"Anyway, you should take mom into consideration. Come down for dinner!" She said quickly as she wiped her tears.

There were three dishes and soup on the dining table.

On a plate in the middle of the table were two burgers, that stuck out like a sore thumb.

It was considered sumptuous for three people.

Father Lu, Lu Zhizhai, was not returning home for dinner.

Lu Xinnuan and Lu Mian each took their seats.

The ambiance… was cold and eerie.

The plate of burgers was pushed in front of Lu Mian. "This is your favourite. I tried making two, have a taste. It's cleaner and more nutritious than outside."

Lu Mian picked the burger up and ate it slowly.

Eating a burger was nothing glamorous, but it looked good when Lu Mian was doing it.

She ate the burgers silently, not intending to speak at all.

Fu Man's mouth was half opened. Her heart was heavy with complex emotions.

She looked towards the empty master seat, eye hers filled with indignance and unhappiness.

Her eldest daughter was a handful, and her husband was estranged.

Lu Zhizhai was managing the struggling factory out of town, and only returned home twice a month.

Of course, he was not willing to return either.

Lu Zhizhai and Fu Man's relationship had been facing problems. Poor couples have a hundred problems, and the couple had threatened to divorce countless times.

But Fu Man felt that a divorce was disgraceful and refused, so they never went through with it.

Lu Zhizhai returned home less frequently from then on, and their relationship turned cold.

He did not even show up when Lu Mian returned safely.

Fu Man was just a common woman with conservative thoughts. She could do nothing but swallow all her sorrows in marriage.

Thankfully she could still count on Xinnuan.

After Xinnuan graduated from high school, got into a good university and married into a good family, no one would look down on them.

As for her eldest daughter…

Fu Man recalled the two troubling phone calls that she had received earlier in the day.