strictlysupreme Chapter 1 Bad News
Chapter 1 Bad News
My name is Xu Xiaoxiao. I am 16 years old and a high school sophomore. I am a girl with a rather tragic background. I used to have a happy family with loving parents who would always side with me no matter what I did. But all of that was gone overnight.
My father was in a car accident on his way to work. He was rushed to the hospital but could not be saved. My mother suffered a heart attack due to the shock. When I arrived at the hospital after receiving the news, all I could see was my mother holding on to her last breath and saying, "Xiaoxiao, your father and I are sorry. We can't be with you anymore. You have to take good care of yourself..." Then she passed away with tears in her eyes. Perhaps God saw that I was too happy, so He took everything away from me.
My mind went blank. I sat limply by the hospital bed, my lips trembling. I couldn't believe that the person who had smiled at me that morning and told me to be careful on the road was gone forever.
People were coming and going in the ward, and I couldn't hear what they were saying anymore. They were probably making arrangements for my parents' funerals.
Three days later at my parents' funeral, I was in a daze, like a puppet, staring at my parents' portraits without any expression or tears. Maybe I had cried all my tears beforehand.
My uncle arranged the funeral. My father only had two brothers, and they got along quite well. My maternal grandparents also passed away years ago. I don't know which relative was muttering, "Look at this girl, not even crying at her own parents' funeral... what a waste of her upbringing."
"Say less. Look how pale she is, like a sheet of paper. She must be heartbroken."
After the funeral, all the guests left, but I lingered. I really wanted to go with my parents, so they could still be with me. But I couldn't live on because of their wish for me to. Tears welled up and wouldn't stop. I would never have parents again. I cried until no more tears came, only sobs remained...
I don't know how much time passed, but someone patted my shoulder. I saw a man who looked a lot like my father. I thought it was my father coming back, until he touched my head and said, "Xiaoxiao, your parents hope you can cheer up and live a good life. After today, you need to slowly get through this. From now on, you can live with your uncle and aunt. We will take good care of you."
But I knew I couldn't get over it. I opened my mouth to reply, but my voice was hoarse, choked with sobs, and I couldn't make out the words, "Um... um... I will... be... okay..."
My uncle's family also has a son and a daughter. They have a three-bedroom, one-living-room house, and there wasn't any extra room for me to live in. So I ended up sharing a room with my cousin. My parents' original house was rented. I was spoiled and didn't know how to handle my parents' funeral arrangements, so I listened to my uncle and aunt.
Since I was living under someone else's roof, my uncle treated me quite well. He shared the same food and clothes as my cousin and often told me not to be shy and to treat him like family. As I gradually learned more, I started helping my aunt with chores that I had never done before. I didn't dare to be picky about food or eat too much, for fear of being seen as a burden. I had no other relatives after my parents passed away, and only my uncle's family was willing to take me in.
My fears came true. My usually gentle aunt often said things that, although I'm not very good at social niceties, I could still tell that she didn't like me and thought I was getting old and was just eating and living at her house for free.
I'm 17 years old, not young anymore. Before I knew it, my parents had been gone for a year. Every time I think about them, my heart aches. Later, I learned that my father had received compensation for his car accident. My uncle didn't tell me the exact amount. One night, I overheard them talking about this topic and learned that the compensation was over 50 yuan. I didn't want it. Since they are brothers and have taken care of me, I'll pretend I don't know if they don't tell me.
My uncle and aunt often argued over trivial matters. Every time I saw my uncle smoking on the balcony after an argument, looking into the distance with a lonely figure, I felt sad because many of their arguments were caused by her being in the family. I decided to have a serious talk with my uncle and not pretend I didn't know, so as not to affect another family.
"Uncle, why aren't you resting so late?"
"Xiaoxiao, why aren't you resting? Did I wake you up?" My uncle turned around and saw me walking over. He answered me while stubbing out his cigarette in the ashtray.
"Uncle, there's something I need to tell you, something I've been meaning to say for a while," I said as I slowly walked to the edge of the balcony.
"I've been a bit busy lately and haven't had time to spend with you guys. Let's go inside and talk; it's a bit windy outside," my uncle gestured for me to go back inside.
Now that the National Day holiday is over, it's still a bit chilly in Guangzhou at night.
"Uncle, I wanted to tell you that I'm now a senior in high school, and I have a lot of schoolwork. I'd like to live in the school dormitory so I can have more time to study."
After I finished speaking, I looked at my uncle cautiously, nervously clutching the hem of my clothes, worried that he might disagree, but also worried that he might agree too quickly.
The uncle frowned before saying, "Did your aunt say something to you? Xiaoxiao, don't listen to what your aunt has to say. With your uncle here, this is your home."
"Uncle, please don't misunderstand. It's my own thought. You see, I'm a senior in high school now, and my grades aren't very good, so I want to dedicate more time to studying, hoping to get into a good university later."
I was happy to see my uncle trying so hard to persuade me to give up the idea of living in the school dormitory. It meant that my uncle still cared about me, and I couldn't let him be caught in the middle with my aunt.
With tears welling up in my eyes, I smiled and said to my uncle, "Thank you, Uncle, but I've made up my mind. I'll come back to visit you, my aunt, and my cousins during my holidays."
Actually, my grades didn't improve that year; in fact, they declined a lot. Maybe it was because my mindset changed. Later, I barely got into a second-tier university and chose a science major that I was good at.
In order not to trouble my uncles, I earn some pocket money in addition to studying. I do some part-time jobs, such as restaurant waitress, milk tea shop, handing out flyers, and working as a hostess. My appearance is average, but I am considered pretty. I am 160 cm tall, but not particularly outstanding.
My four years of university passed by uneventfully. There was no passionate campus romance, nor any close friends. Since my parents passed away, my personality has changed. I've become lonely, preferring to be alone. I don't like to talk about things, and I deal with problems on my own. I don't like to bother others, and I don't actively seek out friends unless they initiate the conversation. I know this state of mind isn't good, but I feel powerless to change it.