The old woman slapped the ground again and again, sobbing uncontrollably.
Her face was a mess of snot and tears. She was a pitiful sight.
Watching his mother cry, Chen Lin felt a knot tighten in his chest.
It wasn't because his mother's crude behavior embarrassed him. It was because he couldn't stomach it—why was he stuck selling flatbreads on the street, dirt-poor all year round?
Meanwhile, his older brother was not only a respectable county deputy, greeted and fawned over wherever he went, but he could also afford to give his niece a dowry of gold, fertile land, and even a shop.
'If he gives so much to a daughter who's marrying out of the family, my brother must have far more silver tucked away, right?'
'He was only promoted this month. Before that, he was just an insignificant constable at the government office, and only for three years…'
'It's just as people say: it doesn't matter what color robes the officials in the government office wear—their hearts are all black.'
