Chapter 24 Aunt 6_1

Time flew, and it was time for He Zhilan to set off to the capital. The capital was not far from where He Teng was stationed, so He Teng ended his vacation early to take He Zhilan to Capital University.

He Teng and He Zhilan left the village one day early to go to their aunt's house in the town, planning to stay one night. This was something her aunt had specifically requested.

He Hongmei had been waiting for He Teng and He Zhilan since early morning, and she was somewhat happy to see them.

"Auntie," Zhilan greeted her when she saw her, "And Uncle."

Liang Tao nodded, "I have to go to work. You two stay here with your aunt. I'll be back in the afternoon to eat with you."

He Hongmei took He Teng and He Zhilan into the house after sending her husband off to work, noticing that Zhilan had started taking the initiative to greet others, a small smile appeared in her eyes. Knowing that usually Zhilan contained her emotions and rarely greeted anyone, she practically preferred to play mute in front of others.

"Sit down quickly. That girl Liang Jing stayed at her friend's house last night and probably won't be back for a while," He Hongmei really cared for her nephew and niece, she started washing and preparing fruits for He Teng and Zhilan while talking. "In a while, we'll go to the county savings bank to withdraw your tuition money, Zhilan. Then, we will take you to the county to buy some new clothes. Living in the capital is not the same as living here. The capital is a bustling city. Even though we are not a rich family, you cannot be too shabby when you go to school, otherwise, people will look down on you and you'll be prone to bullying."

Zhilan was stunned by what she heard and waved her hands in protest, "Auntie, let's not do that. Everything in the county is too expensive, the clothes I am wearing now are fine, as long as they're clean. We are poor, and there's no use pretending otherwise. Besides, being poor is not disgraceful, it's better not to spend the money!"

Zhilan was already grateful for the opportunity to go to university, especially because He Hongmei had lent her money to do so without any harsh refusal like before.

Although Zhilan knew that He Hongmei's current life was better than before, she also deeply understood that money didn't come easily, it was hard-earned. To Zhilan, buying new clothes in the county was just a waste of money.

However, as an aunt, He Hongmei thought it was her prerogative to decide whether to buy new clothes for her niece. Hearing the sensible words of Zhilan, she felt truly grateful for her.

He Hongmei only half believed when He Teng told her Zhilan had changed. Now, she was convinced. Whether Zhilan was pretending or really meant what she said, what mattered most was that her words were comforting to He Hongmei.

He Hongmei was the type of a person, that the more you made her feel comfortable, the more she wanted to make you feel comfortable. The more sincerely Zhilan refused, the more Hongmei insisted on buying new clothes for her!

"Zhilan, let me tell you, I have been where you are. When I was your age and went off to university, my family's living condition wasn't any better than now. I was the youngest in my family. Your father and uncle supported my studies despite their hard times, they even borrowed money for my tuition. Back then, I was ridiculed for my old grey clothes in the city. Let me tell you, there're plenty of people in big cities who love to bully those from the countryside. At school, you won't have anyone protecting you like at home. You should swallow some of your pride when necessary, but you also need to stand up for yourself, otherwise, others will continue to bully you."