There was a slight drizzle. As she happily approached the entrance of the alley, she hesitated for a moment. Standing under the eaves of a stranger's house, she gazed at the rain that fell like silver threads. Her hair, a little yellowed, just brushed her shoulders. Her bangs were slightly overgrown, covering her lashes and giving her eyes a misty look. "What should I do now? How am I supposed to get back to school this afternoon if my clothes get wet? I haven’t even had time to wash the clothes I changed out of yesterday in my apartment..." She glanced down at her shoes and finally, with a sigh of determination, raised her schoolbag above her head and ran towards the house at the far end of the alley.

As she pushed open the rusty door, she immediately heard her stepmother, Cadwyn Babbs, yelling in her usual harsh voice from inside, "Drink, drink, drink! One day you'll drink yourself to death, and let's see who's going to take care of your burial then!"

Jackie’s heart tightened with pain. She kept her head down as she retreated to her room, but she was spotted by Cadwyn Babbs' daughter. The little girl immediately rushed out, standing in front of her and shouting arrogantly, "Jackie! Trying to shirk your chores and sneak away?"

Jackie had no choice but to stop in her tracks. She lowered her head and mumbled, "Mom. Dad."

Cadwyn Babbs shot her a scornful look as she brought dishes from the kitchen to the table, one by one. "Can't you come help me? What a waste of space."

"I provide living expenses for the family," Jackie muttered, feeling a surge of frustration. She gave them 1,000 yuan every month but had barely eaten any of the meals her stepmother cooked.

Bang! Cadwyn Babbs slammed the bowl of rice in her hand onto the table, her eyes wide with rage. "Do you even know how much prices have gone up? Do you know how much a kilogram of meat costs? Or fish? And what about the water and gas bills? You come home every day, using water to wash your clothes and your hair, and then you have the nerve to bring up school uniform money? You want to argue with me about finances, but I haven’t even settled my accounts with you yet!"

Jackie frowned, her sense of injustice deepening as she looked at her drunken father. Eventually, she backed down. "I don’t eat much. I’ve always tried to save water..."

"Save? Don't make me laugh, Jackie. I've been married into this family for eight years, and I don't even know how much of my dowry I’ve spent. Let’s not beat around the bush today." Cadwyn Babbs pulled out a chair and sat down. Her daughter, Hadley, came out of her room, glaring at Jackie.

"Did you annoy her again? You’re really getting on my nerves!" Hadley shouted.

"You should be graduating next year, Jackie. You’re not getting any younger, and the neighbors are all gossiping about you. It’s time you got engaged. Aunt Mabella from next door has offered to be your matchmaker. The man’s the owner of a small computer company. He’s only in his forties and recently lost his wife. If you marry him, you’ll have high social status as his wife. You’d wear gold and silver, and he could help your sister find a good job and marry well too..."

"If that’s such a great deal, why don’t you marry Hadley off to him instead? I already have a boyfriend," Jackie retorted, feeling her blood boil. Was her stepmother really trying to sell her off like she was some kind of commodity?

"Hadley’s still young! How dare you suggest that?!" Cadwyn Babbs immediately shot up, her feathers ruffled like a chicken, pointing accusingly at Jackie.

"Jackie, who do you think you are? You want me to marry a bald, middle-aged businessman? You must be insane!" Hadley chimed in, pointing at her mockingly from behind her mother.

"Why me? Why do I have to marry him? I don’t want to marry some bald old man! Why should I be the one? If you’re so eager for a match, have your daughter marry him and stop controlling my life!" Jackie’s voice rose with anger, her face flushed red as her fists clenched tightly. She didn’t want to get married! She still had a future ahead of her!

a slight drizzle. When she walked happily to the entrance of the alley, she hesitated for a moment. She stood under the eaves of someone else and looked at the silver silk-like rain. Her hair was a little yellow, just enough to reach her shoulders. Her bangs were a little longer, covering her eyelashes, which made her eyes misty. "How is this good? How can I go back to school in the afternoon if my clothes are wet? I haven't had time to wash the clothes I changed yesterday in my apartment..." She looked down at her shoes and finally gritted her teeth. She raised her schoolbag above her head and ran to the house in the depths of the alley.

Pushing open the rusty door, he immediately heard his stepmother, Cadwyn Babbs, shout in a scary voice in the room, "Drink, drink, drink. Sooner or later, I will drink you to death, and see who will send you to your end!"

Jackie's heart ached. She lowered her head and stepped back to her room, but was seen by the little girl brought by Cadwyn Babbs. She immediately rushed out to stand in front of her and shouted arrogantly, "Jackie, don't you want to do housework and hide from leisure?"

Jackie had no choice but to stop. She lowered her head and muttered, "Mom, Dad."

Huang Cadwyn Babbs rolled her eyes at her and put the dishes on the table one by one from the kitchen. "Can't you come and help me? It's really a waste of money."

"I have the living expenses for the family." Jackie looked at her with some anger. She had given the family 1,000 yuan every month, but she had not eaten the food made by her stepmother several times.

Bang! slammed the bowl of rice in her hand, and her eyes widened in horror. "Do you know how much the price has increased? Do you know how much the meat costs one kilogram, and how much the fish costs? What about the cost of water and gas? You go home every day to boil water, wash your clothes and hair, and buy the money for the school uniform? You can settle accounts with me, but I haven't settled with you yet."Jackie frowned more tightly. She looked at her father, who was drunk, with grievance, and finally took a step back. "I didn't eat much. I've always saved water..."

"Save it? Don't laugh at Jackie. I've been married for eight years, and I don't know how much money I have paid for my dowry. I won't beat around the bush with you today..." Cadwyn Babbs pulled a chair to sit down. Her daughter, Hadley, came out of the room and glared at her. "Did you make me angry again? It's really annoying!"

"You should graduate next year. You're old and your neighbors are all gossiping about you. It's time for you to get engaged. Auntie Mabella next door will be your matchmaker. She's the boss of a small computer company. She's only in her forties this year. She just lost her wife. When you get married, even the boss's wife will be considered to be of high social status. It's not a big deal to wear gold and silver. She can also help your sister find a good job and marry a good family..."

"If that's the case, why don't you let Moyang marry her? I already have a boyfriend." When she heard this, she couldn't help but feel her blood boil. Being a matchmaker wasn't just to make her sell for a good price!

"How old is Hadley? How can we, Hadley, continue to string?" Hearing this, Cadwyn Babbs immediately jumped up like a chicken with its feathers standing on end and pointed at her nose and scolded!

"Jackie, what right do you have to do this to me? You want me to marry a bald little boss? You're so dark!" Hadley pointed at his nose in a strange way and shouted behind Cadwyn Babbs!

"I can't do it. Why do I have to do it? I don't want to marry the bald old man. Why do I have to marry him? If your daughter marries him, you can control me!" She raised her head with an unconvinced look, and her whole face turned red with anger. She couldn't help clenching her fists. She didn't want to get married! She still had a family!