The northern winter is very cold, especially after the Great Cold. Not to mention that Ye Ling's clothes weren't warm. Within less than a minute outside, she was already chilled to the bone. Once the cold seeped in, Ye Ling regretted coming out.
Before she could voice her reason to go inside, a group of fourteen or fifteen-year-olds had already emerged from the small grove on the east side of the compound and rushed straight to Ye Qian.
In the early 1980s, people generally wore similar clothes, and the primary colors were just a few: dark green, olive green, and gray. Women could sometimes wear red-white checkered patterns or white, while middle-aged and older people typically wore work clothes made of gray or dark blue polyester. In winter, it was a gray overcoat; those more particular would wear a Zhongshan suit.
The kids in front of her mostly wore clothes altered from their parents' dark green attire. Wearing a dark green Zhongshan suit at that time was something many envied. Therefore, the kids in the compound naturally felt a sense of superiority in such attire. However, Ye Qian, wearing her pink girl's clothes, appeared quite petite.
With the rustic Ye Ling standing aside, Ye Qian's petite beauty was even more highlighted.
Ye Ling didn't have to do anything. Just by standing next to Ye Qian, she immediately attracted all the children's eyes. In fact, they didn't shun Ye Ling; they all knew the Ye Family had two daughters, who grew up in the countryside. In the earlier years, Ye Ling had also visited the compound, and her rustic style was etched in everyone's memories.
Now, on the verge of graduating from junior high, seeing her again, they realized she was just as rustic. Some kids, who were good at concealing their thoughts, didn't show it on their faces, but others displayed it directly.
Ye Qian pulled Ye Ling over but then seemed to remember something and quickly let go. Seeing Ye Ling wasn't angry, she introduced her to the people in front, "This is my sister, who just arrived with my grandmother today."
Ye Qian was the undisputed little princess of the compound. Although Mr. Ye's position was not high, Ye Qian was sweet and good at appeasing people, making everyone in the compound like her. As a result, the children treated her like a princess.
Always liked by everyone, Ye Qian's cautious demeanor towards her sister couldn't help but spark speculation. The children's gazes towards Ye Ling became hostile.
If this were the past life, Ye Ling wouldn't have thought much about Ye Qian's gesture. After all, at home earlier, she had mentioned not liking to be close to others. Ye Qian had just remembered it, which seemed normal.
But at the end of her last life, when Ye Qian brought up many past incidents, it made Ye Ling realize that Ye Qian's current action was definitely deliberate.
Ye Ling didn't bother with the hostile gazes directed at her. After all, she never intended to interact with the kids in the compound. In this life, she planned to focus on her studies, and it wouldn't be long before their father got transferred, severing connections with people in the compound. So, she didn't care about their impressions of her.
Ye Qian saw her sister not greeting anyone but instead turning her head to look at her, timidly and softly asked, "Sister, what's wrong?"
Seeing her sister silent but with a mocking smile on her face made Ye Qian even more unsettled.
Over there, Jiang Yan, who was good friends with Ye Qian, came out; her two braids were neatly braided, just reaching halfway over her shoulders. She raised her chin and said, "Ye Qian, your sister probably doesn't like playing with us. Let's go and see Liu Zhiyuan and others catch sparrows over there."
Jiang Yan's words immediately excluded Ye Ling from the group.
There were also some boys who, having waited impatiently, left the girls and headed into the grove again. In the northern winter, kids loved using glue traps to catch sparrows, plucking the feathers with hot water, then frying them with oil or roasting them in the stove without removing the feathers. Not everyone got to eat that.
Now only Jiang Yan and another girl were left. Ye Ling knew both of them. Though the compound didn't have many children, they were divided into two groups: children from the company management and children from the logistics department. Jiang Yan and her group were from the logistics families, including Ye Qian.
Kids from both sides always clashed, but Ye Qian managed to win over both groups.
As for the girl beside Jiang Yan, she was Song Mei, a child of a management level deputy manager.
Ye Qian's words pulled Ye Ling's mind back, "Jiang Yan, you guys go ahead. My sister just arrived, so I won't be playing with you these few days."
Jiang Yan glanced at Ye Ling and called out to Song Mei, "Let's go."
She didn't say much more.
Ye Qian looked a bit embarrassed, "Sister, don't overthink. They're just not familiar with you yet. Give it a few days."
"Didn't you just remember that I don't like being close to others? Naturally, I don't like playing with others, either. Go play; I'll head home myself," Ye Ling looked at Ye Qian with mocking eyes, then turned and started walking home.
Liu Zhiyuan?
The man she secretly loved in her past life but who pushed her into an abyss.
In this new life, hearing his name didn't stir much in her, just as if she heard a familiar ordinary friend's name. But was he a friend?
Recalling his disdain for her, Ye Ling took a deep breath. She didn't need friends in this life, and she would still do well. She even avoided interacting with people from the compound in this life.
Ye Ling hadn't walked far from home. Ignoring Ye Qian, who was trailing behind, she pushed open the door and saw the figure sitting in the living room.
She sighed internally; you really can't avoid what you want to.
Sitting in the living room was Liu Zhiyuan.
Ye Ma glanced towards the door and spotted her younger daughter's figure, her face lighting up with a smile, "Qianqian, why are you back so soon?"
Although Ye Ling was walking in front, she directed her question to the person behind.
The difference in attention was clear at a glance.
If it were the Ye Ling from her past life, she'd have thrown a tantrum and accused her mother of favoritism on the spot. But her behavior was seen by everyone as willfulness and yielded nothing.
In this life, Ye Ling didn't intend to vie for these things. The example from her past life was already there – no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't gain her mother's affection, so she wasn't about to waste effort again.
Therefore, she didn't even glance at her mother or acknowledge Liu Zhiyuan sitting on the chair. After changing her shoes, she opened the East Room door and went inside.
Ye Ma's smile faded when she saw her younger daughter's face and called to her elder daughter, "Ye Ling, how can you be so rude? Didn't you see there's a guest at home?"
Ye Ling stopped at the doorway, turned to look at her mother, and said, "Mom, I thought you didn't see me come in."
Without another word, she shut the door, leaving those in the living room out of sight.
Then she heard Ye Ma grumbling, "This child is so inconsiderate. Did we make you laugh, Zhiyuan?"
And as usual, Ye Qian was quick to mollify, "Mom, my sister's just shy around strangers. Don't blame her. Besides, she's been away from you all these years. Naturally, she's not feeling great."
After all, there was a guest present, so Ye Ma couldn't say much more and had to swallow her words. She smiled at Liu Zhiyuan next to her and asked, "The New Year is just around the corner. I suppose your parents are coming back soon. Has Xiao Li bought all the New Year's goods for your family?"
"I haven't asked, but they should have taken care of it," said Liu Zhiyuan, the same age as Ye Ling, voice breaking as it shifted to a deeper tone at fifteen.
Ye Qian cozily cuddled up to Ye Ma, "Brother Zhiyuan, have dinner at my house tonight. My granny and sister are here, and mom has stewed some meat."
Ye Ma jokingly scolded her, but her tone was filled with indulgence, "You, child, only feed Brother Zhiyuan if there's stewed meat?"
Ye Qian laughed bashfully.
In the evening, Liu Zhiyuan naturally stayed at the Ye Family for dinner again.
Or rather, these past few years, with his parents away, and Liu Zhiyuan not fond of the guards' cooking, he always ate at the Ye Family home. [I'm currently down with a cold, so I'm first writing this. I'll update the rebirth side story of the supporting female character when I get better.]