David narrowed his eyes. "What did you just say?"

Vincent beside him scowled as well.

Sandra Stone, David's sister, was the first to react. "Anna, what's your problem? My brother is just trying to help! If we weren't family, why would we even bother with you? You're not appreciating the favor!"

I rolled my eyes. "If he's such a catch, why don't you marry him? I'm clearly not good enough."

My aunt Emma Stone chimed in loudly, "Anna, let me tell you something. At your age, dragging your feet on marriage is a huge mistake. Once a woman hits thirty, it's tough to find a match. If we weren't family, who would even care about your situation? Don't mistake kindness for stupidity!"

My uncle Jack Stone also stood up, adopting a stern tone. "Anna, Daivd's friend comes from a great family. You really can't afford to wait any longer. Look at your age—year after year, and still no prospects. People in the village are laughing about it."

I cut him off sharply. "If you're so idle, why not go deal with the manure at the village entrance instead of bothering us? If he's such a catch, why isn't Sandra marrying him? Isn't she just three months younger than me?"

Sandra shrieked, "Anna, are you out of your mind? My brother is trying to set you up, and you drag me into this? I wouldn't marry a criminal with a record!"

Vincent shot her a gloomy look.

My parents edged closer to me, shrinking like two frightened quail.

The guests paused, forks mid-air, glancing between our family and David's.

Dylan and Amanda had two sons: my dad, Ben Stone, and my uncle.

They had always shown favoritism, which only grew worse over time.

My parents, always the pushovers, were like punching bags for them.

To use a modern phrase, messing with my parents was like kicking a cushion.

After my uncle and dad got married, they split the family assets.

Our home had only a few old pieces of furniture, some sacks of grain, and a few plots of land. We lived in three crumbling mud-brick rooms.

My parents worked hard to make ends meet.

One morning, we got new chairs, but by the afternoon, Dylan had come over, sat in them, and took them when he left.

This sort of thing happened repeatedly.

Two years after the split, while Jack's family had David, my mom had me.

Dylan and Amanda increasingly favored my uncle's family, claiming David was to carry on the Stone family legacy.

During busy farming seasons, they'd make my parents work in their fields, not even providing a meal. They were told to go home for meals before returning to work.

My parents bore this mistreatment in silence, never daring to speak out or fight back.

I had to stand up for us.

I became sharper with my words and excelled in my studies.

While David failed to get into high school, I secured a spot at the county's top high school. Dylan and Amanda came to our house, complaining to my parents that all the education in the world wouldn't matter because I'd end up leaving for someone else's family anyway.

I chased them off with a broom.

After being chased away, they became even more determined to keep me from studying.

"What's the use of good grades? She's got no filial piety and dared to hit her grandparents. She's sure to be a ingrate!"

David and Sandra came by to mock me.

"What's the point of going to a top high school? You'll still end up working in a factory!"

I threw a basin of wash water at them, drenching them completely.

They left cursing, soaked and furious.

After graduating from a top high school, I went on to attend a prestigious university.

My parents' standing in the village gradually improved.

No one dared to deliberately mistreat them anymore.

Once I started earning money during college and bought a house in the city within three years of graduation, Jack's family couldn't hide their envy and jealousy.

They would regularly make passive-aggressive comments in front of my parents.

"No matter how much money she makes, she's still just a girl! Once she's married, her earnings will be for her husband's family, and it won't have anything to do with you two."

Emma would also casually mention to my mom, Alice Stone, how our family had no sons and how we were considered outcasts in the village.

This made Alice so upset that she cried.

After hearing this, I decided it was time to move my parents into my new house.

Initially, I hadn't insisted on it because they preferred rural life, were accustomed to the village community, and were intimidated by city life.

But after Jack's family's nasty comments, I made up my mind.

Since I got into that top high school, I'd been the one calling the shots in our family. Once I made a decision, my parents wouldn't oppose it.

Even though I found them both low-stress, low-wage jobs just to keep them occupied, they still wanted to return to the village during holidays to chat with the locals.

For instance, with Amanda's big birthday coming up, I felt it was unnecessary for us to go back, given that Amanda had never had a kind word for us.

But my parents were concerned that not attending might lead to gossip.

I let them have this small victory, knowing I'd always have their backs.

During the drive back to the village, we all agreed that I would rein in my temper.

Seeing me confront Jack's family in front of everyone, my parents, anxious and flustered, said nothing.

Alice whispered, "Why do you have to provoke her like this…"

Once I bought the house in the city, everyone in the village realized I was doing well financially.

Though they claimed that no matter how successful I became, I'd still be considered part of my husband's family once married, which was useless.

In reality, many were eager to take advantage. Jack's family even tried setting me up with several suitors, all of whom I turned down without hesitation.

As long as I wasn't interested, no one was going to get anything from me.

That was partly why I agreed to bring my parents back to the village.

I was ready for whatever came.

David clenched his fists, glaring at me. "What a thankless child! If you weren't my cousin, I wouldn't have introduced Vincent to you!"

Emma pretended to wipe away nonexistent tears and told my mother, Alice, "Alice, look at Anna. How can she talk like this? We're only trying to help her with her life!"

Jack addressed the villagers with a pained expression, "Look at how this girl, now that she's made some money, has become so disdainful of us poor country relatives. She's forgotten all about family ties!"

My parents were sweating bullets, unable to articulate their frustration.

As relatives began to look at me with disapproval and whisper about how I had become distant and money-focused, I knew I had to stay strong.

I saw it was almost time.

Stepping to the center of the stage, I pulled out a wireless microphone from my bag and grinned. "Well, folks, I may not have many merits, but I do know how to show gratitude! David introduced me to his friend from prison, and I've got to thank him properly! Today, we're celebrating my Grandma's 70th birthday. I've even brought in a band from the city to liven things up for everyone!"

The sound of approaching vehicles quickly caught everyone's attention.

A group of musicians jumped out of the back of a truck, setting up their drums and electric guitars with impressive speed.

They swiftly adjusted their equipment and tested the sound levels.

Lately, it had become quite popular around here to hire bands for celebrations and funerals.

Everyone enjoyed the spectacle.

Some people even seized the moment to perform a few songs themselves.

When they saw that I'd paid for a band to entertain us for Amanda's birthday, the locals' opinion of me improved significantly on the spot.

Dylan, Amanda, and Jack's family were a bit stunned, unable to believe that I had this kind of thoughtfulness.

Only my parents, who knew me well, weren't quite so optimistic.

I walked over, grabbed the microphone, and spoke passionately into it, "As you all know, David is the cornerstone of our Stone family! He carries the weight of continuing our family legacy! If he thrives, our family thrives!"

My parents exchanged uneasy glances while Jack's family looked puzzled.

I had never spoken so highly of David before.

"If David goes astray, it could spell the end for our Stone family! So he must stay on the right path and do things properly! That way, Grandpa, Grandma, and all our relatives can be proud! Now, let's have the band perform two songs dedicated to David! These are songs meant to show him my sincere intentions! I'm doing this for his own good!"

I led the applause, and the crowd followed suit, clapping along.

I handed the microphone to the band's lead singer, a man with a low ponytail and a scruffy beard.

As the music started, the crowd was taken aback.

The lyrics were unmistakably about prison life.

"...Since I parted ways with you, I've been stuck in the cell! Holding a dry loaf of bread, with not a drop of oil in my stew! Life in prison is so cruel and full of woe!"

Jack's family looked increasingly uneasy, especially David.

"Tears keep flowing down my face! The crimes I committed are so shameful, how can I hold my head high!"

David's frustration boiled over, and he shouted, "Enough!"

I quickly intervened, waving at the singer. "Dude, change the tune!"

He snapped his fingers, and the band switched to a new song.

This time, they performed "Regret in the Pen," a track about the remorse of a former convict who had turned his life around and made amends.

Dylan and Amanda didn't understand the lyrics well due to their limited education, but there were enough people in the crowd who did.

Nearly everyone knew about David's three years in prison, as Jack's family had been searching high and low to keep him out of trouble five years ago.

Seeing that I had dedicated these songs to David as a moral lesson, their expressions were a mix of discomfort and hesitation.

They couldn't quite pinpoint what was wrong, but they were unsettled.

I reached into my bag, pulled out an album, and personally handed it to David.

Holding up the microphone, I said, "David, this album is called 'Tears of Regret.' The singer is an ex-convict who turned his life around after serving time and released this album to encourage others to stay on the right path. The songs you just heard are from this album. Take this and listen to it. It's my hope that you'll turn over a new leaf and stop causing trouble. Don't make Grandpa, Grandma, and your parents worry about you anymore!"

David, clutching the album, trembled with rage.

Emma was ready to unleash a tirade.

My voice coming through the microphone cut through the room. "Uncle and Aunt, you know David's introduction for a blind date had such great conditions—how could I possibly measure up? It's clear that Sandra from your family would be a perfect match instead! Today's Grandma's seventieth birthday, a rare and special occasion with all our relatives and friends here. I think we should finalize the engagement between Vincent and Sandra right now! What do you all think?"

From somewhere in the crowd, a loud voice called out, "Yes!"

Sandra, in an absolute meltdown, screamed, "No way! I won't date a convict, not even if you drag me to it! Let Anna marry him instead!"

Jack and Emma rushed to comfort her. "Sandra, don't cry, we won't push you into this."

What they didn't notice was that David's old prison buddy was glaring with intense fury.

I shook my head with a serious expression and said, "Sandra, you're not a child anymore. Don't be so inconsiderate on Grandma's big day. You're making things worse with your tears!"

Emma, already on edge, nearly toppled over from the anger and almost fell.

David's eyes were bloodshot with rage.