Who says real and fake daughters can’t be sisters?

In July in Lake City, the sun was terribly hot. When the sunlight fell on people's skin, it felt stinging. The asphalt road seemed to be melted by the sun. When people walked on the road, the heat made them feel dizzy.

Zhang Yuanluo, who had just finished the high school entrance examination, felt as if a huge stone was pressing on her heart. The results had not come out yet, but it seemed that it had nothing to do with her anymore.

Yesterday, Zhang's parents said to Zhang Yuanluo, "Yuanluo, wait until the weather is cooler, and then go work with your friends. Your brother is about to enter the fourth grade, and the village primary school is about to close down. We are planning to send him to the Experimental Primary School in the city, but our family really can't afford it..."

Zhang's mother continued to ramble on and on, but Zhang Yuanluo couldn't listen any longer. When she heard Zhang's mother telling her to stop going to school and go out to work, her head began to buzz and her ears began to hum. It seemed as if the sky had fallen down in an instant.

The tattered little fan was whirring, but the room was still filled with heat. When Zhang's parents saw their daughter like this, they felt a little distressed for a moment. They felt it was hard to abandon either of them.

But after all, the daughter was adopted, but the son was his biological child. The Zhang family really had no money. Not only the Zhang family, but the entire Yunxi Village and even the entire Hucheng City could be considered economically backward. There was no heavy industry, let alone light industry.

It was so exaggerated that there was only one fertilizer factory in the entire county where one could work, but not everyone could go there, so no one lived a rich life.

Zhang Yuanluo was well-known in the village for her good grades. She always ranked among the top in every exam. She was also sensible. At a very young age, she was able to help take care of her younger brother and cook for her parents at the same time.

Zhang Pengcheng, the youngest son of the Zhang family, is also a smart boy. Although he is only in elementary school, he is always among the top three in the class in every exam. Hucheng is poor, so all the children here regard studying to change their destiny as their golden rule.

The busy farming season is over, and the preliminary work for the pears and apples in the fields has been completed, but the early-ripening fruits are not yet ripe, so the people in Xiyun Village are now having a rare bit of free time, and they are all hiding at home to avoid the scorching heat.

After sitting in the room for a long time, Zhang Yuanluo finally came to her senses. She stood up and went to her parents' room. Just as she was about to push the door, she heard voices coming from her parents' room.

Father Zhang said, "I really can't bear to see the eldest girl like that. She has been sensible since she was young and her grades have always been good. If she really doesn't go to school, we will ruin her."

Mother Zhang spoke, her voice choking with sobs: "Do you think I want to? I have raised the eldest girl from a young age to this age, and watched her grow into a big girl day by day. Do you think I don't know that if the eldest girl doesn't go to school, it will be ruined by us? But what can we do? Pengcheng is only in elementary school. Can we let him go to earn money to supplement the family income? As the eldest child, you will always be the one who suffers at home."

Father Zhang was silent for a long time, then sighed and said, "Originally, we prepared money for the eldest girl's schooling until she graduated from college. Pengcheng is not in a hurry. He doesn't need to pay tuition until he graduates from junior high school. But her grandfather was sick before the New Year, and he spent a lot of money. After the New Year, her grandmother stayed in the hospital for a while, so there is no way."

As if she had thought of something, Zhang's mother said, "Why don't we borrow some money from the third child and let the eldest girl go to school first, and then we can pay it back slowly later. If we put in more effort, our lives will eventually get better."

"When her grandfather was ill, the third child paid the bulk of the bills. Your second sister's family also has two children and is not well off. We haven't paid back the money we borrowed for her grandmother's medical treatment yet, and they may not be able to lend us money."

Zhang Yuanluo couldn't bear to see her parents in such an awkward situation, so she pushed the door open and went in, saying, "Mom and Dad, I'm going to the provincial capital with someone tomorrow to find a job. You don't have to borrow money. I think the government aid shouldn't be a problem. The tuition is only 600 yuan a year, and I don't have any homework during this holiday anyway. I'll go and earn my own money for high school tomorrow."

Zhang's mother was anxious and said quickly, "It's very dangerous for a teenage girl like you to go to the provincial capital. Even if you go to work, you have to be accompanied by someone. How can you go alone?"

"Mom, that's it. I want to go to school, so just let me go. If you agree, I'll wait for you to take me to the station. If you don't agree, I'll sneak out. Anyway, I want to go to school. I don't want to be trapped in this small town all my life. I want to go to someplace farther away to see the world."

"But……"

Before Zhang's mother finished speaking, Zhang's father seemed to have made up his mind and said, "Big girl, have you thought it through?"

Zhang Yuanluo nodded, her eyes firm, and said, "Think it through."

Father Zhang said, "Go buy some gifts and go to Erzhu's house later. I saw Xiaoxia from their family come back yesterday. Xiaoxia is in the provincial capital. I said hello yesterday and heard that she will go back the day after tomorrow. Go and tell them to let the eldest girl go with Xiaoxia so that they can take care of her. Don't worry too much, eldest girl. Ask your mother to pack your things for you tomorrow and go the day after tomorrow."

Zhang's mother was still worried and wanted to say something, but Zhang's father said, "We have been farming for half our lives and have limited experience. We don't have any better ideas. What the eldest girl said may not be a bad way out."

Zhang's mother finally swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue, glanced at Zhang Yuanluo, and turned around to go shopping.

The next day, Zhang's mother went to Erzhu's house with two bottles of liquor and a few pounds of snacks. As expected, Zhang Xiaoxia was still at home. After Zhang's mother put down the things and exchanged greetings for a while, she finally made her request.

"Yuanluo is about to go to high school, and Pengcheng is also going to school in the city. Your uncle and I are really broke. Yuanluo is sensible and wants to go to the provincial capital to make money, but your uncle and I have never been far away, so we want you to take Yuanluo with you and take care of her."

When Xiaoxia heard what Zhang's mother said, "Aunt, please don't be confused. I went out to work early because I couldn't continue my studies. My sister Yuanluo has such good grades, she can't stop going to school."

Zhang's mother waved her hands repeatedly: "It's not that I won't go, I still have to go. Yuanluo will only be there for two months. It doesn't matter if I can earn money or not. I have to give it a try. We really can't make ends meet."

Xiaoxia smiled when she heard what Zhang's mother said, "Is that so? That's perfect. Our factory recruits summer workers every year. They are not as good as those of us who have been working all the time, but as long as you are diligent and willing to work hard, it is not a problem to earn 6,000 or 7,000 yuan in the next two months. The factory provides food and accommodation, and safety is not a problem either."

Upon hearing this, Zhang's mother finally revealed a genuine smile and said, "That's really great. It's all thanks to you."

"Oh, by the way, I remember that Yuanluo had a weak body when she was young and went to school late. She should be 16 years old now, right?"

"It's full. It's full."

"That's no problem. Let's ask Yuanluo to go with me tomorrow. You can help her pack her clothes and bedding, and let her go with me tomorrow."

Zhang's mother thanked him profusely for a long time before returning home.

When he got home, he told Yuanluo the good news. When Yuanluo heard it, the stone in her heart finally fell to the ground, and she cried for joy.

Mother Zhang hugged Zhang Yuanluo distressedly and said, "My child, I am sorry for what you have done to you. It is because your parents are incompetent that you have to suffer this at such a young age. If you are really too tired and can't stand it, just come back. After all, God will not let the sparrow starve to death. There will always be a way."