Whitaker Scarlett’s biological father, Whitaker Chris, was a rough man who preferred action over words.
Fighting over irrigation channels and competing for farmland—Whitaker Chris was a strong and robust man, the family’s go-to enforcer, ready to act on any command.
Whitaker Scarlett thought, “Whitaker Chris is reckless and headstrong, cares only for the extended family while neglecting his own household—a true fool.” Among the three Whitaker brothers, Whitaker Chris was the second and the only one without a son. He felt humiliated by this and often took out his frustration on Elizabeth with verbal abuse, sometimes even physical violence after drinking.
Even Whitaker Scarlett, his biological daughter, was just a “money-losing commodity” in his eyes.
It was no surprise that Whitaker Chris had no ambitions of “turning her into a valuable asset.” The era’s aesthetic ideals were limited—while Whitaker Scarlett was undeniably beautiful, her fox-like charm appealed only to young men, not to their elders, who dismissed her as a troublemaker who wouldn’t settle down. To them, marrying her would bring nothing but chaos to the family.
In contrast, Whitaker Scarlett’s cousin, Whitaker Rosalie, had an oval, delicate face with thick eyebrows and big eyes, exuding an air of elegance and grace. Everyone agreed she was the ideal “good girl.”
Whitaker Scarlett was seen as a fool, while Whitaker Rosalie wasn’t particularly bright as a child but suddenly excelled in her studies after middle school, improving year by year. This year, she had even been admitted to a university in the capital—Whitaker Rosalie was the golden phoenix the Whitaker family had raised. Whitaker Chris, who despised his own daughter, doted on his niece instead.
When the able-bodied men of the Whitaker family went to repair the river embankment, it was to earn money for Whitaker Rosalie’s expenses. Whitaker Rosalie had gone to the capital with over 500 dollars contributed by the Whitaker family. Concerned about the high costs in the city, the whole family worked like oxen to support their university student.
Whitaker Scarlett, however, wasn’t so lucky. After injuring herself by hitting her head on a pillar, she wasn’t even taken to the hospital; a barefoot doctor at the health station casually bandaged her wound.
Truly, the same surname didn’t mean the same fate.
Thinking about the original Whitaker Scarlett, the current Scarlett sighed inwardly.
Her academically excellent cousin was indeed a tough opponent. The villagers might not know better, but Scarlett understood that in this era, universities didn’t charge tuition fees. In fact, the government provided monthly living stipends for students, which were sufficient for personal expenses. Bringing 500 dollars to college in 1983 was akin to living like an affluent young lady.
Whitaker Rosalie enjoying such a privileged life didn’t bother Whitaker Scarlett.
What did bother her was seeing the Whitaker family members earlier. None of them looked as emaciated as Elizabeth, who was so thin you couldn’t get even two ounces of oil out of her if you boiled her. Yet Whitaker Rosalie’s own mother, despite wearing patched clothing, had a rosy complexion and hands that weren’t as dry and cracked as Elizabeth’s.
The ones suffering the most exploitation were clearly Whitaker Scarlett’s immediate family.
Whitaker Chris was willing to be the family’s beast of burden, but Whitaker Scarlett felt indignant on Elizabeth’s behalf.
“My father will come back. Let’s see what choice he makes—his niece or his daughter.”
Whitaker Scarlett didn’t know if Whitaker Chris had heard about her head injury yet. He would return eventually after his work was done, and she decided to give her father one last chance.
Elizabeth sensed something amiss and nervously warned Whitaker Scarlett, “Of course your father cares about you. Your cousin is just…”
Whitaker Scarlett smiled, and Elizabeth’s confidence in her words faltered.
It was common in rural areas for men to favor nephews over their own children, but Elizabeth had never seen anyone who loved their niece more than their daughter. Whitaker Chris genuinely didn’t like Whitaker Scarlett because Elizabeth’s health had been damaged during Whitaker Scarlett’s birth, leaving her unable to have more children. Whitaker Chris blamed Whitaker Scarlett for this.
The mother and daughter lapsed into silence.
Whitaker Scarlett glanced around the dilapidated house and said, “I’m going out to gather some firewood.”
She wanted to take the opportunity to observe Larkspur Village and see if there was any way to make money. Without money, she would have no confidence, and even the best plans would be impossible to implement.
Larkspur Village was very poor.
Of course, in 1983, there weren’t many villages in the United Colonies of America that weren’t poor.
Poverty was deeply rooted in geographical and historical factors, as well as the constraints of the era. Scraping a living from the soil was an achievement if one could simply fill their stomachs.
As the sun set, a few women were washing clothes by the river.
