Chapter 64: Big Sis Will Take Action
My aunt was the classic "sharp tongue, soft heart" type, and her anxiety about her children’s futures was perfectly normal for a mother. Her daughter had already enrolled in a community college, while her son’s grades were so abysmal they made her want to faint. It would have been a wonder if she wasn’t worried.
Cecilia understood her aunt perfectly. In her previous life, her cousin’s path had actually been quite smooth. After graduating with a degree in flight services, she’d successfully joined an airline as a flight attendant. It was hard work, but as her aunt would say, it was a respectable job.
Later, she had a chance encounter on a flight with the man who would become her husband, a regular employee at a multinational corporation.
After their marriage, her husband’s career took off. He rose through the ranks from a regular employee all the way to regional director. Her cousin also gave birth to fraternal twins, a boy and a girl, and lived a very comfortable life with her in-laws.
Her aunt and uncle-in-law also shared in their daughter’s good fortune, and their lives improved as a result.
Her younger male cousin, on the other hand, had a different fate. As expected, he completely bombed the college entrance exams. No one even bothered trying to convince him to repeat the year, because everyone knew he simply wasn’t cut out for academics.
He ended up going to a technical college and majoring in animation production. After graduating, he joined an outsourcing studio. He was so busy that he was pulling all-nighters constantly. The once tall and handsome young man had gone bald before he even turned thirty! He’d grown a beer belly, too!
He’d had several girlfriends, but none of the relationships lasted. He simply had no extra energy to devote to a significant other.
Eventually, his mother got so anxious that she started arranging blind dates for him. He ended up marrying one of the women without much thought, but they divorced less than two years later due to incompatibility, leaving him to care for their son, who was just over a year old.
Looking at her tall, beautiful, and vibrant cousin, Sarah, and then at her energetic, tall, and handsome cousin, Ronald, Cecilia couldn’t help but feel a pang of wistfulness.
They had grown up together and were exceptionally close. A part of Cecilia hoped Sarah would find a good husband and live happily ever after, just like last time. But she also didn’t want Ronald to follow his old path and be crushed by the pressures of life.
"Auntie, don’t worry about all this," Cecilia said, looking at her aunt comfortingly. "Even if Sarah and Ronald don’t go to a four-year university, they’ll still be successful one day."
Jasmine Sterling nodded. "Cecilia’s right. Sarah and Ronald are good kids. They’ll do just fine in the future."
Hearing her children praised made Yvonne Sterling feel a little better, but she couldn’t help but say, "Sis, you and Cecilia don’t have to console me. I’ve already come to terms with it. I’m not expecting them to achieve anything great. As long as they can graduate from college, find a stable job, and support themselves, that’ll be enough."
Bernard Harris nodded along. "That’s right. It’s not easy to find work these days. Plenty of university graduates can’t even find a job after they finish their degrees."
Sarah Harris and Ronald Harris kept their heads down, eating without a word. Whenever the conversation turned to this topic, they would just listen in silence, long accustomed to it.
Ever since they were little, they had been the family’s point of comparison. Whenever the adults talked about children, others were always praised, while they were always the ones getting an earful.
Fortunately, Cecilia was always thoughtful. She would always make a point to comfort her cousins afterward, which prevented any rifts from forming between them. In fact, it made their bond even stronger.
Cecilia put down her chopsticks and looked at her aunt with a serious expression. "Auntie, whether it’s Sarah or Ronald, if they run into any trouble in the future, I won’t ignore them."
"They’re still young and might feel lost, without any plans for the future. But if one day they find a goal, I, as their older cousin, will definitely help them."
Yvonne Sterling had just been nagging and complaining a bit, so she never expected her niece to say something like this. She was stunned.
When she recovered, she quickly said, "Cecilia, that’s not what I meant. You’re still a student yourself. How could I possibly let you worry about your cousins..."
Seeing her aunt’s flustered reaction, Cecilia just smiled. "I know, Auntie. But I’m serious."
Yvonne Sterling’s mouth hung open, at a loss for words. She only felt the tip of her nose begin to sting.
She was an emotional person by nature. Regardless of whether Cecilia would be able to fulfill her promise in the future, hearing those words right now moved her deeply. She felt that all the love she had given her niece had not been in vain.
Seeing this, Jasmine Sterling gently patted her sister’s hand and said softly, "The children are all so close. It’s only right that they help each other out."
Yvonne Sterling wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and gave a small nod.
After dinner, Cecilia brought out the gifts she had bought for them.
"Uncle, this is for you."
"For me? Thanks, Cecilia!" Bernard Harris took it and saw that it was a new phone!
’Cecilia thought that, knowing her uncle’s personality, he had probably been using the same phone for years and was too frugal to replace it. A new phone was the most practical gift.’
Naturally, there were even more gifts for her cousins.
For Ronald, she’d bought sneakers, a tablet, a PSP, and other things boys liked.
For Sarah, she’d bought a handbag, perfume, and a complete set of new electronics.
"Thanks, Sis! Oh my god, all of this together must have cost a fortune!" Sarah said, feeling both touched and pained at how much money her cousin had spent.
Cecilia smiled. "Don’t worry about the cost. If you ever need anything in the future, just let your big sis know."
Hugging the first genuine Chanel bag she had ever owned, Sarah nodded vigorously.
Ronald, however, leaned in and whispered, "Sis, in that case... I want to study abroad."
"What?"
Sarah Harris cried out in surprise, then burst out laughing. "With grades like yours? Even a foreign diploma mill wouldn’t take you."
"But my English is good!" Ronald shot back, his eyes wide with pride. "My English might even be better than hers!"
"Oh, get real," Sarah said, rolling her eyes. She turned to Cecilia. "Sis, don’t listen to his nonsense. He’s watched so many American TV shows he’s starting to hallucinate."
Because her uncle was a northerner, her cousins and even her aunt spoke with a slight northern accent, which Cecilia found particularly charming.
"You don’t get it, so I’m not talking to you." Ronald turned to Cecilia with a grin. "Sis, isn’t it super common now for people to go abroad just to pad their resumes? You know, get a foreign diploma, come back, and then you can say you’re an ’overseas returnee.’"
Cecilia laughed. "You’ve been watching too much TikTok. With your grades, you want to study abroad? Where to? Maybe somewhere in Africa."
"PFFT..." Sarah couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
His own sister’s jabs didn’t faze him, but Cecilia’s retort made him deflate instantly.
Seeing his reaction, Cecilia said, "Let me give you some serious advice. Given your... academic talents, you shouldn’t even consider trying to find your self-worth through a diploma. It’s useless!"
’Even with all the money in the world, I can’t change the fact that my cousin has absolutely no aptitude for studying.’
’You can buy a degree from plenty of universities abroad, but what’s the point?’
’An empty-shell diploma from a third-rate university is just that—an empty shell. It would be a complete waste of his own time and life.’
"Figure out your direction in life. Think hard about what you really want to do, and then come talk to me. When that time comes, I’ll help you."