Perhaps it was because she had grown accustomed to treating Song Jiawen as her younger sister over the years that suddenly saying "My sister is dead" felt strange and awkward to Song Xiwen.
Similarly, Song Jiawen felt awkward too.
She looked at Song Xiwen and asked, "How did she die?"
This time Song Xiwen was silent for a long time before speaking. "Our family moved to Yunzhou when I was ten. On the one hand, it was for the vegetable business; on the other hand, my parents mainly wanted to avoid the birth control policy and try for another child. The following year, Mom did indeed get pregnant successfully, but unfortunately, it was still a girl, not a boy.
So, my parents were not very welcoming of my sister's arrival. After she turned one, they often left her with me to take care of while they were busy with the business. When I went to school, I would ask the neighbors to help look after her.