Lin Sisi had neither the patience nor the interest to play along with her.
“So?” she replied flatly.
“Huh?”
Lin Qingqing, her eyes red and swollen, froze for a moment.
Under normal circumstances, Lin Sisi would already have offered her food. Why was she reacting like this?
After hesitating, she tested the waters. “Sister… is it because I’ve been a little close to Brother Qinglin lately? Please don’t misunderstand—we’re just…”
“Stop.”
Lin Sisi straightened up after gathering enough fodder, her face expressionless. “I’m not interested in whatever is going on between you and Gu Qinglin.”
“I’ve always treated you well. Whenever I had something good to eat or drink, you got a share. But when your parents took all the grain from my house, I didn’t hear you say a single word for me.”
“Before, I was blind. From now on, stay out of my business.”
Ignoring Lin Qingqing’s wide, disbelieving eyes, Lin Sisi turned and walked back to the donkey cart.
She didn’t notice the trace of jealousy and resentment in the gaze behind her.
Putting the matter aside, Lin Sisi forced down the last mouthful of coarse porridge.
No, she had to find some way to get meat. At the very least, some refined grain.
This coarse grain was truly unbearable.
When the moon climbed high and everyone fell asleep, Lin Sisi’s consciousness sank into her space—and she noticed something strange.
“These are… sprouting?”
The seeds she had casually tossed in earlier that afternoon had all sprouted in less than a day!
This space… could actually grow crops?
She rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
Plants were living things. If plants could survive in the space, what about animals?
Since her own body could enter, animals should work too.
Excited, Lin Sisi withdrew her consciousness, planning to catch some small animal to test it.
Before she even opened her eyes, she heard faint rustling nearby.
Two sneaky figures were creeping around her family’s donkey cart.
“You sure this family still has grain?”
“Of course. Someone from Little River Village told me. The only man in the house is badly injured, and the rest are just a weak woman and a half-grown girl. Easy pickings.”
The campfires had gone out. The night was pitch-black, and they could only fumble around by touch.
“Grain’s important—it must be on the donkey cart. Over here.”
“Ow! Damn it, why’d you kick me?!”
“I didn’t kick you! You’re the one hitting me!”
Their whispered argument hadn’t reached a conclusion before a heavy stick came crashing down on them.
“Which bastard—!”
Lin Sisi said nothing. She swung the stick again and again, putting real strength behind each blow, until the two men were gasping and begging.
“Spare us! Spare us! I’m the bastard—I’m the bastard! Don’t hit anymore!”
Only when they were barely able to breathe did she stop.
She stepped on one man’s head and pressed the stick against the other’s throat, her voice icy.
“Speak. Who sent you?”
The two were hardly men of integrity. Faced with someone tougher than they were, they spilled everything.
“We’re from another village—how would we know you had grain? It was that little wench who egged us on. We just got carried away!”
“Yes! She must be jealous of how pretty you are and how well-off your family is. It’s our fault for being stupid—please don’t hold it against us!”
A young woman?
Lin Sisi couldn’t think of anyone else who would resent her so much.
“The young woman you’re talking about—whose daughter is she?”
“I think… she’s Lin Cang’s daughter!”
The other hurried to add, “I even snatched a pouch from her—take it if you want!”
Lin Sisi accepted the pouch and smiled faintly. “Very good.”
It should have been a peaceful night, but the people of Little River Village were awakened by a commotion.
The noise seemed to come from where Lin Lao’er’s family was sleeping. Those who loved gossip quickly threw on clothes and rushed over.
Sure enough—it was Lin Lao’er and the eldest branch’s girl.
“When I took back the grain earlier today, I didn’t expose the missing weight out of respect for Second Uncle,” Lin Sisi said loudly. “But I never imagined he would despise me enough to try and have my grain stolen—and my life ruined!”
“These two are loafers from Big River Village. Second Uncle sent them to steal from my house!”
Her words rang out clearly.
The two men on the ground were indeed from Big River Village. Murmurs spread, and suspicious gazes turned toward Lin Lao’er.
His face darkened. “I may dislike your family, but I would never do such a thing! Don’t be fooled. They’re probably lying to avoid another beating!”
The crowd hesitated—until the two men, who had been pretending to faint, suddenly shouted:
“You old dog, stop talking nonsense! We may not be good men, but we don’t lie! I’ve got a pouch from someone in your family!”
“That’s right! If no one passed on what happened in your village today, how would we know so quickly?”
At that moment, the village head pushed through the crowd, Lin Zheng at his side.
“What’s going on?”
Lin Lao’er glared at Lin Zheng but hurriedly explained, “This has nothing to do with me! I was with the convoy all day. Village Head, don’t believe their lies!”
“Second Uncle, you were indeed with the group all day,” Lin Sisi interrupted calmly. “But what about the others?”
“What others? My family was with me the whole—”
His words stopped when he saw the pouch dangling from Lin Sisi’s slender fingers. His face turned ugly.
“Seems you remember now.”
Lin Sisi let out a cold laugh. “Village Head Uncle, we dare not keep such relatives. I asked you here to witness this.”
“From today onward, I, Lin Sisi, sever all ties with Lin Cang’s family. From this moment, my parents, my brother, and my sister will have nothing to do with them ever again.”