When dinner was ready, her scum father came to call her.
Stepping into the main room, Wen Ya saw Liu Min dishing out food for him—which turned out to be nothing more than sweet potato porridge, pickled vegetables, and a sad dish of stir-fried cabbage.
To be frank, looking at the spread killed her appetite instantly. Still, she had to eat. Even if she was just going through the motions, she had to put on a show to avoid raising suspicion.
As she ate, tears began to track down her cheeks in silent, rhythmic plops. After forcing down two small bites, she raised her head to look at her father.
“Dad, seeing as I’ve bled so much and taken such a severe beating… could you boil an egg for me to help me build my strength back up?”
Her father looked down at her large, deer-like eyes, brimmed with liquid distress. Remembering that she would be leaving for the harsh countryside in just a few days to endure a life of hard labor, he steeled his heart.
“Alright,” he commanded, turning to his wife. “Liu Min, go boil an egg for Xiuya. In fact, boil one for her every single day until she leaves. The child has lost far too much blood.”
Liu Min’s teeth ground together so hard they nearly shattered. Boil an egg for a money-losing girl? Those eggs are being saved for my son!
Noticing the dark, bitter expression flickering across Liu Min’s face, Wen Ya looked up at her father with a trembling lip.
“Dad… is it because I’m not her biological child that I don’t even deserve an egg? If that’s the case, then forget it. I’m only your biological daughter anyway; I guess I’m just not worthy.”
Her father’s gaze snapped directly toward his wife.
Liu Min, catching the sharp glare, tried to instantly wipe the sneer off her face and revert to her usual gentle facade. But the transition was far too abrupt, twisting her features into a grotesque, contorted grimace instead.
Her father’s brows knit tightly together. How did I never notice how hideously ugly this woman looks?
Scrambling to recover, Liu Min smoothed out her expression, offering a forced, buttery-soft smile.
“Old Chen, of course! Since Xiuya wants a boiled egg, I’ll go boil one for her right away.”
Seeing Liu Min return to her usual docile self, her father assumed his eyes had simply played tricks on him.
Liu Min went to the kitchen, grinding her teeth in fury with every step. She had just dropped a single egg into the pot when Wen Ya’s delicate voice floated over from the table.
“Dad, why don’t we have her boil tomorrow’s egg at the same time? Cooking them separately just wastes precious coal.”
“Liu Min, boil two eggs!” her father called out.
From the kitchen came a stiff, bitter reply: “Got it…”
Listening to the strain in Liu Min’s voice, Wen Ya felt her spirits lift immensely. Her stepson, Chen Jinbao, happened to be away visiting his maternal grandmother in the countryside. She needed to accomplish as much as possible before that fat brat returned; if it came down to a physical brawl, she certainly couldn’t overpower him.
Although she had plenty of self-defense weapons stashed in her spatial dimension, it was always better to settle things cleanly without lifting a finger.
By the time Wen Ya was nearly finished with her meal, Liu Min still hadn’t brought the eggs out.
Lowering her head, Wen Ya murmured softly under her breath: “She’s been boiling them forever… Overcooked eggs are impossible to digest, not to mention how much coal she’s burning through. That stuff costs real money…”
Her father had just finished eating and was about to stand up, but hearing her murmur, he paused. She’s right. The family was practically broke, living off the meager cash and ration coupons he had earned from his shift today.
We need to stretch every penny! What is taking Liu Min so long just to boil two eggs? I finished my entire meal and she’s still burning coal. How completely wasteful! She has no idea how to run a household.
“Liu Min!” he barked toward the kitchen. “Does it really take this long to boil a couple of eggs? How much coal are you planning to waste?!”
“Coming, coming! They’re ready!”
Liu Min had originally planned to overcook the eggs until they were tough and rubbery, just to make her eat the most disgusting eggs possible. But with her husband shouting, she had no choice but to dampen the fire, scoop the eggs into a bowl, and bring them out.
She slammed the bowl down in front of Wen Ya and sat down to eat her own dinner in huffy silence.
Wen Ya stared at the bowl, then turned a pitiful, imploring gaze to her father.
“Dad, could you pour some cool water into the bowl to chill them for me? I remember when Chen Jinbao eats eggs, his mom always puts cold water in his bowl so the shells peel off easily. I don’t have a mother anymore… Dad, can you help me? Just a little cold water?”
Her father looked at his own blood daughter, then down at the dry, steaming bowl—not a single drop of water in sight.
Whenever Chen Jinbao ate eggs, Liu Min would fetch cold water, peel the shells cleanly, and hand them to the boy on a silver platter. Yet when it came to his own daughter, she was left to burn her fingers?
Realizing she was about to fall into another trap, Liu Min shot up from her chair, grabbing the bowl hastily.
“Look at me!” she gushed, putting on a flustered smile. “I was so busy I completely forgot. I’ll get the water right now!”
A moment later, she returned with the water-filled bowl, set it before Wen Ya, and sat back down to eat.
Wen Ya smiled inwardly. Liu Min’s dinner tonight should give her a severe case of indigestion. Today was a good start; she would keep the pressure on tomorrow.
Once the eggs cooled, Wen Ya peeled one and ate it right in front of Liu Min.
Turning to her father, she let out a soft, contented sigh. “Dad, this egg is so delicious. I feel like it’s been forever since I last had one… I don’t think I’ve eaten a single egg since Mom passed away.”
Her head drooped in sudden melancholy, and with tears shimmering in her eyes, she picked up her second egg and glided back into her bedroom, carefully closing the door.
Watching her retreat, her father felt a heavy pang of guilt.
Thinking back, it was true—ever since Liu Min had moved into the house, his daughter hadn’t eaten a single decent meal, let alone an egg. Meanwhile, Chen Jinbao had been pampered until he was round and plump. The more he pondered it, the more he realized how terribly his own daughter had been mistreated.
And the more he realized it, the more terrified he became that his late wife’s ghost would come haunting him. He didn’t want to die young.
The bloody messages left on the walls still haunted his nightmares. If he had anywhere else to go, he wouldn’t even dare sleep under this roof.
Wen Ya slept soundly through the night.
After eating breakfast the next morning, she walked to the local police station with her scum father to register her name change.
The officer on duty verified the details twice before processing the paperwork. Wen Ya immediately requested an independent household registration file for herself.
Her father initially tried to object, but Wen Ya cut him off softly.
“Dad, I’m leaving for the countryside in a few days anyway, and my registration will be transferred out of the city. What difference does it make if I have my own temporary file for a few days? Having a separate page won’t change the fact that I’m being sent away.”
The moment she brought up being sent away, her father went completely mute. After all, the departed soul from the underworld had already visited him over that very issue; he had no desire to invite another spectral visit.
And so, Wen Ya’s household registration became officially independent—a truly glorious victory.
As they stepped out of the station, her father headed straight to the steel mill for his shift, while Wen Ya took the cash and coupons she had secured and set off on a shopping spree. She had to gather supplies for her upcoming relocation; she couldn’t show up in the countryside empty-handed.
Where had the coupons come from? Naturally, her father had handed them over that very morning.
What she didn’t know was that her father had spent the entire night suffering through terrifying nightmares, haunted once again by her late mother. The ghostly threats in his dreams were simply the byproduct of his own guilty conscience.
Wen Ya purchased a sturdy metal flashlight along with several spare batteries.
Next, she bought two enamel washbasins, two food containers, a large enamel drinking mug, two cotton towels, a pound of White Rabbit creamy candies, several yards of durable blue cotton fabric, a pair of rubber boots, a bar of hand soap, and a jar of vanishing cream.
It was quite a heavy haul for one day. Buying any more would risk drawing unwanted eyes.