Seeing that Lin Old Lady’s clothes were torn and Lin Yougui’s arm was bleeding, Lin Xiyue hurried over to stop Lin Feng. “Xiaofeng, it’s alright. It’s over. Sister’s fine. It’s not worth risking yourself for these scum.”
Lin Xiyue held her somewhat unfamiliar yet familiar brother tightly. Seeing his sister approach and stop him, Lin Feng finally let the knife drop.
“Sis, I’m sorry. I failed to protect you. If they bully you again, I’ll fight them to the death,” he said.
Lin Feng’s clothes didn’t fit well, his shoes were full of holes, but seeing his sister in new shoes and clean clothes, he knew this family treated her well.
Compared to returning to the Lin household where their grandmother might sell her again for money, staying here seemed like a better choice. If he hadn’t heard that his grandmother was causing trouble, he wouldn’t have grabbed the kitchen knife.
Lin Xiyue looked at her frail little brother and felt a sting in her nose. This must be sibling love.
“She’s fine. They’re not worth your life,” Lin Xiyue said, then looked at Lin Old Lady, who lay sprawled on the ground in shock.
Seeing the eldest son and his wife arrive, Lin Old Lady wailed, “You unfilial child! This is the son you raised, chasing his own mother with a knife?”
Lin Youcheng clenched his fists silently, letting his mother rant, while Zhao Hongying’s eyes filled with tears. She had endured a lifetime of oppression, but what had it brought her? Her daughter was sold, yet she still had to bear it. Today, even if Lin Feng hadn’t gone berserk, she would stand up for her daughter.
“Mother, it’s not that we’re unfilial. You’ve gone too far. You sold my daughter once, and now you come to harass her again? Do you want to drive our whole family to ruin?” Zhao Hongying’s voice trembled with emotion. Lin Old Lady hadn’t expected the eldest son’s family, usually so easily controlled, to act this way.
“You’ve grown bold. Since you’re so capable, move out and never touch a single grain from our Lin household. Eldest son, if you still recognize me as your mother, divorce this woman, or never step foot in this house again!”
She looked at Lin Youcheng. Zhao Hongying watched him closely, curious if he would obey his mother.
Lin Youcheng hesitated, then said quietly, “Mother, this is your fault. Xiaoyue is my daughter. You shouldn’t…”
Though his voice was soft, Lin Old Lady heard it clearly. Seeing her son not side with her, unable to beat them or scold them, she left in frustration, leaving behind a final warning:
“Don’t ever enter the Lin household again!”
Once they were gone, Lin Youcheng breathed a sigh of relief. A lifetime of passivity had left him unable to protect his wife or daughter. Though he loved them, his soft nature prevented him from standing up for them.
“Xiaoyue, father is sorry. I failed to give you a good life and watched as your grandmother sold you…” His eyes welled up. It wasn’t a lack of love, only weakness.
Lin Xiyue sighed. She didn’t feel the need to blame him—these were the original Lin Yue’s experiences—but she wouldn’t forgive on her behalf. The original Lin Yue was gone.
“Father, mother, I’m doing well here. Don’t worry about me. When you return, you should separate from Grandma. You’re capable people; even apart, you can live well. After today, with Xiaofeng defending me, they won’t dare bother me again. I’m not afraid. Just take care of yourselves,” Lin Xiyue said calmly. She felt a responsibility to do something for the original Lin Yue, whose body she now inhabited.
“Alright, as long as you’re well, Xiaoyue, my daughter…”
Zhao Hongying suddenly hugged Lin Xiyue. Lin Xiyue was momentarily unsettled; in her previous life, her parents had died early, and her grandfather raised her, so she had long forgotten the feeling of her mother’s embrace.
“Mother, you must take care of yourselves. Those people only bully the weak. You and father must stop being so soft. Otherwise, even if you separate, your life won’t be peaceful. If father remains foolishly filial, then separate from him—I and my brother will take care of you,” Lin Xiyue said.
Her words were partly to warn Lin Youcheng: if he didn’t fix his blind filial piety, even after separating, life wouldn’t be easy. Lin Old Lady would keep trying to manipulate them, and if Lin Youcheng still gave in, things would never improve.
“Don’t worry, daughter. It won’t happen again. I’ll obey your mother from now on,” Lin Youcheng said, nervously wringing his hands, afraid of her sharp words.
“Sis, don’t worry. I’m here. I’ll watch over father and make sure he doesn’t get fooled. Once we return, we’ll separate. I’m grown now. Master Wu at Baicaotang in town wants me as his apprentice to learn medicine. When I earn money, I’ll bring you home,” Lin Feng said, glancing at Lu Yanqiu and Liu Ruyun nearby. Though they treated his sister well, he wanted to bring her home properly, letting her marry with dignity.
Lin Xiyue patted his head. Seeing her fifteen-year-old brother, not much taller than herself, she felt warmth in her heart. “Alright, sister will wait for you to bring me home.”
If this was the motivation of youth, then she would let herself be the reason for his efforts.
Zhao Hongying watched her daughter leave, seeing her healthier and better dressed, her face now fair and bright. She felt deep gratitude toward Lu Yanqiu and Lu Yanqiu’s companion.
Unaware that her daughter had been sold as a shared wife to the three brothers, she only thought Lu Yanqiu was her son-in-law. Seeing such a handsome and kind son-in-law, her heart was secretly relieved—at least her daughter wasn’t married to someone with flaws.
“Thank you for taking such good care of Xiaoyue,” Zhao Hongying said, bowing deeply to Lu Yanqiu and Liu Ruyun. They quickly helped her up.
“I should be the one thanking you for giving me such a wonderful daughter-in-law. Xiaoyue is our blessing. Yanqiu, go get some of the cured meat from the yard to bring to your mother-in-law. It’s from the wild boar Xiaoyue hunted. We’ve eaten meat for the past few days; you should take some home to try,” Liu Ruyun said.
Her mention of “mother-in-law” embarrassed Lu Yanqiu, but he still ran to fetch the meat.
“No need. We came empty-handed. You should enjoy it yourselves. We’ll head back,” Zhao Hongying said, embarrassed to take their meat.
Seeing their hesitation, Lin Xiyue sighed. “Mother, take the cured meat with you. We have plenty here. I’ll come visit when I have time.”
She handed the two large pieces of cured meat to Zhao Hongying. Seeing that she couldn’t refuse, Zhao Hongying had no choice but to accept.