Whenever Yao Meimei’s gaze fell upon her own daughter, it would always flicker with jealousy and resentment.
Not only that, but when she looked at others, her eyes were equally icy cold, and occasionally one could catch a trace of hatred deep within them.
Yao Sheng felt a chill run down his spine—she had come to hate all her relatives around her.
If she hated her own parents, Yao Sheng could understand that. If she hated him, her own uncle, for not doing enough, he could also comprehend. But why should she hate his Zhenzhen? Why hate her aunt, uncle, and cousins?
Zhenzhen had never bullied her, and her aunt had always been so kind to her.
It was true that his sister preferred Zhenzhen, but she had always maintained fairness on the surface. Every time she visited home, she brought gifts for every niece—if Yao Yunzhen received something, Yao Meimei got her share as well.
As for private preferences, who didn’t have them?
But no matter what, his sister had never wronged her. The two nephews were still half-grown children and certainly hadn’t wronged her either.
If she could even hate her own cousins, it was likely that no one in the family would be spared.
But why?
His wife had often stood up for her in the past, and his parents had frequently admonished his younger brother and sister-in-law.
But what had she been doing during those times? Hanging her head and hiding behind others, never speaking a word, never offering thanks, then turning around to curry favor with her sister-in-law.
Given this, what more was there to say?
None of the family members had wronged her—what right did she have to hate them?
The thought of having such a venomous snake in their midst made Yao Sheng utterly restless.
No, she couldn’t stay in the city any longer.
The city wasn’t safe these days either. Many idle, loafing young people roamed the streets, and there were Red Guards wearing Red Armbands—too many opportunities for exploitation. If she harbored ill intentions, it would be disastrous.
Moreover, he had to work and couldn’t watch over his daughter all day. If Yao Meimei plotted something, he wouldn’t be able to prevent it. It was better to send her back to the village.
In the village, with neighbors all around and her mother keeping an eye on her, plus assigning her more chores to keep her thoroughly busy…
If she couldn’t even leave the village, she’d have no way to carry out any schemes, no matter how many she concocted.
Besides, they couldn’t impose on his sister’s family for long. Yao Sheng immediately decided to take leave and send her back to the village.
Early the next morning, Yao Sheng announced the decision.
“I’m not going back!”
Upon hearing they were returning, before Yao Yunzhen could even react, Yao Meimei vehemently objected.
“You go back if you want! I’m not going.”
She had just planned what to ask Lu Yikang for and hadn’t even made her request yet—how could she leave now?
Out of caution, Yao Meimei hadn’t given Lu Yikang her address. Wanting to maintain control and secure more leverage, she had delayed visiting him for a couple of days.
Who could have expected Yao Sheng would suddenly decide to return?
What about her plans?
Yao Yunzhen had initially felt somewhat reluctant to leave, but seeing Yao Meimei’s outburst, her hesitation vanished completely, and she settled in to watch the drama unfold.
It was still morning, and the family hadn’t left for work yet.
Yao Hai was naturally present too.
Although he didn’t plan to take leave to go back, he still needed to make an appearance.
When Yao Meimei spoke like this, Yao Hai was instantly mortified.
After all, she was his daughter, and now she was embarrassing him in front of everyone.
In front of his daughters, he had never been a kind father. Without hesitation, he raised his hand and slapped her.
Smack—
“You wretched girl! Just a few days in the city and you’ve grown wild. Get back home obediently, right now!”
In his rage, Yao Hai didn’t hold back. Yao Meimei’s face swelled visibly.
She glared at Yao Hai with hatred burning in her eyes.
“I want to stay in the city! I won’t leave!”
How could Yao Hai, with his chauvinistic pride, tolerate his daughter’s defiance? He raised his hand to strike again.
“How dare you talk back! I’ll beat you to death—”
The first slap had been too sudden for Yao Liuzhi to react, but now she hurriedly stepped in to intervene.
“Second Brother, talk things out properly. Why resort to hitting the child?”
Yu Chunlai added, “Yes, if she wants to stay, let her stay. Stop hitting her.”
But the more they tried to dissuade him, the less Yao Hai restrained himself.
Yao Meimei’s defiance had deeply wounded his pride.
The group struggled in the cramped room.
Yao Sheng, meanwhile, watched coldly from the side.
In the past, Yao Sheng would have stepped in to break up the fight. But after discovering Yao Meimei’s malicious intentions, how could he treat her as before?
He was on guard against her now, not inclined to intervene.
Yao Yunzhen, on the other hand, found the scene amusing and thought to herself: How foolish.
If she really wanted to come to the county, she could have sneaked back later. Why insist on resisting now?
What was the point of resisting? Besides getting a beating for nothing, it was useless—she wouldn’t be allowed to stay anyway.
She didn’t yet realize her father’s plans: once Yao Meimei returned to the village, she would have no chance to sneak away.
Despite Yao Liuzhi and Yu Chunlai’s efforts to stop him, Yao Meimei still received several more slaps.
Those slaps finally knocked some sense into her, forcing her to face reality. Bruised and swollen, she followed Yao Sheng and Yao Yunzhen back to the village.
The whole way, Yao Meimei was sullen and unwilling, her face dark and silent.
Of course, with her face in that state, it was hard to discern any expression.
Yao Yunzhen, however, had no complaints.
She had enjoyed herself these past few days. She had even found time to visit her younger brother at school, bringing him some supplies and slipping him two yuan.
Of course, the money came from her father—her own savings were strictly for herself.
Only after successfully delivering Yao Meimei home did Yao Sheng finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Watching Yao Meimei retreat into her room, Yao Sheng gave Miao Cuilan a few instructions before heading back to the county.
He had only taken half a day off and couldn’t afford to delay any longer.
When Miao Cuilan’s suspicions were confirmed by her husband, she was furious. She spat viciously in the direction of Yao Meimei’s room.
“Spit! Ungrateful wretch.”
After all the care she had given Yao Meimei, how dare she plot against her own daughter? Just wait—she would make her pay.
From then on, Yao Meimei’s life descended into utter misery.
Before, only Yang Erni had tormented her, but now Miao Cuilan joined in.
Every day, as soon as she opened her eyes, she was assigned tasks—all of them dirty, exhausting chores—and she had no choice but to do them.
She had no say in the household. If she dared refuse, Yang Erni’s heavy hand would come down on her.
The elderly couple had grown somewhat disillusioned over the years and said little. As long as the child wasn’t beaten to death, they turned a blind eye.
As time passed, Yao Meimei grew increasingly anxious.
She hadn’t shown her face for so long—would Lu Yikang think she was playing him for a fool?
Recalling the methods she had heard the other party employed, Yao Meimei couldn’t help but shudder.
She wanted to sneak away, but simply couldn’t find an opportunity.
Whether indoors or outside, Miao Cuilan would call for her no matter what she was doing, demanding Yao Meimei follow her everywhere. Even when using the toilet, she’d be summoned by loud shouts, and if she didn’t respond, the other woman would directly barge into the restroom to find her.