The three children ignored the old matriarch, Madam Liu, their gazes fixed instead on Old Man Jiang. Under the weight of their silent accusation, the old man felt a flicker of inexplicable guilt and cleared his throat roughly.
Li Shi, the second daughter-in-law, glanced at her mother-in-law, who was trembling with rage. She let out a cold, mocking laugh.
“Big Brother, Sister-in-law, you’ve certainly raised your children well! Can a thief not be punished anymore? A slip of a girl like Jiang Xue dares to talk back to Mother, and look at Jiang Ming—barely a sprout, yet he thinks he can call the shots for the adults? It’s no wonder Jiang月 felt bold enough to steal from the family; she clearly has people backing her up! Is the First House run by children now?”
Madam Liu’s face was a mask of cold fury as she addressed the four children. “I wouldn’t dare try to teach children as ‘capable’ as you,” she hissed.
Turning her gaze to Jiang Youshan, who remained slumped on the ground, she continued, “Eldest Son, it was your father and I who raised you. Have you forgotten when you were burning with fever and I stayed by your side day and night? Your parents aren’t dead yet—we can still move. Do you truly wish to be unfilial? Fine… from now on, you don’t have to hand over the money you make from side jobs. Keep it for yourselves. But,” her voice sharpened, “your daily chores must be finished. Every single one.”
Madam Liu had already done the math. With the workload she piled on, when would his wife, Madam Cai, ever find time for side work? Perhaps she could weave some straw sandals during the winter lull, but that brought in mere pennies. Youshan only found odd jobs during the off-season. By cutting them off, she would save the family the cost of their rations; either way, the main household wouldn’t lose a cent.
“Father, Mother, how can we make ends meet? We have no way to earn money… how are we supposed to live?” Youshan pleaded.
Jiang Youcai, from the Third House, snickered. “Doesn’t Jiang Ming know how to trap rabbits? If he catches one a day, you’ll be living better than the rest of us.”
Jiang Ming’s chest heaved with fury. He looked ready to pounce. “I only caught two the entire last year, and you lot ate both! The First House didn’t even get the fur!”
Jiang Xue pulled him back, whispering urgently, “Brother, they’re trying to drive us to the grave. What’s the point of arguing? We won’t get anything out of them.”
Jiang Ming ground his teeth. “I don’t care about the rest. We’re keeping Sister safe first!”
Little Jiang Lei nodded vigorously. “Keep Sister!”
Listening to this, Jiang Yue felt a surge of pure loathing. This family were scavengers, skinning their own kin alive and spitting out the bones. Yet, beneath the anger, a wave of warmth washed over her—moved by the fierce protection of the parents and siblings she had inherited.
In the courtyard, despite the desperate pleas of Youshan and Madam Cai, Madam Liu remained unmoved. As for Old Man Jiang, he was too spineless to intervene. Finally, losing patience, Madam Liu barked at them to get out.
The First House family retreated to their quarters in the old back building. Passing through a side gate, they crossed a vegetable patch and a large earthen pit. Before Jiang Yue even reached it, a foul stench assaulted her nostrils, making her stomach turn. She looked at her family; their expressions were calm.
They were used to it.
“Tragic” was the only word for their situation. They were the last to eat and lived in the most dilapidated corner of the estate. To one side was the pigsty; to the other, the latrine.
“Ugh…” Jiang Yue gagged.
Jiang Xue looked over in concern. “Sister, what’s wrong? Is it the hunger?”
I was hungry a moment ago, Jiang Yue thought, but now? I think the smell has killed my appetite.
Leaning on her siblings, Jiang Yue finally entered the house. Predictably, it was a ruin. There wasn’t a single decent piece of furniture; even the sole table was balanced on only three legs.
“Father, Mother, don’t worry,” Jiang Xue said, trying to soothe them. “We have hands and feet; we won’t starve. I’m going to dig for wild greens right now.”
“I’m going too,” Jiang Lei added.
Madam Cai choked back a sob, her rough hands stroking Jiang Yue’s hair. “Xue’er, boil some hot water first. Let’s clean your sister up.”
The “witless” Jiang Yue sat on the edge of the bed, letting her mother wipe her face and hands with a damp rag. But as Madam Cai pushed up a sleeve, she froze.
“My poor child… these wounds from the beating…”
Only then did Jiang Yue realize how badly she had been thrashed. The strikers had been vicious. In her past life, she had been a martial artist; she was so used to being hit that her perception of pain was dull, but the physical evidence was undeniable.
Jiang Ming stepped inside, chewing on a handful of herbs. He walked straight to Jiang Yue, spat the macerated green pulp into his hand, and slapped it onto the back of her head. The movement was practiced and fluid—he clearly did this often.
Jiang Xue sighed. “It’s a good thing we transplanted those herbs for swelling and bleeding.”
Madam Cai was silent. Her eldest daughter had always been slow-witted and easily bullied; bumps and bruises were a daily occurrence. Two years ago, Jiang Ming had learned to identify medicinal herbs and had scoured the hills to bring them home.
Jiang Lei also began chewing herbs, applying the paste to Jiang Yue’s arms. “Second Aunt hit Big Sister the hardest,” he muttered.
“She’s just guilty!” Jiang Xue spat. “Her daughter had a hand in this mess. That little brat, Jianzhi!”
“Watch your mouth!” Madam Cai scolded, though her heart wasn’t in it.
Jiang Xue puffed out her cheeks in a pout. Those nasty words were hurled at the First House every single day; why shouldn’t she speak her mind?
“Second Aunt calls Sister names all the time, and Third Aunt actually suggested throwing her into the wild forest to rot! They’re all just waiting for our whole family to die.”
The fire left Madam Cai all at once, replaced by a heavy, defeated slump of her shoulders.
Listening to the bickering, Jiang Yue realized how precarious their situation had become because of her “witless” reputation. She held a lifetime of skills and strength, but how could she use them while trapped in this persona? If she suddenly became sharp and capable, would they fear she had been possessed by a demon?
Watching Madam Cai tenderly wipe her hands, her face etched with heartbreak, Jiang Yue decided to test the waters. She softly called out, “Mother.”
Madam Cai’s eyes snapped wide, instantly alight with hope. “What? Yue’er, what did you call me?”
“Mother—”
This time, everyone heard it. The family crowded around her in a frenzy of joy, scrambling over one another to hear her say it just one more time. In the past, the only thing Jiang Yue ever said was a repetitive, hollow cry of “Hungry, hungry, hungry…”
Jiang Xue clapped her hands, beaming. “Sister can talk! She called for Mother!”
Jiang Ming was even more ecstatic. “She said it! Let’s see who dares call her a—” He cut himself off before the word “idiot” could slip out. That word was forbidden in the First House; any child who dared utter it was met with the combined fists of the three siblings.
Little Jiang Lei began jumping in circles. “Sister, I’m your brother! Can you say ‘Little Brother’?”
Jiang Youshan squeezed his way through the circle. “Daughter, call me ‘Father.’ Say ‘Father’…”
Jiang Yue looked at this “cheap” new dad—who looked barely old enough to be her elder brother—and sighed inwardly. She put on her most earnest face. “Father… hungry.”
Youshan rubbed his face, stunned. She had called him Father. She really had.
Madam Cai turned toward the door, her heart full. “Yue’er is hungry. I’ll go to the kitchen right now and—” She froze mid-sentence. Her mother-in-law’s decree echoed in her mind: the First House would no longer receive a share of the communal meals.
“Husband…” she whispered, her voice trembling.
Jiang Youshan ground his teeth. “Should I go back and beg?”
“Father, haven’t you realized it yet?” Jiang Ming barked, his anger returning. “They want us dead. Begging won’t change a thing!”
Youshan opened his mouth to argue, but no words came. A crushing sense of uselessness settled over him. Frustrated and furious, Jiang Ming turned and bolted out of the house.
Madam Cai broke down into tears again.
Jiang Yue felt a prick of guilt for mentioning her hunger, but before she could try to help, Jiang Xue pulled her back down. “Sister, we have no food or drink yet. Just lie down and save your strength.”
Thud, thud, thud.
Jiang Ming came sprinting back, his pockets bulging with wild fruit about the size of ping-pong balls.
“Plums I picked a couple of days ago,” he panted. “I didn’t dare bring them back then, but I don’t care anymore. Little Sister, wash these for Big Sister to eat.”
Jiang Xue gave a quick nod, deftly taking the fruit and rinsing them before bringing them to Jiang Yue.
Jiang Yue was indeed famished. She finished five in one go, only remembering as she reached for the last one that the family had lost their livelihood just to keep her. Even though the wild plums were ripe, they still carried a sharp, biting acidity. After finishing them, her mouth watered, and she felt even hungrier than before.
A heavy silence fell over the room. Madam Cai’s tears fell anew. “…My poor, poor Yue’er.”
Jiang Ming looked out at the sky; it was still a long way until noon. He reached out and ruffled Jiang Yue’s messy, straw-like hair with a grin. “I’m going to set some rabbit traps. Since Grandmother said we’re on our own now, I’ll bet they won’t dare try to snatch what I catch.”
Jiang Xue stomped her small foot. “Brother, I’m coming too! I’ll gather wild greens.”
Jiang Lei, acting like a little man, had already grabbed a small basket and was hovering by the door, waiting.
Jiang Youshan stood up as well. “I’ll swallow my pride and see if I can borrow some grain…”
Watching the genuine devotion of this family, Jiang Yue felt that fate hadn’t been so unkind after all.
In her past life, she had been an orphan from the Northwest, a nomad herding cattle and sheep across the vast grasslands. By chance, she was taken in by a mentor who taught her how to survive and fight. She eventually made her way to the capital, becoming a fitness coach through sheer grit and talent.
She had expected to live out a simple, solitary life until that car accident took her away. But death had given her a new beginning. She might not be wealthy, but she had been given the one thing she had always lacked—a family that loved her fiercely.
Poverty didn’t scare her. With her skills, she was confident she could lead this family to a better life. She just had to wait for the right moment to shed the skin of the “fool” once and for all.