Li Mother tiptoed out of the small house, slinking away in defeat.
The three Li daughters-in-law were speechless. Their leader had already lost face, and the little shrimp (Ye Xiaoxiao) was still charging forward? Impossible.
They flopped on the ground and played dead—where they fell, there they rested. Lying on their sides didn’t stop them from exchanging glances with Li Mother. After all, they’d endured injury for her sake; they might as well reap some benefits!
Ye Xiaoxiao pulled her gaze back, too lazy to look at fools, fearing her intelligence might be drained just from seeing them.
What mattered most now?
Of course—holding her children!
Ye Xiaoxiao excitedly hugged little Li Anguo to her chest, quietly feeling his steady heartbeat. How wonderful—her living, breathing child!
A mist gathered in her eyes, a strange smile curling her lips, as if announcing to the world: I, Hu Han San, have returned!
Little Li Anguo patted her arm gently, turning it around to comfort her.
“Mom, don’t be afraid. I’ll grow up quickly and protect you!”
Ye Xiaoxiao felt instantly healed, her heart warmed.
“Li Anguo, what about Erya, Sanwa, and Siya?” Ye Xiaoxiao gently cradled little Li Anguo’s tiny shoulders, careful not to hurt him.
Her little Li Anguo! Her precious heart!
“Mom, Erya went to the river to wash clothes. Sanwa took Siya to gather firewood. Grandma says we can’t eat breakfast until we finish our tasks.” Li Anguo frowned, sensing something odd about his mother—was she confused from illness?
Ever since he could remember, he only got meals after completing chores—a strict rule.
He couldn’t understand why the other kids in the family could eat without working. When he worked, he was left with the leftovers of their meals.
Little Li Anguo’s tiny brain had never figured it out.
Every morning, before dawn, he had to complete his tasks. Otherwise, there would be no soup or wild vegetables until evening, when he could only eat the leftover rice water served to others in the Li family.
Li Anguo didn’t understand why Grandma treated them this way. Ye Xiaoxiao did—and she planned to slowly reveal the secret to everyone.
Probably no one in the Li family knew why Li Father and Li Mother were so cruel to Li Tianyou. Understandably—such wickedness would be impossible for them to admit!
Returning her thoughts, Ye Xiaoxiao looked at Li Anguo.
“Mom is giving you a task. Take Sanwa and Siya to where Erya is washing clothes, okay?”
After speaking, Ye Xiaoxiao led Li Anguo out. Li Anguo went to find Sanwa and Siya, while Ye Xiaoxiao headed toward Erya by the river.
Before reaching the river, she saw a tiny figure scrubbing clothes hard on the stone slabs, wiping sweat from her forehead from time to time.
On this June morning, before the sun had fully risen, the morning breeze was a bit cool—but Erya was drenched in sweat!
Ye Xiaoxiao didn’t speak. Her heart ached. Her daughter, barely over five, had to wash the family’s clothes!
The children of Li Second, Li Third, and Li Fourth were older than her daughter, yet still asleep, spared from household chores.
Li Second had four children—the first three boys, aged 11, 9, and 7 (same as Li Anguo), and a six-year-old girl. Because of this, Chen Xiuying had always been Li Mother’s favorite, her posture straight and proud.
Li Third had a son and a daughter, aged 9 and 7. Afterwards, Tian Jiali’s belly never gave news of pregnancy, leaving Li Mother a little dissatisfied.
Li Fourth had two daughters, 8 and 6. Ma Yuzhen, facing Li Mother, was timid. She knew Li Mother disliked Ye Xiaoxiao, so to show loyalty, she bullied Ye Xiaoxiao the hardest.
Moreover, Li Mother favored the youngest child of Li Fourth, who was clever and spoiled Li Mother, making her forget some of Ma Yuzhen’s minor failings.
Li Tianyou joined the army at 15, returning at 24. On the way, he found Ye Xiaoxiao collapsed on the Li family estate path at just 18.
Li Tianyou, having never planned to marry, was captivated by Ye Xiaoxiao’s extraordinary beauty and married her—though she had lost her memory and didn’t even know her own name.
Ye Xiaoxiao’s original name was unknown. When Li Tianyou found her, she was curled into a tiny ball by the roadside. Her only clue was a wooden bracelet engraved with “Ye,” hinting at her surname or name.
Li Tianyou named her Ye Xiaoxiao. Her real name remained a mystery.
Before liberation and into the 1960s, many from Shandong Province fled famine to the Northeast. Encountering starving people along the way wasn’t rare.
At the time, Li Tianyou was already a deputy regiment commander, and military marriage political reviews were strict. Ye Xiaoxiao’s review was repeatedly blocked, only passing after Li Anguo was born.
Back then, Li Mother had arranged with the village accountant, Li Aiguo, for Li Tianyou to marry Li Aiguo’s youngest daughter, Li Meifeng, who would accompany the army. Li Aiguo also arranged lighter chores for his daughter.
The result? All the promises to Li family were overturned, backfiring. The accountant occasionally sought revenge on the Li family. From the moment Ye Xiaoxiao entered the household, Li Mother resented her, using any excuse to block her from joining the army.
Li Tianyou tried several times, but Li Mother faked compliance, making him believe the family treated Ye Xiaoxiao well and that the children were frail due to picky eating.
Laughably, in the 1960s–70s, no children were picky—they barely got enough to eat.
The Li family girls were all older than Erya, yet she was the one doing the work.
And the other Li children? At this moment, of course, they were all still asleep. Why shouldn’t they be?