Seeing this, Feng Xinyao kicked out her leg, sending Old Man Shen sprawling face-first into the dirt.
Shen Yu, unaffected, showed the villagers his money pouch:
“Grandpas, grandmas, and fellow villagers, this is the silver they got from selling our stepmother. Seeing how much money they could get from selling a person, they wanted to sell my two little sisters too. Please help us ask the Lizheng to seek justice for us.”
Shen Yu made as if to kneel, but the villagers quickly helped him up.
“This Shen family is black-hearted and wicked! Those two little girls of Shen Laoda are only a few years old and they want to sell them?”
“Exactly! They usually put on such a proper air, who would’ve thought their hearts were so vicious.”
“This year’s drought hit the fields hard, and every household is struggling, but I haven’t seen anyone else selling off their children.”
Listening to the villagers’ clamoring condemnation and watching the old Shen couple’s arrogance deflate, Feng Xinyao was in high spirits. She also put on a weak demeanor:
“I narrowly escaped with my life and came back, but I truly can’t stay in this Shen family any longer. I ask the Lizheng to rule on a divorce agreement so I can sever ties with the Shen family and keep my life.”
“Divorce? You wish!”
Old Man Shen roared: “If you want a divorce, you’ll have to wait until my eldest son comes back to sign and seal it. Otherwise, don’t even think about separating from the Shen family.”
Feng Xinyao didn’t believe him, and just then the Lizheng arrived.
From what she remembered, Village Head Tang was one of the fairest people in the village. Feng Xinyao knew that with today’s leverage in hand, she had a good chance of leaving the Shen family.
“Village Head Tang, don’t listen to that wench’s one-sided story and misunderstand our Shen family.”
Village Head Tang’s face was as black as ink. “Not listen to Feng girl’s one-sided story? Should I hear what your little grandson has to say instead?”
Old Man Shen sidled up to the Lizheng, intending to play the villain and strike first, little knowing that on the way over, the villagers had already told the Lizheng what had happened.
Old Man Shen was left speechless, and Village Head Tang looked at Feng Xinyao.
“Feng girl, no matter where you go, Shen Laoda does need to sign and seal it. That said, to keep the Shen family from harboring any more ill intentions toward you, why don’t you move back to your natal family for a while, and when—”
“No need to go back to my natal family either. Since we can’t get a divorce for now, let’s just split the household temporarily. I’ll stay in the hut at the back of the hill, and once Shen Laoda comes back and we finalize the divorce, I’ll leave Dawang Village and not trouble anyone.”
If her original body’s natal family had been worth relying on, why would they have sold their seven-year-old daughter to be a child bride?
Rather than lower her head and suffer under someone else’s roof, she’d rather live alone and enjoy her freedom.
The Lizheng heard her words and understood she had made up her mind.
Everyone in the village knew that Feng Daya had been diligent and devoted in the Shen household for over a decade, and the Shen family selling her to a brothel was truly going too far.
After some deliberation, the Lizheng didn’t need anyone else’s input and made the call directly: “Very well, then. As you wish.”
Feng Xinyao was delighted. She went back to the woodshed to pack her things, but saw the identical twin sisters huddled in the corner of the bed.
Seeing her come in, the two little girls’ big eyes darted around, and they hugged each other tightly, like two bewildered and helpless little kittens.
Feng Xinyao’s heart melted on the spot. The excitement of leaving the Shen family gradually faded, and Shen Yu’s words echoed in her mind: “They saw selling their stepmother made money, so they wanted to sell the two little sisters.”
Feng Xinyao furrowed her brow and instinctively reached out to the two little girls, intending just to test the waters. But to her surprise, the little girls timidly extended their small hands and called out in a muffled, unclear voice: “Ste… stepmother.”
Feng Xinyao: “…”
Who could resist that?
In her memory, the children had never been treated well in the Shen household—when the family was in a bad mood, they would even resort to beating and kicking them.
A thought stirred in Feng Xinyao’s mind, but she quickly suppressed it. She had just arrived in this unfamiliar place and didn’t even know how she would survive herself; she had no energy to help others.
Steeling her heart, she set down the two children and picked up her bundle to leave. Just as she was about to step out of the courtyard, she heard Shen Yu suddenly speak: “Stepmother…”
The small child’s voice was not loud, but it carried a great deal of forbearance. “Could you take my two younger sisters with you? When Father returns, he will surely repay you handsomely.”
As he spoke, Shen Yu pressed the money pouch in his hand into Feng Xinyao’s palm.
He was gambling—gambling that this stepmother, who unlike the rest of the Shen family had never bullied them, would be willing to take in his two small, adorable sisters.
After speaking, Shen Yu looked up, his dark eyes filled with both trepidation and hope.
Feng Xinyao pressed her lips together. Old Lady Shen spat at Shen Yu without the slightest restraint: “You little bastard! No matter how useless you brats are, you’re still Shen blood. Don’t you dare think of running off with that little slut.”
They had already lost one child who could have been sold for silver—how could they afford to lose another?
Feng Xinyao understood Old Lady Shen’s intentions almost instantly. Once she left the Shen household, they would certainly not let Shen Yu—who had testified on her behalf—off the hook, and the lost silver would be recouped by selling the two little girls.
Seeing Feng Xinyao hesitate, the villagers nearby began to murmur among themselves. Some thought she could barely survive on her own in the back mountain, let alone with several children in tow—they’d all starve. Others remarked that the Shen children would rather follow their stepmother than stay in the Shen household, and said the Shens deserved it.
“Feng girl, go on,” the Lizheng spoke up as well, his tone making it clear he didn’t think it wise for her to take the children.
Feng Xinyao’s thoughts churned. She remembered the Shen family saying Shen Laoda would return in three months, and a month and a half had already passed. She could help him look after the children for a few more days. When Shen Laoda returned, he would, for the sake of her having protected the children, agree to a mutual divorce with dignity—even if only to give the children’s birth mother a proper title, he wouldn’t try to keep her.
With this in mind, Feng Xinyao looked down at Shen Yu. “What about you? Don’t you want to come along?”
“Feng Xinyao!” Old Lady Shen shrieked, like a hen that had its tail stepped on.
But Feng Xinyao ignored her and said to the Lizheng: “I haven’t divorced Shen Laoda yet, so I’m still the children’s stepmother. Since we’re splitting the household, it’s only right that the children come with me. I’ll look after them for Shen Laoda for a few days—so that he doesn’t come back to find his children all sold off.”
Old Man Shen and Old Lady Shen both objected to this, and even tried to snatch the money Shen Yu had handed to her. But with the Lizheng present, and the Shen family unwilling to lose the supplies that came with their “poor household” designation, they could only watch sullenly as she led the children away. Yet the look Old Man Shen gave them as they left was filled with venom and greed—clearly, he had no intention of letting this matter rest.
…
At the foot of the mountain, looking at the two ramshackle thatched huts that seemed ready to collapse at any moment, the Lizheng warned with concern:
“This little courtyard was lived in by a hunter couple more than ten years ago. It’s been neglected ever since, so it’s a bit run-down. You and the children need to be careful when you stay here. If you’re missing anything, just tell me, and I’ll see if the village can help out.”
Feng Xinyao shook her head. “We’re already grateful to Uncle Lizheng for giving us a place to stay. A house is only as good as the people living in it—we’ll clean it up ourselves.”
“That’s good.” Seeing Feng Xinyao so straightforward, the Lizheng’s tightly furrowed brow relaxed a little.
“You all take a look around and tidy up as you see fit. I’ll head home to fetch some things you might find useful, and I’ll also call a few men over to repair your roof and clear the dead grass in the yard.”
Before Feng Xinyao could politely decline, Village Head Tang had already turned and walked away.