Many hands make light work.
The yard with three rooms and a kitchen was quickly tidied up.
Jiang Yuyan organized all three rooms, temporarily placing the luggage in one of them.
As the cleaning was nearly done, she quietly called her mother aside.
“Mother, Dad brought these people to help. It’s almost mealtime. Where can we get some meat and vegetables? Let’s treat them to a meal.”
Her mother almost forgot. “Of course, of course. I’ll buy the vegetables. You just finish tidying the rooms, dear.”
Jiang Yuyan stopped her mother, who was about to leave empty-handed.
“Mother, you haven’t taken the money.”
She quickly handed over a few large bills, not giving her a chance to refuse, then returned inside.
Although it was a bit late, her mother somehow managed to exchange it for half a chicken and half a jin of fatty meat, enough to render some oil.
After sending off the helpers, her mother called Jiang Yuyan.
“Yuyan, your father and I discussed it. There are three rooms here. You take one room, your father and I another, and the last room for your three brothers. Later, your father will partition the room—it’s large enough, plenty of space for the three of them to sleep.”
Jiang Yuyan had just seen that all three rooms were spacious. Even with one room partitioned, there was more than enough space.
“Father, Mother, partition my room and Big Brother’s room too. That way, they’ll each have their own room, and even if they get married later, they’ll have space, right?”
Her parents were moved; they hadn’t expected her to think so considerately of them.
“Won’t that… be too much trouble for you?”
Jiang Yuyan shook her head. “It’s fine. We’ve been busy all day. You two should rest early.”
Around five the next morning, before dawn, Jiang Yuyan vaguely heard activity in the kitchen.
She lingered in bed a bit, then sighed and got up.
She really wasn’t used to life without electronic pickles or video games.
Upon opening the door, she saw her parents busy preparing breakfast.
“Dear, just wash your face and come eat. I’ll deliver breakfast to your brothers. You stay home and rest, don’t tire yourself.”
Jiang Yuyan shook her head while eating.
“Mother, I want to go with you. I want to see Second Brother, ask about his condition, and see if there’s a way to get him out.”
Her parents fell silent, mouths agape, almost in tears.
Mother said, “It’s all our fault—”
“Wife, don’t say that in front of the child. How do you think she’ll feel? Eat now.”
In town, Jiang Yuyan didn’t go to the hospital with her mother; instead, she went alone to the police station to see Jiang Muyi.
“Jiang Muyi, stand up! Someone’s here to see you!”
Jiang Muyi, thinking it was his mother, touched his newly formed injuries, cursing inwardly at these lunatics—
Seeing an unfamiliar woman, he frowned. “Who are you? I don’t know you.”
Yet her face seemed vaguely familiar.
“My name is Jiang Yuyan!”
Jiang?
“Could you be a relative of the Lao Jiang family? Or—”
Suddenly, a thought occurred, but he quickly suppressed it.
Impossible!
Someone like Jiang Yue, who had stolen all the family savings against Big Brother’s wishes…
No one would be foolish enough to leave city life for a barren countryside with nothing.
In the past, Jiang Muyi had spoiled Jiang Yue the most, because he raised her and cared for her deeply.
The deeper the affection, the deeper the hatred when betrayed.
If she were in front of him now, he’d wish to deal with her immediately.
Jiang Yuyan, unaware of his thoughts, looked slightly resentful but didn’t want to be misunderstood.
“My name is Jiang Yuyan, your biological sister. I came back yesterday to see Second Brother.”
“I’m not your Second Brother. Don’t call me that. Also, this isn’t a place for any random woman to come. Don’t ever come again. Even if you do, I won’t see you. Leave.”
Saying this, Jiang Muyi stood to leave.
“Second Brother, don’t you want to go out? Don’t you want Father and Big Brother to worry less?” Jiang Yuyan called after him.
Jiang Muyi paused, didn’t turn, and silently left after a moment.
…
In Jing City.
“What? Jiang Muyi was arrested by the police? And Jiang Muxuan’s legs were broken?”
“Yes. Keep an eye on the Jiang family. Recently, they’ve been having terrible luck—one misfortune after another.”
Lin Yue’s eyes glimmered with excitement, showing no concern. Instead, she saw an opportunity.
She suddenly thought of a perfect plan: one that would both estrange Jiang Yuyan from her family and pin misfortunes onto her.
Then, even if Jiang Yuyan returned to her biological family, she would still be miserable.
Perhaps, in the end, they would regret it and kneel, begging for her acceptance—hahaha.
“You go help me deliver a message to Jiang Muyi… blah blah…”
Lin Yue was secretly scheming; Jiang Yuyan had no idea.
As she left the station, lost in thought over Jiang Muyi’s words, she almost collided with a turning bicycle.
Bang!
Jiang Yuyan brushed it off, barely stabilizing the bike as it crashed into the wall.
The elderly rider was startled. “Comrade, are you okay? Oh, sorry! I didn’t see anyone here—”
Jiang Yuyan straightened up, about to wave it off, then gasped.
Her arm throbbed with pain. Looking down, scratches and bruises had already turned blue, purple, and red—seeming worse than they were. Her sensitive constitution amplified the injuries.
“My goodness! Comrade, you’re hurt? Quick, I’ll take you to the hospital!”
Jiang Yuyan wanted to refuse, but the old man insisted, feeling responsible and uneasy otherwise.
After getting her arm bandaged, she saw her mother, who was shocked at the sight.
“Yuyan, what happened? You’re hurt? Who—did someone hurt you?”
Jiang Yuyan quickly reassured her.
“Mother, I’m fine. I got scraped on the way back. The doctor treated it, said it’s nothing serious. Don’t worry.”
Her mother held her, trembling. “Oh, my heart… I was so afraid something would happen to your brothers again—”
It seemed she had spent her lifetime crying all at once these past few days, unable to stop.
Jiang Yuyan then went to see Jiang Muxuan’s attending doctor about his legs.
“…Our little place doesn’t have the means for surgery on your brother’s legs,” the doctor sighed. “If your family has the resources, you could try in Jing City. I hear the doctors there are very skilled.”
Jiang Yuyan knew Jiang Muxuan wouldn’t agree.
“Doctor, where can I buy Chinese herbs here? My family has a traditional prescription for this type of injury, but I don’t know where to get the herbs.”