When it came to meals at home, Grandmother kept a very tight watch while cooking, terrified that Liu Cunxiu might steal a bite. During dinner, the portion of food given to each person was determined entirely by Grandmother, and everyone had to eat in their own rooms. This unfair treatment made Liu Cunxiu and Liu Ye'er feel deeply aggrieved, and it also made Liu Shande's situation very difficult.
In this household, the youngest aunt and youngest uncle were the people closest to Liu Ye'er during her childhood. The aunt often treated Liu Ye'er almost like her own daughter, while the uncle frequently took Liu Ye'er and Liu Shande out to buy snacks. Although they were extremely good to Liu Ye'er, their status and treatment fell far short of the two elder aunts. This left Liu Ye'er feeling a sense of injustice and helplessness.
The father in this family worked away from home year-round, making him a stranger to Liu Ye'er. Although he contributed a great deal materially to the household, his absence also left Liu Ye'er feeling profoundly lonely and helpless.
Liu Ye'er received a system prompt issuing a mission: back up the youngest aunt and do not let her be bullied. When Liu Ye'er regained consciousness, her head felt as though it were splitting apart. Soon after, a frail woman appeared before her and gently lifted her up. "You're finally awake, Ye'er. You had your aunt worried to death." Liu Ye'er responded with a smile, comforting her aunt.
"You're feeling much better. Rest a bit longer, and your aunt will go make dinner," Liu Cunxiu said, stroking her cheek. Just then, a slightly older boy walked over leading a smaller one whose eyes were red, clearly having just cried. With a grave and anxious expression, the older boy asked, "Elder Sister Ye'er, how are you feeling?"
Liu Ye'er searched her memory and recalled who these two children were—seven-year-old Liu Shanxing and five-year-old Liu Shande. The two children had come to visit her, and their arrival warmed her heart even more than the adults' presence. "I'm much better," she answered softly.
Liu Shanxing sighed and complained, "Grandmother is too partial." Liu Shande asked in confusion, "Third Brother, why is Grandmother partial?" Being a child, Liu Shanxing could not answer this question and fell silent.
After a moment of thought, Liu Ye'er decided that these two children had good character and were worth cultivating. Determined to teach them a lesson, she said, "Xiao Dezi, you can use this partiality as the driving force to better yourself."
"The driving force to better myself?" Liu Shanxing did not understand what that meant. Mentally twenty-eight years old, Liu Ye'er knew she could not explain overly profound principles to two young children. Instead, she used a simple analogy: "Imagine a bundle of ten catties of firewood and a bundle of twenty catties of firewood. Each person carries one bundle. The ten-catty one is light, and the twenty-catty one is heavy. What happens as the days go by?"
Liu Shanxing understood. "If you carry something heavy for a long time, you get stronger." Liu Ye'er nodded. "That's right, exactly."
In this household full of conflict, Liu Cunxiu and Liu Ye'er had become the two individuals bearing the oppression. Liu Cunxiu, a weak-willed woman, always silently endured the family's pressure, while Liu Ye'er, a once-obedient little girl, had undergone a change in temperament after a serious illness, becoming strong and brave.
In the kitchen, Liu Cunxiu bustled about preparing the family's meal, while Madam Yu stood at the doorway complaining loudly, full of hostility toward Liu Cunxiu. Unable to bear it any longer, Liu Ye'er got up and followed her out; she was going to stand up for her aunt.
Liu Ye'er couldn't help shouting, "Are your hands or legs broken? Can't you cook for yourselves? If my aunt doesn't cook, are you all going to stop eating?" This remark shocked Madam Yu, who never expected Liu Ye'er to fight back like this.
Madam Yu's anger ignited instantly. "You wretched girl, are you asking for a beating?" She raised her hand to strike Liu Ye'er. Seeing this, Liu Cunxiu immediately shielded Liu Ye'er and said, "Mother, Ye'er is still young and doesn't know any better; don't hold it against her. If you have anger to vent, hit me instead. I'll take the beating for Ye'er."
Liu Ye'er possessed a fierce disposition and could not tolerate Madam Yu's malicious behavior. She felt that Liu Cunxiu was just like the female lead in a melodrama, always accepting abuse with resignation and never daring to resist, which only made wicked people more arrogant. Madam Yu slapped Liu Cunxiu across the face and scolded angrily, "It must be you harboring resentment and instigating this behind her back! Do you think I can't see through your intentions?" This pushed Liu Ye'er past her breaking point; she rushed forward, grabbed Madam Yu's hand, and bit down hard.
Madam Yu let out a shriek like a slaughtered pig and used her other hand to beat Liu Ye'er. Liu Cunxiu hurriedly grabbed Madam Yu's arm while shouting, "Ye'er, let go!" At this, Liu Ye'er glared fiercely at Madam Yu, but she refused to let go, no matter how hard Madam Yu tried to shake her off. Madam Yu screamed, "Someone come here and pull her off!" Several male cousins ran over to pull and beat at Liu Ye'er. With a do-or-die determination, Liu Ye'er simply refused to let go.
Just then, Liu Cunxiao returned. He hurriedly pulled the cousins apart and demanded, "What is going on here?" Liu Cunxiu begged Liu Ye'er again to let go, but Liu Ye'er still wouldn't budge. Out of options, Liu Cunxiu dropped to her knees right in front of Liu Ye'er and pleaded, "Ye'er, your aunt is begging you, let go!" Faced with Liu Cunxiu's actions, Liu Ye'er was startled, and her heart softened. She finally released Madam Yu.
Madam Yu's arm bore a deep set of teeth marks, and she whimpered in pain. She roared at Liu Ye'er, "You little vixen! How dare you bite me!" Liu Cunxiu hurried over to hold Madam Yu back, terrified that she would continue her violence.
Feeling immense anger and a sense of injustice, Liu Ye'er said to Madam Yu, "You're nothing but an old witch! You only know how to bully the weak like us! Let me tell you, you don't deserve to be our grandmother!" These words turned Madam Yu's face ashen.
Looking into Liu Ye'er's murderous gaze, Madam Yu couldn't help trembling inwardly. She thought to herself: This little girl is truly not to be trifled with. After all, the whole family relies on Liu Cunren for support, and now is not the time to offend him. For now, I'll let her off the hook, wait for an opportunity to incite Liu Cunren into selling her, and let her own father deal with her so I don't have to be the villain.
Liu Cunxiao pulled Liu Ye'er outside. He was silent for a moment, then asked about the sequence of events in a deep, heavy tone. Liu Ye'er, usually an obedient girl, felt filled with grievances and recounted the whole story to him from beginning to end.
A bitter feeling welled up inside Liu Cunxiao. He understood the unfair treatment his third older sister and second older sister had suffered, as well as the resentment and anger bottled up inside them.
He looked at Liu Ye'er, this little girl who tugged at his heartstrings, feeling utterly helpless. He knew the resentment, grievances, and dissatisfaction in her heart. He could neither persuade their elderly mother nor comfort Liu Ye'er. Yet doing nothing was not an option either; he still had to say something. He said, "Ye'er, your grandmother has a bad temper, but her heart is good." His words were so pale and feeble that even he found them hypocritical.
Liu Ye'er looked at him, those clear eyes filled with disappointment. She knew her youngest uncle's character and that he was trying his best to maintain harmony in the household, but it did nothing to solve their problems. Yet she also knew that if this issue went unresolved, the grievances suffered by herself, her father, and her aunt would only grow heavier.
Muster up her courage, she asked, "Uncle, is my aunt nothing more than a servant in this family?" This question struck straight at Liu Cunxiao's heart. He could not answer; the question filled him with a profound sense of helplessness and guilt.
Seeing his reaction, Liu Ye'er asked again, "Uncle, how do you think this should be handled?" Liu Cunxiao took a deep breath and said firmly, "Don't worry, I will handle this matter. I won't let you be wronged."
Liu Ye'er received a system prompt: she had successfully helped her aunt complete the mission and was rewarded with ten thousand taels of silver, which had been deposited into her portable dimension. The system then issued a new mission requiring her to acknowledge a mother. This left Liu Ye'er quite perplexed, as her mother had passed away long ago, and she had no idea whom she was supposed to acknowledge as her mother. There was no suitable candidate at present. Ten thousand taels of silver was no small sum; it was enough for her and her father to live a good life.
Liu Cunxiu went into the kitchen to cook, and Liu Ye'er followed to help. Madam Yu's beloved youngest son, Liu Cunxiao, took his mother's hand, gently shook it, and coaxed her in a soft, gentle voice, "Mother, Ye'er knows she was wrong and feels terrible about it. As an adult, you should be magnanimous. Ye'er is just a child, and if you hold a grudge against her, it will make you look petty." Hearing this, Madam Yu felt somewhat better, though she still gave a disgruntled huff on the surface.
Liu Ye'er took her younger brother Liu Shande to help Liu Cunxiu. Suddenly, a question struck her. Although Liu Cunxiu and Liu Cunxiao were the same age, their birthdays were half a year apart. They were not twins, nor could they have been born to the same mother in back-to-back pregnancies within a single year. Clearly, they did not share the same birth mother. Observing the treatment Liu Cunxiu received, it was vastly different from that of a biological daughter.
What about her own father, then? He was the family's sole financial pillar, shouldering the heavy burden of supporting the entire household. As a martial escort, his work was fraught with danger to his life at any moment. Yet Grandmother had never once shown any concern for this, which implied that her father might not be Grandmother's biological son either. Grandmother was amiable to all her other descendants, with the sole exception of her father and aunt.
Even more baffling was that their mother had died under unclear circumstances, and they didn't even know the identity of their biological grandmother. Liu Ye'er resolved to uncover the truth.
The meal was prepared. Liu Ye'er stared intently at Madam Yu as she served the food, making Madam Yu somewhat uneasy. Because of Madam Yu's passing, Liu Cunren still harbored a knot in his heart, and now Liu Ye'er was no longer the easily fooled child she used to be. If they offended Liu Cunren again, he might stop providing the funds the family needed, and this whole household really would fall into dire straits.
For the first time ever, Madam Yu scooped meat dishes for everyone, and the vegetable dishes were also prepared in abundance. The three of them carried their food back to their room. Liu Cunxiu pushed the meat toward Liu Ye'er and said gently, "Ye'er, you and your brother are still young. Eat more meat." Liu Ye'er deliberately asked, "Aunt, why do you suppose there's meat today?" Liu Cunxiu was taken aback by the question. Normally, the grandparents and the families of the eldest and second uncles ate in the main room, while Liu Cunxiu and the others were not allowed at the table. In the main room, there were grand feasts of fish and meat, whereas Liu Cunxiu could only receive leftovers, which she and the children brought back to their own room to eat—never once containing any meat.
Liu Cunxiu's heart was filled with confusion. She and her family had long endured unfair treatment; despite her diligence and kindness, she always struggled to share in the family's warmth and happiness. Yet today, this unjust fate seemed finally about to be broken, and the meat set before them felt both like compensation and a form of mockery.
Liu Ye'er, equally kind-hearted yet far more resilient, looked at the silent Liu Cunxiu and softly uttered an ancient yet true principle: "A good person is bullied by others, just as a gentle horse is ridden by men." She explained that people who are excessively kind often have to shoulder more responsibilities, endure more scolding, and suffer unfairness even in the distribution of food. Today, she had decided no longer to accept things with resignation; she had engaged in a fierce struggle against those who bullied them, and as a result, they finally had meat to eat.