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Chapter 8: Early Morning Absurdity\nAs soon as the first glimmer of light peeked over the misty mountains, there were already farmers working in the fields. The life of a farmer heavily depended on the growing of crops and in terms of agriculture, there was no farmer who disliked the land.\n
Due to the stiffness of the bed, Bailian had slept poorly and had been uncomfortable throughout the entire night. After all, it did not have the comfort of modern cushiony mattresses or feather-down pillows.\n
Around dusk, Grandma Li Ciying had gingerly crept out of bed, afraid that she would disturb Bailian’s rest, but Bailian had long already woke up. The bed was really too hard!\n
“Fifth, sleep for a while more! When you are hungry, there are leftover buns on the table. They’ll stave off your hunger.” Grandmother Li Ciying kindly reminded Bailian while tucking Bailian back into bed.\n
Bailian was surprised to see the sight of a lonesome yellow bun sitting on top of the table. She was pretty sure that the Third Branch had no supply of grains or food.\n
That meant that out of the three buns from yesterday, one of them had been saved for later. Bailian couldn’t imagine that three adults and two children were full off of two small and meager buns.\n
“We finished the vegetables yesterday….but we still need to return the borrowed bowl.” Grandmother Li Ciying worriedly said, “My son should pick some jujubes today.”\n
The stingy old lady of the Li Family, Matriarch Wang would noisily inspect and dig through the Third Branch’s rooms every night. If she stumbled across that the Third Branch had borrowed a bowl and did not return it, it would cause a huge racket.\n
“I’m…not hungry!” Bailian brightly smiled, feeling her heart sour at her Grandmother’s words.\n
It felt rather good to be so cared for and loved for by others and she was somewhat reluctant to go back to her old life.\n
Grandmother Li Ciying warmly stroked Bailian’s hair and then hobbled out the room.\n
Watching her Grandmother’s back slowly hobble out, she felt heartbroken in her heart. This ancient woman is already my whole life ah!\n
From noon yesterday to this morning, Bailian had been confined to resting on a hard bed. Naturally, Bailian only laid down for a few more minutes before hopping out of bed and decided to take a brisk walk outside.\n
In her previous life, Bailian had a habit of taking a brisk run bright and early every morning. Now, it was crucial for this body to be strengthened properly, but all the members of the Third Branch were severely malnourished. It was time to find something for this weak body to eat.\n
Bailian slowly walked to the door to avoid getting dizzy halfway through and cracked open the door. Immediately after, a blast of fresh air floated through the door.\n
The air here smells so much better, it’s leagues above that city smog full of car exhaust!\n
In the courtyard and adjacent backyard, the big-bellied Madam Zhao was feeding the grunting and snorting pigs in their pig pen using the ragweed collected by Yuhang and Yuyang the day before.\n
Grandmother Li Ciying was sweeping the courtyard floor slowly, the broomstick faltering every two or three steps as she stopped to rest. The ground was very well-kept and almost immaculate, but the first thing Grandmother Li Ciying did every morning was to sweep the courtyard. \n
This was due to the Matriarch’s unreasonable demands. If she thought the floor was not clean, she would harshly scold and curse at Li Ciying. \n
“Fifth, why did you get up?” Grandmother Li Ciying saw Bailian standing in the middle of the doorway and hurried over.\n
“I…I already recovered! Where are my two brothers?” Bailian looked around the area but did not see any signs of her younger siblings. \n
“Your father has gone to work in the fields, Yuhang and Yuyang have gone to mow and collect some ragweed. Can you rest for a while?” Grandmother Li Ciying fretfully reached out to examine Bailian’s forehead. The wound had already started scabbing, but it still looked a little swollen.\n
“Rest? Rest?! Whose eldest sister here? You want this old lady to serve you instead?!” A resentful voice shrilled into the courtyard.\n
Grandmother Li Ciying’s hand subconsciously paused for a second, and then she patted Bailian comfortingly. She began laboriously sweeping the floor again.\n
“You little wench! You went to seduce others yesterday, and now you want to act like a proper young miss? How shameless!”\n
A short, stoutly looking elderly lady, who had a hand on her waist, viciously pointed at Bailian and began cursing at her.\n
“Matriarch Wang, Fifth didn’t do it on purpose…” Grandmother Li Ciying had a strained expression. She deeply feared that she would incur the wrath of the petty woman and bring more grievances for Bailian.\n
“Bah! She just learned some measly tricks from a wench like you. You really think you are so innocent hmph!” Matriarch Wang began to openly degrade Grandmother Li Ciying.\n
Balian really couldn’t listen to this anymore, this Wang woman was just too horrible! It was obvious that Grandmother was the victim here, but she had instead been slandered by this Wang woman who enslaved the Third Branch to do hard labor.\n
“I fell yesterday because Eldest Sister tripped me from behind.” Bailian quietly looked at Li Xuehua standing behind Matriarch Wang with a knowing expression.\n
“Fifth Younger Sister! How could you just frame me? I..” Once Li Xuehua heard Bailian’s accusations, she immediately showed an innocent and aggrieved look.\n
“Bah! Don’t you know what trash you are? You dare lord over your eldest sister?” The Matriarch immediately rushed over to slap Bailian.\n
A trace of satisfaction and giddiness flashed in Li Xuehua’s bright eyes as she pulled her twin, Li Xueyu to retreat into the quiet interior of the house.\n
I am the pampered daughter of a scholar and future official, how can I bear witness to these vulgar things!\n
“Matriarch, Fifth..she didn’t mean it!”\n
Grandmother Li Ciying hurried over to protect Bailian and even the pregnant Madam Zhao hastily rushed over.\n
“You dare to protect this dirty girl! You think I won’t drive you all out ah!” Matriarch Wang cried out hatefully, hand swinging with a vibrating hum to slap Grandmother Ciying.\n
In a flash, right before Matriarch Wang’s outstretched palm could land, Bailian appeared before Li Wang’s face. She then gripped Li Wang’s wrist in an iron-grip and stopped the Matriarch midswing.\n
“If I am a dirty girl, then wouldn’t all the girls in the Li Family in the future be too?” Bailian pronounced each word clearly, a cold and sinister tone biting behind her articulate words. She used to be a senior secret service agent and the cold aura exuding from her small body was not something an ignorant old woman would be able to handle. \n
Seeing Bailian’s dim eyes peer coldly into her own, Matriarch Wang suddenly felt an ice cold wave wash over her. Her scalp went numb and she wanted to curse, but no matter how she croaked, no sound would leak out. The Matriarch’s arm had been tightly gripped by Bailian, and she couldn’t wrestle out of the girl’s steel grip.\n
“Fifth…let go..” \n
Madam Zhao shivered and pulled on Bailian gently, her voice trembling in fear. She was deeply afraid that Bailian’s rebellious actions would incur the wrath of the aggressive Matriarch. The Third Branch was already in dire straits, if Matriarch Wang decided to hold a grudge, Fifth Child would be killed!\n
Bailian gave Matriarch Wang another scathing look before finally letting go of the old woman’s wrist.\n
The Matriarch’s entire body was still tingling from fright after being stared down by Bailian. It took her several minutes before she could take two steps back and calm herself.\n
“You actually dared to kill me! You vile thing!”\n
After Matriarch Wang had recovered from the initial shock, she started cursing again, but didn’t dare raise her hand again after that traumatic episode.\n
“Mother, Fifth Child didn’t do it on purpose…” This was carefully said by Madam Zhao who furiously began apologizing in a timid tone.\n
“I think she did it on purpose! Maybe she listened to someone and wanted to kill me! Then the Li Family would be left with only one Madam! What a bunch of sly vixen! Two vixens who know how to seduce men! These vixens actually want to kill me!”\n
“You…” Grandmother Li Ciying’s face paled and she was speechless. After all these years of suppression and abuse, she didn’t know how to refute or dare to refute the Matriarch’s untruthful slander.\n
“Shut up!” An imposing voice rang out in the courtyard, “What are you doing? Come back here!”\n
Matriarch Wang immediately shut up before unhappily grumbling, “This little wench knows how to seduce men, she won’t have a good future!”\n
“Shut up!” Are you trying to ruin the reputation of the other girls in the Li Family?!” Patriarch Li swiftly stepped out into the courtyard with a stern expression.\n
Bailian had a mocking look on her face. It turns out this old man was mainly afraid that his wife’s words would ruin the girls in the family but didn’t even care that the Third Branch had just been scolded and almost beaten to death.\n
“Mother, Meijun made a pair of new shoes for mother, quickly come and try them on!”\n
The voice of a middle-aged man echoed out into the courtyard, which made Matriarch Wang break out into an elated, sickly-sweet smile.\n
“Alright, alright, the Eldest Master and his wife are so filial, Eldest son, don’t bother, hurry up and go study ah! Scholar!” Matriarch Wang shuffled into the big hall with a big smile on her stingy face.\n
Bailian curled her lips. The First Branch, under Li Yonghe and his family, lived in several large and well-furnished rooms next to the main hall. The Second Branch lived in the west wing and the Third Branch and Fourth Young Master, Li Yongfei resided in the shabbier east wing.\n
As a result, the Third Branch only got three rooms while Li Jinyu used up two rooms as she was the unmarried daughter of Patriarch Li and Matriarch Wang. In addition, the Third Branch’s rooms were the coldest during the winter, poorly ventilated, and poorly furnished.\n
Widow Zhang had woken up early to travel to the Li Family residence. After hearing the ruckus and long voices screaming in the Li Family’s courtyard, she strengthened her conviction to annul this engagement. \n
When the courtyard finally quieted down, Widow Zhang started banging on the door.\n