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Not seeing her younger brother around, Su Qingqing wasn’t worried. It was lunchtime after all, and he had probably been called over to Sister-in-law Yang’s place for a meal.
Taking the farming tools out of the burlap sack, she planned to head straight to Jixiang Mountain to dig up clay. As for food, she’d just forage for some wild fruits in the mountains.
But just as she stepped out the door, she nearly bumped into her brother.
Su Zijin was cradling a clay pot in his arms, and the aroma of cooked food wafted out from it.
He had run all the way home from Aunt Wang’s place, carefully guarding the pot, worried his sister might return and not find him, or worse—go hungry.
When he looked up and saw Su Qingqing, his eyes sparkled.
“Sister, you’re back! Just now, Sister-in-law Yang walked me home. When we saw you weren’t here, she invited me over for lunch.”
Like offering treasure, he pushed the pot toward her.
“Look, Sister! This is lunch Aunt Wang asked me to bring to you. I protected it the whole way back!”
Then he stared at her expectantly, his eyes practically saying, “Praise me! Praise me!”
Su Qingqing praised the little guy for a full minute, changing up her words and tone each time, until the boy shyly covered his flushed cheeks and scampered off.
Even though everything she said was true, it was still a little embarrassing.
Su Qingqing opened the clay pot—it held half a pot of corn porridge and a few sticks of pickled vegetables. She didn’t mind at all and quickly polished it off.
After giving a few instructions to her bashful little brother, she grabbed her shovel and sack and headed off to Jixiang Mountain.
When Su Tingting went to the kitchen to cook, she realized the iron cooking pot was missing. She felt unsettled. She had only gone to the county town for a few days, but everything seemed to have changed.
Su Qingqing and her brother had moved out. Her mother had been beaten into unconsciousness. Grandmother’s silver was stolen. The iron pot was gone…
But the biggest change of all was her cousin Su Qingqing—she seemed like a completely different person.
Before, Su Qingqing would always come running up to her, eager to please, obeying every command like a little lapdog.
Now, she had the guts to move out of the Su household with her brother. Wasn’t she the one most afraid of being kicked out?
No. She had to go check what that little wretch was up to. She couldn’t let her escape her control. She knew Su Qingqing’s mother had a noble background—and she was going to take her place.
Six years ago, while visiting town, she had accidentally overheard her second aunt talking to a man dressed in silk. She caught snippets about her aunt being a noble lady from some prestigious household in the capital. A few days later, her aunt vanished.
She never told anyone what she had overheard. For six years, she had waited for her aunt to return—so she could eliminate Su Qingqing and replace her.
Back then, it was she who had noticed Su Qingqing’s embroidery skills and told Grandmother and her mother, convincing them to make her stitch for profit.
She couldn’t let Su Qingqing escape her grip. She had to rise above everyone else.
Su Tingting turned to Grandmother’s room and said:
“Grandma, the iron pot is gone. We can’t cook. I brought back some pastries from Auntie’s house—please make do with that, you and Father both.”
With that, she left to find Su Qingqing.
If it weren’t for the fact that she hadn’t yet replaced that girl’s identity, she wouldn’t even bother dealing with that biased old woman or her lazy, gluttonous father.
Old Madam Su’s eyelid twitched when she heard her granddaughter’s words. How could the iron pot disappear? Did the thief steal that too?
But why would a thief steal a cooking pot? To make stew?
She never suspected Su Qingqing. In her eyes, that girl was nothing more than a bullied pushover—how could she possibly do something like that?
That same “pushover” Su Qingqing was currently carrying a huge sack of clay on her back and holding two wild rabbits and two pheasants in her hand.
She’d had pretty good luck today. Not long after entering the mountain, she spotted a flapping pheasant. She picked up a stone, took aim, and down it went—clean and quick.
Unlike the bloody mess when she first fought off wolves, this time the pheasant died peacefully. She was rather proud of her precise throw.
She owed it to her past life love of basketball. Her three-pointers had always been on point. Now that same aim helped her bring down wild animals with rocks.
She continued deeper into the forest and eventually caught another pheasant and two fat rabbits.
Quite pleased with the haul, she headed home humming a tune, clay on her back, game in hand.
Just as she reached her gate, Su Tingting appeared in front of her. Su Qingqing ignored her completely and walked right past into the house.
She had always believed in ignoring irrelevant people.
Su Tingting’s mouth dropped open into an O-shape as she stared at the game and the heavy sack on Su Qingqing’s back. Since when was that wretch so strong? And how dare she ignore me!
“Su Qingqing, what’s the meaning of this? Didn’t you see me?”
Su Qingqing’s eye twitched. Do you think you’re silver or something? Do I have to notice you just because you’re here?
Hearing the commotion, Su Zijin came running out.
“Sister, you’re back!”
Su Qingqing reached out to pat his head. Then she led him into the kitchen. She had brought back the clay—time to start repairing the stove.
Meanwhile, Su Tingting was completely ignored.
Su Tingting: …Am I invisible? Or did I come in the wrong way?
She trailed after the siblings, determined to see what Su Qingqing was up to.
She used to be able to threaten her by saying she’d be kicked out of the Su household. Now that Su Qingqing had left on her own, she had no leverage left.
What’s more, this girl had gotten a lot smarter—no longer easy to manipulate.
Given the way she had just carried that sack, Su Tingting figured she couldn’t win in a fight either. So she decided to follow and observe.
She had to find a way to bring this girl down. If it came to it… maybe eliminate her altogether. Her cousin would help her, for sure.
At the thought, her eyes glinted with malice. The frustration of being ignored vanished in an instant.
She stared at Su Qingqing like she was already dead.
“Su Qingqing, just you wait. I’ll make you wish you were never born.”
When the time came, and the girl knelt before her, begging for mercy, she wouldn’t show her any.
Su Zijin turned to look behind them and tilted his head in confusion.
“Sister, when did someone start following us?”
Su Qingqing burst out laughing.
“Didn’t notice. Who cares.”
“Oh!”
Su Tingting had just finished her threat and now stood there, completely ignored again. Her face turned dark. All the frustration that had faded moments ago now surged back stronger than ever.
If she didn’t leave now, she might actually explode.
Later that afternoon, Su Qingqing and her brother worked together for a while, trying to fix the stove. But instead of repairing it, they only made it worse…
Su Zijin looked at the disastrous result of their efforts. After a pause, he chose not to crush his sister’s enthusiasm.
Trying to encourage her, he said with a guilty little smile,
“Sister, actually you…”
But after several seconds of “you…” he couldn’t come up with anything to follow. He decided to just be an honest and well-behaved boy.
Su Qingqing: …Right. Some things are best left to professionals.