Chapter 25

Liu Youcai barely slept the entire night. When he woke up, he stared at the ceiling without moving, leaving his wife, Cao, deeply worried. She anxiously asked her husband what had happened.

How could Liu Youcai possibly reveal the events of the previous night? Turning away, he simply said he wasn’t feeling well.

Seeing that he wouldn’t get out of bed or eat, Cao grew increasingly distressed and had no choice but to call their son.

The newly appointed scholar, currently riding high on the waves of his recent success, rushed to his father’s bedside as soon as he heard the news of his illness.

But to his surprise, his father sent everyone else out of the room and quietly recounted everything he had told the maidservant the night before. Once finished, he pounded his chest in frustration, exclaiming, “This is all her word alone. I haven’t been able to confirm it yet. 

But that maidservant swore it to be true. And… there’s the scar on my hip to consider. Your mother always said it was from a dog bite when I was a child. She said it was shameful, so the family never mentioned it to outsiders. But how could that maidservant have known about it?”

Hearing his father’s words was like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky for Liu Qiming.

“Father, if this is true, then we’d be hereditary soldiers! Generations of our family would have to serve in the military. Just look at the Xiang family’s eldest branch. Xiang Dagen served as a soldier for twenty years. When he couldn’t do it anymore, it fell to Daniu. 

And when Daniu can’t do it, it’ll be Erniu’s turn—or even their sons’. It’s a never-ending curse!”

Liu Youcai wiped his eyes and said, “How could I not know? Thinking about Xiang Dagen’s circumstances over the years has left me so anxious that I couldn’t sleep all night.”

“Father, we absolutely can’t admit to this. I don’t want to end up like Daniu, and you’re not Xiang Dagen. Besides, who can prove that the scar on your buttocks was caused by Xiang Kui’s bite? All of this is nothing but baseless fabrication from that old hag!” Liu Qiming gritted his teeth.

Liu Youcai replied, “I don’t believe it either, but I can’t help feeling uneasy…”

“That woman didn’t come sooner or later, but chose now to show up—she must’ve heard that I passed the provincial examination and came to blackmail us,” Liu Qiming growled. “That bite mark and the switched identity must be part of her lies. Father, don’t panic or let her trap you!”

Despite his son’s reassurance, Liu Youcai’s heart raced. “Last night, she even said that when you achieve great success in the future, you mustn’t forget your roots. She won’t reveal the secret now unless—”

“Unless what?” Liu Qiming asked urgently.

“She said unless you one day earn top honors, become a noble or a prime minister, and have the power to remove the Xiang family’s shameful title. Then, she’ll have us recognize our ancestral ties…”

Upon hearing this, Liu Qiming’s veins bulged with anger, and his face twisted in fury. “I earned my status as a scholar through my hard work! What does it have to do with the Xiang family? 

Now they want to ride on my coattails and even expect me to change their fate? Shameless! How could someone as noble as me, a scholar, have come from such lowly scum?”

“The Xiang family has been supporting Xiang Laosan in his studies for years, but even at over 30 years old, he’s still just a child scholar. The second branch of the Xiang family is greedy and lazy, filled with good-for-nothings. 

Such people aren’t even worthy to carry my shoes, let alone claim kinship!”

By the end, his tone was utterly hysterical.

“But what should we do?” Liu Youcai was now completely at a loss.

“We can’t admit it, no matter what. If our ancestors found out, we’d be finished. Also, the Liu family’s fortune cannot fall into the hands of my uncles.”

The Liu family’s wealth wasn’t insignificant. Just the rent from their nearly hundred acres of land was enough to support several families, not to mention their other assets.

Hearing mention of the family estate made Liu Youcai’s heart race even faster. As the eldest son, he was supposed to inherit the largest share when the family divided its assets. But if this matter were exposed, not only would he lose everything, but the Liu family might even demand compensation from him instead.

“What should I say to that old hag if she comes back?” Liu Youcai asked nervously.

“She’s come now with a motive in mind. Let’s wait a few days and see if she follows through with her claim of staying out of contact for our sake. If they behave, we can let it go. But if not… hmph.”

As expected, this conversation between the Liu father and son was relayed word for word to Pear Blossom by the system.

After hearing the report, Pear Blossom was stunned. So, all the suffering the eldest branch of the family had endured over the years originated from this!

The Xiang family elders were truly vile!

No wonder the eldest branch struggled to eat and dress well all these years. No wonder they sold her and Xinghua. No wonder they shamelessly sent Daniu to the battlefield.

They simply didn’t care about children who weren’t their own.

Pear Blossom felt both furious and hateful, but after her anger subsided, she was filled with relief. At last, her father wouldn’t have to suffer in silence, and the eldest branch might finally escape from these parasitic leeches!

She told her parents about the situation, claiming that she overheard the old woman’s conversation while following her on a trip to the latrine late at night.

Since Xiang Dagen and his wife had been fast asleep, they had no way to question how Pear Blossom had gotten this information.

Upon hearing the news, the couple was just as shocked.

Xiang Dagen trembled with rage, growling, “So that wretched old woman is the one behind all of this, making me serve in the military year after year without coming home. She’s caused me so much suffering!”

“I spent all these years treating those scoundrels as my parents, letting them trample on my wife and children. Heaven, how could you let this happen to me?”

Xiong hugged her husband and sobbed uncontrollably. The two discussed going to confront the Xiang family elders, but Pear Blossom stopped them.

“Father, what if they deny everything?”

“Deny? Didn’t they say Liu Youcai has a bite mark on his butt? Just pull his pants down and check.”

“Father, I’m the only one who overheard their conversation. If the old woman denies saying these things, who will prove that the scar belongs to their son?”

Xiang Dagen froze, gritting his teeth. “But can we just let this go? I can’t swallow this rage.”

“Father, Liu Youcai and his son are more anxious than us right now. Let’s wait and see what they do next.”

Hearing this, Xiang Dagen’s anger subsided somewhat. In the past, he had thought his daughter wasn’t too bright, but ever since she had helped rescue him and his comrades with Left Bailiff’s men and recovered stolen supplies, his view of her had completely changed. 

Now, her reasoning seemed entirely logical.

“Alright, daughter, we’ll do as you say.”

Over the next two days, the oldest branch carried on as usual. However, Xiong stopped working in the fields and spent her time chatting with other women by the river.

As for Daniu, ever since he returned from the army, he refused to involve himself in any family matters. He’d rather chop wood for the Qin family than obey the old woman’s orders.

Mrs. Xiang was furious, constantly muttering curses about the people from the main house, calling them greedy and lazy, doing nothing at all.

The villagers, however, no longer paid attention to her. After all, they had witnessed even a 13-year-old grandson being sent to the battlefield after his age was altered. 

Who could swallow such humiliation? The main house of the Xiang family was already considered to be better off.

Mrs. Xiang thought about dragging Mrs. Xiong back to work, but when she saw Xiang Dagen sitting in the living room, watching people come and go in the family, she thought about how Xiang Laoer was still unable to get out of bed after being beaten. For a moment, she didn’t have the courage.

At mealtime, Xiang Dagen would take Pear Blossom to the kitchen and supervise the third daughter-in-law cooking. If there was too little rice, he would take matters into his own hands, scooping in two extra bowls of rice. 

Once the meal was ready, he would take a large basin and bring it to the west room.

The family from the main house had finally managed to eat a few full meals in recent days.

Mrs. Xiang looked at the large sack of rice, and in just a few days, half of it was gone. It felt like a piece of her heart was being torn out, and she was heartbroken. 

Every day, she wished the month would pass quickly so they could send this “plague” to the army.

Pear Blossom, along with Erniu and Xinghua, had nothing to do. They casually ran off to play with the Liu family’s children.

The Liu family, as usual, looked down on the Xiang family, always speaking disrespectfully. Pear Blossom didn’t mind and casually remarked in front of Liu Qiming, “Why do your fourth and fifth sisters look so much like our third uncle’s Lotus? At first glance, they look like sisters.”

Although Pear Blossom spoke without much thought, the listeners, especially Liu Qiming, paid attention.

Liu Siya and Liu Wuyu were Liu Qiming’s younger sisters. Upon hearing Pear Blossom’s comment, they immediately cursed her, calling her a fool: “Who looks like your Xiang family? 

Just because my elder brother passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, does that mean you’re trying to claim kinship?”

Liu Qiming, however, became sensitive and felt that everything people said was directed at him.

Even though Liu Siya and Liu Wuyu didn’t look like Lotus at all, hearing Pear Blossom say that made Liu Qiming uneasy. 

He hastily sent his younger sisters home, forbidding them to play with the Xiang family’s children. He even gave Pear Blossom a harsh glare, as if warning her to stay away from the Liu family.

Pear Blossom, appearing unconcerned, shook her head and walked away with her siblings.

But after taking a few steps, Liu Qiming turned around, feeling as though everyone in the village was watching his family’s relationship with the Xiang family. This situation felt like a thorn in his heart, one he couldn’t remove.

At the Xiang family’s house.

Mrs. Xiang, looking at the dwindling rice sack, sighed repeatedly, heartbroken.

That night, as they were about to sleep, she whispered incessantly into her husband’s ear: “If this continues, the food in the house will be eaten up by that family. That wretched woman, Xiong, won’t even go out to work. It’s outrageous. 

When her husband leaves, let’s see how I deal with that prostitute!”

Xiang Laotou, had been feeling troubled lately. When Xiang Dagen returned, they were caught off guard. If it weren’t for the incident with Daniu, he might still have been able to control him. 

But after that incident, he was clearly in the wrong, and now he couldn’t even say a word to Xiang Dagen, the stubborn ox. It made him feel very frustrated.

Now, hearing his wife complain endlessly, he impatiently responded, “It’s almost over. If you can’t stand it now, just send your own son to the battlefield.”

If it had been any other time, Xiang Laotou would never have said such a thing, but these past few days, the main house family had really unsettled him.

Mrs. Xiang, upon hearing this, immediately interrupted, “Don’t even think about it. That family will have to work for us for the rest of their lives.”

Xiang Laotou didn’t respond and closed his eyes, preparing to sleep.

Mrs. Xiang then added, “The third one is going back to the city to study tomorrow. He’ll take a stone of rice with him. There’s hardly any rice left in the house, and those half a sacks of rice got eaten up by that wretched Dagen. With so many people in the house, we’ll have to beg for food.”

Xiang Laotou opened his eyes again and said, “You’ve got so many sons and grandsons. Do you really have to beg?”

Hearing this, Mrs. Xiang’s heart skipped a beat, and she muttered, “A few days ago, you told me not to disturb them, but now that the rice barrel is nearly empty, you’ve changed your mind. 

Anyway, it’s up to you. How much do you think is appropriate? Ten taels? Twenty taels? Liu’s family is so rich, and they have a talented son who passed the imperial exam. That old man of theirs will definitely favor our eldest son. 

Twenty taels shouldn’t be too much. It’s all that Pear Blossom’s fault. If she hadn’t come back, those bandits wouldn’t have come and stolen the twenty taels of silver. Old man, don’t you think our eldest son must have saved a lot of silver with Liu’s family these years?”

Xiang Laotou rolled over, and soon his snoring filled the room, as though he had fallen asleep.

Mrs. Xiang cursed under her breath but quickly lost herself in her plans. She began to scheme in her mind about how to approach Liu Youcai for the silver.