Chapter 14

How else can one be a good older sibling?

Is it by constantly fulfilling unreasonable requests from your younger brother, ignoring the hard work of your family members? By turning a blind eye to the fact that your wife and children haven’t had new clothes for two or three years? By overlooking the fact that the family can barely eat enough?

Liu Yu thought to herself that her father and second uncle seemed more like real brothers, while the third uncle, Liu Laosan, truly took after the Chen family. Everything about him, even his shamelessness, seemed to come from the Chen bloodline.

“Daughter, do you think we’ve gone too far?”

Liu Jianjia felt a bit uneasy, especially since the person he was refusing was his younger brother, whom he had watched grow up, his own full-blooded brother.

“Dad, I think you’ve just gotten used to being bullied! You always do everything for Uncle like it’s your obligation.”

Liu Ye, with his arms crossed and a cold expression, cut to the heart of the matter, exposing his father’s tendency to please others.

“Enough about Uncle. Let’s work!” Liu Yu jumped back into the ditch she had been digging.

Liu Jianjia didn’t say anything more and got back to work. However, as soon as he focused, he was shocked. His daughter, Liu Yu, who had been pampered like a delicate young lady before, had jumped into the river and, now, seemed far more sensible and capable. She worked efficiently, even better than Liu Ye, the young boy.

Liu Jianjia was an old workhorse, slow of speech and action. He didn’t express much, but he saw the change in his daughter, and it warmed his heart. Though he couldn’t put it into words, he said, “It’s so hot today. Yu, take a break.”

Liu Yu shook her head, refusing, “I started late today, and I only have five labor points. If I finish the work and don’t take a break, I’ll earn even fewer points.”

Liu Ye understood his father’s concern. He knew how reckless his sister was in her work, and he also felt sorry for her, so he suggested, “Sis, I’m really thirsty. How about this? Let Dad and I finish this work here, and you go back to get the water jug.”

“Alright. You and Dad continue working. I’ll be back soon.”

When Liu Ye mentioned being thirsty, Liu Yu felt the urgency of the situation. In the hot summer heat, dehydration could lead to heatstroke, and with the lack of medical supplies, she didn’t want to risk it.

Liu Yu took off her jacket and rushed home.

She pushed open the door, intending to use the large teapot to fetch some water. That teapot was one of the few valuable items her family had left, a dowry gift from her mother, Nie Xiaocui, when she married into the family.

However, upon opening the door, Liu Yu’s eyes were immediately drawn to a copper basin on the shelf.

To her surprise, the basin was filled to the brim with small potatoes! Liu Yu rubbed her eyes, unsure whether she was seeing things. It was truly packed full, with potatoes even spilling over the top!

Liu Yu picked up a potato, her mind racing. Her mother, Nie Xiaocui, had gone with the women’s team to gather pig feed on the eastern side today. Not only had she not touched any potatoes, but even the skins of potatoes were out of her reach.

And yet, here was a whole basin full. If Nie Xiaocui had secretly taken these potatoes, it would have been unnoticeable. But this was an entire basin—surely, no one in the production team would allow her to take that much.

Could these potatoes have come from somewhere else?

There were only a few people in the household, and the only one who might be able to procure so many potatoes was the one in charge of food, Chen Shi. But Chen Shi would be thrilled if the family worked without eating. Was she secretly giving Liu Yu these potatoes, dreaming of some personal gain?

Could these potatoes have magically appeared in the basin?

Liu Yu closely examined the basin. It was also a dowry item from her mother—made of brass, not copper, and clearly old. The basin had two handles, each with a copper ring, and the design was old-fashioned, unlike ordinary basins.

Could this be a treasure basin? Maybe objects placed in it would multiply—one turns into two, two into three, and so on, an endless supply?

Liu Yu carefully took all the potatoes out of the basin, wrapped them in her headscarf, and tied a small bundle to carry in her hand. She left two potatoes at the bottom of the basin, then hid the basin under the bed and covered it with a blanket to conceal it from view. She was going to conduct an experiment to see if this was truly the legendary treasure basin!