The setting sun cast long shadows as Shen Yanrong trudged towards his home in Yunshan Village, a quiet village on the outskirts of the bustling capital of the Da Yong Dynasty. He hid the anxiety and worry in his eyes, pushing open the courtyard gate.

A little girl, no more than three or four years old, sat obediently under the eaves. Her eyes lit up at the sight of him, and she ran towards him. “Father, you’re back!”

Shen Yanrong quickly scooped her up in his arms. “Did Yueyue miss Father?”

Yueyue nodded emphatically. “Yueyue missed Father.”

Shen Yanrong chuckled and ruffled her hair. “Where’s your mother?”

Yueyue’s smile faded. “Mother is with Brother,” she said, her voice tinged with sadness. “Yueyue wants to be with Brother too.”

But Mother said Brother was still sick and couldn’t be disturbed.

Shen Yanrong squeezed the little girl’s chubby cheeks, his heart aching. “When Brother gets better, we’ll go to the city together, okay?”

“Okay!” Yueyue’s face brightened instantly.

Brother said the city was bustling, with lots of delicious food and fun things. She had never been there.

Shen Yanrong looked at his daughter’s hopeful gaze, a pang of guilt hitting him. It was all his fault, his uselessness. If only… things would be different.

He sighed silently, intending to check on his son. A young woman emerged from the inner room. Dressed in a simple dark cotton dress, she wore only a wooden hairpin in her hair, no other jewelry or makeup. Her brows were slightly furrowed, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes, likely from lack of sleep. Even so, her beauty was undeniable.

She smiled at him. “You’re back? Let’s eat.”

He returned her smile, asking, “Is Haohao feeling better?”

Her smile widened slightly at the mention of their son. “He’s getting dressed. He said he wants to join us.”

“I’m planning to go to the Shen family in a couple of days,” Shen Yanrong announced his decision.

Lu Yao instantly disagreed. “Don’t be impulsive.”

She was angry and frustrated too, but without proof, going there would only make things worse.

Shen Yanrong remained silent for a long time before sighing, his voice filled with guilt and despair. “You and the children have suffered so much.”

He had never hated his own cowardice and avoidance as much as he did at this moment.

“We are a family.”

Lu Yao had known before marrying him that her future husband had a difficult life in that family. Otherwise, his aunt and uncle wouldn’t have married her into the Shen family.

And the Shen family…

If she hadn’t been an orphaned, vulnerable girl, constantly being mistreated, she wouldn’t have been married to him.

They were all victims of fate.

Seeing his low spirits, Lu Yao gestured to little Yueyue, who understood and wrapped her arms around her father’s neck. “Father, don’t be sad.” She planted a kiss on his cheek.

Sweet, innocent children were the best healers. Shen Yanrong had calmed down, but the guilt and hatred in his eyes remained. For his family, for his children, he could no longer retreat and endure.

Dinner was simple: porridge made with mixed grains, stir-fried greens, and pickled vegetables.

Lu Yao specially steamed egg custard for the two children, one sickly and the other still young. She added a small piece of lard to the eggs, mixed it with water, and steamed it for fifteen minutes. After taking it out, she drizzled some soy sauce and sprinkled some chopped green onions on top. It was a delicious and nutritious dish that both children loved.

After dinner, it was still early, but the family hadn’t slept well these past few days, so they decided to rest early.

But…

Thump thump thump!

Thump thump thump!

A knock came from outside the door.

Shen Yanrong walked to the front door, his voice loud. “Who is it?”

The knocking stopped, but there was no response. Shen Yanrong frowned, puzzled, but didn’t move to open the door.

Thump thump thump thump thump thump!

The person outside, not getting an answer, started knocking again. This time, the force was significantly stronger.

Shen Yanrong’s gaze returned from the courtyard gate. He casually closed the front door of the hall and led his wife and children inside.

“Are you alright?” Lu Yao looked worried.

Her parents had died early, and she hadn’t received much education, but she managed to survive the abuse from her uncle’s family. She wasn’t stupid.

She wasn’t sure who it was before, but now she didn’t need to ask to know who it was. After all, they had been living here for four years and had some understanding of the villagers.

Those people wouldn’t visit without a reason. At this time, they were willing to lower themselves to come to their remote village. It couldn’t be anything good. She didn’t want to deal with them, but she was also worried about the potential trouble.

“It’s fine,” Shen Yanrong patted his wife’s back, his voice cold. “They’re just dogs relying on their masters.”

He couldn’t help but mock himself. He had thought that no matter what those people said or did, they would still consider their weak blood ties. He thought he could just avoid their sharp edges and they would let him and his family live in peace. But he was too naive.

His eyes fell on his son, whose face was still pale. Thinking about the recent incident, his eyes flashed with determination and ruthlessness. Since they didn’t want him to have a way to live, he didn’t need to be patient and tolerant anymore.

Seeing her husband like this, Lu Yao was surprised. Had he finally made up his mind? She was happy, but also curious about the sudden change.

Before she could voice her questions, she heard his apologetic voice. “I was foolish before, and you and the children suffered a lot. It won’t happen again.”

Lu Yao looked up, meeting his resolute and determined eyes. She seemed to understand something. “I believe you.”

She didn’t say much on the surface, but her heart was filled with joy. But then she thought about her son’s suffering, and her heart ached.

What if…

What if Haohao had really met with disaster? She couldn’t imagine what she would do.

Seeing his parents like this, young Haohao, who was unusually precocious, probably guessed why they were acting this way. He took one hand of each of them and promised, “Father, Mother, Haohao will be careful from now on, and won’t let bad people get away with it.”

He knew how scared and miserable he had been at the time. He thought he would never see his parents and sister again. Thankfully, the man had only scared him, and he had been dragged away when he was barely alive.

“When you get better, Father will teach you martial arts.”

Little Haohao’s eyes lit up. “Okay.”

Three-year-old Shen Yueyue also said she wanted to learn martial arts. She would help her parents fight the bad guys!

Shen Yanrong didn’t refuse. He rubbed the little girl’s soft hair and nodded.

Lu Yao was truly surprised. “You know martial arts?” She had been married to him for so many years and had never seen him practice.

“I learned a little from my master when I was young, but I abandoned it later.”

Lu Yao nodded, not asking further. She knew the reason for his abandonment too well.

The knocking continued. The family ignored it.

The person outside had knocked until his hands were about to break, but still no one opened the door. Not only that, the courtyard, which had been filled with voices before, was now completely silent. He couldn’t help but curse under his breath, regretting not responding immediately and explaining his purpose when he heard the question.

He looked at the man sitting on the carriage shaft with his legs crossed. “Brother Tao, should we keep knocking?”

“Knock, knock your ass off!” Shen Tao spat, switching his crossed legs. “What a piece of trash, really thinks he’s still the young master of the Shen family!”

He didn’t believe he couldn’t knock open this door!

“But…”

“There’s no but,” Shen Tao interrupted Li Shan, sneering. “I want to see how long this young master can be arrogant.”

Li Shan, hearing this, could only continue.

This time, it was the same as before. There was no reaction from inside the courtyard. Instead, the dogs in the village, which had been barking incessantly, started barking even louder. Many people came out to see what was going on because of the unusual behavior of the dogs.

It was still not completely dark, and there were still people chatting and talking in groups outside. They noticed the commotion and looked over curiously.

“Brother Tao…” Li Shan was hesitant. He was afraid of causing trouble.

Shen Tao was also furious. Were those people just idle? No wonder they couldn’t even eat their fill.

Thinking about his master’s instructions, what if he returned empty-handed…

Damn it, how did Shen Yanrong get so bold?

Forget it, he could deal with this spineless guy whenever he wanted. If he didn’t complete the task given by the madam and the young master… he shuddered involuntarily.

He glared at the tightly closed gate, filled with resentment.

Heh, if you have the guts, keep being tough.

Li Shan, getting Shen Tao’s signal, knocked on the door again. “Young Master Yan, it’s me, Li Shan. Please open the door.”

Hearing the voices outside and the gentler knocking than before, Shen Yanrong sneered. Sure enough, people couldn’t be without a little temper and bottom line.

“Should we open the door?” Lu Yao was a little anxious.

Shen Yanrong hesitated for a moment. “Let’s ask first.”

This couldn’t go on forever. He knew those people too well. Since he would have to face them sooner or later, he would take the initiative.

He settled his wife and children, closing the bedroom door despite their disapproval, before opening the front door of the hall and standing in the courtyard. “Who is it? Knock again and I won’t be polite.”

“Young Master Yan, it’s me, Li Shan.” He was the one who had driven the carriage to bring them here four years ago.

“What is it?” Shen Yanrong stood in the courtyard, not opening the door as they wished, nor having any intention of catching up.

Li Shan glanced at Shen Tao, cautiously saying, “There’s something at home. Please come back.” He added quickly, afraid that the other party might think too much, “The master specifically asked me to pick you up.”

Shen Yanrong remained unmoved. “I’m just a country bumpkin. I’d rather not go and make a fool of myself.”

Haohao’s incident made him realize how wrong he had been before. The three people in the room were his life, and he would not allow anyone to hurt them.

Li Shan didn’t expect him to say that and was speechless for a moment. He could only look at Shen Tao beside him.

Shen Tao hadn’t expected this either. He cursed, jumped off the carriage, and went to the door, shouting into the courtyard, “Young Master Yan, the master said you must go today. I advise you not to refuse, after all, you’re not alone now.”

This was a blatant threat.