Chapter 5 – Stirring Pity

Ding Yuxiang was fuming. “You…” When had this dead girl become so sharp-tongued?

Once money was mentioned, even between parents and their own child, there would always be a rift.

“That’s enough. Just give it to her,” Ye Hongjun decided with finality.

With so many people watching, he didn’t want to make the matter too ugly. That one hundred yuan could be considered compensation for all the years they owed Ye Tao.

“I’ll give it later.” Ding Yuxiang stayed glued to her stool, unmoving. Once the Huo family left, the money would still be in her hands, and then she would have the final say.

Ye Tao shook her head lightly. “No, I want it now.” Who knew what might change later? Only when the money was in her hand would it be real.

The Huo family’s gazes were sharp enough to pierce her like arrows. Reluctantly, Ding Yuxiang shuffled into the inner room. From deep inside the wardrobe, she dug out a handkerchief, in which lay the family’s last savings.

She counted twice—still only 225 yuan. Add in the 150 yuan Ye Xuan had brought, and nearly seven or eight years of the family’s income were gone. Her heart bled.

A trace of resentment welled up toward Ye Xuan, who had left without a word.

Dragging her feet, unwilling to emerge, Ding Yuxiang lingered inside. Ye Tao simply kicked the door to hurry her.

On the other side, Ding Yuxiang ground her molars, finally stomping out. She yanked open the door viciously. “What are you, the god of death urging me on?”

She flung a wad of bills onto the table. “Here, all of it.” At the last moment, she muttered spitefully, “Ungrateful wretch.”

Huo Tingwu’s eyes darkened. Lifting his gaze, he fixed her with a look that made her shiver.

Ding Yuhua felt goosebumps prickle across her arms. Surely he wouldn’t dare strike her in front of everyone?

Huo Xiaolin produced a sheet of paper. Both families needed to draft a written agreement. Huo Tingjie invited the village accountant to serve as witness.

Their Huo family’s daughter-in-law was Ye Tao, not Ye Xuan. Even if the Ye family regretted it later, nothing could change that. From this day on, Ye Tao belonged to the Huo family and had no further ties to the Ye family.

This had been Ye Tao’s own suggestion on the way here. With parents like Ye Hongjun and Ding Yuxiang, she was better off without them.

The couple immediately refused.

Wasn’t this the same as severing ties? Without family backing, their son’s job prospects would no longer be secure. They firmly refused.

“Whether you agree or not, you’ll have to. Ye Tao is now a military wife, and her household registration will be transferred to the Huo family,” said Huo Tingwu.

The moment the military was invoked, fear flickered in the couple’s hearts.

After thinking it over, Ye Hongjun relented. “Fine. But you must send ten yuan back every month.”

“This isn’t a request,” Huo Tingwu replied coldly. “I’m informing you.”

At last, under pressure from the Huo family, Ye Hongjun gave in. But he insisted the Huo family must ensure Ye Song’s future job.

Ye Song was one of the few in the Ye family who treated Ye Tao kindly. As long as his character remained steady, Huo Tingwu didn’t mind giving him a hand.

The “three rounds and a sound” items were placed in Ye Xuan’s room.

Ye Tao returned to her own to pack up. Calling it a room was generous—it was really a converted storage space.

On one side, bricks stacked to form a bed base, with planks laid on top, a straw mat covering a layer of hay beneath. On the other, tools and household odds and ends like baskets and sieves cluttered the cramped space. Place one more thing inside and you could barely turn.

Her clothes were few: two patched blouses and an old cotton-padded coat. Clearly, the original Ye Tao had cherished them. Though shabby, they were always washed clean and carefully folded.

Huo Tingwu bent low to enter, his broad frame crowding the tiny room. His frown deepened. He couldn’t imagine Ye Tao living in such a dark, cramped place. Stretching out his arms, he could touch both walls. The chicken coop at home was better than this.

Then he noticed the clothes in her hands. One glance, and anger flared. He snatched them and flung them to the ground. “What rags! We don’t want these. I’ll buy you new ones. A whole wardrobe full—enough to never repeat an outfit. Let them choke on envy.”

“What are you doing?”

Ye Tao stooped to gather the clothes, brushing off the dust, her fair face filled with anger.

Huo Tingwu thought he had hurt her pride. He quickly apologized. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I just thought you wouldn’t want reminders of the past.”

Ye Tao truly disliked them, but they were part of the original girl’s memory, and she didn’t want to erase that.

She wrapped them carefully in a cloth. Huo Tingwu slung the bundle over his shoulder.

Ye Xuan’s room, by contrast, was spacious and bright.

Ye Tao mourned for the original girl. Leaving this place might indeed have been the right choice.

At first, their parents hadn’t treated the sisters much differently, at least not on the surface. This room had once been shared by both, and the original girl had been so happy. That happiness hadn’t lasted long.

One day, Ye Xuan cried to her parents that Ye Tao’s teeth-grinding at night kept her from sleeping. As expected, Ding Yuxiang twisted Ye Tao’s ear and scolded her.

Instead of helping solve the problem, the parents chose to scold and suppress the child. Ridiculous.

After that, Ye Tao forced herself to wait until Ye Xuan slept before daring to rest. But still, Ye Xuan wanted her out.

Once, Ye Xuan was caught dozing in class and made to stand as punishment. Afterward, she wept in the teacher’s office, claiming her sister’s teeth-grinding kept her awake.

Her tear-filled eyes shone like mist, stirring pity.

The teacher even came for a home visit and suggested the girls sleep separately—for both their sakes.

And so, the original Ye Tao was moved into the storage room, where she spent the rest of her childhood.

The nickname “Grind-Teeth Queen” followed her through all her school years. Though slow to respond, she was painfully sensitive to malice.

Classmates would surround her, laughing, calling her “Grind-Teeth Queen.” Little Ye Tao would squat down, helplessly covering her ears, wishing for the torment to end.

Over time, she grew long bangs to hide her eyes, to cut herself off from the world.

Meanwhile, Ye Xuan, who had driven her out, happily rolled on the bed, delighted to have the room all to herself.

In truth, Ye Tao had never ground her teeth at night. It had all been Ye Xuan’s fabrication, just to push her sister out.

But now, none of that mattered. From this day on, this family had nothing to do with her. She would begin a new life.

Huo Xiaolin and Huo Xiaofeng carried the sewing machine out front, Huo Tingjie pushed the bicycle, and Liu Wenxiu hugged the radio.

Hearing the commotion, Ye Song dashed out despite his mother’s earlier scolding. Seeing the scene, his eyes widened in shock. Grabbing at his mother, he demanded an explanation.

Ding Yuxiang brushed him off. “Stand aside, don’t get in the way.”

Ye Song stamped his foot angrily. He was already thirteen—no longer a child.