Sheng’s mother also chimed in to persuade him, “Dad, stay and eat with us. Xiao Wu is right. His second uncle probably thinks you’re eating here.”

Old Man Sheng gave Sheng’s mother a deep look. She wasn’t wrong; she just favored her biological daughter a bit more. Her behavior was understandable.

So, Old Man Sheng stayed for dinner. When Sheng Shiwen entered, he only greeted his grandfather and said nothing else.

When Sheng Xinglian returned, her eyes were red. She wanted to throw herself into her mother’s arms and cry, but seeing Old Man Sheng there, she didn’t dare to act spoiled or cry.

Her pitiful expression, as if she wanted to speak but didn’t dare, made it seem like someone had bullied her. This irritated Sheng Shiwen, the second son.

He lowered his head, pretending not to see. He remembered the past, when every time his sister looked like this, he assumed Jiaojiao had bullied her.

He would then yell at Jiaojiao, and after that, his sister would happily eat her meal, while Jiaojiao would throw down her chopsticks in frustration and refuse to eat.

Back then, he thought Jiaojiao was being overly dramatic and wished he could slap her…

Now he realized how much injustice Jiaojiao had suffered in their family, which explained why she grew thinner and her health deteriorated.

But after just half a month of marriage into the Su family, she now appeared confident and radiant, her face glowing with health.

She spoke with such conviction, like a machine gun firing, no longer the pitiful, grievously wronged figure she had been in their home.

She no longer had the delicate, submissive demeanor she had before Xinglian returned. It was as if she had become a completely different person.

Remembering how Jiaojiao now looked at him like a stranger, her cold eyes made Sheng Shiwen feel suffocated just thinking about it.

All the changes in Jiaojiao were likely caused by him and his younger brother’s relentless mistreatment of her without understanding the truth.

Meanwhile, the Gu family was severely malnourished, and the only lively one among them was their biological sister, Lian’er.

Lian’er—such a beautiful name. Jiaojiao had said that the character “Lian” (莲, lotus) was chosen by Father Gu to symbolize purity and beauty. But Lian’er refused to let anyone call her that.

She insisted on being called “Xing’er” (星儿, little star), as if she wanted to be a star in the sky. How ambitious!

Little did Sheng Shiwen know that Sheng Xinglian had lived through a future where “Bai Lian’er” (白莲儿, white lotus) had become a derogatory term, which was why she insisted on being called “Xing’er.”

At that moment, Sheng Xinglian was eating her meal with a pitiful expression, her heart heavy, and the food tasteless.

Damn it, couldn’t her parents and her two foolish brothers see her red, tearful eyes?

She noticed that the second fool’s hands were trembling, though she couldn’t tell if it was from excitement or anger.

Sheng Xinglian tilted her head to look at Sheng Shiwen, completely unaware that he was internally criticizing her in a rather dramatic way.

She thought the second fool was holding back because the old man was there. What was there to hold back?

It must be something about that bitch, Gu Jiaojiao. Saying it out loud would let the old man see Gu Jiaojiao’s true colors.

“Second Brother~ Grandpa isn’t an outsider. If you have something to say, just say it~ Let us hear it~”

Old Man Sheng: …

What the hell! I’m just here for a meal. How did I offend these ancestors again?

Sheng Shiwen blurted out in response to his sister’s words, “Lian’er is such a beautiful name. The lotus may not be the most beautiful flower on earth, but it emerges unstained from the mud! Lian’er, why won’t you let us call you that?

Do you want to be a star in the sky? You’re too…”

“Second Brother, what nonsense are you spouting? If I wanted to be anything, I’d be the moon in the sky, surrounded by stars. I don’t want to be a tiny, insignificant star.”

Sheng Xinglian had expected the second fool to criticize Gu Jiaojiao, but instead, he was accusing her.

Already feeling wronged, she was provoked into revealing her true thoughts, though she didn’t regret it. This was how she really felt.

“Lian’er… you… you’re blaming Father Gu for not naming you ‘Moon,’ so you refuse to acknowledge them?”

Sheng’s third son stared at his sister in disbelief. “These past few days, I’ve been thinking about how well the Gu family treated you.

Why don’t you want to acknowledge them? So, it’s because you wanted to be named ‘Moon,’ but Father Gu only named you Xinglian.

Actually, Xinglian has a beautiful meaning. Think about it—the stars in the sky and the lotus on earth. It’s a lovely combination.

Unlike our father, who’s uneducated and just named Jiaojiao so simply and crudely.”

Uneducated Father Sheng: …

What kind of logic is this?

“Wuwu… How did the Gu family treat me well? They’re prisoners on a farm. Why should I accept them?

Wuwu… I might as well die. I’m just a placeholder in this world. You all despise me… Wuwu…”

“Lian’er, we love you dearly. How could we despise you? Stop crying. You’re breaking my heart. Tomorrow, we’ll change your name to ‘Moon.’”

Sheng’s mother put down her chopsticks and hugged Sheng Xinglian, gently comforting her. “If I had known you were unhappy because of your name, we would have changed it to ‘Moon’ long ago.

We wouldn’t have cut ties with Jiaojiao either!”

Sheng Xinglian: …

She was stunned, her tears drying up. Was her mother regretting cutting ties with Gu Jiaojiao?

If even her most doting mother regretted it, wouldn’t the rest of the Sheng family feel the same?

This thought sent a shiver down Sheng Xinglian’s spine. “Mom~ Do you regret cutting ties with my sister?”

“Of course not. My heart and eyes are only for Lian… for Moon. From now on, you’ll be my moon.”

“Mom~ Do you also think I refused to acknowledge the Gu family because of my name?”

Seeing her daughter finally stop crying, Sheng’s mother immediately reassured her, “No, absolutely not. I believe you.”

“Xing’er, no, Moon (Yueyue), let me tell you, the Gu family is no longer prisoners. Why do you look down on them?

You were the one who ate the best in the Gu family, weren’t you? Look at how skinny they all are, while you’re the only one who’s plump.”

“Third Fool, how am I plump? Even if they’re not prisoners, I won’t acknowledge them.

They’re the ones who deliberately switched me, letting their daughter enjoy life in the Sheng family while I ate scraps on the farm… Wuwu…”

“That was Mom who arranged the switch after learning about the Dong family’s young mistress. What does that have to do with the Gu family? They didn’t even want you…”

(Hey everyone, I’m a bit confused. I’ve translated this multiple times and even checked with friends, and this is the final translation. It seems to suggest that her mother arranged the switch, but I don’t think that’s actually the case. I believe the Dong family’s stepmother, Ren Xiaofang, was the one who switched the kids. Honestly, I’m not entirely sure what’s going on—I just did my best to translate it as accurately as possible.)

“Xiao Wu, you’re asking for a beating! How can you talk to your sister like that? Get out!”

Father Sheng roared. This third son was too blunt, always saying things he shouldn’t!

No wonder his daughter called him the third fool!

Sheng Shiwu put down his chopsticks and left quickly. He had been planning to visit Jiaojiao anyway. He had saved up his daily allowance to buy a bowl of cold noodles at the Su family’s place.

Seeing the third fool leave without looking back, Sheng Xinglian remembered the women on the road saying he had secretly visited Gu Jiaojiao.

This made her even more aggrieved. “Dad~ How could you be so cruel as to drive Third… Brother away? Is it because I shouldn’t have come back? Should I just leave?”

“Xing’er, oh, Yueyue, where would you go if you left?” Old Man Sheng asked, unable to hold back any longer.

“Wuwu… I have nowhere to go. I might as well die. My existence is just a waste of food… Wuwu…”

“I’m full. I’m leaving.” Old Man Sheng put down his chopsticks and left.

“Yueyue, please don’t be like this. It’s because of you that the family…”

“Ah… I don’t want to live anymore~”