Liu Yong didn’t mock her. After all, who would want to leave home penniless unless forced to?

She could have chosen to stay with the Xia family, enduring humiliation to survive—but what kind of home was it without shelter, where family members harbored resentment toward each other? Liu Yong admired Xiao Lan’s courage. People said nieces take after their uncles, and he had always favored Xiao Lan. Now he saw nothing but positive qualities in her.

Liu Yong pulled out several “Da Tuan Jie” notes from his pocket: “Take this fifty yuan for now. Let’s discuss how you want to run your business. If it’s not enough, your uncle will gather some more for you in a few days.”

Ten yuan was the highest denomination of paper currency at the time, commonly called “Da Tuan Jie” by the people.

Liu Fen was startled, “Big Brother, where did you get this money…”

First a new bicycle, and now casually giving Xiao Lan several dozen yuan. How could Liu Fen not know their family’s financial situation? They were dirt poor. Previously, Liu Yong had been unreliable, but in recent years, when the family could barely make ends meet, he had settled down and learned masonry. After one year as an apprentice and two years becoming a master, this skill had made the Liu family’s life slightly better. But masonry work wasn’t available every day—unlike factory workers with guaranteed income, Liu Yong’s earnings were unstable.

Liu Yong knew his sister was muddle-headed, so he didn’t explain further and just insisted Xiao Lan take the money.

“Thank you, Uncle. I’ll consider this a loan.”

Xiao Lan didn’t stand at on ceremony. She was indeed completely destitute now, and with this 50 yuan as startup capital, she could take advantage of the busy farming season. Once she made money, she would repay her uncle double. Being overly polite and refusing Liu Yong’s help would only mean more hardship for her mother.

Liu Yong smiled contentedly. He asked Xiao Lan to help tie their belongings together and secure them to the bicycle’s back seat.

The mother and daughter’s entire possessions consisted of sweet potatoes, their clothes, and the daily necessities bought today. Before they reached the village entrance, someone holding a bowl called out to Xiao Lan:

“Your father’s back!”

“Xia Da Jun is going to beat them to death…”

Taking pleasure in others’ misfortune with ill intent—the people of Da He Village were truly unfriendly, acting as if Xiao Lan had desecrated their ancestors’ graves!

The Xia family’s main gate stood wide open, and a broad-shouldered man walked out.

“Where are you going? Did you fight with your grandmother?”

The deep voice belonged to a man with bulging muscles on his arms and an estimated height of nearly 1.8 meters—this was Xiao Lan’s father, Xia Da Jun.

It seemed she had inherited her height from him. In the 1980s, being over 1.6 meters tall was something Xiao Lan was quite satisfied with.

Liu Yong didn’t give Xiao Lan a chance to respond. He grabbed the sweet potato bag and started beating Xia Da Jun with it: “You dog, I was wondering when I’d settle accounts with you, and here you come yourself!”

“Who’s fighting with whom?”

“Your wife and daughter were nearly bullied to death, and you, their father, pretended not to know?”

“You bastard, who could they possibly fight with? My sister marrying you was truly eight generations of bad karma…”

Liu Yong was small, not even 1.7 meters tall. Yet when he exploded with anger, Xia Da Jun couldn’t fight back.

Of course, this was also because Xia Da Jun only protected his head with his arms, showing no real intention to fight Liu Yong.

“Big Brother, let’s talk this through!”

“Talk what with you, your dog! All muscle and no brains, living like a dog for decades. If you don’t know how to love your daughter, I’ll love her for you!”

Liu Fen panicked and tried to separate them, but Xiao Lan held her back firmly.

Xiao Lan coldly observed that Xia Da Jun never fought back, maintaining a sliver of hope in him… If Xia Da Jun had fought his brother-in-law, she wouldn’t have known what to think. Men could have tempers—there were cowards, wise men who used their minds instead of fists, and hot-tempered ones who would fight at the slightest provocation.

Rough lands breed rough people, and the Anqing County area was known for its fierce local customs.

But fighting outside versus beating one’s wife at home were completely different matters. Xiao Lan despised men who committed domestic violence most of all.

Liu Yong had exhausted himself, panting heavily, when Xia Da Jun’s brothers came running out and finally separated them. Xiao Lan’s oldest uncle and third uncle held Liu Yong back with all their might, though he still tried to kick and punch.

However, Liu Yong’s ferocity had scared the village onlookers—those who had been making snide remarks earlier now all retreated like turtles hiding in their shells.

Xia Da Jun’s face was swollen. He spat out bloody saliva: “I won’t hold this against you. I want to talk about Xiao Lan—she shouldn’t have fought with her grandmother. She made her grandmother sick with anger…”

Old Lady Xia had raised three sons as a widow, and while Xia Da Jun wasn’t attentive to his wife, he obeyed his mother without question.

Xiao Lan thought that if she were the original owner of this body, she would have been furious hearing these words.

She felt an attachment to Liu Fen and closeness to Liu Yong because in her previous life, she had lacked family affection, and these two treated her well. As for Xia Da Jun, Xiao Lan felt no softness toward him—even if the original ‘Xiao Lan’ owed the Xia family, she had repaid it with her life. What more did they want?

“Uncle, let’s go.”

Xiao Lan had wanted to berate Xia Da Jun but decided it wasn’t worth wasting her breath.

Seeing her neither angry nor arguing, Xia Da Jun couldn’t suppress his rage.

“You worthless girl—”

He grabbed Xiao Lan’s arm, making her stumble.

Xiao Lan turned to face him, expressionless: “Grandmother said my existence brings shame to the Xia family, that someone like me should just die immediately. I cracked my skull, and Mother had to kneel and beg Grandmother to send me to the doctor. She knelt until her head was swollen before a doctor was finally called to stop my bleeding… If you think I’m not respectful or filial enough, shall I return this borrowed life to the Xia family?”

Xiao Lan pressed her defensive scissors against her throat, the sharp tip already pressing into her skin.

That fierce determination hidden in her calm tone made people’s hearts tremble with fear.

She really would stab herself!

Xia Da Jun was frightened and instinctively defended himself: “It’s not that serious. The family had no money to send you to the hospital. Why can’t you be sensible like Zi Yu…”

Under Xiao Lan’s mockingly smiling gaze, Xia Da Jun’s voice grew increasingly weak.

Why didn’t the family have money? Because the “sensible” Xia Zi Yu had taken all their savings. Even though Xia Da Jun habitually favored his niece, he felt the family matriarch hadn’t handled this matter quite right. Guilt mixed with other emotions as Xia Da Jun shouted:

“She’s your grandmother! If she scolds you, you should just listen! If you hadn’t done those shameful, embarrassing things, would your grandmother scold you?”

Xiao Lan wasn’t suicidal—right now she just wanted to use the scissors to finish off this blockhead Xia Da Jun!

But someone moved faster than her. The small-framed Liu Fen pushed aside the strong Xia Da Jun.

“I’ll fight you all… for forcing Xiao Lan…”

She was trembling with fear.

But she had to protect her daughter—this was a mother’s instinct!