Soon, Mother gave birth to Little Sister.

Words proved prophetic.

She became the most worthless Second Miss in the entire Zhu family.

The Second Miss wasn’t actually pitiful.

She had her own courtyard early on, with a whole crowd of maids and servants. She ate well, dressed well, and no one dared slight her in the least.

The Second Miss was very pitiful.

On the fifteenth of the first month when viewing the lanterns, Father held Second Brother’s hand with his left and Eldest Sister’s hand with his right. Mother held Eldest Brother’s hand with her left and Third Brother’s hand with her right.

Little Sister was carried in the wet nurse’s arms.

And her?

She would follow eagerly behind Father for a while, then trot over to follow behind Mother—no one held her hand.

Suddenly Sister broke free from Father’s hand and walked ahead on her own.

Her heart leaped with joy as she quickly stretched out her little hand. Just as she grasped Father’s fingertip, Father gently pulled away and was already chasing after her.

“Weixi, don’t run around. There are too many people. Hold onto Father.”

Then who should I hold onto?

Little Zhu Weijin’s head drooped down, her eyes brimming with tears, her heart filled with unspeakable grievance.

The wet nurse scooped her up from behind and said in a hushed voice, “Second Miss, be obedient and good, and the master and mistress will come to love you.”

If I’m obedient, well-behaved, and sensible, will Father and Mother like me?

From then on, Zhu Weijin changed.

The Zhu family ate dinner together in Mother’s quarters, eight people at one table.

Father served food to Eldest Sister and Second Brother; Mother served food to Eldest Brother and Third Brother. Little Sister was still nursing.

And her?

She sat farthest from Father and Mother. No one served her food.

She didn’t cry or make a fuss.

Mother was going back to her natal family in Luoyang Prefecture for the New Year and to celebrate Grandmother’s birthday. Mother said the journey was too far and there was too much luggage, so she’d only take the three sons.

Father said Eldest Daughter was still so small—how much space could she take? Bring her along too.

Mother asked, “What about Second Daughter and Third Daughter?”

Father said, “Send them to Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law’s place for the New Year. When they’re older, we’ll bring them along. Children suffer on the road when they’re small.”

She didn’t cry or make a fuss.

Her hands gripped the doorframe as she leaned halfway out from the side door, watching the carriage gradually disappear from her sight.

Was Luoyang Prefecture to the east or to the west?

Were there many people at Grandmother’s house?

Would it be very lively?

Would Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister receive lots of New Year’s money?

Thinking about it, her heart filled with unspeakable grievance.

She was actually even smaller than Sister, took up even less space. She wasn’t afraid of suffering—not afraid at all.

Father, Mother, why didn’t you take me along too?

Two lines of tears flowed from Zhu Weijin’s eyes.

In the main hall, everyone sat in stunned silence.

The three Zhu brothers looked at each other, unable to understand why Zhu Weijin remembered these trivial childhood matters so clearly.

Father hadn’t really held them much either.

The road from the capital to Luoyang Prefecture was too far, and the carriage ride too bumpy—exhausting enough to kill you.

As for serving food at meals, such an ordinary thing—was it really worth this?

Yan Sanhe’s feelings were somewhat complicated.

The Zhu family had three sons and three daughters. The sons would inherit the family business in the future, and the eldest and youngest daughters both had someone who doted on them. Only this middle one—Father didn’t dote on her, Mother didn’t love her. She’d been neglected from childhood to adulthood.

Perhaps all middle children in the world were easily overlooked.

Like, for instance, Xie Buhuo.

“This matter—the root lies with your father and mother. It has nothing to do with Zhu Weixi.”

“How can it have nothing to do with her?”

Zhu Weijin wiped away tears and laughed coldly.

“If she didn’t exist, I would be Father and Mother’s eldest daughter, the Zhu family’s Eldest Miss. I would have been kept by Father and Mother’s side. I could have had whatever I wanted.”

Yan Sanhe frowned slightly. “What couldn’t you have?”

“Her things—I could never have them.”

Zhu Weijin raised her hand, pointing at Zhu Weixi across from her. “Whenever there was anything good in the family, she always chose first. Only after she picked what she wanted did it become my and Third Sister’s turn.”

Whether clothes, jewelry, or food… the first share of everything went to Zhu Weixi.

Was she jealous?

Jealous indeed!

What little girl in this world doesn’t love the most beautiful things? Who likes picking through what others have left behind?

Zhu Weijin was so jealous she wished Zhu Weixi would die.

“Eldest Sister, do you remember when the two of us had a fight?”

“I remember.”

Zhu Weixi: “It was my birthday, and you came to snatch my things.”

Zhu Weijin smiled through her tears.

That’s right—snatch.

For the Zhu family’s Eldest Miss’s tenth birthday, the servants began preparations half a month in advance. Father said to invite all the relatives to the house for Eldest Daughter’s birthday banquet.

That day, the Zhu household was extremely lively.

Over a dozen female cousins from various branches of the Zhu family came. They surrounded Zhu Weixi, taking turns praising her as pretty, beautiful, proper, and generous.

She watched coldly, nearly mad with jealousy.

Then a large hand fell on her shoulder. She looked up to see Father.

Father patted her. “When your tenth birthday comes, Father will throw you a grand celebration too.”

Zhu Weijin was stunned.

“Father, really? You’re not lying to me?”

Father smiled. “How would an adult lie to a child? You’re my daughter too. Father dotes on all of you.”

I am his daughter.

He dotes on me.

So Sister and I have the same status in his heart.

An unprecedented joy surged up from Zhu Weijin’s heart. She smiled so wide her mouth wouldn’t close. Looking again at Sister surrounded by everyone, she felt not a trace of jealousy.

What was so great about it? In three more years, I too would receive many, many gifts and be surrounded by everyone praising me.

That day, she followed behind Sister like a little tagalong.

She wanted to learn Sister’s every move so that at her own birthday banquet three years later, she wouldn’t embarrass herself.

That night, after the guests dispersed, she lingered in Sister’s room, watching Sister organize the birthday gifts received during the day one by one.

Suddenly, her eyes fixed on something.

Among all the gold hairpins and jade ornaments, a wood-carved butterfly was so lifelike, unspeakably nimble and adorable.

“Sister, can you give me this?”

“Except for this one, you can pick anything else you want. This thing is quite charming—I want to keep it for myself.”

“But I like it too. I want it.”

“No.”

Why not? I’m not asking for your pearls or jade—it’s just a wooden butterfly, not even valuable.

The more Zhu Weijin thought about it, the more unfair it seemed.

If this had been yesterday, she would have just left with her head hanging low. But today was different.

Today Father had said he doted on her too!

Seven-year-old little Weijin’s head heated up, and she reached out to grab the wooden butterfly.

Zhu Weixi snatched it back with one hand and pushed her with the other.

“What are you doing? Are you a bandit?”

That push brought out all of Zhu Weijin’s envy, jealousy, and hatred toward Zhu Weixi.

A little wild beast sprang up in her heart. She rushed forward and grabbed Zhu Weixi’s hair.

Zhu Weixi cried out “Ah!” and they began scuffling.

A table full of gold, silver, and jade objects was overturned and clattered to the floor, frightening all the maids and matrons outside.

The servants rushed in—some pulling them apart, some persuading, some coaxing. Some quick-witted ones hurried to report to the master and mistress.

The two were separated, but their eyes still glared fiercely at each other.

After a moment, the curtain lifted and Father strode in furiously. Without a word, he slapped her across the face.

“Crack!”

Zhu Weijin was stunned by the blow. Covering her face, tears welled up in her eyes.

Why did he only hit me?

Father.

Didn’t you say you doted on me?