That account, that record, could have been buried forever in the dust of the archives, forgotten by all.

But now, everything is in chaos.

Su Yueyue was in a state of confusion, unable to understand why Su Qingzhi and Shen Zhiyu's fates had diverged so drastically.

Logically speaking, Su Qingzhi should have packed up and left with Li Tieniu long ago when she heard that Shen Zhiyu was dead.

That was the ending everyone in the village believed in—the widow would remarry and start anew.

She also thought things would end there.

But what about now?

Su Qingzhi not only didn't leave, but stayed and even opened a small general store at the entrance of the village, and her life became more and more prosperous.

Looking at myself, I dig in the soil every day, my palms are covered in calluses, and there's always dirt under my fingernails that I can never wash off.

The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became—why?

Both are women, both grew up in the same village, so why can Su Qingzhi live an easy and carefree life, while she has to bear a secret and suffer every day?

"Su Yueyue, take the hoe and go to Uncle Su's field. Don't look around."

The scorekeeper was Su Weiye, the village chief's son. His voice was cold and stern, carrying an undeniable authority.

He was one of the few literate people in the village. He graduated from junior high school and even went to the county for training. He had the efficiency and decisiveness of a city dweller in his speech and actions.

Although he was Su Wanshan's son, he never put on airs.

When others called him the village chief's son, he would always wave his hand and say, "Everyone is equal before work points."

After receiving the farm tools, they went to the fields as usual, doing just as much work as anyone else.

He bent over while hoeing the ground, sweat dripping down his forehead, but he never complained of being tired or slacked off.

The villagers didn't utter a single complaint when they saw him as the scorekeeper.

Earning a living through one's own abilities, who can argue with that?

But as Su Yueyue stared at the scorer's notebook, her eyes slowly lit up.

The notebook was a blue hardcover book with the words "Work Point Record" written in red on the cover. Every page was filled with names and numbers.

If... if this position were hers, wouldn't she no longer have to sweat profusely while carrying a hoe?

She could sit in the shade of a tree to register people, keep track of everyone's attendance, and even influence who worked more or less.

The shadow of power flashed through her mind.

"Okay!"

She gritted her teeth and agreed, gave Su Weiye a cold look, picked up her hoe and left.

That glance was filled with resentment and unwillingness.

She won't stay like this forever.

When they arrived at the destination, Zhu Xiuqin and Su Yicen were already there.

The two were squatting on the edge of the field, tidying up their hoes. Zhu Xiuqin was wearing a faded blue cotton shirt, her hair tied in a simple ponytail; Su Yicen was wearing an old cotton-padded jacket, her face still showing the weariness of early morning.

The morning light shines on the rice paddies, casting a soft golden hue.

The iron head of the hoe sank into the ground with a dull thud.

A new day has begun.

The moment Su Yicen saw her, his brows furrowed into a tight knot, as if an invisible rope was tightening around his brow.

A surge of long-suppressed anger and disappointment welled up within him, and his eyes, sharp as blades, stared at the little sister in front of him who had once been the apple of the family's eye.

His father's serious injury, which nearly cost him his life, was ultimately caused by Su Yueyue tampering with the field ridges. She deliberately dug a deep pit, causing her father to slip and fall while carrying loads, resulting in a comminuted fracture of his right leg, which prevented him from ever doing heavy work again.

He never imagined that the little girl with pigtails who used to pester him for stories every night and call him "Big Brother" could be so heartless now.

Back then, when she fell, she would cry and run into his arms; when she was sick, she would only call him "Big Brother, it hurts," as if he were her only support.

But what about now?

She was so capable of harming even her own father for her own selfish interests, pushing her entire family into the abyss.

Her family used to pamper her like a precious gem. They would always serve her the best dishes at the dinner table first, and they would make her the first new clothes for the New Year. Even the pocket money that Su Yicen had saved up by scrimping and saving was secretly slipped into her schoolbag, just so she could buy a new pencil.

But she was quite something. Before she could even grow up, she started scheming against her own father, all she wanted was a little more land and a little more grain so that she could have a better reputation when she got married in the future.

"Mom, older brother..."

Su Yueyue addressed him respectfully, her voice sweet as honey, but her eyes quickly swept over Su Yicen's face.

She keenly caught the undisguised coldness in his eyes, like frost in winter, frozen deep in his pupils, revealing a bone-chilling disgust.

She knew in her heart that they hated her.

From the day my father lay in his hospital bed, this hatred began to grow quietly, and now it has spread like wildfire, impossible to ignore.

But she didn't think she had done anything wrong.

If you don't live for yourself, are you going to starve to death for others?

No matter how well this family treats her, when it comes to dividing the inheritance, won't they only recognize her son?

If she doesn't fight for it, who else can she expect to fight for it for her?

"Don't call me Mom, I'm afraid it will shorten my life."

Zhu Xiuqin rolled her eyes at her, her lips curled down, and her voice was as cold and harsh as ice shards hitting the ground, "Seeing your face makes my stomach churn. Get lost, don't get in my way."

Su Yueyue's lips trembled slightly, then she forced a smile, managing to squeeze out a hint of grievance and earnestness: "Mom, you may not acknowledge me, but I can't disown you. I haven't forgotten your kindness in raising me. I remember the cotton-padded jacket you sewed for me, and I remember the way my older brother carried me to school. I've scolded my mother for what she did. I told the whole village that she was crazy and shouldn't have harmed people!"

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