Chapter 85 Ancient World: Stepmother (2)

Changqing remained silent for a moment.

Goodness.

This stepmother really did her best.

He had done right by Li Fusheng and his adopted son and daughter, but the ones he had wronged the most were the original owner and his sister.

Ever since Zhao Lianhua arrived at Li Fusheng's house, she has been afraid that people would say she was a vicious stepmother who only cared about her own children, so she puts Li Fusheng's children first in everything.

She taught the original owner's siblings to be observant and to know how hard it was for the children in the family to work.

They were very polite to Li Qingyue and his sister, even to the point of being ingratiating.

Li Qingyue studied in town and didn't mind spending money. However, when the original owner's siblings bought new clothes for the festival, she would nag, saying that people who work don't need new clothes; they get by by mending and patching.

Changqing hadn't met Li Qingyue yet, but he could tell from Li Xiangling's clothes that the difference in treatment was huge.

The original owner and her siblings were treated like adults, eating poorly but doing a lot of work. No wonder they were both thin and dark-skinned, and had a quiet personality. Lin Qingyue and her siblings, on the other hand, were outgoing and knew how to talk to people.

In his own mother's words, the original owner and his siblings were just like their father, useless.

Is it because she inherited her father's incompetence?

In Changqing's memory, his father was one of the most capable people in the clan. He was able to work as an accountant in a restaurant in town, and the family had also purchased a lot of land and left behind some property.

Oh, right.

When Changqing thought of this, he was reminded of something else.

Zhao Lianhua remarried Li Fusheng and moved into Li Fusheng's house with her two children. Li Fusheng had been managing the original owner's father's land for many years, and it brought in a considerable income every year. In the countryside, everything depends on the land.

According to the clan's rules, when the original owner turned sixteen, he would be considered an adult and would inherit his father's family business.

Haha, what a coincidence!

The original owner's health collapsed during this labor service. After returning, she endured several months of hardship, but before she could inherit the family business, Li Qingyue got into a fight in town and accidentally broke someone's leg. As it turned out, the other person had an uncle who was a clerk under the county magistrate, and Zhao Lianhua made the original owner take the blame.

The reason given was that Li Qingyue was going to take the imperial examination, and the family would need him to support them in the future, so he couldn't have any blemishes on his record.

At the same time, in order to appease the family's anger, she also married her younger sister, Li Huanxi, to them.

That's a really impressive move.

Sacrificing her own two children to settle matters for her adopted son, all because Li Qingyue wanted to take the imperial examination?

What does the imperial examination have to do with the original owner of this body?

The original owner certainly didn't want to go to jail, but Zhao Lianhua begged and cried, and even picked up scissors to kill himself in order to force him.

In an era where filial piety could be so overwhelming, the original owner of this body accepted the matter and took the prison sentence in place of Li Qingyue.

The original owner was already in poor health, and died a few years after going to prison.

Since the younger sister is a girl, she has no right to inherit. Once she gets married, she is considered "water spilled out" (meaning her property is no longer part of her family). The things left by the original owner's father will be decided by the clan and given to Li Qingyue.

They said they would visit the ancestral graves during festivals to show their filial piety.

Li Qingyue was initially reluctant, but Zhao Lianhua reluctantly accepted it. Later, these things became resources for Li Qingyue and his sister's growth.

Changqing calculated that the thirteen acres of land left by the original owner's father could be rented out for at least five taels of silver a year, which would be more than enough for the two siblings' expenses.

Is reading an expensive activity?

Li Fusheng had no other business, yet he was able to support his son's education and send his daughter to town to learn embroidery. It turns out he was using the money from the original siblings.

Changqing felt a tightness in his chest.

How could my sister possibly have a good life after marrying into the family of our enemy? She was treated like a slave, yet she had to endure the hatred of the entire family. She was beaten while pregnant and died from a miscarriage.

"Leave the stage early to preserve the good reputation of the biological mother."

Changqing gritted his teeth, a surge of anger rising in his chest, making his breathing heavy.

The deaths of the two siblings did not cause much of a stir in Zhao Lianhua's heart. Only occasionally, when she woke up in the middle of the night, would she sigh and say that the two children had bad luck.

What a spirit of great sacrifice!

Having a mother like that is the worst luck imaginable.

She treated her own children as possessions, sacrificing them to gain a reputation as a good stepmother, to win the approval of her adopted children, and to indulge in self-pity.

Please.

If you like to dedicate yourself, then go ahead and do so.

Why involve others?

Changqing had no idea what his mother's thought process was like.

If you fall into her fold, you're doomed. She'll impose her own habits and morals on you without any regard for your interests.

Is this what they call the Virgin Mary?

No, it doesn't.

More like a sanctimonious hypocrite.

"Master, was the original owner's wish revenge?" Changqing asked.

"He had no intention of seeking revenge. He just felt guilty for always being taken care of by his sister and hoped that his sister could be happy in this life."

The system responded with a message.

Changqing nodded.

After returning from his corvée labor, the original owner was bedridden for more than a month and relied entirely on his younger sister for care. In daily life, his sister often advised him to take better care of himself and not to always listen to their mother.

To be honest, Changqing thought his younger sister Li Huanxi was a sensible person. However, as a woman in feudal society, she had little autonomy and could not control her own destiny.

“Eh..…”

It's reasonable that the original owner didn't have any thoughts of revenge. In this era, filial piety is paramount, and parents can control their children's lives. Li Fusheng never spoke about the original owner's affairs, and always guided his biological mother, Zhao Lianhua, to make decisions. How could he hate the biological mother who gave him life?

However, this is not difficult to handle.

If you want to be happy, the first step is to leave that kind of biological mother.

Can you be happy when you are the one who sacrifices?

Obviously impossible!

Moreover, Changqing has no habit of making sacrifices after reading this, not to mention that Li Qingyue and his sister always treat him like a fool, often saying that he is eating their food.

Reading? Forget about reading!

Learn embroidery? Embroidery my ass!

Ask him to take the blame? Haha, absolutely not.

Changqing made up his mind.

The path to success begins with refusing to perform corvée labor.

This year, someone from Li Fusheng's family is definitely required to go. If he doesn't go, then naturally the choice will have to be made between Li Qingyue and Li Fusheng, father and son.

It should be noted that Li Qingyue currently has no official rank and is a year older than him, making him a perfect candidate for corvée labor.

"Brother, remember what I said, and don't believe Mom."

Seeing her brother remain silent, Li Huanxi was worried that this honest and simple brother had believed their mother's words again, so she spoke up to advise him once more.

Crack!

With a single stroke, Changqing chopped down a tree as thick as a wrist by the roadside.

"Don't worry, your brother isn't stupid."

Li Huanxi's eyes flickered, and she stared at her brother with a puzzled look for a while.

"Then, let's pinky swear."

She was genuinely worried. She had told her brother many times before that even though he had agreed readily, he would back down as soon as their mother gave him instructions.

"Okay." Changqing smiled slightly.