As soon as they arrived at the village entrance in the oxcart, people came running over noisily. After all, Cuihua had returned to the village to register her household registration, and now everyone knew that her fifth son had been found. They had also heard that she had been seriously injured, disfigured, and was hospitalized in the county town. Seeing Cuimei with her head covered in bandages, they couldn't help but sigh.

"Cuihua, you've brought your fifth son back! Oh, that was really tough!"

Cuihua nodded to the woman.

"Yes, Auntie, it must have been tough, but thankfully you're alright and back."

"You're still okay? Are you disfigured?"

Cuihua shook her head, "It's not that serious, it's just a scalded blister, and we're bandaging it up to prevent infection."

Many people came to watch the spectacle, including quite a few members of the Tang family, especially her aunts and uncles, who made sarcastic remarks about her.

"Cuihua's really something now, she's got money to burn. She even hired an oxcart to come back, that must have cost her several cents, right? She's really something, managing to get back what she sold. With so many younger sisters in the future, let's see how you're going to support them. You'll never get married in this lifetime!"

"That's right, Cuihua. If you want to live a good life, you should be more filial to your grandma. She's always doted on you since you were little. Why did you bring these good-for-nothings back? You sisters don't even have a piece of land. What will you do in the future? Just wait to starve!"

"I'm not trying to be mean, Cuihua, but look at yourself! You're disfigured! Why did you bring her back? Are you really planning to support her? First of all, shouldn't you be thinking about whether she'll be scarred or disfigured? With the meager salary you earn working in town, can you support all four of you sisters?"

...

Tang Cuimei found this amusing, especially since her eldest sister was clearly already impatient. They didn't know how to read the room, and they were all afraid that Cuihua would really support them and spend money as if it were her family's money. What kind of people are they?

"Don't bother. How my sisters and I live is none of your business. We won't eat a single grain of rice from your house, and you won't give us any of your food either. As for that grandma you mentioned who's so good to my sister, haha, do you even think before you speak? If she were really good to my sister and her family, would they have started their own household? Aren't you afraid of your tongue getting stuck with your lies? Get out of the way, don't delay our journey home. Uncle, you promised to take us to our doorstep."

Tang Cuimei showed no mercy to these people, and even reminded the cattle driver to hurry up.

The onlookers were suddenly startled to hear the person with a face covered in gauze speak. Moreover, her voice was loud and clear, full of energy, and she was not at all timid. She spoke clearly and distinctly, cursing and mocking as she should, making the three sisters-in-law blush and their necks bulge. Before they could even open their mouths, Tang Cuimei spoke again.

"From now on, stay away from us, so we don't have to come begging to your house. And if you ever end up begging, don't come to my doorstep. We'll never see each other again. Otherwise, you'll be slapping yourself in the face. What's that called? Oh, right, utterly shameless, damn it!"

Tang Cuimei's words stunned Cuihua and the others. Fortunately, the uncle who was driving the cattle saw something was wrong and quickly shouted.

"Come on, everyone, make way, don't delay people from getting home. I'm in a hurry to get back!"

The oxcart finally managed to squeeze through the crowd, but after only a few steps, it was met with the relentless, angry shouts of its sisters-in-law.

Tang Cuimei, with a head covered in a chilling gauze, turned her head and sneered at them.

"I must have had the worst luck in eight lifetimes to be related to you bunch of bloodsuckers. You bunch of dogs who only know how to suck blood and never know how to give back. I, Tang Cuimei, am making this clear today: from now on, my sisters and I will be the ones to uphold this family. You can look down on us, you can curse us, you can even talk behind our backs, but you'd better not do it in front of us. Anyone who dares to say such filthy things to my face, I'll slap them to death! Remember this, this is what I, Tang Cuimei, said. I have plenty of ways to deal with you!"

The three Cuihua sisters stood at the door watching the oxcart leave, still not quite recovered from Tang Cuimei's words.

They exchanged glances, their eyes filled with disbelief. Was this really the same Da Ya that the younger sister had described, the one who would endure any beating without complaint?

"What are you all looking at? Aren't you going home? Do you think I'm being domineering? I've already died once, what am I afraid of? What's that saying? 'A barefoot person isn't afraid of someone wearing shoes, and a tough guy is afraid of someone who doesn't value their life.' That's how I am now. Before, I was petty and lived like a turtle, and what was the result? Anyone dared to kick me or curse me. Now I'm tough. Look at the reactions of those people just now, what was in their eyes?"

The three sisters all thought of one word at the same time: unbelievable!

They were probably used to the wretchedness of their whole family, so when one of them suddenly stood up for them, they were incredibly excited.

Many people watched it like a joke, saying, "Look at Tang Youtian and Cao Amei, they've been cowards for most of their lives, but their daughters are all capable. Even the ones they sold off dared to go head-to-head with their relatives as soon as they returned to the village. They've finally produced a capable person. Just wait and see, there'll be plenty of excitement to watch in the future!"

Upon entering the courtyard, Tang Cuimei glanced around and nodded in satisfaction.

It's not bad. The yard is big and tidy. Although it's a bit dilapidated, you can tell that these sisters are living their lives with care.

That's good. She needs people who won't cause her trouble. She'll strive for what she needs herself. Similarly, she expects her family members to be self-reliant so that her burden will be lighter.

The reason for studying is to have a place to put one's medical skills to use.

"Do I have a room? I'm tired and want to rest for a while."

Upon hearing this, Cuihua quickly led her to the east wing.

"Well, there are only a few of us sisters in our family. The west wing is used to store miscellaneous items, while the east wing is big enough to hold bunk beds. We did all this in the hope that one day we could find all our sisters."

Cui Mei raised an eyebrow and followed Cui Hua into the house.

The windows were covered with paper, and the walls with newspaper, all to protect the whitewashed adobe houses.

Aside from a few bunk beds, there wasn't a single decent piece of furniture. It was all broken and tattered, probably donated by someone or salvaged from a scrap yard. But the room was very clean. There were three beds, and the three of them slept on the lower bunks. There was one upper bunk, which was probably for her.

Unexpectedly, Cuihua pointed to the bed where both beds were already made up.

“I don’t come back often, and I’m the eldest in the family. I’ll sleep on top, and you can sleep on the bottom. The bedding was prepared a long time ago; it’s not new, it’s old, but I washed it. If you’re not used to it…”

"What's there to be uncomfortable about? I was living worse before. Thank you, big sister. I'm very satisfied. Don't worry, I'll only be eating and drinking for free for a while. Once I get into junior high school, I'll be able to support myself and will try my best not to cause you any trouble!"

Cuihua was a little unaccustomed to Cuimei's tone of voice. She hesitated for a moment and then asked tentatively.

"You... are you really that hardworking, devoted girl who served the Niu family as their child bride like an old ox? To be honest, you don't seem like it. Even if you suffered a serious injury, it's impossible for you to change so much all at once. Tell me the truth, did you find out something that caused such a big change?"

Cui Mei raised an eyebrow, expressing her confusion.

Cuihua thought about it for a moment, and realized that she had had precognitive dreams since she was a child, so it didn't seem to be a secret.

So she recounted the entire dream she had once had, quietly observing Cui Mei's expression.

Sure enough, after hearing this, she was initially surprised, but then it seemed like she suddenly understood.

"I see. I was wondering how a girl from an ordinary family could have such courage. So you're a reincarnated person. Hmm, if that's the case, then I'm definitely not your eldest daughter anymore. Everyone else has been beaten to death by them. I'm just occupying her body now."

Thinking that she would need to make money in the future and might not be able to keep it from them, Cui Mei, being the kind of person who didn't want to beat around the bush, told them directly.

"I guess you could say I transmigrated into a book. The book is called 'Nine Phoenixes in the Family,' and it tells the story of you nine sisters, which is similar to what you said, but I know more details. I came here with a mission. Although I am a mission taker, I also have my own past life. I was born in 1972 and died in 2000. I studied clinical medicine, which is Western medicine, and I was an experienced surgeon. So I have to study, go to university, and study medicine, otherwise I won't be able to find a job!"

Cuihua's mouth gaped open in an "O" shape. The second and third brothers, who had entered at some point, seemed to be hearing this for the first time as well.

"This book doesn't have an absolute protagonist. If I had to name one, it would be you nine sisters. You were truly miserable in your past lives, really. Even bitter herbs weren't that miserable. It seemed like you could encounter every kind of bad luck. When I first accepted the mission, I wasn't willing to accept it! But after I arrived, I found that things were clearly not going the way they were in the book. Look, I actually returned to the Tang family, and the three of you have already set up your own households. Isn't this the butterfly effect caused by the eldest sister's rebirth?"

"Cultured people speak differently; I just can't put it that way. But we understand what you mean. Why don't you just go to high school?"

"Originally, I planned to skip to the third year of junior high school after half a year and take the high school entrance exam directly. I was afraid you would overthink it, so I thought it would take time. Now that you know, I definitely want to save money. I will go to the school to take the exam in the spring. The exam will be based on the third year of junior high school questions. As long as my grades are good, they will definitely accept me. I will go to high school in the second half of the year. Two years of high school is still possible."

Cuihua immediately understood what "it's not too late" meant.

"There's definitely enough time. It's only been five or six years. But if you actually get into university, it will be during a famine. You absolutely mustn't apply to universities in our province. Go to the capital, Shanghai, or other big cities where you won't starve."

"Don't worry, big sister. As long as I study hard for the next two years of high school, I'm confident I can get into a good medical university. The university doesn't charge tuition and there are subsidies. If I add some money myself, I can support myself."

The problem now is, I came here with a mission. The important thing isn't going to university, but realizing my true value by becoming independent!