In the cramped room, He Zifeng sat motionless, maintaining this position for an hour. It wasn't until his father's cursing voice rang out from outside that he gradually came to his senses.

"You really think you're some kind of young master, don't you ever take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror? I'm this old and I'm not even enjoying a life of luxury in my room every day, what the hell are you?" Old man He Donglai cursed loudly.

Everyone in the family knows that this is a rebuke of the second son, He Zifeng.

He Zifeng was a hothead outside, but when he saw his father, he was like a mouse before a cat. Even a glare from his father would scare him into silence. After being scolded so veiledly, he'd obediently come out and admit his mistake.

The scumbag father, He Donglai, thought so too, but today was an unexpected turn of events. He cursed for fifteen minutes under the midday sun until his throat was hoarse, but there was no sound from his second son's room. He was so angry that he wanted to go and kick the door.

In the end, the scumbag father was stopped by his second wife, Madam Wan: "The second son is probably tired. It's quite admirable that he came up with such an idea. Let him rest."

He Zifeng had been carried home after suffering heatstroke while chopping wood; his family hadn't even called a doctor. Just an hour later, his scumbag father was already scolding him in the yard for not working. His stepmother made it sound like he was faking illness to avoid work.

Seeing that no one had responded yet, the scumbag father, He Donglai, said, "We won't give the family of three any food tonight, let him slack off. He's such a spoiled brat!"

They were cursing and swearing outside, little did they know that the blindly filial son inside was now a reborn person.

The saying "If there's a stepmother, there's a stepfather" is certainly true. When He Zifeng was six years old, his father divorced his mother. His mother left the village, and he went to live with his father. Within a month, his father married Xiao Wan, a pretty widow from the village with a son. Six years after marrying into the family, she gave birth to his third brother, He Tong, and two years later, she gave birth to his fourth brother, He Fan.

Only He Zifeng was a motherless child. Xiao Wanshi always gave the best food to her three sons. His father not only didn't side with him, but often beat and scolded him. He did all the housework. The villagers couldn't say anything, since a father beating his son was a family matter.

He Zifeng was the worst off in the He family. He worked harder than a donkey but ate less than an ox.

The key point is that the He family isn't poor. They have a skill in making soy sauce. Even the big restaurants in the county buy their flavorful yellow soy sauce. They're one of the wealthier families in the village.

But look at He Zifeng, he was wearing shorts and his sleeves and ankles were all flapping up. The reason he suffered from heatstroke today was that he went up the mountain to chop firewood before he had eaten enough. In this sweltering heat, he couldn't stand it and suddenly his vision went black. Several young men from his village brought him back.

He longed for his father's attention his whole life, and even when he died from exhaustion, his own father couldn't afford a decent coffin. In the end, it was only after his daughter-in-law, Qiuyu, went to work in the county that he was able to have a dignified burial.

In his previous life, he was like a puppet on a mission, only able to witness events unfold but powerless to stop them. Aside from his chosen son-in-law, he had no control over anything else. He was a supporting character in the story; the true protagonist was his stepmother's older brother. In his previous life, he constantly competed with his brother, always being outdone. Even his son-in-law and son were considered inferior. He became nothing more than a stepping stone to highlight the protagonist.

If only he were to suffer, that would be one thing, but his wife and children were also living in darkness, and he was unwilling to accept it!

When he opened his eyes again, he was back to the age of twenty-six. He moved his hands and found that his body was completely under his control.

His tragic first and second halves of life flashed through his mind like a slideshow.

Soon a young man rushed in from outside. He was so handsome that he had an androgynous beauty. The man seemed a little worried about him: "Are you alright?" It was none other than his wife, Qiu Yu, who was twenty-three years old.

When He Zifeng saw him again, he immediately hugged him.

Qiu Yu seemed startled by his bold move, her almond-shaped eyes constantly glancing at He Zifeng. She was being held so tightly that she could barely breathe.

Qiu Yu noticed that He Zifeng's eyes were red. In their five years of marriage, this was the first time she'd seen him like this. Qiu Yu suddenly panicked.

He Zifeng said out of the blue, "I'll take care of things at home from now on."

Married for so long, He Zifeng was a man of few words. He was the biological son of his scumbag father, He Donglai, but at home he was treated like an outsider. He was expected to do the work, but when it came to dividing the credit, he was ignored. He Zifeng never took the initiative to compete, and Qiu Yu, though unaware of what had happened, knew from his words today—that he hadn't even started working yet—that he must have suffered some injustice.

He Zifeng's eyes held a deep affection that Qiu Yu couldn't understand; his emotions surged like a volcano about to erupt, yet he forcefully suppressed them.

As Qiu Yu read on, he blushed deeply. He had married He Zifeng when he was eighteen, and he had kept his feelings hidden all the time. Unlike his older brother Wan Hai and sister-in-law Xu Li, he wasn't outgoing. Besides, he was a man with many chores, and he would fall asleep as soon as he got home, so he didn't have time for romantic talk.

Just then, someone pushed open the door and entered. A childish voice called out, "Daddy, little daddy." It was He Ran, his only child, who was four years old and a handsome little boy.

When Qiu Yu saw her son come in, she quickly and deliberately avoided He Zifeng. From the side, one could vaguely see his slightly flushed cheeks.

"Ranran, why are you back so early today?" Qiuyu asked.

He Ran said, "I collected half a basket of firewood." He was four years old this year, still at the age where he could run and jump around. He was already following behind seven or eight-year-old children to collect firewood.

After He Ran finished speaking, he secretly glanced at He Zifeng, guessing that this was also hereditary. He longed for his father's approval, and the baby was imitating him, wanting to receive his praise.

He Zifeng was always busy and didn't have much time to care for his son. His son was shy and a bit of a boy, and sometimes he would avoid him, so He Zifeng thought his son didn't like being close to him. Now it seems that his son just didn't know how to express himself to him.

He Zifeng waved to his son.

Xiao Heran first hid in Qiu Yu's arms, then secretly peeked through the gap. Seeing that He Zifeng wasn't angry, he ran over like a little rabbit, his face full of innocence: "I'm all grown up now, I can help Dad with chores."

He Zifeng felt a lump in his throat. He said, "Ranran, be good."

Little He Ran had never received praise from He Zifeng before and was somewhat incredulous. Then, she mustered her courage and reached out to hug He Zifeng's leg. Suddenly, she felt light and was easily lifted into He Zifeng's arms. "Ranran is still young. She doesn't need to gather firewood anymore. She can go play with the older brothers and sisters in the village."

Qiu Yu watched her happy son and the man together, and couldn't bear to break this beautiful moment.

Little He Ran bounced twice in her father's arms, then said in a childish voice, "Ranran will listen to Daddy."

"Good boy," He Zifeng praised.

The little rascal probably took after Qiu Yu; he's a shy little guy with blushing cheeks, but his round eyes shine brightly.

The room was cozy, but outside, the sounds of things being smashed and broken could be heard.

"If you're not going to work, then don't fucking eat. We don't raise lazybones in this family. Go and stew the meat for me. Today, the second son can watch over us while we eat meat," said the scumbag father, He Donglai.

Outside, Wan feigned concern, saying, "Even if you don't care about the second son, you should at least consider the child."

"Bullshit, you think I have to raise a son? There are no cowards in the He family who can't produce sons!" He Donglai retorted, cursing He Zifeng and his entire family in one sentence.

Wan Hai, the son of Xiao Wanshi, has already been included in the He family's birth order. Now the eldest son, he married Xu Li, the village chief's son, a few years ago. Xu Li had three sons: He Dabao, seven years old; He Erbao, five years old; and He Sanbao, three years old. In the countryside, the more sons a family has, the more powerful it is. Xu Li's father was the village chief, and with three sons, he was very favored in the He family.

All the work in the family was piled on He Zifeng and Qiu Yu.

He Erbao went to school, but his son He Ran spent his days collecting firewood.

He Zifeng and Qiu Yu were used to these insults and didn't pay them any mind, but things were different now. He Zifeng ignored them and came out carrying his son.

The cursing from the scumbag father, He Donglai, stopped abruptly. He was forty-five years old, in decent health, with a long face and high cheekbones. His triangular eyes, if lowered, could be quite unsettling. Although Xiao Wanshi next to him had gained weight, she was pretty. Coupled with her love of dressing up, she was quite beautiful for her age.

He Donglai said with a stern face, "I knew you were slacking off. Get back to work."

He Zifeng sneered inwardly. His eldest brother helped the family run the soy sauce business, his third brother was disabled and was supported by the family. His fourth brother was also fed fine rice and grains. The family treated the three of them as long-term laborers.

He Zifeng used to never mention being punished with hunger, considering it a family scandal that shouldn't be aired in public. This, in turn, enhanced Xiao Wan's reputation. But now he wouldn't stand for it. He looked at his scumbag father and said, "I'm not feeling well. You should hire someone else."

The scumbag father, He Donglai, was stunned, and even Madam Wan was surprised. He Zifeng had always been obedient to his father; how could he suddenly become so independent?

Author's Note:

Note: In his previous life, the dominant character was still him, but he lost a part of his soul and spirit, which was implanted with a mission. Only on the day he married the submissive character, Qiu Yu, could the real dominant character briefly control the body. In this life, he is reborn, without the manipulation and brainwashing from the book, allowing him to live a completely different life.