Shen Xiaohua ran out crying.

“You brat, get back here right now! If you dare to step out of this house, you’ll never come back.”

Shen Xiaohua stopped in her tracks, glanced at Madam Lü, and ran out of the house.

His eyes held hatred, pity, disdain, and... but no love.

Her mother didn't love her, and she didn't intend to love her mother anymore.

Shen Xiaohua burst into tears as she stepped outside the door.

Why didn't her parents, who weren't her second uncle and aunt, ever scold their daughter as a "money-losing burden"?

Is it her fault that she was born a girl?

Does a girl have to die at birth? She knew that her mother and aunt had both drowned their children, but it was better that they were dead. If they were still alive, they would suffer just as much as she did.

Not only were they starving and freezing, but they also suffered endless beatings and abuse.

She walked crying to her second uncle's door, squatted in the corner, and dared not approach.

She cried and cried, and then fainted from grief, tears still on her face.

"Little Flower, Little Flower, wake up, wake up."

When Shen Xiaohua woke up, she saw her second aunt, Zhou, looking at her with concern.

Zhou was just about to go to the new house to call Shen Cheng and the others for dinner when she saw Shen Xiaohua as soon as she stepped out.

The child was covered in injuries, clearly inflicted by the Shen family. Although she was illiterate, she understood the principle that even tigers don't eat their cubs; these people were truly ruthless.

But how could she, a woman, be managed? And it was even less likely that she would implicate her husband and children. So they could only pretend not to see it.

"Little Flower, why are you sleeping here?"

Shen Xiaohua said timidly, "Second Aunt, I'm fine. I just accidentally fell."

Zhou didn't expose her, and invited her, "You haven't eaten yet, have you? Come on, let's go to your second aunt's house for dinner."

A hint of surprise appeared in Shen Xiaohua's eyes: "Second Aunt, you don't hate me?"

"Silly child, what are you saying? That's your second uncle's and grandma's feud. What does it have to do with you? Come on, let's go to your second aunt's house and have some fun. You haven't even spoken to your second cousin yet, have you?"

"Second Aunt, I'm not going. I should go home now. I'll come another day."

Shen Xiaohua thought that as long as her second aunt's family didn't hate her, she would be content, and she could come again in the future.

She ran off in a flash, leaving all her earlier sadness behind.

"Didn't you leave? If you have the guts, never come back."

When Madam Lü saw Shen Xiaohua return home, she continued to berate her relentlessly.

Shen Xiaohua ignored her and went straight into the house. From now on, she would never let Shen Xiaohua be beaten and scolded or treated like a slave again.

Seeing that Shen Xiaohua ignored her, Madam Lü stomped her feet and cursed from behind: "You lawless brat! If you keep up this, I'll find someone to sell you for a good price tomorrow."

Sure enough, the next day, Madam Lü went to find a slave trader, intending to sell Shen Xiaohua.

"Miss, Xijiang Village is just ahead."

Shen Danru rested in the carriage, thinking about how she could see her eldest sister.

"I'll ask someone about it later."

"Miss, can we ask Sister Yu Lan directly?"

After a moment of silence, Shen Danru spoke again: "Let's ask around, we want to buy fish."

“Miss, we can just buy the fish at the market. The villagers of Xijiang Village make a living by fishing. If we buy too little, they probably won’t sell it to us.”

"Then let's buy more."

Qingtan suddenly realized that her young lady had probably come up with another way to make money, and immediately agreed: "Okay, I'll go and inquire about it right away."

The carriage was parked inside the village, a few dozen meters from the village entrance.

Just then, a few men came to the village entrance, carrying loads of fish in their baskets. Their eyes revealed a hint of bitterness.

"Sigh, the fish I caught yesterday didn't sell again. It looks like they'll just go to waste at home. I have a baby crying for food at home. How am I going to explain this to my family?"

"It's all Xu Duo's fault for driving the price down so low."

Seeing the two men complaining, Tai Kangping said:

"You can't blame him for that. He has an elderly mother who is seriously ill. If the fish can't be sold, and his mother's illness is delayed any longer, she won't last more than a few days."

"Tai Kangping, what do you mean? Why are you speaking up for that Xu Duo? So you don't need to raise a child? Oh right, I guess you can't have one anyway."

The people around him gave him mocking looks.

Tai Kangping wasn't angry; he just smiled.

Shen Danru: Tai Kangping?

Is that your brother-in-law?

Shen Danru lifted the curtain and looked into the distance. The man was about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, wearing a coarse cloth short coat. His skin was a bit dark. Although he was not as good-looking as her elder brother and Yu Yan, he made a living by fishing in the village and was exposed to the wind and sun every day. His appearance was considered excellent in the village.

As the group drew closer, Shen Danru's attention was entirely focused on Tai Kangping. The man's eyes were bright and clear, and he didn't look like a bad person.

Why is he portrayed in such a negative light?

He killed his first wife. After marrying Shen Yulan, he beat her every day and never allowed her to return to her family home. Even when her parents came, he wouldn't let her see them. According to the man next to her, she was also infertile.

The group quickly reached the carriage, and just as they were about to pass it, Qingtan stopped them: "Brothers, do you sell your fish?"

Upon hearing this, the group all looked at Qingtan and swarmed around her.

"Girl, buy mine, my fish are big and fresh."

"Girl, buy mine, buy mine! My fish was caught this morning, look, it's still lively and jumping around."

"Girl, look at my fish..."

Qingtan was at a loss. What did she know about buying fish? She was more interested in eating it. So she looked at Shen Danru with difficulty and said, "Miss."

Shen Dan got off the carriage, looked at the fish in the basket, and asked, "How much is this fish per pound?"

"Just give me eight coins a pound, my fish are alive and very fresh."

"Miss, buy mine, it's only five coins."

"You've bought it all, I'll give you three cents."

"Three coins a piece, my three coins a piece."

Shen Danru: "So curly?"

The group was momentarily bewildered; the fish wasn't curling up.

"Girl, our fish aren't curled at all, they're all perfectly straight."

Shen Danru: "It's nothing, brother. I've seen it, and your fish are all very good."

She just wanted to express that the fishing industry is also experiencing fierce competition, but she forgot that these people wouldn't understand.

These people were enthusiastically introducing the fish, but Shen Danru looked up at Tai Kangping, who was standing in the distance, and seemed to have no intention of selling fish.

Curious, she asked, "Sir, aren't you selling your fish?"