Chapter 33 Junior Sister, I'll help you vent your anger! You have been added to the group chat "..."
As soon as the teacher's wife finished speaking, the air in the side hall seemed to freeze instantly.
Rong Yan was so angry that her hair split when she heard those shameless words!
She had never seen such a shameless and blatantly distorted mother.
Rong Yan took several deep breaths before she managed to refrain from doing anything irrational on the spot.
She kept reminding herself, "I can't hit her, I can't hit her, this is my junior sister's mother, her mother..."
"My goodness, is this even human?!"
She tried to hold back, but in the end she couldn't hold back any longer and angrily transmitted her voice to Chong Cang beside her.
Chong Cang's already gloomy gaze darkened even more.
He had originally thought that Shi Liuying, with her positive and optimistic attitude, like a natural sun that would never dim, must have been raised in an equally warm family...
Just as Chong Cang was hesitating whether to help Shi Liuying vent her anger, a chubby boy wearing a silk jacket ran in shouting, "Mom! I'm so thirsty!"
He charged in like a cannonball, hitting Shi Liuying's leg precisely. He was unharmed, but the impact made Shi Liuying stagger.
When the teacher's wife saw her beloved son, her face beamed with joy.
"Oh, my darling, are you tired from running around? Quick, here's some honey and wildflower dew that I just chilled. It's perfect for quenching your thirst and soothing your lungs!"
She hurriedly snatched a bowl of crystal-clear sugar water from the maid and held it to the boy's lips.
The boy gulped down the sugar water from her hand, the syrup dripping down his chubby chin onto his expensive little jacket. His teacher's wife quickly wiped it off with a fine Suzhou embroidered handkerchief, her eyes filled with such doting affection that they could swarm a swarm of flies.
Shi Liuying stared blankly at the bowl of "Hundred Flower Dew," which was clearly a hundred times more superior than the murky sugar water she drank as a child. Then she looked at her younger brother, who was served water by others. The scales of "fair exchange" in her mind cracked with a "crack."
She wanted to ask about the sweet soup, about the exchange, but the words that came out were: "When...did you get a younger brother?"
The teacher's wife gave her a disdainful look: "Of course, it's after you left. I only gained a foothold in the Shi family after my son was born, unlike you, a good-for-nothing, who only drags me down with your life!"
She shielded her son behind her: "He's gone, why are you still coming back to haunt us? You're a vengeful ghost."
"You—!" Rong Yan could no longer hold back and took a step forward.
How dare you say that about your junior sister!
My junior sister is the best baby in the whole world!
Rong Yan was furious. She rolled up her sleeves, determined to show this venomous woman what a real money-loser she was!
That's enough.
Chong Cang's deep voice rang out. He grabbed Rong Yan's arm, but his gaze was fixed on Shi Liuying.
Her expression was off; this was not the time to start a conflict.
The three of them were unceremoniously driven out of the Shi family's gate. The vermilion gate slammed shut behind them with a loud bang, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Rong Yan's face turned red with anger. She transmitted her voice to Chong Cang: "It's all your fault. Now that we've all been kicked out, how can we stand up for our junior sister!"
"That Tai Sui clearly belongs to my junior sister, why shouldn't she give it to her?"
She waved her hands across her face, speaking in a sarcastic tone: "Oh, and they even said they'd use the Tai Sui (a deity in Chinese mythology) to exchange for a chance to leave home..."
"Is my junior sister a prisoner of the Shi family?"
"If you ask me, we should just charge in and snatch the Tai Sui, leaving nothing for that old hag!"
"Rong Yan." Chong Cang stopped her again, his voice low, "Look at her."
Rong Yan followed his gaze to Shi Liuying, only to see her junior sister standing there blankly, staring at the tightly closed door, her eyes empty, like a soulless doll. It was raining on her head, and she was covered in dust and wetness.
Rong Yan's anger was replaced by worry: "Junior Sister?"
She approached cautiously, "You...you shouldn't be sad. That kind of mother isn't worth your sadness!"
Shi Liuying slowly turned her head to look at Rong Yan, her tone filled with genuine doubt: "Senior sister, are you sad? I'm not sad."
She lowered her eyelashes: "I'm just a little confused."
Rong Yan leaned closer: "What's troubling you? Tell me, and your senior sister will definitely answer your questions!"
Having questions is a good thing, and not being sad or upset is even better!
Just like when she first answered her questions about Qi cultivation, she had walked more roads in the past two hundred years than her junior sister had smoked more cigarettes. She would definitely be able to solve all of her junior sister's problems like a caring older sister.
Rong Yan raised her head and puffed out her chest: "Come on, ask!"
Shi Liuying's bewildered eyes held a glimmer of hope, like finding a tree to shelter from the rain on a stormy day: "Why did I need to chop firewood for three days to exchange for sweet water when I was a child, but my younger brother doesn't need to?"
"Was the principle of exchange correct in the past, but wrong now?"
Chong Cang's pupils trembled.
He thought of the day he was at his most inhuman.
He pointed at Shi Liuying's nose and told her that everyone who approached her had an ulterior motive, and that no one truly loved her.
That day, Shi Liuying accepted the matter well, and even said things like "It is only natural to ask me for something." Was it because she had lived in this abnormal "exchange" environment since she was a child?
Rong Yan looked into Shi Liuying's eyes, and they were not a look of vulnerability, but rather one of expectation.
She was expecting an answer, expecting the problem to be solved.
But how could she possibly tell her the cruel truth that her mother didn't love her?
Upon hearing this, Rong Yan's eyes instantly reddened.
The next second, Shi Liuying fell into a warm embrace.
This embrace smells wonderful, feels warm, and is very tight.
Then her senior sister suddenly grabbed her hand: "Come on! I'll take you to get some sweet soup! You can drink as much as you want! We don't have to chop any firewood!"
The marketplace was bustling with activity.
Rong Yan pulled Shi Liuying along and went straight to a bustling beverage shop.
She ordered seven or eight different sweet drinks in one go: osmanthus honey wine, chilled sugarcane juice, cheese cherry, almond tea... a dazzling array that filled the table.
Chong Cang followed behind and paid the shopkeeper: "What else do you want to drink? Bring it all up, no matter the price."
Rong Yan had already pulled Shi Liuying to sit down: "Drink! Junior sister, see which one you like?" She pushed the bowl in front of Shi Liuying.
Shi Liuying obediently picked up the nearest bowl, brought it to her lips, and took a small sip.
Then my eyes became very bright.
"Delicious!"
Rong Yan and Chong Cang exchanged a glance and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Great, it's back to normal.
Rong Yan felt a little relieved, her worries lessened, but her anger, which had not yet subsided, surged back.
She glared fiercely at Chong Cang.
If he hadn't stopped her, she would have already dealt with that vicious woman in the mansion.
She secretly opened the communication jade slip under the table and started tapping and clicking.
Soon, Chong Cang felt his communication jade slip vibrate.
He clicked on it and saw—
[You have been added to the group chat "Junior Sister Protection Team" by "The Thorny Rose (Don't Touch Me)". Other members in the chat include "Jun Lintian", "Cha Yangyang", and "I Really Have No Spirit Stones Left".]
【Cha Yangyang: [Cat peeking out.jpg]】
【I'm really out of spirit stones: What happened?】
[Jun Lintian: What's wrong, Junior Sister?]
【I'm really out of spirit stones: @Jun Lintian, what the heck?! I just left and you're already awake?! My junior sister even told me to make sure you get some rest.】
[Cha Yangyang: He can't sleep without the little fireflies.]
[The Rose with Thorns (Don't Touch Me): Urgent, folks!]
[Cha Yangyang: They haven't even added any emojis, looks like they're really in a hurry.]
[The Thorny Rose (Don't Touch Me): My junior sister has been bullied terribly, come quickly and settle the score!]
With a series of "ding-a-ling" sounds, Chi Yang, who was lying on the chaise longue, sprang up with a swift motion.
[Cha Yangyang: Bullying Little Firefly? Who is it? Where? Send me your location!]
【Cha Yangyang: [Bastard.jpg]】
【Cha Yangyang: [Bastard.jpg]】
【Cha Yangyang: [Bastard.jpg]】
[The Thorny Rose (Don't Touch Me): @I'm really out of spirit stones. Bring more money, not spirit stones. Go to your shop and exchange them for gold!]
Chong Cang glanced at Rong Yan and transmitted his thoughts: "What do you want to do?"
Rong Yan sent a sinister message back: "Doesn't she like money? Let's bury her in money!"
"How dare she say my junior sister is a money-loser!"
Rong Yan was furious.
The villainous cannon fodder from the novel was right in front of her. She had the absolute power to slap that woman in the face and could stab her through with a sword, even 108 times!
Rong Yan slumped her shoulders and sighed.
But this wicked woman happens to be the mother that my junior sister cares about.
She cares about her junior sister, so she can't ignore her feelings.
Although she verbally threatened to kill the wicked woman with gold, she couldn't actually do it.
Rong Yan knew she was straightforward, so she wisely gathered a group to brainstorm ideas. It would be best if everyone came over and together they could find the most suitable way to help her junior sister get revenge.
She gave Chong Cang a resentful look and transmitted her voice: "Your dark intestines have a hundred and eight twists and turns, yet you're unwilling to think of a way to help your junior sister vent her anger."
Chong Cang glanced at her with dead fish eyes and said, "You don't know anything."
Rong Yan: "Yes, I don't know anything, and you're nothing."
"Even a fart makes a sound, but you, when your junior sister is being bullied, don't stand up for her, you have to hold me back."
Chong Cang: "Can't you see that she's in a bad mood?"
Rong Yan: "But we can't just stand up for our junior sister."
Chong Cang looked at Rong Yan as if she were an idiot: "If you take the lead, you'll inevitably have to make a move. If you use your spiritual power, you'll alert the enemy."
Rong Yan: "Why do you stir up trouble?"
Chong Cang: "There is a demonic aura in Master's residence."
Rong Yan became serious: "Demon aura? I don't sense it."
Chong Cang said sarcastically, "Wait until you feel that the demons have run eight miles away."
"Is your junior sister's mother a demon? Or that child?"
Chong Cang shook his head: "None of them. The demonic energy is very weak and has not yet taken shape, but it will soon."
"Then at least you, this great demon, are somewhat useful," Rong Yan reluctantly affirmed.
After sending out the location, Rong Yan turned to look at Shi Liuying.
The child was still obediently drinking the sugar water.
Looking around, the table was covered with empty bowls.
Rong Yan: ? ? ?
Is that correct?
She reached out and touched Shi Liuying's round belly, feeling as if her cat had stolen some cat food and eaten itself into a chicken wing-wrapped rice bowl.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the junior sister had not returned to her original appearance at all, but was mechanically repeating the action of drinking sugar water.
Shi Liuying drank it sip by sip.
The sweet soup was very sweet, and there were many kinds. She had never tried any of them before, and every bowl tasted better than the one she had when she was a child.
So she drank it bowl after bowl, without wasting a single drop.
Rong Yan and Chong Cang exchanged a glance, sensing that something was wrong.
They looked at her cautiously, trying to say something to ease the tension, but felt that any words would be inadequate.
Just then, a mother and daughter sat down at the next table.
The little girl, about five or six years old, pointed at the colorful "honey-preserved cherry yogurt" on the table in front of Shi Liuying, and tugged at her mother's sleeve longingly: "Mommy, Mommy, I want to drink that one, that one is the prettiest!"
The woman stroked her daughter's head: "Sweetie, that's too sweet. Have you forgotten your toothache last time? Let's get something lighter."
She turned to the shopkeeper and asked, "Excuse me, do you have any drinks that aren't too sweet and are better for children's teeth?"
The shopkeeper, a friendly, plump auntie, immediately and enthusiastically recommended: "Yes, yes, yes! We just got some loquat syrup, it's refreshing and cooling, and the sweetness is just right. And this lychee syrup is also sweet but not cloying, young ladies love it!"
The little girl pouted and said, "No! I want that one! Mommy's stingy! Mommy doesn't love me at all!"
The woman was amused by the child's words and gently tapped her forehead: "Nonsense!"
The plump shopkeeper standing nearby chimed in with a smile, her tone full of familiarity: "Oh my little darling, doesn't your mother love you?"
"Ask anyone on this street if they don't know that Ma Da Sao brings you here every single day without fail to have a bowl of sweet soup, saying it's a reward for our young lady's hard work at school!"
"Bystander, rain or shine, who else but my own mother would care so much?"
"All the good things your mother has done for you are hidden in the bottom of this bowl, which is filled day after day!"
An older woman sitting at another table smiled and exclaimed, "That's right, look at this mother and daughter, one keeping an eye on the other and the other making a fuss. That's the warmth of everyday life!"
"In this world, what mother doesn't love her own child?"
Shi Liuying looked up blankly.
What mother doesn't love her own child?
Is this warm feeling love?
Elder Chongcang once said that being able to give up ten thousand years of cultivation just to have a chance to stay by her side is what it means to truly love someone.
If this mother could cultivate immortality, she would surely be willing to give up her millennia of cultivation for her child.
Did her mother love her? Her mother was also a mother.
She stood up, walked to the table, her clear eyes filled with a pure, inquisitive confusion, and asked softly, "Then... do I need to do a lot of work to get a bowl of sweet water?"
The plump shopkeeper, who was clearing away the dishes, looked up upon hearing this and casually asked, "Working? What kind of work? Which family does the young lady work for?"
Shi Liuying counted on her fingers carefully: "Chopping wood, cooking, collecting herbs in the mountains to sell for money, and sometimes... helping to carry goods at the docks."
The plump aunt stopped moving, her brows furrowed, and her voice rose eight octaves: "What? Chopping wood and carrying goods? Which heartless family makes a young girl do such heavy work?"
"They won't even pay our wages, just give us a bowl of sweet water and call it a day? They're not treating us like human beings at all!"
Her tone was full of indignation; as a working person herself, she deeply sympathized with the plight of other workers.
The kind-hearted aunt clearly mistook the poor egg-eating maid, Liu Ying, for some mean-spirited household bullying their little helper.
Looking at Aunt Pang's angry face, Shi Liuying was even more confused. She tilted her head slightly, as if stating a perfectly ordinary fact, and gently corrected, "Not the master's family. It's... my mother."
The bustling dessert shop seemed to fall silent for a moment.
The indignation on Aunt Pang's face froze instantly, turning into embarrassment and... pity.
She opened her mouth, looked into Shi Liuying's pure and innocent eyes, and then looked at the simple light blue Taoist robe she was wearing. Her mind was perfectly clear.
"Oh dear... look at my mouth!" Aunt Pang slapped her thigh in annoyance, her face full of apologetic smiles.
She deftly ladled out a full bowl of the most generously made osmanthus honey wine and shoved it into Shi Liuying's hands without a word: "Little girl, take it, take it! I'm just being blunt and don't think things through, so please don't take it to heart! This bowl of sweet soup is for you, it's very sweet, have a taste!"
Shi Liuying looked down at the bowl of golden, translucent honey wine in her hand, with floating osmanthus blossoms and a rich aroma.
Is it... compensation? Because she said something wrong just now?
But she didn't say anything wrong.
Shi Liuying knew the truth.
She was just stating the facts.
She realized that she had to admit that there are indeed mothers in this world who don't love their children that much.
Shi Liuying touched her chest, which felt like it was being squeezed into a corner, feeling suppressed and uncomfortable.
It doesn't matter; she probably wouldn't give up her millennia-long cultivation for her mother anyway.
So she doesn't love her mother either, which is fair.
So her next step should be...
Just as Shi Liuying was trying to sort out her thoughts, a clear and familiar voice, like a sharp sword cleaving through the gloom, pierced through all the noise of the market and landed precisely in her ears—
"Little firefly!"
Shi Liuying suddenly turned her head.
At the street corner, Chi Yang, dressed in red, raised her arms and shouted loudly.
She smiled brightly, and the bells on her body jingled merrily.
It's not just Chi Yang.
Standing beside her was Shen Hanzhou, who was usually timid but now exuded a strong masculine aura.
What made her heart tremble the most was that her senior brother, Jun Lintian, who should have been recuperating in the Hundred Herbs Hall, covered with yellow flowers and green leaves, was actually standing there.
His face was still pale, but his eyes, when he looked at her, were gentle and deep.
Upon seeing this, Rong Yan's tense shoulders finally relaxed, as if she had found her pillar of support. She quickly stepped forward and said with a sigh of relief, "You've finally arrived!"
Five people stood backlit, smiling at Shi Liuying, and reached out to her: "Junior sister, come here, let's vent your anger!"
Shi Liuying stood there blankly, and before she could even reach out her hand, she felt herself being firmly and unequivocally pulled out of that cold and cramped corner.
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Author's Note: I'm trying my best to squeeze in time to write, but I'm still a thousand words short, sob sob sob. I'll never make promises lightly again. There will be a few random red envelopes in the comments section for this chapter. Please scold me if you want to help me out [crying emoji].
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