Chapter 3 Setting a Trap
Lin Yuesha wiped the snowflakes off her face before she could see the person in front of her clearly. It was her mother's stepson, who was also her stepbrother, Xiao Qi. In those days, scholars were very particular about their appearance, and to show that they were different from others, they added a courtesy name to their names. Xiao Qi's courtesy name was Tingyun.
The original owner didn't have much contact with her stepbrother. From what she knew, her stepbrother was a kind old man who always had a smile on his face. Although he spent very little time in the village, he was often given the "good guy" card.
Even worse, some people compared the two and asserted that this lazy girl would hinder her stepbrother's marriage in the future.
Lin Yuesha didn't know what the original owner was thinking, but she just couldn't get close to the so-called elder brother.
"Brother Xiao, you and Aunt should go to the kitchen and have some hot water to avoid catching a cold. Xiao Ya and I will take over shoveling snow."
After a few words of small talk, Chen Xiaohua volunteered, saying that a scholar's hands are for reading and writing, and are for people with great abilities, so how could they be used for chores?
After saying that, she shoved her cousin Xiaoya and immediately changed her tone, saying, "Xiaoya, what are you standing there for?"
Lin Yuesha looked up at the sky speechlessly. Wasn't this too much discrimination?
"I rarely come back, so I need to help with some chores at home."
Xiao Qi glanced at his sister's expression out of the corner of his eye and knew she was being lazy, so he took the initiative to say, "My sister is still young. I heard she had a high fever that wouldn't go down recently, and I'm worried that she might have another high fever before she's fully recovered."
Lin Yuesha nodded in satisfaction; she simply felt that what he said made perfect sense.
In an era when a cold could be fatal, a persistent high fever could have very serious consequences. Not to mention death, many people were even driven to mental insanity by the fever.
Even her stepbrother, who is not related to her by blood, cares about her more than her biological cousin. Sure enough, girls are more outgoing.
Thinking of this, Lin Yuesha smiled slightly at her stepbrother Xiao Qi. It wasn't that she didn't want to work, but rather that he cared about her health, and she should express her gratitude.
Even though they are not related by blood, they are now a real family.
Xiao Qi nodded, stepped forward, and ruffled Lin Yuesha's hair.
On the surface, the siblings' relationship seemed quite harmonious.
"Brother Xiao, please don't say that. Little Ya's illness is cured long ago!"
Chen Xiaohua immediately retorted, revealing that Xiaoya had not only recovered, but was also eating two bowls of rice at every meal, surpassing her!
Even the most favored girl in the village has to do chores every day, unlike her cousin who is so lazy and only wants to lie down all day.
A while ago, some villagers broke open the ice to catch fish. Lin Xiaoya went to watch with great interest for a while, and when she came back, she developed a high fever.
For this, Chen Xiaohua was scolded by her mother, who complained that she shouldn't have taken Xiaoya out.
Fortunately, my cousin Lin Xiaoya's illness came on and went quickly, and she's been eating an egg custard every day for the past few days to help her recover.
Xiao Qi brought up this topic, and even Madam Chen noticed it.
She used to spoil her daughter too much, and the thought of becoming a widow at such a young age made her feel inferior, so she always kept her head down when she went out to meet people.
Chen was afraid that her daughter would be bullied by the village boys if she went out, and she was also reluctant to let her do chores, so Lin Xiaoya developed a high fever that very night after being exposed to the slightest breeze.
The harsh reality served as a wake-up call for the Chen family.
It is said that scholars are too weak to carry heavy loads or lift anything heavy, and they are too delicate to do manual labor. If they want to stay healthy, they need to move around more.
"Little girl, you and your older brother go downstairs and carry the snow from the yard to the old tree by the gate."
Thinking of this, Madam Chen disregarded her feelings of pity for her daughter and took the initiative to assign tasks.
Lin Yuesha was unaware that her life had undergone a major change. She felt that something was wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Xiao Qi's eyes flickered, and he was very satisfied.
He originally wanted to find a pretext, but Chen Xiaohua was so responsive that she resolved the matter in just a few words, just as he had in mind.
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