Master Qin was considered a capable man in the country. In addition to running a farm, he was also quite shrewd in business, often doing business between officials and various farm owners. His business interests ranged from small items like rouge and cosmetics to large items like horses and porcelain.
Mr. Qin and his first wife were childhood sweethearts who grew up together and naturally married. Mr. Qin had a happy marriage, a fulfilling family life, and a very successful business. Their only daughter, Qin Rong, was also very well-mannered, kind, and sensible. However, fate was cruel; Mrs. Qin later died of a severe headache. Heartbroken, Mr. Qin devoted himself entirely to his business, often leaving for months at a time, leaving his ten-year-old daughter alone at home.
The little girl's carefree life was shattered by this tragedy, and Mr. Qin, preoccupied with his own grief, left his daughter in the care of the household servants. Qin Rong, heartbroken by her mother's death and lacking her father's presence, inevitably developed somewhat extreme views as she grew up alone.
When Mr. Qin returned, Qin Rong appeared innocent and kind, which pleased her father greatly. To outsiders, this girl seemed strong, brave, and kind, often feeding small animals. Mr. Qin believed that giving his child a complete family and allowing her to rediscover the warmth of her mother was a wonderful idea. Therefore, when Mr. Qin consulted Qin Rong, she wholeheartedly supported her father's decision.
And so, the original owner followed her mother into the Qin family, sold the original farm and house for money, and was taken to the Qin family by Master Qin in a carriage.
The original owner's first meeting with Qin Rong went quite well, and she felt a strong liking for her stepsister, who was a few months younger than her. The Qin family was wealthy and powerful, far surpassing the original owner's family. However, the original owner had been personally taught by her mother and was not intimidated by such a lavish household. Master Qin was also very pleased with this.
After the two families merged, Master Qin handed over the family business to the original owner's mother to manage, and the three girls got along well. A month later, Master Qin felt that the family was stable and the children were living happily, so he went on another long trip to handle business.
At first, things went well while Master Qin was away, and the three girls got along well. Although the original owner's mother had never managed such a large household before, she had grown up in a large family. Aside from being a little overwhelmed at first, she gradually managed things very well. Every time Master Qin went on a business trip, he would bring some gifts for the three children, and he would always ask them what they liked before he left.
The original owner and her sister always asked for jewelry, while Qin Rong only ever asked for her father's safe return. Over time, Mr. Qin came to think that his own daughter was the best, and completely ignored the usual care and concern from his stepdaughters. At that time, the original owner and her sister were still relatively naive and outspoken, and they would unknowingly displease Mr. Qin without realizing it, until he later fell ill during a long trip.
The original owner's mother exhausted all her resources, selling off a lot of the Qin family's property and even using the money she brought with her to find a doctor to treat Master Qin, but she still couldn't save Master Qin's life.
After Master Qin passed away, at first some business associates and close friends would come to visit, but as time went on, fewer and fewer people came. It wasn't easy to maintain such a large family. The original owner's mother relied entirely on her ability to manage the farm's produce among the wives to make a living. However, the wages for the servants and helpers were also quite high, and life became increasingly difficult. As a result, they had no choice but to dismiss most of them, leaving only a few people to do some farm work.
The original owner didn't mind that her living expenses had been reduced, since her previous life wasn't much better than it was now. However, Qin Rong, who had always lived a wealthy life, couldn't stand it. She first told the original owner and her sister how spacious her bedroom was and how empty her own was, which made the two sisters shout that they wanted to switch bedrooms with her.
The two sisters' previous bedroom was a guest room, less than half the size of the master bedroom. Their mother initially disagreed, but wavered when Qin Rong said she liked the smaller bedroom. The two sisters moved directly into the master bedroom, but somehow word got out, and they were accused of stepmother abusing her stepdaughters and only caring about her own daughter.
The original owner's mother was busy making a living and had no time to listen to these gossips. The original owner and her sister did not often interact with the people around them, and no one told them these things. Therefore, none of the three knew that Qin Rong had become the person being abused in their family.
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