Chapter 14: The root of everything is nothing more than a struggle for interests

Facing the original female protagonist, who was scurrying away and hiding like a frightened little rabbit, Li Shiyue felt a sudden sense of dilemma.

Li Chunli was Qin Tao's daughter, and Qin Tao was the mistress of the scumbag father. Looking at the big picture, within this complex web of relationships, the source and the primary subject of the error was undoubtedly the scumbag father himself!

It was the scumbag father who had wronged Mother Li; it was the scumbag father who had betrayed his wife and children. One could even say that the scumbag father had been using the entire resources of the Li family to support Qin Tao's family.

The scumbag father hadn't just wronged Mother Li and her two children; he had also wronged Grandmother Li and Li Wangming!

Therefore, in the matter of the scumbag father's affair with Qin Tao, the secondary wrongdoer could only be Qin Tao.

One only had to look at how provocative and arrogant Qin Tao had been when facing Li Shiyue's gaze last night to know she was not a kind person.

Not to mention, Qin Tao had even used the tactic of kneeling and kowtowing to deal with Mother Li, forcing her to accept her as a concubine. Truly, why must women make things difficult for other women?

But as Qin Tao's daughter, what fault did Li Chunli have?

A daughter cannot control her own mother, let alone when there is an older brother above her. If even Li Shigui, as a son, could not control his own mother, how could Li Chunli?

However, it must be said that as Qin Tao's daughter, Li Chunli inevitably enjoyed the benefits that Father Li had diverted from the Li family. This was the most fundamental relationship of interest.

The more Father Li took from the Li family, the more Qin Tao's family gained, and the more Li Chunli received; consequently, Li Shiyue and the others received less. This was the most naked struggle for interest.

It was much like in modern society, where people often ask: what fault do the children of an adulterer or a mistress have?

After all, they had no choice in their birth, right?

But strictly speaking, wasn't their very birth a product of original sin?

Then again, Li Chunli was not the illegitimate daughter of Qin Tao and Father Li; she was the legitimate daughter born of the marriage between Qin Tao and Li Wangtian.

All in all, Li Chunli still possessed a conscience. Therefore, when facing Li Shiyue, she somewhat lacked the courage to hold her head high, feeling as though she were of a lower status.

It was for this reason that Li Chunli chose to hide when meeting Li Shiyue's gaze.

While Li Shiyue was still undecided on how to handle the system's mission to protect the female protagonist, Li Chunli, Father Li's persistent harassment finally caused Li Youfu to no longer be able to suppress the anger in his heart.

"Li Wangguang!

Listen to me carefully. Since you signed the divorce papers yesterday, this matter is settled!

Do not pester us any longer. This ends here!"

Li Youfu, speaking sharply with a darkened face, was quite intimidating; at the very least, Father Li was frightened.

Thus, Father Li could only suppress his resentment and reluctantly comply with Li Youfu's words. He cast a sidelong glance at Grandmother Li's group, left two large baskets and a wooden chest behind, and walked straight away.

Though no one knew what malicious schemes were brewing in Father Li's mind, one could tell from his distorted, twisted expression that he harbored no good intentions.

After returning to their donkey cart, Li Shiyue no longer had time to obsess over the mission assigned by the system, nor the time to wonder how the original protagonist, Li Chunli, would face things herself.

She nimbly helped Mother Li and Grandmother Li pack their belongings. The stronger ones, Shitou and Li Wangming, moved items back and forth to the donkey cart.

Ever since Mother Li divorced Father Li last night, Zheng Meiniang had been terrified that Grandmother Li would treat Mother Li poorly.

At this moment, Zheng Meiniang simply had Li Qiutian drive his own donkey cart over. With a sharp butcher's knife still tucked into her waist, Zheng Meiniang reached out to grasp Mother Li's hand and said, "Chunniang, do not fear. Big sister is here. I will stay with you all on this road. If I have a mouthful of water, you shall have one too!"

Watching Zheng Meiniang deliberately raise her voice like this, Grandmother Li's expression immediately slumped.

It was impossible to say that Grandmother Li didn't feel bad for Mother Li right now. Even though Grandmother Li understood that Mother Li was the only one who had truly suffered injustice in this matter, she still harbored some resentment toward her.

Although Grandmother Li had agreed to live with Mother Li after the divorce—having realized that Father Li was not a reliable man and having weighed the pros and cons following her youngest son Li Wangming's choice—it was still difficult for her to adjust her mindset instantly, and it inevitably showed on her face.

Now that Zheng Meiniang, Mother Li's sister-in-law, had intentionally made such a scene in front of her, how could Grandmother Li maintain a pleasant expression?

"Mother."

The pleading cry of her youngest son made Grandmother Li let out a sigh. "She's half-blind; this old woman has no desire to bully anyone."

In the end, the two families packed up, lined up, and set off with the group from Li Village.

They had been traveling all day, and it was only at dusk that the people of Li Village finally managed to cross a mountain ridge and stop to rest.

Ignoring the dirt, Li Shiyue plopped down directly onto the grass. As soon as she sat, a sour, aching, and tingling sensation shot through the soles of her feet. She truly longed for a hot foot soak.

But that was just a wish. They had not seen a water source since they started; they had been relying on the water they collected from the shallow stream yesterday for the entire day.

"Shiyue, quick, drink this. This is boiled water from Mother."

The moment Mother Li met Li Shiyue's eyes, she knew what she wanted to say. "Mother has already drunk some; this is specifically for you. Drink quickly."

Indeed, the water the Li family drank was always boiled.

It was only yesterday, when the villagers had first found that shallow stream, that Mother Li had failed to restrain Shitou. Shitou was so thirsty that he had buried his head in the stream and drank until his belly was full.

Fortunately, Shitou's constitution had been well-nurtured by Mother Li since childhood; otherwise, he might have actually suffered from diarrhea.

The people of Li Village had a habit of drinking boiled water, a habit that had actually spread from Li Shiyue's family.

As mentioned before, Mother Li had lived in the town with her eldest brother since childhood, and during her youth, she had learned methods for treating fevers and headaches from a local herbalist, including several medicinal recipes.

Consequently, since Mother Li married into the Li family, any women or girls in the household feeling unwell would love to visit her, either to seek a way to alleviate their symptoms or to buy some medicine.

Mother Li had also taken the opportunity to spread the word about drinking boiled water. Those who believed her followed suit, and as it turned out, it truly reduced cases of diarrhea and suffering. As word spread from one person to two, and two to three, the idea that drinking boiled water was good for one's health became a standard practice in every household in Li Village.

However, on this journey of fleeing famine, some families ignored this rule for the sake of convenience and drank directly from the streams.

Grandmother Li took out a pot of porridge made of beans and grains that had been cooked that morning from the donkey cart, scooping more than half a bowl for everyone.

Li Shiyue was not hungry at all at this moment. She thought to herself in admiration, "System products are indeed the real deal! To think that after eating just one grain, I haven't felt hungry all day!"

Li Shiyue felt that after a full day of traveling under the scorching sun, aside from the unbearable ache in her feet, her legs felt as heavy as lead, and she was extremely thirsty.

Li Shiyue wondered where they were now.

Where would they go after leaving Henan Province?

How much further was the journey?

Was the food they had prepared on the donkey cart truly enough?

Not to mention this mission from the trashy system to protect the female protagonist, Li Chunli; Li Shiyue felt nothing but a massive headache.

The family ate their bowls of thin porridge in silence, leaving the bowls so clean they didn't even need washing.

After dark, straw mats were spread on the ground. Li Shiyue lay down leaning against Mother Li. While her mind was wandering through various thoughts, an uninvited guest arrived at the Li family's donkey cart.

The moonlight was clear tonight, allowing Li Shiyue to see the newcomer's face clearly by the light.

Yes, the scumbag father had found them!